I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 76
The surrounding area grew quiet. As was their habit, the adventurers began swapping rumors from other regions or engaging in idle chatter. Bawdy jokes were par for the course.
Talk of women drifted from every direction. More than half of it was pure bravado. In fact, it was likely over ninety percent. What man in this world could be so vigorous ten or twelve times a day? Truly, even when fully grown, men were like rowdy children.
Of course, Juhwan himself felt he could remain vigorous and reconnect with Riji all night long if she were willing. As his appearance suggested, he possessed incredible stamina.
“….”
Karin of the Red Sword headed toward a corner deep inside the Guild. A person sat there whose job was to read or transcribe documents. A man and a woman worked in shifts; today, it was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties.
After Karin spoke to her, the woman nodded and stood up.
Juhwan stood side-by-side with Riji and began reading the request forms plastered across the wall one by one. He slowly relayed the contents of the papers to Riji in a low voice.
[Recruiting village sentries for three days - 3.5 Lina, includes two meals a day]
[Carriage repair assistant - 2 Lina per day]
[Buying rabbit, wolf, and fox pelts - Prices according to Guild market rates]
[Removing rust from armor, beginners welcome - 2 to 3 Lina]
[Herb gathering, #### - 1 to 2 Lina per small herb pouch]
[Herb gathering, ## - 2 to 3 Lina per small herb pouch]
[Gathering, Screaming Carrots urgently needed - 1 silver coin per root, price negotiable based on market rates]
[Seeking private escort, ten-day schedule, Rank 5 adventurers accepted!]
The titles of the request forms listed the general task and the payment.
Below that, details followed, such as the location, the type of adventurer desired, or a description of the work site.
For forms that didn’t list a price in the title, the amount was written in the details below. Upon reading them, the pay was abysmal. That was likely why they hadn’t put it in the title.
The wages were much lower than he had expected. It seemed he had been incredibly lucky to land the merchant caravan escort job right away. He was truly glad he could use healing magic.
Compared to other tasks, the pay for herb gathering was on the higher side. He didn’t know how big a ‘small pouch’ was, but it seemed better than most daily wages. It was understandable why Karin had stepped forward to do it.
‘But what on earth is a Screaming Carrot?’
Had he misread the characters? It would be bad to read the wrong words to Riji. As he frowned and glared at the letters on the request form, a voice spoke from beside him.
“Juhwan, when did you learn to read all of that?”
Riji looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. Seeing the spark of admiration in her gaze made Juhwan feel a bit bashful.
Since leaving the city of Moderni, Juhwan had begun teaching Riji how to read whenever they had a spare moment.
However, it had been a struggle from the start.
Riji, who had never studied before, found learning difficult. She was slow to memorize individual characters and struggled to combine them into sounds. The speed of her comprehension and acquisition was vastly different from students on Earth.
To her, the fact that meaningless symbols could come together to create a specific meaning seemed to be a very foreign concept.
It wasn’t that Riji disliked studying. On the contrary, every time she learned a new character, her eyes would light up, and she would stare at it for a long time. It was as if she were looking at something incredibly precious.
Sometimes, Riji would sit quietly and trace the characters with her fingers. Perhaps a thirst for learning had been lying dormant in a corner of her heart all along.
Maybe she had simply given up on it from the beginning because learning seemed useless, while deep down, she had envied those who could read and write.
The wooden letter blocks she had received from Gus had already become Riji’s treasures.
It was since then that Riji had begun looking at Juhwan with such admiration. It was likely because she realized that learning to read was much harder than she had thought. That was why Juhwan, who had taught himself the language and the script without even knowing how to speak at first, seemed so impressive to her.
However, receiving such a look just for being able to read and write made him feel truly self-conscious. It felt like performing the ‘disappearing thumb’ trick for a five-year-old—where you’ve really just tucked your thumb into your palm, but the child thinks it’s magic.
Riji looked at the request forms, matching the characters to what Juhwan had read for her. Though she struggled with the initial learning, her memory was not bad.
Riji repeated what Juhwan had told her in a small voice, tracing the request forms until her gaze suddenly stopped.
She stared intently at the words ‘Screaming Carrot.’
Suddenly, Riji beamed and looked up at his face.
“Juhwan, I wish we could gather Screaming Carrots. If we could find just a few, the silver coins would…”
Riji trailed off with a giggle. She seemed happy just imagining the scene.
So, he hadn’t misread it. It seemed ‘Screaming Carrots’ really did exist.
“Riji, do you know what a Screaming Carrot is?”
“I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never seen one. They’re so expensive that poor commoners like us almost never get to see them. Not the actual thing, nor the medicine made from them.”
“I see.”
While he was checking a few other requests, the Red Sword party and the female reader approached.
The reader held a small hourglass in her hand. She placed the hourglass on a shelf by the wall where the requests were posted and spoke to Karin.
“We shall begin now. As you know, the fee is 1 Lina per turn of the glass. You said you were looking for herb gathering?”
“Yes, please look for ones with high pay.”
“Understood.”
Grains of sand began to fall through the narrow neck of the hourglass.
The reader scanned the board and began selecting notices related to herbs.
The woman was quick with both her eyes and her hands. After a rapid scan, she pulled out several suitable request forms and began to read.
Listening to the reader, Juhwan realized that the words he hadn’t been able to read earlier were Mistletoe and Cheonma.
Karin selected a few from what the reader had recited and asked her to read them again. What Karin chose wasn’t the Screaming Carrot, but herb requests that offered slightly higher pay than the others.
Riji seemed a little disappointed. She looked longingly at the request for the Screaming Carrots and asked.
“Karin, why aren’t you picking the Screaming Carrots? Those have the highest price.”
Karin gave a wry smile.
“Screaming Carrots are extremely rare, Riji. You can’t find them easily. If we only pick that request, we’ll end up wasting days with nothing to show for it. Besides, if you’re not careful, the scream can deafen you. That’s why the price is so high. Well, it would be a total jackpot if we actually found one, though.”
So Screaming Carrots actually did scream. He was reminded once again that this was another world. It truly was a strange place.
Beside them, Jessie grinned and draped an arm over Karin’s shoulder.
“Don’t be so disappointed, Riji. That’s a standing request, so they’ll buy them whenever you find them. There’s no need to actually take the paper with you.”
“I hope we can find a Screaming Carrot.”
Riji murmured as she watched the reader pin the Screaming Carrot request back onto the wall with a look of regret.
Come to think of it, there wasn’t just one copy of the requests that didn’t have a set duration or quantity; there were several pinned to the wall. He had thought it was because there were multiple clients, but it seemed they were posted that way on purpose so the request would remain even if someone took one.
The sand hadn’t all run out yet. Karin glanced at the glass and spoke to the reader.
“Please look for a few long-term ones. Something that includes meals. Anything nearby is fine. I’d prefer something that pays at least 5 Lina.”
The reader pulled a few requests from the corner and read them.
Given that she was asking for long-term work, Karin might have been looking ahead for a time when she wasn’t with Juhwan, or for after the month was up.
Noticing Juhwan’s gaze, Karin shrugged and smiled.
“It’s best to check for good jobs in advance and take the forms. Otherwise, someone else will snatch them up. First come, first served.”
“Doesn’t the Guild say anything about that?”
“Ah, you can’t just take the form and keep it; you have to register it. If you fail to complete the task within the period, there are penalties, so you must get it done. That’s why you shouldn’t take a request you can’t handle, even if the pay is high.”
In the meantime, the sand ran out. The reader collected 1 Lina on the spot and turned to head back to her seat.
“Ah, wait a moment.”
When Juhwan called out, the reader placed the hourglass back on the shelf.
“Would you like me to read a request for you?”
“No. I was wondering if I could get private lessons? I’d like to learn more about the script and pronunciation. Even on your days off or in the evenings would be fine.”
At Juhwan’s words, the reader’s face stiffened.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t do that kind of work. The Guild prohibits it.”
“Oh… I apologize.”
Was there a non-compete clause in the Guild? He hadn’t expected that.
Beside them, Jessie spoke up, looking flustered.
“No, no, it’s not like that. This man is head over heels for his wife; he didn’t mean it that way. He probably really just wants private tutoring. Likely.”
“Oh!”
The reader looked at Juhwan with a slightly startled expression, her face turning bright red.
Jessie looked up at Juhwan and asked.
“Right? You meant it literally… didn’t you?”
“…Does ‘private lessons’ have another meaning?”
Juhwan was also a bit flustered. Could it be that the phrase ‘private lessons’ had a double meaning in this world? Like how people said ‘going to pick flowers’ instead of ‘going to the bathroom’?
Marie began to snicker.
“This lady is a widow living alone, you see. There are men who think she… well, you know, does that sort of thing on the side. Men like that usually use an invitation like the one you just gave.”
“Ah.”
Only then did he understand. But would someone really ask for that with their wife right there?
Riji seemed to catch on late as well. Her face flushed, and she took on a slightly angry expression.
“Juhwan wouldn’t do something like that…”
Riji started off strong, but her voice trailed off at the end as she looked up at Juhwan with worry. Despite what she said, she seemed to be wondering ‘what if.’
“I would never. Not in a million years.”
“….”
Only after Juhwan spoke firmly did Riji’s expression soften with relief. As if marking him as her own, Riji gripped Juhwan’s hand tightly. Since Riji was usually reserved with her expressions, such an act was rare. It was pleasant to see her show a bit of possessiveness.
“What won’t you do?”
Dorothy, who had been playing nearby, poked her head between Juhwan and Riji and asked.
“….”
“….”
All the adults went silent. Dorothy tilted her head and asked again.
“But Daddy, what if the sky falls? When? What do we do if the sky is gone? That would be a big problem.”
Juhwan scooped the child up. Beside him, Riji explained in a small voice that it was okay even if the sky fell. Because the sky was so high, it wouldn’t reach down here even if it fell… No, that’s not quite right, Riji.
The reader, who had been quietly watching Juhwan and Riji, asked with a curious look.
“But I saw earlier that you seem to know how to read. Why do you want to learn from me?”
“I realized it after hearing you read just now. Did you perhaps receive a noble’s education?”
The woman’s face stiffened slightly.
He might have touched on a sensitive subject. Juhwan bowed his head slightly.
“I apologize if I was rude. It’s just that I’ve heard similar pronunciations before. If possible, I’d like to learn a more refined way of speaking. I want to broaden my vocabulary and such as well.”
This time, not just the reader, but Riji and the Red Sword party looked at him strangely. Their expressions said: If you can read and write, what more do you need?
But learning anything was bound to be useful. He didn’t have any particular intention of making connections with nobles, but who knew what might happen in the future? The saying ‘knowledge is power’ was a truth that applied to any world and any era.
The reader shrugged her shoulders slightly and gave a small laugh.
“You’re a strange man. I can be your private tutor. In fact, if it’s truly for that purpose, I’d like to do it. But there is a condition. We cannot meet alone.”
That was exactly what he wanted. He had no intention of leaving Riji and Dorothy behind to meet her in the first place. Furthermore, he wanted to ask her to help with Riji’s education as well. It would be much better if she could learn proper pronunciation and characters from the start.
After promising to settle on a time and fee later, Juhwan and the Red Sword party registered the request with the Guild staff.
“The quantity isn’t fixed, so you can bring ten pouches or a hundred. However, the client wants fresh herbs, so bring them in the same day you pick them, or the next morning at the latest. Which pouches should I give you?”
“Small ones are too much trouble, so give us three large ones.”
“Be careful not to crush the herbs. We’ll lower the price for low-quality batches.”
“I know.”
Karin gave a wry smile at the clerk’s warning.
Unlike the escort mission, there was no separate request slip for the herbs. They simply received the cloth pouches to hold them.
“If we hurry, we can start gathering today.”
Karin seemed to be in a bit of a rush. Carrying the large pouches that looked like rice sacks, they hurried out of the Guild office.
The place Red Sword led them to was about an hour’s walk from the village. It was the edge of a forest. A narrow path led near it, but there were hardly any traces of recent passage. It seemed to be a place where people rarely came.
“Experienced adventurers each have their own hunting grounds or gathering spots that others don’t know about. They don’t usually share them. This is a place we come to often. Many kinds of herbs grow here, and magical beasts or wild animals rarely appear.”
“Is it alright to tell us about such a place?”
“You’ve helped us before, Juhwan.”
Karin pushed through the low grass as she led the way. Trees that stretched high into the sky stood scattered about.
“Do you see those things up there that look like bird nests?”
Looking up at the sky, he saw round clusters formed here and there on the incredibly high branches. They looked so much like nests that he wondered if they weren’t just that.
“That’s Mistletoe. It wasn’t made by birds; it’s a plant that lives off this tree.”
He was a bit surprised. No matter how he looked at it, it only looked like a bird’s nest. To think that was just a plant.
“But it’s so high up. How do you gather it?”
“We tie this around our waists, climb the tree, and cut it down with a knife.”
What Marie pulled out of her backpack was a thick leather strap that looked like a belt and short leather pieces with iron spikes attached. She placed the spiked leather straps against the soles of her boots and tied them tightly. Once the sharp spikes were set under her boots, she stomped a few times to make sure they were secure.
Good grief. It looked like she intended to climb the tree with nothing but a single spike on each boot.
Juhwan’s expression must have been funny. Marie snickered as she looped the leather strap around the tree.
In the meantime, Karin tied a small knife to a piece of bamboo to make a makeshift long pole-knife. She tied a long string to the bamboo knife and secured it to Marie’s waist.
“Just watch for now.”
Marie looped the leather strap loosely around the tree and stepped inside it. As she leaned back, the strap became taut. Using the strap to balance her body, Marie began to climb bit by bit, driving the iron spikes on her feet into the tree.
“Be careful!”
When Riji shouted, Marie gave a thumbs-up. A moment later, Marie had climbed to a dizzying height.
His heart was in his throat.
Having reached the Mistletoe, Marie pulled up the bamboo knife tied to her waist and cut the plant away.
Just one.
The price of the Mistletoe gathered at the risk of one’s life was only 1 to 2 Lina, and that was only after several of them were collected.
After gathering several clumps of Mistletoe, they dug for Cheonma. Cheonma was a root buried in the ground. It was much safer to gather than Mistletoe, but there wasn’t much of it. Making a living was truly not easy.
While Juhwan and Riji worked silently with Red Sword to dig up Cheonma, Dorothy and Oz roamed the area. Dorothy seemed to be looking for something as well. She moved about busily, commanding Oz to dig here and dig there.
As Juhwan was digging for Cheonma while making sure Dorothy stayed within his sight, Oz’s ears suddenly perked up, and he began to dig frantically in one spot.
“Oz! What are you doing?”
Dorothy crouched down to watch Oz. But Oz continued to dig into the ground as if he couldn’t hear Dorothy’s voice.
Just as Juhwan approached, sensing something was odd, a strange sound leaked from the hole Oz had dug so quickly that he nearly disappeared inside.
“Kee-heee! Kee-heee! Kee-heeeeeee!”
