I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 83
083 A Man’s Jealousy
He had seen quite a few villages by now. Most were shabby and worn, but he had never seen one in such a state of utter ruin as this.
There was a perimeter fence here, but more than half of it was broken or missing. In this condition, it could hardly keep out a stray beast, let alone bandits.
‘Even the poorest village wouldn’t leave things like this.’
Usually, if a fence was destroyed, people would at least cut down some bamboo to patch it up crudely. But in this village, even such basic repairs were nowhere to be seen.
Something felt wrong.
The gate at the village entrance was also broken. The upper hinge connecting the gate to the fence had snapped, leaving it leaning at a precarious angle. It seemed they couldn’t close it or open it properly, so they had simply abandoned it.
Lij slowly drove the carriage into the village. She, too, seemed shocked by the devastation. She said nothing, but her slightly hunched shoulders spoke for her.
“Daddy.”
Dorothy, who had been peeking outside through the small opening behind the driver’s seat, called out to Juhwan in a small voice. Even to a child’s eyes, the atmosphere surrounding Juhwan and Lij must have seemed different. She looked around anxiously before reaching out a tiny hand toward the driver’s seat.
‘Ah.’
He had made a mistake. Children are more sensitive to their parents’ expressions than anything else. If a parent looks angry or afraid, only then does the child feel that their surroundings are dangerous and scary. He knew this, yet he had been inconsiderate.
Taking Dorothy’s hand, Juhwan gave her a gentle smile.
Only after seeing him smile did she seem relieved. Dorothy let out a long breath and spoke to Oz, who was tucked inside her pocket.
“It’s okay, Oz. It’s not scary. It’s just a village.”
“….”
She had been scared. Lij turned her head toward Dorothy, who was putting on a brave face for Oz like the big sister she claimed to be.
Lij also seemed to realize that Dorothy had been watching her expression. She gave a small smile.
“Dorothy, you can have some raisins, so go play with Oz inside the carriage.”
“Really? Is it okay even before lunch? You always told me to eat them after.”
“Lunch is going to be a bit late today. That’s why.”
“Okay!”
Once Dorothy retreated inside, Lij quietly scanned their surroundings.
“This village seems to be in particularly bad shape.”
She meant that even eating in front of the villagers might feel awkward. Perhaps because she had once gone hungry herself, her tone was tinged with sympathy.
Certainly, looking at this wreckage, the village’s plight was obvious. Juhwan let out an involuntary sigh.
Unlike Lij, Juhwan’s mind had immediately shifted to a state of high alert.
He had to consider the possibility of being plundered by the villagers, not just attacked by Magical Beasts.
One might wonder if people could really be like that, but there was no telling what humans would do when pushed to the limit. Even someone who finds the idea repulsive would drink their own urine if cast away at sea. In any situation, a human’s own life comes first. Concepts of good, evil, or shame mean nothing in the face of survival.
As the carriage rattled along, Juhwan’s gaze suddenly dropped to the ground. There were dark, mottled stains along the side of the road. They had a dark red tint around the edges.
‘Bloodstains?’
They weren’t from the last few days. They were likely older marks. Judging by the size of the stains, a significant amount of blood must have been shed. Upon closer inspection, he saw similar traces scattered here and there.
‘Signs of raiding…’
He recalled the Guild Master’s warning. Raids happened occasionally near the border. Even if it wasn’t happening now, this village might have been raided in the past.
As they moved deeper in, several houses with smashed doors and windows came into view, supporting Juhwan’s theory. There were no people in sight. It felt like entering a ghost town from a movie.
They passed barren winter fields and a few lonely houses, heading further toward the center. As they approached a cluster of buildings, they finally saw a person.
He looked to be about twenty. A fairly young man. He wasn’t carrying a bow or arrows, but he was dressed in typical Hunter’s attire.
Seeing the carriage, the young man approached.
He stole a glance at Lij. Upon seeing her face, his own turned slightly red. Sensing the interest in his eyes, Juhwan felt a twinge of irritation.
The man was young and had a fresh, youthful appearance. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but he had the vigor of someone his age. He didn’t have a scary or grim appearance like Juhwan. He was also closer to Lij’s age than Juhwan was.
Juhwan glanced at Lij.
“….”
He wondered if Lij had noticed the gaze and was blushing. He worried if she felt even a little bit flattered by the attention.
But Lij hadn’t noticed at all. She didn’t even look at the man’s face. To her, he was just ‘Villager Number 1.’ Juhwan felt a wave of relief.
‘I’m surprisingly petty.’
He had never felt this way back on Earth. He didn’t think he had ever been the type to be possessive over a woman.
Since coming to this world, Lij hadn’t really been looked at that way by men. There were those who occasionally hit on her, but no one had shown such pure, youthful interest as this man.
Her slender face, large eyes, delicate wrists and ankles, and pale skin—to Juhwan’s eyes, she had been lovely from the start. However, perhaps because the beauty standards of this era were different, or because Lij had been thin and gaunt, she hadn’t drawn much attention.
But even with the same face, healthy skin could completely change an impression. Now that she was being properly nourished, the effects were showing all over her body. It was only natural that she would catch people’s eyes. She would only get more beautiful as time passed. The current Lij was like a flower just beginning to bloom.
“….”
A narrow-minded man is an ugly thing. Juhwan’s mood soured slightly. But then he thought—why was this guy showing interest in a married woman? It wasn’t that he was being petty; it was that the man was being strange.
The young man, blushing all by himself, finally turned his gaze toward Juhwan. Still clearly mindful of Lij, the man looked the carriage up and down.
“This isn’t a place for civilians right now. Dangerous Magical Beasts are appearing. If you’re heading for the border, it’s best to turn back.”
Seeing the heavy luggage, he seemed to take them for travelers or people heading to the border.
Was this man the Magical Beast Hunter the Guild Master mentioned? No, he had said it was someone with a lot of experience, and this guy was far too young for that.
Glancing at Lij again, the man continued.
“This is no place for a cute young lady like her.”
Ah, Juhwan realized it then. This man didn’t think Lij was his wife. He probably thought she was his younger sister, or maybe even his daughter.
In this world, people married young. It wasn’t uncommon for a man in his thirties to have a teenage daughter. Perhaps he saw Juhwan as a man in his forties and Lij as a teenager. That would explain the blushing and the stolen glances. Being treated like an old man was one thing, but being treated like an old man by another man? His mood sank even further.
Lij straightened her posture and looked at the man. She looked somewhat offended.
“I am this man’s wife. Not a ‘young lady.’”
Juhwan thought every woman would like being called a ‘young lady,’ but apparently, Lij was different. He felt a bit relieved. Then his mood dipped again as he realized, ‘I really am a narrow-minded man.’
“We are adventurers here to assist with the Magical Beast hunt. Are you familiar with the Adventurer Village? We accepted the request there.”
At Juhwan’s words, the man’s expression changed.
“Ah, assistants.”
It was the face of someone looking down on his inferiors.
Juhwan gave a bitter smile.
He often encountered people like this in professions that others looked up to.
However, just as the saying goes that the ripest ears of grain hang the lowest, those who have walked a single path for a long time might be stubborn, but they don’t disregard others so easily.
This kind of condescension was a trait often seen in greenhorns who had just started. It was because they were young and lacked experience.
Juhwan brushed it off, thinking the man was just immature, but Lij seemed angry. Her eyebrows arched slightly, and her lips thinned. Come to think of it, Lij was also a young, novice adventurer.
“I heard an experienced Magical Beast Hunter took the job. Is that you?”
“No, that’s my master. My master is one of the finest Magical Beast Hunters in our territory. Well, I wonder if you’ve heard his name. Have you heard of the Hunter Gwen?”
The young man’s chest puffed out with pride. He looked proud as he stole another glance at Lij’s face.
Juhwan replied with a dry smile.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Hmph.”
The young man’s shoulders seemed to slump a little. He had wanted to brag, but the excitement died down when the other party didn’t know the name. He had likely expected them to be impressed. Still, his boastful expression remained.
“Well, I suppose people from remote villages might not know. He’s well-known among adventurers, but that Adventurer Village is quite out of the way, isn’t it? In the capital, the name of the Magical Beast Hunter Gwen is as famous as Mr. Leonard’s.”
He hadn’t realized Leonard was such a famous person. He wasn’t sure if Leonard was famous as a Magical Beast Hunter or a merchant, though.
The man puffed out his chest again.
“I am his only disciple, Jack. Master has never taken a disciple before. I am his first and last.”
“My daddy is famous, too! He’s a Magician!”
Dorothy, who he thought was playing inside the carriage, poked her nose through the hole in the driver’s seat and chirped. Lij also wore a defiant expression.
“Well, I suppose he can use a bit of magic. But Magicians from the Guild are all pretty much the same. You need to be at least 3rd Grade to use anything worthwhile…”
Jack glanced at Juhwan and let out a snicker.
“You look more like the physical type. What are you, a 4th Grade?”
“My husband is a 2nd Grade adventurer. He uses Fire Magic and healing magic.”
Lij mimicked Jack’s tone, looking at him with a slightly condescending gaze. Seeing Jack’s eyes go wide, she let out a mocking snicker.
‘Really, there’s no point in competing over things like this.’ He had been inwardly mocking the man for being a greenhorn, and now his wife was doing the exact same thing.
‘I shouldn’t be laughing at this.’
But Lij’s behavior was adorable. She was getting angry for him, defending him. How could that not be cute? His heart felt a warm flutter.
Watching Jack look somewhat frustrated, Juhwan spoke up.
“Where is Mr. Gwen? I’d like to meet him to discuss our next steps.”
“Master went into the mountains to track the beast’s trail.”
Apparently, the two of them had arrived the day before yesterday. They had entered the village around dusk, just after a Magical Beast had snatched a child from the village.
“They said another person was taken five days before the child was snatched. Master said there’s a chance the child might still be alive for a day or two. So he headed into the forest as soon as it got light yesterday.”
“Did he go in alone, without any help?”
“….”
Jack bit his lip. He had likely asked to go along but was refused.
But it was strange. If Gwen could handle the Magical Beast on his own, Leonard or the Guild Master wouldn’t have bothered sending Juhwan.
“Did Mr. Gwen say he was going in to save the child?”
Jack looked at Juhwan with a strange expression, as if he were asking something obvious.
“He said there was a possibility the child was alive, so I assume so.”
“….”
Perhaps that had been a statement of simple fact.
Tracking a beast is difficult. But if it’s carrying live prey in its mouth, finding its trail becomes a little easier.
It was just a guess, but perhaps this Hunter named Gwen didn’t actually think he could save the child. He might have felt pity, but he might not have had any intention of bringing back a living child.
‘He probably rushed in simply to catch the trail before it went cold.’
If it were Gus, that’s what he would have done.
Juhwan let out a small sigh and looked at Jack.
“The frequency of the beast coming down to the village seems to be about once every four or five days.”
“That’s right.”
Another heavy breath escaped him. If the Magical Beast was obsessed with the village and appearing periodically, the village would inevitably become the bait.
It wasn’t intentional, but it was the natural outcome.
The Hunter named Gwen must have thought so too, which is why he hurried after the beast. He likely wanted to avoid using the villagers as bait if possible, and to do that, he had to find the creature’s den.
While he was talking to Jack, a middle-aged man from the village approached. His face was haggard with anxiety and exhaustion.
“Welcome. I am the Village Chief.”
The previous Village Chief had died recently, and his son had taken over. The Chief had been struck by an arrow fired by enemy looters last autumn.
The Village Chief lamented that between the looting and the string of Magical Beast attacks, the village was barely clinging to life.
“We truly, truly need your help, adventurers. But our village has nothing to offer. It’s a struggle just to have one meal a day, milord.”
It seemed his long explanation of the village’s situation was a prelude to this.
The Guild had said that the costs for this Magical Beast subjugation would be billed to the Lord. The village’s only responsibility was providing lodging and food for the adventurers. But the Village Chief was saying even that was difficult.
“It’s alright. We brought our own food.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
The Village Chief bowed his head repeatedly.
He offered to arrange lodging, but Juhwan declined that as well. The carriage was much better than most of the houses here.
The Village Chief bowed again, expressing his gratitude over and over.
Whether out of fear of the beast or something else, several faces could be seen peeking out from small windows in their homes. Every single one of them looked gaunt. This world truly was a difficult place to live. Another small sigh escaped Juhwan’s lips.
