In the end, although I was briefly bothered when caught up in the chaos of the monsters, I somehow managed to escape. Unorganized monsters are nothing to fear, no matter how many come at me.
And as I mentioned before, the plains are peaceful. The weather isn’t capricious like mountains, there aren’t any fierce or dangerous monsters, and most importantly, there’s no fog. In other words, there’s no need to always stay on high alert.
Because if anything attacks, there are others around who can see it besides me. So unlike in the mountains, I didn’t need to keep myself constantly on edge.
“You should pronounce it with less rolling. If you roll too much, it sounds… strange. So, thank you. Like this. Thank you. Try saying it.”
“Kam…sa…hamnida?”
Not only is the language ridiculous, but the pronunciation is also absurd. Every time I learn it, I can’t understand how such a language became universally used in this world.
Were there really no people who had complaints about this ridiculous language? There must have been at least one person. It wouldn’t make sense unless everyone who disliked it had vanished into thin air.
“You were almost there. Well, at this level, people will probably understand you fine. Let’s stop here for now. The meat seems to be done.”
Myungho closed the book and said the meat smelled like it was ready. How could learning this language not grow on me, even as my body instinctively moved toward the food despite shaking my head?
It was an animal we picked up casually on the road, so I wouldn’t have expected much, but since the cook is a chef, I’m looking forward to how it tastes.
Besides, since we’ll arrive at the city tomorrow, all the remaining ingredients were used today, so there’s no way it won’t taste good.
“Front legs are mine! Even if Alterra says she wants them, I won’t give them up!”
“Don’t worry, Alterra doesn’t seem interested in those small front legs. She only cares about the hind legs. Alterra? By any chance… would you leave one of the hind legs for us?”
The golden, shiny crust looked incredibly crispy, and the juices that oozed out when poked with a fingernail made it look like an entirely different creature from the unassuming animal we started with.
“…I guess one side is okay. But you have to give me all the ribs in return.”
It was just sad that I had to share. If I were alone, I could’ve eaten it all. Even though it’s been over two weeks since I started traveling with them, group living still feels quite unfamiliar.
“Got it. It’s been a while since I’ve torn into a leg. Akashi, does it matter which part you get this time?”
“I don’t care much for meals made from such low-grade ingredients. What value could inferior meat with its original flavor masked by spices possibly have? Just filling my stomach will do.”
Unable to resist any longer, I twisted off a hind leg, tore it from the body, and shoved it straight into my mouth. The rich aroma and flavors of various spices filled my mouth, creating an intoxicating taste.
Although the taste of the meat itself is overshadowed by the spices, it’s delicious. Anyway, it’s tasty, and that’s what matters.
True to our agreement, I tore off the other hind leg and handed it to Myungho, then continued eating, crunching even the bones. Afterward, I split open the chest and extracted the ribcage.
The spine that came off during the process was discarded into the ground, and like a puppy, I gnawed on the ribs. It might look bad, but I couldn’t help it because it was so delicious.
“Alterra, you don’t have to eat so fast… nom. No one’s going to steal your food. Eat slowly, slowly. You might get indigestion.”
Myungho tells me to eat slowly, but how can I eat this slowly? With every bite they take, I want to take two or three.
Yuna also seemed to know this, as she devoured the front leg without leaving a trace. Though the hind leg has more meat, maybe the front leg has its own appeal.
At first, when seasoning the meat heavily with spices, I wondered if it was correct, but now I see it was. Aside from her lack of manners, Yuna truly is an extraordinary talent, I think.
She excels in both magic and knowledge. Her physical strength? Well, if needed, I could grab her collar and run, so it’s fine. Except for her rudeness and lack of stamina, she’s excellent.
As I bit into the last rib, leaving not a single piece of meat behind, the world felt a little more beautiful.
Actually, if this is average life, maybe the world isn’t so bad after all. Lost in optimistic daydreams, I gazed at the tower that was now quite close.
They say there’s a city at the base of that tower, and rumor has it that the tower extends beyond the clouds. Who built it is still debated.
Regardless of anything else, it’s definitely tall and thick. When I first saw it from the mountain range, it was already towering into the sky.
“…It’s hot, but it’s still delicious. It’s a bit salty, though… Akashi. Do you really not know who built that tower? You seem like someone who would know.”
“No idea, something useless like that. It’s probably older than this land. If you’re curious, ask those above. Maybe one of them knows. Ah, but I do remember gambling everything at the top of that tower. Stealing things, stopping time. It was chaotic.”
Myungho keeps asking Akashi if he knows anything, thinking he might have some information. Honestly, I’m curious, but do I really need to know who built it?
With the bonfire behind me, I sketched the silhouette of the tower against the night sky. Although the top was hidden by clouds, … well, does it really matter?
Every time I see a view like this, it evokes a feeling of reverence, I suppose. A reflection on how small I am.
Lately, I’ve found myself indulging in these reflections more often. Back when simply being alive each day was satisfying, I never dreamed of such thoughts.
Hmm. This is good. The ability to dream about the future and embrace hope is a good thing.
“…Hmm. Alterra. What are you looking at? At the tower?”
Having finished eating, Yuna approached me slowly and asked what I was looking at. Thanks to the vocabulary I learned in short intervals, I understood the basic words.
…So, child-level vocabulary. I couldn’t comprehend the everyday language used by Akashi or Yuna. Their pronunciation was atrocious too.
“Yes. I am looking at the tower.”
I responded perfectly to Yuna. She smiled awkwardly and replied affirmatively before sitting more comfortably and saying something I couldn’t understand.
“…Though our purposes differ, you’re searching for your parents just like me. I wish you success. Hmm, if you can get along well with your father, that would be nice, but… it might be difficult.”
“What did you say?”
I understood the words “parents” and “father.” Judging from her faint smile, it seemed like encouragement. I decided to take it that way. Yeah, I’ll definitely find him.
“It’s nothing.”
After saying that, Yuna sat quietly beside me for a moment before leaving. Random as it was, I didn’t feel bad about building some kind of bond this way.
Still, I dislike feeling isolated, so I need to learn more, faster. If necessary, I’ll try using a pen or something. Since spiders can die, language infusion might work too.
—
Since it touches the sky, people call this tower the Sky Piercing Tower. Those who longed for the sky, unable to fly, climbed the tower that reached the heavens.
Just to get a little closer to the sky.
That’s all the story the small city of Corbo holds. Tales of sweet betrayals and love stories too tragic to hear. All kinds of stories flow from that tower.
But no one cares what’s at the top.
Without exception, they all stared blankly upward at the tower. Surprisingly, the dragon showed little interest. It seemed to only appreciate the sheer size of the massive structure.
What the commoners say doesn’t matter. When we arrived at the gate, a guard greeted us with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“Welcome to Corbo! Are you here to challenge the Sky Piercing Tower?”
“We’re just planning to stay for a bit.”
“Hey, Akashi…”
Did I say something wrong? Shrugging and stepping back, I thought even if I said the right thing, they’d nitpick anyway. Better to stay quiet.
After a long time apart, I exchanged updates with other versions of myself and learned about the state of the world through them, so I passed on some slightly false information about the old man’s worm intel.
How can the same me be so annoying?
Still, since I am me, I mixed in a bit of false info. That guy will figure it out quickly enough, but his decaying brain will have to work harder.
Thinking about the original version, the cost is proportional. Despite inheriting his declining memory…
While complaining, Myungho finally seemed to wrap up his drawn-out conversation, and the guard’s expression brightened again.
“So… even if you’re not challenging the tower now, consider trying it later! As gold-ranked adventurers, you should easily reach the middle floors! And once again, welcome sincerely to Corbo!”
Talkative. This is why cities dependent solely on tourism are no good. I hate places that force cheerfulness like this, even if monotony can be boring.
Especially when they have no idea what happens inside that tower.
With lingering dissatisfaction, I followed Myungho into the city.
