Chapter 48 - Second Episode
The Ortem trolley broke down and I thought this would be the end already, but I should be able to get to the city if I could get the wagon to take me there.
I don’t have any money, but I do have some food supplies.
If I asked for help, I might be able to get to it somehow.
I run-up to the wagon and turn my attention to the green-haired man sitting on the driver’s seat.
I can see a thin, unshaven beard on his cheek. The man is probably in his early 20s.
“My name is Abel. Well, my means of transportation is broken. Can you take me to some city? Really, any city is fine.”
“You can call me James. It must be hard for you to be in the middle of the woods. I’d love it if you ride.”
Thank God.
I had just half given up on the idea of having to return to the village.
I didn’t think I’d get nine lives in this way.
”Thank you very much! It really, really helped!”
“It’s just… well, what’s the broken mode of transportation?”
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
I pointed to the Ortem Trolley.
James looked at the Ortem Trolley and then rubbed his eyes.
It was as if he couldn’t believe what he saw.
“Well did you have a demonic beast strapped to that thing?’
“No, it’s powered by magic. Like this, clank clank clank.”
“Eh, I see…”
“‘That’s right! That, I think I can fix that when we get to the city, but in return…”
“…what? Oh, I don’t have much space, so I’d like you to leave it behind if you can. You’ll have to give up your luggage and anything too bulky, or else it’s a bit…”
I look at the loading dock.
There is a mountain of burlap sacks piled up, and there is certainly no time to load the Ortem Trolley.
It’s not like I’m going to ask them to dump the luggage down.
And somehow, the way James’s eyes look at the Ortem trolley is quizzical.
I’ve been living as a Marren for so long that I’ve become numb to the idea, but some things about Ortem’s face are pretty creepy.
It’s not something that would be accepted by the general public.
”Oh, I see…”
I’m sorry, but I have to say goodbye to Ortem Trolley here.
I patted Ortem Trolley’s head and cut a cross with my hand.
I’m sorry. It’s because I was pathetic that I’ve been had by my sister’s trap…
I used my wooden carving knife to carve at the Ortem Trolley that says “I’ve given a ride in the wagon. I’m sorry, but I won’t be returning for a while.”
If I didn’t return after I had broken down the Ortem trolley, Gizel would think I had run out of steam and come looking for me.
If she still didn’t find me, she might think that I had gotten lost in the woods and died.
I’ll follow up with this much at least.
I take out a sack with a bunch of incense leaves from the Ortem trolley and let them move it to the back of the cart.
My eyes met with the sheep-horn girl who was lying on the back of the cart, rubbing against the burlap sack.
This person is going to be my traveling companion too. I’ll say hello to her.
The sheep girl doesn’t respond to my greeting but turns her attention to the green-haired man on the driver’s seat.
”Hey James-san, are you going to let this guy ride? Geez, I don’t want this, geez, and Mea wanted to take it easy…”
The sheep girl who calls herself Mea, her voice is a little bouncy as she says this.
Gingerly, she pulls the burlap sack over to the edge of the cart.
I thought for a moment that I wasn’t welcome, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I’m a little relieved.
“Come on, hurry. You can get in so pass it to me”
“Then, please.”
Mea looks about my age, or maybe a little younger.
It doesn’t have to be a respectful term.
She might be a few hundred years old, depending on her race.
“‘What’s in this?”
As she says it, Mea hits the bag with a bang.
There is the sound of incense leaves shattering inside.
“Oh, hey, don’t hit it too much! It’s one of my few assets”
What a girl, I’m starting to get a little nervous.
I looked at James and he looked away. He looks like he’s having a hard time with a lot of things, too.
He goes back to the Ortem Trolley again and carries this and that.
“What’s this book? I’ve never seen these letters before, but………Uhh, the illustrations are creepy. Your hobbies are a little bad.”
“It’s borrowed! Oh, don’t crease it! Just like that, slowly put it down! Because the Chief is going to get at me!”
“What’s this juice?”
‘If you drink one bottle, it would allow you to move around for a week with no sleep or rest, and it would make you feel like you’re being rushed into something. With my special drink that makes you work terribly hard… hey, wait, don’t throw it away.!”
“How will you hold me responsible if I drink this stuff by mistake?”
“Don’t treat it like poison!”
“You still have luggage? Oh, that’s some delicious dried meat. What kind of meat is that?”
“Greater Bear.”
“eh?”
“Greater Bear.”
As such, I managed to finish carrying most of my stuff.
However, there are still two more Ortem bodies left. If I force them onto it, the rest of the luggage will overflow.
This Ortem is my masterpiece and the first Autem that Gizel carved. I don’t want to throw it away as much as possible.
And maybe, just maybe, Gizel will come here.
I’m sure Gizel would be saddened if her carved Ortem was thrown away in such a haphazard manner.
Maybe it’s not something that I should be worried about now that I ran away before the wedding, but that’s why I don’t want to do something that would make her feel trapped.
I hold the two Ortem bodies in my arms and stagger closer to the wagon.
”Hey … well … this …”
“Uwa, what is that creepy doll? We don’t have room for that anymore. And if you’re riding along with them, you might be cursed. Throw it away!”
“Do you think you could stuff it and…?”
“My bags are overflowing and spilling out while we’re running. I don’t really care about it from Mea’s point of view, but James-san is going to cry.
“So why don’t I unload that bag of mine and my dried meat and…”
As I reached for the bundle of dried meat, Mea took it first and quickly moved it away from me.
“No, I don’t want to! I won’t give you my precious protein.”
………no, it’s mine.
But surely, unloading dried meat isn’t enough at all………
”Well then let’s just do it this way, I’m going to ride anymore but this Ortem alone is going to town……”
“Well, Mea doesn’t care about it, but won’t you lose it there?
After much deliberation, I decided to incinerate the two Ortem bodies.
Rather than slowly decaying in nature, there is still some relief in destroying them with my own hands.
That Ortem will never come back. But even so, the totem can be carved again.
If you burn it this way, Gizel won’t be sad to find the discarded Ortem later on.
“…………”
I sat on the ground, staring at the smoke as it climbed to the sky.
I couldn’t stop crying.
I felt nauseous and I held it in my mouth.
“Sniff… Sniff… Sniff…’
“Somehow, I’m sorry I told you to get rid of that. Come on, let’s get out of here. It must be hard to watch.”
I watched the fire on the Ortem until it was extinguished, and then I climbed into the wagon.
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