LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 6
Chapter 6 – Sardis (1)
—–CROW—–
The voyage to Şehir was shorter than when I was first brought here as a slave.
It wasn’t like I was going to another country, just traveling up the coast, so it would have been strange if it took longer. The fact that it was a relatively inexpensive, cost-effective ship also contributed to the shorter travel time.
In any case, I arrived in Şehir, rested for a day, and then boarded a pre-booked carriage with others headed for Sardis.
“It’s convenient to travel with a pre-planned route,” a man in the same carriage said with a smile.
The massive carriage, almost too big for horses to pull, was like a train in this world.
Since the horses were incredibly strong and there was magic, technology hadn’t advanced beyond increasing the size of carriages.
“Yes. It’s non-stop to Sardis, so it’s convenient that we can just kill time on the carriage.”
It was difficult for an individual to rent such a large carriage. The trading company that operated the ship I took was charging for the carriage and including it in the journey.
There was a regular route from Einhir, where Carmine University was located, to Sardis, so I booked a ticket accordingly.
Since my identification was already verified in Einhir, I didn’t have to deal with the gatekeepers.
Usually, having proper identification was enough to pass through, but after spending three years as a slave due to identification issues, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.
Anyway, after I responded to him, the man said,
“Oh, you can speak casually to me. Don’t mind me speaking formally. I’ve become used to formal speech from working as a merchant.”
“It’s my charm to not refuse when someone puts it like that.”
“Hahaha! You’re a straightforward person.”
The self-proclaimed merchant laughed heartily at my casual response.
“Our carriage ride will last at least two days. If we just stare out the window at the grasslands without talking, we’ll go crazy. So, we should introduce ourselves before things get awkward to avoid boredom.”
“Really? Coming from a merchant, those words carry weight.”
Even in the military, there were people who hated seniors or juniors who didn’t talk during guard duty, and this guy seemed to be that type.
“Haha, don’t even get me started. The things merchants hate most are thieves and monsters, but the thing they fear most is boredom. Just sitting in this carriage is already making me anxious.”
“I don’t like being bored either. Ah, I’m Nord. My real name is hard to pronounce, so call me by this name.”
“I’m Jorma Rubreo. Please call me Jorma.”
After the introductions, Jorma glanced at the others.
Two uncles, one skinny and one fat, and a man in a robe.
“Why don’t you all join the conversation? You might be fine now, but you’ll be bored to death after just one day.”
“…I’m Jolf Darmik. The young man is quite talkative.”
“Well, whatever. It’s good to have some company. I’m Aaron Jackfree. I’m on my way back home.”
The skinny uncle seemed as quiet as his receding hairline, and the pot-bellied uncle who said he was going home had a name like a pirate.
After the two introduced themselves, my gaze naturally fell on the robed man who hadn’t spoken.
He was wearing a suspicious-looking black robe.
I had encountered him a few times on the ship, and each time, I felt uneasy. It was a cliché in the fantasy movies, comics, and books I’d read or seen that sea voyages never went smoothly.
Krakens. Mermen. Harpies. Sirens.
Sea voyages in this world were filled with the fear of when those monstrous bastards would appear and cause trouble.
But the guy who kept wearing his robe even while eating kept catching my eye, and I couldn’t help but be wary.
“I am Sammus. No family name. Only given name.”
The man in the robe pulled back his hood and spoke.
His pronunciation was like that of a Vietnamese migrant worker.
This isn’t a racist comment. His way of speaking was really similar to a migrant worker named Tuan (don’t know his real name) I met while working a factory job during my college days. He probably wasn’t used to speaking Britannic.
Sweep.
As expected, under the hood of his robe was bright red hair. Fuck, this guy has a mohawk. So cool.
“Ah, you’re an Ulsterman. Ulstermen don’t have family names,” Jorma said, looking slightly flustered.
Ulstermen, a race known as descendants of an ancient civilization.
They were also one of the tribes that the self-proclaimed civilized people of Britannia called the “Three Barbarian Tribes.”
In other words, they were one of the victims of racial discrimination.
I couldn’t say much about Vikings being hated by the countries they invaded, but these Ulstermen were subtly discriminated against even though they lived peacefully.
Even though I was also a victim of racial discrimination, perhaps because there was no contact between our countries, I wasn’t bothered about anything other than my skin color.
On the other hand, Ulstermen could be insulted for three days and nights just because of their hair color. It was due to a lot of historical baggage.
Is racial discrimination a common trait of humanity, even in another world?
Come to think of it, even in 21st-century Earth, red-haired Irish people were subject to discrimination. I rarely saw a Hollywood movie with a red-haired lead.
If white supremacy and imperialism ever flooded this world, wouldn’t I become a prime victim as well?
“You have problem?”
Anyway, Sammus with the mohawk reacted irritably to Jorma’s flustered attitude. It was the typical cynical and sensitive reaction of a victim of racial discrimination.
“Haha, of course not. I’ve traveled to Ulster settlements before. I was just a little surprised.”
But like a true merchant, Jorma smoothly smoothed things over.
“Britannia, Ulster, and Kitai! This large carriage is truly a small melting pot of races! We won’t be bored for two days!”
Because of my yellow skin, I was treated as a Kitai person, which wasn’t my intention. Fuck, me, a Mongolian?
I’m sorry, Mom and Dad. Your son has become a fantasy nomad in another world.
[…“Furnace”?]
Sammus muttered in his own language, as if he didn’t understand the word Jorma used. Thanks to my translation ability and graduate school life, I easily understood his mumbling.
[“Furnace” means a melting pot. The thing used to melt iron.]
As someone who hated racial discrimination, I kindly explained it to Sammus.
[…Hmm?! Yellowskin! You know the language of Erin?!]
Then Sammus’s eyes widened at my fluent Ulster speech, and he turned to look at me. Unlike his awkward Britannic, his tone in his native language was quite stylish.
But who the fuck was this red-haired bastard calling yellowskin?
I spoke to him in his own language, and he, a victim of racial discrimination, called me yellowskin?
There’s a saying that in the US, the people who discriminate against Asians the most are black people, and this was exactly like that.
As expected of one of the Three Barbarian Tribes.
Fucking uncivilized savage. They only think what they experience is discrimination.
But I kept my mouth shut because I was scared to say anything openly.
Even among the Three Barbarian Tribes, I’d heard that although Ulstermen were few in number, they were individually the strongest.
This guy might stab me in the stomach for calling him a red-haired bastard. My body would never stand again!
[Yellowskin. Did you learn to speak from another descendant of Erin?]
[No. I just happened to have the opportunity to learn.]
As was typical of Ulstermen, according to rumors, Sammus referred to themselves as “descendants of Erin.”
Well, etymologically speaking, the term “Ulster” was a name given arbitrarily by the self-proclaimed civilized people, including Britannia.
[Amazing, either way. To think there’s someone who speaks Ulster besides the descendants of Erin. I’m impressed, Yellowskin.]
[There are more people who speak the language of Erin than you think. You probably just haven’t had the chance to meet them.]
This fucker kept calling me yellowskin, pissing me off.
Should I ask him if I could punch him in the gut? He might act cool and allow it, saying he’s a strong warrior, since he has a mohawk and all.
[Do you know how to write in our script?]
[No. Not that far.]
I knew how to write it, of course, but I drew the line because I didn’t want to get any closer to him.
The way he kept talking to me gave off the vibe of a malicious Korean boss who met a Korean in a foreign country.
He and I were both going to Sardis.
I didn’t want to get close to him and have him come to me every time something happened, complaining about this and that.
It was best to be careful about getting close to migrant workers.
I had learned that the hard way after almost failing my finals because I was being bothered by Tuan from Vietnam.
“Huh. Can you converse with that fellow in Ulster?”
The fat uncle, whose name I couldn’t remember, said with admiration after hearing Sammus and me chattering.
“Yes, I learned a bit because I was interested.”
“Ahem. I see. Interested.”
Then the fat uncle coughed awkwardly.
What the fuck? Was he about to say something like, “The chink and the Irish ginger are getting along well”?
“Ahem. By the way, Sammus, was it?”
“That’s right. My name is Sammus.”
“I’m really curious about something.”
The fat uncle coughed and asked,
“─Is it true that everyone in the Ulster nation, regardless of age or gender, walks around naked?”
What the fuck?
I was taken aback by the sudden question.
What the hell was this crazy uncle talking about to those red-haired savages, who were the epitome of barbarism, even in this uncivilized world?
Archaeologically speaking, his statement was true. There were records that the Ulstermen who lived in the land of Erin in ancient times not only lived naked, but also hunted and fought naked.
But how long ago was that? There was no way such a culture would still remain…
“That’s right. Descendants of Erin. Not weak. Don’t wear clothes.”
Wow, fuck, it’s true.
“R-really? Really, even the women don’t wear clothes?”
“Don’t wear. We, uphold will and pride of Erin.”
Pride. It was a difficult word considering his broken speech. Did he learn that word specifically because he thought he might need to use it?
It seemed similar to how otaku could say special moves and secret techniques in Japanese, but couldn’t say “braised flounder” in Japanese.
Anyway, the important thing now wasn’t that a savage used a difficult word.
Amazingly, the Ulstermen didn’t wear clothes.
We were naturally taken aback by Sammus’s robed appearance.
“Fuck?”
No wonder this fucker was wearing a long robe even though he wasn’t a mage. Was he dangling his dick under that robe? I was glad I didn’t sit next to him.
“Ahem. I’ve also visited an Ulster settlement on a trade route, and indeed, the people there didn’t wear clothes.”
Jorma changed the subject with a cough, seemingly disturbed by the unwanted truth about the exhibitionist savages.
“It was a tribe called the Descendants of the Earth Lizard, if I remember correctly. They weren’t very interested in the goods we sold, so we traded wheat and alcohol for the monster hides and blood they hunted… and every time, I saw beautiful women who were one with nature.”
Jorma’s job was a merchant.
And a merchant was like a higher-level version of the unique mob that appeared in the subways of 21st-century Korea, the peddlers. They were a race whose passive ability was to sell things by telling stories to strangers.
Like a true merchant, Jorma had the talent to attract people’s attention and interest with casual stories.
“The male merchants in the marketplace said that all Ulster women were beautiful, and it was true when I saw them.”
This was also news to me. My major was archaeology, not world history.
There were many Koreans who didn’t know Turkish traditions, even among elderly people who had lived for 50 years on Earth. I was similar. How many opportunities did I have to meet Ulstermen to learn their characteristics?
“Beautiful women who would make your eyes pop out walking around the streets without a stitch of clothing, hehehe. It was truly… a sight to behold.”
“I-I see.”
Gulp.
The fat uncle gulped at Jorma’s storytelling. Sammus, the actual Ulsterman, was being half-ignored.
It was quite discriminatory that he was being ostracized while they were talking about his country. But honestly, there was no reason to be interested in a dick-swinging, mohawked warrior.
“S-so? Could outsiders enter?”
“Yes. They could or couldn’t.”
Jorma nodded at the fat uncle’s question, but his expression was as sad as a scholar who had lost his country.
“But… from what I’ve heard and experienced, I wouldn’t recommend visiting the places where Ulstermen live.”
“What? Why not?”
The fat uncle was surprised as if he had heard that the country was doomed. He might have been imagining himself visiting a nudist city someday.
“Yes. It’s truly… unfortunate…”
Jorma slowly opened his mouth.
I wasn’t particularly interested because it sounded like a story about some remote African tribe, but the other two uncles seemed different.
─Thump, thump.
The fat uncle was captivated by the young man’s storytelling, like seniors in a barracks listening to a new recruit who had some experience in society. Even the skinny uncle in the corner of the carriage, who hadn’t said a word, was pretending not to listen while eavesdropping.
That’s when it happened.
─Screeeech!
─Neigh!
The carriage we were in suddenly came to a screeching halt!
It was an abrupt stop. With the sound of horses neighing, the carriage stopped, and the men inside screamed as they collided with each other, obeying the laws of inertia.
“Ugh!!”
“Huh?!”
“Gyaaaaaack!!”
I was terrified that I would collide with the exhibitionist redhead. I used all my strength to stay in my seat.
I didn’t want to be pressed up against a naked guy under a robe!
“Hey, coachman! What happened?!”
The skinny uncle shouted. Then the small window leading to the coachman’s seat opened, and the coachman poked his head in.
Creak!
“Oh, my apologies, passengers! I’m so sorry for the sudden stop!”
“Did something happen?”
“Ah! It’s nothing serious. We’re near a forest, and some kobolds have appeared. Please wait a moment while the adventurers in our caravan take care of them.”
A group of small-fry monsters attacking the carriage. It was a classic fantasy event.
But the merchants would take care of it even if I didn’t do anything. It was like there was no reason for a passenger to get off and help fix a flat tire.
“Monsters? I’ll help.”
Thud!
But upon hearing the coachman’s words, Sammus suddenly stood up without a word. What the hell was wrong with him?
“Huh? You’ve paid, so there’s no need for you to do that!”
The coachman was also flustered by Sammus’s offer. Since they were getting paid to do their job, it was natural for them to be flustered when a customer offered to help.
“Doesn’t matter. I, haven’t fought in too long while on ship. Not good. My senses are dull.”
Despite the coachman’s objections, Sammus jumped out of the carriage, saying “fuck that” in a long, drawn-out way. He was such a savage.
“Senses. That’s true.”
But then the skinny uncle agreed with him.
Whether or not that uncle was also an adventurer, he suddenly followed Sammus out of the carriage.
“Ha, hahaha. You’re energetic folks. We’ll wait here until things calm down.”
Jorma laughed awkwardly as two of our party suddenly left. He was looking at me, still seated.
But I looked outside the carriage and scratched my head.
“Hmm. Well, since things have turned out this way, I think I’ll go out and take a look.”
“Yes?”
“Regardless of Mr. Sammus, since the other person went out too, I’m a little curious. I’m also someone who makes a living with a sword, you know.”
Monster extermination was something I would have to do like eating as an adventurer, but come to think of it, I had hardly ever actually hunted monsters myself.
“M-Mr. Nord, you’re going too?”
Jorma asked in a bewildered voice. But this could be a good opportunity for me.
“Yes. How often do I get the chance to fight safely surrounded by so many people?”
I boldly declared my intention to join the gang-up and drew my sword as he looked surprised.
─Shing.
As I gripped the sword at my waist, the heavy feeling was strangely thrilling. It was a sword I had used a few times during my slave days.
“Then I’ll be back.”
I gripped my sword and jumped out of the carriage.
—–CROW—–