8. Phalaenopsis Dream (4)
‘All humans die.’
It was one of the first truth propositions that most people learn. In addition, in secondary education courses, Socrates is used as an example when teaching syllogisms, and the conclusion is that the proposition ‘Socrates dies because he is human’ is also true.
There is no need to use Socrates as an example. Even if we replace ‘Socrates’ with any other human being, the majority of humans cannot resist the finitude of life. This was the same on the Tivat continent, where gods and miracles exist.
Of course, there are secret arts to increase lifespan, including the ‘Seonga technique’, but these were the realm of legend. Even in Liyue, the sages who could teach the true ‘sage arts’ had cut off all contact with the secular world, so the people of the Tivat continent also had no choice but to live with death always at hand.
That’s right. Anyone can die. It was a world where tens to hundreds of people could die from an unintentional accident at any moment. Moreover, there was an incident in the recent Liyue that could stir up such anxiety even more strongly.
The death of Emperor Yan, it made the people of Liyue recall their oldest fear.
Even God dies. So what about the lives of lesser people? Since the Emperor Empress was an object of faith for the people of Liyue, the shock was even greater.
And such anxiety was expressed in two ways. The first is to find a way to escape anxiety. And the second is to deny the possibility of anxiety in the first place in order to make it meaningless.
And today, the business method of Hodu that I saw was clearly eliciting the latter reaction.
“Oh, and if you pay an additional fee, you can also get a body recovery service… ….”
“Well, I said I’m not interested!”
Liyue’s Adventurer’s Guild. It was like a kind of association of ‘adventurers’ who could be found anywhere on the Tivat continent. Because adventurers were active everywhere on the Tivat continent, adventurer guilds were also located in each country on the Tivat continent. This was also the case for Li Yue.
The name ‘adventurer’ may seem cool, but the word ‘adventure’ inevitably has another meaning, ‘danger.’ So on the Tivat continent, adventurers mainly lived a life of mayflies.
People who may be alive today but may return as corpses tomorrow. This is a high-risk job where if three people go out on a mission, one will die and one will return half-baked.
Sometimes, famous and talented people are born among them, but this does not change the essence of adventurers.
There were so many hidden secrets and treasures on the Tivat continent, and even more than that, there were many dangers. Wherever adventurers rush to, there are always mysterious rumors and corresponding dangers lurking.
So, so to speak, ‘adventurers’ could be said to be the beings closest to death on the Tivat continent. It seemed like Hodu had been paying attention to that point for a long time.
So, she attempted to form a business partnership with the Adventurer’s Guild, but like today, those attempts failed time and time again.
The walnut itself seemed unable to understand the reason. She was tilting her head after being kicked out by ‘Sister Lan’, who was in charge of Liyue’s adventurer guild.
She said, “It’s strange, I thought it was definitely a reasonable offer… ….”
I saw that and shook my head. The walnut still had a face full of doubts.
“It is worth it. “Your approach is wrong.”
“…… ‘Approach’?”
Despite my pointing out, the walnut looked like the mystery was still not solved. Her star-studded red eyes were clear enough to make her feel innocent.
No, it was actually true that she was naive. This girl’s worldview was so strong that she couldn’t understand breaking away from it.
So, I thought my explanation would be useless, but I decided to tell the story as a minimum of courtesy toward the person I had promised to partner with.
“Head of the royal family, it is not a particularly good idea to emphasize death in front of adventurers.”
“But isn’t it true that adventurers have the highest chance of dying?”
I scratched my head at Walnut’s answer. A moan like, “Kkngh,” Naturally came out.
Focus is not correct. Hodu’s answer was logically correct, but her point was different. Needless to say, it was because of her unique world view.
“That’s why we should avoid it even more… “The closer people are to death, the more they fear death.”
“But all humans die anyway.”
“But is there anyone who likes to die?”
Walnut only blinked her eyes despite my continued persuasion. She closed her eyes with a humming sound, as if she was in trouble.
Still, she didn’t seem to understand, so she asked me back.
“But if death is so scary, why jump into an adventure that might kill you?”
“That’s right… ….”
I was speechless for a moment at Hodu’s question. It felt like I was being asked a question by a child. I usually didn’t think much about it, but when I asked a question, I felt like I had to find an answer.
Before I answered, my eyes scanned the surroundings. In particular, while watching the adventurer’s guild, I answered Hodu in a quiet voice.
“…… Because most people don’t think they’re going to die.”
“…… ? “Why?”
“Because I’m scared.”
I continued speaking as if admonishing him. Hodu still looked like he wasn’t sure. She deserved it.
She had heard that she could see spirits and that they came and went from the world of the dead. For her, her life and death were one and therefore her death was just a natural ending that she did not need to fear.
But the majority of people are not like that. Even me saying this.
“It’s scary and scary, but no matter what you do, there’s an inevitable ending. Nevertheless, one of two things is necessary to live everyday life. Deny it or forget it.”
The walnut’s eyes blinked. She still didn’t seem to understand, but since she didn’t refute, I quickly added what she was saying, wondering where this was coming from.
“Adventurers tend to have this tendency even more. Rather, because they are afraid of death, they deny it and try to forget it. Of course, it’s also because of his tendency to be indifferent when it comes to treasures and secrets…….”
As I said that, I clicked my tongue. I looked at the Adventurer’s Guild once again, but fortunately, the Adventurer’s Guild didn’t seem to care about this.
“…… What should I do? It’s a place where only people who are naturally like that gather. To be honest, they are a bit burdensome to deal with, but whatever. “It’s not that I don’t understand.”
Walnut folded her arms again and swallowed her sleep, muttering. She seemed to be thinking for a while, then nodded her head and said.
“I understand. Then next time, let’s talk about how death is not that scary…….”
“No!”
I eventually couldn’t stand it anymore and ended up shouting. No, it was going well, so why did it end up like this at the end? To my words, Hodu just tilted his head with an expression of ignorance.
I hallucinated what seemed to be a blinking ‘?’ Sign above her head. I felt like drying my face, so I covered my face with my hands.
If you think about it, no matter how much the age difference is, we are on equal footing, but it was my fault for shouting informally. Of course, she didn’t seem to care that much since the walnut was ruder than that, but it was still true that I lost my composure.
You have to be careful, I said in a calmer voice while admonishing myself.
“…… Just, just watch. “I will talk about it.”
“However, no matter how many times I requested business cooperation from the Adventurer’s Guild, I received only rejection… ….”
If you know so well, you should be careful what you say, I clicked my tongue inwardly as Waldu tried to dissuade me. And then he said, “Hmm, hmm,” And took a step forward, clearing his voice.
“But I still have to try, what should I do?”
He started walking with a sigh in his voice, but when he approached ‘Sister Ran’, his attitude became much more relaxed. The more impatient it seemed, the less persuasive it seemed.
‘Sister Ran’ glanced at me to see if someone else had come, then widened her eyes as if she was a little surprised.
“Huh? Who is this, perhaps the rumored Golden Prince?”
As soon as I heard the title ‘Golden Young master’, I smiled bitterly. Heck, that shameful nickname didn’t go anywhere.
“First of all, that’s right. “You are ‘Sister Ran’, right?”
Lan seemed even more surprised by my awkward answer. She pointed to herself with a puzzled look on her face.
“Do you know me?”
“I heard it from Lumine. “I heard you’ve been having a hard time in many ways recently.”
Ran seemed a little offended by my words. I don’t know the details, but I heard about it from Lumine. A person named ‘Lan’ from the Adventurer’s Guild is looking for an adventurer.
Perhaps not knowing that she was aware of such circumstances, Lan cleared her throat to brighten her mood. She greeted me with a bright voice.
“Okay, now that I think about it, you were a traveler’s companion, right? In that case, you are no different from our colleagues. “Is there anything you need?”
“I don’t need anything, but I have brought suggestions from the Adventurer’s Guild.”
Sister Lan narrowed her eyebrows after hearing what I said. Then, as if he realized something, he looked around and made eye contact with a walnut that was watching from afar.
Hodu waved his hand and said hello to Sister Lan. Only then did Lan, who realized what was going on, sigh.
“Are you planning on using a handsome guy now? That’s it, go back.”
“…… Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Ran’s annoyed gaze turned to my relaxed voice. Soft-hearted people are likely to feel hurt by this kind of treatment and leave, but this did not apply to me.
When you work all kinds of part-time jobs, you sometimes see the bottom line of humanity. Every time that happened, I felt hurt and had a hard time, but there were also things that helped me more than that.
If it was a truly strange person, I didn’t care, and if it wasn’t, I could just move on and say it was better than this. Even with that mindset, getting hurt once a day was the daily routine of service workers.
So I pretended to be Taeyeon again this time. What a conman and a salesman have in common is that they give the illusion that they have the upper hand over the other.
“The recent number of missing people and deaths must have been significant. Cheonam-gun is on high alert and has no time to worry about the livelihood of the people. Requests are flooding in, but manpower is limited. And there is a vicious cycle where useful personnel are being cut off, new recruits are dying, and there is a shortage of manpower…….”
“…… “Are you here to get on people’s nerves too?”
I let out a light laugh at Ran’s sharp reaction. Then, Sister Lan’s questioning gaze followed. Why are you smiling? That kind of awkward look.
But I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Reacting so sensitively was proof that what I said was correct.
“Is that possible? I was just asking because I was curious. There are many deaths and many missing people… “I was curious about how adventurers let their companions go in Liyue, which is strict about etiquette.”
“…… “Don’t pretend to know anything about foreigners.”
“I know this because I am a foreigner.”
I asked. I had a hunch that they continued talking without necessarily giving an order to congratulate the guests. There must have been many factors.
First of all, I am not an easy person to be able to arbitrarily order guests to be banished. In Liyue, my public image was that of a ‘mad dog.’ The first reason was probably the fear that I wouldn’t be able to do anything if they touched me for no reason.
Moreover, even when my opponent was Eunggwang, Liyue Chilseong and one of the greatest magistrates of the Tibat Continent, I used all kinds of tricks. But the opponent is the Adventurer’s Guild? There were countless political and economic means I could use to harass them.
Of course, I was not a person so obsessed with power that I would take such revenge by issuing an order to banish guests. But the important thing was not ‘what kind of person am I?’ The question was, ‘What kind of person do you believe I am?’
And secondly, although I showed various eccentricities, I was basically a person whose abilities were proven. In a short period of time, he became the master of the caravan, and defeated Ying Guang, who was thought to never be defeated in Liyue.
The resourcefulness and ability basically increase the credibility of my words. Although my ability as an undertaker was recognized, my status as a conversation partner was different from Hodu, whose other actions were always followed by question marks.
So, Sister Ran also decided to listen to me first. Although he was still strict, I had to accept it because of my provocation.
“A similar situation happened where I was staying. “The demand for adventurers exploded, and as a result, various problems arose.”
“…… “Mond’s Wind Demon Dragon incident.”
If you were the leader of an adventurer’s guild, there was no way you could forget it. Because of that, there was a lot of chaos for a while as the demand for adventurers skyrocketed. I shook my head as if that was correct.
I leaned against the railing. This was to create a more comfortable atmosphere. However, if I touched it too much, it could give off the impression that I was arrogant, so I ended up leaning in a bit.
“Liyue is only the beginning. And in Mond, God Barbatos guides all souls where the wind blows. But Li Yue… ….”
My words ended unfinished like that. There was no need for me to add anything. What follows is, ‘Mond is okay because of faith, but Liyue is a place with strict etiquette, so is it okay if we can’t hold a funeral?’ I knew it, and Sister Ran also knew it.
Rather, there was a risk of incurring animosity by hastily bringing up the other person’s weaknesses. This had already been proven by previous provocations. And if I didn’t say anything, I could expect another effect.
“…… Ha, yes. That’s right. To be honest, I’m a bit worried.”
The psychological effect gained by mentioning the problem from the other person’s mouth, not from myself. That is, the other person voluntarily ‘admitted’ it.
In that case, there was no need to check the liver. I immediately threw a fastball.
“Why not prepare now? “I will arrange a contract with Wangsaengdang.”
“It’s impossible.”
However, Lan’s answer was as firm as my direct question. She continued speaking as if she had already expected that much of her proposal.
“If you add up the dead and missing people, dozens of people are disappearing every day. Pay all the funeral costs? “My financial situation is not that good.”
“There is no need to pay in a lump sum.”
Ran’s eyebrows twitched at my words. She asked back, seeming a little interested.
“…… “Then repayment in installments?”
“It’s more than that.”
Ran was just looking at me blankly, as if she didn’t know my intentions. It was as if the conversation had come to me.
I didn’t bother to pause. My explanation continued immediately.
“You pay a certain amount every month, and as long as you pay that amount, Wangsaengdang supports the funeral process. “Not just by amortizing the amount owed over several months, but over and over again.”
Sister Ran seemed a little taken aback by my words, but she soon began bouncing on her abacus with her sunken eyes. A look of distress flashed across her face.
It wasn’t a very unfamiliar concept. Strangely enough, on the Tivat continent where capitalism was developed, a concept like ‘insurance’ existed. However, the ‘mutual assistance’ that I suggested was a slightly twisted use of the concept of insurance.
You pay a certain amount every month and receive help with funeral procedures. Mutual aid may be somewhat taken for granted in modern society, but in fact, even in pre-modern times, this could have been misleading.
It was a time when ‘death’ itself was mystified to begin with. There was no need to mention the continent of Tivat, where magic and sorcery existed. In a society where superstitions and unfounded beliefs prevail, preparing for death also meant death in itself.
This was the reason why walnuts were rejected. This was because it explicitly mentioned ‘death’. I somehow managed to avoid mentioning my concerns about that point, but it didn’t seem like Lan was the type of person that could be stopped at that level.
“…… However, if you want to pay a certain amount every month, you need the consent of the adventurers to use the adventurer guild budget that way.”
It was a difficult problem. Ultimately, it was a matter of how to explain it to the adventurers.
Of course, there are some people who want to prepare for the afterlife out of consideration for their family and friends as they work in dangerous jobs, but there were also many people who were reluctant about the possibility of ‘death’ in the first place.
Although not all of the Adventurer’s Guild’s budget is executed with the consent of adventurers, ultimately, the Adventurer’s Guild’s financial resources come from adventurers’ commission fees. If adventurers showed hostility, the adventurer guild would have no choice but to withdraw.
But if I hadn’t stopped worrying about that, I wouldn’t have said anything in the first place. There was no problem with my answer.
“I’m not saying we should prepare for the death of adventurers. “It means preparing for the death of our ‘colleagues.'”
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Lan remained silent again. He seemed lost in thought. I continued talking.
“Honestly, should we worry about what happens after the adventurers die? You’re busy surviving right now, but stories about the afterlife inevitably feel like nonsense. But what if my colleagues die?”
As my voice continued, Ran’s eyes deepened. Many thoughts were going through my mind. Okay, think more. The more this happens, the less emotional backlash will subside, and cold numbers and logical conclusions will await.
“Funerals are not for the dead. In fact, it is more of a ritual for the living. “It is a process to return to daily life by catching a glimpse of the dead and confining the sadness within that time.”
Not only Ran but also Hodu seemed a little interested in these words. The corner of the walnut’s eyes slightly curled with a whistling sound, but I turned my attention off for now.
“Even though adventurers cannot think of their own deaths, they cannot help but care about the deaths of their comrades who may be rotting somewhere. Who will feel at ease? If we focus on this point… ….”
“…… On the contrary, it may be welcomed. “No matter how much the adventurer’s life is, even that death shouldn’t be funny.”
I didn’t think that much, but I kept my mouth shut and made a sad face after hearing what Ran said. Perhaps because she felt that she sympathized with her opinion, Ms. Lan shook her head with a faint smile.
“Okay, it’s persuasive. But you don’t really want us to come to a conclusion right away, do you?”
“It goes without saying… Make a decision after careful discussion and consideration. “Hopefully, ‘positively’.”
At my cliché closing greeting, Ran burst out laughing. As her mood turned positive, Hodu tilted her head again. It seemed like she couldn’t tell the difference.
I was planning to explain that point later anyway, so I decided to focus on the transaction partner in front of me first.
“Okay, but if a contract is signed, who will be the contract partner of the Adventurer’s Guild? Wangsaengdang? Or not… Siwoo Sangdan?”
But the next question was enough to force me to think for a moment. Who the transaction partner was was a very important issue.
Of course, Hodu and I had reached some agreement on this. However, since I hadn’t decided on the name, I was silent for a moment.
But the silence did not last long. Anyway, if I thought about it now, I couldn’t come up with a great name, and it was clear that giving the impression that I wasn’t ready would have a negative impact on the monumental first contract.
In the end, I sighed and said the name that immediately came to mind.
“You say ‘Siwoo and Sangjo’. For now.”
It was a humiliating declaration that my naming sense was only as good as Paymon’s, but Lan didn’t seem to care that much.
Even my business partner, Hodu, was the same. She didn’t seem to care what the name of the joint venture between Wangsaengdang and Siwoo Sangdan would be.
Yes, ‘Siwoo Sangjo’. This was why I was now taking Walnut with me and taking her advice.
I still wasn’t sure if it was right to be with this unpredictable girl, but what could I do? I immediately needed a means to strengthen the collusive relationship between North Korea Bank and Siwoo Trading Company.
After all, there was nothing more attractive to a bank than cash coming in regularly.
The strange companionship between me and the walnut has only just begun.
**
The emergence of a new business called ‘Siwoo Mutual Aid’ imposed various tasks on me. First of all, there was a problem in selecting the personnel to be hired for the project, and there were also issues that needed to be discussed with Bukkuk Bank. Above all, in order for the business to run properly, more contractual partners were needed.
First, we received a call from Liyue’s Adventurer’s Guild saying they would consider it positively. She had just received information that the word was that it was being reviewed positively, and judging by the atmosphere, it was almost confirmed.
Even so, it was a partnership with the adventurer guild that Hodu was eagerly targeting. Achieving this alone was an encouraging enough result as a first step in the business.
But not yet, not yet. In order to expand this mutual aid business to the general public, more contract partners were needed.
Of course, due to the sudden death of King Empress, interest in ‘death’ had increased in Liyue more than ever before. There were a few people who took advantage of that desire and took interest in mutual aid projects, but there was a need to gain more decisive trust.
My conclusion about him was this. Liyue was still in chaos, and even more so, there were many areas that were hostile to my superiors. In that case, it would have been better to look elsewhere for the next contract partner.
Mond, my hometown in my heart, was home to the Knights of Pevonius, and there were plenty of people who were friendly to me.
Furthermore, the headquarters of Siwoo Sangdan had a strong staff member named Mona. Of course, we couldn’t leave out Fissle, who sometimes showed surprising insight.
In many ways, there was no better choice than Mond to plan and establish a new business. The problem, however, is that it may be difficult for a mutual aid business to become established in Mond due to its unique funeral culture, but that was not even a problem if it did not have massive support from the Mond public, religion, and politics.
So, with Hodu’s consent, I was looking into the itinerary for the trip to Mond. If only there was one problem left.
“…… Are you a girl again?”
Is it just jealousy of my beautiful co-worker who smiles coolly while eating breakfast in front of me? In fact, since she was now closer to a lover than a colleague, her anger had a more legitimate justification than before.
Moreover, since I had a criminal record, I kept my mouth shut at first. However, there was nothing I could do about the walnut’s companionship.
He was also a business partner, and it was clear that the presence of a funeral expert would be effective in increasing attention to my business. Above all, Hodu seemed to be interested in me recently and would follow me around, asking me questions about everything.
I felt strangely stimulated by the saying, ‘Funerals are for the living.’ It was just a nuisance to me, but I wasn’t the kind of person who couldn’t distinguish between construction projects to the point where I was reluctant to get close to my co-worker.
Paymon glanced around while he was eating, and before he knew it, he had flown off somewhere. Judging by the pitiful look he gave me at the end, it seemed like he wasn’t going to help me just today.
I finally sighed inwardly. Lumine was still smiling coldly, and there were only two people in the restaurant. If I had to find a breakthrough, I had to find it.
Then there was only one answer. I have no choice but to be shameless.
“Yes, it’s a girl.”
Lumine’s eyebrows narrowed slightly at my answer. It was safe to say that it was a rare expression of anger from Lumine, who rarely frowned in front of me.
At this point, my heart was shaking a little, but I pretended to remain calm as best I could and opened my mouth.
“…… “Are you jealous?”
A cautious voice, but the content was not like that. Lumine seemed taken aback by her sudden fastball, and she sounded a little dazed.
“Uh, huh?”
“No, I was wondering if you were jealous… ….”
Lumine’s face gradually began to heat up at my awkward voice. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and Lumine immediately avoided my gaze.
She was still a very shy woman. She began gibbering in a stuttering voice.
“Well, it’s not jealousy, yes. Just a little… Should I say I’m angry, should I say I’m worried about Si-woo, a little, a little… Ugh!”
Lumine muttered in a low voice for a while, but eventually she lowered her head in an exasperated voice, as if she couldn’t stand it anymore.
And soon a declaration of surrender flowed from her mouth. It was so cute that I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“…… That’s right, jealous. But what can I do if I’m jealous?”
I looked at Lumine quietly and asked her.
“Then should we not go?”
“…… Huh?”
Lumine looked at me with blank eyes, as if she was surprised. I smiled bitterly. Have I always been that stubborn?
“If you don’t like it, I won’t go.”
“…… But what about business? “They say it’s needed to keep the Wooindan in check.”
“That’s something I have to do somehow.”
But even with my words, the look of worry on Lumine’s face did not go away. In fact, perhaps because her feelings were more complicated than before, she even slightly bit her lip.
I watched her change of heart in silence. After Lumine calmed down a little more, she was waiting to see what conclusion she would come to.
No matter what Lumine says, he can’t let me go? Then she had no choice but to not go. Various problems will arise, but it’s enough to think about them little by little. Even if there is no best option, there is always a second option.
Lumine’s struggles were quite long. But no matter how long, there is an end to her troubles, and Lumine eventually let out a sigh, slumping her shoulders.
“…… No, go ahead. “If Siwoo decided that way, there must be a good reason.”
In response to that answer, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Lumine glanced at me and said at my reaction.
“…… “Siwoo, if you said that, I thought I would respond like this.”
“To what extent? But I thought it was cute to see him get jealous, so I just watched.”
Hmm, Lumine snorted when she heard what I said, but she couldn’t even erase her blush. I slowly got up and walked over to Lumine across from her.
And then she gently hugged Lumine’s shoulder. She pretended not to be Lumine, but then she obediently leaned her face into my arms.
“…… You must arrive safely, safely. “Siwoo.”
“Women don’t care anymore… “Ahh!”
I made another joke and was soon punished by Lumine by pinching her side. It was so painful that I almost cried.
Lumine glanced at me again from my embrace, but then she turned her head with a gloomy expression. Even though it was in my arms.
“You’re going to figure it out anyway, whether you care or not, right?”
I smiled bitterly at those words. Well, how can Lumine trust me when I have such a brilliant criminal record? So, without saying a word, I just held her in my arms and gave strength to her.
“…… “No matter what, you are the first.”
“Chi, I mean.”
Rumine gave such a refreshing answer, but she glanced up at me as if she had no intention of staying sulked for long. After hesitating for a moment, I lowered my head and kissed her.
A short kiss, but enough time to feel the exchange of emotions. After a sweet moment, Lumine finally gave a sincere greeting.
“First is safety, second is safety, third is safety. “You know, right?”
I silently stroked Lumine’s head, repeating the words I had heard over and over again.
“…… “If Siwoo gets hurt, I might not be able to stand it.”
Yes, for the sake of this world, I must not get hurt. While thinking like that, I spent some private time alone without Paymon for the first time in a long time.
That’s how my decision to go to Mond was decided. It was a return after a very long time.