EP1. It all started (7)
It was Luke who called Sean.
Luke was a boy who was just about to become a young man. But even though he was still growing up, he was tall and had a sturdy physique with well-spaced shoulders.
On the contrary, his face still had the innocent look of a boy, and he was always very popular in the village.
That’s why Sean admired Luke and wanted to be like him.
“Luke bro?”
“Are you on your way home from playing with Levi today?”
“Yeah, what about you?”
“It’s me, I’m on my way to hunt again today. Well, I only caught a rabbit today.”
Yes. Luke’s brother was Uncle Joe’s son, and he was hunting with him.
Luke asked, looking at the luggage in the boy’s hand while talking to Sean.
“Did you just go shopping?”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. Now let’s go home and have dinner.”
“Really? Um…, If you don’t mind, would you like to bring it to my house? I think it would be okay to have dinner together. Of course, it can’t be helped if it doesn’t work.”
“Huh? . . . It’s okay, but won’t the old man be uncomfortable?”
Laughing at that, Luke patted Shawn’s head and said.
“hahahaha, are you worried about my father too? After all, Sean is too kind, so he has to wear it.”
“Oh, no. It’s not like that, it’s just that the old man seems to hate that kind of thing.”
“Well… My father is naturally lacking in sociability.”
When Sean heard Luke’s words, he suddenly remembered what Paul had said the other day.
‘Hmm, Uncle Joe and Uncle Paul.’
Something didn’t seem to fit, but it was a strange feeling.
There were two, no, three to be exact, but they said they were friends anyway.
By the way, aren’t the two of you close? I don’t remember seeing the two of them together.
In the first place, Sean didn’t even see Joe in town a few times, so even if they met, Sean might not know.
‘Do you ask Luke?’
But since it might be rude to ask such a question and it’s not such an important issue, Sean decided to just move on.
Luke smiled embarrassingly for a moment, perhaps thinking about his father’s awful sociability, then he said to the little boy who was looking at him.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Because no one is home right now.”
Originally, Sean, who knew that Luke was living with Joe, questioned Luke’s words.
“No one? Where did your uncle go?”
“My father went to sell the remaining meat and hides. Do you remember the peddler came yesterday? The peddler sold the meat so cheaply that the villagers had already bought it all. So he decided to just sell it before it rotted because he had too much meat and hide left over.”
‘Aha. That peddler must have sold quite a bit of meat.’
Thinking about Luke’s answer, Shawn had one more question and asked Luke.
“On the contrary, can’t we sell it to peddlers? Still, I think the meat you caught is much fresher and better than the meat the peddler has.”
Knowing how good Joe was at hunting, Sean thought so,
Luke was quite surprised by Sean’s words. Because he seemed to show wisdom that is hard for a young boy of only 8 years old to do.
‘Surely Sean and Levy can read.’
Luke was able to understand Shaun’s wisdom to some extent.
Even thinking about what he was doing when he was 8 years old, he seems to have just run around with the kids in the woods without thinking.
For some reason, Luke was proud of Shawn as if he were his own brother.
But there was one fatal flaw in Sean’s argument. The premise Sean said is wrong.
After thinking about that for a while, Luke spoke to Sean, who was waiting for his answer.
“Shaun, didn’t you go to the entrance of the town today? The peddler has already left. I mean early in the morning After all, the peddler stopped by our village for a while to go to Laes. He must have stayed for one night and left early.”
Shawn hadn’t thought that the peddler had already left. Usually, peddlers who visit the village tend to stay for a few days before they leave.
Well, since I went to Paulo’s blacksmith’s shop early in the morning and stayed all day in the back mountain after that, Sean didn’t have time to go to the entrance of the village. He probably left early in the morning before Sean even woke up.
“Well, Sean, you’re not completely wrong, though. Actually, my father and I were thinking of selling to peddlers.”
Luke continued.
“It’s been a while. Anyway, so my father went to the city, so I’m alone for a while. So, how about having dinner with people who are alone, isn’t it okay?”
With that said, Sean had no reason to reject Luke’s offer. And since Shawn also liked Luke, he was rather grateful for the offer.
“Yes. Then let’s eat together. Hee hee, thank you.”
“hahahaha, what are you thankful for? Oh and give it to me I will listen.”
With that said, before Sean could say anything, Luke picked up Sean’s luggage himself.
“Oh.”
“Now, shall we start? Let’s go.”
So the two of them walked along the darkened street as the moon rose little by little.
Walking down the street, Luke suddenly remembered something to tell Sean, so he told him.
“Oh no! Shawn.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I have something to show you when I get home.”
“Are you going to show me? What?”
“hahahaha, it’s a secret. Go home and see for yourself.”
At Luke’s sudden remark, Sean tried to ask what he was showing him, but before he did, the two arrived at their destination.
Luke’s house was pretty desolate. It was a house where only two men lived, so it was not specially decorated, and only the necessities necessary for living were filling the space.
In fact, Shawn had been to Luke’s house once before. At that time, he was so excited about playing that he forgot his promise to play with Levy, which hurt Levy for a while.
While thinking about that, Luke said.
“Shaun, sit here and wait! I’ll cook you a delicious dinner.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster if I helped too?”
“Well, that’s true, too. You don’t know what I’m cooking is not it?”
“Okay, then will you really sit down?”
“I’ll do it right away, so wait.”
Sean followed Luke’s advice and sat down to wait for the food to be served.
After a while, Luke brought out a hearty dish that looked like enough for the two of them to eat.
“Tada! Well, it’s nothing special, I just made it with the ingredients you bought and what’s left at home.”
The dishes Luke made were grilled fish Sean bought, bread, salad, and boiled rabbit meat.
“…Isn’t that too much? I don’t think I can eat it all.”
“It’s okay. If you can’t eat it all, you can share it with other people. Come on, let’s eat!”
“I will eat well!”
From noble mtl dot com.
The two had a delicious dinner.
Contrary to the expectation that there was so much food that they couldn’t eat it all, the two ate it without leaving any food.
Even with Luke, who normally ate a lot, it was because Sean, who had been starving all day, ate so much more than usual.
After finishing dinner, the two of them sat there for a while and enjoyed their fill.
Then Luke got up thinking that he should show it to Sean soon.
“Shaun, follow me. You said I had something to show you earlier.”
At those words, Sean got up and followed Luke, feeling bloated.
Luke entered the small room. The room, too, did not stand out as anything special.
“Hey, it’s in the closet.”
At Luke’s words, Shawn was puzzled.
‘A closet?’ As Sean knew, a closet was a place to store clothes, as it is natural.
‘Is there anything else in the closet?’ Shawn followed Luke’s gesture and approached the closet.
And Shaun opened the closet door.
There were clothes hanging there, as if they were fulfilling the role of a closet.
“What is it…? Surely it’s not the clothes you’re showing?”
“Of course not. I will show you now.”
Then Luke reached his hand up, not into the closet.
Luke’s hand came down holding something from the top, which Sean’s height couldn’t reach.
It was wrapped in cloth.
I don’t know exactly what it was, but it looked like a rather long stick.
Luke began slowly untying the cloth around the object.
“Shaun, don’t you freak out? What is this…”
Despite Luke’s words, Sean couldn’t help but be surprised.
The identity of what Luke showed was a sword.
“No way, the person who bought the sword at the peddler…”
“Did you hear that? That’s right. I bought this sword.”
“Why? His older brother has a different knife for hunting.”
“Sean, I didn’t buy this to hunt.”
Luke slowly raised his sword.
Then he looked at his reflection in the blade for a while.
Luke said as if he had promised himself.
“Shaun, I will be an adventurer.”
Adventurer?
Until now, Shawn thought he was the only one in town who was dreaming of becoming an adventurer. But he said that Luke, whom he longed for, also dreamed of becoming an adventurer!
Unexpectedly, Sean wondered if this was a dream.
Luke, who kept looking at the sword, soon turned his attention to Sean. He wants a boy with the same dreams as his.
“Shaun, how are you?”
“·····.”
“You always said you would be an adventurer, too.”
“·····.”
“Is that still the same?”
“…That’s it”
Sean still dreams of being an adventurer.
But what happened yesterday and today made Shawn hesitate to answer.
A happy meal for the three of you, Levy and Mr. Paul.
Paulo’s grandfather and son’s past.
Uncle Paul’s last words.
Armor hanging in the forge.
I realized the importance of friends while looking for Levy.
The time spent with Levi and her secret place,
The reason why Levy wants to become a wizard.
Sean obviously still wanted to be an adventurer. But if…
What if you had to break up with Levi in order to become an adventurer?
When he thought about it that far, Shawn understood.
At least to me right now, Levi is more important than an adventurer’s dream.
So Sean couldn’t answer Luke’s question.
And Luke has a boy’s determination to see Sean like that.
No, he could tell that the dream had changed.
“hahahaha, there’s no such thing as a guilty face. Because you haven’t done anything wrong.”
Even though Luke said that, Shawn somehow felt sorry for Luke.
He must have been delighted that when Sean said he would become an adventurer, Luke had the same dream as Sean did.
Luke smiled embarrassingly at Shawn, who continued to look intimidated.
“hahahaha, I didn’t mean to do this, but I mean it. You didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t make that face. Rather, you are better than me. It would be a much happier life to continue living with Levi in this peaceful town.”
Luke’s words were sincere. A beautiful girl and a boy with a good heart would look good together.
When he pictured the two children living together for the rest of their lives in this peaceful village, Luke felt his heart warm just thinking about it.
“…Then what about the older brother? If the older brother becomes an adventurer too, you will have to break up with the uncle.”
“···Yes. I’ve been thinking a lot too. Because if I leave, my father will be left alone.”
Luke’s voice trembled a little, probably because he was worried about his father.
However, in Luke’s eyes, there was already a firm determination for his dream.
“But I can’t give up on my dream. And… My father will surely overcome. And I believe he will support my dream. The father I know is such a person.”
Shaun looked so great at Luke. Eyes with upright conviction.
Sean looked like a hero from a fairy tale.
‘But will Uncle Joe be all right?’
“Do you know Mister? You mean you want to be an adventurer?”
“····No. But this time, when my father comes back, I’ll tell you. I bought this sword for that certainty.”
Saying that, Luke looked at the sword once more.
It is obviously an old sword, but this sword will make one’s old dream come true.
Luke did not take his eyes off the sword that would lead him to become an adventurer.
“…Sean, I don’t know if you know it, but I’m not going to be like Paulo.”
Shaun, who happened to be thinking about him, asked him.
“···What happened to him? Also···.”
“I don’t know, I don’t really want to know. The important thing is that I am different from him. I will continue to ask and wait until my father grants me permission. And will definitely come back He became a great adventurer.”
Well. Of course, Sean supported Luke’s decision, but Sean was skeptical about whether he would allow it.
He must be too, because Joe sent his old friend away for the same reason and never came back.
“I’m sorry. I even said useless things for no reason.”
“No. I will cheer you on.”
“hahahaha, thank you. Thanks to you, I still feel strong.”
Luke put the sword he had taken out and returned to his usual form.
“Shawn, have you decided what to do in town?”
“···No. I haven’t decided yet… Actually, I think everything is bad.”
“hahahaha, then, are you thinking of becoming a hunter?”
“…But the old man said no because I was still young.”
“It’s okay. I will teach you.”
“Really?”
“Really. I’ll teach you how to hunt during this week when your father is gone. And when my father returns, I will ask you to formally learn to hunt. If I go, my father will need an heir too.”
At those words, Shaun already had a clear picture of himself hunting animals in a cool way.
“Wow! Is it real!?”
“hahahaha, come to my house tomorrow morning. We’re going to practice hunting starting tomorrow. Got it?”
“Yes! Okay! I’ll go tomorrow! I’ll be right there tomorrow morning!”
“Yes. It seems like it’s already been a while, but shouldn’t we go to bed early to get up early tomorrow?”
“Okay! I’ll go! See you tomorrow!”
“Ha ha, yes. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Sean immediately said goodbye to Luke and ran out of the house. Luke looked at Sean’s back and waved his hand. A warm smile was on his lips.
***
Arriving at breakneck speed, Shawn immediately jumped into bed.
‘A lot of things happened today…’
Although I was tired from running around all day. The anticipation of tomorrow’s hunt.
For some reason, when I closed my eyes, I remembered Levy’s smile in the secret place where we were together.
Sean couldn’t sleep for a while and repeated his toss and turns.