Chapter 316

I'm not sure why I'd taken it as a given, but Minerva came to find me again the very next day.

The reason, she said, was that she'd gone home and turned over what I'd taught her, and somewhere in the middle of thinking it through, a sudden suspicion had struck — what if I'd been pulling one over on her?

For someone claiming she suspected me, her mood was exceptionally calm, so I just shrugged and went along with it.

"So how am I supposed to clear up your suspicion?"

[Simple. Convince this Minerva using a different method than yesterday, with a different explanation.]

Minerva settled herself into what she clearly considered a comfortable position.

I perched on a boulder and looked across at her.

The exact same setup as yesterday.

"Hm."

I thought about it for a moment, told her to wait, and walked over to the cabin.

I grabbed a handful of firewood from the stack against one wall, came back, and started laying the pieces out in front of her in a row.

"Where exactly are you losing me?"

[......]

Minerva went quiet for a moment, then spoke in a grave, dignified voice.

[All things must, of course, begin again from the starting point. And if one is to take a different path, all the more reason... Strike yesterday's Minerva from your memory.]

"...Got it."

While I was slowly nodding, the shadow gave a little twitch.

[Why she has to be so weighty about saying "I don't get any of it, just teach me from the start again" is beyond this Minerva's comprehension.]

Minerva grumbled the words to herself.

That just sounded like she was spitting on her own face, but I kept that purely internal as I looked up at Minerva.

"All right, let's try it this way."

The best method is usually to see something and move it with your own hands.

I said it as I shifted the pieces of wood around, gathering them into groupings she could read at a glance.

"Here, look. A week is seven. Two weeks is fifteen — no wait, with two weeks you've got two sets of seven, so... fourteen of them, like this. See, it's only one off from fifteen."

[Hm.]

Minerva nodded slowly.

Fortunately, today's version seemed a little easier for her to grasp.

[Hold a moment.]

She said it as she carefully extended a forepaw.

I obligingly stepped back, and she started prodding at the firewood I'd laid out. Apparently, she was going to try shifting the pieces around herself to work through it.

The problem was that the firewood was far too flimsy for her strength.

The moment her claw touched a piece, it gave a sharp crack and shattered into splinters. Minerva flinched at that and lowered her half-raised paw back to the ground.

[......]

"Uh... can you hang on a second?"

She looked genuinely mortified, so I got up to change the subject.

Minerva rolled her eyes toward me, wondering what I was on about now.

"I needed to start prepping dinner anyway."

My body was close to back to normal by now.

Su-yeong had said she'd handle all the odd jobs until I'd fully recovered, but I'd already foisted everything onto her for the better part of two weeks — I couldn't just keep leaning on her goodwill.

[Dinner?]

"Yeah. I'm on duty tonight. While we're at it, why don't you eat with us, Minerva? With everything you brought over yesterday, food isn't going to be an issue."

She snorted as though I'd said something laughable.

[Outrageous.]

She held me with a steady gaze.

It had the look of someone testing the waters.

[I had a fair guess from the moment you crawled into bed with Milited, dismissed Sbeungali and Margo as nothing, and dragged Venus in to set up a fight with me... but you make precious light of the Seven Calamities. Of us.]

Her tail rose once into the air and lashed down sharply through space.

A crack like something detonating from the shockwave rang out.

[Does even this Minerva look like a joke to you? I begin to wonder whether you see me as... some wyvern or lindwurm tamed like livestock by humans.]

What's gotten under her skin this time, I wondered.

While I was thinking that, the Minerva in my shadow whispered quietly to me.

[Don't read too much into what she just said.]

Her voice was perfectly serene.

She even let out a snort of amused contempt at her own past self.

[She's just embarrassed.]

'What?'

When I asked back in disbelief, Minerva calmly started to explain, as though it were nothing.

[Simple matter. Being invited to a meal is in all likelihood a first for the me of that time. She's flustered, that's all. And on top of that....]

She paused, cleared her throat with a small ahem, and went on.

[For now, just say something noncommittal to past me. It isn't an important enough matter to spell out here — I'll explain in detail later... if you brush it off lightly, she'll pretend to grudgingly accept it and quiet down.]

"Hmm."

I looked up at Minerva, putting on a thoughtful expression.

Sure enough, her eyes weren't deep crimson so much as scarlet.

I gave her a small smile.

"Where I come from, you know — every other thing comes back around to food."

[What?]

"When you run into someone after a while, you greet them by asking if they've eaten. When you part ways, you say we should grab a meal sometime. When somebody's sick, no matter how rough they're feeling, you tell them to make sure they eat. When you want to thank someone, you say you'll buy them a meal sometime. Even when you're scolding a kid, you say no more food for you as the punishment — and when you're hitting on someone, you ask if they'd like to grab a meal with you."

[...And so.]

Minerva asked quietly back.

[What is this Minerva supposed to do with that?]

"What do you mean what? It means let's eat together."

[......]

Minerva stopped talking and stared at me.

For some reason, even the Minerva and Sbeungali in my shadow had nothing to say.

"What do you think? Have a meal with me."

A long stretch of time passed before she finally spoke.

[...This Minerva has no need to consume food in the first place.]

"Hm?"

[The same holds for the other Seven Calamities. Acts like eating are unnecessary for us.]

For some reason it almost sounded like she was making excuses, mumbling them out.

I looked at her and asked back.

"You can still taste it, though, right?"

[Well — yes.]

She nodded readily.

"Then I'll be back in a bit. Just wait here. Is there anything you can't eat, by the way?"

[U-um. This Minerva eats anything well....]

She muttered the words and started glancing around, then carefully began to curl her body into a coil.

A casual look at her gave the impression of a puppy or kitten settling in. As I was heading back to the cabin, Sbeungali's exasperated grumbling drifted up.

[Madman... what a madman....]

What was his problem now? While I was thinking that, the shadow rippled like it was about to melt.

[Auughhh....]

Minerva groaned, sounding utterly forlorn.

[I — I told you to just say something noncommittal... how is any of that noncommittal....]

She mumbled in the smallest possible voice.

[...You never did that for this Minerva.]

"Whoa, Ji-hyeok — I didn't know you could make stuff like this."

Han Su-yeong came back from her business in the village and stared at the dinner table in awe.

She'd grown up under Nam Hyun-hwa and could cook to a certain degree, but only to a certain degree.

Yu Ji-hyeok, on the other hand, had been putting meals on the table for himself and his little sister from the time he was old enough to know better, so he had a pretty solid handle on cooking. Han Su-yeong's eyes shone as she looked over the spread.

"I knew you were a decent cook, Ji-hyeok, but I had no idea you knew this kind of thing too...."

She was eyeing the cleanly butchered carcasses set off to one side, voice full of admiration.

She had no way of knowing how much grief he'd taken from Sbeungali — getting talked down to and mocked the whole way through — just to break those down.

"Oh, ahem."

Han Su-yeong almost greeted Minerva on reflex before catching herself and offering a polite bow.

"Hello. I'm Han Su-yeong. It's an honor to meet you."

[When did this Minerva ever ask for the likes of your name?]

Minerva shot back sharply at her greeting.

Han Su-yeong, for her part, was thinking strictly inside her own head, Yeah, Ner was right — at this age she really is just like a moody teenager....

"Oh, right. Ji-hyeok. You want some of this? I got it as a gift in the village."

She produced a glass bottle as she said it.

There was a pale yellow liquid inside, and Yu Ji-hyeok shot her a startled look the moment he caught the scent.

"That's alcohol?"

"Yeah, fermented apples, apparently."

Han Su-yeong nodded breezily and gave him a look like what's the problem?

The sharp look she got in return made her flinch and start fumbling for an excuse.

"What's the big deal? We're treated as adults out here. Go down to the village and you'll find kids younger than us drinking."

"...Su-yeong, fruit wine is stronger than you'd think. And it's not nearly as sweet as people make it sound."

"Oh, please."

She grumbled at him, clearly fed up with being treated like a child.

"I've had plenty of drinks before, you know? You don't need to worry. And if not now, when else am I going to drink?"

After firing that off, she popped the cork the rest of the way and filled two glasses to the brim with apple wine.

Then she looked up at Minerva and asked.

"Would you like some?"

[...No need.]

"Mm, but it smells nice."

She lifted her own glass and half-forced the other into Yu Ji-hyeok's hand.

Then she grinned and said.

"Okay, cheers~"

"Hey, Su-yeong...."

At his hesitation, Han Su-yeong made a stern face and clucked her tongue like a parent scolding a kid.

"Tch — stop killing the mood! Come on, cheers!"

"...Yeah, cheers."

He took the glass with the air of someone resigned, and she clinked hers against it, beaming.

"Heheh, bottoms up!"

She was already as cheerful as if she'd been drinking for hours, and she gulped down her wine.

Yu Ji-hyeok watched her and wondered, again, where on earth she'd picked these things up — and tipped his glass back slightly.

'Master and Hyun-woo are going to lose it if they ever find out....'

The wine was sweeter, rougher, and more raw than he'd expected.

The kick was stronger than he'd anticipated, but he was a little impressed that Han Su-yeong hadn't so much as wrinkled her nose, and he turned his attention back to Minerva.

"I tried out a bit of everything — looks okay? Anything you want to start with?"

[...Anything will do.]

"All right then, um...."

Yu Ji-hyeok picked out a suitable dish and ladled some onto a plate.

Then he stepped over to Minerva and looked up at her.

She hesitated for a moment, then slightly parted her jaws.

"Okay, going in. Tell me if it's too hot."

[...Have you already forgotten that this Minerva breathes flame and venom from her mouth?]

Minerva's response was incredulous, and Yu Ji-hyeok nodded as if he genuinely had forgotten.

He carefully fed the food into her mouth and looked up at her, waiting for the verdict.

"Well? Edible?"

Minerva didn't answer.

She just, quietly, opened her mouth once more.

Yu Ji-hyeok cracked a smile at that and kept feeding her one dish after another.

And so the three of them ate, drank, and chatted away.

Calling it chatting was generous — Yu Ji-hyeok and Han Su-yeong did all the actual talking, Minerva quietly took the food handed to her, and over at one corner of the table, Rauné quietly slurped pasta noodles into its mouth.

A fair stretch of time had passed when:

[By the way.]

Minerva, who had been silently accepting food for a while, suddenly opened her mouth.

[Are the two of you joined as husband and wife?]

"Cough!"

Yu Ji-hyeok choked violently at the question that came out of nowhere.

He bent over and went into a fit of coughing, then looked up at Minerva with eyes wide.

"Where did that come from out of the blue?"

If anything, Minerva looked like she was the one taken aback — her eyes widened slightly.

[...What? You aren't? It's just... a man and woman of marrying age living under one roof, so I assumed....]

"No...."

Yu Ji-hyeok floundered and shot a quick glance at Han Su-yeong's face.

Mercifully, she didn't seem to have caught any of it — she was already on who-knew-which glass of wine.

He let out a slow breath and answered in a calm voice.

"Me and Su-yeong, we're not like that. We're just friends — comrades. There are some circumstances we can't get around, and that's why we're here together right now."

"......!"

For some reason, Rauné nodded vigorously in fierce agreement with him.

Minerva stared at Yu Ji-hyeok without a word.

[...Is that so. It seems I misread the situation.]

After a beat, she nodded as she said it.

[I spoke out of turn. Allow me to apolog—]

"Huzzbund?"

Han Su-yeong blinked and mumbled the word.

Yu Ji-hyeok looked over at her, and she seemed exactly the same as always, perfectly calm and composed.

That was the moment he realized something was off.

"Me 'n' Ji-hyeok are huzzbund and wife? ...Since when?"

Her expression and color were no different than usual.

But her eyes had no focus to them.

"Husband and wife, husband and wife... mm-hm, what d'you think the secret to a happy marriage is?"

"...Su-yeong?"

"The answer i-i-i-iss, drumroll please... staying out of each other's hair!"

Han Su-yeong dissolved into giggles.

"Hehehe, out of each other's hair...... not in each other's business, not in each other's hair, so happy you keep your hands to yourself... heh...."

"Hey, hey. Su-yeong."

When Yu Ji-hyeok got up from his seat, she bobbed her head and muttered.

"Then what do you get when a married couple climbs a mountain together?"

"Su-yeong, you're drunk."

"I am not drunk! Also the answer's ppyot¹! The answer was ppyot! Ppyot ppyot!"

She broke into another fit of giggling, doubling over.

She started reaching to refill her glass again, and the alarm sent him over to her.

"Stop, that's enough — you're drunk, Su-yeong. Let's go inside for a bit and lie down. Okay?"

"Hey Ji-hyeok, do you know what you get when a married couple stands on a ball together?"

"No, I don't. I don't. Let's just get you inside—"

"...Why don't you know?"

Han Su-yeong's voice suddenly cracked on the verge of tears.

Caught off guard, Yu Ji-hyeok stared at her.

She really was tearing up.

"Why, don't you know?"

"Uh, no. Hey. Su-yeong."

"I — I... I heard Ji-hyeok you liked stuff like this so I studied so hard, I memorized them, and you don't know? Huh? It's *ppyung*,² why don't you know ppyung? Huh? Wh-y-y?"

Then, with a sniffle, she started outright whining.

"Why don't you know...? Ji-hyeok, you love all this weird stuff so much... I really can't get any of it but I studied so hard because you like it... why? Why don't you know...? Why...?"

As Han Su-yeong sniffled and muttered ppyot, ppyung, ppyot, ppyung in alternating mumbles, Yu Ji-hyeok — flustered as he was — picked her up.

"Su-yeong, let's get you inside."

"Nnoo... don' wanna... I wanna stay out heeere...."

She squirmed in his arms, whining like a small child.

"I — Ji-hyeok, you... kill... don't wanna... world... is wrong...."

She kept up the sniffling, muttering quietly.

The grief in her sniffles was sharp enough that even Yu Ji-hyeok flinched for a second.

"Why, somethin' like this... to me, that thing... ri-man... don't, make me laugh... the way... is in the book... only I, can do it... but...."

"I can't make out a word of what she's saying."

Yu Ji-hyeok looked down at Han Su-yeong's mushed-together mumbling with a wry smile.

He couldn't help thinking about how much she must've been carrying around bottled up to end up like this.

[......]

Minerva watched him without a word.

"Sorry. I'll go put her down somewhere and be right back."

[...Mm.]

Minerva gave a leisurely nod as Han Su-yeong began humming a song on top of everything else. Yu Ji-hyeok carried her in his arms toward the cabin.

[......]

Minerva watched his retreating shape, gaze fixed on him.

It wasn't until he opened the cabin door and stepped inside that the surroundings fell back into stillness, as though the bustle of moments ago had never happened. Minerva glanced around for a moment, then murmured under her breath.

[...The girl carries Milited's scent on her, so this Minerva thought she might be one of its underlings — but apparently not.]

Now that she thought about it, a similar scent clung to the man, to Yu Ji-hyeok's body.

No — not just that.

Something faintly unpleasant... and yet warm, and somehow nostalgic — a sweet scent like that....

[Hm.]

She caught herself, baffled by the thought, and shook her head.

She turned her mind toward something else and ended up dwelling on the things Han Su-yeong had just been spouting.

[...Come to think of it.]

What clever little plays on words those had been.

She nodded quietly to herself.

When Yu Ji-hyeok returned, having laid Han Su-yeong down to sleep, Minerva told him she'd be heading off and bid him farewell.

She added that today, too, had been taken up by her own business, so she wouldn't be counting it against their agreement — the time remaining was still two weeks. Then, almost casually, she tacked on:

Tomorrow, teach me those clever little wordplays the girl was making.

The days went by, and the time left until the agreement was still two weeks.

It stayed two weeks even after Minerva had learned basic arithmetic and the times tables from Yu Ji-hyeok and Han Su-yeong, along with how to count dates, the clever little wordplays as she called them, nursery rhymes and songs, old folktales, and more.

The time left on their agreement was, always, two weeks.

Even when Minerva eventually took on a human form — still, unchanged, just like that.

1. 1This is a visual hangul pun that doesn't carry into English. In Korean, 부부 (bu-bu) means "husband and wife" — written as two identical syllable blocks side by side: 부 부. Stack the characters together and you get 쁏 (ppyot). You can see it looks like a mountain and you have the husband and wife characters together on top.
2. 2Another visual hangul pun, paired with the previous one. Take the stacked 쁏 (ppyot, "husband and wife on a mountain") and add an ㅇ underneath — the ㅇ is the ball the couple is standing on. The result is 쁑 (ppyung).