SWNOVELXO Chapter 98
Episode 3-a. The Flower That Emits the Smell of Rotting Corpses.
Time passes by, marking a day.
The sun, which rose from the east, peeks through large clouds pouring rain, now resting over the western ridge.
Still, the snow falls.
In true winter fashion, the sky quickly grows dark without even a moment to feel the sunset, while pure white snow continues to fall.
And.
“The twins and Avery are still groaning, kid.”
“It seems like that from just looking at them. Then… um. I’ll go alone, so you keep an eye on the barn, old man.”
Saying that, I dressed up properly and tried to loosen my body stiffened by the cold.
“Are you sure? Your arm still seems like you can’t use it properly.”
“Well… as long as nothing happens, it should be fine. And I can’t just leave those guys who aren’t even alert.”
Despite Horn’s unusual concern, my arm still couldn’t be used properly.
Under the tightly wrapped bandages, new flesh was budding, but it had soaked with pus several times and needed changing.
Of course, even if I fought in my damaged state, I was still better than that rookie adventurer from my past.
At least I could win against a guy who could knock my cheeks thirty times while dancing a lively tap dance.
“Doesn’t seem like nothing is happening, so what kind of nonsense is that?”
“Ah, just shut up if you’ve been sorted in the hierarchy, old man.”
So I replied curtly to the grumbling old man and opened the door.
A cold wind rushed in.
“What the hell, you… hey, you damn human! Do you even realize the favor I did for you to spit out such nonsense?!”
“Isn’t it true? Besides, it’s more like I was being gentle with my aching arm. You’ve even got a bruise on your eyelid, after all.”
To put it straightforwardly, the old man had a deep blue bruise on his eyelid.
“You wicked human who doesn’t even know how to respect the elders.”
“An old man who can’t even act his age.”
I kept retorting Horn’s words until I stepped out the door, and I could hear all sorts of curses from inside as the door slammed shut.
Respecting the elderly? I’m always ready for an elderly attack.
Anyway.
The reason I ventured out in the pouring snow is that, even after quite some time, Goldsun and the gyaru girls still hadn’t returned to the barn.
Though they didn’t say they’d be back quickly, it certainly didn’t mean they were camping out until evening.
I thought they would return by the afternoon and had been resting in the barn, but the only thing knocking at the door was the smell of rotting corpses, which made me uneasy.
So.
I strapped my sword to my waist and packed some usable disposable magic tools in my cloak, heading towards the village.
Among them was the explosion magic engraved stone I couldn’t carry due to body searches when entering the tavern, or a defense magic engraving kit usable even by non-mages.
I’m saying this sincerely; they are essential yet ridiculously expensive items for adventurers.
In fact, just looking at their shape, they’re no different from stones on the roadside or small marbles children play with.
It was frustrating to think that a single magic engraving could fetch such a high price.
“…”
So, I rummaged through my things and thought about this.
This is why science doesn’t progress and gets stuck in a corner.
Even if you engraved explosion magic onto a rolling stone, it would instantly become a grenade, yet a simple mechanical device created by mediocre scientists would never attract attention.
While wizards create useful tools by engraving magic, the devices they make can only chop branches or thresh grain.
Even that is dismissed when considering the labor and material costs involved; it makes one question why bother advancing science at all.
As long as wizards are around, disposable magic tools can be created faster and easier without consuming anything but mana.
Therefore.
“The Industrial Revolution… Only a revolution of scientists can save this world.”
I hope the great scientists who led Great Britain in the 18th century can somehow reincarnate here and topple the totality of human civilization.
Damn.
I can’t understand why I still have to ride a cart in a world with magic.
Those corrupt wizards.
Someday, I’ll surely teach them a lesson with revolutionary thoughts dyed red.
This is totally Bolshevik.
So, I went toward the village thinking that my next companion must be a scientist.
And.
I crossed the shabby and rickety fence and entered the village, but inside was only the elderly and women.
“Hmm? Isn’t that the young adventurer resting in the barn? What brings you to the village?”
One of the old men approached me, glancing around.
He was an older man with a thick shock of white hair, tapping the ground with his cane, wearing a gentle smile.
A smile that seemed to suggest he knew nothing and was just a simple and good person.
“…It’s nothing much, really. It’s just that the nice gentleman and the two women I was staying with in the barn haven’t returned yet.”
“Ah… it seems the fruit harvest isn’t done yet. Can you smell the faint scent of flowers? That must be it.”
The old man nodded and replied almost immediately to my question.
“Hmm, does the fruit harvest take that long?”
“Well, it does. If you saw the flowers yourself, you’d know, but they are enormous. But it should be finished before midnight.”
As he said, the flower was bigger than an ordinary tree; even if it was said to bear fruit once a month, it could take quite a while to harvest all the fruits it bore.
However.
“Then can I see it if I go now?”
“…now?”
“Yes, given the situation, I’d like to see the fruit being harvested as well.”
The smell of rotting corpses mixed with the kind smile and peaceful scenery was unnerving.
It made me rethink the reason for the existence of this tiny village that had already come to mind since entering.
“Hmm… Well, if you want to see it, you should go quickly. There’s still… just barely some time left.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Not at all. We’re the grateful ones.”
As the old man turned to leave, again tapping his cane, he appeared quite spry despite his wrinkled skin.
Despite his age, his eyes didn’t seem dull and still sparkled brightly, and the words he spoke were very clear.
So.
If you watch quietly, you could tell that he didn’t really rely on his cane to walk.
The wooden cane did not fulfill its purpose until his back figure disappeared.
As I climbed up the hill, the smell of rotting corpses intensified.
The foul stench of the corpse spread even more intensely than last night; it was so thick and sticky that I started to wonder if there were indeed rotting corpses nearby.
I gagged several times as I climbed the mountain and finally reached the ridge where the flowers could be seen.
And.
I saw the enormous flower surrounded by villagers using poles to harvest the fruits.
From afar, it seemed like a simple harvest process, almost making me question my worries, so I approached while pinching my nose.
As I got closer, the stench grew stronger.
Strangely, the flower buds had not wilted and were still fully bloomed, their vibrant petals swaying slightly with the wind.
Moreover, the bright red fruits they were supposed to be harvesting clung grotesquely and closely to the thick stems.
The villagers were so busy picking the fruit that only a few resting individuals turned back when they realized I was approaching.
“Hmm, aren’t you the young one from the barn? What’s going on here all of a sudden?”
“I heard today was harvest day, so I came to take a look for a bit.”
Next to the resting villagers were piles of harvested fruits.
The bright red, round fruits, which I had often thought looked like drops of blood, were packed into several baskets.
“Ha, it’s an impressive sight to see.”
“But, perhaps….”
“Yeah, do you have something to say?”
However, the stems were still full of fruits, and the villagers were busy tapping with long poles to knock them down.
“Do you know where the three people who came to see it before me are?”
“Ah, those three?”
“They said they’d come back after camping out last night, but they haven’t returned yet.”
The enormous flower, the bright red fruits.
The piles of fruits and the villagers.
At a glance, that’s all I could see.
Among the many people, the hearty and cheerful laughter I had grown accustomed to was nowhere to be heard.
He may have been with many people, but he certainly wasn’t someone who could be easily overlooked.