‘Hehe, Sungjae sure is shocked.’
His phone was bombarded with Sungjae’s phone calls. It seemed like he kept calling him after checking the pair of giant Bodua figurines made with pure gold. Joonbum grinned at all the missed calls from Sungjae and typed a text message.
[It’s for your future kids. Take care.]
Joonbum imagined Sungjae’s troubled look.
‘Haha, it will be hard for him to even sell it.’
It was as he said.
‘Hope he doesn’t cut off a leg and sell it separately.’
Joonbum took out the battery from his cell phone and started the engine of a big commercial trailer truck loaded with 2000 gallons of fuel.
“Have you uploaded the last video?”
“Yes. I thanked everyone.”
“Good job. Let’s go now.”
Sunsook also took out the battery from her cell phone as they waited. She also seemed to have sent her last text message on Earth. The Gate opened and people were waiting for them. His mom got off the truck and Joonbum drove it inside the large fuel storage structure. A weird feeling overwhelmed him as he closed his eyes and laid back in the driver’s seat.
‘I’m no longer Joonbum Jang of Earth. I’m Joonbum Christos of Bran Town. I am a knight from a noble family, a second born who could not inherit any of the titles due to the greedy older brother, Siegfried de Christos, and decided to travel with his widowed mother around the world.’
Joonbum slapped his face with his two hands.
‘This here is my real life from now on.’
He organized his thoughts and began feeling better. He just needed to start living in this new world. Another thought came to his mind.
‘I’ve never seen anyone who started living in the other world with preparations like this. Oh!’
He remembered seeing movies or comic books where a character from Earth was transferred to the other world and became a king or a noble. Most started without any preparations. Even then, it was possible for them to climb the ranks.
‘Maybe I can even aim to rule the world! I’ll have Mom govern it then.’
He began to daydream as he realized what he was now. There was no more of that empty feeling that overwhelmed him.
“Hey Joonbum, why are you laughing here alone? Everyone’s waiting. Let’s go.”
“Oh.”
Joonbum woke up from his daydream and got off the truck with an awkward expression. There was no one outside except Doral who came to see him. The smell of food pierced his nose.
‘It’s breakfast time.’
“Our broth is waiting!”
“Huh?”
“The broth! It’s made by boiling Bodua bone for a long time. You just need to add some salt and green onions — it’s so delicious!”
Joonbum grinned. His mother’s Bodua broth was a success. Joonbum heard his belly rumble at that moment.
“Let’s go in.”
They walked into the town hall and found everyone busy with their morning tasks.
“Sabu! Good morning!”
“Hello, Sabu!”
Young kids who just finished washing their faces ran toward Joonbum as if they were competing.
“Yeah, good morning.”
Joonbum touched their heads as he passed them by and they shouted at each other in joy. The kids then ran outside to feed the livestock. Joonbum and the youngest warriors, Baed, Odma, and Herse, joined them. Joonbum cleaned out feces inside the pen and replaced the hay that was on the ground.
“Look! An egg!”
“I found one too!”
As Joonbum and the other warriors were cleaning the pen, the kids entered the chicken cage and began gathering the eggs. It was like treasure hunting for them.
“Wow! I knew you would hide it here! Haha!”
A kid shouted in joy as he found an egg in a weird place.
Meanwhile, women were busy preparing breakfast for 150 people. They moved quickly to prepare and serve the food on the table. Young warriors around the age of thirty were gathered at the side to take care of their equipment. They were prepared to scout or do some hunting after breakfast.
Older people who retired from hunting or making food were crafting different essentials. Nobody was jobless except for the babies.
A bell rang, signaling breakfast, and everyone gathered at the long table.
“Oh!”
“I love boiled eggs.”
“This bread is so soft.”
“It melts in my mouth!”
“I love this broth.”
“Try this sausage. It’s amazing.”
“Oh, this is nice.”
Many cooking recipes were created and were being transferred to other tribes. The Ainos did not do much cooking before as all they did was boil, roast, and make jerky, or preserve food with salt. Unique recipes were enjoyed by all the Ainos who welcomed the change.
Joonbum looked at Sunsook who was smiling.
‘Yeah, it’s better than eating alone on a small table.’
Joonbum remembered him and his mother always eating alone at home. They hated it.
‘It’s good that I’m here.’
*
After about three weeks into his permanent move, Joonbum realized he was very bored. He did not know when he was so busy moving back and forth from Earth, but it wasn’t too bad. He didn’t become lazy either. He still slept for four hours or more so he exercised for whatever hours he had left or shoveled out all the snow that poured inside the wall overnight. He also spent time making anything he might need. Time passed quickly and the warriors began preparing their equipment as the coldest point of the season arrived in February.
“What’s- going- on? Why is everyone- suddenly- preparing their- weapons?”
“Huh? It’s- time- for- Odringo- hunt! Ugh!”
Doral answered and Joonbum punched him in the nose. Doral quickly moved in and threw multiple punches over Joonbum’s guard.
“Wow! Joonbum, give him a blow!”
“Doral, you might lose!”
Joonbum and Doral were sparring inside the boxing ring for a three-round battle. Boxing was becoming popular among the Ainos. It was good hobby to help use the body in this cold weather. Everyone, from the kids to the women, watched whenever there was a spar going on.
“Crap! That was close.”
“Close? I’ll show you what a real punch is!”
Doral began viciously punching away at Joonbum but Joonbum guarded everything and threw some counter punches in between.
“Wow! That’s gotta hurt!”
“Doral! Beat him!”
“Sabu! I’m with you! C’mon!”
People cheered around him as they continued. Soon, a bell rang, signaling the end of the third round and they sat down.
“You’re really strong now.”
Joonbum grinned at Doral’s words.
“Anyways. What’s up with the Odringo hunt?”
“Oh, I’ll explain.”
Gazlow, who came up to the ring to pass over a water bottle, intervened. Both Doral and Joonbum drank the water that was handed over and Gazlow began speaking.
“This is the coldest time of winter. Odringos usually finish their second shedding by this time and have the best coats during this season. Their silky smooth fur is popular among the humans since they make hats or mufflers out of it. So we hunt Odringos. We’ll split into groups to hunt them beginning tomorrow.”
“Oh.”
They didn’t just stay home during the winter. The Ainos were hunters and gatherers. They still need to do basic hunts in winter. The next day, they were divided into two groups and they moved out to hunt. The first group was led by Howen, but Joonbum was in the second group. The second group’s leader was a middle-aged man named Grandi. He was about 5’7″ tall, a bit smaller than other Ainos, but he was quick. He also did not speak much but he was experienced and good at finding traces. He also knew how to manage the group, so he fit the leadership position perfectly.
After a day, Aiden, who moved out of the group to scout, came back.
“I found Odringos to the west at about an hour’s distance away.”
“Oh!”
“We’re lucky.”
“Already?”
“I guess we’re lucky because we have Joonbum.”
Cabo, Hert, Pavota, and Aiden spoke, but they quickly became silent as the older warriors watched them quietly.
‘Ugh, that Rambo thing is giving them the wrong impression.’
The kids were thinking that Joonbum was some kind of hero or a lucky figure after that fight. Grandi, who watched them silently, spoke to Aiden.
“Doral’s on watch?”
“Yes.”
“How many are there?”
“There’s about twenty of them.”
Grandi thought for a second and ordered to Ezura who just got back from scouting.
“Ezura, stay here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Joonbum, Pijenta, Pavo, Aisen, Hert, Aiden, Rine, Zuel, we will go for the hunt. The rest stay behind with Ezura to set up the base camp. Move out!”
Everyone began to work. It was the young warriors who were chosen by Grandi.
“Watch and learn!”
Older warriors cheered as the young warriors followed Grandi out of the group. Joonbum, who was also armed with leather armor and an assault rifle, followed. The frozen snow in the extreme cold crunched as they walked through the forest. After about thirty minutes of walking, they got to the place where Doral was hiding, waiting for them.
“It’s over there.”
