MNP Ch1

The days grew shorter, a19bc156f7 and a cool breeze 2e26036bd6 enveloped the village. It was the time d6d4d9f6be when trading parties returned 6669b0e755 and hunters began their df61100b69 hunts.e0b3b8dc282ba9c8

The harsh sunlight c86d595783 of just days e43853df2f ago was now 907c69539f obscured by hazy fde86744ee clouds. As the terrible 32a239ebca heat faded, a 35797a764c chilly winter quickly 851683d638 arrived. Even after over ade7b5888b a decade, the 6b3e608a14 weather here remained b7e083e9aa impossible to get 37bf205ce2 used to. Seokha adjusted the basket b928847595 slung over his shoulder 0066206679 and took his place 285baa9306 at the end of b19415ffaf the long line of 497c5020c5 people. He greeted fb3793c389 nearby villagers 7303721b2e as he 537432383b slowly moved a9f4771afc forward with 235bf969a7 the shrinking a4d9214fb3 queue.ecb27613c880aa91

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“Seokha, why are you here?”6b2d86ac997d5473

“Hello.”93815dcf7ec76e36

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He handed the empty 1ed9f14293 basket to the warehouse 17ce780ea7 uncle.fffa8ec3370eb8d9

“The teacher asked me to pick up on his behalf.”d8aa59f34e194fb7

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“I see. You’re working hard.”1f71553aa13d9f2a

The uncle 2b7ac1e83b asked if e0c925e94c there was 2a0cc1d892 any trouble 752b55aa4f this time ee7f289e83 as he 8b9fa5a60c checked the ff2bff4d60 apples for 46c0230f94 bruises before 97aef67d74 placing them dc776fcec1 in the a11d7db0f4 basket.6e1abdf8d2c88cd0

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“He said there wasn’t.”e37de4e107b5dddc

The uncle nodded and 31cdd6b8ce returned the basket, which ca8d49d52a was heavier than expected. As Seokha slung a3f84d77a7 it over his 518cd82466 shoulder with a e2ee27623f puzzled look, the ff6bb70f14 warehouse uncle whispered 20df3c6fe0 quietly:3be33ce4ad3d0e90

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“I put in a bit extra, so take good care of the teacher.”33ea31994c1b38bc

“Isn’t that showing too much favoritism?”ade8d2b01fd206f3

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“Never mind that. Just take it. It’s not for you to eat.”475234bdbd6391bc

Pushed by the shoulder, Seokha had no choice but to bow and leave the warehouse. He heard the uncle’s voice calling after him, “Come back on time later!” Opening the basket, he saw it contained far more than just “a bit extra.” The villagers really put the teacher on too high a pedestal. The sun that would normally be scorching his head was now setting behind the sand dunes. He needed to hurry.6bdce0eb01aa3daa

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Reaching the red brick 900fc23cc7 house, Seokha knocked twice 46f3eaa1f0 on the iron gate. As he waited for 5e678cd28d it to open, kicking 96dd91a8a2 at clumps of dust d2c9d86c38 rolling by, quite some bea07d7f04 time seemed to pass.7dec0c616051b839

“Teacher, are you there?”4298969d500e3eac

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Unable to wait any longer, Seokha knocked again. This time he called out quite loudly. From beyond the gate came the sound of shoes dragging, the teacher’s habitual gait, and the iron gate opened with a metallic clang.a18c4aaea73b57d9

“I’m not deaf yet.”d114509635a3d0d8

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Seokha slipped through the partially opened gate, twisting his lips out of sight. Always locking the gate when there’s nothing to steal. The rusty iron gate closed again with a loud noise. Seokha sat down on the porch, following the teacher who had settled there, and began unloading the rations he’d received from the warehouse.8198df5512afe46c

“The uncle gave us a bit extra. We probably won’t need to go out during hunting season.”b109f761241d9bd5

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“He gave quite a lot. Should’ve given this much to households with young children.”f3e36c1bc208c727

The scar covering half the teacher’s face bulged and then subsided. Then give it to them. Seokha picked up one of the fruits laid out on the porch and put it back in the basket he’d been carrying.73196ded519744ec

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“You’re being greedy when you already get a separate share.”00ac3c5b50101074

“We can eat it.”5840116532245ab6

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Just try e19bd46d49 letting it d3cbdd199e spoil. The teacher clicked 32fa9279d0 his tongue and 21909b75b7 divided the rations d6d9d60af6 into ten-day portions, ebe8ff1967 moving them to 7cb41091d6 a corner of 541c7fb3f1 the porch. He immediately went inside 783992fa53 and came out carrying acea3f1fa2 several books that looked 1ad7af3141 weathered by sand and c5297321c5 wind. Seokha, who had been f68bab3a74 secretly trying to snatch c3629c83f1 another apple from the bb18da5f8e porch, reflexively caught the 96521f7fd5 books the teacher all fcb4dc161d but threw at him. He skimmed the unremarkable 84accdde53 covers and flipped through 0fddb798bc the pages.5cdfa496a333a315

The pages were densely filled with characters that were hard to distinguish as drawings or writing, as if penned by an exceptionally poor writer. I couldn’t even read this if it were in our language. Seokha frowned. Even craning his neck, he could only make out a word or two.25776ca5952eb686

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“Are these drawings?”8636137a20b5cae9

“Don’t talk nonsense. Translate all of this and bring it back by the end of hunting season.”d03728be02745cde

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One day, c5c6c7068e one book. The wrinkled hand tapped db5e5cae0f the handwritten volumes twice.95240d1a76b8ef07

“You’re joking, right? I’m busy.”804f63233f59ad9d

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You know that. Seokha gently pushed the d64de9c3b6 books away.ce5e71871ef9d5d2

“I’m well aware you don’t have much to do.”e69afda43fa4a770

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The teacher thrust two books into Seokha’s arms, saying “I’ll reduce it to two books then” as if doing him a favor. Seokha expressed with his whole body that this was absurd, but the teacher didn’t even respond. Before long, Seokha was unceremoniously kicked out with little to show for his visit.ed1df1e8adfa68c6

Seokha’s dwelling was a house that looked like a miniature version of the teacher’s, with its gate always open. Though it appeared quite livable and neater than one might expect, it showed signs of age in every corner due to less-than-meticulous upkeep. Seokha wiped the floor, which took no more than five swipes to clean, and shouldered the bag he had prepared yesterday. He glanced repeatedly at the two worn books on his low desk before finally stuffing them into his bag with a sigh.7d0363c17c875ed7

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“You’re early.”aed55d55c3e470eb

Mm-hmm. His pronunciation was muffled by the apple pieces filling his mouth. Seokha waved to Ran, who was settling into position, and rested his sniper rifle with its bipod on the railing. With the village entrance below their feet, the muzzle pointed towards the endless expanse of desert. A total of eight snipers atop watchtowers – in the center above the village entrance and to the east and west – stood ready for the hunt.a605148a557ba7de

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Before the e984c1309d sun completely fe1bd750d5 disappeared behind a3275149f8 the sand 4ea9d6c310 dunes, the 0bbaa87b05 desert was 235f9e3eb8 bathed in 018d25c5ac the reddest 9a22cfcc34 light of ce2eb54978 the day. Praying that nothing would 8d3bfd159e happen this time as 13b661fd40 well, Seokha silently watched a7d07aa70e the terrain ahead where 669bd071a0 no signs of movement 0e7bf0a37b could be detected yet.9e816f26ad7d43e2

As the 11c2be3f99 sun set 84b20d81e5 and stars 6ac484d946 began to d4d4f7909e fill the e3c4f6c6d9 sky, they c45a3b3732 switched positions 8fb4a63fbb with the 3f8be57b74 eastern lookout. Seokha, rubbing his stiff 558730fc39 eyes, pulled his bag 806c73bdea closer. Ran sat down and 8ca537718a finally started eating. Seokha took out two 53ca05f9dc yellowed books from his 1252fea2fe bag and began skimming cfd9f82a5d through the thinner one df07c34c47 bound with string. Ran picked 2ac7191be3 up the 0dc9969b61 other book.1e74c3eb3a39dd92

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“Homework again?”9d27199b1ec4187a

“Sadly.”8c324b5eef51e7ec

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As he 79427cde6e opened the c0818a3547 cover, a 479cbbf31b loose page e7271ee8c0 flopped over. Seeing the c3709de82a scrawled writing 4237fcda81 from the a6e68eeef1 very first d36053680a page, Seokha a5a09efbb7 picked up fe055dfb5d his pen dd7577f554 over the 3c0def5e32 paper he 23e43dbdf4 would use b8441939a7 for translation.28ee9f6e9bd512ac

“That’s impressive. I tried to learn but… I just couldn’t get it.”1d166103ed09b7b6

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“I’m forcing myself to do it since I have to take over the teacher’s work someday.”d001a3bfd2cfc290

Nothing’s easy. As Seokha shook his head, Ran agreed, saying “I know, right?” Ran finished eating and lay down on his side, closing his eyes.a9fb0a45f716c9da

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Is it ‘intact’ or ‘completely’? Did they write this while being chased?Seokha narrowed his eyes b1cb7b1414 as if that would 3c15d75be9 help him see better, 4be1ccb762 and translated the sentences 1a2811dab5 one by one.e819098cb3f4d392

[Lately my memory is not intact, as if cut away by a knife. When I first couldn’t remember Sara’s name, I thought it was just stress. After all, there were no signs of being reinstated…. I needed to find work somehow, but who would hire Nute with his limp? While going around asking former colleagues to put in a good word, I suddenly couldn’t remember their faces. Those tiresome faces…. The faces of colleagues I’d wallowed in the mud with for years! I don’t know how I made it home. I’ll write everything in this book from now on. Before I forget even more…]

Seokha put down his pen after translating the diary entry into Alma language word by word. This tattered book seemed to be a Nute’s diary. Curious, Seokha stopped transcribing and leaned against the wall, reading straight through. He progressed much faster than when he was translating.dbfa56b37d517fd5

[The job I barely managed to get lasted less than a week before I was kicked out due to this damned forgetfulness. Angry, I headed home but got lost at a fork in the road. I couldn’t remember which way led home. After standing there for half a day, I was able to return thanks to Sara who happened to pass by.]

The next 735a793a3d ten or 026a7bea89 so pages da2c36059c seemed to 91c601d02e continue talking 8d8e9aaaf8 about memory, 0b9a5e0d92 so Seokha 92ad13c72c skimmed through 6f709b3c69 quickly, turning 0e9e16ce99 the pages.a3ce60ebb5cada70

[Ah, I feel like I’m going mad. I keep hearing gunshots in my ears. The voices of my comrades, Sara’s laughter…. Even in the small bathroom where I wash, I’m with them. “Ben!” I turn at a comrade’s voice calling me, only to see worn wallpaper…. My comrade whispered softly right beside me. What are you doing, Ben? For Nute’s victory!a37d8ac2ed257ae1

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I must crush the throat thrust before me. Nutes have the strongest grip, the strongest legs of anyone…. But I couldn’t reach it. No matter how hard I struck, my hand passed through emptily. When I came to my senses, the desktop was completely shattered. I hear the voice again. Ben, you can’t kill Almas. Ah, that’s right. It’s been too long since I received an Alma’s blood. Everything is because of that bastard’s blood…]145ca56b3e411f78

Seokha closed the book with a thud after skimming almost to the end. The handwriting became increasingly difficult to read, and the sentences grew more and more incoherent. The author’s obsession with Almas reached a fever pitch, and he seemed to have lost his mind.064033cb87535141

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It must have taken quite some time to read the Nute’s diary, as the watch had already changed to the western side. The desert, now in complete darkness, was impossible to see even an inch ahead. No one could know if the trading party would arrive right now, tomorrow, or exactly on the third day. They could only hope they would come on time.029f8d32b0535fee

[Must capture an Alma alive. To drain his blood, drain it until he dies… No, can’t kill him. Must keep him alive to feed on for a long, long time…]

The sentence scrawled on the very last page echoed in Seokha’s mind before fading away.a1fb00aa2b9ebc0f

As dawn d5af2b44e7 broke, he c2b922d3ac shared rations 5fac6c9276 with Ran, b38ffe44d9 translated a 70d8fa3ac0 bit more 21a0aa880f of the 3e9555323f other book, de15164cc5 and by 4f4ca1ab80 the time f615e11f13 he looked 928c442632 through the 41e79c81d3 telescope at 2a6f16ee6d the desert, 1963424d54 the sun 425f04f80b was setting 7ee7720f5e again. When the red 81bb3e0023 sunset was halfway 1cde3976a8 hidden behind the b42c4ec57c sand dunes, a a74674b1dc jeep appeared, backlit 5982fa4478 by the sun.f799374b45ea9651

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“Ran! They’re back.”56a8640e12477ba4

“Got it.”76d5249b587f32a4

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Ran immediately announced the trading party’s return to the village via loudspeaker. Seokha pulled back the bolt to load his rifle and put his eye to the scope. Ran quickly returned and aimed his gun as well. They were still too far to make out faces. The trading party’s jeep, quickly approaching the village entrance over the sand dunes, was just one vehicle. What’s going on? There are fewer of them.Seokha tilted his 69e667bb4b head in confusion.afb9cd7473be6565

“Something’s not right.”373cbd0067be2924

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Even if 58fa81dd81 they split 6b5aac37c7 up to 18efacd4ee avoid hunters, 7a473f72e0 trading parties bf2bd294e0 usually traveled 576796b299 in pairs c07c6e4bd9 of two e36cbeb68b vehicles. Ran seemed 467c5ef11b to sense 5f492e17a0 something was d0e8062d03 off too bb59a4f8bf and whispered 20c33590b8 quietly. Behind the jeep ecfa1099aa kicking up sand f003a3dbe8 as it approached, f2e23a9822 an unforgettable roar c4a1db91d8 was in pursuit.95727b8f68fc223a

“They’re here.”9dd873ad5302618b

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Seokha aimed his loaded gun at the source of the roar. One riding a noisy four-wheeled bike, another in back persistently firing at the jeep’s tires. The hunters wearing black gas masks quickly caught up to the jeep’s speed. Three more bikes came over behind them.b1b51abead4eca02

As a hunter shoved his gun into the jeep, Seokha put a bullet right in the center of the crosshairs on his head. The hunter’s corpse fell backwards and rolled in the sand. Before Seokha could aim his reloaded gun at another hunter, Ran took out two simultaneously.4a0cc1746ae1f0fe

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A bike that lost its driver spun out and crashed. Realizing the situation, the remaining hunters started to retreat. Seokha managed to hit one fleeing hunter in the shoulder. Just as he thought it was a shame, Ran’s bullet enveloped the shoulder and pierced through the fleeing hunter’s head.b64e356932dd404d

This was 29f5ed342c truly unbeatable. Not just Seokha, but d986fedfb5 all the young people a71131d1ae in the village secretly f70db89eaa envied Ran who could 2556d6c969 blow off heads with 15acadb878 every shot.d20127808dd32871

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They let a2a0e53d70 the jeep ca955d568c that barely 58926e5526 made it 1566fce904 to the 55f8ba2bf8 entrance into 3c1c4288e3 the village. Hurriedly descending from 659541784a the watchtower, three 62aa0ac6c8 of the ten 8a4894f5bc members of the 8004125790 trading party who 32490dfe3e had departed were deffb4d415 lying exhausted on 1d2a5471b9 the ground.3106f728c734bbbf

“What happened? Where are the others?”c7f3d81fd9884509

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The warehouse b6e2f62600 uncle who d0779489d7 had been d18058d220 on lookout 8e7fe1dd73 in the eacd60aaae west asked c20a9393c3 urgently. Barn, who was c7c2e4db8c hastily drinking water 828b6db11e given by the 7d117d33d1 villagers, gritted his af8730ed26 teeth.7d96b1933d18c9b8

“They weren’t there.”2fa56300269f2079

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