Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

For the past few days, a strange rumor had been circulating in Taean.

Someone said they were going to remove the island that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the river.

What kind of insane nonsense was that?

That was what most people said when they first heard it.

Because it was completely absurd.

How on earth could a person remove an island?

So everyone initially dismissed it as nonsense.

But then, people remembered that the famous Geumjeok Merchant Guild in Taean had erected a bamboo structure in the middle of the island and even brought in officials to control access. That changed doubt into suspicion.

Suspicion?

The head of the Geumjeok Merchant Guild was famously stingy with money.

And such a person spent money to build a bamboo structure in the middle of the island?

And then rumors started spreading that there was even a set date when the island would disappear, turning suspicion into conviction.

‘The island will disappear within eight days!’

The specific rumor was that the island would vanish within eight days, and it spread like wildfire through the Taean marketplace.

So one by one, people of Taean began flocking to the riverside to witness how an island could disappear.

Over the next few days, sometimes a faint light would shine from the bamboo structure on the island, and shadows of people were occasionally seen—but aside from that, nothing changed.

Some, unable to hold back their curiosity, launched boats to approach the island, only to be intercepted by Geumjeok Merchant Guild guards and martial artists.

Then it happened.

Three days before the eighth day.

Most people had gone to bed, but quite a few remained, lying on mats and watching the river.

“Huh? Is that fog?”

At someone’s words, the drowsy crowd turned to look at the river—and saw fog rising thick and slow from the center of the water, swallowing everything around it.

“You can’t even see a hand in front of your face.”

“You still there?”

“Yeah, I haven’t moved.”

Soon, the fog reached the riverside and became so dense you couldn’t even see your own hands.

Only the faint glow from the lanterns nearby remained visible, dim and hazy.

Normally, fogs this thick only appeared in early spring or fall. People marveled at the strange phenomenon—until the thick fog started to clear, almost miraculously.

As things slowly came back into view, the moonlight began to shine through.

And when people, illuminated by that moonlight, looked toward the river—

“H-huh!?”

“T-the island!?”

“The island’s gone!”

At someone’s cry, even the people who had been dozing off or sleeping near the riverside woke up and began shouting, and lights in the nearby houses started to flick on one by one.

Soon, Taean was ablaze with light, like a city that never sleeps.

“The island... the island really disappeared!”

“Seriously!?”

What the people at the riverside saw last was a thick mist slowly drifting upstream into the distance.

And watching it all from the highest floor of his personal pleasure house, Geum Gi-ryung smiled and spoke.

“This trade was more than worth it. Prepare a ship for early tomorrow morning—we’re heading to the Ak Clan.”

“Yes, sir.”

Geum Gi-ryung had profited quite a bit from arranging things behind the scenes, and his face was full of satisfaction.

Enough that he could forget the failed wedding proposal.

***

‘Fast.’

People think turtles are slow creatures, but that’s completely wrong.

In water, turtles are insanely ★ ★ fast.

Now that he was healthy again, Elder Geumdo filled his lungs with just the right amount of air and moved his limbs with sharp motions.

Each time his hind legs moved, Elder Geumdo shot forward like an arrow.

We were riding on the head of the giant turtle, heading toward the Ak Clan where Gwiseong was.

I sat atop Elder Geumdo’s head, enjoying the cool wind.

Of course, this wasn’t a leisure trip. I was guiding Elder Geumdo along the way to the Ak Clan.

At first, Hwa-eun and Sister Seol had clung tightly to my side in fear, but now they were both enjoying the speed.

“So-ryong, this is so fun!”

“Ryong, this is really fun!”

Both of them stood up, facing the wind.

With their sleeves fluttering in the wind, they looked just like celestial maidens.

‘This feels like I just bought a luxury yacht and brought my two girlfriends onboard.’

Though we were moving as fast as the wind on a boat, Elder Geumdo was slicing through the water with his legs, delivering a continuous sense of thrilling speed that only a boat at full throttle could match. The two of them seemed to love it.

“Here, we can stop here.”

brrrrr

“That was so much fun.”

“Right? Sis.”

The trip upriver, which normally would’ve taken half a day by boat, took just one shichen thanks to Elder Geumdo. We arrived at the Ak Clan’s harbor, where our boat was anchored.

brrrrr

Then Elder Geumdo stopped beside our boat and looked around.

Maybe because he was used to avoiding people, it felt like he was checking for anyone nearby.

But since it was deep into the night, only a few guards from the Ak Clan were on patrol. When they approached, Elder Geumdo quickly submerged his head.

splash

“A raft?”

“It’s me. So-ryong of the Tang Clan. It’s been a while.”

Seeing only the large bamboo structure, the guards had assumed it was a raft—but when I waved and greeted them, they showed their joy.

“So So-hyeop, it’s been a while! D-did your mission go well?”

Judging by their excitement, these guards were from the Ak Clan and seemed to know why I had gone to Taean. I smiled and nodded.

Because things had gone very well.

“Yes, the matter’s been handled. There’s no need for the Ak Clan to worry anymore.”

At my answer, the guards’ eyes lit up in the darkness.

Even though it was late at night, they cheered with joy.

“Woooooh!”

“Well done, So So-hyeop! You’re a true benefactor to the Ak Clan!”

I had gone to Taean because Geum Gi-ryung had asked me to deal with the rice weevil infestation.

As compensation, he repaid a large loan the Ak Clan had taken and allowed them to repay it at their leisure, interest-free.

On top of that, the gifts he brought for the marriage proposal were offered instead as wedding gifts for Peng’s ceremony.

Of course, I’d be receiving my own reward separately. Still, I really was the Ak Clan’s benefactor.

They were in financial trouble, and I arranged an interest-free long-term loan for them.

‘Anyone who sets up an interest-free long-term loan is a real benefactor, no doubt about it.’

As I was thinking to myself that I might be the greatest benefactor of all time, the Ak Clan’s warriors continued cheering.

“We must inform the Elder right away!”

One of the guards leapt away.

I had to yell to stop the guard, who was about to run into the compound.

“W-wait a moment!”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Let’s hold off and wait until morning. The head of the Geumjeok Merchant Guild will be arriving too.”

“Ah... I see. Understood. Then, shall we prepare lodgings for you inside?”

“No need. I need to greet the kids first. We’ll sleep on the boat and take care of everything in the morning.”

Geum Gi-ryung had said he’d come as soon as we departed, so the actual signing of the contract and celebration should be done with all involved parties present.

After all, things could always change last minute.

Of course, if someone tried to back out, I’d be happy to gut them.

‘If they say they won’t give it, I’ll have Elder Geumdo block the entrance to the harbor right then and there.’

If they tried to pull anything now, I’d be prepared to pull a full “block-the-parking-lot-entrance-of-your-apartment-building” level stunt with Geumdo’s help.

Just as the martial artists reluctantly withdrew with disappointed expressions, I heard a familiar cry—Yoha’s.

Kisit?

Soon, Yoha’s head popped up over the railing of our boat.

The moment she saw me, she darted forward.

Kisi!? Kisishi!

Landing in front of me with a spring, Yoha immediately started scolding me for being late.

“Sorry, I tried to get here fast, but this elder was sick, so we couldn’t hurry.”

Kisit?

“Ah, right, say hello, Yoha. This is Elder Geumdo.”

“Wait—hold on, I need to rotate his head a bit. Cho, tell Elder to turn his head this way.”

Tsurururu!

Yoha tilted her head at the request to greet, so I had to wait a moment.

Then I spun Elder Geumdo around.

To hide his head behind our boat’s body.

As the island rotated, Yoha looked surprised.

Kisit!?

When Elder Geumdo’s head eventually rose from the water, Yoha’s expression turned startled.

Kisishi?

“Yeah. This is Elder Geumdo. He’ll be living with us from now on.”

Once Yoha greeted him, the other kids started poking their heads out too.

Shia?

Gguk-ggu!

Pii?

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Cheongyu, Seol, Bing, Dong, Hwayang, Hongdan, and finally Orange—the Ji-yeong Snake—all peered out from the railing.

“I’m back, everyone. Say hello. This is Elder Geumdo.”

The children clung to the railing, staring at Elder Geumdo in awe.

Brrr-r-r-r.

Cho interpreted the rumbling: Elder Geumdo was saying hello and asking them to treat him well.

The children replied at once.

Shiaaa!

Gguk-gguuu!

Piiit!

After all the greetings were exchanged, the kids crossed over to Elder Geumdo’s shell.

It was wide, like an open playground, and they gleefully explored the space.

They’d been cooped up in the boat every day—now they were finally free.

“They look happy, So-ryong.”

“Kids naturally like wide open spaces. Big and open.”

“Ah... I see.”

Hwa-eun and Sister Seol looked on with fond expressions.

Then it hit me—something felt off.

And sure enough, a voice echoed in my head.

Cheongwol’s voice.

Grrr... ‘Who is this you’ve brought?’

That was it—I’d forgotten Cheongwol.

‘Ah, Cheongwol, right, this is Elder Geumdo. He’s an old turtle. Say hi. Sorry I introduced the others first and forgot you.’

‘Yes, Cheongwol, go ahead and greet him.’

Even though Cheongwol was a calm and gentle spirit, Hwa-eun seemed to sense that my forgetting might have made her feel left out, so she helped cover for me.

Cheongwol rose on the boat.

Tilting her head, she looked at Elder Geumdo.

Grrt? ‘Elder Geumdo?’

‘Yeah.’

Grrrng? ‘He’s old?’

‘Yep.’

Grrrt? ‘Hmm?’

Cheongwol tilted her head again and asked Elder Geumdo something.

Then came the reply.

Brrrrr.

Grrt. Grrt.

A moment later, Elder Geumdo, looking flustered, bowed his head deeply toward Cheongwol.

So politely, like a person.

Then, after the bow, he brought his head close to the boat so Cheongwol could cross over.

He was being so respectful it was almost awkward.

‘Wait, what’s going on here?’

I asked Cheongwol again as she stepped onto Elder Geumdo’s shell.

And her amused thoughts flowed back to me.

Grrrt. (Isn’t “Elder” a title humans give to old beings? This one doesn’t seem that old.)

‘Not old?’

Grrrng (Right. So you should just call him Geumdo, not “Elder.”)

Wait—he’s at least two hundred years old. And you’re saying he’s not old?

I tilted my head, confused.

But then I remembered—Cho, Hyang, and Bini all just called him “Geumdo,” not “Grandpa.”

Maybe in the eyes of the kids, he really didn’t seem that old. Still, what I really wanted to know was...

If Geumdo is over two hundred, and Cheongwol says that’s not old... then how old is Cheongwol?

I couldn’t resist asking.

‘Then how old are you, Cheongwol?’

‘!’

A mental exclamation mark slammed into me.

Then came Cheongwol’s flustered response.

Gr–grrt. (Y-you don’t need to know!)

If a two-hundred-year-old Millennium Golden Turtle is still considered a youngster, then just how old is the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Armored Scorpion Cheongwol to be receiving such respect from Geumdo?

***

The moment morning broke, the area became noisy.

It seemed word had gotten out that a huge island had suddenly appeared, and that I had resolved things successfully.

Voices calling my name and talking about the island echoed nonstop outside.

“Where did this giant island come from?”

“So So-hyeop brought it here.”

“He brought an island?”

“So-ryong!”

“So So-hyeop!”

With everyone calling for me nonstop, I had no choice but to wake up.

‘Man, don’t these people sleep?’

I’d gone to bed late, so rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I stepped out of the bamboo structure—and there was Geum Gi-ryung, already waiting for me.

“So-ryong, I heard the story. Thank you.”

“So So-hyeop, thank you for handling everything so well.”

Behind him stood the Dragon Fangs and a crowd of Ak Clan members—and then, as my brother and Geum Gi-ryung parted, a woman walked forward.

She bowed her head and offered her thanks.

“I heard everything. From the food pests to this recent event... truly, thank you. The Ak Clan and I are deeply indebted to you, So So-hyeop.”

She was thanking me for helping—but while she was talking, my gaze slid past her to the people behind.

I gave Geum Gi-ryung and my brother a subtle but bitter side-eye.

‘Wait a second... those two...’

‘What is it, So-ryong?’

Hwa-eun sensed the shift in my expression and asked mentally.

She didn’t seem to understand why I was glaring at those two.

But it was because this young lady—though reportedly an adult—was tiny and still had the air of a teenage girl.

‘Aren’t those two just a bit too into young girls?’

In my past life, this would be jail time. Seriously, it’s kind of problematic.

As I thought that, Hwa-eun flusteredly tried to defend them.

‘T-that’s not fair... i-it’s not that bad, right? Really.’

I couldn’t understand why she was defending them... and then I remembered.

Hwa-eun was technically the same kind of person.

‘Gyaaaack!?’