Record of a Thousand Lives: Chapter 17
Chapter 17. Record of a Thousand Lives
The two returned to Hiledan’s entrance.
Of course, they sent the dangerous-looking White back to the summoning world before they arrived.
As expected of a city well known for its alchemy, it was easy to come across books on alchemy, as well as vapors from potion distillation.
There weren’t that many stores, since potions were relatively rare, but the cost at corpse dissection and reassembly facilities was cheaper here compared to other cities.
Especially since the corpse dissection facilities had dismantling devices, which were used on a monster’s corpse to separate its flesh from its bones. Of course, such devices could be on the expensive side, unless the facility was deserted.
And in the middle of the city stood the grand building of an alchemy clan.
The two first stopped by a trading post.
The trading post was quite noisy due to many merchants and guides bickering.
Kang Yoonsoo took out 12 gold bars and placed them on the table.
“I’d like to exchange them.”
Looking a bit surprised, the guide looked at Kang Yoonsoo.
Had it been a merchant, pulling a wagon filled with tradable goods, dropping off the gold bars, the guide wouldn’t have been too surprised. But seeing an ordinarily dressed man taking them out from his knapsack, the guide couldn’t help but be a bit shocked.
Using both hands, the guide gathered up the gold bars.
“I’ll weigh them. Please wait a minute.”
As Kang Yoonsoo waited, he could hear a conversation from behind him.
Two merchants that brought precious kerosene were talking to each other.
“Have you read the news? I’ve heard that Yang Jojang’s Mariel was killed last week.”
“Mariel? Why, that child?”
“Gosh. Mano, you’re way behind on the news since you’ve been away from Hiledan for a while. There have recently been numerous beautiful girls being raped and murdered in the city. This is already the 4th one.”
Unconsciously, Shannette was fully engrossed in listening to their conversation.
“Serial murder? Huh, in such a peaceful city as this?”
“Aren’t there always some crazy bastards that are egging to break the peace, no matter where you go?”
“Thup-thup. She was such a kindhearted girl, how did….”
“But, you know. There’s a strange rumor going around about this incident .”
As if he was telling a secret, the merchant lowered his voice.
“The women, you know. They said that they all died with big smiles.”
“Died with smiles?”
“That’s right. They said the dead women were severely beaten. The torture wounds, caused by whips and knives, were so deep that it was sickening. Yet the corners of their mouths were touching their ears, as if they were smiling widely. Isn’t that truly a hair-raising occurrence?”
“That is chilling. Had the women been drugged?”
“That’s why the investigators are having such a hard time with this case. If illicit drugs were involved, it would surely make this case more complicated. Many cities have already had illicit drugs smuggled in, I can’t believe that Hiledan is now added to that list.”
Then the guide returned, placing a number of leather pouches onto the table.
“All together, there are 1,200 cold coins.”
Nonchalantly, Kang Yoonsoo put the coin pouches into his bosom pocket.
“Let’s go.”
Although Shannette was curious about the merchants’ conversation, she followed Kang Yoonsoo out of the trading post.
Having heard about the serial murders, she began to see what once looked like a peaceful city in a somewhat different light.
It wasn’t that she was feeling fearful, but it created an ominous feeling, for sure.
“How can there be serial murders in a city like this? It’s so unexpected, it sounds like a story I’ve heard somewhere. Just like a mystery novel.”
“The culprit’s name is Lee Minchan.”
“What?”
Shannette came to a stop.
“What did you just say?”
Turning his head, Kang Yoonsoo looked at her.
“Spoilers.”
******
Kang Yoonsoo and Shannette went towards an inn.
The two both had messy appearances.
As they arrived by passing through the wasteland, many parts of their clothes had dry sand and dust on them.
Having wanted to take a bath for a while, Shannette smiled.
When the sun was about to set, they entered a wooden building.
The sign which read ‘Golden Alchemy Inn’ swayed in the wind.
“It costs 50 bronze coins per room per night. Are you going to take baths as well?”
The inn’s owner, an elderly gentleman, asked.
Mixed groups of travelers and people from the continent were sitting at the tables.
Kang Yoonsoo took out 1 silver coin, and threw it to the owner.
“One room and wine.”
Shannette blinked her big eyes.
Did he just say one room?
The inn keeper found an old key in the cabinet and handed it to Kang Yoonsoo.
“The left most room on the 2nd floor. What kind of wine do you want?”
“The most potent one.”
“Ka-Kang Yoonsoo? One room only? There are two of us.” Shannette asked sheepishly.
The attention of everyone in the inn was now fixed on the two.
Kang Yoonsoo looked at her without showing much interest.
“We have to use one room.”
He said in a quiet voice.
“I have to stay with you tonight.”
********
The bathroom was filled with thick steam.
Shannette submerged herself inside a wooden bathtub filled with warm water.
The warm water engulfed her nude body.
She fell into a thought as the water helped her relax from her exhaustion.
She was thinking about the strange companion that she was traveling with.
‘He is truly a strange man.’
At the beginning, she thought that he was an explorer with a lot of experience.
His swordsmanship was excellent, and he even had blacksmithing skills, not to mention he did outlandish things like creating spirits right before her eyes.
However, the truth was different.
His level was low, and it appeared that it had been less than a month since he had come to this world.
Moreover, even his grip strength was weaker than hers.
‘But then how come he knows so much?’
He was even rather nonchalant when he found the Ultica Ruin.
It was as if he had been going in and out of that place for a long time.
On top of that, earlier in the day, he even stated the identity of the culprit that was responsible for the serial murders.
She felt as if she was traveling with a wise man who knew everything about the world, rather than with an ordinary traveler.
‘He’s more like a cold doll than a wise man, though.’
A cold doll.
She thought it was a rather appropriate expression to describe him.
Then her thoughts came back to his most recent comment.
‘I have to stay with you tonight.’
Splash!
Shannette slapped the surface of the bath water with the palm of her hand like a child.
Covering her face with her hands, she shuddered.
She felt as if steam was going to burst out of her now warmed up head.
‘Gosh, for crying out loud, that man…! Does he have any common sense or not? How could he say such a thing so calmly in front of all those people?’
She could not figure out what the man was on about.
He was very nonchalant in ordinary times, but then all of a sudden he could say such a thing.
Like everyone else would, Shannette did not see his behavior under a pleasant light.
‘How is it possible for me to share the bed with a man that I just met? We don’t particularly like each other. Besides, he didn’t even ask for my consent.’
She didn’t pay much attention to it at first, since she’d been exhausted, until after she’d unpacked and entered the bathroom.
However, as she thought about it again, it just did not make any sense.
‘Alright, I’ll quietly leave the inn after my bath. I’ll go separate ways from that man here. Even if we get two rooms next time, the same thing could happen again. It will be hard to travel solo on my very first journey, but that’s better than being with a man I know nothing about.’
Having decided, Shannette rose from the bathtub.
While drying off, she found a hand mirror which was on the floor.
She looked at her ivory-skinned body in the hand mirror.
On her left cheek, there was still a small burn mark, but her skin was smooth and firm.
She felt like crying, thinking about the past when she had been bullied and called a cripple due to her many burn marks.
‘Come to think of it…. Even before I recovered my original skin, he treated me like an ordinary woman.’
When she was searching for a bottle of wine, Kang Yoonsoo said that he knew a woman who was more beautiful than Hermiah.
‘Take off your helmet, and look at the mirror. ‘
Although it was rather faint, Shannette smiled.
‘He was the first person to ever told me such thing.’
After her appearance had been restored, the way that people looked at her changed as well.
Their attitude of acting sick, despising or pitying her, had all changed to feeling envious, and admiring.
However, Kang Yoonsoo.
As far as that man was concerned, the way he looked at her did not change, at all.
Shannette released the hand mirror.
She felt as if her complicated heart has been somewhat organized.
‘It is true that there are many strange aspects about that man. However, he has opened new doors for me. He saved me. Even though that should not be a reason for me to like him…..’
To be truthful, the time that she has spent with him had been fun.
It had been brief, but she truly felt that.
Would it be possible for her to experience the creation of a spirit, to go in and out of hidden ruins, when she was on her own?
‘That probably won’t be possible.’
It was strange that he did not reveal who he was.
It also wasn’t possible for her to understand why he said they would share one room all of a sudden.
However, Kang Yoonsoo was an interesting person.
Only then did Shannette understand.
She was slowly becoming attracted to him.
She wanted to travel with him.
‘I’ve decided.’
Putting on a thin bath gown, Shannette exited the inn’s bathroom.
She walked towards her room without any hesitation.
“Wow. Elder sis, you’re quite pretty?”
Shannette stopped and stood there.
A boy stood in her way to stopp her.
He was perhaps in the latter half in his teens.
Judging bythe device on his wrist, he appeared to be a traveler.
As Shannette looked at him curiously, the boy smiled.
“I’m also a guest of the inn, and you look so pretty. So, I gathered the nerves to talk to you once. Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No, so can you move away?”
As she has been thinking about the different ways people viewed her, she ended up speaking in a rather cold manner.
Despite that, the boy laughed.
“Hm. Liar. Elder sis, aren’t you the girlfriend of that man that came in earlier? If you’re sharing one room, it seems pretty obvious, even at a glance.”
Feeling upset, she stared at the boy.
The boy’s attitude was quite obnoxious.
Going beyond acting confident, he was talking and behaving as if he could do anything.
Shannette was courteous to others to begin with, but she did not particularly like people who had no manners.
“Why are you staring at me like that. Others may think that I’ve done something wrong.”
Laughing loudly, the boy moved aside.
Feeling unpleasant for some reason, Shannette went towards her room.
The boy yelled from behind her.
“My name is Lee Minchan. What is your name?”
Immediately, the startled Shannette came to a stop.
She didn’t need to think about it twice.
Lee Minchan.
It was the same name that Kang Yoonsoo said belonged to the serial killer.