Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Episode 182: Fabre in the Four Heavenly Houses

“Rumble rumble!”

“What’s the noise, So-ryong?”

“Hey, So-ryong, what’s all this commotion? Something’s appeared!”

“W-What’s happening!? Your Excellency!”

The sudden uproar awakened everyone, lighting up the well area as bright as day.

The flames from the torches and lanterns in everyone’s hands suddenly converged around the well.

After adjusting to the blinding light which had transformed from darkness to brightness, I turned my face back towards the shadows of the well, responding to the crowd’s inquiries.

“Something vanished into here after grabbing a pig.”

While I hadn’t seen the pig being snatched, I distinctly heard a sharp squelching noise, indicating it had likely been taken.

Hwa Eun, my side companion, along with Older Sister Seol and the chief who had gathered the people, gazed at the well in disbelief.

“Into the well, you say?”

“Into the well?”

“Y-You mean the well?”

“Yes, let’s take a look inside.”

The trio wore expressions of confusion, as typically wells are covered.

Moreover, the chief, who used the well daily, should have been fully aware of its state, yet wore a bewildered look.

However, when I shined the lantern down the well to reveal a massive hole on one side of the bottom, the chief’s eyes widened in shock.

“W-When did that get there!?”

“There was a big hole, So-ryong?”

With a large basalt stone lying at an angle on the floor, it seemed likely that it had been used like a door, opened and shut.

But in a hurry to escape, it appeared the creature didn’t have time to secure it again.

“The well… This is a serious matter…”

Staring blankly at the well, the chief plopped down on the ground, his face revealing he felt like he had lost everything.

“What are we going to do now, Chief?”

In response to Older Sister Seol’s question, the chief replied with a dazed expression, his voice laced with despair.

“There’s only one well in the village, and now it’s blocked like this… Our village is finished.”

Indeed, as the chief said, this was the only well atop the hill, while the water flowing from the volcano was quite far below the village position.

But even that water was hard to drink.

I’d heard it was rich in lime, causing severe diarrhea, which now definitely explained the chief’s distressed expression.

Now that the well’s bottom was blocked by a large stone, the village had completely lost its water source.

Looking at the chief and villagers, I turned to Bin, who was still half-leaning into the well, his antennae swaying around.

“Bin, do you think that creature is still in there?”

– Rustle!

The immediate response was a negative one.

Being a centipede, it was likely Bin could sense vibrations, affirming his instinct.

I quickly asked Bin to clear the stone blocking the bottom of the well.

For our Bin, that would just be child’s play.

“Bin, can you remove that stone down below? The adults seem pretty stuck because of it. Can you manage?”

Though I asked if he could, I only posed the question as a formality.

Having demolished houses that were more concrete-like than this, there was no way Bin couldn’t break the basalt, which wasn’t particularly hard.

I sometimes used basalt to decorate terrariums, so I knew its hardness was around 4-5.

– Rustle!

With a loud affirmation, Bin scurried downwards headfirst.

As Bin’s body disappeared into the well, a tremendous noise erupted from below.

– Crash! Crash!

It seemed the stone was too large to pull out in one go, so Bin was likely breaking it apart.

Shortly after, chunks of the basalt were seen in Bin’s mouth, and after repeating that several times, Bin approached me eagerly looking for praise.

He wanted a reward for accomplishing his task for Daddy.

– Rustle.

“Okay, okay, you deserve a reward!”

Petting his head gently, I lowered the lantern to see that while a few small pieces remained, the large stones were mostly cleared away.

We could have someone come down later to clean up what remained, so I told the chief, who was staring blankly at the cleared stones, to check.

“Since the stones are cleared, please take a look.”

The chief quickly ran over, startled by the lantern’s glow shining down into the well.

Suddenly, he bowed deeply towards Bin, exclaiming, “Thank you, Spirit! Thank you! This is such a blessing!”

“““Thank you!”””

Even the villagers, bewildered by the well’s blockage, began bowing to Bin.

Earlier, they had looked at me suspiciously as if to say they didn’t trust me, but now it was as if they had just reunited with a lost father.

– Rustle?

Bin’s questioning sound indicated confusion over what was happening.

Having never been bowed to by a person before, it seemed he was curious about its meaning.

Since all Bin had learned was how to greet others.

“This is… Well, it expresses a heart of gratitude. Bin, it means you are very much appreciated!”

– Rustle!?

Surprised at my explanation, Bin seemed to contemplate for a moment, then hurriedly scurried to the chief, placing one of his front legs gently onto the chief’s bald head.

The chief froze in shock, jaw agape as Bin rubbed his head.

‘What’s happening, Bin?’

In response to my internal query, Bin’s innocent reply echoed in my mind.

“I’m saying he’s a good boy.”

Oh no.

So he thought that just because he helped out a little, he should also show gratitude, which he interpreted as “You are such a good lad? Then, let me give you praise.”

It was evidently clear that in Bin’s mind, rubbing someone’s head was the highest form of affection, including kindness, cuteness, and beauty.

And then, in my flustered mind, the next thought rang out.

“Should I scratch your chin?”

I felt it was necessary to explain that such deep displays of affection were things kept for dear old Dad.

‘It may not be appropriate for someone else to receive such affection, but maybe it’s fine if Bin scratches my chin?’

*

As dawn broke, the people gathered again at the well.

Ropes made from vines grown in the subtropical jungle were readied around the well.

This was because we aimed to uncover the identity of the creature that had carried away the pig.

It seemed that last night’s visitor was nocturnal, making it best to reveal its identity during the day when it was resting.

“We won’t need torches, will we?”

The chief approached and asked, and instead of me, the Earth Dragon answered.

“We have Night Brightness with me and my kin, so we’re fine.”

Torches and lanterns would be a hassle, so we were fortunate to have Night Brightness with both the Earth Dragon and Eun-bong.

“Here you are, Junior Hero. Please take the lead.”

“Thank you.”

Accepting the Night Brightness handed from the Earth Dragon, I held it in my hand while balancing Hwa-yang on my head, taking Bin and Chao with me first down into the well.

– Splash.

There was a horizontally penetrated hole several feet deep, filling up to my thighs.

Shining the Night Brightness inside revealed a hole with splashing water that likely connected to the volcano.

It appeared that water had overflowed from the well.

The hole’s size was tricky.

It was just uncomfortable for an adult to stand up straight without ducking their head.

My head was barely avoiding contact with the ceiling.

Judging by its smooth surface, it was definitely a hole created by something that had dug through, so I decided to enter as intended.

“Let’s go, everyone!”

– Rustle!

– Rustle!

Without hesitation, Bin and Chao squeezed into the hole at my command.

Since I couldn’t carry Hwa-yang on my head anymore, I cradled her in my arms and followed behind Bin and Chao’s lead.

“We’ll go first since it seems there’s nothing nearby. Watch your heads; the hole isn’t very spacious.”

Shouting up above, the sound whirred as it echoed out.

“Understood, Junior Hero. We’ll follow right behind you.”

After briefly walking behind Bin, Chao, and I, I suddenly heard the voices of Chao and Bin in my mind.

“Rustle. Rustle.”

Alerting me that something was nearby, I squeezed past the creatures wriggling along the walls.

What I found was an open space ahead.

‘Oh, this is a lava cave!?’

– Splash.

As I jumped down about a meter from the hole, the sight that greeted me was astonishing.

Water splashed around my feet while the ceiling towered high above me.

Droplets fell from the roof like rain, providing a symphonic sound like an orchestra.

– Plop. Plunk. Plop…

We had emerged from a hole that had opened up in a section of the lava cave carved out by a past eruption.

Something must have perforated the lava cave wall, creating a path to the village.

The vast and lofty passage appeared large enough for a subway train to pass through, stretching darkly into the distance on either side.

“It would be best to wait for the others and go together.”

I halted for a moment, waiting for Oryong Sam Bong, Hwa Eun, and Older Sister Seol to catch up while inspecting the surroundings with the Night Brightness.

I needed to ascertain which direction the creature might have fled.

‘Since there’s water on the floor, it might have used the walls or ceiling to traverse. By the way, the cave is surprisingly warm given it’s a volcanic area.’

I carefully examined the walls and ceiling for any traces that the creature might have left behind.

I didn’t know what I would catch, but it was essential to ascertain my surroundings in advance.

‘What should I catch is immensely exciting!’

Normally, caves were expected to be somewhat chilly, but perhaps due to the influence of the surrounding volcano, this cave had a pleasantly warm atmosphere.

The jungle nights were typically a bit chilly, but here the temperature remained consistently warm.

It seemed like whatever creature had been here preferred warm spots, just then people began to emerge through the hole, awkwardly ducking their heads.

“Ow, my neck! Finally, it’s starting to ease!”

“Can you hurry up? My neck’s going to snap at this rate.”

Others were struggling due to the awkward height they had to navigate.

It hadn’t been too long, but the frustratingly tight height made it cumbersome.

“Gathering together might be best, so I waited.”

“You did well, Junior Hero. So, which way now?”

Usually, when the Oryong Sam Bong was together, the Earth Dragon took charge, now he was asking what direction we should take.

“I pondered it while waiting for everyone; it seems to be that way. Since warm wind is blowing from that direction, indicative that it leads towards the volcano.”

“Understood, Junior Hero. Knife Dragon, stay close to the Junior Hero. Spear Dragon, take position right behind him. The rear should be occupied by Gong-bong.”

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

It seemed the Earth Dragon had dabbled in some fantasy games in his past life, positioning the tank, Gyu-seong, at the front, while ranged dealers, Spear Dragon and Gong-bong, followed right behind.

The rear would be protected by melee dealers, Sword Dragon and Guard Dragon in a typical formation.

‘Great, that looks perfect.’

With droplets falling from the ceiling, I moved forward close to both sides’ cave walls alongside Bin and Chao.

As we proceeded deeper into the cave, the droplets grew less frequent, leading into a soul-soothing atmosphere rather than dampness.

Eventually, at the end of this comfortably moist cave, we arrived at a vast chamber.

Something was curled up between the lava spires ahead.

– Rustle…

At Bin’s low warning sound, everyone halted.

[W-What is that!?]

[Junior Hero, do you know what that is?]

Surprised expressions came from others as they transmitted to me, attempting to recognize what lay hidden in the dark.

[Let’s get a bit closer to check it out.]

As we inched forward, stealthily obscured by the lava pillars created by the ceiling gap, the creature curled at the corner became fully visible to us.

In an instant, I felt an uncontrollable gasp escaping my lips.

‘Whoa!’

And at that moment.

For some unknown reason, Hwa-yang suddenly leapt forward as if trying to escape from my grasp, letting out a distressed whine as I caught her by her hind leg.

– Whee!

She stared back towards me from the shadows, wide-eyed.