Pathfinder
Chapter Twelve
When morning came, Garam’s body complained of tremendous pain due to having fallen asleep while sitting.
Awakened by the morning sounds streaming in through the comb-patterned window, she unconsciously lifted her head and was startled so much so that tears welled up in her eyes.
It felt like a pang had struck her neck.
A similar feeling occurred when she bent her arm outward.
Garam’s morning began with these painful sensations.
Garam, who was gently massaging her neck, couldn’t make sense of the fact that she had fallen asleep on the table.
She was surprised at the intense discomfort in her arms and legs, though it wasn’t as severe as the pain in her neck.
Instead of forcing herself to raise her head, Garam remained in the same position as when she fell asleep at the table and read her notebook.
While the weapons section was somewhat readable at first, she couldn’t tell whether she had written the rest of the sections while awake or asleep.
Sighing, she picked up the notebook and lay down on the bed.
Lying down made her realize once again that people needed to sleep lying down.
Going back to sleep on the bed wasn’t a bad option, but with the sharp pain still lingering, it wasn’t possible.
After briefly trying to sleep, Garam eventually gave up as the noise coming through the gap in the window grew louder.
The morning hustle and bustle of the port city was far from peaceful.
The voices of barkers hawking fish, claiming that they were cheap, and tickets for passenger cabins bound for Lumannic seeped through the window.
Garam didn’t feel like she had slept at all, and her head felt as if it were filled with dust, but she decided to focus on her notebook.
She could return to the base camp tomorrow morning.
Since she wouldn’t be coming and going every two days like before, it seemed wise to bring everything she needed then.
She couldn’t be sure whether she would remember everything once she got there, so jotting down her thoughts in writing was not a choice but a necessity.
Fortunately, it seemed that the dimensional gate remained open until Garam passed through it, so even if she had a lot of luggage, she could simply toss it in before passing through herself.
The money and weapons sections seemed somewhat adequate, and the rest were travel items.
Garam revived the memories of her brief time in the Girl Scouts when she was young and listed the items she needed.
She added toothpaste, a toothbrush, and toiletries as well as disinfectants and painkillers.
She wanted to bring various medicines, but Garam wasn’t a pharmacy major, and bringing the wrong medication could be detrimental.
Garam only knew about painkillers, laxatives, disinfectants, and cold medicines.
So, she decided to go to a pharmacy and get medications with clearly labeled purposes.
Lastly, Garam wrote down “sanitary pads,” and after tapping her pen for a moment, she added “food” below the line.
She wasn’t sure what kinds of travel rations were available there, but she was afraid they might be something like hard bread, which she had eaten while traveling with Jerome before and didn’t enjoy at all.
She also listed canned foods that could be stored at room temperature.
Then, she added sealed snacks and energy bars.
Finally, after listing canned drinks, Garam contemplated whether there was a severe shortage of vegetables there, but she decided to skip, thinking she could procure them there.
In fact, when it came to food, as long as Garam got used to the local cuisine, she didn’t need much.
She felt like she had written everything down, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had forgotten something, so Garam tapped her notebook with the pen.
She thought about bringing more things, especially because she didn’t plan on visiting frequently in the future.
After much contemplation, Garam realized what she had missed.
It was transportation.
If she carried what she had jotted down and wandered through mountains and fields, she would become a muscle-bound giant in no time, not even passing twenty days.
She unconsciously wrote down “car”, but then she quickly crossed it out with her pen.
Bringing a car would be impossible.
If the path was in the mountains, a car would be useless; she would have to abandon it and proceed on foot.
Moreover, Garam, who had been there for several days, could well imagine how strange it would look for someone driving a car in that place.
Recalling Trigger’s murmurs about outworld witches, it was best not to attract attention as much as possible.
Since Garam still didn’t know the ropes well, becoming famous for no reason could only lead to trouble.
Moreover, the roads there weren’t well-paved enough for cars to drive.
What about parking lots and gas stations?
It was doubtful whether one could even leave the car in the stable, and it was also questionable whether they would let them bring in the car.
In the worst case, just driving a car might land her in jail.
Garam then wrote down “horse” next to it.
She couldn’t bring a horse with her, so she planned to purchase one there.
She realized there were many things she needed to learn besides what she needed to bring.
While she already knew how to read and write, her knowledge of everyday life there was severely lacking, almost non-existent.
Garam started writing down a list of things she needed to buy in the new world.
The list included clothing and a horse (Jerome’s cart would have been suitable for carrying her belongings, but it was not added to the list because it wasn’t really a good option for rough terrain).
It also listed fruits and other items she needed to purchase in that world.
Garam was about to continue writing, but her pen suddenly stopped.
She needed to know what was available before deciding what to buy.
As she pondered in confusion, Garam kept pressing her pen with audible clicks.
At that moment, as if trying to match the rhythm to that sound, there were two neat knocks at the door.
“Breakfast time!
Are you awake, miss?”
The cheerful voice was that of Roana.
She then pushed aside the barricade she had hastily built during the night and opened the door slightly.
Through the crack, she saw Roana standing there with a large tray.
The tray looked heavy, and Garam quickly opened the door wider and stepped aside to let Roana in.
Roana entered with graceful steps despite the apparent weight of the tray.
“For breakfast today, we have a special roasted goose leg.
Originally, it was supposed to be cheese bread, but I changed it to a cheese sandwich for you.
For dessert, we have a seasonal fruit salad, and your drink is orange juice.”
Roana didn’t make a big fuss about it, but retrieving the biggest roasted goose leg from the kitchen had required some arguing with Polan earlier that morning.
In the end, Roana got the better of him, and Polan had to accept his defeat without any recognition.
Not only that, but Roana also managed to snatch a cheese sandwich with vegetables and bacon, which had left the kitchen staff sulking.
Thanks to Roana, the breakfast she had brought was nearly twice as much as the usual amount.
Also, it might not be a big deal, but Polan was the brother of Pollen—the owner of Thornwood General Store.
“Wow, the breakfast is really generous!”
Despite feeling like she might get tired of such a huge amount, Garam admired it without complaint.
It was genuinely impressive.
Roana, who was happily receiving Garam’s admiration, noticed Garam’s clothes as her gaze fell on them.
The pure white cotton shirt sparkled almost as if it was emitting light under the morning sun.
While Garam was busy drooling over the greasy roasted goose leg, she suddenly realized Roana’s gaze on her clothing and alternated between glancing at her own clothes and Roana’s.
“It’s truly a beautiful fabric.
It must be very high-quality, right?”
Garam, realizing why Roana was looking at her that way, was startled when Roana exclaimed without any ulterior motive.
Since Garam’s attire didn’t honestly feel beautiful from Roana’s perspective, she praised only the fabric of the clothes.
Hearing the compliment, Garam suddenly came up with a surprisingly good idea.
“Hey, Roana.
If it’s okay with you, would you mind exchanging clothes with me?”
Even if she went out to buy new clothes, she knew she had to wear her current clothes outside, and she would undoubtedly attract attention.
Garam had realized since her first day that drawing attention there meant becoming a target for crime, and all those stares were far from pleasant.
Whether it was there or anywhere else, foreigners were often targeted for many kinds of crimes.
Garam was well aware that her clothing was akin to carrying a sign that read, “I am an easily fooled foreigner.” While she couldn’t hide her Asian face and pretend to be a local, she still wanted to appear as a seasoned veteran of this place.
While thinking of buying more clothes at a clothing store there, she had no intention of advertising herself as a target to the city’s bad crowds while she got there.
Roana’s eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe what Garam was saying.
She couldn’t wear Garam’s clothes as they were; she would have to cut them up and stitch them together with other fabric.
But Roana knew all too well the price of such white fabric.
Even if she saved up for a year, she wouldn’t be able to afford the same fabric.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“But why are you suddenly making such an offer?”
Roana had doubts, though she didn’t voice them.
She knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
When she looked at Garam’s clothing, it was clear that they weren’t from there.
That meant that Garam had brought them from her hometown.
Why would she give such valuable clothes to someone she just met yesterday?
Roana wasn’t so young as to accept that without any suspicion.
Garam nodded her head as if to say, “Well, yeah.
Didn’t think you were that easy to persuade, anyway.” She wondered what to say so that she would accept it without suspicion.
Eventually, a few plausible excuses came across her mind, but for some reason, she felt reluctant to tell those lies.
She wasn’t good at lying, and it didn’t really suit her personality.
Furthermore, she felt it was unfair to have to lie when she had no ill intentions.
For these reasons, Garam simply told the truth.
“My clothes are too conspicuous here.
That’s why I had a bit of trouble yesterday.
If it weren’t for that man in the black robe, things could have gone very wrong.
Ah, by the way, did my note get delivered?”
“Yes.
He left in such a hurry that he didn’t read it on the spot, but he made sure to take it with him.”
“Thank you.”
Garam smiled brightly.
While Roana couldn’t imagine this cheerful girl having any malicious intent, she felt she needed to make sure.
“However, there are other options, right?
Like selling them?”
“Well, selling clothes I’ve worn feels a bit weird, and I’m not good at haggling.”
Garam blushed slightly while saying this.
She didn’t want to reveal her own ineptitude in front of Roana, who appeared so lively.
Roana decided to stop doubting Garam’s intentions at that point.
Even if Garam had malicious intent, she wouldn’t easily fall for it.
Also, it felt uncomfortable that she was harassing a young girl.
Moreover, if Garam was genuinely making that offer for those reasons, it would be excessive to push further.
“Alright then.
I’m sorry for doubting you.
Working in a place like this, we meet all kinds of people.
Oh, the food’s getting cold.
Please have a seat and eat while it’s hot.”
“Did you have your meal, Miss Roana?”
“Roana is fine; you can call me just Roana.
I ate early while making the food.”
Garam casually accepted Roana’s suggestion.
Although she was briefly concerned about Roana’s age, she decided not to dwell on it.
Garam wasn’t one to make a big deal out of such matters.
Garam realized that Roana’s suggestion of calling her by name was a kind-hearted offer.
“I can exchange clothes with you, but then I’d feel really guilty.
White fabric like this is very expensive.
So, what I mean is, if there’s something I can do for you, please let me know.
Do you have any requests, miss?”
As Garam nibbled on the goose leg, she thought that the food in that world wasn’t that bad.
It was primarily Western-style, but if she brought a little bit of kimchi with her next time, she might be able to endure it.
“You can call me Garam.
My name is Garam Han.”
“Oh, what a unique name you have.
It sounds exotic.
Eastern names often have meanings, right?
My name, Roana, comes from a flower.
What does your name mean?”
Garam’s expression changed unexpectedly when she heard Roana’s question.
She hadn’t paid much attention, but it seemed that people from that world had some customs similar to those in her world.
If she ever got the chance, she thought she should learn more about them.
With that in mind, Garam nodded her head.
“It means river.”
“I see.
In some desert countries in the south, I heard they name people after rivers because water is scarce.”
“You are quite knowledgeable.”
“People from all around the world stay at this inn, so you get to hear many different things from guests as you work here.”
Garam had considered asking Roana to explain some common knowledge, but she remembered something more urgent.
“Um, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?
Don’t hesitate, just tell me.
It would actually make me feel uncomfortable if you simply gave me this precious fabric.”
“Could you accompany me to buy some things?”
“Sure.
Eat up while I go get my clothes.
I guess I’ll have to take a short break from the inn’s work today.”
Garam was taken aback by her casual acceptance.
“Well, you could have done it when you had free time…”
“It’s okay.
Today isn’t very busy anyway because it’s a departure day.
The busiest days are when ships arrive.”
Roana quickly grasped the underlying meaning behind Garam’s request.
It was indeed a sad thing that there were merchants who exploited young girls like her.
Roana, who was about to leave the room and was walking towards the door, suddenly turned back.
She smiled at Garam, who was chewing on a sandwich in a hurry, caught up in her busy thoughts.
“Take your time.
Chew slowly.”
With that, she closed the door.
Feeling a mix of bewilderment and warmth, Garam suddenly noticed something had happened.
Two out of the twenty clock hands she had on her hand had disappeared.
***
The port city of Verok was bustling with what seemed like an overwhelming amount of activity.
Garam felt overwhelmed by the vibrant atmosphere, which seemed like it could burst at any moment.
Merchants carried fish and wooden fruits, freshly baked bread and millstones, homemade fabric, and harvested grains on their shoulders.
Young men wielded swords, carried pickaxes, and hoisted nets, their muscular bodies glistening with sweat.
The energy there didn’t pale in comparison to the bustling streets of Myeongdong on weekends.
In fact, its diversity and hustle and bustle surpassed that of Myeongdong.
When Garam arrived there, she was surprised that where she was turned out to be Verok, her intended destination.
She had spent two days wandering around the mountains searching for the path and hadn’t known that Verok was so close by.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t even bothered to ask Jerome and Mordred how far they were from Verok.
She wasn’t particularly curious because she planned to return to her original home anyway.
While Garam was staring at the vendor grilling skewers of meat behind the counter, she was startled by a muscular figure swiftly passing in front of her.
As Garam stepped back, a man with a bundle of fruits the size of her fist, which was tied to each end of a long wooden stick, shouted while passing by.
“Grapes for sale, grapes!
Two bunches for ten copper, five for thirty copper!”
“Freshly caught fish for sale!
Fresh fish!”
“A basket of clams for thirty copper!
Fresh clams, one basket for thirty copper!”
“Freshly baked bread for only ten copper!
Bread the size of your head for ten copper!”
Upon listening carefully, the prices didn’t seem too expensive.
Garam had five silver in her purse, but just in case, she decided to take her entire backpack with her.
If she ran short of money, she planned to sell everything inside the backpack except for her notebook.
Inside the backpack, she had two spare pens, a flashlight, mosquito repellent, ten hair ties, and several white towels.
Since she had heard that white cloth was sold at a high price, she thought the white towels might fetch a good price too.
If she sold everything including the backpack, she could make quite a bit of money.
“I took days off.
Sorry for keeping you waiting.”