“Are you leaving work early today?”
“Yes. A well-wisher from my hometown is coming to see me today. I think I should leave earlier than usual.”
Uncle told me that he had a job nearby and so he will be visiting us alongside.
“I made dinner in advance Lia. You just need to warm it up, so don’t even think about touching it.”
– tremble.
Lia avoided my gaze with a stern expression.
I have grasped her habit of bringing her hands to cooking whenever she has spare time.
This time she turned to Kaneff, who was grinning with a giggle.
“Boss too, check the report that will be delivered today, and sign it. The last time, when I sent the report to Demon Lord castle, it all came back because it didn’t have Boss’s signature.”
As soon as I talked about work, his expression became dark.
“You are good at everything. Can’t you just do it?”
“I don’t even know how to write in Demon language, so this is a report I wrote with difficulty with the help of Lia. Don’t just look at it and check it properly.”
“Okay…… “
“When I come tomorrow, if I found out that you didn’t check it properly, I’ll ban snacks for the time being. Do you understand.?”
“What.! Snacks has nothing to do with this.”
Kaneff complained, but I ignored it with a stubborn expression.
Even if it seemed a little rude, it is the most effective way.
It seems like I could somehow empathize on how mother’s would feel when nagging their children.
“Anyway, I will go now. Make sure you have dinner. Ah! And today, I’ll take two bottles milk as my share.”
“Yes. Goodbye. Sihyeon. See you tomorrow.”
Unlike Lia, who greeted me as usual, Kaneff turned his head away like a grumpy child.
I said goodbye to the two of them and headed to the kitchen.
I took out two bottles of Hermosa’s milk from the refrigerator and packed them in my bag, and left the farm building.
Checking the place and time to meet Uncle, I passed the dimensional gate at a faster pace than usual.
Me and my mother sat in a small cafe near the house.
Soon a couple in their 50s entered the cafe and looked around the store.
Recognizing them at a glance, I got up from my seat and waved my hand.
“Uncle ! Aunt ! Here.”
“Heh heh, I’ve been waiting to see you Si.!”
Uncle came to our table and hugged me tight.
“You’ve grown taller while I haven’t seen you.”
“ Hahah..Thank you Uncle. But you look exactly the same.”
“Sister. Sorry for coming late. I heard you were ill, but I couldn’t contact you out of the fear that it would be a burden.”
“It must have been hard. Right.. sister.”
“No. Without your help, it would have been really difficult to endure. Thank you both for your benevolence.”
At my mother’s thanks, uncle smiled and nodded his head, while aunt wet her eyes and grabbed mother’s hands.
Uncle and Aunt, who were our neighbours in hometown, were more like a family to us.
In our first meeting after several years, the greeting could not be easily finished.
The story of asking about each other’s current situation was not over until the waitress from the cafe came to take drinks order.
Like old days, mother and aunt talk about the gossips going around in hometown.
While uncle inquired about me.
“So…Si, What are you doing these days? After talking to sister for a while, I heard that you were working on a farm.”
“Yes. It’s a lucky place to get a job. I am working hard.”
Hearing my answer uncle made a slightly serious expression, and then brought up the story in a straight-forward way.
“If you want to continue working on the farm. Do you have any plans to work for us?”
“……?”
“It must be difficult to work on a farm with no ties. If you’re going to do it anyway, wouldn’t it be better to do it in your father’s hometown?”
The serious question reminded me of the farm in the Demon World for a moment.
It was certainly very unfamiliar and difficult at first.
But now, to me, it is a place with so much affection that I can say that I love working at Demon Farm.
It’s a place that created a turning point in my life.
Even though I started the job to pay off the debt. It’s a place that has given me more, that what I have given to it.
Now I don’t see the place as someone else’s farm, I feel like it’s my own farm.
As I reaffirmed my conviction, I replied to uncle with a smile.
“Thank you for the offer uncle, but the Job right now is satisfying and fulfilling.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Besides, I can’t be relieved of mother’s illness, since it hasn’t been cured completely yet. For the time being, I want to work here.”
“ If you are that firm, I guess… there is nothing I can do.”
Uncle scratched his head with a sad expression.
“Honestly, it’s hard to find someone you can trust these days. I thought if it’s Si, I can trust, so I tried to be little greedy.”
“I’m sorry. Uncle.”
“ Sorry for what.”
Taking a deep breath, Uncle began to complain about the difficult situation on the farm.
“By the way, how do you find a work on the farm? Finding someone to work on farm these days is like picking stars in the sky.”
“Is that so ?”
“Yes. Foreign workers barely pick farm works.”
uhm.
If you think about it from the point of view of the Demon farm.
Should I be called a foreign worker?
If I think that way, the situation at the Demon Farm also seemed similar.
“ So….How is Brother Junho and Sister Yumi doing ?”
“Junho also felt sorry for you. He wanted to see you too, but he is too busy with his strawberry farm and taking care of his daughter, who is just 6 months old.”
“Wow! Brother Junho has a kid. Is he also working in a farm.?”
“Yeah. It’s a fruit farm, so the reservations are full, unlike our paddy farms.”
Brother Junho was like an elder brother and a friend from my childhood to my adolescence days.
He is also the eldest son of uncle.
Yumi, Brother Jung’s younger sister, who was four years younger than me, and the three of us used to spend our days just like real siblings.
“What about Yumi ? She is four years younger than me, so is she still in college ?”
When asked about Yumi’s current status, uncle’s expression darkened slightly.
“Ugh. That girl is not a college student, she’s in a guild now.”
“What.? Guild ?”
“ Yeah. Actually, I am on the way from meeting Yumi.”
I was taken aback by the current situation, that I had never imagined.
Of course, unlike in the past when members of guilds had to do fierce battles against monsters, the current guild activities are accepted as a normal job.
But, it is still an undeniable fact that it is a dangerous job.
In my memory, I only have the appearance of a kind and tender little sister.
As I was thinking about Yumi from the past, Uncle stood up from the table and said.
“ Si, it’s already time. We should get going.”
“What? Why suddenly Uncle.? Let’s have dinner together.”
“ Sorry Si, I have to help Junho with the Strawberry farm early tomorrow morning. So I have already reserved a return bus ticket.”
It was too short of a meeting to shake off the longing that I had for not being able to meet them.
All four of us left the cafe with regretful expressions.
“Then. I will see you off at the bus terminal.”
“ It’s fine Si, You must be tired from work too. You should go and rest.”
“Still…….”
“Hahah…Look at the little Si, all grown up and worry about his uncle. Don’t worry, it’s not my first time in big city.”
After patting on my shoulders, Uncle turned his gaze towards mother.
“ Sister, take care of yourself, and don’t forget to visit us when you come to hometown.”
“ Yes. Thank you Brother. You too take care of your health and don’t strain yourself.”
Uncle and Aunt left, after getting our promise that we will soon come and visit them.
Me and my mother stood in front of the cafe to see them off.
“Si. It feels really good to meet people from our hometown after a long time. Isn’t it.?”
“Yes, mom. Next time we’ll have to go see Uncle. We should also visit Brother Junho and his daughter.”
“We should. Well then let’s go home too… Oh! Hello Yerin, how are you?”
Mother found someone and greeted them warmly.
Turning my head, I saw a lady with coffee in her hand just leaving the cafe entrance.
huh? Who is it? While I was bewildered by the impression of a strange lady.
I greeted the lady with a smile as well.
“Hello, Madam. You must be on your way home.”
“ Yes. We were coming from meeting acquaintances from hometown. Si, Where are your manners. You should also say hi.”
I lowered my voice and whispered to mother.
“Who is she.?”
“ What do you mean by who? This is our neighbour, who lives next door.”
“Ah……”
Then I remembered the brief moment of our first meeting.
And I was quite surprised to see how much she has changed now.
Light makeup, neatly organized hair.
It’s not flashy, but it’s stylish.
Completely different from the first impression.
She was a beautiful woman who could attract the attention of passersby.
I greeted her awkwardly.
“Hello.”
“Yes hello.”
The other side also looked awkward.
“Are you all right? You looked troubled yesterday.”
“Thanks for your concern, it’s okay. Rather, I feel like I’ve been indebted to you guys…”
“ What indebted.? We are living in the neighborhood, so it’s a given that we should help each other. I made some new side dishes at home today. May I bring you some?”
Mother exhibits a peculiar affinity,
She continued the conversation with the lady next door.
Fortunately, the lady next door did not feel awkward about mother’s attitude.
As I kept watching both of them talking to each other happily, suddenly….
Chill!
I felt a sharp stabbing sensation and trembled.
My skin started sensing something cold as if something ominous foreboding.
This feeling is…
I immediately recalled a similar situation in the past.
It felt very similar to when I detected a gray wolf in the forest.
I urgently took out my cell phone and saw whether there is any occurrence of cracks.
In a city where many people live with the danger of cracks, governments detect the occurrence in advance, and send a disaster text message to all nearby residents.
However, it came out that there were no crack formation in the vicinity.
I looked around with the anxiety that came over my body as if it was tightening my whole body.
Pedestrians passing by the street and the usual shops were the same.
“Si, What’s wrong. why are you like this?”
“Mom. Did you receive any crack alert message today?”
“No?”
My mother, as well as the lady next door, looked at me a little strangely.
Unable to bear it any longer, I recklessly grabbed mother’s hand and dragged her away.
“Mom ! Let’s go somewhere else for now.”
“Why all of a sudden? The house is right in front. Where are you going?”
“I will explain later. Just follow me!”
I tried to get out of this place somehow with my bewildered mother.
But…..
What I feared happened.
– Creee…creeeeek!
At the same time as the chilly feeling got intense, not-so-far from we were standing, the space began to twist.
Drodoooooododo…Biiiting!
The space cracked with the sound of glass breaking, and then a huge flow of mana wrapped around it.
I reflexively hid mother behind my back and prepared myself for the surge of mana.
– Aaaaah!
“Aaaaah!”
When the violent storm and mother’s screams and the scream of people around could be heard.
I quickly realized.
We have already entered the rift’s sphere of influence, and we can’t get out of here anymore.
“Are you two okay?”
I woke up to the sound of a voice next to me.
There was the lady next door who looked very calm.
“Yes. for now.”
“Hey you. Calm down and take care of your mother quickly.”
“Huh?”
“Here they come………”
Her gaze turned towards the crack.
– Breabreabreab!
– Dududdudududdud!
And monsters in the shape of worms started pouring out from the crack.
“Are you leaving work early today?”
“Yes. A well-wisher from my hometown is coming to see me today. I think I should leave earlier than usual.”
Uncle told me that he had a job nearby and so he will be visiting us alongside.
“I made dinner in advance Lia. You just need to warm it up, so don’t even think about touching it.”
– tremble.
Lia avoided my gaze with a stern expression.
I have grasped her habit of bringing her hands to cooking whenever she has spare time.
This time she turned to Kaneff, who was grinning with a giggle.
“Boss too, check the report that will be delivered today, and sign it. The last time, when I sent the report to Demon Lord castle, it all came back because it didn’t have Boss’s signature.”
As soon as I talked about work, his expression became dark.
“You are good at everything. Can’t you just do it?”
“I don’t even know how to write in Demon language, so this is a report I wrote with difficulty with the help of Lia. Don’t just look at it and check it properly.”
“Okay…… “
“When I come tomorrow, if I found out that you didn’t check it properly, I’ll ban snacks for the time being. Do you understand.?”
“What.! Snacks has nothing to do with this.”
Kaneff complained, but I ignored it with a stubborn expression.
Even if it seemed a little rude, it is the most effective way.
It seems like I could somehow empathize on how mother’s would feel when nagging their children.
“Anyway, I will go now. Make sure you have dinner. Ah! And today, I’ll take two bottles milk as my share.”
“Yes. Goodbye. Sihyeon. See you tomorrow.”
Unlike Lia, who greeted me as usual, Kaneff turned his head away like a grumpy child.
I said goodbye to the two of them and headed to the kitchen.
I took out two bottles of Hermosa’s milk from the refrigerator and packed them in my bag, and left the farm building.
Checking the place and time to meet Uncle, I passed the dimensional gate at a faster pace than usual.
Me and my mother sat in a small cafe near the house.
Soon a couple in their 50s entered the cafe and looked around the store.
Recognizing them at a glance, I got up from my seat and waved my hand.
“Uncle ! Aunt ! Here.”
“Heh heh, I’ve been waiting to see you Si.!”
Uncle came to our table and hugged me tight.
“You’ve grown taller while I haven’t seen you.”
“ Hahah..Thank you Uncle. But you look exactly the same.”
“Sister. Sorry for coming late. I heard you were ill, but I couldn’t contact you out of the fear that it would be a burden.”
“It must have been hard. Right.. sister.”
“No. Without your help, it would have been really difficult to endure. Thank you both for your benevolence.”
At my mother’s thanks, uncle smiled and nodded his head, while aunt wet her eyes and grabbed mother’s hands.
Uncle and Aunt, who were our neighbours in hometown, were more like a family to us.
In our first meeting after several years, the greeting could not be easily finished.
The story of asking about each other’s current situation was not over until the waitress from the cafe came to take drinks order.
Like old days, mother and aunt talk about the gossips going around in hometown.
While uncle inquired about me.
“So…Si, What are you doing these days? After talking to sister for a while, I heard that you were working on a farm.”
“Yes. It’s a lucky place to get a job. I am working hard.”
Hearing my answer uncle made a slightly serious expression, and then brought up the story in a straight-forward way.
“If you want to continue working on the farm. Do you have any plans to work for us?”
“……?”
“It must be difficult to work on a farm with no ties. If you’re going to do it anyway, wouldn’t it be better to do it in your father’s hometown?”
The serious question reminded me of the farm in the Demon World for a moment.
It was certainly very unfamiliar and difficult at first.
But now, to me, it is a place with so much affection that I can say that I love working at Demon Farm.
It’s a place that created a turning point in my life.
Even though I started the job to pay off the debt. It’s a place that has given me more, that what I have given to it.
Now I don’t see the place as someone else’s farm, I feel like it’s my own farm.
As I reaffirmed my conviction, I replied to uncle with a smile.
“Thank you for the offer uncle, but the Job right now is satisfying and fulfilling.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Besides, I can’t be relieved of mother’s illness, since it hasn’t been cured completely yet. For the time being, I want to work here.”
“ If you are that firm, I guess… there is nothing I can do.”
Uncle scratched his head with a sad expression.
“Honestly, it’s hard to find someone you can trust these days. I thought if it’s Si, I can trust, so I tried to be little greedy.”
“I’m sorry. Uncle.”
“ Sorry for what.”
Taking a deep breath, Uncle began to complain about the difficult situation on the farm.
“By the way, how do you find a work on the farm? Finding someone to work on farm these days is like picking stars in the sky.”
“Is that so ?”
“Yes. Foreign workers barely pick farm works.”
uhm.
If you think about it from the point of view of the Demon farm.
Should I be called a foreign worker?
If I think that way, the situation at the Demon Farm also seemed similar.
“ So….How is Brother Junho and Sister Yumi doing ?”
“Junho also felt sorry for you. He wanted to see you too, but he is too busy with his strawberry farm and taking care of his daughter, who is just 6 months old.”
“Wow! Brother Junho has a kid. Is he also working in a farm.?”
“Yeah. It’s a fruit farm, so the reservations are full, unlike our paddy farms.”
Brother Junho was like an elder brother and a friend from my childhood to my adolescence days.
He is also the eldest son of uncle.
Yumi, Brother Jung’s younger sister, who was four years younger than me, and the three of us used to spend our days just like real siblings.
“What about Yumi ? She is four years younger than me, so is she still in college ?”
When asked about Yumi’s current status, uncle’s expression darkened slightly.
“Ugh. That girl is not a college student, she’s in a guild now.”
“What.? Guild ?”
“ Yeah. Actually, I am on the way from meeting Yumi.”
I was taken aback by the current situation, that I had never imagined.
Of course, unlike in the past when members of guilds had to do fierce battles against monsters, the current guild activities are accepted as a normal job.
But, it is still an undeniable fact that it is a dangerous job.
In my memory, I only have the appearance of a kind and tender little sister.
As I was thinking about Yumi from the past, Uncle stood up from the table and said.
“ Si, it’s already time. We should get going.”
“What? Why suddenly Uncle.? Let’s have dinner together.”
“ Sorry Si, I have to help Junho with the Strawberry farm early tomorrow morning. So I have already reserved a return bus ticket.”
It was too short of a meeting to shake off the longing that I had for not being able to meet them.
All four of us left the cafe with regretful expressions.
“Then. I will see you off at the bus terminal.”
“ It’s fine Si, You must be tired from work too. You should go and rest.”
“Still…….”
“Hahah…Look at the little Si, all grown up and worry about his uncle. Don’t worry, it’s not my first time in big city.”
After patting on my shoulders, Uncle turned his gaze towards mother.
“ Sister, take care of yourself, and don’t forget to visit us when you come to hometown.”
“ Yes. Thank you Brother. You too take care of your health and don’t strain yourself.”
Uncle and Aunt left, after getting our promise that we will soon come and visit them.
Me and my mother stood in front of the cafe to see them off.
“Si. It feels really good to meet people from our hometown after a long time. Isn’t it.?”
“Yes, mom. Next time we’ll have to go see Uncle. We should also visit Brother Junho and his daughter.”
“We should. Well then let’s go home too… Oh! Hello Yerin, how are you?”
Mother found someone and greeted them warmly.
Turning my head, I saw a lady with coffee in her hand just leaving the cafe entrance.
huh? Who is it? While I was bewildered by the impression of a strange lady.
I greeted the lady with a smile as well.
“Hello, Madam. You must be on your way home.”
“ Yes. We were coming from meeting acquaintances from hometown. Si, Where are your manners. You should also say hi.”
I lowered my voice and whispered to mother.
“Who is she.?”
“ What do you mean by who? This is our neighbour, who lives next door.”
“Ah……”
Then I remembered the brief moment of our first meeting.
And I was quite surprised to see how much she has changed now.
Light makeup, neatly organized hair.
It’s not flashy, but it’s stylish.
Completely different from the first impression.
She was a beautiful woman who could attract the attention of passersby.
I greeted her awkwardly.
“Hello.”
“Yes hello.”
The other side also looked awkward.
“Are you all right? You looked troubled yesterday.”
“Thanks for your concern, it’s okay. Rather, I feel like I’ve been indebted to you guys…”
“ What indebted.? We are living in the neighborhood, so it’s a given that we should help each other. I made some new side dishes at home today. May I bring you some?”
Mother exhibits a peculiar affinity,
She continued the conversation with the lady next door.
Fortunately, the lady next door did not feel awkward about mother’s attitude.
As I kept watching both of them talking to each other happily, suddenly….
Chill!
I felt a sharp stabbing sensation and trembled.
My skin started sensing something cold as if something ominous foreboding.
This feeling is…
I immediately recalled a similar situation in the past.
It felt very similar to when I detected a gray wolf in the forest.
I urgently took out my cell phone and saw whether there is any occurrence of cracks.
In a city where many people live with the danger of cracks, governments detect the occurrence in advance, and send a disaster text message to all nearby residents.
However, it came out that there were no crack formation in the vicinity.
I looked around with the anxiety that came over my body as if it was tightening my whole body.
Pedestrians passing by the street and the usual shops were the same.
“Si, What’s wrong. why are you like this?”
“Mom. Did you receive any crack alert message today?”
“No?”
My mother, as well as the lady next door, looked at me a little strangely.
Unable to bear it any longer, I recklessly grabbed mother’s hand and dragged her away.
“Mom ! Let’s go somewhere else for now.”
“Why all of a sudden? The house is right in front. Where are you going?”
“I will explain later. Just follow me!”
I tried to get out of this place somehow with my bewildered mother.
But…..
What I feared happened.
– Creee…creeeeek!
At the same time as the chilly feeling got intense, not-so-far from we were standing, the space began to twist.
Drodoooooododo…Biiiting!
The space cracked with the sound of glass breaking, and then a huge flow of mana wrapped around it.
I reflexively hid mother behind my back and prepared myself for the surge of mana.
– Aaaaah!
“Aaaaah!”
When the violent storm and mother’s screams and the scream of people around could be heard.
I quickly realized.
We have already entered the rift’s sphere of influence, and we can’t get out of here anymore.
“Are you two okay?”
I woke up to the sound of a voice next to me.
There was the lady next door who looked very calm.
“Yes. for now.”
“Hey you. Calm down and take care of your mother quickly.”
“Huh?”
“Here they come………”
Her gaze turned towards the crack.
– Breabreabreab!
– Dududdudududdud!
And monsters in the shape of worms started pouring out from the crack.
