Yuldo Island is a nation that cannot be sustained without Hong Gildong. Food, clothing, shelter—along with medical care, education, and every necessity of daily life—are all handled domestically, and the only reason that’s possible is because of King Hong Gildong’s Taoist arts.
Because it is an extremely isolationist country, tourist visas are not permitted at all; entry is allowed solely for official business. Even if James were to knock on Yuldo Island’s gates claiming he desperately needed its medicinal herbs and poured out the most tragic story imaginable, they would never open them for him. The only reason they were able to enter Yuldo Island now was thanks to Immortal Iri.
What am I supposed to learn here? Is he telling me to learn that a King shouldn’t be isolationist?
The Iri Dojin had experienced so far was someone who possessed both progressive and conservative sides, a personality that was gentle yet razor-sharp. Because of that, it was difficult to guess his true intentions.
“Waaah… If you go higher than the sky, isn’t there supposed to be outer space? My god… a sea spreading out like this. It’s an unbelievably beautiful, five-colored ocean.”
At James’s exclamation, Dojin lifted his head—and indeed, beyond the deck, a sea stretched out before them. A dazzling ocean shimmering in five hues.
Dojin had seen countless mystical landscapes while accompanying Iri, so it was rare for him to think something was beautiful. But this five-colored sea was genuinely breathtaking, utterly entrancing.
The surface of the water sparkled under the moonlight, as if it were covered in finely crushed jewels, and beneath the surface swam countless kinds of fish never seen in the human world. It looked as though gemstones themselves were alive, breathing, and gliding through the depths.
“Th-That—look over there! My god! Is that a whale? It’s so beautiful!”
From afar, a rare Yeongmul—the ice whale—leapt into the air, spewing a fountain of five-colored light.
“Ah… fuck.”
When Dojin cursed, both James and Kkiwoong looked at him with expressions that clearly said, Did he seriously just swear while looking at something this beautiful?
But Dojin couldn’t help it.
It was because Immortal Iri wasn’t here with him to see this stunning sight. When he imagined his master trapped alone in that cramped rental shop, working late into the night by himself, the scenery before him no longer felt beautiful at all.
I love my master too much. What could I even compare this feeling to? Would he understand, even a little, my heart that can’t feel beauty anymore—even when looking at something this beautiful…?
Twenty-year-old Kim Dojin, intoxicated by his own aching devotion toward Immortal Iri, wore a solemn, almost reverent expression as he gazed at the distant horizon.
Of course, at that very moment, Iri had simply been left alone for once, leisurely enjoying a warm cup of tea while savoring a calm, unhurried night of overtime work….
Time passed quickly, and soon it was time to land on Yuldo Island. The announcement warned there might be slight turbulence, so Dojin grabbed the deck’s handrail, while James flattened himself against the floor.
Kkiwoong?
In reality, the landing was so smooth that even Kkiwoong wasn’t frightened.
Yuldo Island was a place that strongly evoked the Joseon era.
For a conservative nation’s port, there were quite a lot of people, most of whom seemed to be engaged in fishing. Everyone wore hanbok, and here and there were people with their hair tied up in topknots. Not a single person was walking around using a smartphone. That said, many of them wore sneakers, so it wasn’t conservatism taken to an absurd extreme.
“D-Dojin… Everyone’s staring at us. Even though we’re wearing hanbok….”
Having already heard from Iri what kind of place this was, Dojin had prepared hanbok in advance. Before disembarking, he’d neatly dressed himself in a refined yangban-style outfit, yet the sharp gazes never let up.
“Did they realize I’m a vampire who’s committed some terrible mistake? Do they just not welcome foreigners from the Western regions? I… maybe I shouldn’t have come….”
“If we want the medicinal herb, you had to come with me. Stop acting timid and walk proudly.”
Dojin glared straight back at the people who were staring them down.
“……”
“……!”
“……!”
After a brief but intense exchange of eye contact, the people eventually averted their gazes. Even so, for a mere human to endure several seconds under a Jangsa’s piercing stare was an impressive feat.
After asserting dominance over the citizens of Yuldo Island, Dojin considered using magic to lower his presence, but the island’s barrier was incredibly powerful, making spellwork difficult. Instead, they rented a carriage using Yuldo Island’s currency that Iri had given them and decided to travel to their destination that way. As the carriage moved along, James looked around at the scenery outside.
“Yuldo Island has so many people out and about even late at night. It feels like broad daylight.”
As James said, it was already past 10 p.m., yet the streets were packed. Everyone’s faces were full of vitality, their movements brimming with energy. They all looked like people overflowing with joy.
“I guess public safety and welfare must be excellent. Just watching them makes me feel happy.”
“Then immigrate here.”
“They’re so wary of outsiders…. I doubt they’d accept immigrants. What a shame….”
Kkiwoong.
Clinging to the window frame, the Dark One let out a sorrowful sound and slipped into Dojin’s shadow.
“Why is Kkiwoong acting like that?”
“Guess he’s sad because he doesn’t have any friends.”
“Pardon? No friends?”
“Look around. Among all these people, aside from wandering spirits, there isn’t a single Wia. They’re all humans.”
“Ah…!”
Only then did James seem to understand, glancing out the window once more. Just as Dojin said, everyone visible was either human or a human spirit.
As the realization that people here were nocturnal sank in, James suddenly felt uneasy and drew the curtain closed.
“I really should hurry up and get the medicine and go back home….”
“Why are you so scared for a divine spirit? You should have pretty high stats, at least.”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone…. Being afraid of hurting others has made me cowardly.”
Dojin, who’d been ready to sneer, froze at the unexpected words.
Afraid of hurting others. It was a thought he himself had harbored countless times in the past. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t so much ‘fear’ as it was ‘aversion’.
Even now, after perfectly mastering how to control his strength, he still couldn’t lay a hand on Dohui carelessly—because of the memories of having hurt her.
Dojin had never once thought of that feeling as ‘fear’. It was simply something he ‘didn’t want’. Definitely not fear—or so he had believed….
“By the way, Dojin, where exactly are we heading?”
“…The central market.”
“The central… market? You mean a place where people sell goods… that kind of market?”
“Yeah. My master said to make a deal at an herbal shop in the marketplace.”
“Even if people are nocturnal, won’t herbs wilt at night?”
“They say it’s a shop that handles herbs that wilt under sunlight, so it only opens at night. Why are you so suspicious? Just shut up and come along.”
“Yes….”
Dojin grew increasingly uncertain about what, exactly, Iri had sent him here to learn. Maybe it really was meant as a lesson by contrast? To show him a society that excludes Wia, is excessively conservative, and lives according to a rhythm incompatible with human physiology—so that he’d learn not to rule that way….
From Dojin’s perspective, Iri’s intentions remained utterly inscrutable.
The central market was so loud and bustling it felt as if a festival were underway. In fact, in the plaza, people were dancing joyfully to the sounds of instruments like dragon drums and pyeongyeong chimes.
Dojin paused for a moment, scanning the carefree faces one by one. The weight of figuring out what Iri wanted him to obtain pressed down on his shoulders like homework he couldn’t escape. But when a frightened James tugged at his clothes, he resumed walking.
The gazes of the market merchants followed them like shadows. Amid curiosity and wariness toward outsiders, Dojin kept his head held high—but James, shrinking more and more like a guilty man, eventually…
Kkii.
Turned into a bat. A glittering, golden-furred bat slipped into Dojin’s crossbody bag.
Kkiwoong?
Kkii.
Kkiwoong, kkiwoong.
Kkiiii.
Watching James chat with Kkiwoong, the bag’s original resident, Dojin reaffirmed the fact that whether human or Wia, being overly timid just made one look pathetic.
The herbal shop Iri had told them about was located at the far end of the market.
In front of a handwritten sign that read, [I alone am an S-grade herb gatherer], James popped back out.
“What does ‘S-grade’ mean?”
“What the hell. You can talk? Earlier you were just squeaking.”
“I-I’m a divine spirit in my own way! Even if I transform into an animal, I can still speak human language….”
“Ugh, gross.”
“That’s too cruel… sniff.”
The herbal shop with its incomprehensible sign was a small, cozy place, barely about twenty square meters. Though, like the rental shop, who knew what it might be like once you stepped inside.
The shop door was closed, and instead of a doorbell, there was a hanging bell. When Dojin pulled the cord—ding-li-li-li-li—the sound rang out far louder than expected.
“Yes, I’m coming.”
The shop owner who appeared was a textbook farmer. An elderly man with bronzed skin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, scanning Dojin from head to toe. His eyes were sharply discerning.
“You’re foreigners.”
“Yes. Good evening. I heard you sell a medicinal herb called ‘Anricho.’ Would it be possible to buy a single root?”
“Anricho, hm…. Why do you need it?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll make sure the compensation is more than sufficient.”
“Do you know what the price of Anricho is?”
“Yes.”
Dojin reached into his crossbody bag and grabbed the bat that had hidden itself again, lifting it by both wings with one hand.
“Here.”
“…! Kkii! N-No, wait a second! H-Human trafficking!? Are you selling me into human trafficking!?”
James hurriedly reverted to his original form. He struggled desperately to free his wrist from Dojin’s grip, but escaping a Jangsa’s brute strength was no easy feat.
The herbalist narrowed his eyes and examined James carefully. After checking his pupils, fangs, and pale skin, the herbalist spoke.
“A real vampire, huh. In that case… I can’t refuse. Come inside.”
