Chapter 80

A few of the Akum people nervously greeted San. The rest were inching closer to the water. San stood before the representatives. Biyeon was staring at the main Akum representative with her lips closed lightly. There was no hostility in her gaze, just curiosity.

“My name is ‘Kui’. I have something to ask of the great travelers,” stated the main Akum representative.

“Do you know us?” San tilted his head and asked.

“I heard about you from Linuel. She has kept our people safe from contamination for a very long time.”

“I see. You mentioned you had something to ask of us…?” Biyeon asked while looking around at the other Akums.

“I would like you to promise that you’ll fulfill our request first. Then, we’ll help you cross the bridge. That bridge is similar to a buoy, so it’s very difficult for carriages to cross. Additionally, there are very dangerous fish and beasts living in the water. It will be very difficult to cross without our help.”

“What if we refuse?” San asked. His voice was very dry.

“Then we will destroy both bridges so that no one can pass. Afterward, we will take refuge in the water.” Kui replied in a calm tone.

Biyeon looked towards the bridge. There didn’t seem to be any alternative routes outside the bridge.

“It doesn’t seem like we have many options. However, it’s impossible to make a promise without knowing the content of your request. Let me tell you our prerequisites. We will not sacrifice our lives or the lives of our crew and our cargo must be preserved intact. Also, whatever the request, it cannot take more than three days to complete. If any of these prerequisites are not met, then we’ll seek an alternative route.”

“Our request is not that complicated. I don’t think there will be a problem. We’d like you to do something after you finish your travels. Of course, we will also compensate you for your work,” Cui replied calmly.

“We value negotiation, but we hate blackmail. Above all, we choose. Promising without knowing the content of a request is as unpleasant as hearing a fool swear at you. If you want, you can break the bridge now. However, you will have to pay for making our travels deliberately uncomfortable,” Biyeon stated coldly.

Kui made a bewildered face.

“But…”

Biyeon interrupted Kui’s words.

“Being one-sided, but having no choice is not a negotiat ion . What we want is a fair deal. If not, we will go about things in our way. Furthermore, I warn you, you and your colleagues will not be able to get into the water alive. Shall we check and see if my words are true? It seems that Linuel put you guys up to this?” Biyeon’s decisive decision and ultimatum rang in their ears.

San’s eyes shined while he took a step forward with his hands behind his back.

San and Biyeon lowered their posture, readying themselves for combat.

Their aura started spreading out. The airflow and scent in the air changed. Kui scrunched his face. He spread his webbed hands wide open. He looked dismayed at the unfolding of events.

“Ah! If you were offended, I’m sorry. Because of our habit of not believing in humans… please let me explain the requirements first.”

“Fine. We will listen.”

***

“I agree. In addition, I don’t know what to do with so much attention on us,” Biyeon said as she glanced at the crowd. The c itizens’ eyes looked at the procession from every corner of the city . On the roadside, from the building, from their windows, and in the dark alleys…

“What do you think about the security conditions?”

“I think it should be fine. This seems to be a city where an order is upheld. However, it doesn’t seem like the rats gave up. If we don’t dispose of them quickly, the stress will be difficult to handle later on,” Biyeon looked around and said calmly.

She closely observed the city. It couldn’t be compared to the bustle of Seoul, Korea, but it was a city that was quite developed. It felt as though she was entering an ancient metropolis in Europe. The floor was paved with stone, and there was no muddy water pooling even though the rain was pouring down, so there must be an effective drainage system in place.

All eyes were looking at them. It was such that it would make anyone’s skin crawl.

People constantly passed by their caravan, people and things moved between buildings, items and people shuffled from one window to another… It was like a movie scene when a camera pans along as a procession moves forward.

The atmosphere around the carriage was chaotic. The crew members realized that they were the center of attention. San and Biyeon had to change their minds about the speed of information dissemination and communication in this world. Despite taking a completely unexpected route, they were clearly tracked and expected. They were easily re cognized even though they just entered the city.