Chapter 84. The Devourer, No. 10 (1)
“A doctor came to the village?”
The old woman asked in a sharp, ringing voice.
Victoria quickly stepped forward to explain.
“Technically, I’m an alchemist, not a doctor. But don’t worry! I’m confident in my skills.”
The old woman tested her with a question.
“Do you have medicine?”
“There’s plenty in the truck at the bottom of the mountain.”
The old woman’s eyes changed the moment she heard that.
Whatever else was going on, this village clearly had an urgent need for medicine.
“Then why did someone like you come here with a man?”
“This friend of mine is looking for something. We came because we wanted to see if there were any clues here.”
Victoria pushed Yukgap forward from beside her.
The old woman stared at him.
“What exactly are you looking for?”
Yukgap hesitated before answering carefully.
“I’m searching for my family.”
“Have you ever heard of a man named Kim Jeongseon?”
The old woman immediately shook her head.
“No.”
“As you can see, only women live here. There isn’t a single man in this village.”
She did not seem to be lying.
Had they come to the wrong place?
After thinking for a moment, Yukgap changed his question.
“Then do you know anything about Abraxas?”
The old woman’s expression instantly hardened.
“I don’t know anything about that!”
Her voice rose sharply.
“So don’t ask!”
With only those words, she turned and hurried away toward the other side of the village.
It was almost as if the very word “Abraxas” terrified her.
She’s hiding something.
Yukgap became certain as he watched her leave.
“My name is Miae. I mostly handle security for the village.”
The middle-aged woman who had confronted them earlier led Victoria and Yukgap through the village.
After introducing herself, Miae quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry about earlier. Since only women live here, we can’t help being sensitive when men show up.”
“It’s fine. I understand.”
Victoria simply smiled.
Before long, they arrived at a small thatched house at the edge of the village.
The building itself was old, but the inside was cleaner than expected.
It looked as though someone had hurriedly cleaned it for them.
“You can stay here for now. It’s an empty house.”
“Thank you.”
Victoria casually sat on the wooden porch as though she were already at home.
Miae quickly added,
“Of course, this house is for you.”
She pointed toward a shed beside it.
“The man will stay over there.”
Yukgap stared at her.
“Why?”
“The Great Elder says it brings bad luck if a man enters a house.”
“What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that?”
Was he seriously supposed to sleep in a shed?
Seeing Yukgap’s disbelief, Victoria hurriedly pleaded,
“Please let Yukgap stay in the house too. He’s my assistant.”
“He’s also my chef and bodyguard.”
After hearing that, Miae reluctantly gave in.
“If that’s the case, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
“The man can stay here too.”
Yukgap looked around the village before carefully asking,
“So there really aren’t any men here?”
He had wondered if perhaps he had simply missed them, but not once on the way here had he seen even the shadow of a man.
Miae nodded proudly.
“That’s right. Only women live here.”
“This village was built entirely through the strength of women.”
“You must have had fathers and grandfathers.”
The moment he said that, Miae’s face twisted.
She answered sharply, making no effort to hide her displeasure.
“I know what those words mean, but there are no such things here.”
“Rest comfortably.”
With that, Miae quickly left the house.
She clearly had no desire to continue talking to Yukgap.
He stared after her for a moment before glancing toward Victoria.
“Suspicious, right?”
“Yeah. Extremely suspicious.”
Victoria agreed.
She began organizing everything that bothered her.
“People living deep in the mountains without electricity in the twenty-first century.”
“A village populated entirely by women.”
“And then the Great Elder practically panicked the moment she heard the name Abraxas.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes.
“It was like she heard something she was never supposed to hear.”
“They’re definitely hiding something.”
Yukgap frowned.
“I just don’t know what.”
More importantly, Abraxas had sent Archons here.
That meant there was undoubtedly some connection between the village and the organization.
“For now, I’ll treat the villagers and try to win their trust.”
Victoria spoke calmly.
“You keep quiet and investigate anything related to Abraxas.”
Yukgap sighed.
“Yeah. This isn’t going to be easy.”
“All right! Form a line!”
The next day, the thatched house where Yukgap and Victoria were staying was suddenly packed with villagers.
Apparently, once word spread that Victoria would treat people for free, everyone had decided to come.
“Need any help?”
Yukgap asked as Victoria hurried from one resident to another.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead.
“I think I need to examine the villagers properly first.”
“If I need you, I’ll call.”
“For now, go look around the area. You might find some hidden clue.”
“Got it. If I see anything suspicious, I’ll tell you immediately.”
Right now, it seemed the best way to help Victoria was simply to stay out of her way.
