Chapter 27: The Art of Conversation
Yul’s attempts to navigate the town’s social structure were met with a series of recoiling gazes.
He had walked into the local inn to ask about the road to the next province. A group of travelers was huddled around a table, drinking and sharing stories of the road. Yul approached, his posture neutral, his hands visible and empty.
"Excuse me," Yul said, his voice level. "I require information on the southern trade routes. Are the mountain passes currently occupied by the Iron River gang?"
The laughter at the table died. The men looked at the ten-year-old boy, then at each other.
"Lost, little one?" one of the travelers asked, trying to reclaim the jovial mood. "Why not join us for a drink first? Tell us, where is your home? Do you miss your mother?"
Yul looked at the man. He processed the question. He consulted his internal truth.
"I have no home," Yul said. "My village was burned. Everyone I knew is dead."
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
The travelers shifted in their seats. A woman at the table put her cup down, her face turning pale. "Oh... I see. And... do you miss anyone? Your friends? Perhaps the old man who taught you to hunt?"
Yul considered the question. He thought of Song Chi. He thought of the way the old master poured wine into the mud. He thought of the scent of rain.
"No," Yul said.
The woman frowned, her brow furrowing. "Not even a little? It’s natural to feel the ache of absence, boy."
"Missing someone does not change reality," Yul said, his voice devoid of malice, simply stating a fact as he understood it. "If they are dead, the void remains. If they are gone, they are simply no longer present. The feeling of 'missing' them does not bring them back, nor does it improve my ability to survive the road ahead. Therefore, it is a waste of mental energy."
The table went dead silent.
The woman pulled her cloak closer, as if the air around Yul had suddenly turned to ice. One by one, the travelers stood up, muttered excuses about early departures, and moved to another corner of the inn.
Yul remained standing at the table, alone. He felt a phantom irritation in his chest. He had answered accurately. He had provided the necessary data. Why were they now avoiding the transaction?