The Nebula’s Civilization

A few figures came together and sat down in a dark room. The expensive wool carpets decorating the floor revealed how wealthy the owner of the room was, and the one who was sitting at the head of the table was Hwee-Kyung.

Hwee-Kyung’s horns had grown for the past three weeks and were now as long as one’s palm. Hwee-Kyung wanted to cut them off, but Sairan stopped her when he saw how much she bled from doing so, saying that he needed to protect her.

Hwee-Kyung touched her horns. It felt strange to have them so long. Then she looked at the people sitting in her room, who she was even more unfamiliar with than her horns. Gathered here were Sairan, the Gyo family member, two Goblins, an old miner of the Soo family, and a fishmonger of the marketplace.

Hwee-Kyung unconsciously mumbled to herself, “...How did this happen?”

Sairan, who was next to her, heard what she said and replied, “Hm? It seems like a good idea to review what has happened until now before starting a revolution. There might be something we’ve missed.”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant…”

“First off, two rumors have spread within Automation. And at the same time, Chief Lakrak of my tribe commanded me to protect Hwee-Kyung in the meantime.”

‘Hwee-Kyung’

Hwee-Kyung felt like she heard her name more in the past three weeks than she ever had in her life until now. In the first week, several attackers had called out her name to make sure they didn’t get the wrong target. In the second week, those who wanted to form an alliance with her or pretend to do so before betraying her called her name countless times. And in the third week, everyone acted like they forgot her fake name, Mang-Ji, which they had been calling her until recently. Hwee-Kyung was pretty sure that even children running around in the alleys would know her real name by now.

But those children weren’t seen these days due to the chaos within Automation. Even the market that never closed during the rainy season had been closed for the past week. The secret she had kept for her whole life wasn’t even important anymore.

“We went to meet the Gyo family member as soon as we came to Automation,” said Sairan. “We did get attacked, but I think it was rather a good thing that happened. We were able to placate the attackers and, in the end, benefited from it.”

And at those words, a Goblin in the corner silently bowed his head. This Goblin was the one who led the Goblin vagrant group. He seemed to have lost his ability to speak after hurting his neck. The other Goblins all called this Goblin ‘Boss,’ so everyone else did too.

Sairan continued to say, “We first thought that the Goblin group had been hired by the Gyo family to attack Hwee-Kyung, but that wasn’t the case. The day after Hwee-Kyung was attacked, Hwee-Dan disappeared. It seemed strange that the Gyo family and Sang family were both keeping quiet about Hwee-Dan’s disappearance, so we decided to secretly go into Hwee-Dan’s room and…”

“We found a spot where splattered blood had been wiped off,” said Hwee-Kyung.

“Lizardmen have a better sense of smell than Humans. Looking at the size of the pool of blood, the blood loss seemed great enough to be fatal. That meant Hwee-Dan was dead, but something wasn’t adding up—houses in Automation are built by digging up soft bedrock, and thus they are all tightly packed next to each other. With the days getting hotter as the rainy season approaches, there wouldn’t be many places to hide a dead body within Automation. If it hadn’t been for Hwee-Kyung, we wouldn’t have been able to find Hwee-Dan’s body in time.”

What Hwee-Kyung did was simple. Hiding a dead body was easy, but the bad odor and the fact that it attracted bugs made it easily found. This was because corpses decomposed. And in order to fix this, measures had to be taken to prevent the body from decomposing.

“...In order to prevent the body from decomposing, it just needs to be preserved in salt. And to preserve something as big as a human’s body, a large jar would be needed. A place where it wouldn’t be awkward for such a large jar to be placed would be the hunter’s hut.”

“I didn’t know you would be the first one to act on this matter,” said the Gyo family member.

“Hwee-Jin was a hunter wasn’t she? I assume it was instinctive of her to do so. She wanted to eliminate the one who would be of most danger to her,” said Sairan.

“However, Hwee-Jin got played by her own younger sister, Hwee-Min,” said Hwee-Kyung.

“Hwee-Min was a schemer. She wouldn’t miss out on an opportunity if she saw one,” replied Sairan.

“Then how do you explain Hwee-Min eventually being defeated by her brother, Hwee-Jun?” asked Hwee-Kyung.

“It’s called a trap to catch hunters, Hwee-Kyung,” replied Sairan.

“A trap to catch hunters?”

Sairain nodded.

“It’s something Chief Lakrak told me. When Chief Lakrak was younger, he used to be an errand boy and went hunting with a warrior, and that warrior confidently told him that they would catch a big boar. Luckily, they really did find a big boar. Apparently the warrior then threatened Chief Lakrak to not make a sound no matter what happened, and that if they failed to hunt the boar, it would all be Chief Lakrak’s fault. So the warrior began to concentrate on the boar in order to kill it with one spear throw, and because he was so concentrated, he didn’t hear the rustling sound that came from the bushes. Chief Lakrak was going to tell the warrior about the small rustle he heard, but soon remembered the warrior's words and stayed quiet. And just as the warrior was about to throw his spear, a sabertooth tiger jumped out from the bushes and bit the warrior’s neck. Then the sabertooth tiger saw Chief Lakrak, broke the warrior’s neck, and ran away.”

“Oh, so you’re saying the most dangerous moment is when one aims for their prey, right?”

Sairan chose his words carefully and replied, “Um, simply put, yes… What I’m trying to say is don’t be too arrogant, and don’t hunt by yourself, but rather ask for help if there is someone who can. It also means to be careful because sabertooth tigers target the backs and necks. There would’ve been no reason for me to tell that whole story if it were as simple as that.”

Listening to Sairan and Hwee-Kyung, the Gyo family member sighed. After Hwee-Dan’s body was found, the Gyo family member found out that Hwee-Kyung was Hwee-Seo’s fourth child, and that she was a potential heir who could become the next lord of Automation. Then he gathered all his physical and human assets and bet everything on Hwee-Kyung. His true nature was closer to that of a gambler than a merchant.

“I’ve heard enough of your Lizardmen story now,” said the Gyo family member. “The more important thing is how we’re going to catch Hwee-Jun. The Sang family eventually defected and took Hwee-Jun’s side, so Hwee-Jun is currently supported by the Sang family and the To Family. The Soo family, who used to support Hwee-Jin, haven’t said anything yet.”

Sairan replied, “You’re saying we should get back to the point right? All right. My opinion is that we don’t need the support of the Soo family.”

“There might be a big battle. Each family can provide as many soldiers as they wish with the lord’s approval. Our opponent has two families, and we only have one, so we’re at a disadvantage.”

“The battle isn’t what’s important.”

“I still have enough wealth. I might be able to convince the Soo family with it,” said the Gyo family member.

“Haven’t you met the head of the Soo family before? He is a man of integrity. He won’t change his mind because of wealth.”

“You won’t know so well because you're a Lizardman, but people like him are the ones most likely to accept these kinds of offers.”

Hwee-Kyung thought about whether she should stop this conversation, which had started out as a debate but derailed into a childish fight.

It had been a lucky three weeks. Sairan saved Hwee-Kyung’s life many times, and she received his help for so much more. Sairan wasn’t the only one who had helped her. Those she thought had ignored her and hated her all this time began to help her out without asking for anything in return, and there were also people who sacrificed things for her.

‘Or it might be a cursed three weeks.’

Hwee-kyung remembered her three siblings that lost their lives. Her first brother, Hwee-Dan, always felt sorry for Hwee-Kyung. He was scared of her curse so he never really got close to her, but whenever Hwee-Kyung was in trouble, he would secretly have other people help her out.

‘He might have thought I wasn’t even qualified enough to become a successor.’

Her older sister, Hwee-Jin, was one of the few people that didn’t take Hwee-Kyung’s curse seriously. When they were younger, Hwee-Jin would take her out to the forest to hunt together, and her sister would teach her hunting techniques.

‘But she did seem to get bored of playing with her younger sister as she got older.’

Hwee-Kyung’s younger sister, Hwee-Min, learned things quickly, so she always enjoyed listening to Hwee-Kyung’s stories.

‘I do think she only listened because she was lonely. But she did become bored as I wasn’t able to tell her any new stories.’

After thinking about them, her feelings became a little complicated; she didn’t think they were the most ideal siblings, but she then thought of her last sibling.

‘Hwee-Jun.’

Hwee-Jun was a complicated person. Some thought that he was simply hard to get close to, but Hwee-Kyung didn’t think so. And she thought he was always hiding something even though some said Hwee-Jun was introverted and weak. There hadn’t been a way for her to find out what that was, but through the past three weeks, she found out exactly what Hwee-Jun was hiding.

‘His teeth. They’re too sharp and dangerous to show everyone else during any ordinary day.’

Hwee-Jun was a monster. Hwee-Kyung thought that Hwee-Jun knew this would happen someday. Unlike Hwee-Dan, who preserved his powers, it seemed that Hwee-Jun had already laid down his groundwork in advance, keeping in mind who would act in what way, just like in a game of Go. Hwee-Jun never played any moves just because. He always did his best, and with his skills, he defeated his three other siblings, Hwee-Dan, Hwee-Jin, and Hwee-Min.

‘It was Hwee-Jun who hired the Goblins to kill me that first day.’

Hwee-Kyung brought her attention back to the room and heard Sairan and the Gyo family still bickering.

“So what is the Black-Scaled Lizardmen Tribe planning?”

“There’s no such thing. Well, to be exact, I don’t know. My only duty is to protect Hwee-Kyung.”

Just as Hwee-Kyung thought she should stop the two from fighting, someone ran into the room.

“There’s news from outside the castle.”

It was the Gyo family’s errand boy.

“What is it?”

“I think our scouting party has found the lord.”

Those sitting in the dark room exchanged glances with each other without saying anything.

Hwee-Kyung and Hwee-Jun both realized that their father, the lord of Automation, had been outside the castle. For the past two weeks, their father had been dealing with external matters, so he couldn’t pay much attention to the successor fight that was going on. Moreover, this time he left with all his subordinates that would have informed him about the news inside Automation as if he were in a hurry. And within that week, the secret of Hwee-Dan’s death had been revealed, and the two other siblings had died. The absence of their father had accelerated the fight for succession.

‘And once Father comes back, there’s no way to know who the successor will be. Hwee-Jun, who is at an advantage right now, will try to make things final before father comes back.’

If there was only one child left to become successor, Hwee-Seo wouldn’t have to think about who to choose.

Hwee-Kyung then asked, “When do you think he’ll arrive?”

“Our scouts were on fast horses, and the lord wasn’t riding too quickly, so he should get here tomorrow morning.”

“Oh.”

“And there was also news that the scouting party told me to relay only to Hwee-Kyung…”

“What?”

The errand boy crossed the room and approached Hwee-Kyung. Hwee-Kyung craned her ear towards the errand boy as the errand boy indicated that he would whisper to her by putting his hand to his mouth. A hot liquid splattered onto Hwee-Kyung’s face. Hwee-Kyung turned to see Sairan stabbing the errand boy’s chest.

“Huh?”

“He was taking out a knife.”

Sairan pulled the blade out of the errand boy’s chest, and an iron knife fell to the floor. As the errand boy collapsed, it turned out that there was another dagger stuck in his back. Everyone looked at the Goblin boss, and the Goblin boss tilted his head as if he was wondering why everyone was looking at him.

Then Sairan asked the Gyo family member, “Is he a member of the Gyo family?”

“Yes. I would have been suspicious of him from the beginning if he weren’t.”

“More of the Gyo family could’ve been bribed. We cannot trust the Gyo family anymore.”

“But…”

Just as the Gyo family member was about to protest, a scream came from the outside. Followed by the sound of metal clashing against each other.

Sairan said, “They weren’t simply bribed. Hwee-Jun must have made up his mind.”

“...We will take care of our own family business. All of you should run away. They won’t be able to catch you if you blend in with the crowd and run in different directions. Have you thought about which would be the best way to escape?”

“Yes.”

***

The path Sairan chose was the sewer. Without a sewer, Automation would flood whenever it rained, but fortunately, the ancient sewer allowed Automation to still exist to this day. However, it wasn’t an easy escape route. The sewer was filled with sewage that came up to a Human’s knees, and the sewer system itself was very complicated. Especially on days it wasn’t raining, the sewage made a great ecosystem for bugs.

Sairan discovered this escape route by himself, but he wished there wouldn’t come a day where he would have to use it. He was also worried that Hwee-Kyung would hate bugs, but surprisingly, Hwee-Kyung was the first one to jump into the sewer. Hwee-Kyung and Sairan kept getting hit in the face by flies and fruit flies.

“I’m used to bugs,” said Hwee-Kyung.

“You’re…used to them?”

Hwee-Kyung nodded.

“It was when I was younger. I don’t remember too well, but the wooden floor seemed to be very loose when I went into the bathroom. The floor broke, and I fell down, definitely landing on a pile of shit. I think I fell all the way down into the sewer.”

“Did you trip and fall then too?”

“Yes. I managed to survive with no injuries. Because I fell into the sewer, there was no ray of light, and I couldn’t find my way out. It was full of sewage too. I really thought I would die there, but…”

“But?”

“Very interestingly, dots of light were floating in the distance. So I followed the light and saw the dim outline of the sewer. Of course, I couldn’t leave the sewer just like that. I was curious about the light, so I followed them. And once I caught one of them, it turned out to be a bug. Light was coming from its stomach.”

Sairan listened to Hwee-Kyung while following her. He blinked a few times and said, “I think…that would have been a firefly.”

“Firefly?”

“And that’s not a species of bug that lives around here.”

“But it was there. And because of them, I was able to find my way out.”

“Hm, then it might not be the kind of bug I know. It might not have been a firefly.”

However, as Sairan listened to Hwee-Kyung’s description of the bug, he was sure it was a firefly.

‘That’s interesting. The fact that they were in a place where they couldn’t have been…’

Fortunately, they didn’t have to walk too long down the sewer. The exit led to the basement of the Soo family’s hunter hut. Once they got to the front of the stairs to the exit, Sairan grabbed Hwee-Kyung’s shoulder, who had been walking in front of him.

“I’ll go first from here on out.”

“There’s no noise or light coming from the exit. There wouldn’t be anyone there.”

“But just in case. If something happens, turn around and run.”

Hwee-Kyung nodded as she didn’t think it was necessary to argue with Sairan; they had done so many times in the past three weeks.

‘Hwee-Jun has been on the offense until now, and that means he’s becoming impatient. If we get out of here, we’ll have the chance to fight back.’

After waiting for a while, Hwee-Kyung figured it would be okay to go up to Sairan. Just as she stepped onto the stairs, she heard fighting coming from above. Hwee-Kyung only came to her senses when she was already on the next step with her knife out.

The fight was already in full swing. It was a dark night, and the moon was hidden behind the clouds. Everyone was just swinging their swords relying on the faint light reflected off their swords. However, Lizardmen were easier to spot among the Humans.

Sairan then said to Hwee-Kyung when she came up, “Why on earth did you follow?”

Hwee-Kyung didn’t reply.

Behind the fighting men stood a skinny man. It was Hwee-Jun.

“...It’s too late,” said Hwee-Jin. “That Lizardman is no different than dead already.”

Hwee-Kyung asked, “What do you mean?”

“Shut up, Hwee-Jun.”

As Sairan turned to Hwee-Jun, Hwee-Kyung saw a spear pierce through Sairan’s back.