Martial King's Retired Life

Merchants sold jewellery, clothing and other varieties of items in the heart of the town, so that was where the best goods were found. In second place was the big market, where you could find an assortment of items women loved, as well as toys, snacks, glossy-red apples and piping-hot bread that children drooled over. While the end of the street was quiet in comparison, it was far from being desolate.

Pharmacies were a dime a dozen in the Western Regions; you could find several in every town. It was a necessary facility for doctors and priests to serve every population, after all. Generally speaking, though, it was usually impossible to open a clinic in a bustling spot because patients didn’t usually go directly to pharmacies but to priests. Well-off merchants would see doctors. Pharmacies made meagre earnings. Therefore, they often had side hustles to stay afloat. It was easy to see why it was hard to profit from a pharmacy located in the heart of a city or town. Mora Pharmacy was an exception, however.

Mora Pharmacy always stocked rare items people never thought of or would never use, yet they piqued a lot of people’s interest. For example, the tail of a blood scorpion was extremely valuable as a medicinal ingredient that could cure internal injuries, but it was so rare for ordinary folks to even chance upon once, let alone be able to afford it. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop people from visiting to expand their horizons.

Although Mora Pharmacy didn’t have the largest customer base, it was a handsomely profitable business endeavour thanks to the rare herbal ingredients Endian found. He was able to obtain ingredients one would have to scale treacherous cliffs for with ease, so he had even more than the shrine had even if accounting for their reserves. Then there were the other things, such as blood scorpions’ shells, that he sold off to wealthy families that just wanted to flaunt their wealth. Thus, he was able to pay half a year of rent in a single transaction.

Endian initially considered the life of a hunter since he developed familiarity with the line of work during his time in the wild. However, when it came time to hunt, he realised he didn’t have it in him to harm the animals. Despite him being the feared one during his life on the mountain, he enjoyed their company. As a hunter, he’d have to hunt down the animals that he needed and sell their remains. He didn’t understand the emotion that dissuaded him from going through with it, but he was glad when he forewent the thought. He cherished the pivotal moment for he believed it was the key to unlocking the mystery of “emotion”, so he engaged in retrospection for days. Unfortunately, he returned to his old self following the decision.

Thanks to the pharmacy, Endian had the opportunity to meet a lot of people, all of whom he viewed as learning opportunities. It took no time for him to master the arts of deceit and “combat”. He effortlessly reversed the roles on a child-trafficking mob to sell the mob to slave traders. When the mob realised they had been fooled, they angrily approached Endian. That day, he learnt that fighting was something similar to playing with animals, except it was a naughtier version. In the aftermath, the four crooks with missing teeth and broken legs walked themselves to the slave trader’s home and begged him to take them in. The event acted as a free lesson to the rest of the townsfolk to not mess with Endian. In turn, people had another reason to visit his pharmacy, and the wealthy merchants were even happier to hand over their money to bask in the glory of being his associate, which boosted their name.

Not too long after, Endian grew bored again. Business boomed, and his wealth continued to grow, yet he grew increasingly lost. He stopped learning. The surprising feeling in his chest whenever he met people stopped triggering; he lost interest in interactions. Sadly, he couldn’t put his finger on what it was or the reason behind it. If he could’ve forgotten past events, then he would’ve conceded to the peaceful of a pharmacy owner. He just couldn’t accept it when he faced the animals, though, because he was still curious about what “emotions” were.

The ten-year-old boy picked up a shiny golden coin that had the power to make anyone tense. The coin he exchanged twelve wolf heads for was enough for his old neighbour to pay all of his annual expenses. As he rubbed his thumb over the round, cold object that people were willing to trade their most precious belongings for, he ruminated on its meaning, but “transaction” was the only reasonable word he could come up for. People with a lot of the coins would force those with lesser coins to sell their belongings to them. People with a lot of coins didn’t have a lot of coins to begin with, but they could obtain them. Those who didn’t have a lot of coins could obtain coins through the process. It seemed to be a process where two parties willingly exchanged objects.

He heard people would sell their ancestors’ belongings for the small circular object, only to then look as if the wind could blow them over once they got their hands on the coins. Some children were battered when they refused to let go of their parents trying to trade them for coins, and their hands would be a bloody mess by the time they were taken away. It was tame compared to the bloodiness of a hunt, yet the scene was more exasperating than hunting. If it was also a “transaction”, then why were transactions at his pharmacy different? Wasn’t it a situation where both parties voluntarily exchanged property? Why did one person look more aggressive and disgusted, while the other looked happier?

He asked, “Didn’t you voluntarily sell her?”

One person yelled back, “Voluntarily?! Who’d voluntarily sell their daughter?!”

“Why did you sell her, then?”

“Because we’d starve otherwise. They already bought everything we have from us and pay us next to nothing. I toil tirelessly every day, yet we’re still going to starve to death. What other choice do I have?”

Endian stared at the coin in his hand, but he didn’t receive any epiphanies. Luckily, he had other ways of understanding people. Aside from selling pharmaceutical products, he also sold things that didn’t rake in money and took a lot of effort on his part. On one occasion, he spent three days constructing a rooster out of iron sheets and wooden blocks. He also made a “Swift Dog Bone 2.0” that ran faster than a dog. Version 1.0 costed him quite a bit of gun powder and iron, but version 2.0 had better longevity since he didn’t use as much gun powder. There was no price tag on them, so when kids wanted them, instead of asking for money, he said with a smile, “I’ll trade it for your most valued possession.” In that way, he obtained a plethora of valuable items.

Endian had a chest of valuables that included a slingshot Kawa made, a flower wreath Saiawei made, clothes Miss A-Fei made him, a pretty stone Ker picked up by a lake… Every kid was reluctant, ready to cry when they looked at the blonde young boy smirking. They’d think and think before eventually passing over their prized possession reluctantly. It was similar to selling, except it wasn’t. He treated every item with respect, remembered every face and every scene where he received the items. For some reason, they put a smile on his face, and he’d enjoy a nice dream every night he added another item to the chest.

The worst blacksmith in his hometown was the one he learnt the method from. The method for making the toys, the trade idea, the crossed-arms plus smirk expression and the prank-like setting were all things he copied from the blacksmith. The difference was that Endian wanted to get in contact with the human heart, while the blacksmith did business that way. Endian worked out why the blacksmith was universally considered the worst blacksmith after he did the same thing. No business-minded individual would forsake a profitable market to make toys for kids or other bizarre toys that didn’t sell. When people looked to buy from him, he was either too busy or was asleep. If Mora was still alive and found out Endian copied him, he’d have probably forced Endian to marry his daughter.

By the next year, Endian had grown a little taller, richer and familiar with the townsfolk. With that said, Pig Lord – as they referred to him due to his idiocy and appearance resembling a pig – a man who had nothing but fat for brains and no respect for anyone.

The majority of people Endian was close to were children, some a year or two older than him and some the same age of him. Either way, they were predominately the children who filled his treasure chest.

Among the children he was close to was a girl whose frequent visits eventually became her virtually parking there. Although Jie’er was born the same year as Endian, she never explicated which month she was born. Nonetheless, she always referred to him as “Brother Endian” as if he was older than her. She wasn’t a belle – and even had freckles – but her big eyes reminded Endian of a deer three months’ old. She didn’t think it was cute, but the way she always held up her skirt to prevent it catching filth was pretty cute. She’d often rub her skirt so roughly that he’d worry she’d start a fire with her head down and, in a soft voice, say, “Brother Endian, I… don’t know this word…”

Jie’er was different to the other kids. She wasn’t really keen on the toys – and obviously not the pharmaceutical ingredients – but she had a soft spot for books. Literate families were the minority in the Western Regions. Besides affiliated members of Divine Moon Cult or children from wealthy families, the majority were close to illiterate. It didn’t help that books were expensive in the Western Regions.

Endian had quite a collection of books at his store for the sake of expanding his knowledge of the world. Since he never forgot anything that he’d seen or experienced, books were a quick source of permanent information for him, so building literacy was a simple matter. The first time Jie’er saw books at his place, she was so enamoured that she started visiting his store multiple times daily. Whenever the blonde owner spoke to her, she’d hide her rosy cheeks and walk away, only to return the next day. After three months of avoiding him, she finally found the courage to seek out his help.

Endian, smiling, replied, “I’ll trade it for your most precious belonging.”

Jie’er cut a section of her hair off for Endian, earning her the right to practically live at the store.

When he was afforded free time, Endian taught Jie’er how to read. She didn’t learn fast; however, she was earnest about studying. With time, she was able to read a script.

At twelve years old, Endian was already taller than some adults. He had to bend down to reach Jie’er’s ear and then asked, ““Which one?”

“This one…” Jie’er would’ve shut the book if it didn’t defeat the purpose of studying.

“Oh, not bad.”

While Jie’er almost shut her eyes, Endian took a look at the swirly archaic word with intrigue. Jie’er was somewhat disappointed that he didn’t spare her a glance, but that fact shocked her. Worried that her nervousness was detectable, she gripped her skirt with her free hand.

“It’s not a word. It’s an archaic symbol. In your opinion, what does it resemble?”

The boy who wanted to learn about human emotions had no clue he missed on a valuable opportunity to learn more about the topic.

Jie’er tried to refocus her attention on the book. “Mm… a flower.”

“Indeed. Well done. It was a symbol of love in the old days. Love and flowers were thematically connected, so it’s unsurprising for it to mean love.”

“Love…” Jie’er stole a glance at Endian’s face.

Endian had the long face of someone who recalled some bad memory. She noticed that, though he was approachable and friendly with everyone, he seemed to have some resentment bottled up. Whenever she looked into his eyes, she felt a faint urge to cry. The long face of his was one that rubbed off on her and made her feel sad. Due to his reaction, she made up her mind.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Uhm!” For once, Jie’er nodded without hesitation. “I will be back tomorrow, Brother Endian. Y-you have to wait for me, okay?”

Notwithstanding his puzzlement, Endian nodded and saw her off with a smile.

Endian waited until late at night the next day, but Jie’er never dropped by. He didn’t see her for two weeks straight. Hence, he went and asked around. Upon learning what happened, he returned home and closed shop for a day. For once, he didn’t realise he was home until a long time after the fact.

Jie’er’s parents made a “transaction”. They sold all of their sheep a while ago for the small golden circles. Her family was poor, and their financial situation had continued to deteriorate. They didn’t do anything wrong, and their transactions looked mutual, but their tireless toiling didn’t reduce their debt. They had sold their home and anything else they could to repay their debt. This time, they sold their daughter to Pig Lord as a concubine to reduce half of their debt.

The next time Endian saw Jie’er, it was not long before she was scheduled to be married. She was dressed in the best clothes he had ever seen her wear when he saw her standing at the door to his store. She had a depressing aura to her that she shouldn’t have had at her age. The only thing about her that hadn’t changed was her smile. That day, he experienced not remembering what she said to him, not remembering things for the first time in his life. He only remembered her putting a scrunched sheet of paper into his hand, taking a few steps back and then, coyly smiling, expressed, “Brother Endian, thank you.”

“Uhm.”

“I’ll be going now.” The taciturn girl’s eyes seemed to be able to convey messages that day.

“Uhm.” Endian stood in place for a long time after Jie’er left, mind completely blank. It took him a while to remember he had a sheet of paper in his hand.

There were her tears dropped onto the sheet while she wrote it. Pig Lord didn’t live far away, so it wasn’t as if it’d have been hard to visit her. Besides, death wasn’t doing them apart. Her parents paid off a chunk of their debt, so their burden was reduced. Pig Lord had plenty of books that she could read. The problem got added to the problem of the golden coins that he couldn’t comprehend. He couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t figure out the problem when everything was correct? He even stashed the sheet of paper at the bottom of his treasure chest, not daring to read it.

Life continued on. Business grew even more. The toys gained popularity even in the neighbouring town. Life wasn’t bad. The only thing missing was Jie’er’s company.

An adult told Endian, “Have some alcohol and have a dream.”

Dreams were a foreign concept to Endian as he everything he wanted to see and didn’t want to see always existed in his mind, yet he fell in love with alcohol after experiencing the wild dreams that didn’t make any sense. He didn’t feel he made any mistakes even though he saw Jie’er cry in his dreams and heard her plea him because she didn’t want to marry someone else, but he could never comprehend their significance.

One day, Endian heard Pig Lord had abused Jie’er to death. He fell down into the dumps in an instant. The only reason he was able to get back on his feet was the sheet of paper. After waking from his daze, he violently rummaged through his treasure chest for the sheet of paper with squiggly text.

“Brother Endian, thank you for teaching me to read and write. This is my first letter. I wanted to write my first letter to you. Thank you for always taking care of me. I have to get married. I don’t actually want to marry him. I think I will reject the marriage, but I may die if I do. It’s okay, though. I’m not scared. I will tell him that I’ve always had someone in my heart.

“Brother Endian, I’m actually older than you by four months, you know? I don’t want to tell you that because I like calling you Brother Endian. I am the only daughter in my family. I’ve always wanted an older brother. I’d be the elder sister if I told you I’m older. Please don’t hate me for that.

“Brother Endian, I know you’re heart broken. You must’ve suffered a lot in the past. Don’t be so sad. If you have time, spare me a thought. I…”

The only other bit on the sheet was a swirly flower symbol.

Endian had another dream, where everything in the world’s was misplaced in reverse, but the dream was more real than real life. She was there behind his rear that he didn’t pay attention to, smiling coyly. When he woke from his dream, his pillow was wet. “Emotion” was a concept that he had felt and understood long ago, but it was too late.

Mora Pharmacy closed its doors permanently. Jie’er’s parents moved far away to settle down at a new place after receiving a big sum of money. Pig Lord’s head was hung at the top of his city. On the town wall was a symbol nobody could decipher drawn on using blood.

The symbol was a correspondence, a letter, that could never reach the person it was meant to be for. It wasn’t dedicated to a god. It was dedicated to a girl. It was from Endian Mora to Jie’er.

It was also a declaration of war.

Not a declaration of Endian Mora to Pig Lord.

It was God’s declaration to the world.

Glossary

Endian Mora – “En” in “Endian” is pronounced like “Urn”. It means “Blessing”.