Chapter 83
RUMBLE - !!
“Hiya~.”
Even in my past life, airplanes made my heart pound every time I rode one.
It was the same in this life.
I had been taking off like this about twice a day for two weeks, and I felt a thrill without missing a single moment.
It was like the fluttering feeling I had for a whole month when I first learned Martial Arts.
Anyway, as I enjoyed the wind brushing past my face, the Imugi’s complaint-filled Sound Transmission reached my ears.
-Kuaaah-! I hate this!
For reference, this Imugi guy had been pouring out complaints to me every single day since we started this business.
And now, I was used to humoring his whining.
“What do you hate this time?”
-Just carrying humans on my back is unpleasant-!
“His misanthropy is acting up again. Still, bear with it. You only fly twice a day anyway, so what are you so dissatisfied about? Should I increase it to four times a day?”
-Ugh…
When doing business, the thing I consider more important than anything else is scarcity.
If I just made the Imugi carry people all day long because crowds were flocking to it, it was obvious he would be reduced to nothing more than Hunan Province’s Town Bus number 1.
Therefore, I was limiting this Imugi Shuttle Bus to a total of two trips: one going and one coming back. Thanks to that, reservations were completely full for the next few months.
However, this lazy Imugi found even those two jobs extremely bothersome and hated them.
In human terms, he said it felt like having cockroaches placed on his shoulders…
[Cockroaches on the shoulders…]
…Just imagining it is terrible.
Still, since I take good care of the Imugi in return, I suppose it doesn’t matter.
I patted the Imugi’s head and gently coaxed him, feigning an affectionate tone.
“I’ll personally tell them to give you lots of meat for dinner tonight, so stop being mad.”
-…Understood. But more importantly…
“Hmm?”
The Imugi looked back at me and spoke.
-I think it’s about time.
“Ah, you’re right.”
Only after hearing the Imugi’s words and looking back could I understand what he was talking about.
And realizing that now was the right time, just as he said, I stood up from the Imugi’s head and headed toward where the passengers were.
Right now, the Imugi is flying at a low altitude, near the clouds or slightly below them.
I didn’t know the exact speed. But it was definitely faster than using my Lightness Skill.
Strictly speaking, it could be seen as a slightly large light aircraft…
Imagine it.
The feeling of riding an open-top airplane in the middle of winter when the temperature drops below freezing.
…Just thinking about it is a Freezing Hell.
And that Freezing Hell was…,
“Oh dear…”
“Sniffle…, sniffle…”
…unfolding right in front of me now.
[Eying, tsk tsk.]
Even though I had distributed notices saying it would be cold riding the Imugi, about half the people hadn’t packed extra clothes.
[They must all want to freeze to death.]
While inwardly blaming their ignorance and carelessness, I outwardly put on a friendly business smile.
Because their ignorance and carelessness meant money for me.
“It’s much colder than you all thought, right?”
When I asked that, literal wails erupted from the surroundings.
“A-Are you seriously asking that right now?!”
“N-No, this is w-way colder than I thought… M-My ears feel like they’re going to fall off…”
“I-Even if I get off now, can I get a refund…?”
Which bastard just said refund.
“Should I drop you off right here?”
Swish-.
When I pointed down with an expressionless face, the bastard who mentioned a refund finally turned pale with fright and shook his head.
“Ah…, haha…! I-I was just making a joke…!”
“It was a joke, right?”
“R-Really! I won’t ever mention a refund again. B-But I really feel like I’m going to freeze to death at this rate…”
“I knew that would happen, so I came. I have a way to make your cold go away.”
Swish-, swish-.
At my words just now, the desperate eyes of all the passengers riding on the Imugi turned toward me.
I looked around at them, raised a single finger, and…
Paat-!
…lit a fire on my finger using the Samadhi True Fire, somewhat like a performance.
“…Ooh!”
“My word!”
As fire suddenly bloomed from my finger, everyone’s eyes widened.
Whether this was difficult or easy, it at least looked marvelous to them.
“As the Green Forest General Stronghold Master, I am a Master who can proudly face the Murim Alliance and become the Master of Hunan Province. As such a Master, I will infuse you with true qi to make your bodies very warm.”
“Do I infuse true qi?”
The passengers, mostly ordinary people, didn’t seem to understand well, so they raised their hands and asked me.
“T-Then will our bodies really warm up?”
“Of course. For the person who just raised their hand, I’ll do it once especially for free.”
Saying so, I trudged across the Imugi’s back and genuinely infused my true qi into him.
When I did…
“…Ooh? Ooooh!”
…The expression of the person who received true qi from me brightened considerably, and his frozen hair and skin warmed with a toasty heat.
Probably, my Internal Energy is rapidly circulating through his body right now, making it toasty warm.
“This is truly amazing! My body has become very warm! This freezing, piercing wind even feels refreshing now!”
Impressed by this, he voiced a detailed review that I hadn’t even asked for.
And seeing that, everyone shot their hands up.
“Here! Do it here too!”
“H-Here first! We have a child here!”
As everyone frantically raised their hands as if trying to receive holy water, I watched the sight with satisfaction before opening my mouth.
“I’ll start taking requests at 1 silver tael.”
“…”
“For reference, those who call out a larger amount will be served faster.”
“…”
As soon as money was mentioned, the atmosphere immediately became subdued. But soon after…
“F-Five silver taels!”
“…!”
Someone shot their hand up and shouted loudly.
“We have to live first. Is money what’s important?! Five silver taels!”
“…T-That’s right.”
And thanks to that person, the atmosphere became heated again, and everyone started raising their hands competitively.
“T-That’s right! So I bid six silver taels!”
“Seven silver taels!”
“I told you we have a child here?! Ten silver taels!”
I smiled very contentedly as I watched the toasty warmth I was feeling in the midst of this cold.
* * *
After that, I diligently went around the Imugi’s back, infusing true qi into people.
“Ooh, it’s very warm!”
“It’s nice and toasty!”
As a result, expressions of great satisfaction flowed from the surroundings. Of course, it was a satisfying profit for me too.
“Is that everyone now…?”
Just as I was looking around to see if there was anyone who hadn’t yet received true qi…
“G-General Stronghold Master! Over here…!!”
“…?”
Someone’s anxious voice pierced my ears.
I looked that way, the two Merchants, Kim Mun and Ha Ryang, were trembling and calling out to me.
[Ah…, those Misters…]
Did they say they rode the Imugi because they had urgent business in Anhui? In the first place, those Misters weren’t on the wealthy side.
Naturally, lacking money, they must have been pushed to the bottom of the priority list for receiving true qi.
I pocketed the two silver taels they held out with trembling hands into my pouch and reached out.
Then, Ha Ryang, who had handed me the money, pointed to his side and said.
“N-Not me, please do this friend first…! T-This friend’s body is completely like a block of ice…”
“…This Mister isn’t dead, right?”
Understandably so, because the Merchant named Kim Mun next to Ha Ryang was frozen with his eyes wide open, as if time had stopped.
[It’s not like an Ice-Ice Fruit user came and went…]
“I-I don’t know what state he’s in. But he hasn’t spoken for a while…”
“Phew, tsk tsk.”
Everyone around had already received true qi from me and was all laughing warmly “chuckling warmly” and enjoying the scenery, but only these two had an atmosphere like they were climbing the Himalayas.
[The sorrow of economy class…]
Feeling that there was no difference between modern airplanes and Martial Arts airplanes, I infused true qi into the frozen body of Mister Kim Mun.
* * *
As promised, the Imugi was able to arrive safely at the destination before half a day had passed.
Even those who were full of complaints at first due to the cold got off with satisfied faces by the time they arrived, fully enjoying a thrilling experience they couldn’t easily have in life.
That was the same for the two pitiful Merchants, Kim Mun and Ha Ryang.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, we’ll be able to meet the deadline.”
“I don’t want to ever think about it again…, but it was an impressive experience in its own way.”
The two left decent reviews in their own way, then each packed their bags and set off on their way.
“Please promote us a lot around here!”
I called out a request to those leaving like that. Those who heard it said their warm farewells, saying they understood and would do so…
When everyone was finding their own way.
Swish-.
…There was something that approached my side.
It was the Imugi, who had returned to his human form.
I stroked his head once.
“Good work today too.”
“I’m hungry. Give me food.”
“Food? Of course I should give you some.”
How could I not give him at least a meal, with how much money I made today thanks to the Imugi.
However…
“Let’s eat and go to work again.”
“…”
…This flight wasn’t the end of the Imugi’s daily routine.
There were more things the Imugi did besides flying.
The Imugi frowned when work was mentioned, but I grabbed his arm and forcefully dragged him along.
What could be done?
It was the Green Forest Life he chose, so he had to endure it with grit and resentment.
I’ll say it again, but there were no animal protection laws in this worldview.
And the same went for labor laws.