Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
With each shovel’s thrust, the hole deepens rapidly.
I didn’t need to dig too deep.
Just enough for one person to lie down comfortably.
“Hoo-”
After digging an oval-shaped hole, I collected some well-dried leaves to line the bottom.
“Done.”
One of the simple survival tips I learned in the military: creating a makeshift bed like this in the wild helps maintain body heat at night.
Of course, using a sleeping bag would be best, but there’s no way that exists in this era.
I then used the mound of earth I dug up to build a protective wall for the campfire against the wind.
With two makeshift beds quickly made and starting on the third, Hyecheong returned from gathering firewood.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, I was making beds.”
As I said that and plunged the shovel into the ground, Hyecheong, carrying a bundle of twigs, peered into the completed makeshift bed with curiosity.
“You dug a hole and lined it with leaves.”
“It’s much warmer than just sleeping on the ground. I read about it in a book before.”
“Indeed.”
Nodding in admiration, Hyecheong set down the firewood in a clearing and spoke to me.
“I’ve felt this for a while, but Lord Chilbok, you are very knowledgeable. I truly envy you, being someone without a scholarly mind like me.”
“Well, if you’re a monk from the Shaolin Temple, you don’t even need to study, right? Why would you envy that?”
Hyecheong slowly shook his head.
“Not at all. No matter how much I am a monk, ultimately I have taken refuge in Buddha just like other monks. To speak and interpret the scriptures, one must indeed accumulate sufficient knowledge.”
Saying that, Hyecheong wore a bittersweet expression, lamenting that the martial arts he learned are of little help in this situation.
I quietly gazed at Hyecheong’s profile before speaking.
“You really don’t need to beat yourself up. People are meant to excel in what they’re good at. Even Buddha couldn’t do everything alone, which is why he had disciples. So as ordinary humans, if there’s something we can’t do, we can rely on others. That’s the nature of this worldly life.”
“…Lord Chilbok.”
Hyecheong looked at me with an almost touched expression.
Though we’re in the same class, we hadn’t had many chances to converse, so this felt like an opportunity to get to know him more.
I suppose Hyecheong felt the same way; he murmured a prayer, “Namu Amitabha,” and bowed his head.
“Meeting you, Lord Chilbok, must be the guidance of Buddha. I’m truly thankful to be participating in this training camp.”
“Really?”
This felt quite embarrassing.
Having been surrounded by girls all this time, it had been a while since I had a serious conversation with a male friend like this.
Is this what male camaraderie feels like?
“Ahem! Anyway, since we’re done talking, let’s quickly finish our work before the girls arrive. At this rate, the sun will set before we’re done.”
“Oh, then I’ll help too.”
“Then could you dig a hole similar in size to this one?”
“That’s easy. If you wrap your fists in energy and swing…”
So, we chatted away while digging, losing track of time.
*
Dokgorin, who had gone hunting alone, returned about an hour later.
“Wow! This should last until tomorrow morning!”
Tang Sosu exclaimed in awe at the size of the deer she caught.
“Whoa, that’s massive.”
Moyong Bi seemed fascinated by the giant deer, fidgeting beside her.
“May you achieve blissful rebirth.”
On the other hand, Hyecheong stood before the dead deer, wide-eyed and palms pressed together, murmuring while rolling a prayer bead.
“Alright, we don’t have time to waste, let’s get to butchering.”
As I said this and pulled out a dagger from my pouch, Tang Sosu looked surprised.
“You know how to process a deer?”
“I learned roughly from a village hunter before. I had plenty of practice in the mountains.”
I said this and sharpened the dagger on a portable whetstone.
It seemed like Dokgorin had drained the blood right after catching it, so there was no need for that step.
I started from the nape of the neck, slicing through the abdomen down to the tail, separating the meat and skin inside.
Deer meat is fundamentally rich in color due to their active lifestyle.
“Ugh…”
Tang Sosu frowned at the sight of the fully skinned deer.
I felt the same way, so I quickly chopped off the head and asked Dokgorin to dispose of it properly.
If we just left it around, wild animals would gather to eat the meat.
After that, I cut the remaining meat into parts, stacking it neatly on a clean cloth, excluding the head.
“Ah, all done.”
By the time the meat processing was finished, the sun was already setting.
Thinking I should cook dinner before it got too late, I skewered the freshly cut meat on some branches and placed it over the campfire.
Now that I could finally rest a bit, as I sat down in front of the fire, Tang Sosu expressed surprise.
“I thought there’d be a ton of meat at first, but after processing, it’s less than I expected.”
I responded while turning the meat.
“Usually, when you discard the innards and blood, this is about how much you get. Plus, getting the blood out while the meat is still fresh, we managed to get this much, but if we’d taken longer, we would have had to throw away even more.”
“Blood? You mean that dark red stuff from earlier?”
“Exactly. Any part that hasn’t fully drained of blood ends up tasting gamey, so it’s inedible.”
“Wow—”
I guess because she’s a rich girl, this kind of knowledge seems fascinating to Moyong Bi.
While the deer meat sizzled and cooked over the fire, I took out my secret weapons from my backpack.
“What’s that?”
“Salt and pepper. Just in case, I carry a bit with me.”
“!”
Honestly, with just these two, I didn’t need any other seasonings.
Adding anything else would just overshadow the natural flavor of the meat.
With salt and pepper sprinkled on, all that was left to do was wait.
However, smelling the aroma of the meat cooking after maintaining an empty stomach for nearly nine hours since breakfast felt almost torturous.
Gulp—
Even Hyecheong, who had quietly prayed for the deer’s soul, swallowed hard at the delightful scent of the cooking protein.
Finally, seeing the outer portion turning a golden brown, I cut the skin off with my dagger together with the meat.
“Hoo— Hoo—”
Since it was just taken off the heat, it was quite hot.
I blew on it to cool it down lightly before placing small pieces of the deer meat into my mouth.
“Ah!”
It’s hot.
But more than that, it’s delicious.
Honestly, nothing tastes bad when you’re hungry, but this is definitely amazing.
“How is it?”
Tang Sosu asked anxiously from the side, so I swallowed the meat in my mouth and gave a thumbs up to show it was the best.
Immediately, my companions swarmed the deer meat cooking over the fire like a swarm of bees.
“Wait!”
But I halted their actions.
“Why are you stopping us?”
Tang Sosu said with a look of resentment, but I explained slowly.
“The meat’s thick, so the inside isn’t cooked yet. Only eat the outer parts.”
“Oh.”
It was a completely common-sense statement, but for people with their eyes on the food, it might’ve been an overlooked point.
Finally regaining their wits, Tang Sosu shyly nodded while saying, “Thank you.”
I shrugged and said, “No problem,” then started to carve out the portions of deer meat that were safe to eat for the others.
*
After the meat feast passed, we tested laying down on the leaf beds I had made earlier.
“Ooh, cozy.”
Although I made it myself, I could honestly say it was on par with a Simmons bed.
The most annoying part about camping in the mountains is usually the pesky bugs and mosquitoes, but this time, Moyong Bi’s special insect repellent pouch solved that issue.
I’m not sure what the exact ingredients are, but it gives off a smell that bugs apparently hate.
“Today was tiring even though we didn’t really do much.”
Looking up at the starry night sky, Tang Sosu murmured.
“Living is generally the hardest part. We typically don’t realize its value in daily life.”
As I said that, Hyecheong added to the conversation from beside me.
“I think this has been a good experience.”
Moyong Bi, who had been quiet, also spoke.
“I-I think so too.”
Lastly, Dokgorin said.
“…Well, sometimes, this isn’t so bad.”
I felt that might have been the happiest thing I heard recently.
Dokgorin, who had been consumed by revenge before returning, had created memories watching stars with friends for the first time.
Staring aimlessly at the Milky Way, which seemed like it would soon spill down on us, I suddenly felt drowsy.
‘Tomorrow, let’s cook up the rest into soup.’
I murmured inwardly and ended my tiring day by closing my eyes.
