Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

Beneath the dense jungle canopy, our group took a brief rest, settling on moss-covered rocks under a massive tree.

As Seol gazed up at the sky, she turned to Sword Master and asked,

"Sword Master Seon-hwa , is it alright if I make some animal calls?"

"...Animal calls?"

Sword Master blinked in confusion, and the others turned to look at Seol, trying to decipher what she meant.

Then Sword Master glanced at me.

Since Yunnan was seen by the people here as not just a borderland but practically a foreign country (Saiwai), it seemed like he expected me to explain whether such a practice existed in the Beast Palace’s customs.

But I had nothing to say.

‘I haven’t been part of the Beast Palace for long myself.’

Seol, smiling, answered the unspoken question.

"I wanted to check if any of the Beast Palace’s animals are nearby. We have creatures spread all over Yunnan—hawks, owls, monkeys, wolves—those kinds of animals."@@novelbin@@

"But we’re not in Yunnan, are we?" Sword Master pointed out, wondering if her actions would even have any effect.

Seol shook her head. "National borders are drawn by humans, not animals. If any of our beasts have wandered over here, I want to send a message back to the Beast Palace."

That made sense. The borders mattered only to people, not to animals.

Hearing her reasoning, Sword Master gave his approval.

Since we were moving cautiously to avoid the Blood Cult, loud noises were dangerous, but animal calls wouldn’t draw much attention.

"Ah, I see. That shouldn’t be a problem. We already hear animal sounds in the jungle anyway."

—Piiiik!

The moment Sword Master gave permission, Seol let out a sharp whistle that rang through the jungle.