“…I feel rather foolish.”
Ruon didn’t miss the flicker of desire in the shaggy-haired man’s eyes as he looked at the necklace.
He knew better than anyone what kind of actions those with such eyes were capable of.
For a brief moment, the gazes of the two men collided. In the strange atmosphere, Ruon’s hand beneath the table slowly approached the hilt of his sword.
“So, you’re saying you killed that banshee!?”
The innkeeper rushed over with an exclamation. He seemed unaware of the dry towel and beer glass in his hands, indicating his hurriedness.
“Well, well, you truly are a fortunate guest!”
As the unexpected appearance of the innkeeper settled the tense atmosphere, Ruon returned his hand to its original position.
Unaware of the atmosphere he had interrupted, the innkeeper excitedly asked, “Did you encounter it last night?”
“I did.”
“How did you kill it?”
“I cut it with my sword.”
The shaggy-haired man, who had been silently observing the conversation between the innkeeper and Ruon, stood up from his seat.
“Congratulations. The bounty seems quite substantial, and now that you can take it all for yourself, the taste of victory must be even sweeter. Well then, enjoy the rest of your meal.”
As the shaggy-haired man turned back towards his companions, he added a final remark.
“Until we meet again.”
Ruon responded with a grumble.
“Sure.”
The shaggy-haired man and his companions left the inn immediately, as if their reason for staying had vanished. As they walked out the door, they cast sharp glances at Ruon.
Unfazed by their piercing gazes, Ruon, who had finished his meal calmly, went straight to his room and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
***
“Umph!”
Veins bulged on Ruon’s forehead as he lifted a rock that had been blocking the drainage channel. A chorus of awe erupted from the surrounding onlookers.
An old man with mushroom-like growths approached him, his hands covered in dirt.
“My, my! A strong warrior indeed, capable of doing the work of ten men. Truly a warrior worthy of praise.”
“It was nothing special.”
The old man smiled proudly because it was evident that Ruon was not an ordinary young man, possessing both humility and skill.
“Are you leaving today? It seemed to me that Hopson was rather disappointed.”
“I stayed longer than expected because of that delicious pie, but it’s time for me to go.”
Ruon replied as he gently brushed off the clinging children.
“I see. I’m grateful for your help.”
“It was no problem.”
Ruon briefly bowed his head and walked towards the inn. As he opened the door and entered, he saw Hopson smiling, setting down a pie and a glass of milk.
“Here you go. I made an extra effort since it’s your last one.”
Looking at the mouthwatering pie, Ruon smirked. He had been eating it all week, but it never grew tiresome. This pie would be his last. It was a bit regretful.
It had already been a week since Ruon entered this small village, even though he had never planned to stay for more than a day. And if you were to attribute the reason, more than half of it was undoubtedly because of the pie in front of him.
“Are you sure you didn’t put any addictive herbs in it?”
Ruon asked curiously, to which Hopson chuckled.
“Did you know that’s already the third time you’ve asked?”
“It feels like it’s laced with some addictive substance, even if it’s not.”
“Haha, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Hopson, sitting across from Ruon, watched with satisfaction as Ruon quickly devoured the pie and then asked him a question.
“Isn’t it too early for you to leave?”
“For a traveler, a week is as good as an ordinary man’s month. It’s been a long enough time.”
After a moment of silence that followed Ruon’s response, Hopson slowly opened his mouth.
“Thank you. Thanks to you getting rid of the banshee, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Now there’s no reason to hide the children inside the house before the sun sets, so it will be lively and noisy around here. I’m truly grateful for all the help you’ve provided for the village.”
Ruon raised his head at Hopson’s words.
“I killed the apparitions for my own well-being. As for helping with village tasks, it was because I felt guilty for enjoying these delicious pies for free every day. That’s all.”
The apparition that Ruon had killed a week ago was a notorious monster that had been roaming the forest, attacking nearby residents. It had also brutally torn apart Hopson’s son, who was a hunter.
Ruon looked at the middle-aged man in front of him. He knew very well that this skilled cook regarded him as someone who had avenged his son’s death.
That’s why Ruon drew a clear line. He had no desire to receive any hero treatment for killing the monster. Instead, he dedicated the value of the free pies and lodging fees to contribute to this small village. The past week was Ruon’s way of relieving Hopson’s burden, and leaving now was considered sufficient in his eyes.
“What does a pie like this matter when it comes to treating a benefactor?”
“What benefactor? Either way, I’ll receive a hefty reward for killing that banshee.”
After finishing his words, Ruon stood up from his seat. After briefly checking his physical condition, he reached out his hand towards Hopson.
“Thank you for the delicious pie. I will remember it.”
“…Take care, Ruon.”
Hopson clasped Ruon’s hand in his own, grateful for everything he had done.
***
Ruon captured the fading scenery of the village as he turned around. It was a village with amazingly delicious pies, where people didn’t hide their gratitude even for small help. It was a place worth cherishing as a good memory.
As Ruon hurried his steps, a group of men blocked his path. From within them, a familiar face stepped forward. It was the burly man he had met at the inn, the one with shaggy hair.
“I didn’t expect to see you again… Thought maybe you had settled in that village or something.”
“Hopson’s strawberry pie was delicious.”
The burly man chuckled, finding something amusing.
“Is that so? Well, I’m glad. If you hadn’t shown up by today, I was just going to storm into the inn.”
“Why? Did you have some new proposition?”
Ruon’s blunt words made the man twitch.
“I do have a proposal. If you cooperate, it will be very simple.”
As he snapped his fingers, the people standing behind him simultaneously drew their weapons.
“Just hand over the necklace and leave. Then, we’ll spare your life.”
I had expected it, but this was too childish.
Before Ruon was even able to reply, the men began closing in on him. They had a menacing aura, and it seemed that they weren’t planning to let him go even if he offered the necklace.
Amused by their appearance, Ruon smirked.
It was quite regrettable. This world has always been like this. A damn world where people don’t hesitate to kill for a few coins.
Ruon reached into his pocket. While shaggy-hair, who thought he was about to retrieve the necklace, was smirking with a vile grin, Ruon gently extended his arm. Following that trajectory, a dagger shot out and deeply pierced the neck of the large figure standing at the forefront.
Snap!
The figure, with eyes rolled back white, stiffly collapsed sideways. It took only a few seconds until his movements, trembling as if struck by lightning, completely ceased. Facing the frozen men, Ruon spoke chillingly.
“If you put down your weapons right now, I’ll spare the rest.”
Perhaps his words touched their pride, as shaggy-hair erupted in an enraged shout.
“Fuck! Kill that bastard!”
Upon his cry, two men rushed at Ruon from both sides. It was a reflexive action following an order rather than a coordinated movement.
Ruon smoothly twisted his wrist as he faced them.
Dodging the sword thrust from the left, he delivered a punch that shattered his opponent’s collarbone. Meanwhile, his other hand drew the sword from his waist and sliced through the chest of the man charging from the right.
In an instant, the two men collapsed to the ground. Only then did shaggy-hair, realizing that something was going wrong, push his remaining subordinate towards Ruon and begin to flee.
“AAAHH!”
With a scream that could be either fear or battle cry, the subordinate thrust his spear. Ruon effortlessly blocked the attack and swiftly decapitated the subordinate before turning his gaze to the retreating man.
He didn’t bother chasing him. Gripping his bow, Ruon placed an arrow on the string and pulled back without hesitation. A moment of focus. The fingers holding the arrow slightly loosened.
Thunk!
With the sound not unlike cracking open a watermelon, the man’s head exploded. Ruon turned his head and stabbed the chests of the still-breathing bodies, ensuring their death. It took less than a minute for the serene forest path to be filled with the stench of blood.
Although he had killed five, the experience points he gained from killing these men were far less than the amount he had gained by killing the banshee.
‘Damn it, am I really checking my experience points now?’
A melancholic smile settled on Ruon’s lips as he looked at the scattered corpses on the road. It was difficult to associate this scene with a 26-year-old college student, but Ruon had no desire to feel extraordinary. He was merely living another day in this damn game.
Ruon pushed away the lingering thoughts and rummaged through the pockets of the fallen corpses without an ounce of regret.
