"Eight silver coins?"
Aileen asked back, her voice tinged with doubt.
"Yeah."
"Is it all right to accept so little? Ah, I’m not saying that because I want any of it... It just feels like you got too little for what you did."
Her tone was cautious, but she wasn’t wrong.
It was true.
I didn’t know the average market rates in this world, but considering the effort involved and the fact that I’d risked my life, it was definitely a small amount.
"What can we do? The village was small to begin with, and the job started with only two silver coins in the first place."
"Ah... That’s true."
When I first accepted the request, all they had was two silver coins the village women had scraped together with difficulty.
Since I’d known that and taken the job anyway, it wasn’t something where I could expect a big reward from the start.
"Still, getting a greave out of it wasn’t bad."
I glanced down at the equipment strapped to my leg.
It definitely wasn’t an ordinary item.
It was light, yet offered excellent protection, and it didn’t get in the way when I walked.
If there was a downside, it was that it looked a little grotesque.
"Mm. It suits you. ...Though it does look a bit scary."
I gave a faint chuckle.
In any case, I had no choice but to console myself with the fact that gaining a piece of equipment I could use for a long time was better than a bit of money.
And at the same time, I felt a little bitter as I thought back on how I had recklessly taken on that request.
Rather than being outright foolhardy, it was more like... I’d been complacent, thinking things would somehow work out.
That battle had taught me a lot, beyond simple victory or defeat.
‘If I want to survive... I have to fight in the end.’
This world was far more dangerous than I had imagined.
Kobolds, goblins, monstrous spiders, bandits, and demons.
A world teeming with all kinds of alien beings.
On top of that, it was on the verge of war.
It sounded like an absurd development, but judging by the atmosphere, it really seemed likely to happen.
In an age of chaos like that, what I could do was obvious.
A means of self-defense.
If I wanted to live, I needed something to protect myself.
The only weapon I had was this strange system.
And if I wanted to grow stronger using that system, I ultimately had to fight.
It meant I had to risk my life and move forward one step at a time.
It was ironic.
A structure where I had to risk my life in order to survive.
What a goddamn trash world, seriously.
***
"Why still haven’t you killed her?!"
A woman’s sharp cry rang through the spacious reception room.
Her reddish wavy hair shook along with her furious movements.
The silver-framed fan in her hand struck the table with a crack.
The elderly man standing before her had cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
His hair was half gone, and his hands were trembling.
"N-no, Madam. We certainly found her. But the girl immediately left for another village..."
"Exactly! If you found her, you should have dealt with her right away! Why did you fail at that?!"
The lady’s voice sharpened again.
The middle-aged man bowed his head even lower, fumbling over his words.
"We lacked suitable manpower. The subordinates we originally planned to use were mostly, after the previous incident—"
"Enough excuses. How many people do you need to catch one little girl?"
Madam Catalina set the fan down as if throwing it.
The silver-framed fan fell onto the cold marble floor with a sharp clack.
"What were you doing, unable to deal with a single bastard child? I told you, as long as that wench is alive, my position will always be threatened."
She lifted her chin as if stamping her foot.
A cold command flowed between her red lips.
"Do not make a mistake this time. Next time, I’ll take care of it myself."
The man’s face turned deathly pale.
"Madam, that is far too dangerous. The Noble Council is moving sensitively right now. If something goes wrong—"
"Enough."
Catalina cut him off and slowly rose to her feet.
The hem of her neatly arranged tunic brushed the floor.
"Before anyone notices, that girl must disappear."
Her red wavy hair spilled over her shoulders.
Her gaze was directed beyond the window, toward the cloudy sky.
"Use whatever you need. Send men, release magical beasts. But this time, you must see it through to the end."
"...I shall obey your command."
The man bowed deeply and quietly left the reception room.
The moment the door closed, Catalina picked up the fan again and spread it open with her fingertips.
Frowning slightly, she murmured in a low voice.
"They said she’ll be coming soon. Good. I won’t make a mistake this time."
Her eyes were cold and clear, like gleaming rubies.
***
"...Tastes bad."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself."
I roughly filled my stomach with rye bread the villagers had given us for breakfast.
After eating nothing but bread for months, I’d reached the point where I didn’t even want to put it in my mouth anymore.
The hard, dry texture, even the sour smell.
At first, it had been reasonably edible, but now I was sick of it beyond measure.
But eating something else wasn’t easy either.
Ingredients themselves weren’t common, and the cooking methods were often questionable.
Boiling meat as it was, or dumping in a bunch of strange herbs instead of salt.
In the end, my choices were obvious.
Eat it even if I was sick of it, or starve.
I shoved a piece of damp bread into my mouth and muttered quietly.
‘Still... it’s better than starving.’
At that, Aileen turned her head slightly and looked at me, but fortunately, she didn’t say anything.
That was truly a relief. Even I felt that whining about something like this was a little childish.
Seeing complaints start to rise as soon as life became somewhat manageable, humans really were fickle creatures.
"By the way, it’s quiet."
"The village? I suppose it might be because of what happened yesterday..."
"No, the people supposedly chasing you. By now, it feels like they should have come at least once more, but there’s been no word at all. Should I call that a relief, or should I be uneasy?"
We had stayed in this village for several days.
There was no way our trail had been completely buried during that time. It should have been about time for our location to be pinpointed, yet it was strangely quiet.
"Are they more incompetent than I thought, or did they just give up..."
"Well, isn’t it better that they don’t come?"
"That’s true."
I said that, but the uneasy feeling didn’t fade easily.
This world had more tangled complications than any story I knew.
Getting careless and being stabbed in the back was all too common.
"I think I’m more or less fine now too, so let’s leave tomorrow."
"Mm, all right. There’s no need to rush."
I dipped the last piece of bread into the soup, put it in my mouth, and quietly murmured.
I didn’t know how long things could remain this quiet, but for now, I should enjoy this peace.
"I’m going to take a short walk around the village."
"Yes, take care."
I left the inn.
Beneath my feet was a soft dirt road, and on either side of it stretched green fields.
In the wide-open farmland, young sprouts were growing in neat rows, and the familiar scent of earth drifted on the wind.
"Suup— Hoo..."
The smell brushing past the tip of my nose was rustic, but strangely comforting.
Just breathing and walking like this made me feel healthier.
It was a leisurely, relaxed air, different from the acrid smoke of the city.
I couldn’t help my steps gradually slowing.
‘...This place is really peaceful.’
It was hard to believe this was the same place that had been steeped in grief just yesterday.
Perhaps the people of this world had grown used to loss.
In days where survival had been the top priority, being able to catch my breath like this for a moment was both a luxury and an opportunity.
I slowly moved my feet, taking in the scenery that flowed plainly, like any ordinary rural village.
This time wouldn’t last long, but even if only for a little while, I wanted to enjoy a day where nothing happened.
Step, step.
Amid the sound of my footsteps along the fields, another set of footsteps overlapped from behind.
It was an unfamiliar rhythm, but there was no hostile feeling.
"The weather is truly nice, isn’t it?"
At that voice, I turned my head and saw a familiar face.
"Ah, Chief."
It was the village chief. He was still dressed simply, and as always, a quiet smile rested on his face.
"Are you leaving tomorrow?"
"Pardon? How did you—"
The chief slowly nodded and smiled.
"I heard Miss Aileen has recovered, and you, Sir Liv... Well, you were walking with that particular air of someone who is about to leave."
Was there such a thing as that kind of air?
I smiled awkwardly and scratched my head.
"Yes. I think it’s about time we got moving."
"I see. It’s a shame... but I hope you’ll stop by again someday."
The chief looked out over the fields in silence for a long while.
The crops raising their heads beneath the sunlight and swaying in the wind looked especially peaceful.
"The time you spent here was short, but at least to me, you were guests I will remember."
"...Thank you."
It was a sincere expression of gratitude.
Without realizing it, the end of my words grew a little heavy.
It had been a short connection, but warm all the same.
"I hope you travel safely. And..."
The chief slowly finished his words.
"I hope that wherever your path leads from now on, you will always remain in good health."
"Yes. I hope you stay healthy as well, Chief."
After exchanging farewells like that, I slowly started walking again.
The two sets of footprints left on the village dirt road were gradually fading in the wind.
***
The next day.
Before the sun had even risen, we packed our things and headed to the outskirts of the village.
After finishing our brief farewells, we approached the carriage, and Aileen widened her eyes as she spoke.
"What is that?"
"Ah, this?"
The coachman’s carriage looked far cleaner than before.
The axle that had creaked until recently seemed to have been replaced with new parts and was gleaming, and the rattling wheels were well lubricated.
Even the horses’ coats had been groomed until they shone, and there was vitality in their eyes.
"The chief had it taken care of. He said you’d done something impressive?"
"Ah..."
I gave a vague answer.
It wasn’t as though I’d done anything that great. I’d simply lent a hand a little when I could.
But the fact that they had gone so far to return the favor meant this village was truly a place where warmhearted people lived.
"The village carpenter came and fixed it up himself."
The coachman smiled and nodded.
His face looked far more relaxed than the day before.
Looks like business went pretty well for him in the village.
Standing beside the carriage, I looked back at the village one more time.
Under the red-tinged sky, small farmhouses were stretching awake.
Smoke rose from chimneys, and between the fields, the shadows of people moving from early morning were cast.
A short but deeply memorable time.
Now, it was time to stand on the road again.
"We’re off!"
The coachman grabbed the reins and called out, and the carriage swayed gently as it moved forward.
·
·
·
Peace did not last even a day.
"Mister! This way— damn it, fuck!!"
"Kyaaak!!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground beneath us trembled. It was the sound of the entire earth holding its breath.
Something behind us—no, a being that could only be called “something”—was chasing us.
Legs as thick as trees crushed the ground, and a stench like rotten fishy water spread through the air.
"What... is that!"
The carriage running along the forest path was smashed apart in an instant.
A badly bent wheel flew off, and the horses, terrified, screamed as they scattered in every direction.
"Aileen, grab on!"
I snatched her wrist and threw myself toward the forest.
Behind us, there was a bang as something struck down.
The monster’s arm had slammed into the spot where we had been just moments ago.
"Aaagh!!"
The coachman staggered through the cloudy dust, trying to flee, only to be caught up in it and sent flying.
With a horrifying crunch, blood sprayed, and trees snapped and broke.
"Mister!!"
Barely managing to steady my breath at the gruesome sight, I looked back.
"Groooaaaar—!"
Its bulk was larger than an elephant’s, and with limbs hanging like trunks and a body tangled together like roots, it looked almost like a living tree.
But in the center of it was a giant mouth. A repulsive mouth made of red flesh and teeth.
"It wasn’t a tree, you insane...!"
It had been lying in wait in the forest, targeting us from the beginning.
It probably attacked and devoured beasts or people passing through this road.
"We have to go farther! That way!"
Aileen pulled me to my feet.
The forest path was completely tangled, and after running in a frenzy, we had somehow ended up deep inside the thicket.
"Haa... haa..."
Only after we had run some distance did the sound of pursuit stop.
But we couldn’t let our guard down.
There was a high chance it would follow our scent.
Holding my breath, I looked around.
At that moment.
"Hey! Are you all right?"
A voice suddenly came from beyond the bushes.
I instinctively lowered my body and raised my hand, preparing to cast magic.
Beyond the shadows, someone slowly approached.
He was a man wearing a long coat.
In his hand, he held something resembling a long staff, and his face was smeared with a bit of blood and dirt.
"What happened here—oh, um... you’re a mage, aren’t you?"
"...Who are you?"
"I’m... a practitioner passing through. You were chased by that monster, the ‘Demonleaf Tree,’ weren’t you?"
In that hellish situation, that was how we met someone.