The sun had already climbed to its highest point.
The sweat had yet to cool, and my shirt clung damply to my back. Even so, my steps felt strangely light.
Considering we’d wiped out two groups of goblins over the course of the morning, it wouldn’t have been odd if the strength had gone out of my arms and legs, but my body still felt like it could hold up just fine.
As we stepped into the guild, the first things to reach my ears were the sound of ledgers being turned and coins clinking together.
Luce stopped flipping through a ledger and looked up at us.
“You’re back early. Good work.”
“Thank you. As expected, Miss Luce is the only one who understands.”
Luce looked into my eyes and smiled softly.
“You always look like you’ve been through a lot, Siyun. Still, you look a little better than yesterday.”
Mari snorted beside me.
“It’s not just that he looks it. It’s written all over his face.”
“But I came back alive and well, didn’t I?”
“That’s true.”
Kaya answered shortly.
“Everyone did well this morning.”
With the corners of my mouth rising for no reason, I took the mana stones out of the leather pouch and placed them one by one on the settlement counter.
Luce quickly sorted the mana stones with her fingertips.
Eleven ordinary goblin mana stones.
Two warrior-type mana stones.
One shaman-type mana stone.
“Including the basic pay for the outskirts patrol, that comes to five silver coins in total. Split between the three of you, that’s one silver and eight copper coins each.”
“Oh...”
“Would you like it in copper as well?”
“Yes, please.”
Clink.
The sound of the coins being pushed toward me stuck oddly well in my ears.
Mari took her share and said,
“This isn’t bad for one morning.”
“Right? It’s the fruit of our labor and sweat.”
“What are you talking about? Your face relaxes every time we get paid.”
“Of course it does. This changes what we’re having for lunch!”
Kaya laughed quietly.
“That’s true.”
Including the money I’d already had left, I now had three silver coins and nine copper coins.
‘After lunch, I’ll have six copper left, huh.’
The calculation ran so naturally through my head that I laughed without realizing it.
‘This is what they call a small but certain happiness.’
✧ ✧ ✧
The moment we pushed open the door to the Sunset Hearth, familiar heat and smells rushed over us all at once.
Even though I’d been in and out of this place several times already, until now, all I’d noticed were the food and the seats. After a fight, I was always hungry first, and the inside was always packed with customers, so there’d been no room to pay attention.
The face moving between the kitchen and the dining hall must have passed through my sight a few times, but only today did I finally get a proper look.
She was a woman with dark golden-brown hair tied neatly back. Deep green eyes, faint freckles on her cheeks, and the corners of her mouth tilted upward in a refreshing way. Her face was closer to lively than demure.
As soon as the server saw us, she set down water cups with a series of taps.
“Huh? You lot are back again?”
“There’s been steady work.”
Kaya answered calmly.
“That’s good, then. Earn a lot, come here, and eat a lot before you go.”
Mari snorted.
“I like that logic.”
Only then did the server turn her gaze toward me.
“You’re the outsider who’s always been coming in with them, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Finally got a proper look at you. I’m Nia. You can think of me as the one who does pretty much everything here.”
Her tone was naturally casual, and her hands never stopped moving, but there was nothing disorganized about her. She was brisk and open, the type whose momentum came before any shyness.
I could tell at a glance. Nia’s role in keeping this restaurant running was fairly big.
“You came a little early today.”
“Things went pretty well this morning.”
“Oh, so you can move your body a bit for an ordinary guy?”
“Haha, do I look that way?”
Nia gave me a once-over, then looked at Mari.
“Does he fit in well with you two?”
“Well, better than I expected.”
“An ordinary person is keeping up with your pace?”
“It’s not like he’s forcing himself to keep up.”
Kaya added as she picked up her water cup.
“Well, he’s not bad.”
Nia looked at me with a snicker.
“You got praised.”
“I’m a little surprised myself.”
“Good. The more that’s true, the more you need to eat. You’re heading out again this afternoon, right?”
“Then do you have any recommendations today?”
“I do. A menu for hungry bastards.”
As soon as Nia turned around, she disappeared toward the kitchen.
A short while later, freshly baked bread, meat, and rich soup were placed on the table.
After that, only the sounds of spoons and forks went back and forth.
Nia glanced at our table as she passed by, then laughed as if she couldn’t believe it.
“You really must’ve been hungry.”
I said while taking a big bite of bread,
“Since yesterday... it’s been kinda like that.”
“What?”
“Dinner... was kinda modest.”
Nia stared at me for a moment, then snorted.
“It’s not like anyone starved you. Eat up.”
There wasn’t much conversation as the bowls emptied one by one.
When Nia passed by in the middle and saw the empty dishes, she said briefly,
“Want more?”
“No, I’m full. That was really good!”
“Good. Take care this afternoon too.”
By the time I stood up from my seat, the next sequence was already in my head.
Garen in the morning, requests during the day, meals at the Sunset Hearth.
The routine that had felt nothing but unfamiliar just a few days ago now followed me naturally just by standing up.
✧ ✧ ✧
The afternoon request was far more tiring than the morning.
It was a simple subjugation that involved making a wide sweep around the outskirts forest, but the composition was more annoying than the numbers.
Four ordinary types, one scout type darting quickly through the bushes, one archer type shooting arrows from up in the trees, three warrior types, and four Iron Tusks on top of that.
“Tch. Why are there so many?”
Mari muttered in an irritated voice.
“Don’t rush in. We can clean them up calmly.”
Kaya said shortly.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll try my best, just enough not to die!”
That was what I said, but in reality, it was fucking hectic.
Two Iron Tusks charged in first as if trying to ram us, and arrows flew from behind. The scout type took to the bushes, and the three warrior types pushed in from the front.
Still, we didn’t flounder. Mari blocked their paths with magic, Kaya pointed out the directions, and I slipped in through the gaps. It was chaotic, but we didn’t collapse.
By the time the battle ended, all of us were drenched in sweat.
Mari wiped the sweat from her forehead and tossed out,
“The afternoon was kind of rough.”
“But we got a lot of mana stones.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
Kaya laughed quietly.
“It was hard, but it was clean.”
After that, there wasn’t much conversation on the way back. We just walked.
By the time we stopped by the guild and finished settlement, the weight of the leather pouch was definitely different from before.
✧ ✧ ✧
We had dinner at the Sunset Hearth as well.
Unlike lunch, the atmosphere wasn’t one of frantic eating. Since we’d returned after finishing the afternoon request too, everyone was a little quieter, and the warm air inside the restaurant pressed down on our fatigue just enough.
As soon as Nia saw us, she set beer mugs down at our empty seats.
“Drink.”
“It’s beer?”
I lifted the mug, then looked up at Nia.
“Is this perhaps on the house?”
When I asked slyly, Nia snorted.
“Yeah, on the house.”
“Wow!”
“Since I owe you for Roy’s life too.”
I blinked while holding the beer mug.
“Huh? What’s your relationship with Mr. Roy?”
“Why, curious?”
“Of course I’m curious.”
Nia roughly wiped the table, then shrugged as if it was nothing.
“We grew up together. Childhood friends.”
“Oh...”
“And later, we promised to get married too.”
“Ooh!”
This time, I was a bit surprised.
Nia laughed as if she found my reaction amusing, then set down another mug.
“Well, it’s not like we’re doing it right away. What kind of wedding can you have in times like these? Those Demon King’s Army bastards are still stirring things up all over the place.”
“The Demon King’s Army?”
The words came out before I could stop them.
Goblins were guys you could cut down right in front of you, and Iron Tusks were ultimately beasts before your eyes. With both of them, all you had to do was fight what you could see.
But the word army was different. It meant that somewhere in this world, a much larger battlefield I hadn’t even set foot in yet was truly moving.
Nia propped her chin on her hand.
“Why, is this your first time hearing about it?”
“No, it’s just... hearing the name alone doesn’t make it feel real.”
“Whether it feels real or not, what exists exists. They say the front lines are still a complete mess. This place is just a bit removed, so it’s not as bad.”
Kaya quietly lifted her mug and picked up the conversation.
“The area around Bressen is still better than other places. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe.”
Mari snorted.
“That’s why everyone earns when they can and eats while they’re alive.”
Nia nodded at those words.
“Exactly. So for now, we work, eat, and endure. Once things are peaceful, we can hold the ceremony then.”
She said it lightly, but her sincerity was clear. I could also see how Nia’s eyes changed ever so slightly whenever Roy came up.
I raised my mug for no real reason.
“Shall we toast?”
“Sure, let’s toast.”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers.”
The mugs clinked lightly together.
When I swallowed a mouthful of beer, a refreshing chill followed the bitter taste and ran down my throat.
“It’s good. Thanks for the service!”
Nia grinned.
“No, I’m the one who’s grateful. Thanks for saving Roy.”
I looked down at my mug for a moment.
“...When you put it that way, I feel kind of embarrassed.”
Mari took a sip of beer and said bluntly,
“No need to be embarrassed. It’s true.”
Kaya added quietly,
“That’s right. If Siyun hadn’t been there then, it would have been dangerous.”
Nia nodded, pushed the mug slightly closer to me, and turned away.
I stayed like that for a moment, my hands wrapped around the mug.
It tasted good, yes, but more than that, I liked this atmosphere itself.
The feeling that we had lived through another day seemed to have been pressed into this one small mug.
✧ ✧ ✧
By the time I washed up at the public bathhouse and returned to the Healing Sanctuary, the night air had grown quite cold.
From inside the corridor, Father Edric glanced at me and tossed out,
“You overdid it again.”
“Come on, I didn’t overdo it that much.”
“I’ve never seen a guy who says that be fine.”
“Are you worrying about me right now?”
“Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep.”
“Yes, sir. Good night.”
I returned to my room, took out the money I’d earned, and counted it.
Four silver coins, eight copper coins.
Looking at the numbers piling up little by little eased my fatigue somewhat. Today hadn’t been bad either.
✧ ✧ ✧
The sixth day passed in a blur.
In the morning, I crossed wooden swords with Garen. He still pressed me without mercy, but today I held out in the first exchange. I blocked, deflected, and even if late, I followed through.
During the day, we circled the forest. We read the formation, and when Mari opened a path according to Kaya’s orders, I dug into the gap. Now, even without saying anything to each other, the sequence fell into place with precision.
The days were similar, but they weren’t boring. They were hard, but I wavered less than before, and I got hurt less than before.
That fact felt especially clear today.
The day rolled on like that. Even though it was already the sixth day, I still simply liked this routine.
When I returned to my room and spilled out the coins, I could feel the increased weight from the day before in my palm.
Six silver coins, two copper coins.
The money was piling up.
✧ ✧ ✧
The seventh day was relaxed.
The forest was quiet today. There were days like that too.
In the morning, there were four ordinary types and one warrior type; in the afternoon, just a scout type and a single Iron Tusk or so.
Looking only at the numbers, it was lighter, but that didn’t mean we grew careless.
Rather, the sequence was now clearer.
Who would move first, who would create an opening, and who would finish things off. That was settling into my body more than my head now.
By the time I returned to the Healing Sanctuary, it was already night. The inside was unusually quiet.
In the dining room, Sister Riena was clearing soup bowls when she saw me and lifted her head.
“You’re less hurt today.”
“How did you know that right away?”
“Your complexion. You look much better than usual.”
“Then do I seem like a different person today?”
“...Very much so.”
I paused for a moment.
“Eek... really?”
“Yes, really.”
She said it gently, but every word was true.
“Did you drink water?”
“No, not yet...”
“I thought so.”
Before I could even finish answering, Riena had already pushed a cup of water toward me. She was the kind of person whose hands moved before her words.
“Thank you.”
“Yes. Be careful tomorrow too.”
I couldn’t tell whether those words were a farewell or a request. It was probably both.
A little later, the young cleric Ren came hurrying over with a water pitcher, then stopped when he saw me.
“Ah, I was just about to bring this to you.”
“Sister Riena already gave me some.”
“...I see.”
Ren stood there blankly for a moment, still holding the water pitcher.
“You look a little better today than yesterday.”
“Oh, are you starting to develop an eye for people now?”
“Father Edric told me to look at the face first.”
“You’re learning good things.”
“I’m... not sure if that’s a good thing.”
Ren laughed quietly. He still seemed young, but he was the kind of kid who didn’t let go of what he held in his own hands until the end.
I returned to my room again and spilled out the coins.
Seven silver coins, four copper coins.
I was still far from ten silver coins. The tab for the iron sword was still there too.
Still, it wasn’t bad.
I’d circled the forest, swung my sword, returned alive, and saved this much.
That fact alone was enough.