Ch.16The Guardian of Balance NPC. (3)

The blonde swordswoman Ray Sol within the wall was flustered. Surely, judging by the flow of the conversation just now, wouldn’t it have been natural to accept her?

I thought I’d sufficiently demonstrated my skills and sincerity? Sure, I was the one who caused trouble, but still! I stopped midway, didn’t I? I trusted him! I believed he would stop that incredible kick midway!

“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure why you want to accompany us when you don’t even know where we’re going?”

“Ah, that doesn’t matter where you’re—”

“Then that makes it even worse. If you say you don’t care where we’re going and just want to follow us, it actually makes us uncomfortable.”

The man cut her off with a knife-like precision while smiling pleasantly. Jack the Ranger continued speaking without caring about her bewilderment.

His previously relaxed speech had somehow reverted to a more formal tone, creating distance between them.

“As you’ve noticed, I’ve been falsely accused. My sister has nothing to do with any of this, yet her name was put on a wanted list too. In other words, we’re in a position where it’s difficult to trust or believe just anyone. Especially when someone as strong as you suddenly offers kindness, I can’t help but question whether that kindness is genuine or merely a cunning attempt to make me lower my guard.”

“B-but!! I sincerely want to repay the debt from that day…!!”

She was sincere. She always found herself helplessly entangled in strange incidents. That day had been particularly serious.

When she tried to uphold justice by catching a thief, it turned out she had been the target all along.

She genuinely wanted to repay the man who had saved her when she was about to be dragged away by those men without being able to properly resist.

However.

“You say you want to repay a debt, but I can’t forget the suspicious glance you just gave my sister and me. We’re just in a temporary truce now; I have no particular reason to trust you.”

As Jack spoke logically, she gradually ran out of things to say.

After seeing his actions that day, and then seeing the wanted poster, she thought he was an unfortunate person who had been falsely accused.

That’s why she wanted to help him.

She had thought that someone who extends a hand to others in trouble couldn’t possibly be a criminal, and that’s why she wanted to help him, but now she couldn’t think of anything more to say.

In reality, even if she believed 90% of it, there was still 10% of doubt.

The girl with purple eyes looking anxiously up from within his arms, the golem quietly watching them despite having no face, and finally Jack’s distrustful gaze.

After understanding all those gazes, she answered.

“Then, I’ll become your slave!!”

If there wasn’t enough time to build trust, then she would build it. If simple kindness made him uneasy, then why not become his subordinate instead? Besides, she already owed Jack a debt and had caused him trouble—wasn’t this level of repayment only natural?

Ray Sol felt an urge to follow this man no matter what.

If they bound their relationship through a contract, surely her sincerity would get through to him.

Thinking this way, she shouted her proposal, and instantly, Jack the Ranger’s face contorted dramatically.

His eyes couldn’t hide his bewilderment, his incredulity, and the “what the hell is this person doing?” feeling.

And then.

“F-fine. Go ahead, be a slave then.”

“R-really?! So I can come with you all?!”

“Yes, yes. Do whatever you want.”

After saying that, he actually backed away cautiously, and the golem positioned itself between them as if to block her approach. The distance seemed to have grown even wider.

From the golem’s actions, she got the impression of a parent protecting their child from a suspicious person.

Why? I was only speaking sincerely?

“Ah. But.”

Her joy at being able to follow this man was short-lived, as what came out of Jack’s mouth next was somewhat harsh for her.

*

The noisy woman was finally driven away.

Is she crazy? Slave? What’s she suddenly talking about? There’s no such game setting, is there?

Or did I just not know about it? First my status window shows masochistic tendencies, and now even NPCs are going crazy.

A girl who had no money and was begging those men that day couldn’t possibly prepare 30,000 cans in the middle of the night.

I was certain of that when I accepted her offer. Besides, slavery? The only country in this world with a slave system is the Empire, isn’t it?

“Hah! That’s the end of it! Now we won’t have to deal with her anymore!!”

“Brotherrr. I don’t like that ladyyy.”

“Yeah, I don’t like her much either.”

Her looks are a matter of preference, but her personality and skills are the problem.

And her mental state is definitely crazy. What made her trust me? Slave? Isn’t she truly insane?

Did I actually interrupt her dream of getting thoroughly used by those thugs that day? Is that why she’s acting like this? Is she now telling me, “You saved me that day, so you have the responsibility to train me!!”?

If so, I’m sorry. I really can’t do that. Please go away, I’m begging you with my eyes.

The masochistic position is already fully occupied by my status window, so I wish she would just leave. It’s hard enough adapting to this one.

For someone like me who has a sister to protect, that woman is nothing but a landmine.

She’s the number one person to avoid, someone I must distance myself from if possible. Moreover, with that kind of personality, she’d be bad for my child’s emotional development! And to top it off:

‘I absolutely refuse to get involved in any quests related to that woman’s affection or story quests.’

Although she’s a woman I met at a low level, that means her quests will open at a low level.

In other words, after Ponia falls, that woman’s quests will continuously open up, and if I get involved or ignore them and distance myself, she’ll arbitrarily tank my reputation.

When I might have to face several NPCs that I must meet on my escape route, and just by getting involved with that woman, the difficulty could skyrocket from easy to hell mode, why would I get any more involved with her?

Someone once said that we avoid excrement not because we fear it but because it’s dirty. But is that really true?

Isn’t it fear when that excrement might be smeared on your face? I’m running away from that fear.

It’s not that I think she’s dirty. No, I don’t think she’s dirty. I’m just afraid.

Of her personality, her mental state, and her skills.

After laying Ira on the bed and patting her stomach, she soon falls asleep with soft breathing sounds.

Sigh, how long do I have to make our cute little sister suffer like this?

[Master.]

“…Master? What’s that about?”

Status, what are you talking about? Mr. Ranger doesn’t have that kind of preference! Have you been influenced by her?

[You didn’t tell me what to call you. So I decided arbitrarily.]

Oh my. Being called “Master” by a golem, not even a sexy maid or lady-in-waiting, but by a status window? Besides, isn’t this the first time it’s initiated a conversation with me?

“Hah. Fine, so what is it?”

[Was that okay just now?]

“What?”

[That female swordswoman was determined to follow you no matter what.]

“Ha. Someone who claimed she had no money even when she was about to sell herself, where would she suddenly get 30,000 cans from? You said Blue Trolls don’t appear that often, and even if they did, it would be hard for someone at her level to win. Going out in the middle of the night to hunt 10 trolls? I couldn’t even manage 5 in two days. Does that make any sense?”

[……]

The status window was speechless at my quiet response. Yeah, nothing to say, right? She absolutely can’t earn that much.

Surely she won’t go out in the middle of the night to earn big money by engaging in bedroom sports, right?

This settles it. Now we can safely escape…

[According to my analysis, that skill is a natural disaster.]

“…What?”

[Don’t let your guard down.]

After saying that, the status window went quiet.

That skill, if it refers to “Can’t Stand Injustice”? Is that what you’re talking about? But it’s already activated on me, so what’s the sudden concern?

I looked at the status window that had made such an unsettling comment, but it had already disappeared from my sight as if it had said all it needed to say.

…Nah. That can’t be possible.

No matter how crazy that trouble-making skill is, there’s no way she could make 30,000 cans in one night. Absolutely not…

“Hello!!”

“Brotherrr… it’s noisy.”

Ah, seriously!! Stop messing with me!!!

*

[Last night’s confirmation shows she hunted 3 trolls and 20 orcs.]

Hahaha. HAHAHA!!! This crazy world is messing with me.

Wasn’t I living on 800 cans when my original salary was 10,000 cans?

Didn’t those lunatics put out a bounty on me?

Didn’t the Heavenly Horse commit suicide?

And now the woman I tried to push away is covered in dirt, grinning at me at the carriage station after just one night!!

It’s all a scam. This is definitely a scam. I demand a trial. Judge!! Please show leniency!!!

[You reap what you sow.]

“Poppy. Shut it.”

[…I don’t like Poppy.]

Does it even know what Poppy is?

“Huh? Po-what?”

“…I wasn’t talking to you.”

At the carriage station, while I’m holding Ira, Ray Sol—no, I’ll just call her Ray—is wiping her dirty body with a towel she got from somewhere.

Her beautiful blonde hair, face, and clean clothes from last night are now all covered in mud and blood.

She really did go outside the village last night and fought monsters.

Has this woman gone mad? Did she really earn money to buy a carriage ticket because she wants to be my slave?

Monsters become more ferocious at night, yet she did such a thing out of determination to follow us. Isn’t she out of her mind? Wait, I might have made a serious mistake.

“Whew! I usually have bad luck, but I was fortunate this time! Wanting to follow my benefactor, I went outside yesterday thinking I’d work hard to save money, and many orcs and trolls appeared!”

“…I-is that so.”

“Yes! It seems God wants me to help my benefactor!!”

I doubt that. At least in your case, I doubt that? If God had such thoughts, wouldn’t He have kept you far, far away from me?

It seems my serious mistake was giving that masochistic woman an impossible quest.

Yes, being a masochist, she’s overjoyed at the challenge of an impossible quest. Crazy world, crazy NPC, please!!!

Of course, contrary to my current thoughts, I force a smile, pulling up the corners of my mouth as I watch her speak excitedly, clearly delighted that she can come with us.

“Brotherrr.”

“Yes?”

“Your face looks weirdd.”

“D-does it?”

[70% of your facial muscles are having seizures.]

Good grief, you know that too? Besides, only 70%? My heart is at 100%!

In the end, I couldn’t find a way to get rid of her, and I boarded the carriage of the driver who had been assigned to guard me.

“Oh? Sir, what about that golem?”

“Ah. I’m a tamer. This one is stronger than me, could we possibly bring it along?”

“Oh! Of course! I should charge for luggage, but with a gold-rank customer providing escort, and a guard golem stronger than the customer himself, I’d rather pay extra to have it on board.”

“Heh. So Jack is gold-rank?”

“Yes. Ah, Ray, what’s your rank?”

“I’m blue-rank! I haven’t been able to take the test for gold-rank because I can’t find a gold-rank examiner!”

Huh? I became gold-rank in this city?

It seems she’s unlucky in this aspect too, as she’s still blue-rank despite her level.

And so we left Ponia by carriage. A few weeks later.

“Extra! Extra!! It’s reported that 1/3 of Ponia Kingdom’s territory has collapsed due to a monster parade!!!”

We were able to hear quite an interesting piece of news in the town we stopped at before heading to the Empire.

Ah. Sweet!!! I fully support the happiness quota system!!