Ch.190190. That’s enough, I should leave it all as memories of a childhood puppy love.

“So you’ve decided to settle down here again?”

“No, I’m just visiting for a bit.”

A small house made of wooden planks.

However, it was plenty big enough for one person to live in.

The hearth that kept the body warm, and the cozy atmosphere emanating from it was quite romantic.

Come to think of it, I’ve always stayed in mansions where nobles live, but I’ve never really seen how the people of the territory actually live.

And this was the life I had been dreaming of all along.

While I was immersed in the atmosphere of the house I had only imagined before, Wortman calls out to me with a curious expression.

“Hey, it’s not your first time in my house. What’s with you?”

“…It’s just nice to see it again after so long.”

“Anyway, if you’re just visiting… you came to see me and Berik, right? Honestly, we were your only friends.”

“Yeah, you guys were my only friends.”

“Berik should be here soon. Quite looking forward to the reunion, aren’t you?”

I held the cup of warm tea that Wortman had served me.

“By the way, weren’t you working? Is it okay for you to just leave like this?”

“Haha! I’ve put in my time, you know! When my colleagues saw I was reuniting with an old friend, they’ll cover for me.”

Anyway.

Where could the devil’s claw be?

I know what it looks like since I’ve seen it before, but I’ll need someone’s help to find its location quickly.

Now that I’ve met an acquaintance of Jawil Wilson, should I use this guy?

If so.

When Berik arrives, it would be good to casually bring up the devil’s claw while having a drink.

If I approach too hastily out of urgency, I might not even get my investment back.

Caution, and more caution.

In the meantime, I just needed to be careful about the fact that I’m not actually Jawil Wilson.

I took a leisurely sip from my teacup before speaking.

“You’re still the same.”

“You think? But you seem to have changed a lot. I was really surprised when we met Clara earlier.”

“What was there to be surprised about? We just exchanged greetings.”

“Don’t you remember? You used to get all flustered around Clara and couldn’t even speak properly. I was really surprised when you looked her straight in the eyes and greeted her earlier.”

I snickered involuntarily upon hearing Jawil Wilson’s embarrassing past.

“That’s right, back then I was just big in size but mentally weak.”

“Wow… now that I look at you, even your way of speaking has changed a lot. Did you really become a knight in a noble family?”

Before sitting down, I pointed at the sword hanging on the wall.

“Of course! I became a knight.”

“Wow!! I thought something was different about your speech and behavior. You’ve moved up in the world!”

“It’s not like that… I’m just a knight from a small family in the Eastern Continent.”

“Your swordsmanship must have improved a lot? You used to lose even to Berik, a magician, in sword fights.”

It’s a peculiar feeling.

I wanted to at least give Jawil Wilson’s friend the impression that he was doing well.

Almost to the point of showing off.

“It has improved. Now I can easily take down monsters.”

“Oh!! You used to wet yourself just at the sight of monsters.”

Huh?

Didn’t Jawil Wilson say there were no monsters?

I didn’t even sense any monster energy when climbing the mountain path.

“…Aren’t there no monsters on the mountain?”

When I asked, Wortman hesitated for a moment before laughing heartily.

“Hahaha!! Of course there aren’t any on the mountain. But there are monsters in the forest in Pandera territory.”

Sigh…

Jawil Wilson, this bastard.

If you’re going to teach me, at least tell me accurately.

He always leaves something out.

I smoothly exclaimed as if I just remembered.

“Ah!! The forest!! Right, I used to be afraid of monsters back then.”

“You used to drag me and Berik to the mountain below the cliff every day because you were scared to go into the forest. You said it was safer there.”

So Jawil Wilson came down to the mountain because he was afraid of monsters, not because there was nowhere to play in Pandera territory as he claimed?

How many lies has this guy told in the meantime?

I barely managed to unfurrow my brow.

“I’m not afraid of monsters now.”

“Oh!! You’ve grown up splendidly! Clara might consider seeing you again now! She’s still not married!”

“No thanks, I’ll leave it all as memories of childhood puppy love.”

I waved my hand in the air, and Wortman looked at me with a strange gaze.

“Don’t tell me you’re married?”

“Me? I’m not married.”

“Then why are you reacting like that? Everyone in Pandera territory knows about your crush on Clara.”

“…We’re all grown adults now. I’m not interested in Clara anymore.”

It seemed like I shouldn’t give an awkward answer.

Although we hadn’t talked much, given Wortman’s personality, he might try to arrange a meeting with Clara.

“Is it because of Brond?”

“Brond… the village chief’s son?”

“Yeah, did you give up on Clara because of Brond?”

When Jawil Wilson was describing the village chief’s son Brond, his expression wasn’t good, so this is why?

Why did he only explain the appearance and personality but leave out the important stuff!!

I nodded slowly with my arms crossed firmly.

“Something like that.”

At that, Wortman slammed his palm hard on the table.

“…Just thinking about how that bastard bullied us when we were young still makes my blood boil. Especially you—you were bullied more by Brond because you liked Clara.”

So he was embarrassed for hitting on Clara and was also bullied by Brond?

No wonder he didn’t want to go to Pandera territory no matter what…

“That’s all in the past.”

“At least Brond seems to have matured with age and doesn’t hit people like he used to when we were young.”

“That’s a relief. I was wondering what would happen if he was still like that.”

Wortman, who had been looking agitated, suddenly smiles broadly as if remembering something.

“The other day, Brond confessed to Clara in front of everyone and got rejected hard. It was such sweet revenge… I had to pinch my thigh to keep from laughing out loud.”

“Haha, really? That makes me feel better too.”

“If that Brond didn’t have talent in magic, we wouldn’t have had to put up with his showing off.”

“Being the village chief’s son, I doubt that…”

It was an answer without any information.

You know those times?

When conversation flows naturally, you get a feeling about what to say next.

Wortman looked satisfied with my response.

“Now that’s the Jawil Wilson I know! No matter how much Brond beat you up, you were always the best at badmouthing him behind his back.”

Jawil Wilson may be submissive to me, but he’s not the type to be intimidated elsewhere.

That’s why when we first met after the possession, he was the first to get hit by me in a show of force.

I laughed heartily in Jawil Wilson’s distinctive manner.

“Haha! Brond, that guy is nothing now!”

“As expected, our Jawil Wilson… still full of bluster, aren’t you?”

Despite knowing Jawil Wilson for quite some time, talking with his friend in Pandera territory revealed quite a few things I didn’t know.

That’s why his words in the carriage that time—”Young master, you really don’t care about me at all”—hit me so hard.

After exchanging a few more words, Wortman looked at the clock hanging on the wall and stood up.

“Let’s go, Berik will be waiting.”

“Where are we going?”

“Where else? To the tavern.”

“T-tavern?”

“There’s only one tavern in Pandera territory, don’t tell me you forgot!?”

I had a feeling that going to a crowded place might be awkward.

I cleared my throat and casually continued.

“Why don’t we just drink at your place? I’d like to drink quietly today.”

“What are you talking about? Since you’re here after so long, you should eat the garlic sausage you love there!”

“I want to talk with you guys, and I’m worried it might be too noisy.”

At my words, he hesitated, then nodded as if he thought I had a point.

“Hmm… alright, Berik will be waiting at the tavern, so let’s just bring him back here.”

As much as I wanted to wait here, it didn’t seem right to stay alone in someone else’s house, so I got up.

“Let’s do that.”

When I left the house with Wortman, my first thought was, “I must have been tense,” when I first set foot in Pandera territory.

Only then did I see the territory, which seemed wider than I expected.

Perhaps because it was a dark evening, the stars twinkling in the sky seemed to unfold right above my head.

‘Since the territory is on a cliff, the stars really do seem closer.’

As I moved forward, marveling at the unexpected scenery, we soon arrived at the tavern.

I was standing there waiting for him to bring Berik out when Wortman opened the tavern door and raised his voice.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming in?”

“Weren’t we just going to bring Berik out?”

“Since we’re here, we should at least greet Brother Nicols. He’s taken over most of the work from his father now!”

From what I heard from Jawil Wilson, Nicols was a mischievous older man who grew a mustache, always wore suspender pants, and maintained a friendship with Jawil Wilson…

Has he inherited the tavern business?

Creeeeak-!

I reluctantly stepped into the tavern.

And then a large man, who seemed a head taller than me, blocked the entrance to the tavern.

What’s more, Wortman had somehow frozen in place.

I looked up to see the face and let out a short sigh.

“Jawil Wilson, it’s been a while?”

An irregular face shape and protruding teeth.

And wasn’t that a hideous smell coming from his body that I had never encountered before?

That alone was enough to tell.

The man blocking my way was none other than “Brond.”