Ch.25Chapter 25. I Like Fun People

My heart is pounding.

Faster than before, and increasingly violently.

‘H-Hero Slayer… really?’

As my blood flow quickened, my head began to spin, and I could feel my trembling body gradually stiffening.

‘If I go any further, I might really die…’

No, perhaps it was already too late.

In this moment, the cold gaze looking down at me while holding a spear showed absolutely no mercy toward me.

This realization deflated my rapidly rising self-esteem, and fear began to fill the empty space…

“Guh, huk…!”

It was at that moment that my labored breathing suddenly became blocked.

As the stifling feeling pierced my chest like a stake, Garam Lee’s body began to convulse in excruciating pain.

A corner of her left chest.

She felt the organ that should never stop moving while alive come to a halt, and everything that should have been pushed by it stopped all at once.

“Ugh, ack!”

As all the muscles in her body froze simultaneously, even her airway couldn’t move properly, causing her breath to stop.

Despite trying to force herself to breathe by straining her neck, it only resulted in her tongue being covered with foam formed from saliva.

‘M-my heart… my heart has stopped…’

A sudden shock occurring in such a short time.

As Garam Lee collapsed with her eyes rolled back, unable to withstand it, the crowd, belatedly sensing the situation, began approaching her one by one.

“What’s going on? What’s wrong with that Hero?”

“C-could it be a curse? Did he place a curse on her?!”

“Damn it! Quickly, call a priest!”

The moment the rookie Hero who had entered following the Heroes’ custom fell into a miserable state.

But unlike the adventurers who had fallen into confusion, the man who had overwhelmed the girl simply turned away from his spot without concern.

While firmly gripping the spear that had been aimed at the Hero’s head.

“…This way.”

Grabbing the hand of the minstrel who had been selected as the Hero’s sacrifice with his other hand, he pulled her toward the exit.

“Ah, excuse me…”

“Do you want to stay here?”

The man turned slightly to look at the minstrel who seemed confused by the sudden contact.

After silently staring at his face with narrowed eyes, the minstrel soon lowered her head and quietly began to follow him.

And then…

“…To reduce a Hero to this state without even blinking an eye.”

“So the rumors were true after all?”

The whispers of the crowd as they watched him leave.

It was quite some time later that the infamous reputation of the Hero Hunter spread beyond the Adventurers’ Guild to the entire empire.

****

“…Phew.”

After leaving the guild.

Still not feeling at ease, I continued to hold the minstrel’s hand as I searched for a place away from people’s eyes, traversing the streets.

Though I called it walking, it was at a speed that was practically no different from running away.

What had happened earlier was enough to make even someone like me, who had seen everything this world had to offer, feel my heart tighten.

Damn it, to appear so boldly before a Hero with nothing but my infamous reputation to rely on.

If my life hadn’t been at stake, wouldn’t this be considered madness?

“Excuse me…”

How far had I walked with the woman I had rescued at such risk?

When we entered a secluded alley, she called out to me, glancing down at the hand I was holding and casually speaking.

“You wanted to get away from the tavern, right? I think we’re far enough now…”

“…”

I silently turned to look at her and released her hand.

Well, now that we’ve come this far, there’s no need to keep up the act.

Relaxing the sharp nerves and gaze I had maintained until now, I quietly turned to look at the minstrel I had brought out of there.

A woman whose hood, robe, skin, and hair color were all dyed white.

Though her appearance itself seemed pure, her eyes were so narrow that it was difficult to tell whether they were open or closed.

“Um, I’m still trying to understand the situation.”

Looking at me with those eyes, she tilted her head questioningly.

“Did you perhaps try to save me back there?”

“…Hehe.”

Saved her…

Well, that’s not wrong.

Normally, I wouldn’t care if Heroes caused a commotion, but the woman before me was the lifeline that Irie, who had foreseen my death, had given me.

Having endured even a direct confrontation with a Hero to save her, I now sat down on the ground, wanting to release the emotions I had been suppressing.

With enough force to make a thud sound.

“I’m so sorry for meddling in your affairs!”

With that, I buried my head to the ground as a tearful apology burst forth.

I didn’t feel any hesitation about it.

Begging for my life was something I had done several times before, and by now, I had reached a level of mastery in pressing my head to the ground.

Those who think this is pathetic should try maintaining their dignity in front of a Demon Lord’s executive.

They can vividly experience having their heads blown off with the promise of a painless death.

“…Why are you suddenly apologizing?”

But seemingly not understanding me, the minstrel lady just slightly tilted her head.

“Weren’t you trying to help me when you intervened?”

She tilted her head to the other side, which looked cute, but now wasn’t the time to be captivated by such charm.

“W-well, I was still very rude to someone I just met.”

“Rude…?”

“I mean, well…”

To explain to her who still didn’t understand, I took a moment to reflect on the words I had spoken earlier.

The things I had said while confronting that young Hero.

‘You look like you were just summoned here, so it would be better for you to back off while I’m still being nice.’

Yes, even though I needed to save her, I didn’t rush out without any backup plan.

It’s almost like a custom for newly summoned Heroes to barge into the Adventurers’ Guild.

Through this repeated process, they gradually become accustomed and eventually grow into damnable individuals who treat people carelessly.

If he was at the starting point of that journey, I thought I could make him back down just by intimidating him with my infamous reputation.

‘I’ve seen countless people like you who relied solely on their abilities, acted arrogantly, and died.’

‘…You. If you go any further, you’ll really die.’

The other threats I made were meant to scare him as much as possible by relying on that reputation, but about half of them also stemmed from a bit of sympathy or concern.

While all Heroes might be damnable, the sensibilities of people who have just entered this world wouldn’t be much different from modern people.

Especially if they’re still a child who doesn’t even have an ID card, they might come to their senses after getting a harsh lesson before tasting money and power.

Of course, the resistance was unexpectedly fierce, and I almost got hurt, but fortunately, the spear luckily flew to the side, causing her to lose her mind on her own.

Things didn’t go exactly as planned, but in the end, it was fortunate that we somehow managed to get through it safely…

‘What are you trying to do to my woman right now?’

But no matter what, this was too much.

As someone who has never properly dated a woman before, what? My woman?

“I’m sorry for saying ‘my woman’ without knowing my place!!”

I buried my head again, recalling the embarrassment of what I had said at that time.

Though I needed a pretext to help her, it was obvious that she would find it unpleasant if I hadn’t properly coordinated with her.

Yes, surely she must think I went too far now that the situation is over.

I was certain of it, but…

“…Pfft.”

What came in response to a situation where expressing displeasure wouldn’t have been strange was…

A faint laugh that gently approached my ears and made its presence known.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help but laugh. I found your actions amusing…”

“…What? Amusing?”

“Yes, it’s not like you were a nuisance or anything… I just thought you were an interesting person.”

Is she just saying this out of consideration?

As I wondered, she knelt down to match my eye level as I had my head pressed to the ground.

“I heard people talking earlier… Your name is Hyoseong Woo, right?”

“Ah, yes. I’m Hyoseong Woo. Woo is my family name, and Hyoseong is my given name…”

“Yes, nice to meet you, Hyoseong.”

She extended her hand toward me without hesitation.

On her face was a smile as elegant as her slender, snow-white hand.

As if drawn into that smile, I was pulled up by her hand, and soon she took out the lute she was carrying and faced me once more.

“Well, since we’ve met like this, I should introduce myself too.”

-Ding~

A clear melody arose as she plucked the string.

“My name is Merilyn Sutherland…”

Her lips parted as the sound faded.

“I’m a humble jester who collects stories while traversing this chaotic world, processes them, and proves their value through new encounters.”

Merilyn.

The name of the new connection brought to me by the prophet who had foreseen my death.

But at her straightforward introduction, I couldn’t help but feel one question.

“…A jester? Not a minstrel?”

“Hehe, you could say that too.”

So introducing herself as a jester doesn’t negate her being a minstrel?

That’s a relief; I didn’t find the wrong person.

“And to introduce myself further… what I like most are interesting people.”

“Ah, yes. Interesting… What?”

Words that casually followed.

I unconsciously wore a blank expression and took a moment to ponder what she had said.

What she likes most are interesting people…

Then what does she mean by “like”?

Pure interest? Or her ideal type?

Wait a minute. What did she say when she heard my apology earlier?

“I said I like interesting people.”

Flinch.

Merilyn repeated the same thing just as I was trying to deny the possibility.

As I realized this, she soon grabbed my drooping hand and began to close the distance.

“…Hyoseong.”

“Y-yes?”

“If you feel sorry towards me, would you be willing to grant me one request?”

“A-a request?”

“Yes, I just arrived in this city today and became an adventurer, but coincidentally, I’m not familiar with activities in this empire, so I don’t know what to do next.”

Merilyn smiled slightly, tilting her head.

“So please, would you be willing to be a guide for this humble jester’s journey for a while?”

Just hearing her soft and warm voice made me feel my body stiffening.

Tachia, who made my armor, and Irie, who read my fortune, had touched my body too, but in their cases, they hadn’t approached with such direct affection.

Yes, at a glance, what she’s expressing now is definitely what one would call affection.

“Y-yes. If I’m good enough, by all means… Ugh!”

As I tried to deny my unconscious expectations and continue with what I had planned, she soon began to quietly grip my arm and shoulder through the hand holding mine.

“My, your body is quite stiff. Are you perhaps nervous?”

“N-no, this is…”

“Hoo~”

“Wuok!?”

A warm breath suddenly attacked my ear.

As I let out a ridiculous groan and trembled, she stepped back from me with a playful smile.

“Hehe, I’m sorry. I was trying to help you relax, but I did it without warning. Were you surprised?”

“U-um, no. It’s fine, yes.”

How long had I been mumbling and watching her?

As I stood there facing her as she just smiled, I felt a corner of my heart filling with an uneasy sensation.

…Damn, this is dangerous after all.

“W-well, you asked for guidance, so shall we go to the guild? Ah, it might be a bit noisy there, so maybe a different guild…”

“Yes, I’ll be in your care then, Hyoseong.”

Merilyn responded kindly and took her place behind me.

Although I later went to find the guild at her request, my steps couldn’t help but become stiff during the process.

Because I vaguely sensed that behind that seemingly innocent face…

There existed a bewitching quality that could disturb one’s heart…