Ch.8Chapter 8 – A Small Break

The village was larger than I had expected.

It was a place frequently visited by people, as merchants and adventurers passed through when traveling by land to the nearby port.

First, as Anna suggested, I decided to dispose of the Red Wolf’s corpse.

Since it was already evening, the monster corpse buyer would normally have closed for the day.

“Here you go, 70 gold coins. Market price.”

“Thank you.”

“I can’t offer more because the nutritional condition isn’t great, so the quality isn’t that good.”

It seems that even here, the quality of fur changes depending on the monster’s nutritional state.

Though his tone was gruff, he had accepted me as a customer even though it was closing time.

In truth, despite his brusque manner, he didn’t seem particularly displeased.

There was a reason for this.

When I arrived at the village, I saw that because Anna’s return had been delayed, several young men had gathered and were preparing to enter the mountains.

When Anna and I arrived safely, the young men dispersed, and one of them headed to her home with her.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Kay!”

As we parted, Anna told him where the buyer’s shop and the inn were located.

We said goodbye because the young man asked for understanding as he wanted to escort her home first.

It seemed the young men who had dispersed earlier had spread the word that Anna had been attacked by a Red Wolf and survived thanks to me.

In a village like this, the residents apparently lived very closely with one another.

The rumor had spread so quickly that some people already recognized me.

They seemed to view me quite positively for saving their neighbor.

Though they still couldn’t help flinching when they saw the burn marks on my face.

This was why the shop owner had shown me the kindness of keeping his store open past closing time.

“Have you thought about which inn to stay at?”

“No.”

“Then, let me recommend one.”

Still gruff in his manner, the owner suggested a suitable inn.

It was the same one Anna had mentioned earlier.

“Thank you. I’ll head there.”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

As I was about to leave, the owner stopped me.

“Before you go, why don’t you get some new clothes and shoes?”

Saying this, the owner brought out what he called decent secondhand clothes and shoes.

Only then did I realize that I was still barefoot and my clothes were quite tattered from wandering through the mountains.

‘This is a bit embarrassing.’

After fitting me with leather clothes and shoes, when I asked about the price, the owner just waved his hand dismissively as if it were bothersome.

I bowed my head in thanks and left the shop.

After leaving, I headed to the inn as the owner had recommended.

“Wel…come!”

At first, she flinched upon seeing my burn scars, but then seemed to recognize who I was.

Though she hadn’t gotten a proper look at my face yet, it seemed worse than I thought.

‘Damn that paladin…’

It seemed I would often see people startled when they first saw my face.

I approached the innkeeper and spoke.

“Can I stay for one night? With a bath and meals…”

“Of course. But you’ll have to go to the well for bathing, and meals are paid separately. Special price of 10 gold coins.”

“I see.”

I wasn’t sure if it was cheap or expensive, but looking at the price board behind her, I noticed something odd.

It said 30 gold coins per night.

Perhaps noticing my gaze, she added:

“Anna is going to be my daughter-in-law.”

I understood her words.

So that’s why Anna told me to come here, and why the shop owner said it would be much cheaper.

Accepting the kindness, I decided to stay for one night.

I went to the well to wash myself, paid 3 gold coins for a meal, and ate.

The food was reasonably good.

After finishing my meal, I returned to my room and lay down on the bed, feeling the fatigue wash over me.

For now, my stomach was full, and there were no immediate dangers.

‘How long has it been since I slept in a bed…’

I had a feeling I used to sleep in beds before.

Satisfied with the lodging I’d earned by saving someone, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next day, I woke up before sunrise.

“…Phew, finally got some proper rest.”

The words came out with genuine relief.

Reminding myself of the value of meals, baths, and sleep, I thought about what to do next.

‘First, I need to figure out exactly where I am.’

There’s a chance I wandered off course while desperately searching for food these past few days.

This place is likely not far from the island, and since it’s a location with relatively frequent travelers, it’s somewhere a tracker could easily come if they were accurate.

If the port I went to before was Gema Port, I should probably head in the opposite direction.

According to what Anna said yesterday, the village chief has a map, so I should be able to determine my exact location.

I got up and grabbed the mace and sword I had leaned against the wall.

While it might be impolite to visit the chief carrying weapons, I didn’t feel comfortable leaving them behind.

“Well, adventurers and such probably visit him, so he must be used to unexpected visits.”

Having convinced myself with that reasoning, I decided to head to the chief’s house.

Just in case, I decided to check out later.

After going downstairs and having a simple breakfast of bread and soup for 3 gold coins, I asked for directions to the chief’s house and headed that way.

Perhaps because it was a village with frequent visitors, the chief’s house was fairly large.

However, the chief wasn’t there.

Only his wife, an elderly woman, was present.

“He left early this morning.”

“The chief?”

“Yes. Toward Gema Port.”

The old woman continued, watching my reaction carefully.

“A messenger bird arrived early this morning from the Emiris Order, asking the leaders and chiefs of nearby villages to gather.”

The Emiris Order.

I almost frowned reflexively but managed to hold back.

People were already startled enough when they first saw my burn scars.

There was no reason to frighten this old woman with a sour expression.

“I see. Do you perhaps know the geography of this area in detail?”

“Not in detail, but we do have a map here. However, we’re not supposed to show it to just anyone. The Order forbids it.”

The Order again.

Is the Order’s authority that significant?

“So if the Order forbids something, it can’t be done?”

“Excuse me, but are you a foreigner?”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

The chief’s wife suddenly asked if I was a foreigner.

Strictly speaking, I was more than just a foreigner, but I decided to agree.

I figured if I did something that went against common sense, they might just chalk it up to cultural differences if they thought I was foreign.

“It’s good that people from any country can communicate through the continental common language, but sometimes we forget that foreigners are actually foreigners.”

So the language I was reading and speaking was actually the common language here.

While I was relieved that I wouldn’t have trouble communicating elsewhere, I was honestly anxious inside.

The old woman might be speaking comfortably with a smile, but I was tense, feeling like I’d made a mistake in the conversation.

If the Order’s authority being strong was common knowledge, then someone questioning what was obviously common sense might be treated with suspicion, and I couldn’t blame them.

“I, uh, don’t have much worldly knowledge. I apologize.”

It was a feeble excuse.

Fortunately, the chief’s wife didn’t seem to dig deeper or find me suspicious.

“I see. If you’re a foreigner, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know.”

The chief’s wife said with a smile.

It seems pretending to be a foreigner was the right choice.

“Our Trigiena Divine Kingdom is a religious state that follows the Emiris faith. I can’t explain the exact concept, but the Order’s authority is so high that even most nobles wouldn’t dare to challenge it.”

“I see.”

“You seem to be traveling around to broaden your horizons, but in this country, don’t antagonize people affiliated with the Emiris Order. It’s not just ordinarily dangerous.”

The old woman spoke as if admonishing a spirited youth, but I already knew the Order was dangerous.

Somehow, sending people to the island as “death row inmates” for us to kill, and the things those “inmates” were shouting, had seemed strange.

With such power, they might just turn anyone they dislike into a death row inmate.

‘This Order is a bunch of lunatics.’

Still, if it’s a religious state, it means not only does the religion have power, but it also has public support…

While digging deeper might reveal a suspicious and dangerous organization, perhaps they maintain a good public image?

For me, this meant the problem was even more serious.

I was some kind of experimental subject for the Order, and now I’m on the run.

The probability that the Order sent trackers after me is very high.

I thought I had escaped their laboratory and their sphere of influence, giving me some breathing room, but I’m still in the Order’s front yard.

“Hmm, but I’d still like to know my exact location. Could I see the map briefly?”

“Hmm…”

The old woman seemed to be considering it.

Finally, as if she’d reached a decision, she nodded and said:

“Since you saved our young Anna, I suppose I could show you briefly and then put it back. Please wait.”

Saying that, the old woman got up and went inside.

It seems she’s doing me a favor because I saved a villager.

Indeed, one should live a good life.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I needed to quickly check if the island I escaped from was near Gema Port.

Knowing my location would help me decide my next move.

After a short wait, the old woman returned with a rolled-up piece of paper.

“This is a map of the surrounding area.”

She soon unfolded the map, and I quickly examined the coastal region.

As I did, I asked:

“How many days does it take to reach Gema Port from here?”

“About two days of walking.”

“It’s around here,” she said, pointing to the port.

I examined the area carefully.

There were landforms that looked like islands nearby, though they had no names.

Based on the old woman’s information, I deduced that the port I had been to before was likely Gema Port.

Two days seemed about right considering the time I spent drifting and wandering, and there were island-like formations nearby.

The map only showed this area in detail.

It indicated which direction led to the capital, but not which countries lay in which directions.

As I looked at the map, I nodded.

“This is sufficient. I can’t make a copy, I assume?”

“No, I’m afraid that…”

“I understand.”

As expected, it’s too much to ask.

It was already a favor to show me the map when the Order had forbidden it, just because I saved a villager.

Still, this was enough.

“This has been very helpful. Madam, thank you sincerely.”

“Not at all. I should be thanking you for saving someone from our village. My husband also asked me to convey his gratitude.”

I bowed my head in thanks as the chief’s wife added those words.

Leaving her behind, I exited the chief’s house.

If this was a religious state and the Order’s authority was that high, the first thing I needed to do was clear.

“I need to get out to a foreign country.”

If I stay here, I’m as good as dead.

I need to at least get out of these damned Emiris religious zealots’ front yard.

Thinking about it more won’t produce a brilliant plan.

I need to move first.

With a somewhat clearer course of action, I headed to the general store.

After purchasing necessary items, I returned to the inn.

I organized my thoughts.

Currently, the probability of being tracked is high.

And in this country where the Order’s authority is strong, the chief’s wife mentioned that messenger birds had summoned nearby village chiefs this morning.

I suspected they might be circulating wanted posters or something similar.

While it might not necessarily be the case, it was better to be cautious.

Staying here was obviously impossible.

Comfortable travel from village to village would certainly be difficult.

“…Really, the scale keeps getting bigger.”

I thought only the facility belonged to fanatics, but it turns out the entire country does too.

It was a bit disheartening, but that didn’t mean I would just sit and take it.

I filled the two water flasks I bought at the general store, and organized preserved food, flint, rope, and other items into my bag.

I carefully stored the remaining money in my pocket. Money is precious.

Soon, I picked up my bag and secured the mace and sword to my body.

I also attached the dagger to my thigh for easy drawing.

“Time to depart.”

After completing my preparations, I checked out of the inn.

A few steps out, I saw the young man from yesterday and Anna.

“Oh, are you leaving now?”

“Yes, Miss Anna.”

The two seemed to want to see me off.

The direction was toward Gema Port.

Don’t misunderstand, it’s not because I have a poor sense of direction.

It’s because I accidentally told Anna I was going to Gema Port during our conversation yesterday.

Even if I hadn’t met Anna, there was a possibility she might spread rumors, so I planned to pretend to head toward Gema Port and then take a detour.

Since I couldn’t travel directly from village to village anyway, I wouldn’t be able to use the main roads connecting them.

I’d mostly use forest paths while using the main roads to gauge direction.

When we reached the village entrance, Anna bowed.

“Well then, Mr. Kay. If you have a chance to visit again, please do come by.”

“Yes, Miss Anna. Take care and stay healthy.”

After this brief exchange of farewells, she and the young man waved goodbye enthusiastically.

I waved back lightly.

I continued walking even after they were out of sight.

After walking for a while, when I thought I was completely out of their view, I entered the forest.

I was careful not to lose my sense of direction as I bypassed the village.

There was only one thought in my mind:

“I’m going to escape from here.”

I had no intention whatsoever of being caught by those Order bastards.