episode_0028

A few days passed.

The area I was in charge of was the outer wall area, specifically the part closest to the city wall.

That the public order got worse the closer you got to the wall was now stating the obvious, but the area I was responsible for was much more peaceful than expected.

First, showing a clear example was the primary reason, and

it was probably also because the person who was made an example of called his friends the next day to attack me and ended up becoming an example once again.

While I may be weak in a head-on fight, that’s only when compared to people who have learned martial arts.

If my opponent is an ordinary person who hasn’t learned martial arts, I can win even if there are many of them, though it might be a bit tough.

After doubling the number of arm bones of the people who rushed at me, bleeding profusely, everyone started to fear me.

“As expected, rule by fear is the most efficient.”

“…Usually, people end up getting overthrown by a revolution and getting their heads cut off that way.”

“That’s a story for when you rule for a long time. I’m only going to be here for 2 months anyway, then I’m leaving.”

Shan and I sat facing each other, gulping down beer and exchanging trivial talk.

We often met in the inner wall area’s restaurant district after getting off work from our shifts.

Most of the time, Shan bought the meals.

In return, or perhaps as compensation, she made me do things I couldn’t understand.

She’d tell me to walk while holding my sword, to run, to hold something other than my sword, to turn my body, sometimes even to move while doing a handstand, all sorts of incomprehensible demands.

To others, Shan seemed to be branded a pervert who made a girl in revealing clothes do strange things, but she didn’t seem to care at all.

I was the same.

There was no need to care about other people’s stares.

There was no reason to worry about what others thought in a city I would leave after 2 months anyway.

Furthermore, I was getting delicious and expensive food, and she even helped me with swordsmanship late at night, and if I asked something, answers would just pop out.

Doing what she wanted was no trouble at all.

More than anything, she wasn’t showing any signs of lust, and she was genuinely curious about my traits, which was why she was making me do bizarre things.

“…When you run or stand still, you hear a sound, but the fact that you don’t hear a sound when you only walk is something my common sense just can’t grasp.”

“Do you say that every day?”

The very concept of a trait is not something that can be logically understood.

It wasn’t just the silent footsteps.

The gloomy aura was also equally unexplainable.

It’s possible for someone to simply be unpleasant.

However, inducing a feeling of disgust that makes you want to kill someone just by making eye contact is an entirely different story.

It couldn’t be explained.

Not even a simple reason like ‘being ugly’ existed.

That’s because.

“Shan.”

“What is it?”

“Isn’t that about average attractiveness?”

“…Did you hit your head?”

She said that in a serious, worried tone, which made me want to hit her, but I held back my anger with a sigh due to the skill gap that meant I wouldn’t even be able to keep my bones if I talked back.

Objectively, I think my appearance is not bad.

Although I hate to admit it, Riel’s aesthetic sense was quite excellent.

My body and face, which Riel had painstakingly groomed for hours, had no flaws other than the disadvantage of being too young.

“…If you’re just asking whether you’re pretty or not, then you’re on the pretty side.”

The way she uttered the words as if she was really reluctant to answer, then poured beer down her throat, was quite strange.

“By the way, how is the inner wall area?”

“It’s always peaceful. The inner wall area didn’t suffer much damage from this incident to begin with.”

“I wish I could work in the inner wall area…”

“Then it would be good to come back with at least the same rank.”

“I think I have enough achievements?”

“Putting aside subjugating bandits, the goblin leader hunt sounds like a lie no matter how many times I hear it, making it hard to believe.”

“…Do you think I’m lying?”

“The easiest way to figure out if someone is lying or not is to look them in the eye, but didn’t you say you’re under a curse?”

She meant that since she couldn’t look into my eyes, she couldn’t tell if it was true or not.

I felt a little hurt, as I thought we had become somewhat closer after talking during the journey and for a few days after arriving.

“More than that, there doesn’t seem to be any here, but buy some sunglasses later and wear them.”

“Excuse me?”

“Have you ever experimented whether the problem is looking directly, or if it’s okay if you look through something?”

“…No.”

I didn’t have the luxury, and I was scared that I might be beaten to death trying to experiment with such things.

“If you’re not going to spend your whole life looking at the ground, it would be good to find a temporary solution. They say curses can be lifted, but who knows when that will happen.”

“Yes…”

Certainly, I now had some leeway.

The cost of living in the capital is expensive, but in return, the requests that come into the capital’s adventurer guild provide ample request fees.

With the newfound leeway, I could also try devising solutions in different ways.

“I’ve seen all sorts of curses, but a curse as peculiar as yours is new to me, so it’s hard to give any more advice.”

“Is that so?”

“Usually, curses are meant to torment the target. Their body might endlessly rot away, they might lose control of their own emotions, their hair might fall out, or they might crave blood.”

Most curses take the form of tormenting the person who bears the curse.

“However, you are unaffected by the curse unless you look in a mirror. Rather, didn’t those who looked into your eyes become violent as if they were under a curse?”

I had never thought about it that way.

“An adventurer named Ban said your eyes were a curse, and you also seem to think it’s a curse, so I’m calling it a curse, but my thoughts are a little different.”

“…Different?”

“Perhaps your eyes aren’t a curse, but rather an ability unique to you that you can’t properly control.”

Not a curse, but an ability.

In a way, that was an accurate statement.

After all, it was a trait that proudly sat in the trait section of my status window.

But as Shan said, since I couldn’t control it, it was no different from a curse, and this was ultimately just playing with words.

“Shan, shall we order one more dessert?”

“…Where on earth does it all go into that small stomach?”

“Since it’s not my money, I’m going to eat as much as possible.”

“How foolish.”

Shan shook her head at my foolishness but still took out the menu and ordered a milk ice cream for me.

She was treating me much better than I expected.

While she was serious about researching my trait, she wouldn’t treat me this well if that were her only goal.

Even if Shan had been forceful, I would have had no choice but to follow her words, but she wasn’t.

It was slightly off-putting that she used the word ‘gentlemanly’ herself, though.

She was definitely gentlemanly.

“Eat moderately and rest.”

“Aren’t you going to watch my swordsmanship today?”

“I have things to do today too.”

“Okay.”

Then I guess I have no choice but to practice hard by myself.

Certainly, the difference between having a teacher and not having one was significant. When Shan helped me, several issues I had been agonizing over were immediately resolved, and I was even able to find a bad habit of mine.

My swordsmanship rank remained the same, but the sense of accomplishment was extraordinary, and if the past me and the current me fought, the current me would probably win seven or eight out of ten times.

Shan got up first and paid the bill, and I also finished my ice cream and left the restaurant.

The inner wall area was so clean, without any stench.

Why were feces or trash always just carelessly discarded in the outer wall area?

Was it a difference in education, or a difference in wealth?

I wasn’t sure, but while I thought about wanting to work in the inner wall area, I felt a bit tipsy as I slipped out just before the gate to the inner wall area closed and stepped onto the vacant lot in the outer wall area I was in charge of.

I drew my grandfather’s sword.

Recalling what Shan and my grandfather had taught me, I swung my sword while drunk.

There was only one reason I deliberately came to a place like this to continue training.

It was to show others.

Because I looked so small and weak on the outside, I had to make an example.

That’s why I instilled fear, and outwardly, they started following my words well.

However, I knew well that what I had gained through fear would, if the fear lessened, eventually devour me instead.

It was obvious that they would attack me anytime if I showed weakness.

Thus, I was openly showing them my training.

It wasn’t like I was learning some particularly amazing secret technique or anything.

“…Ad-adventurer!”

“…Yes?”

I was puzzled by the urgent voice calling me, but I first sheathed my sword and shifted my gaze.

It was a middle-aged woman I had never seen before.

The fact that I had never seen her before meant that she wasn’t a resident of the area I managed.

“My, my son has disappeared!”

“…I don’t think this is my area.”

“No matter how much I explained the situation to the adventurers in our area, they wouldn’t listen…! I heard rumors about you, Adventurer! They said you’re scary, but you listen well…!”

While I did show a scary example, I also tried to be as friendly as possible if I wasn’t attacked first, so it seemed true but also somehow felt unsettling.

Even so, she came looking for *me*?

And someone is praising *me*?

I clearly knew that everyone was badmouthing me, so who would?

“Ad-adventurer! Can you find my son for me…? I-I will definitely pay you for your services!”

She was stuttering badly.

As if she was lying.

Her legs were trembling.

As if she was scared.

It could be because she was so worried about her son and her heart was trembling, but I had a bad feeling.

“…Where should I start looking?”

“The back alley of District 11… T-that place seems suspicious…!”

She had lost her son, but she was roughly specifying the location.

And she came to find me, an apprentice adventurer who wasn’t even the same rank.

This, no matter how I looked at it, seemed to have another purpose.

Besides, District 11 is rumored to have particularly bad public order, just like the place I’m in charge of.

Refusing this is the right thing to do.

That’s what I thought.

But what if what she was saying wasn’t a lie but the truth?

That thought held me back, and I clicked my tongue.

I had decided to become a cruel and repulsive person, so why was something like this bothering me?

Maybe it was because of the alcohol.

I shook my head to clear my mind, then grabbed the sharp sword I had leaned against the wall and fastened it to my waist.

“…Let’s go.”

Even if this was a trap.

Even if winning was impossible, I could at least escape.