The Woman With the Hammer
The cheerful sound of splitting wood rang out with a crisp crack! The sturdy log split cleanly in half. I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I looked down at the pile of firewood stacked at my feet. This should be more than enough to last through the winter heating season.
Man, my axe work has really improved. They say even a dog from the temple can recite poetry after three years, but after one year of rural life in this other world, my firewood-chopping skills could probably rival a dwarf’s.
“Well, now that the firewood’s done, shall I go check on my pretty little money-makers… I mean, my crops?”
I headed toward the warehouse in the back. The moment I opened the heavy door, an entirely different, otherworldly landscape unfolded before my eyes. In a zone whipped by dry, sandy winds, the Desert Flame Fruit blazed a vivid red. Right beside it, the Ice Flower swayed gently within a raging blizzard. And further along, the Queen’s Tearflower glistened as it soaked up the driving rain and wind.
Today, as always, my Weather Manipulation ability was helping the crops grow vigorously.
“Hmm, the rain clouds over the tearflowers look a bit thin.”
I flicked my fingers lightly, summoning one more small rain cloud and positioning it above the tearflowers. In response, the flowers bowed their heads as if offering thanks.
Aw, how adorable. Yes, grow big and strong for me. That way I can sell you for a fortune.
I left the warehouse with a satisfied smile. Raising these kinds of crops really was the most peaceful and effective way to use my powers. Compared to the old days—constantly drenched in monster blood while being hounded by those insane women with fire in their eyes—this place was practically paradise.
I looked up at the blue sky where birds were chirping. Ah, how peaceful.
Living on the outskirts of a quiet rural village, selling the crops I’d grown with the money I’d saved up—this leisurely life. Back when I was a salaryman in Korea, grinding away like a hamster on a wheel, I used to think rural life would be boring. But after being dragged through every possible hardship in this fantasy world, I finally understood. This kind of ordinary daily life was the true luxury.
No matter how I thought about it, quitting that guild adventurer gig had been the best decision I’d ever made—a hundred times over, a thousand times over.
“Alright, time for a fragrant cup of morning coffee.”
The moment I took a light step toward my personal sanctuary—
“Kyaaaaaah!!! Fire!!”
A desperate scream shattered the forest’s silence. And of all things, it had to be “Fire!” In a winter forest? Are you kidding me?
I couldn’t let anyone scatter ashes over my peaceful retirement life. I bolted toward the source of the scream.
The closer I got, the more the scorching heat and acrid smell of smoke stung my nose. When I finally reached the scene, a massive tree was already blazing fiercely. And beneath it, a woman was trembling violently.
“What the hell is going on here?!”
“W-well… I was camping and accidentally let an ember catch on the tree…! Hic!”
Isn’t “be careful of forest fires in winter” common sense?!
Of course, this wasn’t the time to lecture her. The wind was blowing straight toward my sanctuary. If I didn’t put out the flames right now, my precious farm would turn into one giant barbecue.
But this fire clearly wasn’t something I could handle by hauling water in a basket. To make matters worse, there wasn’t even a lake nearby.
“Tsk, this is troublesome.”
I scratched the back of my head in irritation. Honestly, there was one simple and certain solution. I could summon a rain cloud directly over the burning tree’s crown. The problem was that a pinpoint downpour in a specific area would obviously look unnatural to anyone watching.
What if rumors spread that I was here? Just imagining it sent chills down my spine.
But the forest was literally burning right in front of me. What choice did I have? This was a remote, sparsely populated patch of woods. As long as I could keep this woman’s mouth shut, it’d be fine.
Yeah, no helping it. Time to use my ability. There’s no way they’d track me down just because it rained once in some backwater forest, right?
I raised my index finger slightly toward the sky and whispered in a voice too quiet for the woman beside me to hear.
“Fluet.”
"Fluet."
⟨ Localized Rain ⟩
The moment I finished the incantation, the air currents shifted around the burning tree and clouds began to gather furiously. The once-white clouds transformed into pitch-black storm clouds in an instant.
“H-huh?! W-why is the sky suddenly…!”
The woman who had been sitting on the ground let out a startled cry. It was the classic, dumbfounded reaction everyone had the first time they saw my ability. Quite satisfying.
Now, rain, pour down.
Whoosh—!
A massive column of water crashed down as if a hole had been punched in the sky. Of course, I didn’t want to get soaked myself, so I kept the target precisely within a two-meter radius of the burning tree.
“W-what on earth is happening?! How is the rain only falling on that tree…!”
“Who knows. Must be a localized heavy shower. The weather’s been pretty crazy lately. Still, thank goodness the rain came right on time. We almost lost the whole forest.”
I shrugged with the most innocent expression in the world. The woman looked back and forth between the rapidly dying flames and me with suspicious eyes. But she didn’t dare say anything out loud.
Obviously. Where was the proof I’d used magic? She’d have to chalk it up to her imagination.
“The fire seems mostly under control now, so I’ll be on my way. Please camp more safely next time.”
“W-wait…!”
I lightly ignored her call, gave a polite bow, and turned away coolly.
Alright, no time to waste. Time to go enjoy my truly peaceful morning coffee.
When I returned home, the familiar scent of wood, the cozy and plush sofa, and the warmly crackling fireplace welcomed me.
“Haa… Now I feel like I can actually live.”
I sank deep into the sofa and reached for the coffee cup I’d left on the table before heading out. But my hand didn’t find the handle.
Huh? When I looked down, the smooth side of the cup was facing me. The handle was turned exactly the opposite way.
Did I… leave the cup with the handle turned backward?
No, I’m a strict right-hander. Don’t tell me it’s happening again….
I shook my head vigorously. No. It couldn’t be. This was just PTSD from years of being tormented. That’s all.
Right. Those women couldn’t interfere with my peaceful life anymore. How on earth would they find this tiny, well-hidden backwater village?
I took a sip of coffee to calm myself. But the unease wouldn’t go away. That backward-turned cup handle. Was it really just my imagination?
Maybe I should move again, just in case. What if those crazy women really were tracking my scent? Just thinking about it made my breath catch, but fortunately I had a Plan B.
Deeper in the forest was a small cabin I’d scouted out in advance. I set the coffee cup down with a clack and hurriedly put on my coat. I’d go check on it right away.
To be honest, it was probably time to move anyway. The mountain climate would let me grow different rare crops. Yeah, I was a progressive farmer who loved new environments.
I forced myself to think positively and left the house as if fleeing.
“Phew, no mold at all. It’s perfect.”
After inspecting the cabin, I returned home humming a tune and tossed off my coat. The condition was better than I’d expected. After clearing away a few cobwebs, I could probably sleep there starting tonight.
Yeah, I’d stayed in one place too long anyway. If I wanted to grow new varieties, it was time to move the fields. Leaving behind any potential sources of anxiety was the smart move.
Once I’d decided to move, the sight of myself trembling over a single coffee cup handle seemed ridiculous, and the uneasy feeling completely vanished. Quick and decisive. I’d start moving tomorrow.
“First, tomorrow morning I’ll transplant the tearflowers and ice flowers into pots and move them…”
I muttered to myself in the air while simulating the packing process.
“…And the rest of the miscellaneous stuff can be hauled in the cart the day after. Perfect.”
“What are you moving?”
“Ah, heavy things like the bed and wardrobe.”
“Packing up all that luggage… where exactly are you planning to hide?”
“In the cabin up on that mountain over th—”
My mouth froze mid-sentence. Wait a second. I was the only person in this isolated forest house. Who the hell had I just been casually bantering with?
In that instant, a cold sweat like a waterfall poured down my spine. That horribly familiar voice—my body had reacted before my mind could even catch up.
Gulp.
I swallowed dryly and slowly, creakily turned my stiff neck to look behind me.
Through the slightly open bathroom door. From within that deep darkness, a woman slowly stepped out.
“…I finally found you, Park Mujin.”
The woman I least wanted to encounter in the entire world. The very culprit who had made me quit being an adventurer a year ago—one of those insane women.
Even in the shadows, her pure white hair gleamed brilliantly, and her blood-red eyes pierced me with terrifying intensity.
Scrape—
Rahel approached me with a smile so wide it looked like her face might tear apart, dragging a massive iron hammer along the floor with one hand.
Scraaaape—
The sound of the hammer scraping against the floor struck my ears like the footsteps of the Grim Reaper.
“…Rahel? H-haha… L-long time no see….”
“That’s right. Our little Mujin isn’t going anywhere anymore, is he?”
The hammer in her right hand—easily the size of my head—glinted as it caught the light.
“Of course, I’ll make sure you can’t even think about running away a second time.”
Rahel’s red eyes curved into beautiful crescent moons. The moment the raised hammer filled my vision—
Haa, fuck.