A Secret That's Not a Secret
Eden chewed and swallowed a piece of old jerky. It had a rancid aftertaste lingering in his throat—probably from poor storage—but he couldn't bring himself to spit it out. It was his first meal in nearly three days. Even after three straight days of starvation, his thick muscles twitched with vitality. Guess game characters don't have to worry about dieting. The fact struck him as both amusing and strangely off-putting.
He devoured the chunks of jerky on the wooden plate in seconds, then raised a hand toward the inn's waitress. The spirited young woman only approached his table after locking eyes with him several times, sauntering over slowly.
"…What can I get for you?"
She wrinkled her nose at the empty bowl on the table. Clearly displeased that even the tough meat she'd deliberately served had been polished off by this barbarian.
"…Smells."
Thinking he wouldn't hear, she pinched her nose lightly and waited for his order. By modern standards, her service was a total fail, but at least she was taking the order, so Eden had no real complaints.
He pointed at the empty bowl and spoke. "This, and—"
Her poor attitude made his tone sharpen naturally. It was the barbarian speech he'd grown used to.
"—another of those stews from over there."
He gestured to the stew at the next table.
"…You do have money, right?"
Eden set his jingling pouch of silver coins on the table without a word. With a sigh, the waitress headed to the kitchen. It was silver he'd earned from those "friendly" bandits. Even an ordinary modern guy could split skulls and rummage through pockets when hunger hit hard enough. Eden didn't want to dwell on it.
He let the noisy tavern chatter flow in one ear and out the other. Sipping the bland stew alongside the chewy jerky, he pondered alone. This game's way too realistic. Like, really real.
Should've leveled a mage if I knew it'd be like this. Or maybe a noble-born character… Anything but a barbarian. But it was too late for regrets.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—the game's "system" was partially in place. The night before, after dropping five bandits, he'd instinctively known he'd leveled up.
If only I could follow the main story…
From what he'd gathered, the timeline differed from the game. The ending that would send him home felt like a distant hope.
Then, chatter from the nearby table drifted into his ear.
"…The Empire and the Duchy are gearing up to fight? What? Spill the details. Doesn't that make things dangerous around here too?"
"Nah, we're far from Ksaruna territory. And they won't go full war anyway. The troop difference is huge."
Typical drunkard talk, the kind in every tavern.
"True, it won't be on that scale. But why's the Empire suddenly doing this? They wouldn't start a war without reason."
"Well, this is real hush-hush. But a fast runner like me heard a rumor—a gold mine was discovered in Ksaruna territory—"
The voice was a whisper, but Eden's senses caught it. A quest related to the game? No, given the timeline shift, it was probably new info.
…War, huh.
A prime chance for easy XP without much justification. NPCs gave hefty experience in this game. Provided he could shake off the guilt of killing.
His hesitation didn't last.
They're just NPCs anyway. Or so he told himself.
Eden stood. Overthinking never helped. Decision made, it was time to move.
Joining as a mercenary? Ksaruna territory sounds better. The more enemies, the better.
Feeling his barbarian heart thump, he set off toward Ksaruna—unaware he'd just fueled the waitress's barbarian hatred by forgetting to pay.
Eden recalled the Ksaruna knights on horseback he'd seen on the roadside not long ago. The bald guy who'd briefly traveled with him had said they seemed to be searching for something.
Late as it was, Eden realized they were hunting him.
And the one who'd given the order was the girl before him now.
"Hee hee."
Her red eyes turned to Eden. Despite the welcoming smile, her sharp features radiated dignity. Unshakable confidence seeped from within.
Even after a long journey, her attire remained elegant. Seeing Eden just staring silently, she cleared her throat lightly and stepped back a pace.
"…My apologies. I should have greeted you first."
The girl, barely out of her teens, folded her fan, grasped the hem of her graceful dress, and curtsied with poise.
"It's been ages. Feels like months since you slipped away back then, right?"
Slipped away.
Eden scratched his chin nonchalantly. "It was a legal discharge per procedure."
She clicked her tongue in disbelief. "…Most call shredding a contract and vanishing 'desertion.'"
No easy escape here.
Not a good spot for a casual chat.
The church exterior still swarmed with people, though Ksaruna knights blocked their entry.
Eden gave Fran and Taim a subtle nod, then glanced back to check on Neb, who was talking with her "sister."
"……."
"……."
His eyes met Neb's piercing stare. No sign of Rundel. The talk seemed over, but an inexplicable chill hung in the air.
Neb moved slowly toward him, pointing at the girl and mimicking a hug in the air. She'd clearly witnessed the exchange.
Her expression showed no change—and that unnerved him more.
Conveying everything through gestures, she finally spoke. A silent question.
Who's she?
Before Eden could respond, the girl stepped ahead into the church.
"Ah."
She stopped before Neb with a smile. One side seemed leisurely, but inwardly anxious beyond measure. The other appeared uneasy, yet her heart was uncomplicated.
In truth, having read Eden's memories, Neb knew the girl's identity. The hug gesture had just reflexively pressured her.
The girl greeted Neb just as she had Eden. "Pleased to meet you."
The words were warm, but Neb caught the underlying displeasure.
"Though unworthy, I am Claire I, Duchess of Ksaruna. And you, beautiful lady?"
Duchess of Ksaruna. The mastermind behind victory over the Koban Empire. Her youth belied her fame, yet an inexplicable charisma emanated from her.
But her opponent was no pushover.
The goddess hiding her true nature smiled brightly back, matching Claire's tone. "Pleased to meet you too."
No honorifics. A faint crack appeared in Claire's smile.
"I am Neb. Though unworthy, I am the beautiful woman bound by fate to that barbarian over there."
"……."
Claire looked momentarily dumbfounded by the response.
The war between the Koban Empire and Ksaruna Duchy had dragged on long, forcing Eden to linger on the battlefield far longer than expected. Long enough for an unwanted reputation to form.
It was inevitable. A nameless barbarian or not, if the battles he joined never lost, it entered superstitious territory.
Some mercenaries called him the God of War. Undeniable—he'd swayed the war's outcome.
Eden realized it near the end.
- God of War! God of War! God of War!
- He saw me! He looked at me!!
- Victory awaits again!
And without hesitation, he slipped away to a minor front where no one knew him. With max level nearing, it was feasible.
But he hadn't expected the Duchess herself to chase him into Empire lands.
"…Safe to be here?"
"Hee hee, quite safe. Thanks to someone thinning Empire forces, the outskirts lack tight security."
That's not the issue.
Eden found it absurd, but priorities shifted. "So you really came just for me."
"Of course. No other reason."
"Then I'm free to go."
Claire hid a meaningful smile behind her fan. "Yes, but not alone. Can't celebrate victory without its hero."
"Just a regular barbarian."
"My people don't see it that way. And if they did, it'd change."
Eden sighed. She should be swamped with victory duties.
Yet her actions made sense. Wars turned on troop numbers and commanders, not lone mercenaries.
But this barbarian had shifted the tide single-handedly. She couldn't let him go. Whatever the cost.
Claire bowed demurely. "No unreasonable requests. I just want to show the hero the nation he saved."
Whatever her motives, Eden found the courtesy uncomfortable. Blunt hostility was easier.
He deflected. "…Regrettable, but I have business."
Claire's gaze flicked to Neb. "Related to that lady?"
Eden nodded silently. Technically his way home, but also for Neb. If that works as a refusal…
But Neb's response surprised him.
"What, isn't it fine?"
"?"
Eden looked down at her.
"South from here, I sense another relic's aura. Might as well travel comfortably."
Her golden eyes turned to Claire. "We're not walking, right?"
"…Of course not."
Her casual tone made some knights step forward, but Claire's gesture silenced them instantly. What're they thinking?
Eden eyed Neb questioningly.
What's the plan?
Absolutely not because my legs hurt.
Whether they caught each other's meaning was unclear.
Eden sighed at Claire. "Fine. We'll stop by briefly."
"…Thank you for your consideration."
Claire, who'd planned a private carriage ride, felt a twinge of dissatisfaction—but better than nothing.
Neb and Claire exchanged smiles. The air remained frosty.
It was spring.
Once things settled, Eden explained to Fran.
"…Could you repeat that?"
"In truth, she is the Moon Goddess, hidden sister of the Sun God Rundel."
The devout paladin Fran nearly fainted.