Because You Hate Me 051 - The Way Back to Base Camp
I kept letting out exclamations of awe on the way back to base camp.
"Whoa. This holy water shit is insane."
The effects were no joke. My body felt like a brand-new product straight off the assembly line. The muscle-tearing agony from earlier was completely gone, and every inch of me was slick and smooth, like it'd been freshly greased up.
So that's why the nobles kiss up to the temple.
Once you experience an item you couldn't buy for any amount of money firsthand, their power makes total sense.
That's when Lily, who'd been trailing close behind me, whispered in a deflated voice.
"……Sorry."
"For what?"
I glanced down at her, and she fidgeted with her fingers, gauging my reaction.
"With how intensely you're feeling that crazy effect, I figured you'd realize just how massive the screw-up I caused was."
Holy fuck. How'd she know?
"……Am I that easy to read?"
"No, you're not. I just have quick instincts."
That's even scarier.
I shrugged lightly and played it cool.
"Anyway, it kept me alive, so I'm not blaming anyone. Throwing a fit at the person who used something precious to fix my body? That'd make me worse than an animal. Don't worry about it."
"Okay. Hehe."
Lily finally relaxed and flashed a bright smile. This girl definitely had some mysterious talent for putting people at ease just by being around.
The moment we reached the base camp clearing, a heavy thud of footsteps hit, and a massive shadow loomed over me.
"Kuhahaha! Our hero returns!"
Professor Wilhelm came charging out like a madman and slapped my shoulders.
Thwack! Pow!
"Gah! Easy on the hits, Professor!"
Fuck, my shoulder's gonna pop. This potion-fixed body was about to get wrecked by the old man's grip again. How the hell does this geezer have such strength?
I barely shook off his bear-paw hands and quickly turned my gaze elsewhere. I headed to the village corner where Lucius was working.
"You're back."
Lucius wiped sweat from his forehead and greeted me. The artificial well project he'd taken charge of had made solid progress already. A wide, perfectly dug pit caught my eye.
"Impressive."
"Eh, yeah. It just kinda happened."
I scratched the back of my head. Not just Lucius—the stares from the noble young masters helping with the digging all around were so intense I felt like dying of embarrassment. I'm the type who gets super awkward with this shit, so please just stop.
I deliberately ignored their attention and asked Lucius,
"How much work's left?"
"The ground's all dug out. We're coating it now."
He nodded toward the inside of the pit. Looking over, I saw Kals—whom I'd appointed water shuttle team leader earlier—and a few other students. They held small beakers in one hand, brushing the floor this way and that with brushes in the other.
Damn, they're fast. But.
"Why's Kals down there?"
When I asked, puzzled, Lucius replied flatly.
"The fancy 'water transport overseer' title didn't seem necessary, so I just put him on that. I tell him where to pour when he brings the water, and that's it."
Fair enough. Poor Kals—gave the guy a hat, and it got snatched by an alchemist before he even started. But I didn't feel too sorry for him.
I'd seen with my own eyes how passionately he was brushing, like some performance artist.
"More carefully! If water leaks through cracks in the floor, all our effort goes to waste!"
He looked like he'd found his calling—thank god. This bastard. Back in Korea, he'd be the type to get exploited to the bone by some sleazy boss and love it. Born into a count's family that didn't suit him? Lucky break. Still, his diligent, eager work ethic was admirable and reassuring.
"The water'll be here soon. The team I assigned is hauling it hard."
Nice. As expected from an A-grader. Anyway.
Gazing down at the well bottom where a few were applying the hardening solution, I couldn't help but marvel.
"That reagent's a work of art, huh?"
The coated parts had hardened rock-solid, like they'd been sealed with some coating. It was like the muddy slop mixed with filth and trash had transformed into premium artificial marble with mud-pattern veins the instant the chemical hit it. No exaggeration—just my honest impression. The whole village was gonna look brand new.
"Does it crack under impact like marble?"
"It does crack, but if rain or moisture replenishes it, most repairs itself. Thicker coats boost durability too. Not permanent, but even in the capital with constant carriages, it'd last five or six years easy."
"And if it's just people walking on it, theoretically thirty or forty years, right?"
"Theoretically, yeah."
His "theoretically" didn't sound like dodging responsibility—it came off confident, like "Haven't field-tested it yet, but the theory's perfect."
Lucius straightened up with a grin.
"If you like it, don't forget this humble Lucius."
"……."
How'd he know I like it? My face must be way too readable now.
"I'm not a merchant, you know? You aren't trying to pitch to my dad, the Palace Count, are you? Father's not the type to take bribes through family for imperial funds."
"Haha, you're overthinking it."
Lucius leisurely removed his dirt-gloved hands.
"Everyone knows the Palace Count's incorruptible. I'm not angling for the Parne family—I'm connecting with you personally, Kasian."
"That sounds just as unappealing."
"Pardon?"
"I hate relying on people. My dream's to be a shut-in NEET."
At my bold declaration of future aspirations, Lucius's eyes went wide. But he soon shook his head and dropped a fact bomb.
"To become a NEET, the stuff you've done since enrollment is too big."
"……."
……Yeah, tell me about it. This wasn't what I wanted at all. Somehow I'd turned into the ultimate attention whore.
As I grimaced bitterly, the sharp-eyed Lucius made a perfect pitch.
"Anyway, if you wanna stop being the center of attention, leave the rest of the mixing to me. No more magic from you here."
Oh. Tempting. I'd already gone full brain-melt mode anyway. People get hooked on something, and even if you took a shit, they'd cheer "Whoa! Golden turd!" If I boiled the water too, it'd twist into "The guy who summons tidal waves from the earth just boiled an entire well." This wasn't even a real well—just a cheeky shallow basin—but rumors don't care.
"Won't count this as a debt. Don't worry."
Sharp merchant bastard.
I nodded in full satisfaction.
"Thanks. Handle it well."
Before fleeing to the carriage, one last customer to check off.
*
I beckoned to Lily hovering near the pot.
"Lily. Come here a sec."
"Huh? Did you call me, Kasian?"
The pink cotton-candy girl trotted over.
"I'm heading to the carriage to rest now. It's too noisy out here."
"Ah…… Yeah! Smart move! You need to recover anyway!"
She clenched her fists and nodded vigorously.
I looked straight into her eyes and got blunt.
"For me to rest undisturbed in the carriage, you need to focus right here. Don't keep bouncing over wherever I am. Got it?"
"Yes! I'll take full responsibility!"
What was this feeling? Like watching a thick-headed junior swear "I'll handle it all!" Super uneasy.
Sensing my unease, she continued in a spirited voice.
"Earlier, I ditched my post because I was so worried about you—no helping it."
She glanced warmly at the villagers behind her.
"I do feel sorry for these slum folks and care about them. I'll do my absolute best here so your huge efforts aren't wasted. Rest easy!"
Her eyes sparkled like stars. In the end, one me ranked above all those people in her heart? Way too much pressure. That obsessive hype felt a tad unsettling, but it was awkward to call her out, so whatever.
"Got it. Good luck."
I left Lily behind and approached Professor Wilhelm, planted squarely in the clearing's center. Needed his stamp of approval to rest for sure.
"Professor, my body's kinda wrecked—mind if I rest in the carriage?"
He looked at me, then suddenly got all emotional.
"My word……!"
What solo party is this misunderstanding face?
Tears welled in his eyes as he gripped my shoulders tight.
"As expected, your compassion for the people surpasses mine! Ignoring your crumbling body, just hoping to end their suffering sooner—what a heart!"
"No. If I'd known it'd be this brutal with the puking, I'd have dragged it out over three or four days all sneaky-like."
Had to clear this up. At least with this old man, I didn't want any pointless hero narrative about me.
But Wilhelm ignored my explanation, laughing heartily.
"Kuhahaha! No need for such humility! You deserve to be the empire's true hero!"
He thrust his fist skyward.
"I'll report your great deeds to the palace crystal clear today and strongly recommend a medal!"
Fuck.
Why did everything from this grandpa crush my soul?
As I left the village fence, I clawed at my hair. Recalling Professor Wilhelm's convinced eyes made my stomach twist again. I'd told him absolutely not, but he went "I get it, I understand your heart." totally missing the point. A medal? Entangling with the imperial family? Hard pass.
Shambling toward my carriage—the one I inwardly called the Solo Inner Thoughts Wagon—there sat a top-tier luxury one emblazoned with the gleaming imperial crest. No need to guess who was inside.
Don't wanna chat with the princess again. Gotta sneak by like a dead mouse.
I hunched low to stay out of sight from the window, creeping past carefully.
Bang!
In that instant, the door flew open. My eyes locked with Princess Evelyn's as she stepped out. Seeing my awkward half-bow, her red eyes narrowed.
"……What are you doing?"
"……Trying to pass without being seen, quietly."
Realizing how it looked after saying it.
But Evelyn's reaction was nothing like I expected.
"Why didn't you want me to see you?"
"Well, yeah."
"Why?"
"Because you hate me."
Evelyn's eyes wavered.