Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Wish Fist
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Do you know that feeling?
Suddenly, when you open your eyes and look around,
the place you're in is no longer anywhere you recognize.
My precious loved ones vanished in the blink of an eye, like a lie.
The body I'd lived in my whole life told me that everything up until now had just been a dream.
At first, I wondered, 'Could I have been suffering from some kind of mental illness?'
They say that if you have schizophrenia,
your mind remembers impossible things as if they were common sense.
I thought that was me, too.
'Ah, so I was actually a mental patient all along, and everything until now was just my delusion.'
But there was a limit to comforting myself that way.
My memories were too vivid for that.
My body proved that the events in those memories weren't mere fantasies.
The somewhat stuffy, acrid air from that place still lingered in my nose compared to here.
The voices of conversations with friends I'd been happily chatting with until yesterday echoed in my ears.
The proud acceptance letter I'd earned after countless efforts flickered before my eyes.
The words I hadn't been able to say to my parents, using job hunting as an excuse for being too busy, still lingered on my tongue.
Tears streamed down, snot and saliva dripped disgustingly,
and wordless cries kept pouring from my mouth.
This situation made me want to vomit.
I couldn't understand what sin I'd committed to deserve this trial.
No matter how I screamed at the heavens or wailed in agony, nothing changed.
The god who had dragged me here on a whim had abandoned me.
Then, suddenly, I wondered if perhaps I'd committed some great sin and was being punished for it.
Nothing else made sense of this situation.
From that point on, I began writing down every sin I might have committed in my previous life on paper.
Even trivial things like not returning a lost item I'd found on the street,
or skipping cram school under the excuse of being sick.
I meticulously combed through my memories,
and when I looked at the paper listing my sins, I denied it.
No matter how many thousands of times I read it, none warranted this kind of punishment.
I grew furious,
resenting the god who had sent me here beyond measure.
I tried to compromise,
figuring that maybe in the gods' eyes, my sins were grave indeed.
I fell into depression,
refusing to eat for a while, praying this nightmare would end and I'd wake up.
In the end, I accepted it.
You must want something from me, that's why you brought me here.
But I won't dance to your tune.
Someday, I'll drag you ugly bastards—who look down on me from above—crashing down beneath my feet.
After that, I holed up in the mountains and swung my sword like a madwoman.
...
Finishing my Internal Energy Circulation, I slowly opened my eyes.
My floating body began to sink slowly to the ground,
and the next realm, which had seemed just within reach, teased me by staying tantalizingly out of grasp.
'Not enough.'
Just one more step, and I could touch it...
I shook my head sharply, as if to dispel stray thoughts.
Dwelling on useless worries could ruin my Internal Energy Circulation.
I had no desire to repeat the experience of feeling like I was vomiting up my own organs.
"Hoo..."
Letting out a light sigh, I headed toward the cabin where Nameless was waiting.
A smile crept onto my face.
As I neared the cabin, a sweet aroma began teasing my nose.
Sniff, sniff...
'!! This smell...'
Strawberries!
Apparently, quite some time had passed during my Internal Energy Circulation session,
because Nameless must have gone down to the village and bought some strawberries.
Naturally, saliva pooled in my mouth, and the corners of my lips started to rise.
'No, can't do that.'
I swallowed hard and forcibly pulled my lips back down.
Acting like a giddy child over mere strawberries? That wasn't the image of a cool master at all.
What I pursued mattered more than advancing to the next realm—
looking cool as a master took priority, so I had to hide such immature behavior.
I slapped my cheeks—smack—and straightened my expression.
'Good, that's sufficient.'
My lips trembled slightly,
but Nameless wouldn't notice at this level.
Creeeak, creeeak—I walked carefully, suppressing any sign of joy,
and arrived right in front of the cabin.
Opening this door would reveal the strawberries—no, Nameless.
"Ahem, hem."
I cleared my throat to let Nameless know I'd arrived at the cabin.
There was a reason I made noise without opening the door right away.
Recently, after finishing Internal Energy Circulation and approaching thoughtlessly,
I'd walked in on Nameless tending to his personal needs during my absence.
'Hmm, whoever ends up as Nameless's partner will have it rough.'
Not my concern, though.
Anyway, saying nothing then would have been awkward,
so I'd grinned sheepishly and given him a thumbs-up. Nameless's face had gone pale as a ghost, his eyes losing all life.
I'd spent ages talking him out of any drastic actions.
As I was fondly recalling Nameless's dark history, he stepped out.
A mischievous impulse suddenly bubbled up.
"Hmm, did you handle it well?"
"...Pardon? Do you mean my trip to the village?"
This guy—he was definitely getting it, stuttering slightly with a faint blush on his cheeks.
I patted Nameless's shoulder lightly and flashed a somewhat lecherous smile.
"It's fine, it's fine. Your master understands everything."
"..."
A mouse-like silence fell.
Huh?
'Why no reaction?'
A chill ran through me, and I glanced up at Nameless.
What I saw was Nameless, face twisted in clear fury.
Huh?
Nameless turned and slammed back into the cabin, banging the door shut.
"Nameless?"
No reply.
"...Nameless?"
Clunk—the sound of the lock engaging.
Cold sweat poured down.
Realizing I'd messed up, I pounded on the door, thud thud.
"Nameless! I was wrong! I took the joke too far!"
Thud thud.
"Namelaaaass!"
Thud thud.
About three minutes of pounding later?
Nameless's voice came from inside.
"It's getting late today, so it might be best to sleep and meet tomorrow."
"What?!"
What nonsense? The sun had just set.
"Sleep well, Master."
"Aaaah! I'm sorry!"
Thud thud.
"Sleep well, Master."
Despite my desperate cries, the same response came back,
though his voice sounded even stiffer now.
'Nooo...!'
Thud thud.
"At least... at the very least! Hand over the strawberries before you go!"
This insolent disciple wasn't even responding to his master's words anymore.
Thud thud.
'My strawberries!'
To Harang, the strawberries mattered more than the sulking Nameless.
After standing at the door for another hour, I pursed my lips and muttered softly.
"I-I took the joke too far, Nameless."
A flinch from inside—he wasn't asleep.
I grinned like a devil.
"If you open this door, I'll grant one request of yours, within reason."
An even bigger flinch from inside.
Feeling that, I grinned wider.
Of course, I had no intention of keeping it.
'How dare a disciple fool his master!'
This was punishment from master to disciple—and a lesson not to trust people so easily.
Pretend to completely forget later, and Nameless would eventually give up on his own.
I deliberately made my voice tremble pitifully.
"So... won't you come out...?"
Soon, footsteps approached the door.
'Got him!'
Creeeak—the door opened, and Nameless peeked out.
"...Really?"
"Of course it's real!"
I flashed the purest, most innocent smile, without a hint of deceit.
No matter how well Nameless usually read me,
he couldn't resist this one.
Nameless fully stepped outside and stared straight through me.
Then he spoke, his voice dry.
Cold sweat trickled down.
"Master."
"Y-Yeah? What is it?"
Nameless brought his face close, locking eyes with me.
"Are you perhaps thinking of weaseling out of this and just snagging the strawberries you want?"
"Hmm? N-No way! What do you take me for?!"
Nameless looked skeptical,
and now the cold sweat was pouring like a waterfall.
"Then, can you swear on your honor as master?"
"...Swear what?"
I tilted my head innocently and took a step back.
Nameless closed the gap just as easily, foiling it.
"That you'll grant one wish."
"W-Wish?"
Something felt subtly off?
'Didn't I say request...?'
I was flustered.
"Yes. Surely my master wouldn't lie to her disciple over something as trivial as a single strawberry?"
"Hmm, of course not."
Nameless pressed on without giving me time to think.
"Then, can you swear it?"
"Of course...! I'll swear, why not!"
It felt like I'd dug my own grave. My head spun.
"Understood. Please come inside; there are plenty of strawberries from the village."
"Hmm, alright."
The sight of Nameless smiling brightly with upturned lips must have been my imagination.
Still, the strawberries Nameless bought were delicious, so no regrets.