It Takes an Outcast to Know an Outcast
***
"This place is quite far, you know. You'll have to pay one silver."
"Yes, here. Please make sure it reaches my hometown safely."
"Don't worry. Our missionaries will deliver it safely for you."
After mailing a letter at the post office run by the temple, Maru wandered around the nearby shopping district. As he browsed this and that, Lucyella suddenly came to mind.
"I wonder if she managed to dodge that wyvern and get away all right…?"
Since he was already out in the market, he decided he should repay her for saving him from the sea.
"She might show up sooner or later. I'd better buy a gift in advance."
Before long, a plump little sack was resting in his hands. Dozens of healing potions, dozens of mana replenishers, and an expensive black dress.
"Will she like it?"
Maru scratched the back of his head. He thought about buying more, but giving too many gifts might give her the wrong impression that he was interested in her, so he decided to keep it reasonable.
"This'll do."
His stomach let out a growl. He'd been walking around nonstop for nearly three hours, and his fuel was running on empty.
"Ugh, I'm starving."
Maru rubbed his belly and looked around. As it happened, a restaurant that looked delicious caught his eye.
The building wasn't particularly clean—worn and old in the best way. It was nothing much to look at, but the truly great eateries had always been the shabby places tucked away in back alleys, hidden gems that only those in the know knew about.
Maru headed straight for it without hesitation.
"Welcome!"
"What's this place good at?"
"Well, our specialty is…"
He ordered the dish the server recommended and took a seat. Glancing around, he saw that besides himself, there was only one other party of guests—a group of four women in traveler's clothing, gathered around a table eating.
And among them, one woman in particular caught his eye. She wore a brown robe that hid her whole body, but her face—sweating as she ate—was remarkably beautiful.
Wow, she's gorgeous.
Her face was damp with sweat, stray strands of hair clinging to her cheeks, and yet she still looked that pretty. Maru had seen countless beauties in his life, but never once had a woman held his gaze for more than three seconds.
And yet this woman had him staring for well past three. In his head, he was already enjoying a sweet newlywed life with her.
Her unknown white skin was completely free of blemishes—no spots, no freckles—and her face was barely the size of a fist. Her golden hair, braided in a circle and pinned up, looked so neat and so refined it practically glowed of its own light.
"Here's your meal, sir."
Maru, who had been off floating in a fantasy all by himself, snapped his attention away from her the moment his food arrived. What was the point of fixating on someone whose path he'd never cross again? Besides, his interest in the opposite sex had been waning lately. After being burned so badly by a woman, meeting one had become frightening. Being alone was simply easier.
"Mmm, that hit the spot."
A full stomach really did bring out the old man in a person. As he headed to the counter, the women's party was rising from their table as well. Maru paid for his meal without a second glance and walked straight out of the restaurant.
"Weather's nice…"
He stood in front of the restaurant for a moment, letting his food settle as he gazed blankly at the scenery, when the pretty woman stepped outside. She pulled her hood up, looked around, and then approached a passing child carrying an armful of dozens of boiled potatoes.
"Hey there. Isn't that heavy?"
"No, sir—ma'am!"
"You should carry them in a sack or something."
"I'm holding them really tight, so they won't fall."
"Where are you taking all those potatoes?"
Maru watched from behind and smiled without meaning to. The woman's voice was so clear and lovely that simply listening to it brought a smile to his face.
"For my friends."
"Ah, you're bringing them for your friends? What a kind heart."
"Thank you!"
The woman gently patted the child's head.
"Carry them carefully, all right? Don't drop them."
"Okay!"
"See you around."
She parted ways with the child. Maru snorted a laugh.
"Honestly, social butterflies never have a clue what the outcasts go through."
After watching the woman walk off in another direction with her companions, Maru followed after the child.
"Hey, kid."
"Yes?"
"Give those to your big brother here and go on home. Where are those little brats? Your friends, I mean."
"But I'm supposed to bring them…"
"Forget it. Hand them over. I'll go give them what's coming to them."
"Wh-what do I do…?"
"Come on, hand them over. Quick."
"Excuse me. What do you think you're doing with that child?"
"Huh?"
A voice cut in out of nowhere, and when he turned around, the woman from earlier was standing there.
How did she know to come back?
The way she glared at him carried a distinctly unfriendly air. Apparently, he'd given her the wrong idea.
"Why would a grown adult try to take a child's potatoes away?"
The absurdity of the situation drew a laugh out of Maru.
"I'm not taking them. I'm helping."
"Don't lie. I saw you leering at me in the restaurant earlier, you know."
"Look, that was—"
Maru said, smiling and holding his ground:
"That was because you're beautiful."
"…Excuse me?"
The woman seemed briefly flustered by the unexpected remark, but she quickly recovered and shot him a sharp look.
"Don't spout nonsense and go on your way. Otherwise, I'm calling the guards."
She was beautiful even with her eyes blazing.
Maru kept laughing.
"I haven't done anything wrong."
"I watched you do it."
"I was trying to help that kid."
"Stealing is helping, is it?"
"Can't you tell? That kid is being bullied right now."
"Unbelievable. You're lying your way out of a crisis this very moment?"
"Does it look like a lie?"
Maru slowly closed the distance between them. Stopping right in front of her brusque face, he flashed his most confident smile.
"Then let's make a bet. The two of us follow that kid, and if it turns out the kid really is being bullied, you grant my one wish. And if I'm wrong, I'll grant yours. Deal?"
"……"
The woman stared at him hard, then brushed straight past him.
"My wish is for you to go to prison. Remember that."
The woman set off toward the friends, together with the child.
"Whose daughter is she, with that prickly a personality?"
Maru smirked and followed along behind them.
Before long, the two of them arrived at a vacant lot, filthy with scattered garbage, together with the child. Six children were playing stone-skipping with flattened pebbles.
"You son of a bitch, what took you so long!"
One boy came charging over and kicked the potato-carrying child square in the rear. The child dropped the potatoes and collapsed to the ground. Seeing the sight, the children burst into shrieks of laughter.
"I-I'm sorry!"
The child scrambled on hands and knees to gather up the potatoes, but another boy strode over and slapped him across the head with his palm.
"Now the potatoes are all dirty! Pick them up faster, you dog!"
"Go home and wash them and come back!"
Maru, who had been watching quietly from a distance, looked to his side with a triumphant expression.
The beautiful woman had been so shocked that she was covering her mouth with her hand.
"See? I was right, wasn't I?"
"……"
Deflated, the woman let out a small sigh.
"Yes. I lost."
"Well then, see you around. I'll keep my wish on file. Who knows when we'll meet again, though."
He'd never actually intended to demand anything, even if he won the bet. They were practically strangers, and nothing he could ask of her came to mind anyway. "Keeping it on file" was nothing more than an empty phrase.
Maru strode straight toward the group of children.
"All of you, get over here right now, you little punks! Heads down, every one of you! And you, kid—forget the potatoes, go grab me the biggest stick you can find."
He came out scary from the very start, and the children collectively panicked, frozen in place and beside themselves. Maru lined them all up in a row and made them kneel with their hands raised over their heads. He gave them a properly stinging scolding in that position. Later, the children cried and admitted their wrongdoing and apologized to the boy they'd beaten.
"I'll be coming back often to check whether you're bullying him again or not."
"We won't do it anymore, waaah."
He made them shake hands and hug it out, then sent the kids on their way.
"Should've just been friends from the start."
Maru brushed off his hands and started to walk away. The woman was still there.
She was standing with her arms crossed, hood up, watching him.
"You're still here? Your party will be waiting for you."
"How did you know the child was being bullied?"
"Ah, so that's what you were curious about."
When Maru looked at her with a grin, she couldn't meet his eyes and pulled her hood down firmly.
"Did you miss the bruises on his arms and legs? I saw them."
"Ah…"
"I've been an outcast myself, so I can spot a bullying victim like a ghost. Birds of a feather, I suppose."
Her gaze, half-hidden beneath the hood, swept lightly down his whole body.
"You don't look like someone who'd ever get bullied."
"Size has nothing to do with it. People are selfish animals. Even lovers who've spent years together will coldly toss you aside the moment there's profit in front of them."
"So you've been dumped by a lover, have you?"
At her offhand remark, thousands of counterarguments flooded Maru's mind in an instant, his temper flaring. But he crushed the feeling down and tried to let it slide with grace.
It didn't come out gracefully.
"I say that because I have more experience in that department than you do. Just take it as such."
"Kkondae."
"Pardon? Did you just call me a know-it-all?"
"Acting like you alone understand how the whole world works—that's exactly what a kkondae is."
"Good grief."
A disbelieving laugh escaped Maru's mouth. This woman had a real talent for getting under his skin.
"Excuse me, but I'm in my twenties."
"There are young kkondae too."
"Whew…"
He could bear anything else, but for some reason being called a kkondae was the one thing he couldn't stomach. Determined to defend his honor, Maru started working himself up over nothing.
"This is supposed to be a secret, but I actually used to travel with the Hero. I've hunted demons plenty of times, and I'm far more experienced than you look, young lady. So what's wrong with me knowing a thing or two about the world?"
He shrugged his shoulders, as if bragging, look how great I am.
"What was the name of the Hero you traveled with?"
At her question, Maru's stomach dropped. Caught off guard, he fumbled for a moment.
"Well—anyway, I traveled with them."
"Won't you tell me?"
"Nope. Even if you knew, it wouldn't do you any good."
"So it was a lie, then. A kkondae and a liar. Put together, a kkondae-liar—a Kkonjaengi."
"Ugh, I'm going insane."
Seeing Maru fuming, the woman looked delighted. Half her hood had slipped off, revealing her lovely face in full, and she giggled and giggled as she teased him.
"Ah, that was fun. I'd love to stay longer, but my party's waiting, so I'll be off. You take care too."
"Yes, please hurry."
"Sorry about the misunderstanding earlier."
"It's fine."
Still sulking, Maru waved his hand as if shooing her off quickly. She waved back.
"Have a good day, Mr. Kkonjaengi."
"I told you I'm not one!"
***
The next morning.
Maru stretched and climbed out of bed.
"Ahh, I slept well."
He walked off the bed, drank a glass of water, and was loosening up his stiff body when—
"That woman yesterday—beautiful to the point of madness, and infuriating to the point of madness too…"
BANG BANG BANG!
A thunderous knocking suddenly rang out.
"Maru, my boy! Open the door!"
It was Edward's voice.
"This guy sleeps more than I do—he's never up this early. What's gotten into him?"
Tilting his head, Maru opened the door. Edward, dressed in silk pajamas, stood in the hallway wearing an ecstatic expression.
"Maru! I can finally keep my promise! My little sister arrived last evening, you see!"
"The princess?"
Maru's sleep-glazed face brightened at once, coming alive.
"When can I see her?"
"Well, I knew you'd want to see her as soon as possible, so I've invited her to breakfast. Make sure you dress your best!"
"Isn't that a bit fast? Ah—fine. See you at breakfast."
After sending Edward on his way, Maru stripped bare and climbed into the wooden tub, scrubbing himself with great care.
Anyone would call it a fuss over meeting a foreign princess, but this was the first time in Maru's life he'd ever actually speak with royalty. When he lived with his mother, the vassals had insisted the gap in rank was too vast—formal greetings to a princess of a small kingdom were fine, but they forbade any private time between the two. And when he was with Kiera, the princesses' attention had been fixed on Kiera alone.
They hadn't spared so much as a glance at a mere baggage carrier.
"What kind of person will she be? I'm curious."
Would she have a nasty temper? A kind one? Cold and curt? Above all, he hoped they'd get along—so conversation would come easily.