Arrival in the Wanderer's Village
Porter: Johann 30
“Thank you for taking down that fiery thug! We'll head in first!”
Escorting others always brought good fortune.
Not that it had been intentional, but the hero's party skipped the long line and entered the village.
A number of adventurers shot dissatisfied looks at the hero, but having witnessed his prowess firsthand, none dared to step forward. No one would pick a fight with the man who'd crushed Hendrick.
“Whoa~! This village is huge! The roads are so wide!”
Having breezed through the checkpoint, the expansive village scenery unfolded before the group. It resembled the Start Village yet felt distinctly different, leaving them all amazed.
Everyone except Johann—who'd spent his life in a modern metropolis incomparably larger—was overwhelmed by the village's scale. Their reactions were like country bumpkins visiting Seoul for the first time.
“There are so many people. Priest, stay close so you don't get lost.”
“Mage, come on~ Do you think I'm a little kid?”
“Don't get distracted either. Let's find an inn first.”
No map was needed. They just followed the flow of adventurers. Their outfits made it easy to spot them as such.
Soon, a street lined with inns appeared. Nearby was a restaurant district, wafting delicious aromas. For convenience, inns and eateries were almost always clustered together.
“Should we fill our stomachs first? My tongue's dying for something better than jerky and hardtack.”
It was an un-hero-like but solid idea. No one objected.
“We're short on cash, so no fancy places. Somewhere decent.”
“Mage, it's our first time here in ages—don't kill the vibe. Money? A few dungeon runs and we're good. It's a milestone day; we gotta eat well.”
The hero still couldn't drop the bravado even after losing half an arm. The mage sighed at his words.
“Hmm~! The smells are amazing. With this many people, there must be tons of great spots!”
“That place looks good. Priest, what do you think of that restaurant?”
“I like it!”
The hero and priest clicked perfectly. The mage sighed again, eyeing the pair.
“So immature.”
“Well, if you can't avoid it, enjoy it, right?”
Johann consoled the mage.
“We'll be flat broke after eating and booking rooms. Guess we start working tomorrow.”
The four dined at a upscale restaurant.
After checking into a nearby inn, the mage's prediction came true—they were nearly out of money.
The hefty sum earned from exploring the Illusion of the Parasite Worm had vanished like a mirage. The mage racked her brain. They'd need to find work faster than expected. First up: info from the Adventurer's Guild.
“I'll head to the Adventurer's Guild. You all do your thing. Hero and Priest, you're going straight to the church, right?”
The hero and priest nodded in unison.
“Porter?”
“I'll go with you, Mage.”
“No need for two... Whatever, come if you want.”
The mage glanced at the hero as she spoke. He still seemed oblivious to her. Irritated, she puffed her cheeks and grabbed Johann's arm.
“Let's go already.”
“You're extra proactive today.”
“I just wanna get back quick and rest!”
With that, the two left the inn. The priest smiled watching Johann and the mage.
“Doesn't the porter and mage seem closer lately?”
“Yeah... they do.”
The hero answered, glancing at the priest. He'd dismissed the memory of the porter and priest getting intimate as a nightmare.
The priest still had no one, so he figured he had a shot. Completely wrong.
“Priest, let's head to the church. You need that curse lifted from your robes, and I need healing. Wanna grab dinner on the way back?”
“We're almost broke— is that okay?”
“Once I'm healed, I can earn as much as I want.”
The hero spoke with confident resolve. This was a chance he couldn't miss.
Lately, alone time with the priest had been scarce. A heartfelt talk like this could advance their bond.
The church was quite a ways from the inn, on the outskirts of the Wanderer's Village. Perfect for the hero—more time to chat with the priest.
“What do you think of that guy... er, the porter?”
Beating around the bush wasn't his style. Seizing the moment, the hero cut straight to it.
“The porter? He's my lifesaver.”
“Hmm... more specifically?”
“As a party member, someone I can rely on.”
Same as before. She'd always say, “I'll trust only you, Hero!” But not anymore.
Was his empty left sleeve failing to inspire her faith?
Or had Johann's arrival changed her heart?
Either way, it left a bitter taste for the hero.
“Hey, Priest... you and that guy...”
He almost blurted, 'slept together?' but clamped his mouth shut. The nightmare memory stabbed at his head.
That wasn't real. It can't have been...
The hero averted his eyes from harsh reality, clinging to delusion.
“Huh? What about me and the porter?”
“N-no, nothing. Just... you seem to talk to him a lot lately.”
“Haha. The porter's great at fun stories. Time flies when we chat.”
Her praise for him made bile rise in the hero's throat.
“Hero, you look worn out lately. The injury?”
“Uh...? Y-yeah... pretty much.”
Her worry over him lightened his gut churning from her praise of the porter. One word from her tickled his lungs like a feather, making his nostrils flare.
Every time, it reaffirmed he couldn't give up on her.
Right. He's just the porter, I'm the hero. Only a stigma-bearing hero claims the beauty.
That was the natural order of a properly aligned world.
Once my arm's fixed, she'll look at me like before.
For now, healing the severed arm came first. The hero headed to the church, chest swelling with hope.
“This church is huge.”
The building was twice the size of the one in Start Village, befitting the Wanderer's Village. Crowds thronged it, including grizzled veteran adventurers. The village's higher caliber was palpable.
“Curses must be handled over there. Hero, I'll be at that spot.”
“Got it. Meet at the church entrance after.”
The hero joined the long line of patients awaiting treatment. From minor scratches to massive wounds surpassing his own, they formed a sea. Some looked liable to die waiting.
Mingled among the sick, he felt pathetic. Not his first church healing, but it hit different. The injury's severity, probably.
“Buddy, you look like you clawed back from death too.”
Someone spoke from behind. An old man reeking of sewer with every word.
Bald as a cue ball save a few corn-silk white hairs, eyepatch over one eye. His yellowed teeth numbered half a normal person's. Top-tier bum beggar. Not someone to chat with.
“I've mooched off this church long enough to price things dead-on. If you're here for that arm, ditch hope now.”
“What'd you say, old timer?”
“Whoa! Eyes like you could drown a man. Tougher than you look.”
“Mind your own business. You look like selling a country wouldn't cover fixing that wreck.”
“Kekeke! Sharp tongue too. Sorry if I offended—no teasing meant.”
He rummaged in his pouch.
“Even us wretches need a living. Cripples got their paths.”
“Don't lump me in. I'm the hero.”
“Knew it. My eye don't lie.”
He pulled out a small, faded packet matching his ragged look.
“What's this?”
“Medicine. Makes pain vanish like magic.”
“......Drugs?”
“Folk call it that. I'm the dealer.”
“Selling dope in church? Hellbound for sure.”
“Already in hell alive— what's dead hell got? Kid, when life's bitter, try this. You'll fly straight to heaven.”
“Pass. Beat it. No cash.”
“Aw~ You're pitiful; it's free. Need more? Ask for Pimp Kruger at the info guild.”
He shoved the packet at the hero like hot potato and scurried off.
“Weird old coot.”
The hero grumbled at the drugs in his hand. Wanted to toss it, but the words lingered.
That arm? Ditch hope now.
“......”
Anxiety he'd shoved aside began creeping up. Ditch hope? Ridiculous.
“No way. I solo-slaughtered monsters in the Illusion of the Parasite Worm. Luck's on my side.”
Heal the arm, return as adventurer, win the priest. Bonus: boot the porter. Perfect plan.
“Next. Come in.”
His turn. The hero took a deep breath and entered the exam room. To face his fate head-on.