Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Splash, splash.
At the lakeside of the Cheongrok Forest.
It was a place I used to visit often with my party members.
The scenery was nice, sure… but for me, it was mostly about making a living.
The corpses left behind after monsters fought each other could be sold for money.
Bones, leather, things like that.
Of course, it was also an area you weren’t allowed to enter alone.
This was a monster spawning zone, a danger zone designated by the Guild.
Well… the monsters that appeared here weren’t particularly high-level.
Still, rules were rules.
If you wandered around a danger zone by yourself, the Guild would punish you.
If I got caught right now, I’d definitely be disciplined too.
Probably just a fine, though.
But whatever.
It didn’t matter anymore.
My life as an adventurer was already finished.
I shouted at the lake with all my strength.
“You bastards! Didn’t you say we’d stick together until the end?!”
As my voice echoed over the lake, a few birds flapped their wings and flew away.
“Tch!”
Haa…
Today, my companions quit being adventurers.
Thinking about it now, they’d probably already talked it over among themselves.
When they told me they were quitting, I couldn’t say anything.
If I’d been stronger, maybe I could have said something.
Something like, “Let’s hang in there a little longer!”
Or, “Trust me and follow me just a bit more!”
But if I looked at it objectively, I was probably the one who contributed the least to the party.
How could I possibly stop them like that?
That just made me angrier.
But I didn’t even know who I was supposed to be angry at.
At that moment—
A strange sound came from one side of the lake.
Bubble, bubble.
“Hm?”
I turned toward the sound.
There was a strange clump of fur floating on the water.
Uh… what’s that?
Did someone dump trash here?
There definitely wasn’t anything there before.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at the furball.
It looked like it was moving a little…
Well, I guess that’s normal if it’s floating on water.
Then—
Splash!
The furball I’d been watching suddenly sprang up.
Along with the sound of splashing water, a woman in bizarre clothing stuck her head out.
“Gah!”
That scared me!
It’s a person?!
Not a furball—
The woman, looking startled herself, began desperately paddling in the water.
But her struggle didn’t last long.
It seemed she suddenly decided swimming was too much trouble.
Her eyes lost all light as she began sinking.
Hey, damn it! Why are you giving up?!
“Hang on a little longer!”
Damn it!
…
Haa!
This was my first time swimming while carrying someone.
Well, in my imagination, I’d done it plenty of times.
Saving a noble lady in danger, and then some bittersweet romance blooming between us…
Everyone’s imagined something like that at least once, right?
“Blegh! Cough… cough…”
…That sound wasn’t in my imagination.
The woman I’d rescued was kneeling on the shore, retching and spitting out water.
She probably wasn’t some noble lady from my fantasies, but still, saving someone’s life made me feel oddly proud.
The woman stayed hunched over, breathing heavily for a while.
After catching her breath, she bowed her head toward me in gratitude.
After receiving her thanks, I asked,
“Man… if you can’t swim, why’d you go into the lake?”
The woman tilted her head at my words.
Then she frowned and asked back,
“The lake?”
Then she looked around in shock.
Now you’re checking?
“Where is this?”
“What? Did you get lost?”
“Not exactly… no, maybe? Um, could I borrow your phone— Hiiik!”
What’s got you so startled?
She was staring at my sword, Karaman.
At weapon shops, they sold the same thing under the name Used Iron Sword.
But I could name it whatever I wanted.
It was like naming a dog Ppoppi or Heendungi.
I set Karaman down beside me and spread my hands.
“No, no, I’m just an adventurer. But why are you in a place like this?”
Despite my explanation, the caution in her eyes didn’t disappear.
But maybe after remembering that I’d saved her, she calmed down.
With an awkward expression, she answered.
“I slipped….”
That’s not what I asked.
I didn’t ask how you fell in.
I asked why you’re here.
Monsters appeared in this forest.
The Adventurers’ Guild didn’t punish people wandering around alone here for no reason.
Even I had killed two monsters on the way here.
Though I’d run away from three goblins.
Still…
If you weren’t in a combat profession, coming here was basically suicide.
Then again… if she’d made it this far safely, maybe she was combat-class too?
She didn’t look like it, but maybe she was a mage.
“This might be rude, but what’s your class?”
“Just… a repeat exam student.”
What’s that?
From the sound of it, it seemed like some kind of healing class, but I had no idea.
There were plenty of professions in the world I didn’t know.
“Uh… a magic class? I’m just a warrior. Haha…”
“A warrior?”
The woman tilted her head.
Then she started looking at me with a strangely pitying expression.
Was that forced smile supposed to be consideration?
Well, warriors were weak, and their aptitude was easy to get.
You could gain warrior aptitude just by swinging a stick around enough.
Still, being looked at with pity like that kind of hurt.
But then, with an awkward smile, the woman said something strange.
“Sorry, it’s been a while since I played games…”
“Games?”
“Ah…! Sorry. I guess for someone, it could be their whole life…”
What the hell was she talking about?
I couldn’t understand a word she was saying.
And I had no idea why she looked like she was trying so hard to understand me.
With an awkward smile, she asked,
“Um, sorry, but could I borrow your phone?”
“Phone? What’s that?”
Was that some regional dialect?
“It’s a portable thing you use to contact people far away from anywhere… Ah, never mind.”
The woman gave up halfway through explaining what a phone was.
But… hadn’t she already explained it?
A portable thing that lets you contact people far away from anywhere?
There was no way something like that existed.
Honestly, a magic tool that could send bombs anywhere sounded more realistic.
You couldn’t even touch sound.
Could this woman… be insane?
Maybe swallowing too much water messed up her head.
Poor thing.
As I looked at her, I realized something.
This woman…
She had the same eyes as me.
The kind of eyes that said, What kind of lunatic am I looking at?
Seriously ridiculous.
“…Anyway, it’s dangerous here. Want to head to the village first?”
“A village… yeah. Sure, a village sounds good.”
“What’s your name?”
“Yuna. Seo Yuna.”
…
I brought the woman named Yuna back to the village.
Every time she saw an adventurer walking around, she reacted in shock.
By the time we arrived at the village, the light had completely left her eyes.
She looked like she’d reached the point of, Whatever happens, happens.
I was probably wearing the same expression.
When I entered the Guild, the receptionist’s eyes widened.
“Luca?!”
Well, it was understandable.
A drenched man and woman walking in looking half-dead would surprise anyone.
I pointed at Yuna.
“She fell into the water, so I pulled her out.”
The receptionist gestured and shouted,
“Come this way first! We’re selling spare clothes!”
“Ah, thank you— wait, selling?”
Public workers were cold.
I turned to Yuna.
“Do you have any money?”
Yuna shook her head.
Well, no helping it.
With trembling hands, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a silver coin.
My entire fortune…
Forcing a smile, I said to Yuna,
“There’s no other choice, so I’ll pay.”
Yuna bowed her head apologetically.
Yeah…
You should feel sorry…
Holding the silver coin, I approached the receptionist and quietly asked,
“Um, Miss Aira?”
“Yes?”
“How much are the clothes?”
“One set is forty copper coins.”
Hmm.
I could afford that.
Barely.
But if I spent it all…
What was I supposed to eat today?
Should I just buy clothes for Yuna?
No.
If I stayed soaking wet by myself, she’d probably feel even worse.
I bit my lower lip and whispered to Miss Aira.
“By any chance… could you buy the clothes I was wearing?”
Miss Aira answered coldly,
“This isn’t a pawn shop.”
I know…
I know that…
“I’m just a little short on money… just a little.”
I wanted to die.
Still, Miss Aira knew my situation.
She knew my income had always been low, and that even my party had fallen apart.
Maybe because of that, she reluctantly nodded.
…
Behind the Guild, I changed into the clothes I bought.
The clothes I’d been wearing were sold for ten copper coins.
At least I could eat something now…
Thinking about it, if Yuna hadn’t been there, I would’ve just gone back to the inn and changed.
No, I wouldn’t have fallen into the water in the first place.
A priest once said good deeds would always be rewarded.
Looks like that reward only came after death.
God, are you listening?
If you have the time, I’d appreciate it if my reward came in cash.
Anyway, I only had thirty copper coins left.
After paying for tonight’s inn, I’d have ten left.
Should I skip eating today and save it for tomorrow’s lodging?
No…
Maybe I should eat and just sleep on the streets tomorrow.
At this rate, I’d be picking ants off the ground to eat.
When I came out after changing, the Guild hall was empty.
It seemed Yuna still hadn’t finished changing.
Perfect timing.
I approached Miss Aira and whispered quietly.
“That woman… I think the shock of nearly drowning got to her. She doesn’t seem entirely sane.”
“Oh dear…”
Miss Aira looked sympathetic.
While we whispered, Yuna came out after changing clothes.
Seeing her, Miss Aira pulled out a pen and paper and gestured.
“Please come over here!”
“O-Okay…”
With a professional smile, Miss Aira began asking questions.
“First, may I have your name?”
“…Seo Yuna.”
The receptionist nodded and wrote something down.
“And your profession?”
“I don’t have one…”
What was that supposed to mean?
How could you not have a profession?
Didn’t she say earlier she was a repeat exam student or something?
Even the receptionist looked briefly confused and stopped writing.
But then, as if remembering what I’d said earlier, she forced a smile and continued.
“Please wait a moment. Sipi, could you bring the measuring device? Both for profession and aptitude.”
An employee named Sipi stood up and quietly headed to the back of the Guild.
Then the receptionist turned her gaze to me.
“Luca, where exactly did you find her?”
“Huh? Ah, at the lakeside in Cheongrok Forest.”
The receptionist froze for a moment after hearing my answer.
“…Did you go there alone?”
Ah.
A fine had just been decided.
Damn it.