The Old Man with the Ale

Growl.

Inside the quiet inn room, the sound echoing from my stomach was far louder than I expected.

"...Sigh."

I rubbed my face with my hands. My nauseous stomach was now churning with acid, demanding food, and the thirst I'd been feeling earlier had only grown worse.

Clink.

I slipped the four Copper Coins I was holding into my pocket and walked toward the door. I didn't know exactly how much they were worth by this world's standards, but it certainly didn't look like much. In fact, it was obviously pocket change.

"Let's just head out for now."

Even so, I hoped I could find something. At the very least, some water. Besides, I couldn't stay cooped up in this room forever. The system didn't show any logout function. As much as I hated to admit it, this place had become my reality.

Creeeeak.

The moment I opened the door, an old wooden hallway revealed itself. A few rusted candlesticks hung on the walls, just like in my room, and the floorboards were worn smooth by countless footsteps. From downstairs, the faint sounds of boisterous laughter and clinking glasses drifted up. Following the noise, I kept a wary eye on my surroundings as I made my way down the stairs at the end of the hall.

Creak. Creak.

The dilapidated wooden stairs wobbled precariously, as if struggling to support my weight. They looked bad enough at a glance, but they were in truly terrible shape. I felt like one wrong step would send me crashing right through them.

"Hey."

The moment I safely reached the bottom of the stairs, a middle-aged man sitting behind the counter twitched an eyebrow at me.

He had a balding head contrasted by a bushy grey beard. Deep wrinkles carved his forehead and face, suggesting a life of hard labor in his youth. Though his thick forearms and massive build made him look robust, his naturally fierce ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠features only seemed more intimidating.

"So you're alive after all."

He was wearing an apron, indicating he also ran the kitchen. Right in the center of the apron was a rather cute drawing of a bear, which contrasted hilariously with his rugged face.

"Ah... yes."

I hesitated for a moment at his low, raspy voice before quickly replying. This man had to be Vanderson, the innkeeper mentioned in the story log.

"You were so completely out of it yesterday, I thought you were dead."

The man clicked his tongue as he wiped down a wooden mug.

"You need to know your limit, even with cheap swill... Good grief."

"...I'm sorry."

The apology slipped out instinctively, but the man didn't seem to mind. In fact, he let out a dry chuckle.

Splash.

"Save your apologies."

Thud.

He poured water into a cup and set it down on the bar counter in front of me.

"Drink up."

"Thank you."

Swallowing hard, I stepped up to the counter and downed the water.

Gulp, gulp.

It smelled a bit musty, but my throat was burning so badly that I held my breath and drained every drop.

"Phew..."

"Feel a bit more human now?"

"Yes."

I nodded, wiping the water from my lips with the back of my hand. He crossed his arms, tucking his hands under his armpits, and spoke with a nonchalant expression.

"So, when are you going to pay back your debt?"

"..."

My heart sank. 30 Silver Coins and 10 Copper Coins. The debt mentioned in the Status Window's story section was indeed real. It felt deeply unfair since I wasn't the one who borrowed it, but I had no other choice. Lowering my head, I spoke cautiously.

"...I'll pay it back as soon as possible."

"Sigh... That again. Well, I'm the idiot who lent money to a penniless bastard like you, so I guess it's my own damn fault."

There was no malice in his dry reply. If anything, he sounded completely resigned.

Growl.

"..."

At that exact moment, my stomach let out a ferocious rumble, completely ruining the mood. Feeling my face flush red, I hung my head even lower and clutched my stomach. He let out a soft sigh.

"Want some bread?"

"...I don't have any money."

"I know."

Clack.

Thud.

The man pulled a hard-looking loaf of black bread from beneath the counter and tossed it in front of me.

"...It might be a bit stale, but eat it if you don't mind."

"...Excuse me?"

"It's not free, mind you. Once you're done, you're running an errand for me."

I stared at the black bread for a moment. It smelled slightly sour, but my body craved it. My stomach churned in anticipation.

"..."

Having no other choice, I picked up the bread and took a bite.

Crunch.

The crust was rock-hard, and the inside was dry and crumbly. Yet, surprisingly, it didn't taste too bad.

Crunch.

My jaw ached with every bite, but driven by sheer hunger, I stuffed the bread into my mouth without hesitation.

"Chew slowly, or you'll choke."

He poured another cup of water and handed it to me. I bowed my head in thanks and quickly gulped it down.

Gulp.

"Phew..."

Was it because I was starving? This was easily the worst bread I had ever eaten in my life, yet strangely...

"...It's delicious."

The man smirked at my reaction.

"Glad to hear it. My wife makes a mean loaf."

Shrugging his shoulders, a hint of pride flickered ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠across his face. It was then.

Tring.

A familiar notification chime rang in my head.

"...!"

My entire body stiffened for a second, but I let out a sigh of relief once I read the message.

"...What's wrong with you?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

I quickly shook my head. If I blabbed about the status window, he'd probably think I was insane. I still needed more information about this world.

A moment later, I finished another cup of water and set it down.

"...So, what kind of errand do you need me to do?"

He replied as if he had been waiting for me to ask.

"Porter duty."

"...Excuse me?"

"I need to pick up some ale casks, but I threw my back out because I had to carry a certain someone yesterday! So, you're moving them instead of me."

"..."

The memory of him saying I was completely out of it yesterday flashed through my mind. Did this guy carry me to my room? I already felt a headache coming on, but I didn't have the luxury of choice.

"Where do I pick them up?"

"There should be a carriage parked near the village entrance. Just bring back two casks."

"...Two... casks?"

"Agh... my back!"

"...I'll be right back."

"Right. Be careful out there! Just give them my name."

"...Your name?"

I paused on my way to the door, but the appearance of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠two blue windows in front of my eyes made me keep moving.

Creeak.

"...The rewards are garbage, but I guess I have no choice."

After closing the two blue windows, I opened my inventory.

"...This feels kind of insulting."

If I had seen this in a game, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. But seeing the word "cheap" plastered all over everything right in front of my eyes felt pretty lousy. Still, it was better than nothing, so I quickly equipped the gear.

"Did someone wear this before me? Why does it smell so sour?"

Dusting off the newly equipped gear, I began walking toward the village entrance.

Whoosh.

"Whoa... this really is the Middle Ages."

Walking along a dirt road completely devoid of asphalt, gusts of wind carrying dust whipped against my face. I couldn't help but grimace each time. Once the wind died down, I scanned my surroundings again and kept moving.

"Hahaha!"

"What did you say, you bastard?! You think that makes any sense?"

"Come on, I'm practically giving it away!"

"Step right up, take your pick!"

"Double your money, double your luck!"

There were far more people bustling about the streets than I had expected. From ordinary villagers clad in worn-out rags to mercenaries in rusted armor brawling over drinks in broad daylight, and even groups of gamblers openly playing dice. The guards, merely pretending to maintain order, cast lazy glances at the chaos and walked right past.

"...It's just like the game. I think the game had this level of detail too."

This game had probably educated a lot of players on just how abysmal public order was during the medieval era. And now, I was experiencing it firsthand.

Clack-clack, clack-clack.

Squeezing past merchants pulling massive handcarts and various horse-drawn carriages, I made my way deeper into the village.

Step, step.

Since I had only played the game briefly at the start, I didn't know it inside out. However, I had done some research, and the moment I reached the center of the settlement, I knew ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for sure that this was the Beginner Village.

Stop.

The very first tutorial of the game took place in the plaza at the center of the Beginner Village. In the game, there was a fairly large fountain in the middle of the plaza, with a statue standing right at its center.

"..."

Sure enough, a massive fountain sat in the middle of the plaza. As I drew closer, I saw that the water had dried up long ago, leaving behind nothing but caked-on grime and patches of mold. And right in the center of that dry fountain stood a very familiar statue.

I stood there for a moment, staring up at it. The statue depicted a woman draped in a thin, revealing cloth dress that left little to the imagination. Her prominent chest and curvaceous hips made her gender unmistakable. But in truth, I already knew exactly who this statue represented.

"Aria."

Just then, a low, raspy voice of an old man spoke. I carefully turned my head toward the sound. There stood an elderly man with dark, sun-bronzed skin, wearing a thin cloth tank top. With his frail arms and legs, he was straining to pull a handcart loaded with ale casks.

Thud.

"...That is her name."

"Ah. I see."

He paused the cart, pulled out a rag, and began wiping the sweat from his face.

"She was born in this very village long ago... the kingdom's one and only Saintess."

"...Is that so?"

That was news to me. In the game, Aria merely appeared as one of the deities to drop the player off in the Beginner Village. After that, she never made a direct appearance, only being mentioned occasionally in the lore. To think she was a Saintess who originated from this very village. It was surprising, but it wasn't exactly relevant to my current predicament. Just then, the old man tucked the rag back into his shirt and muttered softly.

"Whew... hauling this myself is backbreaking work."

"Ah, where are you heading?"

"Hmm? You want to help?"

"Well... if it's nearby, I can lend a hand."

Hoping this might trigger another quest, I walked over to him. The old man let out a hearty chuckle.

"It's not far at all! If you help me, I'll buy you a nice, cold cup of ale."

"Sure. Sounds good."

Just then.

Tring.

"Huh?"

A blue window popped up in front of me.

Reading the blue window, a soft groan escaped my lips.

"...Ah."