Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Small Night
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Actually, as I headed to Luna with the Crocodile leather sandals for her, all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.
Like, what timing to give them to her, how to hand them over, or what to say. And whether she'd even like them once she got them.
It had been quite a while since I'd given anyone a gift, so it felt awkward, and I even wondered if I was doing something pointless.
I wonder if Luna will like them.
In my old world, hardly any women disliked products made from Crocodile leather.
But who knows about this world. She might even get mad, like, "You're making cheap sandals out of precious Crocodile hide?"
Anyway, I'd imagined all kinds of reactions.
But—
*Sniffle*—
I never expected tears streaming down Luna's face like this.
What? Why is she crying?
My heart jolted, like I'd done something awful.
"Hey, why are you crying all of a sudden?"
"It's weird. They're so nice, tears just come out. Hassan, do you know what it means when someone gives you shoes as a gift…?"
"There was a meaning to it? I just prepared them…"
"Oh, I see. Well, then you don't need to know. More importantly, they're really pretty."
Luna kept wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. At least I could relax knowing they weren't tears of sadness or anger.
"Hassan, this is honestly the first time anyone's ever given me something like this…! But a gift… I, I don't have anything to give you…"
"What do you mean you don't? Make me a bunch of kids later."
"K-Kids…!?"
"Whoa, why so shocked. Moai. Those totems."
The bizarre stone statues Luna made consumed 100 Karma Value to boost my Strength or Agility by 1 point each.
Raising stats the normal way took months or even years of training and effort, so her method was definitely a cheat.
"T-Totems. Yeah, Moai… Okay, I'll make lots! I built up a good amount of karma inside me from this expedition. Anyway, thank you so much, Hassan! These are too precious to even wear."
She rubbed the sandals against her face and even sniffed them—*sniff sniff*—which somehow made me puff up with pride too.
"How could I wear something like this around? Too bad to ruin them."
"Just use them comfortably. When you make a ton of money later, buy better ones with your own cash."
"I will treasure them!"
A gift really does make the giver feel better when the receiver loves it this much.
I could finally understand why couples back on Earth blew money on all those holidays and events.
"Crocodile leather. Swamp scent. The smell of Ideope."
Until the food and drinks arrived, Luna kept sniffing the leather with a wistful expression, like she was lost in memories.
Come to think of it, she'd left her faraway hometown too and was living alone in a strange land. The swamp smell soaked into that leather might have triggered some homesickness.
Had I accidentally stirred up painful emotions? But she didn't seem sad, so I let it go.
"Samaritan, sir. Here's your quing roast. Grilled it nice and tasty. I'm confident in this dish. Just gotta roast 'em whole."
"Wait, not pheasant, but quing?"
"What'd you think you ordered?"
No way, I thought the menu had a misprint, but it really was quing. Shit, what's a quing anyway?
"Man, it's been a bit, and you look even more impressive now."
The innkeeper chatted casually as he set down plates of food on our table. He often struck up conversations with me like this.
Cheeky or nosy, I couldn't decide. But with money in my pocket and a good mood, it didn't bother me.
"Noticed the new clothes, huh? Crocodile leather? Adventurers must be raking it in. Though you risk your life, so it wouldn't balance otherwise. Oh, this is on the house."
*Clink*—
He plunked down a plate with something solid inside as "service." Peering in, I saw chunks of ice frozen in irregular shapes.
"Don't tell the other customers. They kick up a fuss about why they don't get snacks."
Ice as a freebie? In this world?
In a place without refrigerators, ice cost money.
When meals were just about filling your belly, ice—good only for chilling drinks—was basically a luxury.
And here was enough for a small bucket, worth at least 10 coppers.
"S-Service, Hassan! I-Ice…!"
Luna trembled like her hands and feet were itching at the thought of dropping some into her lukewarm booze. The innkeeper grinned, satisfied.
"The other day, some big-spending mage came by. Handled ice magic like a pro, no chants or anything. Anyway, Samaritan, I've got a personal favor to ask…"
Ah, so that's why the "service." A bribe, basically.
"What's up? For requests, you gotta go through the Adventurer's Guild."
Personal requests differed from guild-mediated ones.
Personal deals had no middleman fees, more freedom like verbal contracts.
But higher risk of scams, rip-offs, or attitude problems. High risk, high return.
Guild requests deducted fees but guaranteed no funny business with payment or terms.
The guild wouldn't stand for it.
Each had pros and cons, but I preferred guild ones.
They contributed to tier promotions via accumulated fees—more official jobs meant faster climb to Silver Tier adventurer.
"If it was a guild thing, I wouldn't be asking you like this."
"Ah—."
Yeah, the innkeeper was a local who'd seen countless adventurers like me. He knew the deal better than I did.
Still coming to me personally meant there was a good reason.
"What's the issue? I'll hear it out and decide."
"Well, my wife's… getting on in years, back's been hurting lately. Tried clinics, potions from alchemists. No dice…"
"Ah—. The back, huh."
"Got time in three days or so, evenings? I'll pay well. Keep it secret from everyone, swear on the Styx."
He was asking for an illegal house call massage. Not the shady kind—the physical therapy sort.
Might be a chance to rack up Karma Value?
Now that I knew it piled up from all sorts of deeds, every point mattered.
"Sure."
"Whew! Thank goodness. Enjoy your meal. Holler if you need anything."
With that, he turned and went to take more orders. Luna and I tore into the so-called quing bird meat.
Shit, straight-up charcoal-grilled whole birds beat all these isekai spice bomb disasters any day.
Sipping ice-cold barley booze and gnawing roasted bird, my belly filled up, buzz kicking in.
"That time you went 'Hiiiieeeek!'—thought you lost it. Crocs just bolted."
"Really? You weren't much better, Hassan! When you yelled, I almost ran too. Looked like a scary killer!"
"Shit, that bad?"
No snacks needed; reliving brutal old tales got us laughing, mood lifting. Was this why people did the job and made bank?
Hot meat.
Iced booze.
Fat wallet.
Light banter laced with laughs, nothing serious.
All soaked into my fatigue like too much. Cheeks hurt from grinning.
"I'll hit Bronze Tier now, right? M-Me, Bronze Tier. Can't believe it."
Luna blinked like it was unbelievable. I got it—kinda weird for her too. But seeing Bronze adventurers on the expedition changed my mind.
Iron or Bronze, just slight experience or gear edges. All mid-tier doofuses, basically.
"Bronze means tougher jobs. Wonder if I can handle it."
"Worry not. You'll crush it even in Bronze."
I pictured her swinging silence totems, smashing skeletons and goblins.
Forget voodoo priestess—maybe she should just go full melee fighter like me.
"Thanks for the cheer. You're nicer than you look, Hassan."
"Me, nice?"
In this world, calling an adventurer "nice" wasn't much praise.
Only suckers who got used and couldn't speak up got that label.
"I sense it from your soul—you grew up loved by lots of people. Far from fights or strife. Right?"
"Hmm—."
Her words made me pause. As a 21st-century guy, was my childhood "overprotected"? Maybe.
Luna had a weird knack for this. Voodoo talent blooming? Then she added,
"But now you're a fiend who slices men and goblins without hesitation."
"Don't wanna die? Kill first."
"Fair. Still, glad we made it back safe. Losing an arm or leg wouldn't have shocked me. Giant skeleton dragons, crocs… You took on necromancers and survived. Amazing!"
Luna's eyes sparkled at the war trophy around my neck—the Black Star necklace. Looking back, shit, how'd I even beat those terrifying necromancers?
Fought in a battle frenzy, muscled through somehow.
Pure luck. Crocs, skeletons—no major injuries was a miracle.
Shit, how'd I survive?
Buzzed brain replaying the expedition, one fact flashed by.
"But your ankle okay?"
"My ankle why?"
"Tripped on that rock last time."
"Oh—. Yeah."
She nodded like she'd forgotten. Even for a space cadet like her, forgetting her own injury?
"Forgotten already? Must not hurt much."
"It twinges a bit now, but… bearable. Fine."
"Ignore it and it'll bite back. Clinic or salve it up."
Even in a med-tech world, you didn't ignore hurts.
Let alone here, where spit on wounds was "healing."
"What, clinic for this? They're pricey. Treat stuff you don't want, tack on fees…"
"True. Fees are no joke. Want me to rub it?"
"Uh, huh?"
Just booze-talk joke. Knew she'd balk at showing her ankle.
"W-Well, if you insist…"
[Author's Note]
*(Removed as per instructions)*