A Peculiar Encounter

It had been two days since I escaped Elena's immediate clutches.

Contrary to my dread that she would manifest every waking hour just to grate on my nerves, her visits were surprisingly erratic.

"Boss! Training again today?"

"Don't you want to learn magic? I can teach you really well, you know!"

"If only that damned wench hadn't shoved a sword into your hands..."

Well, I figured it was best to pretend I never heard that last mutter.

At any rate, she simply flickered in and out of the bracelet every now and then before vanishing again. Considering how that chilling glint in her eyes had made me dread a full-blown Nice Boat murder-suicide ending, this was beyond optimal—an outcome so merciful it defied evaluation.

My anxiety, however, had stemmed entirely from what transpired yesterday during one fleeting moment she chose to drop by.

"Disciple, what is this hollow husk?"

"Oh, the sword-swinger speaks? I figured you were too illiterate to manage human speech."

"For an empty husk, you flap your gums quite boldly."

"Brainless sword bitch."

"Shall we test that edge of yours?"

"Bring it on."

The moment Elena materialized from the bracelet, both she and Yeong So-so grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and dragged me up the mountainside. What unfolded next was a catastrophe that defied human language.

KABOOOM—!

CRASH—!

SHRRRIIK—!

Yeong So-so boasted parameters averaging high into the S-rank, while Elena fought with stats severely diminished by her avatar form. Yet despite calling it a mere 'light spar,' thunderous detonations tore across the peak, invisible slashes cleaved the canopy, and the raw violence of their collisions was ferocious enough to spiderweb the surrounding space itself.

BOOOOOOM—!

When their supreme techniques collided head-on, a sound like an exploding cache of dynamite blew clean through the mountainside, boring out a tunnel-sized crater. If anyone back on Earth claimed a human being was responsible for such devastation, people would have stared in genuine pity and asked, "Should we... call an ambulance for you?"

"A draw, then."

"I couldn't risk scuffing the Boss, after all. Still, if you're this competent, I suppose I can trust you with him. I'll grant you my special permission."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"By whose authority do you claim ownership over my disciple?"

"Ownership? Ownership, you say... Hmm, mm. That has quite a lovely ring to it, don't you think?"

Crazy psycho.

Wearing an inscrutable smirk, Elena melted serenely back into the bracelet. And Yeong So-so...

"I shall spend the remainder of the day inside my quarters to assimilate the martial insights gleaned from this bout."

"Suit yourself."

"..............."

Crack—!

Without another word, she drove her fist straight into the crown of my head before turning on her heel and marching into her room.

Vicious wench...

I swear I'll have my revenge on you one day...!

A telepathic transmission...? Right after her voice resonated in my mind, a remote knuckle-thump smacked cleanly into my skull. Since she was already an existence far beyond the bounds of mortal sense, I simply rubbed my bruised head and tried to walk off the throbbing agony.

Seriously, is her hand forged from solid iron? How the hell does a single knuckle rap still sting thirty minutes later...?!

After thirty minutes of muttering curses under my breath, my feet carried me to a fairly well-known tavern in the city. I had plenty of coin, Yeong So-so was holed up in seclusion, and above all else, it had been far too long since I last indulged in alcohol.

"Barkeep! A large mug of barley ale over here!"

"Coming right up~!"

A frothing tankard was slammed onto the table almost the instant my rear hit the bench. Foam bubbled over the rim, carrying the fragrant scent of roasted malt that I hadn't smelled in weeks, accompanied by a side of plump medieval-style sausages and roasted potatoes. The aroma was so familiar it brought tears to my eyes, and without a moment's hesitation, I tipped the mug back.

Gulp—!

Gulp—!

The toasted barley flavor surged through my palate, followed by the crisp, tingling bite of carbonation.

Ah, yes. This is bliss. Pure, unadulterated ecstasy.

With tears practically welling in my eyes, I was midway through draining my second tankard when a commotion broke the ambient chatter.

"Haha, what an absolute dimwit."

"Did you honestly think we had our hands on the 'Tears of the Fairy'?"

"Can't tell if her skull is hollow or if she's just got balls of steel."

A rough gang of heavily tattooed thugs had cornered a lone female patron. Judging by her attire, she appeared rather well-off, and they were in the middle of shaking her down. From what I could piece together, they had baited her with promises of rare trade goods to extort her coin.

She was a complete stranger, so my natural instinct was to mind my own business and finish my drink. Right until—

A blinding migraine struck without warning. Memories flickered across my vision like frames of a grainy black-and-white film.

Damn it.

Those wretched memories I had fought so desperately to forget clawed their way back to the surface. Memories that refused to die, no matter how deep into the abyss of my consciousness I buried them. Giving myself over to the tidal wave of that recollection, my body moved on its own.

"Huh? Who the fuck are you to grab my shoulder, asshole?"

"Does swindling people make you feel good about yourselves?"

"Pfft—bwahaha! Didn't expect there'd be a second retard here today! Yeah, you asking if it feels good? Hell yeah it does! Though nothing beat the time we tricked that orphan brat out of his entire life savings...!"

CRACK—!

My fist drove straight into his jaw, snapping his neck at a grotesque angle. In that instant, any ambiguity vanished: these things were not human. Despite being born in human skin, they had discarded all shame and moral conscience, degenerating into mere beasts. And against beasts, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠felt no need for hesitation.

Petty scoundrels averaging barely Level 15. They brandished a flurry of rusted daggers and blades to carve me apart, but—

Swish—!

I seized the nearest thug's wrist, stripped the dagger from his grip, and—

Thwack—!

Drove it clean into his spine. Ripping the steel free, I planted it through another man's thigh, then hurled it into the back of a coward attempting to bolt for the door. I cut. I carved. I broke.

By the time the red haze cleared from my vision, all fifteen thugs lay broken and incapacitated beneath my feet, groaning in agony and stripped of any capacity to move.

"..............."

Should I kill them?

Snuffing out their lives would be as trivial as crushing ants beneath my boot. Unlike when I first tumbled into this brutal world, I no longer harbored the slightest reservation about ending human lives. In fact, that squeamishness had evaporated completely.

Finding my own cold indifference somewhat peculiar, I glanced toward the barkeep watching from behind the counter.

"Barkeep. Are these the kind of vermin I can slaughter without trouble?"

"Well, frankly speaking... they're convicted scum, so I doubt anyone would punish you. But I'd rather you didn't soak my tavern floor in any more blood."

"Fair enough."

Lucky bastards. If not for the master's consideration, you'd all be corpses right now.

Swallowing the remaining vitriol, I pulled out every weapon lodged in their flesh and tossed the whimpering heaps out into the dirt street. They were half-baked amateurs through and through, unworthy of even a single sword technique or secret concept Yeong So-so had drilled into me. Expending ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠any more energy on them felt like a waste, so I tipped back the fresh ale the tavern keeper offered as thanks.

"Khaaaah! Pure heaven! Absolute paradise!"

"Hmm. What brings you such delight?"

"What brings me delight? Just being alive, I suppose."

"Delighted simply to be alive? Fascinating. Truly fascinating."

"Wait, who are you to start talking to—"

Turning toward the voice, I froze. Sitting right across from me was the very patron who had nearly been swindled moments ago, wearing an impossibly calm, detached composure.

He—no, she—continued in an unhurried cadence.

"Several curiosities have arisen in my mind, but let me ask a few things. Why did you go out of your way to intervene back there? Did you harbor designs on my coin as well?"

"Bullshit... Why the hell would I do that?"

"Indeed, that seemed unlikely. Then why?"

"No grand reason. It's just what people do. As you live your life, you find yourself helping out in messy situations from time to time... Though lately, I suppose I've been sticking my nose where it doesn't belong a bit too often."

Wait, what's wrong with me?

Was I always the type to babble this openly with a total stranger?

A prickle of unease crawled down my neck, prompting me to scrutinize her once more. Beneath the deep cowl of her traveler's cloak, golden eyes peered out, dissecting the very fabric of my existence. Even though I was fully dressed, I felt as if every layer had been peeled away beneath that gaze—an oppressive, suffocating pressure so terrifying it instantly vaporized my drunken buzz.

My instincts shrieked.

This person. She is at least on par with the Minotaur—if not far, far stronger.

"Indeed. Yes. Viewing the world solely through the lens of gold and utility is evidently flawed. It seems wandering about in disguise was worthwhile after all. Truly worthwhile."

"What are you talking about... I mean, what do you mean by that, ma'am?"

"No need for honorifics. Even if you are weaker than I, I hold your resolve and conduct in high regard."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it, but..."

"I ought to return to the merchant guild soon. If one indulges in pastimes for too long, breaking away becomes rather difficult."

With those parting words, she rose from the table and glided toward the exit. Pausing at the threshold, she turned back to face me.

"I have taken quite a liking to you. It has been an eternity since I encountered a genuinely virtuous soul, so consider this a gift."

Clack—!

A pocket watch arced through the air and landed squarely in my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠palm. I had no idea what function it served, but its craftsmanship radiated immense value, so I tucked it carefully into my inner pocket.

"Until next time, should fate allow our paths to cross."

With a light flick of her wrist, her cloak billowed, and she vanished into thin air.

The parting glimpse I caught beneath that hood lingered vividly in my mind: shimmering golden hair catching the sunlight, and crimson eyes that burned with a radiance fierce enough to eclipse the sun itself.

Damn, seriously...

Why is everyone in this world so unnervingly gorgeous?

Against all better judgment, my heart gave an involuntary flutter.