I've Realized It
The orc’s head rolled across the dirt with a wet thud.
“Phew. That should do it for today.”
It was his first monster hunt in three days. With his wallet completely empty, he had pushed his body to the limit. Today’s harvest was seven orcs. Honestly, he’d spent more time searching for them than actually fighting.
Jingle~
“Hey, kiddo. Looks like you worked hard.”
“Yeah, I did my best.”
Ryude stopped by the guild to sell the mana stones. The moment his pockets grew heavy again, the tension in his chest finally eased.
“Maybe I’ll treat myself to some fried chicken today.”
—Thud!
A sharp jolt shot through his shoulder. It was the same spot he’d tweaked earlier while fighting the orc. Ryude nearly cried out, but he clamped a hand over his mouth and whipped around.
“You’re that kid from before, aren’t you?”
A woman had suddenly whispered right in his ear. Ryude eyed her warily and shook her hand off.
“Please don’t touch me.”
Now that he got a proper look, he recognized her face. Where had he seen her? Ah, she’s the one who was being chased by that black orc.
He never expected to run into her here. The world really was small. Still, that was then and this was now. Ryude kept his guard firmly up.
Thud!
His shoulder was grabbed again. Fresh pain flared across his entire body.
“Come on, at least let me finish talking. Huh? What’s wrong with you?”
She stared in confusion at Ryude, who had crouched down and was writhing in pain. Only then did she realize he was actually hurting.
“Oh no. S-sorry! I didn’t know that spot was injured.”
Before he could protest, Ryude found himself half-kidnapped under the pretense of help and deposited at a nearby table. Sitting there with a sullen expression, he asked bluntly, “What do you want from me?”
“Aww, look at you. Don’t you remember me? We bumped into each other before.”
“I remember. We met in the mountains the day before yesterday.”
“Wait, you knew? That makes this easy then. Oh, right—drink this first.”
She thrust a drink at him from who-knows-where. He eyed it suspiciously, but it really was just a cold beverage. She kept staring at him with an expression that clearly said hurry up and drink it.
“Haa.”
Ryude took a reluctant sip and tried to steer the conversation back on track. “So, what exactly do you—”
“How is it? Delicious, right?”
“Huh?”
“That’s my personal number-one recommended drink. Well? Well?”
What kind of conversation was this? He couldn’t follow the flow at all. But his instincts told him that if he didn’t answer, the discussion would never move forward.
“…It’s refreshing and sweet. It’s good.”
“Right? Right? You’ve got taste! My husband hates sweet things, so no matter how many times I recommend it, he refuses to even try it!!”
“…………”
Completely at a loss for words, Ryude simply sipped the poor drink. Then, as if she had just remembered something, she spoke again.
“Oh, right. I’m Lyla.”
“I see.”
“So, what’s your name?”
“Ryude.”
“Ryude?”
“Yes.”
After the brief exchange of names, silence settled over the table for a moment.
—Tap!Scrape!
“If you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll be leaving now.”
“Ah, w-wait!!”
Ryude couldn’t stand the awkward atmosphere any longer and stood up first. But Lyla’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm again.
“Thank you—!!!!”
What followed was an abrupt, full-powered head-bow of gratitude. The sudden dogeza left him completely stunned.
“Thank you so much for saving us back then!!!”
Ah. If only you’d started with that.
—
Ryude and Lyla made plans and parted ways. They’d been kicked out of the guild for causing a scene.
Two days later.
“It feels weird to say I’d come and then not show up.”
Truthfully, since they were never going to see each other again, he could have refused without any issue. But he’d gotten swept up in her energy and accepted the invitation. His conscience had nagged him until he finally showed up at the promised location.
It wasn’t far. The destination, however, was a little surprising—an ordinary family home.
“Ah, you’re here!”
“Yes.”
It was neither rundown nor particularly fancy. When he knocked, Lyla greeted him with a bright, sunny smile.
How long had it been since he last visited someone else’s house? Now that he was actually stepping inside, he felt strangely nervous. Ryude hesitated for a moment before crossing the threshold.
“Could you head to the kitchen first? The house is small, so you should be able to find it. I’ll bring my husband.”
“Ah, sure.”
The smell of delicious food drifted through the air. It was the kind of scent that somehow put the heart at ease. Ryude followed the aroma into the kitchen.
A table laden with a feast filled his vision. Steam rose gently from freshly cooked rice.
“So that’s what she meant by ‘making dinner.’”
Usually when someone you barely knew had business with you, they offered to buy you a meal, not make one. He’d found the phrasing odd, but it turned out she had meant it literally.
“…Yeah, that tracks with her personality.”
Lyla was the transparent type. You could see straight through her. Ryude nodded to himself and took a seat.
After a few minutes of awkward waiting, the man he had seen before finally appeared. His steps were unsteady—his wounds clearly hadn’t fully healed yet—and Lyla supported him from the side.
“Here, sit down. Easy now~”
Lyla helped him into a chair, then sat beside him. The atmosphere quickly grew awkward, so she spoke first.
“This is my husband, Arnold. Honey, this is Ryude.”
“So you’re Ryude. I, well… I’d like to get on my knees to thank you properly, but my legs aren’t cooperating… I’m truly sorry.”
Like husband, like wife. Why were they both so fond of kneeling? Ryude waved his hands quickly.
“It’s fine, please stay seated. I already heard plenty of thanks from Lyla.”
He shrugged at them.
“More importantly, I’m starving. Can we eat first?”
“H-huh? Oh, yes!! Eat up, eat up. There’s plenty more, so don’t hold back!”
“R-right. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Since he was already here, he didn’t want the awkwardness to drag on. He picked up his spoon and started eating.
The food was clearly delicious. Yet he couldn’t tell whether it was going down his throat or his ears. The two pairs of eyes staring intently at him from across the table were simply too intense.
“Um… it’s hard to eat when you stare like that.”
“Ah. R-right!? Of course. I should eat too. Nom~”
“S-sorry. I just woke up, so my head’s still a bit fuzzy. Hahaha~”
They really were a good couple. A high-energy wife and a gentle husband who calmly supported her. Even eating in silence, they created a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
After what felt like an endlessly long meal, Lyla brought out warm drinks from the kitchen. Then, with serious expressions, the couple bowed their heads.
“Thank you for saving us. Truly.”
“I’ll say it once more. Thank you so much for saving us. We will never forget this debt.”
“Please raise your heads. As long as all three of us survived, isn’t that enough?”
“No. No matter how you look at it, you’re our savior.”
“That’s right. Honestly, when Lyla first told me, I was skeptical. After what we’d been through, I thought you must have died. I was so foolish. I’m really sorry.”
One kept thanking him, the other kept apologizing. Ryude, unsure how to respond, let out a small sigh.
“Actually, I’m not your savior. The person you should be thanking is someone else.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
The couple looked puzzled.
“After I sent you two away, I was attacked right away. That black orc probably had more than enough time to kill me and then chase after you.”
Both of them widened their eyes in shock. Lyla, overflowing with curiosity, slammed the table and leaned forward.
“W-what do you mean? Then how are you still alive??”
It was a question with many details left out. But since he already knew her personality a little, it didn’t offend him. Arnold gently restrained her from the side.
“Lyla, he’s our savior. Watch your words.”
“Ah… s-sorry. I didn’t mean it like that…”
“It’s alright.”
Lyla, now thoroughly deflated, sat back down while Arnold listened carefully to Ryude’s next words.
“You both probably know her. The ‘Blood Witch’—”
Slam—!!
At the mention of the Blood Witch, Lyla slammed the table again.
“What!? You met her!?”
“Really? You actually met her!?”
This time even Arnold didn’t try to stop her.
It was the truth anyway. Ryude recounted everything exactly as it had happened.
“Yes. She saved me. It seems she was just passing by at the right moment. She cut down the black orc in a single strike and left.”
The couple’s faces were frozen in pure astonishment.
“I guess I was lucky. Anyway, if not for her, none of us would be here right now. Do you understand?”
After hearing the full story, they fell into thought. They exchanged glances, then spoke.
“Ryude. You might feel that way, but we see it differently. It might be results-oriented thinking, but if you hadn’t drawn the black orc’s attention back then, we would have died anyway.”
“Yeah, exactly. Ultimately, even if it was the ‘Blood Witch’ who saved us like you said, we still owe you our thanks. That fact doesn’t change.”
“I see.”
“Yes!!”
The two nodded in perfect unison.
Since they were so insistent, there was no point in refusing.
“Then I’ll graciously accept your thanks. The meal was delicious too. Is that good enough?”
He spoke as if trying to wrap things up. But Lyla clearly thought it was a shame to end the conversation there.
—
“Ah, so that person really lives around there?”
“That’s what I’ve been saying. She’s so famous that pretty much everyone knows about her. You really didn’t know?”
“Yes, well. I’m not really interested in worldly matters.”
“Pffft, what is this kid saying? He’s so young but talks like an old man.”
The conversation had completely swept them away. As expected, Ryude had been thoroughly caught in Lyla’s pace. Still, it explained why she had appeared back then. The loud thumping sounds must have bothered her.
“Ryude. As you probably noticed, that mountain is a dangerous area. But because the ‘Blood Witch’ lives there, even the guild was reluctant to station watchmen. So they settled for assigning patrol duties as a compromise.”
While Lyla laughed merrily in the background, Arnold neatly summarized the situation.
She doesn’t seem like a bad person. Scary, though.
It was hard to judge from first impressions alone, but the fear people felt toward her came from her power, not her personality. And despite how famous she was, he had never heard any stories about her killing innocent people. Rumors among humans always got distorted. It was the same principle as school—when there was a strong but gloomy student, rumors would spread calling them a thug or delinquent.
“Oh, that’s right!!!”
Lyla, who had been listening quietly, suddenly kicked her chair back and dashed off somewhere. Three seconds later she returned with a single sheet of paper in her hands.
Ruthenia Imperial Academy Recruitment Notice
Applications now open for the upcoming term.
Minimum age: 16
Those possessing both exceptional intellect and martial prowess are encouraged to apply.
— The path to true strength begins here —
“Look at this, look!!”
Lyla placed the paper on the table with a huge grin.
“Ah, is this what you mentioned before?”
“Yes, yes. Doesn’t it look good?”
“I think it’s nice?”
“What is it?”
At a glance, it was clearly a recruitment notice. Lyla smiled slyly and asked, “Ryude, do you know about the Academy?”
“The Academy?”
The information was already in his memories. The Academy. It was a word no resident of this world could fail to recognize. It wasn’t exactly like high school or university. To enter, one needed not only intelligence but sufficient martial strength as well. Most of the curriculum revolved around monster subjugation, after all. Of course, students could choose other courses depending on their interests.
Hmm. I’m not really interested.
Creating such an educational institution was certainly praiseworthy. But that was it. While several academies existed across the nations, each country usually only had one or two. The Ruthenia Empire where Ryude lived had only a single one. That meant only the truly talented—those at the very top—could enroll.
What would happen then? There was a common joke that even graduating at the very bottom of the Academy would bring wealth and honor. Most people knew the saying wasn’t entirely empty. So the outcome was obvious. More people would enter the Academy to show off their power rather than to learn. Even if someone enrolled through sheer luck, the constant jealousy and envy from all sides would be unbearable.
“Hmm? What are you thinking so hard about?”
“It’s nothing.”
“More importantly, Ryude. How old are you this year?”
“Fourteen.”
“Fourteen… Then in two years you’ll be able to enroll!”
Lyla expressed joy as if it were her own business. As she said, the minimum age for Academy enrollment was sixteen.
Ryude gave a bitter smile. “I understand what you’re saying, but as you can see, my abilities aren’t anything special.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
She looked genuinely confused.
“I mean exactly what I said.”
“Eh?”
“??”
The conversation wasn’t connecting at all.
“You were hunting in that forest, right!?”
“Yes?”
“And today you came back after catching orcs, right!?”
“So?”
“How many did you catch!?”
“Seven.”
“What!?!?!?”
Lyla’s mouth fell open. Even the usually calm Arnold lost his composure and stared in shock.
“Huh. I knew you were impressive, but I didn’t realize it was to this degree.”
“??”
Lyla clutched her head as if dizzy. What on earth is making her react like this?
“Ryude. What exactly did you think I meant earlier? I told you that forest is a danger zone!”
“Yes, well. Isn’t it dangerous because monsters appear?”
“No. Absolutely not!”
Lyla struggled for a moment on how to explain, then finally found the words.
“The orcs you caught. Ordinary people absolutely cannot hunt them.”
“Huh?”
“They’re monsters that only veterans like us can handle.”
“Huh…? But the guild lady definitely said…”
He couldn’t understand. The middle-aged woman at the guild counter had clearly told him that Popal Bunnies and orcs were low-level monsters that were easy to catch.
“Guild lady? Did she look like this?”
Lyla quickly sketched a portrait and showed it to him. It wasn’t artistically great, but she had captured the feeling perfectly. It was definitely the same woman.
“Yes, that’s her.”
“Haa……”
Lyla let out another long sigh.
“You really shouldn’t believe anything that auntie says.”
“Why not?”
“That person is the former commander of the Imperial Knight Order. Her standard for strength is on a completely different level.”
“What?”
Wait, what did she just say? That all the information he had received until now was a lie?
Ryude’s head spun as if he had been hit with a hammer.
“Ryude. How did you first meet her?”
“The first time… I caught a dagger-wielding rabbit and went to sell it. That’s when I met her.”
“As I thought.”
Lyla nodded as if every puzzle had finally clicked into place.
“That person has always liked telling little white lies to promising kids. She’ll say things like ‘Popal Bunnies may be quick, but they’re weak’ or ‘Orcs may be strong, but they’re slow.’ Of course those statements are technically true, but they don’t apply to ordinary people at all.”
Is this The Truman Show or what?
Feeling completely dumbfounded, Ryude asked, “T-then what exactly counts as a weak monster?”
“You haven’t been anywhere except that forest, have you? Just in the meadow right next door, there are tons of gentle monsters like horned rabbits and slimes. And there are just as many people who can’t even hunt those gentle ones.”
His mentality thoroughly shaken, Ryude leaned back heavily in his chair.
“Then… if Popal Bunnies are worth ten silver and orcs only one silver, how are people supposed to make a living hunting monsters?”
According to her, those two monsters were actually fairly strong. So if the killer rabbit was worth 10,000 won and the orc 100,000 won, how were people supposed to survive? Would slimes and horned rabbits only be worth about 500 won each?
“What!? What are you talking about!?”
“When I sold the mana stones at the guild, that’s all they gave me.”
“You sold them to that auntie!?”
“Yes.”
“Agh, seriously.”
Lyla slammed the table as if she were the one who had been wronged.
“Ryude. Listen carefully.”
“??”
“Popal Bunnies are one silver coin each. Orcs are ten silver coins each. That’s the current market price among monster hunters. Understand?”
“Eh…?”
The value had suddenly increased tenfold. So the rabbit was actually worth 100,000 won and the orc 1,000,000 won? Meaning he had only been receiving ten percent of the proper amount this entire time?
“…So I’ve been getting scammed this whole time?”
“No, it probably wasn’t intentional. That auntie is eccentric, but she’s not the type to actually scam people.”
“Then what was it?”
“It was probably just a prank.”
Slam!
Lyla hit the table and shot to her feet.
“Ryude. What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean ‘huh’? Get up. We’re going to get your money back!”
“Ah~”