The Eccentric Dwalve's Reclusive Genius
We returned to the inn.
Even though we were back, we immediately started sharing our thoughts. It wasn’t exactly an easy conversation.
We sat on the bed with our backs pressed together.
I couldn’t see her face, but Winz’s familiar warmth spread across my back.
‘Winz is slimmer than I expected. Feels like she’d topple over if I gave her even a light push.’
The urge to protect her welled up. Winz might be stronger than me right now, but she was still a woman.
Of course, I was a woman too, but my soul was male—so that didn’t count.
I sighed, ready to bring up Renoir, but Winz spoke first.
“Even for a Dwalve, she seems to have an extraordinary talent. How does she pull that off from a distance… and it’s not even magic. The more I watch, the more fascinating it is.”
“That’s exactly why it’s such a waste. She’s holed up in seclusion.”
It was easier to understand if I compared it to reality. Imagine a genius who could lead every other genius at a company like Samsung, now living like some washed-up veteran in a rundown house.
Not that I blamed the country for it.
This wasn’t Korea. This was the Dharma Empire.
Still, letting talent like hers rot away was a loss for the whole world.
“But the world’s gotten pretty ugly lately, hasn’t it? People get jealous and sabotage you just for having talent.”
Viewzil suddenly came to mind.
People like that in reality? They gathered in communities, acting like they were the voice of justice, spouting the same nonsense together.
There was no logic there.
Only their own twisted version of it.
A sigh escaped me.
“Yeah. Trash like that exists everywhere.”
I scratched my head. Winz shifted slightly, probably trying to adjust her posture, and a small tremor traveled through her back.
“So, how are you planning to convince her?”
“Hmm. Something like, ‘Your daughter’s coming back to life? Snap out of it!’”
“…That’s the worst possible approach. And you’ve never even met her.”
“Isn’t that exactly why it might work? What do you think?”
“Th-that’s a bit…”
Guess not. I shrugged.
“Yeah, dropping facts on someone you’ve never met probably isn’t the move. Still, it’s tempting.”
“My lady, you’re oddly adorable when you’re scary.”
“You’re one to talk. And what’s with ‘adorable’?”
“Uheheh…♥”
Both of us burst out laughing.
Anyway, I needed to think more.
‘Meeting Bail won’t be hard. The real problem is what to say once we’re face-to-face.’
It was like stopping someone from committing suicide.
Back when I was a rookie hero, I’d once caught someone trying to jump off a building.
If I remembered right, just seeing me in my hero costume had given that person the strength to keep going.
Symbolism.
Even among famous people, not many possessed that kind of power.
But someone like that could make waves in politics.
Sometimes that symbolism produced unexpected results.
Could I pull something like that off?
‘I’m just the crazy bitch of this district.’
No. I’d do it. I had to. I was going to become the crazy bitch of this district.
Yeah. Even if things got heated, I’d just say whatever came to mind.
This was a story route that didn’t even exist in the original. Honestly, I had zero confidence.
But I believed in one thing.
Did we really need courage?
We had madness.
“My lady. I’m getting anxious…”
“Huh? She’s not gonna die or anything.”
“That’s an ominous thing to say…”
“Oh come on, shush. It’ll be fine.”
Winz was worried.
Vrrr!
A sudden vibration rang out.
Winz flinched.
“Hah♥”
I glanced at her squirming and pulled something out of my pocket.
It was the magitech terminal.
“Winz, what kind of noise was that…?”
“Oh my, I guess it wasn’t me?”
“Renoir gave me this magitech terminal, remember?”
“Hehe, it really is a prototype. The performance is excellent. It can even arouse me remotely.”
“It doesn’t have that function!”
Clicking my tongue, I answered the call. Winz was hopeless.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
-When are you going?
Renoir’s voice came through the terminal—still prickly, with zero trace of consideration.
“You called just to rush me?”
-Call? I like that word. Call!
“Anyway, I’m heading over now. Got anything you want me to tell her?”
No answer.
She seemed to be hesitating.
Then her voice came again, careful and deliberate.
-When you go see her, buy some cake or macarons.
“…Suddenly?”
-Bail likes sweets. More than her salary. Call me when you get back.
The call ended.
I thought for a moment.
Bail liked sweets? I’d never seen her eat anything in the original story.
I stretched into a long yawn and stood up.
Time to get going.
“Shall we head out?”
“Yes! Should we buy something for ourselves while we’re at it?”
“Sure, why not.”
Wouldn’t want to get hungry on the way.
As I opened the inn door, a mischievous impulse struck me.
I turned to Winz and shouted.
“Let’s go then. Come on, Barbie!”
It was a line I’d twisted from a pop song I knew.
She probably wouldn’t get it. If she got flustered, I could tease her and explain.
“Oh, yeah! Let’s go party!”
I doubted my own ears.
What? How did she know that?
‘Weird. When did I ever say it? I haven’t gotten drunk since coming here.’
Well, if I’d mumbled it in my sleep, it wasn’t impossible.
Still unexpected.
“Ahem. Let’s go.”
There were several routes east.
I planned to take the fastest one—the canal running along the river.
So we headed toward the Virgin River, which split Womanchester into east and west.
When we arrived after walking briskly, the river was crowded.
Everyone wanted to use the canal. Even the boat owners were shouting advertisements for their various vessels.
“Ride my boat! I’ll give you a discount! Hey!”
“Look at my boat! It’s red, right? Three times faster!”
“Fast, precise, perfect! Don’t underestimate the little guy!”
I looked around.
My eyes landed on the last boat owner who’d been shouting.
He was trying hard to advertise, but no one seemed interested.
Probably because his was a tiny rowboat with limited capacity. Obvious.
I walked up to him.
“How much for the ride?”
He was a man with permed hair and a thick beard.
He looked annoyed.
“Ah… I don’t take women.”
“Huh…?”
“River or sea, women bring bad luck. So I don’t take ’em.”
This bastard.
“I’ll pay you double. Just get moving. These little boats are faster anyway.”
“Ah, fuck! I said I don’t take women! You think I’m some cheap little boat? Fuck, who the hell do you think you are, woman?!”
The boatman suddenly exploded in anger.
He must have a complex about his tiny boat. Pathetic guy.
I shrugged. Then, making sure he couldn’t see, I clenched my left fist and drove it straight into his solar plexus.
Thwack!
At the same time, my right hand grabbed his throat. Plenty of flesh to squeeze.
“If I say move, you move. Why the hell are you acting up, you piece of trash?”
“Urgh… What kind of strength…!”
“Hey, you think I’m funny? Huh? Want me to pop one of your eyeballs out? Or swap the position of one eyeball and one ball?”
I deliberately pressed my left thumb against one of his eyes.
It wouldn’t hurt much, but he’d lose sight in it for a bit. He was already terrified.
“U-uaaah… Please! No, I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”
“Good. Now row east immediately. If we get there without any trouble, I’ll pay double.”
“Kehk, y-yes, ma’am!”
The deal was struck.
Winz smiled quietly.
Maybe because the boatman rowed like his life depended on it.
We reached the other side of Womanchester in just ten minutes.
Winz was making a fuss.
“Oh my goodness, you’re so fast! I’ll call you the Swift Little Boat from now on!”
I joined in.
“Or since he ran like he had two left feet, how about calling it the Stumpy Boat? Heh.”
Even though we openly mocked him, the boatman couldn’t say a word.
He just forced an awkward smile.
“Let’s get off, Winz.”
“Yes! My lady!”
Just as we were about to disembark.
The boatman stopped us with a serious expression.
“Wait a moment. What about the fare?”
I asked calmly.
“Didn’t I say? Double if we arrive without any problems.”
“Yes, I remember that!”
“Haa, but there is a problem. Look, a drop of water got on my clothes. What are you gonna do about it? These clothes are expensive.”
The boatman let out a dumbfounded breath.
“No, that happens when a boat moves fast! What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Oh? So if you can treat us like shit just because we’re women, then we can treat you like shit too, right? That’s fair.”
I took a step closer. The boatman panicked and backed away—straight into the river.
“Uwaaah, aah!”
Splash!
I was about to hit him, but he jumped in on his own. He really shouldn’t go out to sea. He’d get himself executed that way.
Still, I had to show some manners. I was the crazy-bitch concept, not actually crazy. If anything, I was a generous, noble lady.
I tossed a few gold coins at the boatman, who was now only showing his head above the water.
“Here. Go eat something and get lost. It’s pocket change to me anyway.”
“Huuueee…”
“Crying? Want another beating?”
“N-no, ma’am! Have a safe trip!”
Watching him desperately collect the gold coins, I felt a twinge of pity. Poor bastard.
We headed to a nearby bakery to buy cake.
Winz’s eyes sparkled like stars as she marveled.
“Ooh, orange cake with syrup! How about this?”
“There’s actual raw orange on top? That’s healthy.”
“Or how about the peach cake of love!”
“Oh… it looks like a butt.”
“Or this macaron cake!”
“…We’re buying this for someone we’ve never met, you know?”
Winz finally showed her true colors.
“In that case, buy some for me too! Uheheh!”
“…I’ll take this one.”
I bought the honey sweet potato cake.
Then we headed to the address Renoir had given us.
We met a guild employee.
But the employee’s face looked terrible. Did he need the bathroom urgently?
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, well… Bail didn’t come in to work this morning for some reason. She’s never done that before…!”
I exchanged glances with Winz.
Bail, who had never once skipped work, suddenly didn’t show up?