Chapter 2
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: An Unfriendly Farewell
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Wandering Mercenary in an Open World (2)
“...I feel like an idiot.”
Luon didn’t miss the momentary glint of desire in the shaggy-haired man’s eyes as he stared at the necklace.
Through past experience, he knew better than anyone what people with that look in their eyes were capable of.
For a brief moment, their gazes locked mid-air. Amidst the strange tension, just as Luon’s hand, which had been under the table, began to move slowly toward the hilt of his sword,
“You—you’re the one who killed that banshee?”
the innkeeper rushed over with a gasp. He was in such a hurry that he didn’t seem to realize he was holding a dry towel and a beer mug in his hands.
“You really are a lucky guest to have!”
The innkeeper’s unexpected arrival broke the tense atmosphere, and Luon returned his hand to its original position.
Unaware of the situation he had just walked into, the innkeeper asked in an excited voice,
“Did you run into it last night?”
“I did.”
“Can you tell me how you killed it?”
“With my sword.”
The shaggy-haired man, who had been silently watching the exchange between the innkeeper and Luon, stood up from his seat.
“Congratulations. The reward money seemed pretty substantial. I bet your food tastes great, knowing you get to swallow it all by yourself. Well then, enjoy the rest of your meal.”
Returning to his companions, the shaggy-haired man added one more thing.
“See you around.”
Luon replied nonchalantly.
“If you say so.”
As if they had no more reason to stay, the shaggy-haired man and his party left the inn immediately. They must have exchanged some words on their way out, as they shot sharp glances at Luon as they walked through the door.
Unfazed by their stares, Luon calmly finished his meal, went straight up to his room, and fell into a deep sleep.
***
“Hah!”
A vein popped on Luon’s forehead. As his muscular arms lifted the boulder blocking the waterway, a chorus of “Woah!” erupted from the onlookers.
As he dusted off his soil-covered hands, an old man with sparse liver spots approached him.
“My goodness. They say a strong warrior is worth ten men, and you're living proof.”
“It was nothing.”
Since it was clearly not nothing, the old man smiled warmly. In his eyes, Luon was a rare young man who possessed both modesty and skill.
“Did you say you’re leaving today? Hobson seemed quite disappointed.”
“His pies kept me here longer than I expected. It’s time to go now.”
Luon answered, gently pushing away the children who clung to him.
“I see. Thank you for everything.”
“Of course.”
Luon gave a short nod and started walking toward the inn. As he opened the door and went inside, he saw Hobson smiling as he set down a pie and a glass of milk.
“Here you go. I put a little extra effort into it, since it’s your last one.”
Luon let out a faint smile as he looked at the deliciously baked pie. He had eaten it every day for a week, but he never grew tired of it. *So this is the last time I’ll have this pie. That’s a bit of a shame.*
It had already been a week since he started his mornings in this small village, where he had originally planned to stay for no more than a day. It was no exaggeration to say that more than half the reason was the pie right in front of him.
“Are you sure you didn’t put any Hapino in this?”
Luon asked while munching. Hobson chuckled heartily.
“You know that’s the third time you’ve asked, right?”
“That’s because it’s as addictive as if you’d put real drugs in it.”
“Haha, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Hobson, sitting across from Luon, watched with a pleased expression as he devoured the pie in an instant, then asked,
“Isn’t it a bit early to leave already?”
“A week for a traveler is like a month for a normal person. I’ve stayed long enough.”
Hobson remained silent for a moment after Luon’s reply, then slowly opened his mouth.
“Thank you. Thanks to you taking care of that spirit, everyone can rest a little easier. We no longer have to hide our children away before the sun even sets, so it’ll probably be noisy until quite late. And that’s not all. We’re truly grateful for all the help you’ve given with the village’s big and small tasks.”
At Hobson’s words, Luon shook his head.
“The banshee, I took care of for my own safety. As for helping with the village work, I just felt bad eating such delicious pies for free every day. That’s all.”
The banshee Luon had defeated a week ago was a notorious monster that had been roaming the forest for a long time, attacking nearby residents. It was also the creature that had brutally torn apart Hobson’s son, a hunter.
Luon looked at the middle-aged man before him. He knew that this skilled cook considered him a benefactor who had avenged his son.
That was precisely why Luon drew a clear line. He had no desire to be treated like a hero for killing a monster he had happened to stumble upon. Instead, he had repaid the free pies and lodging by dedicating his time to this small village. The past week had been Luon's way of hoping Hobson could ease his burden, and his departure meant he felt it was now enough.
“What’s a mere pie when I’m treating a benefactor?”
“Benefactor? Don’t be silly. I’ll be getting a hefty reward for it anyway. That’s all your tax money, isn’t it?”
Having said his piece, Luon stood up. After a brief check of his condition, he extended his hand to Hobson.
“Thank you for the delicious pies. I think I’ll miss them from time to time.”
“...Travel well, Luon.”
Hobson took Luon’s hand in his.
***
Luon glanced back for a moment, taking in the sight of the receding village. A village with incredibly delicious pies. A village where people didn’t hide their gratitude for even the smallest help. It was a place worth keeping as a good memory.
A group of men blocked Luon’s path as he quickened his pace. From within the group, a familiar face stepped forward. It was the shaggy-haired man from the inn.
“You took so long to come out... I was starting to think you'd settled down in that village.”
“Hobson’s strawberry pies are just that good.”
The shaggy-haired man snickered as if something was funny.
“Is that so? Well, anyway, I’m glad. If you hadn’t shown up by today, I was just going to storm the inn.”
“Why? Did you come up with a new job offer for me?”
The man sneered at Luon’s blunt words.
“I do have a proposal. It’s a simple matter, as long as you cooperate.”
The shaggy-haired man had dropped his polite tone. *That bastard?*
At a flick of the man’s hand, those standing behind him drew their weapons in unison.
“Just hand over the necklace and go. Do that, and I’ll let you live.”
*Really? I expected this, but that’s such a childish line.*
Before Luon could even reply, the men slowly closed the distance. Judging by their menacing aura, they had no intention of letting him go peacefully even if he gave them the necklace.
At the sight, Luon smirked.
*Right. I was being too sentimental. This is just how this world is. A damn world where people don’t hesitate to kill someone for a few coins.*
Luon reached into his tunic. Just as the shaggy-haired man was grinning vilely, thinking he was taking out the necklace, Luon smoothly extended his arm. A dagger flew along that trajectory, embedding itself deep in the throat of the large man at the front.
“Gack!”
The man’s eyes rolled back into his head as he fell stiffly to the side. It took only a few seconds for the man, who was trembling as if struck by lightning, to stop moving completely. Luon spoke coolly to the men, who were frozen by the sudden turn of events.
“Get lost now, and I’ll let the rest of you live.”
As if the words had wounded his pride, the shaggy-haired man shrieked hysterically.
“F-Fuck! Kill that bastard!”
At his cry, two men charged at Luon from either side. It was not a coordinated movement, but a mere reflex in response to a command.
Luon greeted them with a gentle roll of his wrist.
Dodging the sword thrust from his left, he threw a punch that broke his opponent’s neck. Meanwhile, his other hand drew the sword from his hip and slashed across the chest of the man charging from the right.
In an instant, two men collapsed to the ground. Finally realizing that something was going horribly wrong, the shaggy-haired man shoved his last remaining subordinate toward Luon and started to run.
“Aaargh!”
The subordinate lunged with his spear, letting out a sound that was somewhere between a scream and a war cry. Luon casually parried the attack, then lopped off the man’s head before turning his gaze to the fleeing man in the distance.
He didn’t bother to give chase. Grabbing the bow from his back, Luon nocked an arrow and unhesitatingly drew back the string. A moment of concentration. The fingers holding the end of the arrow slightly parted.
*Thwack!*
With a sound like a watermelon splitting, the man’s head exploded.
Luon turned back and plunged his sword into the chests of those who were still breathing. It took less than a minute for the tranquil forest path to be filled with the stench of blood.
He had killed five of them, but the experience points gained were far less than what he had gotten from the banshee. *Shit, and here I am, checking my experience points of all things.*
A self-deprecating smile settled on Luon’s lips as he looked at the path littered with corpses.
It was hard to see the twenty-six-year-old college student in the man who checked his experience points right after killing people, but Luon had no intention of making a fuss about it. He was just living another day in this damn game.
Luon cast aside the creeping thoughts and began to rummage through the pockets of the fallen bodies. He felt no self-loathing.