CH 55.1

From time to time, I have consistently sent 3000 to 4000 gold coins to Mars for his spendings.

It’s meant for him to occasionally go to the city to learn skills, and to spend his time training instead of earning a living by doing village chores.

I’m visiting him to make sure he is appropriately spending the money I have been sending him.

“While we stay in this village, you guys mustn’t reveal that I am a Hero.”

Before entering the village, I forewarned them.

Mars only knows me as an adventurer. That’s why I was able to become close to him, like a neighborhood brother.

But what if it’s suddenly revealed that I am a Hero?

He will be simply surprised at first.

With time, he may find it difficult to see me as equal which will create a sense of distance.

So, ignoring the answer of why they shouldn’t do it, I only added that they should never do it.

With me expressing my strong resolution regarding this matter, none of the three put it at issue. Only after getting confirmation from them, did I enter the village.

I got down the horse at the stable transit and walked out, when Eri spoke to me.

“Um. Cloud, are we now going to an inn?”

“Ah, you guys go ahead. I have someone to meet for a while.”

“Hmm… Cloud, can I ask who is the person you’re going to meet? Can I follow along~?”

“I don’t think it’s a problem… hmm, he wouldn’t mind either. Just keep in mind what I said before entering the village.”

I took them upto the hill behind the village.

“Do people even live in a place like this?”

“Of course.”

“There is a decent village over there, so why rust in a place like this? There’s not even a road.”

Eri grumbled as if she was exasperated with climbing the hill. I answered her why Mars lived here.

“He’s an orphan, like me.”

The three women stilled and their expressions hardened momentarily.

In particular, Eri was restless.

“A-Ah… I-I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant…”

“What are you sorry for? Though it’s a blessing, it’s also not a sin to be parentless.”

“…you never know.”

“Is that your personal experience, ha? I thought you had parents?”

“Yes..? Ah no, I mean…”

Seeing Eri in embarrassment, I smiled.

“It’s a joke. More than that—look, we arrived.”

I pointed to the hut located at the top of the hill. In front of the hut, a boy was wielding a wooden sword, his posture was miles different from the sloppiness of the past.

“Hey boy, Mars!”

The boy who was seriously practicing fencing with the wooden sword turned towards us. I waved my hand towards him. The boy’s expression brightened.

“Bro!”

The boy who put down his wooden sword to rush my way jerked suddenly and stopped at once.

Huh?

“Hey, where’s my touching reunion hug, laddy?”

“Hyung[1]… who are those beauties behind you?”

“Um?”

Only after looking behind did I realize why did Mars stop.

Out of nowhere, three Isabella-class beauties had appeared in front of him, and Mars was going through his teenage phase, lowering his immunity to the charms of pretty women. His heart must have abruptly jolted like a young fawn.

“My teammates.”

“Teammates?”

“As you know, I’m somewhat of a veteran adventurer, right? Therefore…”

“Hyung, I am very disappointed.”

""

Mars looked at me with a slightly disgusted gaze. For a moment, I was at a loss for words. As I stared blankly at him, Mars sighed and continued while shaking his head disapprovingly.

“I thought hyung was a genuine man with a genuine heart for love… I never thought hyung would be the kind of person who will be having an affair with three beautiful women at the same time…”

“You are itching for a beating, eh?”

“Heh heh. Oops—!”

Mars fell after being pressed to the ground by me. I asked, squatting on his back, looking at the sad punk who was tumbling in discomfort with a smile.

“Still think the same of your hyung, huh?”

“Of course, isn’t it…?”

Mars still had a suspicious gaze in his eyes.

Though, seeing my fist of brotherhood, he trembled, hastily correcting his words.

“I was wrong! I understand now! You all are just friends!”

“Uh, exactly. Simply companions. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Hyung, your colleagues are so beautiful… is it really just a coincidence? I have serious doubts.”

“Your itching’s showing no signs of stopping, eh? Need more help?”

“No, no! But… it’s weird. I can barely comprehend if there are one or two beauties teaming with you by chance, but here they are all beautiful! No matter how I look at it, it just cannot not look suspicious!”

Mars grunted as if complaining to the darn world for this unfairness, but I knocked on the punk’s head before his thought process turned into a dangerous direction.

As he looked back, I sagely patted Mars on the shoulders and explained.

“Mars, the continent is much bigger than you can imagine. Right now, in this small village where you live, the only beauty is Isabella, that pink woman, but on a continental basis, there are plenty of beauties. Women prettier and stronger than Isabella can fill wagons!”

“Hah, wagons..?”

Mars opened his mouth wide in astonishment…

“Hoh, it’s a lie! No matter how rural I am, I won’t be fooled by such lies!”

He shouted out loud as if denying the reality no matter what waited for him.

Poor guy.

Living in such a small village, he only got to see a pink woman to count her as a rare beauty difficult to find. If he had lived in a big city, he wouldn’t have been obsessed with that pink women like now.

That’s why people should fish in bigger waters.

“I must make you feel the cold reality. Neria, will you come over here for a second?”

I called for Neria who was standing farther away from us, talking to Eri and Ophelia.

“Neria? Bro, did you just say Neria? That Neria?”

“Yeah. She’s the Neria I told you about.”

“Oh..? So, what did Cloud tell about me?”

“Wait, you hear us from that far?”

I know she was not standing too far, but how did she heard it so clearly?

“I have always had confidence in my ears’ hearing… So, what did he say about me?”

When Neria repeated her question seriously for the second time, Mars’ expression fell into perplexity.

“Ah… we, that’s…”

“Don’t be noisy, go and get another wooden sword or something.”

I know he will make silly excuses that will only worsen the situation to the worst if I left him alone to his devices, so I chased him away promptly.

As Mars hurriedly set off to find another wooden sword, Neria made a curious expression, but she didn’t trouble me.

After a while, Mars brought with him another wooden sword and handed it to me.

“No. It’s not me who you should be handing the wooden sword, it’s her.”

I pointed at Neria with my index finger.

She cocked her head, and looked at the two of us.

“I promised you. I will make you feel the cold reality. Fight Neria, then you’ll find out if what I’m saying is true or not.”

“…alright.”

Mars apprehensively handed the wooden sword to Neria while looking nervous. Neria was bewildered even as she received the wooden sword.

“Cloud? Why this sudden sparring?”

“It’s sudden, but I request you. Just let him know how big the world is.”

When I patted her shoulder, putting my sincere request, Neria’s eyes widened.

She replied with a newfound smile.

“Okay. If that’s the case, trust me.”

“Do it in moderation. He is still low leveled.”

“Don’t worry.”

Neria nodded her head confidently.

I distanced myself from both of them.

A heavy silence flowed between Neria and Mars, who were waiting for the signal.

“Start!”

As soon as I lowered my hand, the match started.

“Aww!”

“Ha!”

Mars and Neria’s wooden swords collided.

And—Neria was almost defeated at the end of dozens of non-ending collisions between them.

…uh?

Wait for a moment…

Neria, she almost lost?

* * *

[1] A word used by Korean males to address another male older than them who they are close to. Hyung literally means “older brother”.