Chapter 3

Chapter 3. 1. Something Feels Off (2)

A small inn at the entrance of Darha Village.

On the first floor of this inn, which also served meals, several peddlers were having lunch.

However, few of them were solely focused on their meals.

This was because there were two strange fellows among the guests.

“Oh! Ohhhh!”

“It’s, it’s delicious!”

“Ah, so this is what ‘taste’ is!”

“Yes, this is what ‘boiling’ means!”

The two grown men had ordered nothing more than two loaves of barley bread and a bowl of stew, yet they were reverently gazing at the food as if they were performing some sort of ritual. Each time they took a bite, they caused a commotion.

Naturally, to the others, these men appeared to be quite unhinged.

‘What’s with those guys?’

‘Why are they making such a fuss?’

‘Did they starve for three days or something?’

‘If they were that hungry, shouldn’t they be shoveling it down? Why are they making such a show of eating it bite by bite?’

Even as the other guests murmured among themselves, the bizarre behavior of the two young men did not cease.

A short while later, when the innkeeper brought them two mugs of ale, they even started to shed tears.

“Gasp! Young master, this is—!”

“Alcohol!”

“Ah, just the smell is enough to make me feel faint!” (EN : The cringe is so great I’m getting second-hand embarrassment...)

It wasn’t some legendary liquor. It was just ale brewed at the village distillery.

In fact, the higher-quality ale had already been supplied to the lord, leaving only the lower-grade stuff for them.

Their reaction after gulping it down was truly a sight to behold.

“Ahhh!”

“I think I’d risk my life for just one more of these...”

“You literally did risk your life, young master.”

Seeing the two trembling after just a sip of ale, the other guests came to a conclusion.

‘They’re pitifully crazy.’

‘Let’s just ignore them.’

Regardless of how others reacted, Karnak and Varos were completely blissful.

It was the first meal they had tasted in decades.

Each bite brought a surge of supreme pleasure. They truly felt that nothing could make them happier than this.

...Or so they thought!

“Here’s your dish!”

At the table right next to them, a dish of chicken stir-fry, wafting an incredible aroma, was served!

“Gasp! They have chicken dishes here too?”

“This must be a high-class restaurant!”

Even in a village bustling with trade, rare meats like beef or pork were only seen during festivals, and even then, they were too expensive to eat regularly.

On the other hand, chicken was somewhat affordable. You could keep them in your backyard and twist their necks regularly.

Of course, that didn’t mean it was cheap enough to eat whenever you wanted.

The fact that you could get chicken just by paying for it indicated that this village was quite prosperous and had a large population passing through.

Yes, as long as you had the money...

The two began whispering to each other.

‘If we had some of that chicken as a side dish with our ale, it would be amazing!’

‘How much do you think that costs?’

It was clear that it wasn’t something they could buy with just a few coins.

Those customers were probably quite high-ranking travelers. Even their clothes looked rather exceptional.

Karnak’s eyes suddenly darted around.

‘Should we just kill them all and take their stuff?’

‘Act like a human! Act like a human, young master.’

Even if they gave up on living like humans, it would be impossible anyway.

Varos pointed this out coldly.

‘What power do we have to kill everyone here? We’d end up getting beaten to death instead!’

‘Y-Yeah, that’s true.’

They were no longer the Lich King who ruled the world, nor the strongest Death Knight.

With his shoulders drooping, Varos opened his money pouch to calculate the cost of the meal they had just eaten.

‘Ah, if only we had money...’

At that moment.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Varos’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What’s wrong?”

“Young master, something’s strange.”

“What is?”

Varos cautiously looked around before pulling his hand out of the pouch.

Karnak’s eyes also grew as wide as full moons.

“Huh?”

A silver coin was glimmering between Varos’s fingers.

“Why is that in there?”

Quickly, Varos stuffed the silver coin back into the pouch and lowered his voice.

‘It’s not just one.’

He then subtly showed the inside of the pouch to Karnak without letting others see.

‘There are more silver coins than copper ones.’

Hearing Karnak’s grumbling, Varos suddenly tilted his head.

“Huh?”

“What now?”

“When you think about it, do we really need to walk back? This is a relay station village. Why don’t we rent some horses?”

Between relay station villages, they rent out swift horses for messengers or merchants in a hurry. Buying a horse would require visiting a larger market, but renting one was possible.

The horses could only be used between relay stations, and the cost was significant, but...

“What’s the problem? We have plenty of money!”

Karnak, exasperated, scolded him.

“Have you no concern about where this money came from?”

Shaking his head, Varos countered.

“Will not spending the money make the worry go away?”

“Well, no...”

“Then let’s worry while we spend it! At least our bodies will be comfortable.”

Karnak blinked.

“Your body has to be comfortable for your mind to be at ease, and a calm mind solves problems better!”

What initially seemed like sheer foolishness actually started to sound quite logical.

“Well, that’s surprisingly persuasive.”

* * *

After their delightful meal, Karnak and Varos headed to the relay station on the west side of Darha Village.

The Darha relay station was quite a sizable facility, consisting of a two-story wooden building with a large stable attached. As they approached, a middle-aged man eagerly came toward them. He seemed to be the manager of the station.

“Oh, you’ve returned!”

For a moment, both men froze in place.

‘Returned?’

‘Us?’

The word “returned” implied that they had visited this place before.

The man continued, bowing slightly as he spoke.

“We’ve taken good care of the horses you left with us.”

‘We left horses here?’

‘We did?’

Despite their bewilderment, the two maintained calm expressions.

The middle-aged man then led them toward the stable. Among the dozen or so horses tied up, two brown steeds began to neigh and stamp their hooves as soon as they saw Karnak and Varos.

*Neigh!*

*Neigh-neigh!*

The man smiled warmly as he soothed the horses.

“These fellows are excited to see their owners again.”

Karnak and Varos exchanged uneasy looks.

They truly did seem happy to see them, as if they were familiar faces.

‘But this is our first time meeting them.’

‘They’re so thrilled, it’s almost overwhelming.’

The man handed over the reins and continued in a friendly tone.

“As instructed, I mixed high-quality feed with beans. Both of them should be brimming with energy.”

His attitude was consistently kind, even somewhat obsequious, which made it clear that he was expecting something in return. Varos gave Karnak a look.

‘This is one of those situations, right?’

Karnak understood immediately.

‘It sure is.’

‘Should I go ahead?’

‘Do it. We’ll see how he reacts.’

With Karnak’s approval, Varos, adopting a slightly arrogant demeanor, pulled out a silver coin and handed it over.

“You’ve done well. This is a small token of our young master’s appreciation.”

Instead of being surprised, the man accepted the coin as if he had been expecting it, bowing deeply.

“Thank you as always! I’ll fetch the saddles you left as well.”

As the man dashed into the relay station, Karnak muttered to himself.

“Always?”

“Sounds like we’ve given him tips like this before.”

“And with silver coins, no less.”

“Us?”

They were so baffled that they were nearly speechless.

This was the behavior of a wealthy noble who had more money than sense and little understanding of the world.

“What is going on here?”

At this point, even Varos was beginning to feel a creeping sense of unease.

“This might not be something to be happy about after all.”

“Ugh, I’ve been saying that all along, and you’re just getting it now?”

Karnak was deep in thought.

Had they really returned to the past?

It seemed so. The world mostly matched their memories.

But there were significant inconsistencies as well.

‘I need to get home quickly. That should be our top priority.’

Meanwhile, Varos was also lost in thought.

“How should we address them? Hey, what are your names, anyway?”

*Neigh!*

*Neigh-neigh!*

“...Talking to horses. I must be an idiot.”