Chapter 15:

Chapter 15:

Ascal reclined leisurely in his comfortable chair, caressing Fer. It had

gradually gained some weight, and its fur had grown lush, making it feel

pleasant to touch.

Soon, this little one will outgrow his size. I might need to get a stable for

him.

Usually, people pay to keep their horses in communal stables. But if anyone

were to discover that this little one was a Pegasus, it would become

troublesome.

Of course, setting up a personal stable would be costly, but Ascal had saved

up a considerable amount of money.

It tickles, you little rascal.

It was still very much the time for it to yearn for its mother.

Pushing away Fer, who was trying to snuggle into Ascal's arms, and playfully

teasing him, a sound emanated from the magic radio powered by mana stones.

<Todays story is from Retirement Hopeful.>

Retirement Hopeful.

It was Ascal own pseudonym. He tuned in with interest.

<Hello. I am an employee working at an abusive workplace. I want to get

fired, but even when I intentionally mess up, things strangely work out and I

end up succeeding. At this rate, I might end up spending my life here. What

should I do?>

They say the kings ears were donkeys ears*.

Ascal needed to vent this

suffocating feeling somewhere.

In that regard, the empires magical communication device, or rather, the

radio, was an ideal medium for stress relief.

The host read Ascals dilemma in a neutral tone and then responded slowly.

<Thats an unusual problem. Cant you just quit? If circumstances dont

allow, hmm... maybe if you decide to succeed from the outset, you might end up

failing.>

It felt as if a light bulb lit up in his mind.

Ascal had always tried to fail, but things always turned out the opposite. What

if he set his mind on succeeding from the beginning? Would he then fail?

Getting up from his spot, Ascal decided to test this theory.

<Todays lucky zodiac is Leo, and the fortunate direction is the West!

Wishing everyone a wonderful day!>

After turning off the receiver, Ascal prepared to head out.

Perhaps today, he might finally break free from this unwelcome spiral of

success.

***

Guilds...

Even in the capital of the Barba Empire, guilds existed.

When one thought of a guild, the image that often came to mind was a beautiful

receptionist, and quests ranging from F-rank to A-rank.

The image Ascal had of guilds wasnt much different from this.

However,

The moment he stepped into the guild, the image Ascal held shattered to

pieces.

These days, the port union pays pretty well.

But once you go there, arent you stuck for a month? I heard many even die on

those ships.

Where can you find a job thats both safe and pays well? One has to take

everything into account...

It was not what he had expected.

The people, who clearly looked like theyd been doing physical labor for

more than a decade, were deeply inhaling from their pipes.

To put it in perspective, this place felt more like an employment agency for

seasoned professionals.

Ascal turned around, intending to leave the guild immediately.

Ah, a face I havent seen before. Are you a newbie?

A newbie?

youll arrive in the village of Erindale to the west- That land is cursed so

no crops grow there- The livestock are starving to death- The villagers hold

onto a thin thread of hope and barely survive-

The coachman hummed.

Is he singing or cursing?

Quite some time had passed since they set off. After having some preserved

food and water he brought, the carriage stopped at a village.

-Erindale Village-

The sign looked so old and fragile; it seemed like it would fly away with the

slightest gust of wind.

I dont see any people.

Hmm, its because its nighttime. Weve arrived, so Ill be on my way.

The coachman dropped Ascal at the village entrance, snapped the reins, and

disappeared beyond the horizon.

It was night.

Unlike his previous life, night was a time to be extremely cautious in this

era.

Without any light, one couldnt see even an inch ahead. If they

encountered wild animals, they could easily go missing.

Ascal held a somewhat expensive flint torch that hed bought and began

searching for villagers.

As he ventured deeper into the village, he saw a place lit up. There was a

campfire, with smoke rising.

Unsure if it might be dangerous, Ascal approached the campfire stealthily,

muffling his presence.

Voices of people discussing could be heard.

Weve run out of food today.

All the chickens, pigs, and cows have starved to death.

What about the children? Even if we endure, how will they?

Village chief. We need to make a decision.

They looked like a Native American tribe with their face painted.

The one referred to as the village chief suddenly stood up and declared,

I will sacrifice myself. Eat me. It should tide us over for a few days.

...Chief!

Ancestors, watch over me!

The chief held up a long knife and closed his eyes.

Wait! Just wait a moment!

Startled, Ascal rushed into the space between them and the campfire.

Who are you?

In an instant, all eyes were fixed on Ascal.

-Licked.

It sounded like someone had just licked their lips in anticipation, but he

must have been mistaken.

Im here on a request from the guild.

Is that true?!

The chief dropped his knife, his face lighting up.

But youre alone?

The chiefs tone dropped again. It looked like he might pick up the knife hed

just discarded.

...Ive brought some food with me.

Our savior has arrived! Bring forth the savior of our village!

Whooooo!

Sweat dripped from Ascals forehead.

He came to ensure success, but at first glance, this mission seemed far from

easy.

For the first time in his life, he might experience the failure.

I can feel the acid churning in my stomach. Hehe.

Ascal felt a thrill.

[TN: The kings ears were donkeys ears: It's an idiom used by Koreans when they have something to gossip about, they sometimes start the conversation by saying, ' ?' which translates to, 'Hey, can I tell you a kings ear, the donkeys ear?' This is akin to asking, 'Can I share a piece of gossip with you?'

***

Also, just wanted to thank everyone who rated this novel after my request yesterday; you guys are the best. And, oh - I also created a Patreon: if you want to support me and read 3 chapters ahead of the release, don't forget to check it out. Here's the link: /OracleTls ]