Birds flew over the houses, and some perched on the sheep just to annoy them. But they didn't just bother the sheep; they also troubled the poor shepherd, who struggled to keep his flock on track. The shepherd ran, his straw hat shielding him from the sun, his white beard swaying as he held his staff and yelled at two sheep that had strayed from the herd. After a while, he finally managed to bring them back, then collapsed to the ground with a sigh and muttered:"The sun is scorching today!"
After that, the shepherd noticed a gathering of villagers. He was puzzled and left his sheep to graze as he walked toward the crowd. There were more than ten people, perhaps even more. He pushed his way through until he reached the front row, where he found two individuals—a young man with black hair and green eyes, accompanied by a short demi-human girl. Both of them were dressed in luxurious clothing, unlike the villagers.
"Who are you?" a fat man asked, gripping a large shovel.
Well, things have come to this. I have to introduce myself and ask them to shelter us for a while. Yes, I must do it. There's no way I'll let Maris handle this. I have a responsibility—I have to speak for my girl. Fuck, this is tough for an introvert like me... What do I say? I'm way too nervous. Their eyes were all on us, and some stared directly into mine, making me even more anxious.
But it doesn't matter... I have to gather my courage and speak, or we'll be sleeping outside. This is seriously difficult. I mean... what should I say? Should I beg them, saying, "Please take care of us, we're homeless?" Or should I say, "We're lost, can you take us in?" No, no, I need to make it sound more pitiful. Should I cry?... Impossible! God, this is so embarrassing—having to talk to a bunch of villagers... I never had this problem with them in Minecraft, did I? Of course not—I never left a single one of them alive...
"Excuse me... We came here from one of the towns under Pascal Fiefdom." Maris spoke up. Fuck, she beat me to it. Fine, I have to speak now, or I'll be a femboy!
"Yes, yes... We lost all our money after a group of bandits robbed us... So please, we beg you, take us in for a short while until we recover from the shock... Please!" I managed to say with extreme difficulty.
After that, the villagers exchanged glances, seemingly discussing their next move. But they all kept whispering to the fat man with the shovel. Is he the mayor of this village? Or maybe he's just the most reliable guy around? After some time, the shovel man stepped forward. He looked intimidating, and even from a distance, his massive belly felt like it was getting closer to me.
"What are your names?" he asked, his sharp eyes locked onto me.
"L... Laos, and this is Maris," I answered, my gaze flickering between his massive belly and the villagers behind him.
"Is she your wife?" he asked again. What kind of interrogation is this?
"Yes," I answered before Maris could. Yeah, I beat her to it! No way was I letting her say yes first and make it seem like I wasn't eager to be her husband.
"You two seem quite wealthy, judging by your clothes, so—" the fat man started before another man interrupted him.
"Hold on, hold on, don't judge by appearances, Ciole... Let me ask them something first."
"What were you doing, and what were your intentions before the bandits ambushed you?" the man asked, stepping closer. Hah, does he think he's some kind of investigator?
"We're adventurers, and we were traveling through areas outside Pascal," I answered confidently. The key to lying is maintaining eye contact with the listener. I tried my best not to look away... but failed the moment I spotted a woman pulling out her boob to breastfeed a baby. What the fuck! Who the hell breastfeeds in the middle of a gathering?!
"Adventurers, huh? What rank are you... Silver? Gold?" the man questioned, stepping even closer.
"No, no... We're free adventurers. We don't belong to any guild," I replied. What do you think of my answer, Maris? I bet you're impressed! Hah! I'm a veteran in fantasy settings—I know there are always independent adventurers who don't follow any guild.
"Oh, so you two must be strong... Alright, what do you think, Ciole? The decision is yours now," the so-called investigator said, finally backing off.
"I already made up my mind from the start. Your interrogation was just a waste of time... There's no way a thief or a liar would wear clothes like these, right?" the fat man said, looking at me.
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. Speaking of clothes, aren't these just servant outfits? But you idiot, look at what these villagers are wearing. Compared to them, Maris and I look like nobles among a bunch of peasants, even though we're just wearing servant uniforms.
"Alright... I'll let you stay here for a week," he said, digging his shovel into the ground.
"Thank you," I whispered, extending my hand. And he shook my hand with his massive one.
Alright, we did it! We found shelter. Looks like luck has been on my side ever since I escaped the palace. Just watch, fate—I'll climb my way to the top and become someone who makes his own choices, not someone who lives under others' choices. I swear I'll do whatever it takes to quench the thirst for revenge that built up in that fucking palace. Yes! The story of the Divine Hero, the fictional story I made up on my first day in this world—I'll make it a reality!
◆ ◆ ◆
We followed the fat man after he told us to come with him to his house. Looks like we'll be staying at his place for a week. His house was the largest in the village, so yeah, I'm sure he's the one in charge here. Before we entered, he asked us to wait outside and went in alone. Probably to check with his family. So Maris and I stood by the door, waiting... and waiting...
Finally, he returned with a short woman who seemed to be his wife. After that, we entered the house. It felt more like a hut—wooden walls and ceiling, a large yellow rug on the floor, a few open windows, and a staircase leading to another floor. Looked like there were a few rooms as well... Not bad. I mean, it's the only shelter I have right now, so of course, it's not bad.
"Alright, you can use the upper floor. My wife and I will stay downstairs," the man said.
"Of course, thank you, sir!" I replied.
We went up to the second floor, which… well, wasn't any different from the first. The bathroom was just wooden boxes. When will this world invent proper sewage systems?! Fuuuck, this is disgusting. After that, the man and his wife left us, and it was just me and Maris alone on the floor… Alright, I have a week to figure out our next move, and the first thing I need to do is get some money!
Fuck, but I can't think straight. My mind is a mess... Suddenly, my heart started pounding hard, and sweat poured down my face. Petal… That scene is playing right before my eyes again. This is terrifying! Not just terrifying—it's making me feel like a lunatic. It's making me scared. I suddenly started crying. Yeah… This shock is hitting hard. I wiped my tears, but I couldn't stop them.
That blood… That face… The whole sight was horrifying. I kept sweating, and my heart kept hammering in my chest. I can't believe this is happening to me… I mean, I know it's trauma, but I feel like someone suffering from a fever. Fuuuuuuucckkkk, another torment to endure after escaping the palace… Suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering—it never leaves me!!
Is it going to chase me from place to place? A deep sadness weighed down on my heart, but I forced myself not to scream. And yet, all I wanted right now was to scream at the top of my lungs. Alright, I can't show these negative emotions to the one I care about the most right now… Maris. Even with all these problems, especially Thalesa's sudden disappearance, I need to help Maris so she doesn't develop a serious mental illness. Damn it, since when did I start putting others before myself…? I've really changed.
Maris' POV
The house was good—no, it was great. Since we had our freedom in it, that made it the best place. As I was looking around, I noticed Laos staring at the wall. I ran up to him and moved to see his face, and that's when he suddenly turned away, hiding his face… He was crying!
"Laos!" I called out loudly.
"Maris, please don't worry about me… I'm going through a wave of sadness, but I don't want you to focus on me and forget about yourself… I mean, I want to take care of you… but… but I don't know," he muttered as he wiped his eyes. Seeing him like this hurt me, especially when he was trying to play the role of someone who had to take care of others.
"Laos, what are you saying? That's nonsense. We're going to take care of each other… and if one of us has to look after the other more, then it'll be me," I whispered into his ear after pulling his head into my chest.
But in reality, his condition was clearly much worse than mine, and it seemed like he wasn't even aware of it. But why is he this sad? I mean, I saw Petal die too, and we went through the same suffering—maybe even more for me. But I'm not that depressed. Sure, there are some annoying side effects when I remember that scene, but they all disappear when I think about living with Laos… or the idea that we're now a married couple.
But why doesn't that thought ease Laos' pain too? Does he not like our marriage? But then why was he the first to answer when asked if we were a couple? Oh, goddess… Laos has always been such a complicated person. It looks like I won't understand him easily. But all I really want to know is… does Laos love me for real or not?
"Alright, Laos, just lie down. Our life together has begun. I'm your wife, and you're my husband, so you need to let go of the past and think about our future," I said as I pulled him toward the bed.
"I know… but I can't," he replied as he lay down.
"Well, this time, we can sleep together without any worries, so I think sleeping next to me will help. Right?" I said, lying beside him.
"I hope so," he replied. What do you mean I hope so? You should've said of course.
I slowly touched his face, then patted his hair. After that, his tear-filled eyes closed, and he finally surrendered to sleep. Alright, Laos, this is the right choice. Forget all your worries and sleep. Oh, goddess, I love you so much… You're my husband, and above all, you're the one who eases my pain… Laos, you're truly an angel sent down to me.
After some time of stroking his hair, I started feeling sleepy too, and I gave in. Slowly, I closed my eyes. We hadn't slept in a long time, so I wouldn't blame myself. I felt a pleasant chill from this bed, and the cool air kept flowing in from the open windows… Good… night… Laos.
…
"Ahhh… ahhh…"
As I slept, I was disturbed by the sound of a woman's moans from downstairs. It sounded like the man and his wife were enjoying themselves. I glanced at the window and saw that night had fallen. Near me, Laos was still asleep. Well, my sleep is over now. There's no way I can sleep any longer.
I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling… Alright, this is your life now, Maris. Maris, the married woman. It had been a truly horrible day. Petal… I'll never forget that scene for the rest of my life, though I wish I could. Rest in peace, Petal. And may the goddess cursed you, Gaziel. I won't forget the rest of you either—Camelia, Evol, Ferly—I hope I see you again someday… Suddenly, a tear rolled down my cheek. The memories of that palace still held a strong grip on my emotions.
"Ahhh… ahhh… mercy… Cioleeee… slower… ahhh!" That woman screamed. Ugh, this is annoying.
Suddenly, Laos sat up and intertwined his left hand with my right. Then, he touched my face. So he was awake too. After that, he slowly started caressing my chest. Then, he leaned in and whispered while gazing at me with his emerald-green eyes: "Let's enjoy ourselves too."