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“Peddler! I told you not to come this way! Why do you keep loitering in front of our store?”

“Ah, I apologize!”

I opened my eyes to the faint noises coming from outside.

As soon as I felt the sunlight streaming through the window, I involuntarily jumped up and then sat back down on the bedding.

“…I must have dozed off.”

I don’t know how long I slept. An hour? Two hours?

I feel a bit dazed, like I got hit on the forehead.

Last night, after secretly escaping in the crowd, I checked into a nearby inn and rested.

I couldn’t sleep for a long time and stayed up all night, but I guess I lost consciousness without realizing it. This is why it’s important to get a good night’s sleep.

Feeling thirsty, I gulped down the water from the bottle on the bedding.

“Ah.”

I sat on the window sill, bathed in sunlight, and looked outside. The backstreets of western Khaoto came into view.

There were hardly any tall buildings. Even from the second-story window of the inn, my view was unobstructed.

The gates of the houses were wide open, and the locals were bustling about from early morning. Peddlers in gray tunics were moving around among them.

The smell of livestock wafted through the slightly open window.

A run-down street.

It reminded me of the back alleys I used to wander in my past life.

‘Nothing much has changed.’

Considering the chaos I caused yesterday, nothing much seemed different.

Of course, it didn’t feel particularly strange either.

Most of the people in western Khaoto are locals. It was natural for them to continue with their livelihoods.

They must be suppressing their fear and living in this run-down environment where fights break out at the drop of a hat.

Pretending that everything is normal.

Because yesterday’s death doesn’t mean you can escape today’s life. I know this well because I’ve lived that kind of life.

“…”

After sitting on the window sill for a while, I went outside and walked around the streets before returning to the inn.

Around sunset, I went down to the first floor and had tomato stew, which the owner recommended. It tasted awful, so I only took one bite.

Afterward, I continued to watch the people coming and going on the street.

Men carrying spears were moving somewhere one by one.

* * *

Late in the afternoon the next day, I left the inn room.

As I was going down the stairs, the owner, who spotted me, winked and asked,

“Tomato stew?”

“No, thanks.”

I went straight outside and walked around the streets, looking for a place to eat. I was hungry and wanted to eat something.

I saw a shabby tavern and went inside. It was a small space of about 33 square meters, packed with three tables. A young employee approached me and asked,

“Are you alone? We only have a corner seat left, is that okay?”

That’s even better.

As soon as I sat down, the employee asked,

“What can I get for you?”

“Whatever comes out the fastest.”

“Would chicken stew be alright?”

“Yes.”

As the employee left, I listened to the conversations around me.

Unfortunately, there was nothing I was hoping to hear. Most of it was just ordinary, everyday chatter.

“Enjoy your meal.”

The steaming stew the employee brought made my mouth water. But as soon as I took a bite, I felt something was wrong and started poking around the stew with my spoon.

‘Is chicken not supposed to be in this?’

I don’t know.

It’s too much trouble, so I’ll just eat it.

As I was eating the chickenless chicken stew, I suddenly stopped.

“…Did you hear? About Dark Soul.”

“What about Dark Soul? Don’t tell me they’re asking for more tribute?”

I glanced sideways and saw two men in shabby tunics whispering. Their voices lowered when they mentioned ‘Dark Soul,’ so I perked up my ears as well.

“It’s not that. They raided Night Shade Pub in the east end at dawn. I met Aru earlier.”

“…Oh dear. Is Aru alright? There was a commotion at Red Sunset the other day, so I thought something was going to happen. But Night Shade? They must be serious. But then again, this isn’t anything new, is it?”

The man who first spoke shook his head.

“I thought so too. But it wasn’t just a simple brawl. Aru said more than ten people died on both sides.”

“What? Is that true?”

“Shh! …Who are you?”

I must have gotten too close while eavesdropping. I came to my senses and realized I was practically sitting with them.

The men looked at me with suspicion.

“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

I had nothing to say, so I asked what I was curious about.

“Actually, this is my first time here, and something’s strange. I ordered chicken stew, but there’s no chicken. Is that normal?”

“…”

I must have said the wrong thing. The man who first spoke frowned and muttered,

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“I’m saying there’s no chicken. Is it normal for there to be no chicken?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Take a look.”

I offered my chicken stew to prove my point, but the men backed away, pulling their chairs back.

“Stop acting strange. Are you a foreigner?”

The man narrowed his eyes and scanned me like a snake.

If he were a thug, I would have hit him right away, but I couldn’t bring myself to hit an ordinary person, so I tried to converse.

“Stop staring. I’m a local.”

“Don’t lie. I’ve lived in Khaoto for decades, and I’ve never seen anyone like you.”

“I’m a bit special.”

“Your way of speaking is a bit strange too.”

“It’s better than speaking informally. Should I speak informally then?”

“…”

“I’ve been living in the mountains, so please understand.”

“What mountain?”

“Are there any other mountains here?”

The man who had been listening quietly thought for a moment, then opened his eyes wide and said,

“…Mount Khaoto? Are you talking about the Samael family?”

The other man’s eyes widened as well.

“You’re Samael? What’s your name?”

“Ruin Samael.”

I figured there wouldn’t be any major problems revealing my name here. However, I wasn’t sure how the men would react.

A brief silence followed, so I stayed quiet as well. I thought it would be fine as long as I cleared their suspicions.

“…”

But contrary to my expectations…

The silence continued for a long time. I thought it was just the three of us being quiet, but at some point, an eerie stillness settled over the entire tavern.

I was puzzled, and then…

“Wahahaha!”

“Hey! You’re Ruin? Really?”

With the men’s hearty laughter, the people inside the tavern gathered around me.

Their wariness disappeared in an instant, which was unexpected.

“That’s right. That’s right. Haha. I saw you when you were young. You still have some of that childhood face.”

“You were a little brat even then. I’m sure of it now.”

“I heard rumors that you were a wreck, but I guess they were exaggerated. Come on, let’s have a glass of mead (honey wine).”

The people quickly made space, gathered tables, and formed a circle around me.

‘What’s going on?’

“Let me introduce myself. Sorry for the misunderstanding, Ruin. I’m Torun, and this is Harku.”

The man who was wary of me changed his attitude 180 degrees as if struck by lightning and started introducing the people around me.

I wasn’t sure what was happening, but it didn’t seem like a bad situation, so I stayed quiet.

“Wait a moment!”

An old man wearing a sanitation cap came out of the kitchen in a hurry and said,

“Here, I’ll provide the mead today.”

“Are you serious, sir?”

“Of course! But…”

The old man swallowed as if about to say something important, and everyone’s attention focused on him.

“Let me join in! We can’t miss out on this rare guest.”

“Wahahaha!”

“Hahaha. Of course, sir. You should definitely join us.”

“Here, Ruin, have a drink first. It’s the first time I’ve seen you since you became an adult… Wait a minute.”

The old man took off his sanitation cap, scratched his head, and looked at my face closely.

“This is strange. I clearly remember… Hmm. Were you over eighteen?”

Torun replied, looking puzzled,

“How can that face not be an adult? He looks at least twenty-five. You’re something else, sir. Right, Ruin?”

I was momentarily speechless. I don’t know why everyone keeps picking on my face, from the water buffalo guy to everyone else.

It wasn’t a big deal since I was reborn, but it still irritated me when ugly people criticized my looks.

Sensing my annoyance, Torun quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, how is Lord Kazen doing?”

“Ah, well…”

“He’s a good man. I received a lot of help from him in the past. Those were the good old days.”

As the mead was passed around, people started chiming in with Torun’s words. The old man shook his head and laughed.

“It was more than that. When I was young, Samael’s influence in Khaoto was considerable. Khaoto was a much better place to live back then.”

“Of course. Of course. You must be right. You’re exaggerating, sir.”

“It was more than that! You young people these days know nothing.”

I inwardly shook my head at the old man’s words.

‘It was more than just that, he says.’

By now, I understood why these people were being nice to me. But I didn’t want to listen to their reminiscing about a stranger, so I asked directly,

“By the way, what do you mean by Dark Soul raiding the chicken stew?”

“What are you talking about, Ruin? Are you drunk?”

“No, I misspoke. I meant Dark Soul raiding the Night Shade Pub.”

Khaoto’s west end is mostly populated by locals, but the east end is dominated by Bayern’s businesses. Night Shade Pub was one of Bayern’s key establishments.

Torun’s expression hardened instantly.

“Yes. They say ten people died on both sides. There have been cases of one or two people getting hurt, but never anything like this.”

The atmosphere in the tavern grew heavy. The old man looked around and said,

“Everyone be careful for a while. Bayern won’t stay still. It would be a shame to get caught in the crossfire.”

One of the men tried to calm himself and asked,

“Since Red Sunset Tavern was attacked first, wouldn’t they settle things here?”

“I don’t know. It’s unpredictable. They usually stick to their territories. I wonder what happened between them. From my long experience, it’s best to lay low and stay out of sight in times like this.”

“Hmm. I see.”

It was clear that Dark Soul had started something.

Well, after being beaten twice, they couldn’t just stay still, even if they were outmatched.

They had reignited the conflict.

The reason for handling things this way was simple.

If they simply attacked Bayern directly, they would give Urgon a reason to intervene. I wouldn’t care if it were just me, but Samael still needs time.

“Here, Ruin. It should be fine until today, so don’t worry too much and have a drink.”

The old man’s words reached me as I was lost in thought…

And immediately, I turned my head sharply and looked outside.

‘Hmm?’

There was no one there. But I definitely felt someone’s gaze.

An eerie gaze I’ve felt somewhere before.

“What’s wrong, Ruin? You seem tense. Why are you looking outside like that?”

“…”

I kept looking around but couldn’t find anything strange.

‘Was it my imagination?’

Yes, many third-rate people think, ‘Was it my imagination?’ in situations like this.

But not me. I’ve never seen anyone who thought ‘Was it my imagination?’ actually be mistaken.

Let’s see who it is.

———-