It was a hot morning, and the sun shone upon the green land beneath it—a land filled with houses, people, and trees. Everyone was busy with their work that morning, and the birds chirped as if encouraging them to keep going. While the villagers plowed the fields, some sought shelter from the sun, wiping sweat from their brows. Meanwhile, Laos stood beneath the shade of a tall tree, unmoving, his sharp green eyes fixed on them.
Alright, this is my last day in this village. So you won't lend me ten nova, huh? I'll show you—just wait. After staring at them as they worked tirelessly, I kept thinking about my plan… How should I execute it? Fuck these bastards. I bet they're thinking right now: "When is this poor guy finally going to take his wife and leave?" Fuck them. I need to get out of this fucking village as soon as possible.
Leaving the tree's shade, I walked toward Ciole's house, where Maris was still asleep. For a moment, as I stepped inside, a wave of sadness and shame washed over me. I couldn't stand staying in a house I had to leave soon... It felt just like my past life. I guess I'm the kind of person who can't stand being in a place that doesn't belong to him—or at least, that's how it seems to me. How can Maris still be asleep in this heat?
My god, look at her—she's so fucking hot. Should I let her sleep or wake her up? No, she can't know about my plan. Why not? She's my wife—I should tell her. No, no, she definitely wouldn't agree. Maris is too kind; she would never approve of a plan this devious. But... You idiot! She's your wife—she has to agree whether she likes it or not! Yes, I'll test her now—see if she's a good wife or not. Let's find out!
"Maris," I called.
She stirred, her eyes opening slightly as she stretched with a long yawn. I love it when Maris acts naturally—moments like this make me feel like I'm living with someone close to me, not just someone from another world pretending to be someone else to impress me. After stretching, she sat on the bed, her pink knees tucked under her, her hair messy, and her clothes disheveled enough that her boobs were almost completely exposed.
"Good morning," I said with a chuckle.
"Oh, ah!!" she stammered, quickly running her fingers through her hair as her eyes darted around. "Good morning..." she added, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"So, today's the day we leave the village," I said.
"Ah, yes..."
"Alright... Maris, there's something important I need to discuss with you. It's a plan I came up with. With it, we'll be able to get to Iveleth by carriage!" I said, standing directly in front of her.
"Really?! A plan that lets us ride a carriage?!" Maris exclaimed.
"Yeah..." I whispered.
"Wait, let me wash my face first. I'll be right back," she said as she got out of bed and left the room.
Fuck, why do I suddenly feel this overwhelming sadness...? Fuck, I guess my depression isn't gone yet. I was too busy focusing on Thalesa's return, but that doesn't mean I'll drown in happiness. The shock hasn't faded. I lay back on the bed, trying to stop my mind from replaying Petal's death, but it kept painting the scene in vivid detail—his raised hand, his pale expression, and the words he never spoke but I heard clearly: "Laos… help me."
But I… I didn't… I mean… I couldn't. Sorry, Petal. Sorry that a dumbass NPC was on your side. An NPC who could do nothing but watch. As I spoke to myself, tears had already started flowing. I wiped them away quickly, then clenched my fists tightly, as if I were grabbing onto something. After that, I stared at the blanket, now damp with my tears… Petal.
"Sorry… Sorry for being a coward, weak, introverted, unlucky… and an NPC… Sorry," I muttered, staring at the ceiling with tear-filled eyes.
"Laos..." Maris murmured as she approached me.
"Are those waves of sadness hitting again?"
"Yeah… but it doesn't matter. Alright, I need to tell you the plan now," I muttered, wiping my eyes while feeling a bit of anger.
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"My goddess… What?!!" Maris exclaimed. "Are you serious?! That's awful, Laos!" she added.
"I know, but I don't care. They refused to lend us money, so this is the only way to get on that carriage!" I shot back.
"The only way…? That's such an evil plan," Maris said. It seemed she wasn't on board with it. Well, that was expected, but it didn't matter. I swear I won't back down from carrying this out. I desperately need money right now, so nothing else matters!
"I know it's an evil plan… but I don't care. Maris, I'm doing it!" I said, leaving the room.
I was angry. And sad too. The memory of Petal had unsettled me, and I had no patience for this discussion. I was in charge here, and I could do whatever I wanted. After leaving the room, all Maris did was sit silently on the bed, watching as the man she once knew drifted further away from her. Sorry, Maris, but I know what's best for us.
The heat outside hadn't faded. I wandered around the village until I found my target. Yes, it was Titta! But… she was with her mother. Fuck! I need to lure her away. While I was thinking, Titta wandered a bit away from her mother, causing the woman to yell loudly, grabbing her daughter's arm: "Titta! I swear, if you go into the forest, I'll have your father beat you this time instead of me!"
Fuck, that ruins my plan! I need to separate Titta from her mother now. It looks like she's talking with the other village women, so she's distracted for the moment… Alright, should I do it?! No, no, I can't. But I need to divert her mother's attention. I should go over there and talk to them. Should I ask them to lend me ten nova? Doesn't matter—I just need to catch their attention!
"Hey, come see my new dress! My husband bought it from Pascal!" one of the village women suddenly shouted.
Then, in a shocking turn, all of them rushed toward the woman's house, leaving… leaving the key to my plan completely alone. Titta! Come on, be a good girl and run into the forest. Suddenly, as I was waiting for Titta to move, her mother came back and yelled, "Titta! Come here!"
"No, no! I'll wait here!" Titta shouted back.
"Alright, I swear by the Moon Goddess, if you move from here, your father will kill you!" her mother shouted as she walked away with the other women.
This is my chance now! I have to do it. But wait, wait… what if the plan doesn't work? Is there any kind of police in this world? If what I'm thinking happens, I'll be imprisoned—no, even worse. If I get caught, the villagers will execute me... This is a high-risk plan. Alright, I'll bet on it being fifty-fifty. So… it doesn't matter. I have to do it! At the very least, I won't die… if there's no police or anything like that here.
"Titta!" I called out, waving my hand.
She ran towards me with a happy face and an innocent smile. When she got close enough, she sighed and said: "You're my sister Maris' husband! What is it?"
"Oh, how about we go on a little trip to the forest?" I said, avoiding direct eye contact with her.
"But…" she hesitated, glancing at her mother, who had already walked away.
"Don't worry, I'm an adult. Nothing bad will happen to you," I said, feeling embarrassed. Oh god, do introverts even get shy around kids?!
"Alright, let's go!" she suddenly shouted and ran towards the forest.
Yo, convincing her was as easy as I expected. Alright, there's only one step left—executing the plan! I hope it works. Once she got a little ahead of me, I ran after her. Of course, I wasn't going to let my bait escape. After running for a while, we entered the forest and wandered around a bit. My target now was that hole!
"Follow me, there's a great place I want to show you," I said as I led her toward the hole.
"Really?! I'm excited!" she replied loudly.
The place was quiet, not even the birds were chirping. The trees stood tall, some fallen on the ground. Titta ran, hopping over fallen logs and carefully stepping to avoid slipping. And then… we arrived at the hole. Come on, get closer! Oh god, what is this feeling?! It's like the plan is about to fail. Fuck, I hate this feeling.
"Titta, take a look at that hole!" I said.
She innocently stepped closer, staring down as if expecting it to be filled with candy. She kept looking for a long time. She stood right at the edge, her small body leaning forward to peek in. And then, it happened—exactly what I was waiting for!
"Ahhhhhhggghhh!!!" Titta screamed as she fell back. "It's an urchito!!" she added, trying to get up.
As she peered into the pit, exactly what I expected happened… an urchito attacked her. Yes! This is my plan! The moment it shot out of the hole with its incredible speed, the feral hedgehog stood before her, preparing for a second attack. I just hope no one heard her scream. Please, don't scream… Ooooh, come on, you fucking hedgehog, attack already!
"Brother… help me!!" Titta whimpered, tears streaming down her frightened, shocked face.
Sorry, but I need at least one wound—just one. Sorry, Titta… sorry. A heavy sadness settled in my chest as I watched. I wanted to help her right away before the hedgehog could attack again. And at the same time, I didn't—because this was my plan!... God, this is so hard. Just one wound, that's all.
Then, finally, the hedgehog dashed forward and struck her chest before retreating again. Titta immediately clutched her chest, and I saw some blood on her hands. Yes! A wound! She started screaming, and that fucking hedgehog prepared to attack again. Oh god, is it trying to kill her?!
"Thalesa!" I shouted. The Astral Sword appeared. I grabbed it tightly, then, in an instant, as the hedgehog leaped toward Titta again, I roared: "Water Slash!"
Then, the hedgehog was split in half. Yoooh, that was...! It fell apart into two pieces, blood spilling everywhere. It was bigger than the previous hedgehog, about the size of a cat. Fuck you. I quickly ran to her, scooped her up in my arms, and sprinted out of the forest. She clung to me tightly, trembling and sobbing. Her chest was scratched by the hedgehog's spines, but this... this is where the next part of my plan begins!
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Maris' POV
The village was in complete chaos, so I rushed outside. Oh, God, Laos actually went through with his plan! When I stepped out, I saw Ciole running like a madman, with his wife right behind him, her anger about to explode. I ran after them, remembering that I was part of this plan too. My heart was pounding like crazy. I'm really scared… Why? Why are you taking such a risk, Laos?!
A while later, Laos appeared, dressed in a villager's clothes, carrying Titta, who was still clinging to him, crying and screaming. I ran to them immediately. Ciole and his wife grabbed their daughter in terror. Soon, all the villagers gathered around them. That's when Laos stepped toward me and said, "Heal her."
"Move aside, move aside! My wife will heal her!" Laos shouted, gripping my hand and pushing through the crowd to reach Titta, who was surrounded by people.
"Heallisial," I chanted, placing my hand over Titta's wounded chest.
"Curse those Urchitoes! They're multiplying too fast… Hey, men, get ready! Tonight, we're attacking their nest. Our goal is to wipe them out of the forest!" Ciole shouted loudly, his face filled with rage, though relief settled in once he saw me casting the spell on his daughter.
The village men immediately ran to their homes to prepare. After some time, I finished healing her wounds. Her mother hugged her tightly, sobbing. Laos, why? Why this plan? And it doesn't even seem like it will succeed. This… this was a terrible decision, Laos.
"Thank you both. I will never forget this… Thank you so much," Titta's mother said as she embraced her daughter.
"No need to thank us," I replied.
"Well… Laos," Ciole muttered as he placed a hand on Laos' shoulder.
"This was my duty," Laos said confidently, staring at Titta, who continued to cry. I won't lie—this is seriously messed up.
"…" Ciole remained silent.
"I'll lend you ten Nova," the fat man said, shaking Laos' hand.
Oh my goddess, the plan worked! We got ten Nova. So… so this is what it means to abandon morals and kindness to fulfill your desires. My mother always warned me against this. She always told me to reject negative thoughts, to remain a good and kind person, never crossing any lines, no matter what happened. That was her goal—to raise a virtuous son. But… but this man did the complete opposite.
As I stood there, overwhelmed by shock yet feeling a hint of happiness, Laos pretended to be sad, acting concerned for Titta. He even managed to hide his satisfaction, thanking Ciole with a sorrowful face. Not for a single moment did he appear to be the mastermind behind all of this. He was a genius, operating with terrifying expertise, a master of deception… Laos, you're crazy.