Evading the Hero’s Party with Full Effort

Chapter 52

Ch.52 In this weather, I hope you catch a cold from the morning dew.  

I left Icevine and climbed up the mountain path.  

—Tak-tak, tak-tak.  

After four days of hearing the incessant sound of hooves, even when I tried to sleep, it still seemed to echo in my ears.  

“It should be around here…”  

There was a village I always passed through in the game before finding Kirke’s Staff.  

According to my memory, it was somewhere nearby.  

But maps here were far cruder and less accurate than modern ones, so from now on, I’d have to rely on instinct. Just as I stood there, scanning the surroundings with a troubled look—  

“Oh? There it is.”  

I spotted a village signpost in the distance.  

Thank goodness. I won’t have to sleep outdoors tonight.  

“Thank goodness.”  

“I found it!”  

The words slipped out of my mouth just as a soft, feminine voice echoed nearby.  

My eyes met those of a woman with long, straight black hair.  

Wow… she’s seriously beautiful.  

Hair and eyes as dark as a moonless night.  

Sharp, striking eyes, a straight nose, and vivid red lips.  

How could anyone not call her a beauty?  

But who is she? Someone that stunning—I should definitely recognize her.  

In ‘Destiny’, beautiful characters always had impressive stats.  

Being ‘beautiful’ meant the developers had poured special effort into modeling them—and it wouldn’t make sense for such carefully crafted characters to have weak stats.  

Plus, regardless of stats, gorgeous characters always drew players’ attention and affection—so I couldn’t possibly not know her.  

Yet I’d never seen a beauty like this before.  

I could recall a few pretty black-haired characters, but none with this kind of cold elegance.  

As she stared at me warily, I waved both hands to show I meant no harm.  

“Hello? I’m just a traveler. No need to be so startled.”  

Her eyes remained filled with suspicion.  

“My name is Selena. After this brief greeting—were you heading to Zeon Village?”  

I gave a small nod.  

“Yes. It’s getting dark, so I was hoping to find an empty room in that village.”  

With a blank expression, she replied,  

“Understood. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk to me unnecessarily.”  

Coldly spoken, Selena turned away dismissively and headed toward the village. I gave a wry smile at her retreating back.  

Am I really that unattractive?  

Following Selena past the village entrance, she immediately grabbed a villager to ask for the chief’s house.  

“Hello. I’m a traveler. Excuse me, but could you tell me where the village chief lives?”  

Her earlier frostiness had vanished completely—now she exchanged warm smiles with the villager, chatting as if she’d lived here her whole life.  

“Oh my! Look how lovely you are! The chief’s house? Right over there! See that big roof? That’s it. But goodness, you’re just so pretty! My youngest son isn’t married yet—you’d make the perfect daughter-in-law!”  

Clearly charmed by Selena’s sweet demeanor, the middle-aged woman gushed enthusiastically.  

While their conversation dragged on, I headed toward the house I always stayed at during my gameplay sessions.  

—Knock knock!  

“Is anyone home?”  

[Who is it?]  

A man’s voice called from inside.  

“A passing traveler. I’ll pay fairly—may I stay just for tonight?”  

Normally, one should first visit the village chief to request lodging, but knowing this house would be offered anyway, I came straight here.  

This family, facing financial hardship, readily rented rooms to travelers for coin.  

—Creak.  

“Oh? Greetings.”  

The man greeted me as he opened the door.  

I bowed slightly in return.  

“I do have an empty room, but…”  

He trailed off hesitantly, so I pulled out about 10 silvers from my pocket and handed them to him.  

“I know it’s a bit forward. Is this enough for the night?”  

His face brightened into a wide smile as he nodded.  

“This is more than enough. My name is Edward. Please, come in.”  

“I’m Hans. Thank you for your hospitality.”  

After unpacking my things in the room Edward showed me and washing up quickly, a delicious aroma drifted through the house.  

“Mr. Hans? Dinner’s ready. Come down and have a bite.”  

“Oh? Thank you. I’ll be right down.”  

As I chatted quietly with Edward and his mother over dinner downstairs—  

—Knock… knock…  

A knock came from outside. Edward and his mother exchanged glances.  

“Mother, I’ll go. Please stay here.”  

Edward opened the door to reveal an elderly man who looked about sixty—and the woman I’d met at the village entrance, Selena.  

“Edward, how have you been? This young lady is Selena, a traveler. She’s wondering if she might rent a room for tonight.”  

Seated at the table, I met Selena’s eyes. I gave a small wave, but she merely glanced at me briefly before quickly turning away.  

I wonder if she’s even eaten yet?  

Smirking inwardly, I playfully addressed Edward’s mother.  

“Mother, this soup is amazing! Could I have another bowl?”  

“Of course! Right away.”  

Jealous? I’ve already eaten, but you might end up sleeping outside!  

With deliberate smugness, I shot Selena a triumphant look—still as cold as ever.  

Hearing the chief’s request, Edward’s expression turned awkward.  

“Ah… I’m sorry, but another traveler arrived first…”  

At Edward’s hesitant refusal, the chief peered inside—and his eyes met mine.  

“Oh dear… What a predicament! There’s not a single empty room left in the whole village.”  

Hear that? You’re sleeping outside tonight! Jealous? Huh?  

I gave Selena a victorious smile, hoping to rile her up.  

Seeing my grin, Selena scowled deeply—but then forced a smile as she turned to Edward.  

“Isn’t there any way to make it work?”  

Ugh….  

She put on an exaggeratedly pitiful expression.  

Though I found her act utterly detestable, Edward clearly didn’t.  

Torn by her pitiful performance, he cautiously glanced at me.  

“Ahem… Mr. Hans. Would you mind terribly sharing your room with this young lady?”  

His words were polite, but his expression was firm—as if refusing might get me thrown out immediately.  

So I nodded vigorously.  

“Yes! Of course! Absolutely possible!”  

I’d rather die than sleep outside.  

“Good. My name is Edward. And you, miss?”  

“I’m Selena.”  

“We were just having dinner—please join us.”  

Watching Edward lead Selena inside, a sudden thought crossed my mind:  

Wait… is he not going to charge her? He asked me for money, but maybe not her?  

But I didn’t dare say anything—risking offending the host and getting kicked out again was the last thing I wanted.  

Anything to avoid sleeping outdoors.  

Once things settled, Selena sat beside me.  

With her usual blank expression, she spoke.  

“We met earlier, didn’t we?”  

“Yes, we did.”  

Our brief exchange ended just as Edward turned to Selena.  

“It’s not easy for a woman to travel alone. You’re quite impressive. Are you perhaps a mage or an adventurer?”  

“I know basic magic and can handle a sword.”  

Unlike with me, she answered Edward warmly.  

Seriously—what did I ever do to deserve such coldness from her?  

“Oh! That’s amazing. I heard Mr. Hans is also a traveler. Do you use magic as well?”  

—Flinch.  

Selena visibly flinched.  

“Your name… is Hans?”  

Her voice turned eerily cold. I gave a small, puzzled nod.  

“Yes, Hans.”  

What’s the deal?  

‘Hans’ was as common a name as ‘Chul-soo’.  

Did her ex-boyfriend happen to be named Hans or something?  

As I entertained that silly thought—  

“Could you possibly be… from the Old Continent…?”  

She seemed lost in deep thought—but quickly shook her head.  

“No, never mind. Someone like you being nobility? Ridiculous.”  

Actually, I am nobility—the Baron of the thriving Pisa territory, no less.  

But telling that to this rude woman would only get me branded a liar, and I didn’t need the hassle.  

I’d just let it go.  

As long as she didn’t bother me, whatever.  

After dinner, Selena and I headed upstairs together.  

She walked ahead, and I followed her into the room.  

Then, as she casually sat down on the bed, I politely asked,  

“Could you please get off my bed?”  

Selena turned and scoffed.  

“It’s a shared room—so it’s my bed too.”  

“I got here first.”  

At that, Selena gave a sly smile.  

“So? What are you going to do about it?”  

Her expression practically sneered: “What can a nobody like you even do?”  

What was I going to do?  

I strode firmly toward her with a serious face.  

“What? You wanna fight me? Do I look weak just because I’m a woman?”  

But she only laughed mockingly, as if the idea were absurd.  

Now!  

—Thump!  

I swiftly jumped onto the bed, lay down, and wrapped myself tightly in the blanket.  

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”  

“What do you mean? I’m just lying on my own bed. If you don’t like it, lie down with me!”  

Heh—heh. I’m a man. In this culture, if I push aggressively like this, she’ll have no choice but to back down.  

Calculating precisely that, I vigorously rolled around to claim the bed. Selena glared at me with utter disgust.  

“Get down right now!”  

“Nope! Not happening! Half of this is mine!”  

At my words… Selena scowled and began conjuring a fireball in midair.  

“If you don’t get down… I’ll drag you off—even if I have to kill you!”  

“W-wait! You crazy woman! You’ll blow this place sky-high!”  

—Creak…  

“I’m terribly sorry, but… what exactly are you two doing?”  

Edward’s sudden appearance made Selena instantly dispel her magic and put on a pitiful, tearful face.  

“That man stole the bed I was lying on…”  

Edward’s expression darkened as he heard her complaint.  

“Mr. Hans, you truly have no decency. I can’t allow someone like you in my home. Please leave.”  

And moments later—  

—Bang!  

Edward’s front door slammed shut violently.  

How pitiful… What did I even do wrong?  

I’d simply paid for lodging and arrived first.  

Then this strange woman named Selena showed up, stole my bed, and I just lay down where I’d already settled—so why am I the one getting kicked out?  

“Tch. No wonder you’re still single—dirty and underhanded as you are.”  

Muttering that, I headed toward the stable.  

A bit early, perhaps…  

“But I suppose I’ll have to retrieve the artifact now.”  

With no other choice, I trudged wearily toward the tower where Kirke’s Staff lay dormant.  

***  

“Hmm~! Refreshing!”  

Though annoyed by that strange man, Selena was now happy—thanks to her acting, Edward had helped her drive that odd fellow away.  

“He really has no manners at all.”  

How could any grown man not yield his bed to a proper lady?  

Truly, he had zero common sense.  

Of course, because of this, she’d accidentally let Hans get hold of the crucial Kirke’s Staff—but she had no way of knowing that yet.  

“He’s ugly, ill-tempered, and rootless—that’s why he wanders like that. Hmph! May he stay alone forever.”  

Grumbling inwardly, Selena changed into her nightclothes and lay down on the bed.  

“Disgusting. Just thinking that man lay here…”  

The man had black hair like hers, yet his skin tone and features were rare for someone from the Old Continent.  

Among all the men she’d met, his looks were average—but his personality was anything but.  

Usually, men went out of their way to impress her, fawning over her to the point of annoyance.  

But a man as rude and ill-mannered as him? Practically unheard of.  

She’d initially intended to be civil, but his mocking expression at dinner and his attempt to monopolize the bed had infuriated her beyond measure.  

Even his name, ‘Hans’, rubbed her the wrong way—it felt as if he embodied everything she disliked.  

Thus, she firmly believed her actions had been righteous justice.  

“Heh heh. In this weather, I hope you catch a cold from the morning dew.”  

With her mood thoroughly lightened, Selena drifted sweetly into deep sleep.

Review at

NovelUpdate

One for All200[Get access to 20 premium chapters each for over 30 series.

Check out List at Membership page]Unlock next 20 premium chaptersValid for 30 daysPurchase