“Is there a way to go back?”
Without realizing it, my body jumped up. I heard the sound of the chair I was sitting on tipping over, but I didn’t care. Could I really leave this game? How?
“Haha, there are people who specialize in that kind of work.”
The guild leader of the assassination guild must know everything. Can I really go back?
“Calm down, sit down and eat first.”
I wanted to ask more, but Andrea seemed unwilling to say more. I picked up the fallen chair, sat down, and took a fork. Gently pushing the sugar mountain on the side with my fork and delicately enjoyed the sweetened eggs and bacon.
Andrea ate an enormous amount of sugar as it is. If he gets diabetes for real, what will happen? Even in his healthy youth, it’s just a moment. Though I couldn’t help but think like an old man, I didn’t say it out loud. I knew the frightening nature of assassins.
After the meal, he gave me new clothes. The robe of the tower was too conspicuous. I wore a gray shirt and brown pants. It was the attire of an ordinary NPC.
“Your face stands out too much…”
Andrea muttered while looking at my glamorous face.
“Yes? What did you say?”
“It’s nothing.”
Andrea brought an old straw hat from somewhere and put it on my head. He tilted his head as if he was dissatisfied then he found a scarf left by a customer and wrapped it around my neck. Looking at my face covered with the scarf, he nodded.
“Okay. This should cover half of that beauty. Then Shall we go now?”
However, he had neither a hat nor a scarf. Looking at his sharp nose, I asked.
“Why don’t you wear anything?”
“Why should I hide my face?”
“Yeah…”
“Because you too are handsome enough to make your eyes pop out.
But saying such things out loud might sound too flattering coming from me, and I didn’t want to give any nice words to that assassin kidnapper, so I just kept my mouth shut.”
“How boring.”
Andrea smiled and cheerfully opened the door to the bar door.
***
How to get back home
The streets were crowded with people. Everyone seemed to be busy strolling around since morning. Horses pulling carriages passed gracefully, clicking their hooves on the ground. Men with rolled-up sleeves and women with headscarves walked in various directions. There were children selling newspapers or flowers, and elderly people carrying loads of vegetables on large carts.
Standing there without any place to go amidst the liveliness they created, a petite girl selling flowers ran towards Andrea.
“Sir! Good morning!”
The girl, who seemed to be just under ten years old, had a thin face covered in dust. Andrea laughed and wiped the dirt off the girl’s cheek with his palm.
“Hello, little miss. Good morning.”
“Where are you going? Who’s this next to you? Are you not sleeping in today?”
“Oh my, am I caught by security now? Please ask one question at a time, knight.”
“I’m not a knight! I’m a flower seller named May!”
May laughed cheerfully. Every time she laughed, the flower basket shook, emitting a strong and refreshing scent of roses. Andrea affectionately patted May’s head, then picked a flower from her basket. Afterward, he took out a handful of silver coins from his pocket and tossed them into the air. May skillfully caught the coins.
“Hehe, thank you, Jim. Have a lucky day. You too, sir.”
May waved a casual farewell and disappeared to the other side of the street. Watching her small figure, Andrea handed me a rose.
“Take it, sir.”
“…It’s fine.”
However, Andrea didn’t put away the rose. Reluctantly accepting it, he grinned and began to walk with a slight smile.
“Why does that girl call you ‘Jim’?”
“It’s just a fake name. In this town, I’m known as Jim, the owner’s nephew of ‘One Cup of Sugar.’ Publicly, that is.”
Andrea explained casually. The road we walked together was lively and bustling. Every time someone passing by greeted Andrea, he responded with a casual smile, and the other party seemed pleased, as if they received a compliment or joke.
“You seem popular.”
As I mumbled, Andrea nonchalantly said, “Really?” Someone handed him a sugarcane, and he bit into it without much concern.
Even though he’s an assassin, he can be sociable like this…?
As if understanding my expression, Andrea raised his eyebrows apologetically and cut the sugarcane he was chewing in half. Then, he handed me the other half.
“…I didn’t watch you because I wanted to eat it.”
“Sure.”
“I’m true.”
“Got it.”
It was my first time trying sugarcane. It had a sweet and refreshing taste. Although the peel kept getting in my mouth, as I continued to eat, I got the hang of it. Andrea and I walked side by side, chewing on sugarcane and spitting out the peels.
We stopped in a narrow and messy alley. Few people walked around, and there were no notable buildings—just scattered tents.
Andrea pulled out the sugarcane stick that had been in my mouth and discarded it on the ground. Then, just like he wiped May’s cheek earlier, he gently wiped around my lips with his hand. I wanted to protest and say I’m not a child, but it was intimidating, and most importantly, Andrea seemed incredibly delighted and pleased with his actions, so I just stayed silent.
“Pfft. There you go.”
With baby-like sounds, he removed the piece of sugarcane peel that had stuck to my lips. Then, he entered one of the tents in front of us. I hesitated alone for a moment, then bent down and followed him into the tent.
Surprisingly, the inside of the tent was neat. There was a bed, a small round table, a fireplace with a modest fire, and simple cooking utensils. A middle-aged man, who seemed like the owner of the tent, sat at the table. With reddened skin and white curly hair, he wore a black eyepatch like a pirate.
Andrea stood near the entrance of the tent, smiling broadly. The man, despite the unexpected guests, seemed calm.
“I come from Cruel. Heard that you’re mainly involved in these kinds of things.”
Andrea grabbed my shoulders and slightly pushed me towards the man.
“He’s a soul who wants to go home. I’ll generously reward you.”
The man quietly observed Andrea and me, then sighed.
“Let me see.”
He raised the eyepatch upwards. As he did, a white eyeball appeared. Initially, I thought there was only the white part of the eye, but it turned out the iris was white. The other eye was a regular black color.
Surprised, I shrunk my shoulders, and Andrea behind me gave a reassuring pat on my shoulder.
“Clearly the soul is different from the owner of the body,” the man commented.
“But the wavelength matches well. You can sit right in that body without any issues.”
At that moment, Andrea’s hand, which was resting on my shoulder, applied pressure. It didn’t hurt, but I was afraid he might increase the force and dislocate my shoulder.
“Where did you hear such a thing? The true owner of the body is definitely separate.”
Andrea laughed while speaking, but I could sense an underlying intensity in his voice. The man seemed to sense it too. He sighed, putting the eyepatch back on.
“I don’t know where the true owner is, but let’s start by sending back the soul inside that body. Some shaman said before that souls and bodies attract each other like magnets. If this soul leaves here, the real soul should naturally return, right?”
“That’s true, but… What if the soul has already disappeared? What happens then? The body left behind becomes an empty shell, just a corpse.”
“Why do you talk about such horrifying things without even trying?”
Andrea raised the corner of his mouth, giving a wry smile. However, the man didn’t retract or apologize for his words. I stood there watching them carefully during their exchange. Is it really possible to go back home? From the conversation, it seemed like the man had some special ability.
“Alright then. I’m all for it as long as I get paid. Bring that person over here and have them sit down.”
The man stood up from the table and spoke. Andrea seated me in the chair he was sitting in. The man, kneeling on the floor, stooped down and retrieved a long, thick staff from under the bed. Even to someone like me who knew nothing, the staff emitted a magical aura to it.
“Step aside. We’re about to proceed with the ritual.”
The man informed Andrea, who took a few steps back.
“Is it right now? Um, what do I need to do?”
I asked in confusion, and the man kindly smiled, as if to reassure me.
“Just stay still.”
The smiling man had few teeth, and I nodded, deliberately ignoring the darkness between his missing front teeth. The man raised the staff behind me, creating a sound. What is he trying to do? Could this man be an extraordinary magician? A sorcerer? Someone with formidable power?
That was when it happened.
Thud!
The staff was not a wand for magic or sorcery. It was a club used to beat someone…
“Is there a way to go back?”
Without realizing it, my body jumped up. I heard the sound of the chair I was sitting on tipping over, but I didn’t care. Could I really leave this game? How?
“Haha, there are people who specialize in that kind of work.”
The guild leader of the assassination guild must know everything. Can I really go back?
“Calm down, sit down and eat first.”
I wanted to ask more, but Andrea seemed unwilling to say more. I picked up the fallen chair, sat down, and took a fork. Gently pushing the sugar mountain on the side with my fork and delicately enjoyed the sweetened eggs and bacon.
Andrea ate an enormous amount of sugar as it is. If he gets diabetes for real, what will happen? Even in his healthy youth, it’s just a moment. Though I couldn’t help but think like an old man, I didn’t say it out loud. I knew the frightening nature of assassins.
After the meal, he gave me new clothes. The robe of the tower was too conspicuous. I wore a gray shirt and brown pants. It was the attire of an ordinary NPC.
“Your face stands out too much…”
Andrea muttered while looking at my glamorous face.
“Yes? What did you say?”
“It’s nothing.”
Andrea brought an old straw hat from somewhere and put it on my head. He tilted his head as if he was dissatisfied then he found a scarf left by a customer and wrapped it around my neck. Looking at my face covered with the scarf, he nodded.
“Okay. This should cover half of that beauty. Then Shall we go now?”
However, he had neither a hat nor a scarf. Looking at his sharp nose, I asked.
“Why don’t you wear anything?”
“Why should I hide my face?”
“Yeah…”
“Because you too are handsome enough to make your eyes pop out.
But saying such things out loud might sound too flattering coming from me, and I didn’t want to give any nice words to that assassin kidnapper, so I just kept my mouth shut.”
“How boring.”
Andrea smiled and cheerfully opened the door to the bar door.
***
How to get back home
The streets were crowded with people. Everyone seemed to be busy strolling around since morning. Horses pulling carriages passed gracefully, clicking their hooves on the ground. Men with rolled-up sleeves and women with headscarves walked in various directions. There were children selling newspapers or flowers, and elderly people carrying loads of vegetables on large carts.
Standing there without any place to go amidst the liveliness they created, a petite girl selling flowers ran towards Andrea.
“Sir! Good morning!”
The girl, who seemed to be just under ten years old, had a thin face covered in dust. Andrea laughed and wiped the dirt off the girl’s cheek with his palm.
“Hello, little miss. Good morning.”
“Where are you going? Who’s this next to you? Are you not sleeping in today?”
“Oh my, am I caught by security now? Please ask one question at a time, knight.”
“I’m not a knight! I’m a flower seller named May!”
May laughed cheerfully. Every time she laughed, the flower basket shook, emitting a strong and refreshing scent of roses. Andrea affectionately patted May’s head, then picked a flower from her basket. Afterward, he took out a handful of silver coins from his pocket and tossed them into the air. May skillfully caught the coins.
“Hehe, thank you, Jim. Have a lucky day. You too, sir.”
May waved a casual farewell and disappeared to the other side of the street. Watching her small figure, Andrea handed me a rose.
“Take it, sir.”
“…It’s fine.”
However, Andrea didn’t put away the rose. Reluctantly accepting it, he grinned and began to walk with a slight smile.
“Why does that girl call you ‘Jim’?”
“It’s just a fake name. In this town, I’m known as Jim, the owner’s nephew of ‘One Cup of Sugar.’ Publicly, that is.”
Andrea explained casually. The road we walked together was lively and bustling. Every time someone passing by greeted Andrea, he responded with a casual smile, and the other party seemed pleased, as if they received a compliment or joke.
“You seem popular.”
As I mumbled, Andrea nonchalantly said, “Really?” Someone handed him a sugarcane, and he bit into it without much concern.
Even though he’s an assassin, he can be sociable like this…?
As if understanding my expression, Andrea raised his eyebrows apologetically and cut the sugarcane he was chewing in half. Then, he handed me the other half.
“…I didn’t watch you because I wanted to eat it.”
“Sure.”
“I’m true.”
“Got it.”
It was my first time trying sugarcane. It had a sweet and refreshing taste. Although the peel kept getting in my mouth, as I continued to eat, I got the hang of it. Andrea and I walked side by side, chewing on sugarcane and spitting out the peels.
We stopped in a narrow and messy alley. Few people walked around, and there were no notable buildings—just scattered tents.
Andrea pulled out the sugarcane stick that had been in my mouth and discarded it on the ground. Then, just like he wiped May’s cheek earlier, he gently wiped around my lips with his hand. I wanted to protest and say I’m not a child, but it was intimidating, and most importantly, Andrea seemed incredibly delighted and pleased with his actions, so I just stayed silent.
“Pfft. There you go.”
With baby-like sounds, he removed the piece of sugarcane peel that had stuck to my lips. Then, he entered one of the tents in front of us. I hesitated alone for a moment, then bent down and followed him into the tent.
Surprisingly, the inside of the tent was neat. There was a bed, a small round table, a fireplace with a modest fire, and simple cooking utensils. A middle-aged man, who seemed like the owner of the tent, sat at the table. With reddened skin and white curly hair, he wore a black eyepatch like a pirate.
Andrea stood near the entrance of the tent, smiling broadly. The man, despite the unexpected guests, seemed calm.
“I come from Cruel. Heard that you’re mainly involved in these kinds of things.”
Andrea grabbed my shoulders and slightly pushed me towards the man.
“He’s a soul who wants to go home. I’ll generously reward you.”
The man quietly observed Andrea and me, then sighed.
“Let me see.”
He raised the eyepatch upwards. As he did, a white eyeball appeared. Initially, I thought there was only the white part of the eye, but it turned out the iris was white. The other eye was a regular black color.
Surprised, I shrunk my shoulders, and Andrea behind me gave a reassuring pat on my shoulder.
“Clearly the soul is different from the owner of the body,” the man commented.
“But the wavelength matches well. You can sit right in that body without any issues.”
At that moment, Andrea’s hand, which was resting on my shoulder, applied pressure. It didn’t hurt, but I was afraid he might increase the force and dislocate my shoulder.
“Where did you hear such a thing? The true owner of the body is definitely separate.”
Andrea laughed while speaking, but I could sense an underlying intensity in his voice. The man seemed to sense it too. He sighed, putting the eyepatch back on.
“I don’t know where the true owner is, but let’s start by sending back the soul inside that body. Some shaman said before that souls and bodies attract each other like magnets. If this soul leaves here, the real soul should naturally return, right?”
“That’s true, but… What if the soul has already disappeared? What happens then? The body left behind becomes an empty shell, just a corpse.”
“Why do you talk about such horrifying things without even trying?”
Andrea raised the corner of his mouth, giving a wry smile. However, the man didn’t retract or apologize for his words. I stood there watching them carefully during their exchange. Is it really possible to go back home? From the conversation, it seemed like the man had some special ability.
“Alright then. I’m all for it as long as I get paid. Bring that person over here and have them sit down.”
The man stood up from the table and spoke. Andrea seated me in the chair he was sitting in. The man, kneeling on the floor, stooped down and retrieved a long, thick staff from under the bed. Even to someone like me who knew nothing, the staff emitted a magical aura to it.
“Step aside. We’re about to proceed with the ritual.”
The man informed Andrea, who took a few steps back.
“Is it right now? Um, what do I need to do?”
I asked in confusion, and the man kindly smiled, as if to reassure me.
“Just stay still.”
The smiling man had few teeth, and I nodded, deliberately ignoring the darkness between his missing front teeth. The man raised the staff behind me, creating a sound. What is he trying to do? Could this man be an extraordinary magician? A sorcerer? Someone with formidable power?
That was when it happened.
Thud!
The staff was not a wand for magic or sorcery. It was a club used to beat someone…
