PRB | Chapter 5

Eddie stared blankly at Ketron’s face, lost in thought, before shaking his head to snap back to reality.

This wasn’t the time to be zoning out.

He didn’t know how long Ketron had been like this, but soon enough, like the last scene in the novel, he’d be consumed by a blue fury and turn dark. If it could be stopped, shouldn’t it be? That’s why he dashed out to the streets since morning.

Of course, he didn’t have any grand plan to prevent the darkening.

In a world overflowing with freaks who use mana, fly around, and split rocks with a single blow, what could a regular guy like him do?

He just couldn’t sit still, so he moved, and now here he was, collapsed right in front of him.

“…Ha.”

Anyway, Ketron was incredibly handsome.

Even Eddie, who had possessed a dazzlingly handsome body, still felt awkward every time he looked in the mirror. But Ketron was even more striking.

How could someone crying have such a mysterious destructive power that leaves people dazed? Watching him cry in pain with that face naturally stirred compassion.

“Hey.”

Eddie tried speaking to Ketron in a very small voice.

Though Eddie was an ordinary citizen, he wasn’t usually this timid. The problem was the person he was dealing with.

From the novel’s description, it was hard to imagine, but Ketron’s build was enormous. Really enormous.

Just the size of the holy sword on his back was massive. To wield it easily, his muscles had to be no joke, but his basic physique seemed superior.

If he decided to, he could probably kill someone like Eddie with one hand. He likely could. That fact unintentionally made Eddie timid.

But there was no time to delay. He could turn dark at any moment, and he was so big and dark that he was drawing people’s attention even during the flashy parade.

Eddie decided it was best to take him in quickly and quietly.

“Hey, Ke… no, ahem.”

Even though he was sure it was Ketron, it seemed implausible for an innkeeper to suddenly know and call the forgotten hero’s name, so Eddie held back from saying it.

“Hey, young man?”

Ketron showed no reaction. If not for the tears flowing sorrowfully, he might have seemed like a statue.

After hesitating for a moment, Eddie cautiously reached out. Like in those stories where someone feels a touch and immediately twists the arm or flips the person, Eddie was extremely tense, but Ketron didn’t react even when Eddie timidly tapped him.

Eddie’s touch grew bolder. Eventually, he was shaking Ketron’s shoulder with his hand, but Ketron still didn’t open his eyes. Eddie wondered if he might actually be dead.

“Excuse me.”

Eddie tried calling out again.

Looking at the still unresponsive body, Eddie realized something.

He hadn’t noticed because of the dark clothes, but Ketron’s cloak was soaked with blood. It wasn’t enough to pool on the floor, but Eddie’s hand, which had thoughtlessly grabbed the cloak, was stained red.

“…Ah.”

Right, he remembered.

Ketron was crying and sitting there, struggling with unhealed wounds and the pain of betrayal.

Wounds.

He hadn’t fully healed from the critical injuries from the battle with the Demon King. Unable to accept his comrades’ betrayal, he couldn’t wait for his body to fully recover and forced himself to the Empire…

He confirmed it with his own eyes.

The betrayal of his old comrades. The faces of the traitors smiling brightly, having stolen his glory.

And the people cheering and blessing those traitors as heroes.

It’s truly pitiful.

Eddie steeled his heart. It was do-or-die. If this guy turned dark, Eddie’s peaceful retirement would be gone.

“Hey!”

Eddie grabbed the man’s shoulders with both arms and shook him vigorously. So vigorously that even someone on the brink of death would have to open their eyes.

Indeed, such a vigorous shake couldn’t be ignored. Ketron, who had been like a tearful corpse, flinched his eyelids and slowly opened them.

His gaze was sharp. But because of the tears welling up and flowing, it felt more pitiful than fierce.

Eddie found himself staring into those eyes. Wondering if they were burning with revenge as described in the novel.

But he couldn’t tell. The tear-filled eyes were full of confusion, not malice.

Good, it seems it’s not too late.

“Well, um.”

Ahem, Eddie cleared his throat. He had shaken him awake in a hurry, but he didn’t have a plan for what to do next.

He needed to bring him into the inn, but what should he say?

“You seem hurt, want to come into our inn?”

…Sounds suspicious.

“This is our inn, and if you stay here, all the guests will run away?”

That’s a bit blaming for someone who’s already struggling.

“Want to come to my place for ramen?”

…Fire chicken noodles?

As his thoughts dragged on, Eddie felt Ketron’s expression growing colder. He was already in pain and struggling, and interference from others preventing him from sorting out his emotions wouldn’t be welcome.

Moreover, he had just witnessed his former comrades’ betrayal firsthand. With all his patience burned away, leaving only traces, he couldn’t possibly feel goodwill toward a stranger.

Eddie felt his own turmoil settle in response to Ketron’s wounded gaze.

Fancy words? Would they even resonate in this situation? That’s not what Ketron needed right now.

Understanding the customer’s needs is the basics of self-employment, so Eddie decided to give Ketron what he needed. Fortunately, it was something he could provide.

“This is my place.”

Eddie pointed to Eddie’s Inn with one hand. Ketron, seemingly unaware that he was leaning against an inn, frowned only after following Eddie’s gesture to the inn’s sign.

“If you need a quiet place, want to come in?”

𐙚 𐙚 𐙚

Eddie never thought his boldness would work.

Well, rather than working, it was more like… Before the man, who was wide-eyed and dazed by the unexpected offer, could gather his wits, Eddie had dragged him inside.

In any case, if this hefty body had resisted, Eddie wouldn’t have been able to drag him in no matter how hard he tried. But after a moment of thought, Ketron surprisingly allowed himself to be led into the inn by Eddie’s touch.

“…Eddie, what is this?”

Gerald asked, full of caution, as Eddie brought the intimidating man into the inn.

Ketron and Gerald’s gazes met. Surprisingly, despite facing the cold and fierce-looking Ketron head-on, Gerald showed no signs of backing down.

Gerald, just an ordinary inn employee.

But there was no time to dwell on such thoughts, so Eddie hurriedly intervened between the two.

“Oh, I found this guy collapsed in front of our inn! I brought him in to feed him something.”

“Is he a homeless person? Since when did you start doing charity…”

“Anyway!”

Having managed to bring him in, Eddie awkwardly cut off Gerald’s words, which threatened to ruin everything.

“Please prepare something to eat.”

“….”

Gerald momentarily looked displeased, but being loyal to Eddie, he eventually sighed deeply and headed to the kitchen. Eddie led Ketron, whom he had been holding onto, to the table closest to the door.

Ketron, like a toy in a child’s hand, was easily led by Eddie’s gentle touch.

It wasn’t so much that he was moved by Eddie’s warm touch and cooperated willingly, but more like he seemed devoid of any will.

That was probably true.

The table where they sat facing each other was awkwardly silent. From the kitchen, a savory smell wafted out, suggesting Gerald was putting his skills to good use, but it seemed it would take some time to finish.

Eddie glanced at Ketron.

Though he had stopped crying abruptly, the tear-stained cheeks, reddened eyes, and pale complexion from unhealed wounds all indicated that Ketron was not in a normal state.

How did you end up trusting those comrades?

No, how did you end up being caught by a writer obsessed with plot twists?

Eddie clicked his tongue inwardly, inadvertently feeling sympathy for Ketron.

When he read the ending scene, he was merely annoyed that the novel’s ending wasn’t to his liking, but now, having been dragged into this world and seeing it firsthand, Ketron’s situation was more desperate than he had imagined.

The difference between reading it in text and seeing it in reality was too great.

At just twenty years old, forgotten by the world, betrayed, and robbed of glory… Even the most righteous person couldn’t help but turn dark under such circumstances.

Moreover, he seemed a bit thin, probably from all the physical and emotional hardship.

“Sigh.”

Poor guy.

Eddie sighed deeply without realizing it and openly scrutinized Ketron. Ketron showed no reaction, even as someone stared at him intently.

Long eyelashes with dangling teardrops, cheeks still wet with tears, a youthful appearance proving his mere twenty years, and a face that seemed a bit thin despite his build, likely from hardship…

Eddie finally realized something.

Thin.

This guy wasn’t just “seeming thin,” he was definitely thin. He must have lost weight from his injuries and the strain of coming to the Empire.

Thinking that such a young guy probably hadn’t been eating properly, Eddie suddenly stood up, dragging his chair, and headed to the inn’s entrance.

Though Gerald was busy cooking inside, Eddie felt he should give Ketron something before that.

[Please take only one per person! Promise!]

Eddie took out a banana milk from the fridge set up at the inn’s entrance. It wasn’t much of a fridge, just a bag filled with ice, but it was meant for guests to freely take as they left the inn.

The note on the wall was because people often took two or three despite the rule.

Running a business isn’t easy.

Eddie skillfully tore open a thin straw from the pile next to the fridge and stuck it into the milk before handing it to the dazed Ketron.

“Kiddo.”

“…?”

Ketron’s puzzled gaze shifted from the man calling him with an absurd nickname to the banana milk offered to him.

“Do you like sweet things?”

An absurd nickname followed by an absurd question. Ketron’s expression momentarily twisted in bewilderment.