R302 | Chapter 9

Just as I was sipping water and waiting, the dishes began to come out one by one. From well-cooked steak, popular in the Kingdom of Elio, to papillote, meunière, and even the unfamiliar ceviche.

“Wow… this is really delicious….”

“Way better than the food we had in Seldom.”

Listening to everyone’s admiration, Licht felt a sense of pride. Heiker’s cooking was so exceptional that some guests stayed at the inn just to eat his food. Heiker was not only an employee of the inn but also like an uncle to Licht, so he felt very pleased whenever he could boast about Heiker.

“Myang….”

“Here’s your share.”

Heiker set down a dish he had prepared separately. It was piled high with Seldom Fish cut into pieces perfect for a cat. Rinne raised his tail high and began to eat.

Everyone, including Rinne, was satisfied and focused on their meal. They were so engrossed that not much conversation happened until they were somewhat full.

“Licht, did you eat a lot?”

Licht, who had been picking at the celery and cilantro from the ceviche, surprised, turned to Ain.

“Yeah, I ate a lot.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“I’m full.”

It wasn’t a lie; he was genuinely full. Licht was never a big eater. Unless he was really starving, he rarely felt hungry. Even eating so little, he grew up healthy and strong. By now, people around him had accepted that “he just eats like that,” so they didn’t nag much.

But Ain, seeing Licht for the first time in years, was different. He always thought Licht had a small appetite as a child, but now it seemed more than just small. He barely ate half of what Nidia, who was still eating well, did, yet claimed he was done.

“Eat more, Licht.”

“Okay….”

Understanding Ain’s concern, Licht moved his spoon without much complaint. Though he only ate a little more.

After the rather lengthy meal, they cleaned up. While Maser took care of the dishes, Licht and Nidia cleared the table. Soon, it would be time for guests to come in for dinner.

“Licht.”

Hearing his name, Licht turned around as he headed to the counter. At that moment, Ain slipped his hands under Licht’s arms and lifted him up. Licht blinked in surprise.

“What’s this?”

“Licht, you’re too light and skinny.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, how can you work properly like this?”

“I’m strong.”

A confident reply burst out. He genuinely believed he was stronger than others…. Licht thought confidently. Or rather, he was under that impression. Ain found Licht’s confidence amusing.

“What nonsense are you talking about, Licht?”

“…It’s true.”

Ain set Licht down and handed him the sword from his waist.

“Then try lifting this. See if it’s heavy or not.”

Licht confidently lifted the sword Ain handed him. The sword was, well….

“Light.”

…heavy.

Ain’s sword was longer than a typical one, but it wasn’t as massive as a two-handed sword. Yet, it was this heavy… it didn’t seem like it was made of ordinary iron.

Ain looked at Licht, who barely managed to hold the sword upright, with a smirk.

“Oh, I see… the sword is light for you. Though your arm seemed to be shaking, that must have been my imagination?”

“It’s, it’s not!”

Ain took the sword back from Licht, who was trying to bluff. Watching Ain effortlessly twirl the sword, Licht felt wronged. The sword was heavy, but he was genuinely strong. It wasn’t just him claiming it; there was objective evidence. Like… making it to the semifinals of the village arm wrestling contest!

A year ago, at the arm wrestling contest, Licht defeated everyone from ordinary village youths to strong mercenaries passing through, making it proudly to the semifinals. Though he lost in one second to Aunt Agnes, who had been a lumberjack for 20 years and had no opponents in the women’s division, a loss was a loss, but fourth place was still fourth place.

In truth, Licht had no idea that all the men he faced in the semifinals belonged to a certain “group” and had intentionally lost to him.

Thus, Licht was confident. Confident enough to make a bold suggestion.

“Then how about we arm wrestle?”

“…Are you serious, Licht? Do you want to lose? Is tasting the bitter flavor of defeat your hobby?”

Ain was genuinely taken aback. There was an obvious weight class difference between them, yet Licht wanted to arm wrestle. Ain looked at Licht’s slender arm. It was almost half the size of his own. It seemed like it would break with a little pressure…. This shouldn’t even be a contest.

“I’m not saying I’ll definitely win, you know?”

“Yeah, so you think there’s a chance you’ll win? Do I look weak to you? Do I look pitiful?”

Ain clasped his hands together and shrugged his shoulders. If a genuinely fragile person did it, it might have seemed delicate, but for Ain, it just emphasized his solid muscles.

“No, I won’t say I’ll beat you, Ain. But if I last 10 seconds, you have to admit I win.”

Even as he said it, Licht secretly thought he could beat Ain. Ain could see that and found it utterly ridiculous. He could win with his pinky finger.

“But, if you win, I’ll admit it. What if you lose?”

“If I lose?”

“Yeah. I’m just using my strength with no gain.”

“If I lose… I’ll grant you a wish, Ain.”

It was a bold offer. Ain grinned like a villain.

“Licht… you shouldn’t make offers like that lightly.”

“So, are you not going to do it?”

“No, it’s a perfect chance to get a wish from Licht.”

Ain’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Licht felt a bit uneasy, but he nodded, thinking he could easily last 10 seconds.

“Alright, sit over there.”

Licht sat across from Ain. Watching Licht take his position seriously, Ain casually extended his hand. They clasped hands.

‘So thin.’

It was so thin that Ain couldn’t bring himself to think about using force. It seemed like it would break if he wasn’t careful, so Ain applied just enough pressure.

“Shall we start? Bjorn, can you referee?”

“…Are you really going to do this?”

“If he wants to try, let him.”

Ain spoke leisurely. Bjorn approached with a reluctant expression. Normally, you’d let the other person win… but Ivern Serhardt wasn’t an ordinary human.

“Start on three. One, two, three!”

As soon as Bjorn finished speaking, Licht pulled Ain’s hand with all his might. Ain started to give way.

“…Oh, he’s strong?”

Ain murmured quietly, tilting his head as he adjusted his posture. But once the momentum shifted, Ain seemed to crumble helplessly. Seeing hope, Licht really gave it his all.

When Bjorn started counting from 10 and reached 3, Licht had almost pushed Ain’s hand all the way down. Just as it was about to touch the table, Ain held firm.

“2 seconds.”

Licht strained so hard his face turned red. At that moment, Ain, who had been grimacing, suddenly smiled.

“1 second.”

Ain gripped Licht’s hand tightly. Then, as if the previous struggle had been a lie, he flipped Licht’s hand to the opposite side in one swift motion.

“Done!”

“C-cheater….”

As soon as it ended, Licht looked at Ain with a sense of injustice. Ain smiled mischievously.

“Heh, I just played fair.”

“Ugh….”

Licht was at a loss, but he had already lost. And it was a complete defeat.

“So, Licht, you’ll grant my wish now, right?”

“…Yeah.”

It was frustrating, but a promise was a promise. He wasn’t upset about losing; it was just annoying that Ain had toyed with him by pretending to be weak.

“Can I save my wish for later?”

Ain asked after a moment of serious thought, but Licht shook his head firmly.

“No, use it now.”

“Okay… hmm, then… oh. Come to the backyard at 5 AM tomorrow. Got it?”

Ain’s suggestion, as if he had a great idea, sounded very ominous.

“…5 AM?”

“Yeah, I’ll finish it before work, so don’t be late. Got it?”

What on earth is he planning…. Licht nodded, feeling a slight unease.

* * *

[⛉ Kingdom Year 712, March 20th, Tree Day]

— Period: March 9th, 712 to March 20th, 712
— Location: Seldom

— Incident: Frequent shipwrecks at sea. Seven ships sank over two months. All crew members perished.

— Cause: Some crew members, tainted by chaos, exhibited strange behavior, such as steering the ship to sink or drilling holes in the hull. It is presumed similar incidents occurred with the previous seven ships.

— Resolution: The crew’s contamination was not severe, so Lady Ruschilka purified them. Rescued the eighth ship before any issues arose.

Afterward, they investigated the location where the crew was presumed to have been tainted by chaos. Discovered and destroyed a massive mutant rooted from the surface to the bottom, about the size of a palm. Some parts were attempted to be retrieved for research but failed.

— It’s normal for people tainted by chaos to exhibit strange behavior, but it’s odd that they all acted with the same goal. Moreover, usually, they would attack nearby humans, but the tainted individuals showed no aggression towards humans. A very unusual case.

— The mutant’s form was excessively peculiar. It’s hard to guess what its original shape was. Usually, even when tainted by chaos, some original form remains, but this seemed intentionally made to be installed in the sea. It’s unlikely to have occurred naturally.

— Could it be the appearance of an apostle? It hasn’t even been 100 years since the last apostle appeared.