“Wouldn’t you agree?”

It was a weighty voice. You could tell just from hearing it. The voice of someone who’d been through everything, someone worn down by life.

In front of Luman’s eyes, where he lay folded over the table, was the man’s solid chest.

With a sigh, Luman pushed himself upright.

“What do you mean?” 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

“You were listening to all of it, weren’t you.”

“Sir.”

Jenox grabbed at the man with an embarrassed look on his face.

Still wearing that spinning, easy smile, Luman looked over the one who’d spoken to him.

His eyes were sharply slanted, severe. His cropped hair had gone completely white, and deep lines were carved into his face as if to testify to the years he’d lived. The furrows crossing his forehead were especially deep. Deep enough to make their own argument even when he stood still.

A hale old beast.

That phrase suited him perfectly.

The split muscles under his broad shoulders didn’t disappear even beneath his thick winter clothes.

“I mean the treasure from the oracle. Don’t you want it too?”

The old man’s eyes gleamed. He showed his teeth when he smiled.

“I know how to read people. And you—well, you look like the type who loves gold coins.”

Luman had been listening with an interested look, and at that he burst out laughing.

“Ahh. Then I suppose you really are good at reading people. I do like gold coins quite a bit.”

The second Luman said that, a triumphant Got him! kind of grin spread over the old man’s face.

“Right! I knew it! Name’s Janon.”

The old man stuck out his hand. It was thick and scarred. Luman stared at it long enough to be rude. Tilting his head like he was considering something, he finally took it.

Janon gave a hearty laugh, apparently not bothered in the slightest by Luman’s measuring attitude, as if he’d known all along Luman would shake his hand. It was the kind of booming laugh that rang through the whole inn. People at other tables even flinched in the shoulders at the sound of it.

“You’re a Hero, aren’t you?”

“......”

It was a low voice that said he already knew. Looking at that self-assured face, he wasn’t the type who’d believe a denial anyway. Meeting Janon’s sharp, vivid stare, Luman only smiled with the corner of his mouth.

Janon dragged over a chair from the next table and sat down. Jenox scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Sir. If you’re going to talk, couldn’t it wait until later? Please?”

“Oh, enough of that. Off with you, caterpillar.”

Janon waved his hand at him dismissively. Jenox kept trying to stop him with an increasingly awkward expression, but Luman, who’d been watching, gave a small wave of his own.

“That’s not necessary. I’m interested too.”

“See? Any real man ought to be interested in treasure.”

“That’s true.”

Luman smiled, eyes curving shut. His gaze brushed over Ren, who was nodding off in his seat, then slipped away at once. He had Tommy bring more beer and offered some to Janon and Jenox. Jenox looked at Janon, muttered something about not being too annoying, then got up and left for another table.

Janon lost the grin and opened his mouth.

“Then let me ask you straight. Did you come here looking for the treasure?”

Janon’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“If not, why would a Hero bother passing through a tiny village like this?”

“Haha, there were circumstances this time.”

He spoke like a man who knew things about Heroes.

And Janon had a point.

It wasn’t common for a Hero moving for the sake of a mission to stop in a little village like this. At the very least, there had to be some purpose behind it.

Ordinarily, anyway.

Things were drifting farther and farther from anything ordinary now.

Still, there was no need to explain the reason in detail.

“I have a matchmaking meeting to attend, you see. So I thought I’d stop by and take my time picking out a gift.”

“In a village this small...?”

Janon snorted.

“You think a village like this would have a gift fit for a Hero like you to buy?”

“My fiancée likes unusual things. If it’s something rare, she already has more than enough of it.”

Luman shook his head like she was impossible to deal with. His faded blond hair swayed with the movement.

He’d never laid eyes on the woman once in his life, but Luman put on an expression as if he were thinking of his fiancée with fond affection. The acting wasn’t hard. All he had to do was look at the boy dozing in front of him. The smile came naturally.

Watching Luman’s face soften, Janon smacked his lips. It didn’t look like a lie.

“Then what you’re saying is... what was your name?”

“Luman.”

Luman gave it easily.

“So then, you’re saying you didn’t come to this village for the treasure.”

“That’s right.”

Janon’s face fell with disappointment. He knocked back the beer in one swallow and slammed the cup down hard.

“Janon!”

The old innkeeper snapped at him, glaring. Janon cleared his throat and avoided her eyes.

“And how am I supposed to believe that?”

Luman shrugged.

As if that had nothing to do with him.

“Whether you believe it is your freedom, Mr. Janon.”

“You trying to play games with me?”

“Not at all.”

“You’ve got no desire to find the treasure?”

Janon asked with a snort.

“Didn’t I just tell you? I have someone I’ve promised to marry.”

Janon made a dubious face.

“Hm. Then His Majesty doesn’t care about the treasure either?”

He said it like he was testing him.

Janon’s voice dropped low.

Luman’s eyes met Janon’s in the air between them. His face turned cold as he spoke.

“How insolent. You dare bring up the king.”

Luman’s hand moved to his waist. If he drew his sword, Janon’s head would come off in a single stroke. His killing intent was aimed squarely at Janon, and Janon felt it too. His mouth shut.

Luman glared at him when he still didn’t look away.

“You’d do well to be careful. If it’s news even you know, then doesn’t that mean everyone who matters already knows it too?”

The look on his face said the conversation up to now had only been him humoring the old man. Those bright amber eyes stared at Janon without feeling. The sort of eyes that looked like snuffing out a life wouldn’t cost him a single thought.

Janon clicked his tongue. Luman’s hand fell away from the sword. He shifted as if to stand.

“When did you hear the oracle?”

The hale old man looked at Luman. Janon’s eyes glittered. For someone lowering himself so much, the look he gave Luman was anything but ordinary. Then his mouth opened.

“A very, very long time ago.”

With that, Janon left his seat. The inn door opened and shut, dragging in a gust of cold wind.

It was the kind of parting line someone left behind like alms, like a favor.

'Strange.'

Hadn’t he come to draw information out of me?

And yet the way he walked away was remarkably clean.

***

Ren opened his eyes feeling refreshed after sleeping in a bed for the first time in a while.

Temar was sleeping like the dead with a hard frown on his face, and Jepeto was talking in his sleep. Luman wasn’t in the room. Ren raked a hand through his messy hair, then just sat there blinking blankly.

It felt like all the exhaustion from camping had washed out of him in one go. The blanket and the bed were both old, but compared to sleeping outside, they were heaven. To be honest, Coco’s castle did come to mind for a second. Those blankets that were soft and light but warm as hell, and the bedding that felt like it swallowed your body whole.

'Ah. What the hell am I thinking... I’ve gotten spoiled!'

Ren shook his head, then quietly tore off a bit of herb and put it in his mouth.

Breathing felt a little difficult. Ren laid a hand over his chest.

'Mm. Hard to say.'

He started counting on his fingers. Mm. Mm. After the attack, what, three days? Four? He should still be fine for now.

Ren quietly rummaged through his bundle. What he pulled out was a small jelly candy. Of course, it only looked like jelly candy—it was actually medicine the old apothecary had given him. He’d said to take it when the pain got so bad he couldn’t bear it anymore, right?

'Old man, seriously, thank you.'

Remembering the apothecary’s words, Ren shoved the jelly candy deep into the bottom of the bundle.

He probably wouldn’t need to use it, but there was no harm in being prepared. Still, some uneasy feeling kept whispering that he might have to take it after all. Ren sat crouched in front of the bundle for a long while, checking over the state of his body.

His breathing, his heartbeat, the faint tremor in his arms and legs.

For now... he thought he’d be okay.

As if he couldn’t help himself, he rubbed at his throat with one hand, then felt for the necklace there.

Ren pushed the bundle aside and this time took out the thing Tommy had given him. It was a toy you launched high into the sky. He didn’t know how it was made, but at night it sparkled brilliantly. He’d discovered that last night when he secretly pulled it out under the blanket. Would it still shine at dawn too? Ren’s heart started thumping.

It was the dim edge of dawn. The kind of hour when everyone was dead asleep. Maybe he could go try launching it by himself? Doing it around other people would be way too embarrassing.

He had no idea how to work it, but if he fiddled with it enough, wouldn’t something happen?

Ren hurriedly pulled his clothes on.

He wrapped ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) himself in the expensive robe Coco had given him, tugged the hood low over his head, and turned around—

then screamed and collapsed to the floor.

“Aaaah!”

“Uuuaagh!”

At Ren’s scream, Jepeto let out a shriek of his own and flew awake.

“W-what, what, what?! What happened, Ren?! D-did a robber get in?!”

Jepeto, still not having wiped away the drool he’d spilled in his sleep, tried to climb down from the bed, tangled up his legs, and crashed to the floor in a heap. His startled breathing came fast and loud.