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13.

Mercenary and Bandit.

A chaotic brawl where over a hundred people clashed, exchanging blades.

Ransel looked back at the man called the Demon King.

“Kyahahaha! Slaughter them all! Kill them all! How dare they enter the Demon King’s territory!”

From him, who had no particular intriguing element other than being a vicious-looking bandit leader, deeply engrossed in his nickname.

‘Huh?’

Ransel suddenly felt his senses reawaken upon receiving unexpected information.

=============

-Name: Intermediate Bandit ‘Avalon.’

-Reward: 30 Gold Coins and all spoils of war.

-Infamy: Karma points 5.

=============

“There’s Karma?”

What a stroke of luck.

Ransel beckoned to Marigold, who was at the top of a tree.

He pointed at the bandit leader and made a simple, intuitive gesture of slicing his throat, to which the girl nodded.

“Kill them all! Kill them all and take their heads to Baron Porland…!”

The bandit leader’s hearty voice was cut off at that moment.

Marigold’s two feet, having fallen from the sky, landed lightly on his shoulders.

“What…!”

A dagger was drawn from Marigold, who was crouched on his shoulders.

“Be quiet!”

She held the blade to the bandit leader’s neck. It was a seamless sequence of movements.

“…When did…!”

“Make your subordinates stop!”

“Hmph!”

He wasn’t the type to obey meekly. It was a natural reaction, given that death was confirmed even if captured alive.

“You damn dog…!”

As he struggled and reached for his weapon, Marigold’s blade swiftly cut his throat.

“Krrk!”

He collapsed, spewing bloody foam.

=============

-You have defeated the intermediate bandit Avalon.

-Karma points decrease by ‘5 points.’

-Marigold’s current Karma points: 10.

=============

So that’s how it worked. The Karma points deducted were equal to the opponent’s accumulated Karma.

‘You should have accumulated at least 15 points. With just 5 points, what’s this talk about being the Demon King.’

Ransel drew his sword from his waist. Karma was meaningless in a playthrough until it reached 0 points anyway.

‘I’ll have to deal with those 15 points somehow and end this playthrough.’

Even if the penalty was merely ‘initial funds were stolen,’ it wouldn’t be easy for a young Marigold.

“Let’s finish up quickly and go get our reward, Merry.”

“I heard the young master of the Baron’s family was captured.”

“Ah.”

.

.

.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! You are heroes of our region! If you need anything, just say the word!”

Ransel and Marigold, who had thoroughly looted the bandit’s base down to the last speck of dust, were now marching through the streets of Porland.

While riding in an open carriage.

“Everyone in this city will accept you as heroes! Didn’t you return over twenty captured people to their families!”

The enthusiastic fuss of Baron Porland, who was on the verge of losing his lineage, had created the current situation.

‘What is this, a victory parade?’

The carriage, carried by burly men.

Ransel and Marigold, riding on top.

Thousands of onlookers gathered around.

“Behold! These are the heroes of Porland who defeated the notorious bandits! Everyone, memorize their faces! Treat them with respect during the festival!”

The repeated shouts of Baron Porland.

“Heroes of Porland!”

“Mercenary couple!”

The voices of the Porland vassals, chanting absurdities.

Ransel shivered in the unfitting atmosphere but didn’t complain aloud.

“Hello!”

It was because of Marigold, who was waving her hand at the crowd.

She was enjoying the situation.

As she shook hands with the children reaching out to her, a scattered petal went into her mouth, causing her to choke.

“Is it that fun?”

“Of course. They’re praising us. Ransel, you shouldn’t be so stiff, wave your hand too. Like this!”

Marigold forcibly lifted Ransel’s hand and waved it. Cheers erupted from the crowd.

“The heroes of Porland have waved!”

“They say he tore the bandits apart with those hands!”

“They say he pulled out their guts and used them as a jump rope!”

‘How gruesome.’

When the procession ended.

“Um…”

Baron Porland awkwardly approached them.

“Regarding the reward, our finances are a bit tight, so we’ll have to pay in installments. Is that alright?”

‘I knew he was being so over the top for a reason.’

This was an orchestrated heroic narrative. As expected, all nobles in the empire were cunning.

In the end, only 15 of the promised 30 gold coins reached Ransel’s hands. It was difficult to insist on more when they claimed they had nothing.

It was fine, though, as 15 coins would be enough for the remaining 6 years.

“Instead, I will cover all your expenses during this festival week. Please enjoy yourselves to your heart’s content. Come back in two years to collect the remaining 15 coins!”

“Yes, well. *Chomp*.”

“Trust in the credit of the House of Porland! I’ll definitely give it to you in two years! Definitely!”

Please don’t come back to collect it. Baron Porland’s eyes conveyed that sentiment.

14.

The Ale Festival of Porland.

It was as grand as they said.

Countless people roamed the streets with beer mugs, and meat was constantly grilled at stalls set up everywhere.

With the bandit problem, which had troubled the city’s people, resolved. The streets were even more crowded than usual with people enjoying the festival.

“Mercenary couple! The heroes of Porland should get it for free!”

Before Ransel knew it, Marigold’s hands were full of meat skewers and large beer mugs.

Unlike Ransel, who politely declined most offers, she had no concept of refusal. She readily accepted everything offered.

“Poooh!”

Marigold’s face, flushed from the alcohol, turned red.

“Don’t drink too much. You have a bad temper when you’re drunk.”

“No way!”

But that was all.

After spending the afternoon at the festival, moving between the port and the city with Marigold.

As evening arrived, Ransel and Marigold sat down in one corner of the square.

“I can’t eat anymore, Ransel.”

“You’ve eaten enough, so that’s natural.”

Ransel patted Marigold’s stomach, which was noticeably swollen.

Her belly, full of beer, made a resonant sound like a ripe watermelon.

“Hic.”

“…”

“…”I’m sorry.”

Marigold, blushing shyly, clung to Ransel.

“Pretend you didn’t hear it.”

“I heard it.”

“Please forget it.”

“I’ll try.”

Marigold’s cheek, pressed against his shoulder, was hot. Her body temperature seemed to have risen with the alcohol.

As dusk settled over Porland Square, preparations for a campfire were underway. The voices of laborers stacking large bonfires could be heard continuously.

‘Searching for the Demon King in six years like this.’

Ransel doubted if it was even possible, but he didn’t voice his thoughts.

This playthrough was entirely for Marigold.

Whatever plan or goal she had in mind, he intended to follow along without complaint.

============

—Imperial Calendar Year 821, March 25th. Weather mostly clear.

—The fervor of the festival. The voices of children. A refreshing breeze blowing along the harbor. The sunset painting the sky red. Everything is etched into Marigold’s memories.

※To cherish this moment forever, Marigold desperately imprints the festival scenery and her fiancé’s presence in her memory. Charm, Emotion, Sensuality UP!

============

“I wish… time could just stop like this forever.”

Marigold suddenly murmured.

Memories of the previous playthrough, where they had lived in a dream together, resurfaced. She had said something similar back then.

Now, though it was a dream, it was clearly reality.

“We can come again. He told us to come collect the money.”

“I don’t think we’ll have time.”

“Then… in your next life, you should bring me here again.”

Ransel said that to Marigold, the returnee. It was a careless remark, made without much thought.

“…”

Marigold’s eyes fluttered, and she couldn’t speak for a long time.

Watching her expression, filled with a whirlwind of emotions, Ransel tilted his head slightly.

“That’s right.”

Marigold’s lips parted with difficulty.

“I didn’t think of that.”

Time.

Opportunity.

Coincidentally, these were two things they had in abundance.

Finding the Demon King, Marigold’s journey, and their lives—there were countless opportunities ahead. Perhaps infinitely many.

Even if they made mistakes or wasted opportunities by going in circles, it was okay. They could just look forward to the next one.

Whether there was a Demon King, a hero, or something similar at the end of this path, it didn’t really matter. It was their first time, so it was natural to fail sometimes.

“Ah.”

Ransel suddenly fumbled in his pocket.

He had bought something during the festival and forgotten about it.

“This.”

“…”

What Ransel took out was a pair of rings.

“They’re cheap ones sold at a street stall, but…”

The rings were made by melting cheap iron. The stones that seemed to be embedded were likely just common pebbles.

As he took them out, Ransel felt a surge of regret. He scratched his neck.

‘Did I pick them too carelessly?’

They were impulse buys, and they looked rather shabby for wedding rings, given they were nobles.

“…No, let’s forget about these and I’ll get you different ones later…”

“I like these.”

Marigold’s hand reached out, firmly grabbing Ransel’s arm as he tried to pull back.

“This is fine. No, this is the only one that’s fine. Please use these, Ransel.”

Her firm grip conveyed a sense of determination. Ransel scratched his chin and took out the rings again.

“Then… consider these temporary…”

Ransel slowly slid the ring onto Marigold’s ring finger. It fit perfectly on her slender finger.

“Even if it’s a cheap ring, or a necklace. Anything that makes me think of you, Ransel. You bought this thinking of me, right?”

“That much?”

“That much.”

Marigold’s eyes wavered. A quiet smile settled on her lips, refusing to fade. As if recalling something.

“I’ll cherish them forever.”

As the cheap rings settled on their fingers, flames erupted from the bonfire.

“Ah!”

Marigold exclaimed in surprise. Ransel blinked at her sudden reaction.

“What’s wrong?”

“Dancing! It’s dancing!”

“Dancing?”

Marigold quickly stood up.

“Yes! The bonfire! Dancing!”

Ransel was pulled along by Marigold towards the bonfire.

“Phew, I almost missed this. What a close call.”

“…”

“I’ll lead. Hehe.”

The festival’s dance wasn’t as elegant as the noble balls in the royal court.

It was a space filled with drunken townswomen and men, a mere matter of holding hands and twirling around.

The music was poor, the bonfire was so hot that people occasionally singed their hair, and drunken men harassed women who were already with someone, leading to fistfights, an awkward dance party.

“Uhehehe!”

Nevertheless, all that remained in Ransel’s memory was Marigold’s silly laughter.

.

.

.

“What are you writing so intently?”

Back at their lodging, Ransel saw Marigold scribbling in a notebook.

“Hah!”

As Ransel approached, Marigold quickly hid it behind her back.

“It’s… it’s a secret.”

“…”

Ransel barely managed to suppress the thought of peeking.

“So, where’s our next destination?”

Marigold hastily unfolded a map.

“First, we’ll cross the Ritten Desert. It takes about three days to cross, so we need to be well-prepared… then there’s a famous place called Firefly Village…”

Marigold pointed to one spot as she explained the long list of destinations with her finger.

“Here.”

An area not marked on the map.

“After visiting my hometown, we’ll go to the capital city.”

The place where the territory of the House of Count Marigold used to be.

It seemed to be the final destination of their journey. Ransel quietly took in the location on the map.

.

.

.

“This area.”

He pointed to the empty space on the map.

“We’ll search for the woman the Prince is looking for here. And capture everyone we find!”

Kyle Dante listened to the Captain of the Royal Knights while cleaning his ears.

His unit, the ‘Orlance Knights,’ valued brute force above all else. That’s why he liked it, but…

“Capture all women with blonde hair and green eyes! Whether by force or willingly! And gather them all to bring before the Prince! Understood, you brats!”

“Yes, sir!”

“The Budenia Knights are also participating in this operation. We can’t let those goody-two-shoes steal our glory! Especially Kyle! Wouldn’t you hate to lose to your brother?”

Suddenly, in Kyle Dante’s memory.

The voice of his fiancée, Lady Dunk, echoed.

-Come back with the Baronship. The Baronship your brother is supposed to receive. If you get that, won’t my father and I acknowledge you more?

“I have to win.”

Kyle Dante.

He had enough reason to win against his brother.

“I just have to win.”

 

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