Chapter 18 ..
The moment we paid for the clothes and stepped out of the shop, Lisian took my hand again and laced his fingers tightly with mine.
Slung over one shoulder was a large backpack he’d bought at the clothing store.
Inside it were several sets of new clothes, two pairs of shoes, and a coin pouch.
For the record, we’d safely parked the cart in a quiet alley the villagers had pointed out to us.
“Do you really have to hold my hand like this?” I asked.
“That way, I won’t lose you.”
“…You could just hold it normally, you know? This is a bit too—”
“Too what?”
“…….”
I clamped my mouth shut just before saying it felt overly possessive.
Lisian gave a faint, knowing smile, then tugged my hand and strode ahead.
“So, we’ve bought clothes and shoes. What’s next?”
“…Hmm. Let’s get something to eat first. I’m really hungry.”
As soon as I said it, my stomach let out a loud growl. Lisian definitely heard it.
Embarrassed, I pressed my burning cheeks with my hands.
“How about that, Muriel?”
Lisian pointed in one direction. When I turned my head, a street stall selling delicious-looking chicken skewers came into view.
“That looks good. Want to try it?”
“Y-Yeah….”
I nodded, still feeling a little shy.
Lisian smiled softly and led me toward the skewer stall.
When we reached the simple stand, the kindly-looking owner greeted us with a broad grin.
“Welcome! Here for chicken skewers? Ho ho, are you newlyweds? You look great together!”
“…….”
My body stiffened in shock, and I hurriedly opened my mouth to correct him.
But Lisian was faster.
“Yes, that’s right. Newlyweds.”
“…!”
“Oh my! Is that so? No wonder you look so sweet together! So, what flavor would you like?”
I shot Lisian a glare that screamed Are you insane? but he just smiled sweetly at me and asked in a gentle voice,
“What flavor do you want, dear?”
“…….”
Is he seriously crazy?
I was so stunned that I could only move my lips soundlessly.
Mistaking my reaction for indecision, the owner enthusiastically began explaining the five different flavors.
“This one’s extra spicy! Might be tough if you can’t handle heat. And this one’s mildly spicy, with a touch of sweet sauce—”
I personally handle spicy food well, but I had no idea about Muriel.
Besides, on an empty stomach, it was safer to protect my digestion—so I chose the most basic salt flavor.
And Lisian…
“I’ll have the extra spicy one.”
“…?”
“Well look at you! A bold young man!”
The owner raised his thumb in approval and quickly prepared two skewers, handing them to us. Since I was completely out of it, Lisian paid.
“Enjoy your meal, and come again next time!”
Still dazed, I turned away and stared at the skewer in my hand. It felt like a storm had just blown through.
‘Dear’? Seriously, what the hell…
I took a bite of the plump chicken. Juices burst into my mouth, perfectly seasoned with salt.
“M’so good….”
I mumbled with my mouth full. Walking beside me, Lisian let out a soft chuckle.
I glanced sideways at him.
“Isn’t… that spicy?”
“It’s manageable. Want to try?”
“…….”
I stared at the vivid red seasoning, then shook my head. Eating spicy food wrong could really mess things up.
After that, we wandered around the market, sampling all kinds of snacks.
Honey-drizzled pancakes, roasted nuts coated in sugar, warm mulled wine…
Everything was delicious—almost overwhelmingly so for someone who’d been surviving on nothing but potatoes and tomatoes on a farm.
“…Is it really that good?”
When tears welled up in my eyes, Lisian asked, amused.
I wiped my eyes and muttered an explanation.
“I’m just not used to it. I’ve only been eating bland potatoes every day, and suddenly this…”
Lisian chuckled lightly and said warmly,
“Then let’s come eat like this often. I can come with you.”
I hesitated briefly, then replied in a small voice,
“Yeah….”
After filling our stomachs, we bought the remaining necessities—salt, sugar, and pepper.
Olive oil was a bit expensive, but when we said we’d come from far away, the oil merchant gave us a discount. It was a very generous town.
“Oh, we need flour too.”
I stopped in front of the flour shop and counted the remaining money.
Even after spending so much, we still had 171 rubels left.
Thanks to Raul being a conscientious lord who kept taxes reasonable, prices were fairly low.
Humans really are complicated creatures.
Despite treating Muriel so cruelly, Raul was, as a lord, an upright and decent person. The irony was bitter.
“Hello, ma’am. I’d like to buy some flour.”
As I entered the shop, the middle-aged woman behind the counter raised her eyebrows and stood up.
She widened her eyes, looking back and forth between Lisian and me, then grinned.
“Newlyweds? Oh my, you look lovely together!”
“…….”
That made it over ten times now…
Why do people automatically assume a young man and woman shopping together are newlyweds? We could just be friends!
Too tired to correct her, I vaguely brushed it off, bought a sack of flour, and stepped outside.
Lisian casually hoisted the nearly 10-kilogram sack onto his shoulder and met my eyes with ease.
At this point, I was genuinely curious how strong he actually was.
Ding!
At that moment, a familiar notification sound rang out, and the status window appeared.
〈Let’s Go to the Village!〉 Quest Complete!
Purchase new clothing (12/2)
Purchase new shoes (2/2)
Purchase salt (1/1)
Purchase sugar (1/1)
Purchase pepper (1/1)
Purchase olive oil (1/1)
Purchase flour (1/1)
Sample market snacks (6/2)
Rewards:
500 Coins
50 Reputation
Inventory (D) Skill
Yes!
I’d finally completed the quest!
The reward I’d been most excited for was the Inventory skill. I immediately opened the skill window to read its description.
Inventory (D) (Upgradeable)
A universal storage space that can hold anything. Capacity is limited, so be cautious! Items stored inside are preserved in a state where time does not flow.
※ Stored items can be viewed via the ‘Inventory Window’.
※ You can spend Reputation to upgrade its rank. Higher ranks increase storage capacity.
Time stops once items are stored?
That meant food wouldn’t spoil, ice wouldn’t melt, and everything could be preserved in perfect condition.
This is completely broken…
I wanted to try it immediately, but there were too many eyes around.
So instead, I just opened the inventory window to see how it looked.
Inventory (D)
Stored Items:
(None)
Available Capacity: 0/50 (Items)
Nice. The list is straightforward and easy to check.
And it seemed capacity was measured by item count, not weight or volume—making it even easier to use.
This is amazing. An absolute god-tier skill.
Grinning to myself, I dismissed the status window. When I looked up, Lisian was watching me with a strange expression.
“Ahem!”
I covered my mouth with my fist and cleared my throat, then said calmly as if nothing had happened,
“Wow, I’m tired. We should start looking for an inn soon—”
That was when it happened.
A familiar face entered my distant field of view.
In that instant, I froze as if I’d seen a horrifying monster.
Thud.
The sensation of my heart plummeting felt foreign, like it wasn’t mine.
Thud. Thud. Thud…
Muriel’s body was reacting.
Even if memories were incomplete, scars etched into the heart could not be erased.
“…Muriel? What’s wrong?”
Snapping back to my senses, I urgently grabbed Lisian’s hand and pulled him into a nearby secluded alley, hiding ourselves in the shadows.
The afterimage of the man I’d just seen was burned vividly into my mind.
Jet-black hair. Blue eyes. A cold, lifeless face.
There was no doubt—it was Raul Winterberg.
“…Ha….”
I took a deep breath and leaned against the person in front of me. My whole body trembled as if winter wind had stolen all my warmth.
Thud.
A heavy object hit the ground—the sack of flour.
Lisian reached out to me, wrapping one arm around my back and gently cupping my cheek with the other.
“Muriel… are you okay?”
“…….”
I slowly lifted my head. His face was filled with genuine concern. The feeling of someone sincerely worrying about me felt unfamiliar—strangely so.
Was this also Muriel’s influence?
I buried my face into Lisian’s chest and murmured,
“…I saw something unpleasant. Let’s hide here for a bit.”
“All right… you can lean on me as much as you want.”
Even though my sudden behavior must have seemed odd, Lisian didn’t pry. He simply held me more firmly.
