"Ow, damn it. My back hurts..."
Ellicia clutched her waist and groaned.
And beneath her...
Guard Captain Hans lay pinned.
"Oof!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ellicia jumped up in shock.
'That bastard Kwon Ha-yul... he actually kicked me?!'
Ellicia was now convinced Kwon Ha-yul wasn't human—he was a demon.
How could he hurl his partner at the guard captain just because she was dangerous!
She'd never seen such a ruthless guy in her life.
"Get out of my way!"
Thwack!
"Guh!"
Hans rose and drove his fist into Ellicia's gut.
Dazed by the searing pain, she collapsed and writhed on the spot.
"Stand still, thief!"
Thud thud thud!
Hans ignored Ellicia and charged into the forest.
But Ha-yul and the cart had already vanished into the Moonlit Forest, so of course he couldn't find them.
Hans returned to Ellicia after five minutes.
His punch had been so precise that she couldn't move from her spot for the entire time.
"Where'd you stash your accomplice?!"
Hans, radiating murderous intent, was no longer the kindly guard captain of Talia Village.
"I-I-I d-don't know!"
Trembling under his pressure, Ellicia stammered her reply.
"Rabbits suddenly appeared at the village entrance, so I rushed to check the crops. The corn was already gone. But there were no signs the rabbits had eaten any. Then I spotted you hauling that cart."
Hans pressed her roughly as he explained.
'All that?!'
Ellicia was awestruck by how much Guard Captain Hans had confirmed in such a short time.
"Circumstances point to you two as the culprits! Do you admit your guilt?!"
But at Hans's final words, Ellicia's mind raced.
'Admit guilt?'
If the crime was certain, he wouldn't ask—he'd drag her straight to jail.
'Maybe...!'
Hans hadn't found Ha-yul.
Naturally, he hadn't spotted the cart loaded with corn either.
Which meant the evidence tying her to the crime was gone!
"Ha! What nonsense is this?!"
Ellicia activated her specialty: shameless denial.
"Hm?!"
Hans faltered at her bold attitude.
Gaining confidence, Ellicia doubled down.
"We were just pulling the cart! Then some guy came charging at us like a thug, so we ran!"
"Uh... w-well..."
"A guard captain attacking adventurers first? You're done for—disqualified!"
Ellicia jabbed at Hans sharply.
Her acting was method-level; anyone would see her as an innocent citizen wrongly accused.
"N-now, calm down. If it's a misunderstanding, I'll apologize, but the circumstances..."
"Shut up! I'm heading straight to the village chief to demand your dismissal!"
"Hey, hey, let's talk this out first... Huh?"
As he tried to soothe her, Hans felt something underfoot and glanced down.
Swish.
He swiftly picked it up.
In the dim light, it revealed itself clearly from any angle: a corncob.
"Looks like we've got evidence. Any last words?"
"...Uh? Ah, haha. How'd that get there?"
Ellicia stuck out her tongue cutely.
"Justice Punch!"
With evidence secured, Hans unleashed a gut-busting punch. The audacity of this criminal flapping her gums! Extra charge for insolence.
Splat!
"Gaaack...!"
Thud.
Ellicia's HP plummeted near zero as she crumpled to the ground.
Hans's punch was beyond what she could endure.
"You'll rot in jail for at least a week!"
"...Ugh."
Shivering at the harsh sentence, Ellicia seethed inwardly at Kwon Ha-yul for landing her in this mess.
She desperately wanted to rat him out, but that would breach their contract and cost her the promised gold.
'Kwon Ha-yul...! You bastard!'
She ground her teeth, repeating her enemy's name.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I do feel a bit bad."
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
I pictured Ellicia rotting in jail as I frantically chopped corn.
I'd had no choice but to use her to protect the cart, but it was karma for her greed.
If she hadn't threatened to report me to the guards, I wouldn't have kicked her.
"Smells good?"
I dumped ingredients into a massive pot and boiled away until it took rough soup form. First cooking attempt in Silmaria, and it looked decent enough.
Nailed the roux with flour and butter, so now just simmer in milk slowly. Then add chopped corn to thicken. Done!
Swish. Swish.
"Ow, my arm hurts."
But the sheer volume...
Arm ached just from stirring.
Lucky part: the more it hurt, the less anxious I felt.
'Please let this sincerity reach the heavens.'
A giant bear like Unggulatuseu wouldn't recover from mere soup. But the care and love poured into it would cleanse his soul.
That's all I could cling to now.
'Don't even think failure.'
Even if ineffective...
That's a problem for later.
I've found the answer—now focus on pursuing it.
"Aigoo, my wretched fate."
I shook my numb right hand in the air.
An hour straight stirring this monster pot.
Adding milk midway made it simple yet grueling.
[...Keep... going!]
[...You can do it! Because...!]
[You're you...!]
Those purple and blue lights cheered me as I grumbled.
'Such positive fairies.'
These tiny fairies said to inhabit the Moonlit Forest had been flitting around, bolstering me.
They seemed convinced I could heal Unggulatuseu.
'Thanks, fairies.'
As the saying goes, praise makes even whales dance.
Their encouragement fueled me greatly.
'I can do this!'
Unggulatuseu would absolutely recover from my special corn soup.
My fierce conviction and the fairies' cheers would spark a miracle.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Another hour of cooking, and the corn soup was finally done.
It looked like enough for over 500 servings.
"Now just get it in his mouth..."
Before boiling, I'd rigged stairs of rocks and branches up to Unggulatuseu's maw.
Shoddy as hell—more like stackable footholds than proper stairs.
"Can't pour it all at once."
This cauldron-sized pot was beyond my strength to lift, especially full and hot.
Empty, maybe—but loaded? No way. Plus scalding.
If I greedily tried and spilled...
"Ugh, terrifying just thinking."
Guess I'd have to ladle it bit by bit.
"This'll do."
No bowls, so shoulder guard as ladle.
Its scooped shape held plenty.
[We'll move this...!]
[Thanks!]
[Love and... faith...]
[Will raise the guardian!]
As I scooped soup, the light fairies resonated, easing my worries.
"For real? You can do that?"
Whoosh.
No sooner said, the pot floated lazily in the air.
Sheepish, I donned my shoulder guard again.
Whoosh.
"Wha—what?!"
Suddenly, the prone giant Unggulatuseu tilted sideways.
Like a mountain collapsing.
Boom!
"Holy crap!"
As Unggulatuseu settled flat...
A massive quake hit.
Splat.
I braced my legs for balance but still fell on my ass.
Choking dust blinded me momentarily.
"...Fairies pack a punch."
These purple and blue fairies held more power than I'd imagined. Moving Unggulatuseu proved it.
Float float.
Soon the soup pot reached his maw.
Humm!
Purple flashes and blue light resonated; his jaws gaped wide.
Glug glug glug.
The heartfelt corn soup poured into the massive mouth.
A giant bear flat on his back slurping soup—kinda comical.
I knelt, hands clasped.
"Please, please, please!"
I prayed desperately for Unggulatuseu to rise.
I had to job change to Druid.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"...What the."
An hour after all the soup flowed into Unggulatuseu's mouth. Still... nothing.
"Nah, no way. It can't be."
I risked everything, stole corn...
Stirred till my arm nearly fell off, fairies cheered me on...
"No... way."
I'm different.
Born with talent to commune with animals.
I used it right.
Reached Moonlit Forest, got the Druid quest.
I'm optimized for Druid!
"...No giving up."
Too much effort invested; can't abandon the quest.
I climbed onto Unggulatuseu's arm.
"Wake up, you jerk!"
Scaled to his face.
Gripping hide, grunting like rock climbing.
"Get up, get up!"
I pressed his forehead firmly.
Like the rabbit enjoyed my touch—he would too, I believed.
My special massage.
Press! Press!
Press! Preess!
Started at forehead, massaged his whole face devotedly. My puny grip couldn't loosen those muscles, but I kept at it.
Till my sincerity reached him.
"Huff... huff..."
Press— press—!
Down to his arm now, kneading.
Stamina drained; mouth tasted metallic.
"Hng... haa... Hm?"
Bzzz—
From when?
My hands wrapped in soft glow.
'What is it.'
Not just hands.
Whole body filled with warm energy.
Like when I beat the orc warrior in test mode.
Or hunted two goblins to protect Kkwi-kku.
This fresh, gentle aura enveloped me then too.
'Thought it was mana...'
Unlike intense skill mana surging fiercely, this cool something warmly hugged my heart.
'Feels good...'
Like a newborn in parents' arms.
I surrendered to the cozy energy waves.
'Much smoother.'
Movements flowed easier.
Press press press press!
Press press press press!
Enchanted, I kneaded every inch of Unggulatuseu.
"Huff... huff..."
Breath at limit, but no stop.
Stopping the massage meant quest failure.
"Huff... huff... Come on, wake up already! You stupid bear!"
No response to endless massage.
I shouted in despair.
"I can do it...! I know I can!"
Thud! Thud!
No longer massage.
I slapped his face hide hard.
"So you can too, damn it!"
Started Silmaria legless.
Career challenge—must succeed.
Repay parents' faith.
Wash away my filial failure from young disability.
Pretended chipper, but inwardly shed bloody tears.
If I break...
Show weakness...
Family's hearts shatter worse.
"Sniff... ugh..."
Held-back tears streamed down my cheeks.
Dreamed life reversal, but seemed pipe dream.
Groveled with sales smiles to NPCs.
Committed crime for job quest.
Nothing in my hands.
'Enough tears for one day.'
Still, no quitting.
I... must press on.
Turn failure to fertilizer, grow stronger.
"Hic... just sleep forever!"
Slam!
Finally.
I smashed his snout full force.
What idiot quest; wasted time.
"Hic, my pitiful life... Huh?"
Wiping tears, lifting head.
I saw the universe.
Precisely, locked eyes with a massive pupil reflecting the Milky Way.
"...Gulp!"
Day 4 in Silmaria.
A miracle happened to me.
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