The one I had harbored resentment against, viewing them as my target for revenge, had finally emerged.
I had even discovered their whereabouts and activities.
However, they were too powerful for me to reach, and even putting that aside, my heart felt deeply unsettled.
My resentment up until now had been little more than an outlet for my anger.
I had known this all along.
After all, I didn’t know how to reach the true object of my wrath.
So, I had directed that fury towards a being with a physical presence, breathing and living in this world.
But then.
Now that the individual had been identified, I found myself at a loss for what to do.
It wasn’t that I had given up on revenge, nor had my anger subsided, but I felt strange.
While this world might be a game from a player’s perspective, for those living within it, this world was their reality.
In such a world, the Saint, controlled by a player, might also be a victim—a question and a doubt that began to surface in my mind.
After all, I myself had been thrust into this form against my will.
Perhaps the Saint, too, had been transformed into an unwanted existence, just like me.
Even though they possessed more of everything than I did, with outstanding talent.
Even so, there was a vast difference between willingly arriving at such a situation and being forcibly thrust into it against one’s desires.
“First, it seems I need to investigate further.”
Meeting them without preparation seemed dangerous.
Information was crucial.
For all I knew, if I approached carelessly, a player might switch to my body and commit some heinous act.
“The Saint……”
To gather the information I lacked, I first headed to the Adventurers’ Guild.
Since Ban would likely possess more detailed information, it seemed I would have to impose on him once again, much to my embarrassment.
As I brushed off the dust from my clothes and approached the Adventurers’ Guild, an odd scene unfolded before me.
Ban was cornered by someone.
The person appeared larger than Ban.
Ban, being pushed into the corner, was completely obscured, and for a moment, I didn’t even notice him.
The person, nearly two meters tall, was lightly tapping Ban’s cheek with the back of their hand—it likely didn’t hurt, but it looked incredibly unpleasant.
‘Should I intervene?’
‘But if that person were to kick me, I’d probably be sent flying far away.’
For now, I decided to quietly observe the situation.
“Ban, when are you going to pay back the money? The money!”
“……Ahaha, well, Big Brother? You know I’ve been working hard lately, don’t you? Just bear with me a little longer.”
“You borrowed gold coins, haven’t repaid a single one, and I’ve waited over half a year without a word from you—isn’t that showing an awful lot of patience?”
‘So that’s why he’s being treated this way.’
‘I thought Ban was a good person, but he’s truly rotten.’
‘How much is a gold coin, anyway?’
I counted on my fingers, and a simple calculation revealed that he had borrowed a sum approaching ten million won.
‘Why haven’t they killed him?’
A pure curiosity arose within me.
While borrowing such a large sum was one thing, spending over half a year without any repayment plan was simply unforgivable.
As I let out a deep sigh behind the two individuals locked in their standoff, Ban suddenly acknowledged me.
“…Oh, oh! Ellie!”
“What? Is that someone you know?”
Ban called out to me familiarly, and the man who had been pressing him also turned to look at me.
Since there was no pre-determined answer to give here, I simply shrugged my shoulders.
“They’re a stranger. Please, continue with what you were doing.”
“Alright then.”
Fortunately, despite his intimidating face, he was a pragmatic person; he dismissed me from his thoughts and immediately kicked Ban in the shin.
A thud echoed through the Adventurers’ Guild, yet no one seemed inclined to intervene.
Instead, they laughed among themselves, muttering sarcastic remarks about Ban’s usual conduct.
They claimed he wasn’t long for this world, always blowing any money he got on gambling and constantly chasing a single big score.
“Hey, hey.”
“Yes?”
Upon hearing someone call out to me, I kept my gaze fixed on the floor while glancing around, spotting a slender foot approaching me.
It was a woman’s voice, and a woman’s foot.
“You, I heard your eyes are cursed, aren’t they?”
“…Perhaps?”
“What do you mean, ‘perhaps’? Yesterday, that guy was unusually troubled, looking as if he’d bitten into a bug.”
“Troubled?”
“I had a spat with him yesterday, and he seemed completely distracted, so I asked him about it.”
The woman chuckled alluringly, lightly scratching my cheek with her fingernails as she continued.
“He admitted he has a bad temper, but he’s not such a scoundrel as to hit a child. Yet, he said he felt such revulsion the moment he saw your eyes that his hand just lashed out.”
“Ah, that story.”
Ban had told me that very morning when he came to the inn.
I had even been touched by his apology for it.
While people often reacted that way upon seeing my eyes, it was the first time anyone had ever apologized afterward.
“If you go over there and pick a fight with Ban right now, that old man will collect your share of the debt too, you know?”
For some reason, her provocative words made me frown.
“No thanks.”
“But it’s your rightful share, isn’t it?”
“Rightful or not, that’s for me to decide.”
“Look at this one, quite bold, aren’t we?”
I sighed as she playfully ruffled my hair, as if I were a cute child.
Wondering why such a person would suddenly approach me, I noticed Ban promising to repay everything within three months, signaling the end of their confrontation, and subtly moved closer to him.
“Ban.”
“Uh, why? Look, don’t look at me; you stare at the floor, and I’ll stare at the ceiling.”
“……That’s truly pathetic.”
“What can I do? A huge gambling opportunity came up, and I had no money, so I had no choice but to borrow.”
While I wondered what kind of twisted logic that was, I ultimately sighed and accepted it, realizing this was simply how he lived his life.
If someone chooses to live that way, and they’re neither family nor a lover, what right do I have to say anything?
“Anyway, I came because there’s something I need to ask you.”
“Are you really okay, after I harassed you?”
‘Well, if you put it that way, no, I’m not okay.’
The hand that had squeezed my neck had been so strong it left bruises.
Being thrown to the floor had left my entire body aching.
But more than any of that, he had sought me out this morning and apologized, so perhaps that was enough.
“You apologized, didn’t you? That’s enough.”
“Normally, in a situation like this, one would demand money for the pain, you know.”
“What exactly does ‘normal’ even mean to you, Ban?”
He wasn’t just rotten; he was severely twisted.
At my words, Ban let out a hearty laugh, then stumbled, fumbled for a chair, found it, and sat down.
“I don’t know what you want to ask, but will it be a quick matter? Or something that takes a little time?”
“I think I’ll probably need to ask quite a lot.”
“Then order some food. We’ll split it 8:2 anyway, so I’ve got some extra cash.”
“Can’t you just use that to pay back your debt?”
“I’ll just use this to multiply it and pay it all back at once, won’t I?”
The more we talked, the dizzier my head became, so I shook it.
“For food, just give me the cheapest thing you have.”
“What do you mean, cheap? How about some roasted chicken? It smells a bit gamey and doesn’t taste great, but there’s a lot of it, so everyone likes it.”
“Then that, please.”
Declaring his decision, Ban ordered the food and returned to his seat.
“So, what did you want to ask?”
“It’s about the Saint.”
“Oh, interested? But as I said, I only hear rumors, so I don’t know the details.”
“Just tell me whatever you know.”
At my request, Ban retrieved the beer he had ordered earlier, took a long sip to wet his throat, and began his story.
It was a tale about the Saint, who had suddenly appeared at some point.
Half a year ago, the youngest son of a mid-sized merchant guild showed an interest in the sword.
Struck by the immense talent of his youngest son with a sword, the guild master poured resources into him, believing he would become a great figure.
A good teacher, a fine sword, potent elixirs.
He received support almost akin to that of a noble, and his exceptional talent allowed him to absorb every bit of it without waste.
In a mere two months, he was able to spar with his sword master, and within three, he gained the upper hand against him.
Then, as the fourth month began, the guild master sought to bestow a blessing upon his youngest son through the temple.
It was then that he reportedly received the baptismal name ‘Rie’.
“Rie…?”
“Yeah, sounds like a girl’s name, doesn’t it?”
That wasn’t what surprised me.
‘So, he received the name at that time.’
‘In that case, it means the character was created then.’
‘Just like the past events my traits spoke of, which I had no memory of.’
‘The Saint, too, must have experienced something similar in the past, before character creation.’
‘The reason the moment the name Rie was taken from me differs from when the name Rie was given to the Saint is likely because, just as my name changed to Ellie.’
‘My deduction is that he originally had a different name, but it was overwritten with the name Rie—the one taken from me—thus altering his past to reflect that name as well.’
“After that, he apparently just went around doing heroic deeds, like helping the poor, hunting monsters alone, and exposing corrupt nobles—a true hero’s life.”
Ban finished speaking with a bored expression, then chugged the rest of his beer.
The food arrived.
The roasted chicken, served with its head and feet still attached, looked grotesque, but was surprisingly edible.
“Isn’t it unfair? We struggle to survive, barely scraping by at the bottom, while someone else just crushes their way to the top with talent and money.”
“…Indeed.”
It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel a pang of inferiority.
However, the thought lingered in my mind: ‘Are these events truly happening because the Saint desires them?’ This prevented me from thoughtlessly cursing him.
“Where can I meet the Saint?”
“I heard he’s currently on a pilgrimage, so his next destination is somewhat predictable… He’s probably heading to a small village called Traxna.”
“How long would it take to get there?”
“Time is one thing, but just the travel expenses alone would be 30 silver coins. Do you have that?”
“……No, I don’t.”
“So, we both need money. Why don’t we work on something together?”
“……What kind of work, and how will we split the profits?”
“It’s similar to last time, and the split is 8:2.”
“7:3.”
“Suit yourself if you don’t want to.”
“Yes, then I don’t want to.”
After all, I wasn’t planning to meet him right away; I merely wanted to confirm his location.
When I casually refused, Ban panicked and grabbed my wrist.
“No, no! Don’t be like that! I’ll do 7:3, so won’t you please work with me?”
‘Since he was making it so obvious how urgent this matter was.’
‘I couldn’t help it.’
“How about 6:4?”
“What?!”
“I’m not in any hurry at all, but you, Ban, seem incredibly desperate. The desperate one should yield.”
“……It seems I’ve raised a monster.”
“You didn’t raise me, Ban; I simply grew up well on my own.”
I shrugged.
Whatever the job was, I had nothing to lose.
