FAR - 24

My answer was simple.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

Belsus clamped his mouth shut, seemingly upset. After a long while, he muttered in a mosquito-like whisper that it was dangerous and that he should go with me.

'It'd actually be more dangerous if you came along. We'll be discussing things you're not supposed to hear.'

I had grilled Archer just in case, but it turned out he hadn't spilled anything about me to the Bard.

— It really wasn't me! I didn't breathe a word. You know that! I followed you the whole time you were digging up those damn grass roots! I was busy cleaning up after you, only went back when the boss spawned, and then dipped right after. When would I have even had the time to say anything, huh?

— But I heard you said something to Belsus? Sounded pretty risky from what I gathered... Something about sharing the Reading ability?

— ...Please spare my life.

Until I met the Bard, I couldn't know anything for sure... but honestly, I had a slight inkling.

I had a guess as to how the Bard could have deduced my existence without us ever having met.

'These damn rankers. They really are smarter than me...'

There was still plenty of time until the performance, so it wasn't too late to worry about it later. For now, I focused on the grand task right in front of me.

[Lv.14 Farm Filled with the Sorrows of a Novice Farmer]

[EXP: 9,921 / 10,000]

Leveling up was right around the corner. And with this next level, the 'Mushroom Cultivation Room' I had been so desperately waiting for would finally unlock as a reward.

'Tsk. Is there really no other way to get EXP than just waiting for the vegetables to grow?'

Well, there was exactly one way: fixing the leaky roof myself.

Up until now, I had been turning a blind eye to it... I glared anxiously at my house, which looked fine on the outside but was practically rotting on the inside.

It couldn't be helped. I set up a ladder and cautiously climbed up onto the roof. The moment my foot touched the wooden planks, creeeak... the roof let out a strained groan. I whipped my head around to check if the noise had woken Belsus up. Even after waiting for a good while, the barn remained quiet.

'Back to work.'

I carefully set down a bundle of rags. With my knees trembling against the sloped surface, I began scrubbing the grimy roof until it squeaked.

'What a miserable life...'

It would be fantastic if I could just use my level-up rewards to instantly upgrade the house without lifting a finger. But if I did that, I'd run short on resources to invest in Belsus.

After a while, I somewhat got used to being so high up. The roof was surprisingly sturdier than I'd expected, so admittedly, I let my guard down a little.

I only meant to stretch my back for a second. Who knew that doing it a bit too vigorously would send me tumbling backward?

'Ah, I'm dead.'

I flailed my arms forward in an undignified attempt to catch my balance, but it only resulted in me falling backward even more disastrously.

Thump!

I squeezed my eyes shut, then slowly opened them. Instead of the gruesome sound of my bones shattering, there was only a soft, muffled thud.

More importantly, instead of the hard ground, I felt something firm yet warm beneath my back and hips.

When I opened my eyes, the first things I saw were the night sky and Belsus staring down at me from merely inches away.

"What in the world..."

Belsus had turned pale from shock, but his complexion gradually returned to normal. At first, he looked relieved, but then, he actually had the audacity to give me a subtle, knowing look.

'I purposely did this at night precisely because I was worried an embarrassing accident like this might happen.'

Avoiding his gaze felt like a blow to my pride, so I held my ground in a staring contest.

"How did you know?"

I hadn't even screamed when I fell. Even if Belsus's physical abilities were superhuman, how on earth did he manage to sprint out of the barn in time to catch me?

Suddenly, a faint smile graced Belsus's lips.

There was something peculiarly gentle about it, like discovering a tiny sprout just before accidentally stepping on it.

"Now you see. Just how much attention I pay to you."

I stared at him blankly for a moment before belatedly muttering, "...What are you talking about?"

More importantly, why isn't he putting me down?

---

It seemed even squirrels occasionally fell from trees.

Belsus had caught Heean just in the nick of time. Compared to Belsus's thick, muscular frame, Heean's absurdly slender body fit perfectly into his arms.

He should have put him down immediately...

Yet, Belsus stubbornly held Heean tight against him. There wasn't a single inch of space between Heean's back and his own chest.

Pressed this closely together, he could feel Heean's heartbeat thumping right through his back.

Belsus was observing whether Heean's heartbeat would start to race. It was an impulsive idea that struck him the moment he caught the man.

'If... if Heean truly harbors feelings for me despite us both being men... his heart will surely race from being held this closely.'

Despite gathering various 'evidence' to deduce Heean's true feelings, Belsus still couldn't entirely believe his own conclusion. He needed confirmation.

Heean raised his eyebrows high. Even while completely entrusting his weight into Belsus's arms, his expression looked incredibly relaxed.

'As I thought... I misjudged—'

Right then, Belsus let out a sharp gasp.

Heean's heartbeat was suddenly pounding much faster and more forcefully than before.

"..."

With an expression far more solemn than before, Belsus abruptly set Heean down. Though Heean looked slightly puzzled by this, he simply dusted himself off, gave Belsus a light pat on the arm to say thanks, and climbed back up to finish his work.

'If I used Reading on his thoughts, I'd be able to know his true feelings with absolute certainty, but...'

That was an absolute taboo. As maddeningly as Belsus wanted a definitive answer to his doubts, he stopped himself, as if an invisible wall had been erected in his mind.

If by some chance, Heean's thoughts were actually about... loving him.

He feared he would be too shocked and flustered to handle it.

If,just if,Heean truly harbored such feelings, peering into his mind would be an incredibly disrespectful act toward his landlord. He couldn't commit such a transgression twice.

'I must ban myself from doing it. At least when it comes to Heean.'

In reality, the racing heartbeat had been Belsus's own.

He had completely mistaken it for Heean's. Oblivious to his own physical reactions, he had gently set Heean down under a massive misconception.

The next morning, as Belsus woke up and was about to wash his face, Heean strode purposefully toward him.

"Mind if I take some measurements?"

Thump. Belsus felt his heart drop. Heean intensely examined Belsus's shirtless chest with deep interest.

'Perfect. It's bigger than yesterday again. At this rate, he could lift steel rebars like they're nothing.'

Heean reached out, unhesitatingly squeezing Belsus's pectorals. After getting Belsus's stiff nod of consent, he thoroughly inspected the muscles on his thighs and arms as well. He had even scrounged up a tape measure from somewhere and was tracking Belsus's expanding measurements every single day.

"Flex your chest."

Unlike the previous days, Heean completely failed to notice how peculiarly red Belsus's face had become.

"Nice! Both your chest and waist circumferences have increased. And your pecs are definitely firmer."

"...Thank you."

---

Late that night, I lit a campfire and started roasting some potatoes and corn.

To preserve their natural flavor, I roasted the potatoes using only butter. For the corn, I had shucked and stripped them all beforehand, filling an entire pot with the golden kernels.

'Normally, midnight snacks are strictly forbidden. But ever since we came back from the first dungeon, Belsus kept saying "I'm still too weak" and drastically increased his training volume. He needs the extra calories.'

Now, Belsus no longer wore an uncomfortable expression when I cooked. He simply sat beside me, waiting patiently, looking for all the world like a massive, muscular white hound eagerly watching its owner prepare its meal.

I placed the pot of corn kernels over the fire, spreading them evenly to get a nice char. Once the kernels turned a delicious golden-brown, I tossed them in a mixture of homemade mayonnaise, salt, and sugar, before generously sprinkling grated cheese over the top.

And to finish it off, a pinch of chili powder,a tiny handful I had managed to make through sheer, agonizing effort.

Looking at this incredibly precious, coarse, hand-ground chili powder, a profound wave of nostalgia washed over me.

'I suppose making Kimchi... is out of the question.'

I could probably somehow mimic fish sauce or flour paste later on. But the real problem is that I can't produce nearly enough chili powder for it.

Farming ripe red chili peppers in bulk is one thing. Drying them under the blazing sun for days on end is another. And since magical contraptions like blenders don't exist here, grinding them all by hand is an absolute nightmare.

Yeah. The return on investment for that kind of labor is completely skewed.

If anyone dares to ask why I don't just make Belsus do it, I'd drag that person here and make them do the manual labor themselves.

'Belsus needs to conserve every ounce of his strength so he can go out into battle and secure first place for me. And you want me to make him grind chili peppers?'

Even if I generously counted it as strength training, the moment I let Belsus lay a hand on my 'sanctuary' (the farm), things would spiral out of control.

Once I allow him to help, that 'Helpful Ghost' will inevitably insist on working by my side all day long. How on earth would I ever talk him out of it?

Belsus, who had been blissfully devouring the makeshift grilled corn as if in ecstasy, suddenly put on a serious expression.

"How do I turn down the performance invitation...?"

See? The poor guy is on the verge of tears just trying to figure out how to decline a single performance invitation from the Bard. Imagine what would happen if I let him get involved in farm work.

'Still, this is a massive leap forward. At least he's actually trying to refuse.'

Back when he was a loner, he couldn't say no to save his life. He always figured he'd be the only one taking the loss, and the other person's expectations were entirely focused on him.

But now, Belsus had me.

'Me, an absolute paragon of shameless audacity...'

Since another person,me,was tied up in this mess, just the fact that he was considering a refusal was a monumental achievement. I decided to save the agonizing Belsus from his misery.

"Look here. I'll solve this for you in one fell swoop."

I held up the two concert tickets, waiting until Belsus's eyes were fixed on them.

And then, I tossed them straight into the campfire.