Chapter 16
Despite circling the area several times, I couldn't spot a single person who looked like a peddler.
The shops here only sold standard health and mana potions with slightly better efficacy. They weren't what I was looking for. To be fair, if what I needed was easily recognizable, the price would have been exorbitant.
"Haa... I guess they really aren't here."
Maybe the problem was that I kept pacing the same spot, frustrated that I had made a wasted trip. My legs were throbbing.
No matter how much my body was conditioned by inn work, walking all day for two days straight was pushing it. Just standing on my own two feet felt like a chore. I slumped onto a bench tucked away in the corner of the plaza.
'I really don't want to go back empty-handed.'
Even after walking aimlessly for hours, I couldn't just give up. It wasn't as if I could visit the neighboring town often, and I had my duties at the inn waiting for me. At the very least, I needed to gather some information about the peddlers before I left.
'Isn't there anyone here who is close with the peddlers?'
If I could find someone like that, I could ask them to have the peddler stop by our village. The person I'm looking for is one of the peddlers who frequents this town, anyway. If I leave a message, wouldn't the peddler selling that specific potion come find me?
'...Should I ask the innkeeper?'
Inns served multiple purposes. Occasionally, that included passing along messages. Since there was only one inn in this town, there was a high chance the peddlers stayed there.
'If I had known it would come to this, I should have asked earlier.'
I realized just how hastily I had acted. If I had approached the situation calmly, I definitely would have started by gathering information at the inn or the tavern, rather than just charging in blindly.
'Still, that innkeeper is a bit... difficult.'
I recalled the innkeeper's apathetic attitude toward his guests. But I was the one who was desperate; standing still wouldn't solve anything. Problems didn't magically fix themselves while you sat around.
"……."
Ultimately, I shot up from my seat. But instead of the street scenery, I found myself staring at someone's chest. It seemed someone had approached me while I was lost in thought.
I tilted my head up to look at the person in front of me.
"Is there a problem?"
He was a burly man who looked to be three or four years older than me. His eyes crinkled into a smile, giving him a gentle, good-natured appearance. Had he been watching me pace around this area?
'Is he a local?'
If so, this was actually a stroke of luck. It wasn't like I was asking anything strange, just a simple question about peddlers. It should be fine.
I offered him a bright smile.
"I heard that peddlers occasionally come around here. Did any show up today?"
"Ah... peddlers, you say?"
"Do you know anything about them?"
He tilted his head, visibly trying to jog his memory. Seeing him try so hard to remember something for a complete stranger made me think that perhaps the world was a beautiful place after all.
Soon, he nodded vigorously as if he had recalled something and spoke up.
"As it happens, there's one nearby. Down the south alley from here... Let me show you the way."
"Pardon? Oh, no, you don't need to go out of your way. Just telling me the location is fine."
"The path is quite complicated; it's easy to get lost."
I waved my hands dismissively, insisting it was fine, but he was stubborn. Watching his back as he began to march forward, I fidgeted anxiously before finally resigning myself to slowly follow him.
'People who are overly kind actually scare me.'
Even as I trailed behind him, I carefully kept an eye on my surroundings. For every person who helped out of genuine goodwill, there was another waiting to stab you in the back the moment you let your guard down. Naturally, trusting a man who had appeared out of nowhere was difficult.
Besides, I didn't even know which way was south. I had no way to verify if he was actually taking me in the right direction.
Clatter!
"……!"
I cast a subtle glance over my shoulder, pretending not to care. The distinct sound of carriage wheels that had been grating on my ears seemed to be following me. And sure enough, there was a carriage rolling along behind us at a suspiciously slow pace.
It maintained a constant distance, and its exterior was pitch black. Why did suspicious people always favor dark colors? Was it to blend into the shadows?
"...How much further?"
I forced my voice to sound as innocent as possible. I couldn't let them know I was suspicious just yet. The man walking ahead of me turned toward a narrow alleyway, one that a single carriage would barely fit through.
The number of passersby around us dwindled. Despite the sun blazing bright in the sky, the shadowed alley looked like a gaping maw ready to swallow me whole. A chilling aura began to creep up from my feet.
"Just a little further now."
The man's reply carried a bizarrely cold undertone. I couldn't be sure if it was real or just my imagination. However, one of the most important lessons I had learned in life was to never ignore your gut instinct.
I subtly took a step back.
"……!"
At that exact moment, I saw the slowly trailing carriage grind to a halt.
'T-This is...'
"Is something wrong?"
The man turned around, the same good-natured smile plastered on his face. It was the exact same smile as before, yet strangely, a deep sense of revulsion boiled up from the pit of my stomach.
This might be incredibly rude to someone offering genuine help. But I couldn't just ignore the blaring danger signals my intuition was sending me.
"I-I'm sorry! I just remembered something urgent I have to do!"
Dash-
I spun around and bolted.
"Catch her!"
Instantly, the man's voice dropped its facade, ringing out viciously behind me. The stationary carriage jerked forward. It barreled toward me, looking as though it meant to run me over, block my path, or perhaps just intimidate me.
'This isn't some urban legend!'
I frantically unslung the bow from my shoulder. I had never shot an arrow while running before, but with enemies behind and a carriage rushing at me, I had to try something.
I stuck close to the wall to prevent the carriage from pulling up alongside me, then drew the bowstring.
Twang!
Without a second to hesitate, the arrow flew through the air. My target was the coachman. I didn't intend to kill him; I was aiming for his shoulder.
However, I immediately realized just how incredibly difficult it was to shoot a moving target while running myself. The arrow didn't even come close.
Just as the errant arrow veered off course and was about to hit the ground...
Crack!
Neeiigh!
Miraculously, it struck the wheel. That alone might not have caused a huge problem. But it seemed the horse pulling the carriage was easily spooked. Startled by the loud crack from the wheel, the horse panicked and began to thrash wildly.
Losing its balance, the carriage careened uncontrollably.
Crash!
Unable to control the swerving vehicle, the coachman let out a scream as the carriage smashed into the opposite wall. The heavy impact seemed to knock the coachman unconscious, and whoever was inside couldn't immediately stumble out.
The harness must have snapped, because the horse eventually broke free and bolted.
"Yes!"
Seizing the opening, I sprinted past the wreckage and burst onto the main street. I thought they would stop chasing me once I reached a crowded area, but...
"He went that way!"
"Catch him!"
"Stop right there!"
They didn't give up. They were hot on my heels.
"Why?! My family just runs a poor village inn!"
Even if they kidnapped me for ransom, they wouldn't get much. It wasn't like I had some incredible hidden power, either. There was absolutely no reason to try this hard to kidnap me! Shouting it in my mind was useless; they obviously couldn't hear me.
Maybe their pride was just hurt because I had slipped away so easily? Even so, I wasn't about to just let myself get caught.
"Ugh...!"
The problem was that my body was already running on fumes. If this turned into a battle of endurance, they would catch me in no time. I frantically scanned my surroundings. A few bystanders looked over in surprise, but the majority were completely disinterested.
They just went about their business. The utmost kindness they offered was stepping aside so I could run past.
'They are so heartless!'
It was a stark realization of just how callous a game world could be to its NPCs. No, it wasn't just NPCs. The people of this world often didn't care even if a sword fight broke out in the middle of the plaza. Usually, guards would just magically spawn after a fight had been going on for a while.
"Stop right there!"
"Halt!"
'Where are the guards?!'
My only hope, the city guards, were nowhere to be seen. Despite all this commotion, there wasn't a single shadow of them. Was it because the city was too large? Or had not enough time passed to trigger their arrival?
Whatever the reason, my legs were on the verge of giving out. The footsteps of my pursuers were closing in fast.
'Should I... shoot my bow?'
I gripped my bow tighter. I had just experienced firsthand how pitiful my accuracy was while running. Instead of merely stopping them, a stray arrow could end up taking a life.
'But getting caught like this... is too dangerous.'
There was no way these enraged thugs would treat me gently if they caught me now.
I grabbed an arrow with my other hand. Just as I was about to turn around, someone standing right in the middle of the plaza caught my eye. I hadn't even meant to look, but he naturally drew my gaze. Even though I could only see his back, he gave off an incredibly reliable aura, as if he were an old, trusted companion. He wasn't flashy, but he wore simple armor and was properly equipped with a sword.
'If it's him!'
A sudden surge of faith washed over me that this man could somehow fend off my pursuers. I didn't know why. I just felt an absolute, unconditional certainty that I could trust him.
I decided to trust my gut instinct once again. Squeezing out every last drop of energy I had, I bolted toward him.
Thankfully, he remained standing perfectly still as I approached, allowing me to grab onto his arm without difficulty.
The moment I grabbed him, I swiftly spun around to his front, effectively using him as a human shield.
"P-Please help me!"
I shouted at the top of my lungs.
"One should resolve their own problems with their own strength. Or do you plan to live the rest of your life constantly relying on the help of others?"
"……!"
It was an incredibly cold response to give someone in a crisis.
I immediately jerked my head up. The emerald eyes gazing down at me widened slightly in surprise as they met mine. Above them, thick golden hair swayed gently in the breeze. It was as if even the wind was conspiring to make him look majestic, and the sunlight pouring down on his head was blindingly radiant.
"……."
That alone was enough for me to be absolutely certain. This world truly did revolve around him. The man still looking down at me was the protagonist of this game.
Ain Claudio.
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