***
Darkness settled heavily, and even the red glow heating the surrounding metal dimmed as closing time for the smithy approached, finally causing Pre's fingertips to halt. He hadn't completely finished working on The Devil's Fang, but the setting sun allowed no more work.
Pre exhaled heavily, slowly turning his head towards her expectant gaze.
Feeling Pre's eyes on her, Serica approached with hesitant, cautious steps and knelt before him. Her moist eyes gazed deeply into Pre's, like the unfathomable night sky. What color would her reflection be in his dark eyes? A mix of anticipation and anxiety made her lips tremble.
"You clearly said you didn't need any amount of money, no matter how much, didn't you?"
"Serica, what... what on earth...?"
As Serica approached, she pulled back the hood that had largely concealed her face until now.
"Then I offer myself to you."
Her delicately shimmering pale blue hair, like clear, transparent water droplets flowing from ice, and her skin, fair and fine like morning mist, possessed a beauty that, merely by looking, seemed to refresh and purify one's very soul. Her long, elegant eyelashes and the deep, sparkling eyes beneath them were particularly captivating, enough to steal anyone's spirit. Pre was momentarily lost, staring at her, before suddenly regaining his composure, unable to hide his flustered expression.
"..."
*Gulp!*
The sound of dry, tense saliva sliding down his throat echoed awkwardly in the silent smithy.
"Ha! Serica, I think you're mistaken. I have women as beautiful as you lining up around me. Unlike my outward appearance, I'm quite vulgar and lecherous. When I left this village, I wonder how many women I made cry... Hmm... Sophie, Yumi, and was it Lea? I've trampled over so many tears that their faces are now a blur. Anyway, I have no intention of accepting your offer, so please give up and it would be better for you to find someone else right now."
"Pre, I earnestly beg you. Please... just listen to the request."
A heavy sense of guilt settled in a corner of Pre's heart at Serica's pitiful appearance. He wasn't the strong being she imagined. Even if he could leverage the power of The Devil's Fang, it had long lost its initial immense power after he recklessly tampered with it in Crown Village, causing its energy to leak.
He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that she would cling to him so desperately. Unable to shake off the faint suspicion that she might notice his weakness and turn on him, he had foolishly wasted her valuable time and trampled on her pride.
He knew he didn't have the ability to solve her problem, and merely listening to the request to gain information felt like cowardly deception. So, he had deliberately tried to ignore her earnest plea, but it seemed the situation wouldn't end like this. Harboring a tiny hope that her story might not be too overwhelming for him, Pre finally decided to quietly wait for what she had to say.
"I will listen to the request. That doesn't mean I accept it..."
Serica smiled faintly at his words and began.
"Thank you. The story goes back a week. A rumor secretly spread that a Gate of Space and Time had opened deep in the eastern forest, on the outskirts of this city."
At the unfamiliar words 'Gate of Space and Time,' a momentary flicker of life returned to Pre's pale face. Serica carefully observed his reaction and continued.
"Before others could claim the treasure, I informed my elder brother of this. Together, we passed through the gate and stepped into the world beyond. But there, a being proclaimed itself the Demon King."
"The Demon King? Are you referring to *the* Demon King I know of, the one who actually descended long ago?"
As the word 'Demon King' lodged itself in his mind, Pre recalled memories from a distant past. The history where the Gates of Space and Time connected to hell, and countless heroes perished. He had read books stating that even dozens of heroes, revered as Sword Saint-level, had fallen powerlessly before that Demon King, their bodies never even recovered.
Serica read his stiffened expression and quickly added, "Why are you so tense? I said he was 'self-proclaimed,' didn't I?"
Only then did Pre slowly relax his rigid body. "Phew... I guess so? There's no way it's real..."
"But his power was such that it couldn't possibly be dismissed as mere empty words." Serica's voice trembled with unease once more.
Pre thought to himself, 'Whether he's the real Demon King or not, if his power level is the same, isn't it all the same?'
"Like the Demon King of the past, he commanded countless monsters. He had already occupied a village and built a formidable fortress there. The number of monsters I personally witnessed alone reached hundreds. Perhaps the total number could even be in the thousands."
"Thousands of monsters... That's certainly not a small number."
"Furthermore, under that Demon King, there are four powerful executives. I happened to witness one of them in battle, and I clearly saw him behead dozens of adventurers who had entered through the Gate of Space and Time with a single strike, moving at an incredibly fast, invisible speed."
"Uh...?"
A look of bewilderment appeared on Pre's face. Even just mentioning the executive level, the story was spiraling in an increasingly strange direction.
'Isn't he just a Demon King...?'
"Even if he's self-proclaimed, the Demon King, with them under his command, would exude an intimidating presence that cannot be easily underestimated. I can't even begin to gauge his power. That's why I'm not looking for just any skilled individual. At the very least... I desperately need someone strong enough to cross swords with a Sword Saint, someone who could adorn a page of history."
Serica's voice held a faint tremor along with her desperation.
"Then, your brother, who entered through the Gate of Space and Time with you, hasn't returned to this world yet?"
"No."
A deep sadness and anxiety permeated her short answer.
"But my brother... he must be alive. I heard that Demon King is merciless to those who resist, but he doesn't kill those who obey; he enslaves them. I must rescue my brother from there before the Gate of Space and Time closes forever. If I can't, we'll be separated eternally. Pre. Please... please, accompany me."
Serica's final words trembled like a sob.
"I..." Pre's reply came out weakly. His gaze was lost in deep thought, staring into the void.
At Pre's lifeless response, Serica's voice grew increasingly desperate and rapid.
"With your amazing strength, Pre, you could surely defeat that Demon King and perhaps even obtain the treasures hidden beyond that Gate of Space and Time. Furthermore, the nation is hesitant to offer active support because this particular Gate of Space and Time appeared deep in a remote forest, not inside a bustling city. Many people in this city have already given up hope for that Gate of Space and Time, tired of the low survival rate."
Serica clutched Pre's trembling hands, her eyes pitiful, as if hot tears would burst forth at any moment. "Even if I were to seek out the next strongest person in this city after you, most would likely not risk the danger. In fact, I've already been rejected by several. Now, truly, I have no one left but you, Pre. Please... please help me."
"..."
After a suffocating silence, Pre, having heard all of Serica's story, finally spoke.
"I'll ask just one last question."
"Yes. Anything."
Pre's lips trembled as if he was hesitating to say something. His gaze wavered uneasily, but finally, as if making up his mind, he took a deep breath and slowly, yet clearly, uttered the words he had held deep in his heart for so long, words he was afraid to speak.
"If there had been no commission requiring my help, would you have approached and offered assistance to someone as wounded and pathetic as me?"
Without a single second of hesitation, she answered in an utterly resolute tone.
"Yes."
Her unwavering gaze remained fixed on Pre.
At her answer and reaction, Pre said, "Serica."
"Yes."
"I'm sorry... I'm truly sorry."
Pre then knelt, confessing that he had been lying all along. He admitted that it was all bluster, and he was just a coward who had lied because he was suspicious of her.
*Smack!*
A hand flew, and with a small tearing sound, Pre's head snapped slightly to the side.
"You are the worst kind of trash."
As Pre's cheek stung and reddened, Serica rushed out of the smithy. Were the glistening marks on her cheeks tears, reflecting the moonlight?
Pre could do nothing but watch, unable to shout or hold her back. He merely crumpled into a small heap and stayed still. Yet, unable to control emotions he didn't know how to resolve, his eyes remained wide open, unable to close.
"I... I... why am I so useless...?"
***
"How wonderful it would be if life's challenges approached us step by step, like climbing stairs."
'There's no order to hardship. This is too soon for me to handle...'
Last night, the sudden parting with Serica led to deep fatigue, making me collapse onto the inn bed as soon as I washed up. Waking now in the dim light of dawn, I sat propped against the headboard, replaying yesterday's events and sorting through my complex feelings.
'Serica will eventually find someone stronger to lead her. That would be a better choice for her than me, someone still so lacking. The burden she carries isn't something I can dare to help with. It's nothing I can do. I should just forget about it now.' I tried to steel my heart, but a cold wind blew through a corner of my empty chest.
"Right, if that's the case, perhaps I'll explore this unfamiliar city today."
Yesterday, I arrived in the city in such a frenzy that I didn't even have time to properly look around. Only now did I finally have the leisure to face this strange place.
'I've finally arrived in the city of my dreams, haven't I? Surely, new and vibrant scenes await me. Perhaps, it might even be full of enjoyable things.'
With excitement and a hint of anticipation, I began to get ready to go out. The clothes I had carelessly tossed under the bed caught my eye. I first picked up my pants and extended my foot into the leg opening. The moment I did, a gruesome riiiiip sound accompanied my heel poking through the bottom of the pant leg.
This time, I picked up my shirt. The sunlight pouring through the holes, torn here and there, was embarrassingly vivid. I even thought it might be less unsightly if I just didn't wear it at all.
"Was I... walking around looking like this?"
Finally, I carefully pulled out **The Devil's Fang** that I had thrown under the bed. Until yesterday, the Fang had emitted a subtle blue light, but now it lay dormant in its tough leather sheath, concealing its aura. The city blacksmith had advised me that carelessly exposing such a valuable item could attract unnecessary attention, and I had gladly followed his advice to get a sheath made.
A short while later, I roughly prepared myself to go out and stepped through the inn door. The warm sunlight poured down, gently tickling my eyes. The moment I shielded my eyes with the back of my hand and looked around, an entirely unexpected, unfamiliar landscape unfolded before me.
"Hmm..."
How should I describe it? The buildings that met my gaze each flaunted their distinct personalities. They seemed to come from different eras and spaces; there was no unity to be found. Next to a building adorned with wood and vibrant dyes, a simple rectangular structure built of heavy stone stood firm, and beside it, a sophisticated building embellished with marble and glass gleamed brightly. The strange harmony of these disparate sights evoked both confusion and a peculiar curiosity.