IDLMH Chapter 8

Since then, Sisty and I chased after the fleeing Goblin.

Following the Goblin’s tracks, we were able to reach its nest.

Since the Mage behind me was an incredibly reckless spellcaster, I decided to charge in alone this time.

Rather than slicing, I ended up doing more punching and kicking, but I didn’t mind.

From my tall perspective, it was a hassle to aim my dagger at the small Goblins.

It may seem like brute force, but it was indeed easier to punch and kick against them.

Although we had let some Goblins escape once, we ultimately managed to defeat them efficiently.

After cutting off the Goblins’ ears as proof of our hunt, we explored the forest to ensure there were no more Goblins before heading back as the sun began to set.

“Duke, you’re amazing! You can slice Goblins in half with a dagger! And you have the power to kick them like a ball! You must have really had the strength to come through the Demons’ Forest!”

“I have confidence in my power and defense.”

Upon hearing me mention defense, Sisty averted her gaze awkwardly, perhaps recalling the earlier friendly fire incident.

No, I didn’t mean it as a jab!

“Hey, are you okay? I can use a healing spell like Heal to treat you, you know? I can’t use the kind of healing magic that a saint from a temple would use, though.”

That must be an essential spell for someone like you who causes friendly fire.

Speaking of which, there are actually saints in this world.

I wonder if that saint is a bearer of some special power that the temple boasts about, capable of using incredible healing magic or purification magic, and is beautiful to boot.

As I pondered such things, Sisty approached me with her hand glowing with a jade light, muttering a spell.

“Stop! I’m fine! Put away that dreadful magical power!”

When that jade light got close, I felt goosebumps and a shiver ran down my spine.

It was a stronger feeling of disgust than when I approached the lake in the Demons’ Forest.

Sisty looked puzzled when I hurriedly denied the healing magic.

“What’s wrong? It’s just Heal, right? There’s no reason to be scared; it’s not like you’re an undead. There’s no friendly fire involved here!”

Ah, I see. Since I’m a Dullahan, receiving healing magic would actually cause me damage! What a cliché setup.

“My armor is specially made, so it doesn’t take damage from minor attacks or magic. So I don’t need healing magic. I’ll accept your good intentions, though!”

We repeated this exchange a couple more times before reaching the village.

As soon as we returned, I reported to the village elder that we had wiped out a Goblin nest.

The elder was surprised to hear there was a Goblin nest, but calmed down when I told him we had already destroyed it and searched for any survivors.

When I handed over fourteen Goblin ears as proof of our hunt, he seemed quite satisfied.

As promised, he gave me this helmet and said I could take the entire set of equipment as well, but I declined since I had no use for it and wouldn’t be changing.

He insisted that it wouldn’t balance the request and reward, so I received some money instead.

A total of twenty thousand Kurtz, combining silver and copper coins.

Apparently, in this world, they use Kurtz instead of yen.

Sisty mentioned that, even with the helmet deducted, the payment was quite generous for a rural village.

I couldn’t say much about the economy or prices in this world, but judging by the village’s atmosphere, it seemed to be in good shape.

It was a relief that this otherworldly village wasn’t plagued by the corruption of nobility or royalty, nor were its villagers suffering from disease or famine.

In such a dark otherworld, there would be no hope.

While there are monsters that threaten humanity, adventurers contribute to circulating money by hunting and selling them.

Using materials unique to monsters for weapons, armor, clothing, and even food, humanity proves to be quite resilient.

After finishing the request, I found myself at the elder’s house.

By the way, Sisty was going to stay at the house of a village girl she had become friends with.

I would have liked to go there too, if possible.

Upon entering the house, a plump old woman guided me to a room.

The elder’s house was a bit more impressive than the others, with a guest room, a larger storage room, and an empty room for someone to stay in.

It seemed they usually hosted merchants, villagers from other towns, traveling salespeople, injured individuals, and adventurers.

Inside, there were simple yet sufficient furnishings: a bed, chairs, a table, a shelf, and a carpet.

It was not a cold, rough cave, but a proper living space.

Feeling relieved to spend time in a safe place, I flopped onto the bed and let out a sigh.

“Ahh, this is calming.”

The bed creaked under my weight, and I worried it might break, but it seemed sturdy enough. It made a creaking sound every time I moved, but…

Perhaps it was a remnant of my time as a human, but just lying down like this felt soothing.

Well, the quality of the bedding wasn’t that great, but it couldn’t be helped. Having a comfortable place was enough.

I was relaxing on the bed when I suddenly remembered one pressing issue.

Food.

Here I was, wearing a helmet and pretending to be a human, but of course, I couldn’t eat.

I had no mouth, so where would I even eat from? I was perfectly fine without meals.

However, if food was served and I didn’t eat at all, it would look suspicious.

Wouldn’t they wonder why I wouldn’t take off my helmet or armor, implying I had terrible injuries? If I gave off an air of not wanting to be seen or not wanting to take them off, that would be fine. Normally, people wouldn’t pry into someone’s business upon first meeting.

What would I do if they asked me at the table, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Saying I had a principle of not eating others’ cooking… It would seem rude. I’d look like a germaphobe or a royal wary of poison.

Perhaps I could say I couldn’t eat due to religious reasons… That might be plausible, but saying I couldn’t eat anything at all would be odd.

If I could use it, I could say I couldn’t show my face due to religious reasons and wanted to eat alone.

That seemed like a rule that might apply to women.

It seemed there were countless religions in this world, so it might work.

In case of emergency, I could say I had injuries on my face that I didn’t want to show and wanted to eat alone. It might require some careful handling, but it couldn’t be helped.

Well, since I was only staying one night this time, it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Duke, are you going to have dinner?”

The old woman knocked and called out. I hurriedly sat up and replied,

“No, I already ate in the forest earlier, so I’m fine.”

If I said that, I could easily brush it off. Sisty had been munching on hardtack and wild fruits along the way, after all.

“Really? You’re not just being polite, are you? You’re a big guy, so you need to eat a lot!”

“Then could I just have some bread? I’ll eat it later.”

“Understood!”

When I said that, the old woman seemed satisfied and left. As expected of a rural grandmother, she was quite assertive even with a stranger.

I didn’t need the bread, but I could give it to Sisty or the birds tomorrow.

After that, the elder came to check on my health, worried I might be unwell, but I brushed it off and lay back down on the bed.

Living under humans like this allowed me to learn various things about this world, but cohabiting with others was quite difficult.

As dawn broke and the sky turned white, I left the house.

As I opened the door with a creak, a refreshing breeze brushed against my armor.

The morning’s cool wind felt nice.

Even as a Dullahan, my senses still functioned properly. They felt a bit dull compared to human skin, but it was no problem.

After stretching a bit, I started walking.

It seemed this village had no lights, and most villagers went to bed early and rose early.

However, in one room of the elder’s house, there was a magical device that glowed when infused with magical power.

I knew about the convenience of electricity, but this was surprising in its own right.

It seemed I also had a proper amount of magical power, as it lit up. I thought that if I had magical power, I could use magic too, but it turned out that everyone living in this world had a tiny amount of magical power sufficient to use magical devices.

To use magic like Sisty, one would need a considerable amount of magical power, which seemed quite difficult.

I thought I might be able to use magic easily, but that was disappointing.

In the royal capital, many magical devices were used, allowing for lights even at night.

Hmm, a method unique to fantasy.

As I wandered around aimlessly, villagers who had risen early began to emerge from their doors.

Some carried buckets to draw water from the well, while others headed to the fields with farming tools.

From children to adults, everyone seemed to start their day energetically.

Judging by the villagers’ attire, food, and buildings, the civilization in this world seemed to resemble medieval Europe.

Thanks to the abundance of magical devices in the royal capital, life was a bit more convenient.

After wandering around the village for a while, I eventually spotted Sisty.

Her trademark ponytail and cool eyes were bluer than the sky. She rubbed her eyes sleepily but approached me with steady steps.

“Good morning, Duke.”

Her voice rang out like rolling bells.

Where had that sleepy figure gone? Now, a dignified young mage stood before me. However, this mage was a clumsy one who couldn’t even cast a Fireball straight.

She looked beautiful and capable, but it was truly unfortunate.

“……Good morning, Sisty.”

“I feel like you thought something terrible while I was greeting you. There’s a vibe of pity coming from you… or is it just my imagination?”

“Well, Sisty, today we’re supposed to ride with the merchant’s carriage heading to the royal capital, right?”

“Hey! Don’t just blatantly change the subject! Look at me and answer!”

Sisty protested energetically, her ponytail swaying as she did.

I lightly brushed it off and headed toward the square where the merchant’s carriage was likely waiting.

Upon reaching the square, I saw people who looked like merchants busily loading goods onto the carriage.

There were the elder and the old woman, talking to one of the merchants.

Yes, the elder had spoken to the merchant who had come to Poda Village, arranging for us to ride with him. We wouldn’t have to pay, but we would have to fight if any monsters appeared, which was a small price to pay.

“Oh, you’ve come! These are the ones who swiftly dealt with the goblin nest yesterday!”

The elder introduced us to the merchant.

Though I had done most of the work, Sisty had only managed to take down one goblin with a stray Fireball. She claimed she aimed for it, but that was highly dubious.

“Wow, they certainly look capable. A strong frontliner clad in armor, and the blue-haired girl looks like a competent mage.”

Hah, Sisty is competent, huh?

“I can hear you, Duke. Just remember this later. My true power is far beyond that!”

Had my voice slipped out? Sisty grimaced and whispered.

“When you say ‘remember this later,’ does that mean you’ll shoot me in the back with magic?”

“That’s not it!”

“Anyway, if any monsters show up, I’ll be counting on you two, alright? Please don’t fight, okay? They’ll be fine, right, elder?”

“…They should have the ability.”

Next time, will Sisty go on a rampage?