The next few days passed quietly.
Much quieter than the chaos of the forest.
I woke up every morning inside Robert's stable again, surrounded by the familiar smell of hay and horses.
For the first time in a long while…
I slept without worrying that a monster would tear me apart in the middle of the night.
Still, my body hadn't fully recovered.
The wound on my stomach was healing, but every sudden movement reminded me how close I had been to dying.
Robert noticed it immediately.
"You shouldn't move that much yet."
He was carrying a bucket of water when he saw me stepping outside.
"I'm fine."
"You said that last time too."
I sighed.
"...Fair point."
Robert placed the bucket down and sat on a wooden crate.
For a moment, he simply watched the village.
Children were running through the dirt roads.
Farmers were working near the fields.
Smoke rose from several houses as people prepared breakfast.
It looked peaceful.
But after everything that happened in the forest, the peace almost felt strange.
Robert scratched his beard.
"So."
"Tell me something honestly."
I looked at him.
"What?"
"Do you plan to stay here?"
The question surprised me.
"I don't know."
That was the truth.
This village was safe.
But I also knew I couldn't stay here forever.
Robert nodded slowly.
"I figured."
He leaned back slightly.
"You've seen things most villagers never will."
"The world outside isn't peaceful."
"No," I said quietly.
"It really isn't."
We sat in silence for a moment.
Then Robert suddenly stood up.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"The forest."
I blinked.
"Already?"
Robert snorted.
"You think food magically appears in this village?"
He grabbed a spear leaning against the stable wall and tossed me a smaller one.
"You need to start hunting again."
The southern forest looked different now.
Not because it had changed.
But because I had.
The first time I entered this forest, I was terrified of everything.
Now I knew what lived here.
What hunted here.
And what could kill me.
Robert walked ahead while explaining things as usual.
"You don't always need to hunt big monsters."
He pointed to a set of small footprints near the ground.
"Small prey keeps you alive longer."
I crouched down to examine them.
"Forest rabbits."
Robert nodded.
"Exactly."
We spent the next hour quietly moving through the trees.
Eventually, I managed to catch one using a simple trap.
Robert watched with a satisfied smile.
"See?"
"You haven't forgotten everything."
I smirked slightly.
"I had good teachers."
Robert laughed.
"Hah."
"I'm not taking responsibility for that."
When we returned to the village later that afternoon, something felt… different.
Several villagers were gathered near the tavern.
They were talking loudly about something.
Robert frowned.
"What now?"
We walked closer.
One of the farmers noticed us.
"Oh, Kazu!"
"You should hear this!"
"Hear what?"
The farmer looked excited.
"A group of adventurers just arrived from the capital."
Robert raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
"They brought news."
The farmer leaned closer.
"You remember that monster everyone talked about?"
"The Crimson Goliath?"
My stomach tightened slightly.
"What about it?"
The man grinned.
"The party that defeated it is becoming famous."
Robert snorted.
"Famous liars, maybe."
But the farmer continued excitedly.
"They were promoted to Rank B."
"And people in the capital are calling them heroes."
Several villagers nodded in agreement.
"Yeah!"
"I heard the leader fought the monster alone!"
Another man added.
"They say he saved his entire party."
Robert rolled his eyes.
"Of course that's the story they're telling."
I stayed quiet.
The lies didn't surprise me anymore.
Still…
Hearing it out loud felt strange.
Robert noticed my expression.
"Ignore it."
"They know the truth."
I nodded slowly.
Maybe the villagers did.
But the capital didn't.
And the capital was where reputation mattered.
As we walked back toward the stable, Robert suddenly spoke again.
"You know something?"
"What?"
"If those idiots ever show their faces here again…"
He cracked his knuckles.
"I might punch one of them."
I laughed.
"...I'd pay to see that."
Robert grinned.
"Heh."
"Maybe you will."
But deep inside my mind…
I had a feeling that someday—
Our paths would cross again.
And next time…
Things wouldn't end the same way.