The rumor started from the Security Force.
Sometimes, the guards would get cheap alcohol as provisions. While drinking that, they started blabbering, and before they knew it, others overheard them. At first, no one believed it easily.
How could they? The rumor was that I, Hans, had hunted the Blade Wolf. No one else, but clumsy Hans?
It’s only natural for such words to come up. The image of the Time Stop Breeding Uncle in the refugee camp was the worst. Setting aside appearance, my actions were also unlikable.
While everyone was working hard, I was just playing around and eating on my own.
Of course, my image couldn’t be anything but terrible.
So people didn’t really like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle. Some even argued to kick me out altogether. Thankfully, that proposal wasn’t accepted.
Anyway, with a reputation that low, how could anyone believe that I—Hans the Time Stop Breeding Uncle—had defeated the Blade Wolf? Even I wouldn’t believe it.
If it hadn’t been real, the rumor would have quickly disappeared. I honestly hoped for that too. But the next day, the Security Force officially announced that I was the one who defeated it.
“I successfully hunted 7 Blade Wolves.”
“What? So the Blade Wolf really showed up?!”
“So that rumor is true…?!”
The Security Force confirmed it right before everyone’s eyes. They even collected the corpses of the Blade Wolves and mounted them. Naturally, people had no choice but to believe the rumor. And that was the problem.
The rumors began to snowball. In truth, I was a knight who had made a name for myself in the past. For some reason, I had started seclusion as a swordsman. And all sorts of rumors circulated.
Eventually, I couldn’t stand it and ran away.
I misjudged. In the game, the Blade Wolf wasn’t such a strong enemy. It felt like I was just taking out fodder, quickly handling it in front of everyone—and that was the problem.
But in this world, the Blade Wolf was an unimaginable source of fear for people. Although it was indeed considered a weak monster, that was limited to elite knights and well-defended capitals. In the refugee camp, where conditions were harsh, the Blade Wolf was a true calamity.
“I was too short-sighted. Damn it.”
Wiping the sweat off my brow, I sat down by a tree stump. Firewood was strewn across the ground before me. Right now, I was making excuses about chopping wood to escape outside.
It wasn’t exactly a good situation. Not only was everyone’s attention on me, but I also had to do things beyond my ability. Of course, with my Time Stop Ability, I wouldn’t die, but…
Relying solely on Time Stop felt too bleak in such a grim world. So I had been trying to grow my power in order to survive and return to my original world.
Somehow, I found myself receiving an undeserving evaluation. Like, pulling out my sword just once and wiping out all the monsters. Who even is that? Definitely not me!
“Ah… this should be enough.”
Before I knew it, the sun was setting. I slowly got up from my spot. I had trained and chopped wood here in this forest.
Though I had used the excuse of chopping wood to run away, to be honest, I really needed it. Firewood was excellent fuel. Especially with winter coming, firewood was practically a lifeline.
However, to chop wood, I had to go outside eventually. Of course, going outside the refugee camp’s wooden barricade was extremely dangerous. If an ordinary person encountered monsters, they’d likely lose their life.
“I chopped more wood than I thought.”
But then, a problem arose. I had too much firewood. I chopped so much to kill time that it piled up like a mountain on my cart.
I honestly didn’t expect to do this much. But I couldn’t just throw it away. Firewood consumption was no joke even on normal days. With winter approaching, I’d probably need to use even more.
“Sigh… it can’t be helped.”
Reluctantly, I activated my ability. Soon, the colors around me began to fade. In the gray world that surrounded me, only I could move.
Confirming that time had stopped, I immediately shouldered the cart. It was heavier than I expected, but I managed to hold on. If I took this firewood back, I could rest for a bit.
In reality, woodcutters wouldn’t chop that much. Because getting ambushed on the way back would mean the end. So they usually chopped just enough to return quickly.
But I couldn’t blame them. For ordinary people, monsters were practically death incarnate. But I was fine with it. After all, I had the Time Stop Ability.
“Huff, huff.”
I hadn’t intended to use it. Monsters could attack again like last time. If the cooldown hit then, it would genuinely be dangerous. I thought that, but…
I couldn’t give up the firewood right in front of me. Because each of those pieces was currency. In the refugee camp, barter was the main trading method.
Food or usable items were more important than money right now. Especially with winter approaching, the value of firewood increased much more than I expected.
“Finally made it.”
A place that should have taken less than 20 minutes to walk normally took over an hour because of how heavy the firewood was. I exhaled heavily. Still, I felt a sense of pride.
Starting from chopping wood, I had moved all this firewood here. I thought I might have lost some weight with this. With that thought, I immediately released Time Stop.
And the moment I stepped into the entrance of the village, I was called over by the guards on duty. To be precise, the Security Force Commander Andrew was urgently looking for me.
“You called for me, Commander?”
“Yes, it’s urgent. He said to call you right away if you saw him.”
“…I have a very bad feeling about this.”
And that feeling turned out to be true. There was a refugee camp near with a leader named Setia, and the commander said they lost contact suddenly three days prior.
“And so we have no choice but to send a search party.”
“I see, but what does that have to do with me…?”
“I’d like you to lead that search party.”
“???”
I was definitely in deep trouble. Me, the leader of the search party! What kind of nonsense is this?! I wanted to refuse, but I couldn’t. Because everyone was looking at me!
“I’m sorry, but you’re the only one we can count on.”
“Why me for such an important role…?”
“Because you’re a swordsman, aren’t you?”
That’s not me!!! I never expected to be pushed this high. Honestly, I was a bit resentful, but I understood. Even if I were the commander, I’d probably assign someone like me to that position.
Damn it, at this point, I can only hope that nothing happened in that Setia place.
*
The refugees were people who had lost their hometowns, territories, or countries. They chose to band together to survive. That wasn’t a bad choice.
By uniting, they could somehow hold on. And thanks to that characteristic, they could easily secure meals. With a sizzle, blood and countless pieces of flesh flew in all directions.
Even in the pitch-black darkness, her golden hair shone brightly as blood splattered on it. Yet, she had horns on her head and her eyes were as black as the void.
Even the most foolish could tell she was not human. She sighed and put whatever she was holding into her mouth. With a squelch, blood burst out.
“Please, stop!!!”
“Mm~ yeah. This is the taste.”
The middle-aged man appeared to be this little girl’s father. Blood tears flowed from his eyes. A sense of powerlessness for not being able to protect his child. And the blazing hatred within him.
That was truly the best seasoning.
As she took the last piece of the head into her mouth, he was already out of his mind. A beast consumed by hatred was there. The girl licked the blood off her fingers, leaving nothing behind.
“I’m going to kill them. I’ll take everything I have!!!”
“I’d have liked to eat you too, but I hate old meat.”
“What…?!”
“I’m truly sorry. I wanted to let you meet your child directly from my belly.”
“Ugh!!”
The girl smiled and raised her hand. Nearby, a Blade Wolf, waiting with drool, started to move. It was a wolf three times larger than any Blade Wolf.
“Let there be a curse upon you, you gourmet!!”
Just before being completely devoured, the man cried out the words of a curse, tears of blood streaming down his face. The girl smiled, gently grabbed the hem of her black dress, and bowed her head in response.
“If you must, please call me Gourmet Anieta.”
To devour a child right in front of their parents. To show the process of cooking a beloved partner right before their eyes. And to serve that dish. The name people called her.
Gourmet Anieta.
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