Raymond walked through the village with heavy steps.
The villagers, who had been engulfed in madness until a little while ago, had now returned to their ordinary daily lives.
Children who had been throwing stones following the adults were playing pretend knights with branches.
“Haa, what a thing this is.”
Raymond sighed automatically at the village chief’s request to kill the girl in the forest.
Raymond accepted the village chief’s request for now.
After all, this was a world in illusion.
‘It doesn’t make sense in the first place.’
When he thought about it calmly, it didn’t make sense.
Who would ask a stranger they just met to kill someone?
The village chief’s request was an action far removed from reality.
The village chief’s sudden action now was like pulling off an absurd scam.
If Raymond had scammed people like that, he wouldn’t have been wanted in the first place.
Who would be fooled by a clumsy scam?
It was only possible because everything was happening in an illusion.
However, he couldn’t help but have many worries.
Even if it was an illusion, this place was no different from a world where all senses could be felt.
The gentle breeze and the earthy smell from the streets.
Even the touch of the soil felt vivid.
A world like a dream but distinctly different.
It was an illusion, but couldn’t it be called another reality?
He doubted if he could commit evil deeds in such a world.
Even if it’s a mission, even if it’s not real, could he really commit murder?
Raymond sighed as he looked at the semi-transparent window.
[Mission 4: Accept the village chief’s request and kill the girl.]
A mission that was accepted but not yet acted upon.
What if he acted on it?
Would it be okay because it’s not reality?
No, it wouldn’t be.
Didn’t he witness the horrors of the witch hunt he experienced a little while ago?
The sight of the woman dying engulfed in flames shocked Raymond.
With that shock still lingering, receiving the village chief’s request made him feel distressed.
‘It wasn’t easy after all.’
The scholar named Kaleido, who cast illusion magic on him, clearly had a creepy hobby.
It was undeniable.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have included such low-quality missions.
He was obviously enjoying watching Raymond agonize.
‘Disgusting.’
Perhaps he was someone who couldn’t understand the emotions of others?
He got goosebumps.
Of course, that was not something someone wanted for fraud could say.
He himself had harmed many people and ended up living in hiding.
Even so, he had never gotten his hands dirty with blood.
The scars on Raymond’s face and body were so-called karma.
They were caused by the victims of his scams holding grudges and acting on them, so he could swear he hadn’t gotten his hands dirty with blood.
‘Let’s not think about it for now.’
Raymond shook his head.
When he thought about it, the fact that they would give him so many gold coins so easily didn’t make sense.
Raymond left the village lost in thought.
Even if it looked like a normal village now, he had already seen their true nature.
Because of that, he didn’t want to stay in this village any longer.
When he had moved a sufficient distance from the village, he looked up at the sky.
“Hey! Are you watching me!”
These were words directed at Kaleido, who had cast illusion magic on him.
He shouted loudly, knowing that Kaleido was surely watching the current scene somewhere creepily.
“Let me out of here now!”
He didn’t need gold coins anymore.
If it was about eating away at his emotions like this, he wouldn’t have started at all.
Raymond wanted to shake off the unsettling feeling as quickly as possible.
That’s why he begged Kaleido to release him from the illusion magic.
“……”
However, there was no response from the other party.
The sky was still blue, and the cool breeze cooled Raymond’s cold sweat.
“So that’s how you want to play!”
Annoyance welled up.
Now that it had come to this, he thought it would be more beneficial to take Kaleido’s gold coins.
‘You think I can’t kill? If you want me to, I will.’
Raymond drew the dagger he wore at his waist.
A dagger he had never swung at a person. It was only worn for show.
‘I’ll finish the mission quickly and go back.’
This was not reality.
Comforting himself with that thought, Raymond’s footsteps headed into the forest.
He hadn’t walked for long before reaching the lakeside.
“……”
Near the lake, he saw the girl playing with a monster.
Her laughter playfully spread over the water.
Raymond stopped and looked at the girl.
It was a mission that would be over simply by swinging his dagger.
However, doubt began to grow in a corner of his heart.
Was this young girl really a dangerous being?
According to the village chief’s words, the young girl was a byproduct born from another witch.
‘Crazy bastards.’
As the old woman said, it meant that in the village, women had been accused of being witches and constantly killed.
The old woman’s words and the image of the executed woman flashed in and out of his mind.
At the same time, the girl’s image was superimposed on the woman’s image.
“Hmm.”
Even though he kept telling himself it was just an illusion, he couldn’t shake off the anxiety.
Raymond slowly walked towards where the girl was.
He tried to walk quietly, but the rustling of the bushes tickled his ears.
Rustle-
The rustling of the bushes that Raymond stepped on made the girl turn her head. Her curious eyes turned towards Raymond.
At the same time, Raymond was startled and hid the dagger he was holding behind his back.
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence hung between them.
But they couldn’t just stare at each other forever.
After hesitating for a long time, Raymond opened his mouth.
“Ah… yes. I came to return this.”
He casually put the dagger back on his waist and took out the necklace from his pocket.
It was the necklace the girl had dropped.
“……!”
The girl’s expression changed to surprise when she saw the necklace.
But she didn’t approach.
Raymond held out the necklace to the hesitating girl and said,
“It’s okay, I just came to return the necklace.”
The intention to kill the girl he had until a little while ago had completely disappeared.
He intended to give the girl the necklace and leave.
If Kaleido didn’t let him out, he planned to act differently from the mission and wander around.
That was his small act of rebellion against Kaleido.
“Take it quickly. I’m not a villager, and I’ll be leaving here anyway, so it’s fine.”
The girl’s wariness. Perhaps it was the result of the villagers’ actions, he thought.
At Raymond’s words, the girl carefully approached and took the necklace.
As the girl smiled shyly after receiving the necklace, Raymond’s lips also curved into a smile.
***
As a result, Raymond did not leave.
Nor did he return to the village.
He certainly did not escape from the world of illusion.
He didn’t leave the forest, nor did he return to the village.
“Mister!”
Raymond looked up at the sound of someone calling him.
“Luna, you’re here.”
Luna was the name of the girl Raymond first met at the lake.
[Mission 4: Accept the village chief’s request and kill the girl.]
The mission was still there.
Of course, he had no intention of following such a brutal mission.
He simply lived his current life peacefully.
The day he returned the necklace to Luna.
Raymond had many conversations with Luna.
When the girl was young, her mother passed away.
She died after being accused of being a witch.
Fortunately, Luna was still young and survived. And she wasn’t alone.
Near the forest, there was a small inn run by Luna’s father.
If this were reality, he would have found it strange that someone would run an inn in such an deserted place, but he just accepted it.
After all, this was an illusion.
Still, the good thing was, how long had it been since he felt nature?
“Mister, Dad says to come for lunch!”
The girl, who was initially very wary, now approached Raymond without hesitation.
“Okay, I’ll just finish this-”
Raymond chopped firewood, bringing down his axe.
Since he couldn’t return to the village, he needed a place to stay, and he was indebted to Luna’s father, who ran the inn.
It wasn’t for free.
Luna’s father told him not to refuse, but he couldn’t.
Instead, he helped with chores like chopping firewood.
It was hard, but he didn’t dislike it.
Rather, the satisfaction of working hard and sweating was incredibly refreshing.
Raymond split the remaining firewood and followed Luna to the inn.
‘The more I look at it, the more mysterious it is.’
Strangely, there were guests staying at the inn.
That there were people who came to such a remote place.
Initially, out of curiosity, he talked to them.
Most of them said they were adventurers, and Raymond was astonished.
‘It really looks no different from reality.’
Moreover, the adventurers each had their own stories, and these detailed elements made this place feel even more realistic.
“Oh, you’re here, Raymond.”
The first to greet him upon entering the inn.
It was ‘Elliot’, the owner and Luna’s father.
“I’ll serve you some delicious stew. Please sit down.”
Although stew was all they had to eat, it tasted incredibly good.
The rich meaty aroma stimulated his nostrils, and the soft potatoes and carrots melted in his mouth. What about the rabbit meat, slow-cooked for a long time?
The taste, with its harmonious blend of various ingredients, could be called the best stew he had ever eaten.
In times like these, realism was a strong point.
After finishing his meal, his daily routine was to rest for a while and talk with the adventurers who visited the inn.
It was mutually beneficial, as the adventurers staying there also needed information about the surrounding area.
“Haha, so you’re a half-blood vampire?”
Sometimes there were adventurers who said strange things.
Like the person in front of him now.
‘He’s an interesting fellow.’
Perhaps he developed such humor from traveling and adventuring in many places.
The adventurer in front of Raymond was a mixed-gender party.
The one who introduced himself as a half-blood vampire was named Dambi.
The woman next to him was named Rills, and she was a mage.
“It’s true. I am a half-blood vampire.”
Perhaps this fantasy world was not perfect?
If someone said that in reality, an inquisitor would appear immediately.
Yet, the man could say he was a half-blood vampire because this was a fantasy.
‘Kaleido’s illusion magic isn’t perfect either.’
No matter how much of an illusion it was, Raymond just scoffed at the adventurer’s introduction, which lacked plausibility.
“Kukuku, monsters kill humans, but you’re getting along well with us. Then, can you show us that power?”
Still, he couldn’t ruin the pleasant atmosphere.
Raymond played along with the other’s words.
And at that moment.
“Kyaaaak!”
Luna’s scream was heard.
Raymond turned his head, and there, armed villagers had broken into the inn.
At the forefront, a familiar figure was visible.
It was the village chief.
As soon as he entered the inn, the village chief stabbed Elliot with a long spear.
“What is this!”
Raymond raised his voice.
Blood poured from Elliot’s abdomen. He collapsed to the floor without even being able to scream.
“Dad!”
Luna’s cry echoed through the inn.
“He who colludes with a witch deserves to die! This is a holy judgment! For the sin of nurturing a witch’s child by sowing seeds from a witch! You are merely receiving the judgment of condemnation!”
However, the village chief was not in his right mind.
“How dare you ignore my words and harbor a witch! You too have been possessed by a witch!”
Following the village chief’s words, people with weapons turned towards Raymond.
