A Stuffed Cheonma in my Head - Chapter 165



Only Noblemtl

Episode 165. Always Watching You

“… … What did you just say?”

“hmm?”

Neiman flinched at my gaze and spoke as if making excuses.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It seems like just a rumor floating around.”

While he was shaking my hand, he tried to let go, but I grabbed his hand tightly and asked him.

“That’s just a rumor. I want to hear more details.”

“Calm down.”

“Calm down, you say. Where can you find a man as calm as me? Speak quickly. What kind of rumors are going around?”

Daryl answered quickly.

“I don’t know the details. I just heard that the Sherwood Mercenaries were disbanded.”

“when?”

“It’s been a while. Maybe half a year?”

Half a year… … .

It strangely coincides with the time I fell off the cliff.

“Why?”

“The reason is that I also… … .”

Neiman, who was sweating profusely, answered the question.

“I don’t know the details, but I heard that one of the members died.”

“… … !”

Neiman said, studying my expression.

“It’s nothing. It’s just one of those stories that the idiots always go on about. There’s talk of an internal strife. Rumors tend to get bigger and bigger. Don’t worry about it.”

I muttered, slowly letting go of the hand I had been clenching.

“… … Yeah, I guess so.”

Neiman grumbled, shaking off the hand that had been caught.

“Control your strength a bit.”

Daryl looked at me with surprised eyes, fiddling with the hand that had been caught.

“What power… … .”

Neiman said goodbye.

“Anyway, let’s go. Be careful.”

“Okay. Take a look.”

He waved as he walked away.

“Half of the rumors out there are false, so don’t worry too much about it!”

So we said goodbye to the two mercenaries.

I looked at the backs of the two mercenaries walking away, lost in thought for a moment.

Cheonma asked.

[One of the members died, does that mean you?]

“……maybe.”

That’s probably it.

Because no one is a positive idiot who believes they survived a fall off a foggy cliff.

[Hmm… … Well, I guess so. It’s strange to think that you’d survive a fall from that high place.]

It seems like they’ve traced my footsteps all the way to the foggy cliffs.

If there is no contact for a long time, the guild will come out to investigate.

[What are you going to do?]

As of now, there is no clear solution.

I can’t even figure out exactly what’s going on.

You have no choice but to go and check for yourself.

“There is a change of plans.”

I called Linda, who had been watching me.

“Linda.”

“huh?”

“Go buy some beef jerky.”

“how much?”

“A lot. This time, don’t fall over.”

“huh!”

Linda ran over to Uda.

Shushuruta asked cautiously.

“Ashvan. Should we investigate?”

He nodded.

“Yes, please.”

“Leave it to me.”

Ssa-sak-

Shushuruta soared into the air.

“Phew… … .”

I let out a sigh and steeled myself.

I changed my mind.

We were planning to do some maintenance and leave early the next day to cross the border.

If it goes on like this, I have no choice but to hurry.

“… … These kids. What the hell are they doing?”

* * *

Linda goes to buy food, and Shushuruta goes to investigate the rumor.

I had no choice but to stay behind to guard the carriage parked on the side of the road.

That’s because it feels like the carriage will disappear if you go somewhere for a while.

I fed carrots to the horses and put beef jerky in my mouth.

I leaned against the carriage, chewed the salty jerky, and sat lost in thought.

‘The Sherwood Mercenaries have disbanded?’

Of course, it could really be a rumor, but it might not be.

The timing and reason are too odd to be dismissed as mere rumors.

There’s no way the mercenary group would disband just because I died.

It was also said that there was internal strife.

Even if a fight breaks out because of my death, it won’t escalate to the point of disbanding the mercenary group.

Are you saying that the captain just stood there and watched?

I wouldn’t have let it happen even if I had to beat him to death.

“… … .”

I started to think a lot.

I was lost in thought, with my thoughts anchored like that… … .

The pedestrian’s voice came to my ear.

“Give alms! This is the way to your own salvation… … .”

As I looked, a person caught my eye.

She was an old woman with a black band around her eyes, sitting on the side of the road begging.

As a blind person and the president of the blind association, I couldn’t just sit by and watch, so I reached into my pockets and approached him.

Clang!

As I dropped the coin into the bowl, the old woman bowed her head in my direction.

“Oh my, thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Just as I was about to turn around, the old woman’s words caught me.

“There, young man! Don’t just go.”

“What is it?”

“Even though I can’t see, I have at least one small talent.”

“What talent?”

“Just wait. I’ll tell you your fortune.”

Then he soon began mumbling something that sounded like an incantation that was difficult to understand.

I looked at the old woman, scratching my head.

It looked like some kind of commodity for begging.

So, it’s like if you give them money, they’ll tell you your fortune.

He may not be a divine fortune teller.

Why is such a person sitting on the street?

I waited for the old woman to recite the spell with anticipation cleared.

At some point the old woman stopped muttering and spoke to me.

“Um… Are you going back to your hometown?”

I was a little surprised.

But I lied because I was a master of psychological warfare, a man who could fool even a frog, a conman who preyed on conmen.

“No.”

The old woman smiled brightly.

“Don’t try to fool me, young man.”

“… … !”

Are you a real fortune teller?

“Well… I guess I’m destined to be quite lost. Fortunately.”

“What’s fortunate?”

“Someone who has a connection with you in the past will help you. It seems like you have lived a good life.”

I farted.

“What kind of kindness are you?”

There is no villain like me.

I can’t even guess how many people I’ve killed.

The old woman laughed.

“You underestimate yourself. You must have saved more people.”

I looked at the old woman in surprise.

Did you just read my mind?

The old woman just smiled silently.

I swallowed hard and then asked.

“Did someone I had a connection with in the past say they would help me?”

“That’s right.”

“Who is that?”

The old woman clicked her tongue.

“What if you can’t even remember the face of the person you saved?”

“What?”

“That’s all I can tell you. Go to her grave.”

thud.

My heart sank.

I asked hesitantly.

“… … Her grave, you say?”

The old woman smiled gently and pointed to my chest.

“Why? Aren’t there still people living in it?”

“… … !”

“If you haven’t forgotten, it means it’s alive in your heart.”

Now it’s starting to get scary.

This old woman. What is her identity?

Naturally, his hand went to the sword handle.

The old woman looked at me with a calm smile as if she saw me like that, and then suddenly spoke in a different voice.

“Child, do not be afraid.”

“… … !”

Until just a moment ago it had been the voice of an old woman, but now it was the voice of a mature woman.

A voice that is both commanding and gentle, bright and yet has a cool seductiveness.

For a moment, everything surrounding me and the old woman seemed to stop.

It was quiet.

Like a night when moonlight pours down quietly.

“… …Who are you?”

The old woman said with a smile.

“Aren’t you guessing?”

I swallowed hard.

The old king said that when Volund, the god of hammers and anvils, descended, a divine light flowed from his eyes and a great flame surrounded him… … .

The old woman in front of me was infinitely quiet.

Like the stars twinkling in the night sky.

The old woman asked in a calm voice.

“What is a second life like?”

I swallowed hard and answered.

“… … Not bad.”

The old woman laughed.

“That’s fortunate.”

Looking at the old woman smiling like that, I suddenly remembered the story of the village where the flute-playing wizard appeared.

Prescilla? Yes, it was Prescilla.

She, who appeared to be a believer of Ketel, was chased by demons while receiving oracles from the temple and came face to face with me.

She welcomed me into the village, telling the villagers her oracle that a saint of real names would come.

Until now, I thought there was a separate owner of the trust.

The real saint is coming, and I am impersonating him.

I thought so, but… … .

It occurred to me that maybe that wasn’t the case.

Ketel made a promissory note, and it was carried out.

So then… I was the protagonist of the oracle?

The real real-name saint, was that me?

As my thoughts reached that point, I looked at the old woman with a somewhat blank expression.

Ketel said with a smile.

“Then what else could there be?”

“… … .”

I felt speechless.

I trembled with my lips and managed to ask.

“Were you watching?”

The old woman laughed quietly.

“Yes. I’ve always been watching over you. You’re a lovely child.”

“why…….”

“Do I need any other reason to watch? More importantly, can I have some beef jerky?”

In response to the unexpected request, I handed over a piece of beef jerky that I had.

“Here it is.”

“Thank you.”

The old woman put the jerky in her mouth and chewed it carefully.

“hmm.”

“How are you?”

“It’s salty.”

“That’s the taste.”

I looked at the old woman eating beef jerky for a moment and then asked.

“Why did you come to me?”

It may be rude, but I had to ask.

The old woman smiled brightly.

“Because you are the most lovable of my children.”

“… … Really?”

“Would God lie?”

“I don’t even know the doctrine of the night.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

I asked again, catching my trembling breath.

“You told me to go to her grave or I would be doomed to wander.”

“okay.”

“Is it okay for me to tell you this?”

As far as I know, the gods of heaven try not to interfere in the human world.

But you came down here and told me this in person.

She said it as if it was no big deal.

“There is no problem. It is just a trust given in return for the sacrifice.”

“A sacrifice?”

The old woman took out the jerky she was chewing and shook it.

“That’s the price of beef jerky.”

I remembered the jerky that I had thrown toward the darkness a few days ago, but which suddenly changed course and landed on Shushuruta’s face.

“… … Didn’t you reject that?”

The old woman smiled faintly.

“How could I refuse the gift you gave me? I couldn’t eat it, so I gave it to the child instead.”

“aha.”

“And I’m sorry, but I can’t hit Volund’s head.”

I felt my face turn red.

“… … I told you to pretend you didn’t hear it.”

The old woman chuckled.

“Don’t worry about what he says. Fate will lead you naturally.”

The old woman got up from her seat, reached out, and caressed my cheek.

“My dear child. I am always watching over you.”

.

.

.

“Huh!”

I was leaning against the carriage when I suddenly woke up staggering.

The pitiful voice of Cheonma was heard.

[What are you doing?]

what?

What happened?

Why am I leaning against the carriage?

Just a moment ago, there was an old woman sitting on the side of the road… … .

“uh?”

The old woman who had been begging was nowhere to be found.

I heard the sound of the horse clicking its tongue.

[You’re doing all sorts of things. Have you reached the point where you can sleep with your eyes open?]

I asked Cheonma urgently.

“Master. Didn’t you see that just now?”

[What are you talking about?]

“just now…….”

Without saying a word, I quickly rummaged through my pockets and took out a bag of beef jerky.

I always carry ten packs of beef jerky in my beef jerky bag because beef jerky is my friend.

Linda and Shushuruta left and I refilled the jerky, so ten. I ate one while waiting, so nine.

That means there should be nine pieces of jerky left in the pocket.

There were only eight left.

“… … .”

[Tsk… … Is this really crazy?]

I stared blankly at the jerky and touched my cheek.

It seemed like I could still feel her touch.

Cold, but soft.

“… … .”

[Oh my… why am I stuck in this guy’s head?]

I didn’t think you’d be watching.

The nights were always cold for me.

But, I found out that wasn’t the case.

That alone was a great comfort to me.

I shouted, pulling the jerky out of my pocket.

“Ketel is with me!!”

All eyes gathered at once.

But I didn’t care and just threw my head back and laughed.

“Hahahaha… … .”

[Tsk tsk tsk… … .]

Between the clicking of Cheonma’s tongue, it seemed as if I could hear her laughter, crumbling like moonlight.

* * *

“Hahahaha… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

Linda and Shushuruta looked at Ashvan, who was smiling, tilting his head back from the roadside.

The world was in a serious mood just now, but now it was going crazy.

People were slowly moving away from the area.

There really wasn’t a single crazy person like him.

Linda, who was holding the fat bag with both hands, looked at Shushuruta.

“Bing bing?”

Shushuruta nodded.

“Bing bing.”

At this time, Ashvan, who had discovered them, beckoned.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Shudder.

The moment their eyes met with Ashvan’s, the two of them cringed without realizing it.

“What are you doing? Get in quickly.”

At Ashvan’s urging, the two reluctantly climbed into the carriage.

Shushuruta said as soon as he got on the carriage that Ashvan might have been a little upset because of the news about the mercenary group.

“Ashvan. According to what I found out-”

But Ashvan cut her off.

“Let’s talk on the way. We have a long way to go, Linda.”

“huh?”

Linda, who had naturally climbed onto the horse’s back, looked back.

“Let’s go.”

“as soon as?”

“Right. Run with the determination to eat dinner in Maia. We’ll cross the border in one go. Got it? Let’s go!”

“Okay, let’s go!”

Linda shook the reins.

“Here!”

Multi-faceted-

The horse began to run down the street at a fast pace.

“Blood, damage!”

“Whoa!”

People quickly got out of the way.

“Get out of the way, get out of the way! Ashvan, who has received all of Ketel’s grace, is coming out! Hahahahaha… … .”

Ashvan’s laughter stretched out through the chaotic streets.