I Pretended To Have Amnesia and the Hero’s Party Becomes Obsessed - I Pretended To Have Amnesia and the Hero’s Party Becomes Obsessed chapter 5

5-1: The Worst Reunion (5)

And so, we would be pocketing the money. We decided to stay in this city for a while and do maintenance work.

Although the person up high requested quick delivery, our children’s lives are more precious than the request of someone up high.

Moreover, for some fancy reason, that nobleman even hid the fact that there are people targeting our cargo. Well, we have enough justification.

“So, why are we going to the castle?”

In the heat of the afternoon, the crowded streets, Pea, who was walking beside me, asked. I shrugged my shoulders and retorted.

“For various reasons.”

Fenex may not be a big city, but it had everything.

Most importantly, there was a cathedral where the clergy, including the Commanding Sorcerer, were dying to get along with.

They said that they could get good stuff if they exterminate the black magicians and give apples. Of course, Nana and Pea couldn’t enter the cathedral, so they would have to ask the Director, but anyway.

“What are those various reasons?”

“Isn’t it obvious? If there are some usable guys, hire them, and if there are items that can make the Commanding Sorcerer’s head explode, buy them.”

I looked at Pea and asked irritably.

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“Why are you suddenly like this when you usually follow along without complaining? I’ll buy you food, too.”

“Well…”

I followed Pea’s gaze and shifted my own. And I understood her whining a little bit.

A warrior, Amy, dressed in civilian clothes with a sword at her waist.

With a stern expression, she was walking beside me, deeply lost in thought.

The client was always the superior, and traveling with a superior was usually uncomfortable. Especially if that superior looked terribly rough.

When I was young, she seemed quite talkative and lively…

Clearing my distractions, I asked her, “Have you still not found the item you were looking for? We’re about to leave the market and turn towards the mansion soon…”

That’s right, Amy had suddenly requested to accompany me and Fea. She insisted there was something she needed to buy.

“Oh, yes, that’s right. It’s fine; you don’t need to worry. When I find the item, I’ll let you know first.”

“Ah, yes…”

Looking at her, it was evident that it was a blatant lie.

Fea whispered softly by my side, “Is she really here to buy something? Why is she acting so strangely?”

“Do you understand them?”

I whispered back just as quietly, but in truth, I had my suspicions.

The lie about losing childhood memories.

It was clear that it had affected Amy in some way.

I could feel it in the way she looked at me.

Although not as dramatically as Clara, at least there was no longer hatred in her gaze.

However, there were complex emotions and deep anxieties that were difficult to read.

Because of this, I found myself getting deeper into the maze.

What the hell is it about childhood memories?

I brushed away the following distractions and shook my head.

For now, focus on the task at hand.

Thinking like that, I walked around the street, lost in my thoughts.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks.

“Hey, wait a moment.”

In front of a shop that hadn’t opened yet, a scruffy man with a stand was smoking a cigarette.

As if entranced, I led Fea towards the stand. Without realizing it, I exclaimed.

Strange items displayed on the worn-out stand.

At first glance, they looked like cheap talismans. However, with my ability to read auras, I recognized them as treasures at a glance.

I genuinely admired the horn-like object haphazardly grown on one of them.

“You’ve crafted the aura really well on this one…”

“You have an eye for these things.”

The man, smoking his cigarette, spat on the ground and smiled ironically. Taking out my personal funds from my pocket, I asked him.

“What are you selling?”

“Are you buying useless junk again, Geomka?”

“Hey, can’t I even enjoy a hobby?”

With this, I can shoot beams out of my eyes.

I looked at the dirty man and shot a glare at him. The man hesitated and showed me five fingers.

“Shut it.”

And, without realizing it, I cursed.

“The alcohol tastes good, but aren’t these materials all cheap?”

“If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. I won’t sell anything cheaper.”

Idiots like these are the problem with selling magical items.

Being driven out of the Magic Tower and doing business on the streets, their morals are as filthy as their minds.

From the start, being driven out of the Magic Tower implies a flaw in either character or skill.

But, I couldn’t just not survive.

I looked at the man, checked my finances by opening my pocket.

… Should I have just accepted the reward they offered?

There’s no helping it, this month I’ll have to tighten my belt and live.

I swallowed my tears and took out a silver coin from my pocket.

Thump!

“I’ll buy it.”

The sound of coins piling up on the counter.

I couldn’t hide my confusion as Amy approached. With an indifferent expression, she made an even more shocking statement.

“All of it.”

In that moment, the confident face of the man turned into that of a peddler. He rolled his eyes around and cautiously opened his mouth.

“It’s not enough with this amount…”

Thump!

Another bag of coins is placed on the counter. Judging from the sound, it’s much heavier than the previous one.

“This should be enough.”

“Ah, y-yes, of course…”

Worried that someone might steal it, the man quickly put the bag of coins into his pocket and nodded. He hastily packed all the items on the counter and handed them to Amy.

“Have a, have a nice day!”

And then, she fled, holding the tray.

I stared blankly at her back, then turned to Amy with suspicious eyes.

“By any chance, were those the items you were looking for?”

“No way.”

Amy retorted calmly and looked briefly at the pocket where the magic items were, then handed them to me.

“Take them. It’s a gift.”

…?

I looked back and forth between the pocket and Amy, puzzled. And then, unable to hold it in any longer, I asked.

“Why…?”

At my question, the warrior’s face froze for a moment. He stroked his chin as if contemplating something, and flicked his fingers as if something had come to mind.

“Didn’t you take care of the commander’s mage for us last time?”

An excuse that seemed clearly remembered just now.

I was speechless for a moment, unable to believe it.

Seizing the opportunity, Amy forcibly pressed the pocket into my hand.

“It’s a repayment for that, so don’t refuse it.”

And she crossed her arms as if to say she wouldn’t think about returning it.

“…Thank you.”

In the end, I sighed and nodded my head.

Honestly, opportunities to obtain such magical items were rare. Suppressing my uneasy feelings, I decided to accept Amy’s gift this time.

However, her gift didn’t end with just that.

“They say the chicken skewers here are a local specialty… Would you like to try them?”

“Huh? If you’re asking if I want to try it, then yes, I do…”

“I see, just wait a moment.”

There was also this kind of thing,

“Your sword looks worn out. Isn’t it about time to replace it?”

“It’s okay. Anyway…”

“Those who make fighting their profession tend to neglect their equipment. Just wait a moment.”

…And there were things like this too.

“Oh, it’s a recovery potion. Were you searching for it until now?”

“No.”

“…?”

“You thought of it, so you should pay for it.”

“???”

Even something like this happened.

In the end, as Amy started talking about going back and breaking up with us, I ended up having one package in my hands.

…Is this how an upscale courtesan feels when showered with gifts from a client?

“Hyungnim, no matter how much I think about it, something feels off. That woman definitely has some ulterior motive.”

Pea whispered to me as we watched Amy move further away. I looked at her disdainfully with contemptuous eyes.

“Put down whatever you’re holding and tell me.”

Pea looked back and forth between the food-filled hands and me, then pouted her lips.

“…Even the ghosts who have eaten and died have good manners, don’t they.”

“Yeah, you’re really impressive.”

I sighed and looked up at the sky.

Already, the sun was setting and stars were rising in the eastern sky. It was the result of spending the whole day in the shopping district.

“Now that it’s already this late, how about we go back too? We’ve bought everything we need to live, haven’t we?”

Pea held up the package filled with carefully selected items she had purchased. It was things that Amy even tried to buy for us, but we used our own money to buy them.

Certainly, with this level of preparation, we should be able to easily pass the last raid.

However, I shook my head.

“We haven’t bought the most important thing yet.”

“What are you talking about?”

I looked at Pea with pity in my eyes and spoke.

“People.”

***

The true vitality of the city begins to ignite only after the sun sets.

The sound of cheerful laughter and curses, the loud shouts of the stubborn chef and the harsh cries of the waitresses trying to break through that thick wall, shadows swaying with people, crude languages pushing aside the common tongue and occupying the space.

A time of intoxication and savagery.

And at the same time, it is also the time of rough individuals who live on leftovers.

In front of the largest tavern in the city, heard through the ears of a passerby.

Amidst the shouts and cheers coming from the tavern, we were bumping our heads against each other.

“But, do we really need to hire more people? Our kids should be enough…”

Muttering Pea, I persuaded her with a gentle tone.

“When the opponent is a commanding sorcerer, who knows how things might go wrong?”

“Last attack could’ve been the last.”

“Well, then let’s just increase the size of the mercenary group a bit.”

“…Then, isn’t it your workload increasing again, sir?”

Pea grumbled with a worried tone.

I chuckled and tousled her hair.

“Kid, learn to read and write quickly if you know what’s good for you. Get some work done.”

“…Then isn’t it you who looks like he’s in a bind right now? I don’t like that.”

This kid…

Somehow, she managed to say clever things without being asked.

“Ow!”

I lightly tapped her head. Pea opened her mouth, tears welling up.

“And come to think of it, there’s also the issue of spies…!”

The moment I heard the word ‘spies,’ my face stiffened.

As mentioned earlier, despite our discreet movements, the commanding sorcerers were aware of our whereabouts.

I don’t know how that could be.

Whether they used some kind of dark magic or had someone tailing us…

If not, then someone leaked information.

I hoped the captured commanding sorcerer would provide the answer, but he knew nothing.

When we negotiated with the packer last time, I inquired several times, but it seemed the warrior party was also clueless…

No answers, just a situation filled with questions.

In this situation, Pea was questioning the hiring of a newcomer with uncertain identity.

And of course, I was worried about that too. However…

“Right now, the priority is to reinforce our forces.”

The commanding sorcerers are not an easy opponent, they reiterated. Plus, we don’t know the extent of their forces. We needed to raise our strength to some degree.

Above all, we had someone skilled at uncovering traitors in our mercenary group.

“Anyway, I’ll handle that issue. Let’s focus on this task for now, okay? Got it?”

“Yeah…”

I held Pea’s cheek and carefully explained the precautions.

“Once we’re in, glance around and if you see someone who seems somewhat friendly, buy them a drink right off the bat.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t bring up business right away. Just roughly gauge their friendliness, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Tell them we’re willing to pay a lot of money and lend weapons. Absolutely no talk about socializing, though.”

“Absolutely no talk about socializing… Got it.”

“Alright, let’s go then.”

Simultaneously, Pea and I nodded and headed towards the bar.

“Oh.”

Just before I opened the bar’s door, I turned back to Pea.

“And if someone dares to disrespect you roughly or tries any strange tricks, knock some sense into their head. I’ll take responsibility.”

Pea’s face tinged with a reddish hue that flowed through the crack in the door.

Pea glanced at me with slightly widened eyes, then quickly averted their gaze.

“…Yes.”

“Then let’s go in.”

I patted Pea’s shoulder and swung the bar door wide open.

And then…

“Are all the warriors of Fenex like these rowdy lot?!”

I faced off with a woman who was spinning people around on the table as if they were toys.

…The sight of her being the leader of our mercenary group was becoming increasingly unbelievable.

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“Come at me!! I’m Rose, the leader of the Rose Rem mercenaries!! I’ll hand over the entire group to anyone who can beat me, so come at me!!”

Damn it.

The leader tossed a man who had been spinning around like a top with a face that turned beet red. The pitiful man crashed into a table, shattering it, and collapsed on the floor.

Similar scenes seemed to repeat with people falling to the ground in a similar manner, one… two… three… darn it…

Glancing towards the kitchen, I noticed the bar owner trembling behind the kegs of alcohol.

The remaining patrons looked at the leader with eyes mixed with fear and anticipation.

Somehow, the tavern was oddly chaotic…

Rubbing my temples due to the impending headache, I told Pea:

“Go get the bald one and the snub-nosed guy right away. And… sigh… bring some money from the vault too.”

“Got it…!”

Pea, who had been watching my movements, ran silently to the other side of the street. I glanced at that sight and then back at our leader.

“Chargeeeee!!”

…Would we really be able to defeat the mercenaries?

***

Unlike the bustling shopping district lined with taverns, the night in the residential area where our inn was situated was eerily quiet.

Only the sound of barking dogs and the drunken shouts of patrons echoed through the streets.

The moonlight and sporadically lit buildings faintly illuminated the path.

…I was walking, carrying our drunken leader on my back, along that street.

Life.

“…Hmm.”

A muffled voice from behind and the squirming sensation against my back. I couldn’t hide my disdain as I spoke.

“Are you coming to your senses now?”

“…Head… hurts…”

I let out a hollow laugh.

“Do you have to whine the moment you wake up? Do you even realize how much money we’ve spent because of you, Leader?”

“…I get it, just… a little quieter… my head’s pounding… I’m sorry…”

“Even in the middle of work… sigh…”

I was about to nag more but ended up just sighing.

It’s pointless to rant now; this nobleman will probably forget everything by tomorrow. I’ll lecture him until he’s fed up tomorrow.

“…Are you very angry…?”

The leader’s cautious voice suddenly near my ear. Instead of responding, I asked back.

“And what about you, Leader?”

“Huh…?”

I adjusted her position on my back and continued speaking.

“You’re not usually the type to start a brawl for no reason, especially not during work.”

I tapped the leader’s forehead with my finger.

“What didn’t sit well with you so much that you ended up drinking like this?”

“…”

The leader’s silence lingered.

Meanwhile, I quietly gazed at the night sky. The waning moon yielding its place to the stars—it was an intriguing sight, not too dull to observe.

“…Why did you go off on your own again?”

It felt more like the words had seeped into the night air than been spoken aloud. Because of that, my response emerged a beat slower.

“What are you talking about?”

“When I was fighting with the sorcerers…”

“…And now you’re going to get upset over having done a good job?”

“That’s not it!”

Her arms around my shoulders tightened slightly around my neck.

“There was Fea, and Sharik was right there too… Why…”

I wasn’t insensitive enough to not read the concern in her words.

“I’ve told you before not to do this…”

…In truth, this wasn’t the first time I’d heard words like this from her.

Suppressing a sigh, I replied, “You know my personality. Besides, everything worked out in the end, so isn’t it okay?”

“It’s not okay!”

She retorted with a petulant tone, lightly knocking her head against the back of mine. Then, she tightened her grip around my neck a bit more.

“Sometimes, it feels like our deputy chief doesn’t care about his own well-being…”

“But he’s not dead.”

“From what I’ve heard, it’s been like that since childhood…”

“What does childhood temperament have to do with anything?”

“Seriously, you’re terrible at this…”

And then, as if thoroughly upset, she kept butting her head against mine repeatedly. It wasn’t so much painful as it was an annoying assault that left my head ringing.

“You’re going to fall. Just stay still.”

“So, I… … … …”

Muffled words against my back, a murmured uncertainty. I raised an eyebrow, responding.

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing.”

I pretended annoyance in my tone.

“There are two things that infuriate the chief the most, one being not finishing what you’re saying…”

“…Boring. Let me down.”

Just when I tried to lighten the mood a bit.

I shrugged my shoulders and let her down. The commander stumbled for a moment, then straightened up and began to walk fairly steadily.

I walked beside her within arm’s reach.

“…You know, Vice Commander.”

With her gaze fixed ahead, the commander spoke. I sent her a questioning look in silence.

“…You do know I’ve always been on the Vice Commander’s side, right?”

Her gaze, as she said that, was looking somewhere far away, not at me. Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but smirk.

“Well, please refrain from getting into fights. Do you know how much trouble I have to go through to clean up after that?”

Only then did the commander turn to me and playfully stuck out her tongue.

“I’ll think about it.”

… Will the mercenaries really go through with it?

And then, we walked side by side in silence. Suddenly, something came to my mind, and I spoke.

“Oh, and Commander, you told me to pretend to lose my memory last time. I tried it this time, but something feels off…”

“Wow! It’s our lodging!”

Interrupting me, the commander suddenly started running towards the lodging visible in the distance.

I looked at her back in disbelief, swallowed a sigh, and followed her.

And so, when we reached the door of the lodging,

I realized there was someone waiting for me.

A girl with a green hat from Matop, sitting crouched down, noticed me and stood up.

And, with trembling green eyes, she looked at me and asked.

Parsley, my friend.

“…Can we talk for a moment?”

I nodded, sensing that tonight would be a long night.