The way back (part 4)

Zorey added coldly, causing the atmosphere of the whole group to change as more than a few unfriendly gazes landed on the previously confident man – who now looked quite troubled.

Who knows? Maybe he was the one who told others that unregistered children have nothing to worry about and encouraged the parents to have them send them out to deal with the problem, enticed by the possibility of finding something valuable that was thrown out by mistake.

"Just in case you want me to stay and actually get rid of the source of the problem – the cost of purifying the cemetery was one copper per grave. Intelligent races are treated with respect and attention, but those here are all monster remains, so it will only be ten copper coins to purify it. As for the cost of healing the children that started to get sick because of your foolishness, it will be..."

The black-haired boy announced in heavy silence and looked to the side while considering the pricing.

He wasn't sure whether the family he helped earlier was on the wealthy side or not...

"Two coppers per treatment of an affected child."

"That...! That's a robbery in plain sight!"

...and in the end, he decided that he would not make them the standard – but even so, his pricing caused an uproar.

"Hey. I'm not here to quarrel or bargain. I told you my prices. If you agree or not that's up to you. Now excuse me as I leave your village. I anyone wants to buy my skills, I will be by the oak tree across the road from your main gate. Oh, and I will leave in the morning together with the caravan, so make up your mind before then."

Zorey declared with unwavering decisiveness, fully intending to do what he said.

"WAIT!"

"GAH...!"

"Sir priest, please wait!"

But he didn't even manage to take five steps before he was stopped by the villagers pushing past and even stepping over the man they had let talk on their behalf previously.

"Please, don't leave our village!"

"We will get you the money...!"

"My daughter is sick, just like Eric's son – I'll pay you, so can you treat her too?!"

In no time, the young priest of death was swarmed by the pleading villagers that had no intention of testing how stubborn he was.

Needless to say, after visiting a few houses, the black-haired boy was back in the wagon preparing to go to sleep richer by almost fifty coppers – so about half of silver coin's worth – than when he ventured out.

"..."

But despite that, he could not fall asleep and was tossed from side to side.

The reason?

He was actually feeling bad that he accepted the full four coppers for healing the first child and then charged only two coppers from the others.

Getting paid for his work was one thing, but this kind of felt like he was actually the person the elderly priest of earth and the villagers claimed him to be.

"... I'll give them back the two coppers..."

Zorey stared at the starry sky and decided to get up and jump off the wagon.

He walked off toward the direction he saw the first family move but then ended up surrounded by houses and barns without a clue where exactly he should go...

"...m-mister...?"

"Huh? Oh! Hello, you are that boy! Wait a bit I..."

Suddenly someone called out to Zorey from behind one of the buildings making the black-haired boy flinch and gasp in realization as he recognized the face of the first child he had freed of the lingering malice.

"...!"

"...huh...?"

Zorey reached out to his pocket, fully intending to just refund the boy two copper coins that weighed so heavily on his conscience, but the child ran off behind the building before he managed to grab them.

"Hey, wait up!"

Zorey called out after the child and followed him.

The young priest of death turned the corner, hoping that the child would be there, but...

*WHAM* *CRACK*

*thump*

What came to greet him was a thick wooden button straight to the face, forcing the black-haired boy to fall on his butt while covering his head with both hands.

"Good job, Will – you were faster than dad expected. Now, go back to your mother. Dad and the uncles have to teach this greedy bastard a lesson."

The child's father, Eric, nodded his head approvingly, sending the child away as the other villagers came out from their hiding spots and surrounded the fallen priest of death.

"Now then..."

Eric made sure that his son went away before turning back to the black-haired boy and smirking smugly while resting his bat against his shoulder...

*thump*

"...huh...?"

And let out a confused voice when the broken wood, already held together by only on few splinters, gave up and fully separated into two halves.

"...that hurt..."

Zorey lowered his arms and carefully touched his broken nose without trying to stop the nosebleed.

"Mend." *CRUNCH*

The black-haired boy declared, and with a nauseating nose, the damaged cartilage turned back in place, and even the spilled blood was sucked in by the mana that purified and welded it all back into place.

"...haa..."

"!!!"

Zorey breathed out deeply and stood up, causing the encirclement of people to take a step back, giving him a lot more space.

"You sure are teaching me a lesson, mister."

"...!"

The young priest of death rubbed his nose, still had this uncomfortable itching sensation, and the villager who ambushed him trembled, lowering his broken weapon and backing off.

"Allow me to pay you back in kind."

Zorey added, raising his fists.

----------

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

"GHYAAAAAAAAH!"

"NO! NONONO...! IGHIAAAAAANGH!"

"!!!"

The night became filled with wails of pain, and the adventurers escorting the caravan all jumped up to their feet, ready for combat.

"What the hell is going on? Monster attack?!"

The leader called out to the scout while readying his greatsword.

"I don't think so. Neither the gate nor the walls were breached..."

The other man shook his head with a troubled expression.

"Then what? Who could..."

"That kid is gone!"

The adventurers' leader frowned anxiously when one of the merchants, the brown-haired Powelialle, called out after finishing checking the goods on his wagon.

"...Ophelia, go check it out... Report back if he really is a threat."

"I'll stop him with the paralyzing shot if that's the case."

The adventurer's leader commanded the copper-skinned woman, who nodded with a serious expression and put an arrow on her bow's chord.

The woman rushed towards the direction of the screams, passing the fearful villagers – mostly women and children peeking out from behind the covers of windows and doors – and arrived at the spot in no time.

"..."

Ophelia took a deep breath and peeked over the corner of the barn, ready to unleash her skill at any time, and...

"...eh...?"

And gasped, wide-eyed at the rather peculiar sight.

A bunch of men from the village was crawling on the ground while holding onto different body parts... that were all in perfect condition...

It was very unpleasant to notice, but many of them have soiled themselves...

"Hey, you...!"

Ophelia put the arrow back into the quiver and approached the closest man, who was clenching his mouth as if his teeth were all broken, and he was in unbelievable pain.

"GAH!"

"..."

The archer pulled the villager's hands off his mouth, and the man screamed as if she was torturing him – but since he had to open his mouth to let out such a voice, the woman could have a look at the damage it took...

...but there was none...

"This is an emergency, understand? Inspect Status."

[Name: Eric

Race: Human

Class: Hunter

Level: 9

HP: 32 MP: 10

ATK: 11 MAT: 9

DEF: 9 MDF: 9

SPD: 12 LUC: 11

Skills: Silent step (active) (level 4)

Archery (passive) (level 3)

Surprise strike (active) (level 5)

Bleed shot (active) (level 2)

Dismantling (passive) (level 4)

Simple trap creation (active) (level 4)]

Ophelia made a sour expression and gave a disclaimer before using the System command on the other player.

The Status Window that she said was a typical sight of a villager who was living his life without risking his life in order to actively increase his level.

What was most important for her was that the man's HP was full – he suffered no damage whatsoever.

"...what happened here?"

"N-nothing! Nothing at all! Nothing happened...! We... we just had a bit too much to drink and ended up... roughing each other up a bit...!"

Ophelia furrowed her brows and asked, leaning away as the villager she asked freaked out and declared while crawling away and shaking his head decisively.

She asked the other men, but all of them answered the same – even those with damp pants...

The archer had no doubt that if she used the System command on all of them, their HP would be just like Eric's and prove that the roughing-up claim was bullshit...

...but since no one was actually hurt, she didn't pursue the case on her own and returned to her party to make the report and push the decision about the next move onto the party's leader.

"..."

"...eh...?"

As she got back, the first thing she noticed was that the black-haired boy was back on Powelialle's wagon – and he was glaring her way with an overly cold expression, making her gasp unintentionally.

"Boss..."

The archer approached the greatsword-wielding man and explained how things were.

"...and about that kid..."

"Him? No, it wasn't him. Boaz accidentally walked in on him, being tormented by his own bowels in the outhouse. He definitely was there for a while because he was looking terribly exhausted."

"...o-oh..."

The man explained, and the archer muttered, taken aback.

She looked back at the young priest of death, and his expression made a lot more sense. If she was in his situation, she would also be pissed off.

Meanwhile, Zorey looked away from the returning archer and his face in his knees.

"...I shouldn't have to make those farting noises... I'm going to die from shame..."

He muttered to himself, feeling especially embarrassed about the way he forged himself an alibi.

Even though it turned out extremely efficient, his pride ended up taking a severe blow, and the sympathizing gazes of the adventurers and traveling merchants weren't making it any better.

On the bright side, his unarmed combat and mend Skills leveled up thanks to momentarily becoming a tutor for the village men, so it wasn't all bad.