* * *
The two adventurers who had boldly taken down the spiny wolves plaguing the village were practically revered as saviors.
After all, last night wasn’t just a nuisance—it was a calamity.
Over a hundred ravenous beasts attacked the village, turning the night into a living nightmare.
If Zerbin and I hadn’t been passing through, who knows how devastating the losses might’ve been?
Granted, Zerbin’s destructive swordsmanship did cause some property damage, but no one seemed to care.
Despite the sheer number of beasts, not a single villager was lost.
Honestly, it was a miracle only possible because of Zerbin, the warrior.
Grateful for their survival, the villagers hosted a small celebration.
When they asked how to repay us, I told them a good meal would be enough.
Zerbin likely felt the same.
Of course, we also received a modest payment—the savings they had intended for a mercenary they’d hoped to hire.
It wasn’t much, but in the adventuring world, refusing any compensation is frowned upon.
“This is for you!”
The village cook, one of the few, worked tirelessly to prepare dishes, sending her young daughter running back and forth with food.
She approached now, clutching a steaming roast pheasant in both hands.
Her repeated offerings seemed to be her way of expressing gratitude.
Honestly, their thanks felt more rewarding than the meager coins.
Maybe it’s because, in my past life, there were so many I wanted to save but couldn’t.
Seeing innocent people alive and happy fills me with an inexplicable warmth.
And Zerbin gets to eat to his heart’s content too.
“Eat.”
Zerbin, noticing me watching him devour his meal, admonished me.
“Florenti, you should eat too! I keep bringing food, but you’ve barely taken a bite!”
The innkeeper’s daughter pouted, holding yet another dish.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t eating—Zerbin was just eating a lot.
His appetite was absurd, like his stomach was an endless storage unit.
Still, her hopeful eyes made me pick at the quail leg.
I discreetly avoided the pheasant—better to leave that for Zerbin.
“Selene seems to really like Mr. Florenti.”
“She’s usually not this attentive to others. She’s even meticulous with money!”
The villagers laughed warmly, but I froze at their words.
I could already predict what they’d say next.
“Well, Mr. Florenti is not only strong but also handsome. It’s no wonder he’s so popular!”
“Oh, absolutely. During the feast prep, all the young women only had eyes for him.”
I knew it.
“Would it be alright if I brought my daughter over? She’s been dying to meet you, Mr. Florenti.”
“My daughter was the one who prepared the quail dish you enjoyed earlier. She’s quite the talented cook!”
These people are clearly trying to play matchmaker.
To be honest, this is the most troublesome part.
I managed to sidestep it this time, but there’s no telling how to handle a similar situation if it happens again.
Villages like this can’t always rely on adventurers to be around when trouble strikes.
So what’s their solution?
They try to convince adventurers to stay.
But it’s not like a strong adventurer would willingly settle down in the middle of nowhere without a good reason…
So their usual strategy is to tie them down with family connections.
In other words, they’re trying to introduce me to eligible women in the village.
Logically speaking, it’d make more sense for them to approach Zerbin, who’s much stronger than me.
But they probably find him too intimidating.
Unlike me, he eats with a ferocity that’s hard to interrupt.
Plus, appearances matter, and Zerbin has a rather… imposing presence.
Honestly, I wouldn’t expect the king of adventurers to marry their daughter and settle here either.
When faced with a towering, unattainable mountain and a smaller, climbable one, most people go for the latter.
But even this attempt is doomed from the start.
‘I’m not interested in romance.’
Saving this small village was a great achievement, sure.
But I have a far greater mission—to save all of humanity.
I can’t tie myself down here.
No amount of persuasion will change that.
The villagers are desperate in their own way, but I let their matchmaking remarks go in one ear and out the other.
I’m not interested in women to begin with.
That said, their determination to sit me and one of their daughters together at the same table was becoming uncomfortably intense.
I had politely declined several times already, but they wouldn’t give up.
It was starting to get annoying.
I suddenly felt a pang of guilt toward Zerbin.
He probably has to deal with this sort of thing all the time.
‘Guess I have no choice.’
I’ve been through this enough times to know how to ruin the mood effectively.
I don’t enjoy souring a friendly atmosphere, but sometimes it’s necessary.
“Are there no handsome men around?”
No beating around the bush—just stating my preferences outright.
“I prefer men over women.”
Among adventurers, this might earn some understanding, but in a conservative rural village, it’s shocking.
Even my parents, who live in Heron, a city teeming with all kinds of people, initially struggled to accept it.
A small village like this?
It’s a miracle they’re not fainting on the spot.
As expected, the dining table fell silent.
No one said a word, but their eyes darted around in confusion.
Not my problem.
I reached for some fruit on the table, its refreshing taste washing away the grease in my mouth.
“Mr. Florenti!”
What now?
“My son is quite famous around here for his looks! People say he’s like a painting—a true masterpiece!”
Still not giving up?
This whole ordeal must’ve rattled them.
But did they even discuss this with their son first?
Whether or not he’s a so-called masterpiece, to him, this would feel like being sold off to the adventurer who saved the village.
A complete disaster.
Not that I’m interested in beautiful young men, either.
“Well, I…”
I was about to explain that my type is more muscular and rugged when Zerbin slammed his knife onto the table.
It was just a dining knife, but the force made the entire table shake.
All eyes turned to Zerbin, whose already sharp gaze seemed even fiercer than usual.
“Stop bothering my companion.”
The villagers instantly went pale.
Zerbin’s mere presence radiates an intimidating aura that even other adventurers find hard to bear.
For ordinary villagers, it must feel overwhelming.
‘I guess this is technically helping, but…!’
I appreciated him stepping in, noticing my discomfort, but scaring the villagers half to death wasn’t ideal.
One of the older villagers looked like they might faint!
I quickly slipped away from the table and approached Zerbin.
“Was all the noise bothering you? They’re just excited to have an outsider visiting. They’ve probably said everything they wanted to by now, so it should quiet down soon…”
Now that they’re scared stiff, it definitely will.
I tried to soothe his mood, hoping to calm things down.
Zerbin grabbed my arm and pulled me into the seat next to him, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close.
Before I knew it, I was half-leaning against him, practically in his lap.
Wait.
What?
Why?
“A-ah, I see! My apologies!”
“We didn’t mean to intrude…”
The villagers quickly caught on and started murmuring apologies.
Faster than even I could process the situation.
No!
“You two look wonderful together!”
No, we don’t!
This misunderstanding was absurd, and my face flushed with heat.
I wanted to shout that it wasn’t what they thought.
Sure, they were just trying to appease a strong adventurer, but this was too much!
What bothered me more was that Zerbin seemed to have orchestrated this.
When someone intervenes with this much skinship during matchmaking attempts, there’s really only one conclusion people can draw.
He was staking a claim.
Out of jealousy or possessiveness, it didn’t matter—the result was the same.
No one would dare suggest matchmaking again after this.
It’d be socially unacceptable, not to mention everyone was terrified of Zerbin.
But did he really have to go this far?
A simple “don’t bother my companion” should’ve been enough.
Everyone was already scared out of their wits.
There was no need to act like we were a couple!
Ugh, just sitting here in his arms was enough to make my mind spin.
Why does my brain always short-circuit when I’m near him?
* * *
Oh my 🤭