Farewell to the hero! chapter 36

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Daniel observed my expression closely before speaking.

“Isa, your face is red.”

“…”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

At his remark, Kaindel’s eyes fixed on me again.

Not only his, but Sehir and Owen’s gazes brushed past me as well.

Even Ruen, who had been foraging nearby, seemed to glance in my direction.

The sudden attention made my ears burn, as if I’d been caught doing something wrong.

A biting cold wind nipped at my cheeks.

I hoped it would carry away the redness that had bloomed like a stain.

Afraid that Daniel would see through the subtle emotions still lingering on my face, I quickly shook my head.

“No, I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

Daniel’s dark eyes quickly calmed.

Knowing my situation, he seemed to have swiftly cut off any suspicion.

I felt relieved as the others turned their attention away.

Then, I remembered something I had forgotten.

“By the way…”

The thought I hadn’t been able to finish earlier came back to me.

I had unconsciously dismissed it, trusting that Kaindel would stop if he sensed something unfamiliar.

“There are still about five goblins left.”

I added softly, taking a breath.

The disappearance of the fog didn’t mean the goblins had gone with it, so my vigilance, though dulled, began to take form again.

As I blinked, waiting for a response, Ruen rolled a cherry seed in his mouth before spitting it out.

“If there are only five left, we probably killed them on our way back.”

“Oh.”

I nodded.

The tension I had been holding eased once more.

I had guessed that Sehir and the others might have dealt with the remaining goblins, and it seemed I was right.

Finally able to relax, I glanced at Ruen.

He was glaring at Kaindel, accusing him, “You’re slacking off again, aren’t you, you scoundrel?” he had a basket of cherries tucked under his arm, though I wasn’t sure when he’d pulled it out.

Meanwhile, Owen scowled at the cherry seed that had rolled to his feet.

As usual, he opened his mouth as if to scold him, but in the end, he clicked his tongue and closed it again.

His gratitude for his guiding them to the cave seemed to temper his irritation.

“We killed three on the way to the cave, and two more on the way back.”

“That’s the same information either way.”

Ruen shot back as he rummaged through his basket, causing Owen’s frown to deepen.

“Ruen, you wouldn’t know this since you’ve never had to relay information, but accuracy is important when reporting facts.”

“I’m too bored to listen to this.”

Ruen ignored his explanation, instead shaking his basket to check its weight before emptying it.

A few cherries rolled into his palm.

One, two, three, four… Ruen counted the cherries, which barely filled the palm of his hand, and twisted his lips into a smirk.

“Hey! There are only five cherries left. Mind if I eat them all?”

“Already? There’s only that much left? Wait a second, I need to check the remaining supplies.”

Upon hearing Ruen’s news, Owen’s eyes widened as he rushed towards their supplies.

Yawning lazily, Ruen followed, tossing a cherry into his mouth, his cheeks moving as he chewed.

I found myself staring at his retreating figure, as if my gaze were a shadow clinging to him.

A sudden wave of bewilderment washed over me.

I sighed, breaking the tight seal of my lips.

Did he really eat them all?

When I washed up, the basket was still overflowing.

Of course, I knew he had a healthy appetite.

But to finish off the whole basket of cherries that quickly? I didn’t expect that.

It was a moment where I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed by his speed or shocked.

Sehir suddenly tapped my calf.

Lowering my gaze from Ruen, I noticed his lips curve into a smile.

“This is your first time seeing a goblin, right?”

“Yeah.”

I answered his question without delay.

The village had its own defense team to fend off monster attacks.

Men like Mr. Spencer, the butcher, and Jerome, known for their physical prowess, were part of it.

Though not professionally trained, they knew a lot about monster habits, and thanks to their swift responses, they handled attacks before I, living in the innermost house, even saw a monster.

So this was the first time I’d faced one directly.

“And it looked way more grotesque than I expected.”

“Goblins are pretty gross. But compared to other monsters, they’re not that bad.”

Sehir chuckled at my remark and leaned against a tree.

“Need help getting down?”

“No, I think I can manage on my own.”

I estimated the distance between myself and the ground and declined his offer.

I had watched how Kaindel descended earlier, so I was confident I could do the same.

Even though I was shorter than him, I was about average height, so I figured I just needed a small jump.

I carefully extended my body and grabbed onto a branch.

Letting go, I landed with a soft crunch on a pile of leaves.

The sound of them crumbling beneath my feet was faint but persistent.

As Sehir patiently waited for me to land, he brought up something new.

“By the way, Isa, since something like today could happen again, how about you ask Daniel to teach you how to use a dagger? Bows and longswords are too difficult for a beginner.”

“A dagger? Daniel knows how to use one?”

“He’s probably the best among us.”

“Really? I’ve never seen him use a dagger before.”

I let out a short exclamation. It was surprising to hear that Daniel was skilled with a dagger.

I had always wondered what kind of weapon he used.

So it was a dagger.

As I imagined him wielding a dagger, the memory of Daniel summoning rabbits at midnight overlapped with this new image.

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

Now that I thought about it, no weapon suited Daniel better than a dagger.

A dagger, huh.

Since the day we left the village, I’d thought about learning how to use a weapon.

I had assumed I’d end up learning a longsword, like Kaindel, but after hearing Sehir’s suggestion, a dagger seemed more appealing.