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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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No matter how generous a Regressor was, they wouldn’t carry dead weight.
He had to prove his worth.
‘If it’s just about finding evil, I might have an advantage over Lina. I have good eyes.’
But his worries about staying on the “bus” would only last until he properly learned magic. He seemed to have some talent.
The problem would be if he got kicked off before he could demonstrate that talent. That would be troublesome. Still, it would be better than having nothing, like before.
“This is quite a large village.”
After two years of living in this world, he knew where to find the most chatter.
Places that put people in a good mood.
Drinking, embracing women… In those moments, even the most tight-lipped men would loosen up.
Kerry began to search for a secluded spot in the village, asking for directions as he went.
“The best place for a drink in this village? Well, there’s only one top tavern in our village.”
He arrived at the street he was looking for.
As it was the entertainment district, brothels were also mixed in.
Beautiful women in revealing clothing tried to entice him.
“Hey there, handsome. You’re my type. How about it? Why don’t you stay and play here tonight?”
“My, you’re quite good-looking. I’ll give you plenty of service if you come here.”
He resisted the temptations.
Honestly, at any other time, he would have fallen for these beautiful women, but right now, he needed information.
‘I have the money Lina gave me… Should I stop by for a bit? No, now’s not the time.’
Now was the time to find out about the evil that had infiltrated the village.
There it was, the most popular tavern in the village.
It was quite a nice tavern, large enough to have loafers hanging around even during the day.
As he opened the door and entered, a man who appeared to be the owner bowed. Then he muttered to himself,
“Hmm, an outsider? Quite a few outsiders have been coming in lately.”
It seemed he had come to the right place. This man would be well-versed in the village’s affairs. He sat down and ordered a drink.
“Give me a glass of your most popular drink.”
He paid with a gold coin, presented casually.
The owner, sensing the scent of money, quickly sprang into action.
“Right away, sir.”
His decent equipment, taken from bandits, and the nonchalant way he presented a gold coin made him look like a skilled adventurer.
He received admiring glances from those around him.
Of course, in reality, he was an F-rank adventurer, but there was a reason for his pretense.
He couldn’t afford to be underestimated in a place like this.
In a closed-off village that was harsh towards outsiders, being seen as weak could lead to a beating, expulsion, or even death.
Especially when carrying a lot of money, he had to be extra careful. And appearing influential made it easier to gather information.
Kerry, playing the part of a big shot, smiled confidently and urged the owner to bring his drink quickly.
‘What kind of alcohol is it? I haven’t had much experience with alcohol in this world, as I’ve been too busy just trying to survive.’
Now, where should he start his inquiries?
Kerry took a sip of the unfamiliar drink. It was a bit strong, but quite palatable.
“I’m new here, so I have a question, owner.”
“Ask away, adventurer.”
“Have you seen any suspicious individuals around lately?”
“Suspicious individuals, you say…”
“A skinny guy with a sinister face… and a fat guy with a pig-like face. Hmm, this drink isn’t bad. You recommended a good one.”
He didn’t forget to maintain his confident demeanor.
The owner, seemingly intimidated by his overwhelming charisma, pondered even this simple question.
“Ah, come to think of it, there were. I heard talk of people matching your description a few days ago. Everyone found them creepy and unsettling. Did they do something wrong?”
He’d hit the mark. Now he had to dig deeper.
“…They did commit some wrongdoings. But don’t ask for details. It’s better not to know.”
The owner gulped at his serious tone. His act was working perfectly.
“Hmm, I understand.”
Even the thugs with nasty looks who were eavesdropping didn’t have the guts to meet his gaze.
This was why equipment was important. Appearances mattered.
“Here’s your change.”
99 silver coins clinked onto the table. Kerry took out 1 silver coin from his pocket and handed it to the owner.
“This is a tip. Do you know anything else about that fat guy and the skeleton, owner?”
“O-Of course, of course I do. Though no one got close to them because their aura was so unsettling. This village isn’t very welcoming to outsiders. Since those two shady characters were wandering around, some of the stronger young men in the village, feeling uneasy, decided to follow them.”
“And?”
“According to those young men, they didn’t do anything particularly bad. But they must have still felt uneasy, because they continued to follow them. I don’t know if they’re still in the village. If you’d like, I can introduce you to those men. They’re friends with my son.”
“I’d appreciate that, owner. Here are a few more for the tip.”
Kerry casually added more to the tip.
Tipping wasn’t a common practice in this world. Most people struggled just to make ends meet.
Seeing Kerry casually give several silver coins as a tip, the surrounding patrons were convinced that he was a big shot.
“Then… forget the tip, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it, owner?”
“Please, just keep things quiet in our village. I’ve lived here since I was a child.”
Kerry smiled confidently at the owner, who was even refusing his tip.
“Don’t worry unnecessarily.”
He tilted his glass and waited, maintaining his composure. It wasn’t long before several young men, looking nervous, approached him.
The owner must have warned them about him being someone important.
After introducing themselves, the young men began to speak.
“You can’t underestimate first impressions, can you? Those two weren’t just unsettling, they were downright creepy. So, we’ve been following them every day, just in case they try anything funny in the village.”
“They didn’t do anything while we were watching… but after they arrived, a lot of people in the village started acting strange.”
“It has to be their doing! They must have put something in the well that’s making people lose their minds.”
“There have been a lot of disappearances too. Are you… here to catch them? Honestly, we want to grab them by the scruff of their necks, but we don’t have any evidence.”
“…”
Clues about them were surprisingly easy to come by. Unless they were fools, there was no way they would be showing themselves so openly.
Especially after encountering a formidable opponent like Lina.
‘They’re being cautious, yet they’re showing themselves… something smells fishy.’
“They’re staying in a farmhouse quite far from the village. It’s Ellie’s father’s farm. I know the way well.”
As soon as the name “Ellie” left one of the young men’s lips, they all grinned.
What was up with them all of a sudden?
“I miss Ellie.”
“Ellie is nice. Indeed she is.”
Who was this Ellie that was making these men blush and giggle?
“Who is Ellie?”
“Don’t mind them, sir. She’s a famous prostitute from our village, known for her beauty… She’s so expensive that these guys have never even met her, but they act like this whenever her name comes up. You guys! The adventurer is busy, so stop with the nonsense and get to the point!”
Kerry raised his hand to stop the owner.
“I’d like to hear more about Ellie.”
“Haha! You’re a man too! I’ve only heard it said, but once you see Ellie’s smile, you can’t escape its charm.”
“Brown-haired Ellie is the pride of our village.”
“That’s right. Brown-haired Ellie is the pride of our village!”
“You guys! How is that the pride of our village?!”
The men burst into laughter at the owner’s scolding. Once started, the men’s dirty talk continued endlessly.
Despite the delay caused by the Ellie discussion, he had gathered all the information he needed.
Lina and Natasha would never dream of coming to a place like this, so they were probably still wandering around lost.
At best, they would be holding the hands of villagers and asking questions, but the villagers, unfriendly towards outsiders, wouldn’t open up easily.
‘Brown-haired Ellie… I should keep that in mind.’
Since the men in the village were so obsessed with her, he couldn’t help but feel a desire to visit before leaving.
‘They said those guys were staying in a farmhouse outside the village? Then Ellie’s father…’
He suspected that Ellie’s father, the owner of the farmhouse, had likely been killed by the pig and the skeleton. Or perhaps he was being threatened. Poor Ellie.
Although he had found their location, Kerry still had a bad feeling. It was too easy to find out about them.
‘Something’s not right…’
He didn’t have much time, but it was better than rushing and messing things up.
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Kerry wandered aimlessly through the village.
There was nothing to gain from just sitting around.
“Come to think of it, the young men said that many people started acting strange after those two arrived…”
Acting strange, huh?
These were guys who wouldn’t hesitate to perform human sacrifices. They wouldn’t think twice about using curses or magic to mess with the villagers’ minds.
He went back to the young men and asked them to take him to one of the villagers who was acting strangely.
“Adventurer, see that old man sitting in the rocking chair? I’ve known that crazy old geezer since I was a baby, and I’ve never seen him sit so quietly in my life.”
“Maybe he’s just not feeling well…”
“It’s not like that! I had to go to his house for something urgent, and you know what? He was eating raw meat, dripping with blood, with his bare hands! I told him to cook it, that he’d get sick… but he said he suddenly had an unbearable craving for raw meat. He’s never been like that before.”
“He’s not the only one. There are many others showing similar bizarre symptoms. I heard one woman tried to bite her own son. Ever since those two arrived, creepy rumors have been spreading through the village.”
“…”
It seemed the young men weren’t just being nosy. Kerry used the Goddess’s Eye on the old man sitting blankly in the rocking chair.
What was a voodoo curse? Kerry used the Goddess’s Eye to find out.
‘Ghouls!’
He finally understood their plan. They were meticulously preparing a trap.
A trap for them. The reason they revealed their location so readily was part of the trap.
Perhaps they had a large number of ghouls hidden there?
‘Since there have been many disappearances in the village, it’s almost certain.’
Those bastards. Kerry didn’t care about justice, but they had clearly crossed a line.
He now understood why Lina was so determined to kill them.
Kerry, still playing the experienced adventurer, said,
“That old man… he’s been afflicted by a malicious curse. A terrible curse that turns people into ghouls.”
“What? Adventurer… is that true?”
“Why would I lie?”
“But he doesn’t… look that bad…”
“That’s just on the surface. His mind is being consumed by the malicious curse. The raw meat craving, the attempt to bite her son… it’s all because of the curse. I guarantee it.”
The young men panicked, asking what they should do.
Until now, Kerry’s image had been that of a powerful, experienced adventurer.
The words of a mysterious, powerful adventurer carried more weight than those of an F-rank.
“Then… how do we lift this malicious curse?”
“Please help us. My mentor also…”
“My mother! My mother is showing similar symptoms! Adventurer, please help us!”
The young men, who had been semi-respectful until now, suddenly became extremely polite.
Honestly, he didn’t have any special abilities to lift a voodoo curse.
At any other time, he would have been helpless. But Kerry had the solution right in his pocket.
‘This opportunity came sooner than expected. I’ll be able to sell this for a good price.’
It was probably the only bottle of holy water in the village. And there were villagers gradually turning into ghouls due to the voodoo curse.
Since it was high-grade holy water, it might even be effective on multiple people.
“To lift this malicious curse… as you know, you need holy water or a priest.”
“Oh… as expected.”
“There are no priests in our village. And we certainly don’t have anything as precious as holy water.”
“Adventurer, is there really nothing we can do? I can’t just watch my mother… turn into a ghoul…”
He felt bad for exploiting their desperation, but he wasn’t kind enough to give the holy water away for free.
‘What good is being kind if you’re broke? You’ll just be treated like a sucker.’
Kerry spoke slowly,
“I happen to have a bottle of high-grade holy water, by a stroke of luck…”
“I’ll buy it! Adventurer! I’ll buy it!”
“My mother is sick! I’ll bring you everything I own, just please sell it to me!”
“My mentor is sick too!”
Kerry calmed the young men down.
“High-grade holy water is quite valuable. It might be able to save many lives in the village. So, what I’m trying to say is… 10 gold coins. If you can gather 10 gold coins, by any means, I’ll hand over the holy water without a second thought.”
Nothing in this world was free. 10 gold coins would be more than enough to meet Brown-haired Ellie.
It seemed he would be making some good memories in this village.
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