A Hero Saves With Her Body - Chapter 103

Rosé didn’t know, but those boots were custom-made by Sergi after pestering a shoemaker to fit Rosé’s small feet.

Rosé leaned against the wall and tried to slip her foot into the boot. But because the laces were tied so tightly, it didn’t go in well.

Just as she was about to bend down to untie the laces,

“Stay still.”

Sergi, looking annoyed at Rosé swaying unsteadily, knelt on one knee and untied her shoelaces for her.

With bewildered eyes looking at him, he said in an annoyed tone,

“Hold onto my shoulder.”

This wasn’t a situation where she could say she was okay. Rosé, who was about to lose her balance, placed her hand on Sergi’s shoulder.

Sergi told her to hold on tighter and then put her foot into the boot.

Tying shoelaces was a simple task for him, who often wore cheap boots. It didn’t take long for him to stand up nonchalantly.

“Hand.”

“What?”

Sergi silently gestured towards the icy road. It seemed Rosé had no choice but to hold hands and walk or risk slipping.

Eventually, Rosé started walking on the icy road, holding hands with him.

The reason their strides didn’t vary much was probably because Sergi was slowing down for her. But she didn’t say thank you.

He was an unbelievable person. This kindness was just one of his whims.

“The outside of the passage is a snowy mountain. It seems we’ll have to descend on foot through the snow. Are you okay with that?”

Oster, walking ahead, turned around and glanced at the executives.

They seemed to have managed to wear fur coats and winter boots somehow, but being from inland was a problem. They had never experienced snow-covered fields before.

However, Oster’s worries soon melted away like snow as soon as they exited the passage and saw dog sleds appear.

“Didn’t you know our branch is also in Millerain?”

Podrick laughed heartily as he grabbed one of the dog sleds. He had already sent an urgent message to Millerain nine days ago, asking for eleven horses and accommodations, including dog sleds.

Oster let out a hollow laugh, realizing his worries were unfounded.

Pumong was famous enough to have branches all over the country, except for areas lost to unsealed boundaries. He didn’t know what he had been worried about.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Sergi pulled Rosé’s hand as she stood there dumbfounded.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the piles of snow and the vast frozen lake. In Bistiman, even in winter, it snowed for only a day or two at most.

Rosé took a deep breath. The cold air chilled her lungs all the way to her nostrils.

Sergi unwittingly smiled as he watched Rosé take several deep breaths, fascinated by the cold air.

Whether she was naive or just foolish, he pulled her slightly harder and seated her on the sled.

“Don’t get distracted and hold on tight.”

When Sergi shouted, “Let’s go!”, the wolf dogs pulled the sled down the mountain as if they had been waiting for it.

Rosé screamed as she felt the cold wind hit her face head-on.

“Aaaah!”

‘It feels like my skin is being ripped off!’

When Sergi turned around, he was covering his face with a hat and scarf.

He was indeed untrustworthy. But it was too late for curses. Rosé, with snot running down to her philtrum, was thankful at least for the black cloak she had.

* * *

The eleven who came down to the village by dog sled unpacked in their rooms, then gathered on the first floor of the inn to discuss the next schedule.

The restaurant, staffed by only one owner and one employee, was quiet and serene, thanks to Sergi having reserved all the seats.

“Snowstorm starting tomorrow?”

But the sudden forecast of a snowstorm. Oster, who had been guiding the executives until now, also furrowed his brows in trouble.

As soon as he arrived in the village, Oster sought out the office and received a response that they couldn’t open the road due to the snowstorm. It was an unexpected event for everyone.

“So when can we depart?”

“The person in charge said at least ten days.”

“We’re stuck in this backwater for ten days!”

Podrick thrashed about, pulling at his hair. He had already quickly scouted the village’s taverns.

Even if it was inevitable due to its location, stocking only low-quality port wine, not a single woman was in sight.

Later, a clumsily spoken Red Knight mentioned that the women of Millerain died early because they could not withstand the cold. Fortunately, they gave birth to many children when they were young, so the population barely maintained itself.

“It’s dangerous to move horses in a snowstorm. It’s better to wait until the weather improves.”

Peon said. Having led horses in the snow before, Peon knew how perilously dangerous it was.

It would be a big problem if they lost manpower trying to stick to the schedule before entering the boundary.

Unlike Podrick, both Beth and Lunen, who were exceedingly rational, agreed. Venter, who disliked riding horses on snowfields, also seemed to accept it.

Rosé didn’t need to say anything. She was a beginner who had only recently learned horseback riding from her master. If she were to lead a horse in a snowstorm, both she and the horse’s lives would be in danger.

“We’ll delay departure until the snow stops.”

“Brother!”

Only Podrick became sullen and protested Sergi’s decision. But there was no turning back.

“Think about how we’ll move within the boundary in the meantime. Rest as you please for the rest of the time.”

“Ha… This place is boring.”

Podrick slumped into a chair, clutching his head. But Rosé’s eyes sparkled at the mention of rest.

What a rest this would be. Away from the Duke who watches her every move, from the master who demands all sorts of perverse training under the guise of education, from Dain who always tries to tie her down using research as an excuse — rest in this quiet northern land!

Rosé chuckled inwardly and raised her hand when Podrick’s muttering faded. Sergi frowned as though he was asking what it was this time.

“Can we rest however we want?”

Sergi sighed like he was looking at a headache and rubbed his temples before answering.

“Do as you like.”

Having observed Rosé for a year, Sergi could clearly see what she intended to do. Earning pocket money. She often did small side jobs out of his sight.

‘I should raise her weekly pay when we return.’

While everyone was discussing how to spend their time, Sergi began calculating Rosé’s appropriate weekly pay under the schedule notebook.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He was happily imagining her joy.

* * *

As soon as everyone dispersed, Rosé headed into town.

The most active Rainmill Street in the north. A town area that even outsiders often visit.

Podrick grumbled that it was nothing special, but for Rosé, who had lived her entire life in Bistiman, it lacked nothing.

A general store selling clothes and household goods, a hardware store selling hunting and fishing gear, taverns and restaurants serving as social venues for villagers, and schools that were small like corner stores.

For a small town, wasn’t it quite well-equipped? Well, according to Podrick, the excessively low female population did seem like a problem.

Hence, men’s gazes followed her as she walked down the street. Maybe she should have worn the Black Cloak after all. But to look for odd jobs, it was more convenient to be in her usual appearance than in a Black Cloak.

Rosé knocked on the door of a general store that people frequently visited. However, the owner’s response was very cold.

“We don’t serve outsiders.”

Hardware stores, restaurants, clothing stores, shoe stores…

Owners who recognized Rosé as an outsider immediately rejected her due to the northern people’s characteristic exclusivity.

After visiting almost every store, Rosé opened her job window with slumped shoulders.

As expected, there were no options available. She was already tied down by Pumong. She had been looking for unregistered odd jobs in the system.

‘Should have gotten some pocket money from the Duke.’

If only it weren’t for his incessant interrogations.

With her head down, Rosé headed for the last bastion, the tavern. Seeing men drunkenly sprawled about, she thought she might be able to gain some skills if she played her cards right.

‘Pretend to bring them drinks and then slip slightly…’

She was about to pull the doorknob with a feigned smile when suddenly,

“Are you looking for a job by any chance?”

Rosé turned towards the voice. He appeared to be in his mid-forties.

Despite the cold weather, he wore only a white shirt and pants without any coat. Judging by his bulging chest straining against his shirt, he was no ordinary man.

“Yes, I am…”

“Ah, I knew it! I happened to overhear a lady at the clothing store looking for short-term work and followed you here. Would it be alright if I introduced myself?”

Compared to his burly demeanor, the man seemed well-versed in kindness. He was the first villager to approach her so kindly as an outsider.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

With Rosé’s permission, he took off his hat and continued his introduction.

“I’m Mikhail. I work as a martial arts instructor in Millerain. I’m currently training athletes for the northern preliminary round next month.”

“Preliminary round?”

“You might have heard of the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament. It’s the biggest competition held in Monchen; to participate there, you have to pass through regional preliminaries first. That’s what we’re preparing for with the northern preliminaries.”

Rosé glanced at the job window she had just opened.

Training Partner
Provides sparring for athletes participating in the Empire Martial Arts Tournament held once a year. Requires considerable stamina, making promotion difficult.

Could it be that he’s offering a sparring position?

“Um… So, is that why you followed me?”

“I wondered if you could be a training partner for the athletes, so I took the liberty to approach you.”

That’s right, a training partner.

“If you spar with our athletes for a week, we will give you 100 silas. What do you think?”

When the man’s words ended with a question, a new quest window appeared.

〈SYSTEM〉 Will you accept the quest ‘Success as a Training Partner’?
Completion Reward: 100 silas
Accept
Decline

‘A hundred silas for a week… That’s worth considering.’

However, at that moment, Rosé did not know. The true meaning of the job called training partner, as proposed by the man, and the significance of being a sparring partner for the athletes.