Rudis herself was the real danger. Whether it was the quest’s influence, something Xenon had done, or lingering effects of the Bahala extract, she felt like she was going insane every night. Even trying to touch herself like Xenon had only made the craving worse. She truly feared she might lose her mind and burst into Iska’s room.

‘Ugh. This is so frustrating.’

For the first time in ages, Rudis grabbed her knife and a bunch of healing potions and headed to the forest. At times like this, she needed to exhaust herself mindlessly. Drain her stamina until she passed out from fatigue. The problem was that her stamina had increased dramatically. To make matters worse, the forced sleep system had disappeared, making her situation even more maddening.

[Title – Slayer of All Summer Monsters]

Already?

Rudis had hunted monsters to the point of boredom. Seeing the newly earned title, she felt oddly disappointed and made another round through the forest, then through the village. For some reason, she was reluctant to go home.

‘Maybe I should visit the tavern?’

‘Isn’t that something you need to figure out yourself?’

When she had consulted Xenon about Iska, he had responded with these words and practically thrown her out. She hadn’t been to the tavern since. For the first few days, she had lingered outside Iska’s door hoping to catch him when he came out to use the bathroom; for the next few days, she had been busy slaughtering monsters to manage her overflowing stamina.

Well, whatever.

It was a Saturday evening in summer, when days were longer. The tavern would obviously be crowded with people. It was also the perfect place to receive multiple quests at once. Rudis headed to the tavern.

Jingle.

With the sound of the door opening, Rudis entered the tavern. As expected, it was bustling with noise. It seemed like all the villagers had gathered there.

So all these people are guild members?

Rudis scanned the corner section reserved for outsiders. The outsiders who had consistently occupied those tables turned out to be Information Guild members.

‘I knew something was strange…’

Xenon, who had always shamelessly claimed he couldn’t remember the outsiders’ faces, had recently introduced each one by name. The people who had always responded in strange languages when spoken to could actually speak normally. One of them, Jackson, had proudly shown off his mustache while boasting about running the Spring Festival carnival.

Even now, he enthusiastically waved at Rudis as she entered the tavern, encouraging those around him to greet her too. Their brazenness after being exposed was remarkable. Rudis nodded back with an awkward smile.

“You’re here?”

In contrast, Xenon was excessively normal, which sent chills down her spine. How could someone live so thoroughly behind a mask? She couldn’t tell which was the real him—the languid, seductive figure from before or the one now smiling cunningly while busily wiping glasses.

“Rudis. What will you have today? Today’s recommendation is…”

“The special beer, please.”

Rudis cut off Xenon’s words and placed her order. The recommended menu would obviously be something inedible anyway.

But Xenon didn’t serve the beer she asked for. Instead, he leaned over the bar and whispered in her ear, his tone languid and seductive.

“How about having me instead?”

* * *

“I really don’t know how to start. He doesn’t seem interested at all…”

On a peaceful summer day, Rudis had asked this question.

The moment he heard it, Xenon choked on his breath. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

‘You’re asking ME about this?’

Did she have any sense at all? Fine. He knew Rudis had to sleep with other men too. He knew he wasn’t the only one who received the letter. And he was waiting for the day Rudis would restore the Token of Pathos. Only then could he steal it and make his wish. Yes, he knew all this. 

So why were these pathetic thoughts swirling in his head?

He even knew who she was talking about. One of his subordinates had already reported that Rudis had started living with the farm worker.

Struggling so much to seduce a simple laborer. Such men were easy to handle. Just take off your clothes and climb on top—that’s all it would take. No, she wouldn’t even need to get fully undressed. 

Simply asking “Want to?” would be enough. He should have given good advice while pretending to be a nice person as usual…

“Isn’t that something you need to figure out yourself?”

After rubbing his forehead for a while, this was all he could manage to say, and with such a sharp edge to it. The mask that had always been so easy to wear was impossible to put on.

Why?

He couldn’t even tell Rudis it was a joke as she glanced at him with a sulky expression and sighed deeply. What could he do about words that had already left his mouth?

On top of that, his irritation surged. She was fretting so much about seducing a simple laborer. It was maddening.

Meanwhile, he had set up an elaborate scheme, done things he’d never done before, readily handed over the knife Jackson coveted, and even held himself back tremendously while devouring her, claiming it was his first time—and she was worrying about something like this?

And the way she didn’t ask directly but tried to gauge his reaction with sidelong glances—where had she learned such cunning behavior? He wanted to knock her on the head. All he could do was tell her to go home.

Fine. It’s nothing. Rudis was just doing what she needed to do. Forget it. He had approached her with his own objectives anyway. He had done his part. Now he just needed to wait. Wait for Rudis to sleep with the other guys and complete that damn sacred relic. That’s how it should be…

“How to start…”

Her annoying voice haunted him like a phantom. Sometimes when he was washing, changing clothes, or whenever the tavern door opened. Quite often. Perfectly maddening.

‘Why did you ask me something like that? What do you think I am?’

Just a one-night pleasure? A means to restore the relic? Am I not good enough?

That couldn’t be true. Though he didn’t flaunt it, he took pride in his good looks. Even in his rougher days, hadn’t people told him it was a waste for him to be doing such work? Was his body lacking?

He was even more confident about that. His tightly packed muscles were neat and sleek, both aesthetically pleasing and practical. And his personality… was fine too. He was the most popular man in the village. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had received confessions from every woman in town.

Even Sandra, who was about to get married, still harbored feelings for him. Was the s*x bad? Perhaps he had been too careful. He might have been too considerate of Rudis, it being her first time. Since she enjoyed adventure, she might prefer something rougher. Xenon resolved to show her more variety in the future.

But after saying such things and stirring up his feelings, she hadn’t shown her face at all!

Every time the door opened, he found himself instinctively looking for that pink hair. Not seeing that small head that housed who-knows-what thoughts irritated him immensely. It was all Rudis’s fault for making him like this while she was busy figuring out how to seduce that damn laborer.

So they’re really living together? This girl has no fear.

He knew she was fearless, but this was even bolder than he’d expected.

“Find out about that guy. Now.”

Despite his thoughts, Xenon had ordered his people to gather information on the laborer. He needed to know exactly where this guy had come from. He knew everything about the villagers, down to how many pairs of underwear they owned, but this guy was unknown. Whether Rudis rolled around with him or not wasn’t his concern, but if the guy was dangerous, he should at least warn her. After all, Rudis’s safety needed to be guaranteed so he could steal the completed relic or make his wish. That was his mindset.

She might be barking up the wrong tree.

Maybe that guy wasn’t even one of the targets. Innocent Rudis might be mistaken and wasting her efforts. Xenon secretly hoped so.

‘A beast-person? I thought they were all extinct.’

But his subordinate’s report said otherwise. Xenon frowned at the mention of strange ear headbands. At the same time, he knew his hopes wouldn’t be fulfilled. It was a fitting combination—a beast-person, thought to have disappeared from this world, reappearing. And then that annoying guy from the north too.

The immortal one and a supposedly extinct beast-person.

The fact that Rudis was living with that beast bothered him even more. While he didn’t really care who Rudis slept with, why did it have to be a beast-person? As always, the will of the gods was utterly absurd.