The evening after the merchant left.
"Mister, mister~ What should a young girl call an older guy?"
Lately, Reshi had been coming over every night.
She'd visited often before, but now it was the village chief's house.
"Reshi, it's nighttime. Go home."
"It's too dark tonight—no moon, no stars.
I'll sleep here.
I told my parents I'm studying late."
In dramas or movies, when a daughter used that excuse to stay out, something always happened between her and the guy.
Were Shtai and Latia worried hearing that? Or cheering her on?
At times like this, I should judge by my own standards.
I'm a guy from a country where parents always hope their kids study hard.
"Fine, then read this book tonight.
The letters here are pretty standard, so it'll be much easier."
In truth, we really were studying.
Reshi had always been jealous of me chatting with the village chief in the ancient language, so she'd begged to learn it too.
With the chief away and time on my hands, I'd been teaching her every day.
When a student's this eager, the teacher has to step up.
People here tried to memorize Hangul—er, the ancient script—like they were learning Chinese characters. They drew weird patterns and fancy fonts for research.
But Hangul is super easy to read once you get the knack.
I turned into a star tutor, nailing the key points of Hangul—no, the ancient language—like a pro.
"...Pfft."
The more I encouraged her enthusiasm, the more her cheeks puffed out.
"Aren't you supposed to be studying hard?"
"I don't know! I'm done! You're an idiot, mister!"
This wasn't the first or second time, so I knew exactly what she was after.
A girl comes "to study," all brushed hair, wearing the hairpin I gave her, dressed to the nines.
I see her every day—what kind of dummy wouldn't get the hint?
But Reshi, a proper teacher doesn't look at students that way.
She threw a little tantrum, half-assed the studying, then flopped onto the village chief's big bed like an exhausted office worker after a long shift.
She looked at me and patted the empty spot beside her with her palm.
Lie down next to me?
Look at that clumsy seductive face.
Scandalous and shameless. A student teasing her teacher—teacher's authority must be dead here too.
Anyway, between the sulking and flirting... being around Reshi was never boring.
In the end, I laughed and lay down beside her.
"Mister, you didn't teach me that word earlier. What does a young girl call an older guy?"
Reshi scooted right up against me, asking for the word. Hmm. Should I say it?
"Call it oppa."
"Then... Kirgil oppa."
Shtai's advice hit home.
Ugh... Reshi, you little devil! You totally asked on purpose.
Oppa like that, so teasingly!
Her man-charming skills were leveling up by the day!
But I'm passing on students—no, minors. I was gonna hold firm... uwaaa.
Don't whisper oppa, oppa in my ear... seriously...
"Stop, stop! Hey!"
To resist the temptation, I grabbed her waist and tickled her wildly.
"Eek! Kyahaha, that tickles! It tickles!! Mercy! I won't, I won't do it anymore, oppa! Kyahahahaha!"
Haa haa. I barely fended off the demon.
The demon inside me retreated too.
With some mental breathing room, I pulled Reshi into a tight hug.
I love Reshi. Not romantically—like a friend, or a father.
She took care of me, played with me, stayed by my side when I was useless in this world.
So I hope this sweet girl finds someone great. Not some shady, uncertain middle-aged guy like me—someone with more potential, who can be with her longer.
Though if some street punk tried dating her, I'd never allow it.
Right now, I'm in full dad mode.
I really just want to cherish her.
"Hehehe."
Reshi seemed happy too, rubbing her face against me like a girl hugging a teddy bear.
I only realized lately that showing affection to a woman doesn't always mean sex.
Even without a wild night, hugging her when she looks lonely, carrying her lightly when she's hesitant or struggling, stroking her hair while gazing at her in the morning—it all conveys deep love.
Just be careful it doesn't lead to a more intense night.
In the village chief's case, she gripped her pen even harder for research.
Anyway, I stroked Reshi's hair and back while holding her.
She seemed plenty satisfied, grinning ear to ear as she snuggled back against me.
"You should look for other guys besides me. How long are you gonna keep this up?"
"Until you pounce on me, Kirgil mister."
"Now you're straight-up inciting crime."
I'd thought Reshi saw me as a ballsy friend since our first meeting.
But now she was evolving into something mystical and rare.
She said things to others you absolutely shouldn't. There was that gloomy winter spell, but it passed.
Now she was total chaos. Pure mayhem.
"You need to face reality. You're no prince on a white horse, no world-saving hero, no drop-dead gorgeous hunk.
Outside this village, you're just an average adventurer. Who else would go after a scruffy guy like you besides me?
So give up already."
Uwaaa! Too harsh! For Reshi, of all people!
To vent my inferiority and boiling rage, I grabbed her cheeks and stretched them.
That smug, stretched grin! She still smiles! What's so funny! But...
Hmm. Hmm. Teen cheeks really are soft and chewy.
No! No! That's not the point!
"Wait, you know there's others besides you..."
"Oh yeah! Right! Ferio's the exception."
Reshi knew enough about us by now.
She was friends with Ferio too.
Thinking about it, she'd matured a lot mentally. Kinda veered off-track, but still.
"And... hmm, the village chief's an exception too."
Including the chief felt like overkill.
"Anyway, it still takes months for anyone to see your true value. Most girls bail or find someone else by then."
She kept punching me in the solar plexus.
Was this another of Shtai's "new attack methods"?
"No other girl would understand everything about you from day one like me."
Stop glancing at my crotch.
Day one's embarrassing memory is coming back.
Anyway, I'm mad!
Attacking me with facts? Unforgivable!
Waist tickling not enough? Time to torment her whole body, twisting till her soles itch!
...Just as I imagined that horrific revenge.
Awoooooooo~~~~!!!
Baetegi's howl echoed across the whole village.
What? No howling in the village before.
Reshi sensed something off too, staring toward the sound.
Yip! Yip!! Yip!!!
Then came the snarling.
An aggressive warning anyone could recognize.
Baetegi had no leash. If there was a real threat, it'd charge to kill.
A bad premonition hit me.
"Reshi, put on your outer clothes. Grab any weapons you have."
"Mister, what's wrong?"
Reshi felt the unease too.
But she didn't want to accept it.
I hurriedly donned the leather armor I'd gotten last time and strapped on the sword Ferio gave me this winter.
Dagger, bow...
I grabbed every weapon in sight.
Ding! Ding! Ding!! Ding! Ding! Ding!!
The village emergency bell rang frantically.
Signal for crisis.
The ringer's desperation came through clear.
We might need to arm up and prepare to evacuate.
"Demons!! The demons brought an army!"
My bad feeling nailed it.
And not monsters—demons??
As I gathered my weapons, I shoved a dagger into Reshi's hand.
"Reshi, listen. Don't fight just 'cause you have a weapon. Only if you have no choice."
Terrified, Reshi just nodded.
I took her hand and left the village chief's house.
Far off, orc soldiers with massive torches.
Fire in the pitch-black night spotlighted them, like a stage demanding attention.
In the center of those torches stood a man over two meters tall.
One look told me: demon.
Muscular, human-like in black armor, but devil horns protruded from both shoulders—impossible for a human.
Those massive shoulder horns piercing his skin looked tough enough for weapons, utterly menacing.
The demon held a huge sword like a guillotine blade and bellowed at the village.
"Today, by the decree of Her Great Majesty, the Century Queen Parshiana, I come to deliver justice!!
I mourn my brother Kaso's death!
And for my brother Tsradra's family here, I come for revenge!!
Here! I, Katona, have arrived!"
So this was the crisis Ferio worried about.
In scriptures, myths, history—revenge sparks wars or lights the fuse.
Who knew sparing that goblin would blow up like this.
Soon, cheers responded to the giant demon's shout.
"Kyaaaa!!! Revenge!!"
"Kraaaaa!!!! Revenge!!"
"On the humans!!!! Revenge!!"
The cheers didn't come just from Katona's group.
They echoed from all directions.
In the moonless, starless dark,
Agnes Village was surrounded by the demon army.
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