Chapter Thirty Nine: The Noble Returns

Getting back Leila
On the evening when the noble returned from the capital, that was when I left the forest. The winged freezer is just a cheater who doesn’t fight fair.
That evening, Leila and I met at the inn to discuss our options.
The last time we tried this, that bastard sold us off to the noble. Because the contract stated that Leila must never work for herself or anyone else, the noble had the right to confiscate all the items and money she had.
This time, we had to think carefully. The contract prevented Leila from working for another, but it never said anything about someone else paying the debt for her—or giving her the money so she could pay it herself. After coming this far, I realized our choices were limited.
Still, it would all be useless if he refused to take the payment. If only some situation would arise that would force him to take the money from her.
“I think I should be the one who gives him the money,” She said, breaking the silence. “I broke the vase and was forced to work for it. Now that I finally have the gold, wouldn’t it be logical for me to hand it to him myself? All of this happened because I didn’t have the money back then.”
Leila, sitting near the window, folded her arms and frowned. 
“Normally, yes. But something about last time didn’t feel right. That man doesn’t follow logic. He’s just a greedy pig who goes after what he wants. Think about it—after confiscating the items for himself, a decent person would have reduced your terms, or returned the extra money since it was more than enough for the vase. But he didn’t. He acted like nothing happened and made you keep working. I’m afraid he’ll do the same again. No matter how much sense you hope for, a greedy bastard remains a greedy bastard.”
I wanted to make her realise how the bastard might act. 
She stayed quiet for a while before asking softly, “…Then, what do we do?”
“Maybe I should be the one to give him the money,” I said, though less certain now. “I’ll tell him you’re my… relative.” My eyes flicked to her tail, which twitched nervously.
“That won’t work,” she replied quickly. “If he suspects your identity, the mask won’t help you anymore. And if that happens, you’ll be in greater danger.”
“Listen, Leila…” I stood and walked toward her. I placed my hand on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. “I’m not the same man I used to be. It broke me to give you away that day, and it still hurts when I think about it. But now I’ve changed. I fight monsters most people wouldn’t even dare to face. I’m strong.”
Her eyes widened slightly, as though my words reached her heart. But then she smirked. “I’ve never seen you fight. How do you expect me to believe that? For all I know, you’ve just been lazing around while items conveniently pop out of nowhere for you. You’re mysterious enough that I’d believe it. Like when you brought back those strange birds, claiming you found them feeding in the fields. Just what were those things, anyway?”
Ouch.
Her words knocked the strength out of me. I staggered back and collapsed onto the bed.
“…For trying so hard for me, thank you. Thank you for always being there for me. Just like you said back then—‘you are also someone very precious to me.’”
Her calm voice carried warmth.
“Leila…” I didn’t know what to say. My throat went dry, but my heart felt full.
“Anyway,” she continued, “give me the Dauka. I’ll handle the rest tomorrow. Sit tight and wish me luck.” She held out her hand.
“Oh… the Dauka. I kind of left it at the mountains. I’ll fetch it first thing tomorrow.”
“You don’t need to rush,” she said, turning toward the door. “He’ll probably visit the diner tomorrow anyway. I’ll ask for his time then.”
That was a lie. The Dauka was sitting safely in my pocket, inside the farmer’s clothes I always wore when visiting town.
Before leaving, she added, “Don’t forget to remove fifty gold coins from the bag. There are five hundred and fifty inside… though since you can’t use magic, I’ll do it tomorrow.”
She answered one last question of mine about someone in town before stepping out.
Even after eating the food she brought, I couldn’t sleep. My chest was tight with worry. Leila acted calm, insisting she would take the money to him—but was that really the best option?
Today had already been hard enough. I fought the winged freezer from morning till evening. Duddul and I spent hours trying to lure him down to the ground, but nothing worked.
The day before, when I left the forest, I had met a man near the mountains—Orthin, who had just built a new home. He waved to me eagerly and invited me in. At first I resisted, too tired, too hungry, too angry. But a promise was a promise.
His house was no longer bare—it was warmly decorated, full of life. He introduced me to his wife and his eight-year-old daughter, and they treated me with kindness. At dinner, they even gave me priority at the table. It had been a long time since I had felt that kind of welcome.Hard to believe he deceived me in the past. I decided to forgive him for that. I did take that envelope to his father out of goodwill after all. 
Later, in town, I sought out the one person I needed help from—a man who once promised to lend me his hand, as an apology.
Rart.
The hero who tried to kill me the moment I stepped into the capital.
Leila had warned me that a hero was stationed in town to watch for me. That hero was Rart. When I found him, I remembered his words: if I ever needed anything, he would help.
“I want you to help my friend,” I told him.
After a pause, he nodded. “You can trust me with that. I’d help even if I didn’t owe you.”
His answer was quick, without hesitation. I felt… I could trust him.
The next day, when I told Leila of my plan with the hero, she froze, then smiled. “I think it’s a great idea. It increases our chances.”
I gave her the Dauka. She counted out fifty coins and tucked them away. “Wish me luck,” she said before leaving.
The plan was simple: Rart would accompany her to the noble’s manor, under the guise of a hero paying her debt. The noble might ignore me, but he couldn’t ignore the presence of a hero.
As evening fell, my nerves twisted me inside out. I couldn’t sit still. I paced between my room and where Duddul was kept, helpless to do more.
When the sun began to sink, Etis approached me outside the inn.
“You look troubled,” she said gently. “Is everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine,” I lied, before retreating to my room.
I sat on the bed, staring at the door. My hands held up my chin as my mind churned endlessly.
Then came a knock.
Etis stepped inside holding two bright yellow fruits. “I bought more Zaki than I needed. How about we share?”
The sweet, heavenly taste melted on my tongue, easing my heart for the first time that day.
Etis smiled. “That’s quite the expression. Is it really that good?”
I nodded, unable to speak with the straw in my mouth.
She chuckled softly. “I’m glad it made you smile. You’ve looked burdened since yesterday. I wondered if it was something I could help with.”
“Etis… you really are like a big sister, always looking out for me,” I said.
Her smile faltered for a moment, her eyes softening. “…A big sister, huh? I wonder how my siblings are doing.”
“You have siblings?” I asked in surprise.
“Yes. Fifteen of them,” she said with a faint laugh. “I grew up in an orphanage. The innkeeper adopted me two months ago. He wanted someone to succeed him, and since I was the oldest, he chose me.”
As she spoke about her past, about caring for the younger children, about the warmth and struggles of the orphanage, her voice carried both fondness and longing. I listened in silence, realizing how much of her strength came from those years.
For a while, the worries about Leila, the noble, and the hero slipped away. The world outside was heavy, but in that small room, sharing Zaki and stories, there was a rare kind of peace.
The lanterns flickered to life as night settled in.
And for the first time in days, I felt calm.