I dug pits whenever I had time, clearing away the corpses.
They weren't the villagers' bodies.
Goblins, orcs, wolves, even Katona.
The village was rotting with a massive number of them.
If I left them like this, an epidemic could break out the moment the villagers returned. Even stuck here alone, I had to clean them up.
I hauled a cart around and spent about two days working hard, managing to gather most of the corpses into pits on the village outskirts.
They were the enemy, but seeing all those bodies piled up left a strangely bitter taste in my mouth.
Not pity or guilt.
Just... something I couldn't quite put into words yet.
"I don't know if this world has hazardous returns or anything..."
I carved a simple wooden plaque that read,
'Here lie Katona and his subordinates.'
I drove it into the ground in front of the pit like a stepping stone.
Making a grave marker too conspicuous didn't seem to fit this world's ethics.
People here didn't even see goblins or orcs as races—just monsters. A step above animals, at best.
That night, killing so many of them, I'd seen firsthand they had emotions and thoughts. Desperate ones.
So I decided to treat them as other races or ethnicities.
This understated grave was the compromise between my original ethics and this world's.
After making the simple memorial for the fallen, I covered spots with lingering smells and bloodstains with dirt or dug them up entirely.
Whenever I found a body discovered late, I'd drag the cart over and clear it.
One by one, I tidied everything up.
When the sun set and it was time to call it a day, I'd wash off the sweat and stench in the bathwater Agnes had boiled.
With her interest in medicine and healing, she was thorough about preparations like that.
In the evenings, we spent time together as much as possible.
We both needed the healing.
Along the way, I picked up new knowledge while learning more about each other.
One field Agnes was confident in was called Transfer.
Teleportation, in other words.
In the recent announcement, they'd tried classifying it as sorcery since it wasn't natural.
I'd suggested it was magic.
Like a wormhole or white hole, right?
Well... I'm no physics major, so I couldn't prove it.
Anyway, Transfer wasn't something you did carelessly. It required a pre-prepared, well-maintained arrival point.
Teleport roughly and you could embed in a rock or drown. Sloppy work meant risking your life.
Sending someone else was exponentially harder, nearly impossible without prepared devices or sites.
All living beings had innate magic resistance, so sensitive spells like Transfer didn't work well on others.
I couldn't sense what made it "sensitive," but whatever.
She'd been village chief for ages, so she had a spot ready and came right away.
It was a steep hill on the outskirts no one climbed.
Arriving there, in the dark night, she could clearly see my house burning in the distance—and me nearby, surrounded, possibly about to die.
Agnes locked on her target and Transferred a prepared star from the sky.
Like dropping a stone from on high.
Fine-tuning the angle as it fell.
From that height—beyond the atmosphere—the rock slammed into the ground with immense potential energy and frictional heat.
That was Agnes the Witch of Stars—or Star's Guide—ultimate trump card.
"Didn't you say it had to stay hidden?"
"You and I are beyond such needs, aren't we?"
"But don't look too closely."
"There... it's embarrassing."
Hmm... The village chief, once so shy, was loosening up enough to tease now.
She lacked experience, but her mind was sharp. With the will, she'd turn seductress in no time.
If she overcame her fears, that is.
"Seriously, saying that makes me curious about Agnes's Status Window."
STATUS WINDOWAgnes
Village Chief / Former Adventurer
Level: [High]
STR: [Low] | AGI: [Low] | INT: [Very High] | LUK: [Low]
MP: [Massive—two extra zeros]
Age: 100+
Character Info: Enduring beauty, waited unchanging...
...It actually appeared!?
What the hell???
"Why are you suddenly so startled, Kirgil?"
"Uh..."
It showed more detail than mine.
STR and AGI much lower than mine.
INT predictably high.
LUK meh.
Mana... the number had two extra zeros.
Stats aside, the Character Info was fresh.
Like viewing a party member's profile.
Mostly stuff I already knew, but still.
This... I had to test it.
"You've lived quite a long time, Elder."
"I almost thought you were an elf."
"Makes sense you'd say you waited for me unchanged."
"Wait!?"
"What are you seeing right now?!"
Her reaction to my little probe confirmed—this Status Window was legit!
"Like with my Status Window before, yours started showing up."
"Not sure about everything, but age is there."
"Wh-wh-wh-what are you talking about!? I stopped counting ages ago!"
"I see. So old you quit counting long ago."
"No! That's cheating!"
"Erase it! Erase it!!"
"Nooooo!!"
Having seen her great-aunt image for so long, Agnes flailing wildly was refreshingly novel.
I enjoyed the sight a moment before pinning her with my overwhelming STR stat.
Who knew she'd freak this hard over her age.
I was surprised at 100+, but in fantasy, it was within bounds for someone familiar.
Anyway, she still looked young.
Thinking that, I felt like a gold digger.
Hmm, gotta watch it.
After some commotion, I soothed her—promising not to care about such things, as much as her age warranted—and things settled.
Then I shared my thoughts on the Status Window.
"It doesn't pop for other names besides Agnes, so maybe only recognized comrades."
"I see you as a trusted ally. What about you?"
"You keep treating this Agnes like an elder, so comrade doesn't quite fit."
"Hmph."
Tell her to drop the old-lady speech first, and she'd whine again?
Patience, gotta be the adult.
"Ow ow ow! Not again! Pinching my thigh..."
"Got it! I got it!"
Agnes's calves and thighs were softer, less muscled than most—pinchable, in a good way.
Gonna become a habit.
"It's your fault for asking something so obvious."
"Why probe this Agnes's heart again?"
True.
Foolish question.
Better stroke the pinched spot.
"Kirgil, gasp! W-wait..."
"Let me finish. Try the Status Window when Ferio and Reshi are near."
"Might learn something."
This felt like woman's intuition beyond her wisdom.
Worth trying, though.
"And I'll say it again."
"Never reveal your Status Window or Happy Moment to anyone."
"Obviously. Trump cards stay hidden."
"Good, that's reassuring."
"Any magic, once known, can be countered."
"There are binding spells out there."
"We may need to prepare for if your ability's exposed."
"Got it. Won't use unless essential."
"Can't avoid it entirely, so maybe disguise as another skill."
"Wise idea."
"But please, never for crude acts like last night."
That was an impulsive slip.
Ugh...
Embarrassing just thinking about it.
Any guy with time-stop would want to try it once.
Won't specify what.
Just say, when time resumed, Agnes's face turned terrifying.
Anyway, mood improved, minds at ease.
Tonight, time to discuss her Meteor.
I'd luckily dodged with my ability, but nearly got caught and died.
Gathering courage, I told her what I'd experienced.
"Is that so. I almost... took you out too, Kirgil."
Stirring her trauma tanked the mood instantly, but I hadn't brought it up to torment her.
"How about practicing in an empty spot?"
"Try dropping from heights, with rock sizes, one by one."
I explained mass and impact, the atmosphere.
Passing through it builds huge potential energy and friction heat.
Agnes just thought "drop from very high," unaware of the concepts.
Medieval science level, makes sense.
"Practice... practice."
She was surprisingly timid.
Post-trauma, she'd avoided it unless absolutely necessary.
"Of course. Dangerous techniques demand mastery."
"Magic too... yes, just like magic..."
Agnes murmured quietly, head bowed for a long while.
"...I know, but."
"Hard for this Agnes's will alone to decide."
Scared to do it solo?
She's not a kid afraid of the bathroom alone, come o—
I brought it up, so responsibility's mine.
She wants to, so a little push.
"During practice, no elder treatment."
"I'll be Oppa for you."
"...!?"
Uh oh, bad joke.
Village Chief Agnes was snorting, fired up for real—flustering me!
Is she teasing me now?
Hey hey, no practicing early, Chief!
Damn, someone add magic resistance to my stats...
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