Chapter 39

As my consciousness surfaced, I quietly opened my eyes. I turned only my gaze toward the window. A moon hung in the clear night sky. Having fallen asleep at dawn, it seemed the hour had grown quite late.

I slipped softly out of bed. I could hear faint breathing nearby. On another bed in the same room lay a man with a powerful build. He was sprawled out, sleeping soundly.

His name was Jack Aaron, a person from another world. He was the strange individual with whom I had ended up traveling. I didn’t know much about him. His origins were a mystery. I hadn’t asked for details, and he didn’t seem inclined to speak of them.

At the very least, I didn’t think he was a “good” person. However, if asked if he was a “villain,” I would find myself tilting my head in doubt. He simply thoroughly tormented and killed only those who opposed him. Though deeply distorted, he possessed a core that never wavered. He combined strength of both mind and body—a decisiveness that didn’t hesitate to make any sacrifice for his own goals.

People would likely call that madness.

As I stared intently at his sleeping face, he abruptly opened his eyes. It seemed he had noticed my gaze. His sleep was shallow; he kept himself ready to react no matter when an enemy might attack. It appeared to be a habit formed over many years.

Sitting up, he gave a light wave of his hand.

“Morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I feel refreshed. How about you, Jack?”

When I asked, he flexed both arms to emphasize his muscles. It was a well-trained physique—the very source of his violence. After showcasing a few movements, he answered proudly.

“I’m in high spirits, of course. I could run a full marathon right now.”

“I see. That’s good.”

I nodded back. I didn’t know what a “marathon” was, but it was certain that he had energy to spare. I had never seen him look exhausted. He was always composed, making jokes at every opportunity. While he possessed bottomless stamina, he likely simply didn’t want to show any signs of weakness. It wasn’t a mere show of bravado; it had become second nature to him.

He was a warrior to the bone. He undoubtedly adjusted himself unconsciously so that he could throw himself into battle regardless of his condition.

Getting out of bed, he laced his fingers together and stretched. When he finished, he patted his stomach.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t eaten yet. Shall I whip something up?”

Muttering to himself, he headed down to the first floor and asked the landlord, Letona, to borrow the kitchen. There, he unceremoniously began to cook.

“My, Mr. Jack, you can cook too? Would you mind if I had a little taste?”

“You’re in the way. Scram. I already paid for the ingredients, didn’t I?”

To Letona, who was attempting to sneak a snack, he shoved a small plate of food. He chased her away without even waiting to hear her thoughts on the flavor.

As Letona beat a retreat, I helped him with the cooking.

“Good grief. She’s a ‘vixen’ right out of a picture book.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means she pisses me off so much I want to kill her. She thinks she can beguile and manipulate anyone.”

It seemed he didn’t like Letona very much. No, considering his past behavior, he certainly placed her in the “disliked” category. It was almost a miracle that she hadn’t been killed yet. He was likely enduring her because she had utility. He seemed to like beautiful women, yet his treatment of Letona was harsh. I think it was less about her looks and more that their personalities simply didn’t mesh.

I didn’t particularly want to talk to Letona myself. Even putting aside the fact that she was far too talkative, I couldn’t accept her transparent calculations. One could even call it a very human sort of malice.

Once the food was ready, we began our meal in the living room on the first floor. He and I sat facing each other. Dinner consisted of a meat and vegetable stir-fry, soup, and bread. It was a common meal, but just right for a body that had only recently woken up.

He skillfully navigated his meal with a knife and fork. The plate was empty in the blink of an eye, and he quickly helped himself to seconds. Midway through, he started on the alcohol he’d received from the dwarven settlement. He must have been ravenous. Considering how much he moved last night, it was only natural. It wasn’t the kind of physical exertion a normal person could endure.

“I want to make some bombs at the new base, but do you have any ideas?”

He broached the subject while biting into a piece of bread. It felt like a briefing disguised as casual conversation.

“I’m looking for a different concept than what we’ve done so far. I call myself the Bomber, but magic is outside my expertise. I’m still unfamiliar with the materials in this world. I want to actively incorporate anything that looks useful.”

He sought my opinion. This had happened several times before. He seemed to hold my abilities in high regard and trusted my specialized knowledge. Additionally, he possessed a strong desire to learn; he’d mentioned that he intended to study magic seriously eventually. Despite the strong impression of a “brute force” type given by his usual behavior, he was by no means unintelligent. He understood exactly what was necessary for his objectives. Because of that, I could entrust him with our direction with peace of mind.

I thought for a moment before answering.

“How about a bomb using Spirit Stones? If you cause the sealed fire spirits to go berserk, it should incinerate a wide area. Normally, such a thing would never succeed, but with your skills, Jack, it should be possible.”

“Now that sounds great! Sounds interesting.”

He leaned forward, delighted. He displayed a childlike innocence while simultaneously revealing a dark anticipation for slaughter. An eerie light shone in his gleaming eyes. I was already used to it, so I was fine, but others would likely feel nothing but terror.

Ignoring my internal commentary, he stroked his chin in thought.

“Spirit Stones, huh… I wonder if I can find them in the Eurea markets?”

“I think you can, but Spirit Stones are extremely rare. Usually, they’re installed in magic tools or weapons for permanent use. I suggested it, but as a material for a bomb, it would be quite expensive, you know?”

“That doesn’t matter. I can gather as much money as I need. It’d be a waste not to put a good idea into practice, wouldn’t it?”

He countered without a hint of hesitation. He seemed to genuinely believe that. To him, a high price tag was irrelevant when it came to crafting a bomb. I felt his enthusiasm was slightly misplaced, but I kept that to myself. If he had decided on it, that was enough for me. It wasn’t as if I would suffer any disadvantage. If anything, I was purely curious to see what kind of bomb would result.

We continued to discuss plans for new explosives, and once we had reached a conclusion, we finished dinner.

Through Letona’s hospitality, I was allowed to use the bath. It was the sort of facility rarely seen in a regular home, but it seemed the handyman shop was quite profitable. Thinking about such things, I undressed in the changing room and entered the bath.

The bathroom was equipped with magic tools that provided hot water. In addition to a large tub, scented oils and soaps were provided. The cleaning was meticulous in every corner. I was honestly surprised. Was this Letona’s personal preference? Or perhaps it was a consideration from her assistant, Hack? Either way, it was undeniably luxurious.

I let the hot water wash over me and began to scrub my body. It felt as if my exhaustion was unraveling and flowing away along with the dirt. It was wonderful. I would have to thank Letona later.

Before long, I left the bath. Only then did I realize I’d left my change of clothes in my room. Having just washed myself, I was reluctant to put my dirty clothes back on. I wrapped a towel around my body and headed straight for my room.

“……”

I let out a small yawn on the way. It seemed some sleepiness still lingered. I was tired from the long hours of combat. I truly felt my lack of stamina. I couldn’t over-rely on the physical enhancements that came with leveling up. Considering the future, it wouldn’t hurt for me to work on my physical fitness. After all, that level of effort was essential to continue as his companion.

Just as I was about to reach my room, the door ahead opened. I ran right into him as he stepped out. He cast a glance at me with a liquor bottle in one hand and gave a light nod.

“Whoops, sorry about that.”

Muttering an apology, he brushed past me. His face looked flushed from the alcohol, but his footsteps were perfectly steady. He began to head down the stairs.

“Where are you going?”

Curious, I called out to him. He held up the bottle in response.

“The tavern from yesterday. I’m going to have a little drink.”

“Can I come too?”

“You’re still sleepy. Go get some rest first. And don’t you go catching a cold, okay?”

“…Achoo!”

I sneezed involuntarily. The timing was terribly awkward.

“Haha. Managing your health is an ironclad rule. You’ve gotta stay healthy until we destroy the world, right?”

He laughed without turning back and vanished downstairs with a wave of his hand. For some reason, he had noticed my sleepiness, even though I didn’t think I had let it show on my face. His insight remained as formidable as ever. He was always watching.

Left behind, I quietly returned to my room and changed. Then I crawled into bed and closed my eyes. As he said, it seemed best to sleep a little more. In the brief moment before sleep took me, I thought of him.

He was a truly mysterious person. Even when I told him my goal of destroying the world, he didn’t even bat an eye. He didn’t deny or argue; he just looked at me with interest. And now, we were cooperating to achieve our respective goals. It was a deeply distorted relationship.

However, I had a feeling that with him, it could be done. The long-held ambition that the previous “I” could never accomplish was finally within reach. I felt that the time was not far off.

Drawing his image in my mind, I drifted gently into the world of sleep.