Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 6

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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I grew increasingly bewildered, and as I failed to respond, the Serpent Man’s killing intent intensified. His black, sharp nails elongated further, and alongside the realization that he might be a lizard demi-human rather than a serpent demi-human, a memory from around episode 1,040 suddenly surfaced.
That’s right—this is the Serpent King’s manner of speech! The Serpent King in “Twilight’s Repentance” was a nine-tailed white fox demi-human, and his speech pattern was notoriously cryptic, so much so that the café had once held an event where people mimicked the Serpent King’s way of talking.
Back then, a user named TaejeongtaesebiyonSe had won first place, and when asked about the secret to the Serpent King’s speech pattern, TaejeongtaesebiyonSe began with a character analysis lecture on the Serpent King.
Fundamentally, the Serpent King possessed a gentle and affectionate disposition, and when worried, he had a tendency to drop words from both the beginning and end of his sentences, leaving only the word he most wanted to emphasize.
Following that theory, I could interpret what the man was saying like this.
“Are you saying that if I venture any further, it will be dangerous, and if I’m attacked by monsters, I won’t die peacefully, so you’ll kill me mercifully instead?”
“…! How did you know?”
The man’s eyes widened. Still, this person at least had some awareness that he spoke poorly. The Serpent King had no such self-awareness. That’s why he was evaluated as the most hostile Demon King to humanity and died early at the hands of the protagonist’s party. Several people who had the Serpent King as their favorite character had quit the café back then.
The Serpent King was a captivating character. He was an uncommon narrow-eyed character. Those people probably let their guard down even more because the Serpent King had narrow eyes. Isn’t it common knowledge that narrow-eyed characters are the strongest?
“I know someone similar to you.”
“You’ve lived quite a unique life.”
This person clearly understood that he himself was highly unique. I liked that about him. People who are good at self-objectification understand their own limitations and don’t hastily do things their counterpart dislikes.
“Here.”
“What’s this?”
“My lunch.”
There’s no better way to express a desire to become friends than sharing a meal. I handed one of my sandwiches to the Serpent Man. He took a bite of the sandwich while thanking me and spoke his honest impression.
“It tastes like neither your taste nor mine.”
“Really? Is it a success today?”
“Let me correct myself. Before I swallow, it tastes like a sewer.”
“I’m sorry. I made it.”
“I see. Do you have no talent for cooking?”
“I’ve never tried before, so what can I do?”
Accepting my honest admission that I lacked experience, the man nodded his head. Truly, this person was quite decent. In fact, from the moment I first saw him, I’d already suspected he was a good person because he hadn’t pretended to be overly familiar. So I went ahead and introduced myself.
“I’m Evan Laef.”
“I’m called Gerth.”
“Gerth, did you come from the Demi-human Village?”
“No. I came from the Water King’s Territory.”
“Oh, I see.”
He came from a harsh place. I’d heard the monsters there were incredibly strong. Gerth nodded at my following words. The man, who simply agreed without elaboration, finished his sandwich and asked me a question.
“Will you come tomorrow as well?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll repay the favor.”
Gerth and I exchanged farewells and parted ways, and the next day at this same time, we met again.
Gerth pulled out a three-tiered lunch box from the bag he’d brought with animal feed, opened the lid in front of me, and shrugged his shoulders.
“Wow! Did you make all of this?”
“I did.”
Gerth even laughed proudly. Gerth’s three-tiered lunch box was filled with meat skewers, fried sweet potatoes, zucchini pancakes, and other old-fashioned, delicious-looking foods that seemed fit for an ancestral offering table, all beautifully arranged. The well-balanced meal tasted every bit as good as it looked, and I lavished praise on Gerth’s lunch box as I devoured it.
“Wow, you could get married right now.”
“I have a child, so no one will marry me.”
“You have a child? You must be older than you look.”
“Five hundred… After that, I stopped counting.”
“You really are ancient.”
“What about you?”
“Seventeen.”
“Humans really do mature quickly.”
I knew demi-humans lived long lives, but I’d never encountered one who’d lived this long before. Even the elder of the ‘Demi-human Village’ that was described in books as friendly to humans had been only three hundred years old. Yet he’d been portrayed as a wrinkled old man. Was Gerth different because he was a lizard demi-human? Because he shed his skin?
“Is the secret to skincare… shedding?”
“That’s my theory too. When wrinkles form, I naturally molt.”
“That’s such an easy life for a demi-human.”
“What does ‘easy life’ mean?”
Something incredibly convenient, simple, and sweet like honey?
Even though I explained it clumsily, Gerth seemed to understand the nuance and nodded in agreement with me.
“Lizard demi-humans really do have it easy.”
“Right. Easy life.”
“Yeah. Easy life.”
Gerth seemed to like the phrase and grinned widely, then kept using it. He said it while eating lunch, said it while packing his things, and told me to go home with an easy life as he said goodbye. The usage was a bit off, but it was understandable enough that I didn’t mind.
But when I met Gerth the next day, he no longer used the phrase. He said he’d gone home and kept saying it until his son scolded him for being undignified.

#Time flows in only one direction.

It had already been a month since I fled to Mother’s Hometown. Which meant I had one hundred twenty-six days left to live—and our household remained nearly destitute. Mother was determined to scrape together my tuition, so she’d collected sewing work from all over the Village and was running the sewing machine tirelessly, but it seemed unlikely that one hundred million Crown would accumulate within the deadline.
The mana stones in the safe zone were nearly exhausted, and my back had fully healed, so I needed to prepare to stow away on Thomas’s ship soon.
“My goodness, what’s wrong with that Young Wife?”
“That man would be quite decent if he’d just stop drinking.”
To catch fish, I’d need a harpoon that fit my hand. Since Thomas didn’t seem like he’d lend one willingly, I went down to the Town Center to purchase one myself, where a few women I’d seen around were discussing something with worried expressions.
Mother had asked me to simply greet the Village people well, saying she didn’t expect much else, so I offered the aunties a respectful greeting.
“Hello. What’s the matter?”
Of course, my Nobility skill prevented any prettier words from emerging. Still, I did my best to smile awkwardly.
“Ah, Eleanor’s daughter has such strange speech patterns.”
“And look at that Young Wife over there—see those terrible bruises all over her face?”
Hmm… So even in a small Village, people’s nosiness extended for miles. Looking where the aunties pointed, a woman with a melancholic expression was shopping with enormous bruises covering her face.
According to the aunties, her husband was perfectly fine normally, but once alcohol entered him, he’d resort to violence. Wherever you go, such people exist. I quickly grasped the situation and approached the Young Wife.
“Oh my, Eleanor’s daughter! Where are you going!”
“She’s so meddlesome!”
No. This wasn’t meddling—it was a business opportunity. I had extensive experience getting involved in other people’s domestic affairs through part-time work. From children’s bullying problems to domestic violence. The Errand Center didn’t refuse any job. And people who revealed their violent nature so easily typically submitted to greater force without resistance.
“Hello. I can solve your problem for money.”
“Y-yes?”
“I’ll fix your husband’s habits. Where does he work?”
“What are you saying!”
The Young Wife grew angry with me and quickened her pace. I loudly announced that I’d moved near Captain Thomas’s house in the Upper Village, then headed to the Blacksmith Shop to purchase the harpoon. Since I couldn’t find one that fit my hand, I ended up ordering a custom one, but because my manner of speaking was rude, the blacksmith raised the price. Half of the spending money I’d accumulated from selling mana stones vanished.

◇ ◆ ◇

Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on our front door late at night. I suspected who it might be, so I told Mother not to come out and cracked the door open to confirm.
It was the woman I’d seen earlier. Her injuries had worsened since this afternoon, and her face was streaked with tears from crying on the way here.
“Y-you really can solve this, right?”
“Of course. I don’t take jobs for less than one million Crown.”
“M-my husband’s monthly wage is two hundred thousand, but…!”
“Then I won’t take the job.”
“Wait! Please, just wait!”
Seeing the Young Wife struggling with her calculations, I offered her a service I usually reserved for regular clients.
“Installment payments are possible too. Pay one hundred thousand Crown each month for ten months. Since you’re my first customer, I’ll make it interest-free.”
“Really! Please, I’m begging you!”
Good, the deal was struck. I told Mother I was going for a brief walk and headed to the woman’s house. Mother shouted about where I was wandering off to in the middle of the night, but if I went quickly and came back, I could probably get away with just a few hits on my back.

“Here it is. You really can fix it, right?”
“Of course. If the bad habits don’t improve, I offer after-service too.”
“After-service?”
“It means I’ll keep an eye on his behavior until he’s fixed.”
“Yes! Thank you so much!”
That’s right. Just trust me. I worked part-time at the Errand Center for five years alone. I’ve got plenty of experience dealing with drunk bastards. Besides, I have quite a few useful skills now, don’t I?
“Pardon me.”
I burst through the Young Wife’s door and grabbed a chair that caught my eye. The Abusive Husband hurled curses at me, but I used my throwing skill to nail the bastard right in the head.
“Argh!”
Then I picked up the chair again and smashed him with it until he lost consciousness. The Young Wife stared at me in shock, and I tossed the blood-soaked chair aside, proposing to the woman.
“We’ll move him to the bathroom. Help me.”
“Is this okay?! My husband is still alive, right?!”
“People rarely die from something like this.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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