Ren was struck by Tein’s innocent eyes.
He was reminded once again that he could be kicked out at any time if he became complacent.
‘It’s only been a day since I was allowed to stay here. Already feeling the pressure.’
This was no time to relax just because he’d overcome Sharti’s defenses.
Now he needed to face his current problems head-on. He had to make up for his mistakes and become someone who could contribute his fair share so Sharti wouldn’t have to overexert herself.
However, when he tried to come up with a plan, it felt overwhelming.
“Lazy men aren’t popular.”
“What?”
When Ren didn’t say anything, Tein spoke firmly and deliberately.
“Diligent men receive affection.”
“…Who told you that?”
Ren asked with a sour expression, questioning the child’s unexpected choice of vocabulary.
He had serious doubts about the child’s education.
“Sister Virena said so!”
Ren searched his memory. Besides Vireta and Tein, there was one more person who had arrived that dawn.
A young woman with the same hair color as Tein who looked exactly like Vireta.
Recalling Virena’s appearance, Ren stroked his chin.
‘She was the first one to call me a runaway slave.’
As Ren remembered, despite their sudden first meeting, Virena showed no signs of wariness and instead watched with great interest as he took care of Sharti.
“What else did she say?”
Ren asked, considering that Virena seemed to be around the same age as Sharti.
It would be better to start by winning over those around Sharti to gain her favor.
Taking a respectful attitude toward Vireta had been part of the same strategy.
“You shouldn’t make women struggle!”
“……”
Ren closed his mouth at Tein’s bright-eyed teaching.
He didn’t think he’d get any particularly helpful advice by listening further.
“Ren needs to try very hard.”
Ren hid his discomfort at the pitiful encouragement from the child.
By now, it felt like they were all collectively brainwashing him not to become a burden to Sharti.
And secretly, he found it amusing. Despite being excessive, they all clearly treasured Sharti.
“Raising a person costs a lot of money. Feeding, clothing, and housing someone isn’t easy. And Ren is big, so he costs even more money.”
“……”
The amusement disappeared.
More precisely, this was no time to be amused.
‘If I make Sha struggle, I’ll probably be thrown out by this little one’s family.’
He wasn’t imagining the glaring eyes of either Vireta or Virena behind Tein’s unexpected advice.
Anyway, to gain their acceptance, he needed to find a job.
“I don’t exactly know what I should do specifically, but as my doctor, you’ll advise me, right?”
“…!”
Tein, who had been crouching with Ren, looked up sharply with sparkling eyes.
He was still pleased with being called “doctor.”
Tein nodded vigorously, his small head bobbing up and down.
“I’m smarter than Ren! I can give advice even though I’m young!”
“……”
The corner of Ren’s mouth twitched slightly.
But as always, he maintained his composed expression.
Ren took on a serious posture for the consultation.
“How can one make money here? I’m curious about what jobs are available.”
“In the mountains, people hunt. Then they sell animal skins to make money. Or they make clothes. Sister Virena takes sewing work, and Doctor makes and sells herbs and ointments.”
Tein chattered away with his small mouth, carrying the sense of mission as the doctor.
Listening to Tein’s explanation, Ren crossed his arms.
Being a mountain village, job opportunities seemed limited, and there didn’t appear to be any jobs immediately available to him.
‘I could at least chop firewood, but…’
Realistically, no one in a mountain village would separately purchase firewood.
Ren glanced aside. Because the fireplace had been blocked again, the firewood he had diligently chopped was still piled up behind the log cabin.
Then suddenly, a question occurred to him.
“How much does a magic stone cost?”
“Um…”
Tein rolled his large eyes back and forth.
Not knowing the exact amount, he repeatedly folded and unfolded his short fingers.
Soon Tein pouted dejectedly.
“I don’t know. It’s super expensive.”
Ren’s large hand patted the disheartened Tein’s head.
So there was a reason Sharti kept them separately.
Though finding a job still seemed daunting, at least he could set a purchase goal.
‘If we had more magic stones, we could spend the winter warmly.’
He wanted Sharti to no longer have to choose between darkness and cold water, to be able to bathe in warm water with the lights on.
‘Since she climbs mountains often, I could at least help relieve her fatigue.’
If he added massages too, he could surely receive Sharti’s affection…
At the thought that unconsciously arose, Ren covered his mouth. His face stiffened like someone caught having inappropriate thoughts.
Unfortunately, he made eye contact with bright-eyed Tein, and his ears turned red.
“So, what does your grandmother do?”
“Grandmother works as a mercenary!”
It was an awkward change of subject, but Tein remained focused on the consultation.
“…A mercenary?”
“Grandmother is a mercenary with excellent swordsmanship! She’s a smart and strong mercenary, so she’s very popular!”
Hearing Vireta’s profession, Ren regained his composure.
Ren remembered Vireta, who had been unusual from her stooped posture.
She possessed a sharply refined aura that could never be felt from an ordinary elderly person.
“Do you know specifically what mercenaries do?”
“I heard they find things people need or protect people!”
Tein’s shoulders rose with pride as he boasted about his grandmother.
In her younger days, Vireta had mainly taken on dangerous requests, but since having grandchildren, she only accepted short and simple commissions. Naturally, she refused all assassination requests or messy factional dispute commissions that she couldn’t be proud of in front of her grandchildren.
‘A mercenary, huh.’
Ren stroked his chin while staring at the old log cabin.
Roughly speaking, a mercenary seemed to be something like an errand runner.
It was a profession he could attempt, as someone who had nothing but his body and could only do physical labor.
‘Was she planning to take me along and train me as a mercenary?’
It was a natural misunderstanding.
“Do mercenaries earn a lot of money?”
“Grandmother has brought home meat before!”
Requests didn’t always come with monetary rewards.
Moreover, since Tein was still unfamiliar with real-world prices, he explained in terms of meat for Ren to understand easily.
‘Come to think of it, the old woman did say that. That meat was too expensive to even consider…’
Ren’s expression grew complicated as he learned the approximate price of meat.
Sharti had used that expensive meat to make soup, and the bowl full of meat chunks was always his portion.
Whenever Ren showed discomfort, Sharti’s excuse was always the same.
“…Does your teacher like meat?”
His voice came out low and uncomfortable as he scratched his neck.
Tein tilted his head as if he didn’t understand Ren’s question.
“Is there anyone who doesn’t like meat?”
“……”
Ren hung his head deeply. He felt like banging his head against a wall.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t expected this. Nor had he failed to notice Sharti’s lies.
So now, having confirmed the truth, he regretted not having acted more tactfully back then.
“Doctor likes something else.”
“What?”
Ren lifted his head abruptly.
Tein tapped his own head.
“She likes hairpins.”
“……”
There wasn’t a single hairpin, let alone any accessories, in Sharti’s house. He hadn’t seen any in her bedroom either.
But Ren believed Tein’s words.
Sharti, who had no material desires, wouldn’t spend money on non-essential items like hairpins. What use would she have for accessories when she always hid her hair and face under a spacious hood and covered her body with a drab robe?
“Still, you should give her a different gift. Doctor needs many things.”
Even a woman’s accessory with just a single pretty pebble embedded in it would cost a lot. With that price, it would be more beneficial to buy necessities for Sharti.
That’s why Virena had given Sharti the small lamp on her desk as a present.
“I understand. I’ll remember that.”
At Ren’s response, Tein smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling.
Ren once again patted the head of the thoughtful little one who cared about his teacher.
‘So how much more money do I need to earn?’
Ren’s worries deepened.
How much would he need to buy magic stones, necessities, and even hairpins?
Ren glanced at the old log cabin.
Fortunately, someone who could solve his concerns was at home right now.
“Let’s go back inside.”
Ren rose from his seat, hiding his urgency.
Tein followed ‘tap tap’ behind Ren, who was striding back to the log cabin.
Looking up at the huge back that could only be fully seen by tilting his head all the way back, Tein giggled.
Another reliable back was being etched into the child’s eyes.
****
While Sharti was helping Tein with his studies in the room, Vireta sat on the sofa facing Ren.
The mutt who had been crouching with her grandson in the grass now stood before the sofa with a resolute expression.
Ren opened his mouth without any hesitation.
“I have something to ask.”
Though she wanted to ignore the mutt’s question, Vireta nodded once for Sharti’s sake.
After all, since Sharti had taken in this mutt, she might as well make him useful.
“How can I become a mercenary?”
“First of all, you can’t.”
“…And why is that?”
Ren’s eyebrows twitched at the firmly confident rejection, which wasn’t even a mere refusal.
Seeing his reaction, Vireta clicked her tongue.
“Even for a wandering mercenary, identity registration is essential.”
“……”
“You can’t do it when you have nothing to prove your identity.”
It made sense, as mercenary contracts needed to be backed by trust.
Ren relaxed his expression at Vireta’s explanation.
At least it was fortunate that Vireta wasn’t opposing him out of personal dislike.
“Then don’t mercenaries need servants or porters?”
In simple terms, he wanted even a menial position taking care of mercenaries’ affairs.
Vireta raised one eyebrow as if surprised.
Hmm. She lightly tapped the back of her folded hand twice.
“Are you saying you want to do that?”
From Vireta’s perspective, an inflexible personality like Ren’s would be perfect for picking fights with ill-tempered mercenaries with filthy mouths.
Of course, there would also be mercenaries who would back down just seeing Ren’s size and appearance.
“I want to work.”
Ren answered briefly.
But when Vireta said nothing, he added in a mutter:
“I need to earn money.”
“Then you definitely can’t do it.”
Vireta shook her head.
Positions assisting mercenaries, especially entry-level ones, didn’t pay well compared to the workload.
Vireta slowly looked Ren up and down.
It would be better to find a loophole and become a low-level mercenary instead.
“Then what was that proposal?”
Feeling belatedly suspicious about her offer to go together, Ren frowned.
Vireta ignored his suspicion and jerked her chin backward.
“If you want to earn money, work as Sha’s assistant instead. A mutt should stay by its master’s side, not go wandering off.”
“……”
Ren, who had been glaring at Vireta for calling him a mutt, suddenly looked like he’d had a revelation.
Certainly, being associated with mercenaries would mean leaving Sharti’s side frequently.
He had been short-sighted, blinded by money.
“But to become Sha’s assistant…”
The difference between a slave and an assistant was that you needed to use your head, not just your body.
Realistically, what help could an assistant who couldn’t even distinguish between herbs and weeds be to a doctor?
Just as he sighed with a troubled face:
[Of course, it would be possible if your husband helped.]
“…!”
He suddenly remembered that general store person’s request. Sharti had taken on that general store person’s request with his support.
A confident smile spread across Ren’s lips.
Vireta made a sour face at his suspicious reaction.
And after Vireta and Tein left, Sharti ended up making the same expression.
“Let’s do it, Sha.”
Sharti closed her eyes tightly in frustration.
