Can Someone (Anyone!) Please Turn Off the Auto-Skill Setting?! - Chapter 12
She looked up at him and asked slowly,
“Do you know what that customer said?”
“…….”
“He said he wanted to buy all the pork. I started wondering what kind of customer would buy that much. Aren’t you curious?”
The more she looked at him, the more handsome he seemed. If she had known this, she would have prepared wine instead of tea. It would have warmed both their bodies and hearts.
She felt a twinge of regret about that. But regardless, the story was approaching its climax.
“Maybe he was the captain of a big ship? I was curious, so I asked him a little about his identity…”
Nancy whispered, asking Aaron to lean in closer. He hesitated but, unable to resist his curiosity, finally leaned in to listen.
He probably just wanted to escape the rain for a moment. He’ll only realize what a big mistake that was after we’re married!
Nancy suppressed the wicked grin that threatened to spread across her face as she moved closer to whisper in his ear. But then, something caught her eye—a banner.
Wait, that emblem looks familiar…
After a moment of thought, her eyes widened in shock.
The banner bore the insignia of the paladins. It had been hidden by his wet cloak, and she only noticed it now.
“Ahhhhh!”
Nancy, who had been planning to steal a kiss, was so startled that she let out a scream.
Of course, whether Aaron was a paladin or a knight from another order, she hadn’t intended to tell him the truth. She would have made something up.
But a paladin?
Retreat! This man is dangerous! If I’m not careful, I could lose my head!
Nancy abruptly let go of his arm, which she had been holding onto tightly. Aaron tilted his head in confusion at her sudden retreat.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, it’s just that… their family was so big it made me scream!”
Even she knew how ridiculous her excuse sounded. But what else could she do? She had already blurted it out. Nancy decided she had no choice but to push forward with this absurd excuse.
“They were a really big family, but, um, small in size, you know? Wow, they had so many family members! I mean, there were countless of them!”
She wished she could speak more smoothly, but she kept stammering.
Now I just look suspicious. I’m acting like someone who realized something and is trying to hide it!
Nancy could feel cold sweat running down her back. She glanced at Aaron, trying to gauge his reaction.
Was he suspicious? Or just surprised? Aaron remained silent, staring at her. The longer his silence stretched, the more nervous Nancy became.
“Hahaha. It’s really surprising, isn’t it? I’ve never seen such a big family before.”
“…….”
“Hahaha…”
“…….”
“Haha…”
His complete lack of response made her paranoid that he had figured out her lie.
No way, right? He’s probably just a quiet person.
Nancy silently prayed for Old Man Rivel to return to the blacksmith soon. Thankfully, she spotted his round face passing by outside the window.
She realized for the first time that day how happy she could be to see someone else’s grumpy old face.
***
On the day of the Hero’s Festival, Nancy kept her promise to the little demons and submitted her challenge to draw the sword. She wore the hero’s ring they had given her on a chain around her neck, hidden under her clothes.
The odds of running into someone who could recognize a 30-year-old item were slim, but with her recent streak of bad luck, she couldn’t be too careful.
“Anyway, there’s no way I’ll become the hero.”
It’ll probably be someone from the paladins.
Nancy had no expectations, but it seemed that the other challengers didn’t share her lack of enthusiasm.
“Huff, huff!”
“Hahhhh!”
Under the tent where the challengers waited, they were busy showing off their muscles, rolling up their sleeves to their shoulders and trying to intimidate each other.
Unless God had a preference for muscular types, that alone wouldn’t make them the hero.
Nancy, holding a sack of popcorn, tried to find a quieter spot with fewer people.
“Hey, who are you and where are you from?”
Some of the more aggressive challengers were venting their anxiety and stress by picking fights, but she didn’t want to get involved in any unnecessary trouble.
Nancy moved away, looking for a secluded corner, and finally found one that was surprisingly quiet. She wondered why it was so empty, but soon realized the reason.
Standing in the rain, holding a broken sword, was that large figure.
“Look, it’s Sir Aaron, the paladin!”
“What’s he doing here? The tent for the paladins is right next to this one.”
“How should I know?”
“He’s probably trying to intimidate us by being here…!”
People recognized him and started whispering. While some were excited to see a famous person, most seemed annoyed that he was there.
Nancy hadn’t expected to see him again, but she approached him with a pleased expression. It was a joy to see such a handsome man again.
