As they walked away, Yamka wrapped her new cloak around her shoulders and tied it tightly around her neck.

  Now, the three of them were ready to move around the area in peace.

  The corners of Haruki's lips curved upward into a sly smile beneath his mask.

  He threw both arms around Yamka and Noroi, pulling them closer together on purpose, and whispered teasingly.

  "So, am I invited to your wedding?"

  Yamka clenched her jaw in irritation at Haruki's teasing.

  Her hand shot out, twisting his wrist behind his back with force, her face scowling as Haruki groaned in pain, immediately blurting out.

  "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I was joking! Ow, ow, ow!"

  Haruki hugged his arm to his chest the moment Yamka released her iron grip.

  Noroi cast them both a tired, almost regretful look for having these two fools with him, then turned away and started walking, ignoring them completely.

  Yamka lifted her gaze toward Noroi, who was now a few steps ahead.

  She let out a low sigh, placed both hands behind her head, and began to follow him.

  Haruki rubbed his poor arm one last time before following them as well.

  Suddenly, something caught Haruki's attention, freezing him in place for a moment as his eyes widened at what he saw.

  It took him a few seconds before he let out a loud scream.

  Haruki's shout instantly triggered every defensive instinct in both Yamka and Noroi, who had walked several meters ahead of him.

  They quickly turned around.

  Noroi's hand was already on his wrist-blade, ready to press the trigger and release it, while beside him, Yamka had already drawn her axe.

  The movement of the monsters around them blocked their view, preventing them from seeing what had happened to Haruki, and the air grew heavy between them from the tension.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Yamka moved first, shoving monsters aside with her arms, while Noroi followed close behind through the path she was clearing.

  Yamka moved first, shoving monsters aside with her arms, while Noroi followed close behind through the path she was clearing.

  When Yamka shoved the last dwarf out of their way, the sight before them was Haruki, standing frozen in front of a tall wall, holding a brown piece of paper between his trembling hands.

  Haruki slowly turned the paper toward them so they could take a look at its contents.

  It was an illustrated drawing of Haruki's face, taken from the description some of the monsters had given of him.

  Yamka tilted her head in puzzlement, the axe still extended forward between her hands.

  Haruki parted his lips, murmuring in a low voice so only they could hear, his tone somewhere between disbelief and joy.

  "I've become famous!"

  He gestured broadly around him, pointing to the pictures plastered on nearly every building, but for some reason they had only just noticed them.

  Noroi's hand dropped from his wrist before he moved toward Haruki with a dangerous air and snatched the paper from him by force, studying it with a dissatisfied expression.

  He closed his hand over the paper and lifted his face to give Haruki a death stare, the words coming out of him.

  "This is a wanted poster, you idiot! There's a fifty-coin bounty on your head!"

  "That doesn't change the fact that I've become famous!"

  Haruki replied immediately with full confidence, clenching both fists together, then placing one on his hip while puffing out his chest as if he were a superhero destined to protect the world from evil.

  Yamka's lips curved upward into a proud smile.

  She returned her axe to its place on her back before saying enthusiastically.

  "My friend is famous!"

  Yamika threw her arm around Haruki's shoulders, and he, in turn, wrapped his arm around hers.

  And so, the three continued their journey through the market , Noroi leading with an unreadable expression, while the other two kicked at the air with each step, chanting softly about Haruki's newfound fame.

  Noroi stopped abruptly, causing the two fools behind him to halt as well and look at what he had stopped for: it was a weapon shop designed in an old-fashioned style, built using brown wooden logs.

  The merchant's counter was placed directly in front of the customers, and behind it rested various kinds of weapons ,from swords to bows, hammers, and spiked iron balls attached to chains, long staffs, and even katanas , which left Haruki somewhat puzzled, with a hint of suspicion forming in his mind.

  He spoke to the merchant, who was a tall, muscular, blue- skinned ogre wearing only pants.

  His massive shoulders were smeared with some dust and black oil that he used to polish the weapons he crafted.

  Judging by his large build, and the fact that he was a merchant, he was probably only of the second level.

  "Did you make all these weapons yourself?"

  The blue ogre answered Haruki's question in a cold tone that sounded more like a growl.

  "Some of them I forge myself, and some I take from killing those annoying, weak humans wandering around over the past years , especially the ones who cause me trouble."

  Those words made the air in Haruki's lungs turn cold.

  A chill of terror ran through him at the thought of this savage world that killed humans as if they were worthless flies.

  But before he could react to what the blue ogre had said, Noroi stepped forward and let out a forced laugh, pretending to be amused.

  "Ha ha ha ha, those pests must've been really annoying to you. I don't blame you for killing them."