White Wolves – Chapter 45

Jaymer didn’t even look at the attacker approaching from behind and swung his sword. Whether he aimed for the vital spot or the lower belly, it was hard to tell. With that swift strike, he redirected his blade and pierced the stomach of the man in front of him.

After dispatching the two, Jaymer paused, waiting for the next assault. Three had been pursuing him, but only two engaged while the third fled.

‘Should I give chase?’

It was a bit far. Moving without knowing the precise direction could be risky.

Jaymer waited a moment, then wiped the blood from his face. He couldn’t recall when he became numb to the sight of blood, to the act of killing. In fact, since he began his career as a hunter, he never felt shaken by the act of taking a life.

More seasoned hunters often spoke of their hands trembling the first time they killed someone, even if that person was a murderer or rapist. But Jaymer had never once felt disgust or fear at the sight of an opponent’s blood.

Jaymer wasn’t afraid of dying or killing. He was always focused on the technique – how to kill faster and more efficiently, and how not to get killed. When an opponent was slain, it was the end; if he were to die, that too would be the end.

‘Eight steps.’

Jaymer gauged the distance between him and the man who fled.

‘He hasn’t entirely run off. He’s waiting for me to let my guard down.’

And Jaymer waited as well.

‘Ten steps.’

Deliberately letting his guard down, Jaymer sat and set his sword aside, organizing his belongings.

The distance reduced again – nine steps, then eight, seven. The man was cautiously closing in.

In Jaymer’s mind, ‘steps’ were not real distances but represented the imaginary ‘reach of a sword.’ Most people didn’t understand what he meant by ‘steps.’ Why couldn’t they grasp it? Initially, he tried explaining with his limited articulation skills, but he eventually realized most people simply didn’t think in terms of measuring such distances and gave up.

A skilled opponent could draw their sword and attack in a split second from two steps away. Less competent ones would often appear five steps away, even if their blade was at one’s throat. The real-world distance wasn’t the point.

His fight with Trego was the same. Trego, at any given moment, was at a distance to swing his axe at Jaymer. But in Jaymer’s perception, Trego seemed several steps away. On the other hand, Jaymer always maintained just a step’s distance with Trego. If an opponent appeared five steps away while you felt only one step away, the outcome was almost a given.

When all the mercenaries inside the wagon stood with their swords drawn, Jaymer already knew the outcome. They were too many ‘steps’ away to reach Trego.

The outcome of the current confrontation was clear in Jaymer’s eyes. The man finally closed in, now just four steps away. Jaymer purposely turned his back, waiting for the man to come within three steps. The man, though persistent, in the end, rushed in hastily.

With a single slice, Jaymer cut him down. The man gushed blood from his throat as he died.

‘As I thought, they were of the same gang.’

The trio that had just attacked were bounty hunters, coveting the reward Jaymer received after defeating the Hell’s Axe. They had been tailing him since he crossed the Carnelock border three days ago. Four ambushed him yesterday, and today, it was these three.

Jaymer waited a little longer. No more came.

He despised these kinds of men the most – the hunters of hunters. Those who would kill a bounty hunter freshly rewarded, just to steal that bounty for themselves.

Criminals with bounties were either well-hidden, highly skilled like Trego, or escorted by numerous subordinates. The difficulty of the hunt didn’t always match the bounty’s amount.

Even after eliminating a target, if the body had to be intact, dragging the corpse was another challenge. If the target had to be captured alive, the task became so inconvenient that it was often better to not take it on at all. This profession of bounty hunting required perseverance and came with inherent risks.

On the other hand, a bounty hunter’s predator didn’t have to bother with such nuisances. All they had to do was track a bounty hunter after they collected their reward and stab them in the back. Even if there was one less bounty hunter, there was no need for the guards to intervene, making it less risky than chasing after a criminal. This is why they didn’t hesitate to resort to any underhanded tactics.

For this reason, hunters never trusted other hunters. Most worked solo. It was clear that the guys who attacked Jay this time had hastily joined forces for this particular job. Their teamwork was poor, and there was a notable disparity in their skill levels.

Jay intentionally left the bodies behind as he departed, a kind of warning that anyone who attacked him would meet a similar fate. Not that they’d heed the warning.

‘I might have killed more hunters than actual criminals at this point.’

Three mountain passes, and then the border of Aranthia was in sight. He hoped the journey would become more relaxed from there. But the real challenge began afterward.

☆ ☆ ☆

For the next three days after crossing the border, a subtle presence seemed to be trailing him. It was just one person. They weren’t in a group. If it was a pincer attack strategy, with one coming from behind and another ambushing from the front, the one behind should have made his presence more obvious. But he didn’t. He just followed.

Jay felt the distance of their pursuer. Ten steps. It meant they had the intention to attack, but not just yet. It couldn’t be a mere traveler with the same destination.

‘Another hunter’s predator. But this one has patience.’

Expecting the follower to attack once he showed an opening, Jay deliberately acted less guarded. But this mysterious pursuer wasn’t fooled by such an act.

‘Maybe he’s being cautious because he saw what happened to his colleague?’

It took two days to cross the Aranthia border and traverse the mountains. For a hunter hunting another hunter, it was a long time. It was far from just being cautious. Jay’s frustration was mounting.

As night fell, Jay lit a campfire and grilled some meat. Soon, the distance of ten steps vanished. The pursuer hadn’t fled. In the last three days, the ten-step distance disappeared three times.

Always at night.

‘This guy, he’s sleeping!’

Even convinced that his pursuer was asleep, Jay didn’t allow himself a deep slumber. He always slept lightly, alert to his surroundings, waking instantly when the ten-step gap closed.

This put Jay at a physical disadvantage, but he didn’t mind. If it was a game of pursuit, he was confident he could last a month, not just three days. In his eight years as a hunter, he had become more accustomed to these light naps than sleeping in a bed.

Soon they would leave the woods and mountains for the open fields, where hiding would be difficult. If the pursuer’s objective was the bounty, he would have to attack tonight. And yet, he was asleep!

‘Maybe it’s not about the money.’

The patterns of those driven by money were all the same. Follow for a day or two, attack when there’s an opening… But this one neither attacked nor fled. He just kept following.

‘What’s his game?’

Three days at a ten-step distance.

Jay felt like he was constantly in the crosshairs of a bow.

‘How skilled must one be to maintain this distance for so long? At this level, his bounty would be at least a thousand, right?’

Jay often valued himself at a bounty of two thousand, but he hadn’t encountered prey worth over fifteen hundred yet.

In his years as a hunter, he rarely felt his life was in danger. The only times he felt threatened was when someone got within two steps of him. Up till now, only one or two had ever gotten that close. Usually, if someone approached within three steps, Jay would strike first.

Of the few that got within two steps, one was when his opponent used a bow. The most dangerous time was when he killed a gang leader and faced retaliation.

Among the trackers, there was a hunter known by the nickname “Hawk’s Claw.” It wasn’t easy to confront his arrows that he fired from long-hidden distances. For three days, Jay had been evading him until he finally found a place where it was difficult to be targeted by an arrow. Without hesitation, he began to close the distance between them. Unaware that his prey had turned into the hunter, Hawk’s Claw ventured deeper into the forest. Before he could even release an arrow, Jay slit his throat, ending his life. At that time, Jay was just twenty years old.

Around that period, Jay encountered another dangerous adversary. The man had abducted a woman set to be married the next day, killed her to eliminate any evidence, and threw her body into a well before fleeing. Jay struggled to recall his name. Was it Link or Linke? It was something similar. (TL Note: If it wasn’t obvious, Jaymer is the Hunter that Linke was afraid of.)

The day after the incident, Jay, who happened to be in the village, could not refuse the tearful pleas of the victim’s husband. The sum he offered was ten gold coins, savings he and his soon-to-be wife had painstakingly accumulated. Overwhelmed by sorrow, the distraught husband handed over the entire amount as an advance.

‘How foolish, paying the entire amount upfront to a hunter. Now I could just take this money and disappear without a care.’

Setting out to find the perpetrator, Jay soon discovered he wasn’t dealing with an ordinary felon. Among all the criminals Jay had encountered, this one was arguably the most formidable. A master of the sword, clearly superior to Jay. The man approached within two steps of Jay and swung his blade. It was a realm of swordsmanship Jay had never encountered before. However, to his surprise, the assailant was taken aback by how he was being pushed back by someone he deemed to be just another bounty hunter. Ultimately, he fled.

Chasing down a fleeing enemy was not a challenge for Jay. He managed to slash the man’s arm and even stab his abdomen, but he couldn’t finish him off. Returning the severed arm to the husband as evidence, Jay gave back all the gold coins. Since he hadn’t killed the culprit, he saw no reason to keep the money. But the husband, tears streaming down his face, clutched the coins to Jay in gratitude.

Jay didn’t know how to console a man grieving the loss of his wife. During such moments, thoughts of ‘Ewini’, who was always back home, often comforted him.

“I promise you this. If I ever come across him again, I will ensure he meets his end. For now, I’ll take just half of the amount.”

Jay departed after agreeing to take only five gold coins. He had more than enough bounties. That particular encounter had given him invaluable insights and experiences that couldn’t be bought with gold.

“I need to experience combat within this two-step realm.”

Despite this, Jay never let his guard down, even if there wasn’t a formidable opponent threatening him. He diligently trained alone. After four years, he came to a realization.

Among criminals, there was no one skilled enough to enter his two-step realm. Whether it was Link or Linke, he had been the last.

At twenty, Jay might have had such opponents, but now, with his accumulated experience, it wasn’t the case. Criminals were just that — lawbreakers, not skilled warriors.

Training alone had its limits. He needed a mentor.

Though he occasionally sparred with knights who walked around with their noses in the air, they were no match compared to mercenaries with abundant real-life combat experience.

“Perhaps the Dragon Knights might challenge me? There might even be someone to teach me…”

On one such day, contemplating these thoughts, Jay embarked on a journey toward Lork. However, when the walls of Lork came into view, painful memories surged, and he turned back.

Before he realized, the bounties had accumulated, surpassing a thousand gold coins. With no real use for the money, he entrusted a reputable merchant to deliver all of it to Ewini, his childhood girlfriend back home.

About a year later, when Jay met the merchant again and inquired about Ewini, the merchant handed him a letter in reply. Written on it was a single sentence, ‘Who asked you to send money?’ For the first time in years since he chose his profession, Jay burst into laughter.

He had simply entrusted that money to the merchant, adding that he could use it if he wanted. It was the price of trust, for not touching such a huge sum and even sending a reply. However, the merchant declined, saying he disliked receiving money for free. The two argued over this matter for a long time until Jay came to an agreement to invest in the merchant’s endeavors. Jay had no idea what investing was. After all, it was just money he was giving away, so he told the merchant to do as he pleased.

After a long moment of reflection, dawn had broken. Jay shouldered his bag packed with blankets and dishes, strapped two swords to his waist, and descended the mountain.

The chase had resumed. As the flatlands approached, Jay began to ponder how he would handle this formidable pursuer.

‘Should I attack first? No. He’s been following for so long; he must have some intention. Let him make the first move.’

Jay truly wanted to see the pursuer’s face. However, when he exited the mountains and crossed the plains, the ten-step gap vanished. Despite looking back several times during his trek across the plains, there was no sign of a follower. Until he reached the first village of Aranthia, there was no trace. Jay, expecting some sort of contact, felt deeply disappointed.

‘Who could it have been?’

He was tempted to go back and check, but upon seeing a tavern, he yearned for a beer. He had run out of smoke, and his will to fight had waned.

The name of Aranthia’s first village was Blue Town. Moreover, the tavern, which doubled as a restaurant, was named Blue Beer.

‘Quite a tasteless name for a place.’

Jay habitually checked the wanted posters hung outside the tavern. Among them was the face of the Hell’s Axe. The bounty on it here was still two hundred gold coins, before any increments.

The tavern was quiet. The walls were uniquely made of brick, the tables of stone, and beer mugs were not wooden but made of metal. It gave off a foreign ambiance.

The tavern owner was a short middle-aged man with receding hair. When Jay inquired about the name “Blue Town,” the owner responded with a cheerful tone.

“It’s named because it’s right in front of the Blue Gate, which you could say is the de facto border of Aranthia. You came from Carnelock? I can tell from your accent.”

“Do I need to pay a toll or something to pass through that gate?”

Jay asked again.

“For the Red Gate, you probably have to pay about one silver coin per two uses. The rates might have changed due to inflation. Do the other gates charge as well?”

The owner scratched the back of his head.

Carrying three hundred gold coins, a single silver didn’t seem like much.

“I only have Carnelock gold coins. Is that alright?”

Jay inquired.

The tavern owner shrugged.

“The rates should be similar, I suppose.”

“So, can I pay with Carnelock gold coins here?”

“Gold is gold, what’s the difference? What would you like?”

“The best thing you serve here.”

“Then, undoubtedly, it’s the steamed ribs made from lamb chops. How about wine?”

“Just beer.”

“Wine would pair better.”

“Beer.”

“Special lamb chop steam dish, coming up!”

After placing the order in the kitchen, the owner struck up a conversation with Jay.

“First time in Aranthia?”

Jay responded briefly as he always did.

“Yep.”

“It’s a good place to live. As long as you work hard, you’re guaranteed not to starve at least.”

The owner laughed heartily with his pleasant voice.

“Guaranteed by whom?”

“The High Lord of the Blue Gate.”

Jay disliked people with fancy titles. He wasn’t interested in listening to explanations either. So, to prevent the owner from rambling about unsolicited topics, Jay stayed silent. Luckily, another customer placed an order, and the owner, holding off on his story, attended to the other side of the tavern.

Jay looked around the tavern. A few patrons were quietly conversing. It seemed like the place also served as an inn, as there was a sign near the stairs leading upstairs which read: ‘Guests are sleeping. Please keep quiet!’

‘Telling patrons in a tavern to keep quiet? What a joke.’

As Jay stared intently at the sign, the owner set a plate of lamb ribs and a fork in front of him, saying,

“Ah, that sign. Guests crossing the border tend to be quite loud sometimes.”

The sound of the door opening reached his ears. For a moment, Jay halted the piece of meat he was about to put into his mouth and reached for the sword he’d laid beside him.

There was no need to look back. The person who had just entered the tavern, ten steps away, was him!

‘So, he didn’t give up after all. But why follow on foot? It’s enough to know that this is the first village after crossing the border!’

Whether or not the man knew Jay was seated at the bar, he approached without hesitation. He even sat defenselessly beside Jay, without a glance in his direction, and ordered.

“Beer and cheese. Also, a room for the night.”

It was a woman.

Jay was taken aback. There was no particular reason, but having followed him across the rugged mountain path with the same pace, he had assumed she’d be a man. But what surprised him more was that even at this proximity, her swords’ distance was still ten steps.

That was impossible.

Usually, after a fierce battle, no matter the real distance, in one’s mind, the space between swords seemed like one step. If they weren’t fighting but had their swords pointed at each other with intent to kill, it became two or three steps, depending on their positions. Five steps was the distance when both drew their blades. There were exceptions, but that was the general rule.

As his experience with the sword grew, so did the perceived distance in his mind, now extending up to fifteen steps. Naturally, the greater the distance between him and his opponent, the safer Jay felt. Now, when an opponent drew their blade, it often appeared as six or seven steps to him. This meant his skills had improved.

Yet, with this woman, despite being close enough to nearly touch shoulders, the sword’s distance was consistently ten steps. If there was no intention to fight, there should be no distance. If there was, it should be no more than five steps. A distance of ten steps in this situation was unthinkable.

‘How?’

Jay slowly chewed his meat, sneaking glances at the woman. She was joking with the tavern owner about the terrible taste of the beer being offset by the delicious cheese.

She looked as disheveled as Jay from several days of wandering the mountains, but she didn’t give off a grimy vibe. From the fine lines on her skin, she seemed quite mature, but her confident eyes and relaxed posture made her look like a seasoned young mercenary. She wore no makeup, but her thick, long eyebrows gave her a distinct face. Her wavy, not-so-short brown hair and gentle smile reminded him of someone. She resembled his mother from a time before she was tamed by his father’s violence.

‘Who is she?’

Jay felt a twinge of annoyance at the realization that she resembled his mother. Pretending to eat with his right hand, he discreetly gripped his sword with his left and slowly closed the sword’s distance.

A sword wasn’t something you could swing out of the blue. There was no swordsman who could stab someone without any preparation or hint. Just as a large battle had its flow, duels had a similar pattern when looked at on a smaller scale.

To Jay, there was no such thing as an unexpected attack.

The moment both draw their swords and rush at each other is the distance of five steps. But if one sits stupidly and is ambushed from behind, there is no distance for the sitting one, and the ambusher perceives it as one step.

The same applied to a surprise attack. If the opponent maintains a distance of ten steps and Jay approaches up to one step, he can launch a frontal attack that feels like an ambush from behind.

Nine steps, eight steps, seven steps…

The woman, who was picking at her cheese, sharply turned to look at him. But Jay pretended not to notice. She went back to drinking her beer.

‘Did she notice?’

Jay often likened narrowing such a broad distance to crossing an expansive, wide-open meadow. And just like a fox lowering itself to catch a rabbit, he approached. But when he came within five steps, the rabbit suddenly ran and stopped at a distance of ten steps, tearing into her cheese.

Jay drew a sharp breath. It felt as if the sword he was about to draw was forcibly sheathed.

“Do you have any complaints? Not liking the meat?”

The innkeeper asked.

“No, just bring me some water.”

The innkeeper went naively to fetch the water. In the meantime, Jay focused his attention and walked toward the rabbit.

Nine, eight, seven, six…

And again, the rabbit took ten steps back. There was no doubt now. This woman was a ‘Distance Keeper.’ And the weapon she was dueling Jay with was a fork meant for tearing cheese.

‘Good heavens, it’s the distance of the fork?’

In his frustration, Jay swiftly closed the distance in five steps. This time, she did not flee. The rabbit glanced at the fox and suddenly lunged a step forward!

Startled, Jay stepped back and drew his sword. A chair toppled, making a loud noise.

The innkeeper and the patrons turned their attention to Jay, alarmed by the sound. But he couldn’t care less about them.

Jay raised his sword, glaring at her. Not wanting to show his trembling sword tip, he swung it fiercely once and raised it again. He managed to calm himself and steadied the blade.

She stood still, turning only her face toward Jay. She continued to munch on her cheese. Overwhelmed by her clear gaze, Jay stepped back.

She was no longer a rabbit grazing on the meadow. She was a mighty beast – a lion disguised as a rabbit.

To the onlookers, it seemed as if they were just staring at each other. But in Jay’s mind, he was in a battle with her. But every imagined move he made was blocked, and he pictured himself being stabbed by her fork. She remained still, ready to strike, suppressing Jay.

Suddenly, the distance vanished. It was astonishing. The ‘Sword’s Distance’ wasn’t supposed to disappear that easily. Jay remained in a stance as if ready to slash her throat. But she just narrowed her eyes and smiled.

“How about we finish eating first? Both of us have been in the mountains too long. Plus, I went hungry yesterday. You didn’t give me a chance to start a fire.”

She admitted to being the pursuer, but nothing changed, and nothing was left to say. After finishing her cheese and ordering more milk, she finally stood up.

“Want to talk in the room upstairs? Which room is it, innkeeper?”

The innkeeper, keeping an eye on their strange standoff, replied, “Room 4.”

“Prepare a bath for me.”

“Understood.”

Still wary of Jay, who held his sword, the innkeeper responded cautiously. She picked up her heavy backpack and headed upstairs.

Jay took a deep breath and sat down. The innkeeper silently handed him a glass of water.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. And about earlier… I apologize.”

Reluctantly, Jay ate a piece of the cold meat. However, it wouldn’t go down, so he put his fork down.

‘Who on earth is she?’

Frustrated, Jay slammed his hand on the table, leaving a gold coin in his place.

“This should cover the meal and the room. I don’t need any change.”

He handed the innkeeper the day’s earnings and headed upstairs.

☆ ☆ ☆

“Who are you?”

Jay flung open the door and asked bluntly. Inside was a woman, her dress removed, exposing her chest. She neither looked surprised nor tried to cover herself, placing her hands on her hips with a look of disdain.

“Don’t you know how to knock?”

She asked.

Jay was momentarily taken aback but quickly shook his head.

“I’m not interested in a woman’s body, so it doesn’t matter. Tell me who you are first.”

“Oh, you’re not interested?”

She approached Jay. She was shorter than him but considering Jay was rather tall, she wasn’t short either.

“I’m Irine. You?”

“Jaymer.”

“Well, got what you wanted? Leave now. I don’t talk to rude people.”

Irine shoved Jay in the chest. Stumbling back, he was pushed out of the room, and she promptly closed the door behind her.

“I didn’t just ask for your name.”

Jay continued to shout from outside the door.

“Who are you to observe the distance of swords?”

From inside, along with the sound of someone undressing, a deep female voice resonated.

“Didn’t I say I wouldn’t speak? You’re noisy. Leave.”

“Don’t joke with me. You started the fight. What’s your purpose for chasing me for three days?”

The door opened again. A woman, covering her body only with a towel, looked at Jay disdainfully and spoke.

“Haven’t I mentioned I wouldn’t talk?”

“Are you someone who observes the distance of swords? Just tell me that, and I’ll leave.”

“Distance of swords? What’s that?”

“We just dueled. From a great distance, you were ten steps away. Yet, in the restaurant earlier, we were close, but still, ten teps. How is that possible?”

“Do you even know what you’re saying? I can’t understand a thing.”

A maid, carrying hot water, froze in confusion upon seeing Irine, covered only in a towel, and Jay, who stood before her with an angry expression.

Irine, with a smile, made way for the maid near the door.

“It’s okay. Continue your work. The hot water is ready so quickly.”

“Yes? Oh, I had just boiled some…”

“That’s good.”

The maid entered Irine’s room, pouring the hot water into the prepared bathtub, and exited. She seemed like she would need to do this at least twenty times. Irine, watching the hastily descending maid, spoke.

“Okay, help her fill my tub. Two water pots for one question. Got it? The weight of a rude person’s words is just that.”

“Why should I do such work? Answer my question.”

“Two water pots for one question.”

Irine crossed her arms and leaned against the door, watching Jay with an indifferent expression. Annoyed, Jay turned and descended the stairs. A moment later, he returned, climbing the stairs even faster than the maid had earlier. Carrying two pots of water, he poured them into the bathtub and approached Irine.

“Why have you been following me?”

Jay asked. While carrying the water pots, he had pondered the best question. Irine, keeping her promise, replied.

“You remember the hunters you killed? Before their deaths, they met me. Coincidentally, I was on my way to Aranthia, and our paths kept crossing. I had initially asked why he was on this route. Turns out, a renowned hunter had stolen their money, so they were chasing him to retrieve it. Thinking my journey wouldn’t be dull, I followed them. What transpired after was all your doing. You’re incredibly skilled. Enough to make me curious about who you are.”

“You followed me just because you were curious about who I am?”

Irine held up a single finger.

“Two water pots for one question.”

Grinding his teeth, Jay went down the stairs again. The maid was laboriously climbing with one water pot. Seeing her, Jay snatched the pot from her.

“Just bring it to the foot of the stairs. I’ll handle the rest.”

“B-but, making a guest work is…”

“Just do as I said! With your sluggish pace, you’ll just get in the way.”

Jay, after pouring another two pots into the tub, asked Irine,

“Thinking back, it’s odd. Those men wouldn’t simply answer your questions. In a secluded forest, a beautiful woman like you appears, and they willingly told you all that? Doesn’t make sense. They should’ve intimidated and robbed you.”

“You talk as if you wished for such events to happen.”

With a playful grin, Irine, as if piercing through Jay’s thoughts, responded.

“When you asked about the distance of swords, what did you see me as? Didn’t you consider me a formidable opponent, given I’ve given you a hard time for three days?”

Jay, on the verge of lashing out in frustration, bit his tongue. Irine held up another finger, silently indicating the price for another question: two water pots.

Jay hurried down the stairs. Conveniently, there were water pots that the Maid had just moved, and Jay quickly grabbed two and rushed up the stairs to pour them into the tub. Then he fetched another two pots to fill the tub further.

“This way, I get to ask two questions at once, right?”

Irine nodded with an amused expression.

This time, Jay asked with determination not to waste his question. “How did you maintain the ten steps?”

Irine pondered over Jay’s question, tapping her chin. “Ten steps… Now that term, I think I finally get it.”

She raised her hand with a thin smile, hinting, “Like this?”

In that moment, Jay felt the menacing presence of a large beast about to strike at his throat. And it was coming from a woman covering herself with just a towel, weaponless. The distance between them was too close to even be considered the ‘sword’s reach’. The earlier attack with the fork was no mistake.

‘This woman can create a sword’s distance whether she has a blade or not!’ Jay thought, startled. He took a few steps back, bumping into a wall. He couldn’t even draw his sword against a woman draped only in a towel. Cold sweat trickled down his spine.

“I apologize,” Irine chuckled. “Not just for that but for following you for the past three days. To be honest, I was testing you.”

“Testing?”

“At first, it was just for fun. Frankly, I don’t think much of hunters like you. Those guys you killed, they tried something funny as soon as they saw me. I thought you were one of their kind. So, I teased you. But after two days of following you, it wasn’t fun anymore. You used the term ‘ten steps’?”

She asked for confirmation. Jay nodded and kept listening.

“So, let me borrow that term. While I maintained the ten steps, how did you keep up with me? How did you know I was keeping a ten-step distance from you? I was equally curious, that’s why I followed.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Wrong question. Ask something else.”

“That’s what I want to know!”

“You’re frustrating,” she sighed.

Irine looked at the tub and shook her head. “Let’s end the question game here. The water’s getting cold.”

“But I still have a question left.”

“Not answering a wrong question is also part of the rules.”

“You never mentioned such a rule. Two water pots, that was the deal!”

“Do I have to explain common sense?”

She continued, sounding slightly annoyed. “Fine. Since you keep standing there, I’ll give you another answer. You just passed the first test of a certain knight’s order. Congratulations.”

Jay frowned, “What are you talking about? Who are you? Just answer that! I’m a simple man!”

“Wow, you’re so short-tempered, admitting your own weakness?”

“You can set another condition. Two pots, twenty pots, whatever!”

“Really?”

Irine seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking. “Alright. Prepare a bottle of wine.”

“Wine? Just one bottle?”

“We’ll have dinner with it. If the wine is good, our conversation will be longer. If not, shorter than our previous chat. Even you can understand that, right? And you should take a bath too. I dislike smelly guys.”

“You— you smell too!” Jay exclaimed, flustered.

“That’s why I’m about to take a bath.”

Irine shrugged nonchalantly. Jay didn’t know how to reply. To emphasize, she added, “You can go now.”

As Jay went down the stairs, the Maid was still sweating, lugging the water pots. Jay glanced at the store owner.

“You make her do all the work, huh?”

Jay inquired. The shop owner hesitated and replied, “But, since she’s a female guest, I can’t…”

His voice trailed off as Jay recalled the nearly undressed Irine, agreeing he couldn’t argue with that.

“Damn it. Just stay there.”

Pushing the Maid aside, Jay picked up two more pots, grumbling as he went back up the stairs.

“Oh my, why are you back?”

Irine was already in the bathtub. Her naked form was clearly visible through the translucent water. Jay quickly threw a towel over the water to cover her up and stepped out, pouring more water from the pots near his feet. Just as Irine appeared to be about to say something with an amused look on her face, Jay extended his hand.

“Never mind, don’t say anything. Just stick to our dinner plan.”

Irine smiled gently.

“You too.”

Jay finished what would usually take six trips in just two and approached the shop owner.

“What’s the best wine you have here? No, wait. I don’t really know what good wine is… What’s the most expensive wine you’ve got?”

“That would be the one that costs ten silver coins.”

“Can’t I get one that’s worth ten gold coins?”

Jay promptly displayed thirty gold coins. The shop owner was taken aback.

“If we don’t have it, I’ll make sure to get it for you somehow.”

“Have it ready before dinner. If the lady upstairs likes that wine, I’ll give you fifteen.”

The shop owner nodded gravely. Meanwhile, Jay went to a well and took a cold bath. It had been two months since his last bath.

–TL Notes–
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