"Pardon me, but what exactly have I done to disrupt the balance of this world?" Morthanu calmly asked.

"You, Morthanu Preclaner of the Restia Village, have been accused of..." The woman paused, as if thinking. "Er... accused of... I'm not really sure, to be honest."

The pink-eyed woman looked at Morthanu, confused. Then, she turned to Erik, pulling her hood off.

Now clearly visible, the men could see all the features of the dark-skinned woman. She was young, with a heart-shaped face, a small button nose, and a set of full, pink lips that looked like they hadn't cracked a smile in centuries. Her hair was cut short and was the same color as her eyes. She had pointed ears that twitched slightly with every sound in the cave.

"She's an elf..." Morthanu breathed out. Erik had a suspicion that the village elder was immediately infatuated with her.

"I am Myrese, an assassin for one of the royal families," the elf introduced herself with a slight bow. "But, yes, I have heard of your exploits, Morthanu. Your tolerance of this... outsider," she nodded at Erik, "has brought forth whispers of change that do not sit well with those in power."

Erik's mind whirled with thoughts. "So... you're going to assassinate me because of the success I brought to Restia Village?"

Myrese's expression remained stoic. "The balance of this world is fragile. Your sudden appearance and influence, especially with your... unorthodox ideas, have ruffled feathers."

She reached behind her and pulled out Erik's journal and pen, tossing them on the ground in front of him. "If you wish to live, then explain to me how you were able to produce such constructions in a short amount of time. I understand these magical items were of use to you."

"Erik, don't tell her anything–"

"I can use conjuring magic, but it's severely limited to drawing things in my journal with that magical pen," Erik immediately answered. "But I swear, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to help the village."

Morthanu stared at him in disbelief. Even Myrese was taken aback by how easily Erik gave up his secret.

"Um... alright then. I guess you're pretty straightforward," Myrese said, eyeing the journal and pen warily. "But why would you bring such power to this realm?"

"I'm from another world, a Traveler. A god named Osiris forced me to reincarnate here since I died in my original world. The task given to me was to defeat the Demon King, but I have no outstanding strengths whatsoever. I'm just here to get rich," Erik replied bluntly, his head still pounding from his hangover. "But I ended up getting involved with the village, and well, one thing led to another."

The cave fell silent as both Myrese and Morthanu processed Erik's words. Myrese's pink eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him for any signs of deceit. "A Traveler," she murmured, tapping her chin with a slender finger. "I've heard whispers of such beings, but never encountered one before. Common in the royal capital, though I understand they start off in villages such as Restia. How come you haven't moved on yet?"

"Because-" Erik paused. No really, what was his reason for staying in Restia Village? If Erik had brought his ideas to any of the three kingdoms, wouldn't he have made more money?

"Well, I guess I'm just attached to the place," Erik said with a shrug, trying to keep his cool. "I've made friends here, and I don't like leaving loose ends."

It wasn't a complete lie, though. Erik had grown fond of the people here, and the idea of leaving them behind was as appealing as stepping on a tack. But his primary goal was still to become rich, and he wasn't about to let some snooty elf assassin ruin that for him.

"My turn to ask questions. Why did you kidnap me and Mr. Mort?" Erik asked, struggling to break free from the ropes.

Myrese's gaze remained focused on him, her expression unreadable. "Your actions, Mr. Park, have not gone unnoticed. The rapid modernization of this village, your... peculiar ideas, they are not aligned with the natural order of things. The world is delicate, and a disturbance in one place can lead to a catastrophe in another."

"Natural order, my ass," Erik snorted. "I'm assuming you don't mean in the supernatural way. Judging from what you said, I think a royal family hired you to get rid of me, since my projects are stealing the wealth away from them."

Myrese's eyes narrowed. "I was informed that you were weak, but they didn't mention you were sharp. Yes, your influence and success here have caught the attention of the royal families. They fear that your ideas will spread and threaten their power. But I'm not here to kill you, not yet."

The dark elf pulled out a wicked dagger, its blade glinting in the faint light of the cave. "I'm here to offer you a choice," she said, pacing back and forth in front of them. "My client has decided that your talents would be wasted if you are killed, so they are willing to spare your life in exchange for your ideas."

"So all I'd have to do is cooperate with them? Give them my ideas?" Erik asked, keeping his eyes on her. "Would I get a cut from the profits?"

"Keeping your life is reward enough, as my client tells me," Myrese said without a shred of amusement. "Either cease all your workings, or enter a contract with them. Failure to comply will result in your death."

Erik thought for a moment, trying to decide which option was the best. No matter what, it was a lose-lose for him. Even if he somehow managed to earn money through the rules of this world, it wouldn't be enough to fuel his dreams of wealth.

"Nah. Go ahead and kill me then," Erik spat out, the stubbornness in his voice unmistakable. "I'm not giving up my shit just because some pricks in fancy robes are scared of a little change."

Both Morthanu and Myrese weren't expecting Erik's defiant response. The tension in the cave thickened, the air heavy with unspoken threats.

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"So, you don't value your life as much as I thought..." Myrese murmured thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should change tactics..."

Without a word, the elf drew a needle out of thin air. The men watched as she approached Morthanu, holding the tip near his arm.

"Mr. Park, this is a needle tipped with a deadly poison," Myrese said calmly, her eyes flicking from the needle to Morthanu. "It will be a slow and painful death for your friend here unless you cooperate."

Oh fuck. Erik thought to himself. While he wasn't particularly concerned with his own life, he didn't want to be responsible for another person's.

"I believe it was you who said 'time is money', no? In this case, Morthanu's time is life," Myrese said, before plunging the needle into his arm.

Morthanu's eyes went wide with pain, and he started to convulse. Erik watched in horror, his heart racing as he heard Morthanu's desperate gasps for air.

And then... the village elder suddenly straightened, his eyes focused and clear. Erik blinked in surprise; it seemed as if Morthanu looked better than before. The trio glanced at each other in silence.

"Er... that was a bit painful at first, but... that improved my circulation," Morthanu quietly said. The men turned their gazes at Myrese, who looked very interested in the floor. "Are you... sure you're an assassin?"

"...Yes, I am," Myrese's pointed ears were a visible shade of red. "I just... haven't actually killed anyone yet."

No one said anything for a while.

"S-so... does that mean you've actually tried?" Erik asked. Myrese avoided their eyes.

"Yes. But it seems the harder I try to kill the targets... the more I improve their health."

"Ah." Erik didn't know what to make of the situation. On one hand, he did feel bad for the elf, but on the other hand, she had tried to kill Morthanu, even if she had been unsuccessful at it. "So then, what happens to the targets you fail to assassinate?"

"They usually end up pitying and complying with me," Myrese was quiet, her voice full of mortification. "All my targets lie low for a few years so that my employers never realize they're not dead. As far as they know, I have a one hundred percent success rate."

Erik couldn't help but snicker at the irony of the situation. "So, you're like the world's worst assassin?"

The elf suddenly glared at Erik with anger, leaping next to him and cracking him across the jaw with a fist. Stars filled his vision as pain shot through his head, but then he gasped with relief as his mouth adjusted.

"Ouch...? Holy shit, I didn't realize my jaw was out of place," Erik said, opening and closing his jaw as he felt his teeth align correctly. In fact, his hangover had completely disappeared. "Forget killing- you're like a miracle doctor."

Myrese's grip on her blade tightened, but she took a step back, her face a mix of frustration and embarrassment. "This isn't funny, human."

Erik had to fight another urge to laugh, but then an idea popped into his head.

"Say... why don't you go into the medical business instead?" Erik suggested with a smirk. "Seems like you've got a knack for it."

Myrese glared at him but couldn't hide the flicker of doubt in her eyes. "What are you playing at, Traveler?"

Morthanu had only heard from Talia, but at that moment, the village elder swore he could hear gears turning in Erik's head.

"Well, for starters... was that really poison you tipped that needle in?" Erik slowly began.

Myrese sighed, a hint of defeat in her voice. "It's supposed to be a fast-acting venom that stops the heart. I procured it from the most venomous animal in this world: the Scorpion Spider Serpent."

"Scorpion- never mind that, what other properties does its venom have?"

"Well, other than being fatal to anyone injected with it... it surprisingly has a medicinal property only heard of in theory," Morthanu chipped in. "Legends say that when the poison is mixed with a certain compound, the harmful chemicals are purified."

Erik blinked. "Wait... Myr, what type of metal are your needles?"

"I assume Myr is supposed to be my name, but I don't know about these needles," Myrese said, clearly irritated by the turn of events. She reached into her cloak and pulled out the needle that had miraculously healed Morthanu. "They're made from a rare metal called Mithril."

"Mithril? Are you... are you not aware that that metal has purifying properties?" Morthanu asked.

The room fell silent, the three of them immediately understanding what had just happened. It seemed as though Myrese was unaware of the combination between the poison and the metal, accidentally stumbling upon what Erik understood to be a medical revelation.

"You... you're telling me that all this time, I've been... healing people?" Myrese whispered, her grip on the knife loosening.

"I'm just saying, you'd make a better doctor than an assassin," Erik continued. "Why don't you try it? I'll even help you out."

Myrese's pink eyes narrowed, and she pointed the needle at Erik. "You think this is a joke?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "I see it as another way to earn money."

Her expression softened. "You really do think about everything in terms of profit, don't you?"

"Look, if I can help people and make some gold, why not?" Erik shrugged. "Besides, I've got the perfect business model for you. We can start a clinic right here in the village, and I'll handle the marketing. Maybe throw in some free samples," he winked as he turned to Morthanu. "I'm sure there are villagers in need of a local doctor, right Mr. Mort?"

"I suppose... she did lessen the tension in my right shoulder after all. It had been killing me for weeks now," Morthanu mused, "Erik, if you can set her up smoothly, I'm sure there would be no problems."

Myrese stared incredulously at her captives, who were casually conversing as if they weren't in any danger. "Hold on, you guys realize that you're still bound, right? And I'm right here, don't just plan things for me without asking! I still have a job to complete for my clients!"

"Screw em," Erik replied bluntly. "Come to Restia Village. I won't make you an employee- I'll make you a partner. Seeing as you continued to accept these 'assassination' jobs without actually killing... you're in need of funds too, right?"

Myrese's pink eyes narrowed at the mention of her financial woes. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I've been nothing but honest with you from the start."

Myrese couldn't deny that. Despite being in a position of power over them, she had never felt more at a loss for words. This human, Erik, was unlike anyone she had ever encountered. His audacity was infectious, and she found herself actually considering his ludicrous proposal.

"Well... it wouldn't hurt to see where it goes..." Myrese said finally, the anger slowly leaving her voice. "But you must understand, I have obligations to fulfill."

"Your clients? Let me deal with them," Erik assured her.

Myrese sighed heavily, looking at the two men with a mix of disbelief and exasperation. "Alright, fine. But if you double-cross me, I will kill you."

"Sounds good to me," Erik nodded in agreement. "Now, how about you loosen these bonds–"

An explosion detonated within the cave, sending the three of them sprawling onto the cold, hard ground. Erik's head was spinning from the concussion, and his eyes struggled to focus as dust and debris filled the air. He coughed, blinking rapidly to clear his vision.

"Erik Park!" Talia's voice pierced through the air. "I have come to rescue you!"

"That... damned... woman..." Erik angrily gritted out.