The end of the day was hectic, but I got through it.

-Well done, lad.

-You're strong for a youngster like you. You could come and help us out sometime.

I received compliments like that all evening. People's attitudes towards me have changed. They think of me as a cute little dog who can bite when he gets angry. It's ridiculous, but that's what one of the heavy drinkers who was passing by told me.

-Kayle. Will you help me put these away?

-Oh, yeah, sure. Oh, yeah. No problem.

Lilly's a little mad at me for fighting. She yelled at me, calling me an irresponsible idiot, but she couldn't hide the fact that she was relieved for me.

-I'm fine, you know. No need to worry.

-You should never have provoked Rack. It was really stupid.

-I know it was. I know it was.

She's cute when she gets mad. But that's not the point. I didn't see anyone who looked stronger than Rack in my fight. It seems that the guy who knows how to control energy isn't much of a drinker.

-Tell me, Lilly, does the former imperial soldier ever come to the tavern?

-Not often. He does a lot of scouting outside the village and tracks down Krul's apostles. However, he does come to check up on us, and when he's here, it often means all's well. Especially if he returns unharmed.

So he takes part in dangerous missions outside the village. Does he think he's a vigilante or what? I was already wondering what a former soldier of the imperial army could be doing here, but now I have even more questions about him.

-By the way, you never told me his name.

-I shouldn't have. He doesn't like it when people he doesn't know are told his name. If he won't tell you, then nobody will.

I see. Cautious guy. So I'll have to wait before I meet him. When I do, I'll have to come up with my greatest masterpiece.

Until then, I live tavern, I eat tavern, I drink tavern, I die tavern.

-Kayle. Table six needs your reaction time.

I've been here six days. Nothing moves. The days are all the same. I wake up, eat, work all day enjoying every minute with Lilly, go to my room and sleep. I do nothing else. I don't know where the others have ended up, but I can probably say they're not in such a bad way. The garbage cans have to be changed all the time and the glasses have to be refilled all the time. I wonder where all this stock comes from. It never seems to run out.

-Say, Lilly, do you usually have to manage this on your own?

-Yes, I usually do.

-Well, well, well. You're a brave girl.

Lilly doesn't seem to get tired of working. I'm the only one who does. I wonder if she's been turned into a puppet by the energy of this world.

-When's that guy coming?

-I already told you, Kayle. You never know when he's coming back to the village.

-I've been working here forever and I can't take it anymore.

-You don't like working in the tavern?

-No, it's not that. A day with you is better than being anywhere else in the world, but I don't think I'm cut out for it.

I'm literally here to kill the hero.

Kayle hadn't realized that Lilly had blushed slightly at her remark. There was one other thing Kayle didn't know about himself. He thought it impossible to have a girl who liked him. To him, he wasn't handsome or ugly, he thought girls liked him because he was nice, but he'd never consider a relationship with anyone. He had a completely different way of life and that's what made him stand out from the others.

-Ah...Ah well.

I've got to get out of here as soon as possible... although? I don't even know where the others are. If you don't become the best antagonist, you die, but there's no time limit. As it happens, Charles hasn't even moved on. I don't know if I can take my time, but if I lose any, because of my deficit, I might die.

-Kayle. Kayle.

-Oh, sorry, Lilly.

-I was wondering if you wanted to do anything else tomorrow. The guys are going to be running the tavern one day and we're off. So if you want we can go somewhere, I'll show you around.

Lilly, you really are...

-an angel.

-A what?

- You are really great, Lilly. I'll see you tomorrow.

Kayle didn't realize anything and that's why he always spoke without restraint even with girls. He often created huge misunderstandings. Lilly didn't know what to say.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

-What ?

-Enjoy your day off and keep a close eye on Kayle, Lilly.

-Yes, Chief.

-When are you going to call me Rack?

Rack and his colleagues are running the tavern this time. I'm finally getting out of the village after so long. Learn a bit more about the world, in addition to the stories Lilly tells me. See the capital and...

-Huh?

-Technically, you can't leave the village.

-Why not?

-We don't have any money.

Ha

-Ha

-We're going to take a tour of the village and look around. You'll see, the landscapes are sublime and the monsters are few and weak here.

-Monsters?

-Come on, then. Follow me.

I don't want anyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Lilly took him by the hand for what turned out to be the best ride he'd ever had in his life.

Yet it wasn't what he'd thought at first. Lilly introduced him to the villagers, the type of house, the village well, the fields where Rack and his companions often worked, Rack's house, the farms, the mud fields and even the oldest person in the village, who was only 65.

-Did I have to know this?

-If you want to get along with the people in the village, you're going to have to get to know them.

I came here to become an antagonist in the first place. Why did I end up here?

-Come on, let's get out of the village. The surrounding area's usually safe.

-Yeah, it is.

The outside's just like the inside. Open fields as far as the eye can see, with only one road running through the village. Sometimes, you can see strange animals crossing the fields. I say strange because they don't really resemble what we have here. Some rabbits have horns on their foreheads. The cows are all massive and quite scary. Birds have exotic colors that make them beautiful. Some plants move...really? And...

-We shouldn't be going deep into the woods, but I wanted to see if I could show it to you.

-Show me what?

-Shh, shh, shh. Look, there's one. You're really lucky, Kayle. It's a codiac.

What they call a codiac is really a deer. But it's not a deer like at home. It's white. White as snow. His eyes, too, are as white as the rest, and the antlers are a deep black, leaving an absurd difference in color.

-Some lose their color through a disease called absorbation. Sometimes nature takes over living beings and absorbs energy from them. An energy deficit inevitably leads to the loss of something. But it's still a good thing, because in the case of codiacs, their white hair is a real marvel.

Kayle gazed at the magnificent sight before him. He'd never seen anything so beautiful , behind Lilly. A slight smile spread across his face.

-It's true, it's magnificent.

At these words, the codiac heard them and ran off.

-No, he's leaving.

-He's a bit like us deep down. He doesn't like to be watched.

-That's true, he doesn't.

-Do you still have things like that to show me?

-No, but I think we should...

A growling sound escaped from the forest. Lilly stopped short and Kayle suddenly remembered what she'd said before leaving.

- You'll see, the scenery is sublime and the monsters here are few and weak.

Weak and not numerous. It was also exactly what Kayle and Lilly were right now.

This wasn't coming from my belly and Lilly couldn't make such a vile noise. Even if the monsters are weak here, I, who have no energy, am then weaker. Lilly must flee first. I must already know where that monster is under all those tall trees.

-Kayle. To your right. Stay there.

To my... Okay. What the hell is that thing? While nature could bring beautiful animals like deer, it had to bring stuff as disgusting as this.

-It's a rama. It shouldn't even be here.

This doesn't reassure me. Four? Six? Eight eyes to an animal that looks like a ratel. Two pairs of ears, a tail that probably has poison spikes. Sounds great.

-Listen to me, Kayle. This animal may have four ears, but they're useless. It's literally a failed chimera. These eyes, on the other hand, allow it to see far more than humans can.

So you call yourselves humans too.

-The best we can do is get you behind me. I should be able to create a shield strong enough to hold him for ten seconds. For those ten seconds, come out of the woodwork.

Ten seconds. She wants us dead. I like you, Lilly, but from the look of this thing, ten seconds isn't going to stop it from eating me.

-Are you ready for this?

If I die, tell Trane to go f.ck himself.

-Do it now.

He jumpeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed !

The next ten seconds were extremely crucial for Kayle. But this was the first time he had seen the use of energy in this world.

-Atremis alpha.

No sooner had the words been spoken, a shield materialized in the air. Energy gathered in a fraction of a second and formed a fresco filled with flowers that the rama couldn't cross.

So, this is magic?

-Run, Kayle.

Kayle got back on his feet and started running.

It's weird. She looks powerful and her shield doesn't look normal. Even a man like me can feel it, but it's beyond astonishment. Surely her shield would last more than ten seconds. Was it just enough time to get out of the woods? And why does Lilly seem so powerful here where everyone else is weak? I thought it was only this man who was strong. But Lilly... Anyway, now's not the time to think. Right now, I've got to run.

Lilly and Kayle found themselves outside the woods.

Oh, boy. I'm out of breath. Why am i out of breath? I've got good stamina and I haven't been running that long. Well, the last time I really ran was at least a year ago.

-How are you, Kayle?

-I'm fine.

Lilly looks out of breath too. Yet she manipulates energy.

-By the way, Lilly, do you manipulate magic or something?

If so, she might be able to help me evolve in this world. But why didn't she tell me? Am I the only one who didn't know?

-I... It's basically a secret.

Ha

-I didn't want to show it to you, but I'll at least give you an explanation. I come from a place where what you call energy is innate to everyone. And it's called az. Az is the name of the energy that runs through the veins of this world. Every single thing here is made up of it, yet manipulating it requires either talent or hard work. Those who rise to the heights of this world are generally those who have mastered it completely. Even if there are exceptions. In any case, all you have to remember is that where I come from, it's innate.

So, that's the basis of everything here. Az.

-The others don't know yet, so don't tell them. OK ?

-I won't. Mum's the word.

Lilly's a private person. I'm not surprised she has secrets to hide. But she won't be able to teach me how to use az. Pity. I'll have to rely entirely on this man.

-Say, Kayle?

-Hm?

-Why do you want to be so strong? Don't you want to stay in the village?

It's true I never told them. From their point of view, I must look like a proud kid, devoid of az and energy, desperate to become stronger to avenge this lack against nature. That's a bit too precise. But I'm here to stand up to someone, to put them through their worst nightmare. I don't even know if I could do it. If I absolutely want to become strong, it's probably to...

-Enjoy this world as it should be.

-But can't you enjoy it without az? Stay with me in the village?

-That would be nice. But I want to think big. I've got a goal to aim for, but first I really want to enjoy this world.

Kayle looked up at the sky, the wind rising over the village plains.

-Staying with you is great. It's probably one of the best things that's ever happened to me, but I've got to move on, because I've got to....

Kill the hero.

-Enjoy this world to the full.

Lilly watched Kayle smile. The sun's rays prevented her from seeing his face properly, but she could guess what he was thinking. At least, she thought she could.

-Okay, Kayle. I'll let you enjoy the world.

-Thank you, Lilly.

-But let's go back to the village first.

-If you like.

Sorry, Lilly. I'm not that nice after all. I doubt that wanting to kill the hero is a noble goal to achieve. But if I don't do this, I die. And there's still plenty I want to do.

-Are you coming?

-Yeah, I'm coming.

Sorry about that.