Former Ranker's Newbie Life-Chapter 19

After chattering away like a songbird for what felt like hours, Sophie finally hit her limit. She was nodding off with her small body curling up like a pill bug. For a fifteen-year-old, she was definitely on the petite side, and the way she curled up made her seem even smaller.

With Sophie out cold, the cart fell eerily quiet. The only sounds left were the soft whistle of her breath, the steady clop of the old horse’s hooves, and the faint chirping of crickets bidding farewell to late autumn. It was the kind of white noise that made the silence oddly soothing.

Do-Jin let his gaze drift to the distance. The fiery reds and oranges of the sunset had long faded, replaced by silver moonlight that bathed everything in a cool, bluish glow. The world looked almost too serene, like something straight out of a painting.

It wasn’t hard to understand why the virtual world held such appeal for so many. A view like this was enough to make anyone fall in love.

“If you’re tired, you might as well catch a nap,” Hanolz’s voice drifted from the driver’s seat. “This old nag’s so slow, we’ll be here all night at this rate.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. The cart was moving at a snail’s pace, slower than even a casual stroll. But what else could one expect when an ancient horse was dragging a cart packed to the brim with firewood? On the contrary, Do-Jin actually enjoyed the gentle rocking of the cart and the chance to take in the scenery.

“I’m fine,” Do-Jin replied, shifting his attention to Sophie. “But do you have anything to cover her with? She’s going to catch a chill if she keeps sleeping like that.”

“Something to cover her?” Hanolz repeated, glancing back at his daughter. “Don’t worry about her. Sophie used to be as frail as a twig when she was little. We spent so many nights praying she’d get healthier, and now she’s tough as nails. The girl could run barefoot through the snow in winter and not catch so much as a sniffle. Of course, now she’s all about getting into trouble instead.”

He let out a chuckle filled with the warmth of a doting father.

Do-Jin’s eyes fell on Sophie, whose little nose twitched like a rabbit’s as she slept. Letting out a quiet sigh, he tugged at the hem of his robe and gently tucked it over her like a blanket.

“She’s been giving the village kids bloody noses left and right lately,” Hanolz admitted with a rueful chuckle. “But honestly, after watching her battle fever after fever when she was younger, I’ll take a bloody nose over that any day.”

Hanolz’s laughter trailed off, leaving behind a peaceful silence. It wasn’t an awkward kind of quiet but the kind that felt natural, comfortable. Even his earlier nervousness seemed to have faded completely.

The path they’d taken was so remote that there wasn’t a soul in sight, not even the usual riffraff like bandits. No one with half a brain would bother setting up shop on a road so deserted you’d be lucky to see one or two travelers a week.

With no interruptions, the cart made steady progress. After reaching the mountain’s base and winding their way through the rugged paths, they rolled into Gulak Village, tucked deep within the forested slopes.

As soon as they approached the entrance, a sharp voice cut through the night. “Han! What the hell were you thinking, bringing Sophie out so late? Maxim’s group got back ages ago, and we’ve been worried sick waiting for you!”

The scolding was followed almost immediately by Hanolz’s loud yelp. “Ow! That hurts, woman! I said it hurts!”

“You’re built like a bear, but you’re whining like a damn cub! Where’s Sophie?”

“She’s asleep in the cart! Ow—stop pinching, you’re going to rip my skin off!”

Hearing her mother’s voice, Sophie stirred, her eyes fluttering open. “Mom...” she murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes like a child.

Fumbling around in the dim light, she tried to climb out of the cart on her own but nearly tripped in the process. Do-Jin caught her with ease and gently lowered her to the ground. The moment her feet hit the dirt, Sophie wobbled like a baby deer but managed to shuffle toward her mother’s voice, half-asleep and completely out of it.

“Sophie!”

“Mama...”

Sophie’s mother, Jenny, darted over the moment she spotted her daughter, who was so drowsy she could barely put one foot in front of the other. Wasting no time, she fussed over Sophie, checking her from head to toe for any scrapes or bruises. Sophie, small for her age, fit snugly into Jenny’s arms like she belonged there.

“See? This is why I told you staying home was better. Going out just tires you out for nothing,” Jenny scolded gently.

“No, it was fun! I even met the mage brother!”

“The... mage?”

“Y-yeah! Honey,” Hanolz began, “on the way back, we ran into a mage who—”

But before he could finish, Jenny turned her head, following Sophie’s gaze to the figure stepping out from behind the cart, a man in a black robe.

Her expression changed instantly. “If you brought a guest home, shouldn’t that have been the first thing out of your mouth?!” Jenny snapped, storming toward her husband.

“Argh! I was just about to tell you!” Hanolz yelped, flinching.

“Just about doesn’t cut it! You should’ve told me the second you showed up!”

Do-Jin, who had been about to introduce himself, could only stand awkwardly by as the couple squabbled like there was no tomorrow. Considering they didn’t bat an eye at his black robes or foreign appearance, it was obvious where Sophie got her personality.

“Mom, mom! At the checkpoint, the mage brother helped us! That’s how we got through!” Fully awake now, Sophie joined in the commotion, her voice loud and excited as she shared the story.

Jenny, still holding Sophie, turned toward Do-Jin and greeted him with a bright smile. “Thank you so much for helping my husband and daughter. I really appreciate it.”

Up close, it was obvious that Jenny and Sophie were cut from the same cloth. They had the same features, the kind of resemblance that made it impossible not to tell they were mother and daughter. In fact, if not for the slight difference in age, they might’ve passed for sisters.

“It’s really no big deal. I didn’t do much,” Do-Jin said modestly.

“That’s not true! When the soldiers saw him, they got all scared and waved us through like, ‘Go ahead, go ahead!’ They even waved their hands like this!” Sophie chirped, enthusiastically reenacting the scene with exaggerated hand gestures, as if she was sharing her personal tale of heroics.

Jenny chuckled and patted Sophie’s head. “I’d heard from others who came back earlier that the checkpoint was a nightmare. I was worried sick, but thanks to you, they made it back safely. Really, I mean it. Thank you.”

As they spoke, the noise had drawn a small crowd of villagers. One by one, they began to gather, murmuring among themselves.

“Looks like Hanolz made it back.”

“Didn’t you hear the yelling? If Jenny’s smacking him around, he’s definitely back.”

“Pretty late, though. He must’ve had a rough time at the checkpoint like everyone else.”

“Late? It’s probably because of that damn horse of his. The thing’s ancient and slower than molasses.”

Their casual chatter died abruptly when they caught sight of Do-Jin, his black robe illuminated by the flickering torchlight. The men flinched, startled by the appearance of an unfamiliar mage. It wasn’t every day someone like him showed up in their remote little village.

Noticing their unease, Jenny clicked her tongue in disapproval and barked at them. “Really? Look at you! Big, burly men, scared out of your wits! What a bunch of cowards. He’s a guest, all right? He helped Sophie at the checkpoint, so treat him with some respect!”

Then, without missing a beat, she turned to her husband.

“Hanolz! Quit standing around like a lump. Get that cart moving and unload the firewood with your useless, scaredy-cat friends!”

Jenny punctuated her command with a sharp slap on his back, earning another yelp from him. Turning back to Do-Jin, she smiled sweetly as if nothing was amiss.

“Mr. Mage, please follow me. Our village has an inn. Normally, it’s just for travelers who pass through once in a blue moon, but we also make a little money selling herbs,” Jenny explained, walking briskly.

“That’s a relief. I was wondering where I might stay for the night. Thank you,” Do-Jin replied with a slight bow.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really,” Jenny said, waving off his gratitude.

“Mom, can’t the mage just stay at our house tonight?” Sophie chimed in, tugging at her mother’s sleeve.

“Our house is too small, sweetie. There’s no room for Mr. Mage to sleep,” Jenny said matter-of-factly.

“Aw, but Mom—”

“No ‘buts,’ young lady.”

Their small village didn’t take long to navigate, and after only a short walk, they came upon Hanolz again. He had parked the wagon in front of a communal storage building and was getting ready to unload firewood. However, before the men could even get started, Do-Jin stepped forward and used Psychokinesis to lift the firewood into the air.

“Huh?!”

“What the—?!”

“It’s a ghost!” The men let out a series of startled yelps, their jaws dropping as they watched the logs float through the air.

A few of them glanced nervously at Do-Jin, muttering things like, “So he really is a mage...”

“Wow!”

On the other hand, Jenny and Sophie were positively wide-eyed with excitement. Their faces lit up, and Sophie practically sparkled with amazement. It seemed no matter how big and burly the men were, the mother and daughter had more guts than the lot of them combined.

“Mr. Hanolz, and everyone else, could you step aside for a moment, please?” Do-Jin asked politely.

Still in a daze, Hanolz and the other men shuffled out of the way, their heads swiveling back and forth between Do-Jin and the floating firewood like mesmerized spectators at a tennis match. The sight of these bear-like men standing in a row, their eyes tracking the logs as they floated into the storage building, was almost comical.

Looks like my Psychokinesis has gotten a lot stronger since I leveled up, Do-Jin thought, noting how easily he could move such a heavy load now. Back in the day, he wouldn’t have been able to lift anything near this weight.

Under his control, the firewood neatly arranged itself inside the storage building, stacking itself perfectly against the walls. The men, who had braced themselves for a tough, sweaty task, now found themselves staring dumbfounded at an empty wagon.

“Whoa! That was amazing! I’ve never seen anything like that before!” Sophie clapped wildly, grinning from ear to ear.

“Th-that was incredible... I’ve only ever heard stories about things flying through the air like that,” Jenny said, just as awestruck as her daughter.

In a quiet, remote village like this, where magic was the stuff of myths and legends, even a simple display of psychokinesis was enough to leave everyone speechless.

“Th-thank you so much, Mr. Mage,” one of the men finally stammered, bowing his head.

The others quickly followed suit, their expressions a mix of awe and lingering fear. Do-Jin gave them a polite nod in return before resuming his walk toward the inn.

“Hah, who would’ve thought that after six months without a single guest, we’d be welcoming someone this special,” said the innkeeper, an elderly man with a kind smile.

The inn was run by an old couple, who greeted Do-Jin with a plate of freshly steamed potatoes.

“Sorry, food’s a bit scarce this time of year. This is all we have to offer,” the old woman said apologetically.

“Grandma Laura, I’m hungry too!” Sophie chirped, already reaching for the plate.

“Sophie!” Jenny snapped, grabbing her daughter’s hand before she could snatch a potato.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We’ll give Sophie her own plate. There’s plenty to go around,” Laura said with a warm laugh.

“It’s okay. I’ll take her home and feed her there,” Jenny said quickly, trying to smooth over the moment.

“Oh, nonsense,” Laura replied with a wave of her hand. “It’s just the two of us old folks in the house. We barely eat a thing these days anyway.”

Listening to the conversation around him, Do-Jin couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth. This was clearly a village of kind-hearted people, even if they didn’t have much to their name.

“You don’t need to bring out any more potatoes, ma’am,” Do-Jin said, gently stopping the elderly woman as she tried to head to the kitchen. Instead, he reached into his inventory, though he pretended to pull the items from inside his robe to avoid unnecessary questions.

The food he laid out was nothing special by his standards. It was cheap jerky and bread, the kind every adventurer carried for the sole purpose of not starving. But to these villagers, just the sight of meat was enough to make their eyes widen.

Sophie’s reaction was proof enough. Her eyes went as wide as saucers, and though she’d been quick to grab a potato earlier, she hesitated before reaching for the jerky. It was clear she thought it was something precious, too good to take without care.

“I have a habit of stocking up on plenty of food before traveling,” Do-Jin said casually. “There’s more than enough to share, so why don’t we all enjoy it together? You can call Hanolz to join us, too. Oh, and would it be alright if I borrowed the kitchen for a bit?”

“The kitchen? What for...?” Jenny asked, a bit confused.

“I figured I’d whip up something a little tastier... Sophie, want to see some magic?”

At the mention of magic, Sophie’s head whipped around so fast it was a wonder she didn’t strain her neck. She nodded so enthusiastically it looked like her head might fall off.

“Come along then,” he said with a faint smile.

He led Sophie to the kitchen, where he started a fire with magic. Unlike a regular flame, a magical one could be adjusted with pinpoint precision, making it perfect for cooking.

It wasn’t a complicated recipe, just a stew made with jerky, potatoes, milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Thanks to his experience cooking in hunting zones, however, the aroma alone was mouthwatering. Do-Jin, Sophie, and her parents were already gathered around the pot when the old innkeeper couple came over to join them.

Sophie, being the youngest, dug in first. She grabbed a big piece of jerky and potato, stuffed it all into her mouth at once, and immediately started fanning her face as the heat hit her. With teary eyes, she managed to mumble through her full mouth, “Ah thish ish sho good I’veh never had anything like thish before!”

The others followed, each taking a bite and expressing their gratitude to Do-Jin. The rich, hearty stew quickly disappeared as everyone ate with gusto.

***

The mountains turned cold late at night, and most people would think twice before venturing into such an inhospitable place. Yet, in the shadowy depths of Gulak Mountain, a group of about twenty figures moved under the cover of darkness.

“How much farther do we need to go? We’re practically at the wasteland already. If we keep this up, we’ll end up getting caught in the mess ourselves,” grumbled a man in blackened armor, addressing a robed figure beside him.

“Relax,” the mage replied in a cold voice. “Where we’re standing is far enough from the ants’ migration path. Once they respond to the signal and swarm, they’ll pour over the ridge and down into the gorge, heading straight for that village we’re targeting.”

“That’s fine and all, but the plan better not go sideways,” the armored man said doubtfully.

“Worry not. I may not be a great mage, but I’m more than capable of using this finely crafted artifact. As long as your men planted the devices properly, there won’t be any hiccups.”

Their conversation was interrupted by another man who approached from behind with a hardened expression. “And you’re absolutely certain this will turn the area into monster territory?”

The mage responded with a sly grin. “Of course, Baron Lünbern. The creatures in the wasteland may be monsters, but they’re still ants. Once they’ve had a taste of real prey, they’ll expand their territory here without hesitation.”

“Hah! And once that happens, my domain will finally have a proper monster infestation,” the baron said, his tone dripping with greed. “That means royal funding, taxes from the Adventurers’ Guild... I’ll finally start making some real money. And who cares if a few damn herbalists die in the process? Small price to pay, if you ask me.”

With a nasty grin plastered across his face, Baron Lünbern turned his gaze toward the direction of Gulak Village with his eyes gleaming with anticipation.