Chapter 69

Rio and Shiraha, with their bodies barely able to move, fled into the inn. They placed their luggage in the room and went down to the first-floor dining hall.

It was still early for dinner, but the dining hall was already full of people.

"Ah, the favorite of Sufan."

"Thank you, thank you."

"Ah, the jealousy of Sufan."

"Interesting, interesting."

Was it a joke, or was it serious?

The news that Shiraha had been recognized by Sufan spread throughout the town in an instant, as there were many witnesses.

Sufan, a deity who had been an object of worship, had shown interest in a human for the first time in history by crossing the boundary fence. As a result, people revered Shiraha like a priestess. Moreover, Shiraha was a strikingly beautiful girl. Just being with Sufan made her look like a painting.

On the other hand, Rio, who had been blown away by Sufan, became the first object of jealousy in history and was found amusing. Moreover, despite being small and not particularly strong, Rio had managed to take a defensive stance after being hit by Sufan. If he were jokingly raised to the level of a love rival on equal footing with Sufan, it would add just the right spice to the story.

It had never been possible for Sufan to recognize individuals before.

Sufan, who had lived in this land from the beginning and never left the territory, had not seemed to care even when people gathered and built a town around him.

Naturally, people's interest was drawn to Shiraha, who had suddenly shown interest and affection from Sufan, and to Rio, who had been blown away outside the territory. As a result, the dining hall was full of tourists and townspeople who had come to catch a glimpse of Rio and Shiraha.

The innkeeper, who saw Rio and Shiraha, guided them to a table at the back.

It was a clever move to attract customers, as the table was visible from anywhere in the store but not from outside. For Rio, it was a relief to be observed from one direction rather than from all directions.

After handing the menu to Shiraha, Rio glanced around the dining hall.

The ratio of residents to tourists was probably about seven to three. A few skilled guards, as evidenced by their posture and movements, were sitting near Rio and Shiraha's table. They were in civilian clothes but seemed to be there to protect the center of the commotion, Rio and Shiraha.

"I like the vegetable-heavy menu..."

Shiraha murmured without seeming to mind the attention. When he looked at the menu, it was indeed vegetable-heavy, with grilled seasonal vegetables and cheese fondue with extra vegetables. With its vast farmland, the town offered a wide variety of vegetables at low prices. Being close to the border towns of Rihelan and San Ankumay, it also had a rich selection of game, mountain vegetables, and mushrooms.

As a tourist destination, the town had a lot of people coming and going, and the cooking methods were diverse. From the conversations in the dining hall, the food seemed to be good as well.

Rio regretted that he couldn't enjoy it because of all the attention. A young woman from the inn, who had apparently come to help with the sudden influx of customers, came to take their order.

"You don't have to pay, so order whatever you like."

"Really?"

"In this situation, I can't even charge you."

The young woman smiled apologetically, apparently sympathizing with Rio and Shiraha, who had become a draw for customers.

Deciding to make the most of the situation, Rio, driven by his frugal nature, looked over the menu again and placed an order.

As soon as he finished ordering, the customers, who had been waiting, started to call out to them.

"Are you here on a trip? You're lucky."

"What was it like to be touched by Sufan-sama?"

Most of the questions were directed at Shiraha, but she only responded with "Yes," "No," or "Hmm."

There was no real conversation, and the occasional pick-up attempts were immediately dismissed without recognition.

To avoid drawing attention, Shiraha's responses were appropriate. However, her aloof attitude overlapped with Sufan's, and she was even more favorably received as a priestess of Sufan.

While answering the questions casually, Rio, thinking that they should leave town tomorrow, was drawn to a comment from a guard in civilian clothes.

"Is it the pioneer village of the Rozzius barony? I remember a guy named Karil came to break the dojo here. I don't know if it's the same village, though."

"Karil?"

Rio was surprised to hear the name. He knew that Karil, during his adventurer days, had repeatedly broken dojos, but he never expected to meet a victim.

The guard, who also seemed surprised, apparently didn't think it was the same village.

"Hey, really the same village? How is he now?"

"He's back in the village. My sword technique was also developed with Karil."

"Self-taught sword technique? I see, so that's how it turned out. Well, to be honest, he wasn't very talented."

The guard said this not out of malice but with a sense of nostalgia.

Curious, Rio asked the guard a question.

"What style of dojo is it?"

"The Miroto style. You've probably heard of it, right?"

The Miroto style, a school that focuses on the efficient use of body enhancement.

It is widely practiced as a guard's sword technique but is also known as the "fallen knight" style. This name comes from the fact that those who lacked the magic power or physical build to become knights were hired as guards and learned this style.

Like a guard's sword technique, it also incorporates techniques for capturing criminals, but its most distinctive feature is the concept of "five-point enhancement," which is not found in other styles.

This concept aims to efficiently enhance the various elements of body enhancement—healing, burst, endurance, rigidity, and flexibility—using minimal magic power.

When Rio heard the explanation from Karil, he thought it might be the most suitable style for him. However, he had given up because the Miroto style required a high limit for body enhancement strength.

However, over-activation of body enhancement is crucial for magic cutting. The Miroto style, which focuses on body enhancement itself, was of great interest to Rio.

"Can I visit?"

"Visit? Not to break the dojo?"

Rio smiled wryly at the guard's surprised expression.

"I'm not Karil."

"Come to break the dojo if you can. The master who lost to Karil is still at the dojo."

Rio couldn't help but laugh at the strange idea of a student inviting a dojo breaker, but he was also interested in the master who had defeated Karil.

He was very curious to see how far his self-taught sword technique would go.

"Alright, I'll visit tomorrow."

Completely forgetting about leaving town, Rio agreed to break the dojo.