"No."

Thud.

"Do you dislike it that much?"

Nod, nod.

The pink-haired girl nodded with a sullen expression.

The man scratched his cheek awkwardly as he looked down at her.

"I think it's a pretty name. It suits you, especially since you’re cute and your voice is lovely, don’t you think?"

"...Still, I don’t like it."

"Hmm... How about this, then? We’ll call you something else for now, and when you're ready, we’ll use your real name."

"...Okay."

"What name should we choose... Oh, I know!"

The man grinned widely.

"Kana. From now on, your name will be Kana!"

"...That’s so simple."

"Ack."

"Still, thank you."

The girl smiled, a rare sight.

A foolish girl.

Another way to describe her would be a clueless girl.

Despite the rumors of a killer living in the mountains, she foolishly entered and couldn’t even defeat a simple Cocatris, trembling in fear.

And then, out of gratitude for being saved, she kept bringing food for over a week.

Looking at Journey, who climbed the mountain repeatedly without even knowing how to properly hold a sword, I couldn’t help but think of her as the most foolish person I had ever seen.

Did she not even consider the possibility of running into another monster?

She was, without a doubt, the most foolish person I had ever encountered.

...

Come to think of it, there was Garid.

Correction.

She was the second most foolish person I had ever met.

The greatest fool I know is Garid.

Anyway, who in their right mind would keep climbing a mountain that nearly killed them, just to express gratitude?

Even if she wasn't a devotee, it still didn’t make sense, and even if she were, it still wouldn’t.

If she wasn’t a devotee, she’d be throwing away the life she barely saved, and if she were, there’s no reason to feel so grateful that she’d go through this much trouble.

Of course, there might be some ulterior motive behind her actions.

But I didn’t suspect her.

To be more precise, there was no reason to.

After all the things I’ve been through, I’ve become extremely sensitive to hostility directed at me, and I could feel none coming from Journey.

Even if there were any, I was confident I could handle it.

Not even the mad snake of the empire could easily harm me, so why would I fall to someone as clueless and weak as her?

And if she really was strong enough to deceive my senses, it wouldn’t matter whether I was on guard or not.

If someone was stronger than me, I’d die either way.

Besides, if she were that strong, there’d be no need for her to pretend to be weak.

Alright, enough about Journey for now; let's switch topics.

From my perspective, I don’t have much patience.

‘No, that’s not it. It’s more accurate to say I lack patience.’

Saying I don’t have much patience might leave room for interpretation, but saying I lack it leaves no room for misinterpretation.

If someone handed me a marshmallow and said, ‘If you don’t eat this until tomorrow, I’ll give you two more,’ I’d eat it before they even finished talking.

Maybe it’s because of my childhood experiences right after my reincarnation… but does it even matter why?

I don’t regret my lack of patience, so what’s the point in overthinking it?

They say if a righteous person can’t endure injustice, they become a hero, and if an evil person can’t endure their desires, they become a villain.

But since I harbor neither justice nor malice, I could neither be a hero nor a villain. I was a person stuck somewhere in the middle.

And lacking patience tends to align with being impulsive.

When the last thread that held me together snapped, I fell away like a leaf from a tree and vowed to myself:

Never again would I get involved with anyone.

‘Wait a minute!’

Despite making that vow, why did I save her over something as trivial as Grannic?

I truly am an impulsive and impatient person, aren’t I?

I saved Journey, let her bother me every day, taught her how to wield a sword and speak Grannic, and even told her my name.

Not a single one of those actions wasn’t impulsive.

Sigh.

Even though it’s been a while, I can still feel the lingering spicy aftertaste on the tip of my tongue.

Why does such food even exist? No, can this even be called food?

What Journey brought today could be described as fried rice, but I read it as pure malice.

Could you even survive eating this?

The burning sensation hitting my head felt like it was questioning me.

"Pfft..."

Even I found it absurd and let out a small, empty laugh.

The artificial spicy flavor was filled with an overwhelming mix of ingredients I had never experienced in Silia.

For some reason, this odd concoction brought back vague memories of something nostalgic.

"Journey, apostles, Edel…"

Tap. Tap.

I absentmindedly tapped the scabbard on my hip with my fingers, deep in thought.

The blacksmith had once told me that Edel had brought people from the continent beyond the eastern sea and bestowed his blessings upon them.

Apostles suddenly appeared one day, filled with divine powers.

This food, which I had never tasted before, was loaded with flavors that stirred faint memories.

Tap, tap.

"What are you up to, Edel?"

I looked up at the sky, asking the question like I used to.

The sky was as clear as ever, and the gods remained silent as always.

"Sedes Holy Kingdom."

The heart of the Edel faith and the place where Edel descended. In all of Ardina, it was the most strongly imbued with Edel’s divine power.

If I went there, would I find answers?

Even so, I had no plans to leave the mountain just yet.

I still hadn’t let go of Garid, and that mad snake was still watching with keen eyes.

Maybe when Grassis becomes a faded memory, it will be alright.

No matter what Edel is up to, how could it affect me right now?

Besides, I have my own ways of gathering information, so there’s no need to rush.

I have a reliable food shuttle… no, a source of information who brings food every day.

Even if she’s foolish and clueless, an apostle is still an apostle, so she might know something.

Seeing as how unwanted guests keep showing up, it seems like the apostles have their own network for sharing information.

One thing that concerns me is that I impulsively revealed my name because of nostalgia from my past life…

"I told her not to tell anyone."

Even though those words held about as much weight as a promise sealed with a pinky swear.

But considering it was her, the girl who brought food every day out of gratitude, maybe it’ll be fine.

She’s probably thrilled just because I shared my name, thinking it means we’re close.

Sigh...

I moved to the mountain to live quietly, yet nothing seems easy.

Why does something always happen?

Maybe I’m just not meant to live peacefully…