I Reincarnated as a Mob Villain in a Game World I Had Been Playing~ Using My Knowledge of the Game, I Lived a Carefree Life but for Some Reason I Became Famous Everywhere~ - Chapter 5 - Coincidental Connection

Chapter 5 – Coincidental Connection

“It really looks just like in the game…”

Large fountain at the entrance to the town.

Cobbled, well-maintained roads.

Wooden houses and orange roofs. Colorful walls in pastel colors.

The man was walking through the walled Ardia City, a scene just as he remembers it, and he was talking to himself…

Ah, it’s the same old place…

Visible from where he was, the Treasure Hunters’ Association towered over the center of the city.

When he was playing the game, it was a place he went in and out of every day.

I’d like to look around, but my body is already at its limits… Besides—

The man felt it from the moment he entered the city.

He felt a bunch of unusual stares.

The gazes were not immediately removed, but went from his head to toe.

He would turn to the person as if to say, “W-What is it?”and they would turn away, as if they knew they were not supposed to make eye contact with the man.

Maybe I stand out because my equipment is rare…? But there should be plenty of people wearing armor if you go to the central area…

In order to send those three girls home safely, the man put on this equipment that he found in the treehouse in order to increase his fighting power as much as possible, but it was not a good idea to draw this much attention. 

“Hah… I should hurry up and go to an inn…”

The man checked his money by tapping his money bag and walked toward the northwest where the inns were supposed to be lined up. 

That’s when it happened.

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

“!?!?”

Just as he heard a voice of excitement, a small impact was felt on one of his legs.

Reflexively, he lowered his head and somehow found a girl hugging his right leg. It was a girl he didn’t know.

“Huh?”

He looked around but didn’t see anyone who looked like a parent.

W-What’s going on…

The man was clearly confused, but his face was hidden by his armor, so it went unnoticed.

That’s why he appeared calm and composed.

“Onii-chan! Treasure-hunter-san!”

“U-Umm… Yes, that should be right. Yeah…”

The tongue-tied man answered and the girl’s eyes sparkled.

The man was not actually a treasure hunter or anything, he was just wearing protective armor. But he admitted so as not to appear as a weirdo.

Another part of him was afraid of the girl’s reaction if he didn’t answer like she expected.

“I knew it! Papa used to be a treasure-hunter too!”

“I-I see…”

“I heard he was famous!”

“Ooh…”

“But hey! Even now! He’s working there! Mama’s working there too!”

“T-That’s great!”

The girl pointed at the towering building in the center—The Treasure Hunters’ Association.

Naturally, the man was troubled when he was told this.

He looked around again while giving a curt reply, but still couldn’t find anyone who looked like a parent.

One thing that he noticed instead,

It was the pale faces of the residents who were watching this exchange.

No, I wouldn’t get angry just because of this!

The fact that the residents couldn’t see the man’s face made it difficult to read his emotions.

In addition, because the man was armed, there was a sense of “it would be bad to offend him.”

The man’s tired body was being pushed harder and harder, making him even more tired.

“Hey! Onii-chan, carry me!”

“……”

Unaware of the situation, the girl stretched out her tiny arms and made a sudden request.

“Carry me!”

“Yes, yes…”

With both parents working for the Treasure Hunters’ Association, the man wondered if the girl would often ask to be carried from their peers.

The girl’s request to be carried was fulfilled and she finally succeeded in taking control of the conversation.

“Your Mama or Papa… Where are they?”

“There!”

The girl next pointed to one woman shopping at a stall.

It was no surprise that the little girl had moved on her own when her mother took her eyes off her for a moment.

The man headed towards the mother with the girl in his arms.

“Um, excuse me. Your child is…”

“Hiiii! …Eh!?”

The mother was suddenly approached by a person wearing protective gear, she looked surprised at first, but immediately recognized the child in his arms.

“Mama! Onii-chan carried me!”

“When did you leave… And come on now! How many times have I told you not to leave!”

“But!”

“Get off! You’re bothering this person! I’m so sorry for this!”

“It’s fine.”

The man gave a small shake of his head in response to the apology and put the girl down. 

“Listen, you have to listen to your Mama.”

“Yes~”

The man said to the girl as he bent his knees and made eye contact with her, but she returned his words lightly. 

The child definitely didn’t seem to understand, but perhaps it’s better for children to be a bit mischievous.

“Thank you very much for your help. I’ve tried to be very careful, but she still left my sight.”

“Well… Nothing happened.”

“Mama, cheer up.”

The man was not a very good talker, but the girl interjected to cover it up. It was not just his imagination that he was getting on the mother’s nerves.

“…Well then, I have things to do.”

“W-Wait! At least tell me your name! You’re a treasure hunter, aren’t you!?”

“My name… Ah, don’t worry, I didn’t do much. I’ll get going now.”

“Bye-bye, Onii-chan! Thanks for carrying me!”

“Y-Yeah.”

The girl waved broadly, and the man lightly waved back before leaving the place.

Thinking about it, I’ve never told anyone my name… I wonder if I should use my real name or just make up some random name…

The man, who couldn’t answer the question because he had not decided on that point, racked his brains as he headed for the inn.

—At the same time.

Information about the man in jet-black equipment was just delivered to the head of the city’s Treasure Hunters’ Association.