Scum-lesse Oblige, I Have Been Reincarnated as a Scum Villain in an 18+ Game World, and I Absolutely Want to Grasp the Mob Life with the Power of My Knowledge of the Original Story - Chapter 23

Banquet

Matthew’s POV

“An adventurer…”

“Well, to be precise, I’m a ‘former’ adventurer.”

After finding out what the suspicious man is, Matthew feels even more intimidated.

—adventurer.

Certainly, he can be helpful.

However, he is someone I can never let my guard down against.

“What is it do you want…? Is it money?”

Matthew asked hesitantly.

I’ve heard rumours about it.

Adventurers are those who demands enormous rewards for their services.

They are completely different people compared to knights whose main purpose is to maintain public order.

The contract between an adventurer and a client is strictly one-on-one.

No matter how outrageous the demands may be, there are cases where one has no choice but to accept them. Especially for a mere villager like me, who is currently in dire straits, I am bound to be taken advantage of.

Matthew’s expression darkens.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

The suspicious man chuckles as he says so.

“Of course I’ll take all the money I can get my hands on…”

‘Ah, I knew it.’

Matthew thought so to himself.

At first glance, this man seems incredibly greedy.

He also seems to be short of money.

The only question remains here is whether the money in the village would be enough for his service…

—however,

“…ah, wait a moment.”

The suspicious man happy face suddenly turns sour.

“My bad, I just said so out of my bad habit, but Genesis told me not to take any money from the villagers…ugh, it’s such a hassle.”

He said so with a subtle expression on his face.

“Eh…???”

I don’t know for sure, but it seems like this man somehow obeys this someone or something called ‘Genesis’.

“Umm, well, I don’t quite understand the situation…but you don’t want any money??”

“Yeah, that’s right kid. It’s quite a complicated situation.”

The man answers with a sigh.

“S-So then, what is it do you want…!?”

Asking so, Matthew’s face darkens once again.

He doesn’t want any money?

It’s just too good to be true.

On the contrary, what kind of unreasonable demand will be made?

Is it something like turning all the villagers into slaves?

Certainly, looking at the man in front of him who is grinning mischievously, Matthew feels a suspicious atmosphere that suggests such outrageous demands might be made.

‘I’m sorry, Mom, Dad…Haven village will come to an end because of me…’

Matthew says so in his heart.

“Just do whatever you want, kid.”

“Huh?”

What does he mean by that?

Matthew can’t help but to ask again.

“…umm. I know! Just have a banquet!”

“…eh, a banquet?”

Matthew can’t help but to be bewildered upon hearing his response.

No matter how you look at it, it makes no sense at all.

A banquet?

At the village? In this kind of situation?

Or perhaps, does he mean if we successfully repel the thieves and bandits, we should have a banquet in the village?

“Eh, sure. If you don’t mind having a banquet in our small village, but…it doesn’t sound like a reward at all.”

“Shut up kid!”

The suspicious man cracks his neck as if to intimidate me.

However, even Matthew, who rarely goes out of the village, came to understand…

This person is not a bad person at all.

“What’s wrong with a banquet!? Why am I doing this kind of free labour in the first place? Grrr…”

The man grunts as he complains so.

Matthew can’t comprehend the unfolding situation in front of him.

He is at a loss for words.

A mysterious man who insisted that he doesn’t want any money, but just have a banquet in the village when it’s all over…

Why is he willing to risk his life for a banquet in our small village?

Matthew can’t help but to wonder so.

Then, after seemingly regained his composure, the man calls out to Matthew.

“Hey, kid.”

“Y-Yes!!”

“Hurry up, tell me the direction of the village.”

With that the man starts running.

Matthew follows the man as best as he can.

To be honest, the rational part of Matthew’s mind says there’s no way that there’s such a good deal.

While following the man, Matthew desperately asks,

“A-Adventurer-san…will the village be saved?”

“Hmph. Are you stupid, kid?”

The man laughs as if mocking him.

Suspicious appearance, harsh words.

No matter how you look at him, there is no way this person is a hero.

He is just a mere wanderer.

—however,

“Have you thought about the menu for the banquet?”

For some reason, Matthew feels the presence of a hero when he looks on his back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haven Village.

A peaceful village near Lyon, supposed to be free of any monster attacks.

However, Haven Village is in a terrible situation right now.

Burning houses.

Fallen men.

The group who did all this is staring at the gathered villagers in the centre of the village with cold, emotionless eyes.

It’s obvious what they’re about to do.

They brandish their swords.

“……!!!”

The villagers despaired at the fate about to befall them.

Even if the hero Rain and the knight order rush into the scene, it’s unlikely that they are able to save most of the villagers.

Then in the end, the nobles took all the blame of this incident.

That is what supposed to happen in the story.

However—

Just as the swords about to strike the villagers, at that moment, a cheerful and thoughtless voice can be heard throughout the village.

“Oh, you guys are at it, huh?”

All eyes in the village turn toward the source of the voice.

Peering into the darkness, there emerges a man with a scruffy appearance, casually swinging a sword.

“……!!!”

The black robed men, as well as the villagers, are all speechless.

Everyone in the village has the same thought.

‘Who on earth is this guy?’

The suspicious man walks into the centre of the village as if he owns the place.

“So, shall we get started?”

The man chuckles.

Author’s Note:

Enrique

→ Forbidden by Genesis to accept any money from the villagers (to avoid attracting attention), Enrique, a former S-rank adventurer, desperately racks his brain. As a result, he blurts out the astonishing words, ‘Just have a banquet!’ fearing it might affect his former S-rank reputation if he helps for free.

Matthew

→ Expecting some outrageous demands from the suspicious former adventurer, Matthew is left bewildered by Enrique’s words, ‘Just have a banquet!’