The rumors started from the security guards.
Sometimes, the security guards were provided with cheap liquor as rations.
While drinking and chatting carelessly, others happened to overhear their conversations.
At first, people didn’t easily believe it.
That was natural.
The rumor was that I, Hans, had hunted Blade Wolves.
Not just anyone, but that ugly Hans had hunted them?
It was only natural for such words to come out.
In the refugee camp, the Time Stop Breeding Uncle’s image was the worst.
Putting aside his appearance, his actions were detestable.
While everyone else was working hard, he alone was playing and eating.
Naturally, his image couldn’t be anything but the worst.
So people didn’t really like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.
Some even argued to kick him out altogether.
Fortunately, that argument wasn’t accepted.
Anyway, with that in mind, the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, Hans, who had fallen to rock bottom, exterminated the Blade Wolves? Who would believe that?
Even I wouldn’t have believed it.
If there was no substance to it, the rumors would have quickly been buried.
And I would have rather hoped for that.
But the next day, the security forces officially announced that I had exterminated them.
“We have succeeded in exterminating 7 Blade Wolves.”
“What? Blade Wolves really came?!”
“Then those rumors were true…?!”
The security forces blatantly confirmed it.
They even retrieved the Blade Wolves’ corpses and had them stuffed.
Naturally, people had no choice but to believe the rumors.
That was the problem.
The rumors started to snowball out of control.
In fact, he was a famous knight in the past. A swordsman who started living in seclusion for some reason. And other various rumors were circulating.
So in the end, unable to endure it, I ran away.
I had misjudged.
In the game, Blade Wolves weren’t such formidable opponents.
Like hunting small fry, I quickly dealt with them in front of everyone, and that was the problem.
Because, in this world, Blade Wolves were a fear-inducing existence beyond human comprehension.
While it was true that the danger level of Blade Wolves were among the lower-tier monsters.
That was only limited to places like the capital city, where there were elite knights and good defenses.
In a place with poor conditions like the refugee camp, Blade Wolves were a disaster.
“I was too short-sighted. Damn it.”
I sat at the base of a tree, wiping away my sweat.
In front of me now, firewood was scattered on the ground.
I had run away outside under the pretense of chopping wood.
It wasn’t a very good situation.
Putting aside the attention from people, I ended up having to do something beyond my abilities.
Of course, with the time stop ability, I wouldn’t die.
But relying solely on time stop was too grim, even for this gloomy world.
So in order to survive somehow and to return to my original world, I was building up my strength.
But somehow, I ended up receiving too much praise.
For example, like a sword saint who could kill all monsters with a single draw of the sword.
Who the hell was that? It definitely wasn’t me.
“Haa… I guess this is enough.”
Before I knew it, the sun was setting. I slowly got up from my spot.
After fleeing into the forest, I had trained here and also chopped wood to make firewood.
I had said it as an excuse to run away, but in fact, I did need firewood.
Firewood was excellent fuel. Especially with winter approaching, it was no exaggeration to say that firewood was a lifeline.
However, to chop wood, I eventually had to go outside.
Naturally, going outside the palisade of the refugee camp was very dangerous.
If an ordinary person encountered a monster, nine times out of ten, they would lose their life.
“I made way more firewood than I thought.”
But a problem arose.
There was too much firewood. I had chopped too much wood to pass the time.
It wasn’t an exaggeration; I had piled up firewood on the jig like a mountain.
I didn’t expect to make this much. But I couldn’t throw it away either.
Even on a regular basis, the fuel consumption was no joke. When winter approached, even more would be used.
“Phew… There’s no other way.”
I had no choice but to use my ability.
Soon, with me at the center, the colors around me began to disappear.
In the world dyed gray, I was the only one who could move.
After confirming that time had stopped, I immediately shouldered the jig.
It was much heavier than I thought, but I could somehow endure it.
If I returned with this firewood, I could rest a bit.
In fact, even lumberjacks don’t chop this much firewood. Because if they were attacked on the way back, it would be the end.
So they tried to make firewood as quickly and in small quantities as possible before returning.
But I couldn’t blame them.
To ordinary people, monsters were no different from the grim reaper.
But it didn’t really matter to me. Because I had the time stop ability.
“Huff, huff.”
Originally, I didn’t intend to use it. Because monsters could invade again like last time.
If the cooldown was active then, it could really be dangerous. I thought that way.
But I couldn’t give up the firewood in front of me. Because each and every one of them was currency.
In the current refugee camp, bartering was the main method of trade.
Food that could be eaten right away or things that could be used were more important than money.
Especially with winter approaching, the value of firewood had become much more expensive than I thought.
“I finally arrived.”
Even though it was a distance that would take less than 20 minutes at an ordinary pace, because the firewood was so heavy, it took over an hour.
I exhaled roughly. But I felt a sense of pride inside.
From chopping wood to moving this much firewood all the way here.
With this, I must have lost some weight.
As I thought that, I immediately released the time stop.
And as soon as I entered the village entrance, I was called by the security guards guarding the entrance.
To be more precise, the security commander Andrew urgently looked for me.
“Commander was looking for me?”
“Yes, it’s an urgent matter. He said to call you right away if I saw you.”
“…I have a really bad feeling about this.”
And that feeling became reality.
There was a nearby refugee village called Setia that played the role of a leader.
But suddenly, contact with them had been cut off 3 days ago, the commander said.
“So we have no choice but to send a search party.”
“I see, but what does that have to do with me…?”
“I’d like you to lead that search party.”
“???”
I was definitely screwed.
Me, the commander of the search party?! What the hell was that?! Of course, I tried to refuse, but I couldn’t.
Because everyone was looking at me!
“I’m sorry. But there’s no one else who can take on this role besides you.”
“Why would I take on such an important position…?”
“Because you’re a sword saint, aren’t you?”
That wasn’t me!!! I never expected to be praised to this extent.
Honestly, it was a bit unfair. But I understood.
If I were the commander, I would have entrusted such an important role to someone like me.
Damn it, now that it had come to this, I could only hope that nothing had happened to that place called Setia.
* * *
Refugees were people who had lost their hometowns, territories, or even countries where they lived.
They chose to stick together in order to survive.
It wasn’t a bad choice.
If they stuck together, they could somehow endure. And thanks to that characteristic, she could easily have a meal.
With a sizzling sound, blood and numerous pieces of flesh splattered around.
Not even caring about the darkness that had descended like pitch black, blood splattered on her shining golden hair.
However, she had horns on her head, and her eyes were as black as the night.
Even a fool could tell that she wasn’t human.
She sighed and put what she was holding in her mouth.
With a crunching sound, blood burst out.
“Please, please stop!!!”
“Mmm~ Yeah. This is the taste.”
The middle-aged man seemed to be the father of this little one.
Tears of blood were flowing from his eyes.
The powerlessness of not being able to protect his own child.
And the fiercely burning hatred.
It was truly the best seasoning.
When she finally put the head in her mouth, the man had already lost his mind.
Only a beast consumed by hatred remained.
The girl even licked the blood off her fingers, leaving nothing behind.
“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you! I’ll bet everything I have!!!”
“I really wanted to eat you too. But I hate old meat.”
“Wh-what did you say…?!”
“I’m really sorry. I wanted to let you meet your child directly in my stomach.”
“Aaargh!!!”
The girl smiled and raised her hand.
Then, the Blade Wolf that had been waiting nearby, drooling, moved.
It was a wolf three times larger than a typical Blade Wolf.
“C-curse you! You cannibal!!!”
Just before being completely eaten, the man shed tears of blood and spat out a curse.
The girl smiled, lightly grasped the hem of her black dress, bowed her head, and replied,
“If you must, please call me Gourmet Anieta.”
She devoured children in front of their parents.
Slowly roasted people’s beloved lovers in front of their eyes.
And after having served and eaten thousands of dishes, the name people called her was
Gourmet Anieta.
The rumors started from the security guards.
Sometimes, the security guards were provided with cheap liquor as rations.
While drinking and chatting carelessly, others happened to overhear their conversations.
At first, people didn’t easily believe it.
That was natural.
The rumor was that I, Hans, had hunted Blade Wolves.
Not just anyone, but that ugly Hans had hunted them?
It was only natural for such words to come out.
In the refugee camp, the Time Stop Breeding Uncle’s image was the worst.
Putting aside his appearance, his actions were detestable.
While everyone else was working hard, he alone was playing and eating.
Naturally, his image couldn’t be anything but the worst.
So people didn’t really like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.
Some even argued to kick him out altogether.
Fortunately, that argument wasn’t accepted.
Anyway, with that in mind, the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, Hans, who had fallen to rock bottom, exterminated the Blade Wolves? Who would believe that?
Even I wouldn’t have believed it.
If there was no substance to it, the rumors would have quickly been buried.
And I would have rather hoped for that.
But the next day, the security forces officially announced that I had exterminated them.
“We have succeeded in exterminating 7 Blade Wolves.”
“What? Blade Wolves really came?!”
“Then those rumors were true…?!”
The security forces blatantly confirmed it.
They even retrieved the Blade Wolves’ corpses and had them stuffed.
Naturally, people had no choice but to believe the rumors.
That was the problem.
The rumors started to snowball out of control.
In fact, he was a famous knight in the past. A swordsman who started living in seclusion for some reason. And other various rumors were circulating.
So in the end, unable to endure it, I ran away.
I had misjudged.
In the game, Blade Wolves weren’t such formidable opponents.
Like hunting small fry, I quickly dealt with them in front of everyone, and that was the problem.
Because, in this world, Blade Wolves were a fear-inducing existence beyond human comprehension.
While it was true that the danger level of Blade Wolves were among the lower-tier monsters.
That was only limited to places like the capital city, where there were elite knights and good defenses.
In a place with poor conditions like the refugee camp, Blade Wolves were a disaster.
“I was too short-sighted. Damn it.”
I sat at the base of a tree, wiping away my sweat.
In front of me now, firewood was scattered on the ground.
I had run away outside under the pretense of chopping wood.
It wasn’t a very good situation.
Putting aside the attention from people, I ended up having to do something beyond my abilities.
Of course, with the time stop ability, I wouldn’t die.
But relying solely on time stop was too grim, even for this gloomy world.
So in order to survive somehow and to return to my original world, I was building up my strength.
But somehow, I ended up receiving too much praise.
For example, like a sword saint who could kill all monsters with a single draw of the sword.
Who the hell was that? It definitely wasn’t me.
“Haa… I guess this is enough.”
Before I knew it, the sun was setting. I slowly got up from my spot.
After fleeing into the forest, I had trained here and also chopped wood to make firewood.
I had said it as an excuse to run away, but in fact, I did need firewood.
Firewood was excellent fuel. Especially with winter approaching, it was no exaggeration to say that firewood was a lifeline.
However, to chop wood, I eventually had to go outside.
Naturally, going outside the palisade of the refugee camp was very dangerous.
If an ordinary person encountered a monster, nine times out of ten, they would lose their life.
“I made way more firewood than I thought.”
But a problem arose.
There was too much firewood. I had chopped too much wood to pass the time.
It wasn’t an exaggeration; I had piled up firewood on the jig like a mountain.
I didn’t expect to make this much. But I couldn’t throw it away either.
Even on a regular basis, the fuel consumption was no joke. When winter approached, even more would be used.
“Phew… There’s no other way.”
I had no choice but to use my ability.
Soon, with me at the center, the colors around me began to disappear.
In the world dyed gray, I was the only one who could move.
After confirming that time had stopped, I immediately shouldered the jig.
It was much heavier than I thought, but I could somehow endure it.
If I returned with this firewood, I could rest a bit.
In fact, even lumberjacks don’t chop this much firewood. Because if they were attacked on the way back, it would be the end.
So they tried to make firewood as quickly and in small quantities as possible before returning.
But I couldn’t blame them.
To ordinary people, monsters were no different from the grim reaper.
But it didn’t really matter to me. Because I had the time stop ability.
“Huff, huff.”
Originally, I didn’t intend to use it. Because monsters could invade again like last time.
If the cooldown was active then, it could really be dangerous. I thought that way.
But I couldn’t give up the firewood in front of me. Because each and every one of them was currency.
In the current refugee camp, bartering was the main method of trade.
Food that could be eaten right away or things that could be used were more important than money.
Especially with winter approaching, the value of firewood had become much more expensive than I thought.
“I finally arrived.”
Even though it was a distance that would take less than 20 minutes at an ordinary pace, because the firewood was so heavy, it took over an hour.
I exhaled roughly. But I felt a sense of pride inside.
From chopping wood to moving this much firewood all the way here.
With this, I must have lost some weight.
As I thought that, I immediately released the time stop.
And as soon as I entered the village entrance, I was called by the security guards guarding the entrance.
To be more precise, the security commander Andrew urgently looked for me.
“Commander was looking for me?”
“Yes, it’s an urgent matter. He said to call you right away if I saw you.”
“…I have a really bad feeling about this.”
And that feeling became reality.
There was a nearby refugee village called Setia that played the role of a leader.
But suddenly, contact with them had been cut off 3 days ago, the commander said.
“So we have no choice but to send a search party.”
“I see, but what does that have to do with me…?”
“I’d like you to lead that search party.”
“???”
I was definitely screwed.
Me, the commander of the search party?! What the hell was that?! Of course, I tried to refuse, but I couldn’t.
Because everyone was looking at me!
“I’m sorry. But there’s no one else who can take on this role besides you.”
“Why would I take on such an important position…?”
“Because you’re a sword saint, aren’t you?”
That wasn’t me!!! I never expected to be praised to this extent.
Honestly, it was a bit unfair. But I understood.
If I were the commander, I would have entrusted such an important role to someone like me.
Damn it, now that it had come to this, I could only hope that nothing had happened to that place called Setia.
* * *
Refugees were people who had lost their hometowns, territories, or even countries where they lived.
They chose to stick together in order to survive.
It wasn’t a bad choice.
If they stuck together, they could somehow endure. And thanks to that characteristic, she could easily have a meal.
With a sizzling sound, blood and numerous pieces of flesh splattered around.
Not even caring about the darkness that had descended like pitch black, blood splattered on her shining golden hair.
However, she had horns on her head, and her eyes were as black as the night.
Even a fool could tell that she wasn’t human.
She sighed and put what she was holding in her mouth.
With a crunching sound, blood burst out.
“Please, please stop!!!”
“Mmm~ Yeah. This is the taste.”
The middle-aged man seemed to be the father of this little one.
Tears of blood were flowing from his eyes.
The powerlessness of not being able to protect his own child.
And the fiercely burning hatred.
It was truly the best seasoning.
When she finally put the head in her mouth, the man had already lost his mind.
Only a beast consumed by hatred remained.
The girl even licked the blood off her fingers, leaving nothing behind.
“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you! I’ll bet everything I have!!!”
“I really wanted to eat you too. But I hate old meat.”
“Wh-what did you say…?!”
“I’m really sorry. I wanted to let you meet your child directly in my stomach.”
“Aaargh!!!”
The girl smiled and raised her hand.
Then, the Blade Wolf that had been waiting nearby, drooling, moved.
It was a wolf three times larger than a typical Blade Wolf.
“C-curse you! You cannibal!!!”
Just before being completely eaten, the man shed tears of blood and spat out a curse.
The girl smiled, lightly grasped the hem of her black dress, bowed her head, and replied,
“If you must, please call me Gourmet Anieta.”
She devoured children in front of their parents.
Slowly roasted people’s beloved lovers in front of their eyes.
And after having served and eaten thousands of dishes, the name people called her was
Gourmet Anieta.
