Here’s the English translation of the provided novel text, adhering strictly to the given glossary:
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Episode 46: A Small Night
046 – A Small Night #1
While carrying the crocodile leather sandals I planned to give to Luna, I found myself lost in thought.
For instance—when and how should I give them to her? What should I say when handing them over? And would Luna even like them?
It had been so long since I last gave someone a gift that the act felt awkward. Part of me wondered if I was even doing the right thing.
Would Luna actually like them?
In the world I came from, not many women disliked products made from crocodile leather. But who knew how things worked here? What if she got angry because I used such valuable leather for mere sandals?
I hadn’t expected any of this.
Drip—drip—
But I definitely hadn’t expected her to cry.
…Huh? Why is she crying?
For some reason, my chest tightened as if I’d done something terrible.
“Hey, why are you crying all of a sudden?”
“No, it’s just… strange. I’m so happy that the tears just came out. Hassan, do you know what it means to gift someone shoes…?”
“There’s meaning behind it? I just prepared them on a whim…”
“Ah… I see. Well, you don’t need to know. More importantly, they’re really pretty!”
Luna used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. At least I could tell she wasn’t crying out of sadness or anger, so I felt somewhat relieved.
“Hassan, this is the first time I’ve ever received a gift like this…! But a gift… I-I don’t have anything to give you in return…”
“What do you mean? Just make a bunch of Eyes for me later.”
“E-Eyes?!”
“Whoa, why are you so shocked? I’m talking about the Moai—you know, those totems.”
The bizarre stone statues Luna crafted consumed 100 points of Achievements but could permanently increase stats like Strength or Agility by 1.
Raising stats through normal training would take months, if not years. Compared to that, Luna’s method was practically a cheat.
“T-Totems… Yeah, Moai…! I’ll make lots for you! This expedition stacked up plenty of Karma in me. Anyway, thank you, Hassan! I love these so much I don’t even want to wear them!”
She then rubbed the sandals against her face and sniffed them eagerly. Seeing her like that made me feel oddly proud.
“How are you supposed to wear them if you don’t even want to?”
“Just use them comfortably. Once we make more money, you can buy even nicer ones for yourself.”
“I’ll take great care of them!”
Gifts were funny—when the recipient reacted this happily, it actually made the giver feel even better.
Now I understood why couples back on Earth spent so much money on anniversaries and events.
“Crocodile leather… the smell of the swamp. It smells like Ideope…”
Luna kept sniffing the leather until the food and drinks arrived, wearing an oddly nostalgic expression.
Now that I thought about it, she was also living far from her homeland, wasn’t she? Maybe the scent of the swamp in the leather triggered her homesickness.
For a second, I worried I’d accidentally stirred painful emotions, but she didn’t seem particularly sad, so I let it go.
“Sir Samaritan! Here’s your order—roast Kkoong! I grilled it to perfection. This dish is my specialty—grilling is all it takes.”
“Wait, Kkoong? Not pheasant?”
“What else would it be?”
Oh. I thought it was just a typo on the menu, but apparently, Kkoong was the actual name. d*mn, what kind of bird even is that?
“Wow, you two look even sharper than the last time I saw you.”
The Tavern Owner set our dishes down and made small talk, something he often did with me.
I wasn’t sure if he was just friendly or nosy, but right now—happy and flush with cash—I didn’t mind.
“New clothes, huh? Is that crocodile leather? Must be nice making bank as Adventurers. Though, it’s only fair—it’s not like anyone would risk their life otherwise. Oh, and this is on the house.”
Clink—
He placed a dish of something hard on the table—ice, irregularly shaped and frozen solid.
“This is just for you. Keep it hush-hush—other customers throw fits when they find out they didn’t get any.”
Holy cr*p, free ice?
In a world without refrigerators, ice was a luxury you had to pay for. Unless you were chilling drinks, it had little practical use—just a splurge in a world where filling your stomach was already a triumph.
There was enough to fill a bowl—probably ten coppers’ worth.
“H-Hassan! H-he said it’s free! Ice!”
Luna was already fidgeting, excited at the thought of dropping ice into her lukewarm drink. The Tavern Owner smiled proudly.
“A few days ago, a mage stopped by—real big spender. Didn’t even need an incantation to work ice magic like it was nothing. Anyway, there’s something I’d like to ask you privately, Sir Samaritan…”
Ah, so that’s why the freebie. A bribe of sorts.
“What kind of request? If it’s a job, you should file it through the Guild.”
Personal requests and Guild contracts were different.
Personal requests skipped the middleman, meaning no fees or commissions—more flexibility, like a private contract.
But they also carried higher risks—no safeguards against scams or sudden changes in terms. High risk, high return.
Guild contracts, on the other hand, took cuts in fees and commissions but guaranteed no bait-and-switch or payment issues.
The Guild wouldn’t tolerate that.
Each method had pros and cons, but I preferred Guild jobs.
Accumulated fees and commissions affected tier evaluations—so more official work meant faster progression to Silver Tier.
“If I wanted a Guild contract, I wouldn’t be asking like this.”
“Ah—”
Right. As a native of this world, the Tavern Owner had met countless Adventurers. He knew the ropes better than me.
The fact that he came to me personally meant there had to be a reason.
“What’s the job? I’ll hear you out first.”
“Well, my wife… She’s getting older, and her back’s been acting up lately. We’ve tried healers and Alchemists’ potions, but nothing helps…”
“Ah… back pain.”
“Got any free time three evenings from now? I’ll pay generously, of course. And this stays between us—I swear on the River Styx.”
He was probably asking me for an outcall massage—nothing shady, just physical therapy.
Might be a good way to grind Achievement points too.
The more I learned about Achievement mechanics, the more I valued every single point.
“Sure.”
“Hah—! That’s a relief. Really is. Well, enjoy your meal. Let me know if you need anything else.”
With that, he left. Luna and I dug into the mysterious Kkoong bird.
d*mn, forget all these weird-a** spices—straight-up grilled meat is still the best.
With chilled barley wine and roasted bird in our bellies, we were soon pleasantly drunk.
“When you screamed ‘Hyyeeaagh!’ back then, I seriously thought you’d lost it. Those crocodiles bolted.”
“Really? You weren’t exactly tame either, Hassan! When you roared, I almost ran for it too. You looked like a straight-up murderer!”
“d*mn, was it that bad?”
Even without snacks, reminiscing about past battles was fun. Is this why people work and earn money?
Hot meat.
Ice-cold alcohol.
A full coin pouch.
Lighthearted banter, never too serious.
All of it seeped into my tired body, lifting my mood so much my cheeks ached from grinning.
“Does this mean I’m Bronze Tier now? Me? Bronze Tier? I can’t believe it.”
Luna blinked, wide-eyed. Honestly, I was a little surprised too—until I saw actual Bronze Tier Adventurers on the expedition.
Iron or Bronze didn’t matter much. The difference was just experience and gear. The gap was negligible—like comparing acorns.
“Once I hit Bronze, the jobs’ll get tougher… I don’t know if I’ll handle it.”
“Why worry? You’ll do fine.”
I pictured Luna swinging her Silence Totem, smashing Skeletons and Goblins left and right.
Forget this Voodoo Priest nonsense—she might as well go full melee like me.
“Thanks for the encouragement. You’re nicer than you look, Hassan.”
“Me? Nice?”
In this world, calling an Adventurer “nice” wasn’t exactly a compliment.
It usually meant pushovers who got used and didn’t even fight for their own cut.
“I can tell from your soul—you grew up loved. Your childhood must’ve been peaceful, far from fighting.”
“Hmm…”
Her words made me pause.
As a 21st-century modern human, I guess you could call my upbringing sheltered.
Strangely perceptive for Luna. Was this her Voodoo talents awakening? Then she added:
“Too bad you’re now a ruthless killer who cuts down humans and Goblins without hesitation.”
“You k*ll first if you don’t wanna d*e.”
“True. Still… I’m glad we made it back safe. Losing an arm or a leg wouldn’t have shocked me, honestly. That Skeleton Dragon, the crocodiles… And you took on Necromancers and lived? That’s crazy!”
Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the black star pendant around my neck—my spoils of war.
Looking back… How the hell did I survive that?
Fighting those terrifying Necromancers felt like pure adrenaline-fueled luck.
The crocs, the Skeletons—it was a miracle I walked away unharmed.
d*mn, how am I still alive?
Drunkenly reminiscing, one detail suddenly crossed my mind.
“Hey, how’s your ankle?”
“My ankle?”
“You twisted it on that rock last time.”
“Oh—right.”
She nodded as if hearing it for the first time. How do you forget injuring yourself? Even for her, that was kind of…
“Guess it doesn’t hurt anymore?”
“Actually… it still aches a bit. But it’s bearable. I’m fine.”
“Neglect it, and it’ll get worse. See a healer or at least rub some ointment on it.”
Even back in my modern world, ignoring injuries was bad—let alone here, where people thought licking wounds worked.
“What? No way. Healers are expensive. They’ll charge you extra for stuff you didn’t even ask for…”
“True. Medical fees are brutal. Want me to rub it for you?”
“Eh? W-wait—”
It was a drunken joke. I didn’t think Luna, who hated showing her ankles, would agree—
“Uh… O-okay, maybe just a little—.”
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[Afterword]
MyRoad! Teran! Despair!
Yayayeah! Kadeom! honor7!
Lucky! Pioneer! WangDi2! dlrmfflem!
Thank you for the support coupons! So many manuscript coupons too!
And thanks for the likes and comments!
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End of Episode 46*
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