Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 111: Kaine & Miriam's Legacy

Daisuke's expression settled into a poker face. He's gotta be senile. "If I were truly a monster," he countered, "would we be having this conversation right now?"

The man's grip on the scythe loosened as the few good brain cells he still had actively processed the claim. "Well, I'll be... you've got a point there, lad."

Daisuke finally breathed and lowered his hands.

"...If you're not a monster," the man mumbled contemplatively, his suspicions landing on a new angle of paranoia. "Then you have to be a bandit! You're just trying to butter me up so that you can steal all my eggs!"

Daisuke sighed noisily.

Zephyr rolled his eyes.

***

"Ah! So you're a traveling adventurer," the old man mused, handing Daisuke a cup of tea after returning his guild license. "Why didn't you mention that right away?"

Daisuke accepted the hot beverage, his eyes narrowing. "I tried, but you seemed more interested in lopping off my head," he muttered under his breath.

"Did you say something?" the man asked, raising his gray eyebrows. "My hearing isn't what it used to be," he added with a slight chuckle, tapping his ear to emphasize his point.

Daisuke took a sip of the tea and winced, the bitterness catching him off guard. The man grinned at his response. "My sense of taste has been a bit off, too," he grinned, a playful twinkle dancing in his eyes.

Daisuke cleared his throat and pushed the cup aside. "...So what were you searching for so far away from home?"

The man joined his silver-haired guest at a small wooden table behind his modest home, his eyes scanning the acres of land divided between crops and livestock.

"...My Mariam had always dreamed of living on a farm since we were children," he recalled with a bittersweet smile. "Sadly, she passed away last year."

Zephyr looked up from his bone with somber eyes.

"I'm truly sorry for your loss," Daisuke offered his condolences with sincerity.

The man's gaze drifted downwards, his fingers gently clasping the cup before him. "In honor of her memory, I've poured my heart into tending to the crops and tranquilids," he confessed softly, a shadow passing over his features. "But lately, a monster has been wreaking havoc on our livestock."

Daisuke frowned. "A monster?"

The man nodded. "The wounds left behind paint a clear picture."

"Is that monster what you were searching for when we met earlier?"

"That's right—if that thing isn't stopped, it'll keep wiping out our livestock, ruining everything Mariam and I worked so hard for," he asserted, his words carrying a blend of conviction and desperation. "I can't allow everything to end without a fight!"

Daisuke caught the reflection of Mr. Robinson's determination in the man's resolute expression. He was convinced that if anything endangered Diana, Dale would exhibit the same unwavering resolve and determination to address it—such was the depth of their love and commitment to each other.

Daisuke understood that Kaine Blackhorn wasn't Dale Robinson, but he couldn't shake the feeling that assisting the man would be a small way to repay the couple for their kindness, even if only in a minor way.

DING!

[The quest «Preserving Mariam's Memories» has been received.]

[Preserving Mariam's Memories]