I thought my life would finally calm down after escaping that village that burned down because of failed diplomacy. Valmor and I even made it to a bustling border town—more people, more shops, and more chances to... accidentally stumble into big trouble again.
"We're just stopping by for a bit," I said while sitting on a market bench, eating melon we got from yesterday's disguise. "Then we head west and find a normal place."
Valmor just stood calmly beside me, wearing a straw hat and secondhand sunglasses. |
A disguise, he said.
People glanced, then double-took with an expression that said, "Why is there a horse cosplaying as a tourist?"
I thought they were confused. But maybe they were just regular people too tired of life—like me.
Everything was peaceful until I saw them—an elite squad from Astralis, escorting a royal carriage, massive flags, and a mysterious box guarded by four men with faces like national exam proctors.
I instinctively pulled back.
But Valmor stepped forward.
"Aren't you curious what's in the box?"
"I'm also curious why fate keeps trying to kill me, but I don't go chasing that either."
We snuck through the crowd.
Suddenly…
BOOM.
A magic explosion shook the western part of the city.
The guards were on alert.
People panicked.
A masked man appeared on the rooftop, announcing:
"THIS IS A DECLARATION FROM THE SHADOW ALLIANCE! THE KINGDOM OF ASTRALIS WILL FALL!"
I, who just wanted to eat melon, now found myself lying face down behind an onion stall.
"Valmor. I'm done. I just… want to live. That's all."
Valmor drank from a bucket filled with someone's used foot-washing water.
"If your life was too peaceful, who'd deliver the plot twists?"
Soldiers and rebels clashed in the city center.
The streets turned into a battlefield of magic duels and flying arrows.
Buildings exploded.
I got hit by raw bean sprouts from a collapsed food stand.
And in the middle of all that, I saw something.
The rebel managed to touch the mysterious box… and then exploded.
The contents remained unseen, but it was enough to collapse a whole area.
"Valmor," I whispered, "that's not an ordinary box."
"You know what?" he replied quietly, "I think we're now the only ones who know what just happened."
The head of the royal guards scanned the area. I quickly grabbed a leek and used it as a face mask.
Too late.
They walked toward me.
"You there! What did you see?"
"Me? Sir? I was just… shopping." I pointed at the melon. "It was on sale. I'm a victim of the economy."
Valmor stepped in front of me, shielding me.
The guards stared at Valmor.
"Why is your horse wearing sandals?"
"Why not?" Valmor answered. (Yeah, only I can hear his voice, but his smug expression said it all.)
The guards looked unsure. But one of them raised an eyebrow.
"Wait… you look like the woman from the confidential report. The witness from that village."
Oh no. Not again.
"Me? A witness? Nope, wrong person. I can't even read reports. I just came out of the woods. Look at my clothes. I've got leaves."
Suddenly, one soldier whispered to the other:
"Did yout think the senior can be bribed?"
The other one murmured, "If it's useful info, maybe we get two weeks off and a sweet tea voucher…"
I stood up immediately.
"LISTEN. I know what happened. But if I tell you, you have to promise me one thing."
"What?"
"DON'T tell anyone it was me. I'm an NPC. A background character. A shadow. The wind. Dust. I don't exist."
They looked at each other, then nodded.
I told them everything I saw. The rebel's name, the magic type, attack patterns, and—most importantly—the artifact's position.
The soldiers rushed off. I stayed on the sidewalk, spooning up the rest of my melon.
Valmor sat beside me.
"So… now you're an important unrecorded witness of history?"
I sighed.
"At least I'm not dead. And at least… this melon's sweet."