３３ SAINE
[Was he a slave before?]
[Did he say anything about that before?]
[No, he didn’t say anything but…]
It doesn’t concern him how he lived in the past. He thought that he doesn’t care but it strangely bothers him. But that Reincarnator is out of sync with what he’s doing.
He looks childish at one moment, yet he also shows an expression of having given up on everything. He was a person who lived in coexisting innocence and resignation.
[On that side, they usually die at around 80 years old, right?]
[If they have the same life span as in here, that’s probably right.]
Even if they know that there’s no job, there are people gathering in the Guards Guild. Saine, Dole, and their comrades are having a meal together. Cheap alcohol was being served. Someone brings it in and Saine takes some once every five times*. (TN: Per serving maybe? I’m not really sure.)
[He reacts like a kid one moment, but there are also times when he acts adult-like.]
[If he was used to being hit, he must have been a slave.]
[If he’s a kid and a slave, there might be a child-like part and a cold part mixed together.]
All of Saine’s colleagues know about the Ceremony’s failure. They may have made fun of him but that was just at the beginning, they’re currently pondering about it as if it’s their own business. The importance of the Ceremony and the significance of its result is the same for everyone.
[He doesn’t exude a cold feeling, though……]
[Then he must’ve had a peaceful death after all.]
[But he’s a man, whether or not he’s a slave…]
A big sigh comes out. He’s mad at the Ceremony’s failure.
[Aren’t you back on the list? Although it hurts for the 1 million, just give it up and just sell him as quickly as possible.]
[He’s right. If it’s money, we’ll also give you some.]
[I’ll also ask around how to sell Reincarnators. When I asked my wife, there’s apparently a group called Men’s Club with only male Reincarnators so if we ask there, one of the husbands should know.]
One who is not the husband should not talk to a Reincarnator easily. Even if it’s a male Reincarnator, it’s best to be careful. There probably isn’t anyone who would gladly surround a male Reincarnator, but some are bound to complain about it by some chance. He won’t be able to do anything even if he was told, You touched me without my permission, apologize.
[Sorry to trouble you.]
[Don’t worry about it. We’re equal during troubled times. As fellow guards, we have to help each other.]
The guards have the highest mortality rate on the field. If the client isn’t a fairly large merchant, he will do the job alone. Although they rarely help each other while on the job, just by mutually knowing its dangers thoroughly, they always try to help each other one way or another.
He chose this occupation because he thought it suited him, but he was satisfied with the comfort it brought him.
Until the selling method and the selling partner are decided, I have to keep seeing his face for a while. As he returned home with a sigh, the male Reincarnator was squatting in the garden.
Beside the vacantly sitting man were logs to be turned into firewood and an ax. He probably tried to split the wood, there are traces of it but none of it was done. With a small ax that can’t be used for wood-splitting still stuck on the log, he looked up with a befuddled face.
His cooking is delicious but he couldn’t split wood huh. I guess it’s inevitable with those thin arms of his. Saine held the very small ax and struck down, splitting the log.
[Ooh…!]
What is he surprised about? Anyone can do this much. He switched into an ax that’s for chopping wood and split the rest of the logs. There wasn’t much so he finished in no time.
[Woow! Saine, you’re amaazing! I couldn’t split it at all!]
Being praised with a lit-up face, his face heats up. But, for some reason, he felt exalted. It’s as if the gloominess he’s been feeling in recent days is being cleared up and he feels good, and he feels like showing off more.
There are no more logs at home so he asked the old man next door. He’s a former fisherman and he’s strong enough so there’s no need to split some firewood for him, but he arbitrarily took away some logs.
As he was splitting the old man’s logs, the male Reincarnator was, as expected, clapping his hands in delight.
What a simple guy. He can be pleased by something like this? When he(S) finished up everything while swinging the ax with only one hand, he(M) was shocked. This kind of reaction made him look childish.
He(S) takes the firewood to the old man’s house and returns home. He(M) asked in puzzlement why he(S) also split the neighbor’s firewood. He couldn’t say, “I wanted to make you happy,” so he simply said that it’s because he’s an old man. When he(S) did, he(M) was once again shocked and said some nonsense about him(S) being gentle and whatnot.
He has never been told before that he’s gentle. He has never been called kind either.
In a world where there are only men it is curt, even if someone manages to do something he can’t, he will say ‘I can also do that’ before commending the other.
It’s his first time being praised to this extent, and it’s making him restless for some reason. Saine hides his face from the Reincarnator by leaving the room and washes his face in the garden. His face feels unbearably hot that he washed it with water vigorously.
The Reincarnator’s cooking is delicious. Breakfast was also delicious. If he(S) can eat this meal every day, it might be okay to bear with him(M) for a bit longer.
When it’s time to sell him(M), let’s have him* taste his(M) cooking first and then negotiate the price. His(M) value should go up with his cooking skills alone. His qualification is worth it.
The Reincarnator chased Saine, who was about to go to the guild. He(M) tells him(S) he’s going to buy some firewood. He(S) asked if he was going without carrying a wooden rack, but he figured that it would be impossible for him(M) to carry it on his way back so he decided to go with him. Anyway, he’s also going to use it.
The two of them walk along the streets. The Reincarnator walks slowly. He runs to catch up to Saine and he’s out of breath. It couldn’t be helped so he(S) started walking slower. He was having a hard time though because it felt like his feet were getting tangled together.
Maybe because the pace has slowed down, the Reincarnator keeps on talking about nonsensical things at length. It’s vexing but walking in silence would also be awkward. Let’s just ignore and let him be.
But when he said that he will have the grandfather next door crush the pepper stones, his(S) feet stopped involuntarily. He must have noticed it with his insecure eyes. The Reincarnator panicked.
I told him that I’ll do it myself, but why won’t he ask me to? Moreover, he’s even telling him that he’ll fetch the water every day. He(S) was sullen but he didn’t want to be narrow-minded about such a small thing so he told him to do as he pleased.
The Reincarnator peeks at his expression and says that he’ll stop if he(S) doesn’t like it. It’s annoying how he says that as if I’m a small-minded man, how irritating. And why does he care so much about other people’s moods to this extent? No matter what anybody thinks, he can just do whatever he’s decided to do.
But it looked like he would keep on talking if he was left alone and that would also be annoying. ‘You can go if you want’, he told him. The Reincarnator had an unabashed, relieved expression.
And once again, his heart is thrown into disarray. Why is taking care of another man making me happy? He wondered.
