“I heard there’s a tournament next week?”
This was Sebastian’s comment as he diligently sipped banana milk through a straw. The incredibly sociable new employee had easily found his place at Eddie’s inn.
In the position of an extremely chatty employee.
“Someone of your caliber should easily place in the rankings, right?”
Eddie, who was feeding Pepero sticks to Ketron, easily understood that the question was directed at Ketron.
Suddenly singled out, Ketron maintained his stoic expression despite the question being about him, and simply continued crunching on the Pepero stick that Eddie had placed in his mouth.
Doesn’t he look just like an adorable rabbit? Eddie smiled contentedly before answering on Ketron’s behalf.
“Hmm, I wonder.”
A tournament, indeed… No matter who the opponents might be… Even if that Augustine of Divine Power showed up, Ketron would undoubtedly win, but winning wasn’t the important issue.
It would unnecessarily expose Ketron’s existence.
Of course, Eddie wasn’t particularly trying to hide Ketron’s existence, and Ketron didn’t seem to think he needed to be hidden, but in Eddie’s view, Ketron wasn’t yet in a state to go out into the world in such a manner.
So he couldn’t properly respond and just kept his mouth shut with an ambiguous smile.
“I guess Eddie doesn’t think so?”
Eddie hadn’t responded immediately because his thoughts were complicated, but to others, it looked as if he was hesitating to give an honest answer for fear of hurting Ketron’s feelings.
At those words, Ketron’s eyebrows twitched as he quietly ate his Pepero.
Eddie looked horrified.
“No, that’s not it!”
Of course he wouldn’t think that way. Even if all the opponents were copies of Augustine of Divine Power, their side had the real hero who had defeated the Demon King in human form.
“Of course, if Ket were to enter, if he just participated, he’d be guaranteed at least a high ranking, but…”
High ranking? It would be an absolute victory.
Though he thought this, Eddie couldn’t say it outright since he didn’t know Ketron’s true identity.
Moreover, Eddie was honestly against Ketron participating in the tournament.
Of course, if he won and made a name for himself, one possibility would arise.
That thing that was mentioned in just one line in the original work.
If the moment came when Ketron’s existence was re-inscribed in people’s minds, perhaps their memories of him would return.
But would that “re-inscription of existence” be achieved through mere fame? Eddie somehow felt it wouldn’t be that simple.
There would be no harm in experimenting, but if it failed, it would uncomfortably expose Ketron’s location to Arthur or Boram.
If Eddie had seriously intended to hide Ketron’s existence, he wouldn’t have gone to the market or for walks with him, but there was still a big difference between openly revealing and not revealing.
What would Arthur do if he found out that Ketron was alive, and that he was here?
Arthur’s swordsmanship might not match Ketron’s or Augustine’s, but he was a character good at so-called “political maneuvering.”
‘A pathetic but realistic character,and at the same time, a character who grows.’
There were many anti-fans, but many readers also appreciated Arthur for these character traits.
Of course, even those positive evaluations were ruined by the ending.
“…”
Eddie recalled the original work in his mind after a long time.
Come to think of it, such tournament-style fighting competitions didn’t exist in the original work.
No, stories after Ketron’s corruption didn’t exist at all.
Then what was this reality?
Who fills in the settings of the original work that the author didn’t write? If it’s built on the world of the original work.
If even this being called Eddie had no setting beyond that brief line.
Then where did this existence come from?
“Eddie?”
As Eddie remained silent with a blank face, Ketron called his name.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Eddie smiled—now naturally—at Ketron who was looking at him. This didn’t seem like something to think about right now. Thinking about it wouldn’t yield any answers anyway.
It’s better to decline participation in the tournament for now. Eddie made his decision and immediately conveyed his thoughts to Ketron.
“Ah, well. I’d rather go with Ket and watch, walk around there instead of having Ket participate. What do you think? Don’t like that idea?”
Click-clack
At that moment, Eddie heard a strange sound, like machinery misaligning with a creak.
“…?”
Wondering what the sound was, he looked around, but it seemed only Eddie had heard it, as no one else showed any reaction.
Strange.
While Eddie tilted his head in confusion, Ketron blinked and fell into thought for a moment. Then he spoke.
“That’s fine with me.”
Anyone could hear that the implied ending “if that’s what you want” was omitted from his statement. Eddie didn’t seem to notice at all and smiled innocently, thinking he must have misheard the sound earlier.
“Yes, I like that too. Let’s do that then.”
Oh, for crying out loud.
Sebastian inwardly cursed at the incredible pink-tinged scene unfolding before him. The two involved seemed oblivious to any issue as they gazed at each other.
In Sebastian’s opinion, there were exactly three things that made working at Eddie’s otherwise good inn difficult.
Eddie, Ketron, and Gerold.
Those three were simply all problems.
“Mr. Eddie, the meal is ready.”
And at the very moment Sebastian thought of Gerold, as if summoned, Gerold appeared from inside the kitchen.
“Ah, thank you. Let’s eat here!”
At those words, Gerold brought the prepared lunch to the table where the three people were sitting.
This leisure was possible because the first-floor dining room was completely empty, befitting an inn that never did business during lunch.
Sebastian stared blankly at the food placed on the table.
…What is that black triangular thing?
It was because a completely unfamiliar food had taken its place on the table.
* * *
If one were to choose a food that represents convenience stores, it would have to be the triangle kimbap.
Triangle kimbap, wrapped in savory seaweed, each with a different flavor depending on the filling. Among these, Eddie’s favorite was the tuna mayo.
No matter how many new flavors of triangle kimbap were released, tuna mayo had been the undisputed number one in the triangle kimbap world since its launch. It was a reliable product that Lee Jeonghun ordered three of every day for his convenience store, with hardly any waste.
Eddie pulled the tuna mayo triangle kimbap toward himself from those that he had asked Gerold to warm up in their packaging, worried that the contents might not be recognizable otherwise.
He wanted to help unwrap it, as the packaging might be too complicated for first-timers.
Eddie naturally tore the packaging, holding the corner of the triangle kimbap. After tearing the middle and gently pulling both ends…
“Ta-da.”
A perfect triangle kimbap emerged with the seaweed intact. Eddie placed the warm kimbap on Ketron’s plate.
Ketron briefly examined the suspicious-looking exterior but, perhaps because it came from Eddie, he soon put it directly into his mouth.
“…!”
The triangle kimbap wasn’t as firm as expected, and it created a perfect harmony in his mouth—the crispy seaweed that immediately crumbled, the savory saltiness, followed by the rice and the tuna mixed with mayonnaise inside.
Ketron devoured one triangle kimbap in just three bites.
Eddie smiled as he unwrapped another triangle kimbap. It was good that he had asked for plenty to be warmed up, anticipating this reaction.
“What is this? What’s written on it?”
Sebastian didn’t seem particularly impressed by the appearance of the triangle kimbap.
Indeed, from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with seaweed, the black triangular lump might not look very appetizing.
But perhaps because Ketron ate it with such gusto, Sebastian struggled to unwrap the packaging. Even when trying to copy exactly what Eddie had done, the shape kept getting ruined somehow.
Gerold was unwrapping the packaging slowly with a serious face, following Eddie’s example. He tore along the middle line and slowly shook off the sides.
Sebastian, who was secretly observing Gerold’s fingertips, felt his confidence surge.
What? It might be easier than I thought?
Just as he was thinking this, Gerold made some mistake at the end and removed the seaweed along with the packaging. He had failed.
“…”
His eyebrow could be seen twitching.
“Pfft.”
Sebastian, who had been staring blankly at Gerold, inadvertently laughed at the sight.
Gerold’s eyes now formed a complete triangle. Sebastian hurriedly covered his mouth after the premature laughter, but spilled water couldn’t be put back.
“You seem confident, Sebastian.”
“Uh, no, it’s just…”
“Show me then. If you can laugh, you must be quite good at it.”
I’m screwed. I picked the wrong fight.
Though he tried to read the situation, Gerold truly seemed intent on watching whether Sebastian could do it well.
Finally, Sebastian began unwrapping the triangle kimbap as Gerold watched. The middle part was easy to tear, but he also had trouble with pulling the sides.
Gently. Gently.
Exerting maximum concentration—
Sebastian finally succeeded in unwrapping the triangle kimbap without damaging the seaweed.
“Haha, that was easy!”
“…”
“Uh, I mean, I must have been lucky.”
Sebastian belatedly tried to read Gerold’s reaction, but Gerold, looking inexplicably angry, took another one and began a very delicate unwrapping process.