Becoming an Extra in a Trash Game

Chapter 12

The joy I felt while petting Luna and Kane.

It was really just for a moment.

“Phew, haa……”

This useless body of mine.

It’s exactly that feeling of nausea and legs that feel like someone’s pulling them down, with the whole body aching, like on a morning when you go to work on time after drinking all night.

What kind of body is this, feeling hungover after just a few laps around the training ground?

“Huk, huh, no more, huah.”

As I say I can’t run anymore and slow down to a walk, someone pushes my back hard, forcing me to run.

“Mark…!”

“Young Master. That kind of running won’t even outpace a goblin.”

My legs move regardless of my will, and if I’m about to fall, he grabs my nape to straighten me up and pushes me again and again.

You might think it would be comfortable if someone pushed you from behind while running.

Not at all. You need to have some energy left to feel that it’s comfortable.

Being forcibly pushed when I was already at rock bottom was nothing short of abuse to my body.

“S-stop it!”

As I stagger, feeling my throat hurt from breathing too rapidly and my mouth dry and sticky, I catch a glimpse of Kane’s side profile overtaking me.

‘This bastard?’

That faint, barely visible corner of his mouth.

Are you mocking me right now?

I’m running caught by Mark because of who?

I was the fool who was enticed when Kane said that even if we’re traveling, we should at least have the basic stamina to move without a horse.

How did my grand plan of jogging lightly while watching Kane roll around turn out like this?

“Urgh.”

I barely escaped Mark’s vicious grasp and retched while catching my breath.

“Young Master. It’s not a bad idea to try building up your stamina even now. Come out every day from now on.”

Is he saying work is work and life is life?

Mark’s voice carries a somewhat friendly emotion, even though it’s clear I wouldn’t be too pleased.

Is this the difference in cultivation?

I could feel the regular knights glaring at me or whispering among themselves, but at least Mark was different.

When I took Harlon away and even inserted Kane as a parachute, Mark looked like he wanted to kill me with his eyes…

I guess Kane passing Mark’s test and enduring this knight order’s training with a body still close to a civilian’s might have earned him some bonus points.

But that comment crossed the line.

“Every day? What are you talking about? I’m a busy person.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow too, Young Master.”

The strength in my legs is draining, and it feels like if I take a step, my legs will creak like a newborn giraffe’s.

‘Doing this every day? Absolutely not.’

I awkwardly fled, avoiding Mark’s eyes as he looked at me with an incomparably sinister smile.

* * *

“What do you mean by that.”

There’s no way you, with your ears and brain working perfectly, could have misheard.

“It’s exactly as I said. Go run an errand. By yourself.”

This is ‘Our Kane has changed’ part 1, man.

I put on a kind smile and raised the corners of my mouth gently as I looked at Kane, who was staring at me as if asking what I meant.

It’s absolutely not because you smirked and passed by me while we were jogging this morning.

I’m not that petty of a person.

“What, are you scared? Afraid you’ll get scammed again if you go out alone?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Or are you worried you’ll wake up to an unfamiliar ceiling after getting knocked out? Don’t worry. Would I let you get sold off somewhere? With how much I’ve invested in you.”

“What should I buy? I think leaving right now would be better for my mental health than talking to you.”

Feeling a bit offended?

But if we look at the result, Kane has said he’ll interact with others of his own will, even if temporarily.

I flicked a gold coin I had prepared in advance to Kane.

“I heard the Pamiya bakery at the intersection is hot these days. I want one grape tart.”

“Um… I’d like a carrot cake.”

“You can order more if you want, Luna.”

“Then… A carrot cake and… Lovey-dovey… Honey cookies.”

“…What.”

I snickered triumphantly at Kane, who couldn’t even roll the words ‘lovey-dovey’ in his mouth.

“Ah, that sounds delicious. Lovey-dovey honey cookies. Is there any pastry with a similar name?”

“Thrilling and sweet… Berry berry tart?”

“Yeah, that too.”

I completely ignored Kane, who was throwing curses with his eyes while looking like he was asking if I really wanted him to buy that.

“Kane, you remember everything, right? Don’t write it down and show them, make sure to order verbally. Don’t forget to buy something you want too.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Wow, he speaks well with his eyes. Kya! He keeps throwing that something that starts with ‘f’ and ends with ‘k’.

Did I perhaps develop mind-reading abilities?

[Adelian Guardian Kruger – Owner of Immense Wealth]

Representative Traits: [Financial Power (SS)] [Arrogance (S)]

Hidden Traits: [Sense of Affluence (S-)] [User’s Eyes (SSS)]

Nope, I didn’t.

“When you’ve bought everything, come to the artificial lake inside the rear garden.”

I waved my hand jingle-jangle and pushed Kane’s back with my eyes, then looked at Luna who was already licking her lips in anticipation.

“Luna’s been through a lot too, so shall we have some fun today?”

“Ah… No. I’m… Having fun… I like it.”

Still, a person can’t just work all the time. We’re doing all this to see the wedding ending, so we should have picnics together at the right times.

“Let’s go, Luna.”

Although I said that, Luna, who seemed excited about going on a picnic today, rubbed her face with both hands held her ears, and nodded vigorously.

As expected, the heroine is said to have a lethal dose of cuteness.

If I wasn’t firmly in the camp of the embracing older sister type, I might have been in danger from this destructive power.

I unconsciously gave a thumbs-up and then got on the horse with Luna.

Behind the splendid Kruger Castle, there was an ordinary-looking garden and greenhouse, but if you went further in, a path appeared as the trees grew denser.

Now quite accustomed to horseback riding, I rode the horse fast enough for my hair to flutter as we entered the path, and for a while, only dense trees were visible.

I’m sure there are countermeasures I don’t know about, but it seems like someone could live here in hiding without anyone knowing.

The rear garden of Kruger Castle with a small mountain, a fairly wide forest, and even an artificial lake… Can this even be called a rear garden?

The sound of horse hooves clopping, the sound of wind brushing through leaves, and the distant sound of birds singing give a feeling of healing.

When I suddenly looked to the side, I saw Luna riding a horse with her pink hair flowing down to her shoulders and her white ears fluttering.

‘Don’t those ears hurt, flapping like that?’

As this silly thought crossed my mind, Luna also happened to turn her head, and our eyes met.

Maybe because Luna is so shy even though we’ve become a bit closer, she quickly averted her gaze and opened her mouth.

“At first… I didn’t understand why we ride horses, but now I think I know.”

“Oh? Why do you think we ride them?”

“If we run… We can’t stop in the middle.”

I looked at the legs of the rabbit- girl, who was giggling as if her theory was undoubtedly correct, and then turned my eyes away again.

“Luna… Normal people are slower than horses.”

Seeing Luna’s ears perk up high as if saying ‘No way, is that even human?’, I shook my head at my words.

Being so ignorant of the ways of the world, no wonder she got ripped off all sorts of ways when running a hopeless party later.

When buying items from regular extra NPCs, you could buy at the price written in the shop window.

But strangely, when buying only with the hopeless party, it would throw a message like ‘But you’ve been ripped off.’ and take a lot of money.

Then to make up for that loss, Kane would run dungeons dangerously low on potions, wearing down his personality.

‘Wow, truly a hopeless party.’

I shuddered as I recalled that time.

Even just watching it on screen, I thought I was going to burst a blood vessel, but to see it in person? It’s bound to shorten my lifespan.

“…Surely he won’t get ripped off at the bakery too, right?”

I sent him off with more than enough budget in hand.

I was about to imagine Kane saying something about lovey-dovey whatever, when I felt a cool, moist breeze on my cheek and came to my senses, looking ahead.

“Money really is the best.”

I couldn’t hide the words that came from the bottom of my heart.

How do they dig such an artificial lake and put it behind their house?

Is it funny that the backyard is so big that you have to ride a horse to get around in the first place?

I stopped the horse under a tree with a good view of the lake, let it graze freely, and then took out a thick blanket from the bag tied to the saddle.

“Shall we play by ourselves until Kane arrives?”

It’s a team-building session without the main character if you can call it that.

Right now it’s just Luna and me, but someday Gadia, Rachel, and all the other heroines will gather and laugh together, right?

Except for Rachel, they’re all children with pain in one place or another, so when the daily life parts came out in the novel, it was so healing…

“Wow… The wind, it’s cool, Young Master…”

“You can look around if you want. It’ll be a while before Kane arrives.”

At my words, Luna, who was smiling modestly, nodded and ran towards the lakeside.

I leaned against the tree trunk and caught my breath.

There’s still a long way to go and a lot to do, but how can a person always be whipping themselves?

‘Let’s not be hasty. Come to think of it, it’s just starting about 2 years earlier.

In fact, a part of my heart is shouting ‘Korean quick quick!’ as any Korean gamer would, but what’s with me now are people, not game units with only status windows visible.

‘Let’s not forget that.’

Let’s not be the only one in a hurry and push others.

‘They’re all still kids after all.’

I need to intervene well so that Kane doesn’t overexert himself out of revenge and worry for his younger sister.

“I wonder if no one fishes here… What’s that?”

I was about to get up uncertainly, wondering if I should start a fire, when I saw Luna rolling up her maid skirt, wading in, and kicking fish out of the water with just her feet.

“What, there are fish even though the water only comes up to your knees?”

“There are… Many small fish.”

Wait, how did you kick fish out when the water only comes up to your knees?

I glanced at Luna’s white feet, which were wiggling as if ticklish from the green grass coming up between her toes as she stepped on the lush grass.

They don’t seem to have any calluses, are all rabbit race like this?

“Still, your clothes got a bit wet from the water spray, Luna.”

Fortunately, I bought some travel supplies in advance.

I took out a flint from a different subspace ring instead of the Kruger ring and gathered nearby twigs to start a fire.

I was thinking of some kind of pastoral and lyrical picnic, but it’s suddenly turned into a jungle *chick.

“Shall I grill the fish for you too?”

“I’ll clean the innards, Young Master.”

And Luna, who seems to be more suited to this kind of thing, becoming more lively than usual, takes a few fish flopping on the grass.

“Well… Not bad.”

Moreover, I can hear horse hooves in the distance, so Kane must be coming too.

The three of us can grill fish together and then have lovey-dovey cookies or whatever for dessert.

‘I wonder if he succeeded.’

Our Kane has changed, is it possible?

I turned my head expectantly towards the growing sound of horse hooves, and Kane, riding a black horse with white patches, pulled the reins with one hand to turn the horse’s head and dismounted.

“Did you buy them?”

“Yes.”

“Any rip-offs?”

At my words, Kane’s brow furrowed slightly, and he threw a few silver coins in my direction. I fumbled to catch some and dropped others, grumbling as I picked them up.

“Look at that personality. Look at that personality.”

“You don’t seem like a noble at all.”

“That’s because it’s just us here. Didn’t you see last time when I got you into the knight order? Everyone was looking at me like I was abusing my power.”

Anyway, the guards and surveillance that Caiman attached will only see it as appropriate eccentricity.

I put the collected silver coins into a small space and marveled slightly.

For once, he didn’t get ripped off. My goodness, Kane, you bastard, so you’re actually a human who knows how to buy things without getting ripped off!

I looked at Kane with somewhat proud eyes, and Kane’s face crumpled even more.

“Young Master. I’m back.”

After praising Luna, who had neatly gutted the fish and even put them on wooden skewers, by pulling her ears, I stuck them next to the bonfire and sat on the blanket.

“Let’s see what you bought first.”

Let’s take a look at the lovey-dovey and thrilling sweet things first.

Kane sat down opposite me with a face like he had chewed something wrong and took out items one by one from the basket he brought.

First, there’s the grape tart I ordered, and the carrot cake Luna ordered, and those round things must be the lovey-dovey love honey cookies.

The one with a heart drawn with dark blue berries and red berries must be the thrilling and sweet berry berry tart.

“What about yours?”

Kane sighs at my sharp gaze asking if he didn’t buy anything for himself, and takes out an apple pie from the bottom of the basket.

At that moment, I drooled.

‘Kane’s favorite thing is the apple pie his mother used to make for him.’ That’s what was written in his official profile.

Ugh, is this what they call memory assault? I should have gone easier on the original work marathon.

Before I get more distressed by my creative sorrow, I quickly pick up a piece of grape tart and open my mouth.

“So, how was it going out? The atmosphere outside?”

Crunch!

The fresh and chewy grapes, cream, and pie crust create harmony in my mouth.

This is delicious. I distributed a piece of grape tart to each of them while looking at Kane.

“Wow… It’s delicious…”

“Nothing special. However… I heard that slave auctions for Ain and Suin people are frequently held these days. I overheard a conversation saying that since the average price has dropped compared to last year, it might be profitable to buy now.”

“Hmm?”

At that, I raised my eyebrows slightly and fell into thought.

‘The supply of Ain and Suin slaves has increased?’

Something seems to be on the tip of my tongue…

I racked my brain while stuffing the last of the tangy tart into my mouth.