The Rising of the Scythe Hero

Not finding what I'd come here for in the first place, I had no choice but to head back to the village.

The village itself wasn't all that big, but... that's only if you compared it to all the other villages I'd been to — and to Melromarc. In truth, this one was second only to Melromarc in size. Which was kind of obvious.

Trying to find one specific person in a place like this... was, to put it mildly, a real pain. The only thing I could rely on was the hope that the person I was after had a striking appearance.

Everyone knows taverns are the best place to gather intel. At least, that's what all the classic fantasy stories say. Why should this world be any different? Besides, I had to start somewhere.

There were two taverns in this village. The second one, as far as I could tell, was mostly just picking at the leftovers — because the difference in popularity between the two was like night and day. Not exactly shocking, considering one was smack in the center of the village, with a straight road leading to it from the main gate, and the other... was off somewhere in the boonies.

It made sense to try my luck in both, but of course I decided to start with the more popular one.

Only thing was — there were two major problems with that plan.

The first — sitting in some corner booth and just waiting for someone to loudly spill info about a shady person or the exact clue a random isekai guy like me is searching for... was, frankly, really dumb.

The second issue was that if I started openly asking about someone tied to the criminal side of the local settlements — that someone would definitely hear about it. Maybe not right away, but they'd find out. And then two things could happen: either they'd decide not to take the risk and skip town, or — more likely — they'd come shut me up. Permanently, even.

All things considered, that second option actually worked in my favor. And it was the fastest to make happen.

"Hey, boss." — Weighing all the pros and cons, I sat down at what looked like your typical bar counter.

"Well, howdy, if you ain't messing with me." — chuckled, presumably, the owner of the place. Or just the bartender, who didn't feel like correcting me.

"What do you have that's worth a damn? Wouldn't wanna offend a good guest, after all."

"Ho. I've got a couple of options even fit for His Radiance himself." — the man chuckled into his mustache and reached under the counter. "Here." — he pulled out a bottle. "The best I've got. Holy Maria. Some of my more honored guests say a single bottle can send five grown men straight to the heavens. And the taste? Makes you feel like you're halfway there already. Or so they say." — he chuckled again. "Personally, I think it's pretty damn good."

"Then pour it. Assuming you're not messing with me."

Now we both chuckled, and the guy poured me a drink. He actually took out two glasses, but...

"The lady doesn't drink," I said with a smile, glancing at Night sitting next to me.

"Oh... Got it. My bad."

Yeah. Guess I'm just not destined to light up the world with my smile...

After that, the bartender placed a small plate on the counter — a couple chunks of meat and some kind of pickled vegetable... I still can't really tell what's what when it comes to local produce.

Some things clearly carried over from my old world, but others, like this, seem to exist only here.

"On the house," he explained.

"To world peace, then." — I let out a short classic exhale and downed the glass in one go.

"Oof..."

A sharp, bittersweet taste hit my throat, cooling the inside of my esophagus as it went down. Honestly? Not bad at all.

Not that I've ever been much of a drinker, but still.

"Not bad," I gave my verdict.

"Sheesh. You're something else, kiddo." — The bartender — yeah, let's just call him that — gave me a strange look. "I wasn't joking about the five guys, you know. That stuff's pretty damn strong for one person. After a chug like that, most people'd be face-down by now."

"Yeah? Didn't really feel much of anything, to be honest."

Huh... interesting. I remember Naofumi was completely immune to alcohol. Is that some kind of Hero perk? But no... if I recall correctly, Motoyasu once ate one of those local curiosities — the kogole berry — and ended up puking his guts out and fainting.

That berry really was something. All the alcohol in this world was brewed from it. Usually, they'd use a single berry for an entire barrel — or even more. But if you actually ate the thing? A regular person could easily die. Someone tougher or with a higher level would end up like Motoyasu. But for someone like Naofumi, it was just a tasty oddity.

"Holy Maria usually uses three kogole berries per barrel instead of the usual one. That's why I was so surprised to see you handle that glass like it was nothing," the bartender said.

"Makes sense." — I gave the bottle a thoughtful look. "So how much for one of these?" — I nodded toward it.

"Twenty silver."

"Not bad." — My eyebrows rose all on their own.

For reference, one silver — equal to a hundred copper coins — could easily pay for a night's stay in any village in Melromarc. The average peasant's daily expenses rarely exceeded 20 to 30 copper. So yeah, that gave me a good idea of just how fancy this drink was.

"Consider this bottle paid for." — I laid down the 20 silver on the counter. "Pour me another."

"Customer's always right." — the man shrugged and refilled the glass.

"Yeah... really not bad at all." — This time, I downed half the glass in one go. "So, I'm new around here. Looking for someone — maybe you've seen him. Name's Alfred. Dresses real official. Expensive clothes."

I definitely noticed how the bartender's face changed at that moment.

"No one like that around here. Ain't the kind of person who'd show up in a backwater like this."

"I see... Got it. Shame. I'll ask around, maybe I'll get lucky."

"Get lucky, huh..." he muttered. "Why're you looking for him? Friend of yours?"

"Not personally. But let's say I've got something I need to discuss with him."

"I see."

After that, the bartender toned down his chatter by a lot. It was obvious he knew who I meant. At least now I had a backup plan if the main one didn't work out. I'd just have a little... talk with this man. And how delicate that conversation would be — well, that depended on him. I doubted anyone tied up with shady people like that had a clean conscience. Which meant I didn't need to waste time being polite. But that could wait.

I made my way around a few more tables in the tavern, striking up casual conversations that always, eventually, led to a question about the man I was looking for. And the most interesting part? Every single one of them ended exactly the same way — with scowls and a sudden drop in friendliness. What the hell — does every dog in this place know the guy?

Evening was setting in, so I strolled along some of the less popular roads, arm in arm with Night, not bothering to hide myself. I was still casually working through the rest of that bottle I'd paid 20 silver for. But even after finishing it off — I didn't feel much of anything. And about twenty minutes into our slow little walk, I sensed a group of life sources behind us. Only... the life they gave off felt weird. Like it had something mixed into it. Very interesting...

"Ignore them. And don't engage until I say so," I whispered into my companion's ear.

The girl caught on surprisingly fast, just giving me a small nod in response. She's so smart sometimes. Too bad she doesn't show that kind of sharpness in social situations...

I pulled Night closer in a clearly performative way, then leaned in like I was whispering something else to her. After a brief pause, I steered us into an alley. Once we were in a bit deeper, I pinned her gently against the wall. She looked up at me with those calm eyes of hers, the evening moonlight making the amethyst color shimmer just slightly. Might've been my imagination... but I think the little bird blushed.

At the same time, the life sources split up. And, surprise surprise — two or three people stepped out from both ends of the alley, cutting off our escape routes completely. What a tragedy...

"Heh-heh. Looks like the lovebirds here completely lost their shame. Right in the alley, huh? Couldn't wait, or what?" said the one who looked like the leader of this lovely little crew, a smirk plastered on his face.

I'd gotten so focused on those enchanting eyes — shining like polished amethyst — that for a second, I completely zoned out. What even was that?

"And to what do I owe the attention of such fine gentlemen?"

"You ask too many questions, kiddo. And curiosity comes at a price, doesn't it?" — the leader tossed a look behind me, and I felt the life force there drawing closer. "You don't mind sharing with fine gentlemen like us, do you?" — then his eyes moved to Night. "Might not be just your money we're after..." — and then came that filthy, disgusting grin...

Wait... was that aimed at Night?

This is... mine.

For a moment, I caught myself thinking — maybe I didn't really need to interrogate these guys. I could just go back and ask the Bartender. And as for this little crew... the less time they spent breathing, the better. No point dragging it out.

But...

I pushed the thought aside. I had to be more rational. The Bartender hadn't done anything to me — and who's to say he even knew what I needed? It'd be stupid to waste a perfectly good source of information. Especially when he was standing right in front of me.

Lately I'd been getting way too impulsive... What's going on with me?

Still, the mood was ruined enough that I wasn't in the headspace for small talk. So instead, as I let the pair behind me draw closer, I whispered to Night:

"Knock them out. Quietly."

The little bird nodded, a second delayed, then darted into action. I didn't even bother watching her — I was already making my own move, circling around the boss of the group and going straight for the last guy in the back.

One clean Spartan-style kick sent the man slamming into the wall, instantly out cold. The other pawn, just starting to process what happened, got a spinning back kick straight to the side of the head. Another KO.

"What the—?! What the hell?!" — By the time the leader turned to see Night dealing with her pair — a bit less smoothly than I did, but still without much trouble — then glanced back and saw me, plus his downed buddies, the guy started backing up toward the wall, panicked. But, really... what was the point?

"Well, looks like you get to pay the price. With your life. So — who sent you?"

"Hah! Like I'd tell you anything!"

"Yeah... Would be nice if just once someone answered on the first try. Would really break the pattern."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about it." — I closed the distance and drove a kick into his gut, sending him crumpling to the ground. "Now then..." — I crouched down in front of him. "Do I need to repeat the question?"

"Khh—kha... Go to... hell..."

"Keep this up and you'll get there first."

I stood up and stomped on his knee with force. A sickening crack followed.

"A-A-MMPH!"

"No, no. Let's not draw any extra attention, alright?" — I smiled, stuffing a piece of his own ripped clothing into his mouth. Once his obvious scream turned into a muffled whimper, I pulled it back out. "Before I continue where I left off... I'll ask one more time, just in case. Who sent you?"

"Ugh... Renji sent us to check out whoever's been asking around about Alfred. Told us to figure out... what you want."

"Ooooh... Interesting methods you've got for gathering intel. Not quite as elegant as mine, though." — I paused for a moment, thinking about something else, then continued, "One more question. Do you know where I can find this Alfred?"

"N-no... Low-level grunts like us don't mix with the main organization. Renji might know. Heh, why don't you ask him instead?"

"I will. Thanks for the suggestion. And where might I find this gentleman?"

"North of Orb's Tavern. There's a building with a sign showing two fishhooks crossing each other. That's where the upper ranks of the lower gangs hang out. Heh."

What an idiot. Looking at that brain-dead face of his, I could practically see the thoughts crawling through his skull. He clearly thought I wouldn't be able to handle Renji. That Renji was stronger than me. And for some reason, it looked like he'd convinced himself his life wasn't in any danger.

"You're very kind. Thanks for the info."

As I stood up, I shifted the Scythe into a Battle Scythe...

"Eh? What are you— gkh..."

He barely got a word out before blood sprayed from his mouth. The "spear" had pierced straight through his heart, sliding into flesh with a kind of smoothness that felt... unnatural. Like stabbing a knife into jelly.

Staring into his wide, glassy eyes and the blood dripping down from his lips... there was nothing in my head.

Nothing at all.

Honestly, the decision to kill him only came to me in that very moment. Right up until then, I hadn't even considered it. But looking at it logically — isn't this just part of the script?

Taking a human life. How many other isekai protagonists wrestled with that? How many went full pacifist, never crossing the line? How many of them clung to the fragile moral codes of their old world, even when in this new one, a human life barely meant anything?

And even knowing all that, killing someone with my own hands still felt... strange.

But that feeling didn't last long. His final gasp escaped. The light faded from his eyes. Life left his body for good. And then...

That was the moment that would change everything for me. A turning point — the final nail in the coffin of the version of me who once lived an ordinary life, who had ordinary values, who was just another regular person. That version of me... died right here with this guy. Because...

[Skill activated: Life Absorption]

[Human kill confirmed]

[Specialty activated: Reaper]

[EXP: 241 (+482)]

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