Archmage Reincarnate Into Apocalypse World

Chapter 15 The Real Mastermind

"It's already 80% apparently. In a little while, everything will be over"

A man who had been different from the start, braver than the other villagers, daring to ride Antlerzard for the first time, joining Zane for the first time hunting, to guarding the very first village, seemed to be approaching Zane.

"…What will be done?," asked the man, "Are you going to leave here? But why?"

Zane didn't answer.

But the man knew that Zane was just an outsider.

The funny thing is, the foreign man helps them for free.

Without the slightest self-esteem.

But it's different for Zane.

[Protect the village, increase my magic by killing monsters, kill two birds with one stone]

But what was surprising for Zane, during this one month he had not moved from level 41 in the slightest.

After killing how many monsters, neither he nor his summons had leveled up.

Time passed quickly.

The villagers' attitude towards Zane had also changed.

At first, their gazes toward Zane were full of suspicion.

They thought he might be approaching the village with a posterior motive.

However, their suspicions cleared up as time passed.

Zane returned to his shabby tent house and lay down on the hard floor. He was exhausted.

After fighting monsters all day long, his body felt drained of strength. Recently, it felt as if he had gone back to the past.

This place was very similar to the world Arnold lived in.

A destroyed world, anxious people, the blue dead sky, and a destroyed earth.

It was swarming with monsters outside the village.

It might have been set up as such to match the stage of the grade S dungeon

[I'll get some sleep and start again tomorrow…]

Just as Zane was about to close his eyes, he heard a movement.

He felt a presence outside the hut.

It was a very small presence.

[The little girl is at the door, Mr. Zane]

Due to Asmo's notification, he walked toward the door and saw a familiar face outside.

"Kids."

"Hic—"

It was the same six or seven-year-old kid that he saw a month ago.

The child who came to find Zane seemed so afraid that she covered herself behind the tree in the distance.

Looking at the child who was half-covered, Zane said with a small smile, "I can see you. Are you looking for me?"

"…Yes."

The child was cute. Zane continued talking, holding back his laughter that was threatening to burst because of the child's reaction.

"Since you are looking for me, could you come closer? If you stood so far away, Uncle would not be able to hear you."

"I'm not a kid! I'm Vera!"

Upset by being called a kid, the child cried out.

She was an interesting child.

With seemingly no thoughts of going closer, she kept her distance while stealing glances at Zane.

Zane waited until the girl came closer.

Vera approached Zane slowly after making eye contact several times.

"Here."

After moments of fidgeting, Vera came near and held out her hand toward Zane. In her palm was a small piece of bread slightly smaller than a fist.

"What could this be?" Zane asked. "Is this for me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm just thankful."

"Thankful?"

"I heard that you were protecting our village. Thank you for protecting our village."

It seemed like rumors had spread throughout the village.

"Did you know that? Actually, the village head was a horrible person. I knew that…but…"

"How did you know that?"

"My elder brother was taken away by the village head, and he did not come back."

Zane's heart sank at Vera's answer.

This young child was aware of everything.

She was aware of the sadness of losing her brother and was holding onto the grief.

That was why while the other called the village head a hero, Vera seemed unable to do so.

"Well, they said that you are our village's hero. The other uncles said that."

"…Hero?"

"Yes. So, I will give you this. Take it."

"Rumble—

As she passed over the bread, a sound of hunger could be heard from Vera's stomach.

Without batting an eye, Vera held out the bread to Zane, hurrying him to take it. Something inside of him choked up.

"Why was this young child given such a difficult task as starvation? What was it that made this young child unable to express her hunger?"

He closed his eyes. His anger flared up.

Zane opened his eyes. He looked into Vera's eyes again.

"No, Uncle is…"

[Absolutely nothing, I'm not a hero]

Would it be right to say this?

Was it right to destroy this child's fantasies and hopes that were instilled in these words?

There was a moment of hesitation.

[Vera! You can't do that! I'm sorry, so sorry.]

Vera's mother appeared and swept her up in her arms.

The woman might not have even known what she is sorry for.

Knowing this, Zane hurriedly waved his hands.

"No, it's fine. I was bored and had fun because of her."

"That's right! Mom, you don't even know."

"Vera!"

As if asking her to please be quiet, Vera's mother placed a finger to her lips. She bowed her head to Zane once again.

"No. I should have been keeping an eye on her…she has no manners…"

"It's fine. Really."

The woman had a look of relief after hearing Zane's words.

"Uncle, are you not going to eat this?"

Vera once again held out the piece of crumbly and slightly dusted bread to Zane.

The girl's mother started nagging at Vera again, but Zane laughed lightly and accepted the bread.

"Since Vera gave me a present, I'll have to repay her, right?"

The crumbly, small bread returned as a piece of soft and warm bread from Zane's inventory.

Vera's face brightened as she saw a large piece of bread emerge from Zane's pouch. "Wow!"

She laughed excitedly.

Her mother looked troubled once again.

She looked between her daughter and Zane, unable to do anything.

"Vera, you are really… I'm sorry. You do not have to eat that…"

Before the woman ended her words, Zane opened half of his mask, showing half of his mouth, and put the bread in his mouth, and ate it.

"It's delicious."

In fact, it wasn't even chewable. But…

"Really, it was delicious."

Those were sincere words.

It was tough to swallow that dry and tough piece of bread without water. It tasted nothing like food.

After the kid and her mom said goodbye to Zane and left the hut.

Zane was getting angry.

"Stop all this, you bastard! I already knew you were behind it all!"