For some weird reason, the porridge contained something that could kill grass. Zephyr was sure it was not the heat from the warm porridge that did it.

If it were heat, it wouldn't have spread that far.

The patch of grass that died was larger and circular, as if something had spread along the ground.

Zephyr looked at the ground again. Then he used a stick to poke the decaying porridge. Immediately, a bunch of dead ants and worms came into his view.

"Poison!" Suddenly, he raised his head.

"It could be poison. Something potent enough to kill a bull, perhaps…"

"Was he trying to kill himself, or was someone trying to kill him?"

Zephyr remembered the blank stare Tom had given him. He looked a little similar to himself. At some point in life, both the current Zephyr and the original soul had worn the same expression.

"Only someone who feels as though they have no future wears an expression like that."

Meeting Tom was merely a chance encounter. Zephyr held no interest in the man's past or the burdens he carried. To him, struggle was the natural state of existence; therefore, he never offered aid unless explicitly asked.

This instance was no different. Despite the hollow, lost look in Tom's eyes, Zephyr chose to ignore the distress radiating from him, seeing no reason to pry.

After all, such was life. Not everyone meets someone kind enough to help them. Zephyr had never seen such a person, so why should he help?

Zephyr's basic life philosophy was not to meddle in others' affairs unless it directly impacted him. This was supposed to give him peace of mind.

However, this time, Tom went missing after saying that he would return by morning. Just that fact alone induced anxiety in him.

"It's concerning."

Zephyr stood and scooped the porridge with a stick.

"Should I go look for him?" he wondered aloud.

There was no reason to search for an adult man. They were allowed to do whatever they wanted. Even leaving home and not coming back for a year was also allowed.

"But the poison." His gaze landed on the brown bits near the end of the foot-long stick.

"Ah! That damned Tom…" Zephyr sighed.

He felt compelled to look into it.

"The friggin Moss started it. He sent me here. Should I make him eat this and test whether it's poison?" Zephyr shook the stick twice.

He was joking… kind of.

Though Moss was an annoyance, he didn't deserve death. His ambition to build a relationship with a higher-ranking woman, even by using his body, was kind of reasonable.

Were there any laws prohibiting that?

Zephyr didn't think so.

Everyone adapts to society and its many facets to find a way to live. The young man, Moss, was also adapting to find a way to live.

If he can't be a noble by birth, in a world where nobles are treated as superior, he can at least use other methods to elevate his status and be treated better, right?

"If I were as handsome… If I were not handicapped, I could have done the same. But that damned Gale disarmed my potential… ha ha ha."

Zephyr laughed, walking away from the patch of dead grass.

Then he looked at the pea plant a few meters away. Fortunately, the porridge was not thrown on it, or else the pea plant would have died along with the grass. Tom said it was planted by his daughter, and he didn't want it damaged.

"Anyways, I need to talk to Moss or the Village chief about the situation."

Even though their intentions were dubious, they were the leaders of the village. There was no other option but to inform them.

"And I know just the place to find Moss." Zephyr turned around and looked at a house far away in the distance.

It was the only house nearby and was situated right on top of the hill. He could see the stone walls clearly.

—-

A few minutes later, Zephyr appeared near the house. As he approached the front side, he could hear rhythmic thumping and cracking sounds.

Zephyr perked his ears, looking in the direction of the sound.

It sounded as if someone was chopping wood.

Who was chopping the wood?

The question barely grazed his mind before he came to the answer. Obviously, it must have been Moss.

Zephyr quickened his pace.

A few seconds later, he passed the trees and appeared right in front of the house.

There, he saw a young man standing topless with an axe raised above his head.

Just as he neared the house, the young man, in full concentration, swung the axe down, splitting the human-sized tree trunk on the ground. The axe sank into the trunk, creating a large crack that spread from the top to the bottom.

Seeing it, the young man raised his head and wiped the sweat glistening over his face.

Then, with a pleasant smile, he looked at the two beautiful women who were standing nearby.

The ladies were watching him with interest. The young man felt gratified seeing the shiny glint in their eyes.

He lifted his axe again and chopped.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

By the time Zephyr reached the house, he had chopped down three more times.

"Sigh."

Zephyr watched the spectacle with a smirk. He silently walked around Moss, who was chopping firewood, and approached the house.

The ladies suddenly widened their eyes. They were startled.

"I am not a ghost, damn it," Zephyr mumbled.

He felt like they were overreacting.

"How did you come here?"

"When did you…?"

Both ladies, Aurelia and Elenor, looked at him in confusion.

'Hm… is the honey trap working on them?' Zephyr was surprised.

Two intermediate mages failed to notice him. Even though he instinctively blocked mana, he was still strolling in without a care in the world. And yet, they failed to notice him.

If the honey trap was not working, what was it?

"I walked here with my very own feet." Zephyr shrugged his shoulders.

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