Hey, hold your sympathy for now.
Even though he only managed to last three minutes against the Undying Demon King’s right hand,
Three minutes is still enough to do a lot.
You can defeat a monster in three minutes;
You can make instant noodles in three minutes;
And in three minutes, you could even get your wife pregnant!
This may just be a small step for Kane, but it’s undoubtedly a big leap forward for the advancement of Cleaning Magic.
[Training session complete.]
[Training rewards: 251 EXP]
[Cleaning Magic Lv3 → Lv4]
“Twenty minutes in training mode is roughly equivalent to one minute outside.”
After several attempts, Kane had calculated the time conversion ratio.
He cast Cleaning Magic on himself, and in about two and a half minutes, he looked completely refreshed from head to toe.
Compared to back when he was just at Lv1 and even cleaning his clothes would take over ten minutes, the improvement was quite noticeable.
The only pity was that for now, his improvements were limited to a support-type support magic.
Once everything settled down, he had to hurry and learn a few offensive techniques for self-defense.
Kane planned out his next steps as he made his way back toward the village, removing his disguise just before arriving.
As soon as he stepped into the village, he was greeted by a vast field of wheat and simple, honest villagers busily working the land.
The sky was overcast and looked like it could pour rain at any moment.
The villagers were putting up large shelters, doing everything they could to reinforce the fields and protect their crops.
Kane didn’t go home right away. He headed to the general store first.
The store had been closed all day, and he figured he should open it up for a bit to avoid raising any unnecessary suspicion.
Kane was always meticulous and cautious.
Ever since the surprise attack from the yandere maid, he had tried to minimize all unstable variables.
Before long, Kane arrived at a fairly large thatched cottage.
That was the general store he ran in Loralin, and currently, his sole source of income.
Originally, Kane opened the shop just to keep himself busy.
Even though he couldn’t live as lavishly as before he started dealing on the black market, his doting father had still given him plenty of money.
In this low-spending border village, as long as he stayed out of trouble, that money was more than enough for him to live out the rest of his life in peace.
But over the past month, the shop’s purpose had shifted from just keeping him occupied to actually serving the villagers’ needs.
And thanks to his handsome looks, fair-priced quality goods, humorous and charming way of speaking, and overall kind demeanor, Kane had become quite popular among the people of Loralin… especially the women.
Sure enough, even though the shop had only been closed for half a day, a crowd of women hungry for goods had already gathered outside, eagerly waiting for him to open up.
“Boss, you’re finally back! We’ve been waiting forever!”
“Boss, I need a rain cover! If we don’t get one up soon, the seedlings will be ruined!”
“Boss, I’ve got a rat problem at home. Do you have any rat poison?”
“Boss, I don’t need to buy anything, but a rat chewed through our water jar. Can you come take a look at my place? I’m home all alone right now.”
“Boss, I don’t need anything either, and I don’t have a rat problem. But I want a child. Can you help me legally acquire one?”
“…”
It was clear Kane was wildly popular, practically turning into a fertility god—half the village’s women had come to the store seeking his help.
Well, with a face as handsome as something out of a reader’s imagination, it’s no surprise he’d be so loved by women.
“Everyone, calm down, one at a time. There’s enough rat poison for everyone, no need to fight.”
“Ma’am, I really can’t sell you a child. Maybe try the barefoot doctor next door?”
“Young lady, you broke that water jar yourself, didn’t you? You’re five years old, always getting into mischief.”
“…”
Business was booming at the general store.
Originally, Kane had planned to stay open for just half an hour, but it took him over an hour to get through everyone.
Looking at the completely empty shelves, Kane had no intention of restocking.
After all, after tonight, the store would be permanently closed—no point in restocking now.
“Kane, you still got any rat poison? Gimme three packs—no, five.”
A sun-kissed man with a straw hat around his neck walked in, hoe slung over his shoulder.
Behind him followed two young women dressed like village girls.
Though neither of them could hold a candle to Enya, they were still considered top-tier beauties among the local women.
The man was named Itou, and the girl was his adoptive sister Aili. As for the other woman…
“Itou, can you hurry up? This filthy place is stifling. It’s disgusting here.”
Holding her nose with a look of disdain, Ilena waved her hand dismissively.
The moment her gaze happened to meet Kane’s, her disgust and contempt were utterly unfiltered:
“What are you staring at? Look again and I’ll gouge your eyes out.” She glared at Kane with clear irritation.
“Ilena! What kind of way is that to talk? Kane, I’m sorry. Nana’s on her period today, so she’s a bit moody.”
Itou scolded Ilena in a low voice, then quickly turned to Kane to apologize.
Kane smiled indifferently.
Ever since they first met a month ago, this Ilena woman had acted like he was her mortal enemy—open hostility, no pretense.
Honestly, it was even worse than when he was with Talia.
If Ilena hadn’t already been engaged to that young man named Itou, Kane might’ve started to suspect that she was some kind of hidden heroine.
But her looks were average, her figure unremarkable—just based on appearance alone, she was already disqualified in the eyes of Talia, who only liked beautiful girls.
“Rat poison, right? Hang on.”
For some reason, rat poison had been selling especially fast today—nearly everyone in the village had bought a pack.
Considering it was the rainy season, a time prone to all kinds of disasters, Kane didn’t think much of it.
“Nana-jie, how could you say that about Kane? Even if you’re not feeling well, you shouldn’t embarrass Brother Itou like that.”
“Unlike me, who only knows how to care about Brother Itou.”
The girl named Aili, part of the trio, clung affectionately to Itou, her syrupy voice so saccharine that even Kane, while searching for the medicine, shivered involuntarily.
Kane glanced back at the three.
Thanks to the green tea sister’s words, Itou started to think Ilena had gone a bit too far and scolded her.
And then Ilena pointed at Kane and shouted unhappily—You’re scolding me for that guy?
Kane: “……”
Seriously, if you three want to keep your delicate triangle stable, don’t drag me into it.
Any relationship outside a triangle is inherently unstable.
“Here’s your rat poison. That’ll be three Eris.”
Kane quickly handed over the rat poison and shooed the trio out.
While most of the villagers were honest and simple, quite a few were still a hassle to deal with.
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Kane decided it was about time to close up shop.
And just as he was locking up and walking off, a horse-drawn carriage silently rolled into the village of Loralin.
Inside the carriage, a young woman in a military uniform sat with striking black hair that immediately drew attention.
If Kane had seen her, he would’ve recognized her identity in an instant—after all, the woman in the carriage shared a deep and significant connection with him.
“Lady Vanessa, we’ve arrived at Loralin.”