Step. Step.
Ren walked slowly back toward the spot where the bald man lay.
“Hmm… He left his axe behind—smart move. But where does he think he can run, leaving such a clear trail of blood?” Ren muttered, glancing at the drops of crimson staining the grass.
He strolled leisurely, and within minutes found the man slumped against the trunk of a tree, drained and weak.
“Hey there. Still holding on?” Ren asked plainly.
“Bastard… What more do you want from me? Huh?” the man spat, cold sweat running down his pale face.
His limbs felt heavy and useless from the blood he had lost; his arms could no longer move after the earlier blows.
Seeing his state, Ren knelt down before him and spoke calmly.
“I’ll end your suffering quickly—if you answer one important question for me.”
The agony and the endless flow of blood made it clear to the man: death was only a matter of time. He accepted the offer without hesitation.
“Very well… What do you want to know? You… you’re an agent from the Adventurers’ Guild, aren’t you? Sent to hunt us down?”
“Foolish question—I’m the one asking here, not you. I don’t even know what this ‘Guild’ is. But fine… I only want to know one thing,” Ren said firmly.
Gulp.
The man steeled himself, resigned to the fact that every cruel act he had committed throughout his life had finally caught up with him.
“What? About all the women we’ve hurt before? Alright, I’ll admit it… We’d rob and kill adventurers after having our way with them, and then—Aarrghh!!”
“Hey! Shut your mouth! Did I say you could ramble on?! I’m the one asking the questions!” Ren snapped, annoyed.
To drive his point home, he drove his sword into the man’s thigh, drawing a sharp cry of pain.
“I only want to know: are there truly many beautiful women of all races in this world? That’s all!”
“Huh?!”
“Answer me!”
“Y-yes! Plenty! There are countless beautiful women across this continent! The most exquisite of all are the long-lived High Elves—they are said to be unmatched in beauty…”
That was all Ren needed to hear. A wide grin spread across his face as he pulled his blade free.
Squelch! Slash!
True to his word, he delivered one swift, clean strike, ending the bandit’s life instantly.
“Thank you. That’s all I needed to know,” Ren said simply.
He stood and turned to leave the forest behind.
Some time later, Ren emerged at the edge of the woods, looking out toward the village visible in the distance.
“Aaah… Fresh air! How I’ve missed this feeling after living what felt like hell back on Earth! Hahaha!” he laughed to himself.
“But damn it… that beautiful girl really did vanish, didn’t she? Just my luck—right when I wanted to introduce myself properly,” he grumbled.
If there was one regret he felt, it was telling her to run away in the first place.
But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a soft, melodic voice rang out from behind him.
“Umm… you… you wanted to get to know me? Even someone as weak and ordinary as me?”
Ren spun around in surprise, only to find the red-haired girl standing there—her hair slightly tangled and dusty, but no less lovely.
“Huh?! Thank goodness you didn’t run too far! Hahaha!” Ren beamed, his face lighting up with genuine delight.
She smiled back shyly, then lowered her gaze.
“I’m sorry… I’ve been hiding and following you this whole time. I just felt… I’d only be safe as long as I stayed close to you…”
Thump! Thump!
Ren’s heart nearly burst out of his chest at those gentle words—something he had almost never heard spoken to him in his old life.
“So this is what it feels like… to be the kind of man a woman can rely on? Aah… this feels wonderful…” he thought to himself.
He quickly recovered his composure and extended his right hand.
“Aaah! Exactly! I’d love to get to know you! Let me introduce myself—I’m Ren!”
“Sir Ren… My name is Elara…” she replied with a soft smile, taking his hand in both of hers. Her grip was firm, yet still trembling slightly from the terror she had just endured.
“Wait… did you just call me ‘Sir’?” Ren asked, caught off guard.
“Sir Ren… is there something wrong?” Elara blinked, confused.
“N-no, not at all! It actually sounds great… but why the title?”
“Is… is Sir not of noble blood? I mean… the power you showed earlier was extraordinary—so I naturally assumed you came from a noble house…”
Thump! Thump!
Ren’s pulse raced even faster. Not only was Elara breathtakingly beautiful, but beneath her thin leather armor, her figure was impossible to miss—her curves even more alluring as she bowed her head modestly.
Gulp.
Ren swallowed hard, barely able to contain himself.
“Hehehe! This is exactly what I’ve always dreamed of! No wonder no one looked twice at me before—I was a nobody. But now? She thinks I’m nobility! This is my chance!” he thought, grinning inwardly.
His eyes drifted slowly from her emerald eyes down along her neck, lingering on the soft, tempting curves visible through her simple clothing.
Lost in his own thoughts, he only snapped back when Elara called his name.
“Sir Ren?”
“Ah—right! Well… truth be told… I was cast out of my own homeland and disowned by my family because they deemed me too weak. Even after working and struggling for years, they still refused to acknowledge me… so… would you please keep this secret between us?” Ren lied smoothly, weaving his sad past on Earth into a believable story.
Little did he expect that his made-up tale would strike a chord with Elara’s pure heart.
“Goodness… So Sir Ren was abandoned just because they thought you were weak? Even after all those years of trying? But… the strength you displayed today was anything but weak…”
“Elara… if you stay this sweet and naive, I’m really going to fall for you… wait a minute—haven’t I already fallen for you the moment I laid eyes on you?” Ren thought, watching her earnest expression.
“How cruel! Your family is truly unjust! But rest assured, Sir! From this day onward, I will walk beside you, and help you reclaim your rightful title and honor!” Elara declared, her eyes shining with determination.
“Eh?!” Ren was taken aback.
“Wait a second! She actually believes all that nonsense I just made up?!” he panicked internally.
“I may not have much experience yet, but I swear this to you, Sir: my loyalty will follow you wherever your journey leads! Consider it my way of repaying you for saving my life!” Elara added, looking up at him with complete trust.
She truly believed every word of his fabricated story.
And for a man who had known nothing but hardship and loneliness his whole life, there was only one way to respond to this misunderstanding.
“You’re right! One day, my family will pay for every wrong they have done! Then… I gratefully accept your help, Elara,” Ren said, playing along fully.
“At your service, Sir Ren! I will always stand by your side and support you!” the red-haired girl replied with a bright, hopeful smile.
And so, Ren took his first real step toward building his dream: his very own harem kingdom.
Or at least… that was what he intended.