Medieval Fantasy Barbarian

Over the past three years, Ivan had been forced to live an ascetic life.

Among all the things he had to suppress, the most significant was, naturally, his sexual desire.

Come to think of it, even in his past life, he didn’t have much connection with women, but at least opportunities were given.

Now, not only did he have no chance to date, but he didn’t even have occasions to see women’s faces.

In that sense, the situation unfolding before his eyes was excessively stimulating.

Ivan couldn’t even breathe, staring at her as if entranced.

There before him was an unrealistic beauty he had never seen in reality.

First, her snow-white hair, untouched like fresh snow, and her fair skin registered in his pupils.

Next, her infinitely blue eyes constricted his heart.

Lastly, her pale pink… oh fuck. Ivan felt an immense sense of self-loathing.

No matter how urgent, there’s a line that should be maintained as a human being.

Despite thinking this, Ivan couldn’t tear his gaze away from the woman before him.

She calmly accepted his intense gaze and asked.

“You, what are you?”

Only then did Ivan clearly recognize the seriousness of the criminal act he was committing.

‘I’m fucked!!’

In his past life, he would have been immediately thrown in jail and experienced social death, with all his human relationships severed.

In this primitive medieval-fantasy world, it would be a situation where he couldn’t complain even if he were torn limb from limb by enraged family members.

“I’m sorry!!!”

His mind went completely blank. Ivan performed a perfect bow like a painting and ran away with all his might.

The woman left alone muttered with a blank expression.

“What was that…?”

A soul so massive that just making eye contact felt like intense pressure.

Its caliber was comparable not to humans but to the great beings in myths.

And she needed that kind of mystery in her situation. Quite desperately, too.

It’s a simple problem, isn’t it? Then, she could just go find him herself.

Elena slowly rose to her feet.

“Sigh……”

“Why are you suddenly acting so miserably? It’s disgusting.”

Ivan looked at the old man with melancholic eyes and then turned his head again.

“Sigh……”

“…Did I hit your head too hard? Hey, how many do you see?”

The old man exaggeratedly waved his fingers in front of Ivan’s eyes.

Ivan, lacking even the energy to get angry, responded half-heartedly.

“It’s not that, so don’t deliberately annoy me. I’m already feeling troubled enough.”

“What nonsense. Judging by that silly expression, you’ve fallen for someone, haven’t you?”

“……!!”

Ivan was so surprised he could only open and close his mouth.

“How did you know that?”

“I just know. I haven’t seen fools like you just once or twice. Come here and sit down. Let me give you some counseling.”

Ivan felt briefly indignant but quickly calmed down.

Indeed, unlike his appearance, the old man exuded an aura of someone who had experienced quite a bit with women in his younger days.

At least it’s better than nothing, right? After pondering, Ivan opened up.

“Well, you see. Actually…”

After hearing a brief explanation, the old man literally rolled on the ground with laughter.

Crunch. Ivan’s fist tightened.

The old man cackled for a long time, then finally got up, wiping tears as he spoke.

“So, you just ran away? You’re crazier than I thought.”

“Then what should I have done in that situation?”

When Ivan replied curtly, the old man made a lecherous expression.

“My, my, you pathetic fellow. Do I really have to spell it out? You should have just gone with the flow and pushed her down…”

Ivan silently swung his fist.

The old man, as if he had expected it, tilted his head to avoid the attack.

“Slow.”

“This old man, really. If you’re going senile, at least do it gracefully.”

“You’re just being temperamental because you’re embarrassed. Can you even call yourself a man?”

That’s right. From the beginning, it was a mistake to seek dating advice from such a person.

The old man roughly patted Ivan’s slumped back as if to comfort him.

“A man getting discouraged over something like that. There are so many women in the world.”

“Please, just go.”

Ivan, belatedly overwhelmed by shame, lowered his head deeply. If possible, he wanted to crawl into a doghole.

‘Ah, this idiot. Saying ‘What?’ like that.’

Looking back, from each small action to the conclusion, there wasn’t a single decent aspect.

How pathetic must he have looked, staring with his mouth agape?

If only he hadn’t run away at the end, there might have been a thread of possibility… Now he’d probably never see her again.

‘Fuck… I loved her.’

Ivan buried his first love in his heart. A drop of a man’s hot tear rolled down his cheek.

Seeing that pitiful sight, the old man felt the urge to gouge out his own eyes.

Ivan looked up at the old man with reddened eyes.

“Master, what is love?”

The old man couldn’t restrain himself from kicking even in this situation.

“Stop the nonsense and go inside to sleep. If you don’t want to die.”

“Yes…”

Ivan trudged to bed, leaving a large footprint on his back.

“I must be crazy. Why did I even bother with such a guy…”

The old man clicked his tongue, watching that pitiful back.

It seemed he would have to watch over that sorry state for a few days.

“A strong and powerful morning!!”

“……?”

Contrary to expectations, Ivan was almost excessively energetic.

The old man momentarily rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a dream.

“Why is the guy who was whining all night now grinning and acting up?”

“I thought about it, and I think you’re right, Master. There are so many women in the world, it seems a bit much to cling to just one.”

“It’s good that you’ve come to your senses, but somehow your expression is a bit off?”

Ivan looked down at the old man arrogantly. It was a face that naturally made one’s fist clench.

“And above all… looking at appearances, I think I’m more valuable. Where else in the world is there such an excellent guy like me?”

“……”

When one is too dumbfounded, their words can be completely blocked. That’s how the old man felt now.

Interpreting that silence positively, Ivan went even further.

“Rather, isn’t it possible that woman might come looking for me? That would be troublesome… Ouch!!”

This was too much to bear. A large fist pounded Ivan’s crown.

“Even confidence has its limits. What a crazy…”

“Tsk, why is this old man so violent? What will you do if my words turn out to be right?”

The old man snorted disdainfully.

“Ha, if by some chance that happens, I’ll grant you one wish.”

Knock-knock. No sooner had the old man spoken than the sound of someone knocking at the door was heard.

‘Habel? It’s not time for him to come yet.’

“It seems like my friend has come, I’ll go check for a moment.”

“You have a friend? That can’t be.”

Ivan let that malicious slander pass through one ear and flung open the door.

“Brother, what brings you here so early…”

“Hello.”

Elena waved her hand lightly in greeting. Ivan froze in the position of opening the door.

“You don’t happen to not remember, do you? My name is Elena. And yours?”

“…It’s, Ivan.”

“I have something to talk about regarding yesterday, can we go inside and discuss it?”

“Uh, yes…”

Ivan, with his soul half gone, awkwardly moved his body.

The old man, who had roughly grasped the situation, showed a reaction no different—no, even worse.

‘That impossible delusion was real?’

Unable to overcome the despair rising from deep within his chest, the old man fell to his knees with a thud.

“……?”

As the two men immediately lost their senses, Elena, who couldn’t understand why, tilted her head in confusion.

Elena sipped the tea placed before her. A deep aroma emanated from it.

“Delicious.”

“Th-thank you…?”

Ivan knelt respectfully in front of her. It didn’t seem like she had come with good intentions.

Unless she was crazy, who could feel attraction in that situation?

Ivan lowered his head deeply.

“Um… I’m really sorry about what happened yesterday.”

“It’s okay, it didn’t seem like you did it on purpose. An accidental mistake can’t be helped.”

‘She’s just letting it go?’

For a moment, he was almost moved to tears. In Ivan’s mind, Elena was already no different from a saint.

“But, you kept staring without turning your eyes away. That wasn’t a mistake.”

“Ah…”

Of course. The light in Ivan’s eyes went out.

The old man, watching from behind, secretly mocked him. Of course. What’s there to like about a guy like that?

“I sincerely apologize… I’ll do anything I can.”

“Anything, really?”

For the first time, something resembling emotion was infused in Elena’s voice.

Did I overdo it? Ivan’s palms became moist with sweat.

But once words are spoken, they can’t be taken back.

Ivan prepared his heart to calmly accept whatever unreasonable demand she might make.

“Yes, anything.”

“Then I want to live here.”

“……?”

Even so, he hadn’t expected this.