Chapter 33: Claire: Different From My Understanding

Freli recounted his past in full detail.

Although not everything was necessarily true, at least the part about killing a noble and fleeing with his daughter was real.

More communication could quickly build mutual trust between both parties.

“You?”

“You don’t look like an ordinary orphan. Most people wouldn’t dare reach out toward a duke’s estate.”

The merchant drove the cart, swaying as it moved forward.

“Do you want the truth? Honestly, I just wanted to pick a fat sheep that day, but who knew I’d end up in such big trouble!”

“Heh…”

Of course, the man couldn’t completely believe Mel Carlo’s words.

“The trouble you caused led to someone losing their head. I investigated this matter; otherwise, I wouldn’t dare cooperate with you.”

“Believe it or not, it can’t be helped. Often, things just happen by coincidence.”

Mel Carlo turned his head, looking behind the cart.

They had already left the imperial capital and could only see the hills in the distance.

The scenery along the way was remarkably similar to the game world of ‘Kandwen Continent,’ as if a filter had automatically overlaid his vision.

The weather was also pleasant.

A deposit of 1000 Orun had already been paid, with the rest to be settled upon arrival at Oak City.

That was a beginner city, more suitable for leveling up and developing, and far from the Demon King’s army.

The only war risk came from the southern Aixal Theocracy Empire.

However, given humanity’s current predicament, internal wars among humans could only be temporarily halted due to the threat of a more powerful external enemy.

Just as Mel Carlo was about to lie down and rest, he opened his eyes and saw the merchant’s daughter leaning against the carriage wall, staring at him with wide eyes.

Her skin was dark with a hint of red, and her features were quite striking.

For some reason, he felt a vague sense of familiarity.

Wait, what was her name again?

Mel Carlo quickly pulled out his notebook—though he pretended to take it from his clothes, he actually retrieved it from the system space.

“Claire… Claire Bernardo, merchant?”

Mel Carlo’s guard shot up.

This name had appeared in the game, and it belonged to a very distinct boss.

One of the eight Generals under the Demon King, [Greed], was named Claire, but she looked nothing like the little girl before him.

They say women can change drastically as they grow, but even the hair color didn’t match.

Yet, thinking about the backstory, there were parts that aligned.

In the lore, Claire once traveled as a merchant with her father in the imperial city during her childhood.

Then, a group of wanderers attacked them; her father died, and Claire was sold to slavers, planting the seeds of her hatred for humanity.

By a twist of fate, the Demon King purchased Claire, and she eventually became one of the eight Generals.

Apart from the mismatch in hair color, all other aspects fit.

When this boss first appeared, the Gold Loss Mechanic was in effect: although the rewards were generous, any damage received would decrease the player’s in-game gold.

Thus, a popular meme was born—”Lady Claire, I know I was wrong! Please don’t deduct my money!”

However, due to how punishing this mechanic was, player backlash led to it being changed from a main story dungeon feature to a simple event week reward, removing the Gold Loss Mechanic entirely and turning it into pure money farming.

Player opinion of the boss shifted accordingly:

“Lady Claire, pay me a Wage! I want to join the Demon King’s army!”

“Your name is Claire, right?”

“Yes, is there something you want to ask?”

“Nothing. You just remind me of someone I remember—a Claire with orange-red hair.”

Mel Carlo put away his notebook.

When he said this, Claire’s expression was perfectly normal.

Instead, it was her father, Freli, who flinched, his hands nearly losing their grip on the reins.

The man knew there was no such thing as a Claire with orange-red hair.

Claire was the child he shared with her mother, and the mother was not named Claire.

He had given the name himself.

Moreover, Claire had inherited his hair color, not an orange-red hue.

But could there really be so many coincidences in the world?

He started to regret this deal a little.

“Miss Claire, have you ever met your mother?”

Mel Carlo pressed on.

If Claire’s mother had orange-red hair, it would be worth investigating.

After all, this was a fantasy world—magic could change many things, including a person’s hair color if their magical power awakened, which could explain Claire’s potential combat ability.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve only heard about her from my father.”

This father did not hide the truth.

He had to let his child know, so that if he ever died, by some twist of fate, she would not return to the small southern kingdom.

“Haha, if it’s red hair, then she’s probably a demon.”

The merchant cut into the conversation, not wanting Mel to continue.

“But I said orange-red hair, not bright red or blood red. There’s a difference in color, sir. This is important—if we don’t clarify it, we might both regret it later.”

“Sigh…”

The man let out a long breath, not turning to look at Mel Carlo.

He simply muttered, “You’re a real troublesome brat!”

“So you do know something, then? Relax, I have no hostility toward you.”

“In the south—southern coastal regions—people often have red skin and orange-red hair.”

“Like Claire’s skin? Honestly, she’s a bit dark.”

Mel Carlo glanced at Claire again.

She looked like a healthy little girl, though her short hair and darker skin stood out.

“Mm.”

The merchant nodded, unwilling to elaborate.

“So, your daughter’s mother is probably the kind I was referring to, and your daughter might one day inherit her mother’s hair color.”

“Do you think you’re some kind of prophet?”

Freli frowned slightly.

He didn’t understand why this kid was bringing up such matters, but an uneasy feeling rose in his chest.

He’d never mentioned his wife’s hair color, nor had he ever pointed out that his daughter’s features revealed her southern coastal heritage.

The southern regions were warm all year, with almost no winter.

“Live well, Freli. Remember what I’m about to say, because I’m not sure if your daughter is the Claire I know.”

“If you die, your daughter might become one of the Demon King’s eight Generals.”

Saying out loud a plot that might happen in the game to someone so similar to the character lifted a weight from his shoulders.

If this tragedy repeated itself for this father and daughter, it meant the world’s story was still unfolding as before.

“Honestly, I’m starting to regret this deal. Your words make my scalp tingle, especially with that dead-serious tone.”

Freli finally stopped the carriage and turned around.

He couldn’t tell whether Mel Carlo’s words were true or false, but they pierced his heart like a thorn.

“Relax. You should be grateful we’re not enemies, Freli.”

Mel Carlo waved his hand, deciding not to provoke the merchant further.

It seemed his daughter mattered greatly to him.

This was a world similar to a game, but he couldn’t say just how similar.