Four days had passed since my arrival in Foosha Village.
During that time, I did what I could to get closer to Makino. Every afternoon, I went to the bar, always keeping the conversation light and not pushing too hard. Progress was moderate—she still treated me like any other customer—but in some interactions, I noticed subtle changes in her behavior.
A slight flush on her face when our gazes lingered too long or when I made a more direct comment. Small reactions that showed that, at the very least, she found me attractive.
The most significant moment happened on the third day. She needed to carry some barrels to the storage room, and seeing the opportunity, I offered to help. It wasn't anything impressive—I just lifted a barrel, carried it to the back, and repeated the process. But the heat that day made me lift the bottom of my shirt to wipe the sweat off my forehead, exposing my abdomen in the process. It was quick, but when I glanced at Makino, I saw her avert her eyes, her face slightly flushed.
That confirmed one thing—she wasn't indifferent to my appearance.
And honestly, I understood why.
My black hair was always a bit messy, but it matched my light amber eyes, which looked almost golden under the right light. My face was symmetrical, without any noticeable imperfections, and while I wasn't absurdly muscular, I had a well-defined athletic physique. I stood around 1.90 meters tall, making me one of the tallest people in the village.
The strange thing was that this wasn't exactly how I looked before coming to this world. The similarities were there, but I wasn't this tall, I didn't have amber eyes, and my face wasn't this perfectly structured. The change was obvious, but I had no idea why. Maybe it was related to my powers.
Speaking of which, I hadn't spent these days just focusing on Makino.
My shadows needed upgrades. The bird I had initially captured was useful but limited, so I replaced it with a falcon—much faster and with better vision. Additionally, I hunted a few more creatures to strengthen my army, three tigers and two more bears.
The difficulty was minimal. Tigers and bears don't move in packs, so I never had to fight more than one at a time. With the numerical advantage of my shadows and coordinated attacks, the hunt was easy.
Now, my group consisted of:
1 Falcon
4 Bears
2 Bandits
3 Tigers
It was a considerable improvement.
Meanwhile, I was still living in the cave. Not ideal, but it worked for now. However, I took advantage of the village's resources to buy some essentials—new clothes and hygiene products. Nothing flashy, just enough to maintain a decent level of comfort.
Despite the small progress, I knew there was still a long way to go, both with Makino and my own growth.
And that was the problem.
At this pace, it would take at least six to eight months to fully win her over, and that was assuming everything went well.
I didn't have that kind of time.
If I wanted to speed things up, I would have to make a series of risky moves.
---
If I wanted Makino to get closer to me quickly, I needed to put her in a situation where she would depend on me. Something that would shake her emotionally. Something big.
Kidnapping her? No. That would just make me a criminal. But rescuing her from a kidnapping? Now that was a promising plan.
With that in mind, I needed a few pawns on the board. And luckily, it didn't take long to find them.
---
Using my falcon to scout the area, I located a small group of bandits hiding in the nearby mountains. Just 11 men, living in a makeshift camp. Nothing special, just common thieves and murderers surviving by robbing unsuspecting travelers. The kind of scum no one would miss if they disappeared.
That afternoon, I went to them well-prepared.
I wore a hood and a wooden mask I had carved myself.
As I approached the camp, the bandits were gathered around a fire, talking loudly.
I gave a subtle signal, and my monsters emerged from the darkness.
The four bears moved in first, their shadowy forms stomping heavily across the terrain. Three tigers followed closely behind, moving with their usual predatory grace. My falcon circled above, ready to stop any escape attempts.
The bandits' laughter died instantly.
Someone choked on their own spit, another dropped the bottle they were holding. One of the men, probably the leader, reached for his sword but hesitated when he saw the creatures surrounding me.
"W-What…?" One of them stammered, eyes wide.
"Quiet," my voice was firm as I stepped forward. "You're going to do a job for me."
The bandits exchanged nervous glances.
"We don't want any trouble," one of them said. "What do you want?"
I smirked under the mask and tossed a bag onto the ground. The sound of clinking coins filled the air.
"One million berries."
Their eyes gleamed for a moment.
"Why?" the leader asked, still suspicious.
"Simple," I continued. "Tomorrow, you'll go to Foosha Village and head straight to the bar. Cause a commotion—break some tables, smash some bottles, scare the people. And in the middle of the chaos, take the barmaid with you."
One of the bandits' eyes widened. "Kidnap her? Why?"
"You don't need to know the reason," I replied. "Just do it. If everything goes smoothly, the money is yours."
They exchanged glances again. One of them stepped forward, frowning.
"And if we decide not to do it?"
My shadow stretched slowly across the ground, swallowing part of the fire.
"You will," I stated, letting the unspoken threat hang in the air.
The leader let out a tense sigh, then looked at the others. Some seemed hesitant, but the sight of the money and the creatures lurking in the dark was enough to break any resistance.
"Alright," he said. "We'll do it."
"Good," I responded. "Tomorrow, at sunset. Don't disappoint me."
Without another word, I turned and vanished into the forest.
My falcon flew behind me, and my shadows disappeared as if they had never been there.
Now, I just had to wait