Loved by Fate ? - Adventures of Sinbad [Sinbad x OC]

14 - A Place to Risk One's Life

"What a lively morning market!" Sinbad exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm, his eyes sparkling with delight. "As I would expect from Imuchakk!"

He, Reana and Hinahoho strolled through the snowy village, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling market. The stalls displayed a variety of goods, and the villagers were friendly and welcoming.

"Yo~ Sinbad! Reana!" called out a man from one of the stalls.

Intrigued, they made their way over to him. "These dynamic eels just left the water this morning. Have some!" he said, proudly holding up a large black eel in one hand.

"Their ovaries taste great pickled too," added a woman standing next to him, offering a bowl to Reana for her to taste.

Curiosity piqued, Reana took a sip from the bowl and smiled shyly at the woman. Sinbad, always up for a playful banter, couldn't resist teasing her. "Don't tell me it's better than the soup I make," he joked.

"It's not hard. Your soup has no taste," Reana retorted playfully, sticking her tongue out at him. "At least this way it can't be bad."

Sinbad feigned hurt, placing a hand over his chest dramatically. "Ouch! My heart can't take such harsh criticism," he joked, and they all burst into laughter.

They continued their tour of the market, with Sinbad carrying the eel on his shoulder. Hinahoho remarked, "You two have gotten used to our village pretty quickly."

"Thanks to everyone being so happy and friendly," Reana replied warmly.

Hinahoho then brought up the incident from the previous night, concerned about Sinbad's well-being. "By the way, is your wound okay?"

"Wound?" Sinbad looked puzzled for a moment before remembering the fight with the assassin.

"I took care of it already," Reana reassured the giant, giving a small nod.

"If so, then it's fine. But it sure is unusual for such an uncanny bunch to come after you."

"Oh, that! It's because I was chased out of my homeland! No biggie!" Sinbad replied nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by the seriousness of the situation.

Hinahoho's concern grew. "Eh? Does that make you a wanted man? Why?"

"I disobeyed military commands. And did a little more..." Sinbad's response was vague, he didn't seem to care much about it.

"Disobeyed? Why did you do that?" Hinahoho asked, his voice filled with anxiety as he reached out to touch Sinbad's shoulder. "Aren't you afraid? Unable to return to your homeland and having assassins come after you... You may have to live like this for the rest of your life! And you even got Reana involved in that?"

Sinbad gently but firmly pushed aside Hinahoho's hand. "I'm just doing things that my heart tells me to do. It has nothing to do with being right or wrong. If these are the consequences, I accept them," he said, his expression serious and resolute.

Reana interjected with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Hinahoho. Besides, I don't have anywhere to return to, so I'd rather be with Sinbad. Someone has to watch over him," she smirked playfully.

Hinahoho was taken aback by their determination. He stared at them, momentarily speechless and deeply moved by their resolve.

"Can I tame it?" Hinahoho asked in a low voice after some time, his eyes filled with determination. "If I grab hold of the power in the dungeon, will I be able to tame it too? I want to become like you!!" he declared to Sinbad, a newfound determination burning within him.

Before Sinbad could respond, a vendor called out, drawing Sinbad's attention. "Hey~ Sinbad! This way! I've got huge tomatoes you can't find anywhere else!"