Jeong Yusin kept his eyes closed as an inward scream erupted within him.
“Seriously, what is this?”
Could it be a fallen Maiden Sorcerer?
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in his mind.
He had intended to act like he had just woken up, scare Mion a little, and then enjoy a pleasant chat with her.
But the situation had developed strangely.
“Ehehe.”
Mion’s adorable laughter rang in his ears.
A soft hand grazed across Jeong Yusin’s forehead.
Slurp.
A warm sensation of a tongue touched his forehead.
Jeong Yusin’s body went rigid as if frozen in ice.
“Then… see you tomorrow.”
Mion’s murmuring voice faded away, along with the scent of her perfume.
Squeak. Squeak.
Creak.
The door closed, and Jeong Yusin’s eyes suddenly opened.
“What… What is this really?”
Jeong Yusin mumbled, staring at the ceiling.
The 23-year-old bachelor Jeong Yusin was filled with confusion, yearning for the sweet narratives often seen in romance fantasies.
But nothing in dramas, books, experience talks, or other media had prepared him for understanding the significance of the cheek-sucking gesture.
‘A green light or a red light?’
If it had been a light cheek-kiss, he might have considered it as an indication of affection.
But cheek-sucking?
“…Am I misunderstanding this world?”
Jeong Yusin raised his stiff hand to rub his cheek.
“Chik?”
A white mouse, Lin, blinked his eyes open, yawned widely, and met Jeong Yusin’s gaze.
“Come down a bit.”
“Chik.”
Lin licked Jeong Yusin’s cheek.
“Hah…”
Jeong Yusin sighed and closed his eyes again.
After lying motionless for about an hour, he finally got up from the bed.
His unsettled mind wouldn’t let him sleep anymore.
He stretched his body, checking his physical condition.
Not a single scar marred his flawlessly healed body.
‘Alright.’
Jeong Yusin changed his clothes and stepped into the hallway.
As he descended to the first floor, he saw the bustling crowd of guests.
“Scath!”
A bald-brute, Tarman, loudly called out Jeong Yusin’s name.
Jeong Yusin waved at him with a smile.
Tarman rushed over and hugged Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin’s eyebrows furrowed.
‘This is a bit…’
Men hugging other men felt strange.
“Let go.”
“Yes!”
“Scath!”
Delnaco approached with arms wide open.
“Don’t. People will misunderstand.”
Jeong Yusin stepped back slightly. Indeed, a few guests were watching them with interest.
“I apologize.”
Delnaco bowed his head in apology.
“It’s fine. Is Ann in the kitchen?”
“Yes.”
Tarman answered.
Jeong Yusin nodded and entered the kitchen.
Ann was diligently preparing food, handling numerous orders without a single mistake despite being alone. She was truly talented.
As she worked busily, she turned her head and met Jeong Yusin’s eyes.
“I’m here.”
Jeong Yusin said.
“You’ve arrived.”
Ann’s eyes slightly welled up.
Jeong Yusin approached with a smile and gently patted her shoulder.
“It must be tough. Thank you for your hard work.”
“No, compared to what you’ve endured, this is nothing. It’s a relief you’ve regained consciousness.”
Jeong Yusin scratched his head nervously and chuckled.
“I’m sorry for disturbing when you’re busy. Let’s talk later.”
“Yes!”
After receiving Ann’s response, Jeong Yusin returned to the inn’s hall.
‘There’s really a lot of them.’
Despite it being lunchtime, the inn was becoming even busier.
Jeong Yusin had no clue what was going on.
Delnaco and Tarman were working hard, dashing around delivering food.
He hesitated to ask questions.
Though curious about the situation, he didn’t want to interrupt.
It would be fine to wait a little longer.
Jeong Yusin meandered to the counter chair and sat down. It was soft and cozy.
A comfort incomparable to the hard, damp floors of the labyrinth.
He felt the sensation of return.
“Chik Chik!”
Looking down, he saw Lin pulling his leg.
Jeong Yusin lifted him by the nape of the neck and placed the mouse on his knee.
Not content with just that, Lin wiggled his way up Jeong Yusin’s chest.
Jeong Yusin leaned back on the chair back while Lin rested on his belly.
Jeong Yusin closed his eyes, listening to the bustling sounds of the inn until he dozed off.
“…Scath.”
Awakening, he found Delnaco looking down at him.
“Your meal is ready.”
“I see.”
Jeong Yusin stretched and looked around.
Lin had disappeared.
The inn, having passed the peak hours, was now quiet with most guests leaving.
He moved to the table where Ann and Tarman were seated.
“Here you are.”
Ann handed him a bowl of porridge.
Barley porridge with vegetables and chicken.
Jeong Yusin looked at the porridge and asked,
“Did I lose consciousness for a long time?”
“Yes, about a week.”
Delnaco responded.
“For that long? Yet, my body feels surprisingly intact.”
“Mion Priestess visited every day and cast a ‘vitality recovery’ spell on you.”
I see.
‘Could that cheek-suck have been the vitality recovery spell?’
Is there such a meaning behind it?
Jeong Yusin suppressed his rising curiosity.
“Alright. Speaking of which, everyone alright?”
“Yes, we all did well.”
Delnaco, as well as Ann and Tarman, smiled together.
Jeong Yusin smiled back and brought a spoonful of porridge to his mouth.
With its rich chicken broth, it was incredibly savory and made his mouth water even more. The slightly salty seasoning enhanced the taste further.
The soft chicken and vegetables harmonized perfectly with the barley, enhancing the chewing experience.
Jeong Yusin’s eyes widened.
“Really delicious.”
Tarman smiled contentedly.
Jeong Yusin tilted his head.
“Tarman, did you make this?”
“No, Ann did.”
“Why do you have such a proud expression, then?”
“Well… It’s just…”
Tarman evasively replied as his face turned red.
“Tarman helped a lot.”
Ann interjected.
“I see. Thanks.”
Jeong Yusin ate as slowly as possible. It was to allow his long-idle stomach some time to adjust but also because there was another reason—this porridge was on a different level from the jerky and biscuits he ate in the labyrinth. He wanted to savor this exquisite taste for as long as possible.
After some time, Jeong Yusin, having cleaned his bowl, slightly bowed his head.
“Thank you. I owe you this meal.”
Tarman and Ann waved it off.
“No, no, thank you for eating.”
Jeong Yusin smiled and spoke.
“Alright. Both of you, go rest. Delnaco, stay behind. Let’s talk a bit.”
“Yes.”
Tarman and Ann entered the kitchen, sticking close to each other.
Jeong Yusin noticed they were unmistakably getting intimate but decided against voicing it out loud.
Turning his gaze to Delnaco, he asked,
“What’s it like dating an old childhood friend?”
“I’m not too sure.”
Delnaco scratched his head while continuing.
“Isn’t that something we men can’t really understand?”
“Us men?”
Jeong Yusin frowned.
“Why categorize me with you?”
“Isn’t it the truth? Between Tarman and Ann, they’re explorers, sure, but practically semi-retired and live in quite a different world from ours, don’t they? A world where one lives and dies by a single blade.”
When did it become such an overly romantic world?
Jeong Yusin inwardly sighed, crossed his arms, and responded.
“Understood. Did Aldein look for me?”
“Upon hearing that Scath had lost consciousness, they came to check once.”
“Did they leave any message?”
“They said to come over if you’re bored.”
I see.
“Do you know anything about Oswald?”
“Pre-e-e-et?!!”
Delnaco’s shout startled him.
Delnaco’s eyes bulged wide.
‘Why this reaction?’
Jeong Yusin leaned back, feeling uneasy.
His reaction seemed burdening.
“Do you know? Or not?”
“Yes… As far as I know, he’s an officer of the Shadow Clowns.”
“Tell me more.”
Delnaco suddenly raised his head, looked around, and whispered,
“It’s difficult to say here.”
“What sort of major secret is this? Where do you intend to share this?”
“It’s not necessarily something to hide, but it’s better to have this talk in Aldein’s office.”
Hmm. Just that serious?
“For now, I understand.”
“…”
Delnaco’s eyes sparkled with worry and anticipation.
“Why the look?”
“No, are you going now?”
“Hold on. Where’s the rest of our party?”
“After moving Scath from the clinic to here, they visited for a few days but have taken a short break.”
“Any messages?”
“None specifically, but they did ask if we should gather here again soon after settling payment.”
“I see.”
At least everyone was safe, which was a relief.
Thankfully, they followed his request and didn’t go around spreading tales of the nursemaid and Oswald, putting his mind further at ease.
“One more thing.”
“Yes.”
“You… how do you feel about a female kissing a cheek?”
“That’s… I assume, under normal circumstances, it’s a sign of affection.”
“Is that so? What if the cheek turns red?”
“Yes…?”
Delnaco’s eyes clouded over with confusion.
“Uh…uh…”
Delnaco suddenly developed an acute case of aphasia.
“Never mind. Let’s go. To the demon disassembly site.”
“…Yes.”
Stepping out into the noon sunlight and walking together with Delnaco.
They entered Aldein’s office at the demon disassembly site.
“You’ve arrived? It’s been a while. Take a seat.”
Aldein looked up from a pile of documents and spoke.
“Yes.”
Delnaco stood by Aldein’s side as Jeong Yusin sat opposite Aldein.
“So, what brought you here?”
“Do you know of a guy called Oswald?”
“I do.”
“Please enlighten me.”
“You tell me first. Let’s hear what happened in the labyrinth.”
Delnaco’s eyes gleamed.
Like a young boy eagerly waiting to hear a hero’s tale.
Though Aldein didn’t reveal as much, he seemed curious too.
Jeong Yusin scratched his head and began to speak.
“Alright then. Let’s see… thus…”
The time passed for about 30 minutes.
“…that’s how I ended up killing all the assassins and got into a scuffle with Oswald before losing consciousness and not remembering anything.”
Jeong Yusin finished his narrative.
Since it wasn’t possible to recount every single detail of what happened in the labyrinth, he carefully selected and presented only the necessary parts.
“Wow…”
Delnaco’s mouth was wide open, unable to continue speaking.
“…”
Without saying a word, Aldein rubbed the corners of his eyes and finally spoke.
“Hey, Scath, do you realize what you’re saying? You survived despite being struck by bolts? Not only that, you went on to dismantle every assassin? And you even went picking a fight with Oswald? Yet survived? How on earth?”
Jeong Yusin shrugged.
“Because I just did.”
“…”
Aldein and Delnaco stared blankly at Jeong Yusin.
Aldein looked up at the ceiling for a moment before holding his head.
“Wait… Where was I? Delnaco, where was I?”
“I haven’t heard anything yet.”
“That’s correct. Oswald is one of the officers of the Shadow Clowns. Technically a mid-tier explorer, but it’s hard to classify him as regular mid-tier because of his unique mark abilities.”
Indeed.
Veil of Darkness is a stealth mark.
Deadly Back Strike is a mark that inflicts lethal wounds when attacking from behind.
Both individually were good marks, but combined, they became terrifyingly formidable.
Jeong Yusin nodded.
Aldein continued.
“He’s discerning and skilled, though they say he’s a bit odd. You might say he’s quite temperamental. He treats human lives like flies’ but still does his job well.”
“Your evaluation seems a bit inconsistent.”
Jeong Yusin inquired.
“Because the guy’s mental state is all over the place.”
Aldein’s answer had Jeong Yusin nodding and continuing.
“His eyes did have this eerie gleam.”
“…”
Aldein and Delnaco closed their mouths and stared at Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin tilted his head.
“Why’s that? Please continue.”
“Er… To put it simply, instead of being strong, he’s more about eliminating others efficiently. A killer rather than a warrior. Frankly speaking, it’s extremely rare for Oswald to have let you live. It’s beyond belief that he not only gave you a magic stone but also made you a recruitment offer.”
“But that actually happened, didn’t it?”
“…Yeah, it did, but still. Isn’t it incredible?”
Aldein’s face gradually twisted into a frown.
Delnaco quickly chimed in.
“Scath, what do you plan to do about the 5th Prince’s nursemaid affair?”
“…I’m not entirely sure yet. It’s risky to just head to Oswald’s clan and bring back the nursemaid while assassins are still roaming the labyrinth city. Doubtful they’d hand her over easily anyway. Honestly, there’s no compelling reason to bring the nursemaid back.”
Aldein interjected,
“Scath, the situation doesn’t seem ordinary. Observe how things develop before making a decision. Stay in the city for now and avoid entering the labyrinth for a while.”
“I’ll think about it. That’s all for now.”
Jeong Yusin concluded his speech and got up from his seat.
Creeak.
Thud.
As Jeong Yusin left, silence enveloped the office.
“What on earth is that guy doing out there?”
Aldein grumbled.
“It’s a relief he returned alive, isn’t it?”
In response to Delnaco, Aldein’s forehead veins bulged.
“Delnaco, stop leaving me speechless. It makes me mad.”
“Yes.”
As the sun began to set, Jeong Yusin managed to return to Darmong’s inn.
He had spent quite some time narrating various stories at the demon disassembly site.
Stepping into the inn, he felt a warm heat.
People were gathered in a corner of the inn’s hall.
Clap clap clap clap!
The sound of applause rang.
“Haaah! Yiieh!”
The sound of someone’s shout could be heard.
What’s going on now?
Pushing through the crowd, Jeong Yusin approached the corner.
And he saw it.
A small fox human was putting on a performance with three wobbly slimes.
The audience warmly smiled and clapped their hands.
Jeong Yusin felt his tension ease.
Ah. This again.
It’s nothing serious.
It was just a simple performance.
At the last chef interview, Jeong Yusin had allowed the fox human to come occasionally and put on performances, so there wasn’t much to be surprised about.
The fox human, who was enthusiastically manipulating the slimes, noticed Jeong Yusin, smiled brightly, and jumped down from the chair.
As she ran over, her voice rang out.
“Daaaaaaaaad!!!”
Everyone’s attention turned towards Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin’s expression froze.
“Huh…?”
