Jeong Yusin sat at the inn, surveying the people seated there.
Finally, his gaze settled on the man with the all-back hair.
He started to say something, but then closed his mouth.
Sex.
It was a story far from him. Even more so as he struggled as a foreigner in search of a way home.
Since he arrived here, he had never received a kind glance. A few warm-hearted individuals had believed in his innocence, but that was it. Contempt and mockery were his friends. At least, that was how it was in the early days of the Labyrinth City.
“Master, why so silent?”
The middle-aged man with all-back hair asked.
Jeong Yusin stopped thinking and spoke.
“It is none of your business. What is your purpose here?”
The man with all-back hair chuckled.
“I came to apologize. And to also check how you’re doing.”
Is that so?
That’s why Karin left these guys alone.
Karin stood behind the counter, with Tarman and Ann beside her.
‘Tarman and Ann are safe. That’s good.’
Karin understood his thoughts perfectly. Despite exchanging only a few words, she quickly grasped his intentions and acted.
“I accept your apology. Don’t show your face here again.”
“Tsk!”
The man with all-back hair burst out laughing in disbelief.
“Listen, if you talk like that, none of us will know whether you’ve actually accepted our apology. Our rookies got carried away since it’s their first time in Labyrinth City. Please be lenient.”
“So who are you?”
“Guildmaster of the Pighead Mercenaries, Guyan.”
Jeong Yusin nodded inwardly.
So, that was the leader of the guys who caused a ruckus at the inn earlier.
“Got it, leave.”
The man with all-back hair smiled and looked around before addressing his subordinates.
“If he tells us to leave, we must. The innkeeper is awfully cold-hearted. Alright, guys, let’s go.”
“Yes sir.”
The mercenaries reluctantly stood up one by one and left the inn.
Guyan was the last to remain.
“Young master, may I offer you some advice?”
“Don’t.”
“Huh.”
The man with all-back hair sighed deeply and scratched his head.
“You should be more careful with your mouth. I almost lost it right there.”
“If you’re offended, come at me.”
“HAHAHAHA!!!”
The man with all-back hair burst into a roar of laughter. His voice was so loud it felt like the inn might collapse.
“We’ll probably see each other again soon… until then.”
“You talk too much.”
The man with all-back hair took out a coin pouch from his pocket and tossed it on the table before leaving.
Bang!
The door slammed shut, leaving Jeong Yusin and the inn staff alone.
Jeong Yusin approached the counter.
“Did these guys cause any problems?”
“Nope. They seemed to come just to apologize.”
With Karin’s answer, Jeong Yusin scratched his head.
Really? Something didn’t feel right.
Still, grabbing the collar of someone who came just to apologize wasn’t appropriate. He decided to drop it. He realized he had been unnecessarily irritable while talking. Besides, he already had mountains of worries to deal with.
“Let’s prepare for now. There’s a lot of work with the Blue Moon Festival coming up. I’ll help.”
Jeong Yusin rolled up his sleeves and said.
A dark night.
The man with all-back hair was walking down a dark road.
Around where Jeong Yusin could easily recognize—an area of old slabs. It was the farthest outskirts of the Eastern Sector.
The man found the dilapidated tavern and opened the door.
Creak.
Opening the rusted door, he saw inside the tavern where people cloaked in robes were seated.
Inside the dim pub, no one could determine the identity of the cloaked figures.
“Guyan, was the task you went for successful?”
One of the cloaked figures asked.
The man with all-back hair sighed deeply.
“Phew. That guy had some real nasty temper.”
“In this area, he’s called Barbaroy. He’s a half-breed.”
“A savage… it might be the right description. That half-breed has been obstructing our business, and there’s quite a bit of talk from the higher-ups. Honestly, I’m doubtful if this plan will go smoothly.”
“The timing is right with the festival coming up and the city bustling with people.”
The cloaked figure asserted.
Guyan stroked his forehead.
“While it’s said nothing in life comes easy, this is genuinely hard. We need to acquire slaves, but some ‘odd guy’ from the Western Empire showed up and ruined our commerce. It’s starting to feel like it’d be more profitable to hunt inside the Eastern Union.”
“I’ve heard something about him. That odd guy is…”
“Shit. Called a ‘Hero’, I think. Man, all kinds of crazy people keep popping up. What’s this world coming to?”
Guyan clicked his tongue and kept complaining.
One of the cloaked figures tapped the table.
“Just relax until the festival. We have some time before the plan is executed.”
Guyan leaned back on his chair and spoke.
“If I recall, the plan was to cause chaos in the city on the festival day, right?”
“That’s right.”
“And then take people from the arena and the black market, right?”
“Yes.”
“Where do you plan to draw attention?”
“We’ll let some powerful beasts loose in the southern district.”
“Isn’t there an Elf Sword Master there?”
“Yes, but one person can’t handle it alone against so much chaos.”
“I see. Let me ask one last thing. Won’t this plan increase the bad feelings in the Eastern Sector? Feels like a self-sabotaging move.”
“We’ve always been hated. Now it doesn’t make much difference. Moreover, we plan not only to use the beasts, but also send one more… a human.”
Guyan’s face stiffened.
“Isn’t that the guy? The one almost driven mad after getting captured in the Giant Spider’s cave?”
“That’s correct. The guy who was loudly boasting about having a ‘prodigy swordsman’ brand. I can’t comprehend how someone with such a mark ended up there, but it’s none of our business. We have a friend capable of mind-control brands, so we’ve properly prepared.”
“That guy is quite pitiful. Tsk.”
Guyan clicked his tongue and picked up his glass.
The darkness outside the tavern grew deeper.
A few days after the mercenaries visited.
Jeong Yusin and his group were busy preparing for the festival.
The most troubling issue was one:
How to attract tourists?
In this Labyrinth City, the only specialty was beasts disguised as humans, which wasn’t exactly appealing.
The brainstorming gave them a headache.
Jeong Yusin, Tarman and Ann, and Karin sat around a round table at the inn, each expressing their thoughts.
“Delicious food, perhaps? Some specialty dish?”
Tarman scratched his head and suggested.
“Specialty food, good idea. What did you have in mind?”
Responding to Jeong Yusin’s question, Tarman stroked his chin, then cautiously spoke.
“How about fish pies?”
Jeong Yusin’s eyes grew wide.
Tarman, interpreting that as a positive sign, broke into a wide grin.
“Mr. Scath, this is a wonderful dish. Since Labyrinth City is located in the middle of the forest and plains, seafood is quite rare. There is a river nearby, but can river fish compare to sea fish? If you let me handle it…”
“No.”
“…”
“Tarman, you were doing so well until now. Remember, you said you wanted to turn over a new leaf? Why are you thinking of something like fish pies? Your heart is tainted by darkness.”
“Uh… I’m sorry.”
Tarman apologized with a baffled expression.
Quietly sipping water, Ann spoke.
“Mr. Scath.”
“What is it?”
“Is it possible for Mari and Dell to join the festival?”
Mari
A girl who was assaulted by a gang of Hobgoblins in the labyrinth and lost her sanity. She carried a Hobgoblin’s baby in her womb but was able to take care of it with his help.
And Dell.
A boy who lost his mind after getting trapped in the Labyrinth’s ‘Darkness.’ Dell’s head was a field of flowers as Jeong Yusin remembered. He last heard that Dell was currently living at the Mage Tower.
He hadn’t heard any news about Mari and Dell recently. He hadn’t asked either. It was Tarman’s and Ann’s painful past, so he deliberately avoided bringing it up.
Jeong Yusin readily nodded.
“Sure, let’s include them. Will they come to the inn?”
“If Mr. Scath will allow, yes.”
“Whenever you want. It’s fine with me.”
“Thank you.”
Ann bowed her head in gratitude.
“Karin, any brilliant ideas?”
Jeong Yusin asked Karin.
“Huh? Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
Karin was lost in thought and hadn’t really heard Jeong Yusin’s question.
Jeong Yusin sighed.
“Huff. What should we do?”
Running a business was tougher than he imagined.
Sitting around at the inn and racking his brain was killing him. Not knowing what the public would like made it harder.
Just then,
Knock!
The door opened and a group entered.
Accurately, it was two people and one beast.
“Uh? What are you guys doing here?”
The teddy bear baker, hobbling in.
Fox therianthrope, Luna.
And Lin.
“Are you worried about what to sell?!”
The teddy bear exclaimed.
“If that’s the case, we’re here to help!”
Luna pushed her chest out, placing her hands on her waist.
“Click!”
Lin mimicked Luna’s pose.
“Hmm. Not a ‘Mallow Friends’ group then.”
His heart clenched.
Jeong Yusin gestured with a hand.
“Tell us your idea. Sit down.”
“Understood, bear.”
“Juice, please.”
“Click!”
They brought chairs but no one could properly sit on them.
Jeong Yusin stood up and placed each one carefully in the chair.
Seeing this, Karin smirked.
“Our Scath is kind of fond of cute things, isn’t he?”
Ann, who returned from the kitchen with the juice, smiled.
“Indeed. His affection for cute things is clearly visible on his face.”
Jeong Yusin’s expression tightened.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Master Scath, your expression grows delighted.”
Is that true?
He thought he was hiding it well, but it seems he hadn’t succeeded.
Anyway,
When did Lin start getting close to Luna and the teddy bear?
He was worried she might be up to no good when she disappeared, but it seems it was all a misunderstanding.
Still, things needed to be said.
“Lin, are you wandering around again?”
“Click!”
Lin stood on the table and poked out her belly toward Jeong Yusin.
With her hands on her hips, she faced Jeong Yusin confidently. As if challenging him to take a swing at her.
Jeong Yusin shook his head as he looked at Lin’s soft belly.
“Lin, your attitude isn’t good. No massages for a while.”
“Click? Clickclick!”
Lin immediately relaxed her stance and clung to Jeong Yusin, shaking her head.
Seeing this, Karin displayed a look of utter disbelief.
“What is this?”
“No one is allowed to harm Lin!”
Luna butted in, who had finished her juice.
“Yeah.”
Jeong Yusin raised both his hands while observing the ruckus of the three.
“Okay, I got it. Stop already. Now, tell us your plan.”
“Our plan we’ve prepared is this.”
“It’s cream slime bread!”
“Click!”
Jeong Yusin stroked his chin.
Cream which is white matches Lin’s fur,
Slime is Luna’s summoned creature,
And bread is the teddy bear’s specialty.
“I’m not sure yet. The idea isn’t bad, but it’s hard to judge without the actual item.”
“Actual item? What are you talking about?”
“Clickclick.”
“Don’t worry, we have brought the ultimate cream slime bread!”
The teddy bear pulled something out from a paper bag.
It was a round pastry, resembling a coffee bun.
There were cute eyes and a bright smile drawn on the front.
“Wow.”
“That’s adorable.”
“Not bad at all.”
The inn employees sitting at the table made their comments respectively.
“Go ahead, try it!”
Jeong Yusin took a bite from the bread.
The thin crust crunched softly, and the dense custard cream filled his mouth immediately.
The thick milk and vanilla aroma, along with the not-too-sweet cream, merged to create a fantastic harmony.
“Wow.”
Jeong Yusin didn’t even care about wiping the cream off the corner of his mouth.
“How delicious it is?!”
