Karin and Jeong Yusin passed through the courtyard and entered the inn.
The gazes of the explorers sitting in the inn briefly gathered and then dispersed.
Due to the prolonged closure of the labyrinth, the number of people gathering was increasing day by day. Unfamiliar faces appeared more frequently.
Karin sat at a table close to the inn’s counter and pointed to the opposite side with her fingers.
“Sit here.”
“Yes.”
Jeong Yusin took his seat. Shortly afterward, Darmong brought breakfast.
The menu was simple: a sandwich and onion soup.
But it wasn’t so simple.
Darmong’s signature sandwich was crafted with precision—roasted ribeye minced and combined with cheese and sauce, then stuffed into the limits of a sourdough loaf.
The onion soup was prepared by caramelizing onions in a pan for an extended period, then simmered for hours with meat broth, finishing with a layer of cheese on top.
It was a pristine homemade dish, embodying time and dedication. It was no surprise that visitors kept coming.
“It’s like home-cooked food.”
“Someone said it reminded them of the onion soup their mother used to make!”
“The innkeeper’s skills are growing stronger every day.”
People were marveling and enjoying the meal.
A peaceful breakfast.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Clatter.
The table shook.
Instantly, silence enveloped the inn.
The eyes of the two men eating met.
Thud-thud-thud.
It wasn’t just the table.
Trrrrrr.
The wooden pillars were trembling, the floor was vibrating, and the entire inn began to shake.
“What… what is this?!”
“Landlord!!”
People started murmuring. A few quickly bolted out of the inn.
Thud-thud-thud.
The tremors were growing stronger. Those who stood up began to wobble.
“Let’s go out!!”
“Take cover under the table!”
The people were at a loss about what to do amid the sudden earthquake.
Someone grabbed Jeong Yusin’s arm.
It was Karin.
“Under the table.”
Jeong Yusin’s eyes widened.
With a forceful grab, Karin pulled Jeong Yusin underneath the table as if his body was being sucked in.
‘Is she stronger than me?’
Jeong Yusin was startled more by Karin’s strong arm than the sudden earthquake. Her soft bosoms pressed against Jeong Yusin’s chest, but he had no time to process it.
The earthquake intensified. Bottles and plates fell, shattering on the floor, and the wooden pillars and beams groaned under the strain.
‘Is the inn about to collapse?’
As anxiety reached its peak…
The earthquake stopped just as suddenly as it had started. People still sat hunched under the tables, dumbfounded.
“Darmong!”
Jeong Yusin was the first to crawl out from under the table and approached the counter. Darmong was inside the kitchen.
Though he was once a high-ranking explorer, there was no immediate concern. Yet, the silence was unsettling.
“Scath, are you alright?”
Darmong emerged from the kitchen covered in soot.
His entire body was singed, his fur clinging to his skin.
It seemed he had worked tirelessly during the earthquake to prevent the kitchen fire from spreading.
With an exhausted expression, Darmong slumped onto a chair at the counter and spoke.
“Miss Karin, are you injured anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
Karin replied, having crawled out from under the table.
Only then did a few people start emerging from under their tables.
“An earthquake? What is going on?”
“I’ve never experienced anything like this in my entire life.”
Regaining their senses, people began murmuring amongst themselves.
Karin approached Darmong and handed him a silver coin.
“Darmong, I’ll be leaving earlier. Thanks for the meal.”
“Yes, Miss Karin. Take care.”
“Hold on.”
Jeong Yusin stopped Karin, who was about to leave.
“What’s the matter?”
“Here. You got soup on your clothes.”
Jeong Yusin handed her a towel. Karin tilted her head to look at her shirt. The splashes of onion soup had soaked through, revealing glimpses of a purple lace bra.
“It’s no big deal.”
“If it’s no big deal, then forget about it.”
Upon reflection, Jeong Yusin felt embarrassed.
To hand sweat-soaked towels to the top idol of the Seal Union was the act of some damp pervert.
“No, that’s not right.”
Karin quickly grabbed the retreating towel.
“I’m in a hurry, so I’ll wipe myself while I’m on the go. I’m leaving. See you later.”
With the towel in hand, Karin rushed out of the inn.
Seeing this, a few people swiftly left the inn. The bustling place emptied out in no time.
Jeong Yusin went outside, standing near the entrance.
The street was filled with people who had poured out due to the mysterious earthquake.
The sudden earthquake hadn’t just struck Darmong’s inn—it had shaken the entire Labyrinth City. The streets were swept with cries of confusion and concern.
At that moment, someone shouted.
“The Knights!”
Everyone’s gaze focused on one spot.
Soldiers clad in plate armor, glowing silver in the sunlight, cut through the disordered crowd.
“Stay calm!”
A human male in his thirties with blonde hair and a bold appearance shouted from the front. His voice was so loud it reverberated through the streets.
“Excuse me, who is that man?”
Jeong Yusin, standing by the inn entrance, asked Darmong standing beside him.
“What? Do you feel a sense of competition? Go away. You can’t possibly reach his level.”
Jeong Yusin glanced at his own hands.
There were no pushovers around.
Despite continuous training every day, he was still lacking and had a long way to go.
‘Nothing’s easy in this world. Guess it’s not something that’ll come easily.’
He swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth.
As the streets quieted, the blonde-haired man at the front spoke.
“The city council has met. There will soon be an answer, so maintain order and remain calm. Any who incite disorder amidst the chaos will face the Knights’ swords. Those whose residences are damaged should pack their belongings and move to the park. That concludes my statement!”
As the blonde-haired man finished speaking, the soldiers behind him neatly dispersed to control the streets.
Darmong loosened his arms and went back inside the inn.
Jeong Yusin followed Darmong inside.
“I’ll help.”
“Hmph. Thank you.”
Darmong sighed as he looked at the utter mess the inn was in.
They swept up the broken dishes and bottles with a broom and mopped the floor.
The first floor restaurant was fairly easy to clean, but the pantry and kitchen were problematic.
In the pantry, all sorts of ingredients were mixed and scattered across the floor.
In the kitchen, cooking utensils and the food being prepared, along with dishes and glasses, were shattered and scattered all over the floor.
In Jeong Yusin’s personal opinion, it was fortunate that there hadn’t been a fire in the kitchen.
This was because Darmong alone had been handling 10 braziers simultaneously.
After finishing cleaning the dining hall, Jeong Yusin helped Darmong tidy up the pantry and the kitchen.
What started in the morning only finished approaching evening.
Jeong Yusin sat on the inn’s entrance steps, looking at the setting sun.
The street was now being controlled by the Knights, alongside the city patrol.
While idly looking around the street, Darmong suddenly appeared from behind.
“I’ll be back with some dinner. Keep an eye on the inn.”
“I’ll go get it.”
Standing up, Jeong Yusin offered. Darmong waved him off.
“Go away. In times like these, a Barbaroy venturing out alone will be captured.”
Jeong Yusin’s mouth slightly opened.
“Why?”
“For attempted rape.”
“Pfft, come on.”
Seeing Darmong’s joking demeanor, it seemed he’d somewhat regained his energy.
Surely, it was impossible that someone would be running around attacking people amidst an unprecedented disaster?
It was unthinkable.
Jeong Yusin thought this and turned away.
That’s when his eyes met a patrolman’s.
A cold, suspicious gaze.
‘Is this for real?’
Chilled by the icy glower, Jeong Yusin retreated back inside the inn.
Darmong stroked his chin and spoke.
Judging by his far-off gaze, he seemed to be reminiscing about the past.
“There was a large fire in the eastern district a few years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Quite a number of buildings caught fire. That’s when the Barbaroys sprang into action.”
A sudden story of Barbaroy heroics?
Jeong Yusin listened attentively to Darmong’s tale.
Even the worst people have some good traits, after all.
“Quite a few Barbaroys rolled up their sleeves and helped rescue people.”
“Oh my.”
“Everyone was saved, with no casualties. That’s what I heard. For more details, you’ll have to ask someone else.”
“Ho. Indeed, there are no completely evil villains. Stories like these bring warmth to the heart.”
“…”
“Darmong?”
Darmong fell silent.
What is this about?
Anxiety began to rise.
Come on.
Surely? Surely not. Surely not.
“‘First,’ everyone was ‘rescued.’ That is all I have to say. We’ll talk about the rest later.”
Darmong left the inn.
“…”
Jeong Yusin stumbled back inside and sat at the counter.
He folded his arms and gazed out toward the inn entrance.
But his mind was flooded with images of wild Barbaroys.
Weren’t they rescuing just to commit atrocities?
Or had they committed them while saving?
Thinking about it made his head spin.
“Where the heck are these guys hiding?”
Jeong Yusin sighed while clutching his hair.
*
Two hours passed.
Darmong hadn’t returned.
Has something happened?
While pondering various thoughts, plate-armored people entered the inn.
They were the Knights.
“Landlord! Five servings of dinner. Hmm?”
The fox human shouting paused and looked at Jeong Yusin.
“Where’s the landlord?”
“He’s gone to buy the evening meal. We’re not open for business today.”
“Are you a Barbaroy?”
A plate-armored female elf stepped forward and asked.
“Yes, I’m a Barbaroy.”
The elf muttered suspiciously.
“Has the landlord developed dementia?”
“Come on, let’s sit down and wait for a while.”
The fox human led his group to a table.
At that moment, someone else entered the inn.
Jeong Yusin thought it was Darmong, but it wasn’t.
It was the blonde-haired man he had seen in the morning.
“Commander!”
The Knights jumped to their feet. The blonde-haired man smiled.
“You were all here, huh? Now that the shift has ended, I came to have a drink.”
“Yes!”
“Ah. Then I’ll join you too.”
The blonde-haired man approached and stopped when he saw Jeong Yusin.
“Where’s the landlord?”
“Buying the evening meal.”
The fox human answered. The blue-haired young man scratched his head.
“That’s strange. It’s like handing over the fish shop to a cat.”
Jeong Yusin’s expression darkened.
“I’m a good Barbaroy who doesn’t commit rapes.”
At Jeong Yusin’s words, people laughed loudly.
“Pfft. Stop talking nonsense and bring some drinks.”
The blonde-haired man smiled and replied.
“We’re closed for business today.”
“That’s something we need to hear from the landlord. Bring the drinks.”
Jeong Yusin sighed and rummaged through the cabinets, gathering the remaining liquor bottles and wooden bowls to bring them over.
“What is this?”
The fox human scrunched up his face.
Rather than ordinary glasses, these were wooden bowls normally used for soup.
“All the glassware was broken during the earthquake.”
“I see.”
The blonde-haired man nodded.
“Barbaroy, pour us some drinks freely.”
‘If he’s asking, I’ll pour.’
Resigning himself, Jeong Yusin poured as much alcohol into the wooden bowls as possible without spilling.
Filling up six bowls completely, he poured out all the liquor bottles.
“Here. Enjoy.”
“That’s too much.”
The female elf knitted her brow in muttered disapproval.
“That’s what he said. This one’s for you to drink.”
The blonde-haired man laughed and said.
“Yes.”
Let’s see how far this goes.
Jeong Yusin held the bowl and looked at the blonde man.
An unexplainable competitiveness surged within him.
He tipped and chugged it all down without stopping.
It felt like his throat and stomach were catching fire, but he didn’t show it and placed the empty bowl down on the table.
“Oof.”
“Amazing talent.”
Jeong Yusin’s loud belch elicited a puzzled expression from the fox human.
“Let’s drink too. When will we have another chance to come out and drink?”
“Commander, we have duty tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry about that. The earthquake will end soon.”
Upon hearing the blonde-haired man, Jeong Yusin’s eyes flickered momentarily.
Is that so.
“I’ll take my leave then.”
Jeong Yusin turned around.
“Scath, stop!”
The blonde man spoke.
Jeong Yusin’s body stiffened.
‘He knows my name?’
Jeong Yusin turned around again to look at the blonde man. Realizing that the Knight Commander of the Labyrinth City knew his name made the back of his neck cold.
Upon closer inspection, it was a face he’d seen somewhere before.
“My younger sister mentioned you a bit.”
“Mion?”
The commander nodded.
“I’m Mion’s older brother. I was passing through the citadel, so I thought I’d stop by to see your face once.”
“Is that so.”
“You seem decent enough.”
“T-that’s right.”
Jeong Yusin took a slight step back.
‘Is he gay?’
“But you don’t measure up to my sister Mion. You’re far too lacking in terms of Mion’s character, ability, and appearance.”
‘What? He’s just a regular overprotective older brother.’
“Mion-sensei and I aren’t in that kind of relationship. I don’t even plan to date her. Please don’t worry.”
Jeong Yusin waved his hand and smiled.
A vein popped on the commander’s forehead.
“What? What’s lacking about my sister Mion? Barbaroy, come sit over here.”
With a resigned sigh, Jeong Yusin sat down next to the commander.
“Here we go again.”
The fox human clutched his head in despair.
The commander’s praise for Mion continued for a whole two hours.
“Mion has always been kind and cute since she was little. Every time she saw me, she would run up with a ‘Big Brother!’ and hug me. Now she finds it awkward and avoids it, but she remains as pure and cute as ever.”
The commander’s eyes became distant.
“I remember the time Mion wet the bed as a child, and I washed it myself. Even though the maids tried to stop me, I insisted on doing it myself. That was such a memorable time. The panties Mion wet back then are still in a drawer in my room. They are precious keepsakes.”
Jeong Yusin folded his arms while silently listening and concluded.
‘Extreme overprotective older brother. Confirmed.’
Any traces of competitiveness had waned, leaving behind only a feeling of pity.
The commander continued to talk about how pure and dignified Mion was.
Why does he keep emphasizing her purity?
Out of curiosity, Jeong Yusin asked.
“Does Mion-sensei have a boyfriend?”
The commander’s eyes flared with fire.
“Never has she had one, and there’s no plan to have one in the future. I’ll protect Mion.”
‘Extreme protector of his younger sister’s virginity. Confirmed.’
After that, the commander’s praise for Mion continued.
How much time had flowed by?
The surrounding knights were used to the commander’s behavior, chatting among themselves.
Creak!
Jeong Yusin abruptly turned his head.
The inn door opened, and Darmong appeared.
Finally.
