Chapter 44: Preparing for Takeoff |
"We both struggle in the shadows. Though we're enemies... it's nice to meet you anyway."
"Hmm. I've heard the rumors. Han So-young, the Maestro of the Battlefield. And you're the Sword Master under her command? Jin Su-hyeon, was it?"
"Ah, my apologies. Not Jin Su-hyeon, but Kim Su-hyeon."
"Perhaps. If I had met her first, I might have joined her ranks immediately. She's that captivating of a user."
"Your jokes are of poor quality. My current position isn't bad either. And I don't have a hobby of betrayal."
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Fortunately, the warp gate was still maintaining its fee reduction policy. Originally, it would have cost 2 gold per person for a total of 8 gold, but thanks to a 50% discount, we were able to use it for only half that, 4 gold.
The kids were constantly expressing their wonder as they stepped into the portal, which rippled with gentle waves. They should have been getting used to it after experiencing it a few times during the Rite of Passage. The way they were craning their necks and looking around was no different from advertising, "I'm a novice user."
I had a strong urge to warn them that such a trivial action could make them a target for Vagrants. However, I didn't want to be branded as a nagging mother figure right from the start, so I clamped my half-opened mouth shut.
We had arrived in the small city of Mul.
Even as a pleasantry, it would be hard to call Mul prosperous. The kids' reactions, in particular, were a sight to behold. After living in the grand city of Barbara with its well-paved roads, clean buildings, and bright, majestic atmosphere, seeing such a rundown city seemed to leave them speechless.
It was a distant dream for a pioneer city to catch up to Barbara, unless the young lord leading the city's representative clan was exceptionally skilled. I led the kids forward, our feet treading on the uneven, ochre-colored earth.
The streets of Mul were generally deserted. The few users we saw were mostly clad in shabby equipment. Even considering it was the time between morning and noon, when most would have left the city, one couldn't expect to see users at every step like in a metropolis. (Of course, I hadn't expected that in the first place.)
Yu-jeong looked around with an unfamiliar expression before asking me in a curious voice.
"Oppa. What do we do now? Are we leaving the city right away?"
What a reckless thing to say. We needed to at least secure a place to return to before heading out. I shook my head.
"No. First, we need to find an inn to use as our base camp for a while."
"Base camp? An inn?"
"Without being a registered clan, it's hard to get a clan house, let alone a home. Think of it as living in an inn for the time being."
I had planned to stop by an inn to eat breakfast and lunch anyway. I wasn't sure what the kids thought, but I believed it wasn't a bad start for those who had just taken their first steps into Hall Plain. After all, users who failed to join a clan or dropped out of the User Academy would find it hard to even survive day to day.
If one were to think of the place most sensitive to the flow of information in a city, a pub would naturally come to mind, but I had a different reason for choosing an inn. During my first run in Hall Plain, I had briefly been active in Mul, and there was an inn I had stayed at without much thought.
Back then, I had simply stayed at that inn and moved on, but later, I had the opportunity to confirm a coincidental fact related to it.
Rummaging through my memories, I walked down the main street for a while before stopping in front of a shabby-looking inn. The kids, following me, also came to a halt. A faded sign hung above, bearing the peculiar name <The Modest Lady Inn>. A faint smile touched my lips, thinking I had found the right place, and I was just about to step inside.
Crash! Bang!
"Aaaaah! Somebody help meeee!"
Just as a loud noise erupted from within the inn, a male user with a dark beard burst through the door. His face was a mask of terror as he stumbled out, practically tumbling and rolling on the ground in front of us.
But then, with an almost acrobatic feat, he shot back to his feet and fled without a single glance back. Having a rough idea of the situation, I let out a small laugh, but the kids just stared blankly in the direction he had run.
"Don't just stand there gawking, come on in."
Soon, a voice, slightly husky but still distinctly feminine and delicate, flowed out from inside the inn. I led the stunned kids inside, where we were greeted by a scene of utter chaos. Scattered tableware and tablecloths were the least of it. An Hyeon let out a groan at the sight of broken chairs and overturned tables.
In the center of the hall stood a woman with a composed expression. A languid smile played on her lips, as if she were greatly satisfied with something. The only thing that set her apart from other users was the faint grayish tint in her hair.
The woman glanced at me before slowly looking over our entire group and opening her mouth.
"I haven't seen you faces before. Are you customers?"
From her beautiful lips flowed a gentle voice that could melt a man's heart. An Hyeon's face flushed without him even realizing it. *This guy's at it again.* I was already immune to such temptations, so I was able to answer calmly.
"Yes. We're customers."
"A meal? A room?"
"Both. We'd like to eat first."
At my answer, she smiled faintly and said.
"I like polite men. Alright, dearies. This place is a mess, so it must be difficult, right? Go wait at another table."
I went to the spot she indicated and sat down quietly. The kids, who seemed too flustered at first to see clearly, now began to look around as they settled down.
It had been a while since I had seen <The Modest Lady Inn>. The inn was a three-story building. The first floor served as a lobby and dining area, while the second and third floors were for lodging. The important thing was that, aside from us, there wasn't a single other user inside.
A moment later, the woman approached our table with a bright smile. Of course, the table and chairs were still in their disheveled state. She placed the water, cups, and a menu down, almost tossing them, but miraculously, they all spun once and landed softly in the center of the table. The kids' eyes widened in amazement at the sight.
"You can order things not on the menu... I can make most things. What would you like?"
The kids all turned their gazes to me simultaneously. I briefly scanned the menu before answering. To be honest, I only pretended to scan it; I already knew what was best to order here.
"Course A for four, please."
"My, my. The handsome ones always make the best choices. Course A will be out shortly, so just wait a bit."
She walked briskly into the kitchen, her steps accentuating her explosive figure. An Sol was looking at me with a sullen face, and Yu-jeong's expression was also strange. Only An Hyeon was gazing at me with envy.
"Oppa. This place feels weird. Why did we come here?"
"Yeah. It's weird. Can't we just go somewhere else?"
As Yu-jeong spoke with a displeased look, Sol quickly chimed in, seconding her. I tilted my head at their words. I didn't expect them to want to leave. Was it really that strange? Hearing them, Hyeon spoke up with an urgent expression, not to be outdone.
"What do you mean! I think it's fine. It's not that weird. Is there really a need to go elsewhere?"
The moment Hyeon finished speaking, the two female users glared at him simultaneously. Yu-jeong gave him an "I knew it" look, while Sol stared at her older brother with deep disappointment. Flinching under their gazes, An Hyeon let out a dry cough and quickly changed the subject.
"I-I'm really hungry. Let's just eat first and then talk... okay?"
"Yeah, right. Did you fall for her at first sight or something?"
Hyeon didn't answer. He just turned his head to look at a distant mountain(?). Yu-jeong, having withdrawn her attention from him, immediately turned her verbal arrows on me. Her voice was exceptionally sharp. Sol, too, had been visibly upset about something since we were in the Barbara plaza, and she was grumbling, which was unlike her.
"Hmph. I don't like being called 'dearie', 'dearie'. We're not babies."
As An Sol finished, Yu-jeong looked startled and quietly stared at her. I, too, had thought of Sol as a child until now, so I didn't have much to say. Yu-jeong scratched her head for a moment and then continued to vent her complaints. *Hmm. Why is she acting like this?*
"If we're coming to an inn, we should've gone to a proper one. This place is obviously weird. It's a mess inside, and that guy ran away like his tail was on fire."
I wanted to say, "Your personality is weirder. So unpredictable," but I barely suppressed the urge and responded with a clumsy smile. Apparently not pleased with my reaction either, Yu-jeong continued to grumble, and was just about to start a duo badmouthing session with Sol about me and Hyeon.
Swoosh.
"Ukkiyat!"
Yu-jeong let out a strange shriek and flinched. The woman had appeared silently behind her, holding a plate in one hand. An Hyeon and An Sol also looked as if they were about to faint. They hadn't sensed the woman's presence at all, despite her being right next to them. The thought that life is all about practical experience crossed my mind.
The woman spoke with her characteristic languid eyes and gentle voice.
"Oh my... I've never heard such a peculiar scream before."
"You crazy...?!"
Yu-jeong, angered by the woman's calm demeanor, was about to reveal her true colors. In that instant, her eyes widened like saucers, and she stopped speaking. The woman had leaned down and wrapped an arm around Yu-jeong's shoulder. Just like that, the woman pulled Yu-jeong into her embrace. Suddenly, her face was buried deep in the woman's chest.
"Dearie."
While Yu-jeong stammered, unable to speak, a faint aura began to emanate from the woman's body. The aura quickly took over the surroundings, soon transforming into a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. And the moment the air changed, An Hyeon, An Sol, and Yu-jeong's faces hardened as if their bodies had frozen.
The woman brought her lips close to the ear of the embraced Yu-jeong and whispered.
"Are you curious why that man ran away with his tail between his legs...?"
Yu-jeong didn't answer. No, it seemed more accurate to say she couldn't answer.
I deliberately held back and observed the situation. What the woman was displaying was a part of <Mana Release>, something that users with a talent for magic could do as a basic skill. Watching her mana subtly and silently encroach upon the surroundings, I was inwardly impressed. Of course, I also thought this was a good opportunity to teach Yu-jeong a lesson. Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.
"That man came in and told me to take his order... But do you know what he said he wanted to eat?"
A soft but unsettling atmosphere filled the area around the table. It was almost difficult to breathe. I could understand An Hyeon and Yu-jeong, but Sol should have been able to resist to some extent. Seeing her tremble with a panicked expression, I felt she really needed some real-world experience.
While I was lost in these thoughts, the woman continued speaking to Yu-jeong.
"He said he wanted to eat my breasts."
Watching the woman chuckle after finishing her sentence, I thought she was truly one of a kind. Soon, she tore her gaze from Yu-jeong and shot a seductive smile at me and Hyeon. I wanted to let it go on a little longer, but I could no longer ignore the plea for help in Yu-jeong's eyes as she barely managed to look at me.
I slowly moved my right hand and picked up the water cup on the table. At that, I could see the woman's eyes change with interest. I took a gulp and, as I placed it back on the table, I put it down with a slight infusion of mana.
Tak.
The sound of the cup hitting the wooden table was unusually loud. And in that moment, my mana spread out from the cup in all directions, instantly neutralizing the ambient mana she had spread. Normally, I would have delivered a large, sudden shock to the opponent, but this wasn't a combat situation.
Soon, as if a curtain had been drawn, the formless energy that had filled the surroundings vanished in an instant. As soon as the energy dissipated, An Hyeon and An Sol, who had been practically slumped in their chairs, looked back and forth between me and the woman with astonished expressions.
Yu-jeong, having been the closest, seemed to have been affected the most, as she gasped for breath. A look of mortification was clear on her face, but she kept her gaze fixed below the table. Just now, Yu-jeong must have instinctively felt it. The fact that her and the woman's user ranks were on completely different levels.
"Oh...?"
The woman, as if she hadn't expected this, let out a small exclamation and straightened her posture. Her expression shifted from surprise to one filled with curiosity. Watching her, I calmly opened my mouth.
"Hearing that, it sounds like that man deserved to be kicked out."
At my quiet words, the woman looked at me with an amused expression. Then, she readily nodded her head and replied.
"...Right? But he was still a customer. And business has been slow lately... So I told him it would cost one hundred gold for a taste."
I have a thousand gold.
"That man didn't look like he had much money."
"Mhm. Just as you said, he told me he had no money. But... he offered to give me something else good instead."
"Something good?"
At my question, the woman's smile deepened as she continued.
"Mhm. He said he'd give me a big syringe."
"Are there, uh, things like syringes in Hall Plain?"
An Hyeon, having composed himself somewhat, chimed in on my conversation with the woman. The funny thing was that he spoke in a deliberately low voice, different from his usual tone. Seeing him act like that, just to get a word in with the woman, made me realize anew what a sad creature man is.
The woman found An Hyeon cute and smiled alluringly before answering.
"Of course. Every man carries a syringe full of nutrients, doesn't he?"
"Huh...?"
As An Hyeon questioned her, looking confused, the woman raised a slender finger and pointed at his pants.
"You have one too. A syringe full of white nutrients."
"White nutrients? Ah...?!"
"Mhm. He said he'd inject it right between my legs."
An Hyeon, finally understanding what she meant, blushed and ducked his head. Only Sol looked on with a blank expression, not comprehending the conversation.
"I was going to break that syringe of his... but he unfortunately got away. He was lucky."
The woman licked her lips with a look of regret. Hearing her words, An Hyeon swallowed hard, and I saw him quickly close his thighs.
============================ Author's Afterword ============================
* The reason Yu-jeong and Sol are so cranky. It's the same reason babies look for their mothers. Hahahaha. * An important character appeared this chapter. I really hope her image comes across to the readers as I intended. * Ahaha. I've already decided on the protagonist's clan name... But you all recommended some really great names. I sincerely thank all the readers. 1) CrossDie: Congrats on 1st place. The birth of a new champion! As you said, it was an unexpected blow. :) 2) YeoOkAhNolja: Oho. A, a full-body caress. I'd like to receive a proper lesson next time. (Huh?) 3) Ailillia: Thanks for pointing out the typo. It's been fixed. If you consider Su-hyeon's disposition, you can probably guess. 4) vkfkd54: I think making a clan name related to Return (Regression) would be good. Thank you for the valuable opinion. 5) Toranoanal: I've already made a clan name 'Han'. I thought of that too... Thanks to your comment, I was able to think of another clan name. Thank you for the valuable opinion. And for your second comment, you'll probably see the answer in the next chapter or the one after. 6) Choharu: That pickpocket will probably get turned on. All the way to their bones... 7) SealedTolstoy: Wow. You left so many comments. I was able to find a lot of material from them. Thank you for the valuable advice. 8) FireBearLiz: Kkyang-kkyang! Get well soon... T.T The roads are slippery these days, so be careful, very careful. 9) Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusk: You'll be able to see it within 2 chapters. Please wait just a little longer. :) 10) Blami: Yes. There's a definite merit. Because Barbara was also once an undeveloped area like Atlanta. Explaining in more detail would be a spoiler, so no comment. For PK, you can just think of it as reality. If no one sees you, there's no loss. Even if they do, the judgment can vary depending on the situation... 'ㅅㅇ. I always read all the comments repeatedly. Please don't be too sad if you don't see a reply. If there's something you're really curious about, send me a message and I'll answer you! Well then, I'll take my leave for today. I hope you can always read with a comfortable heart. Favorites, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.
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