Was it because I spoke with sincerity? Ha-yeon looked up at me, her face a picture of speechless surprise. I met her gaze steadily, and before long, her entire face flushed a deep, almost explosive red. Her lips moved soundlessly for a moment before she finally managed to whisper in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
“I-I believe you. I will.”
“Thank you. Then…”
Even though I heard her answer, I couldn’t shake the unease in my heart. In the first round, none of this had happened, so I had lived without giving it much thought. In the world of Hole Plane, it wasn’t unusual for one man to have multiple women or vice versa. The most important thing was the user’s ability. As I mentioned before, it wasn’t uncommon for users to offer themselves to a caravan or clan for protection, beyond just spending a night with someone they liked.
But when I put myself in her shoes, a strange ache tugged at my heart. This unfamiliar emotion poked at my chest, leaving me with nothing but a sense of guilt. Just as I was getting lost in these new feelings, her trembling voice reached my ears again.
“A-Are you staying in this room tonight?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“T-Then I’ll come by tonight. Don’t go to bed too early.”
“Well, I usually don’t go to bed early… Wait, what?”
I was about to question her slightly off-kilter comment, but I couldn’t hear any more. Ha-yeon had grabbed the pouch in front of her and dashed out of the room before I could say another word. I tilted my head in confusion, then pulled the records I had pushed aside back in front of me.
Suddenly, I remembered someone once saying, “User Kim Soo-hyun, you’re really oblivious.” But I shook my head to clear the thought. I needed to prepare to leave Mule, so it was best to stay busy while I had the time.
How much time had passed? When I finally looked up from the exploration report I was writing, the window was bathed in the glow of the setting sun. The report on the
I had planned to visit the temple today, but it seemed better to postpone it. I could submit the exploration report and receive the achievement certificate at the next city’s temple. There was no need to make two trips for a report and a certificate. Besides, gauging the current atmosphere before leaving wasn’t a bad idea. Understanding the city’s situation would help me know how things were unfolding.
With most of the paperwork done, only actions remained. I placed the exploration report on top of the neatly stacked clan application form. The thought of finally leaving Mule filled me with excitement.
After wrapping up my tasks, I eagerly stood up to check on the Chaos Mimics I had left on the second floor. I carefully placed the sword and a bottle of elixir, which I had retrieved from the warehouse earlier, into my bag.
Seeing these items only heightened my anticipation.
As I descended to the first floor, the savory aroma of food filled the lobby. We had decided to have dinner a bit early today. User Go Yeon-ju had insisted on holding a welcome party for her induction. I had protested the idea of a grand welcome party, but her argument about using up all the food supplies before leaving Mule and her mention of a vacation silenced me.
Entering the kitchen opposite the inn’s entrance, I saw Go Yeon-ju humming a tune as she stirred the sizzling pan. Without turning around, she raised a hand to beckon me over. I approached her side. On the pan, meat marinated in spicy sauce was browning nicely.
“Have you gathered information on the current state of Hole Plane?”
“Who do you think I am? I got a rough update from the
“Could you elaborate a bit more…?”
“Shh.”
Go Yeon-ju picked up a piece of meat and promptly stuffed it into my open mouth.
“Why the rush? Sometimes you need to take a break. It’s supposed to be a vacation. Rest when you can, or you’ll wear yourself out. If you’re that curious, come to my room tonight~.”
I couldn’t respond. It wasn’t just the meat; her fingers had nearly reached the back of my throat. I tried to spit it out, but her nails grazed my uvula, making me reflexively close my mouth. Only then did Go Yeon-ju withdraw her fingers with a sly smile.
The tender meat, her slender fingers, and the spicy sauce on her skin all hit me at once. I considered biting her fingers, but that would only play into her hands, so I refrained. With a small sigh, I left the kitchen, leaving her to finish cooking. It seemed she intended to compile the information gathered throughout the day.
Back in the lobby, I saw my companions returning from their city exploration, just as the food was about to be ready. The timing was perfect. The users (and one resident) who entered the inn didn’t wave at me as they usually did.
“Hyung, we’re back.”
“Oppa, we’re home.”
“We’re back…”
“Hee…”
In order, Ahn Hyun, Yoo Jung, Ahn Sol, and Vivian let out deflated sounds and collapsed onto the table. Curious, I tilted my head, noticing Ha-yeon avoiding my gaze and Shin Sang-yong’s awkward smile. It seemed they had explored the city thoroughly, more for information gathering than for a vacation.
The kids, sprawled out, sniffed the delicious aroma wafting through the lobby, and their spirits lifted at the mention of a welcome party. Ha-yeon handed me back the pouch, still nearly full, hinting at the day’s hard work.
I led Ha-yeon to a table, eager to hear about the outside world. My only outings today had been to the user warehouse and to submit the clan application, so I was clueless about the external situation. Thankfully, Ha-yeon, diligent in her information-gathering, provided a detailed account.
“The atmosphere in Mule is… well, it’s quite gloomy.”
“Gloomy?”
“Yes. The plan to eradicate the vagrants succeeded, just as User Kim Soo-hyun predicted. It was one of the most devastating battles against vagrants to date. However, the users also suffered significant losses. Rumor has it that the representative clan of the western city, Halo, SSUN, was nearly wiped out. The remaining vagrants have reportedly fled to the western continent.”
“Hmm.”
“And the Golden Lion Clan entered the Iron Mountains three days ago. All communications were cut off as soon as they entered, so their current status is unknown. But…”
Ha-yeon paused, glancing around. Shin Sang-yong was busy rearranging tables for the welcome party, and Ahn Sol was trying to help him despite her fatigue. Ahn Hyun suggested to Yoo Jung that they bring out the food, but she remained face-down on the table, unresponsive.
After ensuring no one was listening, Ha-yeon leaned closer and whispered.
“It seems there’s an issue with the Golden Lion Clan’s expedition itself.”
“What kind of issue?”
“I couldn’t find out the details. But it seems they handpicked the clans participating in the expedition to suit their preferences. They didn’t include any representative clans from the eastern cities, and even the representative clan of the southern small city, Monica,
Her last words made my eyebrows twitch. The participation of pro-Golden Lion clans matched my memory, but the change in Mule’s representative clan at this time didn’t. Mule should have been a no-man’s-land. I urgently asked her.
“Do you know the name of the new representative clan?”
“I’m sorry. This is all I could find out. It seems like the change happened so quickly that hardly anyone knows about it. It appears to be a clan allied with the Golden Lion, but I heard they were given the position as compensation for not participating in the expedition. Still, I’m not entirely sure. But… considering they bypassed other famous clans to appoint a relatively unknown one as the city’s representative, it doesn’t seem entirely baseless. Above all, users are still heavily focused on the expedition…”
Her apologetic words made me nod. I had wondered why there were fewer users than expected, and it made sense that most would be gathered in the central or southern regions if the expedition was still ongoing. Most of my questions were answered, but something still nagged at me. I could understand the change in the representative clan of Mule; such things happen. However, appointing a clan so obscure that users were unaware of it was hard to accept.
Sensing my troubled expression, Hayeon looked uneasy, as if she might dash out to find the clan’s name if I asked. I quickly composed myself and reassured her. She had already gathered a lot of information. The rest, I could learn from Goyeonju. I decided to let it go. Though I was tempted to rush to the representative clan’s castle or temple, I thought it might be wise to observe the situation calmly, as Goyeonju suggested. After all, the truth would eventually come to light.
With my thoughts settled, I turned my attention to the others, who were already up and helping prepare for the welcome party. Goyeonju, having finished most of the cooking, was directing people around, and users were moving tables and setting out food. There was even some alcohol, suggesting they were planning to celebrate in earnest. Watching them, I thanked Hayeon and spoke calmly.
“You’ve worked hard today. Shall we go help out too?”
“Oh, it was nothing. I’m sorry I couldn’t find out more. Haha. Let’s get up then. I feel a bit out of place just standing here.”
We exchanged a small smile and stood up. Hayeon hurried over to help Ansul, who was struggling with a table, while I walked over to Goyeonju, who stood with her arms crossed.
“I know which clan it is~.”
She must have overheard my conversation with Hayeon, as she spoke up as soon as I approached. I smiled nonchalantly, still remembering the embarrassment she caused me that morning. I opened my mouth to make a request.
“User Goyeonju, I have a favor to ask.”
“Oh my, a request from User Kim Suhyun? I’m honored. What could it be?”
“I’ve left some Chaos Mimics on the second floor. Could you bring them down? I think it’s about time to open them…”
“I’ll be right back.”
She hesitated for a moment, tilting her head, but then disappeared from sight at a speed that suggested she was eager to open them. I had tidied up a bit earlier, so there shouldn’t be any major danger. I just wanted to show her how the room with the Chaos Mimics had changed.
Soon enough.
“Kim~ Su~ Hyun~!”
A few minutes later, Goyeonju’s voice called out sharply from upstairs. Watching her quickly descend the stairs with the Chaos Mimics in hand, I greeted her with a playful expression.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Sigh. I meant to post this as a draft, but somehow it ended up in the serialized section. It’s driving me crazy. I have a presentation to finish today. I started writing this at lunchtime, and of all days, why today? Ah;;;
『 Reader Comments (Episode 168) 』
破天魔痕: Congratulations on being first… ㅜ.ㅠ Sob sob.
오피투럽19: Kim Suhyun says, “Who gave you permission!”
패배: No, there are foreigners from different continents. Americans, British, Japanese. (In order of West, South, East continents.)
창궁무한: That part will be very interesting too. Look forward to the executioner’s princess. Hehe.
POWERED: The Mimics will be opened in the next episode. Ah, since this is the 168th comment, it’ll be in the 171st episode. :)
『 Reader Comments (Episode 169) 』
破天魔痕: Just in case, I checked episode 168. You were first twice in a row. Congratulations. :D
dark기사: It could be seen as a harem, but I don’t like having too many. I plan to keep it to a reasonable number of relationships.
juan: Haha. As for Goyeonju and… well, maybe soon. It might happen. Hahaha.
GradeRown: No, no. I plan to keep things light with Hayeon, but Goyeonju will get a bit more focus… Huh? What am I saying!
악마신전: Hehe. I’ve roughly decided on the items that will appear. Now I just need to flesh them out, but the problem is I’m contemplating tonight’s serialization. Sigh.
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With that, I’ll take my leave for today.
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