The sky had already taken on a dark hue. Adventurers who had left the city in the morning returned by late night, all heading towards the bustling streets with weary faces. For those who lived day by day, a cold beer after a long day of exploration was one of their few pleasures.

After lingering on the streets for a while, the adventurers made their way to a tavern illuminated by dim lights. As they opened the door marked “Mercenary Tavern,” a wave of lively chatter spilled out.

The Mercenary Tavern wasn’t particularly famous, but the food and beer were decent, and most importantly, the prices were cheap. As a result, it was often packed by nightfall. Fortunately, the adventurers found an empty table in the corner and plopped down with a loud shout.

“Hey, kid! Bring us four large beers to start!”

“Yes, sir! Coming right up!”

Soon, a neatly dressed young man appeared, carrying four large mugs of beer. The liquid inside wasn’t the usual bright yellow but a deep amber, with bubbles frothing on the surface.

As the young man spread his arms wide, the mugs spun gracefully and landed safely in front of the adventurers. Amazingly, the liquid swirled in the direction of the spin without spilling a drop. The adventurers, accustomed to the spectacle, chuckled and raised their mugs.

“That trick never gets old. It’s always a wonder to see.”

“Hehe, just a little service. What would you like to eat?”

“Bring us the usual. And make sure there’s plenty of meat.”

“Got it!”

The young man answered energetically and darted past the tables with nimble movements. He peeked into the kitchen, where the heat was palpable.

“Hyunwoo! Hayeon! Four servings of stir-fry, with lots of meat!”

“Got it~.”

“Huh? Where’s Hyunwoo?”

“He’s handling the bill, isn’t he?”

As Hayeon gestured with her chin, the young man, Ahn Hyun, turned his head. Just as she said, users were getting up from a table, and Park Hyunwoo was busy calculating their bill. Ahn Hyun grabbed a cloth Hayeon tossed to him and swiftly cleaned the table.

But as soon as the table was cleared, new patrons filled it, and Ahn Hyun was off again, taking orders and rushing back to the kitchen.

How much time had passed like this?

Taking orders, serving food, handling payments, and clearing tables.

By the time Ahn Hyun came to his senses, about two-thirds of the tables in the tavern had been cleared. Dawn was slowly approaching. It was the time when those who had filled their bellies were getting up to prepare for tomorrow.

Yet, the remaining patrons could be divided into two distinct groups.

“Hey! Drink up, drink up! I’m treating everyone today!”

“Wow, what’s gotten into you? You usually don’t even have money for a place to sleep…”

“Didn’t you hear? I discovered a Radolf village today. Cleaned it out completely, haha!”

“Oh~. Really? Must’ve gathered some shiny stuff, huh?”

Those who had a successful day and didn’t need to venture out tomorrow.

“Siyeong… I’m sorry, Siyeong… I’m so sorry for leaving you behind… Boohoo…”

“Get a grip, man. If you hadn’t run, you’d be dead too. The living have to live.”

“I’m a terrible person… No, wait. What if she’s still alive? Right? She could be, right?”

“Enough already. It wasn’t just any goblin, it was a hobgoblin. You know how brutal those monsters are, right? Remember that caravan that went missing hunting hobgoblins? They were found in pieces. Just let it go…”

And those mourning the loss of a comrade or lover, unable to cope without drowning in alcohol.

Ahn Hyun always felt a strange sensation at this time of night. Listening to the stories that drifted in, he couldn’t shake the awkward feeling that crept over him.

He found it curious how some adventurers acted as if they’d conquered the world after earning a mere twenty or thirty gold coins, and he found it odd how others wept over failing to handle a single hobgoblin. He often felt like stepping in to solve their problems himself.

Perhaps it was only natural for Ahn Hyun to feel this way.

He had started his first expedition in the dreaded Black Forest, a place even seasoned adventurers avoided, and had continued to achieve dazzling success. Not only that, but Kim Suhyun had taken care of him, providing food, clothing, and shelter, and even granted him the rare class that every adventurer dreamed of.

With a great leader and good comrades, and never having to worry about basic needs, Ahn Hyun couldn’t understand the adventurers sitting at the tables now.

Even though they were all adventurers in the same world, they had walked completely different paths.

Still, there were moments in his non-combat life when he wondered, ‘What if I hadn’t met him?’

Of course, that ‘him’ was Kim Suhyun.

“Ahn Hyun. Looks like we have new guests.”

“Huh? Oh, yes!”

Had he been lost in thought too deeply? When Park Hyunwoo nudged him, Ahn Hyun snapped out of it and looked up. The door creaked open and shut, as if someone was hesitating outside, but no one was coming in.

Ahn Hyun tilted his head in confusion but quickly made his way over, grumbling internally about who would come at this hour.

“Welcome…”

As he reached the door, Ahn Hyun paused. Outside stood three women in shabby attire, all looking at him with pitiful expressions.

Feeling an inexplicable unease, Ahn Hyun spoke.

“Uh… Are you here to eat?”

“No…”

One of the women shook her head and spoke in a voice that sounded pitiful.

“We were hoping… if you had any leftover food, we could have some…”

”…What?”

“Please. We haven’t eaten anything today.”

“But.”

“Just this once, could you help us? We don’t mind if it’s leftovers.”

”…”

Ahn Hyun hesitated, wanting to refuse, but the woman’s desperate face made it impossible. On closer inspection, her cheeks were sunken, as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

Ahn Hyun turned his head slightly. Coincidentally, some patrons were getting up to leave, and there was a bit of food left on two tables.

”…Just this once. Please wait a moment.”

Ahn Hyun quickly turned around. He waited for the patrons to leave, then began to gather the cleanest-looking leftovers onto a plate.

As he was doing so, Jung Hayeon, stretching her arms as she came out, blinked at him.

“Hyun, what are you doing? Hungry?”

“No, no. It’s just… some adventurers outside said they’re hungry.”

”…So you’re giving them that?”

“Yes. Is that not okay?”

“Hmm. You’ll regret it.”

”…?”

Ahn Hyun widened his eyes, but Hayeon just shrugged. “Well, you’ll have to experience it to understand. When you go, don’t make a sound, don’t go out right away, and listen at the door. Just wait and see.” With that, she began tidying up the still-messy tables.

Feeling puzzled, Ahn Hyun moved as quietly as possible. Following Hayeon’s advice, he heightened his hearing and pressed his ear to the door.

Soon, he heard whispering voices beyond the door. The voices, unlike the pitiful tones from before, carried a hint of slyness.

“Hey, we finally found a sucker. The idiot actually gave us food just because we asked! See? I told you we should come here! At least we’ll have free meals for a while. Haha!”

“By the way, that kid looked pretty decent… You know the rumors, right? They say he was a big shot in the Mercenary Guild and even got a rare class.”

“So what? He’s completely abandoned now, broke as hell. And he looks like the type who can’t say no to women, the biggest sucker of all.”

“Think about it. No matter how mercenary they are, would they really throw away a rare class? They’ll take him back eventually.”

“Oh. Now that you mention it, what should we do? Should we try to seduce him?”

“There’s a chance. He seems not just pure but downright naive… We could build a connection, and when the time’s right, maybe offer him a little something and…”

That was as much as Ahn Hyun could take. Grinding his teeth, he kicked the door open. The women, startled, turned to look at him, and he dumped the plate of food into the trash right in front of them. Watching them reach for the discarded food, he slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

Still fuming, Ahn Hyun stood there, seething, until Hayeon approached and patted him on the back, as if to say, “I told you so.” She gently nudged him forward, speaking softly.

“I told you before, didn’t I? There’s no such thing as a decent user who loves freebies on the whole plane. Next time, just say no.”

“How… how did you know?”

“It’s obvious. I’ve seen plenty of those types back in my first year. Anyway, that’s enough for today. You should head in.”

“Let me help you.”

“It’s fine. I’m on duty for the early morning shift anyway. And you’re on for tomorrow morning.”

”…Yes.”

Ahn Hyun replied weakly, and Ha Yeon watched him trudge up the stairs to the second floor with a gentle smile.

“Hyun-ah~! You have to get up early tomorrow morning, okay? Don’t forget!”

Ahn Hyun nodded absentmindedly and climbed up to his room on the second floor. He flopped onto the bed. He wasn’t physically tired, but an inexplicable weariness weighed on him.

In that small, musty bed, Ahn Hyun closed his eyes. Before sleep took him, faces flitted through his mind.

An Sol, Lee Yoo-jung, Shin Jae-ryong, Cha So-rim, and Kim Soo-hyun…

But that was only for a moment. Soon, the darkness crept into his mind, accompanied by the distant sounds of cursing and rummaging through trash cans outside the window.

It felt like he had just closed his eyes for a moment, but the cold dawn air had already filled the room.

Sniffing, Ahn Hyun cracked his neck and managed to get up. As he peered groggily out the window, he noticed the trash can, which had been overflowing with last night’s leftovers, was gone.

”…Who would want to eat that? Not even a stray cat.”

Still not fully awake, Ahn Hyun stumbled to the door and made his way downstairs. He had the morning shift today, just as Ha Yeon had reminded him.

The tavern did better business at night, but there were always a few patrons who came in for breakfast. So, he needed to clean up and get ready to open for the day.

He was almost at the bottom of the stairs when he heard voices.

So that’s the situation…

I see. A lot has happened…

Yes. It’ll probably take about four weeks. We’re leaving around lunchtime today. And we’re quite busy, so we could use Ha Yeon’s help…

Oh, so the vacation is over…?

Still half-asleep, Ahn Hyun was puzzled by the dreamlike voices.

That’s right. And this time, the user academy is different. As I mentioned yesterday, we need to stay sharp…

You’re making me nervous…

That’s the point. Ah, User Park Hyun-woo should be returning soon, right…?

Hahaha. I’m ready anytime. Thank you for taking care of things while I was away, Clan Lord…

The moment he heard the words “Clan Lord,” Ahn Hyun froze as if struck by lightning. But then he quickly rushed down to the first floor to see what was happening.

There, he found a woman and two men sitting at a table, chatting quietly.

Jung Ha-yeon, Park Hyun-woo, and…

“Oh my? Hyun’s up?”

“Hmm? Oh.”

It was Kim Soo-hyun.

“Uh… uh… ah…”

He had dreamed of this moment many times. The dream where Kim Soo-hyun would burst through the door and forgive him. It would be a lie to say he never hoped for it.

But now, seeing him after so long, Ahn Hyun couldn’t find the words. His mind went blank.

While Ahn Hyun stammered, Jung Ha-yeon and Park Hyun-woo stood up as if on cue, leaving the two of them alone.

Silence and awkwardness filled the first floor.

Or maybe it was just Ahn Hyun who felt that way. Kim Soo-hyun seemed indifferent, casually taking out a cigarette.

As Ahn Hyun’s mouth went dry, Kim Soo-hyun lit the cigarette and tapped the table a couple of times. Ahn Hyun remained frozen. It wasn’t until Kim Soo-hyun tapped the table again and nodded that Ahn Hyun snapped out of it.

Despite the whirlwind of thoughts in his head, Ahn Hyun hurried over and sat down carefully. The seat was warm, probably because Ha-yeon had been sitting there.

“Phew.”

Smoke and a few sparks drifted into the air. As Ahn Hyun unconsciously followed the sparks with his eyes, a low voice reached him.

“I heard you’ve been working hard… How’s it going?”

Ahn Hyun swallowed hard, feeling a sudden clarity from the tension.

“Just… getting by.”

“Why not make a career out of it? I hear you’re quite popular. The tavern’s sales have gone up, too. What do you think? Employee?”

Ahn Hyun almost laughed out of habit but quickly shut his mouth. It didn’t seem like the time to be laughing.

Time passed.

Ahn Hyun fidgeted nervously, while Kim Soo-hyun watched him.

Then, in a voice that seemed a bit softer than before, Kim Soo-hyun spoke again.

“Alright, let me ask you one thing.”

“Y-yes, sir… I mean, Clan Lord.”

Amused by Ahn Hyun’s flustered response, Kim Soo-hyun let out a light chuckle. He flicked the ash from his cigarette and asked,

“Why did you go to the mountain range where the dragon sleeps?”

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

This chapter focused on the daily lives of Jung Ha-yeon and Ahn Hyun. I also included the whereabouts of the missing (?) Park Hyun-woo. For Ahn Hyun, it was a direct and indirect experience, I suppose? Hahaha. I wanted to create a calm atmosphere for a change of pace. I hope it came across well. :)