Vivian blended into our group quite well, at least on the surface. Her peculiar behavior, the contract, and her actions so far had managed to ease the kids’ wariness. However, while the kids had grown close through shared experiences, Vivian hadn’t reached that level of camaraderie.
In fact, it might be more accurate to say she was being bullied. During morning training, when the kids were all focused on their exercises, I’d sometimes spot her sitting alone in a corner, wiping away tears. Yet, whenever I called her over, she’d quickly hide her emotions and run to me as if nothing had happened. Seeing the tear stains on her cheeks always tugged at my heart.
I had a rough idea of the cause, but I decided to let it be for now. There’s a world that exists solely among women, and meddling might only worsen the kids’ perception of Vivian.
The only solace was that Ansol occasionally cast sympathetic glances at Vivian. Meanwhile, Yujeong often looked at her with a complex expression, causing Vivian to lower her head instinctively.
Yujeong was incredibly sharp, especially when it came to reading the room. She seemed to notice my subtle favoritism towards Ahn Hyun during personal training sessions. So, when it was just the two of us, she acted sweetly, but when it was just her, Sol, and Vivian, she played the big sister role. Vivian, with her naive demeanor, was an easy target for Yujeong’s schemes. Watching her cleverly use the contract from before, I could only chuckle wryly.
Still, I didn’t forget to give a word of caution.
“You might want to be careful.”
“Huh? About what, oppa?”
I whispered to Yujeong, who tilted her head with an innocent look.
“Vivian is a very skilled magician. Right now, she’s just regaining her intelligence and seems childlike, but what will you do later?”
“We have the contract.”
After blurting that out, Yujeong quickly covered her mouth, realizing her slip. I chuckled and continued.
“Vivian is like a child now. But as she recovers, her personality might develop based on her surroundings. Even with the contract, since you’re not the one who drafted it, it’s not absolute. And don’t forget, Vivian has free will. Once she fully regains her intelligence…”
“Oh, oppa, you’re making me out to be the bad guy. It’s all part of the process.”
“Who’s saying otherwise? I’m just concerned. Anyway, hang in there.”
I patted Yujeong’s shoulder. Her eyes were smiling, but her mouth wasn’t. She was probably calculating my warning at lightning speed. Being naturally smart, she would understand the caution I was trying to convey.
Coincidentally, that day, when we went out to fight monsters, Vivian proved my point. We encountered a group of goblins on the plains, and she showcased her abilities without holding back, right in front of Yujeong.
“Come forth, Aranya, the deathly web that commands the 32nd legion!”
I had been curious about what it meant to be the ruler of the 66th beast legion, and seeing Vivian in action reminded me of a certain profession.
<Arise, Agnis! The ruler of the 24th legion of flames!>
In the first round, I had witnessed a secret class spirit summoner. During the battle to reclaim Atlanta, the sight of a spirit summoner calling forth an entire legion of spirits against the demon duke’s army was spectacular. Although there was a class difference between secret and rare, the chimera alchemist shared similarities in summoning and enhancing chimeras or beasts from another world.
Regardless, the power of a chimera alchemist was undeniable. The stress from Yujeong’s bullying seemed immense, as Vivian displayed a fierce expression while massacring monsters during battle. After wiping them out single-handedly, she returned to her usual naive self, smiling blankly, while Yujeong swallowed hard.
Watching her use alchemy magic circles for summoning, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
Despite her high magical ability, her rank in traditional magic was low, and I had been worried about her lack of combat-effective alchemy magic. But she dispelled my concerns in one fell swoop. As the ruler of the 66th beast legion, she could act as a one-person army and support our group and her summons with traditional magic, making her a versatile magician.
From then on, Yujeong’s bullying seemed to lessen. Occasionally, they would chat amicably, and I marveled at Yujeong’s cleverness. Unaware of anything, Vivian simply nodded happily at Yujeong’s changed demeanor.
The kids were growing day by day, and I couldn’t just stand by. As the one making all the major decisions and leading the group, I had a duty to exceed their expectations.
It was early evening. After returning from a battle outside the city, the kids dragged their tired bodies back to the inn. They cleaned their gear of monster blood, washed up quickly, and gathered around a table in the first-floor lobby.
“Ugh, this is so annoying.”
After waiting for the food they ordered, Yujeong grumbled, resting her head on the table.
“What’s bothering you so much?”
Ahn Hyun asked, and Yujeong pointed to the surrounding tables with a slight curl of her finger.
“We’re not celebrities, but every time we sit here, people keep glancing at us. It’s annoying. If they have something to say, they should just come over.”
At Yujeong’s prickly tone, Ahn Hyun nodded with a hum.
“Well, our Sol is quite pretty, after all.”
“Oh, oppa, stop saying things like that.”
Ansol glared at Ahn Hyun, who chuckled at her reaction. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen this, so Yujeong sighed deeply and closed her eyes.
We were definitely a group that attracted attention. But it wasn’t necessarily in a good way. Not long ago, we were wearing beginner outfits from the user academy, and now we looked quite different.
Users with some sense would realize we hit the jackpot on a recent expedition. Of course, considering that most of the attention came from male users, there was undoubtedly some ulterior motive. Yujeong, Sol, and Vivian each had their unique charm and beauty.
“Thank you for your hard work. Your food is ready.”
After a bit more waiting, Go Yeonju approached with our food. As she arrived, Ahn Hyun straightened his posture. Noticing this, Go Yeonju gave a gentle smile and began placing the dishes on the table with a refined demeanor, quite different from before.
“It must be tough today as well.”
“As a business owner, it’s good when business is booming. This time of day, there are usually some users around… huh?”
As I glanced around and replied, Go Yeonju responded in a soft voice. Then, I noticed Ahn Hyun suddenly stand up.
“Let me help you.”
With a serious expression, he began assisting Go Yeonju with the food. She glanced at me, but I just shook my head. I saw her let out a small sigh.
“Such a gentleman. Thank you.”
“Well, it’s only right to help.”
“If only everyone were like this…”
I ignored her comment and lit a cigarette. I was willing to play along with her antics when we were alone late at night, but not in front of the kids. Her eyes were full of mischief, and I didn’t want to get caught up in it. But that was just my wishful thinking.
As I turned my head, Go Yeonju, with a mysterious smile, came over and forced eye contact. Just as I furrowed my brow and was about to speak, she crouched down close to me.
”…”
In this position, it could easily be misconstrued as something inappropriate. Embarrassed by the scene in front of the kids, I tried to move my chair, but she quickly grabbed it with both hands. Then, she leaned in between my legs and whispered softly.
“Two users came looking for you this afternoon.”
”…Yes.”
“They said they’d return in the evening. Remember those magician users from before?”
“Hey, what are you doing? Oppa, what’s going on?”
Hearing Yujeong’s voice, I took a deep breath and nodded. Go Yeonju smiled faintly and stood up. Ahn Hyun looked envious, while Yujeong and the other female users had ambiguous expressions. Feeling unjustly accused, I spoke in a sarcastic tone.
“You could have told me that in a more normal position.”
“Oh my, I just sat down for a moment because I was tired. Were you imagining something strange?”
“Let’s not talk about it. Thanks for the meal.”
Go Yeon-ju chuckled at my response and turned to head back to the kitchen. Behind her, I could hear Yoo-jung’s voice exclaiming, “What’s with that person? So annoying! You think so too, right? Don’t you?!” followed by Vivian’s reluctant agreement.
Anyway, the food arrived, and Go Yeon-ju’s cooking was excellent. Vivian, clearly starving, quickly grabbed her fork, but Yoo-jung deftly slapped it away. The fork clattered onto the table, and as Vivian blinked in confusion, Yoo-jung’s sharp voice cut through the air.
“What did I tell you?”
“Sorry…”
“Didn’t I say not to touch your utensils until oppa starts eating?”
“I’m sorry. I was just so hungry…”
“No excuses. Was it right or wrong?”
“It was wrong. Sniff.”
“Ugh. There she goes crying again. I’ll let it slide this time. Don’t do it again.”
Watching Vivian get scolded, I sighed and picked up my utensils. Only then did Yoo-jung nod in approval, allowing Vivian to cautiously pick up her fork again. Feeling sorry for her, I placed a generous portion of the best part of the meat onto her plate. Vivian’s innocent eyes looked up at me.
“Vivian, you worked hard today. Eat up and let’s keep it up tomorrow.”
At my warm encouragement, Vivian’s face brightened, and she nodded vigorously.
“Okay!”
“Vivian?”
When Yoo-jung chimed in again, Vivian quickly corrected herself.
“Th-thank you…”
Sol watched the scene with envy, prompting Ahn Hyun to do the same for Sol, placing food on her plate. However, Sol calmly returned the food to its original spot, leaving Ahn Hyun looking defeated.
After witnessing Ahn Hyun’s disappointment, I swallowed my food and spoke up again.
“Can we just eat in peace? This isn’t the military. Why are you so eager to pick on them?”
“Hmph. You don’t understand anything. Always saying Sol is pretty~ pretty~. Now it’s Vivian is nice~ nice~.”
I sighed at Yoo-jung’s dismissive snort and turned my attention back to my meal. Vivian giggled as she enjoyed the meat I had given her.
The group returned to their meal, and Ahn Hyun, who had been picking at his food with a gloomy expression, kept glancing towards the kitchen, as if Go Yeon-ju’s face lingered in his mind. Suddenly, he turned to me with a question.
“Hyung.”
“What?”
“You seemed pretty friendly with the innkeeper earlier. What were you talking about?”
The innkeeper, huh? I couldn’t help but chuckle at Ahn Hyun’s overly formal language. I casually explained that some people we knew had visited us in the afternoon, and the noisy table fell silent with interest. They’re always so quiet when it’s something they’re curious about. If only they were like this all the time.
The kids had gotten used to being on top of things lately. They knew I wouldn’t tolerate any mistakes in the field, but they also realized I was more relaxed once we were back in the city. So, they kept their mouths shut outside but let loose as soon as we returned.
“Then they might come again today. I liked that unni. The guy seemed a bit clueless, though.”
“You might be the unni.”
“What?”
As Yoo-jung grumbled, Ahn Hyun smirked and turned back to me. An Sol gave an awkward smile, and Vivian pretended to scold Yoo-jung, though a faint smile played on her lips.
Just as I was about to dig into my food again, Ahn Hyun called out to me once more.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Well, I received a publication offer today.
I’m grateful to the Joara readers who have appreciated my humble work, and to all the readers who have given me such overwhelming support and encouragement. My heart is racing a bit from the unexpected news, but I’ll calmly follow up tomorrow.
I’ll wrap up the current chapter and quickly move on to the Ruined Lab. For those who feel the pace is a bit slow, please bear with me a little longer. :)
『 Reader Comments 』
BaboRambo: Congratulations on being first! I’m relieved you enjoyed it. I hope you find this chapter enjoyable too.
GoodFigure: Thank you. It feels like I have to keep up the pace. I used to struggle with writing just one chapter a day, but your recommendations and comments have truly been my motivation. Haha.
HumanLife: Oh, I see. I hadn’t thought of that. Sniff sniff… (?)
Blami: Haha, thank you. You’ll see a more confident Su-hyun when they leave Mule. Please look forward to it!
Demodex: If I write a BL scene, I might get a lot of backlash. I’ll try to refrain. Haha. Thanks for pointing out the typos.
Scar: It’s almost impossible to raise it through training. But… oops. (Spoiler alert!)
fw2erfwsd12: I’m planning a scene worthy of a novel soon. It might be after we return from the Ruined Lab. I’m already worried some readers might be shocked. ㅎㄷㄷ
ReluctantBear: The content has been moved from the user-only storage to the general storage. Thank you for your valuable advice and corrections. It was my mistake. ^^;
Hwiul: There is a part where they were busy sightseeing when they returned to the city. Even though it’s a character from 100 years ago, the basics of food, clothing, and shelter haven’t changed that drastically compared to back then. :)
Toranoanal: I’ve been waiting for your comment! Excitedly. Haha. (__ )* If it’s not too much trouble, I’d appreciate it if you could send me the draft you deleted via message. I’ve always been pondering over vocabulary issues myself. Of course, feel free to send it whenever you feel like it.
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind my continued writing. (This is the truth.)
I read all the comments repeatedly.
Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the reader comments.
If you have any burning questions, feel free to message me, and I’ll respond!
I’ll take my leave for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Favorites, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.