Ch.33Reward

# 33. Compensation

“Oww… Guild Leader, be a little gentler.”

“Tsk. Hold still.”

“Ugh, it stings so much.”

“You should be grateful it only stings. Thanks to Seyeon’s magic before she passed out, it’s just this bad.”

“I know, I know, but still, be a little gentler… Aaagh…”

On our way back, Saex’s wound burst open despite him gritting his teeth and insisting he was fine, so I had to carry him.

We passed through the entrance where the xenophobic guards, true to form, decided a bleeding patient was not their problem.

After enduring the inn owner’s complaints about cleaning up the blood-stained lobby and hallway, we finally arrived at Room 202 of the Albrant Inn “Luna Albre Alb” (roughly meaning “Moon Fairy Elf”).

As soon as I carefully seated Saex in a chair, Cutjukyeora, with dried tear tracks on her face, poured magic into treating his wounds.

Though she managed to heal him somewhat, she wasn’t a professional healer, and her holy magic level wasn’t high enough to be fully effective, so she couldn’t completely cure him.

She was about to drink the magic potion we received as compensation, but I had to stop her, breaking a sweat in the process.

After that, I was helping with the aftercare, disinfecting with alcohol and water, and gently applying potion to the wound.

[Quest “Undead Extermination (Albrant)” completed.]

[Quest details – Report to “Al-Kedran,” the North Gate guard of Albrant, after exterminating undead]

[Reward upon success – Proportional to extermination results]

[Total contribution – 7.01%]

[Reward (shared) – 7,010 gold coins, 1 armor purchase voucher, 1 weapon purchase voucher, 7 minor health potions, 3 minor magic potions]

“Looking at the rewards?”

“Yeah. Hehe, this is why there’s nothing like a good haul. I don’t think the game ever gave this much.”

“There’s a reason my ‘How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off’ guide stayed at the top of the best guides list for so long.”

I shouldn’t get addicted to big payouts, but honestly, I had to admit the rewards were good.

“First of all, the armor and weapon vouchers are yours. No objections.”

“Why?! I can understand the armor, but the weapon is fine! I think it would be better to change yours or Unni’s.”

“I said no objections.”

*Slap*

“Ouch!”

“I hit where you weren’t injured, stop exaggerating.”

“The vibration still hurts, you know!”

“Whatever.”

Normally I’d be cautious even looking at Saex’s thigh, but right now I didn’t feel that way at all.

How should I describe this?

The ground hardens after rain?

Kids become closer after fighting?

‘Neither of those is right.’

Anyway, going through an intense situation together seemed to have brought us closer.

“Um… Guild Leader oppa?”

“What’s with that suddenly?”

“Are you disappointed?”

I shook my head, then nodded. Saex lowered his head. Seeing he misunderstood, I spoke up.

“I’m not disappointed in you, but in myself.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I made plans while overlooking something important.”

Since Cutjukyeora was still unconscious, I had planned to tell her when she woke up, but Saex seemed so dejected that I felt I needed to share my lesson now.

When I explained, she nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. When I got hurt, it just felt hot for a moment and I didn’t think much of it. You know how it is. Small injuries bother you and hurt all over, but when you’re badly injured, you don’t really feel the pain at the time.”

“Exactly.”

“But when I had to switch with you because I was hurt, and then saw you get injured because of that… it drove me crazy.”

My head. And my heart.

Saex clutched her chest as she spoke.

“Even in that situation, you were so like yourself. If we hadn’t pulled back and had rushed in more, it wouldn’t have been strange if someone had gotten seriously hurt.”

“Games where you only have one life are meant to be played cautiously as a baseline.”

“Still, if Unni and I hadn’t insisted, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Well, that’s true.

I kept my mouth shut. It was already in the past, and we’d learned our lesson. It was worth mentioning briefly, but not something to blame others for.

“Yuri. In the end, I’m the one who accepted your suggestion and made the plan. If we’re assigning blame, I’m at fault too.”

“Oh. Is that so?”

“That’s right.”

“Can’t be helped then. I’ll let it slide.”

*Slap*

“Ow! You hit me again?!”

“Hit? Would you prefer I call it a touch filled with concern?”

“Ugh.”

Saex pretended to gag before breaking into a smile. Laughter is contagious, and her smile was pleasant to see. So I smiled too.

**

Shortly after our return, the undead horde crashed right into Albrant’s North Gate.

Albrant wasn’t so easily breached by a mere few thousand mobs, and according to rumors, very few undead actually reached the gate.

Later, as time passes and their numbers increase with elite and boss entities appearing, they’ll become truly terrifying… but right now, they’re just nutritious snacks for our children.

After a full day’s rest, what were we doing?

We were crossing through Albrant’s city center, which had returned to normal without any need for post-crisis recovery.

We were on our way to get Saex’s equipment.

“Think about it again. I accept the armor. But the weapon—my current axe is enough, really!”

“You used to dual-wield axes.”

“That was only after I leveled up a bit.”

The signature weapon of a Barbarian Warlord is the axe, and axes are the only weapons they can dual-wield.

However, not many people actually did this because it further reduced the already low stability of Barbarian Warlords.

Instead, Saex, with her excellent physical abilities, dodged everything while dealing about 10% more damage than other Barbarians.

Saex meant dual axes, and dual axes meant Saex.

It was a formula.

And now Saex was refusing dual axes?

“Yuri. If you want to use dual axes, shouldn’t you start practicing early? Won’t it be tough to master the skill after unlocking it later? I’ve been swinging my sword every day since I arrived here, and I’m just barely at level 4.”

“That’s right, Yuri. Dual-wielding skills are high-grade, so they’re harder to master. I think the leader is right.”

“Even you, Unni…”

It seemed she was uncomfortable taking the two most important rewards when all three of us fought and earned them together.

I understand. I would have felt very uncomfortable too.

But who am I?

Your Guild Leader.

“You will absolutely acquire an axe suitable for dual-wielding. That’s final.”

“Fine! Don’t regret it later! You stubborn, selfless people!”

Watching the fuming Saex, Cutjukyeora wore a motherly smile. I couldn’t help smiling too.

And the warm atmosphere was predictably shattered the moment we saw the armory owner.

“This armory is for Albs. Not for selling to inferior humans.”

“Look, the North Gate guard HIMSELF gave us this voucher as a reward for killing Devitas!”

“How can I trust a human’s scrap of paper with no spirit mark or oath mark?”

Ah, my blood pressure.

I hadn’t even been in a collision, but I was already grabbing the back of my neck.

“You can look and admire, but touching or buying is another matter.”

For the sake of the two who were excitedly examining the impressive and deadly axes…

“I’ll be back to make you believe us, just wait.”

I will not surrender to this xenophobic owner.

“Leader, where are you going?”

“I’ll be back shortly. Yuri, just look around with her for a bit.”

It’s not familiar, but… I’ll make that South Gate guard’s silver tongue work for me again.

**

“Human. What is it now?”

“I thought the North Gate guard was a pretty respected position, but I guess not?”

“Are you spouting nonsense again? I let it slide last time, but this is too much. Even if you have the merit of slaying hundreds of Devitas, it’s nothing compared to the insult of disrespecting Albrant’s gate guard.”

“I’m the one who was insulted!”

“What?”

With the emergency over, the once heavily guarded area around the North Gate was now as quiet as the South Gate.

I approached the guard who had given me the quest, waving the voucher he had given me, and went on the offensive from the start.

“What the hell? I get that you’re famous for hating humans, and I can accept that. This is your homeland, and we’re uninvited guests, so I understand. But YOU gave this to me directly. You gave it as a reward for killing Devitas. But when I go to the armory, what happens? ‘We can’t trust a scrap of paper held by a human’?”

“Wait. That can’t be right.”

“Can’t be right, my ass! I even mentioned your name, but they absolutely refused to sell to humans! So I thought, one of two things must be happening. Either the gate guard scammed me, or he’s not important enough for the armory owner to respect. So? Do you still think I insulted you?”

The guard’s eyebrows and ears twitched. Perhaps because he was a less xenophobic elf, he seemed to be holding back a lot of things he wanted to say.

The guard must be flustered.

He’s probably not sure who to be angry with.

The important thing is to keep pressing. The important thing is to keep pressing.

“Either put an oath on the purchase voucher, or come with me to verify it. If you don’t do either, I’ll spread rumors everywhere. ‘The North Gate guard turned out to be absolutely nothing.'”

These elves with their chosen people complex, thinking they’re the noblest race.

No matter how inferior they consider humans’ words, could they tolerate rumors about their “dishonor”?

“…I will accompany you.”

“Thank you for your wise decision.”

*Gritting teeth*

Armory owner, this teeth-grinding gate guard is coming to visit!

‘Maybe if I push a bit more, the reward will increase?’