episode_0050

The next day at dawn.

Jeong Yushin opened his eyes. His body was stiff from the intense training, making it difficult to move.

“Hoo.”

He wriggled like an earthworm on the bed before finally getting up.

He opened the window, took a deep breath of the summer dawn air, and looked down at the street.

The street, where people were not yet moving about, was deserted.

He put on his clothes and went down to the first floor.

Tarman was busily moving around in the inn’s hall.

“Are you awake?”

Tarman saw Jeong Yushin and bowed his head in greeting.

Tarman’s face looked dark.

“Yeah. Tarman, didn’t you sleep well yesterday?”

Tarman scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

“I slept well.”

“Tell me if you’re having a hard time.”

“Haha.”

Tarman chuckled awkwardly and diligently swept the floor.

When he went into the kitchen, Anne was moving busily.

“Need help?”

“Ah! You’re awake? It’s okay. I can do this much on my own.”

Anne’s face also looked a little dark.

Is something wrong?

Jeong Yushin tilted his head and passed through the kitchen to the yard.

He stood in the yard and loosened his body. He took off his shirt. It was easy to get soaked in sweat because it was summer. Besides, he didn’t have many spare clothes left.

‘I need to do laundry.’

He went out in the morning for training and studying and came back at night, so he had no free time.

Anne was doing all the housework, so it was difficult to ask her to do the laundry as well. Especially underwear, it was embarrassing to ask.

‘I need to make time to do laundry sometime.’

Jeong Yushin looked around the yard.

On the left was Darmong’s house, and on the right was the warehouse. There was a small well in the corner, and a laundry drying rack on one side.

Seeing the house reminded him of Darmong.

How is he doing?

‘Yushin, you’re seriously ill.’

He slapped himself on the cheeks a few times, regained his senses, and ran around the yard.

“Hoo-eup. Hoo-eup.”

He breathed in and out, running slowly.

As his body gradually heated up, his distracting thoughts disappeared. He concentrated on his breathing and moved his feet.

As his body gradually became soaked with sweat, he stopped running and swung his sword.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Jeong Yushin’s sword cut through the dawn air.

He replayed the experience he had gained from sparring with Ashur all day yesterday in his head, and swung his sword here and there in the air.

Sweat poured from his entire body.

As his muscles gradually became stiff, he stopped his sword and caught his breath.

When will I be able to learn advanced techniques like parrying?

Impatience filled his mind.

Jeong Yushin shook his head to clear his thoughts.

He continued to summon Sacred Weapon until his mana ran out.

“Hoo-oop. Hoo.”

Jeong Yushin knelt on the floor and gasped for breath.

Because he had continuously summoned to his limit, his mana was depleted and he had no strength in his body.

“Um…”

He turned his head and saw Anne standing there.

“Is breakfast ready?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll go.”

He wiped his body with a towel hanging on the laundry drying rack, put on his clothes, and went through the kitchen to the hall.

Anne, Tarman, and Jeong Yushin gathered around the table and sat down.

“Um… I have something to tell you.”

Anne hesitated and said.

“What is it?”

“It seems like the inn operation isn’t making a profit.”

“How much are we not making?”

Anne began to explain.

Jeong Yushin crossed his arms and listened calmly.

“…So, we’re barely breaking even.”

“So, the sales are constant, but the price of groceries is rising. So the profit from selling food is decreasing. The reduced profit is currently being compensated for by the money earned from selling alcohol. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes.”

Jeong Yushin rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment.

“I won’t compromise on the quality of the food. I don’t know anything about cooking or running an inn, but there’s something I want to protect.”

‘Because it’s Darmong’s inn.’

“It doesn’t have to be much. If we’re in the red, I’ll somehow make up for it. It’ll be hard at first, but please work a little harder.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Anne and Tarman answered at the same time.

Since the topic came up, he decided to ask one more thing.

It was a difficult question to bring up. It was also a scar for Tarman and Anne.

“…This question might be a bit sudden, but how is Marie doing?”

A priestess serving the Earth Mother.

A girl who was raped by hobgoblins and became pregnant.

Her mind was broken by the shock, and she was recovering in the temple.

“…Marie is doing well. Priestess Mion has worked hard to safely ‘dispose’ of the hobgoblin’s baby. I heard that her mind was gradually returning when I went last time, but I’ve been busy recently…”

Anne mumbled.

I see.

“Don’t reduce the pay you guys are taking.”

Jeong Yushin said a word and scratched his head. He turned his head to look at Tarman and continued.

“Tarman, was I being too much of a pushover?”

“Yes. If you keep giving away like this, what will be left for you?”

‘You guys will be left.’

He tried to say it but just swallowed it.

Tarman’s bulging eyes were red. Anne’s eyes were also red.

Silence hung over the table.

There was something tickling at his heart in the quiet.

“I’m saying again, I don’t mean to completely let go of the inn operation. I’ll think about it in my own way, so don’t worry.”

Jeong Yushin said, picking up a fork.

“Yes.”

The faces of Tarman and Anne, who answered, were much brighter.

They ate while talking about this and that, and then got up from their seats.

“I’ll be back.”

“Yes.”

“Yes. Please have a good day.”

He left the inn, seeing off by the two people.

He went against the people heading to the labyrinth and arrived at the temple.

He showed his face to the person in charge of the temple reception to confirm his attendance and entered the orphanage.

“Mister, hello.”

A little kid ran up and greeted him.

“Yeah.”

“Mister, you know.”

Jeong Yushin sat down, opened his teddy bear bag, and took out his writing utensils.

“Can you not talk to me?”

“Heeing.”

The little kid made a crying face.

‘Ah, seriously.’

“Okay. Don’t cry. What is it?”

“I saw someone just like you yesterday.”

Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

“Oo-ing. Mister, I’m scared.”

“Sorry. I was just surprised. Did they do anything bad to you?”

“No. They just looked around the orphanage once and disappeared.”

‘Those crazy bastards. Isn’t this really dangerous?’

The fact that the labyrinth city’s pervert thugs were slowly approaching made his spine tingle.

Are they letting me know that they’re targeting me?

If so, that’s pretty nasty.

Jeong Yushin stroked his forehead once.

“Hoo. Be careful. They’re dangerous people.”

“Why?”

He couldn’t bring himself to say words like rape or semen soaking in front of a child.

“Just be careful. Don’t follow them if they say they’ll buy you something delicious. Got it?”

The kid tilted their head.

“Aren’t they good people if they buy you something delicious?”

“No. Those people will seduce you and take out your liver.”

“Oo-ee… Oo-ee-ee.”

Tears welled up in the kid’s eyes.

‘Ah, I don’t know anymore. You have to grow up crying. What can I do?’

Jeong Yushin scratched his head and looked down at the kid who was about to cry.

“Mister! Why are you making them cry?!”

A confident girl with blue hair intervened.

“I was just telling them to be careful.”

“You could have just told them to be careful. Why are you saying things like taking out their liver?”

“Hoo, I’m sorry.”

The blue-haired girl held the small child in her arms and stroked their head.

“Sharon, don’t cry.”

The blue-haired girl soothed.

The teary-eyed child sniffled and snuggled into the blue-haired girl’s arms.

“Oo-ing. Lily, unnie.”

“That’s right. That’s right. Good kids don’t cry.”

Click.

The door opened and a stern-looking male priest came in.

Diego Perez.

A mid-level priest serving the Earth Mother.

As soon as Diego appeared, the children grumbled.

Most of them were asking why Teacher Mion wasn’t coming.

“Everyone, be quiet.”

The children quieted down as Diego knocked on the podium.

“Teacher Mion can’t come today because she’s not feeling well.”

“Really?”

“What should we do…”

The children’s worried voices filled the classroom.

“Quiet.”

Diego looked around the classroom once and said.

“She says it’s nothing serious. She said not to worry because she’ll be fine soon.”

Diego glanced at Jeong Yushin for a moment as he finished speaking.

I see.

Jeong Yushin sighed and opened his book.

Still, his heart was heavy.

He vowed to go and apologize later.

‘Back massage without even dating. Originally, a kiss is supposed to come first.’

Whatever Jeong Yushin’s feelings were, Diego’s lesson proceeded kindly and meticulously.

The children quickly focused on Diego’s lesson.

He was a sincere young priest, unlike his stern-looking impression.

“Excellent. Sca, you’ve corrected all the parts I pointed out.”

“Thank you.”

“At this rate, you can move on to the next book.”

“Really?”

He was getting tired of the story of the wind spirit and the lumberjack. It was also cruel.

Diego nodded with a smile.

“What book is it?”

Jeong Yushin asked.

“I’ll postpone that for the next pleasure.”

‘This priest has a talent for making people impatient.’

Still, he could wait with a happy heart. Learning something more was always a happy thing. It was also a necessary thing.

At lunchtime, the lesson ended and the children left the classroom.

Jeong Yushin packed his writing utensils and put them in his teddy bear bag.

“Diego, teacher, you worked hard.”

“Sca-nim, you also worked hard.”

“By the way, there’s a rumor that a Barbaroi entered the Earth Mother’s orphanage yard. Is that true?”

Diego’s eyes widened.

“Really?!”

‘You didn’t know?’

“Yes. One of the orphanage friends said they saw it.”

“I’ll check it out first. Do you know the child’s name?”

“It’s Sharon.”

“I understand… Is the evil that was driven out returning?”

Diego turned his body and muttered to himself, but Jeong Yushin didn’t hear him.

Jeong Yushin left Diego behind and left the classroom.

He went to the temple cafeteria, lined up, received his food, and sat down.

The menu was vegetable soup with herbs, rye bread, and watered-down wine.

Jeong Yushin took a bite of the soup and bit into the bread.

Something squishy was chewed on the inside of the bread, and a fishy taste came up.

‘What is this?’

He hurriedly looked inside the bread. Half of a fish head was sticking out, chewed on.

Ugh.

Jeong Yushin covered his mouth.

Suddenly putting a fish inside the bread?

He felt like he stepped on a mine when everything was going well.

Is it an assassination?

He looked around and saw that the other priests were eating deliciously.

“Oh, bread with fish inside is the Earth Mother’s grace.”

“What day is it today? We’re getting such a precious special meal.”

Jeong Yushin’s expression crumpled. He couldn’t bring himself to spit it out, so he blocked his nose, chewed, and drank wine to swallow the contents.

“By the way, did Priestess Mion not attend the dawn mass again today?”

“That’s right. She’s been staying up all night in the library for the past few days looking for divine magic, and she finally caught a cold. Sir Kain, the captain of the Knights, came to see her yesterday, but it seems like he couldn’t meet her.”

“Oh dear, that’s a big deal. I should pray.”

Jeong Yushin got up from his seat.

He didn’t know if it was because of the fish bread or the guilt about Mion, but the food wouldn’t go into his stomach.

He left the cafeteria and arrived at the temple yard.

At that time, a group of explorers came out of the temple.

2 humans.

1 dwarf.

1 gnome.

A party of 4 in total.

They looked exhausted, but they were smiling.

“Kuaaah! I finally got the strength enhancement engraving!”

A human man with a longsword on his back raised his arms and shouted.

“Hehe. That’s good. I’m glad I got the chant acceleration engraving.”

A human woman who seemed to be a mage smiled and said.

“Haa. A wall-climbing engraving. What a bust.”

A dwarf priest sighed and scratched his head.

The party members were talking happily, but only one of them was standing silently.

The human swordsman opened his mouth to the silent gnome.

“The one you got this time was the heavy feet engraving, right?”

“…It’s harder to run, and the sound when you step on the ground is louder, so it’s hard as a guide.”

The gnome nodded weakly and answered.

“…It’s okay! You can erase it.”

“That’s right, it’s not a big negative engraving. Don’t worry about it.”

The party members comforted the gloomy gnome.

The gnome’s face softened slightly.

“Yeah. I guess I was thinking too seriously. I can just erase it.”

The human swordsman patted the gnome’s shoulder.

“We’re just taking it one step at a time. Don’t worry too much. Let’s go get some food and rest. I’m too tired.”

“I need to wash up. I haven’t washed in a week, so I smell terrible.”

The dwarf priest grumbled.

The party members left the temple, chattering.

Jeong Yushin watched the scene from afar.

A strength enhancement engraving. He was so jealous that his stomach started to hurt.

And what about the chant acceleration engraving.

‘I can also get a good engraving.’

Jeong Yushin smacked his lips.

Besides, he was jealous of his good-natured colleagues.

I wish I had good colleagues too.

How nice would it be to have reliable allies to break through the dark labyrinth together?

‘Stop it.’

He stopped thinking. Thinking about it more here would only make his stomach hurt. He had a lot of work to do. Jeong Yushin hurried to the swordsmanship guild.

“Your face is full of greed.”

Ashur spat out with an annoyed face.

Jeong Yushin’s chest tingled as he ran hard in the training hall.

Is this what it’s like to be a Changseng Swordsmaster? His intuition was extraordinary.

“What?”

He asked indifferently, managing his expression.

“Don’t manage your expression. I can see it all. Don’t think about other things and focus on training.”

‘Are you Gung Ye?’

Jeong Yushin’s expression crumpled.

“Okay, put on one more sandbag.”

Jeong Yushin staggered over and tied the bag that Ashur handed him to his ankle.

“Run.”

“Yes.”

He ran for a long time in the scorching sun.

His whole body was covered in sweat and dust, and he was gasping for breath, so his mind was in and out.

“Keuheuheok. Hoo-euuuup.”

Jeong Yushin ran the last lap and collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.

He was about to develop madness that he didn’t even have.

“Yeah, that’s the face. The face of taking a step back.”

Ashur said with a smile.

‘Isn’t this guy crazy?’

Jeong Yushin glared at Ashur.

Ashur threw a steel sword.

Thud.

The steel sword fell on the training ground floor.

Jeong Yushin barely grabbed the sword with trembling hands and stood up.

“Come.”

Ashur’s eyes shone.

The two men’s sparring continued until late at night.

Clang!!!

Clang!!!

Ashur, who was clashing swords, stepped back.

“Stop, that’s it for today.”

“Hoo-euuuup. Heoeok.”

Jeong Yushin immediately collapsed on the floor.

Ashur looked down at Jeong Yushin and pointed out the mistakes one by one.

Jeong Yushin listened carefully to Ashur’s words while gasping for breath.

“…But, there’s something.”

“What is it?”

“One of the Barbaroi came to the front of the Earth Mother’s orphanage. I feel a threat to my safety. What should I do?”

“There’s nothing you can do.”

“…”

“It’s late, so it’s best to go back quickly.”

Ashur smiled and said.

Jeong Yushin staggered up from his seat and left the training ground.

Ashur looked at Jeong Yushin’s back, which was getting further away, and muttered softly.

“…Are those guys slowly coming back to the streets? They held out for a long time.”

Jeong Yushin walked quickly and returned to the inn.

He opened the wooden door and looked around the inn hall.

Anne and Tarman were gone, as if they had left work.

He stuffed the snacks on the counter into his stomach and went up to the second floor and into his room.

He took off his clothes, wiped his body with a towel, and lay down on the bed.

He put his arm under his head and closed his eyes.

Whatever the real Barbaroi was, he was too tired.

Because of the increasingly difficult training, his head was always dazed at night, and sleep came easily.

Since he arrived safely, he decided not to worry about those guys anymore.

“Heuaaaam.”

Rustle.

A sound came from under the bed.

Jeong Yushin’s yawn stopped abruptly.

There’s something.

Under the bed.