episode_0062

“I’ll close my eyes for a bit. Let me know when we arrive.”

“Yes. Get some rest.”

A short three-day journey.

It was enough time to figure out who Yujin was.

So many things happened in that short time…

Therefore, it’s difficult to summarize who Yujin is in just one sentence.

If I had to summarize it in one sentence…

Rough, barbaric, rough-mouthed, impulsive.

“In many ways, he’s a down-to-earth person.”

But if you evaluate him as a mercenary, the story changes.

Brave, with the strength to back it up, decisive, and with quite a bit of leadership.

Among the people I’ve seen, he’s the strongest after Yerina unni.

A man who raced against a spider monster so fast that it was hard to follow with my eyes.

He wouldn’t lose even against most swordmasters.

“And above all, his mental strength…”

But the reason I evaluate Yujin as strong is not because of his brute strength.

It’s his mental strength that shines in extreme situations.

Without showing off, Yujin always takes on the most dangerous positions.

Not afraid of pain, willing to sacrifice himself for others.

And that’s not all.

With the determination to save Mijung, who he thought was just a disposable slave, he awakened to 5th-rank magic.

I can’t imagine how shocked people were to see a human who couldn’t even grasp basic elemental magic suddenly awaken to 5th-rank magic.

If that man can awaken to such powerful magic, it wouldn’t be surprising if he suddenly became a dark mage when we meet again.

“Indeed…”

Looking at it this way, I can understand why unni fell for him to some extent.

He’s not a completely hopeless person.

Completely messed up in terms of character, but he has clear strengths.

He looks delicate and refined, as if he’s about to make a cocktail at a bar.

But in terms of strength and personality, he’s completely macho…

“Tsk. Unni has terrible taste.”

Yerina unni has always admired strong people.

No, rather than admiring strong people, she seems to look down on weak people.

She didn’t even seem to consider weaker men as potential partners.

He’s someone who captured unni’s heart.

I, too, felt a little…

Just a little. Just enough to flutter.

But as a partner, he’s a complete failure.

He doesn’t know how to consider a woman.

He smiles at every woman he meets.

And above all, the problem is that he lives so recklessly that he could die at any moment.

It’s like he’s constantly looking for a place to die.

I sigh.

“Oh. Your bangs are in your eyes…”

Was it because he was tossing and turning in his sleep?

Yujin’s bangs were falling over his eyes and eyelids.

Worried that they might poke his eyes, I unconsciously moved closer.

“Even his looks are half and half… What a jerk.”

Isn’t it a crime to flirt with women with such a face?

I suddenly feel angry.

My face is so hot.

Anyway.

After spending about three days with this man, I’m convinced.

No matter how desperate unni’s feelings are, I can’t let her be with this man.

If I let that happen, she’ll become a widow in no time.

I have to make sure Yujin and unni don’t end up together.

Even if I have to steal him away…

“Oh. What should I do? Is there any excuse to keep following him?”

Swish.

As I brush aside Yujin’s bangs, in a moment of rough breath.

“Yujin. Alicia, doing something weird. Catch her.”

“Gotcha, bunny.”

“What?!”

Thud.

The lid of the nearby box opens, and Mijung pops out.

And suddenly, my wrist is caught by Yujin’s rough hand.

Oh. His hand is huge…

“Just in case, I asked her to keep an eye on you while you sleep. And she caught Mijung. What were you trying to steal?”

“Excuse me?! Why are you treating people like thieves!”

A truly crazy guy…

This is the problem. This is the problem.

I must have lost my mind for a moment.

I can’t believe I thought this man had charm.

“Oh. You came to steal the magic stone you received from the elven elders.”

“No way! How dare you see Yevgenia’s wealth as something to steal!”

“Just kidding. Take a look at this magic stone. You never know, it might suit you.”

“…”

Yujin, who had opened his eyes, casually smiled and handed me the magic stone.

He handed over this amazing magic stone as if it were just a random rock rolling on the roadside…

I take the magic stone as if entranced.

During that process, Eugene’s fingers brushed against the palm of his hand.

His body trembled.

Ah. It feels a little wet…

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“It’s an amazing performance. It’s so much more comfortable than what I used before.”

To be honest, it’s a marvel that leaves one in awe.

But the excitement isn’t as great as it could be.

Because I’ve already touched Eugene’s black gemstone before.

Wasn’t it a gemstone created when that spider-like creature died…?

Even now, thinking about it makes me nauseous, but it’s a gemstone that surpasses the ones Elvengard has produced over the past 10 years.

“Really? Then…”

“But it doesn’t seem to be mine after all. I’m a bit picky, you see. This gemstone will suit someone else better than me. I’m really grateful, but I’ll just take your heart.”

“Huh? Grateful? What are you talking about?”

“What? Wasn’t I supposed to give it to you?”

“What’s this? If you like it, I was going to sell it to you. Why are you having strange expectations on your own…”

“Ah!”

My face feels hot.

Feeling embarrassed and flustered, I quickly cover Eugene’s mouth to stop him from speaking.

No, the atmosphere clearly indicated that he was giving it to me as a gift.

He smiled at me.

But was that really just a sweet smile for the used gemstone dealer?

Don’t lie, you scoundrel.

“Why are you playing with people’s feelings!”

“What? You’re being so touchy. Either accept it or leave it.”

“Is this…?”

Ping.

The metal lump that Eugene flicked bounces in the air and lands on my palm.

Upon closer inspection, it was a ring.

The ring Eugene had lent me before.

“In the end, you couldn’t find a gemstone that suits you. Until you find one, wear this. Oh, this isn’t for sale, it’s a gift, so don’t look at me like that.”

“What did I do wrong… Thank you.”

Of all times, he gives me the ring now…

I can’t even get angry.

I express my gratitude to Eugene, suppressing my anger.

“Ah, a couple ring with Eugene.”

Mi-jeong, who was standing next to me with a bewildered expression.

Come to think of it, Mi-jeong was also wearing a similar ring.

I feel like we’ve become closer.

I put it on my index finger and show it to Mi-jeong, but she says, “Now we’re couple rings?”

“…I hate it.”

“What?!”

Mi-jeong puffs up her cheeks and hides her face in her luggage.

Why, why am I being hated?

“Ah!”

Just as I was flustered for not knowing English.

The carriage suddenly stops, lurching forward, and I accidentally bump my head against Eugene’s chest.

“Do you dislike the ring so much that you want to punch me?”

“Excuse me…”

Eugene smiles brightly again.

I really don’t like it.

But the sweat smell from earlier, ugh…

I quickly move away, afraid that I might start to feel strange if I stay any longer.

“It looks like we’ve arrived at the stop.”

“I’ll gratefully accept the ring! Let’s part ways here!”

“Sure. You go up to Palla, and I have to go my own way now.”

We part ways.

I’ve never felt the bitterness of these words as strongly as I do today.

As I stand up and extend my hand, Eugene chuckles and takes my hand.

It feels good as our rough palms touch.

“I’ll find a safe house and send the address to Evgenia soon. Keep an eye on Yerina’s movements and send updates to that address once a week. If there’s an emergency, send it anytime.”

“You’re thorough.”

“I have to be. When it comes to Yerina, things usually don’t end well. Oh, right. And I forgot to mention the payment for teaching you magic.”

“The name of the person who crafted the black gemstone?”

“Yeah. That. I promised to teach you.”

“Forget it. My conscience won’t allow it. In the end, my lessons were useless…”

“Maybe they were useless to me, but they weren’t to Mi-jeong. How many spells did you learn? From fire magic to lightning magic, you’ve learned quite a few. Thanks to you, I feel like I have a versatile tool now. I don’t have to remember to bring a torch every time I enter a dark dungeon, so it’s really convenient.”

Mi-jeong, who leans in close to Eugene, showing off her V sign.

If someone didn’t know better, they might think she was really treating him like a versatile tool.

She talks big, but she’s really careful with it.

“His name is Teiya. He’s a young dwarf artisan in Basel. You’ll find him quickly if you ask around.”

“What?! He’s been really popular lately? I heard his reservations are backed up for a year…”

“Wow. It’s piled up for a year? When you go, hand this to Teiya. Then you won’t have to wait, it’ll be a free pass.”

“Oh my…”

I accepted the note that Eugene handed me.

I never imagined this.

Were they on such good terms with that person, that giant?

Received an enormous gift.

It’s said to be the price for teaching magic, but this doesn’t quite add up.

No matter how you look at it, it’s not a reward for teaching basic magic and a few intermediate and advanced magic spells.

“Thank you so much…”

“What’s wrong? Crying?”

“I’m not crying!”

“Alright then. It seems like it’s almost time for the train. Shouldn’t we go?”

“We should. I’ll go.”

Ah. It really feels like we’re parting ways now.

As Yujin said, there isn’t much time left until the train departs.

I need to hurry.

But my steps don’t move easily.

Whether she understood my feelings or not, Yujin speaks again.

“I’ve thought about it carefully.”

“Yes, yes!”

“It seems that rabbit people are cuter when they’re slightly obsessed with their desires. So, gradually cutting off your desire control and surrendering to your instincts might be better…”

“This guy till the end…! I’m leaving now! Goodbye!”

Crazy guy.

Just talking nonsense till the end.

Thanks to that, I could leave without any regrets.

With brisk steps, my heart keeps pounding as I walk, unable to calm down.

Why am I like this?

It seems to be the most severe lately.

“Phew… Finally got on.”

After parting ways with Yujin.

After running and walking, I managed to get on the train.

Wiping sweat, as soon as I sat down, the train slowly left the platform.

“It feels comfortable…”

Raising my hand, the ring on my index finger shines brightly.

At first, it was too dazzling, so I deliberately tried to tone down its brilliance…

Even now, it’s so beautiful.

I can’t imagine how beautiful its original shine must have been.

“The ring fits better on my ring finger.”

Trying it on each finger, it fits best on my ring finger.

Indeed, this is the most comfortable.

It feels like Yujin is holding my finger tightly.

“Sigh…”

Gently.

Holding the ring with my finger, I took a deep breath.

Despite panting and some time passing, my rough breathing doesn’t seem to calm down.

Have I been losing stamina lately?

“Uh. Uh-heehee. Uh-hehe. Is this a VIP pass for Basel’s top-notch artisan…?”

Decided to shift focus to another direction.

Pulls out and unfolds the note received from Yujin.

However, when unfolded, the note is split in two and falls apart.

One is a letter written by Yujin herself, an introduction that allows direct commissioning of Basel’s artisan.

What about the other one?

Raises head curiously and unfolds it.

– I’ve decided to generously treat your dependency issues. Be grateful.

What kind of nonsensical talk is this?

– I confiscated your libido suppressor while you were sleeping. How about that? Didn’t even realize it was gone, right? Look, a rabbit shapeshifter should be captivated by their libido just enough to be cute and charming. You lacked cuteness due to your lack of libido, but now you’ll be better.

“What, what the heck?!!”

Surprised, unbuttons and retrieves Rosario from inside the chest.

As soon as the familiar touch is felt in hand, a sigh of relief escapes.

What’s this. It’s here.

“Startled.”

Seems like a cheap joke to surprise me…

Huh?

“…?”

At that moment.

Suddenly, Rosario’s form shimmers and changes.

Before long, it turns into the appearance of an ordinary tree branch.

Blinking eyes in confusion without understanding English.

Recalls the disguise magic shown to me by Yujin this morning.

What’s this.

Could it be that I······.

Did I not have my libido suppressor since this morning?

“Oh no······.”

The moment I realized that.

The sensation of being in contact with Yujin without the libido suppressor flooded back.

The lower body quickly dampened and convulsed.

“Yujin, you crazy bastard······!”

Can’t let this slide.

This lunatic······.

Ah. Ah. Here we go again.