episode_0076

Several years ago.

Before the Sasunghoe was even “Sasung” or “hoe.”

Terrance, a newly-minted adventurer, had a problem.

“I want party members. Preferably female.”

The impetuousness of youth, a slightly late-blooming case of middle-school syndrome, or perhaps a naturally developed womanizing tendency. Any of those descriptions fit.

Judging by what his senior adventurers—the ones who guided him from swordsmanship academy to this path—said, he was past the age of being a virgin.

Having escaped the “farm work-factory work-school-army” life path, he’d spent time with the female cadets at the academy, learning the ways of women.

‘I should be more than enough, right?’

Clutching that youthful, swelling confidence to his chest, he opened the Adventurer’s Guild doors.

He froze on the spot.

“Aang- honey-”

“What is it, hee hee. Did your husband not satisfy you again?”

“I don’t know- I like you best-”

Chup chup-

That was far too stimulating a sight for Terrance, barely twenty, whose understanding of sex barely extended to dating, kissing, and… uh… well, you know.

It was just his rotten luck that the first guild he entered was notorious throughout the Empire for its debauchery.

The ratio of “blonde-haired, dark-skinned, bad-tempered adventurers” was significantly higher than in other guilds.

Naturally, this attracted women who only cared about men’s “bodies” and lacked brain cells.

This perfect combination had created a haven for adultery and prostitution.

A sight that ‘virgin’ Terrance had to witness.

Feeling the thick, heated air, he quietly slipped out of the guild and thought.

It was summer.

…

…

…

Of course, that didn’t mean he gave up on being an adventurer.

(He hadn’t even started, really.)

He followed his seniors, took the registration exam, and went on adventures with them, honing his skills.

Naturally, his personality and physique became more mature and masculine.

And one day.

He ran into one of the female cadets from the neighboring magic academy whom he’d briefly met at a matchmaking event during his swordsmanship academy days.

“…Terrance Tayker?”

Perhaps she, too, was still young, unfamiliar with men. Seeing the blond young man with his tanned skin and well-defined muscles, she couldn’t help but pause for a moment.

“What’s wrong, Joy… Why did you suddenly stop—”

Her friend, who was walking with her, did the same.

Terrance, seeing the two girls freeze, felt equally awkward. The memory of “that scene” flashed back, and images of the girls naked kept popping into his head, causing him to stumble over his greeting.

“Aha… ha… Hello…?”

Gulp.

Even at that age a girl would know what she needs to know, and get curious.

At that moment, the three of them.

In a coincidentally similar situation, they unexpectedly had the same thought.

After that, they became top-notch adventurers.

They hunted monsters together, ventured through deep forests.

“Kreugh… I’ll make you an adventurer…!!”

“Ahit- Good…♡ I… I’ll become an adventurer…!!”

“Leader… Me too, me too…♡”

Sometimes, the three of them would spend passionate nights together.

Their bodies and minds matured, and they eventually became quite well-known rookies in the west.

However, they still lacked something to shed their “rookie” status.

“We need a ranger. Preferably a wom-”

“Leader.”

“…Yes?”

Their teamwork was still a little lacking.

For them, whose individual skills weren’t particularly outstanding, teamwork was crucial. Their bond forged through shared experiences was one thing, but their lack of experience limited their broad vision.

They needed an extra pair of “eyes” to watch over both the party and their surroundings.

“Let’s go to the guild for a while. We need to settle the commission and renew our passes.”

They’d been focusing on growth and sexual urges, neglecting guild visits for months, focusing solely on adventuring. They needed to check their equipment and restock potions.

So, they each went their separate ways to run errands and kill time.

Unlike mages, Terrance, whose main weapon was a greatsword, didn’t need to sharpen it, and he didn’t have any consumables like scrolls or magic stones that needed frequent replacement.

He arrived at the guild first, waiting for Joy and Lily.

“Hey, I hear you’ve been doing well lately.”

“Haha- Thank you.”

“Yo- This kid, dyed his hair some crazy color… he’s become quite the beast.”

Their seniors, whom they hadn’t seen in a while, poked him playfully in the elbow. Terrance, feeling happy and grateful, was laughing as he got playfully nudged.

Then, he saw a woman waiting at the reception desk.

“…Who’s that?”

“Don’t you know? She seems to be a new recruit… Hey, don’t hit on that woman.”

“Huh…? Why?”

Just as his senior was about to yell “Why not, you idiot—”, he hastily covered his mouth. The atmosphere turned serious as he whispered to Terrance.

“Don’t do it… She’s incredibly strong, and has a terrible personality.”

He usually took his seniors’ advice. He always had, and it had always been right.

But for some reason, that day, Terrance’s curiosity surged. Without thinking, he got up and dashed towards the reception desk.

“Yes, your registration is complete. Good luck—”

“…….”

“You… damn, bitch.”

Whizz-

After grabbing her pass from the receptionist, the woman walked away without a word.

Her sky-blue hair fluttered, and her face finally came into Terrance’s view.

A decadent beauty rarely seen in girls her age.

The obvious killing intent and aura that indicated a formidable skill. An air of sadness, as though even her great strength wasn’t enough to satisfy her.

And stunning beauty that encompassed all of it.

Before he knew it, Terrance was right in front of her.

“Oh, that bastard-”

His seniors sighed in exasperation.

Tinkle tinkle-

“I’ve been waiting for you, Terrance~”

His comrades returned to the guild.

He uttered the worst line of his life, creating a dark chapter in his history.

“Marry me—!!”

***

Even now, the memory made Terrance’s face flush.

The only response he got was a disgusted expression.

And the very next day, they ended up adventuring together due to a request.

But that worst-case scenario didn’t change.

—I hate men who look as sleazy as you. If you speak to me again for any reason other than work… I’ll kill you.

“Hahaha…”

When he met Eve again, instead of that cold expression, he saw a faint smile.

Perhaps that was the moment he judged Narias to be an incredible woman.

‘Was it her type…’

Regardless of gender, she was the one who brought a smile to the face of the cold Eve. Not only her outward strength, but her inner strength as well.

He thought.

So… please take good care of the woman I once loved—

“You were thinking about that woman again, Leader.”

Startle.

Terrance replied with a faint smile instead of words.

“Haah… I’ve told you to forget about her countless times—!!”

Joy’s voice echoed loudly in the narrow corridor of the labyrinth.

“I know, I know…”

“You know nothing, you haven’t understood a thing.”

“You too…”

Lily, unable to remain a passive observer, joined in.

Terrance wouldn’t know how shocked the two girls were that day.

It wasn’t pure love, but at least he loved and trusted them as party members and comrades. But deep down, he knew…

‘Since there were two from the start… it wouldn’t be strange if there were three.’

There are men who have never had a harem, but there are none who’ve had only one. A man who can’t be satisfied with one will eventually not be satisfied with two.

The female intuition told them as much.

So, they always gave other female adventurers the “we’re full, try somewhere else” look. But they eventually reached their limit, had no choice but to recruit a new party member.

They never dreamed that he would fall head over heels for another woman and propose to her.

“You need to reflect on yourself, do you understand?”

“Yes…”

“You don’t understand—!!”

Their words couldn’t reach one another anymore.

The argument continued between two women who wanted to hit him but lacked the strength, and a man who had the strength but neither the will nor the justification. As the atmosphere grew tense…

…

Liff suddenly appeared from the shadows.

“Stop it, now!”

“Stay out of this!”

Deciding words wouldn’t work, she drew her sword, blocking their way.

“We’re approaching a trap zone. Snap out of it…!!”

Hesitation.

Their steps, which had continued even amidst the fight, finally stopped.

Gasping for breath, they quietly calmed their anger. They slowly started to regain their composure.

“Come to think of it, thanks to what happened back then, I joined. It was the origin of the Sasunghoe.”

For a while, rumors of Terrance’s proposal spread incessantly through the guild, leading to Liff looking for him as she wanted to be a part of a party.

With that, the was finally complete.

The addition of a ranger drastically increased the party’s combat power, and their individual growth accelerated dramatically too.

Overall, it was a kind of growing pain where the positives outweighed the negatives. That was better for their mental health.

“…You can talk a good game.”

“Leader, you have to be careful of women like that, alright? Those women who smile like that are the ones with the darkest hearts—!!”

“Is it my turn now…? Huk huk.”

Well, that’s how it is.

Although they were joking, the presence of Liff, the ranger who watched over all the members from behind, undoubtedly helped the Sasunghoe reach where it was.

So now, it’s time to work.

“After we finish this commission… I’ll properly apologize.”

Terrance bowed his head.

Then Joy and Lily came closer.

“Only with words…?”

“…Understood. Grill or boil, as you please.”

It took a while to bring the two women back, who had lost their minds after just one day of starvation.

By then, they had arrived at the first checkpoint.

“Let’s go, Sasunghoe.”

“Yes- Leader!”