episode_0105

Jeong Yushin looked around at the men sitting in the inn.

And finally, he turned his gaze to the slicked-back hair man.

He was about to say something but closed his mouth.

Sex.

It was a distant story for him. All the more so because he was a struggling stranger looking for a way back.

He had never received kind glances since coming here. A few warm-hearted people believed in his innocence, but that was all. Contempt and ridicule were his friends. At least, that was the case in the early days of the Labyrinth City.

“Innkeeper, why are you so quiet?”

The middle-aged man with slicked-back hair asked.

Jeong Yushin stopped thinking and opened his mouth.

“None of your business. What do you want?”

The slicked-back hair man smiled.

“Came to apologize. And to see your face while we’re at it.”

I see.

So, that’s why Karin let these guys go.

Karin was standing behind the counter. Tarman and Anne were next to Karin.

‘Tarman and Anne are safe. That’s a relief.’

Karin knew his heart well. Even without saying many words, she immediately grasped his intentions and acted.

“I accept the apology. Don’t ever show your face here again.”

“Oh my!”

The slicked-back hair man burst into laughter as if dumbfounded.

“Hey, if you say it like that, we can’t know if you’ve accepted the apology or not, can we? Our guys were excited because it was their first time in the Labyrinth City and made a mistake. Please be lenient.”

“So, who are you?”

“Gaian, leader of the Pighead Mercenary Group.”

He nodded inwardly.

So, he was the boss of those punks who were causing a ruckus at the inn earlier.

“Okay? I understand, so leave.”

The slicked-back hair man smiled, looked around, and said to his subordinates.

“If he says go, we have to go. The innkeeper is so cold. Guys, get up.”

““Yes.””

The mercenary members got up one by one and left the inn.

Gaian remained in the inn last.

“Young innkeeper, can I give you a piece of advice?”

“Don’t.”

“Hoo.”

The slicked-back hair man sighed deeply and scratched his head.

“You need to watch that mouth of yours. I almost couldn’t stand it, you know?”

“If you don’t like it, come at me.”

“Hahahaha!!!”

The slicked-back hair man burst into loud laughter. His voice was so loud that the inn seemed to shake.

“I think we’ll be seeing each other again soon…see you then.”

“You talk too much.”

The slicked-back hair man took a coin purse from his pocket, threw it on the table, and went outside.

Thump!

The inn door closed, and only Jeong Yushin and the inn staff remained.

Jeong Yushin approached the counter.

“Did those guys cause any trouble?”

“No. It seems like they really came to apologize.”

At Karin’s reply, Jeong Yushin scratched his head.

Really? He had a bad feeling.

Still, he couldn’t grab someone by the collar who came to apologize. He decided to forget it. He ended up getting unnecessarily angry while talking. Besides, he had a mountain of other things to worry about.

“Let’s get ready. We have a lot to do during the Blue Moon Festival. I’ll help.”

Jeong Yushin said, rolling up his sleeves.

* * *

Dark night.

The slicked-back hair man was walking down a dark road.

Around the dark shantytown that Jeong Yushin would recognize at a glance. The outermost part of the Eastern District.

The man found a dilapidated bar and opened the door.

Creak.

When he opened the worn-out doorknob and entered, people wearing deep robes were sitting inside the bar.

The inside of the bar was also dark, so no one could guess the identities of those wearing robes.

“Gaian, did things go well?”

One of the people wearing robes asked.

The slicked-back hair man sighed deeply.

“Hoo. He was really a foul-tempered guy.”

“He’s called Barbaroi in this street. He’s a mixed-blood.”

“A barbarian…that might be right. That mixed-blood guy is interfering with our business every step of the way, so the higher-ups are saying a lot. Frankly, I’m not sure if this plan will work out well.”

“Now is the perfect time with the festival bringing in crowds.”

The person wearing robes asserted.

Gaian stroked his forehead.

“There’s no such thing as an easy job, but this is really difficult. We need to secure slaves, but some ‘strange guy’ popped out of the Western Empire and is ruining our business. It might be more profitable to hunt inside the Eastern Union instead.”

“I’ve heard of it. That strange guy…is.”

“Tch. They say he’s a hero. I don’t know what kind of crazy bastard popped out of nowhere. I don’t know what will become of the world.”

Gaian clicked his tongue and complained.

The person wearing robes tapped the table.

“Wait comfortably until the festival. There’s a little time before the plan is executed.”

Gaian leaned back in his chair and opened his mouth.

“If I remember correctly, the plan was to cause a commotion in the city on the day of the festival, right?”

“That’s right.”

“And to take people from the arena and black market in the confusion?”

“That’s right.”

“Where are you planning to draw attention?”

“I’m going to release some monster friends in the southern district. Strong ones.”

“Didn’t you say there’s an Elf Sword Master there?”

“It’s just one person. There’s no way he can do anything alone.”

“I see. Just one more question. Won’t this plan increase the bad feelings in the Eastern District? It feels like a self-defeating move.”

“We’ve always been disliked. It’s nothing new anymore. And I’m planning to send one more besides the monsters. A human.”

Gaian’s face hardened.

“Was it that man? The guy who was caught in the Giant Spider Cave and was half-crazy?”

“That’s right. This time, he’s the guy who was shouting about having a genius swordsman imprint. I don’t understand how he could be caught there with such an imprint, but I don’t care. One of our friends has a brainwashing imprint, so we’ve prepared him well.”

“That guy’s also a pitiful guy. Tch.”

Gaian clicked his tongue and raised his glass.

The darkness outside the bar deepened.

* * *

A few days after the mercenary group’s visit.

Jeong Yushin and his party were busy preparing for the festival.

The most mind-boggling task was one thing.

How to attract tourists?

The Labyrinth City’s specialties were all beasts in human guise.

A problem that couldn’t help but make your head throb.

Jeong Yushin, Tarman and Anne, and Karin sat around the inn table and offered their opinions.

“How about delicious food? Something special.”

Tarman scratched the middle of his head and said.

“Specialty is good. What kind of food are you thinking of?”

At Jeong Yushin’s question, Tarman stroked his chin and carefully opened his mouth.

“How about fish pie?”

Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.

Tarman took that look as a sign of affirmation and smiled broadly.

“Sir, this is a really good food. The Labyrinth City is built in the middle of forests and plains, so seafood is very rare. There’s a river, but how can freshwater fish compare to saltwater fish? If you just leave it to me…”

“No.”

“···Yes?”

“Tarman, you were doing so well, what’s wrong with you? You said you’d reformed. Why did you come up with a dish like fish pie? Your heart is stained with darkness.”

“Oh…I’m sorry.”

Tarman apologized for the time being with a clueless expression.

Anne, who was quietly sipping water, opened her mouth.

“Sir.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s not that, but I’d like to be with Marie and Dean at this festival.”

Marie.

A girl who was mentally broken after being raped by a hobgoblin group in the labyrinth. She was pregnant with a hobgoblin baby in her womb, but she was able to safely deal with the hobgoblin baby with the money he gave her.

And Dean.

A crazy boy trapped in the ‘darkness’ of the labyrinth. He remembered his head being a flower garden. He heard that he currently resides in the Magic Tower.

He had been too busy lately to hear any news about Marie and Dean. He didn’t ask either. He didn’t deliberately bring up the story because it was a sore spot for Tarman and Anne.

Jeong Yushin nodded readily.

“Okay. Let’s be together. Are they coming to the inn?”

“If you allow it, sir.”

“Anytime. I’ll allow it as much as you want.”

“Thank you.”

Anne bowed her head and expressed her gratitude.

“Karin, don’t you have any amazing plans?”

Jeong Yushin asked Karin.

“Huh? Sorry, I didn’t hear you well.”

Karin was lost in thought and didn’t answer Jeong Yushin’s question properly.

Jeong Yushin sighed.

“Hoo. What should I do.”

So, self-employment was this difficult.

It was a pain in the ass to sit in the inn and rack his brains. It was even more difficult because he didn’t know what people would like.

At that time.

Clunk!

The door opened, and a group entered the inn.

To be exact, two people and one animal.

“Hmm? Who are you guys?”

Teddy Bear, the bakery owner, walking tottering.

Luna, the fox beastkin.

Lynn.

“Are you worried about what to sell, bear?!”

Teddy Bear shouted.

“Then we’ll help you!”

Luna straightened out her flat chest and put her hands on her hips.

“Chirp!”

Lynn took the same pose as Luna.

‘Hoo. It’s not Malrang Friends.’

His chest fluttered.

Jeong Yushin gestured.

“Let’s hear it. Come and sit down.”

“Okay, bear.”

“I want juice, I want it now.”

“Chirp!”

They brought the chairs, but no one could climb up properly.

Jeong Yushin got up from his seat, picked them up one by one, and sat them down in the chairs.

Karin smiled when she saw that.

“Our Sir, I think he can’t resist seeing something cute?”

Anne, who brought juice from the kitchen, smiled.

“There are some parts of him like that. You can tell by his expression that he likes cute things.”

Jeong Yushin’s expression hardened.

“Is it obvious?”

“Because your expression becomes happy, sir.”

Really.

He thought he hid it well, but he was caught.

Anyway.

When did Lynn get close to Luna and Teddy Bear again?

He was worried about what she would do again because he hadn’t seen her for a while. Now he realized he was wrong.

But he had to say what he had to say.

“Lynn, where have you been wandering around again?”

“Chirp!”

Lynn stood on the table, looked at Jeong Yushin, and stuck out her stomach.

She was facing Jeong Yushin confidently with her hands on her hips. It was a confident attitude, as if she was telling him to do whatever he wanted.

Jeong Yushin looked down at Lynn’s soft belly and shook his head.

“Lynn, your attitude is not good. Massage is confiscated for a while.”

“Chirp? Chirp chirp!”

Lynn immediately released her posture and clung to Jeong Yushin’s hand, shaking her head.

Karin had a bewildered expression when she saw that.

“What the heck is that.”

“You can’t bully Lynn!”

Luna, who had already finished her juice, chimed in.

“That’s right, bear.”

Jeong Yushin looked at the bickering trio and raised both hands.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll stop, so tell me your plan.”

“The plan we prepared, bear.”

“It’s Cream Slime Bread!”

“Chirp!”

Jeong Yushin stroked his chin.

Cream was white, so it was the same color as Lynn’s fur.

Slime was Luna’s summon.

Bread was Teddy Bear’s specialty.

“I don’t know. The idea isn’t bad, but it’s hard to judge without a real thing.”

“Real thing? I don’t know what you mean, bear!”

“Chirp chirp.”

“Don’t worry, bear. I made the ultimate Cream Slime Bread!”

Teddy Bear took something out of a paper bag.

A bread that looked like a round coffee bun.

There were cute eyes and a bright smile on the front.

“Oh.”

“It looks cute.”

“Not bad?”

The inn staff sitting at the table each said a word.

“Come on, try it, bear!”

Jeong Yushin received the bread and took a bite.

As soon as the thin outer layer crackled, heavy custard cream filled his mouth.

The rich milk and vanilla scent, and the not-so-sweet cream combined to create a fantastic harmony in his mouth.

“This.”

Jeong Yushin didn’t even think about wiping the cream from his mouth.

“It’s delicious to death?!”