“I had a brief chat with Jin-kyeong earlier when we went out… I think I’ll take a break and think things over for a while.”
“Hmm… I see.”
“You were talking about diving into D-ranks earlier, what changed?”
Noh Ha-yoon asked, looking puzzled, and Helen responded with a wry smile.
“Sometimes you say things in the heat of the moment. It’s just… I feel like I need to seriously consider if we can keep doing this. Someone said that once you hit C-rank, it’s all about talent, but honestly, D-rank feels like that to me too.”
Helen trailed off with, “If only I had awakened a little earlier…”
Although there’s no evidence that awakening later changes your capabilities, as you become an adult, you start overthinking things.
“Helen’s doing pretty well… tsk- ultimately, back to square one.”
Though it was what they had initially agreed upon, it felt disappointing. They had been a support-type party member who tailored everything to us, and it would be tough to find someone like that again.
They were also people who positively influenced Yeon-hee in many ways.
When the Helen duo announced their indefinite departure, a slight twitch appeared by Noh Ha-yoon’s lips, but no one noticed.
“……”
Yeon-hee tried not to show it, but she looked extremely upset about their leaving. I didn’t miss the way her eyes drooped.
“Yeon-hee, while I’m taking a break, I’ll be here at the shop making soup, so if you want to see me, you’re welcome anytime, okay?”
“Ah, yes…”
“Actually, you should come here at least once a week. Got it?”
“Yes, unnie.”
Only after receiving Yeon-hee’s promise did Helen smile contently.
“Mi-ran’s lucky— just standing still, she’ll draw in customers like crazy.”
“Sure, but let’s hope she doesn’t end up fighting with them.”
“Haha, these guys? I think I’ll do a sword dance after a long time?”
“With Helen, the sales might go up, considering she’s so appealing…”
While nodding along with that thought, my eyes met Yeon-hee’s directly.
“Huh?”
“Hmm— I mean, just saying…”
Feeling awkward, I acted like a foolish skeleton, but thankfully she only looked up at me and smiled.
“So, what are you and Joo-ah going to do moving forward? Uh, is it rude to ask?”
“Not at all. We’re just going to do things as usual. I might be busy preparing to challenge the second floor of Nargul’s dungeon.”
“Ugh… I heard that’s a tough one. Good luck. Hehe-”
“Somehow, it feels like you’re teasing me.”
“Of course. It’s teasing.”
“……”
“They say monsters will pour out, so good luck!”
“Ah, seriously…”
As Noh Ha-yoon crunched ice, Bae Joo-ah unexpectedly spoke up.
“I, um, if it’s okay, I’d like to do things together with Yeon-hee.”
“Huh? Really?”
“What I mean is… I want to party with Yeon-hee.”
“Yes…”
“Oh wow, rock magic! One-on-one tutoring!”
I was able to pull off a fireball somehow, but given I had zero clue about the rock attribute, I internally cheered.
Bae Joo-ah adjusted her large horn-rimmed glasses and subtly gauged the mood of the Helen duo. It seemed she was aware of the nuance that she was trying to join immediately after a key member had left.
“That’s great, Yeon-hee!”
“Right? I was worried we might struggle to find people after we left.”
However, Helen and Jin-kyeong smiled brightly as if it was a good thing, and Yeon-hee felt her nose tingle as she looked at the two of them.
“I, I’m okay.”
Yeon-hee seemed pleased with Bae Joo-ah’s skills and immediately signaled her agreement, but she was also worried that having a member from the Vision Guild could restrict her.
“You can just do it freely. It’s not like you’ve been in the guild for very long.”
“To say such a thing next to me…”
“Ehhe- Sorry. Please say something nice.”
“What do you want me to say? If you go and follow the paperwork, then it’ll be done. We’re not in the habit of stopping people who want to leave.”
Noh Ha-yoon retorted grumpily but still said to come back if she ever changed her mind. Knowing that Lee Yeon-hee was scheduled to enter the White Knight Guild in April, it was easy to let her go. I thought I could just say to come back around that time.
“Wow— Are they generally accommodating to capable people?”
As Noh Ha-yoon displayed an unexpectedly cool demeanor, the others rounded their lips and began playfully whistling.
“Tch… so childish… I can’t hang out with you.”
Noh Ha-yoon sulked as she pouted, but her flushed cheeks subtly revealed her feelings.
“Alright, I don’t know why Bae Joo-ah is so eager to join us, but at least we got ourselves a magician. I guess we could slid in two frontliners? No, no…”
With just the Lizard Squad, we had an overflow of warriors. So what we needed was…
“A solid healer or a support-type magician with [Mana Recovery]?”
As I thought that, Bae Joo-ah threw out another unexpected suggestion.
“I have a friend I could call, would you like me to get them?”
“…Bae Joo-ah. What’s up with you?”
Noh Ha-yoon seemed a bit annoyed looking at Joo-ah, who was ready to offer another suggestion. Maybe she was frustrated that Joo-ah was so eager to jump in.
“Whoops— Don’t be mad, Ha-yoon! I happen to have a friend who’s been slacking around since leaving the party.”
“Can you give a brief description of them?”
“Huh?”
It was odd that Ha-yoon was the one asking what we should be the ones to inquire about, but I just brushed it off.
“I have a friend who’s from the Ilseom Guild. They are already D-rank and I met them at the same academy.”
From the Ilseom Guild.
No further explanation was required. Like the Vision Guild, you couldn’t join without a certain level of talent. They must be capable for sure.
“Looks like birds of a feather flock together. Connections built from a young age among higher-tier guilds continue.”
As all the members of Ilseom Guild shared the same journey, it would often be counterproductive to run dungeons together. They tended to join different parties; Bae Joo-ah’s friend was likely one of those cases. Of course, they were currently a free agent.
“Ilseom… a swordsman… that would be helpful.”
I figured just watching them fight would be a great learning opportunity.
“But weren’t you from Sale Academy?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Uh… So your friend is a girl?”
“Yes… and that’s kind of… but isn’t it a big deal to have only girls on the team this time?”
“Well, that’s because Noh Ha-yoon is here.”
No one would dare cause trouble for the next ace of the Vision Guild.
“Hmmm…”
“We have Il-wol with us…”
“Eh? Oh, right. Our dependable bodyguard is here, so what does it matter? The Great Demon! God of Darkness! The Skeleton Soldier risen from death!”
“…Jin-kyeong, if you have a problem with me, just curse at me.”
I didn’t want to stir unnecessary attention by forming an all-female party, but as Helen said, if I performed well, that would be enough. The chances of encountering someone like Lee Young-chul were slim.
“Surely no one will have any other thoughts upon seeing Il-wol.”
“Haha— It’d be a blessing if Il-wol didn’t run away the moment he laid eyes on her!”
“Seriously, rather we should be worried if we’ll have trouble gathering more people.”
“Tap—”
“Surely… my looks aren’t that scary…? Right?”
As people gazed at me in silence and nodded.
“… Am I really that frightening…? Maybe I should hope to change a bit for the next job change… it seems my will reflects somehow…”
As I pondered by myself, strangely, Noh Ha-yoon was silent. At this rate, I thought she might join our party too.
“I’m going to prepare for the C-rank promotion, so I can’t be with you for a while. But I think I’ll finish that up soon, then I’ll have some time… right— I should have some time.”
“No one said anything…”
“Yes- understood.”
Though no one asked, it seemed she felt it was her turn to announce her appeal to us. That she could return as well.
Even if no one seemed disappointed, she didn’t feel shy at all. She just looked a bit uneasy while glancing at me.
“Or maybe she’s got to get permission from her parents. With a Vision rank, there’s likely a structured course already laid out.”
Although being in your twenties and still needing your parents’ approval doesn’t fit today’s society, if your parents are the bosses at work, it’s a whole different story.
“Anyway, today… everyone… g-good work…”
– Huh?
– Whoa…
– Um, I didn’t hear you well?
Oddly enough, after Noh Ha-yoon thanked everyone for their hard work, her face flushed bright red. It seemed she thought it was a good time to wrap things up.
“That scene was kind of cute. After all, she’s only in her early twenties.”
“Thanks. I also…”
“Me too!! Yeon-hee, let’s exchange contact information!”
“Is this the vibe? I feel a bit sad—”
“We’ll definitely have another chance!”
With the afterparty wrapping up, Yeon-hee said heartfelt goodbyes with Helen’s group and began walking towards the road with me. Of course, I remained in stealth mode. This was just the right way to go until we hopped in a taxi.
Swoosh-
My bony hand had thickened like a glove, providing a grip.
For some reason, she tightened her hold on my hand stronger than usual, shaking it back and forth energetically.
“Heehee- Hmm-hmm-”
Even though it must’ve been a tough day, Yeon-hee seemed to be in great spirits as she hummed a little tune.
“Your cheeks are getting really red. So cute.”
“It’s really nice to walk around like this. Right?”
“Clap, Clap, Clap!”
She beamed and spoke to the air.
If someone saw her right now, they’d easily mistake her for a woman drunkenly wandering alone.
“Il-wol can’t feel any pain, right?”
“Clap, Clap, Clap—”
“What a relief…”
“……”
We strolled hand in hand for a moment in silence.
Had I ever walked like this with anyone before? If I saw the face of someone I used to date, I might get a clear memory, but right now it was hazy. It felt like there had once been someone…
Hmm? Why is Kang Yeon-su’s face coming up? Even if I have partial memory loss, it couldn’t be her!
“When I get home, I need to wash up and try summoning right away! I can’t wait to see what kind of kid will pop out!”
“Clap, Clap, Clap.”
“I hope it’s a round and chubby cat-like one. Like Wang-wang.”
“Clap, Clap, Clap!”
‘Is there a monster with that kind of appearance besides the Earth Puppy…?’
To my knowledge, there wasn’t. If I expected something, I should be hoping for a spirit from another world like Ran.
“Or… or! How about a flying one? It’d be fun if we could fly on it together, right?”
Nodding vigorously—
‘Since I’ve gotten a bit heavier now… for it to carry us both, it’d need to be at least a Wereowl.’
However, beast-human types are tricky to handle, so it’s best to avoid them. They tend to have fits out of nowhere.
‘Yeon-hee is light, so she might be able to fly with a harpy…’
Coincidentally, small harpy types did appear in D-rank dungeons, and having a summoned creature that could fly would definitely have an advantage in scouting. Of course, one can’t just summon whatever they want.
‘The best case would be to summon an Orc Warrior.’
Having experienced it, I know that except for being dumb, Orc Warriors have the best stats and are easy to manage.
Seeing Lizardman 1, who is even lower in intelligence, perform the leader role well, I figured controlling them wouldn’t be a problem at all.
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