1.
“If you pay the cleansing fee of 100 gold coins, I can at least attempt it.”
Thankfully, I arrived safely at the Summer Village. Due to the help of a merchant familiar with shortcuts, it took just three days to reach here. Although every night, tormented by the recurring pain of the curse, I scratched the carriage doors with my fingernails until dawn broke, I somehow managed to arrive.
Arriving at the most prominent shrine called Rikxan Temple, I explained my situation to its somewhat arrogant-looking high priests despite my haggard appearance due to the pain. Their answer was disappointingly straightforward:
“I don’t have 100 gold coins.”
Even selling body parts to black magicians, gathering 100 gold coins seemed impossible. A priest sitting across from me casually asked:
“So how much can you afford?”
Ah, now negotiation begins?
“17 gold coins.”
“Then please leave.”
“Wait, wait a minute!”
The sum of money represented everything I saved throughout my lifetime, including the inheritance left behind by my parents and the generous amount given by merchants out of pity during my journey to the Summer Village. There was no one else to borrow money from, nor any other source to obtain funds except squeezing them out of my very soul.
“I may manage somehow with 20 gold coins. Please save me, sir. Otherwise, I might die because of this. It hurts so bad.”
“Since it’s an S-rank curse, dying becomes highly probable.”
How unfortunate… Fighting against tears, I desperately maintained my composure before the cold-hearted priest, but his calmness remained unbroken. He must have met many people like me since he didn’t lose his chill.
“Let me clarify again – the 100 gold coins I mentioned earlier serve as fees per session. We need to receive at least ten sessions for the effect to kick in.”
“Then, 1,000 gold coins….”
My surroundings turned pitch black despair. Not being able to afford 100 gold coins meant that paying 1,000 was beyond imagination.
For the first time since childhood, anger towards my low level surged inside me. Had I reached higher levels, I could have farmed gold through elite hunting grounds or dungeons. Or maybe I wouldn’t have fallen under a curse in the first place!
“In that case….”
“There is another option, actually.”
An arrogant priest stroked his chin while speaking nonchalantly. All I could do was gaze eagerly into his mouth.
“By forming ties with someone possessing powerful holy powers or drinking their blood… For example, Warriores.”
A Warrior?
“Drinking the blood of a Warrior, forming a relationship… but, a relationship? Could it be, that?”
“Yes. That. It might even be acceptable to drink saliva instead of blood.”
Unlike the conservative priests in our village who frowned upon such stories, the priests here seemed quite liberal. A priest who casually mentioned sexual intercourse rose from his seat.
“Since the Warrior and his party are staying in this village for a while, why not go and ask for a favor? Of course, the Warrior wouldn’t be interested in a low-level country girl like you.”
With a blunt remark, he left the reception room as if he had completed his task. It seemed he considered it a waste of time to spend so much time on a “low-level country girl” like me.
Still, I obtained crucial information. Drinking the blood of a Warrior or forming a relationship would cleanse this curse.
“But how…”
As a complete stranger, the only way for me to drink the Warrior’s blood would be to harm him or beg for his blood, both of which seemed impossible. I would probably be dragged to the village guards if I asked for blood, and harming him was even more out of the question. As a low-level individual, I couldn’t possibly harm someone referred to as a Warrior.
But forming a relationship… perhaps, it could be possible?
At least it seemed more feasible than drinking blood. If the Warrior was anything like the men in our village, he wouldn’t necessarily refuse. I was somewhat popular in the village, after all…
His black hair, covering his back, was a relatively rare color, and his occasionally seen deep blue eyes were quite vivid, with facial features that were overall well-balanced. Considering the words I had heard throughout my life, I thought it was a fairly objective evaluation.
My anxious heart autonomously turned the thought process positively. Let’s find the Warrior first! It was lucky that he was staying in this village.
So, I asked the villagers and easily found the inn where the Warrior’s party was staying.
Like a big town, and unlike Malri’s Deer Inn where low-level adventurers stayed, this place was incomparable, bustling with people from the entrance. It was even difficult to take a step forward due to the crowd gathered to see the Warrior’s party.
“Excuse me, may I pass for a moment?”
I also wanted to see the Warrior! With a determined half-push through the crowd, I finally managed to enter the inn.
Like Malri’s inn, where the first floor seemed to be operated as a restaurant, every seat was filled with people having their meals. And it wasn’t hard to find the Warrior’s table. Because almost everyone in the restaurant was focused on just one table.
A woman with long silver hair flowing down to her waist and a very ornate staff on her waist, a burly man with muscles so large it seemed somewhat intimidating, a woman with a ponytail who laughed and chatted the brightest, a man with a cold expression and long slit eyes that made him look unlucky, a man with short purple hair whose expression seemed indifferent, and finally… a stunning blond man who would have been more interesting to look at if I weren’t in such a situation. Those five seemed to be the Warrior’s party.
“Those people are the Warrior’s party, right?”
I was almost sure, but just to make sure, I asked the person next to me, who confirmed it.
“Who’s the Warrior?”
“You don’t even know who the Warrior is?”
The person who seemed to have come to see the Warrior in the inn as well asked pitifully.
Should I know? Of course, I need to know now, but… if it weren’t for this situation where I need the Warrior’s help because of the curse, I wouldn’t have cared about the Warrior’s face until I died.
In a small remote village, how could I ever meet a Warrior, even if I had only been hunting beginner-level monsters? Even in this relatively large village for the surroundings, the fact that so many people were gathered because a Warrior came was astonishing.
Whenever I thought of Warriores or high-level adventurers, I always felt they were people from a completely different world.
“That’s the Warrior right there.”
At the end of where the person pointed, there was a blond-haired handsome man.
“That blond man?”
“Yes.”
The person frowned as if he didn’t like it, then nodded affirmatively and turned his head away abruptly. But I was so captivated by the man in front of me that I didn’t even notice him enough to care.
“Wow…”
Could it be that the term ‘Warrior’ refers to someone incredibly handsome? If not, then this was a scam.
Golden hair of just the right length, skin so white it almost looked transparent, turquoise eyes like rare gemstone items, exquisite facial features, shoulders that looked just right when opened wide, a chest that seemed like you’d want to embrace, a height that seemed tall even when sitting down… Even a court poet from the Hwang Kingdom would kneel and praise him as a handsome man, so to call him a Warrior was really nothing but a scam.
I had intended to seduce the Warrior with my beauty, but suddenly my confidence plummeted. Would he really be seduced by beauty when he was much more beautiful than me…? Moreover, the two women who seemed to be his companions were also stunning beauties. My confidence plummeted even further.
Wouldn’t it be better to just ask for help honestly? The title of ‘Warrior’ sounded quite noble, so if I asked for help, he probably wouldn’t turn me away. Of course, it was all just my wishful thinking…
“Are you going to order or talk? If you’re not eating, get out!”
The owner yelled as he stood there glaring at the people who were just standing around looking at the Warrior’s party. Most of the people, startled by his momentum, left the inn.
“So, what’s your decision?”
…Me? I pretended not to see the innkeeper’s gaze, busily looking around, but the people who were enduring alongside me were actively avoiding my gaze. Seeing the determined look in the innkeeper’s eyes, I felt like I might die if I didn’t order something here.
“Uh, I don’t have a seat…”
Since every table in the restaurant was full, I tried to make that excuse, but the innkeeper pointed to an empty chair at a table that seemed to be occupied by a group already.
“You can sit there. What will you have?”
“…A pint of dark beer, please.”
Although I chose what seemed to be the cheapest item on the menu, the innkeeper, as if saying anything was fine as long as I ordered, took the money and disappeared into the kitchen. It was a time when even a copper coin felt precious… so I felt a bit down about ordering dark beer, knowing it wasn’t cheap.
Still, it was wise to save money in case I couldn’t get the Warrior’s help, or even if I did get his help, if it turned out to be ineffective despite what the priests said. Then I would have to go back to the temple and beg, even if I had money.
Fortunately, my seat was close to the Warrior’s table. I subtly turned my head and perked up my ears to listen to their conversation, but the men who had originally been sitting at this table kept talking to me.
“Miss, are you here to see the Warrior too?”
“They’re just going to leave soon, why bother looking.”
“We could be more helpful than outsiders.”
I wasn’t even a local here, and unless they could lend me money right away, they wouldn’t be of any help. Ignoring them as they laughed and talked about me, I turned back to the Warrior’s table.
“Um, excuse me, Warrior.”
And then, a woman approached the Warrior’s party.
“I have something to say…”
She seemed to have been crying somewhere, with her eyes red and puffy, giving her a pitiful look. The Warrior, who had put down his fork, came closer and looked at the woman standing in front of him.
“What is it?”
His low voice seemed to pierce my ears, sending a shiver down my spine. The Warrior even had a pleasant voice. Did the woman who approached the Warrior directly also think that way? She looked at him for a moment, her eyes cloudy as if she were dreaming.
“Could you spare a moment? In a quiet place…”
“No, you can’t. Can’t you see we’re having a meal?”
The one who cut off the woman’s words and snapped at her wasn’t the Warrior, but the man with short purple hair sitting next to him. Even though he saw the woman’s tear-streaked face, he didn’t even blink.
“If you have something to say, say it here. Here.”
The man then resumed his meal. The rest of the party seemed not to pay much attention to this situation.
“…Yes. Then I’ll say it here.”
Given such a cold response, she would probably disappear after the meal and come back later. However, the woman was quite persistent.
“I have something to ask of you, Warrior. Please…”
“…”
“Please, lift my curse!”
The woman’s voice echoed loudly in the nearly silent restaurant. Everyone in the restaurant, except the people involved, looked in their direction. Even the inn’s staff who had just brought me the dark beer stared blankly at the Warrior’s party and the woman.
And the most surprised of all was me.
Lift the curse?
“A curse… you mean?”
The atmosphere around the Warrior subtly cooled as he murmured in inquiry. The woman in front of him seemed unaware of the slight change, perhaps mistaking it for her own imagination.
“Yes. I was hunting in the hunting grounds and ended up cursed with a grade A curse. I went to the temple, but they said it would cost 3,000 gold to cleanse it… I don’t have that kind of money. However, I thought maybe I could receive grace from the Warrior, who has the greatest sanctity on the continent…”
The woman’s words were surprising in themselves, but amidst that, there was something particularly concerning, namely the price. Since it was said that it would cost around 1,000 gold to cleanse an S-grade curse, there was no way it would cost 3,000 gold to cleanse an A-grade curse.
While the prices may vary from temple to temple, they wouldn’t differ that much. The temple I visited earlier didn’t seem to offer a particularly low price either. So was this woman lying now?
“Huh, another curse…”
The man with the purple short hair, who seemed to have finished his meal completely by now, muttered meaningfully.
“But what grace do you seek?”
The ponytail woman with crumbs at the corner of her mouth asked. Before she could receive an answer, the man with the purple short hair spoke up instead.
“Why ask something so obvious? You want to sleep, don’t you? Isn’t that right, Warrior?”
The Warrior stared at the woman without answering. The woman’s face began to pale even more. It seemed that being scrutinized by the handsome Warrior directly, rather than being directly interrogated, was the cause.
However, the sarcasm from the purple-haired man that followed was merciless.
“Do you know how many people like you we’ve seen? A curse? Do you think someone with an A-grade curse can roam around as freely as you?”
Despite being cursed with an S-grade curse, I was indeed wandering around quite freely. The pain would hit me all at once as soon as night fell, though.
“No, there’s no need to discuss it like this. We can confirm up to an A-grade curse within our party. Sayiris, can you confirm if this woman is really cursed with an A-grade curse?”
“Don’t bother me with annoying tasks. Dain.”
In response to Dain’s request, the woman with silver hair, Sayiris, retorted coldly.
“Ah.”
The woman’s face, which had flushed red, gradually darkened. It was a clumsy lie from the start. Nevertheless, she still gazed desperately at the Warrior, as if she hadn’t given up yet. Perhaps she harbored hope that the Warrior might sympathize with her and want to help her sleep…
“Please leave now.”
However, the Warrior coldly refused. The woman, who had been sadly looking at the side of the Warrior’s turned head, eventually fled from the inn.
“Sigh… how many people already in this town. The excuses are always the same. Damn curses, curses. Do they think A-grade curses are that common?”
Dain’s voice oozed clear annoyance. It seemed that quite a few people had approached the Warrior in such a manner before.
So A-grade curses aren’t that common… Then, how rare must it be to have an S-grade curse like mine? Even if I suddenly became such a special person after living an entirely ordinary life as a low-level, I wouldn’t be happy if the reason was because of a curse.
Separate from the melancholy mood settling over me, I could still hear the conversation of the Warrior’s party in my ears.
“Indeed, quite popular, isn’t he? Wasn’t it said someone even went to his bedroom before?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Barkrud saw it.”
“Oh, he did.”
Barkrud, the big redhead man, nodded. Then, the ponytail woman glanced at the Warrior’s face once again.
“His beauty never gets old, even if you see it every day.”
“Not my type.”
“Sayiris, no one asked about your preferences.”
The Warrior let out a low sigh, seeming uncomfortable with the current topic.
“Let’s stop this discussion now. We should move soon.”
“Barkrud. Hurry up and eat. You’re always making us late.”
“Oh, sorry.”
As the ponytail woman chided, Barkrud’s food consumption sped up slightly. Only then could I take a sip of the forgotten dark beer. As if my head, which had been feeling embarrassed, cleared up for a moment.
What should I do now?
The thought of honestly revealing the curse and asking for help had already disappeared. It was because it was obvious that I would be met with disdainful glances and rejection, just like the woman earlier, if I spoke honestly. Of course, that woman had lied, but…
How do I prove that I’m not lying?
According to their conversation, only curses up to A-grade can be confirmed within their party, so it would be difficult to confirm an S-grade curse on my own. And even if I were to go to a temple, there was no guarantee of confirmation. After all, I didn’t have the money to confirm it there in the first place.
Just before meeting them, I stopped by the temple for consultation, so it might be possible to confirm something like that, but I doubted that the Warrior’s party would be willing to go to such lengths to verify it.
So, what should I do…?
“I can’t believe the Warrior would be so clueless. Letting the bread fall right into his lap like that.”
“If it were me, I would have booked the inn room right away. Hahaha.”
The men at the same table started mocking the Warrior and the woman who had just left with all sorts of low-grade, teasing conversation. Feeling even more embarrassed than before, I wanted to move to another seat, but there were still no other vacant seats. Plus, it seemed a bit wasteful to move elsewhere as it was close to the Warrior’s party. There didn’t seem to be much I could do but continue sitting here…
“What do you think, miss?”
Then, the men’s attention turned back to me.
“How about going upstairs with us?”
Upstairs probably had rooms for guests to stay. I immediately refused.
“I’m not interested.”
“Come on, think about it.”
“I said I’m not going to think about it.”
“Do you think you might change your mind if you come with us?”
The man next to me’s hand crept up my arm and onto my shoulder. I felt a surge of revulsion, as if a bug were crawling on me. In my hometown in the spring village, there weren’t many incidents like this, probably because I knew most of the faces there… But it seemed that such things happened when you went to other villages.
This wasn’t the time to be dealing with these kinds of guys. I swatted away the hand on my shoulder loudly.
“Take your hand off.”
“…Is this girl ignoring our sincerity?”
The men’s expressions turned slightly hostile. I knew it was a coercive tactic since things weren’t going their way, but I couldn’t help but hesitate when faced with these guys who seemed to have a higher level than me just by looking at the weapons at their waists.
Perhaps sensing my hesitation, they got up from their seats and once again grabbed my shoulders, laughing.
“Let’s go then, miss.”
The wind of their hands gripping my shoulders as if urging me to follow them made me gasp. If it were just one person, I could probably manage to escape somehow, even if it meant kicking them. But with four strong men, I was more likely to be overpowered than escape.
However, it wasn’t something I could just obediently go along with. It was obvious what would happen if I followed them, so how could I go?
I urgently looked around, but people quickly averted their gazes whenever our eyes met. It meant there was no one around who could help me. If it had been the spring village, I might have received help!
“Shouldn’t you get up before we try to use force?”
As I continued to sit and resist, the man forcibly grabbed my arm and pulled me up. In that moment, I pushed with all my strength, pushing the man away and turning to run.
Not fleeing outside the inn was an instinctive choice. I knew I would be caught outside in no time. So, I went to the Warrior’s party. I wanted to ask the Warrior for help and establish a connection, but because of what happened with that woman earlier, I found myself instinctively hiding behind the ponytailed woman.
“Please, save me!”
The commotion on my side seemed to go unheard as the woman, who had been chatting happily with Dain, widened her eyes and looked back at me. Even though I tried to hide, I was still standing, slightly bent over, while the woman was sitting on a chair, so I wasn’t hidden at all.
“Why, what’s going on?”
There was no need for me to directly answer the startled woman’s question. The men were coming to grab me.
“Hey, let’s get a move on. We’ve seen the Warrior’s party here. They’ve done a lot for continental protection.”
Contrary to their previous fervent cursing of the Warrior, they now appeared subservient when the Warrior’s party glanced at them. Almost groveling, to the point of seeming sarcastic. It seemed like the Warrior’s party felt the same way too, as Dain’s expression became slightly more annoyed.
“What?”
“We have no business with you guys… We’ll just quietly take the girl and go.”
Then the attention of the Warrior’s party turned to me. The ponytailed woman was sitting across from the Warrior, and I, hiding behind her, unavoidably received the Warrior’s gaze head-on. Trying to avoid his gaze as much as possible, I said,
“I said I’m not going! Stop bothering me and just leave.”
“What, bothering you? You’re being rude, miss. We agreed to go together, didn’t we?”
“When did I agree?”
“Come on, let’s not cause a scene here. We’re being a nuisance to our Warriores. Let’s go upstairs and talk.”
One of them tried to approach me, causing my grip on the chair’s armrest to tighten involuntarily. Should I have just run outside the inn? Even if I would have been caught soon, the sun was still up and there were plenty of people outside, so maybe I could have escaped somehow.
I knew there wasn’t enough time to plan, but I felt a belated regret for approaching the Warrior’s party too hastily. It would have been better to calmly stand in front of the Warrior instead. Asking for help from the Warrior’s party, rather than the Warrior himself, seemed like a better choice, but…
As the men approached even closer, the ponytailed woman quickly stood up, blocking my way as if protecting me.
“Why do you keep bothering her when she said she doesn’t like it?”
“You don’t have to worry about it. She pretends to dislike it even though she actually likes it. We’re close with this young lady.”
Close? Not at all.
“We’re not close at all. And I really do dislike you right now.”
The woman leaned back, only sticking her head out from behind her, and towards the man as if to ask if he heard me, she nodded her head.
“Is that so?”
“Oh, really, it’s none of your business…!”
As the opponent’s voice got louder, the woman, as if she had been waiting, drew her weapon. A sharp and long sword slid out from the scabbard, aimed at the man’s face.
“By the way, my level is 73. If you want to mess around, feel free to continue.”
Their faces turned white in an instant upon hearing the level. I was surprised too, but I tried not to show it.
The Warrior’s party. I had only heard vague rumors about them being very strong, but I didn’t know their levels would be this high. I had never seen anyone in my life with a level over 20, so a level 73…? Would that be enough to make a name for oneself continent-wide? No, if the party was this strong, I wondered how high the Warrior’s level was.
“Oh, no. W-We’ll leave now.”
Suddenly, the men became polite and hurriedly left the inn. There was no one mocking them. Even if their level wasn’t considered high-level, which would be over 50, challenging someone with a level of 73 could result in a swift death from that weapon…? Escaping quickly was a very wise decision.
“Jenin, why did you reveal your level like that?”
“There’s nothing to hide. My friend from the hometown had already spread the rumors.”
Jenin casually put the sword back into its scabbard, brushing off Dain’s teasing. The people in the restaurant, who had been holding their breath while watching the spectacle, began to chatter one by one again.
“Are you okay? If you’re worried about those guys, I’ll walk you home.”
When Jenin spoke to me, the attention of the Warrior’s party turned to me once again.
“N-No… I’m okay.”
My home was not within reach for her to escort me. It was another village that even by carriage would take several days. Of course, I couldn’t go home while the Warrior’s party was staying in this village…
“…”
Without leaving my seat or saying anything else, I just stood there, and the gaze of the Warrior’s party became sharper little by little. Especially Dain, who had chased away the lying woman with irritation earlier, had the coldest expression. It was clear they were suspicious of my intentions in approaching them.
I was taken aback by their guard. Unconsciously, what I had thought about, that I shouldn’t ask the Warrior directly for help, turned into awkward behavior. Even after seeing the woman being chased away earlier.
Tactical retreat, no, it was time to retreat!
I needed to smoothly, as naturally as possible, leave this place. I fumbled with my swirling thoughts and smoothly put my hand into my pocket. Without properly recognizing what was in my hand, I handed it to the ponytailed woman, Jenin, who had helped me. Jenin, who accepted it in surprise, widened her eyes.
“Thank you for helping me. So, goodbye.”
“W-Wait!”
Just like that woman earlier, just like those delinquents earlier, I quickly left the inn. I didn’t even glance towards the Warrior’s direction. They might misunderstand that I was targeting them if our gazes crossed. Of course, I was targeting the Warrior, but at least now I knew that retreat was the answer.
I was worried about the delinquents lingering in front of the inn, but fortunately, they seemed to have left, perhaps intimidated by the Warrior’s party. So, what now? I had nowhere to go…
I couldn’t leave the inn where the Warrior was staying. But staying at that inn seemed expensive, even if I pretended to. Although I wanted to keep an eye on the Warrior’s party and sleep rough, it seemed difficult because I might encounter delinquents higher level than me like before.
So, after wandering around desperately, I decided to stay for a night at a shabby inn where I could see the entrance of the inn where the Warrior was staying from afar.
The cost for one night was 50 silver. It felt quite expensive for a dilapidating inn like this. I even haggled. In return, I could get a room on the second floor by the window where I could see the entrance of the inn where the Warrior’s party was staying.
I sat on the creaking bed, furrowing my brows in frustration. Even without intending to, my impression was crumpled. I was fearful of the impending night, the cursed suffering it would bring.
Chased by suffering, arriving in another village in a daze, going to the temple, searching for the Warrior, and retreating again… The events of the past few days felt like a dream. And I sincerely wished it was just a dream. I shouldn’t have tried to catch that troublemaker. I shouldn’t have been greedy. But now, it was too late for regrets.
“What? Why am I short of 1 gold?”
Ignoring the flooding negative thoughts, I absentmindedly checked my inventory as a habit, and found out that I was short of 1 gold. Come to think of it, earlier in the inn’s restaurant, I had taken out some money from my inventory to pay for the dark beer… Wait, my pocket…?
“Ah.”
Was the 1 gold I had given to Jenin earlier? It seemed like it was given to her in a hurry as a token of gratitude to avoid suspicion from the Warrior’s party.
No, there were silver and copper in my pocket, but why did it have to be exactly 1 gold? Even if that person was a high-level, they wouldn’t care about 1 gold! That 1 gold was precious to me!
Regretting again was futile. I couldn’t go back and ask for it back as a mistake… Well, that wouldn’t be right, would it?
“Then maybe the Warrior’s party will like me more.”
I laughed at my own thoughts. Even if they were high-levels with plenty of money, they couldn’t help but feel upset about receiving and then having it taken away.
“Let’s give up…”
It was inevitable that I had already given it. All I could hope for was not to be considered strange.
Before I knew it, darkness had descended outside. I couldn’t see the Warrior’s party anymore, whether they had gone somewhere or were holed up in the inn, as there were no shadows visible at the entrance.
I had been staring out the window for so long that I collapsed onto the bed. Thump, thump, thump. Before I knew it, the pain had begun.
“I hate this, it hurts, please.”
I begged the curse, but naturally, the curse didn’t disappear, saying, “Oh, really? Okay.” I struggled with pain again all night until it was late dawn when I could finally fall asleep.
❖ ❖ ❖
Fortunately, the Warrior’s party didn’t leave the village immediately. They spent the whole day killing monsters in the beginner’s hunting grounds, which wasn’t even worth their attention. People from the village gathered around just to watch. Thanks to that, I could easily find the Warrior’s party, but I still couldn’t think of a way to approach them.
The Warrior seemed unfazed even under the curious gazes of the people. He casually chatted with his party, casually searched for something, and casually waved his hand to get rid of any beginner monsters blocking his way. The monsters were at a level where just touching the Warrior’s body would result in their deaths.
Under the sunlight, the Warrior’s face looked even more handsome than yesterday, to the point where one might think that gods or Warriores from myths looked exactly like him. His golden hair, brighter and more dazzling than gold, shone even more brightly in the sunlight. When his turquoise eyes met mine, a sense of ecstasy naturally welled up.
But wait… Did our eyes just meet?
As soon as I realized our eyes met, I quickly turned my head. I almost let slip that I had followed him. In fact, he might already be suspicious. Since I accidentally met the woman I met yesterday again, I felt like he could suspect me too.
What if the Warrior approaches and asks why I’m following him? Then I would have to casually answer that yesterday I just happened to ask for help, and today I just came to hunt. But the Warrior, seemingly mocking my tension, leisurely walked away with his party again, moving out of sight. Maybe what happened a moment ago, when our eyes met, was just my imagination.
I don’t know how much effort I put in last night to prevent myself from attacking that Warrior. Even if he scolded me or cursed at me, I just wanted him to spit once, please, and I wanted to go to the Warrior’s inn and beg for it.
But the reason I held back with all my might was because if I did that, I might never get the Warrior’s help. I might not only get scorn from the Warrior’s party but also be driven away. The Warrior and his party seemed to be fed up with such things already.
“Sigh…”
It was bleak. I didn’t want to fall into pessimistic thoughts, but the flow of my thoughts kept leading me down a dark path. I had no money to go to the temple, and no ideas came to mind on how to manipulate the Warrior. It was frustrating, but I had no choice.
Was I being too passive? Wouldn’t it be better to just boldly approach without hesitation? All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.
“Why the sigh, miss?”
At the creepy voice, I almost shivered. When I turned around, I saw a middle-aged man chuckling.
“Are you here to see the Warrior’s face too, miss?”
Although his tone sounded familiar, I stared at his face, but he didn’t look like the thugs I met at the restaurant yesterday. Was another thug appearing? The village in summer didn’t seem to have good security.
“Why no response? Seems like you have some worries. If you ask me, I might be able to help.”
“How would you help?”
“In any way.”
His words didn’t evoke any hope, so I could ask without any emotions.
“Then can you give me 1,000 gold?”
“Haha. Miss, you’re making an interesting joke.”
It’s not a joke. I didn’t expect anything anyway.
“But if you need money, I could give it to you. It’s up to you, miss…”
His voice became subtle as his hand reached up to my shoulder. Suddenly, everyone around, including the Warrior’s party, disappeared, and the only things visible were small monsters passing by. They showed no interest unless humans attacked first.
Are all the punks in this neighborhood like this…? His touch on my shoulder felt terrible again, so I forcefully pushed it away. If it’s just one guy, like yesterday, I wonder what I could do.
The rejected man’s expression changed drastically, just like those guys yesterday.
“Miss, are you ignoring my kindness?”
“I don’t need your kindness. I’m busy, so please continue on your way.”
“Do you think you can disregard my kindness? Do you know my level? You seem like you’re not even level 10, but I crossed level 20 yesterday.”
His words made me flinch a bit. I thought I could handle one person, but if that one person’s level was over 20, it was a different story. Because my level is only 7… The man smirked ominously, as if he expected my stubbornness.
“I’m not trying to scare you, miss. If you quietly listen, there won’t be any harm for both of us.”
Naturally, I couldn’t trust the man’s words. Carefully moving one hand, I gripped the club at my waist.
With levels 7 and over 20, there was no chance of winning. Unlike me with no skills, he, having over level 20, probably had skills. But I couldn’t just give up. I planned to strike the man’s head with my only weapon, the club, then kick his groin and stomp on his abdomen. Dealing with these guys during my busy moments made my already low spirits sink even further.
“Let’s go to a quieter place… Ugh.”
As I planned to hit the man’s head with my club, he dodged it by surprise and started getting angry.
“I’m saying it nicely, and you still don’t get it!”
I wanted to avoid the approaching man, but unfortunately, I was an unagile low-level. Instead of avoiding, I tripped and fell.
“Ugh!”
Perhaps cursed or whatever, today might be the day I die. The Empire strictly prohibited murder, but that didn’t mean murder never happened. Murder occurred even in these low-level hunting areas, in the village, and anywhere.
Still, if I exerted my last strength, maybe I could land one hit on the man’s groin. While contemplating that, a shadow covered my body.
“Stay still….”
In the horrifying voice, I reflexively tried to close my eyes tightly, and at that moment, the middle-aged man, who had been about to attack me, flew far away and crashed into a large tree.
A vivid blue light emitted from the Warrior’s sword he had in his hand, showing against the backdrop of his powerful robe. As the robe slowly settled, he turned to look at me. His eyes, meeting mine again, were still enchanting.
“Are you hurt?”
The Warrior reached out his hand towards me and asked. Just from that appearance, he could be mistaken for a prince. Lost in thought, I belatedly regained my senses and quickly withdrew my hand. The Warrior’s large hand, which failed to achieve its purpose, stopped in mid-air. Soon, his party appeared from behind the bushes.
“Where are you suddenly running off to, and what are you doing here?”
“Oh, you’re the one from yesterday…?”
They recognized me and acted nonchalant. Except for Jenin, who helped me yesterday, they didn’t seem particularly welcoming or friendly. I tried to stand up alone while ignoring the hand that the Warrior was still offering in front of me, but I ended up hesitating and plopping back down. My legs didn’t have much strength left from the shock earlier.
“Your hand.”
The Warrior’s voice, lowering his outstretched hand a bit more, sounded oddly tense. In my heart, I wanted to grab his hand immediately and have him pull me up onto his broad back to sleep together, or maybe even beg him to share his sword, but I was too scared to actually do it. I shook my head downward and said, “No, I’m fine. I can get up on my own. Thank you for your help.”
With my fairly firm refusal, the Warrior’s hand finally withdrew slowly. I clenched my teeth and tried to regain my balance to stand up again, but my legs, which only regained a bit of strength, didn’t move as easily as I had hoped.
This time, another hand reached out to me as I lay on the ground. It was not a human hand but a massive, thick hand, even if it were a monster’s hand, and its owner was a red-haired man with muscles as large as a giant. His name was… Barkrud, wasn’t it?
“Looks like you need help.”
“Oh, thank you….”
Unless the Warrior had strong divine power to undo my curse, I wouldn’t have felt the urge to attack just because he held out his hand. So, I readily accepted Barkrud’s help and got up from the ground. I nearly hit my head on the man’s thick chest and stomach as I struggled to stand up due to his immense strength.
As I glanced at the Warrior, he seemed to be looking blankly at his own hand for some reason. Was there something on it?
“What’s going on? Oh, who’s that collapsed over there? Was it you?”
Jenin, who had been worried about me, noticed the middle-aged man who had fallen far away and approached him with surprise. Then, seeming to understand the situation just by seeing that, Dain, who furrowed his brows irritably, turned his head sharply and asked Jenin,
“What’s up? Is he dead?”
“He’s still breathing, but it looks like his insides are all messed up.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Fortunately… is it?
It was a bit of a confusing remark, but before he could start lecturing the Warrior, I decided to speak up first. I was worried that they might misunderstand the situation, especially Dain, and I didn’t want the Warrior to feel bad. Who would like it if they only heard nagging after doing a good deed?
“Um, the Warrior just helped me. That man was bothering me…”
“I can see that just by looking, but what I’m questioning is why it’s you again.”
Dain, who had been suspicious all along, interrupted me sharply.
“What’s your motive? Are you targeting the Warrior again? That guy must be in on it too.”
He points to the middle-aged man who collapsed with his insides messed up. No, if that guy was in cahoots with me, wouldn’t that be a big problem? …He’s hurt so badly…
“No, I was just out hunting, and that man suddenly appeared. And yesterday, I was just drinking…”
Of course, I’ve been following the Warrior, and it’s true that I’m targeting him.
“Do you expect me to believe that?”
“If you don’t believe me, why ask?”
I retorted impulsively but then realized my mistake and shut my mouth. Dain’s gaze became even sharper.
I’m in trouble again today…
Since the Warrior’s party already suspects me like this, maybe I’ll be in trouble in the future too. When the pain of the curse becomes unbearable, I might really lose control and cling to the Warrior’s hem, but even if I did that, I doubt I’d be able to receive the Warrior’s help, which made me even more depressed.
“Well… thank you for helping me again today.”
I swallowed down the looming depression and bid them farewell. Maybe it would be more plausible to go back to the Temple of Lixian and cling to the priest’s hem again.
As I took a step back, I paused as vibrations traveled from my feet up to my legs. Wha- what is it?
“Are you having trouble walking? Shall I help? Dain, do you want to say that to the lady who was already surprised?”
Seeing me frozen and unable to move, Dain threw a sarcastic remark my way. Dain looked quite unfairly treated.
“No, did I say something that bad? I didn’t say anything too harsh.”
But it wasn’t because of Dain that I was hurt and unable to move. It wasn’t because my legs still weren’t moving properly either. I cautiously spoke up.
“No, there’s something under my foot right now…”
“Stay still. Don’t move.”
Her voice, as beautiful as a harp melody, coldly commanded. Holding her staff, the silver-haired woman, Sayiris, approached closer and felt under my foot.
“W-what is it?”
“The entrance to the rare dungeon. We’ve been searching for hours, and here it is.”
The entrance to a rare dungeon…? A shiver ran down my spine. The vibrations under my foot were getting stronger.
“I-I don’t want to go into the dungeon.”
“It’s too late.”
Barkrud concluded as if there were no other options. He was right. Already, a circular blue magic circle had appeared under my feet, and my body began to glow with light. I tried belatedly to step outside the magic circle, but I couldn’t move an inch past the transparent barrier.
At that moment, the Warrior grabbed my arm and stepped into the magic circle himself.
“There’s nothing to fear.”
“…”
“We’ll go together.”
And so, the Warrior and I were completely enveloped in light.
[Entered the Cave of King Cuckoo.] [Difficulty: Grade A (Rare)]As my mind was ensnared within the embrace of the Warrior, a notification flashed and disappeared, and simultaneously, the air surrounding us became uncomfortably damp. Though it had become so dark that it seemed as if the torches had been extinguished, it wasn’t dark enough that I couldn’t see the Warrior’s beautiful face, which steadfastly supported my shaking body amid the sudden movement.
“Ah…”
I want to kiss him. Is it okay?
Fortunately, before proceeding with the action, I asked myself first. And I answered myself very firmly. How could it be okay?
I pushed away the Warrior’s firm chest with both hands. He obediently backed away from me. His actions seemed as if he hadn’t wanted to embrace me in the first place.
“Wh-where are we…?”
“Inside the dungeon.”
Although his expression seemed so cold that I doubted he would even answer, the Warrior surprisingly responded directly. From rescuing me from that ruffian earlier to helping me when we entered the dungeon a moment ago… Despite the situation where his comrades doubted me, he seemed to be a person who was exceptionally courteous and considerate towards others.
“Is this really a rare dungeon? How do we get out of here?”
“Once you enter a rare dungeon, you can’t leave until you defeat the boss. You don’t even know such basic knowledge.”
This time, Dain answered. The rest of our party, who had followed us in, revealed themselves in the darkness. For someone like me who had never even seen a rare dungeon, let alone visited one, it was unlikely that I would have such common knowledge.
But there was something I did know. Unlike regular dungeons, which have difficulty levels based on hunting grounds, even if a rare dungeon appears in a beginner hunting ground, its difficulty level is much higher. I’m pretty sure it was mentioned as Grade A in the notification earlier…
Once again, I was reminded that I was a low-level player who hadn’t even seen a Grade F dungeon.
But why did I have to encounter rare monsters, or fall into a rare dungeon…? I wasn’t happy with any of it. If that was the case, I’d rather ask for rare items instead.
“Don’t worry too much. You’ll be safe with us… right?”
I don’t know why I couldn’t say it definitively and ended it with a question mark. Jenin, who made me more anxious, awkwardly shook her head as if to say, “It’s complicated.”
“In fact, we’ve never had a stranger join our party before. What’s your level?”
“Level 7.”
“Oh, I see…”
At my answer of Level 7, everyone, including Jenin, made expressions that seemed to say, “What’s that? Is such a number even possible?”
Maybe it would have been better to underestimate and ridicule them like that ruffian earlier. The ambiguous reaction from people who didn’t seem to ridicule others based on level, rather than mocking people based on their level, made me feel even sadder. They were probably low-level players at first too… Their growth rate must have been completely different from mine…
“Ah, Level 7…”
Dain’s sigh mixed muttering made me feel even smaller. Then Jenin stepped forward to defend me.
“We don’t really need anyone else’s help, you know. In a dungeon like this, each of us can handle it alone, so why bother paying attention to the lady unnecessarily?”
“That’s not the problem. We have a certain level in our party, not 50, but Level 7, what’s the use of 7?”
“Thanks to that, we found the dungeon. If it weren’t for this lady, who knows how much longer we would have wandered.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Enough.”
The Warrior interrupted Dain’s argument. He stared at me.
“Let’s form a party first.”
[Kelian Ail has invited you to join their party. Will you accept?] [Yes/No]Upon seeing the notification that suddenly appeared in front of me, I couldn’t help but mutter.
“Kelian Ail…?”
“…That’s my name.”
For some reason, I felt a little dazed by the Warrior’s words. Ah, right. Even if he’s a Warrior, his name wouldn’t necessarily sound like that of a Warrior. Still, the name Kelian Ail somehow felt like it screamed, “I’m a Warrior,” from the start.
“You didn’t know my name? I’ve never seen anyone who doesn’t know the name of a Warrior. See, Dain? There’s no need to doubt the lady. If you didn’t even know her name, what’s the point of targeting her as a Warrior?”
“She could be pretending not to know. A person from the continent who doesn’t know the name Kelian Ail, is that even possible?”
“Ah, you’re so nitpicky.”
“Who’s nitpicky?”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t an act, I really didn’t know. So that was such a famous name… I’ve only heard him referred to as the Warrior, I think this is the first time I’ve heard his real name. No, maybe Malri mentioned such a name before. I would have probably ignored it thinking it was just another story from a different world…
With a slightly calmer heart, I accepted the party request.
“Well then, I’ll be in your debt until we leave the dungeon.”
“Debt? The lady led us to this dungeon.”
Jenin said with a hearty laugh, and Dain only frowned slightly but didn’t say anything more, while Barkrud and Sayiris seemed indifferent, each looking elsewhere. And the Warrior…
“Aine Kruger… Can I call you Aine?”
Confirming the party members, he looked at my name and asked. Although I was a little surprised at being called out of the blue, there was no reason to refuse when the Warrior called me by my name.
“Yes.”
With my permission, the Warrior, Kelian, nodded and began to walk. As he took the lead, the rest of the party followed suit. Their expressions seemed somewhat peculiar, but… it must be my imagination. I stuck close to Jenin and followed them.
It was my first time in a dungeon. Moreover, since I had never even heard proper rumors about rare dungeons, it felt even more unfamiliar. The dark and damp cave didn’t show anything clearly even when I looked ahead, so I was amazed by Kelian, who confidently led the way without hesitation. I wonder if they aren’t afraid of dungeons like this…
“It’s a beautiful name, Aine. Can I call you that too?”
“Oh, yes. Of course.”
“You can call me Jenin too.”
“Yes, Jenin.”
Among them, Jenin, who was the kindest to me, kept talking as if trying to relieve tension, so I decided to ask something I was curious about.
“Um, among the things you mentioned earlier… you said you could clear this dungeon alone.”
“Yes. While S-rank dungeons can be a bit tricky, A-rank dungeons are manageable alone.”
I see… So even S-rank dungeons can be cleared alone if you overcome their difficulty…? With each small conversation, the gap between us felt so vast that I didn’t even feel like we were the same species anymore.
“Oh, of course, it’s just me. Kelian and Sayiris can easily clear S-rank dungeons too.”
“Can I clear them easily too?”
“I clear them easily.”
“Dain, Barkrud. You’re taking too long.”
It couldn’t help but be a moment where I became very curious about Kelian and Sayiris’s levels… But as the confusing high-level talk went on, I decided to stop listening here. Instead, I continued with what I was really curious about.
“But why did you come together? If you can clear them alone.”
Is it because the party is so close-knit and friendly that they stick together regardless of the difficulty level?
High levels were a different world, but parties were also a different world to me. When I was young, Mali at least formed parties for me, but that ended when I started running the inn. And even then, I didn’t have other comrades, so I was always stuck in beginner hunting grounds alone.
“Oh, we all need dungeon entry qualifications.”
“Dungeon entry qualifications…?”
“Yes. Since it’s an SSS-rank rare dungeon, qualifications are required…”
“Jenin. How much are you trying to tell her?”
Dain seemed to be trying to silence Jenin belatedly, but I had already heard the important part. Ah, so to enter an SSS-rank rare dungeon, you need certain qualifications, and to obtain those qualifications, everyone who wants to go there needs to clear an A-rank rare dungeon. Hmm… it really is a different world.
“What you’ve heard and seen here, don’t go gossiping about it outside.”
“I won’t gossip.”
Dain warned with a sharp glare, and after shooting a quick retort, I leaned in closer to Jenin. Despite Dain’s somewhat hostile behavior, Jenin protected me from it.
“Here they come.”
