LONG CHAPTER AHEAD

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Edited…

1.

“If you pay 100 gold for the purification fee, I will give it a try.”

Fortunately, I arrived safely in Summer Village. Thanks to the merchants and their coachmen who knew a shortcut, we managed to get here in just three days by carriage. Though every late night, the pain from the curse forced me to crawl on the carriage floor and scratch at the door with my nails, I somehow made it.

I also arrived at the Rikksan Temple, the largest temple in this area. With a haggard face from the pain, I explained my situation to the somewhat arrogant priests of the grand temple. And the response I received was that.

“I don’t have 100 gold.”

Even if I sold my organs to dark sorcerers, I wouldn’t be able to gather 100 gold.

The priest sitting across the table asked indifferently,
“Then how much can you pay?”

Oh. Can I negotiate?

“Seventeen gold.”

“Please leave.”

“Wait, wait a second!”

The 17 gold I had was everything I had painstakingly saved throughout my life. It included the money my parents left behind before they passed, as well as the sympathy money given to me by the merchant I owed a favor to on the way to Summer Village. There was no one left to lend me more, no hidden stash of money waiting to be discovered—this was truly everything I had, down to my very soul.

“I… I think I can somehow manage to gather up to 20 gold. Priest, please, I beg you. If this keeps up, I might really die.”

“Since it’s an S-rank curse, the likelihood of death is indeed high.”

Damn it…

I struggled to keep my expression neutral in front of the priest who had just so casually spoken such an ominous statement. I looked up at him desperately, but he remained unfazed, as if he had seen people like me many times before.

“The 100 gold I mentioned is the fee for a single purification attempt. You would need at least ten sessions for it to have any effect.”

“Then… 1,000 gold…”

Despair washed over me, turning my vision dark.

I couldn’t even afford 100 gold—1,000 was an impossible sum, not even worth dreaming about.

For the first time since childhood, I began to resent my own low level. If I had been a high-level adventurer, I could have grinded in upper-tier hunting grounds or underground dungeons to earn the money. No—maybe I wouldn’t have even been cursed in the first place!

“Then… I…”

“There isn’t entirely no other way.”

The arrogant priest stroked his chin with one hand as he spoke. I stared at his lips, desperate for his next words.

“If you form a connection with someone who possesses immense divine power or consume their blood… For example, someone like the Hero.”

The Hero?

“Drink the Hero’s blood and… form a connection…? W-wait, by connection, you don’t mean that, do you?”

“Yes. That. Or, you could consume their saliva instead of blood.”

Unlike the conservative priests in my village, who treated such topics as taboo, this priest seemed rather liberal. Casually bringing up sexual relations, he smoothly rose from his seat.

“As it happens, the Hero’s party is staying in this village for a while. Why don’t you go and ask for their help? Though, of course, there’s no way a high-status Hero would be interested in a low-level country girl like you.”

With those last biting words, he strode out of the reception room, as if he’d already wasted too much of his time on a “penniless low-level country girl” like me.

But at least I had learned something important: drinking the Hero’s blood or… forming a connection with him could cleanse my curse.

“But how…?”

I had no connection to the Hero. If I wanted to drink his blood, the only options were either injuring him or outright begging. If I asked for blood outright, I’d likely be dragged away by the town guards. And harming him? That was impossible.

I wasn’t just low-level—I was pathetically low-level. There was no way I could wound someone strong enough to be called a Hero.

But forming a connection… could that actually be possible…?

At the very least, it seemed more feasible than drinking his blood.

I didn’t know the Hero—not even what he looked like—but if he was anything like the men in my village, it wasn’t entirely out of the question. After all, I wasn’t exactly unpopular back home…

My long, black hair was a rare color, and my deep blue eyes, which I occasionally caught in the mirror, were strikingly clear. My features were delicate and well-balanced.

I wasn’t just flattering myself—these were things I’d been told all my life. So, objectively speaking… I wasn’t unattractive.

My desperate mind twisted my thoughts into reckless optimism. First, I needed to find the Hero! Fortunately, he was staying in this very village—what luck!

Asking around the village, I managed to track down the inn where the Hero’s party was staying without much difficulty.

Unlike Malri’s Deer Inn, this place was enormous—fitting for a large town and high-level adventurers. The sheer number of people crowding the entrance made it nearly impossible to move. It seemed like half the village had gathered here, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the Hero and his companions.

“Excuse me, let me through!”

I need to see the Hero too!

Forcing my way through the crowd, I stuck my head between gaps in the sea of bodies, practically crawling as I squeezed through. Somehow, I managed to slip inside the inn.

Like Malri’s Deer Inn, the first floor here also seemed to function as a dining hall. Every seat was filled with people enjoying their meals. But finding the Hero’s table wasn’t difficult—because almost everyone in the room was staring at a single table.

A woman with long silver hair cascading past her waist, carrying an absurdly ornate staff at her side.

A massive, red-haired man with ridiculously exaggerated muscles, almost unnervingly so.

A woman with a ponytail, the loudest and most cheerful in the group, laughing and chatting nonstop.

A purple-haired man with sharp, narrow eyes and an ice-cold expression—his face alone made him look downright unpleasant.

And lastly…

A breathtakingly handsome blond man, the kind that, under different circumstances, I might have found myself admiring a little longer.

These five must be the Hero’s party.

“Those people over there… they’re the Hero’s party, right?”

I was almost certain, but just to be sure, I asked the person standing next to me. They nodded in confirmation.

“Who’s the Hero?”

“You don’t even know who the Hero is?”

The person, who seemed to have come to the inn for the same reason as me—to get a glimpse of the Hero—looked at me like I was utterly clueless.

Was I supposed to know? Well, right now, I definitely needed to. But if I hadn’t been cursed and forced into this situation, I probably would’ve lived my entire life without ever knowing what the Hero looked like.

A small village on the outskirts—one so remote that I had spent my entire life hunting in low-level beginner zones. How could someone like me have ever crossed paths with the Hero? Even in Summer Village, which was relatively large for this region, his presence alone had drawn this overwhelming crowd.

Whenever I thought of high-level adventurers, the same thought always came to mind: they lived in an entirely different world.

“That man over there is the Hero.”

I followed the direction of the person’s finger, and at the very end of their pointed gesture stood the blond-haired man.

“That blond guy?”

“Yes.”

The person scowled, clearly unimpressed with my ignorance, then abruptly turned away.

But I couldn’t even spare a second to care.

I was too mesmerized by the man before me.

“Wow…”

Was Hero actually just another word for ridiculously handsome man? Because if not, this had to be some kind of scam.

Silky golden hair of just the right length, skin so pale it almost seemed translucent, deep teal eyes that shimmered like rare gemstones, sharp and perfectly balanced features, broad shoulders, a chest that looked like the perfect place to be held against, and—just from the way he sat—it was obvious he was tall.

If a bard from the Imperial City saw him, they’d probably drop to their knees in worship. And to top it all off, he wasn’t just a breathtakingly gorgeous man—he was also the Hero? That was outright cheating.

I had planned to seduce the Hero with my looks, but suddenly, my confidence plummeted.

How was I supposed to seduce someone who was way prettier than me?

And the two women at his table? They were absolute beauties as well. My confidence took another nosedive.

Maybe I should just be honest and ask for help. The title Hero had a rather noble and selfless ring to it—surely, if I pleaded, he wouldn’t ignore me… right? Then again, that was just wishful thinking.

“Are you ordering something or not? If not, get out!”

The innkeeper’s voice rang through the room, sharp and irritated. Clearly, they were fed up with all the people loitering just to gawk at the Hero’s party.

Startled, most of the crowd scurried outside, practically chased away.

“And you?”

The question was directed at me.

…Me?

My eyes locked with the innkeeper’s, and I instinctively looked away, pretending not to notice. But the few remaining people in the room were all too eager to avoid my gaze, as if pushing me under the spotlight.

The look in the innkeeper’s eyes was practically murderous—if I said I wasn’t ordering anything, I might actually die.

“Ah, well, I just… there’s no available seats…”

It was true that every table in the dining hall was packed, so I tried using that as an excuse. But the innkeeper wasn’t having any of it. Without hesitation, they pointed at an empty chair at a table already occupied by a group.

“There. You can sit there. Now, what are you ordering?”

“…One dark ale, please.”

I picked what seemed like the cheapest option, and the innkeeper, satisfied as long as I ordered something, took my money and disappeared into the kitchen.

Even a single copper was precious to me right now…

Spending money on something as trivial as a drink made me feel just a little more miserable.

Still, I needed to save as much money as possible—just in case.

If the Hero refused to help, or worse, if his help turned out to be useless despite what the priest had said, I would have to gather whatever little I had left and crawl back to the temple to beg for another solution.

Luckily, my seat was close to the Hero’s party. I subtly turned my head, straining my ears to catch their conversation.

But before I could make out anything useful, the men who had been sitting at this table before me kept trying to chat me up.

“Miss, you here to see the Hero too?”

“They’re leaving soon anyway. What’s the point of gawking?”

“We’d be way more helpful than a bunch of outsiders, you know.”

I wasn’t exactly a local here either, and unless these men were planning to lend me money on the spot, they were of no use to me. Ignoring their smug laughter and pointless chatter, I turned my attention back to the Hero’s table.

“Um… Hero…”

At that moment, a woman approached the Hero’s party.

“I have something to say…”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as if she had been crying just moments ago. With her pitiful expression, she looked downright tragic.

The Hero, who had just set his fork down, glanced up at her as she stepped closer.

“What’s the matter?”

The deep voice that cut through the air sent a jolt down my spine. Even his voice was good.

The woman who had approached him seemed to think the same. For a moment, her gaze wavered dreamily, as if lost in a fantasy.

“Could you spare me a moment? Somewhere quiet…”

“No. Can’t you see we’re eating?”

It wasn’t the Hero who cut her off, but the purple-haired man sitting beside him. His sharp tone was like a slap, completely shutting her down.

Even faced with her tear-streaked, delicate features, he didn’t bat an eye.

“If you have something to say, say it here. Right here.”

And just like that, he went back to eating, completely unfazed.

The rest of the party didn’t seem particularly surprised either, as if this was a regular occurrence.

“…Alright. I’ll say it here, then.”

After being shut down like that, most people would have backed off, maybe waited until after the meal to try again. But this woman was persistent.

“I have a request for you, Hero. Please…”

“……”

“Please, break my curse!”

Her desperate voice rang loudly through the now sparsely filled dining hall. Every conversation halted, and all eyes turned to her. Even the inn staff, who had just handed me my dark ale, stood frozen, staring blankly at the Hero’s party and the woman.

But the most shocked person in the room was me.

Did she just ask him to break a curse?

“A curse… you say.”

The Hero’s voice came out low, almost a murmur. But something about the shift in his demeanor felt… cold.

It was such a subtle change that I almost thought I imagined it. The woman in front of him, too focused on her own desperation, didn’t seem to notice at all.

“Yes. I was out hunting when I got cursed—an A-rank curse. I went to the temple, but they said purification would cost 3,000 gold… I don’t have that kind of money. But I thought… if I could receive the blessing of the Hero, who has the greatest divine power on the continent, maybe I could be healed…”

Her words alone were shocking, but something about what she said stuck with me.

The price.

The priest at the temple I visited had said that purifying an S-rank curse would cost around 1,000 gold. There was no way cleansing an A-rank curse would cost three times as much.

Temple fees varied, sure, but not that drastically. And it hadn’t seemed like the temple I visited had given me any sort of special discount.

So… was this woman lying?

“Hah. Another curse…”

The purple-haired man, now seemingly done with his meal, muttered under his breath in an ominous tone.

“And what kind of ‘blessing’ are you hoping for?”

The ponytailed woman, still with bread crumbs at the corner of her lips, asked the question casually.

But before the other woman could respond, the purple-haired man spoke again—cutting her off.

“What’s the point of asking? She wants to sleep with him. Isn’t that right, Hero?”

The Hero remained silent, simply staring at the woman. Her face gradually turned red—not from embarrassment at the accusation, but likely because the ridiculously handsome Hero was looking at her so intently.

But the purple-haired man, Dain, wasn’t done. His sneering tone was merciless.

“Do you have any idea how many people like you we’ve seen? A curse, you say? Do you really think someone afflicted with an A-rank curse would be walking around all healthy like this?”

…That was a fair point.

And yet, here I was, walking around just fine with an S-rank curse. The only problem was that all the pain hit me at once at night, leaving me in absolute agony.

“Actually, there’s no need to waste time talking about this. We can check for A-rank curses ourselves. Seiris, why don’t you verify if she’s really cursed?”

“Don’t make me do annoying things, Dain.”

The silver-haired mage, Seiris, didn’t even bother looking up as she dismissed him.

The silver-haired woman holding the staff, Seiris, responded coldly to Dain’s request.

“Ugh.”

The woman, whose face had been flushed just moments ago, visibly paled. From the start, her lie had been flimsy.

Even so, she refused to give up just yet. Her desperate gaze clung to the Hero, as if still holding onto the faint hope that maybe—just maybe—he might want to sleep with her after all.

“Please leave.”

But the Hero rejected her without hesitation, his voice devoid of warmth.

Turning his head away sharply, he refused to even spare her another glance. The woman, eyes filled with humiliation and sorrow, quickly turned and ran out of the inn.

“Sigh. That’s already what, the third one in this town alone? And they always use the same excuse. ‘Oh no, I’m cursed! Please help me!’”

Dain’s voice dripped with irritation.

It seemed this wasn’t the first time someone had tried to approach the Hero like that. In fact, it had probably happened a lot.

A-rank curses aren’t that common… Then what does that make me, someone afflicted with an S-rank curse?

I had lived my whole life as a low-level nobody, just an ordinary person. And now, all of a sudden, I had become special. But if that special status came from a curse, there was nothing to be happy about.

Even as I sank into gloom, the conversation at the Hero’s table continued to reach my ears.

“You sure are popular. Didn’t someone sneak into your bedroom once?”

“Yeah. Barkrud saw it.”

“Mm. Saw it.”

Barkrud, the burly red-haired man, nodded.

Hearing that, the ponytailed woman took another long look at the Hero’s face, as if evaluating him all over again.

“Well, it is a face you never get tired of looking at.”

“Not my type.”

“Seiris, no one asked about your type.”

The Hero let out a low sigh, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

“Let’s drop this conversation. We should be moving soon.”

“Barkrud, hurry up and eat. You’re the reason we’re always late.”

“Oh… sorry.”

Scolded by the ponytailed woman, Barkrud picked up the pace, shoveling food into his mouth a little faster.

Only then did I remember my own drink. I took a sip of the dark ale, letting the cool bitterness settle my restless thoughts for a moment.

What do I do now?

The idea of being honest about my curse and asking for help was already out the window. If I spoke up now, I’d just be met with the same disdainful stares that woman had received earlier.

Of course, she had been lying… but still.

How do I prove I’m not lying?

According to their conversation, they could only verify curses up to A-rank. That meant there was no way for them to confirm an S-rank curse on their own. And even if I went to the temple, there was no guarantee they could verify it either.

Not to mention—I didn’t even have the money to pay for a confirmation.

At best, they could check that I had visited the temple just before coming here. But would the Hero’s party even bother verifying something like that? It didn’t seem likely.

So… what do I do?

“The Hero must be an idiot. Letting an opportunity like that slip away.”

“If it were me, I’d have booked a room right away. Hahaha.”

The men at my table were now making crude jokes about the Hero and the woman who had run out earlier.

As if my mood wasn’t bad enough already, their sleazy laughter only made it worse. I wanted to move to another seat, but the inn was still full. Besides, I was sitting close to the Hero’s party—it felt like a waste to give up this spot.

Not that staying put was helping me come up with a plan…

“What do you think, miss?”

One of the men suddenly turned to me.

At that moment, the men’s attention shifted back to me.

“How about coming upstairs with us?”

Upstairs likely meant the guest rooms. I immediately refused.

“I’m not interested.”

“Come on, at least think about it.”

“I won’t.”

“Maybe this will help you reconsider?”

The man beside me slowly slid his hand up my arm, creeping toward my shoulder.

Disgust surged through me, like an insect crawling across my skin.

Back in Spring Village, this never happened. Everyone knew each other there—there was a sense of familiarity, of safety. But in another town, among strangers, things were different.

I didn’t have time to be dealing with these lowlifes. Without hesitation, I slapped his hand away with a sharp smack.

“Get your hand off me.”

“…You’re really gonna ignore our generosity like that?”

Their expressions darkened.

I knew this tactic—when coaxing didn’t work, they’d try intimidation instead.

And it was working, just a little.

Even if I recognized their behavior for what it was, I couldn’t ignore the weapons strapped to their waists.

Just from that alone, I could tell—they were higher level than me.

Sensing my hesitation, the men stood up, still smiling as one of them grabbed my shoulder again.

“Alright then, let’s go, miss.”

His grip tightened, urging me to stand, and the pressure made me let out a small, involuntary gasp. If it had been just one guy, I could have aimed a well-placed kick and run. But there were four of them—grown men, all clearly stronger than me. Fighting back would only make things worse.

But there was no way I could just go with them. I knew exactly what would happen if I did.

Frantically, I glanced around the room, hoping for help. But the moment someone thought I was looking at them, they quickly averted their eyes. Nobody wanted to get involved.

No one was going to help me.

If this were Spring Village, someone would have stepped in without hesitation. But here? Here, I was completely on my own.

“Why don’t you just stand up before we have to use force?”

When I kept resisting, the man forcefully grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet.

At that moment, I threw all my strength into shaking him off and bolted.

Running outside wasn’t an option—I knew instinctively that I’d be caught in seconds. So instead, I ran toward the Hero’s party.

A part of me wanted to seize this chance, to plead for the Hero’s help and forge a connection with him. But the memory of that woman earlier—the one who had been shut down so coldly—flashed through my mind. My courage wavered, and before I realized it, I ducked behind the ponytailed woman instead.

“S-save me!”

She had been deep in conversation with Dain, seemingly oblivious to the commotion on my end. Now, startled, she turned wide-eyed to look at me, then at the men behind me.

Not that I was actually hidden—she was sitting down while I was standing, bent slightly at the waist. It was a terrible hiding spot.

“Wh-why? What’s going on?”

The ponytailed woman’s startled question didn’t even need an answer—the men were already approaching to grab me.

“Wow, what an honor to meet the Hero’s party in person. You all must be working so hard to protect the continent.”

Their sudden shift in attitude was almost laughable. Just moments ago, they had been badmouthing the Hero. But now that they were face-to-face with him and his companions, they were practically groveling. It was so exaggerated that it almost sounded sarcastic.

Judging by the way Dain’s expression twisted with irritation, he seemed to think so too.

“What do you want?”

“Oh, we don’t need anything from you. We’ll just quietly take the girl and be on our way.”

At that, the Hero’s party shifted their attention to me.

The ponytailed woman was sitting directly across from the Hero, meaning that as I hid behind her, I was now face-to-face with the Hero himself.

I tried my best to avoid his gaze and quickly spoke up.

“I already told you I’m not going! Stop bothering me and just leave!”

“What, bothering you? Watch your mouth, lady. You already agreed to come with us, didn’t you?”

“When did I ever say that?”

“Come on now, let’s not make a scene in front of the Hero’s party. We don’t want to disturb them, right? Let’s just go upstairs and talk things out properly.”

One of the men stepped forward, reaching toward me. My grip on the back of the chair tightened instinctively.

Should I have just run outside instead?

Even if they caught me quickly, it was still broad daylight. There were people out there—maybe I could have slipped away somehow.

I knew I hadn’t had enough time to come up with a solid plan, but now I regretted my reckless decision to approach the Hero’s party so blindly. Since asking for help outright was already out of the question, I should have at least tried to stay calm and composed in front of the Hero.

Still, choosing to ask his companions for help instead of him might have been the one good decision I made.

As the men stepped even closer, the ponytailed woman suddenly shot to her feet, stepping in front of me as if to block them.

“She said no. Why do you keep harassing her?”

“This isn’t any of your concern,” one of the men replied, his tone exaggeratedly casual. “She’s just playing hard to get. We’re actually quite close, you know.”

Close? My ass.

“Not even a little. And I seriously don’t want this.”

Peeking out from behind the woman, I spoke firmly. She tilted her head toward the men as if to say, Did you hear that?

“You heard her, right?”

“I already told you, this isn’t any of your business…!”

As the man’s voice rose in frustration, the woman moved as if she had been waiting for this moment. With a smooth motion, she drew her weapon. A sleek, narrow sword slid from its scabbard with a sharp sound, its tip now aimed directly at the man’s face.

“For reference, my level is 73. Keep pushing if you want to find out what that means.”

Their faces turned pale in an instant. I was stunned too, but I forced myself not to show it. The Hero’s party. I had heard vague rumors about how strong they were, but I never imagined their levels were this high. I had never even seen anyone over level 20 before. But 73? Was that the kind of level you needed to become famous across the entire continent?

And if she was level 73… then just how high was the Hero’s level?

“A-ah, no. W-we’ll be going now.”

The men, who had suddenly become polite, hurriedly backed away, practically stumbling as they made their way out of the inn. No one in the room laughed at them. It was a smart decision—no matter how high their levels were, they likely weren’t over 50. And if someone that low tried to pick a fight with a level 73, they could easily die just from a single grazing hit. Running away was their best option.

“Jenin, why’d you reveal your level?”

“It’s not a secret. My childhood friend already spread it everywhere.”

Jenin brushed off Dain’s scolding easily, sheathing her sword as if nothing had happened. The spectators, who had fallen completely silent during the commotion, slowly started chatting again, murmurs of excitement filling the room.

“You alright? If you’re worried about those guys, I can walk you home.”

Jenin turned to me, and just like that, the Hero’s party was looking my way again.

“No… it’s okay.”

My house was not within a distance she could walk me to. It was in another town that would take several days by carriage. Of course, while the hero and his companions were staying in this town, I couldn’t return home…

“……”

Without leaving my spot or saying anything more, I stood there, and the hero’s group’s gazes gradually became sharper. Especially, Dain’s expression, who had nervously chased away the woman I had lied about earlier, was the coldest. It was clear they were suspicious of my intentions for approaching them.

I realized too late how guarded they were. My unconscious hesitation about whether I should openly ask the hero for help manifested in my indecisive behavior, even after seeing the woman who had been chased away.

It was time to retreat, not that there was any strategy, but it was time to pull back!

Naturally, I needed to get out of this situation as smoothly as possible. I panicked, grasping my spinning thoughts, and casually slipped my hand into my pocket. Without even realizing what I had grabbed, I pulled it out and handed it to the ponytailed woman, Jenin, who had helped me. Jenin’s eyes widened in surprise as she took it.

“Thank you for your help. Well then.”

“Ah, wait a minute!”

I rushed out of the inn just like that woman earlier, like the thugs from a moment ago. I didn’t even glance back at the hero’s group. If our gazes crossed, they might misunderstand that I was targeting them. Of course, I was indeed targeting the hero, but at least I knew that retreat was the right answer for now.

I worried about what I would do if the thugs were still lingering outside the inn, but fortunately, they seemed to have fled far away, perhaps afraid of the hero’s group. But what now? I had nowhere to go…

I couldn’t move far from the inn where the hero was staying. At the same time, it was clear just by looking that the lodging fees there were very expensive. I felt a strong urge to camp out while watching the hero’s group, not knowing when they would leave the town, but I also thought it would be difficult since I might encounter thugs with a higher level than mine, just like before.

So, after searching around diligently, I decided to spend the night at a shabby inn where I could see the entrance of the inn where the hero was staying from a distance.

The cost for one night was 50 silver. For a rundown inn, that felt quite expensive, especially since I had even haggled for the price. In exchange, I managed to get a room on the second floor by the window, which had the best view of the hero’s inn entrance.

I sat on the creaky bed, my face scrunched up in discomfort. Even if I didn’t intend to, my expression naturally contorted. I was afraid of the approaching night and the impending pain of the curse.

Chased by pain, I had mindlessly moved to another town, visited the temple, searched for the hero, and then retreated… Everything that had happened to me over the past few days felt like a dream. I even hoped it was just a dream. I shouldn’t have tried to catch that Torong back then. I should have refrained from being greedy. But now, regretting it was pointless.

“What? Why am I short by 1 gold?”

Pushing aside the flood of negative thoughts, I instinctively checked my inventory, only to find that I was 1 gold short. Come to think of it, I had taken some money from my inventory to pay for the dark beer at the inn’s restaurant and put it in my pocket… Wait, pocket… pocket…?

“Ah.”

Could it be that what I handed to Jenin earlier was 1 gold? It seems that in my rush to repay her help and avoid the hero’s group’s suspicion, I ended up giving away exactly 1 gold.

No, I had silver and copper in my pocket too, but of all things, I was short on gold! That person was already high-level, so 1 gold probably wouldn’t even matter to them! But that 1 gold was precious to me!

Regretting it again was pointless. I couldn’t just go back and say it was a mistake and ask for it back… Hmm, I really shouldn’t do that, right?

“Well, then the hero’s group might actually like me.”

I laughed at my own thoughts. No matter how wealthy and high-level someone is, they wouldn’t feel good about having money given and then taken back.

“Let’s just give up…”

What’s done is done. I could only hope they wouldn’t find it strange.

Before I knew it, darkness had settled outside. I couldn’t see a shadow of the hero’s group at the entrance; I didn’t know if they had gone out somewhere or were holed up in the inn.

Staring out the window, I collapsed onto the bed. Thump, thump, thump. The pain was starting to creep in.

“I don’t want this, it hurts, please.”

I begged the curse to relent, but of course, the curse didn’t understand my words and didn’t say, “Oh, really? Got it,” before disappearing. I struggled in pain throughout the night and could finally fall asleep only in the late dawn.

❖ ❖ ❖

Fortunately, the hero’s group hadn’t left the village right away. They were spending the whole day in a beginner hunting ground for some reason, which drew crowds of villagers eager to watch. Thanks to that, I was able to find the hero’s group without much difficulty, but I still couldn’t think of a way to approach them.

The hero seemed completely unfazed by the piercing gazes of the people. He chatted casually with his companions, searched for something without a care, and whenever a low-level monster blocked his path, he would casually wave his hand to eliminate it. The monsters were so weak that they would die just from brushing against the hero.

In the sunlight, the hero’s face looked even more handsome than yesterday, making me think that this was how mythical gods or heroes must appear. His bright, dazzling golden hair shone even more brilliantly in the sunlight than the continent’s common currency, gold. When our turquoise eyes met, a wave of ecstasy washed over me.

But wait… did we just make eye contact?

As soon as I realized I had locked eyes with the hero, I quickly turned my head away. I had been staring blankly and almost got caught by the hero for following him. In fact, he might already be suspicious. After all, he had coincidentally run into the same woman he met yesterday, so it wouldn’t be surprising for him to have doubts.

What if the hero comes over and asks why I’m following him? Then I would have to calmly respond that yesterday I was just asking for help by chance and today I’m simply here to hunt.

However, as if to mock my tension, the hero leisurely walked away with his companions, disappearing from my view. He didn’t even turn his head in this direction, making me wonder if our brief eye contact earlier was just my imagination.

I can’t express how much I struggled not to approach that hero last night. I would have gladly accepted any insults or contempt thrown my way if only he would spit at me once. I wanted to go to the hero’s inn and beg for that.

But the reason I held back with all my strength was that I felt I might never receive the hero’s help again if I did that. I thought I would be unable to go near the hero anymore, along with the contempt.

If I hadn’t seen the woman who lied about being cursed in the inn’s restaurant yesterday, I would have surely made a mistake. I would have begged for the hero’s sympathy, only to be scolded by his companions and chased away. It seemed like both the hero and his group were already quite tired of such things.

“Haah…”

It’s bleak. I don’t want to fall into pessimistic thoughts, but my mind keeps drifting down a dark path. I have no money to go to the temple, and I can’t think of a way to charm the hero, so there’s nothing I can do.

Am I being too passive? Wouldn’t it be better to just go for it without hesitation? Various thoughts crossed my mind.

“Why the sigh, miss?”

I almost got chills from the slimy voice. Turning around, I saw a middle-aged man grinning at me.

“Did you come to see the hero’s face too?”

His tone sounded familiar, and I stared at his face, but no matter how I looked, he didn’t resemble the thugs I met in the restaurant yesterday. So, was this another thug? It seemed the village in summer didn’t have the best security.

“Why aren’t you answering? You seem to have some worries. I might be able to help if you ask me.”

“How would you help?”

“Somehow.”

His vague response didn’t give me any hope, so I could respond calmly and without emotion.

“Then can you give me 1,000 gold?”

“Ha ha. You’re making a funny joke, miss.”

It’s not a joke. I didn’t expect anything, though.

“But if you need money, I could give you some. It depends on you, though…”

The man’s voice became subtle as his hand climbed onto my shoulder. The people around us had vanished, following the hero’s group, and now only a few small monsters passed by occasionally. They showed no interest in us unless we attacked first.

Is this how all the punks in this town are? The touch on my shoulder felt horrendous, so I forcefully shrugged it off. If it’s just one guy, I might be able to handle it, unlike yesterday when there were several.

The rejected man’s expression changed completely, just like those thugs from yesterday.

“Miss, are you ignoring my kindness right now?”

“I don’t need your kindness. I’m busy, so please continue on your way.”

“Do you know what my level is? You’re acting pretty cocky for someone who looks like they’re not even level 10. I hit over 20 yesterday.”

His words made me flinch a little. I thought I could handle one person, but if his level is over 20, that changes things. Because my level is only 7… The man saw my stiff expression and smirked as if he expected this reaction.

“I’m not trying to scare you, miss. If you just behave and listen, we won’t have to suffer any losses.”

Naturally, I didn’t trust the man’s words. I cautiously moved one hand to grip the club at my waist.

With a level of 7 against someone over 20, I knew the odds were against me. Unlike me, who had no skills, he likely had abilities at level 20. But I couldn’t just give up, so I planned to swing my only weapon, this club, at his head, then kick him where it hurts and stomp on his abdomen. With these kinds of nuisances bothering me during my busy day, my already low spirits felt like they were digging a tunnel.

“Let’s go somewhere quieter…”

“Ugh!”

The man barely dodged my club as it flew toward his head, and for a moment, he stood there with his mouth agape in surprise before starting to huff and get angry.

“Can’t you understand when I’m being nice!”

I wanted to dodge the approaching man, but unfortunately, I was a low-level character with no agility. Instead of evading, I tripped over my own feet and fell.

“Ugh!”

Maybe I would just die today, curses and all. The Empire strictly prohibited murder, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. Murders could occur even in beginner hunting grounds, in villages, anywhere.

Still, if I muster all my strength, I might be able to land a hit on the man’s sensitive spot. While I was contemplating this, a shadow covered my body.

“Stay still…”

In that moment, as I reflexively tried to close my eyes at the terrible voice, the body of the middle-aged man who was about to attack me was suddenly sent flying far away, crashing into a large tree and collapsing.

A dazzling blue light was pouring from the sword of the hero standing with his back to me. The hero’s robe, which had fluttered for a moment, slowly settled as he turned to look at me. Those eyes I met again were still mesmerizing.

“Are you hurt?”

The hero reached out a hand and asked. From just that appearance, one might believe he was a prince rather than a hero. Lost in thought, I almost took his hand, but I regained my senses just in time and quickly pulled my hand back. The hero’s large hand halted awkwardly in mid-air. Soon after, his companions appeared in a rush from behind the bushes.

“I was wondering where you suddenly went, and here you are?”

“Uh, you’re that one from yesterday…?”

They recognized me and acknowledged my presence. Except for Zenin, who had helped me yesterday, they didn’t seem particularly welcoming, so I couldn’t greet them as if we were close. Instead, I tried to get up while still avoiding the hero’s outstretched hand, but I ended up collapsing back down. Perhaps startled by what had just happened, my legs wouldn’t cooperate.

“Your hand.”

The hero’s voice, as he lowered his palm slightly, sounded oddly insistent. If I could, I wanted to grab that hand and hug his broad back, or at least beg him to share some of his strength with me. But I was truly afraid I might actually do that, so I couldn’t bring myself to take his hand. I averted my gaze and said,

“No, I’m fine. I can get up by myself. Thank you for your help.”

With my firm rejection, the hero’s hand slowly withdrew. I gritted my teeth and tried to regain my balance to stand up, but my legs, having regained only a little strength, didn’t move as I wished.

Once again, as I fell to the ground, another hand reached out to me. It was a hand so large and thick that one could easily believe it belonged to a monster rather than a human, and its owner was a muscular, giant man with a red head. His name… was it Bakrud?

“I think you need help.”

“Ah, thank you…”

If it weren’t for the hero, who had enough divine power to break my curse, I wouldn’t have felt any impulse to attack just because I took his hand. So, I willingly accepted Bakrud’s assistance to get up. He was so strong that I nearly bumped my head against the man’s thick chest and abdomen as I stood.

“…”

As I glanced at the hero, for some reason, he was staring blankly at his own hand. Did he get something on it?

“What’s going on? Huh, who’s that fallen over there? Did you do that?”

Zenin, who had been worried about me, spotted the middle-aged man lying a distance away and rushed over in surprise. Just seeing that seemed to make Dain realize the situation, and he turned to Zenin with a frown.

“What’s the verdict? Is he dead?”

“He’s breathing, but it looks like his insides are all messed up.”

“That’s a relief.”

Is it really a relief…?

It was a somewhat confusing statement, but before he could start lecturing the hero again, I decided to step in first. I didn’t think they, especially Dain, would appreciate my intervention, but I was worried that the hero’s mood might sour. Who would enjoy being scolded after doing something good?

“Um, the hero only helped me. That man was bothering me…”

“I can tell that just by looking, but what I’m questioning is why it’s you again.”

As expected, Dain cut me off and pressed me sharply.

“What’s your ulterior motive? Are you targeting the hero again? That guy must be in on it too.”

He pointed at the middle-aged man lying there, whose insides were all messed up. No, if that guy is with me, that would be a big problem… He’s hurt like that…

“No, I was just hunting, and that man suddenly appeared. And yesterday, I was really just drinking…”

Of course, I had been following the hero, and it was true I was targeting him.

“Are you asking me to believe that right now?”

“Why are you asking if you don’t believe me?”

I shot back in my usual manner, then quickly regretted it and closed my mouth. Dain’s glare became even sharper.

Today is going badly too…

Since the hero’s group already suspects me like this, it might be problematic moving forward. If the pain of the curse continues and drives me to the brink of madness, I might end up clinging to the hero’s pants for help, but even then, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to receive any assistance, which made me feel even more depressed.

“Well… thank you for helping me today.”

I swallowed the gloom that threatened to spill out and greeted them. It might be more promising to go back to the Riksan Temple and cling to the priest’s pants instead.

As I took a step back, I suddenly froze at the vibration that traveled from my soles up to my legs. What was that?

“Are you having trouble walking? Do you need help? Dain, do you really want to do that to a lady who’s already surprised?”

Seeing me frozen and unable to move, Zenin threw a jab at Dain. Dain looked quite aggrieved.

“No, did I say something wrong? I didn’t say anything that harsh.”

But I wasn’t frozen in place because of Dain’s hurtful words. It wasn’t that my legs weren’t working properly either. I cautiously opened my mouth.

“No, there’s something under my feet…”

“Stay still. Don’t move.”

A voice as beautiful as a harp coldly commanded. The silver-haired woman holding a staff, Seiris, stepped closer to examine what was beneath my feet.

“What is it?”

“The entrance to a rare dungeon. I searched for hours, and here it is.”

A rare dungeon…? I felt chills running down my neck and arms. The vibrations under my feet intensified.

“I don’t want to enter the dungeon.”

“It’s too late.”

Bakrud declared it as if there were no other options. That was true. A round, blue magic circle had already formed beneath me, beginning to envelop my body in light. I tried to step out of the magic circle, but it felt as if a transparent wall was blocking me, and I couldn’t escape at all.

At that moment, the hero grabbed my arm and stepped into the magic circle with me.

“There’s nothing to fear.”

“….”

“I’ll go with you.”

Just like that, the hero and I were completely enveloped in light.

[You have entered the Cave of the Great King Kuku.]

[Difficulty: A Rank (Rare)]

While I was distracted in the hero’s embrace, a notification flashed before disappearing, and at the same time, the air around us became very humid. It felt as if a lantern had been extinguished, and the surroundings grew dim, but it wasn’t dark enough that I couldn’t see the person close to me. I could easily make out the hero’s beautiful face, which was supporting my swaying body after the sudden move.

“Ah…”

I want to kiss him. Is that okay?

Fortunately, before I acted on that impulse, I asked myself first. And I answered very firmly: there’s no way that would happen.

I pushed against the hero’s solid chest with both hands. He willingly stepped back from me, as if he wasn’t particularly eager to hold me.

“Wh-where is this…?”

“This is inside the dungeon.”

His expression was so cold that I thought he wouldn’t respond, but surprisingly, the hero answered immediately. He had saved me from that jerk earlier, and when we entered the dungeon, he had held onto me as well. Seeing him help me even in a situation where his companions were suspicious of me showed that he had a strong sense of courtesy and consideration for others.

“Is this really a rare dungeon? How do we get out?”

“Once you enter a rare dungeon, you can’t leave until you defeat the boss. I can’t believe you didn’t know such basic common sense.”

This time, Dain answered. The rest of our party, who seemed to have followed us in, emerged from the darkness. There was no way I, who had never even seen a dungeon in my life, would have such common sense.

But I did know one thing. Unlike regular dungeons, where the difficulty is set according to the hunting ground level, rare dungeons, even if they appear in beginner hunting grounds, have a much higher difficulty. I was pretty sure the notification just said it was A rank…

Again, I must emphasize that I was a low-level player who hadn’t even seen a dungeon rated F, the lowest tier.

Yet here I was, entangled with rare monsters and rare dungeons… I wasn’t happy about it at all. If this was the case, I’d rather be asking for rare items instead.

“Don’t worry too much. You’ll be safe with us… probably?”

I didn’t understand why she couldn’t say it more confidently and ended with a question mark. Jenin tilted her head as if she found it awkward, making people even more anxious.

“Actually, we’ve never included a stranger in our party before. What’s your level?”

“7.”

“Oh, I see…”

At my answer of level 7, everyone, including Jenin, had expressions that seemed to say, “What does that mean? Is there such a number in this world?”

It might have been better if they had just looked down on me and laughed like that jerk earlier. Their ambiguous reactions upon encountering a low level, unexpected from people who didn’t seem the type to mock others based on levels, felt strangely sad. They must have been low-level at first too… Their growth rate was probably completely different from mine, though…

“Sigh, level 7…”

Dain’s murmured sigh made me feel even more deflated. Then Jenin stepped in to defend me.

“We don’t particularly need help from anyone else, do we? In a dungeon like this, we could each clear it on our own, so why are you unnecessarily giving the lady a hard time?”