2.

A long time ago, something called the System appeared in our world. Its origins were highly debated, but the prevailing belief was that it had been arranged by the twin creator gods, Segian and Atu, before they abandoned us and left.

Soon after, levels emerged, inventories appeared, skills were granted, hunting grounds formed, and dungeons came into existence.

One book’s author claimed, “Levels are Segian’s guidance, and dungeons are Atu’s punishment.” I couldn’t fully agree with the idea that the level system was divine guidance, but I couldn’t deny that dungeons felt like punishment.

Many dungeons wouldn’t let you leave once you entered until you defeated the boss. Even if you cleared the dungeon, leaving and re-entering would restore everything inside. In other words, even after killing the boss and exiting, going back in meant you had to slay everything from the beginning again. I’d heard that many people used this system to level up, but that wasn’t particularly important right now, so I’d let that slide.

The first-ever completion of a dungeon was called a First Clear. The real problem, however, lay in dungeons that had never been First Cleared.

This typically happened when a dungeon was so remote that no one had discovered it or when its difficulty was so high that no one could clear it. If a dungeon remained uncleared for too long, the monsters inside would eventually break free and emerge into the world.

Countless humans died—again and again—before humanity came to realize the truth.

Thus, the monarchs gathered their armies and attempted to clear the high-difficulty dungeons. But there was no end to the newly discovered dungeons, and the soldiers’ levels had their limits.

As the world sank into despair, the first hero appeared. And no, I’m not talking about Kelian.

Wielding a sword radiating with divine power, the hero wiped out the monsters that had emerged into the villages and achieved the First Clear of the highest-ranked dungeon discovered at the time. His level back then was 53.

From that point on, people revered those with high levels and numerous First Clears. Among them, individuals with strong divine power were worshiped as heroes. Nowadays, the term hero is used loosely, referring to anyone with a high level or an impressive dungeon record.

In that sense, Kelian had been called a hero since around the age of eighteen. Unlike the others, however, he was the real deal—a true hero blessed with overwhelming divine power.

“That’s amazing. To be called a hero from such a young age.”

“So when I first met Kelian, I thought he wasn’t even human.”

Hearing Jenin’s story, I couldn’t help but be genuinely impressed. She nodded in agreement, matching my reaction. Between us, the crackling campfire burned steadily, its embers flickering in the dim light.

Forest insects hid in the darkness, chirping melodiously, while the cool breeze brushed past just enough to refresh the senses. It was a pleasant night—clear, crisp, and, for once, free of the pain from my curse.

With my guard lowered, I listened to the rest of Jenin’s story. Some parts I already knew, others were new to me, but either way, she turned out to be a surprisingly skilled storyteller. It made for an enjoyable listen.

“The first two to form a party were Kelian and Seiris, They met in a dungeon, and apparently, their teamwork when killing monsters was flawless. I don’t know the details, but I bet that party was ridiculously boring.”

Despite being the subject of the conversation, Kelian and Seiris didn’t even blink. They just sat there, staring at the campfire with their faces cast in flickering shadows, as if deep in thought. Both of them were stunningly attractive, so even that absentminded look carried an air of mystique—but to me, they just seemed like they were zoning out.

“Then, the next person to join was me—Jenin. I had just left my homeland, the Kingdom of Tarip, and arrived here in the Kasaug Empire when I met Kelian and Seiris. Back home, I was known as the strongest warrior in the kingdom. But after meeting the strongest people on the entire continent, I realized I’d been a frog in a well all along.”

She let out a small chuckle.

“Actually, back in my homeland, they used to call me a hero too.”

That so-called frog in a well was now level 73. If her level had been high back then, it certainly wasn’t low. It was clear—she and I lived in completely different worlds.

“Next was Dain. I think it was around the time we cleared the dungeon near the Imperial Magic Tower. Those lazy mages had left a dungeon completely unattended—even though it was right next to their own tower.”

“They weren’t lazy. They were busy researching magic,” Dain retorted.

“Anyway.”

Jenin shrugged off his excuse as if it wasn’t worth considering.

“So after we got the First Clear and were about to leave, Dain suddenly appeared out of nowhere, demanding a fight after hearing that we were in the area… Haha.”

“Shut up!”

Jenin burst into laughter, unable to continue for a moment, clearly amused just thinking about it. Meanwhile, I, having no idea what was so funny, could only glance back and forth between Jenin, who was laughing her head off, and Dain, who was fuming.

“Oh, sorry, Aine. You see, back then, Dain had just reached adulthood—he still had some baby fat on him.”

She grinned mischievously.

“Unlike now, he was all chubby and round, yet he ran up to Kelian like, ‘Hero! Fight me!’ And, well… the moment he charged in, he got completely wrecked. After that, he fell for Kelian and started following us around like a lost puppy…”

“I said shut up!” Dain growled.

Even in the dark of night, I could clearly tell that Dain’s face had turned bright red.

One thing I had learned after joining them was that Dain was actually the youngest in the group. He was 23, Barkrud was 31, Seiris was 29, Jenin was 26, and Kelian—like me—was 25. As I glanced at each of them in turn, my eyes almost met Kelian’s, and I quickly turned my head back toward Jenin.

“The last one to join was Barkrud… He was a wandering mercenary before we met him. Oh, wait—actually, the last one to join wasn’t Barkrud. It was Aine.”

Jenin flashed her signature bright smile, her words carrying an excitement that made my heart skip for a moment. But, of course, Dain wasn’t going to let that slide.

“She’s not really part of the group. It’s just for a year, remember? Once the year is up, she’s a stranger again.”

Even after traveling together for three days, Dain’s resistance hadn’t waned. He never missed a chance to bring up the one year limit. I never quite knew how to respond when he said things like that, but at least it meant they would accept me as a companion for now. The rest of the party clearly wanted me here, so in the end, Dain didn’t have much of a choice.

“I don’t want to be strangers with Aine,” Jenin pouted.

“Me neither, Jenin.”

“Aine.”

Jenin and I had been enjoying our little moment, but Dain watched us with a look of utter disgust.

Then, something rolled toward me.

Thud. Roll… roll… roll…

I stiffened instinctively, thinking it might be a small beast or a minor monster. But when it finally bumped against my leg, I realized—it was Seiris’s staff. This wasn’t the kind of terrain where something would just roll on its own, so I frowned in confusion and looked down at it.

“Aine, could you pick up my staff for me?”

“Oh, uh… sure, Seiris.”

I carefully reached down to pick it up and extended it toward her. But… her eyes.

Her gaze sparkled at me with an intensity that felt almost overwhelming.

“……”

W-What…?

She didn’t take the staff right away. Instead, she just kept staring at me, her expression unreadable, but undeniably expectant. My hand, still holding the staff, started trembling slightly.

Even as my grip weakened and the staff slowly dipped downward, Seiris remained completely still.

She was waiting for something.

My mind raced, desperately trying to figure out what it was.

…Could it be?

“O-oh… Your staff looks exceptionally beautiful today.”

At that, Seiris’s face lit up in a radiant smile, like a flower in full bloom.

“You have quite the discerning eye.”

Only then did she finally take the staff from me, and in that moment, I realized—I had guessed correctly.

She wanted… a compliment.

She had intentionally rolled the staff to me just so I would praise it.

…Did this mean I needed to compliment her more often?

Suppressing my flustered expression, I quietly sat back down. But now, the other members of the party were all blatantly staring at me.

“…Sycophant.”

Dain’s muttered remark was unmistakably aimed at me, but I pretended not to hear it and instead focused on my thoughts. From past experiences, I had learned that Seiris really liked compliments. It was an odd quirk, something completely unexpected given her cold expression beneath that silky silver hair. But now that I knew, I supposed I’d have to indulge her from time to time.

Just as I was considering what else I could praise, a sudden, heavy pain radiated from my chest, spreading through my entire body.

A low groan escaped me as I instinctively hunched forward.

“Aine, what’s wrong?”

Jenin asked, concern in her voice.

“I-I think I ate too fast… My stomach isn’t feeling great. I should probably take a walk to help with digestion.”

“Then I’ll go with you. It might be dangerous alone.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just stay close by.”

I quickly stopped Jenin from getting up and walked off, following the moonlit forest path.

But there was no doubt—this wasn’t a stomachache.

The violent throbbing in my chest was unmistakable.

It was the pain of my curse.

It had been three days since my kiss with Kelian.

And now, I knew—the kiss had only suppressed the pain of my curse for exactly three days.

I had already suspected that it wouldn’t purify me completely, but still…

By the time I had put some distance between myself and the others, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground. My body felt weak, but at least the pain wasn’t unbearable yet. My heart was racing, my body ached, but it was still manageable.

The real suffering would begin as the night deepened.

Tears welled in my eyes.

I had only spent a few days free from pain, and yet, that small taste of peace had made me even more terrified of its return.

“Aine.”

A voice reached me, smooth and gentle—like honey in my ears.

“Hero…”

“Did you fall?”

I didn’t know if he had followed me out of concern or if he had simply gone for a stroll after dinner and happened to find me. But either way, it didn’t matter.

Kelian stood before me, reaching out his hand. His expression was calm, expectant, as if silently telling me to take it and stand.

Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded, though this time, it wasn’t just from pain.

“Your hand,” he prompted again.

It was just like before—when he had saved me from those thugs. He had offered his hand in the same way, and when I hesitated to take it, he had urged me just as he did now.

The only difference was that this time, I was in much worse condition.

I had once feared that, even in my healthiest state, I might throw myself at him. Now, with my body wracked by pain, my resistance was even weaker.

…It would be a lie to say I hadn’t wanted this.

I placed both of my hands over his.

Kelian’s emerald eyes widened slightly, as if surprised.

As if he hadn’t truly expected me to accept the hand he had willingly offered.

I leaned into Kelian’s steady grip and pulled myself up—but even after standing, I didn’t let go of his hand.

“Hero… should we… do what we did last time again?”

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, a mix of pain and embarrassment. The moonlight was bright enough to make me feel exposed, but at least it was still nighttime. If it had been daylight, he would have seen the full extent of my flustered state.

“……”

Kelian didn’t ask what I meant by what we did last time. His face remained unreadable, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. But beneath my thumb, I could feel the rough calluses on his palm—his grip, usually firm yet relaxed, had gone rigid.

“That thing from before. If you didn’t dislike it… I, um… I liked it.”

Unlike Kelian’s natural, almost effortless ability to entice others, my attempt at seduction was about as appealing as a rotting leaf lying on the roadside. I couldn’t rely on looks when the man in front of me was far prettier than I was, so I had to find another way to lure him in. But clearly, words weren’t working either.

“…Did you not like it?”

My voice wavered with desperation, whether from the worsening pain or from the tension of the moment, I couldn’t tell.

From what I had seen of him so far, Kelian didn’t seem like the type who liked this kind of clinginess.

And yet, I couldn’t stop myself from holding onto him.

Was this what the women he had rejected had felt? That helplessness, that desperation? Of course, most of them had only used the curse as an excuse to get closer to him, but…

“Hero?”

Just as he had urged me to take his hand earlier, I now found myself urging him for an answer.

But he remained silent.

Anxiety gnawed at me, growing sharper with each passing second.

I clenched my teeth, enduring the pain that threatened to tear through me. A cold sweat trickled down my back.

If Kelian refused me, then I had to get away.

There was no way I could let him see me rolling on the ground, writhing in agony from my curse.

Slowly, I loosened my grip on his hand, preparing to let go.

But before I could pull away—

He grasped my hand tightly.

“I liked it too.”

“…….”

“So much that I keep thinking about it at the worst times.”

And then he kissed me.

His arm wrapped firmly around my waist, steadying me as I instinctively arched backward from the force of it. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue inside without hesitation. His movements were eager, coaxing my hesitant tongue before impatiently grazing against it. The heat between us was overwhelming.

“H-Hero… ah… I—I can’t… breathe—”

Our fingers were laced together so tightly that I couldn’t pull away even if I wanted to. My free hand weakly pressed against his chest—not that there was any distance left between us to close. Somehow, I managed to speak between desperate gasps, my body struggling against the dizzying sensation.

Kelian’s eyes, heavy with something unmistakable, bore into me as he murmured.

“Aine. Breathe through your nose.”

“Haa… O-okay…”

“Just like that… Good.”

Guided by his steady rhythm, I finally found it easier to breathe. That relief allowed me to surrender a little more, to accept his touch more fully. I parted my lips further, drinking in the warmth of his mouth, swallowing down every shared breath and drop of saliva between us.

I felt like I was melting.

At first, this had only been about easing the pain of my curse. But, just like before, I lost myself in his kiss, unable to think of anything else. The pleasure was dizzying, short-circuiting my thoughts until all that remained was the feeling of him.

“Hero… mmh, I love this.”

I murmured, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Through my dazed vision, I saw Kelian’s expression darken, his eyes gleaming with something deeper. His kisses turned rougher, more urgent.

“Aine!”

Jenin’s distant voice snapped me back to reality.

Had she not called out, I wasn’t sure how long we would have gone on.

With a sharp inhale, I leaned back, breaking the kiss. This time, Kelian didn’t chase after me. Instead, he slowly lifted his head, his breath heavy and warm against my lips.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

We simply sat there, listening to the sound of our own ragged breathing in the quiet night.

“I should head back now.”

The unbearable pain that had gripped me earlier had completely vanished. As I spoke, Kelian gave a small nod.

“Go ahead first. I’ll follow soon.”

“You’re not coming with me?”

Was it to avoid raising suspicion from the others? I glanced at him curiously, and in response, he gave me one of those faint, warning-less smiles.

A man who could kill with nothing but a look.

“I need some time to… cool down.”

Cool down?

At first, I didn’t understand. I blinked at him, puzzled, before the meaning finally dawned on me.

“Oh.”

The sound slipped out of me in a dumb, breathless realization.

“Uh, right. Then… I-I’ll go ahead.”

Too flustered to meet his eyes, I turned on my heel and hurried back toward the camp.

The bright moonlight made it easy to find my way, and before long, I spotted my companions. Jenin, who had clearly been worried about my long absence, immediately approached me. I quickly apologized, receiving a disapproving tsk from Dain before settling back into my spot by the fire.

Thankfully, the dim firelight helped conceal my burning face.

A short while later, Kelian returned to the group. Unlike me—still feeling like my entire body was on fire—he looked perfectly composed. But… of course, he had cooled down first.

That thought alone sent another wave of embarrassment crashing over me. I forced myself to stop thinking about it.

Fortunately, no one seemed to suspect that we had just been kissing.

Still, a strange guilt crept over me—one different from the weight of keeping my curse a secret.

It was the kind of guilt a child might feel after sneaking around behind their parents’ backs.

“Get a good night’s rest, Aine. We’ll reach the village tomorrow.”

As if they understood Jenin’s words, the horses nearby let out a soft huff in their sleep. My gaze lingered on them for a moment—resting peacefully, completely free of exhaustion thanks to Seiris’s healing magic—before I nodded in response.

When I first learned that Seiris could use healing magic, I had briefly hoped that maybe it could work on my curse. But when I cautiously asked, she had firmly stated that purification was impossible without divine power.

And now, after experiencing her magic firsthand the night before, I had undeniable proof—it could restore my stamina, but it couldn’t cleanse the pain of my curse.

Once again, the only thing that had truly eased my suffering… was Kelian.

At the mere thought of him, my mind inevitably drifted back to our kiss. My eyes wandered toward him instinctively, only to find that my worries had been unfounded—he wasn’t watching me. He had already leaned back against the thick trunk of a tree, eyes closed as if resting.

I pulled out the cloak Kelian had given me on the first night—one enchanted with warming properties—from my inventory and wrapped it around myself. They had told me I could sleep in the carriage alone if I wanted, but I had no intention of isolating myself.

Surprisingly, sleeping near them brought a sense of security.

“Good night, Jenin. Seiris. Dain. Barkrud. Kelian.”

“Good night, Aine.”

Jenin was the first to return my greeting, her voice warm as ever.

The rest followed with more reserved responses.

“Mm.”

“Sleep.”

“Yeah.”

Still, it was much better than the first night, when no one had responded at all. Imagining their serious faces as they reluctantly returned my words made me smile a little.

Dain, of course, didn’t bother replying—but that was to be expected.

I had forgotten what it was like to fall asleep near others.

My parents had passed when I was too young to remember, and my childhood with Malri felt like a distant memory.

And since the men in my village never interested me, I had naturally spent most of my life alone.

Now, I was surrounded by people who traveled with me, ate with me, and even slept near me.

It was… comforting.

Maybe it was because they were good people.

Or maybe it was simply because this journey had only just begun—perhaps I was still too naïve to understand what traveling with others truly meant.

❖ ❖ ❖

For the first time in my life, I set foot outside the Three Seasons Villages.

Of course, even Summer Village had been new to me, but this was different. This time, I had completely left my home region. The feeling was both thrilling and a little frightening.

<Resting Village.>

Following an old wooden sign, we entered the village. True to its name, the place had a slow, relaxed atmosphere, almost eerily quiet.

The sun shone brightly overhead, yet for some reason, the surroundings felt dim and subdued.

“There aren’t many settlers here. It’s mostly drifters, so people call it the Wanderer’s Village,” Barkrud explained.

Out of our group, he was the only one who had been here before. Apparently, he had stopped here for a night back when he was still a mercenary.

“We should rest for the night and move on to the next village tomorrow,” Kelian suggested, pointing to the only noticeable inn in sight.

“I stayed there back then,” Barkrud murmured, lost in nostalgia.

He seemed pleased at the coincidence of returning to his old lodging—but really, it wasn’t much of a coincidence. The truth was, there weren’t many other choices. The village barely had anything in it.

Ding.

A small, crisp bell rang as we pushed open the door.

Inside, a rough-looking man—presumably the innkeeper—glared at us. He thumped a few beers onto a table where a handful of customers sat, then walked over. He wasn’t as massive as Barkrud or Kelian, but he was still quite large.

“What do you want?” he grunted.

“We need rooms for the night. Do you have any available?” Kelian asked.

“30 silver per room.”

Kelian nodded, then turned to me.

“Aine, do you want a room to yourself?”

It was probably just an absentminded question on his part, but the way he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just a bit, made my ears burn.

“I-I don’t mind sharing… if no one else does, of course…”

“Of course, I don’t mind. Normally, Dain, Barkrud, and I share a room, but maybe this time, Aine and I can room together?”

“Sure, Jenin.”

And so, the room assignments were set—Dain and Barkrud in one room, Jenin and me in another, while Kelian and Seiris each took their own separate rooms.

On top of that, Kelian handed over extra silver for the stable fee for our carriage and again for food and hot water for baths. At that, the rough-looking innkeeper’s expression softened considerably.

Given how few people passed through here, business was probably slow. It wasn’t surprising that he warmed up to customers willing to spend generously.

If this had been another village, the inn would have been bustling at this hour. But here, in this dimly lit dining hall, there were only five other guests apart from us.

And every single one of them was staring in our direction.

“Let’s eat first before heading up,” Jenin suggested.

Everyone agreed and took their seats.

I seemed to be the only one bothered by the other customers’ attention. Meanwhile, the hero’s party remained as composed as ever, chatting naturally as they waited for food.

“I’m heading to the hunting grounds later.”

Dain announced, casually resting an arm over the back of his chair.

“There aren’t any rare dungeons here. You won’t level up.”

“…I’m not going for the level-up. I just want to take a walk.”

Dain’s response sounded casual, but considering how insistent he was, it was hard to believe it wasn’t about leveling up.

“And how can you be so sure there aren’t any rare dungeons?” he challenged Barkrud. “Who knows? I might stumble upon one by chance.”

Despite Barkrud’s attempt to dissuade him, Dain showed no sign of backing down.

Jenin, ever playful, chimed in.

“Just don’t wander off too far. And don’t do anything reckless.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that…”

“And don’t come back too late.”

Barkrud added his own remark. “Be careful.”

“……”

Of course, Dain was the youngest among them, but he was far from weak. He was a grown adult and a high-level fighter—wasn’t their concern a bit excessive?

Just as I thought that, Dain’s face flushed red, and he started fuming.

“I’m level 71, you know! Just because you guys are higher-level doesn’t mean I need to be babysat!”

“We’re just worried about you.”

“Well, then, why don’t you worry about her instead?”

With his usual flair for pointing fingers, Dain jabbed a finger right at me.

For some reason, I was suddenly being dragged into this. He even shot me a glare, as if I had done something wrong.

“…Why is he getting mad all of a sudden?” Jenin muttered, shaking her head.

Meanwhile, Barkrud, ignoring the tension completely, started making small talk with the innkeeper and the cook as they brought out our food.

“Do you remember me? I was a mercenary.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure.”

Then, after being dismissed, he became oddly sulky.

Even though the food had arrived, the commotion from their group showed no signs of stopping. Jenin and Dain were arguing, Kelian and Barkrud were eating, and Seiris, who hadn’t said a word until now… was subtly raising her staff so others could see it.

Once I realized she liked compliments, that behavior stood out to me. Unfortunately, no one seemed to care about that staff. Unable to bear it, I casually gave her a compliment.

“Seiris. Your staff is shining more than usual today.”

“You have an eye for this. I sprinkled some Philip powder on it this morning.”

I didn’t know what Philip powder was, nor could I tell what had changed, but I gave a few more compliments as if I agreed. Only then did Seiris seem satisfied and begin her meal.

Throughout the meal, Jenin and Dain continued their petty argument. Not too long ago, I would have just kept an eye on them, but after spending some time together, I could see things a bit differently now. Like right now.

“Barkrud, when are you going to finish? You’re always so slow.”

Dain gave Barkrud a hard time, even though he could just get up when he was done and take his time eating.

“Ah, sorry.”

Barkrud quickened his eating pace under the pressure of his companion, but it didn’t seem to suit him, as his thick eyebrows furrowed even more deeply than before.

“It’s not like there’s any rush, Dain. This isn’t a village where a rare dungeon is likely to show up anyway…”

“Then how can you be so sure there’s no rare dungeon? What if I find one and level up or something?”

He said he wasn’t going out to level up, but… it seemed like Dain was already planning to find a rare dungeon to level up. Jenin handled his picky attitude with a bright smile.