Because that was exactly how he whispered when we were together.
‘I want to go deeper.’
‘You’re so hot inside…’
‘Spread your legs more, Aine.’
…Like that.
“Aine.”
“Ah!”
Startled, I snapped out of my thoughts with a small yelp, only to find Jenin staring at me with wide eyes.
“Did I scare you?”
“N-No! I was just… thinking about something else. What’s up, Jenin?”
“I was wondering what you thought about this.”
She pulled me toward a display of magical equipment, showing me various enchanted items. Nearby, Kelian seemed to be browsing weapons with Seiris.
My heart nearly leapt out of my chest.
Thinking about that in the middle of the day? In a store, of all places?!
I wanted to smack myself. No—actually, I did smack myself. A light thump on my forehead, just enough to shake off my ridiculous train of thought.
Jenin tilted her head.
“Aine, what are you doing?”
“Just… trying to get my head straight.”
“Haha! That’s hilarious.”
Luckily, Jenin seemed to find my behavior amusing rather than suspicious.
We spent the rest of the day browsing all sorts of magical gear—enchanted clothing, necklaces, rings, and other artifacts. By the time we finished, I had been all but forced to wear the items they picked for me.
By the time we finished shopping and made our way back to the inn, the sun had completely set.
“Artifact mages are like the blacksmiths of the magical world. You can’t call them real mages.”
“Enchanting artifacts is still magic. If you’re using magical skills, why wouldn’t that count as being a mage?”
“I’m saying they can be craftsmen, but they can never be true mages.”
“And what exactly is a true mage? Someone who enters the Magic Tower and follows official procedures? What, does their magic suddenly vanish if they don’t? Sounds like elitism to me.”
“Do you have any idea how important those procedures are in the magic world?! Jenin, you don’t even know much about mages!”
“That’s true.”
Throughout dinner, Jenin and Dain engaged in what could generously be called a heated discussion—but in reality, it was just another one of their endless bickering matches.
The rest of us, myself included, treated it like background music, leisurely continuing our meal. I had finally grown accustomed to these mealtime debates.
Then, something came to mind.
“Oh!”
Jenin and Dain, in the middle of their squabble, both turned to look at me simultaneously.
“Now that I think about it, I never gave you these.”
I rummaged through my inventory and placed a small object in front of each of them—a tiny, transparent gemstone the size of a fingertip joint.
An Akhil.
According to the shopkeeper, it was a stone that calmed the mind, commonly carried by party members as matching charms. I had been completely convinced by the explanation and bought them on impulse.
I still remembered how much effort it took to secretly purchase them, considering how much my party seemed to dislike me spending money.
“What is this?”
Seiris asked, expressionless.
“It’s a gemstone called Akhil. They say it has a calming effect when you carry it… I thought it’d be nice for all of us to have one. You can just keep it in your inventory if you don’t want to carry it around…”
Even though the purchase had cost me a fair bit, it was nothing compared to everything they had done for me. Maybe I should’ve saved up more and bought something better…
As silence stretched among them, my shoulders slowly slumped.
“If you don’t have space in your inventory, I can just hold onto them… or you can throw them away—”
Just as my words started turning into a pathetic ramble, Seiris suddenly pulled the corners of her lips into a light, pleasant smile.
“Cute.”
…Cute?
As if her reaction had broken some invisible tension, the rest of the group followed suit.
“Aine has one too? That means our whole party has matching ones! Wow, we’ve never done something like this before. Thanks, Aine!”
Jenin accepted the gift with cheerful enthusiasm.
“How childish…”
Dain scoffed, but the way he smirked before tucking the gem into his inventory suggested he actually liked the idea of having something all the party members shared.
“This is a first for me too. Thanks.”
Barkrud seemed to be seriously contemplating how best to carry the gem.
And Kelian…
“I’m heading up first.”
Without warning, he lifted me into his arms and carried me up the stairs.
I had no idea why he was acting like this, but since dinner was over anyway, I had no reason to refuse. I simply wrapped my arms around his neck and didn’t forget to call out my goodnight to the others.
“Goodnight!”
“Goodnight, Aine!”
Jenin’s reply echoed faintly as we ascended the stairs.
The door opened, and Kelian strode into the room with urgent steps. Before I could get a proper look at his face, he all but pressed me into the bed, immediately capturing my lips in a desperate kiss.
“Mmph… Nn…!”
I had no time to process what was happening before his tongue entwined with mine, drowning out all thought.
My robe slipped away, and his hand slid beneath my skirt.
But if this continued, I wouldn’t get the conversation I had asked for earlier.
Gathering my scattered thoughts, I managed to push against his shoulder just enough to break away.
“Ah… Kelian, wait, stop—just for a moment!”
“…Is something wrong?”
His voice was maddeningly nonchalant as he stared at me, completely unfazed.
Something wrong?
Of course, something was wrong!
“T-Today, we were supposed to talk.”
More than anything, I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to hear his story.
Was he planning to purify my curse first and talk afterward? But no matter how I looked at it, if we started something now, there wouldn’t be any time left for conversation tonight.
“Talk…?”
Kelian looked genuinely puzzled by my words.
And that, in turn, made me more confused.
“Yes. Back at the shop, I told you I wanted to know more about you. Of course, if you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to—”
I had assumed that since he hadn’t refused earlier, he would naturally open up once we got back to our room.
Had he not wanted to after all?
“Ah…”
He fell silent for a moment, as if recalling the earlier conversation. A flicker of something crossed his face—an expression I couldn’t quite read. There was a hint of unease, almost hesitation.
“Kelian…?”
“…Was that not a seduction?”
…Seduction?
Why was that word suddenly coming up?
I blinked in confusion, unable to comprehend what he meant.
Kelian studied me for a long moment before slowly pulling away.
“I see… I must have misunderstood. I apologize, Aine.”
“Oh, no, there’s no need to apologize…”
What exactly had he misunderstood?
I replayed my words in my head. I want to know more about you. Will you tell me in detail tonight?
…Ah.
Only now did I realize how my words could have been interpreted. Depending on how one heard it, it could have sounded like an invitation for an entirely different kind of night.
Realizing this, I shot up from the bed in shock, my face burning.
“I-I said it wrong! I only meant that since I just learned where your hometown is, I wanted to know more about you! I wasn’t trying to seduce you— I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to seduce you, but—”
The more I spoke, the deeper I dug myself into a hole.
Kelian shook his head.
“No, the mistake was mine.”
He let out a light chuckle, as if to assure me it was fine, then gently adjusted my disheveled clothes from our earlier kiss. After that, he sat beside me.
“I just wanted to know more about you,” I admitted.
“If you have questions, ask as many as you like.”
Kelian shrugged, clearly willing to indulge my curiosity.
But this wasn’t just simple curiosity—it was interest driven by affection. That made it a little harder to bring up, but I pressed forward anyway.
“Then… may I ask what it was like living here in Rilka?”
Rilka—the capital, the place where everyone seemed to know and adore him. I wondered what kind of life he had led here.
“Hmm… Nothing particularly stands out.”
He spoke casually, as if there truly wasn’t anything noteworthy to recall. But after a brief moment of contemplation—his brows furrowing slightly in effort—he eventually pulled out a memory.
“I remember loving swords so much that I used to sleep with one under my pillow as a child.”
“Under your pillow?”
“Yes. I wanted to practice swordsmanship even in my dreams. But I never had any dreams—just an uncomfortable night of sleep.”
The mental image of a young Kelian tossing and turning all night because of an inconveniently placed sword was so unexpectedly endearing that I couldn’t help but laugh.
Still giggling, I grabbed onto his arm and gently coaxed him.
“And then?”
“Hmm…”
Kelian glanced down at my hands wrapped around his arm before searching his memories again.
“I suppose I was happy the first time I defeated my swordsmanship master.”
“Wow, you beat your master? How old were you?”
“I believe I was thirteen.”
“…….”
…That’s incredible.
The so-called genius Kelian, who had surpassed his sword instructor at the age of thirteen, continued to reluctantly pull out fragments of his childhood.
Then, as if suddenly making a decision, he took my hand.
“I want to know about you too. What was your childhood like? Who were you close to?”
“Then why don’t we take turns sharing?”
Unlike him, my younger years had no outstanding talent or remarkable feats, but there was nothing I needed to hide.
Besides, he was being sincere in telling me his story—if I stayed silent, wouldn’t that just be unfair?
“I lived alone for most of my life, like I mentioned before. Up until recently, I was renting a room at my friend Malri’s inn, paying for my stay. The inn is called Deer Inn.”
“I see. I’d like to ask Malri about you too—what you were like as a child.”
Kelian placed a small kiss on my cheek as he spoke.
If I actually introduced him to Malri… it would be absolute chaos.
She loved heroic tales. If she met the legendary hero Kelian, she might even recognize him immediately.
“What about you, Kelian? Do you remember any childhood friends? Besides the party, Malri is the only friend I’ve ever had.”
“I have none.”
He answered without even a moment’s hesitation.
It was surprising. Surely, he must have had many people trying to befriend him.
“I wish I had met you sooner, Aine.”
His voice, murmured as he leaned into me, carried a faint melancholy that tugged at my heart.
Had he been lonely as a child too?
Just because he was a prodigy admired by others didn’t mean he was free from pain or emptiness. Even now, he sometimes showed glimpses of instability.
“It’s a relief that we met now, but talking about childhood does make me wish it had been sooner.”
Gently, I lifted my hand and stroked his cheek, watching as he truly seemed to regret it.
“I feel the same way, Kelian.”
If I had met him as a child… I probably would have been even worse than I am now—spending my entire day thinking only about him.
“Um, Kelian…”
I hesitated, watching the way he passively leaned into my touch. Carefully, I asked,
“Do you still… have those thoughts?”
He had once confessed to wanting to erase everything.
Thankfully, he had assured me that I and the others weren’t part of that everything, but that didn’t make his words any less alarming.
Back then, he had never explained why he felt such destructive impulses.
“No.”
“Oh, thank go—”
“As long as you’re with me, I’m fine. Aine.”
Kelian tilted his head and bit down lightly on one of my fingers.
It didn’t hurt at all, but the warmth of it burned through me.
“You heal me.”
His teal-colored eyes locked onto mine, snaring me in place like a trap I couldn’t escape.
Then, his tongue slowly ran along my finger.
My brain completely short-circuited.
It took me far longer than it should have to find my voice again.
“I-I haven’t done anything. If anything, you’re the one healing me. You’re purifying my curse, after all…”
“It’s not completely gone yet, is it?”
“Even so, you’ve helped so much.”
“I want you to be free of it as soon as possible.”
That was my wish too, of course. But hearing him say it so sincerely warmed my heart.
“Then, I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you never have those thoughts again.”
“In that case… it seems we both have a mission to fulfill for each other.”
What…?
Kelian showed a kind smile. Soon, his large hand pushed aside her dress and undergarments, slipping in to touch her bare skin.
“Ah!”
All they had done was kiss, yet she was already wet. Every time he rubbed his fingers, a damp sound seeped out from inside her underwear.
“W-Wait, ah, th-that, hng…!”
As she floundered under the sudden pleasure, he had already laid her down and positioned himself between her legs. She had no idea when he had taken it out or how he had become so aroused, but his length was pressing firmly against her entrance.
“Ah, and—if you remember, we agreed to take turns asking each other things we were curious about. We do need to purify the curse, but I think we can continue our conversation as well.”
How was she supposed to continue their conversation in a situation like this…?! Her shock was short-lived—his tip pressed in slightly, and her head tilted back instinctively.
“…Do you have anything else you’re curious about?”
His indifferent eyes had darkened with desire. The sight of it made it even harder to endure, but with him urging her on, she had no choice but to throw out any question that came to mind.
“Th-Then, um… tell me more… about your childhood…”
Unlike my mouth, which kept babbling on, my lower half tensed with both anxiety and anticipation at the tip already stretching me tight—and the massive length that would soon follow. Though it wasn’t intentional on my part, the result was the same: my soaked walls clenched around him, making him let out a low groan, “Ugh.” The veins on his forearm, braced beside me, bulged prominently.
“Right. My childhood…”
“Ah! Haah, Kell…!”
With a single thrust—thwack!—the rest of him slid inside. A dizzying sensation washed over me, and saliva trickled from the corner of my lips.
“I hated everything.”
“Too fast—! Please, ahng!”
“So I wandered the dungeons, haah, like I was running away.”
He kept talking, but neither of us was in any state to hold a conversation.
The purification of the curse, his childhood memories—both had only been used as excuses. That thought rang sharply in my head for a brief moment—until even that was wiped away by the overwhelming pleasure as he rubbed deep against my sensitive spots.
❖ ❖ ❖
Gyahhh—!
The insect monster Yarakhya writhed its dozens of legs before vanishing under the impact of my mithril club.
[ Level Up! ]
[ Acquired: Superior Yarakhya’s Leg ]
[ Item Rank: B ]
I had just taken down a high-tier monster by myself. Of course, my party had helped by keeping other monsters from interfering, but for someone like me—who had once struggled even against mid-tier creatures—it was an incredible achievement. And on top of that, the item drop was B-rank.
“Great job, Aine.”
Jenin didn’t hold back her praise as she drove another monster toward me. Another superior Yarakhya.
“If it gets too tough, don’t force yourself to use skills. Just fall back.”
“Thanks, Jenin.”
Skills weren’t unlimited, so in real combat, I had to time their use carefully.
As fatigue set in from fighting multiple monsters, a familiar light washed over me—Seiris’s Healing Light. As always, her ornate staff gleamed, with the Akhil gem I had gifted her proudly embedded at the top. I sent her a grateful look before readjusting my grip on my club and throwing myself back into the fight against the Yarakhya.
With its many legs, a Yarakhya would willingly sacrifice a few when attacked, only to lunge in an instant to bite back. The hit-and-retreat pattern was simple, but the battle itself was long and drawn out.
[ Acquired: Superior Yarakhya’s Leg ]
[ Item Rank: B ]
And with that, I took down my second superior Yarakhya.
Even with Seiris’s healing during the fight, my breath came out rough—probably because I had rarely faced high-tier monsters before.
“What’s your level now?”
“Thirty-six.”
At Dain’s question, I checked my status window and answered.
That’s right. My level wasn’t 29. It wasn’t 30. It was 36.
In just three days since the “Power Level Aine” operation had begun, I had skyrocketed to this point.
Kelian let out a steady breath and pulled me close, letting my exhausted body lean against him.
“Did you upgrade your skills?”
“Yes, I did earlier.”
Starting from level 30, I could upgrade my skills every five levels. So once at level 30, and again at level 35—meaning I had upgraded my skills twice so far.
[ Skills ]
― Flurry Strike (5) +6
I had gained an additional +6 Strength.
“You’ve practiced your skills enough,” Dain remarked casually. “Now we should just drag you around and grind levels quickly.”
He had stopped directing monsters my way and had simply wiped out the rest himself. His tone made it sound like boosting my level was nothing but a minor chore to them, and based on what I had seen over the past few days, I knew that wasn’t an exaggeration.
“Today, you need to break into the level 40 range.”
Kelian nodded in agreement with Dain’s plan—without the slightest hesitation.
Once again, I was the only one shocked.
“…Level 40?”
“Do you think it’ll be too much?”
Kelian asked gently. He wasn’t questioning whether reaching level 40 today was impossible—he was only concerned about whether I could physically handle it.
“No, I’m totally fine. I was just wondering if it’s possible. I mean, I’ve already leveled up three times today…”
“What’s stopping us?”
Dain scoffed, as if my worries were completely unnecessary. He stepped forward, burning away every monster in his path with magic.
Watching him, I started to think—maybe it really was possible…
“Well… it should be doable,” Jenin added vaguely as she followed Dain. Her sword cut down semi-boss-tier monsters with ruthless efficiency.
Over the past three days, we had already cleared five dungeons, and among them, this Insect Den was a rare dungeon rated S-tier in difficulty. Every single monster we had encountered so far had been mid-tier or higher, yet my party treated this place as if it were some beginner-level hunting ground.
They would herd monsters toward me to fight, and if anything got in the way, they effortlessly wiped them out—turning the entire dungeon into my personal training ground.
And the one who enjoyed this the most?
Barkrud.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had such a good fight.”
Barkrud, who simply loved battle, had been having the time of his life. While I practiced, he either blocked monsters from interfering or cut them down himself, reveling in the prolonged battles within the rare dungeon.
I had never seen him with such a bright, satisfied expression before.
“Shall we move on, then?”
“Yes, Kelian.”
Of course, I still wasn’t at the level where I could take on dungeon bosses. So when we reached the boss room, I simply stood back and watched as my party made quick work of it.
[ Dungeon Conquered. ]
[ Rewards have been distributed. ]
[ Level Up! ]
As my level increased, the pace of leveling had naturally slowed, but clearing a boss fight always guaranteed at least one level-up.
“We just need to clear this a few more times,” Dain said.
And with that, we ran the Insect Den dungeon over and over again.
Well, to be precise, they cleared it repeatedly.
Since they had decided not to make me practice skills anymore until I reached level 40, there was no need to hold back. The moment we reentered the dungeon, they wiped out every monster in sight.
As for me?
I simply watched in a daze from Kelian’s arms as he carried me for fast movement, while my surroundings flashed and flickered from the sheer onslaught of high-level skills.
The sheer spectacle of high-level combat was breathtaking. It felt like they were clearing the dungeon in mere minutes.
And after repeating that cycle again and again…
[ Level Up! ]
I had actually hit level 40.
