Chapter 117
The bright sun, countless People walking the Street.
The myriad sounds of Otherworlders and Gaians mingling together. It was the second time I'd seen such a bustling Street scene.
Of course, I'd been to the City far more times than that, but I had never walked the Street with such confidence before.
Unlike last time, when I cast *Illusion* on myself, this time I didn't even cast Magic on my body. There was no longer any reason to hide.
I only wore a hood to prevent too much attention from gathering.
Perhaps because it was my first outing to the City in a long time, I felt a rare sense of excitement.
To be honest, I wasn't particularly fond of People.
It wasn't because Humans were two-faced, or because I hated everyone for abandoning me in the past.
It was simply my personality. ven if I enjoyed meeting People, I'd eventually feel drained. If I had to choose between E and I, I'd definitely lean towards I.
Nevertheless, the reason I had yearned for human connection all this time was because I thought I would never be able to have it.
Popular People or loners, everyone feels loneliness the same way.
For a Criminal living in the Forest, relationships seemed like an eternal luxury.
But now, having received an Adventurer Card, and walking the Street with such confidence... I couldn't help but feel a fresh wave of emotions.
Moreover, next to me was a *noona* with a chest size rarely seen even in my previous life. A smile naturally crept onto my face.
Sometimes, when I looked at that massive chest, I'd feel an urge to just reach out and touch it without thinking.
Having just returned from a trip, I hadn't had much opportunity for 'that' and it had built up quite a bit. I wanted to unleash those dark desires right there.
But for now, I was holding back.
Having already 'touched' one Person, secretly 'touching' another felt a bit uneasy.
I, as a Man, was a surprisingly sweet *han-nam*...
Anyway, this long-awaited visit to the City felt better than I expected.
Especially since there was no need to hide.
And so, I began to wander through the City in high spirits.
*
*Meanwhile, Im Haneul was just as excited.*
It had been a long time since she had been alone with an NPC like Yor.
To think... she was excited just being with a game NPC.
Anyone else might find it a bit laughable, but she couldn't help it.
Even though it was a game, aside from the “synchronization rate” difference, it was practically no different from Reality. Even dating the opposite sex was just as difficult as in Reality.
The image of Otherworlders among NPCs wasn't great to begin with, and Ordinary People like her couldn't even dare to try.
Indeed, if you looked at the Community, there were countless posts whining about not being able to unlock 19+ Mode yet. They probably hadn't unlocked 19+ Mode in Reality either...
Due to her terrible social skills, even in her mid-to-late twenties, she only knew one Person of the opposite sex: the NPC Yor. This applied to her too. And she didn't even go out much.
Anyway, for these reasons, she couldn't help but be excited about this outing.
She was already feeling a sense of crisis, so she might as well enjoy herself in the game.
So today, she had prepared herself quite a bit.
Even though it was a game, she put on light makeup, and selected a few Places to visit with him.
Like the bakery he liked, or clothing Shops that Young Men liked...
She had made her preparations to enjoy herself.
...However, unfortunately, her plans had to stop right at the bakery.
It wasn't that Yor had gotten bored or anything. It was just that an unexpected Person had appeared.
Murmurs.
From far down the Street, a Person could be seen walking. They seemed quite famous, as Otherworlders passing by recognized them and turned their heads.
The Person who appeared was indeed famous enough for even Im Haneul to recognize.
The nation's Rank 1 User, Shin Hanbyeol.
“...Huh?”
She had suddenly appeared before them.
For a moment, Haneul and Hanbyeol's eyes met. Then, Hanbyeol's gaze shifted to Yor, who was beside Haneul.
“...Hmm?”
"..."
A brief silence followed.
*
After a brief, awkward standoff, Hanbyeol naturally joined them.
Quite literally, naturally, she subtly inserted herself.
There was no particular reason. She simply realized that the hooded Person next to them was Yor...
She was also curious why the two of them were together, and why Yor had come to the City.
Surprisingly, Shin Hanbyeol also knew who Im Haneul was.
They hadn't spoken directly. But they knew each other unilaterally.
Although not as much as Shin Hanbyeol, Im Haneul had also appeared on broadcasts many times.
She was Yu Chaerin's Editor, and her interactions with Yor were often shown on broadcasts.
For Hanbyeol, who watched all of Yor's recent videos, it was inevitable to know everyone associated with him.
...Though it wasn't a particularly welcome feeling.
Of course, Im Haneul was displeased with this situation.
It was an outing she had looked forward to, and suddenly an Intruder had joined them.
Even if she wasn't streaming, it was still the case. Of course, Haneul, having been raised in a polite household, didn't openly show her displeasure.
“But how did you recognize me? I thought I was pretty well hidden.”
As they walked awkwardly for a moment, Yor asked.
He was currently wearing a rather loose-fitting hood. Naturally, his face was also covered as much as possible.
It would be quite difficult to recognize him just from a brief encounter on the Street.
But she had recognized him instantly from that brief moment, so he couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
As he pondered this for a moment, Hanbyeol replied.
“Even if your face is covered, your physique is pretty obvious. I knew it was you just by looking at that.”
“Oh, um... I see.”
Yor nodded vaguely. To think she recognized him just by his physique. That was a bit creepy.
“So, where were you heading now?”
“...Ah, my spear broke.”
Yor briefly explained what had happened recently.
He had been in a lot of battles recently, and his favorite spear had reached the end of its lifespan.
Hanbyeol, who had vaguely heard the news from the Knights, listened attentively and nodded.
After finishing his explanation, Yor finally asked.
“So, I'm trying to get a new spear made, but I don't know where to go. I know I need to meet a Blacksmith, but I don't know where to find one...”
“Oh, don't worry about that. I have a place in mind.”
“I happen to know a good Place.”
At his question, the two women answered simultaneously.
And they gave conflicting answers.
“The Adventurer Guild.”
“Blacksmith Workshop Street.”
These were Im Haneul's and Shin Hanbyeol's words, respectively.
To be fair... both were decent options.
Adventurers, who frequently used weapons, had several Exclusive Blacksmiths at the Guild, and Blacksmith Workshop Street, as its name suggested, had many Blacksmiths.
Moreover, there wasn't much difference in Skill between the two Places. While the Workshop Street might have more Blacksmiths in sheer numbers, the Exclusive Blacksmiths at the Guild originally came from that Street.
So, there wasn't much of a difference, but... their perspectives were different.
Haneul was the first to speak.
“Let's go to the Adventurer Guild. Even if there are fewer Blacksmiths, their Skill is guaranteed. It'll be easier to find a Skilled Person there.”
Hanbyeol interjected at her words.
“The Guild? *Tsk*... I don't know about that. Even if the average quality is high, it's expensive, and the process to connect with a Blacksmith is complicated, isn't it?”
Haneul's eyes twitched for a moment.
“No, what are you talking about? Don't you know there are tons of fakes on Workshop Street? If you're not careful, you'll get scammed, and the items are often below expectations.”
For a moment, the two women's gazes clashed.
“Ah, that's because Ms. Haneul is a Mage and doesn't know much about it. The real honey pot is there, I tell you. Why don't we just go to a Workshop together? There are no complicated procedures, and I can quickly find you a good one.”
“No, that doesn't appeal to me much. And isn't the reason Ms. Hanbyeol finds the procedures complicated because she doesn't want to use her head...? Anyway, with Yor's Skill, he'd be able to find a Blacksmith quickly.”
Many words were exchanged.
Perhaps because it was their first time meeting, their tone was polite, but... there was a certain prickliness to it.
Yor couldn't help but feel the tension.
*What's wrong with them?*
He had only asked a simple question. Was this trivial matter really worth arguing over?
After arguing for a long time, they finally came to a conclusion.
“Let's not do this and just ask Yor. He's the one commissioning the creation, after all.”
“Alright. Where do you want to go?”
Finally, the two women's gazes turned to him. Their eyes held an equal mix of expectation and anxiety, as if this decision was everything.
“Hmm...”
After a brief moment of deliberation, he gave his answer.
To be honest, his mind had already been made up since he first heard their suggestions.
“Let's go to the Adventurer Guild.”
At his words, their emotions swung wildly.
Haneul smiled brightly and clenched her fist, while Hanbyeol frowned in disbelief.
To frown so openly... Hanbyeol's personality truly hadn't changed.
Yor's reason for choosing the Adventurer Guild was simple.
Firstly, Haneul was the one who had accompanied him, and he also had business at the Adventurer Guild.
He suddenly recalled the conversation he had with Odelia last time.
Since you're already active, why not get a proper profession?
We gave you an Adventurer Card, but many People will still disregard you with just that.
So, while you're at it, why not get something that can truly prove your worth?
-Perhaps the Knight Order... how about it?
At those words, Yor decided to choose Adventurer.
A group that anyone could join, making it of the lowest quality, and sometimes even looked down upon.
But precisely because of that, it was a Place freer than anywhere else.
For someone without roots like himself, it felt like the most suitable Space.
“Then, let's go.”
And so, he went with his Companions and headed towards the Adventurer Guild.
Also, to get an Adventurer Card while he was at it.