Chapter 47
The next dawn, Anne came to visit.
A girl with swaying red hair.
She was the girl who had gritted her teeth and struggled desperately to protect her friends.
“What should I do first?”
“Cook. Whatever you’re most confident in.”
“Yes, understood.”
Anne’s cooking skills were decent. She couldn’t compare to Darmong, but it wasn’t so bad that she’d get slapped for serving it.
Jeong Yushin watched the expressions of the inn’s guests gradually relax and breathed a sigh of relief.
He called Anne aside and handed her a pouch of money.
It was money Karin had given him. He had kept only what he needed for himself.
“What is this?”
Anne asked.
“Operating expenses for the inn. Use it sparingly. Tell me if it isn’t enough.”
“Do you trust me this much?”
“Think whatever you want.”
“Thank you. I’ll definitely repay you.”
“Just work hard.”
Anne and Tarman began working hard, as though to repay Jeong Yushin for the kindness he had shown them.
Jeong Yushin sat in the counter chair with his arms crossed.
A summer morning breeze entered the inn, circled once, and left.
Outside the inn, explorers who had formed parties gathered in groups of two or three and headed toward the labyrinth.
There was still no word from Karin or Darmong.
Once the inn had stabilized a little more, he intended to step back. That did not mean he would stop caring.
Everyone had to do the thing they were best at.
Jeong Yushin intended to protect Darmong’s inn as a swordsman.
If so, training and learning were essential.
When would he be able to go to the Swordsmanship Guild?
Jeong Yushin picked up the longsword beneath the counter and rose from his seat. Since all sorts of thoughts had been churning through his head, he intended to go to the yard and get some exercise.
* * *
Creeeak.
Around noon, someone opened the inn door and entered.
Tarman bowed and greeted them energetically.
“Welcome!”
Tarman raised his head, then froze.
“Um... Is Mr. Ska here?”
“H... huh! Please... please wait a moment!”
Tarman hurried through the kitchen and ran into the yard.
Shirtless, Jeong Yushin was sweating as he swung his sword. The summer sunlight was so intense that sweat poured off him uncontrollably.
“L...Lord Ska!!”
“What’s the commotion?”
“A... a priestess has arrived. She looks just like an angel.”
Mion?
Jeong Yushin grabbed a towel hanging from the clothesline in the yard and wiped his face and neck.
“Tell her I’ll be there shortly.”
“There’s no need.”
Mion appeared in the yard through the kitchen.
Mion glanced at Jeong Yushin’s smooth upper body, then hurriedly lowered her head.
“What brings you here?”
“You... you haven’t come to learn letters lately. I was worried, so I came to find you.”
He did not ask how Mion had found the inn where he was staying.
After the last cook interview, he seemed to have become a known figure in certain circles. A few words with people along the way would have been enough for her to figure out where he was staying.
“I see. I was thinking it was about time I went. But...”
Jeong Yushin raised a hand and scratched his head.
Explaining the reason in an outfit like this would take a rather long time.
Whether she knew what he was thinking or not, Mion’s gaze remained fixed on Jeong Yushin’s thick forearm.
A muscular forearm with veins writhing beneath the skin and heat rising from it.
Gulp.
Mion’s throat bobbed heavily.
Mion hurriedly covered her chest and cut Jeong Yushin off.
“Don’t worry. I found a way to overcome the Virgin Female Corruption Imprint. I’ll show you later. Let’s go first.”
Mion finished saying what she wanted to say and quickly turned around and left the yard.
‘I’m wearing a ring, though.’
He had tried to mention the Imprint-suppressing ring, but Mion had run off like the wind. Besides, the towel had hidden it, so she apparently had not noticed the ring.
Tarman approached.
“H... how did you manage to get a priestess like that?”
“Live a good life.”
“Huh.”
Jeong Yushin patted Tarman’s shoulder once as he let out a strange sigh, then finished wiping himself down.
After Mion left, the next visitor arrived.
Ashur Startry.
The head of the Swordsmanship Guild.
“No trouble?”
“No.”
“And you call it no trouble after completely fucking wrecking the Crimson Hunters branch?”
“That’s how it turned out.”
“Come closer.”
Ashur examined Jeong Yushin’s eyes.
“Why do you ask?”
“How did you come back to your senses? You must have been half-mad.”
“I kept a firm grip on my sanity, so I returned to my senses.”
Ashur lowered his head and looked at Jeong Yushin’s fingers.
“I seem to recall telling you to take off that ring?”
Jeong Yushin swept his hair back once.
“I have to withstand it. Wouldn’t it be rather painful if some innocent virgin happened to fall for me? To be honest, sometimes I’m afraid of my own charm.”
Ashur looked at Jeong Yushin, then glanced at Tarman standing beside him.
“This guy’s acting pretty strange. Is he in his right mind?”
“If you look closely, this is a form of charm too.”
After hearing Tarman’s answer, Ashur rubbed both hands over his face.
“...Where was I? Right. Come to the Swordsmanship Guild. This is no time to be sitting around minding an inn.”
Ashur barely managed to hold on to his sanity and got to the point.
“What do you mean?”
Jeong Yushin asked with his arms crossed.
“Harsh training is what suppresses the labyrinth’s madness. Stop puttering around in the yard and come to the training grounds.”
“Now’s not a good time. I’ll go later.”
“When is later? After you go mad?”
“I’ll go when I have time.”
“Good grief. Anyway, come quickly. Your mind must be wavering a little.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“Tsk.”
Ashur clicked his tongue and left the inn.
Tarman, who had been standing beside him, spoke.
“You certainly know a lot of people.”
Jeong Yushin shrugged.
“I do have a lot of connections.”
“You’re generous, too.”
“Obviously. How about a raise?”
“Thank you.”
Tarman rubbed his hands together with an ingratiating smile.
Anne came out of the kitchen, quietly watched them for a moment, then spoke up.
“Aren’t you going to work?”
Tarman’s body flinched and stiffened.
Jeong Yushin chimed in.
“Get to work. Reform yourself. You hopeless fool.”
Tarman made a tearful face and began busily moving around to greet the guests entering the inn.
Jeong Yushin returned to the counter and sat down.
After a busy day, night had deepened, and no more guests came.
While Jeong Yushin was tidying the inn, Tarman approached.
“Why?”
Jeong Yushin asked.
“A message from Lord Aldein.”
“Tell me.”
“The Crimson Hunters will be withdrawing from Labyrinth City for the time being. Apparently, something may have happened near the Eastern Alliance border.”
“Didn’t he say anything more specific?”
“No. He said he couldn’t tell me anything beyond that. Ah! He also told me to be careful because other organizations are watching too.”
“Other organizations?”
The hyena beastkin and his lackeys from the cook interview flashed through Jeong Yushin’s mind.
“Yes. He said he’d tell you about that later too.”
“I understand.”
Had he made it past the worst? He could not let his guard down, but now he could do what needed to be done.
Go to the temple and learn to read.
Train at the Swordsmanship Guild.
And gradually prepare to enter the labyrinth again.
His goal was clear, but the road ahead was long.
He could not enter the labyrinth immediately because of Ashur’s warning, but there was no harm in preparing.
* * *
The next day, at dawn in early summer.
Jeong Yushin rose from his bed.
When he went down to the first-floor kitchen, Anne was cooking.
Jeong Yushin watched Anne cook for a while, then went out into the yard.
He drew in a breath, filling his lungs with the clear dawn air.
“Hoo.”
He moved slowly to warm up his body.
He did two hundred push-ups and two hundred squats, then slowly circled the yard.
[Sacred Weapon]
When he willed it, it instantly formed in his hand.
He gripped the golden longsword and swung it.
[Sacred Weapon]
This time, a dagger.
He imagined Karin’s movements and swung along with them.
[Sacred Weapon]
He summoned a harpoon sword with a jagged blade. Since it was the unusual sword he had seen in the previous fight, he remembered its shape.
He could summon a Sacred Weapon eight times in total.
It was thanks to leveling up during his third trip to the labyrinth.
He stopped summoning weapons and began swinging his sword.
It was hardly a simple dawn warm-up.
It was closer to training that tested his limits by wringing out every bit of magic power and stamina his body could give.
But Jeong Yushin did not frown even once as he relentlessly and obsessively pushed himself.
Whoosh!!!
Whoosh!!!
The sword he swung cut through the dawn air.
Powerful muscles rippled across his shirtless body as sweat and heat steamed off him.
Quite some time passed.
He stopped swinging the sword and looked up at the sky. The sun was slowly rising.
When he passed through the kitchen and entered the inn’s hall, he saw Tarman.
“You’re up?”
“Why are you so late?”
“Well... I was so tired.”
Tarman looked like skin and bones.
Meanwhile, Anne’s face was glowing with a healthy sheen.
“Tsk.”
Jeong Yushin clicked his tongue and sat down at a table.
“Give me food.”
“Yes.”
Breakfast was wheat bread studded with raisins and sweet pumpkin soup brimming with cheese. Jeong Yushin was about to eat when he looked at Tarman.
“Let’s eat together.”
“Yes. Shall I call Anne too?”
“Sure.”
Anne brought the food out of the kitchen. Tarman, Anne, and Jeong Yushin sat together at one table.
The three of them began eating in silence.
“How is it? Is the inn work manageable?”
Jeong Yushin said while eating.
“Yes. Some parts are difficult since it’s my first time, but I’m doing my best to learn.”
Anne answered in Tarman’s place.
Jeong Yushin looked at Tarman and Anne, then turned his head away.
“I’ll leave the inn to you. I have things I need to do.”
“Are you going into the labyrinth?”
“Something like that.”
“I see.”
“Take care of the inn. If you need anything, come find me at the orphanage or the Swordsmanship Guild.”
“Don’t worry.”
After finishing his meal, he left the inn and began walking.
He shouldered the teddy-bear bag Darmong had given him as a gift and went to the Earth Mother Goddess Temple. After meeting the temple receptionist and confirming his attendance, he entered the orphanage.
“Eek?”
“Uncle’s here again?”
“Waaah. I’m scared.”
The orphanage children enthusiastically welcomed Jeong Yushin.
“Long time no see, friends.”
“Who’s your friend? Don’t you have a conscience, mister?”
“...”
Jeong Yushin fiddled with his ring, sighed, and sat down.
The classroom door opened, and Mion entered.
“Hello, everyone.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
“Wow! It’s been a long time, Teacher.”
Mion smiled sweetly and stood at the lectern.
“Indeed. I’ve been a little busy lately, so I missed class.”
“I love Teacher Mion so much.”
A child sitting some distance from Jeong Yushin muttered with shining eyes.
“All right, shall we begin class?”
“Yes!”
The children answered in unison with smiles.
Mion’s refined voice echoed through the classroom, and the children focused on the lesson with shining eyes.
Jeong Yushin also opened his eyes wide and focused on the lesson.
All sorts of things had taken up a great deal of time.
The more he learned, the more he realized there was to know about Labyrinth City.
He refused to be swept along without knowing anything.
He had once again learned painfully in this other world that knowledge was power.
Whenever he came across a word on Mion’s blackboard that he didn’t know, he copied it into his notebook, along with its meaning and an example sentence, and memorized it by heart.
Even during break, he did not move from his seat, continuing to write and read.
During break, Mion was preparing the next lesson at the lectern when her gaze fell on Jeong Yushin’s ring.
Mion’s body jolted stiff.
Mion opened and closed her mouth as she stared at the ring, then let out a sigh of relief.
The ring was on his middle finger rather than his ring finger.
She felt a little relieved that it was not the scheme of that red-haired bitch, but impatience pounded against her chest.
Break ended, and class resumed.
Jeong Yushin occasionally felt Mion’s gaze during class, but he focused only on the blackboard and his book.
Class ended at noon.
“You’ve all worked hard. Everyone except Ska, you may go.”
“Yes! You worked hard too, Teacher.”
The children streamed out of the classroom.
Ska organized his writing supplies and put them into his teddy-bear bag.
Mion approached him.
“Student Ska, you came.”
“Yes. Learning is important.”
“I...”
“What is it?”
Whoosh.
Mion suddenly flipped up her loose-fitting outer priestly robe.
Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.
There was a black priestly robe beneath it.
The cute shape of her navel stood out prominently through the tight black priestly robe.
The outline of her crotch bulged beneath the snug underwear, and on closer inspection, even the shape of the clitoris hidden in the plump mound was visible.
Though the priestly garment was clearly a one-piece, the way it clung made it hardly a stretch to call it leggings.
“Oh.”
Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.
“Hehe. Did you notice?”
A golden pattern shone directly below Mion’s navel.
It was a sacred, uncanny pattern, but when he examined it closely, it looked similar to a woman’s uterus.
Not a vulva, but a sacred uterine tattoo.
“It’s a Sacred Tattoo. With it, I can never be corrupted.”
“I see. That’s good. But...”
Jeong Yushin tried to mention the Imprint-suppressing ring, but Mion cut him off.
“I... well, about that.”
Mion hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I need to make sure the Sacred Tattoo has settled safely.”
Mion’s face was slightly flushed.
“I’d like Student Ska to help me.”
“H... how can I help?”
Jeong Yushin had received so much from Mion. The least he could do was help where he could.
“L...lick my... belly... no, touch it for me.”
“What?”
“There’s no ulterior motive. It’s merely a procedure to check whether I can properly defend against Student Ska’s Imprint.”
‘I won’t lose!’
Mion gave a reason that differed from what she was truly thinking.
She planned to ask where he had gotten the ring a little later.
What mattered was having Student Ska’s gallant hand stroke her belly.
Jeong Yushin stared blankly at Mion’s sacred uterine tattoo.
‘Could this be a reward?’
Could it be a sweet reward bestowed by fate upon him for overcoming all the unfair treatment and sorrow he had endured?
Darmong’s absence.
Running an inn for the first time in his life.
People who relied on him.
Or people who despised him.
The stress that had accumulated as he repeatedly brushed against death.
Nearly five months of celibacy.
The uterine tattoo shyly revealed by the woman he liked.
‘Ah.’
All of it combined to jab at the limits of twenty-three-year-old Jeong Yushin.
‘I can’t take it.’
With his eyes gone wild, a beastlike growl burst from Jeong Yushin’s mouth.
“Grrr... Teacher Mion!!!”