NOVPUBThree weeks had passed since they arrived in the forest.
Clang!!!
Kakakak!!!
In the open area, Jeong Yushin and Ashur were clashing their wooden swords.
Jeong Yushin didn’t swing his sword with all his might but instead moved smoothly from one stance to another, positioning his sword where it was needed.
Even with just that, the elegant flow of swordplay poured out like water.
Vomt tag.
Pflug.
Schrankhut.
Ochs.
Wechsel.
After witnessing Ashur’s sword dance, Jeong Yushin’s swordsmanship had advanced by a level.
On top of that, the experience gained from actual combat.
The meticulous teachings of the Sword Master.
All of it, combined with his youthful body, produced explosive synergy.
Of course, running and strength training to constantly stimulate the dormant abilities within him had also helped significantly.
Clang!!!
Ashur knocked Jeong Yushin’s sword away and stepped back.
"That’s enough. You've really changed beyond recognition."
"Huuh... huuh... thank you."
Jeong Yushin panted heavily and lowered his head.
"The correction of your swordsmanship is complete. I’ve taught you most of the grappling techniques. I’ve also shown you the path ahead. So, I’ve done everything I can."
His tone made it sound as if he were finishing his teachings.
"Are you leaving somewhere far?"
"Yes. I need to briefly leave the labyrinth city and return to my hometown."
As expected.
The elf teacher was in a hurry, as I thought.
Is he leaving?
"...I see."
"I might take longer than expected."
"How long will it take?"
"Hmm, hard to say. Maybe you’ll see me when your hair turns white."
Is he really from the long-living race?
The passage of time was different for him.
"Is something big happening back home?"
At Jeong Yushin’s question, Ashur shook his head.
"I’m not sure either. I’ll know once I go. Skaa, step in and take your turn."
The guild members stood up one by one and sparred with Ashur.
Skilled and refined martial arts unfolded before them.
As a swordsmanship guild, they didn’t limit themselves to just swords but used various weapons.
At first, there were more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones.
But after spending nearly a month training together, they had become familiar with each other.
And with familiarity came observation.
It was clear that they were all warriors who were notable in the labyrinth city.
"Marson, your wrist holding the spear is twisted. Fix it."
"Yes."
"Viktor, you know without me telling you, right? Your steps are always off. It’s a sign of weak lower body strength. Either reduce the weight of your greatsword or build up your strength."
"I understand."
Ashur sparred with the guild members, pointing out each flaw one by one.
The sun had now risen high in the sky.
Ashur looked around at the guild members, who were sweating profusely.
"Listen up, guild members."
"Yes."
"I’ll be leaving the labyrinth city for a while to return to my hometown. It might take a long time, or I might return quickly. Don’t worry about that and make sure to continue training diligently under the vice-leader."
"“Yes! Understood.”"
Killa slowly approached and stood next to Ashur.
Ashur patted Killa’s shoulder.
"Vice-leader."
"Yes."
"I’m entrusting everything to you. If needed, ask my acquaintances for help. I’ll occasionally come by to check on your swordsmanship."
"I understand."
Just as Ashur finished speaking, elves on horseback appeared in the open area.
Despite it being midsummer, they were dressed in full armor. It was clear they weren’t of ordinary status. They looked like the royal guard.
Among the armed elves, the elf princess from before was also present.
The elf princess glanced briefly at Jeong Yushin before urging her horse toward Ashur.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes, Princess."
Ashur mounted the horse brought by the royal guard and looked down at Jeong Yushin.
"I’ll see you next time."
"Take care."
Clop-clop. Clop-clop.
Ashur left the open area with the elf princess and her entourage.
Killa looked around at the guild members and smiled.
"Pack your things. We need to head back to the city."
"“Yes!”"
Jeong Yushin tidied up the tent and slung a small bundle over his shoulder.
He didn’t have much luggage to begin with. After all, he had been kidnapped.
The only items he had were the gifts given to him by Grandpa Barbaroi.
"Let’s go."
Under Killa’s guidance, Jeong Yushin and the guild members started walking down the forest path.
Half a day passed.
As the sun began to set.
Jeong Yushin passed through the southern gate of the labyrinth city and arrived at the inn entrance.
The guild members gathered and patted Jeong Yushin on the shoulder.
"Skaa, have you ever considered joining our clan? We’re looking for a decent swordsman."
"Oh, this guy’s already trying to butter him up? Skaa, I called dibs first. Skaa, we’ve got plenty of pretty girls in our clan, you know? Think it over. What’s the fun in wandering the labyrinth with a bunch of gloomy guys?"
"Pretty girls? The labyrinth isn’t some playground for kids. Skaa, think carefully. If you get charmed by them, you’ll regret it later."
Jeong Yushin secretly smiled to himself.
"Thanks for the offer. I’ll think about it."
Jeong Yushin bowed his head to the guild members.
One of the members spoke up.
"I heard you’ve risen to the rank of intermediate explorer. Are you planning to operate in the explorer’s headquarters in the central zone?"
"Yes. I heard there are good quality requests there."
"That’s right. See you at the headquarters then."
"Let’s do that."
After seeing off the swordsmanship guild members, Jeong Yushin stood at the entrance of the inn.
"Phew."
Ashur.
The Sword Master Elf teacher had left.
Although he knew they wouldn’t be together forever, it still felt sudden.
Could something unusual be happening outside the labyrinth city?
Jeong Yushin took his gaze away from the inn entrance and looked at the setting sun.
‘I’ve had some time for reflection. Life’s not bad, huh?’
He tapped his cheek lightly and opened the inn door.
"Welcome!"
Karin, who was approaching, stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Jeong Yushin.
Her heart skipped a beat.
The soft, boyish appearance was gone.
Now, a sharp, refined young man stood before her, his features more defined as the baby fat had disappeared.
He had a toned body that seemed to have just the right amount of muscle.
His calm eyes and composed demeanor.
The maternal, endearing aura was gone, replaced by the presence of a young man.
She thought he had gone into the forest to gain the strength to defend himself, but it had been an illusion.
Instead of muscles, he returned with an unusual charm.
In short,
His training had carved his beauty like a gemstone.
If Karin were his age, she would have fallen for him immediately.
Truly.
‘Dangerous...!’
A chill ran down her spine.
The boy smiled.
"Karin, did nothing happen?"
"Uh...uhh."
Karin barely managed to answer.
This shouldn’t be happening.
Skaa was still a boy.
Why does he give off such a masculine vibe now?
"Feed me."
"Y-yeah."
Karin awkwardly turned and went into the kitchen.
At that moment, the wild boar beastman approached with a bright expression.
"Skaa-nim!"
"Snub-nose!"
A soft-hearted subordinate of Aldain.
It had been quite a while since he last saw him.
Snub-nose approached and smiled brightly.
"I heard you’ve gotten younger. Seeing you now, you’re really quite terrifying."
"Terrifying? I’m not here to eat anyone. Don’t talk nonsense. What are you doing here?"
"I was helping out since they were short-handed."
Jeong Yushin nodded inwardly.
"A lot of customers, huh?"
"Yes, Taruman and En have developed a new menu, and it’s been surprisingly successful."
"Really?"
"Ah! Please, sit down first."
Jeong Yushin sat at the counter with Snub-nose.
"It seems you have something to say, but let’s talk about it later. Don’t mind me and just do your thing."
"Ah! Thank you."
Snub-nose left the counter, took orders, and began delivering food.
He greeted Taruman and En in the kitchen before returning to sit at the counter.
"Here."
Karin brought over the food.
The menu was cold tomato pasta, black rye bread, and well-grilled sausage.
Jeong Yushin devoured the food quickly.
"It’s delicious."
It was the first home-cooked meal he’d had in almost a month, and it made the experience even more moving.
After dinner, he relaxed in the counter chair and looked at the people laughing and enjoying themselves.
Everyone seemed satisfied and happy.
Though it felt strange to think this way,
It was definitely better than when Darlmonger was in charge.
Karin returned from the kitchen and placed a wooden cup on the counter.
"Is this the new menu?"
It looked like a red-colored shaved ice.
"Yes. We froze raspberries using a freezing mage tool, then ground them up and mixed it with honey. People seem to like it more with a bit of alcohol added. Ah! I didn’t put alcohol in yours, though. You’re still a kid."
"Really?"
Jeong Yushin scooped a spoonful of the crunchy ice and tasted it.
‘Not bad.’
Being able to eat ice like this in the summer was great.
The freezing mage tool seemed to be worth its price of 15 gold coins.
Thanks to Karin’s good purchase, he was able to enjoy a comfortable summer.
Jeong Yushin patted Karin’s behind, who was standing next to him.
"Thanks to our Karin, my mouth is enjoying this feast. Thank you."
"Whooo?!"
Her plump buttocks bounced under the tight leather pants.
Karin instinctively straightened her tail and swayed her hips.
Suddenly, Karin showed an intense female movement.
Jeong Yushin was flustered and quickly removed his hand.
Karin glared at him, her face bright red.
"Ha...don’t do that! People are watching!"
"Uh...right."
Jeong Yushin scratched his head in embarrassment.
Karin quickly moved away from him and went back to work.
How much time had passed?
As the night deepened, the drunken customers slowly left their seats.
"Skaa-nim, I’ll see you tomorrow."
Taruman and En bowed their heads with smiles on their faces.
"Alright. Good work."
Jeong Yushin waved his hand to send them off.
The inn was quiet now.
Snub-nose approached.
"Kuh! Skaa-nim."
"What is it?"
"Aldain-nim wants to meet you sometime."
"What’s it about?"
"He said he’ll explain after you meet him."
"I see. Tell him I’ll visit soon."
"Yes. I’ll tell him."
Snub-nose politely bowed to Jeong Yushin and Karin before leaving the inn.
Now, only Jeong Yushin and Karin remained in the inn lobby.
"Karin, really nothing happened?"
Jeong Yushin asked.
Karin folded her arms, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
"Well... sometimes people came looking for you. Mostly women."
"Really?"
"I just told them you were away for a bit. They haven’t come back after that."
Jeong Yushin crossed his arms and looked down at the table for a moment.
"Karin, how much money have you saved?"
"..."
Karin avoided his gaze.
"Why are you looking away? You've been working for quite a while. How much have you saved?"
"U-uh... I’ve been buying a few things..."
Karin fidgeted with her fingers, muttering.
Jeong Yushin looked at Karin’s face and then realized.
No.
This wolf beastwoman?
No matter that she’s a princess, this is too much.
"Aren’t you going to buy some equipment?"
"Ah, just wait a bit. It’s harder to save money than I thought."
"Where the heck did you spend it?"
"Th-there’s something."
What could that something be?
"Be honest with me." 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Jeong Yushin raised his hand and petted Karin’s tail.
"Don’t, don’t touch my tail!"
Karin looked up at him, her face turning into a frown.
Jeong Yushin kept playing with her tail.
The soft red fur felt well taken care of, and it was quite satisfying to touch. It wasn’t quite like Lin’s soft belly, but still.
Still.
‘This is strangely addictive.’
"Tell me quickly."
Suddenly, Karin slightly lowered her top.
Her black sleeveless shirt stretched, and her bra popped out.
The scent of Karin's body wafted through the air.
Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.
"This...what’s this?"
Karin bit her lip slightly.
"Y-yeah. Since I knew you liked leopard print underwear, I bought a few things. They’re top-notch underwear made by the Arakne, so they were expensive."
Karin fixed her shirt back to its original position, then slightly lowered her pants.
Smooth hips and lower abdomen, and beneath them, leopard print panties peeked out.
Karin’s face was now bright red, almost as if it could explode.
"..."
Jeong Yushin was at a loss for words.
"Can you kiss my belly?"
"No, no?! And go take a bath! You smell!"
Jeong Yushin put his nose to his arm and smelled it.
‘Is it really bad? I don’t smell anything.’
He was drenched in sweat from marching for half a day, but it didn’t seem like he smelled bad at all.
Karin pointed to the restaurant.
"There’s water in the wooden barrel in the storage on the first floor. Go wash slowly and come back."
"Alright."
Jeong Yushin grabbed his toiletries from the second floor, then came down and found Lin sitting at the counter, looking dazed.
He smelled and was covered in stains, as if he had been rolling in the sewer.
"Lin? You [N O V E L I G H T] little rascal!"
Jeong Yushin grabbed Lin by the scruff of the neck.
"Chirp? Chirpchirp!"
"Let’s take a bath together."
Jeong Yushin grabbed Lin and headed for the storage.
He undressed and stood in front of Lin.
Lin covered his eyes with both hands.
Jeong Yushin chuckled.
‘Sometimes he acts so human.’
He poured some water into a small wooden barrel for Lin, then washed off the filth from his body.
Afterward, he scooped some cold water and washed himself off.
"Ahh, that feels good."
After roughly washing himself off, he stepped into the large wooden barrel.
"Come here."
"Chirp!!!"
Jeong Yushin grabbed Lin by the scruff of his neck, who was struggling in the small barrel.
‘I’ll need to use soap, right?’
Carefully, so as not to get water in his ears, he lathered up with animal soap and gently massaged Lin’s soft body.
Lin resisted with all his strength, but after a while, he grew limp and let Jeong Yushin take care of him.
"Chirp...chirpchirp."
Jeong Yushin cleaned Lin with fresh water, then placed him in the large wooden barrel with him.
Lin clung to Jeong Yushin’s chest and shook his head.
Jeong Yushin smiled as he petted Lin and rinsed his body before stepping outside.
As they passed through the restaurant and returned to the inn, someone was sitting at the counter.
It wasn’t Karin.
Red ears and tail.
A dignified posture.
A cold expression.
One of the labyrinth city committee members.
Ingrid Redtail.
"Mm...?"
Ingrid froze when she saw Jeong Yushin.
Jeong Yushin tilted his head and smiled.
It was amusing to see Ingrid, usually with a cold expression, with her mouth agape.
"Ingrid-nim, sorry, I was late because I was washing with Lin."
"Wh-Who? S-skaa? Bath...? Ah."
Ingrid fumbled, and a trickle of blood started running from her nose.
Karin stared blankly at Ingrid’s face.
Suddenly, a nosebleed?
"...Mom?"
