Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Timi, Milli, and Elaine (1)
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“Who is it?”
Did the lord send someone already?
“It’s the guild master of the Golden Lion Guild.”
Ah, it’s Tae-soo.
“Hyeon-ung, you have friends!”
“Uh… huh?”
“You always go into the labyrinth alone, and in the city, you’re with us all day, so I thought you didn’t have any friends.”
Elaine twisted the knife with a perfectly innocent expression.
What does she take me for?
I was deliberately looking out for them.
Normally, I would have had dinner with Tae-soo.
When I went inside, I saw him sitting in a corner of the first-floor dining area, sipping tea.
“Tae-soo!”
“Oh, my friend…? Wait, aren’t those your companions next to you?”
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
“We’ve met before.”
“They… they can talk?”
He looked completely astonished.
It was understandable, since companions normally couldn’t speak to summoners other than their master.
But thanks to a companion trait or something being unlocked, they were now able to converse.
“How on earth did you do this? How are your companions in the city…?”
“Ah, about that… Hey, you three, could you head up first?”
They were carrying a lot of things, and I needed time to think, so I sent my companions upstairs first.
I couldn’t tell him I used the Orb of Wishes, so I wracked my brain for an excuse until a good idea came to mind.
“You know those random item boxes Pioneers get? I got an item from one that lets me summon my companions outside.”
“Really? I guess those boxes can give out things like that. But why only three…?”
“The maximum is three at a time. More importantly, what brings you here at this hour?”
He must be quite busy, since we have to go back to the labyrinth the day after tomorrow.
“Why didn’t you come today? You said you were hosting a ramen party, so I told all the guild members…”
Ah, that’s right.
I’d completely forgotten in my excitement to summon my companions.
“It slipped my mind. I was busy taking care of my companions…”
“I see my young friend is a man after all.”
“What? No, it’s not like that. It wasn’t just because of them; I also had to meet the lord, and a few things came up.”
“Were the territorial guards questioning people today because of you? They kept checking people’s shoes.”
So he knew.
I didn’t tell him about the Boots of Enhancement’s ability, but I explained that there was a small issue with an item I received from the lord.
“So that’s what happened.”
“I should have told you beforehand, but I was in a rush… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m just glad nothing serious happened. We bought and ate the ramen ourselves. I was just worried when you didn’t show up, not trying to blame you.”
As he spoke, he must have opened his inventory, as a rather large leather pouch materialized out of thin air.
“Tae-soo? What is this…?”
“I brought some ramen and a few other things for you, my friend.”
I opened it to find all sorts of cup noodles—spicy ramen, fresh udon, black bean noodles, and fire chicken stir-fried noodles—along with a variety of snacks.
And most welcome of all were a black liquid in a plastic bottle with a red label, and a clear liquid in a plastic bottle with a green label.
Cola and cider!
“Tae-soo, you really didn’t have to… This must have been incredibly expensive.”
With 20,000 won being about 1 gold, this much would have cost nearly 10 gold…
“We focused on the lower floors this time because of the new recruits, and surprisingly, the profits were quite good.”
“They were?”
“We used almost no potions, and we cleared monsters quickly. Besides, this is nothing compared to all the help you’ve given our guild, both materially and morally.”
Man, this is really touching.
“Thank you. I’ll really enjoy this.”
“If I had known you had companions, I would have brought more. Let me know if you ever need anything.”
This is just great.
We had a light dinner because of all the shopping.
A bite of ramen before bed, a sip of the broth, followed by a gulp of ice-cold cola…
My mouth was already watering just thinking about it.
“By the way, did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“You must not have, being so busy today. The guild master of the Peace Middle School Guild is dead.”
…I thought it seemed dangerous, but in the end… it happened.
“Was he attacked?”
“No, killed by a monster. He had terrible luck.”
“Luck?”
“According to the surviving student, they ran into a Goblin King right after entering.”
Wow, truly bad luck.
For a high-level summoner like me, it would have been a windfall, but for beginners, it was nothing short of a disaster.
He wasn’t a particularly likable guy, but it still felt unsettling that someone I’d seen a few times was now dead.
“What about the other students, besides the principal?”
“From the principal’s party, four died, including the principal. A member of our guild who was nearby managed to save the sole surviving student.”
“That student was lucky. So what happens to the Peace Middle School Guild now?”
Besides the principal, wasn’t there a PE teacher or someone?
I thought that person would become the new guild master, but apparently not.
“A complete disbandment?”
“It was bound to happen. The students who experienced the labyrinth for the first time must have been shaken. And the casualties weren’t limited to the principal’s party.”
Apparently, about three others outside the principal’s party had also died.
Personally, I don’t think the first floor is that dangerous if you’re well-prepared…
“So, are the other guilds going to make them offers again?”
“Well, that’s the plan for now, but I spoke with the other guild masters of the alliance before coming here, and most of them seemed skeptical.”
“Skeptical, how?”
“The sentiment is, ‘Why should we welcome back kids who rejected our offers to do their own thing?’”
It might seem cold, but honestly, I don’t think they’re wrong.
Few people would look kindly on those who rejected offers to go it alone, only to come crawling back when things went south.
“What about you, Tae-soo?”
“Our new recruits seem to want to accept them, but the original members don’t look too pleased. The officers were all against it.”
“I see.”
I could understand.
He might have said the profits were good from clearing monsters quickly and using fewer potions, but the Golden Lion Guild’s goal wasn’t money; it was to return home.
They needed to aim high, so they wouldn’t welcome more newbies who needed to be cared for.
“Except for a few students with decent abilities, most of them will probably end up in smaller guilds.”
“Wait? Tae-soo, I thought the condition was that if there were any students who weren’t chosen even from there…”
That’s what I remembered the condition for bringing them was.
“Ah! We specified in the contract that it only applied to the first round of selections, so there’s no issue.”
As expected of a former CEO, he was thorough with these things.
“Well, we’re not completely ruling out recruitment, since there might be some kids with decent traits.”
All the useful ones would have been picked up by now…
He might seem pragmatic, but Tae-soo was a good person at heart.
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“My friend, are you thinking of recruiting anyone?”
I shook my head without a second’s thought.
I’d sent Go Hwa-yeon, the only one I had a slight interest in, to the Golden Lion Guild instead of recruiting her myself. Why would I recruit anyone now?
I felt sorry for them, but that didn’t mean I could take responsibility for them.
After talking with Tae-soo a bit longer, I went up to my room.
“Oh? Hyeon-ung, you’re back!”
They must have all showered while they were waiting, as their hair was damp and shimmering.
“Kkyuuu…”
“Ppoyo…”
Geum-yong and Nix flew over to me, whimpering, and snuggled into my arms.
“What’s wrong with them?”
They both seemed so listless, as if the companions had been bullying them.
“We washed Geum-yong and Nix when we took our showers.”
So that’s why.
They certainly looked a bit cleaner than usual.
Wait a minute, if they bathed together, they would have seen everything… you lucky little rascals.
“What were you talking about?”
“Nothing much, just… Oh! I have a present. Is everyone feeling a little hungry?”
I took out the gift bag I’d received from Tae-soo.
“What’s this?”
“It looks like food, but… ugh, what is this taste?”
Elaine licked the picture on the cup noodle lid and grimaced.
…I should be understanding, since this is all new to them.
“It’s food from where I used to live. And what’s written on the outside is just a picture. The actual contents are inside.”
I needed to boil water. Ah, I could do it over there.
I went out to the terrace, put some charcoal in the barbecue grill, and used Nix to light it.
I took out the pot I used in the labyrinth, placed it on top, and filled it with water.
“Is this alcohol?”
Timi showed interest in the cola and cider.
“It’s similar to beer, but it has no alcohol.”
I thought I’d heard on Witube that naturally carbonated water exists, but I hadn’t had any since coming to Kramis.
There was beer, but it wasn’t as carbonated as what I was used to back home.
While the water was heating, I brought out some glass cups, filled them with ice, and poured the cola, which amazed all of them.
“Something’s popping in it.”
“The color is so dark. It must be bitter, right?”
“It’s called cola. Just try it.”
Timi and Milli hesitated, but Elaine bravely picked up the cup of cola first.
“Aah!”
“Elaine? Are you okay?”
“Hyeon-ung, this is weird, isn’t it?”
The way she said it, you’d think I was feeding her something inedible.
“What is this? It feels like something is exploding in my mouth and my throat…”
“Exploding? Like a bomb? Shouldn’t you spit it out?”
“It’s not that bad, and it’s incredibly sweet! This is so delicious!”
Elaine beamed, and the others looked relieved.
I was worried something was wrong, too, so that was a relief.
Then again, what kid doesn’t like cola?
Ah, of course, Elaine is 200 years old, but still…
Encouraged by Elaine’s reaction, Milli and Timi cautiously took a sip. Both were startled but seemed to enjoy it.
“This is really amazing! I’ve never drunk anything like it!”
“The fizziness is a bit like champagne, but it’s sweeter and doesn’t make you drunk. I like it.”
“I want more.”
“Me too.”
They were scared at first, but now they were all fighting over it.
One bottle was gone in an instant.
“Uh… hey, guys?”
Fearing there wouldn’t be any left for me, I quickly grabbed one of the remaining glasses and chugged it.
“Hyeon-ung, is this one similar?”
Elaine pointed at the cider.
“Yeah. That’s called cider. Let’s eat the ramen first, then drink it.”
When I put the cider back in my inventory, they all looked at it with longing eyes.
The water boiled quickly, so I poured it into the cup noodles after adding the seasoning packets.
“Alright, let’s wait for three minutes.”
“The food gets made just by adding water?”
“Yep. Think of it as spaghetti with a lot of broth.”
“You only added water to these two.”
Timi pointed at the fire chicken stir-fried noodles and the black bean noodles.
“Ah, for those two, you drain the water and then add the seasoning. Milli, there are forks in the drawer below. Can you get them?”
“Okay.”
After three minutes, the ramen was cooked. I drained the water from the fire chicken and black bean noodles, added the seasoning, and mixed them well.
“It’s ready. Let’s eat before it gets soggy. Be careful, it’s hot.”
As I spoke, I took a moderate amount of the spicy ramen with my chopsticks and put it in my mouth. Wow, a tsunami of pure bliss washed over me.
“Hyeon-ung?”
“Hyeon-ung, are you crying?”
It was so moving that a tear welled up in my eye.
The food in Kabisa was excellent, and Seol-hwa had cooked for me, but nothing could replicate the savory deliciousness of ramen, a masterpiece crafted by corporate food scientists.
“It’s just because it’s so good. Go on, everyone, try some.”
“The color is so red.”
“And this one is black…”
After a moment of hesitation, all three made the same choice.
“That one might be a bit spicy.”
“Spicy? I like pepper…”
“I prefer something with a kick over something bland.”
“I put a ton of pepper on my steak earlier, too.”
Are they all good with spicy food?
Still, the fire chicken noodles were on a completely different level than pepper…
All three simultaneously twirled the noodles with their forks and put them in their mouths.
“It’s not that spicy… Agh!”
Milli was the first to react.
“What is this? Hyeon-ung, is this food meant for torture?”
“Ha… haha… Hyeon-ung, how can a person eat this… Guh…”
They were all sweating profusely and in agony, while Elaine was practically rolling on the floor.
I shouldn’t, but they were so cute that I couldn’t help but smile.
“I told you it was spicy.”
“I didn’t know it would be this bad… Haa, water…”
“Drinking water will only make it worse.”
I used the crystal ball to order some milk, and after having them eat the fresh udon and black bean noodles, they thankfully seemed to calm down.
“This one is delicious, but that other one is the demonic realm in a bowl.”
The demonic realm?
“Even in the demonic realm, they don’t eat things like that.”
“This red broth is also really spicy.”
It seemed even the regular spicy ramen was too much for my companions.
“It’s pretty popular where I’m from.”
They all gave me strange looks.
“Hyeon-ung, why do people from your homeland eat such grotesque food?”
“Are they all masochists who enjoy pain? Does that mean you’re also…”
“That’s not it. You get used to it after a while.”
I took a bite of the fire chicken noodles myself. It had been a while, so it was a bit spicy, but not unbearable.
Despite the commotion, everyone was satisfied after a hearty meal of snacks and cider for dessert.
I left the cleanup to my companions and came out after taking a shower, but huh?
All three of them were standing in front of the bathroom.
Were they trying to peek… No, surely not.
“What are you all doing here…?”
“Here’s a towel.”
Milli handed me a towel.
“Thanks. You all must be tired, you should have gone to bed.”
“I’m going to sleep with you, Hyeon-ung!”
Elaine exclaimed with an innocent expression, but her words were anything but.
“I… I’ll also… with you, Hyeon-ung…”
Milli, too, had a look of great resolve on her face.
“Where will you be sleeping, Hyeon-ung?”
Finally, Timi asked, sending a sultry gaze my way.