Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Port City Libertine (2)
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"You son of a... Don't you...! Aaaaargh!"
*Thud—*
I twisted his arm further and shoved him, sending him tumbling gracelessly to the floor.
"Max!"
"You bastard!"
The remaining lackeys charged at once, but I easily dodged them and landed a punch on each.
Their speed, their strength... they weren't even on the level of the Labyrinth's 20th floor. No, not even the 15th.
"Hey!"
Maybe I'd gotten complacent due to the overwhelming difference in our levels, but I missed one of the thugs approaching Hanna.
He got behind her and held a sharp dagger to her throat.
I was completely flustered, but Hanna remained perfectly calm.
"Hey! If you don't want to see your woman get hurt... Gack!"
*Whump—*
The thug threatening Hanna collapsed, clutching his groin.
It was the result of Hanna deftly twisting her body and kicking backward. The point of impact was... rather unfortunate.
I think I heard something pop, too...
"Are you okay? I should have been more careful."
"I'm fine. Even if I've lost my strength, dealing with street thugs like these is no problem."
Right. She might have lost her magic and stamina, but not her experience.
It was a relief, but the thought that Hanna could have been seriously hurt if things had gone slightly wrong made my head spin.
Outside the Labyrinth, my companions are my responsibility to protect. I can't let myself get arrogant again.
"Excuse me... Are you all right?"
The innkeeper approached, a worried look on his face.
"We're not hurt, but."
"That's not it. These guys are the Scorpions, a notorious criminal organization in Libertine. They have connections to the lord's castle..."
So they weren't just simple thugs, but thugs with powerful backing.
Well, it's no problem for me since I'll be leaving anyway.
If anything, I was worried the innkeeper might get caught in the crossfire.
I gathered the sprawled-out men into one spot and kicked them awake.
"Eek!"
"P-please spare us."
"W-we were wrong."
Their attitudes had done a complete 180.
A good punch really is the only language these types understand.
"You said you had backing, right? Who is it?"
"S-Sir Kemis."
A knight? That shouldn't be a problem.
I took out the identification I'd received from the lord.
"I am Repen Arthede, a Royal Guard of the Lord of Kramis. Tell this Kemis fellow that if he wants to keep his head, he should stop his foolish games."
They trembled and nodded, and when I told them to get lost, they scrambled away.
"Mister, you're not going to kill them?"
"It would just complicate things."
Even with my status as a Royal Guard, killing people indiscriminately would blow things out of proportion.
Besides, I didn't want to ruin such a nice day with bloodshed.
Despite the minor commotion, the innkeeper expressed his gratitude by putting his full skills to use, and thanks to him, we finished a delicious dinner and returned to our room.
"I'll sleep on the floor."
"Then one of you, Rina or Hanna, can take the bed..."
"No. We can't let you sleep on the floor, Hyeon-ung. We'll sleep down here."
"Yeah. You must be tired today, Mister. I don't mind the floor."
I don't really mind either.
It seemed like the conversation would just drag on, so I agreed and lay down on the bed.
"Good night, everyone."
Hearing no reply, it seemed they were already fast asleep.
They must have used up a ton of energy today.
Watching them sleep, I remembered I hadn't recorded any video today.
I had filmed a few times during the day, but feeling a bit regretful, I started recording my companions sleeping soundly, dead to the world.
"Hyeon-ung..."
"Hanna? You're not asleep? I was just trying to capture a bit of you sleeping... Hanna?"
"I can eat more..."
So she was talking in her sleep.
Dreaming about eating even in her dreams...
We had a minor issue in the evening, but today was really fun.
I definitely want to come back with the other companions.
If I can just get the Orb of Wishes, I could come here with everyone...
I steeled my resolve once more and closed my eyes.
****
Libertine, Scorpion Hideout.
A tall, handsome man frowned.
"A Royal Guard of Lord Almondeu? Are you sure?"
"Yes. We confirmed his identification tag."
"Why would a Royal Guard be in such a shabby inn...?"
"Maybe it's because there were no other rooms?"
"There were women with him, too."
"Is he just here for fun? In any case, we narrowly avoided a huge problem. Don't go anywhere near that inn from now on."
Kemis commanded firmly, but his subordinates looked displeased.
"Shouldn't we get revenge?"
"If we back down like this, the Scorpions' name will be... Ack!"
*Thwack—*
Kemis kicked the subordinate who had spoken out of turn in the chest.
"Have you not heard about the knight in Kramis who was executed recently for colluding with an organization? Are you trying to get me killed, too?"
"No... that's not it. We were wrong to think that way."
"To avoid giving him a negative impression of Libertine, see to it that he is accommodated and that no unpleasant incidents occur until he leaves."
"Understood."
****
"What?"
"Uh... you were here yesterday, so we won't be taking any money."
Early in the morning, we came out to play at the beach again.
I went to rent a parasol and an icebox just like yesterday, but today was completely different.
Yesterday, they were unscrupulous merchants trying to squeeze every last penny out of us, but today, as if they'd all turned over a new leaf, they said everything was free.
I followed the shopkeeper's gaze and saw two rough-looking men standing a short distance away.
When I looked at them, they quickly averted their eyes...
Well, I'm not complaining about saving money.
I set up the parasol, enjoyed swimming to my heart's content, and came out of the water, but huh?
Right next to our spot, some skinny guys were kneeling with their hands in the air.
Judging by the bruises all over their faces, they'd been beaten up by someone. Now that I looked closer, I saw the menacing-looking man from when I rented the parasol earlier.
"What's this? This is our spot."
"Ah, are you the owner of this spot? These punks were using it without permission, so I was just teaching them a lesson."
"No, we just thought the spot was empty..."
"We were wrong."
They looked similar to the thugs from yesterday. Were they some kind of vigilante group?
"Ah, so that's what happened. Thanks, anyway."
"Don't mention it. We can't let ruffians like these ruin Libertine's image."
"Still, it seems a bit excessive. It's an eyesore, so let's call it a day."
"Understood. Hey, you lot, get lost!"
The kneeling men scrambled away.
I thought he might be doing this hoping for a tip, so I took out 10 silver, but he waved his hands and refused it.
"I didn't do it for money. It's all to maintain the peace in Libertine. Well then, have a good time."
The man flashed a grin, showing his white teeth, and left.
"What was that man about?"
"Seems like some kind of vigilante."
"Mister, I'm hungry."
"Hyeon-ung, can't we have lunch here before we go?"
The man who had been walking away ran back toward us.
"If you're looking for lunch, Kevinton's Steakhouse, the fifth building from that intersection, is the most famous. If you like seafood, turn left at that alley and you'll see a yellow roof. The fish there is the best in Libertine."
He stopped and came back just to recommend a restaurant?
This was baffling.
What on earth was his goal?
"Ooh, Mister, I want steak!"
"I'd like meat, too!"
"Shall we? Thanks for the recommendation."
"The steakhouse is probably crowded at this hour. Ah! Take this."
The man handed me a small piece of paper.
[Steakhouse Priority Dining Pass]
"I know the owner of the restaurant, so if you show them this, you should be able to get a table without waiting."
"Oh, but I can't just take this..."
"Nonsense. I go there all the time anyway. I just hope you have a wonderful experience in Libertine."
I tried to give him a few coins, but he waved his hands and left as if he were fleeing.
Was he hired by the restaurant for promotional purposes?
I felt a little uneasy, but since it was on our way back, we packed up and headed to the recommended restaurant.
The entire three-story building was a restaurant, and it must have been a famous spot because despite its size, a long line had formed outside.
A restaurant like this probably didn't need viral marketing...
I approached a staff member checking reservations and showed him the priority dining pass.
"Th-this is... My apologies for not recognizing you. Please, just a moment. Could you wait for just one moment?"
He rushed inside, looking startled, and less than five minutes later, a middle-aged employee in a neat suit came out to guide us.
It was a private room on the third floor with a plate-glass window that offered a panoramic view of the sea.
"Hyeon-ung, doesn't something feel strange?"
"Mister, you don't think they're going to charge just us an outrageous price, do you?"
Oh, that reminded me of a news story I saw a long time ago.
Where good-looking people lure you from a club to a wine bar and then you get slapped with a bill for thousands.
Still, thanks to them we didn't have to wait. As long as the price wasn't completely absurd, I was prepared to get fleeced just this once.
A moment later, a staff member entered.
"What would you like to order?"
"Give us four... no, six servings of your most confident dish."
"Six servings?"
"I eat quite a lot."
"Understood."
As soon as the staff member left, Rina tilted her head.
"Mister, are you that hungry?"
"No, it's because Hanna has a big appetite."
If I said I ordered more because of Hanna's appetite, she might get embarrassed.
Hanna lowered her head slightly, her face blushing.
You've got to have at least this much tact.
"Still, shouldn't we have asked the price before ordering?"
"If it's ridiculous, we can just argue about it."
Considering the thugs from yesterday didn't even come for revenge, my status as a Royal Guard of the lord seemed to carry significant weight.
Soon, starting with the bread, soup and salads were served, and the quality was better than I expected.
"Wow, this is really delicious!"
"At this rate, it could even rival Kabisa."
"The bread is definitely better here than at Kabisa."
Not only the pre-meal bread and appetizers, but the main course, the steak, was also perfectly cooked and so tender it melted in your mouth.
The pudding and sherbet for dessert were fluffy and sweet.
Even Rina, who was a picky eater, cleaned her plate.
Everyone loved the dessert so much that we asked for refills twice, and they happily brought more.
At this quality, I wouldn't have regretted paying 1 gold per person.
"Were you satisfied with your meal? If you need more dessert..."
"It was delicious. We're fine on dessert. I'd like to pay the bill, how much is it?"
"We will not be accepting payment."
They won't take our money?
"The Priority Dining Pass is given to our distinguished guests, and we do not charge for the meal."
Something felt off, but they adamantly refused to accept payment, so we left the restaurant.
It must have been quite expensive. Who on earth was that man?
I left Libertine thinking that if I ever ran into him again, I would have to repay him somehow.
After putting some distance between us and the city, I summoned the Qilin again.
We rode it back to Kramis, and by the time we arrived, the sun was already setting.
As soon as we got back to Kabisa, everyone collapsed without even washing up.
They must have been exhausted from playing hard in the morning and traveling a long distance in the afternoon.
I wanted to just lie down too, but I managed to wash up quickly before getting into bed.
There's no place like home.
I stroked Nix and Geum-yong, who were dozing off beside me, when Geum-yong's body began to tremble.
"Kyuuing..."
Thinking it was about to have an accident on the bed, I quickly scooped it up, but a golden light began to burst forth.
Then, it vanished without a trace, and a notification window appeared.
[The Golden Dragon has departed for the Valley of Gold to retrieve a reward.]
[Time until Golden Dragon's return: 95:59:59]
Wasn't there still some time left before the month was up?
Of course, it had left early last time too, but this time it was much faster.
"Poyo? Poyo!"
Nix also seemed flustered by Geum-yong's disappearance and looked around.
"This happened last time, remember? Geum-yong will be back soon."
I soothed it with a pat, and it rubbed against me.
Having experienced it once, it didn't seem as sad as before.
I wonder what it'll bring back this time...
What I fed it this month was a bit lacking, but maybe since it left early, it'll bring back something good?
The longer the wait, the bigger the reward, after all.
Indulging in some wishful thinking, I was about to close my eyes when, huh?
A golden light began to burst forth from mid-air once again.
[The Golden Dragon that departed for the Valley of Gold has returned early.]
"Kyuuing!"
"Poyo! Poyo!"
Nix seemed happy, but I felt a little uneasy.
"Hey, Geum-yong? How long has it been? Why are you back already?"
"Kyuuing? Kyuuing!"
It turned its head away as if offended. Don't tell me that little rascal didn't bring back a reward.
But thankfully, a white light burst from the turned-away Geum-yong, and a notification window appeared.