2. Early Morning, Blind Ju Cheong-ah
Early morning. I woke up before even the diligent innkeeper of the place where I was staying stirred. There was only one reason. In this world, a guy with no talent or anything had to at least hustle to survive.
All my gear was a worn-out leather armor and a longsword with a slightly chipped tooth. I should go to the blacksmith to get it sharpened, or buy a whetstone and do it myself... But I couldn't even afford a single whetstone, so here I was, dragging my sorry ass around. Pathetic.
"...Can't be helped."
I trudged over to the Adventurer's Guild. As usual, Karen—the guild's receptionist who always arrived first—was unlocking the doors. Shoulder-length bob with a soft orange hue. Petite stature a bit shorter than my chest, with a youthful, girlish cuteness that stood out. Karen suited the term "girl" more than "woman." She was the guild's receptionist, always smiling as the bridge between adventurers and the guild.
Spotting me, she greeted me with a gentle eye-smile.
"Morning, Karen."
"Oh, Ian. You're early again today."
I scratched the back of my head and replied.
"Well, a guy like me has to hustle if he wants scraps worth doing."
"A guy like you? What's wrong with you, Ian?"
"Well..."
I was an Iron Badge adventurer—still newbie-level stuff—and my skills were so shit I couldn't even handle a single goblin properly. The only requests I could take were safer gathering quests with minimal monster encounters. My gear was all beat to hell, losing its usefulness. Even looking at it subjectively in the best light, I wasn't really an adventurer... just...
The words mumbled awkwardly in my mouth. Karen gave a pitying smile at my expression.
"I-It’s not your fault, Ian. Everyone has things they’re good at and bad at, right? So, um..."
She knew my situation and was trying her best to comfort me. Damn, really. Even though most people at the guild ignored or looked down on me, her kindness was something I was grateful for.
I chuckled inwardly and answered.
"Karen, that sounds like you're telling me to quit adventuring. What else can I do if I suck at this?"
"Ah... Th-that's not what I..."
Karen panicked. I finally laughed, letting on it was a joke.
"Heh, kidding. Kidding. I know you didn't mean it that way. Anyway, let's head in. It's still dawn—kinda chilly out here."
"Ugh... Seriously."
Karen pouted a little as she opened the guild doors. We stepped inside together, greeted by the lonely air that had built up overnight in late autumn.
"Cold, right, Ian? Hang on, I'll light the stove right away."
"Yeah, I'll just sit over there."
Karen headed to stoke the stove. I took my usual seat in a corner of the guild. After a short wait, the dark interior brightened with warm light, and a cozy heat began to spread.
Warm... The inn I stayed at boasted the cheapest rates here, so it was rundown and drafty. Come autumn, cold seeped through the walls every night, leaving me shivering under the blankets. And no, I couldn't afford to run a stove... Magic tools for heating cost a pretty penny. Only a place like the guild could afford them—a dump for bottom-feeders like me sure couldn't.
"Better now?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"Hehe... No need to thank me. I get warmer too. Anyway, just a bit longer. I'll check the requests and bring something good."
"No, no. Call me over—I'll come look."
"Okay, just wait a sec?"
Karen scurried to the counter and started rummaging through stacks of papers. After a moment, her expression stiffened. She glanced at me warily.
...What's up?
Puzzled, I looked her way. Our eyes met, and hers shook violently. With teary eyes, she barely managed to speak.
"U-Um... Ian."
"Yeah?"
"Sorry. I-I definitely set aside gathering requests for you yesterday before leaving... "
"And?"
"Th-they..."
"Yeah?"
"For some reason, they've already been accepted by someone else..."
"Any others?"
Karen shook her head bitterly. I let out a soft sigh.
"Ah..."
"I'm sorry."
She bowed her head apologetically, even though it wasn't her fault.
...Can't be helped. She probably didn't know what was going on either—quests she'd prepared out of consideration for me, gone. I didn't resent her for it. Well, human nature being what it is, maybe a tiny bit of pettiness, but...
"Really, I'm so sorry... Ian."
No matter her age, with her girlish looks, Karen's moist, quivering voice full of regret tugged at anyone. Me included. I waved it off with a composed smile.
"Nah, it's fine. Not your fault."
"St-still..."
"Come on, I said it's okay. Think of it as a day off... Or like last time, tag along with some party short on hands."
"But, Ian..."
"I'm good."
It was my fault for being useless anyway. Not hers. Still, she kept apologizing. As I soothed her—on the verge of tears now—time passed, and adventurers started trickling in for quests. The guild grew busier. I sat in my dark corner, staring blankly at them.
Bustling adventurers. Some formed parties and grabbed requests, others went solo. But none paid me any mind. No one bothers with a useless straggler...
If someone asked if I felt wronged, hell yeah I did. I hung my head.
"Fuck..."
Did I ask to get yanked into this world? Fell asleep in bed and woke up here. No connections, no knowledge. Small comfort: at least the language worked. Sure, I got some bullshit ability out of nowhere...
"...Fucking Conductor."
What the hell was I supposed to conduct? What did "deepen relations" even mean? First, I thought coworkers. Joined a party, figured it'd let us steamroll with this power. Even tried leading...
Nope. Next, friends. Desperately made some while adapting...
Nope. Tried that, failed. Slave or commanding soldiers? No clue where to get a slave, and no money anyway. Officer leading troops? Yeah, right.
"Sigh..."
Just sighing away, the crowded guild emptied out. I looked up—nearly deserted. Strike out today... No quests, no one looking for me. I stood listlessly to head back to the inn.
"Ian...!"
Karen's voice stopped me. I turned.
"Yeah...?"
She rushed up, panting, and thrust a paper at me.
"H-Here... Take this, Ian."
I snatched the request form.
"Karen? This is...?"
"A request. Guild-direct. Thought you could handle it."
She caught her breath and explained.
"Not tough. Just proctor a test for new adventurers. Pays a whopping 15 silver coins."
"...15 silver?"
15 silver coins. After three years grinding as an adventurer, I'd barely scraped over 50 silver. Not chump change. But...
"Why pay 15 silver just to proctor?"
Proctoring wasn't hard. When newbies registered, the guild tested them. Regular guild adventurers usually handled it—no surplus staff to waste, and better to scout future colleagues yourself anyway.
What shocked me was the pay. Proctor fees came from the newbie's registration fee.
So this newbie paying for the test...
"Who shells out 15 silver for a newbie test? Isn't 10-20 coppers the max?"
"No fixed amount. As long as it's 10+ coppers and they take requests, anyone can apply."
"But this is way too much."
"Well... Actually..."
Karen rolled her eyes, flustered. As I pressed, a clear voice came from behind her.
"There's a condition."
"Huh?"
It was a woman with long black hair braided like a scarf around her neck, a wide-brimmed hat on her head, gripping a staff taller than herself.
"Ah, Cheong-ah..."
"Karen. I'll explain from here."
Slender jawline and slightly upturned nose under the hat—undeniably beautiful. Bandages covered her eyes, drawing attention. But that wasn't why I was stunned.
"H-Hanbok...?"
She wore familiar hanbok. Red jeogori covering her upper chest, exposing from lower chest down—but tightly bandaged from bust to upper abs, no skin showing. Black skirt draped from upper abs to ankles, slit high on the right to her hip, fluttering to reveal smooth thigh and calf for easy movement. A white cord draped suggestively at her hip, sexy yet alluring. Her floral shoes were pristine—no wear, no dust—like brand new. Unlike her slightly frayed hanbok and hat.
Hearing my mutter, she spoke warmly.
"Oh? You know hanbok? Quite a few locals don't... You're well-learned!"
"Ah... Y-yeah. A bit."
"Oh, I should've introduced myself first. Sorry."
She clasped her chest lightly and bowed gracefully.
"I'm Ju Cheong-ah from Yuldo. Ju is the family name, Cheong-ah the given—in that order, unlike here."
"I'm Ian. Lee for family, An for given."
"Ah...! The Lee clan? From the east, then?! No wonder you know hanbok."
...East? I didn't even know what Yuldo was. But from her words and clothes, it felt like something I might vaguely know. Eh, close enough.
"Yeah, something like that. So, what's this condition you mentioned?"
"Oh, that? Hehe... Nothing much."
Ju Cheong-ah covered her mouth with a soft laugh.
"Party up with me a bit. As you see, I'm a blind woman. No one wants to."