Chapter 9
When I came to, a familiar ceiling greeted me. Lately, it feels like I'm blacking out more and more often—surely not just my imagination.
"Ugh..."
I sat up in the soft bed, shaking my head. My whole body throbbed with pain, but thankfully, nothing seemed seriously wrong. Glancing outside, the sun was just starting to set. Not much time had passed since I passed out this time. Then again, I hadn't overexerted myself in a dungeon; those bastards had knocked me out cold from behind.
Fucking pricks.
Ganging up five on one was bad enough, but a sneak attack to the back of my head? It still stung like hell. At least it was a wooden club—if it'd been an iron mace or something worse, would my mind or memories even be intact? High chance I'd be a vegetable. Anyway, my memories seemed fine.
"More importantly, who saved my ass?"
I could vaguely recall what happened right before I blacked out. Even as my vision blurred, I'd clung to consciousness, so I had a rough idea. My ears had been ringing too badly to hear clearly, but at least I could guess those guys who'd been beating me senseless weren't walking away unscathed.
"This is the room I share with Cheong-ah."
Me being here meant she'd seen me all battered and bloody. More than worrying if those bastards survived, I was concerned she might've lost her temper and killed them all. Not because of murder charges or guild penalties for killing fellow adventurers—hell, they'd tried to kill me, so her retaliating as good as my near-wife was self-defense. No way the guild would penalize a Platinum-rank like Cheong-ah for offing a few Bronze-rank nobodies. At worst, they'd ask her to take some dusty old warehouse-clearing quest as backlog cleanup.
My worry boiled down to one thing.
"I wanted to pay them back at least as good as they gave me."
I didn't want Cheong-ah taking my revenge for me.
"...Goddamn cheap-shotting bastards."
The thought that I might've won one-on-one filled my head, making me even angrier. As I stewed on the bed, trying to cool off, the door opened and Cheong-ah walked in.
"Ah, darling. You're awake? How's your body? No pain anywhere?"
"Hey, Cheong-ah. Yeah, I'm good. Just a bit sore, but I can handle it."
"You had us so scared. A little later, and it would've been..."
"I know, those crazy fucks really tried to kill me. Thanks for saving me, Cheong-ah. My wife's the best. C'mere, gimme a kiss."
I spread my arms wide, beckoning her with a wink. Cheong-ah shook her head with a wry smile.
"Mm... I'd love a kiss, but it wasn't me."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Who saved you. It was someone else."
"Someone else?"
"Yes, another person."
"Who?"
"Well..."
Cheong-ah paused dramatically before explaining.
When Cheong-ah first arrived at the alley, she saw Dina—a tiny girl—clutching a bleeding man's head to her chest, sobbing.
"Dina...! Ugh, wh-what is this...?"
Around the weeping girl lay five men: faces caved in, limbs shattered, not even groaning. They were utterly still, definitely dead. Cheong-ah felt a chill for a moment.
But only for a moment. Realizing the thing in Dina's arms was her husband, her face paled, and she rushed over.
"Gr-grumpy girl! What do we do?! Yeonja...! Yeonja's bleeding so much!"
"Darling!"
Cheong-ah snatched Ian from Dina's arms. Finger to his nose—faint breath. She checked his pulse: weak but steady, almost normal.
"Ah..."
He's alive...
She quickly rummaged in her bosom, pulling out a small ampoule—the church-issue potion she carried for emergencies.
"...Just hold on a bit, darling."
Cheong-ah bit off the cap with her teeth, poured the liquid into her mouth, then pressed her lips to Ian's, passing it mouth-to-mouth.
Gulp—gulp—.
Ian swallowed naturally. The potion worked fast; his wounds began fading.
Relieved, Cheong-ah cradled his head gently and turned to the fidgeting, teary-eyed Dina.
"H-how is he? Grumpy girl. Is Yeonja okay?!"
"Yes, darling's fine now. One worry down."
"Phew... Thank goodness. Really."
"More importantly, Dina. What happened here?"
Dina tilted her head, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"Those things around us."
Cheong-ah nodded toward the corpses slumped against the walls. Dina replied nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.
"Oh, those? Nothing much. Ruffians attacking my fallen Yeonja. They dared touch my Yeonja—I took their worthless lives myself."
"You... did this?"
"Why the face? You don't believe me, grumpy girl."
"Well, of course..."
Cheong-ah couldn't easily believe this cute, tiny girl had turned five men into such a brutal scene—without mercy. No weapons, barely any blood on her. Just some dripping from her fists. Did she beat them to death bare-handed? Possible?
Was she missing something? Cheong-ah muttered softly to Dina.
"It's a bit hard to believe, right?"
Dina pouted, as if insulted.
"Hmph, doubting this body now, grumpy girl."
"Mm, not doubting. Just hard to believe."
"Same difference."
"No, different. Doubting means not accepting at all; hard to believe means I might if explained."
"Hm, I see. This unlearned one doesn't grasp such nuances. Then allow me to explain directly..."
Seeing Dina about to launch into a long tale, Cheong-ah cut her off.
"No, later."
"Why?"
"We need to get darling somewhere comfortable first. Can't stay here."
"Ah...! Indeed! My oversight!"
"So that's how Dina and I brought you back to the inn."
"Yeah? How'd you carry me?"
"I supported you alone, of course?"
Alone? What about Bella? I wondered but didn't ask.
"Wasn't I heavy?"
"I'm used to it now."
...Used to it. Her smiling answer made my chest tighten. No more thoughts of being weak.
"You know I'm always grateful, right?"
"Not at all—I can't picture it from words alone."
I just wanted to repay her kindness, hold her close all night.
"How about a kiss, then?"
Teasing, she turned her head with her usual playful smile, glancing sideways coyly. Low enough for me to hear:
"Mm... Who knows? My darling wasn't the type to ask."
Damn... Provoking me? If she thought I wouldn't bite—big mistake. I grabbed her hand from the bed, yanked her into my arms.
"Oh my... Don't, darling. You're not fully healed yet."
Pretending shy surprise. But her eyes were crescent smiles, lips quirked up. That seductive act made me grin.
"You little liar. Teasing me again?"
"No, how could I lie to you? Mmph."
I kissed her lightly, easing her onto the bed. Deepening it, hands sliding to her clothes—
BAM...!
The door Cheong-ah had closed flew open. A cute, pretty little girl burst in yelling. Clean and dressed adorably—not the ragged, pitiful image in my head. I blanked for a second, but her elderly speech gave her away.
"Grumpy girl! Why haven't you come out? Is Yeonja well?"
"...Dina?"
"Ahh! Yeonja...! You're awake! But what are you doing? Why is grumpy girl lying there...?"
Seeing Cheong-ah pinned beneath me, Dina's eyes shook wildly. Her face flushed apple-red. She covered it with both hands and shouted:
"I-I interrupted! Sorry!"
SLAM—!
She slammed the door shut and fled as fiercely as she'd entered.
Hm. Nice. Shall we pick up where we left off?
"No, it's dinnertime."
"So mean."