11. Intermission
We dismantled the wolf's head right there on the spot, the one Bella had dragged in. I'd planned to do it myself, but unfortunately, the hide was so tough and resilient that I had no choice but to let her take over. Without mana, there was no way to cut through it...
Once we'd sliced off the hide and cracked the skull, a magic stone larger than an average adult man's fist emerged from within, gleaming with a brilliant purple hue. Even coated in red blood, brain fluid, and sticky goo, its color was stunning.
"Whoa, that's huge!"
"Yeah. Never seen one this big before."
"Damn... how many bottles of booze could this buy?"
"Yeonja, with this size, how many meals could we get?"
As the girls said, it was the first time we'd seen one this large and vibrant. It had to be at least upper-grade quality.
"Hey, shit. Kid. Food's not the issue right now. This thing could cover the most expensive dishes at a fancy restaurant for a whole month and still have change."
"R-Really? Then let's head back quick..."
"Oh my..."
Dina was drooling with excitement when Cheong-ah suddenly tilted her head, as if listening to something, then turned toward a certain direction.
"What's up?"
I followed her gaze, and there was Herald's party staggering toward us, battered to hell.
The joyful mood sank instantly.
"...Ah."
They trudged along with listless steps. I quickly realized why they looked so drained. Three were bloodied but intact. One was being carried, missing a leg entirely. Bread Party had six members in my memory. Two were missing.
...Dead, huh.
It was tragic, but unavoidable in this line of work. As I mourned silently, Herald met my eyes, his expression twisting subtly. He was comparing his wrecked party to our unscathed one.
I approached the arriving Herald to offer some comfort.
"Hey, Herald..."
"It's fine, Ian. Our party's just lacked the skill."
He cut me off, speaking in a gloomy voice, pretending to be nonchalant. I shut my mouth, at a loss for words.
A bit later, Hain's party, Blade Vane, arrived. Their condition was better than Bread Party's. Aside from Dennis—the porter guy—the only other male adventurer had lost both arms. The rest had bandages here and there, but no one looked seriously hurt.
"Dennis, you okay?"
"Yeah, thanks. Annie, Jessie."
Hain approached where we were gathered and scanned us with a quick glance. She asked bitterly,
"You guys are all fine, huh?"
"Yeah, somehow."
"Lucky. Dennis ended up like this for us. Guess a party with two Platinums is on another level."
A twinge of guilt crept in, despite the thrill of our massive magic stone. It wasn't our fault, of course. Just... a weird feeling. Some lose comrades, others become crippled. And the weakest of us all—me—was perfectly fine.
Just... like that.
Back in the city, we headed straight to the guild. Along the way, injured adventurers littered the roadside. Some faces bright, others dark. Among them, people in uniform black-and-white attire stood out—sturdy, conservative-looking outfits.
They moved through the wounded, hands glowing with white energy. I'd never thought much about gods in this world—except when cursing them—so I'd never set foot near a church. But seeing them, I instantly knew: Those are goddess worshippers!
The Church of the Goddess. Devotees of the one true goddess of benevolence, the only deity in this world. Their influence dwarfed any religion on Earth. After all, miracles were real here, wielded by priests—healing wounds and illnesses, warding curses, purifying corruption.
In an era where a mere cold could kill, their status was immense. Though regenerating lost limbs or curing disabilities was beyond even them. Only rare saints or saintesses, appearing once every few centuries, could manage that.
...But I can do it, right?
Am I a saint?
I shook off the dumb thought. If I were, the church would've gotten a divine oracle and whisked me away ages ago.
"What're you thinking so deeply about?"
"Nothing."
We arrived at the adventurer-packed guild along the trail of returnees, just like last time.
"Ugh, so many people."
"Dina, come here."
"Eh? Ooooh...! So high up!"
"Heh, kid as expected."
"Shut up, beast girl. Commoner smaller than this body."
"...Ha, unbelievable. That's your height? Ian's height?"
"Hmph, Yeonja and I are of one mind and body."
I scooped up tiny Dina—who'd get lost in the crowd—and followed our usual troublemaker Bella as she led the way.
"Tch... Move it, assholes! Let us through!"
Even Bella, who usually waited silently, was irritated today, snapping and cursing at blockers.
"Hm, Yeonja, maybe we should queue? Following that beast girl feels like it'd get us cursed at. I wanna live long, not die early..."
"Too late, Dina."
"Aw, pity."
"What're you doing? Hurry up!"
"...Coming."
Bella's sudden outburst drew eyes in the guild, but they quickly looked away.
"What the fuck are you staring at?!"
She yelled, looking ready to draw her greatsword—fierce as hell.
"Ah, you're here."
Karen greeted us at reception. A few in line grumbled, but...
"...Why?"
"Nothing. You just look extra reliable today."
"Heh, flattery? Makes me feel good."
Our reliable troublemaker. Solid as ever. Leaving her preening, we slipped through the reception gate Karen opened and headed to the branch manager's office.
There, we proved the request complete by plopping the massive wolf head in front of Branch Manager Hopkins.
Back at the inn, we dispersed to our rooms to recover.
"See you at dinner."
"Yeeawn... wake me then."
"Got it. I will."
Bella trudged off, half-asleep already. She'd been lively at the guild, but crashed the moment we arrived.
As Bella vanished and we headed to our rooms, Cheong-ah called out to Dina as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. Dina."
"Hm? What is it, sour girl?"
"Don't overeat, okay? We have dinner later."
Dina flinched guiltily.
"Eek... You knew?"
"Yeah, your stomach's been growling since you were in husband's arms at the guild."
"E-Embarrassing."
"See you later, Dina."
"Y-Yeah..."
Blushing Dina nodded and ducked into her room. I wanted to dive into bed and roll around, but Cheong-ah would pout if I did. So I restrained myself.
I dumped my gear and armor in a corner, tossed my dusty clothes into the basket by the door, and stretched in my underwear.
"Nngh... Tired."
"You worked hard, husband."
"Nah, you did more."
I sidled up, slipping an arm around Cheong-ah's waist—she hadn't fully undressed yet. Caressing her soft skin, I leaned in for a kiss, but her hand blocked my lips.
"N-Ng? Cheong-ah?"
"No, husband."
Her refusing a kiss? The sudden rejection stung.
"What? Why?"
"Y-Your breath smells sweet."
She blushed and looked down shyly.
...Oh. That. Relief washed over me.
I lifted her chin and whispered low,
"It's fine. I don't mind."
"N-No, I do... Mmph."
Her lips carried a faint sweetness mixed with her usual fresh scent.