Chapter 132 Mom
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Mom?
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Three weeks had passed since they arrived in the forest. It was morning.
Clang!!!
Clang, clang!!!
Jeong Yoo-shin and Ashur clashed wooden swords in the clearing.
Instead of focusing on powerful swings, Jeong Yoo-shin concentrated on transitioning smoothly between stances, positioning his sword precisely where it needed to be.
This alone resulted in a fluid, elegant flow of attacks and parries.
Vom Tag.
Pflug.
Schrankhut.
Ochs.
Wechsel.
After witnessing Ashur’s sword dance, Jeong Yoo-shin’s swordsmanship had improved dramatically.
Combined with his battle-forged experience…
His swordmaster’s meticulous guidance…
And his rejuvenated body…
It created an explosive synergy.
Of course, the constant running and strength training that had pushed out his dormant potential also helped significantly.
Clang!!!
Ashur parried Jeong Yoo-shin’s attack and stepped back.
“That’s enough. You’ve improved tremendously.”
“Pant. Pant. Thank you.”
Jeong Yoo-shin bowed his head while catching his breath.
“Your swordsmanship training is complete. And I’ve taught you all the necessary techniques. I’ve shown you the path forward, so I’ve done everything I can for you.”
He sounded as if he was concluding his teachings.
“You make it sound like you’re going somewhere far away.”
“I am. I have to leave Labyrinth City and return to my homeland.”
So that was it.
That was why his elf master had been in such a hurry.
He was leaving?
“…I see.”
“I might be gone for a while.”
“How long?”
“Well, you might have gray hair by the time you see me again.”
A true immortal.
Their perception of time was different.
“Did something happen in your homeland?”
Ashur shook his head at Jeong Yoo-shin’s question.
“I don’t know. I’ll find out when I get there. Skar, you’re done for today.”
The guild members stood up one by one and sparred with Ashur.
Skilled and refined techniques were displayed.
The Swordsman’s Guild wasn’t limited to swords. They used a variety of weapons.
When Jeong Yoo-shin had first arrived, he had seen more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones.
But after training together for almost a month, he was now used to them.
And with familiarity came observation.
He could tell that they were all skilled warriors, each a force to be reckoned with in Labyrinth City.
“Marson, your wrist twisted when you held the spear. Fix it.”
“Yes.”
“Victor, I don’t have to tell you, do I? Your steps are still uneven. That means your lower body strength is still lacking. Either reduce the weight of your greatsword or train your legs.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ashur sparred with the guild members while giving each of them individual feedback.
The morning sun had already risen high in the sky.
Ashur looked around at the sweating guild members.
“Listen up.”
“Yes.”
“I have to leave Labyrinth City and return to my homeland. I might be gone for a long time, or I might return quickly. Don’t worry about that and just continue your training with the Vice-Leader.”
““Yes, sir!””
Kila slowly approached Ashur and stood beside him.
Ashur patted Kila on the shoulder.
“Vice-Leader.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll leave it to you. If you need anything, ask my contacts for help. I’ll come by occasionally to check on you.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as Ashur finished speaking, elves on horseback appeared in the clearing.
They were heavily armed despite the summer heat. It was clear that they weren’t ordinary soldiers. They were probably royal guards.
Among the armed elves was the elf princess he had seen before.
The elf princess glanced at Jeong Yoo-shin, then rode towards Ashur.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, Princess.”
Ashur mounted one of the horses brought by the elven guards and looked down at Jeong Yoo-shin.
“See you later.”
“Have a safe trip.”
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
Ashur left the clearing with the elf princess and her entourage.
Kila looked around at the guild members and smiled.
“Pack your things. We’re returning to the city.”
““Yes!””
Jeong Yoo-shin packed his belongings into a small bundle.
He hadn’t brought anything with him in the first place. He had been kidnapped, after all.
All he had were the gifts from the barbarian grandpa.
“Let’s go.”
Jeong Yoo-shin followed Kila and walked through the forest with the guild members.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Half a day passed.
As the sun began to set…
Jeong Yoo-shin passed through the south gate of Labyrinth City and arrived at the inn entrance.
The guild members gathered around and patted him on the shoulder.
“Skar, have you considered joining our clan? We’re looking for a skilled swordsman.”
“Hey! You’re already trying to poach him? I called dibs on Skar first. Our clan has a lot of pretty girls. Think about it carefully. What’s fun about exploring the labyrinth with a bunch of sweaty men?”
“Pretty girls? The labyrinth is not a playground. Skar, think carefully. You’ll regret it if you get swayed by such things.”
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled inwardly.
“Thank you for the offers. I’ll think about it.”
Jeong Yoo-shin bowed his head to the guild members.
One of them spoke.
“I heard that you were promoted to intermediate rank. Are you planning to operate from the Explorer Headquarters in the Central District?”
“Yes. I heard that there are better requests there.”
“That’s right. Then we’ll see you at Headquarters.”
“Indeed.”
He saw off the Swordsman’s Guild members and stood at the inn entrance.
“Sigh.”
Ashur.
His elf swordmaster had left.
He had known that they couldn't stay together forever, but it was still sudden.
Was something serious happening outside Labyrinth City?
He turned his gaze away from the inn entrance and looked at the setting sun.
‘You even have time for sentimental moments now. Life is easy, isn’t it?’
He slapped his cheeks lightly and opened the inn door.
“Welcome!”
Karin, who had been approaching the doot, stopped abruptly when she saw Jeong Yoo-shin enter.
Her heart skipped a beat.
The soft, cute boy was gone.
He had been replaced by a sharper, more defined young man.
A toned physique, subtly muscular.
Calm eyes and a dignified posture.
The boy who evoked maternal instincts was gone, replaced by a young male.
She had thought that he had gained the strength to protect himself in the forest, but she was mistaken.
Instead of muscles, he had gained an alluring charm.
In short…
The training had polished Skar’s beauty like a gem.
A face that would have made Karin fall head over heels at that age.
Truly…
‘Dangerous…!’
A shiver ran down her spine.
The boy smiled.
“Karin, everything alright?”
“Y-Yeah.”
Karin managed to reply.
This wasn't right.
Skar was still a boy, but…
Why did he smell like a male?
“Food.”
“O-Okay.”
Karin turned around and hurried into the kitchen.
Just then…
A boar beast-person approached, his face lighting up.
“Skar!”
“Snout!”
Aldein’s kind-hearted subordinate.
It had been a while.
Snout approached him with a bright smile.
“I heard you got younger. Seeing you like this is truly… terrifying.”
“Terrifying? I’m not going to eat you. Don’t be ridiculous. What are you doing here?”
“I’m helping out because they’re short-staffed.”
Jeong Yoo-shin nodded inwardly.
“There are a lot of customers.”
“Tarman and Anne developed a new menu, and it’s a huge hit.”
“Really?”
“Ah! Please, have a seat.”
He sat down at the counter with Snout.
“It seems like you have something to say, but let’s talk later. Don’t mind me and continue working.”
“Oh! Thank you.”
Snout left the counter and began taking orders and serving food.
Jeong Yoo-shin went into the kitchen, greeted Anne and Tarman, and then returned to the counter.
“Here.”
Karin brought him his food.
Cold tomato pasta, dark rye bread, and grilled sausages.
Jeong Yoo-shin devoured the food.
“Delicious.”
He was deeply moved. It was his first home-cooked meal in almost a month.
After dinner, he leaned back comfortably on the counter stool and observed the chattering customers.
Everyone seemed satisfied and happy.
It felt a bit wrong to think this, but…
The inn was doing much better than when Dalmong was in charge.
Karin came out of the kitchen and placed a wooden cup on the counter.
“Is this the new menu?”
It looked like shaved ice with a red syrup.
“That’s right. It’s shaved frozen raspberries mixed with honey. Customers like it even more with a bit of alcohol. Oh! I didn’t add any alcohol to yours. You’re still a kid.”
“Really?”
Jeong Yoo-shin scooped up a spoonful of the icy treat and put it in his mouth.
‘This is nice.’
To be able to eat something cold in this heat…
The refrigeration magic tool was proving its worth.
Thanks to Karin buying such a good item, he could comfortably endure the summer.
Jeong Yoo-shin patted Karin’s hip, which was standing next to him.
“Thanks to our Karin, my taste buds are happy. Thank you.”
“Huh?!”
Her butt, encased in tight leather pants, jiggled. Karin instinctively raised her tail and wiggled her hips.
A sudden, intensely feminine movement.
Jeong Yoo-shin, flustered, quickly withdrew his hand.
Karin glared at him, her face crimson.
“D-Don’t do that! People are watching!”
“Uh… Right.”
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his head, embarrassed.
Karin quickly moved away from him and resumed working.
How much time had passed?
Night deepened, and the drunken customers began to leave.
“Skar, we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Tarman and Anne bowed. They both looked happy, as if they had something to look forward to.
“Yeah. Good work.”
Jeong Yoo-shin waved them goodbye.
The inn was quiet.
Snout then approached him.
“Ahem. Skar.”
“What?”
“Lord Aldein wants to see you.”
“What is it about?”
“He said he’ll explain when you meet.”
“Really? Tell him I’ll visit him soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Snout bowed politely to Jeong Yoo-shin and Karin and left the inn.
Only Jeong Yoo-shin and Karin remained in the inn hall.
“Karin, was everything really alright?”
Jeong Yoo-shin asked.
Karin crossed her arms, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
“Well… There were a few people looking for you. Mostly women.”
“Really?”
“I just told them you were out. They didn’t come back after that.”
Jeong Yoo-shin crossed his arms and looked down at the table.
“Karin, how much money have you saved?”
“…”
Karin averted her gaze.
“Why are you looking away? You’ve been working here for a while now. How much have you saved?”
“W-Well, I spent some on things…”
Karin mumbled while fidgeting with her fingers.
Jeong Yoo-shin stared at Karin’s face.
No way.
This wolf beast-person?
Even if she was a princess, this was too much.
“Aren’t you going to buy new equipment?”
“Just wait a little longer. Money isn’t easy to save.”
“What did you spend it on?”
“Th-Things…”
What kind of “things”?
“Tell me honestly.”
Jeong Yoo-shin reached out and stroked Karin’s tail.
“D-Don’t touch my tail.”
Karin whined while squeezing her thighs together.
Jeong Yoo-shin continued to stroke her tail.
Her luscious red fur was well-maintained and pleasant to the touch. It wasn’t as soft as Lin’s belly, but…
Still…
‘This is strangely addictive.’
“Tell me quickly.”
Suddenly, Karin slightly lowered her top.
Her black tank top stretched, revealing her bra. Her scent wafted towards him.
Jeong Yoo-shin’s eyes widened.
“Th-This is…?”
Karin bit her lip slightly.
“Y-Yeah. You said you liked leopard print, so I bought a few things. It’s high-quality underwear made by Arachnes, so it was expensive.”
Karin pulled her top back up and then slightly lowered her pants.
Her smooth hips and lower abdomen were revealed, and he caught a glimpse of leopard print panties.
Karin’s face was crimson.
“…”
He was speechless.
“Do you want a belly kiss?”
“N-No! And go wash up! You stink!”
Jeong Yoo-shin sniffed his arm.
‘Really? I don’t smell anything, though.’
He was sweaty from marching for half a day, but he didn't think he smelled that bad.
Karin pointed towards the dining area.
“I filled the wooden tub in the storage room with water. Go wash up.”
“Okay.”
He went upstairs to get his toiletries and came back down. Lin was sitting blankly at the counter.
She was covered in dirt and grime, as if she had been rolling around in a sewer.
“Lin! You little…!”
Jeong Yoo-shin picked up Lin by the scruff of her neck.
“Chirp? Chirp, chirp!”
“Let’s take a bath.”
Jeong Yoo-shin carried Lin to the storage room.
He took off his clothes and stood before Lin.
Lin was covering her eyes with her paws.
Jeong Yoo-shin chuckled.
‘She acts like a human sometimes.’
He filled a small tub with water for Lin and washed the grime off her.
Then he scooped up a bucket of cold water and washed himself.
“Sigh. This is nice.”
He rinsed himself off and then climbed into the large tub.
“Come here.”
“Chirp, chirp!!!”
He picked up Lin, who was struggling in the small tub.
‘Time for soap.’
He carefully lathered Lin’s soft body with beast-person soap, making sure not to get any water in her ears.
Lin struggled with all her might, but soon she relaxed and surrendered to Jeong Yoo-shin’s touch.
“Chirp… chirp, chirp.”
He rinsed Lin off with clean water and put her in the large tub with him.
Lin clung to his chest and nuzzled him.
He smiled, stroked Lin, rinsed himself off, and then got out of the tub.
As he walked through the dining area and back into the inn, he saw someone sitting there.
It wasn't Karin.
Red ears and tail.
A dignified posture.
A cold expression.
Ingrid Redtail, one of the members of the Labyrinth City Council.
“Hmm…?”
Ingrid froze when she saw Jeong Yoo-shin.
Jeong Yoo-shin tilted his head, then smiled.
He found it amusing to see Ingrid, who always had a cold expression, with her mouth agape.
“Ingrid, I apologize for the delay. I was bathing with Lin.”
“Wh-Who? S-Skar? Bathing…? Ah.”
A trickle of blood flowed from Ingrid’s nose.
Karin stared blankly at Ingrid’s face.
A sudden nosebleed?
“…Mom?”
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T/N - Of course. Shotas are deadliest against MILFs, after all. Also barbarian dad’s massage lessons are really paying off here with Lin. I bet Ingrid would approve of the dad if she knew where the MC learned it from.