Chapter 82 Summer Night
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Summer Night
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Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes gleamed as he looked at the teddy bear.
"I told you to come here."
"...U-Uh. I forgot something! I'll come back later, bear!"
The teddy bear said as he backed away.
Jeong Yoo-shin jumped up from his seat and strode towards it.
The teddy bear trembled while looking up at Jeong Yoo-shin.
"W-Why are you doing this, bear?!"
Jeong Yoo-shin quickly slipped his arm under the teddy bear's armpits.
"Bear!"
The captured teddy bear thrashed in surprise.
He felt a twinge of annoyance as he watched the teddy bear pound his chest with its fluffy paws.
To find such a cute creature in this crazy Labyrinth City...
'This is driving me nuts.'
Jeong Yoo-shin forced a stern expression to hide his amusement.
He lifted the teddy bear and placed it on the chair opposite him.
"...I helped you up because it looked like you were having trouble climbing. Now tell me, what do you need help with?"
"Huff. Huff."
The teddy bear panted while clutching its chest.
"Tarman!"
"Yes!"
Tarman rushed over.
"Bring this little friend some fruit juice."
"Yes! Oh?! Mr. Bumphring!"
Tarman exclaimed while looking at the teddy bear. The teddy bear seemed to snap out of its daze and looked up.
"Oh! Tarman, is that you, bear?"
"Tarman, do you know this little bear?"
"Yes. And to call him a little friend... Mr. Bumphring is quite old."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 33 this year, bear."
"I-I see. I apologize for my rudeness."
Jeong Yoo-shin bowed his head apologetically.
"I understand, bear. Our Honeypot species tends to look young, bear."
The Honeypot species.
'So there are different types of bear beast-people.'
Was this what Aldein meant a few days ago when he talked about the various races within the Eastern Alliance?
"Mr. Bumphring, please wait a moment. I'll bring you some fruit juice."
"It's alright, bear. I'll just talk and then be on my way, bear."
Tarman quietly sat down next to Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Ahem. What's the request?"
Jeong Yoo-shin asked.
"I'd like you to move some items, bear."
Items.
"What kind of items?"
"I bought some wheat and need help moving it to the storage room, bear."
Wheat?
"Do you run a bakery?"
"Of course, bear! Because I have the Fluffy Paws imprint, bear!"
The teddy bear spread its paws wide.
Soft paw pads.
Jeong Yoo-shin carefully examined the teddy bear's paws and spoke.
"What's the Fluffy Paws imprint?"
"It's an imprint that makes bread more delicious when you bake it, bear!"
A Fluffy Paws imprint that made bread more delicious.
This crazy labyrinth.
"Are you an explorer?"
"That's right, bear! Though I'm retired now, bear."
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his head.
He had thought that the teddy bear was just a small, cute beast-person, but did it have some hidden power?
Bumphring the teddy bear took a piece of paper from its pocket.
"I submitted a request to the Explorer's Guild, but no one accepted it, bear. I came here because I heard that there's a strong and kind barbarian here, bear."
A strong and kind barbarian?
Jeong Yoo-shin turned his head and looked at Tarman sitting next to him.
"Tarman, that was you, right? Aren't you laying it on a bit thick?"
"I only spoke the truth."
"Alright."
Jeong Yoo-shin turned his head back to Bumphring.
"What's the reward?"
"...Bread, bear."
Bread?
Jeong Yoo-shin crossed his arms.
"What do you mean?"
"I bought some high-quality wheat from the Lionel merchants and ended up overspending, bear. I don't have any money, bear."
So that's why the explorers didn't accept it.
Who would do it for bread instead of money?
Jeong Yoo-shin rested his chin on his hand and thought.
Completing requests within Labyrinth City was essential for promotion to intermediate-rank explorer.
In short, it was a necessary request.
It seemed easy enough, too.
Jeong Yoo-shin nodded.
"It doesn't seem like it will take long, so I'll accept the request."
"Thank you, bear!"
The teddy bear raised its paws in the air and danced joyfully.
Jeong Yoo-shin gritted his teeth.
'Grrr!'
'Crazy bastard. Control yourself.'
The conflict between the angel and devil within him flared up.
"Now that it's settled, there's no need to delay. Let's go."
"Alright, bear!"
Jeong Yoo-shin and the teddy bear stood up and left the inn.
"Ah! Mister!"
Luna spotted Jeong Yoo-shin and ran towards him.
He was glad she was calling him "mister" now. He had practically begged her to stop calling him "daddy" after the repeated assassination attempts.
Luna and the teddy bear seemed to know each other and started talking.
"Hello, Mr. Bumphring."
"Luna, how is your mother, bear?"
"Mom is better. Mister Skar helped her so she wouldn't go far away."
"I see, bear."
"Where are you going, Mr. Bumphring?"
"I'm going to work, bear."
"I'm coming too!"
Luna chimed in.
Jeong Yoo-shin walked with the little fox beast-person and the teddy bear on either side of him.
It was a strange procession. People on the street stared at us and whispered.
The walk didn't take long, but it was a place he had never been before.
It was a novel sight for Jeong Yoo-shin, who usually stuck to familiar routes.
It was a street of bakeries.
The sweet smell of bread filled the air.
A large crowd gathered, admiring the bread displayed on the stalls.
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his head.
He felt a pang of guilt for being so focused on the labyrinth and neglecting his surroundings.
"Let's hurry, bear!"
"Yes."
At the teddy bear's urging, Jeong Yoo-shin pushed through the crowd and arrived at a bakery.
It was a building made of wood and brick with a large honey pot painted on the sign.
The teddy bear raised its short arm and pointed at the honey pot.
"The honey pot! The pride of our Honeypot species, bear."
"I see."
A huge pile of wheat sacks was stacked in front of the bakery.
'That's a lot.'
Jeong Yoo-shin looked down at the teddy bear.
Was its name Popuring or Mumuring?
"Is it alright to buy this much?"
"It's a bit excessive, bear. But the wheat from the Lionel Kingdom has an exquisite aroma, bear!"
The fact that the wheat had been transported during the summer meant it had been sown last fall.
Winter wheat usually had high protein content, so it made sense to buy a large quantity at this time of year.
"Alright."
"Luna will cheer you on from here!"
"Okay."
Jeong Yoo-shin rolled up his sleeves and went to the pile of wheat sacks.
Seeing the sacks piled higher than his head, he sighed.
He estimated there were about 300 sacks.
He shook his head and steeled his resolve.
'This is nothing.'
As always.
One at a time, from the beginning.
Jeong Yoo-shin lifted a wheat sack, slung it over his shoulder, and carried it to the storage room of the bear's bakery.
'This is no joke.'
Sweat dripped from his chin.
It was hard labor, but it was easier than exploring the labyrinth.
Each sack felt like it weighed about 40kg.
He was sweating profusely due to the hot summer weather.
People on the street were staring at him, but he couldn't be bothered with them.
He diligently moved about 150 sacks.
His back and knees ached.
Jeong Yoo-shin sat down in the shade of the bakery building.
"Hoo. I'll rest for a moment."
"Here, have this and take a break, bear."
The teddy bear approached him and handed him some bread.
"Water, please. Not bread."
He felt like he was going to choke on the bread if he ate it now.
"You're working hard!"
Luna came over and fanned him with her hand. The three slimes, summoned at some point, also approached him and jiggled their soft bodies.
He didn't feel a breeze, but he did feel a sense of warmth.
Was this what it felt like to be a dad?
He felt a surge of energy.
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled, stood up, and continued moving the wheat sacks.
He finished the job at around sunset.
His entire body was drenched in sweat.
Jeong Yoo-shin slumped down at the entrance of the bakery.
Luna was gone already. He had sent her home since it was getting dark.
"Hoo. There's no such thing as an easy job."
"You worked hard, bear."
The teddy bear approached him and offered him some water.
Jeong Yoo-shin drank the water and stood up.
"Wait a moment, bear."
The teddy bear went inside the bakery and then came back out.
In its tiny paws, it held a bag filled with various breads and a piece of paper.
The long-awaited request completion document.
It had been hard work, but seeing the document made his fatigue vanish.
"Take this paper to the Explorer's Guild, bear."
"Alright. Sell lots of bread."
"I'll continue to supply delicious bread, bear."
Supply?
Jeong Yoo-shin tilted his head.
"Were you supplying bread to our inn?"
"That's right, bear. I thought you were Dalmong's proxy, but you weren't, bear?"
"I didn't look into it that closely. I'm a bit embarrassed now that I think about it."
"No need to feel ashamed, bear. Tarman and Anne sang your praises, bear. They said you're diligent and reliable, bear. Like a giant tree that they can rely on, bear."
"You flatter me."
Jeong Yoo-shin joked with a smile.
"H-How can you say such indecent things?! S-Stay away from me, bear!"
"..."
He asked why it was indecent, but the teddy bear refused to answer.
Jeong Yoo-shin left the flustered teddy bear and returned to the inn.
As he entered, he saw some familiar faces.
His party members were all sitting together. However, the granny-loving elf was nowhere to be seen.
"Skar."
Soline the paladin called out to him.
"It's been a while."
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled as he approached them and sat down.
The party's atmosphere was strangely subdued.
"I'm sorry."
Soline suddenly bowed her head apologetically.
"Why? What happened?"
"I think I have to leave the party. I received a summon from the temple. I have to leave Labyrinth City."
He felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
"I understand. But where's Pyrion?"
"Priest Pyrion was dispatched to a small village temple in the southern Lionel Kingdom territory. I heard that the priest stationed there had passed away, leaving a vacancy. He asked me to tell you that he's also sorry."
Is that so?
He swallowed a sigh.
"I... I'm leaving too."
Gallerheim said.
"Is something wrong?"
"...To be honest, Skar, you scare me."
What was he talking about?
"Please elaborate."
"You're too deeply involved with the underworld. Ordinary explorers don't get this entangled. This is just my feeling, but I think you'll get even more involved. I can't handle it."
As expected of a guide. He had good instincts.
"I understand. You're free to leave."
"I'm sorry."
"No. It's my karma."
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled wryly.
"But I'll stay until the incident with the Fifth Prince's nanny is resolved since she's still being held by Oswald."
Soline said.
A faint smile appeared on Jeong Yoo-shin's lips.
As expected of Gillian's junior paladin. She was loyal.
Jeong Yoo-shin shook his head.
"The matter with the Fifth Prince's nanny has already been resolved. You can leave without worry."
"Really?! How did you resolve it?"
Soline asked in surprise.
"It's a secret. I can't talk about it. Please understand."
"...I see. Alright."
Soline seemed to have guessed something, but she didn't pry any further.
Jeong Yoo-shin saw his departing party members off.
As evening approached, he watched Soline and Gallerheim disappear into the crowd and sighed.
He had thought this party would last longer.
He was wrong.
He understood though. It was the nature of temporary parties.
He couldn't force them to stay, as they had their own circumstances.
The world was full of difficulties.
The most difficult of all were matters involving people.
His party members disappeared into the crowd.
Jeong Yoo-shin returned to the inn's dining area and helped Anne and Tarman clean up.
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Time passed, and Anne and Tarman left for the day.
Late at night. In the empty common area of the inn.
He sat alone at the counter while sipping his drink.
Creak.
The inn door opened, and a cat beast-person entered.
A familiar face who occasionally came to the inn for a meal. He was a mail carrier.
"Skar, a letter."
The cat beast-person took a piece of paper from his bag and handed it over.
"At this late hour?"
"I thought I'd deliver the letter and then sleep here for the night."
"Who sent it? I don't know anyone who would write to me."
"Dalmong sent it."
Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes widened.
It had been about two and a half months since Dalmong left.
"Q-Quickly, give it to me!"
Jeong Yoo-shin snatched the letter like a hawk catching a mouse.
The cat beast-person frowned as he brushed his hand.
"Which room?"
"The fourth room on the right, second floor."
"Here's the lodging fee."
Jeong Yoo-shin shook his head.
"Lodging is free. Just pay for breakfast."
"Alright."
The cat beast-person flicked his tail and went upstairs.
Jeong Yoo-shin took a deep breath and carefully opened the letter.
Dalmong inquired about his well-being in simple words.
Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes widened as he read.
"What?!"
Shocking news.
His hand trembled as he held the letter.
He racked his brain, trying to process the contents of the letter.
Dalmong's wife hadn't had an affair.
She had simply lied because she missed him. And the letter said she was actually pregnant now.
'So he went back and got her pregnant.'
He also wrote that he would stay until the new baby was born. And that Jeong Yoo-shin could entrust the inn to someone else if it became too much for him.
The letter ended with Dalmong's deep gratitude and concern, along with wishes for Jeong Yoo-shin's happiness and well-being.
Jeong Yoo-shin stared at the letter for a long time, then carefully folded it and put it in his pocket.
Aldein's words suddenly came to his mind.
'If you lose something, you gain something.'
His party had disbanded. He could consider that a loss.
He had heard about his friend's well-being. He could consider that a gain.
'So the world isn't always filled with bitter events.'
Jeong Yoo-shin took out a pen and paper from under the counter and started writing a reply.
He slowly sounded out the words as he wrote as his literacy was still limited.
"Dalmong... I'm doing well. And congratulations on your wife's pregnancy..."
A small smile appeared on Jeong Yoo-shin's face as he wrote.
In the dimly lit common area of the inn.
A single small lamp illuminated Jeong Yoo-shin.
It was summer.
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T/N - Aw, what a nice ending. The MC definitely needed the good news after what he went through since Dalmong and Karin left. Also, we finally have news on Dalmong. Good on him for having a loyal wife and for his future child. Though I think these sorts of pranks are a bit too much in medieval times where transportation is horrible.