Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: The Marquis's Goodwill
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Seo Woo-jin heightened his vigilance.
A noble he was seeing for the first time.
And not just any noble—a marquis, a holder of immense power, offering help out of the blue. It was only natural for suspicion to arise immediately.
‘It might be because I’m a hero...’
But considering how he had treated Baron Dorman, it couldn’t be that simple a reason.
If anything, there might be some massive conspiracy that Seo Woo-jin hadn’t even imagined...
“Don’t overthink it. It’s truly just pure goodwill.”
His thoughts had dragged on too long, so Drunak spoke as if to dispel any misunderstanding.
“Ah, sorry.”
Embarrassed that his inner thoughts had been seen through, he flashed an awkward smile and apologized.
“No, if anything, I’m the one who should apologize for making you uncomfortable.”
Drunak apologized in turn, and Seo Woo-jin shook his head.
“It’s fine. But the lodging is okay. It seems we can stay here.”
“That’s not a bad idea either.”
From start to finish, Drunak treated Seo Woo-jin with impeccable courtesy and politeness.
He didn’t seem to harbor even the slightest ulterior motive.
But Seo Woo-jin still felt uneasy.
‘It feels like there’s some scheme behind it.’
The problem was he couldn’t figure out what it was.
“I appreciate the goodwill. But I don’t think we’ll need any help.”
He decided to keep some distance for now.
If there was something they wanted, they’d cross paths again sooner or later, so it was better to hold off on committing.
“If you don’t want it, there’s nothing to be done.”
Drunak looked regretful.
But only for a moment.
Quickly regaining his composure, he smiled and spoke.
“By the way, I heard you went through quite the ordeal this time. A young dragon appeared, they say...”
“...I nearly died.”
He had actually died once, so it was indeed a major incident.
“They say the young dragon was slaughtered by some ‘black existence’ of unknown identity. For the Empire—no, the entire continent—it’s truly a fortunate event.”
What should he say in response?
With a guilty conscience, he had to choose his words carefully even for a single sentence.
“You were there at the time, weren’t you? Did you happen to see it?”
“Ah, I...”
It was just as Seo Woo-jin started to shake his head.
“The Hero said he got hit by the young dragon’s front paw and flew far away at the time. So he didn’t see it.”
Rinar, who had been quietly standing by, suddenly jumped in and interrupted the conversation.
He even gave Seo Woo-jin a look that said, ‘That’s right, isn’t it?’
“Y-Yes, that’s right. Unfortunately, I wasn’t on the battlefield at the time...”
“No serious injuries, I hope?”
Pretending not to notice Seo Woo-jin’s embarrassment, Drunak asked with concern.
“Fortunately, I leveled up, and all the injuries from then were fully healed.”
Of course, he had gotten a bit hurt again during Strain’s test afterward, but there was no need to mention that.
“I see. I’ve heard that heroes recover their bodies every time their level rises.”
Drunak looked at Seo Woo-jin with eyes full of wonder.
“Yeah, lucky for me. Otherwise, I would’ve died right there.”
“Truly fortunate.”
The conversation after that was mundane.
He occasionally eyed Seo Woo-jin as if appraising him, but he didn’t openly demand or request anything.
Thanks to Drunak’s request, they even had a glass of beer and finished their meal.
As expected of a high-class inn, the food quality was excellent.
Though the beer wasn’t as good as the dark ale he’d had at the Sands Hill.
“If you ever need my help, come find me anytime. Just tell Yorn.”
“Thank you.”
He probably wouldn’t need to ask for help, but he expressed his gratitude anyway.
“Then, we’ll meet again soon, so I’ll keep the farewell brief.”
Soon?
As Seo Woo-jin stared in confusion, Drunak tilted his head instead.
“You haven’t heard yet? His Majesty has invited you to the imperial palace next week.”
“Ah, the Grand Duke mentioned it, but I didn’t know it was next week.”
“The invitation should have reached the academy by now. You’d best start preparing.”
Seo Woo-jin felt a flicker of anticipation.
What reward would the Emperor bestow?
‘I hope I get a good sword or something.’
Rune Dear was a famed sword, no doubt.
But lately, he’d been feeling its durability wearing down bit by bit.
No matter how famed a sword, it struggled to withstand Seo Woo-jin’s immense mana.
To endure it fully, he needed something beyond a mere famed sword—a legendary one.
“You can look forward to it. His Majesty is personally overseeing it. Toppling a young dragon is an achievement of that magnitude.”
He let the unspoken follow-up—‘Even if you didn’t catch it yourself’—slide.
“Thank you.”
“See you next week, then.”
With that farewell, Drunak left the inn.
“Hmm...”
Nothing particularly eventful had happened.
The noble—Dorman or whatever—had picked a fight, but that was long forgotten from Seo Woo-jin’s mind.
Drunak had been courteous, and it strongly felt like he held genuine favor toward Seo Woo-jin.
And yet, the unease lingered.
He had a strong premonition that this would drag him into something troublesome.
And Seo Woo-jin’s intuitions like this tended to hit the mark quite accurately.
“Hero?”
As Seo Woo-jin sat lost in thought, Rinar cautiously called out, gauging his mood.
“Ah, right. We need to check out your room too. Here!”
Seo Woo-jin raised his hand and called out softly, and a waiting server hurried over.
“Was the meal satisfactory?”
“Yeah, it was delicious.”
Seo Woo-jin smiled and nodded.
Then, pointing at Rinar, he said,
“I’d like to see the room for this kid.”
“We’ve prepared it in advance. Please follow me.”
They hadn’t forgotten his initial request, and Rinar’s room was already fully set up for a guest.
“Wow!”
As expected, the room was impressive.
The interior screamed luxury.
Rinar’s eyes went wide as he rushed inside to look around, while Seo Woo-jin’s pupils trembled faintly.
“Uh... it doesn’t have to be this nice.”
It looked expensive at a glance.
Of course, he had plenty of money, but that didn’t mean he wanted to splurge like this.
It was just a room for a twelve-year-old to stay in for a week...
“The marquis has already paid for a full month.”
“Oh, really?”
When had that guy even paid?
Seo Woo-jin’s expression brightened.
Unease was unease, and this was this.
Silently sending infinite thanks to Drunak inwardly, Seo Woo-jin began touring the room with Rinar.
“Hero! This bed—it’s so soft!”
He pressed down on it with his hand.
It felt like pressing on a cloud.
‘Sleeping here might hurt his back. Well, if he likes it, fine.’
There were three rooms, plus a separate living room, bathroom, and even a bath.
Seo Woo-jin marveled at the perfect three-room setup.
‘This isn’t an inn anymore; it’s hotel level.’
He suddenly wondered how much such a room cost but didn’t ask.
It would only add to his debt of gratitude to Drunak.
“Could you also arrange for someone to look after him for about a week?”
“Of course. One of our female staff should suffice.”
“Please do.”
The server nodded and stepped out.
Probably to fetch the female attendant.
“Come sit here.”
Seo Woo-jin pointed to the sofa in the living room, and Rinar, who had been excitedly exploring, obediently sat down.
“As I said earlier, you’ll be staying here alone for a while. Can you handle it?”
“Yes!”
In such a great room, being alone seemed no big deal to him.
“Don’t cause trouble. If you get caught picking pockets like back home, they won’t let it slide here.”
This was the Empire’s capital, after all.
Get caught thieving, and he’d face the full penalty of the law.
“I won’t do anything. I’ll just stay put.”
Seo Woo-jin eyed the kid skeptically for a moment before nodding.
He was smart enough to know what would happen if he caused trouble.
“I’ll come pick you up in about a week. We’ll start your training to make you a hero then.”
“Yes!”
Rinar’s eyes sparkled.
How disappointed had he been when told he couldn’t become a hero?
But Seo Woo-jin’s words—that he could become a hero instead—had given the boy a new dream.
It wouldn’t be easy.
Not even with Rinar’s unique ability setting him apart from others.
The training would be grueling, and he’d want to quit multiple times a day.
‘I know, because I went through it.’
Even he, driven by the need to grow stronger, had felt like giving up more than once or twice.
But if he overcame it?
“You can get strong.”
He was certain.
With his ability combined with swordsmanship, the boy could grow into a guardian-level powerhouse—not just a pipe dream.
“So don’t give up, even when it’s tough. Follow through.”
“Got it!”
Rinar beamed innocently in response.
He probably wasn’t thinking too deeply about it.
Seo Woo-jin chuckled wryly to himself and ruffled the boy’s hair.
“Alright, I’m off. No trouble, and I’ll see you in a week.”
“Yes!”
Seo Woo-jin clicked his tongue at the kid mimicking a salute as he stood, then left the room.
Outside stood the server and a female attendant he hadn’t seen before.
“Ah, is this her?”
She was a kind-looking middle-aged woman.
“The kid’s a handful, so please take good care of him.”
“She raised six brothers all on her own.”
The server spoke as if to say there was no need to worry.
‘Whoa.’
Raising six brothers alone? Looking after Rinar would be a breeze.
Reassured, Seo Woo-jin left the inn.
“It’s already getting dark.”
He needed to get back to the academy before it got too late.
He had to report to Yorn and let Airin and the others know he was back, so he was pressed for time.
As he strolled down the street, the academy’s grand front gate soon came into view.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Surprisingly, Yorn was at the gate to greet Seo Woo-jin.
“I heard you’d arrive today, so I came out, but you’re later than I expected.”
How long had he been waiting?
He’d heard elves had a different sense of time from humans, but...
‘No way he’s been here since morning, right?’
As Seo Woo-jin stared in surprise, Yorn laughed ha-ha.
“Not that long. Just an hour or so?”
That was still plenty long.
Seo Woo-jin bowed apologetically.
“I had some errands, so I was delayed. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Let’s head inside first. There are some things we need to discuss.”
Yorn led Seo Woo-jin to the dean’s office as usual.
He poured a cup of that Green Tail tea they’d had before and sat down.
“I’ve heard the rough story, but I want to hear it directly from you.”
He’d expected as much.
There was a difference between hearsay and a firsthand account.
Seo Woo-jin spoke calmly, thoroughly concealing what needed to be hidden, recounting the events.
Yorn listened attentively, chiming in occasionally.
“I heard you out.”
He nodded slowly, eyes closed, as if pondering something.
“That ‘black existence’ Viscount Mohiaddin claimed to have seen is bothering me.”
That was the one part Seo Woo-jin couldn’t explain.
No—he hadn’t explained it.
It was a fact he absolutely had to hide.
Thanks to his lie, that part felt a bit awkward.
“You wouldn’t know, Seo Woo-jin, but the Empire has already begun pursuing that ‘black existence.’”
His heart sank.
He was confident he’d left no clues, but you never know.
This world had magic and illusions, unlike Earth.
Whether sensing Seo Woo-jin’s turmoil or not,
Yorn took a sip of tea and continued.
“We’ve had some success. Information on it should come in soon.”
A crack formed on Seo Woo-jin’s feigned expressionless face.