Chapter 57
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Mion (3)
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It wasn't that Mion had been in charge of Cain's party from the very start.
One of her colleagues had misplaced some paperwork, delaying the process, and then that colleague quit working at the guild altogether, so the responsibility got transferred to Mion.
The first time she laid eyes on Claude's party after taking over, they were decked out only in the basic gear handed out by the guild—and they'd already ventured into the labyrinth twice by then.
Shocked by their ragged state after just two labyrinth runs, Mion hurriedly paired them with Hawk, an explorer she was close with and trusted, for some mentoring.
And so her days passed watching over these three desperate rookies struggling to survive in the city...
She might not have any dating experience herself, but Mion was confident in reading people—and she spotted it right away.
The love triangle in Claude's party.
She'd seen countless parties fall apart over women while working as a receptionist, so their behavior jumped out at her immediately.
At first, she just felt sorry for them.
From Mion's perspective, who had never been in love, Cain's actions just seemed foolishly stubborn.
Usually, guys like that either make a rash move or find another girl and bail—but even after a year, Cain stayed true to form.
Whenever the party hit a rough patch, he was always the first to step up and fix it. She knew he was a commoner with no higher education, yet his memory was sharp, he picked things up fast, and he handled tasks smoothly. It all made him intriguing to her.
Around the time Claude's party had been in the city for a year, that's when her feelings started to shift, little by little.
Whenever the three of them—Claude, Sia, and Cain—showed up at the guild together, Cain's wistful expression and melancholic gaze tugged at her. Before she knew it, Mion found herself quietly rooting for him in her heart.
She had to find her sister, so men? Romance? Those were pipe dreams she'd firmly ruled out for herself. Instead, she lived vicariously through them, secretly hoping Sia and Cain would get together.
Truth be told, Claude might be handsome, but with rumors swirling among explorers that he frequented the pleasure houses... yeah, she wasn't a fan. Not even a little.
No matter how much Mion tried to swear off romance, working as a receptionist—surrounded mostly by women—meant she heard all about it constantly. Guys like Cain were one in a million.
Among the men who'd given up exploring, some forced their girlfriends into pleasure houses to earn money while they sat around freeloading.
Everyone had growth limits, but the speed varied wildly, leading to huge stat gaps between lovers. Stories abounded of guys pounding away during sex regardless, injuring or even killing their partners.
Sure, some people had normal relationships, but in this city, most men treated women like dirt.
In the midst of all that, Mion casually mentioned some "story she'd heard somewhere" about Cain to her coworkers—and they lost their minds.
'Hmm... is that really so special?'
Seeing her colleagues freak out that even a slightly less attractive guy like that was a must-grab, Mion tilted her head inwardly. Is it really that big a deal?
"Mion~ When are you gonna start dating? No cute explorers on the horizon?"
"That newbie Claude! Look at those muscles—he'd rail you so good, hehe!"
"Totally~ You gotta try romance before you hit thirty blinking."
"Stoooop!!!"
Even as her coworkers teased her mercilessly, egging her on to snag some hot, buff male explorer, Mion felt nothing.
"No way. The way she talks about guys? Sounds like she's devoured dozens. And she's saying she's never dated? Total BS."
"Ahaha... My family was always pretty strict..."
"Strict, huh? But you left that family and came to this city, right? Live a little. Life's no fun without some joy."
"Joy...? Haha..."
Three years in this city... Where the hell was her sister? With so many commoners around, same-name duplicates were everywhere—impossible to pinpoint by name alone.
Unless the person became a veteran with a nickname like "So-and-so of Wherever," it was hopeless.
Nobles registering explorer cards often used just their first names to dodge the subtle reverse discrimination in the city. Her sister had probably done the same, making it even harder.
For the first two years, Mion had shelled out for personal requests to search, but after burning through tons of cash with no leads, she gave up. She told all her veteran explorer buddies like Uncle Hawk about her sister's name and looks, but nothing ever came back.
Watching herself grow more desolate from failing to find the one she wanted, while Cain withered away failing to win Sia's heart... somehow, she started relating more and more.
Whenever Cain came to the guild to chat, she'd remember the cheeky jokes and flirty moves her coworkers pulled on guys, then try them on him. His stiff reactions and flustered panic made her giggle to herself, and bit by bit, Cain started seeping into her heart.
"Ah... Thank you so much, Mion."
"Hehe, you did the right thing trusting big sis here, didn't you?"
"Yes... Thank you!"
Occasionally, she'd snag easy, high-paying personal requests through the guild and pass them his way. Even Cain, with his usual gloomy face, would flash a faint smile and thank her.
It wasn't like she was trying to win him over or anything.
Receptionists didn't get bonuses for more requests or bigger mana stone payouts from explorers—it was pure goodwill that made her look out for him so often.
Mostly, she just loved seeing that smile; it made her chest feel all warm and fuzzy. She wanted to see it more.
Cain's sweet gazes were always fixed on Sia anyway, so for Mion, just that much was plenty.
Claude, Cain, and Sia's party seemed to be growing steadily—no risk of them dying pointlessly in the labyrinth anytime soon. She could enjoy this for the long haul, and until she found her sister, she couldn't let herself fall any deeper. This distance was perfect, she told herself, finding comfort in the routine.
That was definitely how it was...
But as her feelings for Cain grew steadily over that next year, the monthly floor reassignment hit—and Cain changed.
More precisely, after he returned from exploring and apparently gained a blessing, Claude said he'd vomited blood and been carted off to the aid station. Mion's heart had clenched in worry.
Then, when she finally saw Cain back at the guild, she sensed it immediately.
No issues with mana or memory or anything like that.
But after two years of eyes-only-for-Sia, the way he now looked at her—appraising her body and face like he was judging merchandise—set off alarms. Something felt dangerous.
She'd grown attached to the whole party by now, after all.
Claude was like an annoying little brother she wanted to smack sometimes. Sia was this cute little thing who needed protecting. (Though her breasts were less "cute" and more "lethal.")
Mion had always steeled herself thinking it'd be better if Cain ended up with Sia than Claude, who bolted for the pleasure houses at the first whiff of cash. But after catching that strangely sticky gaze from Cain that day, all her resolve crumbled in an instant.
And not just her—he was eyeing other women too. He felt like a completely different person.
Faced with Cain's dramatic change, she...
"I'm actually thrilled!!!!!"
After that day, bracing for Cain's next guild visit, she ditched her usual underwear for subtler, sexier new sets. She switched to the latest city-trending makeup style, bought fresh outfits...
He didn't drop by every day, but just in case, she started primping hard, hoping for that gaze again.
And as if granting her wish, the next time she saw him at the counter, his eyes slithered over her body and face once more.
"Sia... sorry... not sorry, hehehehe!"
She and Cain weren't even lovers or anything—nothing wrong with her cozying up to him.
And when she brought up the tattoo? His gaze intensified even more, sending her insides into a frenzy that didn't calm until bedtime.
"T-Tongue...! Hah!! Gah!!! Grk!!"
No dating experience, sure—but four years of dirty talk among her female coworkers meant she couldn't pretend to be clueless about sex.
She remembered them saying guys always demand blowjobs before and after. Licking her lips like that? And that look...
"F-Fucking insane, Caaain! I'm dying!!"
Finding her sister was still priority one, no question. But after four lonely years in the city with no progress, her desire to get closer to Cain had ballooned to match it.
"Wh-Who knows when I'll find Sis anyway... F-For now, if I hook up with Cain, my odds of finding her double!! I can't hold back!"
But Mion—who'd never even held a guy's hand—had zero moves.
The flirty behaviors she heard about? Just natural habits anyone might pick up, regardless of gender. But asking the new-and-improved Cain out? Her words jammed up in her throat.
So there she was, burning inside with no progress, when one day...
"Kiyoooooooot!!!"
"Eek! Mion, what's wrong? You scared the baby right outta me!!!"
"Ah... sorry, sis."
"Something bad happen? That guy..."
"N-No, nothing!"
Cain had asked her out to dinner first—one-on-one. Heart pounding, she'd prepped for it.
If the date heated up, they might end up back at her place for drinks and a steamy night. She'd stocked contraceptives by the bed and his favorite booze ahead of time.
Mion had agonized over conversation starters and spilled to Mayu for coaching.
Seeing Cain go momentarily blank staring at her date outfit and extra-effort makeup? She was buzzing with expectations.
Never dreamed she'd trip into his arms, nosebleed, and pass out. Not even Mion saw that coming.
One embarrassing flub after another.
She hadn't blacked out till dawn, but by the time she woke, last call had passed at Mayu's recommended restaurant—no ordering possible.
Mion had never felt so awkward around people in her life.
All because she was that nervous? Her chest tightened frustratingly.
When Cain suggested takeout and heading to her place, she barely kept her heart from leaping out, set up there with him, fetched the booze...
From the date's start to now, pouring drinks at home, she'd shown him nothing but her worst sides. Her mood sank.
'Th-The booze Cain likes... super strong stuff, right? Sigh... screw it!!!'
Clinking glasses with his heart-melting smile, Mion downed her drink in one go.