Uninvited Trouble
"Last time it was over there, but this spot with the river view is better, right?"
"Tap tap tap!"
With money to spare, the options for a new home had expanded. Moving into a spacious house with a garden would make training the summons easier and management far more convenient. For Ilma's quest, there'd be no need to summon them one by one in rotation.
"Yeonsu unni called. She said she'd recommend a few places herself. Would that be okay?"
"Tap..."
'Kang Yeonsu... I can guess what she's thinking. Well, it can't hurt.'
"It didn't feel like I could refuse. If I didn't go along with it, something... you know what I mean?"
Nod nod—
Since we'd already boarded the Kang Yeonsu line, it made sense to follow along for now. I told Yeonhee about the favor I'd asked of Helen, and she nodded without question.
Inside Helen's shop, the party members—including No Hayun—had already settled in. They'd arrived about an hour early, judging by the empty bottles lined up on the floor.
'Is she trying to settle in already... What about the rest of your party members?'
No Hayun had naturally blended into the group. Thanks to Bae Jua acting as a bridge, her prickly personality didn't seem to cause much friction. Yeonhee still looked awkward, but after the dungeon incident, she understood that No Hayun's addition was beneficial and kept her feelings to herself.
"Yeonhee~!"
"Unni~"
Helen rushed to the entrance and grabbed Yeonhee's cheeks with both hands, kneading them while checking for injuries.
'Jin-gyeong isn't here.'
"Where's Jin-gyeong unni...?"
"Ah, she's doing well these days."
From what I heard, Song Jin-gyeong had truly restarted her hunter career. Even more surprising—
"She already graduated from Wolf Cave?"
Bae Jua's surprise was understandable. She'd experienced a dungeon with Song Jin-gyeong before and knew her level well. It had been less than two weeks since Jin-gyeong joined Lee Jiu's party and resumed hunting. She'd already passed Wolf Cave and was heading to the Neos Harpy Nesting Grounds. That was impressive.
'......Something's off. That's too fast.'
Compared to our own dungeon-clearing pace, it was slow, but considering Song Jin-gyeong and Lee Jiu's abilities, it should've taken at least a month.
"She joined a good party, apparently? Not too difficult, and the conditions are generous. Inside the dungeon, the others handle everything, so she says it's almost boring—"
Still, Helen—a veteran among lower-rank hunters—didn't seem concerned, which was reassuring. Even so, it wouldn't hurt to look into it.
"But it felt a bit off, so just in case, I put in a request."
"Oh, as expected of Helen unni."
Fortunately, Helen had already used her information network to request details on the party members Song Jin-gyeong was with. She really was reliable.
'Nothing will happen in just a few days.'
Song Jin-gyeong wasn't a child—she'd handle herself. If news came, helping out then would be enough. That was the extent of our relationship.
The brief unease quickly faded, and everyone began washing away the dungeon fatigue with alcohol. Yeonhee seemed to find the drinks especially sweet today and downed quite a bit from the start.
'Her tolerance is clearly increasing.'
Watching a girl who'd just turned twenty melt into society gave me a strange feeling.
"Waaah──!"
"Kyahahahang!"
"When I used Ice Field, all the ghouls—"
"Thousands of skeletons were chasing us! So I blocked them all with a rock wall!"
Since there were no restrictions on talking about the hidden dungeon, heroic tales from that time poured out. Slightly exaggerated, but close enough to fact to sound like scenes from a movie.
'Everyone looks happy.'
Just seeing Yeonhee's bright smile and the others' grins was enough to make me feel healed. I found myself getting excited too.
After about two hours had passed, I was staring blankly at Yeonhee's flushed cheeks when a group of men passing by the shop stopped. One of them turned and walked straight toward us.
'......Huh? What's that bastard doing here?'
Anyone could come to the food alley, but of all people, it had to be him.
Clink—
He strode into the shop without hesitation. His name was Han Eulmin. In my past life, we'd briefly been in the same party. In this life, we'd met once during the Guchang-ro Dungeon Break. A complete fool. His father was the vice leader of the Guardian Guild, so he'd lived his whole life without consequences. After losing one arm, he'd wandered dungeons searching for a legendary elixir to restore it—a pathetic story.
'When did he lose the other arm? Last time I saw him, he was hit by snail spores but was still intact.'
During the Dungeon Break, did the "Fang" get him? Who knew. I didn't care.
"Welcome! Sit wherever you'd like—"
"Auntie, do I look like someone who'd eat at a dump like this?"
'Then why come to this alley, you ridiculous bastard?'
At Helen's greeting, Han Eulmin replied with the most unpleasant expression and tone imaginable. Helen's face twisted instantly. Ignoring her, he marched straight to our table and addressed Yeonhee without preamble.
"You, right? The woman who gave me the antidote that time?"
"...Huh? M-me?"
"Yeah, you. Why, during the Guchang-ro Dungeon Break. We were all down—"
"Uh... yeah. I did hand out antidotes to the hunters back then..."
'Aigoo... She should've said no. Yeonhee-ya.'
So this guy had been looking for Yeonhee all along? A quick search would've told him everything. Was he stupid? Or just lazy?
"Haha, as expected. I knew I'd find you someday! What's your name? Let's go. Let's talk outside."
"...Why would I?"
"What? Why? I just want to talk. Why are you playing hard to get?"
Yeonhee tilted her head, clearly not understanding the situation. The others tensed, bracing for trouble. Frustrated by her reaction, Han Eulmin struck his chest, then suddenly reached for her.
'What the hell is he doing?'
Thud—!
Of course, I grabbed his arm. Only then did Han Eulmin notice me, staring up with a dumbfounded expression.
"Team Leader. Do you know these people?"
Seven or so men filed into the shop behind him. Han Eulmin struggled against my grip until I released him, sending him stumbling backward. His men caught him before he fell.
"This fucking— What the hell is that ugly thing?!"
"...What did you just say..."
Yeonhee's expression darkened at his words. The atmosphere in the shop turned strange in an instant.
'Good grief. Even in this messed-up world, you're still marching down your own pathetic path, Han Eulmin, you worthless bastard.'
"Wait, what's going on here? Who is this guy?"
Bae Jua asked for a quick summary. After hearing the story, she frowned.
"That's it? He never contacted her afterward or anything?"
"No."
"What? Then he's just a stranger. That guy's a total psycho."
"What? Psycho? You filthy bitch! Do you even know who I am?!"
Han Eulmin kicked a nearby table in rage. A water bottle on it flew into the air, spinning once before splashing its remaining contents onto No Hayun's face. Her eyebrows twitched.
'...I guess I don't need to do anything.'
He really was the worst. Creating a situation even on purpose couldn't have gone this badly. No Hayun wiped the water from her face, grabbed a beer bottle upside down, and stood up slowly. Then she smashed it straight into Han Eulmin's head.
CRASH—!
"Kugh! You fucking bitch?!"
The blow wasn't enough to seriously injure a hunter who'd transcended humanity, but the shattered bottle drenched his head. In that moment, his last thread of reason snapped.
Vrrrrng—
A Magic Missile formed rapidly in his palm. He approached No Hayun with a twisted grin. The orb of energy—known as the easiest spell to manifest—had few growth restrictions and low mana cost, making it popular even among high-rank hunters. The ominous mana made it clear he intended a serious attack.
'Aigoo. Sir, please don't cross that river.'
Was he living in another world? How could he see No Hayun's face and still act like this? Had other hunters really ignored her existence?
I pressed a hand to my forehead and shook my head. Just as it seemed the Magic Missile would turn the shop into chaos—
Swish—!
Thud—!
"Aaaaaagh!"
Han Eulmin's wrist, still casting the spell, dropped limply to the floor. From the clean cut, it was clearly the work of a master.
'Tsk tsk— You're dead.'
"U-uaaagh! W-what?! Who?!"
Clutching his remaining wrist, Han Eulmin collapsed, rolling on the floor and screaming. His companions recoiled in shock. But burly men had already grabbed their shoulders from behind.
"How dare you threaten the young lady. Even if it's the lowest-grade magic, what you've done is unforgivable."
The most slender of the burly men shook his head, grabbed Han Eulmin's hair, and yanked his head up.
SLAP—!
"Huh? Threaten the young lady? Trash like you?"
SLAP—! SLAP—!
After just three slaps, Han Eulmin's cheeks swelled dramatically, and he passed out. But when the man slammed his head against the floor a few times, he regained consciousness and began ranting about who his father was and where his mother was a representative.
'How can he still not read the room...'
It was almost admirable how he could say such things even after seeing No Hayun's level of protection. The large man decided that explaining who No Hayun was would only drag him into childish nonsense, so he stayed silent.
"Young lady. We'll dispose of these men for now. A few will remain nearby, so please don't worry about your safety."
"Haa, I said I don't need the special task force uncles. You're ruining the taste of my drink."
"My apologies. This is our duty. Manager Kim! Collect the wrist."
"Yes, Team Leader!"
Once they left, the shop was spotless except for the blood-soaked floor, a silent reminder of what had happened.
"Ugh, what the hell was that all about?"
Helen grumbled while mopping up the blood with practiced ease. The others still sat frozen, drinks untouched.
"But when they said 'dispose'... surely they don't mean...?"
Bae Jua drew a finger across her throat. No Hayun waved her hand dismissively.
"It's not a dungeon. If they did that outside, even our guild would have problems."
'She didn't say they couldn't...'
Well, the Bijeon Guild was several times larger than the Ilseom Guild—one of the country's top three guilds, with a presence rivaling even the strongest. Making one piece of trash disappear without a trace would be nothing to them.