The Crushing Weight of Debt
As we escaped the dungeon alongside the debt-ridden adventurers, reporters and dungeon officials came rushing toward us. Why had we struggled so much in a mere Level 5 dungeon? Why had there been casualties? Just as my eyes were starting to spin amid the chaotic barrage of questions, Jeong Yu-na's help allowed me to make it back to the container.
"You're back?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Sophia greeted me at the container entrance. One might expect her to ask what had happened, but instead, she simply patted my shoulder, saying I'd done well.
"You must be tired. Rest for now."
"Okay..."
Was it because I'd used up so much stamina? I certainly felt exhausted. I collapsed onto the mattress like a domino, burying my face in it.
I must have taken down at least fifty horn rabbits by myself.
If only I could sell even ten of them... Huh, but didn't I fail to recover all the arrows I shot? As I replayed the events of the battle in my mind, I slowly closed my eyes. Just like Sophia said, I needed a little rest.
Screeech— In the darkness, the sound of rusty hinges creaked. I cautiously opened my eyes, locking gazes with Han Yeoreum as she entered through the door.
"Sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No, I was just about to get up..."
Rubbing my eyes, I glanced out the window. The sun was already setting. How long had I slept? As I tried to peer at the clock with my still-groggy eyes, Han Yeoreum sat down beside my mattress.
"Thanks to you, sis owes you her life."
"We all did it together."
As I spoke, I examined Han Yeoreum's stomach. It had been pierced by that giant horn rabbit, yet she moved as if nothing had happened. There didn't seem to be any need to worry about her condition.
"Winter, is there anything you want?"
"Anything I want?"
"Yeah. You played a huge role in clearing that dungeon."
Honestly, we all did it together. I swallowed the words threatening to spill out. It was because I did want something from her.
"Um, then... could you answer my questions honestly?"
"...Is there something you want to ask?"
"Yes. Something I really need to know."
I stared at her with a seriousness I'd never shown before. Noticing something off in my expression, she wiped the smile from her face.
"Sure. I'll answer anything I know."
Anything. That was exactly what I wanted to hear most from her.
"I'm curious why you went out of your way to turn me into a beastkin."
"That..."
"You've been deliberately hiding this part from the start. Now I need to know the reason."
Han Yeoreum was a good person—good enough to risk her life to save mine. But the lingering distrust from her withholding the full truth remained. To fully trust her, I needed to know everything.
"...Hmm. If you really want to know, Winter, I'll tell you."
"Yes. I do."
At my resolute attitude, Han Yeoreum let out a deep sigh. She seemed to ponder for a moment before carefully opening her mouth.
"Back then, there was only one way to save you."
"What was it...?"
"Reconstructing your body from scratch using the Beast God's Blessing."
Beast God's Blessing. Probably something like the god of beastkin.
"Is that why I can use mana now?"
"Yeah. And why potions work on you too."
She'd done everything she could to save me. I was grateful, but my questions weren't resolved.
"Then why didn't you tell me about it?"
"Well..."
"Well...?"
"It's... a really expensive item... I didn't want you to feel burdened..."
Expensive item. That short phrase made my heart sink.
"H-How much...?"
"Uh, maybe it's better if you don't know...?"
From the way she avoided my gaze, I realized it was no small sum.
"Could you at least give me a rough idea...?"
"You really have to know?"
"Yes."
At my plea, Han Yeoreum leaned in close to my ear as if she'd made up her mind, whispering the price. It was an amount I couldn't repay even if I worked my entire life.
"Ugh."
"Ugh?"
"Uwaaaah..."
I'd had happy dreams. Dreams where hard work would make my life better—earning more money, skills improving by leaps and bounds, soon living like a normal person. But suddenly, this astronomical debt crashed over me, filling me with deep despair.
"Uwaaaah."
I'm done for. A debt so massive I'd be slaving away like a lifelong servant and still not pay it off. I couldn't even grasp where to begin.
"Winter, you don't have to pay it back, so calm down, okay?"
"No... I can't..."
When someone incurs a debt, they must repay it. Failing to do so makes them less than human.
"It's already been used—what can we do? I'm fine with it, so let's just forget it ever happened. Okay?"
"I-It's okay. I'll work hard and pay it back for sure..."
Just give me a little time. I clasped my hands together in a desperate plea.
"Haa... This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you..."
"I-I see..."
So that's why she hadn't told me the truth. Not for some shady reason, but for my sake.
I'm such a jerk.
To doubt her after she'd poured an astronomical fortune into saving my life. Shame made me want to crawl into a hole.
"I-I'll definitely pay you back..."
"No, really, you don't have to."
"I-It's fine... I earn 40,000 won a day..."
How much would I need to earn daily to pay it off before I die? Folding my fingers in calculation, I shut my eyes in helpless despair. Even earning a hundred times what I make now, it'd take a century to clear.
The next morning, Sophia awoke to find Winter crouched in the vegetable patch, face gaunt.
"Uwaaaah."
Winter let out a small sound that could have been a scream or a sigh. Whatever the cause, it was heartbreaking to witness.
"Winter, what happened?"
"N-Nothing. I'm fine..."
Nothing? Clearly something had gone down. Scanning the surroundings for clues, Sophia spotted Summer lying in the grass with a similar expression. Han Yeoreum sprawled out like someone who'd achieved enlightenment—it looked off.
"Summer."
"...Yes?"
Her response was three beats late, like she'd been cursed with slowness. Sophia could sense something had happened between them without much thought.
"What on earth happened to make you two like this?"
"...Last night, I told Winter about the Beast God's Blessing."
"The blessing?"
"Yeah. She kept asking, so I had no choice but to tell her."
Oh dear. She'd asked to keep the blessing a secret, yet spilled it herself. Even without full details, Sophia could guess what had transpired.
"Winter insisted on repaying it, didn't she?"
"Yes. I tried convincing her a hundred times that she didn't need to, but she says she'll pay it no matter what..."
"Hmm..."
A normal person would be grateful and let it go. Why was this child so fixated on repayment? Sophia suspected some trauma buried in Winter's past—maybe violence from delaying debt payments.
Poor little thing.
Tsk. How did such a kind soul end up like this? Sophia could only pity Winter's stubbornness.
"I thought this would bring you closer, but we're back to square one."
"Now we're creditor and debtor."
"Exactly."
Even in simple friendships, money changes things—you start watching your words. For their 'special' bond, it was bound to get awkward.
"Haa!"
Thud! Thud!
Han Yeoreum pounded the ground shamelessly from her grassy bed. She even yanked up a clump of grass nearby. Better if she'd never told her about the blessing, even if it meant drifting apart. As Summer regretted her actions, Winter approached with quick steps.
"U-Um..."
"Yeah?"
"I've been thinking hard about it."
"Thinking?"
About what? Was she going to say she couldn't pay after all? Han Yeoreum sat up in the grass, eyes sparkling with hope.
"What if I sold tea here?"
"Tea...?"
"Yeah. You said my tea has a buff effect. We could make money that way."
So it was about repayment plans. Summer wanted to beg her not to pay, but knowing Winter's stubbornness all too well, she just nodded.
"Yeah. That's a great idea."
No choice now—she'd have to sell Winter's buffs for top price. She felt like a ruthless debt collector squeezing every penny, no holds barred. No, she really was one. Summer seriously pondered when her karma would finally clear.