Tied-Up Rabbit and the Apology Gift
Ignoring Han Yeoreum's urging to rest a little and then get back to work if I had to repay the debt, I finished the remaining fieldwork. Keeping her at bay when she kept coming over to help was even harder than the work itself.
"...Then I'll head to the guild for a bit. You have to take it easy, okay?"
"Y-Yeah..."
I said that, but honestly, there was no time to rest. I kept at it without even straightening my back, and only when everything was done did I open the door to the container house.
"Huh?"
As I trudged inside, my eyes met those of Levi Nas, her arms and legs tightly bound. So this was where she'd gone off to. Looking closer, her mouth was sealed with something like tape.
Mmph! Mmph!
Spotting me, Levi Nas thrashed around like she was trying to tell me something. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Hmm..."
Seeing her tied up like that was pitiful. I wanted to untie her, but I knew she was a beastkin from the faction opposing Sophia. It wouldn't do to carelessly free her and cause trouble. I decided to leave her be until Sophia gave permission.
...But peeling off the tape should be fine, right?
She could at least talk then. Without hesitation, I reached out and yanked the tape off Levi Nas's mouth. Maybe driven by an obsessive need to make her a little more comfortable, I pulled a bit too hard.
Riiip—!
"Gyaaah!"
The adhesive was surprisingly strong, and Levi Nas let out a scream of pain. Her pale skin flushed bright red.
"S-Sorry..."
I apologized belatedly, but she just wriggled her bound body away from me. I felt guilty for doing something mean.
"You devilish brat...! Levi Nas will remember this day...!"
"Uh..."
How was I supposed to soothe this furious horn rabbit beastkin? As I rolled my eyes in helpless confusion, someone opened the container door and came in. I could tell it was Sophia just from her footsteps now.
"I heard a scream. Did you peel off the tape?"
"Y-Yeah... She looked like she was struggling to breathe."
"I sealed her mouth because she was so noisy..."
Sophia sighed and approached us. Levi Nas bounced in place, perhaps trying to flee from her.
"Um, Sophia. Isn't leaving her tied up like this a bit much?"
"I only bound her temporarily while bringing her here."
Sophia held out a black choker to me. I could sense mana emanating from it—it was clearly no ordinary accessory.
"What's this?"
"A restraint collar. It's set to explode the moment she leaves guild grounds."
"W-Wow..."
Putting something that dangerous around someone's neck? I was starting to think Sophia was going too far, but then she slipped behind Levi Nas and subtly shook her head where only I could see. She was letting me know it was a bluff.
Just to scare her, then.
Poor thing, but she was from the enemy faction. I decided not to interfere with Sophia.
"The moment you run too far, it'll beep. Ignore it and go farther, and it'll blow. Be warned."
Sophia fastened the choker around Levi Nas's neck, then untied the ropes binding her limbs. Levi Nas seemed to accept it meekly at first, but suddenly she sprang up.
"This body is Levi Nas of the great horn rabbit tribe...! Think Levi Nas will submit to something like this...?!"
Levi Nas swung a fist straight at Sophia. If it connected with Sophia, who had trouble moving freely, it could hurt badly. I had to stop her fast. I reached out desperately, but Levi Nas's punch grazed Sophia's cheek first.
Pop—
The sound was so light, it was hard to believe it was a full-force punch. Sophia's expression remained utterly impassive.
"S-Sophia, you okay...?"
"Of course. It's just a horn rabbit's punch."
"Ah..."
So it didn't hurt because it was a horn rabbit's punch. I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.
Come to think of it, Sophia tied her up all by herself.
Horn rabbit beastkin might not be that strong physically after all. They probably excelled in other areas, of course.
"You rotten kid!"
Thud thud—
Sophia just took Levi Nas's wild flailing punches without reacting. Weak but feisty—it was just like a real horn rabbit. I could kind of see why Sophia had her trussed up.
"...Gyeowol, Yeoreum asked you to come to the guild building."
Sophia told me, ignoring Levi Nas's attacks entirely. She looked like she wasn't even bothered.
"The building?"
"Yes, she said she has something to show you."
Something adventurer-related, maybe? I nodded and asked Sophia,
"You okay leaving us two alone here?"
"...What trouble could there be?"
Stretch—
Levi Nas grabbed Sophia's cheek and pulled. It stretched like mochi—kind of fascinating.
"Hmm..."
Well, no real problems, I guess. Leaving the two of them behind, I headed to the guild building to find Han Yeoreum.
**
Entering the guild building always made me tense. Especially when I was alone.
Guess I'll go in...
I lingered near the guild building, then slipped through the entrance when it wasn't too crowded and stepped inside. Standing in the farthest corner, scanning for Han Yeoreum, the woman from that morning approached me.
"Excuse me, Gyeowol?"
"Y-Yes?!?"
It was the woman who'd shown me all those damaged mana stones. Her name was Yu Sang-ah, I think. Just seeing her face brought back the fear from earlier.
"I'm really sorry about before. Yeoreum told me—it must've felt like I was showing you a pile of human corpses..."
"Y-Yeah..."
That was exactly the vibe. I placed a hand over my pounding heart.
"This is a humble apology gift."
She held out a box that looked like a toolbox. A label on it read 'Gardening Tool Set'.
"Oh, you didn't have to give me something like this."
"Please don't make me out to be a bad person..."
"Ah... Okay."
It wasn't free—it was an apology gift. No harm in accepting.
"Thank you. I really needed this."
"Glad it helps."
She smiled with her eyes and left, saying she had work. I waved goodbye to her back.
Perfect timing—I needed proper gardening tools.
Pruning shears, a rake for leveling soil. All sorts of things I didn't have. With this, I could expand the garden, right?
Hugging the toolbox happily, I spotted Han Yeoreum running toward me from afar.
"Gyeowol, sorry to keep you waiting."
"No, I just got here."
Looking up, I saw her gaze fall on the toolbox in my arms. For some reason, her expression darkened.
"...Gardening tools? Expanding the garden...?"
"Yeah. The lady who showed me the mana stones this morning gave them as an apology. Now I can make the garden bigger."
"Ah... Yu Sang-ah..."
Han Yeoreum reached for the toolbox. It felt like she was taking something away, but I didn't dodge.
"I got that as a gift..."
"Yeah. Looks heavy. Sis'll carry it for you."
"Oh, okay..."
It wasn't that heavy. Felt like having a wrapped present snatched away. Though Han Yeoreum didn't seem to mean it that way.
"Gyeowol, gardening's great, but you can't work till you collapse."
"Why not...?"
"...Why not? Sis told you last time."
About how resting improves efficiency? I got it, but with the debt now...
"How will I repay the money if I rest?"
"...Still no. If you don't listen to sis, I'll take this away?"
She shook the toolbox at me. Wondering why she was being grumpy all of a sudden, but I knew her heart.
It was natural to worry if someone collapsed. Just a little rest—like she said, really just a little.
"O-Okay... I'll stop right before I collapse..."
If it really felt like I was dying, then I'd rest. As I settled on that, Han Yeoreum's face still looked off.
"...Sis set the condition wrong."
"Huh...?"
She sighed heavily at my confusion. I'd promised not to work to collapse like she wanted, so why the face? People's thoughts were so hard to read.
"...Anyway, let's go. Someone's waiting."
"Someone's waiting?"
"Yeah. And we'll talk about this later?"
"O-Okay...?"
Han Yeoreum trudged ahead. I watched her go until the distance grew, then hurried after her.