Shabu-Shabu Shock and the Master's Escort
The taste of the shabu-shabu, which I was trying for the first time in this life alongside the Master, was nothing short of shocking. The meat melted in my mouth like snowflakes, and there was no way it was just ordinary-grade beef.
"How is it?"
Han Yeoreum looked at us with eyes full of expectation. Levi Nas was the first to speak up.
"It's delicious! But this chili sauce is too spicy!"
"This lady agrees. It's tasty, but a bit spicy."
"R-Really? Is it too much for beastkin?"
Han Yeoreum glanced at me. She seemed eager for my opinion. Was it because my body was still young? It was a little spicy for me too, but not unbearable.
"I'm fine."
"Really? You handle spicy food well, Gyeowol? Should sis make it spicier?"
"N-No, I don't think we should make it any spicier than this."
Any hotter, and my tongue would just hurt. Maybe even my internal organs. I didn't enjoy pain-inducing spice, so I avoided Han Yeoreum's gaze and picked at the carrots instead. The taste of the carrots I'd grown myself was truly fantastical.
"Looks like even the veggies I grew myself have some kind of buff effect."
"Really? I wouldn't know."
"It's because you're not used to handling mana yet."
True enough. I hadn't been handling mana for long. Just in case, I closed my eyes to sense the enhanced mana, but all I could feel was the taste of the carrot. Its sweet, carrot-specific flavor was genuinely out of this world.
"Gyeowol really eats her veggies well, huh? Kids usually throw tantrums and refuse."
As if I were some child. Throwing a fit over veggies? Her out-of-left-field comment left me shrugging wordlessly.
"I don't picky eat."
"Yeah. Impressive."
Han Yeoreum grinned and stood up. She grabbed the chili sauce bottle and waved it at us.
"Sis is gonna pop into the kitchen real quick. Gotta tone down the spice in the sauce."
"Okay."
I chewed the lingering carrot in my mouth and watched Han Yeoreum's retreating back. That's when someone opened the front door.
Huh?
Two sets of footsteps. My ears perked up instinctively, and soon Choi Jin-hyeok and Jeong Yu-na appeared from the entryway.
"You're here?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Yeoreum said to come for lunch."
I see. Eating together with everyone. A strange sense of elation made my tail swish.
"G-Gyeowol. Is Yeoreum around?"
"In the kitchen."
"Oh, yeah. I'm gonna talk to Yeoreum for a sec."
"Me too..."
Jeong Yu-na and Choi Jin-hyeok's expressions as they looked at me were odd. Like their spirits were crushed by something. Their pupils even trembled noticeably.
Why were Jeong Yu-na and Choi Jin-hyeok acting like that all of a sudden? The moment the question crossed my mind, the two headed toward the kitchen. I watched them go, my tail still swishing—until it abruptly stopped the instant they vanished from sight. It was part of my body, but what a weird thing it was.
Han Yeoreum was humming a tune in the kitchen. Jeong Yu-na hated that she had to dampen her friend's good mood. Should she say it later? The thought crossed her mind, but they'd already promised to prioritize Gyeowol.
Even if it was heartbreaking, she had to keep the promise for Gyeowol's sake, who had suffered so much.
"Yeoreum..."
"Oh, you're here?"
Han Yeoreum turned with a smile in her eyes. But noticing her friends' grim faces, she quickly wiped it away.
"...Something wrong?"
"Y-Yeah. It's kinda serious."
"...What is it?"
The moment Han Yeoreum paused her work, Jeong Yu-na cast a soundproofing spell. To keep Gyeowol in the living room from hearing.
"You know how Gyeowol was bullied? Getting hit in the back of the head, shoved around."
"Yeah..."
"We're thinking it wasn't as simple as we thought."
"...Well, it was bullying."
There was no such thing as "simple" bullying. It could ruin a person's life. Han Yeoreum was disappointed that Jeong Yu-na seemed to take Gyeowol's suffering lightly.
"No, think about it. Gyeowol almost died to a horn rabbit."
"Yeah."
"And she got hit by someone stronger than a horn rabbit. To her, it must've felt like a death threat, right?"
"Uh...?"
Han Yeoreum froze in place at Jeong Yu-na's explanation. It hit her like a massive iron hammer to the head. And she had to admit she'd downplayed the bullying Gyeowol endured. She hadn't even considered that Gyeowol could've been beaten to death.
Definitely...
Back when Gyeowol had no mana, even a light hit could've been life-threatening. Han Yeoreum felt utterly pathetic for not realizing it.
After finishing the meal, I had nothing to do. While pondering what to do, I decided to head to the dungeon.
"Um..."
"...Y-Yeah?"
"Never mind."
I'd meant to tell Han Yeoreum I was going to the dungeon, but she looked strangely serious. Choi Jin-hyeok and Jeong Yu-na wore similar expressions.
Sophia's... asleep.
Sophia was dozing on the sofa. Levi Nas sat beside her, watching TV. Looked like I'd have to slip out quietly.
I snuck out of the building as silently as possible. Grabbing my weapon from the container house and heading to the dungeon— that's when I spotted three familiar figures in the distance. En Sia, Argo, and the Master.
"Lady Gyeowol, where are you headed?"
"To the dungeon."
"The Captain alone?!"
Thud thud! Argo, excited, slammed his massive tail into the ground. Cracks spiderwebbed across the asphalt, making the Master's brow twitch.
"I can handle the Goblin Dungeon by myself now."
"It's still dangerous. No one's going with you?"
"No..."
En Sia glanced at the Master at my words. She was impressively bold even before that intimidating man.
"Mr. Kang Jin-ho, can we postpone this matter? I'm worried about sending Lady Gyeowol into the dungeon alone."
"...No Yeoreum or the others?"
Kang Jin-ho looked down at me with utterly indifferent eyes. Even though I hadn't done anything wrong, I felt like bowing my head.
"Yeah... They seemed really busy, so I snuck out alone..."
"I see. Then we'll postpone."
Was I messing up their plans? Startled, I frantically waved my hands.
"I-It's fine. I can go alone."
"No. Lady Gyeowol, your safety comes before anything."
"Right, Captain! Your life is the most precious!"
They were worried about me. Argo might act rough, but his heart was warm. I had no choice but to nod.
"Then, if you please..."
"No, it's no trouble at all."
"Y-Yeah..."
And so, we all headed to the dungeon together. The Goblin Dungeon wasn't far, so we went on foot. I glanced back while walking. The Master was following behind me. Why was Yeomyeong Guild's master following me? Han Yeoreum had called him the world's strongest, of course. It was intimidating, but I wasn't in a position to tell him what to do. I just let him follow.
"Today, I'm gonna catch ten goblins..."
"I see."
"We're almost there now..."
"Hm."
I tried chatting with the Master to lighten the mood, but he only gave curt replies.
...He's not much of a talker, huh?
Or maybe he just disliked me? Whatever it was, striking up more conversation was beyond me. I decided to just walk quietly to the dungeon.
"H-Here it is..."
We'd arrived at the Goblin Dungeon. For some reason, it was less crowded today. No line at the counter. I approached Kim Min-jun, the dungeon manager.
"Gyeowol's here?"
"Yeah..."
I frequented the Goblin Dungeon enough to chat casually with the manager. His counter was so high I had to stand on tiptoe.
"Who's your guardian today?"
"Today it's En Sia, Argo, and the Master..."
"The Master?"
"Yeah. Over there."
Kim Min-jun's gaze followed my pointing finger. A bit away, the Master stood with arms crossed, staring this way. His fierce eyes made it look like a glare.
"Gasp...!"
Kim Min-jun gawked at the Master. His mouth hung open wide enough for my fist to fit—with room to spare. Well, my hands were small.
"...Master's what our guild kids call him."
"Ah..."
Right. I wasn't an official guild member. I shrank back at my slip-up.
"Just call me 'Uncle'."
"U-Uncle?"
Uncle? Wasn't that even ruder? As I hemmed and hawed over the bold address, Kim Min-jun let out another gasp of horror.
"Gasp...!"
He seemed just as scared of the Master as I was.