Chapter 13
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 13
The path I should have taken to return home after putting the troublesome young lady to sleep, my footsteps headed towards a different path than usual.
The weight of the money pouch jingling in my bosom was the same, but today it felt particularly heavy.
I carefully opened the money pouch and looked at the gold coin emitting light of a different color alone.
‘Jackpot! Don't tell me... every time she comes?’
1 gold coin the owner gave me saying good work after work ended.
An unbelievably large amount for handling one troublesome customer exclusively.
I'm full.
A tremendous amount of money I could only touch after working for 25 days came in at once.
The money currently in my possession is 1 gold coin and 40 silver coins.
Usually, I would leave it at home, but today is the day I buy something called Wonhongju that Master likes.
Imagining what expression Master would make, I walked the path and before I knew it, I had arrived in front of Maehyanggak.
As I opened the door, inside the chilly inn, I saw a person wearing a robe drinking alone.
‘There aren't many customers here...’
“Excuse me~”
Since I wasn't going to eat here, I called for someone, and a haggard man came out from the kitchen wiping his hands on his apron.
“Yes~ Welcome! Did you come alone?”
“I'm not going to eat here, I would like to pack one bottle of Wonhongju to go.”
In an instant, the man's eyes grew large and he looked me up and down.
“Will you be okay?”
“Yes? What do you mean?”
“…Sigh, please wait a moment.”
I wondered if I looked like I didn't have money.
Thinking I should hold silver coins in my hand, the man brought a box and placed it in front of me.
“Here is the Wonhongju. It might be uncomfortable, but please take it like this. It's quite an expensive alcohol so carrying it just like that might invite trouble.”
“Ah...”
It seems I became lax because nothing happened for the past few days.
This isn't the world I lived in, but an otherworld where crime is common.
‘The first people I met were slave traders... Let's wake up.’
Just then, a baby's cry rang from upstairs in the inn.
—Waaaaaaah!
Startled, the man scrambled upstairs and came down holding a newborn baby in his arms.
“Shh! My daughter, bear with it a little? Hm? I am sorry guest, the price is 40 silver coins.”
“Waaaaah!”
“Oh my... Daddy is sorry... Stop~ Coo coo!”
Seeing the baby, I thought of the orphanage siblings and spoke as if possessed.
“Shall I help? Give her to me.”
“Yes? Phew... Once she cries she doesn't stop easily. It will be hard for you?”
“I am good at things like this, you see.”
The man handing the baby to me with a half-doubting face.
As I held the baby, the old sensation came back.
“Coo coo peek-a-boo!”
“Huuwaaaah... Awoo?”
Seeing the baby whose crying subsided, the man's eyes opened wide.
“No, how!”
“Kyaa~ Kya~”
This is not the end. I gently stroked the baby's chin, eyebrows, and forehead with my finger.
The baby's expression became blank...
“Kyau... Woo... Zzz...”
Seeing the baby fallen asleep, the man covered his mouth and looked at me and the baby alternately.
The man spoke carefully lest the baby wake up.
“No, young hero... How did you do it?”
“First, there is no problem with how you hold her. When lifting, support the neck well with your arm and hand on the buttocks, you know right? And if you stroke in the order of chin, eyebrows, forehead...”
A strange light appeared in the man's eyes falling for my explanation.
“No... Oh! Such a method!”
“When the child grows a bit more, gently pick her ears. Very gently. Okay?”
The man's expression bloomed brightly as he took the baby back.
“Thank you young hero! Thank you!”
I smiled and handed over the money, and the moment I was about to go outside...
“Hey young man! Come sit here.”
An old woman's voice stopped me.
3 people inside the inn, young man is...
“Are you talking to me?”
“Right, come sit here.”
I intended to ignore her as a suspicious person and leave, but the man whispered in my ear.
“There won't be any loss. Why not try having a talk?”
…? Is the baby a fake and they are a 2-person kidnapping team?
To say that... They don't look like bad people so I decided to trust once.
In the first place, isn't he the person who saved me from almost dangling expensive alcohol around?
The baby thing was also me being meddlesome.
Seeing elders reminds me of the Director too.
As I approached slowly and sat down, the grandma held out an alcohol cup.
“Try pouring a glass.”
The wrinkled mouth visible under the robe went up grin.
I came after dealing with a troublesome customer until just now, seems I met another one.
Thinking I should just pour one glass and go, I poured alcohol.
“Kuh! A handsome young man pouring makes the alcohol sweeter!”
“Tsk, Elder, you shouldn't do this to just anyone? Okay? I will be going now.”
“Are you busy? This old woman is lonely so~ Give me just one more glass. Just one more.”
Ow... My pushover personality... Hearing she's lonely makes my heart feel a bit so-so.
Sighing and pouring one more glass, the grandma started giggling.
“Kukukukuku, extremely innocent aren't you? Young man, are you married?”
Sigh, I should just exchange a few more words and go.
“No.”
“Mm? No kids? But how do you take care of a child so well?”
“There are circumstances...”
“By any chance did the woman abandon the kid and run?”
What kind of talk is this?
“No, I've never been married and have no kids! Just younger siblings... Ey! I'm leaving.”
“If you talk just a little, I'll pay for that alcohol. How about it?”
I was tempted by the word alcohol price, but there is no favor without reason.
I shook my head and refused.
“No, buying it with my money is enough.”
“You have a lot of money?”
“No...”
“Kluk kluk kluk... Really? Then my granddaughter is rich, wanna marry her?”
“Yes?”
I thought she was a suspicious grandma but seems she was just a grandma acting silly.
Inside my heart, the grandma's danger level dropped instantly.
As I sighed and sat down, the grandma grinned and said.
“My granddaughter is super rich. Her personality is slightly strong but her face is super pretty too.”
“Even a hedgehog thinks its own child is pretty, Grandma.”
“Kukukuku! Right! Your words are correct!”
I poured a glass of alcohol into the grandma's cup.
“Sigh, drink moderately Grandma. It's bad for your health.”
“Why is the young man buying alcohol then?”
“Ah, it's alcohol Master likes so I saved money to buy it.”
“Really? Who is the Master?”
Ha, really... Wouldn't she be shocked and faint hearing this?
“Grandma, do you know Arin-nim?”
“Of course I know! By any chance...”
I puffed out my chest proudly and said.
“Yes, I am Arin-nim's disciple.”
Hearing my words, the grandma started bursting into laughter.
“Puhahahaha! That Arin, she's lucky! She picked up a guy like a full moon!”
Curiosity arose at the feeling that they seemed quite close.
“That...? By any chance are you close with Master?”
“Kukukukuku! Of course! Close indeed!”
Since I can't trust her for now, I should ask Master later.
If they really are close, I'll apologize then.
“… By any chance what is your name?”
“Forget it, just call me Grandma. Sounds good!”
“… Being close is a lie, right?”
As I looked with eyes of suspicion, the grandma spoke meaningfully.
“Kluk kluk kluk kluk, well? Just go to 'That' and tell her ‘I am waiting.’ Then she will notice to some extent.”
This is something I can check later.
Talking about Master, it seems quite some time has passed.
I should go back before she worries.
“Grandma, drink this last one and go inside. I will be going now too.”
As I tried to get up from the seat, the grandma pressed my forehead firmly with both fingers.
“?? Grandma?”
“It's a gift, you rascal. Don't get hurt anywhere, and if you have thoughts of meeting my granddaughter, come find the Western Blue Magic Tower.”
As the grandma's fingers shone, a cheerful sound rang in my head.
—Ding!
Blinking my eyes, in the spot where the grandma was, there was the meal cost, and in my hand were 40 silver coins and a single blue coin.
“… Grandma???”
It seems I obtained a fortuitous encounter.
Pale face, ears folded in anxiety, fluffy tail curled inward, neat teeth biting nails, and scarlet lips stained with saliva.
Arin is pacing back and forth in front of the main gate, waiting for the disciple who is late by a whopping 37 minutes.
He is a disciple who must leave her embrace and fly freely someday, but shame rushed in as the one called Master showed separation anxiety symptoms...
“Kidnapping? Rape? Murder?!?? Please just be alive...”
Delusions enough to cover the shame made strength gather in Arin's legs.
“I have to find him.”
Just as she was about to leap energetically...
“Master!”
Seeing the disciple smiling brightly holding a box down there, strength relaxed tak and warmth began to circulate in her coldly cooled heart.
Whether Ryuo ran, his flushed face exuded an erotic atmosphere along with sweat drops.
Arin, who was just staring blankly at the disciple, had a pleased smile hang on her mouth instead of scolding why he was late.
“Are you back, child?”
Even though she always tries to change her tone to be dignified, a soft man-like tone popped out at the end.
Still...
“I'm home! Master, here is a gift!”
He's doing such pretty things, what can she do?
Arin hid her twitching mouth corners and tilted her head.
“Oh my? What is this?”
“Open it!”
When she opened the box pretending not to know, the well-packaged Wonhongju was sloshing.
Arin covered her mouth which was about to tear into a smile with her hand and opened her eyes wide.
“Oh my god! Isn't this Wonhongju, the alcohol I like the m.o.s.t. in the world? How did you buy this expensive thing?”
“Fufu, the disciple bought a bottle to repay even a little of Master's grace.”
Arin, directly hit by Ryuo's face speaking brightly.
Her thighs squeezed tight, her stomach flinched, and auditory hallucinations telling her to let go of the string of reason were heard.
“Master?”
However, the auditory hallucination of her ancestor shouting to get a hold of herself from the other side returned Arin to reality.
“I am so happy. Here, let's go in quickly and try drinking together. On such a good day, we must have a drink.”
Arin holding Ryuo's hand with a bright face.
Arin wasn't the only one directly hit.