Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Episode 48. Haven of Rusted Swords (4)
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Below the sedimentary cliff. A deeply recessed cave. If anything, the entrance resembled something formed when sticky sediments flowed down and hardened.
Judging by the structure of the entrance, it didn't seem like an artificial cave made by the Peace City side. In the first place, there weren't many superhumans who could descend this deep using only their pure physical abilities without mana or equipment. Realizing that fact, interest flickered in Yeoreum's eyes.
As they entered the entrance, Yoo Ji-tae's brow furrowed.
Above, there were half-collapsed stairs and such continuing on. And inside, water had filled up completely. It was when he paused his steps for a moment, letting Yeoreum step onto the stairs first. Yoo Ji-tae grabbed Yeoreum's arm.
"……?"
Yeoreum shrugged her shoulders. Why?
Yoo Ji-tae pointed behind them with his thumb. Let's go back.
Yeoreum pointed up the stairs. Why not go?
Yoo Ji-tae shook his head. Then he opened his mouth.
"Let's go back. Don't pay attention to this place."
His voice transmitted clearly through the water.
Yeoreum was displeased that he was blocking her without even explaining why.
However, she felt strength in the hand gripping her forearm. It was rare for him to hold her back with such force.
"What, you're no fun……."
Yeoreum reluctantly gave up her stubbornness.
Winter, oblivious to everything, alternated glances between Yoo Ji-tae and Yeoreum. Then their eyes met. For no reason, the sulky Yeoreum flicked Winter's forehead lightly.
It hurt. Winter scrunched up her face and looked up at Yeoreum.
"……Why'd you hit me?"
"I don't know, you little porker."
It was absurd.
She rubbed her forehead with both hands. It still hurt.
Turning her body, Winter muttered something.
"What'd you say?"
Winter stuck out her tongue without answering.
*
There were many amusing situations in Peace City. For instance, the glass bottle Winter found on the beach the next morning.
Inside the glass bottle was a note. The message written on it was as follows.
[Save meee! I'm captured by monsters!]
Below it was a crudely drawn map. Yoo Ji-tae headed to the opposite side of the island alone with Winter. There, trained gorilla spirit beasts disguised as monsters were guarding a doll mask tied to a tree.
Eye signal: What do we do?
It was obviously a concept play prepared by the company side, but Winter looked seriously worried for the doll mask.
Yoo Ji-tae strategized with Winter. Make a loud noise to distract the gorillas, then go cut the ropes with this and rescue the doll mask. As he spoke, he handed over a field dagger. It was similar to the recent jelly rescue operation. Winter, understanding immediately, nodded with a bright smile.
And so, Yoo Ji-tae and Winter rescued a Peace City staff member wearing a deer doll mask.
"Aaaah! Thank youuu...! I almost became monster chow for real! Hee hee!"
The deer doll mask bowed to Winter like that. Then it rummaged through its bag and pulled out a fancy pair of deer antlers, handing them to Winter.
"As thanks for saving meee...!"
With that, it scurried away.
Back home, Winter carved wood with Yoo Ji-tae to make a deer-shaped head. They attached the antlers received as thanks. It looked just like a taxidermied animal and was hung on the wooden house's front door.
"……Wow."
Winter's eyes sparkled. It was cool.
Events like that were scattered throughout Peace City. New experiences and wondrous things happened one after another every day.
The kids encountered staff wherever they went, completed quests, and brought back decorative items as rewards to show Yoo Ji-tae.
Statues. Art pieces. Frying pans. Mailboxes, and so on. All perfect for decorating the house.
Thanks to that, the shabby wooden house gradually became more presentable.
On the third day, they went fishing with the kids.
Fish didn't come easily, so most of the time was spent chatting idly. Still, Bom, Gaeul, and Winter each caught about one fish every hour or two.
The problem was Yeoreum. She couldn't catch any at all. Because of her impatient nature, she reeled in even when the fish hadn't bitten.
"Hey, take it easy, unni?"
"Yeoreum. What if you pull before the kids even get a bite."
She endured the advice from Gaeul and Bom, who had been nagging for hours.
Her mood was foul, but they were right.
"……Heh."
But.
It was hard to bear Winter grinning like an idiot and dangling the caught fish in front of her eyes.
"……One."
"……Two."
"Get lost, pig."
"……Three."
"Unni's really gonna get mad?"
Winter beamed and scampered away.
But somehow, the fourth fish hooked onto Winter's rod in an instant.
And as she shook the fourth fish. Finally, Yeoreum's temper exploded.
"I'm done! Screw this! You shitty damn fish bastards! Why won't you bite for me only! Huh!?"
Unable to contain her rage, Yeoreum lifted a massive rock and hurled it into the water. It was infused with mana.
The enormous shockwave sent water surging up, drenching the kids.
"Waaah! What the heck! You're crazy, unni!?"
Gaeul got soaked, and Bom was drenched too. Winter stayed dry because Bom blocked the water with her back and arms.
Then Yeoreum's bracelet beeped! It had detected mana usage.
Already pissed off to death. And now this thing bossing her around? As Yeoreum tried to smash the bracelet.
"Huh!? Whoaaa!"
Gaeul's voice rang out.
Following Gaeul's gaze, Yeoreum's eyes also widened round.
"Oh, damn……."
About then.
Yoo Ji-tae, who had gone to the mountain and caught a small wild boar, met Yeoreum's gaze with hazy eyes.
She had thrust dozens of fish strung on a vine right in his face.
He'd felt a shockwave from the sea side and wondered what it was... Apparently, she'd stunned and caught the fish with the impact.
So that evening was a fish party.
Fried fish was especially Winter's favorite. The kid stuffed her mouth with fish fry until her belly was full to bursting.
*
Fourth day. The day of reckoning dawned.
He headed to the guide's tent with the kids. On the opposite side were Myeong Yong-ha with his wife, two sons, and Ri-hwa.
"No way, you guys look like you just arrived on a trip? Hahaha!"
Myeong Yong-ha laughed in wonder.
Yoo Ji-tae and the dragons' outfits and faces didn't look like four days of uninhabited island life.
"Did you decorate the house well?"
"Ah! Of course. You'll be surprised."
Without further ado. The results of the bet were announced.
The guide cautiously opened his mouth, glancing around.
"First off. As for the residence itself, I think Guardian Yoo Ji-tae's residence was a bit more complete."
Myeong Yong-ha's house was also quite good by field standards. Especially the house made by exposing an entire bent cliff showed creativity.
However, Yoo Ji-tae had reinforced the house whenever he had time over the past three days. He'd even made a simple basement for storing food. And outside, a flower bed.
By that much, in terms of number of decorations, the guide sided with the Yoo family.
"But...... We confirmed mana usage records from the Yoo family side's bracelets. So, that......"
In the end, it was a draw.
As Bom, Gaeul, and Winter turned to look, Yeoreum pouted.
"Aw! Come on, a boring draw like that? Haha!"
"Yeees. Still. Both of you made the most impressive residences I've seen among all the houses so far! Haha...... It was embarrassing to even judge. How did you build such houses in the field......"
At Myeong Yong-ha's words, the guide broke out in cold sweat, flattering him.
They didn't know, but in truth, the guide was dying inside.
Myeong Yong-ha was a VVIP with all power, fame, and capital. And the man named Yoo Ji-tae was a guest brought by that Myeong Yong-ha. No ordinary person, that was for sure.
It was a competition between those two. Superhumans were often stubborn in their ways, and from long years in hospitality, he'd seen many stake their pride even in such playful bets.
The moment a complaint came in, he dreaded what harsh words he'd hear from above.
Thanks to that. Yeoreum's transgression became a good excuse.
"Eh. What can you do. But to just let it slide, here's a gift."
Myeong Yong-ha handed Yoo Ji-tae a red liquor bottle.
"Precious fermented liquor. Red Shoes. Have you heard of it?"
"Red Shoes. Of course."
A variety of mandragora. A species that doesn't grow on Earth, so hard to obtain even one root—it's like plucking stars from the sky.
The steeped liquor was sweet-tasting, fragrant. And it had mood-enhancing components.
The issue was whether the mandragora's scream had been removed. Liquor with the scream intact was narcotic. So Yoo Ji-tae circulated mana to check the liquor's components. The scream had definitely been removed.
Extremely precious liquor.
Yoo Ji-tae also delved into his inner sub-space and pulled out precious liquor to hand to Myeong Yong-ha.
"Ooh. What liquor is this?"
"Snake wine."
Yoo Ji-tae said only that much.
He didn't mention it was made from the tail of an SSS-rank great monster 「Imugi」 from some otherworld, but once tasted, he'd realize it was fine liquor.
At the point of exchanging gifts.
Myeong Yong-ha proposed with a bright expression.
"Ji-tae. How about a campfire?"
"Campfire."
"Yes, yes. If it's okay, on the last day. Shall we all gather, light a fire, and enjoy?"
He didn't answer.
"Whoa! Campfire? Sounds romantic......!"
"Oh. I like it too."
"......!"
However, the situation resolved itself that way.
*
Evening of the fourth day.
Yeoreum, Gaeul, and Winter prepared to head to the mountain.
Because Yeoreum had found a treasure map that morning.
Yeoreum, indifferent to other events, took interest in the treasure map. And at the word "treasure," Gaeul and Winter got hooked too.
Yoo Ji-tae decided to stay home alone and write the 'Family Field Trip Log.' It had to be submitted to the Lair, and with three cadets, there was a lot to write.
And Bom stayed too.
"Unni's not going?"
"No. I'm good."
"It's treasure, treasure! Aren't you curious what treasure is, unni?"
"You kids are my treasure."
'Ugh...... Goosebumps.' As Gaeul rubbed her arms saying chills, Bom laughed.
It was well-known that Bom didn't like active things.
She silently waved the kids off.
"While you're at it, check on the spirit tree too."
"Oh right! The mushroom cluster opened yesterday too......!"
And so, after sending the kids off.
Only Yoo Ji-tae and Bom remained in the small house.
Bom lay down on the bed.
Yoo Ji-tae sat on a simple chair, writing the log on the makeshift table carved from wood, using the pen from the guide.
Bom got up from the bed. Then she approached Yoo Ji-tae from behind.
Bom peered at him over his back.
Yoo Ji-tae ignored her and continued writing the log.
Bom quietly sat in the seat next to him. And watched him write for a long time.
Yoo Ji-tae had surprisingly bad handwriting. Uniformly poor handwriting, like printed by computer. Bom carefully looked at his writing, then at his hand, then at his veiny arm.
As Yoo Ji-tae focused only on writing the log, Bom leaned her head in closer. Blinking her grass-green eyes, she gazed at his face.
Even then, as Yoo Ji-tae didn't turn, Bom placed both arms on the desk and rested her head on them.
Her two eyes still fixed on Yoo Ji-tae.
Only then did Yoo Ji-tae's gaze turn to Bom. Green hair spilled over the table.
A faint smile. Bom opened her mouth.
"Hi."
Yoo Ji-tae, who had been silently looking into Bom's eyes, turned his gaze back to the log without a word. Then he resumed moving the pen.
Still, Bom didn't erase her light smile and kept looking at Yoo Ji-tae.
A bit of playfulness rose within her relaxed smile.
Bom raised her hand and waved it in front of Yoo Ji-tae's face.
But there was no reaction from him.
Bom slowly reached out, brushing near his shoulder without quite touching.
But no reaction.
Then playfulness rose a bit more on Bom's face. Bom reached toward his ear. And once again, stroked near his ear without touching.
But no reaction.
The log on the table was already five pages long. He must be busy. Clearly ignoring her on purpose.
So Bom quietly leaned against him. And rested her chin on his shoulder.
Even then, with no reaction, Bom whispered into his ear.
'Even like this?'
That was impossible to ignore. Only then did Yoo Ji-tae's head turn.
Bom pulled back slightly and burst out laughing, holding back giggles.
"I'm busy."
"Yeah."
"Go rest."
"Okay."
Bom didn't disturb him further. Yoo Ji-tae silently continued writing the log.
However, at some point, Yoo Ji-tae found it hard to continue.
Because two green eyes had been staring at him for nearly thirty minutes straight.
He turned his head.
"What."
"……."
"Write."
"How about resting over there."
"I'm resting here......"
The distance, right up against him, was a bit awkward.
"Ajusshi."
"What."
"When you're done, teach me this."
Bom raised her left hand.
At some point, she'd taken out the liquor bottle received from Myeong Yong-ha, holding it in her hand.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Kids don't drink."
"Yeoreum smokes too......"
It was true. As he shut his mouth, Bom chuckled as if hearing something hilarious. 'Calling me a kid......' Then she pointed at the log he was writing.
[Yoo Bom ♀ 21]
"I'm twenty-one......"