Meeting (5)
Meeting (5)
Emilia couldn't hide her shock at the sight of Pion's bunny girl outfit and the half-naked waitresses' attire.
As a refined country maiden, exposure was something she couldn't even imagine; showing her ankles was already a huge challenge, and this cleavage-baring outfit was no different from being naked to her.
The city folk were shattering her notions of chastity completely, proudly flaunting their near-nudity.
'Am...... I the weird one?'
Just as in a village with three-eyed folks, the two-eyed person is the freak—in this party venue where everyone boldly exposed themselves, Emilia, who was only showing a bit of cleavage, had become the abnormal one.
Of course, unbeknownst to her, her own outfit was plenty provocative enough to call it that—but unless someone kindly explained it, her mindset wouldn't change.
"So? What's up?"
"H-Huh?"
"You came here for something, right?"
Emilia, whose eyes had been glued to Pion and the other women, snapped to attention at Dojin's voice calling her and looked up at him.
In the meantime, Dojin had naturally wrapped his arm around Pion's waist, pulling her into his embrace; seeing Pion blush but not really resist, she mistakenly learned that this level of skinship was normal in the city.
"Uh, um. Well, you see..."
Thus, Emilia couldn't bring herself to suggest forming a party with him right away. Having heard that party members were even closer than family, she imagined what would happen if she partied up with Dojin.
'W-What if he says let's hold hands?'
What if, since they're in the same party and it's common sense, he lay down on the bed, grabbed her hand, and said he was going to sleep?
A kid might even pop out.
She'd been taught that sleeping while holding hands makes babies.
Of course, Emilia had dreamed of meeting a good man, getting married, having kids, and living happily ever after—but she didn't want kids just yet.
She was a Hero blessed by the gods, and Heroes were supposed to save countless people through trials and tribulations.
If she got pregnant, she couldn't save people.
"N-No, it's nothing!"
"......Really? Lame."
Dojin chuckled and offered her a drink too. A nearby waitress hurried over with a glass—and.
Staring at the pale yellow wine fizzing with bubbles, Emilia hesitated for a moment before downing it in one go.
"Gah—!"
She clutched her stinging throat and started coughing and hacking. Probably because she'd chugged strong liquor all at once, her stomach bubbled and burned hot.
Haa—her exhaled breath carried heat, and for some reason, she felt a bit less hesitant.
"You okay?"
"......Not okay."
"Want some water?"
"Nah."
Only after snapping like that did Emilia wonder if she'd always been this touchy.
She looked up at Dojin, thinking maybe she should apologize, but Dojin, who'd heard her, seemed unperturbed as he looked away from her and scanned the surroundings.
'......What're you looking at.'
The fact that he'd taken his eyes off her filled Emilia with inexplicable anger. Wait, was this really anger?
A fiercely burning emotion. This unidentified feeling overwhelmed her.
Thanks to that, she had no choice but to keep downing drinks to cool her gut.
[We are truly grateful to all the adventurers who visited us today.......]
The Bald Guild Master was giving some speech from the podium when he glanced at Dojin and Emilia. Seeing Emilia swaying next to him, Dojin asked Pion to look after her.
"I'll be right back."
"Y-Yes—E-Emilia-nim? How much did you drink......."
Watching the bunny girl Pion support the staggering Emilia, Dojin headed up to the podium.
As he stood beside the Guild Master, the adventurers who'd been glaring at him from the start now looked at him like, Who the hell is this punk to go up there?
A snicker escaped him. He was dying to see how those glaring eyes would change.
Dojin took the mic from the Guild Master and opened his mouth.
"Ahem, nice to meet you all. I'm Dojin, a Level 3 adventurer invited by the Guild Master."
"—!!"
"......Gasp."
"Did he just say Level 3...?"
The gazes that had mockingly sized up Dojin, whose outward strength wasn't obvious, filled with shock; the eyes that saw his clean face as some gigolo playing with women shifted.
And when this many people gathered, inevitably someone steps up—whether for fun or pride—to butt heads with someone stronger.
"How do we know that's true?"
A giant who looked over two meters tall stepped forward, glaring at Dojin and the Guild Master. His eyes held suspicion.
"I go into the Dungeon every day. Train at the training grounds without fail. But I've never seen you anywhere. You really Level 3? Or is this some fake the Guild cooked up?"
"It is real."
"Can't believe it."
"Haha, why beat around the bush."
Dojin grinned at the Guild Master. The Guild Master, face stiff, subtly shook his head like absolutely not.
But Dojin, who'd come here for cheap pay, had no reason to listen. He smiled at the adventurer picking a fight.
"Come at me. One finger's enough for trash like you."
In the midst of the Guild Master clutching his bald head in shock at the sudden duel breaking out in a party for socializing and info exchange—
Dojin and the challenging adventurer faced off in the center of the venue, while the adventurers formed a circular ring around them like it was prime entertainment.
The two-meter giant adventurer, Rakan, held a weapon matching his build and stared at Dojin.
"......No weapon?"
"This'll do."
Dojin said, raising a party fork. Rakan realized he'd been dissed.
Challenging a massive greatsword over ten times longer with a fork under ten inches?
"Hah, seriously. Way too cocky."
"Cocky? You got a weapon."
Dojin said, flicking the fork with one finger.
Remembering Dojin's earlier words at that sight, Rakan gripped his weapon tight like don't regret this.
'Perfect preparedness.'
He inwardly rated Rakan. The thoroughness to bring his weapon to a party.
Even with a reach advantage to overwhelm unilaterally, the observation and composure to analyze without dropping guard.
The bravery to doubt a Level 3 intro from the Guild Master and test it himself.
The disappointment he'd felt toward adventurers upon first entering the party was washing away somewhat.
"I'll go first."
In martial arts, yielding first strike to juniors is virtue, but seeing Rakan wait without slacking, he dropped the thought.
Unlike Emilia, who used the same greatsword to crush with brute force, Rakan was a classic counter-attacker.
"Straight on."
Whoosh—!
Instead, Dojin announced his attack path ahead. The short fork needed to get right in his face to hit, and paradoxically, that distance was Rakan's weakness.
Knowing that, Rakan swung his greatsword along Dojin's approach. Hit. No dodging. Convinced, Rakan loosened his grip slightly.
'Heart checks out too.'
He could've just tanked or overpowered, but for this junior's sake, Dojin showed exactly the technique he needed.
Ihwajeopmok.
The greatsword caught in the fork's gap spun a full circle following Dojin's hand.
Rakan, trying to brute-force it, felt his wrist might snap from his own strength and reflexively dropped the sword.
Dojin flung the snatched sword far away, then in one step poked Rakan's nape with the fork.
"Checkmate."
"......I lose."
Realizing it'd be death if it were a sword instead of a fork at his nape, Rakan admitted defeat cleanly.
He might not have if Dojin had just crushed him with raw power.
But by showing superior technique, he'd made Rakan give up himself.
Clench—Rakan balled and released his fist, recalling the move, but Dojin left him be and looked around.
Suspicious glares were long gone; instead, adventurers burning with competitive spirit had multiplied.
Some mixed in weren't just for fights—they wanted his teachings.
'This is a real exchange meet.'
What exchange is it, just clinking glasses and chitchat?
Real adventurers exchange with steel.
"Next."
Dojin said, raising a knife. Adventurers with their own weapons stepped up for his guidance.
The Guild Master's social had veered to Andromeda into a true exchange, but the adventurers were satisfied.
"Ah, ahaha. I'm not that kinda girl......."
"What's wrong? We dressed like this to have fun, right?"
"No, that's not it......."
After Dojin left the stage, Pion, hit on immediately, glared at the approaching adventurer in distress.
Her outfit was outrageously provocative even compared to the other waitresses.
It was bunny girl, after all.
Without Dojin as a shield now, she was just a lone rabbit in an open field, as he'd worried.
"Come on, let's go togeth—"
"......Hey, fuck off."
"H-Huh?"
But then, drunk and staggering Emilia glared fiercely at the adventurer.
The adventurer, who'd wanted to enjoy her as a one-plus-one with booze, realized she was the famous Emilia and paled, slowly backing away.
"N-No, I didn't realize you were here......."
"—I said fuck off?"
"S-Sorry!"
She was a monster who crushed Orcs one-handed, so the adventurer bolted.
Pion nodded at Emilia, who'd saved her.
"Thank you......."
"......Water for me."
"Ah, yes."
She quickly got water from a nearby waitress and handed it over; after drinking and somewhat sobering up, Emilia looked around.
Scanning like she was searching for someone, she failed and turned to Pion.
"That guy......?"
"That guy......?"
"Y'know, that Dojin— the one with you......."
"Ah, Dojin-nim? He's over there......."
Pion pointed at Dojin sparring Rakan. Hard to see through the crowd, but Superhuman eyesight caught him through gaps.
"......Hey."
Seeing Dojin snatch a massive greatsword with a fork, Emilia snapped sober.
"Bring my weapon."
She wanted to spar that guy.