Primordial Village (3)

The world might be a small place, but I never expected to run into Cheonsol in the Primordial Village. She seemed just as startled, glancing around with a look of panic.

What was she looking for? The way her eyes locked onto Sophia told me exactly what she was worried about. I quickly warned Sophia.

"Sophia-nim. Be careful. That crazy bastard could pop out anywhere."

"Huh? Ah! You're that psycho god's minion! Yohan, hide behind me!"

No way was I becoming a coward who hides behind a woman just because I was a guy. In those NTR doujins, the male lead who always relies on the heroine ends up having her stolen by the golden-sun type.

I couldn't stand the thought of Sophia getting pinned under some other man. I shoved aside Sophia, who had spread her arms wide like she was cheering, blocking my path.

"I'll protect you, Sophia-nim."

"Yohan..."

"The bond between minion and god is truly intimate. Rest easy. This lady's master... Absolu-nim is not here."

"Is that so? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠So you're free to do as you please? Hanging out with a man in a secluded back alley—could you be working on a romance?"

"Hiiik! Mad Human! Take that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back right now! I am a proud dwarf of the Steel Anvil clan! Getting mixed up with a beardless woman! You've hit me enough already—why pile on the insults!"

Bearded women are his type? Does that mean female dwarves grow beards? Looks like I won't be having sex with any dwarves.

"Heh heh. Mad Human, is it. A truly fitting moniker. Had you been a resident of our world, you would have earned the title of Mad Demon."

"This bitch for real."

I raised my fist and shook it threateningly.

"Want a taste of fear yourself?"

"I shall decline any wasteful expenditure of energy."

Cheonsol pretended to clasp her hands behind her back, hiding them. Something she didn't want to show? At best, it was probably blood, a vampire's food supply.

"So why are you guys here?"

"Why are you only asking that now! After beating me up like that!"

"Want more?"

"No."

The dwarf quieted down. Cheonsol maintained her composed demeanor.

"I am spreading Absolu-nim's faith throughout this village. Breck here is my first convert."

"Who's Breck?"

"Me! It's me!"

"You're Kim Dwarf."

"Ugh!"

Kim Dwarf clutched his heart. Poor guy. Looks like he has a chronic condition. Probably a randomly selected minion rather than one from a gacha pull? Otherwise he would have wished for a cure.

"Will you not learn Absolu-nim's doctrine as well? It would aid in curing your madness."

"Say 'madness' one more time and you're getting hit too?"

"My."

Cheonsol covered her chest and took a step back. That was a bit annoying. If she'd just stepped back normally I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but why cover her chest.

It makes me want to impregnate her. Can I use the skill here?

"Yohan. You can't use skills in the Starting Village."

"That's a shame."

"I had a feeling, and I was right! You were about to use that skill again! How many times have I told you no! You can't just go around doing that to other gods' minions, huh?"

I was the one getting scolded, but Kim Dwarf and Cheonsol flinched. Kim Dwarf muttered mournfully.

"I have no master..."

"This bastard?"

Annoyed, I smacked Kim Dwarf across the face. That satisfying hand-feel! It was so good I hit him one more time.

"Hwaaang. Why are you hitting me."

"You said something that deserved a beating, so you got beat. And why don't you have a master? You've got Goddess Kim, don't you?"

"It's not Goddess Kim, haah. Forget it. She registered me on the Market."

"Why?"

"Why do you think! Because I got wrecked by a mere human... sir."

Kim Dwarf had been about to get angry, but seeing my fist, he switched to clumsy honorifics. Whether dog or dwarf, the rod is the best medicine.

Is that why dragons in fantasy novels treat dwarves like slaves? There are good dwarves like the innkeeper at Valhalla, but there are also ones like Kim Dwarf who don't listen, so you have to discipline them with the stick.

"What does that have to do with anything, you bastard."

"Are you seriously asking because you don't know? I got dumped in the Starting Village because I'm a minion so useless I got listed on the Market. Until some other master buys me, I have to live self-sufficiently."

"In short, you got abandoned?"

"Hwaaaang."

Kim Dwarf cried and tried to cling to Cheonsol. Cheonsol, wearing a gentle smile, sidestepped him.

"That's too cruel."

"This lady is your cult leader, not your mother. Do not throw a tantrum."

"Yes..."

They're having fun together. But why would Cheonsol take a half-wit dwarf like that as a convert? Planning to lock him in a forge and mass-produce weapons?

While we were talking, Sophia, who had been busily operating her screen, cried out.

"It's true! Breck's listing is up on the Galaxy Market."

"Oh. How much is he? Let's take a look."

"Sophia-nim. How much is three hundred thousand Divinity?"

"The Sehrimnir and beer we had for dinner would come to about 50,000 combined."

If I think of 1 Divinity as 1 won, then Kim Dwarf is only three hundred thousand won?

"Puhuhahaha! Hey! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kim Dwarf! You're dirt cheap? Why are you so cheap?"

"Grr..."

"Don't tease the poor kid too much."

"Sophia-nim... are you perhaps going to purchase me?"

Sophia recoiled in disgust.

"No. Sorry. A dwarf who can't do blacksmithing is a bit... yeah."

"Hwaaaaang."

Crying and making a scene again. I don't want anything to do with him.

"That is enough! Do you two not also have a purpose for coming to the village!"

"Why are you getting so worked up?"

"I am merely fulfilling my duties as cult leader. Do not persecute my convert."

"You two have fun. Sophia-nim. Shall we continue our stroll?"

"Mm. The kid is pitiful, but since that psycho god's minion is with him, we don't need to worry. Yeah."

The moment we stepped out of the alley, I grabbed Sophia's wrist.

"Sophia-nim. Let's carefully head back into the alley without them noticing."

"Why?"

"Cheonsol is suspicious."

What other reason would a cult leader from Absolu's planet have for pairing up with a dwarf in a back alley of the Starting Village.

"Ah, I see!"

"Looks like vampires like short dwarves."

"Huh?"

Did Sophia and I have different ideas? What else do people do in back alleys besides sex?

"Anyway, let's go."

We moved stealthily like the spies I'd seen in movies.

"Tsk. This is Codename 007. Codename 008, respond."

"There he goes with the nonsense again."

"Sophia-nim doesn't get how fun this is. Still a kid. A little kid."

"Want me to scold you?"

I didn't want to get scolded. I quietly zipped my mouth shut and watched what Kim Dwarf and Cheonsol were up to.

"A storm has passed through. I have procured additional Ambrosia bread for you. Let us eat together."

"Cheonsol-nim..."

"Ahem. Call me Cult Leader."

"Even Cult Leader is making do with such cheap bread for meals. Tears cloud my eyes."

"Blessings come to those who endure. Today's hardship is tomorrow's hope. Once we finish eating, let us hunt and earn some Divinity. We should at least have a hearty dinner, should we not?"

"Cheonsol-nim...!"

They're really playing around. Still, I had the situation figured out.

"Freeze! The riddle has been solved!"

"What! Mad Human! You didn't leave?"

"Mad Demon... why are you back?"

"I've seen through all your schemes! Don't move! If you move, you're the culprit!"

Sophia, behind me, sighed.

"Cheonsol. You lied to me, didn't you?"

"Why do you slander this lady. I spoke no falsehood."

"You... Absolu abandoned you, didn't he?"

Cheonsol froze like a statue, then moved again.

"H-hmph. You figured it out well. Are you not taking too much interest in me? How long must you have gazed at me with longing eyes to notice. I shall accept your respect, but I must decline any feelings of affection."

"Sophia-nim. Look. She's spouting nonsense too. I'm not the weird one. Normal people all do this, see?"

"R-really?"

"So try saying what I say. On your grandfather's honor!"

"I don't have a grandfather?"

"Then on Sophia-nim's honor!"

"O-on my honor!"

"I will never forgive you!"

"What am I forgiving or not forgiving!"

She went along with everything else but that didn't work. Close one.

"Anyway, you got abandoned too? Why?"

Cheonsol was a formidable opponent. Even though she lost to me, among all the opponents I'd faced across five consecutive matches, plus Evrande, none were stronger than Cheonsol.

"Is it not because of Mad Demon. Absolu-nim can only put six in the entry, and to utilize this lady he would need to include sacrificial minions, saying the risk is high so I must show returns, yet I lost to a mere human, and so he registered me on the Market."

"My. I wouldn't have done that. Tsk tsk. That psycho has no eye for talent."

"No. It is all because I was lacking."

I didn't care what happened to Kim Dwarf, but I wanted to take ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Cheonsol in. First of all her face was pretty, and her chest was pretty too. Her boobs were definitely pretty as well.

"Sophia-nim."

"I know. I know, but... look at this."

Sophia showed me her screen. The moment I saw the Market listing info, I couldn't help but freak out.

"What! Ten million Divinity?!"

That's insanely expensive. Wait a second—if she's ten million, then how much am I, who beat her? At least in the hundreds of millions, right?

"I am a man. An incredibly expensive man."

"Has your madness flared up?"

"Conversation. Difficult. If you wish to speak with me, take a number."

"This kid for real!"

Sophia flicked me on the forehead. That hurt. If I didn't have Iron Man, there'd be a hole in my head.