Chapter 25 – Anxiety (5)
“If it’s a kobold, isn’t it a dog-headed monster?”
I’ve seen it a few times in game. The dogs in human form were not so badly armed, but they were weak, so they were treated as rubbish mobs.
“Right. They’re bigger than goblins, but with slightly better intelligence. A request to subdue kobolds came out this time. Wouldn’t you like to try it together?”
Said Patrick, putting down his glass of ale.
‘A request to subdue kobolds…’
It is perfect for those of us who have just taken our steps as adventurers while catching goblins. It’s a subjugation quest, so it’s suitable for earning karma.
But there was a little bit of a catch.
“I’m fine, but we’re the only three newcomers… Are you okay?”
A really good offer for us.
Really only good for us.
Patrick is a veteran with 10 years of experience, whereas we are a rookie trio. If you think about it common sense, there was no reason for him to take us to the request.
‘Are you trying to harm me or use it somewhere?’
If so, where?
I thought about it, but couldn’t find an answer.
Patrick has a family and a decent source of income as an adventurer. He means there is no reason to take a risk for a penny.
Even if he took the risk, it was strange to come in the form of a request. If we disappear after receiving the request, he will be the first to be suspected, and his career will be ruined.
Seeing the concern in my voice, Patrick laughed heartily.
“What are you so worried about? It’s just that the senior wants to see the skills of the junior who is doing well these days.”
“Even to the point where I can say I’m doing well… I’m barely taking my first steps.”
“Heh heh, you know what? When you guys said you were going to the abandoned castle, we made a bet with each other. It was about how many days it would last and fall down.”
Said Patrick, leaning back in his chair.
“Are you playing with something like that?”
“Because anything that costs money is fun. Anyway, the others walked in two or three days. Where do you think I would have walked?”
“Where did you live?”
Patrick grinned.
“I bet I won’t fall! The other guys laughed and thanked me for losing the money. Even though I’m on my way to laugh at you today.”
“Congratulations. How much did you make?”
Patrick spread his three fingers.
“I earned 3 silver. I can still remember the rotting look on their faces when they pay.”
Patrick chuckled and downed his ale.
I whispered to him,
“Then, thanks to me, you earned 3 silver, so today Patrick will shoot…”
“That and this are different.”
Patrick sipped his soup and smoked his silence.
The person called senior is small.
* * *
After breaking up with Patrick and leaving the guild, the sky was dark as if the sun had already set. When I returned to the inn, I saw Seris and Kara waiting for me.
“Brother, why come now!”
Said Kara, placing her hand on her waist and puffing out her cheeks.
“Sorry, something happened all of a sudden.”
“You thought you were dying of hunger while waiting for your brother. Let’s do something first I’ll get angry later.”
Kara took her seat first, and Ceris sat next to her.
‘Will he get angry if I say he ate?’
I also quietly sat across from Seris.
“Brother, sit here, not there. Here.”
Kara said, patting the opposite side of hers.
She wondered what the difference was, but sat as she wanted. Kara smiled, revealing that she was satisfied.
‘Yeah, it’s fine if you like it.’
She ordered food and chatted.
“Brother, we saved someone. Didn’t you say that there would be a reward for that?”
“300 Cooper. They say they’ll give it to you when they’re done checking that it’s the right person.”
“300 coppers each?!”
Both Seris and Kara were taken aback. Our usual daily income was between 5 and 7 coppers, so it’s worth it.
“And! Oh my god! If you divide it into thirds, it’s 100 copper per person? Oh yea! If you get money, you should order it smoked and grilled!”
Kara said with a bright face. The other day, when I wanted to eat smoked grilled meat, I couldn’t do it because it was expensive, but it seemed to be very disappointing.
“Kara, I have to save money to pay back Mr. Yoosung.”
“Ah… That, you can pay it back later if you succeed…”
Kara’s face was stained with embarrassment as if she hadn’t thought of the borrowed money. Then Ceris became her stern older sister and admonished Kara.
“Even if I can’t pay back all of Kara’s borrowed money at once, she has to show sincerity that she will pay it back. If you don’t show that sincerity here, what will Yoosung think of you in the future…”
“Ah! I can’t hear~ I can’t hear~”
Kara covered her ears. Seris forcefully untied Kara’s arm and continued her admonition.
“Ah! Okay! Got it!!”
Even though Kara struggled to understand, her admonishment did not stop. Rather, she continued endlessly as if she was going to drive away what she hadn’t been able to do for a while..
I smiled a little when I saw that.
‘Still, after killing the goblin, I don’t feel depressed.’
I thought it was good that Seris was back to her old self. But just as much, her daytime expression fluttered before her eyes.
‘But we should have a conversation.’
It’s difficult to leave small rice cakes unattended and grow big.
“Are you laughing right now? Is it funny that I get scolded?!”
“Huh. Very.”
“Profit!”
“Don’t talk about Kara. What are you…”
“Kyaaak!!”
* * *
“Kobolds?”
“Yes, it’s a dog-headed monster. They say they settled in a mine in a certain town. That’s why the subjugation request came in. I decided to do it with Patrick’s party.”
“Oh clothes! We are finally doing something like adventurers!”
Kara said as she ate the soup.
“Eat or talk, just do one thing.”
“Then let’s eat.”
Kara focused on her soup again. I laughed and got up from my seat.
“It was the day after tomorrow morning that I was supposed to work with Mr. Patrick. Let’s take a little break tomorrow and fix it. And Seris.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to stop by my room later? I have a little something to tell you.”
“With your sister? What are you talking about?”
Kara, who had declared that she would focus on the soup, asked as she raised her head.
“You said you would focus on eating?”
“What are you talking about? Shouldn’t I listen?”
“It’s not that I shouldn’t listen…”
I glanced at Seris.
If I told her why I was calling her, she could have come prepared with all kinds of excuses.
“I’ll talk to you later.”
“Brother!”
Kara glared at her pouty face.
“Enjoy your meal.”
She ignored it and went up to her room.
* * *
Before Seris came, she finished her light workout and looked around her shop window.
‘For now, I decided to learn most of the skills from Sichuan Tang Monk.’
To be honest, I was shocked when I first discovered the Heavenly Demon Art.
Heavenly Demon Goddess
Isn’t that the martial art used by the pinnacle of ten million demonic cults?
It’s talent and nabal, wouldn’t it be possible to learn only this? I had a thought like that.
Until I found a caveat.
-Caution, if a person who does not have the qualifications of a supreme king rises to the extreme of the Heavenly Demon Spirit, his qi and blood may be distorted and die.
It was a story that if you don’t have the qualities of a king, the limit is clear.
I wondered if I had the qualities of a king, but if I did, the talent tester would have told me.
Unfortunately, I found another thing while looking for other martial artists.
– Heavenly Demon Lord Hwangbo (天魔君皇步) 4000 Karma
-Heaven Demon Hoi Dragon Strike (天魔回龍擊) 5000 Karma
– Heavenly Demon Great Destruction (天魔大滅劫) 10000 Karma
The moment I saw this, the Heavenly Demon Sacred Art disappeared from my mind.
‘Since it’s the Heavenly Demon Sacred Art, I thought it also included herb food.’
It was the same mental law concept as the volcanic wave’s Jahagong.
Reluctantly, as the Talent Tester taught me, I selected the martial arts most related to thieves.
And what was judged to be suitable for it was the martial arts of the Sichuan Dangmun.
This is because the martial arts of the Tang family were most similar to those of hit-and-run thieves, as they used poison and memorization.
Usually, martial arts of the Tang family are undervalued and weakly expressed in martial arts magazines, but that is possible because it is a novel.
In real life, how many people should be able to be poisonous or ignorant?
Of course, some people may be resistant to the poison. However, since I will not only learn martial arts from the Tang family, I will mix them in moderation, so there will be no big problem.
The skills were roughly decided, so I clicked on the general store in the shop.
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〈 miscellaneous goods 〉
-Ingredients
-Portion
-Clothes
-Elixir
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There were a variety of things in the grocery store, from food to elixirs. I pressed the Elixir window among them.
“200 Karma for the Summoning Group, 500 Karma for the Great Hwandan… Why is there no such thing as the Ice Age?”
At least, it would be nice to have a thousand year old three. He licked his lips with regret.
That was when I was looking around the shop window. A knock was heard at the door.
-Mr. Yoosung, that’s me.
When I opened the bolt, Seris, dressed in casual clothes and wearing a rabbit mask, entered the room. She was a little restless for some reason.
“What’s the matter?”
“Oh, no. What else did you call me for?”
“Let’s sit down and talk.”
Seris and I sat on the bed facing each other. Before we started talking, I took off her bunny mask myself. To see her reaction during the conversation.
As she removed the mask, her eyes trembled.
“Why are you wearing a mask?”
“It’s inconvenient.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
She suddenly tensed up and straightened her back.
“Why are you so nervous all of a sudden? It’s not like I’m eating it.”
“Eat…? Hick?!”
Seris backed away from her, blushing. Then she wrapped her arms around me, but I was dumbfounded.
“No, I don’t mean that… Ha, where did you learn that?”
“Since I was eating…”
It seemed that he overheard the conversation of the seat next to him or other guests. Somehow, even Kara kept using strange words.
‘Should I move the inn…’
Later, when money is collected, I will move to a better quality place than here.
“Seris.”
I set the tone for the real story to begin. As my mood became more serious, Celis also became more serious.
“About today’s work. Why did you do that?”
Flinch.
Her body trembled Her eyes started to tremble aimlessly.
“Me, daytime work?”
“When you killed the goblin. Why did you run in such a hurry?”
“That, that’s…”
Seris rolled her eyes. You must be thinking of an excuse. I held her hand so as not to give it a chance.
“Yooseong..?”
“Ceris, if you have any difficulties, please tell me. You have to tell me so I can help.”
“That, that…”
“If not, do you not want to tell me?”
“It’s not like that!”
When I suppressed her voice, pretending to be sad, she screamed in surprise. Her hand that held my hand was strong.
Cerris looked at me, holding my hand tightly, then opened her mouth before she lowered her head.
“…Sorry. I can’t speak.”
She said in a small murmur. Seeing her like that, I gave up asking more. In this atmosphere, if you ask more questions, it could have the opposite effect.
I have no choice but to wait for Seris to tell me first.
However, you should have at least some insurance coverage. I gently placed her head on my chest.
“Ah…”
He stroked her hair gently.
“Okay. I won’t ask more because it’s hard for you to say. Instead, just know this.”
“What..?”
Céris leaned against my chest, only her head slightly raised.
A little movement and her nose would touch.
She made eye contact with her and smiled.
“I am always on your side.”
Seris’ face turned red a little, a lot.
* * *
“Yeah, then I’ll just go!”
Perhaps she was ashamed of what happened earlier, Celis hurriedly left her room. I grabbed her arm.
“Wait for a sec.”
“Again, why, why…?”
“Why are you in such a hurry? Please wait a moment, I have a favor to ask you.”
“Yes yes..? Please?”
I sat her down again and I took out her hidden talent detector.
I received it after clearing subquest 〈 Blacksmith’s Tears 〉 the other day. I didn’t have the time to write it, so I’ve been putting it aside, but I think I’d better write it now.
Since Seris also has her status window, she has to decide which martial arts to learn.
I unfolded the scroll and pointed to a palm-shaped drawing.
“Ceris, would you like to touch this?”
“Yes?”
She tilted her head but raised her hand without saying anything.
Jiing
The cross section of the scroll glowed and letters began to appear.
“Uh? Uh?! Hey, why is this?!”
“Stay still.”
Surprised, he grabbed Ceris who was trying to get rid of her body.
After a while, the blinding light faded and the letters became visible. I read Seris’ talent identification article.
