Chapter 6 – 6 – Hug Me
Mountain Troll. A monster so aggressive, cruel, and powerful that it can easily chew up people.
Moreover, they even used a hostage situation to knock down Eshen. Being too smart is dangerous.
If it weren’t for Eshen’s performance issues, he would definitely have been killed, even if it meant inciting the local military with a statement.
Professional soldiers also don’t want to see blood, so they outsource it, but that also has its limits. If such a clever hunter is left alive, I don’t know what terrible things will happen to the people here.
In fact, when I saw the injured Eshen being carried away, I was planning to report to the military. He was mortified by the fact that he was not a combatant and could not take revenge on his behalf.
However, Eshen returned to her hometown and spent busy days with her Geumtaeyang husbands –
No no. We can’t let the party’s power leak, right? So the troll’s corpse should be the work of Eshen, not the army.
I closed my eyes to chase away the lust in my mind. I’m definitely not helping Eshen because the scenario where the Tigris Golden Sun group is happy about it sucks. Construction classification. Construction classification.
“Look ahead, porter! Forward!”
I guess I was scared to close my eyes on the drake. I opened my eyes as Eshen scolded behind me.
“There’s no need to yell. It’s not just a ride once or twice.”
“What should I do if a bird appears and bumps into me?”
Eshen clinging to my back speaks evilly. He seemed a little scared, but out of pride, he didn’t say anything.
Still, the brave Tigris adapts quickly. The first time I rode a flying dragon at the age of twelve, I cried like a baby and peed myself.
“Drakes also have eyes, and only birds can avoid them on their own. If your voice is loud, the dragons will be startled, which can be dangerous.”
Eshen looked distraught. So I quickly changed the subject.
“What’s more important is how to find the troll.”
“That’s right. How can I find it? No matter how much I look, I don’t know what’s underneath!”
“Of course there is a way. Would you like to hold on to the reins for a moment? Here.”
Eshen Taiga turned even whiter than when he saw the drake.
After handing over the heavy burden to Eshen as the porter, I leisurely took out the animal cages from the pack.
A silver-haired marten raised its head in a round cage. The guy’s neck twitches as soon as he sees sunlight.
This magical creature, which is too conspicuous in the wild, is afraid of bright places and spends all day hiding in the dark and sleeping.
I wrapped the marten’s cage with a coat to protect it from the wind, and comforted the frightened marten by taking out nuts and feeding it.
The silver marten smells me and feels relieved. He must have realized that there was no need to worry because he had an owner.
“Sat, hunting.”
He snaps his fingers and gives an order to the guy who was satisfied with his meal. The marten’s eyes become sharp.
The reason such a lazy creature did not go extinct is because it was such a great hunter.
I put the leftover sulfur bomb from yesterday on a tissue and put it on his nose.
As the marten sniffed for a while, I slowly lowered my altitude.
Eshen, who had been staring blankly at what I was doing, was startled when the marten howled and turned its head like a compass.
After taking over the reins, I handed the sable cage to Eshen.
And then he turned the reins of the dragon in the direction the marten’s head was facing.
“Could it be that you smelled the bomb I exploded in his face yesterday?”
Eshen was quick-witted. If I had the aptitude to be a porter, I thought it would be okay to become a porter.
“There’s no way the silver marten would miss it. The troll would be leaving that strong smell behind.”
“I can’t smell anything to my nose.”
As Eshen spoke helplessly, I couldn’t help but laugh.
The attitude of a race that prides itself on its physical abilities was somehow cute.
“Don’t be upset that you lost to that little guy. You win in everything else but the smell. Your nose should be at that level to get you to that bastard.”
A smile spreads across Eshen’s face. Are you imagining revenge?
I said, patting Eshen’s shoulder as he trembled with excitement.
“Go and destroy it.”
We soon found a troll wandering through the forest. As the drake’s shadow passed over his head, he cowered in fear.
I quietly watched what was being done. He sniffs the path he has been walking on, and rolls in the mud to erase his scent.
Exactly what I told Eshen. It is to be afraid. He could have avoided retaliation if he had been killed on the spot.
The lost Tigris is coming to regain the pride of the wounded beast.
But soon a smell catches his nose. The smell of a juicy human.
You probably noticed. There is no way he could have forgotten the scent of the human who lured Tigris yesterday.
The proof is that he runs away with a lot of anger.
“Gwaaagh-!”
“Wow. It’s a troll.”
I waited, sucking on my finger that was stinging from the needle prick.
This time, instead of sulfur, I dipped a few drops of my blood into the scent enhancer that lured him in last time.
To call out the guy who gave up his territory and ran away, this time with hunger.
To him, I am not only a snack after intense exercise, but also a self-defense item that can be used in another hostage situation when Tigris returns.
“You idiot.”
However, by the time he realized that he had been lured backwards, Eshen had already jumped from the tree behind him.
Yesterday and today, it was Eshen’s job to be surprised, but this time it was my turn to be surprised.
I heard a snapping sound. That was it.
The troll stumbled for a moment, then collapsed, spilling the contents of his skull behind him.
Eshen Taiga, who was standing still in an imposing posture, raised his clenched fists and cheered.
“Ah-! It’s cool-! This bastard-!”
My ears are deafening. I looked at the combatant in horror.
Even so, I thought it would be dangerous for the two of them, so I set a trap and waited, but they killed me before my feet even fell into the trap. So easily.
Eshen smiled humbly, as if he was sorry, as if his thoughts had reached a trap he had forgotten about.
And then he pushed the pitiful troll corpse and rolled it with his feet.
The troll that fell first after turning around was hit by a wooden stake in a hole hidden by a bush.
As the body twitched violently, Eshen made a disgusted face.
“Your facial expressions can vary, really.”
“If you do this, it’s like trapping me, right? Don’t get upset, will you?”
“···I wasn’t trying to compete, I was trying to help.”
“Anyway, we caught it together. I guess the massage is working! I feel like I’m flying!”
Eshen said as he kicked another tree down. An old tree that must have lasted well over a hundred years was horribly torn to pieces by 20-year-old Eshen’s adorable prank.
…I’ve heard that Tigris is strong, but I didn’t know it was that strong. Is it an innate aptitude for being a fighter whose striking blows become explosively strong?
Her face is too bright. Is it so refreshing to be relieved of old fatigue?
Well, I killed the monster I had a grudge against, and there was no need to return to my hometown.
I vaguely thought that I might be happy, but when I remembered the possibility of ‘something’, I felt fear.
No way. Probably not.
Eshen, who was boasting about his physical condition by hitting various things with his refreshed body, looked back at me and suddenly stopped shyly.
And he spoke in a slightly awkward tone.
“Thank you.”
As if he was embarrassed to say such a thing, Eshen wandered around with his hands as if he didn’t know where to put them.
I imagined those hands playfully flying at my body, and I was scared and tried not to run away.
“Nothing much to say. You did well too. It was very cool.”
I nodded slowly, keeping my eyes on Eshen. Eshen said, his face brightening as he brushed the sawdust off his shoulder.
“Shall we go back?”
———-
Looking up at the luxurious hotel, Eshen was once again dispirited.
“This is our accommodation? With what money?”
“To be exact, it is ‘your’ accommodation. This was resolved within the party travel expenses.”
“I don’t mind sleeping on the mountain…”
“If all you do is ride an exhausting train for 30 hours round trip from start to finish and shiver from boredom, it can’t be called a trip. Sleeping on a rock in the mountains isn’t a trip either.”
I handed Eshen the room key.
···Because of ‘some suspicion’, being careful not to touch it with your fingers.
“Of course we’re not on a tour. But you may still not be in perfect condition and-“
“I feel a lot better.”
“Rest even if it feels good. You’ve collapsed once. If you go back to the wet camp tent like this, your condition will be ruined again and you may fail the next request. What happens then?”
“I’m sure I’ll be bullied by my peers in my hometown.”
I almost suffered internal injuries from his bold words.
“I guess that’s possible, right? So this isn’t sightseeing, it’s about regrouping for the next mission. You did a great job, so give yourself a reward for a day.”
Eshen laughed. For a moment, I looked at that bright smile as if I was fascinated.
It’s pretty, really pretty. It’s hard to believe that he was a combatant who pulled a troll’s brain out of his skull with his bare hands.
Eshen examined the room key handed to me. And I discovered something strange.
“069 written on the room key. This is the room number. What is the number 1 written on the guest card? Does it mean that only one person will stay?”
“Yes.”
After answering casually, I was asked a very ominous question.
“Why?”
“Why, Eshen?”
“Aren’t you sleeping at the hotel?”
“The reason the porter carries the luggage instead is to preserve the strength of the combatants. I will find cheaper accommodation and sleep.”
“Can porters sleep in cheaper accommodation?”
“It’s different from a combatant who has to pay attention at every moment. From the party’s perspective, the less we spend on security, the better. In the first place, I’m not a senior with an A grade, but a newcomer who has to pay close attention to your party.”
“I just thought of a way to save more on accommodation costs.”
Eshen shrugged.
“Can’t I just sleep in my room…?”
Eshen’s tail trembles a little. With tension and anticipation.
An ominous prediction solidifies into certainty.
I cursed the party’s negligence in allowing Eshen to wander alone.
How can you leave someone in ‘that kind of condition’? I know what kind of accident will happen.
I took a deep breath.
“That’s not possible. If there’s a sexual scandal at a women-only party, I’ll lose my job.”
Come to think of it, I even forgot about dressing up as a woman with the ponytail artifact. Because I was brought in so hastily.
What if I add another layer of notoriety to the already bad reputation of the porter industry?
At that time, there will be no way to honestly repay the 100,000 gold. You’ll be lucky if you don’t step foot in the cell.
“Can I just shut up?”
“We’re not even lovers, but if word gets out, there could be bad news.”
“Do you have to be lovers to sleep together?”
A sinister smile grows on Tigris’ face.
“Why do you think that sleeping together is just sleeping together? It could be that we just sleep together.”
Ambiguous words cause fear. I swallowed hard, took out the money, and placed it on the counter.
“Hotelier, this is compensation.”
“What are you saying in a foreign language, now?”
“Compensation? You didn’t touch anything here.”
“Because I’m going to break the window now.”
Leaving behind the hotelier’s embarrassed shouts,
“Guest? Customer-! This is the third floor-!”
I jumped from the third floor, along with shards of the window. And just before it hit the sidewalk block, it rolled once to absorb the impact. The path of an A-class porter is not limited by geographical features.
There were signs from the way back on the flying dragon. Eshen’s breath, clinging to my back, was too warm and harsh.
To be honest, I felt like it was too much stimulation for someone who has no experience with women.
And even the blatant temptation just now. I was sure.
The Eshen Taiga is going through estrus.
Tigris resemble felines in every way. To the point where it goes through a period of heat like an animal.
Maybe you didn’t even notice it. I heard that if there is a psychological problem or the body’s flow is impure, estrus may be delayed or come earlier, just like menstruation.
Could it be that I didn’t notice because of the fatigue I had accumulated from walking alone? In that case, the desire would have started pouring in only now that my condition has improved…!
“Damn it, damn it!”
And one more thing. I don’t know why Tigris, who likes strong mates, thought of a porter like me as a partner…
If you get caught in the hands of a Tigris in estrus.
“Aren’t you going to stand there?”
I don’t know, but I’ll probably die. An average human’s physical strength could never withstand Tigris.
There is an old saying that even if you are bitten by a tiger, you will survive as long as you come to your senses.
Damn. You must come to your senses before being bitten by a tiger.
I thought with all my might. A way to get out of this city.
————
Unfortunately, I guess I am a born porter.
My brain, which was able to come up with a solution when hunting trolls, couldn’t think of a way to escape from a stronger and faster party member. It has been a long time since I heard that the flying dragon, which was my only hope, had already been returned to its owner.
A handful of my hair was a little messy, but fortunately I wasn’t seriously injured.
Nevertheless, I flinched and lowered my head when Eshen’s gaze passed by. Honestly, who wouldn’t be scared in this situation?
Eshen was sitting on the bed. He looked depressed, hugging his knees and wiggling his toes.
“…You don’t want to sleep with me?”
The voice sounds like any other 20-year-old who has suffered a broken heart. Suddenly I felt like a sinner. Neither of us can meet each other’s eyes.
“No, it’s not that I don’t like it-“
“They told me I was cuter than a silver marten.”
While I was wondering when that had happened, I remembered saying, ‘Except for the smell, isn’t it better than sable in every way?’
I laughed out loud for no reason, but I wonder if I really had such a misunderstanding.
I had the impression of seeing a mirror in Eshen’s appearance. Ada interprets even small favors as flags.
“I mean… You win in that physical sense…”
“···”
A disastrous silence born of clumsiness filled the room.
