Kim Min-jun, a dungeon management civil servant, couldn’t close his agape mouth.

He had known the child was under the protection of the Yeomyeong Guild, but never imagined it to be Kang Jinho.

Yeoreum, who usually accompanied her, was an exceptional adventurer, but Kang Jinho in front of him was in a different league.

He was always mentioned when discussing who the strongest adventurer in the world was.

The incident of coming to a goblin dungeon to protect a child was big news among adventurers.

Even a few of the novice adventurers near the gate knew about it.

They started murmuring upon seeing Kang Jinho and Gyeoul.

‘Rumors will spread now.’

Was it fortunate that he had managed to make even a weak connection?

As Kim Min-jun pondered this alone, Gyeoul tapped on the table in front of him.

“Excuse me…”

“Hmm?”

“There seem to be fewer people around today.”

Wow.

Such a mundane conversation.

Gyeoul seemed proud of herself, but Kim Min-jun could only sigh.

“Park Min-kyu is here in the dungeon now.”

“Pa, Park Min-kyu?”

Who is that?

Gyeoul tilted her head at a name that sounded somewhat familiar.

“The younger brother of a Legion Guild executive.”

“The Legion Guild?”

At Gyeoul’s question, Kim Min-ho looked around.

Seeing no members of the Legion Guild, he spoke in a hushed voice, just loud enough for Gyeoul to hear.

“He’s quite infamous, and his abilities are significantly lacking.”

“That can happen. Not everyone’s a genius.”

“True. The problem is Park Min-kyu’s terrible personality…”

“Aha.”

A person who throws his weight around using his guild executive family member.

Gyeoul wasn’t a fool; she quickly grasped what Kim Min-ho was implying.

“Well, you shouldn’t have any problems, Gyeoul.”

“Yes. Still, I’ll be careful to avoid any trouble.”

“It’s better to be safe.”

With Kang Jinho by her side, even the formidable Legion Guild posed no threat.

Kim Min-jun granted entrance to Gyeoul without further pause.

He just hoped the child wouldn’t lose her innocence because of Park Min-kyu.

—

—

She entered the dungeon and hunted goblins.

She could now face a whole troop of goblins alone.

Encia and Argo just quietly followed behind, without offering any advice.

“I guess you can handle the goblin dungeon on your own now.”

“Really?”

“Yes. From now on, goblins won’t be a threat to Gyeoul. There are many watching eyes here…”

Watching eyes?

I looked around, but saw no eyes anywhere.

It was because the surroundings were enclosed by the forest.

Still, I didn’t doubt Encia.

I knew she wasn’t someone to lie without reason.

“So, can I come to the goblin dungeon alone from now on?”

“No problem!”

“Yes. I don’t see any issues either. This area is well-monitored.”

“Thanks. I was worried about taking up everyone’s precious time.”

I was relieved to receive such permission.

For top adventurers, time was money.

I could now monopolize the goblins by myself.

If I continued to grow like this, wouldn’t I be able to pay off my debt soon?

Filled with hope, as I moved to find the next goblin, I perked up my ears to the sound of footsteps nearby.

They were heavy, indicating they belonged to a person, not a goblin.

I relaxed the grip on my bow.

‘…Should I greet them while I’m at it?’

I knew greeting someone new was as difficult as hunting a boss horned rabbit.

But it was for my socialization.

It wasn’t bad to try and greet them, despite the difficulty.

“There are people ahead.”

“Yes. I hear them too.”

“Let’s go check it out.”

I led everyone towards the location of the other team.

There, I recognized a familiar man.

He was the one who had tormented me terribly at the beginner’s hunting ground.

“Gasp…!”

I immediately hid behind a tree at the sight of his face.

Master was the first to react to my behavior.

Following me, Master hid behind a tree, and Encia and Argo hid behind a nearby rock a moment later.

“……”

Master looked down at me indifferently.

What are you doing?

It seemed like he was asking.

I wanted to tell everyone that he was a scary person, but I stayed quiet, afraid of being discovered.

Respecting my action, the others also stayed hidden without making a sound.

I specialized in stealth and agility, and the others were just skilled.

Thanks to this, we managed to stay unseen by the other party.

“Damn it, who swept up all the goblins?”

The familiar man’s voice made my body tremble.

I inadvertently covered my mouth with both hands.

“It’s a public hunting ground. Maybe other adventurers got them.”

“That’s why I told you to control the hunting ground!”

“We can’t control a dungeon managed by the state…”

“Ah, forget it. Just shut up.”

“……”

A man as taciturn as Encia stood next to the ill-tempered man.

They were definitely the guys I saw at the beginner’s hunting ground.

Why were they here?

Well, it’s close and of similar level, so that must be why.

As I was lost in my thoughts, they started to walk away.

“Ha, haa…”

I slid down the tree, gasping for breath.

Seeing me like this, Encia and Argo hurried over.

“Boss!”

“Gyeoul, are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah. Let’s go back now.”

“…Understood.”

I grabbed Encia’s hand and stood up.

Even then, Kang Jinho just looked down at me with an indifferent expression.

—

—

Returning home, I showered in warm water and sat down on the floor to rest.

Just as I was about to lie down, Yeoreum approached me.

“Gyeoul, you went to the dungeon with Master?”

“Yes…”

“Did the hunt go well?”

“Well… did it…?”

I barely caught a few goblins and fled the hunting ground.

It couldn’t be considered a success.

“Hmm… it didn’t go well, did it?”

“Yes… I couldn’t catch many.”

“I see.”

Yeoreum, scratching her cheek, plopped down on the nearby sofa.

She looked at me intently and patted the seat next to her.

“Gyeoul, why sit on the floor? There’s a sofa here.”

“It’s okay. I find the floor more comfortable.”

“The floor?”

“Yes.”

Even if there was a sofa, Koreans often prefer sitting on the floor.

Could it be that people in this world don’t have such a habit?

Finding such small cultural differences always surprises me.

To Yeoreum, I must seem like a primitive person.

I hastily blurted out an excuse.

I couldn’t say it was because I was from another world.

“I, I’m still not used to sofas… They’re for rich people, and for me, it’s still…”

“Uh, yeah. Right, right.”

Yeoreum waved her hand dismissively, then sat down beside me on the floor.

Her posture, hugging her knees, looked somewhat passive.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, don’t be. The floor isn’t bad.”

“…Yes.”

The excuse about the sofa being difficult was quite odd, but I had no choice.

I thought of it too hastily.

I should have thought a bit more before speaking.

Regretting it too late, Yeoreum tapped my shoulder.

“Gyeoul. I want to ask a sensitive question, is that okay?”

“Yes. It’s fine.”

How sensitive could her question be to make her act like this?

I couldn’t help feeling a bit tense.

“Gyeoul, you were bullied before, right? Bad people even hit your head.”

“…That’s right.”

Asking about bullying after encountering the man who tormented me.

The timing was eerily perfect.

“Did it hurt a lot? Gyeoul didn’t have mana back then.”

“…I don’t really remember.”

Not remembering the pain from being hit must seem strange.

Her wide eyes said it all.

“Every time I got hit on the head, I passed out. Maybe because my brain shook.”

“Passed out?”

“Yes. But when I woke up, it did throb a lot. Big bumps formed too.”

“Oh…”

Yeoreum’s pupils quivered violently.

Perhaps I had shared something too unpleasant.

I had no intention of boasting about my suffering, so I gave her a confident look.

“But it’s okay.”

“Okay…?”

“Yes. Now I don’t get hit anymore.”

I might have shrunk in size, but my physical abilities had improved.

I was proud of myself for being able to protect my own body.

Even if I couldn’t fight back, I could at least run away.

As I reveled in my transformed self, Yeoreum’s expression, however, only grew darker.

“Gyeoul, I’m really sorry.”

“For what…?”

Hadn’t she apologized already?

All misunderstandings have been cleared up.

To me, her apology was puzzling.

“I was too indifferent towards you, Gyeoul…”

“It’s okay. It was all my fault.”

“Your fault, Gyeoul?”

“Yes. It’s my fault for being born weak.”

Blaming herself for indifference was unreasonable.

It’s impossible to give attention to everyone in the world.

I waved my hand to reassure Yeoreum, but she just buried her face in her knees.

“Why would being born be someone’s fault…”

Saying such strange things.

—

3/5 Enjoy the chappy!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep