Chapter 126

"Lately, it seems like you've been sighing a lot more."

As I rolled my eyes and played innocent, Go Yeon-Joo gave a soft smile and nodded.

"Well, my mind has been a bit cluttered."

"When your mind is cluttered, the best thing to do is rest. How about taking a break from work and refreshing yourself?"

"Oh my, is this a date invitation? You usually stay put no matter how much I try to coax you."

Before we knew it, we had returned to speaking formally to each other. It was a sign that we were wrapping up the conversation rather than dragging it out. In other words, Go Yeon-Joo had more or less grasped my intentions.

After lightly tapping her forehead for a moment (at which she slightly furrowed her brows), I replied in a calm voice.

"Haha. In a way, I guess it is a date invitation. I'm planning another expedition outside the city next month. How about we hold hands and go together? I've found a great place."

Go Yeon-Joo let out a small laugh at my words and shook her head.

"…So, to player Kim Su-Hyeon, a 'date' means holding hands, smiling, and swinging swords at monsters?"

"Better than sulking in an inn all day, don't you think?"

"I should really stop talking… How long are you planning for?"

"Three weeks."

At my clear-cut answer, Go Yeon-Joo's face went blank for a moment before she narrowed her eyes and spoke.

"…Are you trying to put the inn out of business? Do you know how much money I spent building this place?"

"It's already failing anyway. Hardly anyone comes here besides us."

"…Tch."

At my blunt remark, she pouted her lips and turned her head away, seemingly at a loss for words. On a side note, she was still resting her head on my lap. Every time she moved her head back and forth, it was more than a little uncomfortable. I gently turned her head back the other way and continued speaking.

"I told you, it's a good place. Don't worry too much. Running this inn for three more weeks in its current state would be a bigger loss."

"Ha… So, I guess you're planning to discover another dungeon or something?"

At her grumbling, I responded with a completely innocent expression.

"Oh? How did you know?"

"...."

Go Yeon-Joo stared at me blankly, seemingly at a loss for words.

*

After finishing my morning meditation, I quickly washed up and stepped out—only to find the inn in utter chaos. The others, who should still be fast asleep at this hour, were all awake, gathered on the first floor with anxious expressions.

As I descended the stairs with heavy steps, I felt everyone's eyes fixate on me.

"O-Oppa!"

"Yeah, Sol. What's wrong?"

"It's a disaster! The inn is closing down!"

"…Pfft."

At An-Sol's words, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

An-Hyun and Yun-Jung both looked rather disheveled, but An-Sol was relatively neat. She had probably woken up early for the first time in a while, come downstairs, and been shocked by Go Yeon-Joo's actions. Panicked, she must have rushed to wake me up. And when she couldn't find me, she likely settled for waking up everyone else instead. I could picture her actions so clearly in my mind that I scratched my head and casually took a seat.

"Ah… damn it. Oppa, did you hear anything from the innkeeper?"

Yun-Jung plopped down beside me, her half-lidded eyes still filled with sleep. She must have been forcibly woken up mid-slumber, and it had clearly put her in a bad mood. Since I didn't respond, she rested her head lightly on my shoulder. As I gently stroked her hair, I noticed her expression soften a little.

Meanwhile, An-Hyun sat there blankly, turning his head left and right in confusion, while An-Sol anxiously shifted her weight from foot to foot. (I didn't even consider the possibility that her agitation might have something to do with Yun-Jung resting her head on my shoulder.)

Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong remained seated at the table, seemingly having some idea of what was going on from last night's events.

Soon, the door of the inn creaked open, and a familiar player stepped inside. After shutting the door behind her, Go Yeon-Joo walked toward me with slow, deliberate steps. Standing still before me, she let out a sigh.

I smirked and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"You're up and about quite early this morning."

"Yeah, thanks to someone. Honestly, how unfair… sigh. Anyway, they say you should strike while the iron is hot. Lately, I've been feeling a little lazy, so I figured—why not take care of everything at once?"

She was probably calling me unfair because of the deal we made last night in exchange for her ransom. Her words were full of thorns, but I simply shrugged and continued speaking.

"Then you should have told me in advance. Now, hurry up and refund the remaining days."

At my words, Go Yeon-Joo bit her lip tightly and shot me a sharp glare.

"Hmph. Looks like everyone's gathered, so just eat breakfast already. What do you want?"

"The usual. Seven servings of Set A."

"Eight servings of course A. Or am I not even considered a person?"

She poked me in the chest once before heading straight into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group, who had been silently listening to our conversation, now wore puzzled expressions, as if struggling to make sense of what had just transpired. Only Shin Sang-Yong, with a thoughtful look, spoke to me in a low voice.

"Leader."

"Yeah?"

"You really are quite the negotiator."

"Haha…"

As I let out an awkward chuckle, Ha-Yeong, who had still been uncertain about the situation, suddenly covered her mouth with one hand in shock.

"Su-Hyeon-ssi… don't tell me… you… with her…"

"No. We made a deal."

"A deal?"

Ha-Yeong gave me a skeptical look. I nodded once and gestured for the others, who were still standing, to take a seat. An-Hyun, who had been tilting his head in confusion, and An-Sol, who had been glaring at Yun-Jung with dissatisfaction, quickly sat down at my signal.

"I can't reveal the full details of the deal just yet. However, what I can tell you is that she has agreed to keep the inn closed for at least three weeks. The official reason is poor business performance."

At my words, the group nodded in understanding. It was true that the inn had barely seen any visitors lately. Seeing their agreement, I continued.

"And during that time, she will be joining our caravan as a member. As a year 5th player, I believe she will be a valuable asset to our group. That's the general outline, but we'll discuss the specifics once she returns. Any questions?"

Vivienne immediately raised her hand. I nodded, granting her permission to speak.

"Kim Su-Hyeon. I'm sure you have your reasons for bringing her in, but I have one concern."

"What kind of concern?"

When I asked back, Vivienne glanced around at the others before continuing.

"You said 'at least three weeks,' which means that player might be joining us for the next expedition, right?"

"Most likely, yes."

"Then… even if she's a year 5th player, will she really be able to blend into our caravan? She's just an innkeeper, after all… Honestly, I find it a bit concerning."

At Vivienne's words, Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong both smiled. However, her concerns weren't entirely unfounded. While she had adapted reasonably well to the modern Hall Plain after becoming human, she still occasionally mixed it up with the ancient Hall Plain.

Clicking my tongue, I looked at everyone before speaking.

"Sigh… Vivienne."

"Yeah?"

"If you can hold an advantage over that woman for more than ten minutes in a fight, I swear I'll never tease you again."

"H-Huh?"

"What?"

"Excuse me?"

"Uh…"

Vivienne, An-Sol, Lee Yun-Jung, and An-Hyun all gasped in succession. Although Ha-Yeong was new, within our group, Vivienne was still considered the second-in-command. While her usual ditzy personality didn't exactly exude authority, the moment an expedition began, she never failed to demonstrate her true strength.

So, when I ranked an innkeeper above her, it was no surprise that everyone was shocked.

To be honest, while Vivienne was indeed skilled, she was no match for Go Yeon-Joo, who had reached the Top 10. Even if she summoned the elite forces of the Monster Legion, Go Yeon-Joo possessed a special ability—Abyss Crowd—which could counter it. Not to mention, she might not even give Vivienne the time to summon a high-ranking legion monster.

If the two ever fought, Go Yeon-Joo would win overwhelmingly.

That's why I spoke with absolute confidence.

"I can vouch for her skills. So, what do you say, Vivienne?"

At my words, Vivienne's face flushed red. After a brief pause, she lowered her head and muttered.

"I… I don't want to."

"Huh?"

"I said, I don't want to."

"Alright. Moving on to the next question?"

Sensing the dangerous undertone in Vivienne's refusal, I quickly changed the subject, hoping that no one else had caught on.

Fortunately, Yun-Jung seemed lost in thought, reminiscing about her first day in Mule as she mumbled, "Yeah… things were definitely weird back then…"

An-Hyun and An-Sol simply stared at each other with blank expressions, while Shin Sang-Yong kept glancing toward the entrance, probably wondering when Go Yeon-Joo would return. The only one whose thoughts remained unreadable was Ha-Yeong, who sat with her eyes closed.

To be honest, even I was a bit surprised by Go Yeon-Joo's actions. I had expected her to take more time to process everything, but she had acted decisively and without hesitation. Then again, maybe it wasn't so unexpected after all.

Just then, the sound of wheels rolling from the kitchen signaled Go Yeon-Joo's return as she pushed a cart toward us.

At that moment, An-Hyun suddenly snapped out of his daze. His eyes widened, and he hurriedly stood up from his chair.

"H-Hyung! I'm gonna go wash up real quick!"

"Why not eat first and then wash up?"

"N-No, it's fine! I'll be quick!"

An-Hyun didn't even wait for my response before dashing up the stairs at record speed. Watching him move faster than ever, I clicked my tongue in amusement and settled in, feeling refreshed as I awaited breakfast.

Soon, Go Yeon-Joo pushed the cart right up to our table, calmly setting out the dishes before taking a seat in one of the empty chairs. She gave the group a brief, indifferent glance before her gaze landed on An-Sol, who had been sneaking glances at her.

Then, she spoke.

"Hello, little one. Where did your brother run off to?"

"He… um… went to wash up for a bit…"

An-Sol mumbled nervously, her voice barely above a whisper.

Go Yeon-Joo tilted her head slightly, pretending not to hear, and leaned in closer.

"Hmm? What was that? Try saying it louder."

"Hiiing…"

As expected, the ever-shy An-Sol pouted and turned to me with pleading eyes. Seeing this, Yun-Jung sighed and spoke up instead.

"He went to wash up."

"Ah… how cute." Go Yeon-Joo chuckled before shifting her gaze to me. "Anyway, Player Kim Su-Hyeon, have you already told them about me?"

"To some extent. Would you like to explain the rest yourself?"

"They'll figure it out as we go. I'll give a proper explanation later when everyone's gathered after the meal. For now, go ahead and eat. Food tastes best when it's warm."

At my words, Go Yeon-Joo shook her head lightly. Compared to last night, she seemed much calmer now. Her attire was back to being neat and composed, and her expression had returned to its usual gentle demeanor.

Despite her warm encouragement, no one moved to pick up their utensils. Go Yeon-Joo's brows furrowed slightly in confusion as she looked around—only to realize that everyone was staring straight at me.

I let out a quiet sigh, picked up my spoon, and took a small sip of the soup.

Only after I took the first bite did the rest of the group finally begin eating.

Go Yeon-Joo, watching the scene unfold, calmly started her own meal, though I noticed the corners of her lips twitching—clearly, she was holding back laughter.

I made a silent vow to eradicate this ridiculous habit (or rather, this strange ritual) once and for all. And I shot a brief look of blame at Yun-Jung, since she was the original culprit who started it in the first place.

A short while later, a loud thud-thud-thud echoed from upstairs as An-Hyun rushed down the stairs. His face was still damp, evidence that he had barely splashed some water on himself before rushing back.

The hurried footsteps slowed as he reached the first floor, and by the time he entered the lobby, his pace had shifted into an almost ceremonial march.

As he approached our table, his eyes landed on Go Yeon-Joo, and he put on a face of pretend surprise, as if he was only now noticing her presence.

Then, with a polite tone, he spoke.

"Oh! You're joining us for a meal today?"

Go Yeon-Joo gave a small nod, her expression amused.

"Yes, it seems that way."

As Go Yeon-Joo responded with a charming smile, An-Hyun slightly bowed his head and continued speaking.

"It's an honor to meet you. I'm An-Hyun, a year 0th player. My profession… Well, I use a spear."

His face radiated confidence.

Yun-Jung, in the middle of eating her stew, made a disgusted expression as if she had lost her appetite, while Sol—despite being his sister—was clearly trying to pretend she didn't know him.

Go Yeon-Joo, finding their reactions amusing, covered her mouth and chuckled softly before replying in a relaxed tone.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Go Yeon-Joo, a 5-year player. My title… is the Shadow Queen."

"Ah, I see—"

"Pfft!"

At that exact moment, An-Sol, who had been drinking water, suddenly spat it out in a violent spray.

I had no idea where she had heard that title before, but… of course—leave it to the ever-studious Sol to recognize it instantly.

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