Chapter 108
As we advanced, taking down monsters, we settled in a nearby clearing.
Yeoreum approached Choi Jinhyuk after ensuring there were no dangers around.
"Jinhyuk, I think it's time to feed the kids."
"Okay."
Choi Jinhyuk disappeared into the bushes with a brief reply.
We heard him moving around us through the sounds.
"Aren't you going to eat with us?"
"Yeah. Jinhyuk is keeping watch in case something happens."
"I see..."
Indeed, it's easy to let one's guard down during meals.
A slip-up could lead to disaster.
"We should take turns eating, but since it's Gyeoul's first time in a party, let's do that later?"
"Um..."
It would be nice to eat together, though.
I felt somewhat guilty.
"Then I'll eat quickly and take over."
"No, you shouldn't rush. You need to eat slowly and chew properly."
"Um... okay..."
Yeoreum was quite the worrier.
Knowing how she felt, I decided to follow her advice without complaints.
Flash-!
That's when Levinas raised her hand.
"Everyone, pay attention to Levinas!"
Her loud voice caught the attention of those far away.
Sniffing and following the scent, my specialized sense of detection allowed me to sense everything.
I needed to warn them about the monster.
Just as I looked up at Yeoreum, a thud sounded, and the presence of the goblin disappeared.
Choi Jinhyuk had acted to protect us.
'Ah.'
Choi Jinhyuk knew the goblin was coming.
Then, Yeoreum must have known too.
Her not making it obvious must have been to fully enjoy the brief rest.
'I should relax too.'
I calmed my mana and looked at Levinas.
Seeing everyone's attention on her, Levinas showed a bright smile.
"Look at this! A horned rabbit mat!"
A horned rabbit mat appeared from Levinas's embrace.
Yeoreum quickly hid the mat she took out.
"Wow, we were about to eat on the ground without a mat, but Levinas brought one?"
"What?! Really?! Did Levinas do well?!"
"Yeah. Levinas did really well."
Clap, clap, clap-
Following Yeoreum's lead, we all clapped.
Levinas, feeling good, started hopping around.
"Levinas will, Levinas will place the mat next to the flowers!"
Levinas placed the mat next to some unnamed red flowers.
Then, she began setting the area up as she liked.
She scattered Animal King cards here and there and placed dolls around.
Levinas was diligently setting up, so we quietly waited until she finished.
"Done!"
"Wow, can we come in now?"
"Yes! Come on in!"
With Levinas's permission, we climbed onto the mat.
She had thought about where we'd sit because she placed cards and dolls around the outside, making the space surprisingly roomy.
"It feels like a picnic."
Saebyeok, with a poker face, wagged her tail.
Her tail swept the Animal King cards all around.
"Yes! We're here for a picnic! Let's all eat lunch together!"
Levinas took out a small, round lunchbox from her bag.
Being a child, she didn't eat much.
"Kings! Share lunch with Levinas!"
"Okay."
Saebyeok showed her lunchbox, which contained uncooked raw fish.
"Dark King, you didn't bring cooked food...?"
"No. I'll eat it raw."
"That so...?"
After a moment of hesitation, Levinas bit into the fish Saebyeok brought.
Immediately, she backed away with a retch.
"It's tasteless."
"Huh?"
Saebyeok, head tilted in confusion, handed me the fish.
Knowing she meant for me to try it, I took a bite.
"Whoa...!"
This is heavenly.
The tail swinging side to side hit Kwon Arin's cheek as she bowed her head to eat her lunchbox.
"Tasty, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Was she happy I found it delicious?
Saebyeok's tail perked up and wagged from side to side.
Saebyeok and I were sitting with Kwon Arin between us, and both our tails kept playfully hitting her cheeks.
"...Arin, wanna switch places with me?"
"It's okay. What's a few tail whacks going to do?"
"Switch."
"Ah... Okay."
Kwon Arin and Yeoreum switched places.
Thanks to that, Saebyeok's tail and mine smacked against Yeoreum's cheeks and various parts of her body.
"I'm sorry. I can't stop my tail..."
"Hehe, it's okay. Don't worry about it too much."
"Okay..."
Despite being hit by tails, which was annoying, Yeoreum just smiled.
Was she enjoying us eating lunch together?
I didn't know why, but since she was happy, I decided not to fuss over it.
<+>
"Um..."
Kwon Arin looked down at the children, puzzled.
After finishing their lunchboxes, they wanted to play around the clearing but instead ended up hugging each other like dolls and fell asleep.
It was cute to see the children like this, but was it really okay to do this in a dungeon?
She glanced at Yeoreum, who just had a content smile on her face.
"Do you want to take a nap too, Arin?"
"...?"
"Oh, sorry."
Yeoreum scratched her cheek.
Perhaps it was her maternal instinct, but she kept treating Arin like a child.
Well, Arin does act quite childlike.
And she is a lot shorter than Yeoreum.
Yeoreum chuckled to herself.
"Is it really okay to do this in a dungeon...?"
"Hehe, technically it's not, but the kids are still young. Let's not push too hard and take it easy."
"Okay..."
Kwon Arin nodded and laid down in a spread-eagle next to the kids.
She planned to play games on the console she brought during this spare time.
"Arin, if you ever feel upset or have any complaints because we're taking it easy like this, make sure to tell me."
"No, I don't mind at all. I actually like it."
"Really?"
"Yes. This is exactly the kind of adventurer's life I dreamed of."
Kwon Arin, who had been at the very bottom of adventurers, subjected to all sorts of disdain, knew better than anyone how incredible the current situation was.
There was no discrimination for being a porter.
No hierarchy based on skills.
Just harmoniously supporting each other and moving forward little by little.
This was the kind of adventure Kwon Arin had always admired.
'Gyeoul's archery skills were impressive, too.'
Not a single arrow missed, hitting the target right in the head every time.
Although she didn't see her fight, Saebyeok managed to take down a monster too.
And Levinas...
She diligently laid out the mat.
Showed us her pretty dolls.
Levinas doing her best in her own way was also amazing.
'This is a great party.'
Giving orders to the kids, there's an opportunity to develop leadership qualities.
It would be hard to find another party like this anywhere in the world.
"Hmm..."
I probably should not play games right now.
Kwon Arin put her game console back into her bag.
There would be plenty of time for games after all the work is done.
She decided to spend today just stroking the sleeping children's heads.
<+>
"Umm..."
Rubbing my eyes, I woke up from sleep.
As I looked ahead groggily, Yeoreum came into my blurry vision.
"Did Gyeoul sleep well?"
"Yes..."
Yeoreum was carrying me in her arms.
Not just me, but Saebyeok was in her arms, too.
Levinas was carried on her back.
What was going on here?
As I tried to make sense of it in my half-awake state, it hit me.
"The dungeon!"
"Yes, we're at the boss room now."
"Huh?"
The boss room?
She had carried us sleeping to the boss room?
I quickly shook my head from side to side and jumped out of Yeoreum's arms.
"Should we get going right away?"
"Yes."
A short distance away, a gnoll three times the size of a normal one was visible.
It was known as a gnoll warrior, the strongest among the level-one bosses.
"Saebyeok, wake up. We're in the boss room."
"Nya..."
I shook Saebyeok's legs back and forth to wake her up.
She yawned like a cat, opening her eyes.
Just like me earlier, she shook her head side to side before jumping down next to me.
"We need to keep the formation."
"Okay."
Kwon Arin, Saebyeok, and I.
We maintained a straight line formation as we approached the gnoll warrior.
Before taking on the boss, we had to deal with the smaller ones guarding it.
'I'll use explosive arrows.'
There were no other gnolls nearby.
Using explosive arrows wouldn't attract more of them.
Without delay, I fitted an explosive arrow to my bow and shot it into the middle of them.
Boom-!
The loud explosion made our ears and fur stand on end.
Startled, Saebyeok jumped like a real cat, and Levinas, who was sleeping on Yeoreum's back, sat up suddenly.
"What, what's happening?!"
"We're taking on the boss."
"Whoa!"
Levinas jumped down from Yeoreum's back.
Now that even the porter had joined, the real boss fight began.
Swoosh-
The dust from the explosion settled, revealing the gnolls that were left in a dying state.
There were about ten dying gnolls and another ten that were still in good shape.
After taking down the standing ones, I decided we should finish off the ones on the ground.
I yelled to Kwon Arin in front of me.
"Hold back the boss, please. Saebyeok, block any gnolls coming at me."
"Okay."
Kwon Arin engaged the gnoll warrior.
After confirming they were facing off, I shot arrows at the gnolls.
Shooting two or three arrows at a time, I took down the gnolls.
Saebyeok blocked any that ran towards me.
We killed all the standing ones and those lying down, unable to move.
Now only the boss was left.
Just as I reached into my quiver for another arrow,
The gnoll warrior, ignoring Kwon Arin it was facing off against, charged at us.
"Wait!"
"Ah."
Was it trying to take out the annoying archer first?
Just as I was about to shoot, Saebyeok ran towards the gnoll warrior.
'Right.'
Saebyeok was supposed to block monsters charging at me.
But taking on a boss monster might be a bit much?
As I fitted an arrow to my bow, time seemed to slow down.
The gnoll warrior's mouth, wide open, charging at Saebyeok, and her spreading her arms to both sides flashed before my eyes.
At this speed, Saebyeok getting hit would happen faster than me shooting the arrow.
"Ah."
This was bad.
In this moment of despair, my mind went blank.
Swoosh-!
Saebyeok slapped the gnoll charging at her.
<+>
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