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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Karin and Jeong Yoo-shin entered the inn from the courtyard.
The gazes of the explorers in the inn briefly focused on them before dispersing.
Perhaps due to the prolonged labyrinth closure, the inn was becoming increasingly crowded each day. There were many new faces.
Karin sat at a table near the counter and pointed at the seat opposite her.
“Sit here.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jeong Yoo-shin sat down. A moment later, Dalmong brought their breakfast.
A simple sandwich and onion soup.
But it wasn’t that simple.
It was Dalmong’s special sandwich: thin slices of roast beef, cheese, and a special sauce, stuffed between two slices of sourdough bread.
And the onion soup was onions caramelized to perfection, simmered in rich beef broth, and topped with cheese.
It was a perfect home-cooked meal, the kind that took time and effort. No wonder the inn was so popular.
“It tastes like home.”
“It reminds me of the onion soup my mother used to make!”
“The innkeeper’s skills are improving.”
The patrons ate their meals with satisfied expressions.
It was a peaceful breakfast.
Then, it happened.
Rattle.
The table shook.
Silence fell over the inn.
A man and a woman exchanged a look mid-meal.
Thud, thud, thud.
It wasn’t just the table.
Creak, crack.
The wooden pillars trembled, and the floor vibrated.
The entire inn was shaking.
“W-What’s happening?!”
“I-Innkeeper!!”
The patrons started panicking. Some quickly ran outside.
Thud, thud, thud.
The tremors intensified. People stumbled as they tried to stand up.
“L-Let’s get out of here!!”
“Under the tables!”
The patrons, caught off guard by the sudden earthquake, didn’t know what to do.
Someone grabbed Jeong Yoo-shin’s arm.
It was Karin.
“Under the table.”
Jeong Yoo-shin’s eyes widened.
Karin’s strong grip pulled him under the table.
‘She’s stronger than me?’
He was more surprised by her strength than by the earthquake. Karin’s body pressed against his, her soft breasts brushing against his chest, but he couldn’t focus on that now.
The earthquake intensified. Bottles and plates crashed to the floor, and the wooden pillars and beams groaned.
‘Is the inn going to collapse?’
Just as his anxiety reached its peak…
The earthquake stopped.
It had gone as suddenly as it had come. The patrons remained huddled under the tables, still dazed.
“Dalmong!”
Jeong Yoo-shin was the first to crawl out from under the table and approach the counter. Dalmong was in the kitchen when the earthquake started.
He wasn’t too worried though. Dalmong was a former high-ranking explorer. But the silence from the kitchen unsettled him a bit.
“Skar, are you alright?”
Dalmong emerged from the kitchen covered in soot.
His fur was singed and matted.
He must have been running around trying to put out the kitchen fire during the earthquake.
Dalmong sat down heavily on a chair behind the counter, exhausted.
“Karin-nim, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Karin, having crawled out from under the table, replied.
One by one, the other patrons emerged.
“What was that?… An earthquake?”
“I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life…”
The patrons began to murmur among themselves.
Karin approached Dalmong and handed him some silver coins.
“Dalmong, I’ll be going now. Thanks for the meal.”
“Yes, Karin-nim. Take care.”
“Wait a moment.”
Jeong Yoo-shin stopped Karin as she was about to leave.
“What?”
“Here. You have some soup on your shirt.”
He handed her a towel. Karin looked down at her shirt. Onion soup had splattered on it, revealing her purple lace bra through the damp fabric.
“It’s nothing.”
“Oh, then never mind.”
He suddenly felt embarrassed.
Handing his sweat-soaked towel to the beloved idol of the Beast-person Alliance was something only a creepy pervert would do.
“No, wait.”
Karin snatched the towel from him.
“I have somewhere to be, so I’ll clean it up later. I’ll see you later.”
Karin hurried out of the inn with the towel.
Seeing her leave, the other patrons quickly followed suit. The once crowded inn was now empty.
Jeong Yoo-shin stepped outside and stood near the entrance.
The streets were filled with people who had fled their homes during the earthquake.
It hadn’t just been Dalmong’s inn.
The entire Labyrinth City had been shaken.
The streets were filled with cries of confusion and worry.
Then someone shouted,
“The Knights!”
Everyone’s attention turned to one direction.
Soldiers clad in gleaming plate armor marched through the chaotic crowd.
“Remain calm!”
A man who seemed to be in his thirties with blond hair and a commanding presence shouted from the front of the formation.
His voice boomed through the streets.
“Who’s that?”
Jeong Yoo-shin, standing at the entrance of the inn, asked Dalmong, who was standing next to him.
“Why? Feeling competitive? Don’t. He’s not someone you can challenge.”
Jeong Yoo-shin looked down at his hands.
Everyone in this city seemed formidable.
He had been training relentlessly, but he still felt inadequate. He had a long way to go.
‘Nothing is easy in this world. This damn world. There are no shortcuts here.’
He swallowed his bitter feelings.
As the street quieted down, the blond-haired man spoke.
“The City Council has convened. We’ll have answers soon, so remain calm and orderly. Those who take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble will face the Knights’ swords. If your homes have been damaged, gather your belongings and go to the park. That is all!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers behind him dispersed and began directing the crowd.
Dalmong entered the inn.
Jeong Yoo-shin followed him inside.
“I’ll help you clean up.”
“Ha… Thank you.”
Dalmong sighed while looking at the mess in the inn.
He swept up the broken dishes and bottles and mopped the floor.
Cleaning the dining area was relatively easy, but the kitchen and the storage room were a different story.
The storage room was filled with a jumble of ingredients scattered across the floor.
The kitchen was even worse. Cooking utensils, food, plates, and glasses were strewn about everywhere.
It was a miracle that the kitchen hadn’t caught fire considering Dalmong had been managing ten stoves simultaneously.
After cleaning the dining area, he helped Dalmong clean the kitchen and the storage room.
The cleaning, which started in the morning, continued past lunchtime and wasn’t finished until evening.
Jeong Yoo-shin sat on the steps at the entrance of the inn, watching the sunset.
Evening.
The Knights and the City Guard patrolled the streets.
As he watched the street, Dalmong suddenly appeared behind him.
“I’m going to buy some food for dinner. Watch the inn.”
“I’ll go.”
Jeong Yoo-shin stood up, but Dalmong waved him away.
“No. It’s not safe for a barbarian to wander around alone in this chaotic situation.”
Jeong Yoo-shin’s mouth opened slightly.
“Why?”
“Attempted rape charges.”
“Surely not.”
Dalmong’s joking tone suggested he was feeling better.
Surely no one would be running around assaulting people in the middle of a city-wide disaster…
It was unthinkable.
Jeong Yoo-shin turned his head.
His eyes met those of a City Guard.
It was a cold and wary gaze.
‘Is he serious?’
The guard’s piercing stare made him step back into the inn.
Dalmong stroked his chin and spoke, a faraway look in his eyes.
“There was a big fire in the eastern district a few years ago.”
“And?”
“Many buildings caught fire. That’s when the barbarians stepped in.”
A barbarian hero story?
Jeong Yoo-shin listened intently.
Even the worst people had some redeeming qualities, he supposed.
“Many barbarians rolled up their sleeves and rescued people from the burning buildings.”
“Oh?”
“Everyone was rescued, and there were no casualties. That’s what I heard, anyway. Ask the others for the details.”
“Wow. So there are no truly evil villains. It’s heartwarming to hear a story like that.”
“…”
“Dalmong?”
Dalmong remained silent.
What was going on?
A sense of unease crept over him.
Surely not. Surely not. Surely not.
“They were ‘rescued.’ That’s all I’ll say. We’ll talk about it later.”
Dalmong left the inn.
“…”
Jeong Yoo-shin stumbled back inside and sat down on a chair behind the counter.
He crossed his arms and stared at the entrance.
But his mind was filled with images of those crazy barbarians.
Did they rescue people to assault them?
Or did they assault them after rescuing them?
The thought made him dizzy.
“Where are these bastards hiding?”
He muttered, clutching his head.
Two hours passed.
Dalmong hadn’t returned.
Did something happen?
As he sat there, lost in thought, people in plate armor entered the inn.
Knights.
“Innkeeper! Five dinners, plea— Huh?”
The fox beast-person stopped mid-sentence and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.
“Where’s the innkeeper?”
“He went to buy food for dinner. We’re currently closed.”
“Aren’t you a barbarian?”
A female elf in plate armor spoke.
“Yes, I am.”
The elf muttered suspiciously,
“Did the innkeeper lose his mind?”
“Let’s just sit down and wait.”
The fox beast-person led the Knights to a table.
Then someone else entered the inn.
He thought it was Dalmong, but it wasn’t.
It was the blond-haired man he had seen that morning.
“Captain!”
The Knights jumped to their feet. The blond-haired man smiled.
“You’re all here? Having a drink after your shift?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good. I’ll join you.”
The blond-haired man stopped when he saw Jeong Yoo-shin.
“Where’s the innkeeper?”
“He went to buy food for dinner.”
The fox beast-person replied. The blond-haired man scratched his head.
“Is that so? And you…”
He looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you a barbarian?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Did Dalmong lose his mind? This is like leaving a cat in charge of a fish shop.”
Jeong Yoo-shin frowned.
“I’m a good barbarian who doesn’t rape.”
“Sure you are. Stop talking nonsense and bring us some drinks.”
The blond-haired man chuckled.
“We’re closed.”
“We’ll hear what the innkeeper has to say about that. Bring us some drinks.”
The Knights burst out laughing.
Jeong Yoo-shin sighed, went to the cupboard, grabbed a few surviving bottles of liquor and wooden bowls, and brought them to the Knights.
“What’s with the bowls?”
The fox beast-person frowned.
They weren’t the usual glasses, but wooden soup bowls.
“All the glasses broke during the earthquake.”
“I see.”
The blond-haired man nodded.
“Barbarian, pour us a drink.”
‘I guess I have no choice.’
He resignedly filled the bowls with liquor.
He filled all six bowls to the brim, perfectly balanced so they wouldn’t spill.
“Here you go. Enjoy.”
“That’s too much.”
The female elf muttered, her eyebrows furrowed.
“He’s right. You drink that one.”
The blond-haired man said with a smile.
“Yes, sir.”
He would see how far this would go.
Jeong Yoo-shin picked up the bowl and looked at the blond-haired man.
A strange sense of competitiveness welled up within him.
He raised the bowl and chugged it down.
He drank it all in one go.
His throat and stomach burned, but he didn’t show it. He placed the empty bowl on the table.
“Burp.”
“Seriously…”
The fox beast-person muttered, looking at him in disbelief.
“Let’s drink. When will we have another chance to drink like this outside?”
“Captain, we’re on duty tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. The earthquake situation will be resolved soon.”
Jeong Yoo-shin’s eyes flashed at the blond-haired man’s words.
Is that so?
“I’ll be going back to the counter.”
He turned to leave.
“Skar, wait.”
The blond-haired man said.
Jeong Yoo-shin froze.
‘He knows my name?’
He turned back to face the blond-haired man.
A chill ran down his spine. The Knight Captain knew his name.
He looked closely at the man’s face. It was strangely familiar.
“My sister mentioned you.”
“Mion?”
The Knight Captain nodded.
“I’m Mion’s older brother. I came to see your face while I was out of the inner city.”
“I see.”
“You’re quite handsome.”
“I… I see.”
Jeong Yoo-shin took a step back.
‘Is he gay?’
“But you’re not good enough for my sister. You’re nowhere near Mion’s level in terms of character, ability, or appearance.”
‘Oh, he’s just the typical overprotective brother.’
“I’m not in that kind of relationship with Teacher Mion. And I have no intention of pursuing her, don’t worry.”
He smiled and waved his hand dismissively.
A vein throbbed on the Knight Captain’s forehead.
“What?! What’s wrong with my sister? Barbarian, come sit down.”
Jeong Yoo-shin sighed inwardly and sat down next to the Knight Captain.
“Here we go again.”
The fox beast-person muttered, clutching his head.
The Knight Captain praised his sister for two hours.
“…Mion has always been kind and cute. She used to run to me and jump into my arms whenever she saw me. She gets embarrassed now, but she’s still pure and innocent at heart.”
A faraway look appeared in the Knight Captain’s eyes.
“When Mion wet the bed as a child, I personally washed her sheets. The maids tried to stop me, but I insisted. Those were good times. I still have the panties she wet that day in my drawer. A precious memory.”
Jeong Yoo-shin, listening patiently with his arms crossed, came to a conclusion.
‘Extreme sister complex. Confirmed.’
His competitiveness vanished, and was replaced by pity.
The Knight Captain continued to ramble about how “pure” and virtuous Mion was.
Why did he keep emphasizing her purity?
Curiosity got the better of him, so he asked,
“Does Teacher Mion have a boyfriend?”
The Knight Captain’s eyes lit up.
“She didn’t before, and she won’t in the future. I’ll protect her.”
‘Extreme virgin sister protector. Confirmed.’
The Knight Captain’s praise continued.
How much time had passed?
The other Knights, seemingly used to his behavior, chatted amongst themselves.
Clatter!
Jeong Yoo-shin’s head snapped up.
The inn door opened, and Dalmong entered.
Finally!
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T/N – Dang, a siscon! And he’s the embarrassing type, too. Also, MC has been meeting all of these potential brother-in-laws. What’s next, Karin’s dad?
T/N – If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.
Thanks for the chapter.