R302 | Chapter 8

[✧ March 9th, Tree Day]

Ain said it was nothing to worry about… but I can’t help but be concerned about him.

Lately, the number of monsters has been increasing. The sheer number is troublesome, but the fact that stronger ones are appearing is an even bigger problem. I heard Ain always takes the lead when fighting those monsters.

I wish he’d be a bit more careful. Ain doesn’t seem to care much about his own safety, so all I can do is wait for him, worried.

Of course, I know Ain is strong. I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve heard various tales of his exploits. But no matter how strong a swordsman is, even a sword master, death can come in an instant. I hate to even imagine it, but if something were to happen to Ain…

I really wouldn’t be able to bear it.

It’s not just the monsters that bother me. Lately, there have been unsettling stories, and I can’t help but be on edge.

Am I just worrying too much…? Today, I seem particularly anxious. Maybe it’s because of the dream I had. In the dream, Ain was badly hurt, and I couldn’t do anything but cry like a child. When I woke up, my face was soaked. Really foolish.

Yeah, it’s foolish. I’m just pouring out endless anxiety. Ain is just doing what he needs to do in the place he chose for himself…

Right, I shouldn’t worry too much. Ain will come back safely. I just need to do what I have to do in my place.

☆ To-do List for Tomorrow

— Sort the incoming materials

* * *

March 20th, 3 PM, when there weren’t many people around. The inn door opened noisily. Ain, leading a group of five, came inside.

“Licht, hyung is back!”

“Ain!”

Licht, who was sitting at the table organizing the ledger, jumped up and ran to Ain.

I was already very worried since Ain had been gone for over ten days. Licht looked Ain over thoroughly. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be injured.

“You’re not hurt, right?”

“Of course, not a scratch. Bjorn fell once, though.”

“I didn’t fall, I was dodging… sigh, never mind.”

Bjorn shook his head. He didn’t seem to have any major injuries either. Licht finally sighed in relief.

Maser, who was standing at the back, strode towards the kitchen. The large wooden box he was carrying looked suspicious.

“Hey, Mr. Heiker!”

Heiker, who was preparing ingredients for dinner, looked up and approached Maser. Maser grinned and tapped the wooden box.

“I brought something amazing. Take a look.”

“…What’s so amazing?”

Maser opened the wooden box. Inside was a fish the size of an arm and several oysters. Heiker’s eyes widened in surprise.

“This is….”

“It’s Seldom Fish and oysters. How is it? Looks good, right?”

“Hmm, yes. It does look good, but….”

Heiker had an awkward smile on his face. Maser soon looked serious.

“Oh. Is it hard to prepare?”

“No, I can prepare it.”

The preparation wasn’t the problem. The problem was that this place was far from the sea. How did he bring it back so fresh? It’s a distance that’s hard to cover in ten days.

Even if they managed to travel back and forth, maintaining this freshness would have been impossible, even if it wasn’t hot weather yet….

Heiker decided to stop thinking about it. Those capable folks must have figured something out.

“What should I make with this?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. Just cook it however you like, Mr. Heiker. Use the leftovers as you see fit.”

“Sure.”

Maser smiled at Heiker, who answered quietly, and turned his body. As Heiker entered the kitchen, Ain nodded his head towards Licht, gesturing upwards.

“Licht, we’ll go wash up first.”

“Okay. See you later.”

Ain’s group went upstairs. Only after their footsteps disappeared did it occur to Licht that they might need warm water. They were probably exhausted, and if they weren’t careful, they might catch a cold.

Licht grabbed several heating stones from the counter and hurried up to the third floor. He knocked on Ain’s door right away.

“Ain, it’s me.”

As soon as he identified himself, the door opened. Licht was surprised to see Ain inside the room.

Ain had completely taken off his top. Licht couldn’t help but look over Ain’s body. It was a sculpted figure that naturally drew the eye.

His tall frame with large muscles gave a strong yet agile impression. From the broad shoulders that seemed like you could sit on them, to the distinctly defined abs. By the time he had looked over it about three times, Ain chuckled.

“What are you staring at?”

“Ain… your body is amazing. I’m jealous.”

“Really, jealous? Well, our Licht’s body is all soft and squishy.”

“…No, it’s not! It’s not squishy!”

“Looks squishy to me. Let’s see.”

Ain grinned and grabbed Licht’s top. Startled, Licht quickly bent his upper body. Ain gently tickled Licht’s side, which he couldn’t defend. As Licht let out a short scream and twisted his body, Ain lifted Licht’s top and slipped his hand in.

“See? It’s not squishy… there’s just no flesh. It’s just bones and skin.”

Ain, who had been laughing, suddenly turned serious.

“What is this, like a kid who’s been starving. Eat more, Licht. Hyung is upset.”

“It’s not just skin! It’s muscle.”

“Where do you see muscle? It’s just skin. I’ll have to watch how much you eat later.”

He said as he kneaded Licht’s flat belly. Licht hit Ain’s hand repeatedly, and Ain exaggeratedly groaned, “Ouch, ouch,” and pulled his hand back.

It’s not like they’re kids anymore, and yet Ain is still poking and tickling. Licht thought Ain was really immature.

“Ain, you fool….”

“Yes, yes, I’m a fool. So, what’s up?”

“Oh.”

Licht finally remembered the reason he came.

“I came to heat up some water for you…. It’s still nice to have warm water, right?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“So here, take this.”

“These are… heating stones.”

“Yeah. I prepared enough for each room, so use them.”

“Aren’t they expensive?”

Heating stones were magical tools that only mages could make. In a regular inn like this, they usually had one or two to heat water for guests when requested.

“You paid 500 Rund. Plus, you boosted our evening sales.”

“That was for the room stay. It wasn’t meant for this.”

“If there were guests who paid that much as a deposit, even if it wasn’t you, I’d still take care of them. Just use them and return them when you check out.”

Ain, who was watching Licht speak calmly, pretended to wipe tears from his eyes.

“Oh… Licht is going to treat other men like this too… I thought it was because you were happy to see me, but I was mistaken….”

“No, no! Actually, it’s because it’s you, Ain. Even if someone gave me 1000 Rund, I wouldn’t do this. Really.”

Licht, flustered, tried to console Ain. Ain looked at Licht with the saddest face he could muster.

“Really?”

“Yeah….”

“Okay, I believe you.”

Licht suspiciously examined Ain’s face, which looked sad but had no tears. Still pretending to be sorrowful, Ain took three of the four heating stones from Licht’s hand.

“Albina is a mage, so she’ll heat her own water. Three should be enough.”

“Oh… okay.”

“I’ll distribute these. You finish up your work at the inn.”

Licht nodded and went back down to the first floor. His heart was pounding the whole way down the stairs.

He hadn’t expected Ain to feel hurt by the excuse he prepared in advance to avoid making him uncomfortable. Giving four heating stones was a gesture of goodwill towards Ain and his companions. He wouldn’t have done this for just anyone.

Whether Ain was really about to cry or just pretending, it was a relief that he didn’t actually cry. Licht calmed his startled heart.

Finally composed, Licht approached Heiker, who was preparing the large Seldom Fish.

“Mr. Heiker, what are you going to cook?”

“The condition is good, so I’ll make something that brings out the original flavor. Seldom Fish is delicious even raw.”

Licht was shocked as if he might faint. He wasn’t picky, but he really disliked raw fish.

“Raw?”

“That’s not all, so don’t worry.”

Heiker reassured Licht as he marinated thin slices of Seldom Fish in lemon juice. Licht looked around for something to help with, but Heiker was so quick that there wasn’t much to do. In the end, Licht cleaned and polished various parts of the inn until they sparkled.

After a while, delicious smells began wafting from the kitchen. Drawn by the aroma, Maser and the others came down to the first floor.

The five companions, Licht, and Nidia all gathered around a large table. It would have been nice if Heiker joined them, but he kept declining, saying he had already eaten while cooking. In truth, Heiker didn’t want to risk indigestion eating among the king and nobles.

On the other hand, Nidia, who had no choice but to sit, was trembling inside. Ignorance is bliss, they say, and to Nidia, ignorance was just happiness. She genuinely envied Licht, who was oblivious.