Memorize

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"Both of us are fighting in the shadows. Even though we're enemies... it's still nice to meet you."

"Yeah, I've heard a lot about you. Han So Yeong, the strategist of the battlefield. And you're her Sword Master, right? Was it Jin Su-Hyeon?"

"Oh, sorry. Not Jin Su-Hyeon, Kim Su-Hyeon, right?"

"Maybe. If I'd met her first, I might have joined her ranks immediately. That's how charismatic she is as a player."

"Not a great joke. The place I'm in isn't bad, and I don't have a habit of betraying people."

*

Fortunately, the warp gate was still maintaining its fare reduction policy. Originally, it cost 2 gold per person, which would have been a total of 8 gold, but thanks to a 50% discount, we only had to pay 4 gold.

The kids entered the portal, which shimmered with gentle ripples, clearly amazed. They had experienced this a few times during rite of passage, so by now, they should have been used to it. Yet, the way they kept glancing around curiously was like an open advertisement saying, "I'm a beginner player!"

That kind of small behavior could easily make them targets for vagrants, and I had an overwhelming urge to warn them. However, I didn't want to be labeled as the nagging "mom figure" from the start, so I kept my half-open mouth tightly shut.

As I fully stepped into the portal, a refreshing sensation, like diving naked into the ocean, enveloped my entire body. I closed my eyes, savoring the clear energy that filled me. When I opened them again, the scenery had changed, and the shabby landscape of a small town came into view.

We had arrived in the small town of Mule.

Mule could hardly be called prosperous, even as a courtesy. The kids' reactions were telling. After living in the bright, grand atmosphere of the big city of Babara, with its well-paved roads and pristine buildings, the sight of this run-down town left them speechless.

It was clear that a pioneer town like Mule was a far cry from following in Babara's footsteps. That would only be possible if the local lord, who also headed the town's main clan, had incredible skills. I led the kids as we walked over the bumpy, clay-colored dirt paths.

The streets of Mule were mostly quiet. The players we occasionally saw were poorly equipped for the most part. Considering that it was the time between morning and afternoon, and many had already left the city, it wasn't realistic to expect the bustling presence of players as you would in a big city. (Of course, I hadn't expected much in the first place.)

Yun-Jung, still unfamiliar with the surroundings, looked around curiously before asking me in a wondering voice, "Oppa, what do we do now? Are we going straight outside the city?"

What a reckless suggestion. We needed to have a place to return to first. I shook my head in disapproval. 

"No, first we need to find an inn to use as a base camp for the time being."

"A base camp? An inn?" She asked, clearly confused.

"Yeah. Without registering as an official clan, it's hard to get a house, let alone a clan house. So, for now, think of the inn as our home."

Besides, I had planned to stop by an inn anyway, both to eat breakfast and lunch. The kids might not fully understand, but I thought it wasn't a bad start considering this was their first step into the Hall Plain. Many players who failed to join a clan or dropped out of the Player Academy struggled just to make a living day by day.

While pubs are usually the most sensitive places when it comes to the flow of information in a city, I had a different reason for choosing the inn. During my first time through Hall Plain, I had briefly operated in Mule, and back then, I had stayed at an inn without much thought.

At the time, I had simply stayed there and moved on without giving it much consideration, but later, I discovered an interesting and unexpected fact related to that inn.

As I walked down the main street, retracing my steps from memory, I eventually stopped in front of a shabby-looking inn. The kids following behind me also halted. The faded sign read "Virtuous Lady," an odd name for an inn. I smiled slightly, feeling certain I had found the right place, and just as I was about to step inside—

"Crash! Bang!"

"Ahhh! Save me!" 

A loud commotion erupted from inside the inn just as a man with a thick beard burst through the door, nearly tumbling as he ran out. His panicked face showed sheer desperation, and he ended up rolling right in front of us.

However, almost as if by some miraculous skill, he sprang back up without looking back and fled away. I could guess what had happened and couldn't help but chuckle, but the kids just stared blankly in the direction he had run.

"Stop standing there like idiots and come inside."

A somewhat husky yet distinctly feminine voice flowed from within the inn. As I pulled the dazed kids inside, I was greeted by the sight of utter chaos. Dishes were scattered everywhere, and the overturned tables and broken chairs added to the disarray. An Hyun let out a small groan upon seeing the mess.

In the center of the hall stood a woman with a composed expression. She wore a look of great satisfaction, her languid smile hinting at her delight. If there was something unique about her compared to the other players, it was the faint ash-gray tint in her hair.

She glanced at me briefly before slowly surveying all of us and then spoke up.

"I see some unfamiliar faces. Are you all guests?"

Her delicate voice seemed capable of melting a man's heart, and I noticed An Hyun blush involuntarily. Here we go again, I thought. I was already immune to such temptations, so I responded calmly.

"Yes, we're guests."

"Are you here for a meal? Or a place to stay?"

"Both. But I'd prefer to have the meal first."

At my response, she smiled gently and said, 

"I like polite men. Alright, kids, it seems a bit messy here, doesn't it? So why don't you go wait at another table?"

I went to the spot she indicated and sat down quietly. The kids seemed a bit flustered at first and didn't take a close look around, but after settling down, they began to glance around curiously.

The "Virtuous Lady" was an inn. It had three floors in total. The first floor served as a lobby and dining area, while the second and third floors were used for accommodations. What was particularly striking was that, apart from us, there wasn't a single other player inside the inn.

A short while later, the woman approached our table with a beaming smile on her face. The table and chairs were still in disarray, but she casually placed water, cups, and a menu on the table as if tossing them. Strangely enough, everything spun around once before gently settling in the center of the table. The kids' eyes widened in astonishment at the sight.

"With the menu, you can order not just what's on it, but also anything that's not listed. I can make most things. What would you like to eat?"

The kids simultaneously turned their gaze toward me. I briefly skimmed the menu before answering. To be honest, I was just pretending to look it over; I already knew what would be good to order now that we were here.

"I'll have four servings of the A Course, please."

"Oh my, the handsome ones not only look good but also make great choices! The A Course will be ready soon, so just wait a little."

With her voluptuous figure on display, she made her way into the kitchen. An Sol was watching me with a pout, and Yun-Jung had a strange look on her face. Only An Hyun was looking at me with envy.

"Oppa, this place feels kind of weird. Why did we come here?"

"Yeah, it's strange. Can't we go somewhere else?"

As Yun-Jung voiced her displeasure, Sol quickly chimed in to support her. I tilted my head in confusion; I hadn't expected them to suggest going somewhere else. Was it really that strange? As I listened to them, An Hyun, looking anxious, spoke up.

"Well! I think it's fine. It doesn't feel weird at all. Is there really a need to go somewhere else?"

The moment Hyun finished his sentence, the two female players simultaneously glared at him. Yun-Jung shot him a look that seemed to say, "Of course you would think that," while Sol looked at her older brother with disappointment. Seemingly flustered by their gazes, An Hyun cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

"I'm really, really hungry. Let's eat first… and then talk."

"Seriously? Did you fall head over heels at first sight?" 

Hyun didn't reply. He simply turned away to gaze into the distance (or maybe just at the wall). After he averted his gaze, Yun-Jung immediately shifted her attention to me, her tone sharp and pointed. Sol also seemed unusually grumpy, perhaps ever since we left the square in Babara, and she was complaining more than usual.

"Hmph. I don't like being called 'kids' either. We're not babies."

As soon as Sol finished speaking, Yun-Jung glanced at her with a startled expression. I hadn't said much because I also thought of Sol as a kid. Yun-Jung scratched her head for a moment before starting to vent her frustrations. Hmm. What's with this attitude?

"If we're coming to an inn, we should pick a decent one. This place looks clearly sketchy. Just look at the mess inside! And that guy ran away with his tail between his legs."

I wanted to say, 'You're the one being weird. You're so unpredictable,' but I barely suppressed that urge and responded with an awkward smile. It seemed my reaction also didn't sit well with Yun-Jung, who continued to grumble and was about to join Sol in gossiping about Hyun when suddenly—

Swish.

"Ukiyah!"

Yun-Jung let out a strange scream as she stumbled backward. Standing right behind her was the woman who had previously served us, now holding a plate in one hand. An Hyun and An Sol also looked like they were about to faint at the sight. They hadn't sensed her presence even though she was so close. This thought made me feel that life is indeed about real experience.

The woman spoke with her characteristic languid eyes and gentle voice.

"Oh my… I've never heard such a peculiar scream before."

"This crazy…?!"

Yun-Jung, clearly annoyed by the woman's calm demeanor, was about to show her true colors. But at that moment, her eyes widened in shock, and she fell silent. The woman had bent down and wrapped her arm around Yun-Jung's shoulder, pulling her into an embrace. Suddenly, Yun-Jung found her face buried deep in the woman's chest.

"Sweetie."

As Yun-Jung stammered, unable to respond, a faint energy began to emanate from the woman. This energy quickly engulfed the area around them, transforming into a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. At that moment, An Hyun, An Sol, and Yun-Jung's faces turned rigid as if they had been petrified.

The woman leaned closer to Yun-Jung's ear and whispered softly, "Are you curious why that man ran away with his tail between his legs…?"

Yun-Jung didn't respond. No, it seemed that 'couldn't answer' was the more accurate description.

I intentionally held back and observed the situation without intervening. What the woman was demonstrating was a form of , a basic skill for players with magical talent. I couldn't help but admire her ability to quietly and discreetly envelop the surroundings with her mana. Of course, I also had the intention of correcting Yun-Jung's behavior this time. It was like not touching anything while still getting things done.

"When that man came in, he asked to take orders… but what did he want to eat?"

The tense atmosphere was thick around the table, almost making it difficult to breathe. Even if An Hyun and Yun-Jung were paralyzed by fear, Sol should have been able to resist to some extent. But seeing Sol shivering with a panicked expression only confirmed that real experience was necessary.

While I was lost in thought, the woman continued to address Yun-Jung.

"He said he wanted to drink my milk."

After finishing her sentence, the woman chuckled softly. I couldn't help but think, 'As expected.' Then, as she pulled her gaze away from Yun-Jung, she flashed a seductive smile at me and Hyun. I wanted to let it go on a little longer, but I couldn't ignore the pleading look in Yun-Jung's eyes as she turned to me for help.

I slowly moved my right hand to pick up the cup of water resting on the table. At that moment, I noticed the woman's eyes spark with interest as she watched me. I took a sip and placed the cup back on the table, infusing a bit of mana into the motion as I set it down.

"Thud."

The sound of the cup hitting the wooden table was unusually loud. At that moment, the mana I released spread outwards from the cup, swiftly neutralizing the surrounding mana that the woman had cast. Normally, such a move would create a significant shock to disorient the opponent, but this wasn't a combat situation.

As if curtains had been drawn back, the invisible aura that had filled the area suddenly vanished. Once the energy dissipated, An Hyun and An Sol, who had almost buried themselves into their chairs, looked at me and the woman in alternating surprise.

Yun-Jung, being the closest, seemed to be affected the most, taking rough breaths as if she had just run a marathon. The expression on her face clearly showed her distress, but she kept her gaze fixed on the floor beneath the table. She must have instinctively sensed the difference in player levels between herself and the woman.

"Um…?"

The woman, seemingly caught off guard by the sudden shift, gasped slightly and straightened her posture. I watched as her expression transformed from surprise to one of curiosity.

"It seems that man had a good reason to be chased away."

At my quiet remark, the woman looked at me with amusement, nodding in agreement as she replied, "Right? But he was still a customer. Business hasn't been great lately… So I asked for one hundred gold for a meal."

I chuckled inwardly at her statement. I have a thousand gold, though.

"That man didn't seem to have much money." I pointed out.

"Yeah, he said he was broke. Instead, he offered something else... something good." The woman replied, her smile deepening.

"What do you mean by 'something good'?" I asked, curious.

With a mischievous grin, she continued, "He said he would give me plenty of syringes."

"Wait, do syringes even exist in this world?" An Hyun, seemingly regaining his composure, chimed in, his voice unusually low and tentative. It was clear he was trying to catch the woman's attention.

The woman chuckled, finding An Hyun's nervousness amusing. "Of course! Every man here has at least one syringe filled with nutrients."

"Excuse me…?" An Hyun asked, confused, as if trying to comprehend the implication.

The woman playfully pointed her slender finger at An Hyun's pants. "You have one too! A little syringe filled with white nutrients."

"White nutrients? Oh…?!" An Hyun stammered, realization dawned on him.

"Yes. He said he'd put it right between my legs." She teased.

An Hyun's face turned crimson as he finally understood the meaning behind her words. He quickly bowed his head, visibly flustered. Meanwhile, An Sol looked on with a blank expression, clearly lost in the conversation.

"I was going to break that syringe, but... sadly, he ran away. Lucky for him." The woman said, feigning disappointment as she licked her lips. 

I couldn't help but chuckle at the unfolding drama. An Hyun swallowed hard, instinctively squeezing his thighs together as if trying to protect himself from an invisible threat.

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