Chapter 15 – LV.Two Angel Girl Seo Yun – [One]

Tomorrow was scheduled to be the day to finish the march they hadn’t completed. As Seo Yun was resting in her own tent, a voice came from outside.

“Um… is anyone there?”

When Seo Yun went out of the tent, she was a bit surprised. Wasn’t that Seong Juri standing there?

That plump warrior girl didn’t usually interact much with Seo Yun. But to come find her separately like this?

“What’s up?”

At Seo Yun’s question, Seong Juri answered.

“I have a favor to ask.”

When asked what favor, Seong Juri explained in a weak voice.

“As you know, my stamina is practically useless… Even during the last march training, I only managed to walk because the Team Leader carried some of my load for me…?”

Seo Yun could gradually guess what she wanted to say.

Seong Juri hesitantly continued.

“Tomorrow we’re doing the training we failed last time again. But I feel bad about imposing on the Team Leader again… If I do that, he’ll probably think, ‘This girl thinks having her load carried is her right’…”

So it seemed she wanted to ask Seo Yun to carry some of her load.

She seemed to feel it was shameless herself. Seong Juri couldn’t bring herself to ask outright and was fidgeting.

Seo Yun was about to gladly agree but stopped.

Carrying the load for her wasn’t difficult. Seo Yun herself was a Health 11 who only carried a cushion in her backpack, wasn’t she? She also knew how hard that girl usually tried. Helping her was something she could do with a smile.

The problem was how to do it without hurting the girl’s pride.

Didn’t she already know that plump girl was conscious of Seo Yun herself and felt inferior? Just coming to make this request must have made her feel terrible shame…

Seo Yun suddenly remembered a suggestion and brought it up.

“Carrying your load isn’t that hard… but how about we make a trade?”

“A trade?”

“If you want me to carry a little of your load, give me 1 Contribution Point. If you want me to carry a lot, 2 Points, how about that?”

Even in her gloom, Seong Juri seemed bewildered.

“As far as I know, you’ve accumulated over twenty thousand Contribution Points… do you need more?”

“It’s like an achievement. The higher it is, the better I feel.”

“You have quite a peculiar hobby…”

“Anyway, if we’re trading, give me potatoes. I’ll exchange them for Contribution Points.”

“Well… okay. Please take care of me that day.”

Seo Yun saw Seong Juri off as she returned home. Judging by her gait, she seemed to have lightened up a bit. Seo Yun felt she had handled it well and was relieved.

On the other hand, the suggestion she just made was helped by something she heard recently.

The words that if you only receive charity one-sidedly, you’ll just become miserable, and that for human dignity, there needs to be give and take—those words from that Orc suddenly came to mind.

Seo Yun recalled the conversation they had at that time once more.

Did he say that if they weren’t careful, the Players would become real nobles, and that shouldn’t happen? It was something about as a Leader, he would prevent the establishment of complete inequality, I think.

Were those words sincere? She was uncertain.

Rather, she remembered that what that Orc said in the old days was different.

It was the day Seo Yun first came to this village.

Oh Haengbok gathered the village orphans in one tent and introduced Seo Yun.

“Alright, kids? This is your new friend! She’s also my new little sister!”

Then he held a simple welcoming ceremony for Seo Yun, and as the welcoming feast, he handed out some snacks to the children.

“Here, chocolate pies, chocolate pies! Have one each! Know that you’re eating these thanks to this new friend… Ma’am, I brought enough for everyone, so you have one too, ma’am, and give just one to each kid, okay?”

The childcare teacher lady who received the box of chocolate pies smiled.

“Yes, Mr. Haengbok.”

After Oh Haengbok left the tent, the distribution of chocolate pies began.

As the childcare teacher lady handed out chocolate pies to each child, one was also placed in Seo Yun’s hand.

During this, the village orphan Park Taeyang seemed displeased about sharing such ‘precious’ food with the newcomer. Or perhaps he was annoyed that the newcomer received such a precious gift without showing proper gratitude.

Park Taeyang reached for Seo Yun’s chocolate pie and threatened.

“Hey. Give it.”

Seo Yun had no mind to squabble over a mere chocolate pie. Just as she obediently handed over the chocolate pie and a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of Park Taeyang’s mouth—

A red Eye Light flashed through a gap in the tent.

The Eye Light of a vampire from movies. It was the eye of the Orc Vampire Oh Haengbok. That Orc was watching this scene.

Oh Haengbok had probably wanted to peek at the scene of them happily sharing the chocolate pies he’d gifted. When a completely different scene unfolded from his expectations, he seemed to have flown into a rage.

The Orc with a thoroughly distorted face entered the tent and said.

“You little shit must want to die.”

Park Taeyang wasn’t given time to explain.

The sound of air tearing rang out, and Oh Haengbok’s massive foot struck Park Taeyang’s chest.

Not even a scream or groan was uttered.

The kicked Park Taeyang flew nearly three meters. The reason he didn’t fly farther wasn’t because the force in Oh Haengbok’s kick was insufficient, but because his head hit a pillar.

Glaring at the slumped Park Taeyang, Oh Haengbok muttered.

“Acting all nice in front of me, you little punk.”

Blood was flowing from Park Taeyang’s head, but no one could pay attention to it. As everyone was frozen in fear, unable to speak, Oh Haengbok’s face turned toward the childcare teacher lady.

Oh Haengbok growled.

“Ma’am. Why did you just stand there and do nothing when you saw it clearly?”

“Mr. Haengbok.”

“Don’t call my name so casually, you cat lady bitch.”

The polite speech from earlier was nowhere to be found, but the childcare teacher lady couldn’t protest.

Ultra-low frequencies continued to flow from Oh Haengbok’s mouth.

“Cat lady bitch who only caused trouble in the neighborhood, we made you a childcare teacher trusting the maternal love you showed stray cats, but it seems you take care of human kids carelessly. Or are you, at your age, jealous of a pretty girl and acting like this?”

“The kids already have a hierarchy among themselves. If I interfere, it’ll cause discord among the kids…”

“So you’ll ignore what I say because you’re worried about the kids’ feelings?”

“That’s not it…”

“Do you want to die?”

The childcare teacher lady deeply bowed her head. Oh Haengbok asked.

“Who provides the food for you and the kids to eat? Does the state ration it?”

“No. The Chief…”

“Then whose words should you listen to?”

“I’m sorry.”Laughter echoed inside the tent. It was a bizarre laughter, with wind whistling through jagged, protruding fangs. The owner of the laughter spoke.

“Need a hierarchy among kids? I’ll set it straight for you.”

Oh Haengbok’s finger pointed at Seo Yun.

“This pretty one here. Pretty, so Princess class.”

Then he pointed at the remaining children, trembling helplessly in the situation.

“The rest, trash. Useless vermin class.”

Oh Haengbok’s face turned back toward the church lady.

“Remember this well and reflect it in their treatment. If my words aren’t followed, you’ll be kicked out along with these vermin brats, lady. Got it?”

The words Oh Haengbok uttered that day were in no way those of a leader striving to properly establish the relationship between commoner residents and noble Players. They were those of a dictator who knew full well that he held the power of life and death over ordinary people in one hand, and who did not hesitate to wield that power.

Even now, whenever that incident comes to mind, Seo Yun often ponders.

That day, did Oh Haengbok, in his extreme anger, let slip harsh words he didn’t truly mean? Or were they his true feelings and sense of superiority, which he kept hidden inside, too much to voice?

So, did that day’s incident help Seo Yun’s standing among the orphans? Not really. Naturally, the opposite result occurred.

Park Taeyang, who was kicked by Oh Haengbok that day, passed through a life-and-death crisis. He barely survived after receiving a Heal from a hastily summoned Priest.

And according to the self-centered logic of adolescents, it was Seo Yun’s fault. The logic was that such a tragedy happened because Seo Yun came to the village.

Suddenly, Seo Yun became the enemy who had nearly beaten their friend to death.

Seo Yun thought that even if Oh Haengbok had threatened with a warhammer, saying, ‘I’ll smash the heads of any brats who play with this bitch,’ it wouldn’t have had the same effect.

Moreover, Park Taeyang was something of a Commander among the orphans. Whether Park Taeyang held a grudge from that incident or not, he picked fights whenever he got the chance afterward. This fact meant that even if someone wanted to befriend Seo Yun, they would have to read the room and treat Seo Yun as if she didn’t exist.

That relationship continues to this day. From Seo Yun’s perspective, being hated for such an absurd reason made it impossible to even think about improving the relationship. Yet, it was too stressful to simply ignore and move on.

Fresh anger welled up, and she cursed inwardly. Anyway, that fucking bastard Park Taeyang.

‘At least lately, it’s gotten a bit better.’

Seo Yun looked at Park Taeyang.

Since the incident during the first hunt four days ago, Park Taeyang had been subdued. Moreover, although he hadn’t explicitly mentioned it, he seemed clearly aware of the fact that Seo Yun had saved his life. Seeing him quietly packing his belongings, having stopped picking fights every time she caught his eye, was proof.

After all seven had shouldered their packs, Oh Haengbok smiled with satisfaction.

“Alright, let’s go! This time, we’ll definitely complete it! No fooling around!”

Once again, amidst the villagers seeing them off, the seven set out from the village. This time, they were determined to finish the last training they couldn’t complete.

During a rest break while moving, Seong Juri secretly passed some of her load to Seo Yun. Handing over tent poles and ten days’ worth of Provisions, Seong Juri said this.

“Really… thank you. I’m so sorry.”

Seo Yun shook her head.

“I’m getting something in return too, so what’s there to be sorry about?”

“But still…”

Even if it was in the form of a transaction, it seemed she still didn’t feel entirely at ease. Perhaps she had sensed that Seo Yun had proposed the deal despite not needing the contribution Points. Or perhaps she felt her own existence, unable to properly keep up with the training, was a nuisance.

And in truth, Seo Yun herself was the one who felt sorry toward that girl. Because in Seo Yun’s view, she herself was the true nuisance of this Party.

‘In this Party, since Park Taeyang and I are fighting, it’s like two factions are in a civil war. That Seong Juri can’t take either side and has to remain a bystander, so her stress must be immense.’

Ultimately, that girl was not only physically exhausted in this Party but also fatigued from the interpersonal relationships, and that was clearly Seo Yun’s own fault.

For the sake of that poor girl’s peace, it would be better for Seo Yun to leave this Party as soon as possible.

To do that, she needed to reach Level 3 as quickly as possible, but it didn’t seem like that would happen soon. During this march, there would likely be no chance to encounter Monsters again and earn Experience Points.

‘That Kim Ak guy, even after last time’s incident, probably won’t insist on hunting again…’

In the end, Seo Yun walked on and on in silence, taking the lead.

It was a boring, tough, but peaceful journey. She thought it would continue without any trouble for several days like this.

But no. The expectation was wrong.

After walking for about ten hours, Kim Ak declared.

“Alright, everyone, rest!”

Even though it was only 6 PM, it had already grown dark. Kim Ak continued giving instructions.

“Alright, now everyone needs to eat, right? We need to prepare well, let’s light a fire. Everyone knows what to do now, right? Gather firewood and kindling from around!”

As if exhausted to death, Park Taeyang grumbled in a small voice.

“But we have a Hearth Priest.”

Kim Ak explained with a laugh.

“It’s training, right? We need to practice lighting fires without a Hearth Priest. We also need to conserve Spells… Alright, everyone scatter!”

To set an example of following the Leader’s words, Seo Yun was the first to get up and move to collect kindling and firewood. Kim Jihyeok tried to subtly follow, but she chased him away, so she ended up walking alone.

How far had she walked? Around the time she was quite a distance from the Party Members. She saw the stump of a street tree whose trunk had been cut away.

She was in the middle of wedging the pickaxe blade into a crevice of the stump.

A vibration was felt in her chest. Seo Yun looked down and flinched.

The necklace was vibrating. The Soul Detection Spell was signaling the approach of some life form.

Judging by the vibration’s frequency… a human?

The Spell doesn’t distinguish between ally and foe for detection. It merely detects and alerts to approaching Souls.

So it could be Party Members approaching, but she didn’t let her guard down. She was just thinking she should quickly pry out this stump and return to the Party Members.

A presence was felt from far away.Seo Yun immediately turned her head, her eyes wide open.

Someone was aiming a crossbow at her. She could tell at a glance. The arrowhead of the crossbow reflected the light, glinting sharply.