Chapter 47: Deneb Touched My Chest

“Mr. Marcel, you were really amazing too!”

“Thank you. Deneb, your trap-making skills were quite impressive as well.”

“Ahaha, I used to play around like that with my hyung-nim a lot back in the day.”

The path toward the Boss Room was lively and free of tension.

Though it was mostly Deneb and Marcel doing the talking.

‘Brings back old memories.’

Watching the two of them chatter excitedly, memories from the past surfaced.

—Kim Jihyeok…? What are you?! Your name is Korean-style, isn’t it? Don’t tell me you came from another world like me?!

—I was born here, but there are records that my ancestor came from another world a thousand years ago.

—…What?

—Hey, what’s this ugly-looking sculpture? Pfft, that thing’s hideous.

—That’s my father. I made it…

—Oh no, I mean… sorry…

I used to joke around with Jihyeok like that too.

The fact that I remember conversations I had with Jihyeok, even though I’ve forgotten things I talked about with Deneb, makes me think that was probably the happiest time before my body changed.

A reliable comrade I could trust with my back.

His personality suited me well enough, and he always followed my orders.

—How about we stop here?

—…Are you serious?

The ending wasn’t good.

‘…’

I stared at Deneb and Marcel once more.

“Ms. Lilian was out of line too. Talking about Mr. Marcel, her former guildmate, like that. I’ll have a word with her later!”

“Hahaha… please don’t be too harsh on her. I deserved that kind of talk back then…”

The two of them exchanged words, finding something amusing. I observed them.

One was a boy who had supported me endlessly from before, and even after my body changed.

One was a Hunter who had been swallowed by the fear of death, lost his dream and broken, then rose again to embrace a new dream.

Compared to Jihyeok, the two of them still had a long way to go. But they could still climb higher.

If they could keep climbing without stopping from now on.

I felt that maybe they could reach that place I once stood.

And.

‘I won’t make the same mistake as before.’

I wanted to minimize the harm that would come to Jihyeok because of me.

So I disbanded the party. I didn’t explain the reason. Knowing his personality, if I told him why, he would’ve insisted on staying by my side until the end.

If that had happened, Jihyeok would have been treated the same as me. Even if he wasn’t called a murderer, he would’ve been called an abettor, or at least an accomplice.

‘This time is different.’

Unlike back then, I won’t let go of those two this time.

I won’t make mistakes. I won’t increase my enemies.

Before my body changed, my biggest mistake was making too many enemies.

The Royal Knights, who could have become good allies after I saved Deneb.

The Hunter Association, which would have been fine if I’d been satisfied with what I got, but I kept demanding and ruined the relationship.

And numerous other High-Rank Hunters and guilds.

If I had left a good impression on them, there surely would have been people who would have defended me.

But by then it was already too late. The only ones I could say for sure would take my side were Jihyeok and Mr. Luca.

As Mr. Luca said, this body change is a new opportunity.

And I will never let this opportunity slip away.

* * *

Just as the Earth Dragon had said, we didn’t encounter a single Demon Beast along the way.

It seemed it really had killed every last one of them.

Thanks to that, in a slightly boring yet comfortable atmosphere—

“Huh? Isn’t that the Boss Room door?”

We finally found it.

A structure that felt out of place in the cave.

The Boss Room door.

And.

“Ms. Lilian!”

There she was, standing in front of it with a dissatisfied expression.

“…What, I thought you’d run away like an egg, but you actually came?”

Lilian spoke with a surprised expression when she spotted us.

‘If this woman is here…’

Seeing that she hadn’t entered despite having the Boss Room right in front of her, Lilian must have arrived later than Hames’s team.

“You guys, did you encounter any Demon Beasts on the way here?”

Lilian looked at us and asked.

I briefly examined her appearance — there was no difference from before she entered the Gate.

She seemed to have come perfectly safe — not a single scratch on the armor she was wearing.

Whether she’d rushed over in a hurry to win the competition, the only sign of wear was a bit of dust clinging to her boots.

“…Yes. It was a very powerful Demon Beast.”

It was Marcel who answered her question. After all, on the surface, he was our party’s leader.

“Oh yeah? I didn’t see any. Haah, that’s frustrating.”

Lilian let out a deep sigh and began to vent her own situation in a voice laced with complaint.

“If I’d had even a Hunter — no, just a Porter — with me, I’d have won this competition.”

As she said that, Lilian’s gaze naturally turned toward me. I felt a weight from her stare. Because memories of the past kept surfacing. So I reflexively turned my head away.

Lilian probably doesn’t know who I used to be. But I do.

In the past, our relationship — or more precisely, the Royal Knights’ relationship with me — ended in ruin.

—Hey, you crazy bastard! That’s enough! Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused the Master?! Is money that important to you? More important than a person’s life, is money that important?!

Lilian’s words from back then kept coming back to me. I’d forgotten them until just before we met.

“Still, I kept my guard up and stayed alert just in case, but by the time I got here, it was already too late. If I’d come just a little earlier, the boss would’ve been mine.”

“I see.”

Whether it was to placate Lilian, Marcel answered with an awkward smile.

“Come to think of it, what kind of Demon Beast did you encounter?”

“An Earth—!”

Just as Deneb was about to shout out excitedly.

*Tap!*

I quickly and gently slapped her cheek to shut her up.

“…Huh? Why?”

“Ah, that… sorry. I was too hasty.”

I immediately bowed my head in apology to Deneb, who was rubbing her reddened cheek with a tearful expression.

It’s not that I don’t understand Deneb’s feelings. Of course she’d want to brag. We took down a dragon, not just any Demon Beast. Honestly, I feel the same way. I’d love to boast about our Earth Dragon subjugation and knock these guys down a peg.

But I can’t do that.

—All those humans are dead.

The words the Earth Dragon said before it died. The moment I recall them, it feels like this isn’t something I should be blurting out carelessly.

I’d unintentionally uncovered a truth that had been hidden. It made me think that maybe we could be next in line.

I have to consider the possibility that the Transfer Mage has allies.

And it’s not entirely impossible that Lilian could be one of them.

So I had no choice but to shut Deneb up, even like this.

“…What do you think you’re doing? Even if you left the guild, hitting the Master’s little sibling for no reason isn’t something I can just let slide.”

‘…’

If Lilian is an ally of the teleportation mage and she notices something suspicious and reports it…

Next time, it might be Marcel, Deneb, or me who gets teleported.

Honestly, I’m not worried about my own body. But I am worried about Marcel and Deneb.

‘First, I need to explain to Lilian why I slapped Deneb’s cheek.’

After all, Deneb is the younger sister of Wilhelm, the Master of the Royal Knights.

If I say I hit her for no reason, she might take it badly.

In the past, it wouldn’t have mattered, but with this body, I don’t want to leave a negative impression on other High-Rank Hunters.

‘Ah, that’s it.’

A sudden idea struck me, and before I could speak, I shot Deneb an apologetic look.

Forgive me, Deneb. It couldn’t be helped.

“…Deneb touched my chest.”

“What?”

“What?!”

To smoothly get past this situation, this was the only way.

“Haah… Deneb.”

Marcel let out a deep sigh and stared at Deneb with a look of disappointment. This guy, she’s pretty good at acting, huh?

“What?! I did not do that!”

Deneb protested her innocence to the others, but Lilian’s eyes had already changed.

“…Well, that could happen. She’s still young.”

She said that, but her voice carried a hint of contempt. Wait, does Lilian not know Deneb is a girl?

“I’m innocent! I didn’t do it…!”

Deneb cried out in a truly aggrieved voice, but no one listened to her.

Thanks to that, I managed to get past the slapping incident somehow.

Though… I felt a sharp stare from behind. It was Deneb.

Looks like she’s genuinely upset this time.

‘Hmm…’

I couldn’t have cracks forming in the party. I needed to cheer Deneb up.

In my old self, I would’ve said, “So what?” but not anymore.

And besides—

—Murderer!

The weight of the words might be different, but wasn’t this no different from those people who treated me like a murderer?

“Deneb.”

I carefully called the sulking girl’s name.

“…What is it? Does the pervert who grabbed my ass have business with me?”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to keep the Earth Dragon thing from Lilian.”

“…”

Instead of answering, Deneb bowed her head and stuck out her lip.

I’d already thought of a way to persuade her.

“Instead, as an apology, I’ll teach you some magic.”

“R-Really?!”

At the mention of teaching her magic, Deneb cheered as if she’d never been upset at all.

Now that I looked, her eyes were puffy. Did you actually cry?

‘I shouldn’t do that again.’

I don’t know about other people, but I really can’t mess with this one. She’s too soft-hearted.

“I’ll teach you once we get out of here safely.”

“Promise me!”

Deneb held out her pinky finger. What are you, a kid…

‘Ah, she is a kid, right.’

Come to think of it, Deneb was still a minor.

‘…Might as well play along.’

Even as I sighed inwardly at the childishness, I hooked my finger around Deneb’s outstretched pinky.

“Hehehe… Finally!”

Deneb, who’d been wearing a thoroughly sulky face just moments ago, now wore an expression of pure joy.

That was when—

*Kuuwoong—*

Suddenly, a tremor began to shake the ground. I turned my gaze toward where the vibration was coming from and saw the Boss Room door slowly opening.

“Oh, were y’all gathered here waitin’?”

Soon, as the door fully opened, Hames and Glare emerged from inside. But the two of them looked completely different from each other.

‘Why’s he so banged up?’

Hames was covered in wounds all over his body. His clothes were torn in several places. He was smiling, but it was darker than before. Exhaustion was written all over him.

Glare, on the other hand, looked as if nothing had happened — no different from when she first entered. Even now, her demeanor felt relaxed.

“It’s over. Come on in.”

Hames and Glare turned back and entered the Boss Room, and we followed behind them.