Chapter 75

00075 The Wizard is a Bumper Crop

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The moment I reached out to Vivian with a greedy gaze, a memory flashed through my mind. And that fleeting memory struck my head with a loud thud. I was shocked by the impact, and thanks to that, I was able to regain my composure, which had been overwhelmed by desire.

This is... wrong. A feeling of wrongness pounded in my chest.

Suppressing the lust that dominated my body, I pulled away from Vivian. Even if I am tempted, acting on my instincts anywhere would make me no different from a beast. Although I deliberately looked for an opportunity and brought her to a secluded place, that action was wrong from the start. I took a deep breath, composed myself, and controlled my urges.

I am not a pervert, nor am I a man who has no interest in women. I am a healthy young man who is interested in women. However, that is a separate issue from me embracing Vivian now. I am not the kind of person who decides to have a woman at any cost. I have never thought of myself as such a person, nor have I lived that way.

First, take a deep breath.

Lately, I have been a bit too confident and complacent with the way things have been going. While I am regaining my humanity, the sharpness I once possessed is fading.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with embracing a woman. I am confident enough to embrace Vivian right now. However, as I mentioned earlier, I do not want to be swayed by my desires. Desires should be controlled and restrained to shine, not recklessly expressed. The kind of person who must embrace a woman today? I felt ashamed. If I came back just because I wanted to embrace a woman, I might be ashamed to face Seraph in the future.

“Suhyun? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“...”

After composing myself and opening my eyes, Vivian spoke to me hesitantly. As I just stared at her, Vivian, unable to bear the silence, continued in a cautious voice.

“Maybe it’s just me, but it felt like you were looking at someone else...”

“...Really?”

“Yeah. Don’t ever make that face again. It gave me goosebumps...”

After hugging her, I quickly relaxed my expression and smiled gently. Only then did Vivian seem to feel relieved, smiling and linking her arm with mine. I immediately let go of her arm and headed for the inn. Despite the whining sound “Hiee” from behind, I ignored it.

“Suhyun. Suhyun.”

“What.”

Despite this, Vivian, who was walking ahead of me, turned around and looked at me. Seeing my indifferent tone, she pouted.

“Am I going to be traveling with you guys from now on?”

“That’s what we agreed on.”

“I see. Then I have a concern... Ah!”

While walking backward, Vivian tripped and fell. The fall caused her robe to open, exposing her body. She rubbed the back of her head, which seemed to have hit the ground, and quickly covered herself when she saw my gaze. Her face turned red.

“Pervert.”

“Why am I a pervert?”

“You’re lying. You saw, didn’t you?”

“I did see, but I didn’t lie. And just now, it wasn’t me who exposed you. You tripped and fell, causing your robe to open. Why are you blaming me? Don’t mistake a decent person for a pervert.”

My logical and calm tone made Vivian’s eyes widen, and she looked flustered. She reluctantly nodded.

“Eh, eh? You’re right. Sorry. Still, you didn’t have to look so serious. I feel so embarrassed because of you.”

Seeing her admit it, I replied, “So, be more careful from now on. You tend to be too careless sometimes.” I extended my hand. As she took my hand and stood up, I added,

“Anyway, what’s your concern?”

“Yeah... We’re going to be traveling together from now on, right?”

“I already said that. Get to the point.”

“...About Yoojeong and Ansol? They seem to dislike me.”

“Yeah, they do.”

I nodded immediately, and Vivian sighed. However, it was true that the kids disliked her. It’s better to clearly acknowledge the situation and work on improving it rather than brushing it off.

“Still, they are good kids at heart. If you try to be patient and show a good attitude, you can get along well.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’ll talk to the kids separately. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“Thank you. But I have another concern...”

Nodding to encourage her to speak, Vivian hesitated for a while before continuing in a tiny voice.

“I need some clothes...”

Jeongjiyeon’s robe must have been really small. Seeing Vivian’s blushing face and twisting body, I immediately headed to a shop.

*

After buying a new robe for Vivian at a clothing store, we went to the inn we stayed at before, “The Modest Lady.” Although I thought there would be a lot to do when we returned to Muel, I wanted to rest first. Most of the tasks were related to the kids, so rushing into them right away wouldn’t help. It’s more efficient to rest thoroughly and then focus on the tasks.

Opening the creaky wooden door and entering, I saw that there were quite a few users inside. Given the time, everyone was ordering snacks and beer, chatting noisily. Goyeonju, who had been busy moving around, turned her gaze towards us when she heard the door open.

“Hello, user Kim Suhyun. You’re a bit late compared to the others.”

Goyeonju greeted me with a gentle smile. I responded with a simple nod and asked if the kids had gone upstairs. Instead of answering, she pointed to a corner. There, the kids were sitting with sullen faces, occasionally poking at the food piled on the table.

I sighed, and Goyeonju chuckled, looking at the kids with a fond gaze.

“They seem to be waiting for you. They are rare these days.”

“Hmm. Anyway, thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just doing my job. But there’s someone I haven’t seen before...”

Goyeonju’s curious eyes turned to Vivian, who was standing behind me. I pulled her forward and introduced her.

“She’s a new addition to our group.”

“She seems to be a wizard. You have good judgment.”

“Thank you. But you seem busy.”

“Oh, my. Look at me. I’ll see you next time.”

Goyeonju seemed to want to talk more, but introducing Vivian, who was still a resident, felt awkward, so I politely declined. She understood and stepped back, hinting at a future meeting with “I’ll see you next time.” Goyeonju is also a potential recruit, so if we have a chance to talk alone in a less busy place, there’s no reason to refuse.

The kids, noticing me, waved with brighter faces. I quickly moved to where they were sitting and sat down, speaking.

“I told you to eat and rest. There was no need to wait.”

“Still, it wouldn’t feel right to eat comfortably while you and Vivian were out alone.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s eat quickly. The food must be cold.”

Ahnhyun made approving sounds and smiled awkwardly. If I had had sex with Vivian back then, the kids would have waited for me, starving. Feeling guilty, I encouraged them to eat and picked up my utensils. Vivian, unfamiliar with chopsticks, was contemplating the table full of food with a fork.

“You ordered a lot.”

“I was really hungry. Hehe. Sorry, I ordered a bit too much.”

Yoojeong admitted to ordering a lot and acted cute. I appreciated her not blaming others and gently encouraged her.

“Well, we have enough money. It’s not good to waste, but this much is fine.”

“Okay. How did your errand go?”

“Ah... Come to think of it... I went to the temple... gulp.”

Ahnhyun was eating quickly, apparently very hungry. Ansol was quietly focusing on her meal, and Vivian was savoring the human food she hadn’t tasted in a long time. I tore a piece of bread and dipped it in the soup, feeling the rich, warm aroma fill my mouth.

“I went to the temple and the shop. Vivian needed new clothes.”

“Yeah, her clothes were embarrassing even to me. You bought good ones. Did you go to the temple for the exploration report?”

“Sort of. But they’re not accepting exploration reports lately because they’re busy. So, I had Vivian’s body treated and signed a contract. Nothing much happened.”

“Contract?”

The kids, curious about the contract, looked at me with mouths full of food. I briefly explained what had happened and showed them the contract. Seeing Vivian looking at me nervously, I felt the need to add more.

“You’ll see, but Vivian will not be our enemy and will help us in various ways. I’d like to introduce her in more detail, but there are too many eyes and ears around...”

I paused and looked around. I saw users who had been secretly watching us quickly turn their heads. Judging from the fact that most of the gazes were on Ansol, Yoojeong, and Vivian, I could guess what they were thinking.

After reducing the surrounding gazes, I continued.

“She will be traveling with us from now on. She’s a skilled wizard, so keep that in mind. We’ll let her introduce herself in detail tomorrow... And I understand your feelings. But please don’t treat Vivian too badly. She’s trying to start anew as a human... Do you understand?”

Ahnhyun nodded half-heartedly. He seemed to have expected this since we started the dungeon together. Sol pouted but reluctantly nodded after my earnest plea. However, she still showed clear dislike, so it might take some time to accept her. Thinking that time would help, I turned to Yoojeong. She was smiling crookedly.

“Hohoho. ‘Absolutely not an enemy’ and ‘help in various ways’... Hohoho.”

She read the contract with a dangerous smile. After returning the contract to me, Yoojeong looked at Vivian with sparkling eyes. Vivian smiled awkwardly, and Yoojeong responded with a bright smile. Ahnhyun, who had been watching silently, spoke to me in a low voice.

“Bro. Don’t worry too much. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“...Thanks. Really appreciate it.”

“Also, did you ask them anything?”

Ahnhyun, who still had food left, picked up a large piece of meat. Understanding what he meant, I immediately responded.

“Yeah, I was about to ask. How are the users we brought back?”

“They haven’t woken up yet. They’re definitely alive, as they’re breathing. I moved the man to your room, and the woman to Sol and Yoojeong’s room. We got a slightly larger room than before.”

“Good job.”

“What are you going to do with them?”

I thought for a moment. They have good stats and a personality I like. We’ll have to talk to them after they wake up to know more. However, the issue is Vivian. If only I knew, it would be fine, but the fact that Vivian was the dungeon master spider is known to all the kids.

Even if things go well and I make a recruitment offer, will they accept? I tapped the table out of habit and spoke. I already have a lot to do, and it feels like solving one problem just leads to another.

“Let’s wait until tomorrow. If nothing happens, we’ll visit the temple again. We can’t take on everything ourselves.”

“Yes, bro.”

Ahnhyun, having said his piece, buried his head in his plate again. The food was definitely of high quality and delicious. I could eat more, but I’m not a big eater, so I put down my spoon. Seeing this, Sol eventually put a large piece of meat on my plate.

“Bro. You’re not feeling well, so eat more.”

Seeing Sol’s sparkling eyes, I smiled wryly and picked up my spoon again. The tension seemed to ease, and the atmosphere was becoming more relaxed as we returned to the city. I turned my head and looked out the inn window.

The sun had completely set, and the ground was covered in twilight. I just wanted to sleep without a care today.

============================ Author's Note ============================

Hello, I’m Ro Yujin.

Yes, I thought Suhyun might finally shed his pervert title, but... unfortunately, it was his self-restraint that carried the day. (Suhyun’s denial that he is a pervert is a timid rebellion. Hahaha.) Vivian is about to become part of the group, so forcing her into her first experience would be a bit much. If he had stripped and approached her, it would be a different story.

Let me explain why Suhyun didn’t have sex with Vivian. Vivian is an ally. She can be helpful to Suhyun. If the other party had been a vagrant or an enemy, he would have raped and killed them without hesitation, but as an ally, Suhyun showed some leniency. He is infinitely considerate to those inside his circle (by his own standards), but what he thinks of those outside... you can guess from his actions so far.

『 Reader Comments 』

1. MTBear: Congratulations on the first comment. Thank you for the coupon. I hope you have a great new year. :)

2. C.Y.B: It almost happened, but Suhyun’s self-restraint carried it to the next opportunity. Hahaha.

3. GradeRown: This contract is, in a way, worse than a slave contract... I’m sorry, Vivian. ㅜ.ㅠ

4. hohokoya1: Hahaha. I decided not to do a rewrite. It’s better to progress the story. Thank you for the valuable advice.

5. PersonLife: I had a reply in chapter 9. Hahaha. It seems you missed it. :)

6. zeromax: I almost cried when I looked at my wallet. I was really hit hard by the rush of my nephews. They immediately asked for New Year’s money and held out their hands. Sob.

7. PpyungPpyunga: Ppyung?

8. Oricon: Yes, it’s a beautiful cat. Since Sol has already taken care of the dog, look forward to the competition between Vivian and Yoojeong to see who suits the cat better. Hahaha.

9. Prandil: Hmm. If I add the condition “for each new addition to the group,” even pouring 1200 gold wouldn’t make the contract valid. Hahaha.

10. WinterTomorrow: I’m glad you found it entertaining. Thank you for the coupon. I hope you have a great new year. :)

I always read all the comments. Don’t be too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the replies. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send a private message, and I’ll respond! (Please leave more comments! And recommendations...☞☜)

That’s all for today.

I hope you always read the story with a comfortable mind.

I welcome pre-reads, recommendations, comments, reviews, and questions.