“A monster that runs away from humans. I’ve never seen that in my life.”

“Do all monsters act like that?”

“Well, I don’t know? It’s not like I’ve fought monsters before. But, I guess they might be similar?”

Will shrugged and scratched his head. Sa-yoon ignored the boy’s puzzled looks alternating between him and Geon-joo, and spread his senses wide to track the monster’s energy.

The monster that had fled with its tail between its legs was still running deep into the forest. Judging by how it kept going deeper, it seemed unlikely to return with a group to attack.

Is this really the end of it?

“It’s much weaker than I expected.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“How was it?”

“…It was weaker than what we’ve faced in the field.”

“Well, that’s to be expected.”

There was no comparison between monsters that had survived destruction and these initial monsters. The ones in the field were battle-hardened specimens, so Sa-yoon readily agreed and checked Geon-joo’s sword.

No major scratches or damage to the blade. He had expected it to be weak, but he hadn’t anticipated it to be so weak that it wouldn’t even put up a proper fight before running away.

At this rate, it seemed more like a frightened wolf than a monster.

“At this level, we could probably handle a hundred monsters without issue.”

Even if a wave occurred, it wouldn’t pose much of a threat at this level. It was so weak that it raised suspicions, and as Sa-yoon narrowed his eyes to scan the forest, a glib voice interrupted his train of thought.

“By the way, I didn’t expect you to be so strong. You didn’t even flinch against that monster. Are you a knight rather than a mercenary?”

Mercenary and knight.

Just from the titles, one could guess how the two ranks were treated. The corners of Geon-joo’s mouth lifted slightly at the praise. Even though it was praise for handling such a pathetic opponent, his smile seemed about to reach his ears.

Sheesh.

Geon-joo, who rarely smiled at his compliments, was eagerly lapping up praise from others. Sa-yoon folded his arms.

“It’s not that he’s strong, it’s that the monster was weak.”

“Oh come on, I bet you’re the first knight to say the monster was weak. Everyone else finds them challenging.”

“Then everyone else must be weak.”

“Wow, you’re really unpleasant, aren’t you, Sir Knight?”

The title had somehow solidified into “Sir Knight.” Sa-yoon, not feeling the need to correct it, checked the dungeon quest in his system window instead of responding.

Clear 100 waves.

For the first time, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope in this absurd number. However, paradoxically, this made his more uneasy.

While the first monster they encountered was weak, there was no guarantee that only such weak ones would appear in the future.

There’s a reason it’s called a hidden dungeon, after all.

“Don’t let your guard down, pretty one.”

It was always beneficial to distrust the gate and system a hundred times over, never detrimental. Especially for a dungeon within a gate.

At first, they might be insignificant and weak, revealing themselves as initial monsters, but as the monster waves progress, they would become stronger. They would learn survival techniques from repeated battles, share that knowledge, and grow into more formidable threats.

Eventually, they would reach a level similar to the monsters in the field. If they approached future waves thinking it would be similar to now, they’d likely be annihilated.

“I know.”

As Sa-yoon warned him, envisioning the clearly foreseeable future, Geon-joo, who had sheathed his sword, replied quietly. Will interlocked his fingers behind his head, looking at them curiously.

“What’s with you? Why so grim?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know. For someone who just sent a monster flying with one blow, your attitude seems too passive.”

Will’s head tilted to the side quizzically.

“Sir Knight, you might not know this, but with skills like that, you should be fine even if dozens of monsters swarm you. Why are you so scared?”

“I’m not tense, kid.”

“Your footsteps sound different, like you’re tense. You were walking lightly before, but now it’s heavy.”

It was a rather sharp observation for someone speaking so casually. Sa-yoon quietly observed Will, who could discern a person’s mental state from their footsteps, then smiled slightly and pressed the back of his hand on the boy’s head.

While he wasn’t scared, it was true that he had become more vigilant after being reminded that this was a hidden dungeon. His actions had become more cautious than before, so Will’s comment about his being tense wasn’t entirely wrong.

To deduce that just from footsteps. It was a shame he couldn’t bring such a promising talent back to the guild.

I wonder if they’d give a person as a dungeon clear reward.

Harboring this impossible wish, Sa-yoon patted the boy’s head.

“Instead of spouting useless chatter, finish guiding us. Didn’t you say you’d be worth the money?”

“I was about to start again anyway. Don’t worry, I’ll earn what I’m paid. Geez, Sir Knight, you’re quite impatient.”

The boy, pointing out Sa-yoon’s hastiness and complaining that he didn’t even give time for jokes, skillfully led the way through the forest again. As Sa-yoon followed him, he rolled his eyes, feeling a throbbing in his temples.

“What’s wrong?”

“……”

“What, got another complaint?”

“…It’s nothing.”

His answer didn’t match his voice. It sounded too disgruntled to be nothing, so Sa-yoon slowed his pace.

“What is it now? Just say it now instead of being a headache later.”

The Han Geon-joo that Sa-yoon knew was someone who, if not allowed to vent his accumulated dissatisfaction, would explode like a bomb at unexpected moments. Having experienced such a situation once in the field, he persistently probed, but Geon-joo remained stubbornly silent. He even turned his head away, avoiding his gaze, showing no intention of confessing his true feelings.

Sa-yoon paused briefly to examine Geon-joo’s expression, assessed the tension in his facial muscles, and sighed. While something seemed to be bothering him, it didn’t appear to be too serious.

Or more precisely, he looked like he didn’t understand something himself.

What’s with him?

At a glance, he seemed to have an expression of not understanding himself, which piqued Sa-yoon’s curiosity. But soon, urged by Will asking why they weren’t hurrying, he quickened his pace.

The distance that had widened closed again. Turning his head once more, Sa-yoon saw that Geon-joo’s expression had been wiped clean, as if scrubbed with a cloth in that brief moment, and he closed his mouth. It was an unsettling situation.

He certainly has a talent for making people worry.

It almost seemed like he had developed a new skill in that short time.

Even though it had disappeared quickly, it still nagged at his mind. Sa-yoon furrowed his brows, contemplating for a long time whether to ask again what the problem was, but ultimately decided against it. He thought it would be foolish to stir things up unnecessarily and make a big deal out of it.

Will’s boast about guiding them by the fastest route proved to be true. They reached the Lord’s castle in less than three hours, when it had seemed impossibly far at the start. Will puffed out his chest proudly, showing off his competence.

“How about that? We got here quickly, right?”

“Was it quick?”

“What do you mean, ‘Was it quick’?! It’s impossible to get here any faster than this! This is even shorter than I expected because the knights cleared out the monsters quickly. How can you say that!”

Sa-yoon had only asked because he didn’t know the average time it took to reach the Lord’s castle, but Will got quite upset and added unsolicited explanations. He kept demanding praise, insisting that no other guide could lead them as quickly as he had. Reluctantly, Sa-yoon handed him three copper coins and observed the Lord’s castle.

It had looked tall from afar, but up close, it was so high that one had to crane their neck to see the top. The outer walls looked quite solid too, seeming capable of withstanding two or three monster waves without much trouble.

“Do we talk to those knights over there about the extermination?”

“You really won’t give a single compliment until the end, will you? If you mention the extermination to the guards, they’ll guide you accordingly. It seems there are fewer people than usual, probably because it’s lunchtime.”

Will spoke while looking at the line stretching along the outer castle wall. Even though there were fewer people than usual, it wasn’t few enough to enter the castle immediately, he said, his eyes twinkling.

“The guiding is over, but how about hiring a conversationalist?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Come on, think about it. I’m quite useful…”

“Just take this and go, okay?”

In the three or so hours it took to reach the Lord’s castle, it felt like they had heard Will’s voice for at least two of them. Judging by his nature, it seemed wise not to give him a chance to chatter, so Sa-yoon quickly handed him a silver coin. The boy, never one to refuse money, pocketed the silver coin but showed a hint of disappointment.

“Are you really sending me off like this?”

“Would you prefer I kill you instead?”

“What a chilling thing to say! I’ll be going then, see you next time! If you ever need a guide again, feel free to look for me!”

The boy, whose reaction was faster than light when it came to his life, immediately stepped three or four paces away from Sa-yoon and waved. His voice was so loud that it seemed unchanged despite the gradually increasing distance. Sa-yoon chuckled and, after a brief pause, waved back. While he was too ear-grating to keep around for long, his nature wasn’t bad for a guild member.

He was smiling, liking his materialistic side, when Geon-joo, who had been silent until Will completely disappeared, spoke for the first time in a while.

“You seem to have a soft spot for kids.”

“Who? Me?”

“Yes.”

“No way.”

“For someone who doesn’t, you were quite kind to him.”

His voice somehow sounded mocking. Sa-yoon, finally taking his eyes off the direction Will had disappeared, blinked and looked at Geon-joo. His sullen gaze, clearly displeased about something, was staring at Sa-yoon almost glaring.

What’s wrong with him now?

Wondering what the problem was, Sa-yoon thought for a moment, then chewed over Geon-joo’s words and chuckled. It was an absurd thought, but looking at his pretty one’s expression, it seemed quite plausible.

No way.

“Are you jealous?”

“……”

At his blunt words, Geon-joo’s shoulders twitched. His expression seemed to say ‘What nonsense are you talking about,’ but his previous reaction was suspicious. Sa-yoon suddenly recalled the relationship status with Geon-joo, which he hadn’t checked since the question mark appeared.