Chapter 79

And I—

“Muriel!”

The strength drained from my legs, and I crumpled where I stood….

No—almost.

I would have, if Lycian hadn’t caught me just in time.

“Are you alright?”

He looked a little flustered. And at the same time, faintly amused, as if he couldn’t quite believe what had just happened.

As if he’d never imagined I’d nearly collapse from a single kiss.

Damn it.

That had been my first kiss. I was a complete beginner. And Lycian… he’d been suspiciously skilled.

Was I the only one it was a first for? Not that it mattered. Not that I cared at all….

My hand trembled as I reached up and grabbed him by the collar.

“You… why are you so good at that? Have you done it before?”

At that, the corner of his mouth twitched, like he was holding back laughter.

“Of course it was my first. Why would I ever engage in something as unsanitary as mixing saliva with someone else?”

“You did it with me…?”

“That’s because I want to with you, Muriel.”

His tone made it sound like I’d asked something ridiculous. As natural as breathing, he set me apart from everyone else. Come to think of it, Lycian had always been like that….

“But, Muriel.”

“…?”

“Isn’t one a bit unsatisfying?”

His voice dipped lower, coaxing. The meaning was unmistakable.

Heat swept through me all over again, and I blinked rapidly.

Lycian scooped me up in his arms and padded toward the bed.

Before long, he sat down on the edge and settled me on his lap.

“……”

Maybe it was the position, but this time our eyes were almost level.

It should’ve taken less effort than before, I thought—just as his soft lips brushed against mine.

The second kiss.

Every nerve in my body, strung tight, shuddered in a rush of dizzying pleasure.

---

The next morning, I woke up early and made hangover soup.

First, I sautéed onions in a pot slicked with oil until they turned translucent, then added chopped tomatoes….

After cooking them down a bit more, I poured in the chicken stock I’d prepared beforehand.

Once the broth came to a rolling boil, I streamed in beaten eggs I’d strained smooth, stirring in circles so they formed long, delicate ribbons.

It was supposed to be seasoned with soy sauce… but since I didn’t have any, salt would have to do.

Technically, it also called for starch and sesame oil, but I had neither at the moment. A shame.

‘Still, I’ve got something to rely on.’

My unrivaled, one-of-a-kind Cheat Skill.

‘Every chef in the world would kill to have this….’

It could cast magic on even the simplest salad and turn it into something extraordinary.

If professional chefs ever found out I was coasting like this with my slapdash cooking… they’d probably weep tears of blood.

‘I’m sorry. I respect you.’

Chefs, bakers—they were far more incredible than people gave them credit for.

A little while later, the dish was finished, and the system popped up a window with a cheerful chime.

Oh—so it came with a hangover-relief effect!

That was a solid success.

‘I actually wanted to make bean sprout hangover soup.’

But without bean sprouts, dried pollock, or Cheongyang chili peppers—the most important ingredients—it was hopeless.

Maybe someday the general store would stock them for coins….

I posted outrageous complaints like this all the time.

Maybe my persistence was just absurd enough that the system never bothered responding….

‘But I refuse to stop bombarding customer support. Until the day I can eat Korean food….’

With solemn determination, I ladled the soup into bowls—when I sensed someone approach from behind.

A pair of firm arms slipped loosely around my waist. There was only one person in the world who clung to me like this.

Lycian.

He whined in a syrupy, affectionate tone.

“Darling, aren’t you working too hard this early in the morning? Why don’t we just kick them all out?”

I didn’t even try to hide my disbelief and snapped back irritably.

“You’re in the way. Let go. Or I’ll throw you out first.”

“Hing….”

Did he just say “hing”? Seriously? A man over 190 centimeters tall?

Just then, a shrill voice cut in.

“G-Gross! Since when do you act cute?! It doesn’t suit you at all~!”

It was Ninabel, back from her dawn training.

The spirit buzzed around Lycian in protest—only to get smacked midair and go flying into the opposite wall.

As always, the dewdrop rice cake burst into a wail of “Hwaaang!” and I scooped her into my arms to soothe her.

“Nini… you lose every time. Why do you keep picking fights with Lycian? You’re not even in the same league…. Just give up….”

“Hwueeeeng!!”

Lycian and Ninabel (competitively) helped carry the food to the table.

Once everything was set, I went to wake the sleepyheads still sprawled out past nine in the morning.

This time Nigel helped, so getting everyone up was easy.

The crow’s merciless caw caw and his technique of pecking relentlessly at their heads was incredibly effective.

Of course, Nikke was a baby, so I woke her gently. As for Tierra, who had been sleeping beside her, a light shake of the shoulder was enough to bring her to her senses.

Camilla didn’t need waking at all. The tit that had risen before me had already finished patrolling the area and was leisurely sipping her morning tea.

A morning-type tit. A diligent tit.

“Ugh, ugh…. I think I’m gonna throw up….”

Without question, Dante was in the worst shape. Shadows hung beneath his eyes, and he kept rubbing his solar plexus, gagging miserably.

If he suffered this badly from hangovers, why couldn’t he quit drinking…? And gambling, for that matter….

I was looking at him with pity when a bright voice chimed in beside me.

“Ah~! I slept great! Good morning, Muriel!”

It was Daphne. She looked completely unaffected by any hangover.

She was so full of energy that she’d come straight into the living room and started stretching the moment she woke up.

‘Her liver’s detox ability is practically superhuman….’

Almost in awe, I guided the guild members into the kitchen.

Soon, the combined kitchen and dining area was bustling.

“Everyone, have a seat and eat. I made something good for hangovers.”

“Thank you, Muriel….”

“Th-Thank you….”

They each murmured their thanks and lifted their spoons.

Moments later, everyone’s eyes went wide.

“Gasp…! My headache’s gone…!”

“I was so foggy just a minute ago… now my mind feels completely clear.”

“Does this soup have some kind of effect? That’s amazing, Muriel.”

“It has a hangover-relief effect. Don’t leave any—finish the whole bowl.”

“Ah, of course I’ll finish it! I could eat two—no, three bowls! Hahaha!”

“M-My head’s ringing…. Don’t laugh so loud…!”

Dante clutched his ears in agony at Lucas’s booming laughter.

Shaking my head, I poured more warm honey water into Dante’s cup.

---

Maybe it was the food’s effect, but after breakfast the guild members were bursting with energy.

Even Dante, who’d looked half-dead earlier, now had bright, focused eyes. The tomato egg soup had done its job.

After eating, we cleaned the house. With everyone helping, it didn’t take long.

By the time noon approached, the guild members began preparing to leave.

I packed them some snacks for the road—bread, cookies, dried sweet potato strips, strawberry jam.

It was a decent amount, but given their appetites, they’d probably finish it all before they even arrived.

“We had a great time!”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Muriel. If you ever visit the guild branch, we’ll be sure to return the favor properly….”

“Next time, you’re drinking with me, Muriel! I’ll be looking forward to it!”

“D-Daphne, you shouldn’t say things like that….”

“Muriel unni! Here!”

In the middle of exchanging farewells, Nikke came running over and held something out to me.

Nestled carefully in her tiny hands was—

‘…A bracelet?’

A knotted bracelet, clearly handmade.

Sky-blue and green threads braided in an X pattern, threaded with milky-white beads. It was beautiful.

I carefully took it from her and asked,

“Thank you. Did you make this, Nikke?”

“Mm-hmm! I made it for you, Muriel unnie!”

“Thank you so much. It’s really pretty. I love it.”

“Hehe!”

I ruffled her hair and slipped the bracelet onto my wrist.

It was astonishingly well-made for something crafted by a seven-year-old.

“It’s a bracelet that’ll protect you, so make sure you wear it all the time! Okay?”

“I will. I’ll wear it every day.”

Our Nikke is amazing—how did you make something this good?

I praised her in exaggerated admiration, and she beamed proudly.

Except for Camilla, who was staying behind at the farm, the rest of the guild members crossed the vegetable patch and headed toward the forest path.

After walking a while, Mikhail planned to use teleportation magic to move them.

Teleporting this many people at once would take a tremendous amount of mana….

Maybe it was because he was a half-elf—Mikhail’s mana stat was remarkably high.

Looking at it now, his other stats were solid too….

‘I’m jealous….’

Reluctant to leave, the guild members walked at a sluggish pace.

I waved to everyone with big, sweeping gestures.

For a moment, it seemed like they’d all return safely without incident….

But before they’d gone very far, Dante stopped abruptly.

Walking at the front, he stiffened and slowly raised one hand.

An unspoken command to halt.

The others stopped instinctively, and before long, their expressions turned grim.

All except Allen, who wasn’t part of the combat unit.

“What’s wrong?”

I tilted my head in confusion, but behind me, Camilla stepped forward, gripping her axe and shield.

Lycian drew the sword at his waist and wrapped his left arm around my shoulders.

“Don’t leave my side, Muriel.”

“What is it?”

“Master, something’s coming!”

Ninabel’s frightened voice overlapped with the Veratis Guild’s tense exchange.

“A monster?”

“No. People.”

“How many?”

“Forty… no, around fifty.”

Dante, who had answered, spun the staff in his hand before gripping the gold-adorned head and pulling it free in one swift motion.

Beneath the golden handle, a gleaming, razor-sharp black blade emerged.

The staff he always carried was, it turned out, a concealed sword.