Time flows much faster than we think. When you’re aware of it, the frantically racing time seems to slow down as if taking a break, but it never stops. And if you stop paying attention, it flies off as if all that walking was just to build momentum, impossible to catch no matter how hard you try.
That was no exception for Yuda either. Before he knew it, the cold, biting winds of winter swept in and passed in an instant, giving way to the warm days of spring. Four years had already gone by since he arrived here. But for a child, four years isn’t such a long time.
He had grown taller and gained weight. Muscle started forming on his body, and it was clear even to the eye that he was transitioning from a boy to a young man. All this time, he’d kept dueling with Kain and showed his shadow swordsmanship to Kaseun, steadily improving his proficiency. The only pity was that his stats hadn’t risen anymore.
The morning sun rose. The sound of people’s voices from outside naturally opened his eyes. A yawn escaped his open mouth, soon turning into a sigh as he exhaled deeply. Still groggy from waking up, he lay on the big bed before slowly sitting up. The bed wasn’t exactly comfortable, leaving his body feeling stiff.
Rising slowly from the bed, he roughly straightened the blankets and headed to the kitchen. Four years had passed, and in that time, he’d grown so naturally accustomed to this house. His heels thudded against the wooden floor, making a dull sound.
‘Breakfast…’
With sleep still lingering on his face, he went to the pantry and took out some eggs. With a click, a simple motion ignited a flame. The gas stove here didn’t use gas but drew mana from a pre-installed magic circle fueled by a mana stone to light the fire.
When made the game, he hadn’t set up such detailed mechanics for this world. But as if governed by some law, this world flowed seamlessly without gaps. Refrigerators, gas stoves, fans, and air conditioners—devices he had associated only with the modern world—were all powered by magic here.
Of course, all these things required money to use, but he had the solid backing of Kaseun. Thanks to that, he could enjoy such a comfortable life. Cracking an egg onto the heated frying pan, he dropped it in.
Sizzle—
The white and yolk settled into a delicious shape. Watching the egg cook for a moment, he sprinkled salt to season it, then took out a plate and transferred it over half-cooked. He pulled out some bread stored at room temperature, along with grape jam and milk from the fridge. After a simple meal to fill his stomach, he checked the time on the holographic clock in the corner of his vision. It was about time to head out.
Locking the door with a key, he left the house. Kaseun’s mansion was in an area clustered with noble masions, so there were no guilds or shopping districts, making it quiet even in the morning. Bare branches, yet to sprout leaves, swayed in the breeze. Walking along the peaceful street, he felt a strange tickle from behind. It was a tense, unsettling energy.
“…?”
Before he could fully turn his head, someone brushed past him. A beautiful woman with a pipe-like cigarette in her mouth strode forward, her long, slender legs moving confidently. Wearing a warm-looking white turtleneck, a short skirt, and black stockings, she naturally drew his gaze. Staring in a daze, he watched her walk ahead. She was truly a stunning woman, radiating the maturity of an adult.
“She’s beautiful…”
For the first time since coming to this world, he let out a murmur of awe.
As if she had heard his unconscious remark, the ears atop her head twitched, and she turned around. Their eyes met, and he, startled, clamped his mouth shut with a gasp.
‘Ears on her head?’
Now that he noticed, she didn’t seem human. A tail trailed behind her—a long, rope-like one with black stripes. But her ears and tail didn’t detract from her beauty in the slightest. His careless comment seemed to pique her interest briefly, though it faded just as quickly.
“What’s this, just a kid?”
She sounded disappointed.
“…Hmph.”
With a sultry hum, her golden eyes and black pupils gazed down at him, as if sizing him up. A slight smile revealed sharp fangs. Clearly not human, perhaps a beastkin, her teeth looked like weapons. As if plotting some mischief, she pulled the cigarette from her mouth, exhaled a puff of smoke, and sauntered over, crouching in front of him. An unusual aura emanated from her, like standing naked before a predator. He nearly stepped back instinctively.
“Hey, little one. Do you really think I’m pretty?”
“…Yes, you’re pretty.”
“Hmm..really? Not scared or anything?”
“You seem dangerous, but I’m not scared yet.”
Surprised by his words, she widened her eyes and tilted her head. The slight upturn of her lips suggested she was oddly pleased.
“I’ve only ever heard kids say I’m scary, so this is refreshing. How old are you?”
“Eleven.”
“Oh my. I thought you were cute, and sure enough…”
Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. With a smooch, she pulled back, grinning at his startled expression.
“A thank-you for calling me pretty.”
His cheeks flushed at the soft sensation. A faint scent lingered from her. She had been smoking, but it wasn’t the usual tobacco smell he knew. It was more like a sweet, herbal aroma.
“Hehe. Cute little thing. See you around, then.”
Standing up to leave, she waved, put the cigarette back in her mouth, and walked off quickly, disappearing from sight. For a while, he stood there dazed, touching his cheek and grinning foolishly. It seemed today would be a lucky day.
Though he felt a pang of regret at not seeing her again, that disappointment didn’t last long. Not long after parting, he encountered her once more. Heading to Kaseun’s mansion and stepping into the usual training ground, he tilted his head at the group gathered there. Normally, only Kaseun waited for him at this hour, but today, Kain and Riel were there too.
“Oh?”
And there she was—the black-haired, golden-eyed beauty he’d met on the way. Recognizing him, she looked slightly surprised.
“Welcome, Yuda.”
“Hello.”
He greeted him warmly. Oddly, Kain and Riel stayed silent. Seeing him, they broke into a cold sweat and waved awkwardly, greeting him timidly with strained voices.
‘What happened?’
But more than their discomfort, what caught Yuda's attention was the beautiful woman he had just encountered. It was the first time he had seen such a stunning woman in person. The only celebrities or actresses he had ever seen were through TV or computer screens, and even then, the closest he’d come was catching a vague outline of one from afar at a nearby university festival. She was smiling. He bowed his head toward her.
“Hello, and nice to see you again!”
“Likewise, little one.”
Their seemingly friendly exchange made Kaseun look surprised.
“Zentia, you know Yuda?”
“Yeah, we met on the way here. He’s a cute and brave kid.”
Brave? He puzzled over her words as she spoke with Kaseun. He hadn’t done anything particularly brave. If she meant him calling her pretty, that’d be courage, not bravery. It was hard to understand. Not just for him but Kaseun also seemed to share the confusion, staring at her as if she were spouting nonsense.
“Well, if you know him, that’ll make things easier. Zentia here was part of the mercenary band I once led. As you can see from her ears, she’s a beastkin.”
He nodded. Kaseun, holder of the platinum badge, was the founding leader of the mercenary group Brothers of the Battlefield. Zentia was likely one of them. But he had no memory of creating an NPC named Zentia. She was probably just one of the residents shaped by whatever laws completed this world.
As he guessed, Zentia had indeed been part of Kaseun’s old mercenary band. With exceptional talent for hunting and scouting, she had continued as a mercenary after Kaseun retired, until reconnecting with her former leader and coming to Serenia for a break.
“Zentia will teach you the basics of hunting and travel from now on. The southern forest is dangerous, so you’ll likely hunt in the eastern forest together. That’s why I called her here.”
“But, Grandpa, couldn’t you teach us instead?”
Kain asked cautiously, his eyes wary of Zentia.
“Hm, I could, but I’m short on time. Besides, all I can teach is to tough it out physically. I’m not good with strategy. Zentia can teach you far better than I can.”
“No.”
Zentia cut him off. Ignoring his puzzled look, she smirked and glanced down at Yuda.
“I’ve decided.”
“Decided what?”
“I’m not interested in the other kids. Let the leader teach them or whatever. I’ll only teach this one.”
With light steps, Zentia walked over and stood beside him. Kaseun sighed heavily and shook his head.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I clearly asked you to take all three.”
“Sure, you did. But, Leader, you’re mistaken—this isn’t a job, it’s a favor, right? Doesn’t that mean I get to choose?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Good, you seem unconvinced, so I’ll explain why.”
Zentia stepped toward Kain and Riel. Riel, trembling and near tears, hid behind Kain in fear. Kain wasn’t shaking as badly, but his clenched jaw and stiff body showed clear wariness. She handed him the long cigarette she’d been holding.
“Hold this for a sec.”
Caught off guard, he nodded and took it. Then, abruptly, she began undressing. Peeling off her stockings, skirt, and turtleneck in an instant, standing naked. Unfazed by her nudity, she scanned the group. He didn’t look away like a fool. Blushing, he stared at her bare form, soon witnessing fur sprout as she transformed into a beast. It was a black tiger, a panther. A low, chilling growl rumbled from her throat.
“Wow.”
While he gasped in awe, Kain tensed with intense caution, and Riel screamed, collapsing with a shriek. Zentia shifted her gaze from the fearful pair to him. Her sharp golden eyes glared fiercely, but he felt admiration rather than fear. He knew she wouldn’t harm him anyway.
Given her close ties with Kaseun, she had no reason to hurt him. As she reverted to human form, he quickly turned his head away. Pausing at his reaction, Zentia looked down at him with a pleased expression.
‘So cute.’
It was a satisfying response. A child unafraid of her without any special effort—if Kaseun weren’t there, she’d have hugged him tight. She was growing fonder of this little one by the minute. Dressing herself with the clothes he held, Zentia shrugged at Kaseun’s fake cough.
“See?”
“…”
“They’re scared of me. Leader, I didn’t come here to volunteer. I came because the former leader of my mercenary band asked me to. And now I’m supposed to cozy up to these kids, pat them, and say, ‘It’s okay,’ to win them over? Ha.”
She snorted derisively.
“I don’t like that. It’s not my style. Sure, I like kids, but I’m not dating them—why bother struggling to get close?”
Her head tilted slightly, eyes shifting to him as she reached out and patted his head. Her gaze screamed she found him adorable.
“That’s why this one passes. He’s not afraid of me and even called me pretty. Hehe.”
“Ugh.”
Kaseun furrowed his brow. Beastkin naturally exude an intimidating aura, so it was no surprise Kain and Riel were scared, but with Zentia’s skill, she could suppress that aura if she wanted—why didn’t she? Perhaps it was to justify teaching only him, finding it a hassle to handle multiple kids. He tried to persuade her but soon clicked his tongue and nodded.
“Fine, do what you want.”
“Of course, Leader.”
Zentia took a deep drag from her cigarette and smiled.
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***Author’s notes***
I got a bunch of business cards from Joara staff and met a lot of writers.
Author Rignus sat next to me, and across from me was author White Bean, the author of Wind and Starlight. Jo Kyung-rae and Uzelang were there too—surprisingly, there were a lot of women writers.
After meeting them, I went to hang out with friends, so I don’t know what happened next, lol.
Anyway, I drank with friends, stayed up all night at a PC café, and just got home on the KTX. It was hell then, and it still is now.
But seriously, how is there not a single touching comment?! I was hoping for something like, “Author, don’t say that!” that could make me teary.
Instead, someone said they’d bind my soul and revive me if I died—did they learn necromancy or something?
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