“So, I can teach this kid from now on, right?”
“Of course. But if you’re going to teach, you better do it properly.”
Zentia gave a big smile.
“Don’t worry, I’ll teach them thoroughly.”
“Good. Now, the only thing left is the matter of lodging, huh? What’s your plan? If you haven’t found a place yet, you’re welcome to stay at my mansion. I’ve got plenty of empty rooms.”
Zentia put her cigarette in her mouth, her expression turning pensive.
“Hmm… an mansion, huh. It’s too aristocratic for my taste. If I go back to being a mercenary later, it’ll be hard to readjust.”
“But as far as I know, there aren’t any houses for sale inside the inner wall right now. You might find something near the outer wall, though. Isn’t that why you’re still stuck like this?”
“Haah, yeah, that’s true. Tch. For a castle on the outskirts, why are there no houses, and why are the prices so damn high?”
Yuda, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, realized that Zentia’s lodging was the issue. Though the mansion had plenty of spare rooms, she seemed uncomfortable with it and preferred a smaller house. Cautiously, he decided to join the discussion.
“Um, if that’s the case, you could stay at my place. I’ve got plenty of room.”
“Oh! Really? Are you sure? Won’t your parents mind?”
Kaseun’s face stiffened for a moment. Zentia still didn’t know that Yuda lived alone without parents. There hadn’t been time to explain the full situation, and Kaseun hadn’t expected it to come up like this. Oblivious to the tension, Zentia kept smiling.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’m the only one at home anyway.”
“Huh?”
Zentia faltered, caught off guard by Yuda’s bittersweet smile. The atmosphere grew awkward. Kain, Riel, and Kaseun didn’t look pleased either. A moment later, Zentia seemed to catch on, letting out a soft “Ah-” as her mouth parted slightly. Before the mood could sour further, Kaseun nodded and spoke up.
“Alright, then the lodging’s settled. Yuda.”
“Yes.”
“From now on, Zentia will teach you a lot in my place. For the time being, let’s pause your morning training and dueling with Kain.”
“Got it.”
“Talk over the details with Zentia. Since you’ll be living together, you might run short on living expenses, so if you need anything or run out of something, feel free to come to me anytime.”
Yuda nodded. It was always better to have more than to lack, especially when it came to resources. He thanked Kaseun for his generous support, and Zentia placed her hand on Yuda’s head with a light thud.
“Well then, Captain. I’ll head off with this little one. We’ve got some things to discuss about the future.”
“Go ahead.”
Kaseun nodded readily. Kain and Riel, who had been watching blankly, brightened up at the realization that they wouldn’t have to train under Zentia. At the same time, they shot Yuda pitying looks. Learning from a fearsome beastman was one thing, but living with her seemed downright terrifying to them.
Yuda, however, felt good about it. The house had been feeling lonely lately, and deep down, he had secretly wished for someone to share it with. If that someone was Zentia, he was more than willing to accept her presence. Still, a slight worry lingered in the back of his mind. What if he was the only one who felt this way, and she had a different motive?
‘It would be nice if I could see something like a status window right now.’
Unfortunately, despite all his efforts, he was never able to view others’ status windows. He didn’t know if there was a specific condition or if it was simply impossible to see others’ information. Living with Zentia felt both exciting and unsettling. It was a strange mix of emotions.
As he stood there, lost in thought, Zentia moved the hand that had been ruffling Yuda’s hair and held it up before his eyes. It was a slender and pale hand, so delicate that it was hard to believe it belonged to a beastman.
“Shall we get going, little one?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
Caught off guard, Yuda grabbed her outstretched hand. It was warm. Holding it, he realized how pointless his worries had been. In his original world, he’d lived over twenty years without knowing anything about others’ “stats.” Here, he’d managed nearly three years the same way. Why should it matter now? There was nothing to fret over.
He gave Kaseun a quick bow and left the mansion hand-in-hand with Zentia. Once outside, she fiddled with her cigarette. Perhaps it had some magical mechanism—smoke began rising from the bowl where the herbs were packed.
Shhhp—
The sound of her inhaling echoed, followed by a refreshing exhale. With the plume of tobacco smoke, she wore a relieved expression.
“Cigarette.”
“Hm?”
“Isn’t that bad for your health?”
“Health, huh…” Zentia glanced at the cigarette in her hand and took another drag. The smoke flowed deep into her body through her mouth, then escaped with her breath. “Hoo,” she exhaled, watching the smoke as she answered Yuda’s question.
“It’s bad, sure. But this isn’t cigarette leaves—it’s herbs, so it’s not as harmful. Just strong smoke, that’s all. And… even if it does hurt me, I can just visit a mage or priest, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Hmm, true.” In a world where even the dead could be revived in a few ways, cigarette might just be a trivial indulgence. Yuda nodded, satisfied, and Zentia looked at him with amusement.
“What, you want to try it? Want a puff?”
As she casually offered the cigarette, Yuda quickly shook his head.
“No, I’m good. I, uh, don’t really want to.”
“Oh? It’s not bad, you know.”
Offering cigarette to a minor? Yuda, who’d never touched a cigarette in his past life, felt an instinctive aversion. Even if it was just burning herbs, he wasn’t interested. Zentia chuckled—perhaps it had been a joke—and didn’t press further.
Silence fell again. But as people started appearing on the streets, the surroundings grew noisy. Compared to castles of similar size, Serenia Castle had an unusually high flow of people—adventurers, mercenaries, merchants, and all sorts of tradesfolk bustling about.
Worried he might get lost in the crowd, Zentia didn’t let go of his hand. Or maybe she thought she might get lost in this place. Her grip was warm and soft, though her hand was starting to sweat a little. She smoked her cigarette, and Yuda led the way.
“I’m—”
She broke the silence as they walked quietly. Turning his head, he saw her smiling brightly.
“She's going to teach you a lot, just like the Captain said. Hunting, herb gathering, first aid, outdoor camping—stuff you’ll need for adventures or travel. How’s that sound? Excited?”
Hoo— A cloud of gray smoke puffed into the air, dissolving into nothing.
“Hmm. Well, I don’t know about the rest, but hunting does sound exciting.”
Zentia’s eyes curved into crescents, her lips curling upward.
“It’ll definitely be fun. More than you expect.”
Yuda led Zentia into his house. The empty home felt eerily still. Opening the door and stepping inside, he took off his shoes. Zentia, about to follow with her shoes on, paused, chuckled, and slipped hers off too.
“Interesting. You’re following Baekje Empire customs?”
“It’s just more comfortable. The floor’s clean, so don’t worry.”
Cleaning every day was tough, but he wiped the floors and dusted the house at least once every three days. Even the unused rooms got tidied up then. Even the unused, empty rooms were thoroughly cleaned each time. He gave her the room on the first floor, which he assumed had belonged to his parents. It had a bed, a vanity, a wardrobe, and even a round mirror on the wall which was a perfect fit for her. The clothes in the wardrobe and items on the vanity had been thrown out or burned, leaving it clean in a good way, though desolate in a bad way. But Zentia seemed to like it, a smile playing on her lips.
“You said it’s unused so I expected to clean it, but it’s spotless. You sure I can really use this room?”
“Yeah. It’s just me in this house anyway. No problem, so don’t feel burdened.”
“Hmm.” She let out a nasal hum. The room exceeded her expectations. Clean and spacious, with all the necessary furniture. She could fill it with her own things, so the emptiness didn’t bother her.
After a brief tour from Yuda, she poked around to double-check everything, then said she’d step out to grab her belongings from the mercenary guild.
The moment Zentia left, a system message popped up in front of Yuda’s eyes. He flinched, startled, as he read the holographic text within a green-bordered window.
[Upon acquiring your first (temporary) companion, you can now use the status window.]
[The status window can also display information about non-companions. Using it wisely will greatly aid in collecting fragments.]
“Ah!”
Finally, a window to view others’ information had appeared. It might not be useful now, but it’d be a huge help later when he left to gather fragments. Thrilled, he opened Zentia’s info first.
──────────────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Zentia]
[Title: Tracker]
[Real Name: None]
[Level: 49]
[Occupation: Mercenary (C)]
[Race: Beastman _ Tiger]
[Strength: 63 (B) / Potential B]
[Stamina: 69 (B) / Potential B]
[Agility: 79 (B) / Potential A]
[Mana: 50 (C) / Potential B]
[Mana Resistance: 51 (C) / Potential B]
[Knowledge: 49 (C) / Potential C] ◀ Special
[Luck: 55 (C) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Favorability: 10 (Neutral)]
[Trust: 30 (Belief)]
「Traits 4/5」
[Primal Instinct] - Rank: B
[Tiger and Dragon Rivalry] - Rank: B
[Hunter] - Rank: C
[Virtuous Wife] - Rank: C
「Skills 5/5」
[Beast Transformation] - Rank: B
[Spear Mastery] - Rank: C
[Mercenary Left-Hand Dagger Technique] - Rank: C
[Stealth] - Rank: B
[Ambush Attack] - Rank: C
──────────────────────────────
A rush of relief washed over him, like a weight had been lifted.
Yuda studied the status window intently, a thrill coursing through him.
* * *
──────────────────────────────
[Tips]
Tip 8: Trust levels progress as follows: 0 (Neutral) → 30 (Belief) → 50 (Friend) → 70 (Trust) → 100 (Friendship), and decline as -30 (Caution) → -50 (Danger) → -70 (Distrust) → -100 (Betrayal).
Tip 9: Favorability levels progress as follows: 0 (Neutral) → 30 (Interest) → 50 (Care) → 70 (Lover) → 100 (Spouse), and decline as -30 (Dislike) → -50 (Disgust) → -70 (Hostility) → -100 (Murderous Intent).
Tip 10: Balancing trust and favorability is critical. If they drop suddenly into negative territory, you should brace for the worst—betrayal from a companion. At least that way, the shock won’t hit as hard.
────────────────────
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***Author’s Note***
“But I heard dark mages have to stay virgins until 30 to qualify?”
?
Q: LOL, writers didn’t mention their pen names when greeting, right???
A: LOL, Joara forced a coming-out. They made nameplates for who wrote what.
They set them up in tripods, haha, with assigned seats.
For me, it was “Greek-Roman Mythology et al.” and “Weeping Soul.” LOL.
How else would I know who they were, haha?
One Joara staff member saw me and said, “Welcome back from the military!” and some writers asked me the same, “Have you gone to the army yet?” LOL.
Q: How many coupons per chapter update, writer? I’ll buy you with money!
A: Buy me!? Minimum wage in 2016 was 6,030 won. Can you really afford me?
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