Chapter 13
Translator: Roshi
Kkyung!
Kkoma led the way while Kkomi and Hanuri followed behind at a leisurely pace.
Kkoma appeared more dignified than usual.
Kyuung! Kyup!
However, when Kkomi said something, Kkoma hastily changed direction.
It seemed that Kkoma was only pretending to lead the way.
Even so, considering Kkomi's slow pace due to her injuries, Kkoma moved carefully and at a slower speed.
.......
After walking for a while with their tiny feet.
Kkyung! Kkyung!
Kkoma, who was at the front, suddenly let out an excited cry.
Jumping up and down, Kkoma pointed to a large flower bud about the size of a human head.
“Huh? Is that it?”
The expression made it clear, it had been found.
Kyup! Kyuuung!
Kkoma answered affirmatively and grabbed the flower bud, attempting to pry it open.
But the moment Kkoma did so, the little one’s face turned urgent, and Kkoma quickly backed away. Then, Kkoma abruptly turned around.
“……?”
Kkyuuung?
Kkomi and Hanuri tilted their heads, puzzled at Kkoma’s behavior.
However, it wasn’t long before their expressions mirrored Kkoma’s.
“Waaaah!! B-bees! Giant bees!!”
Keeeing!
While Hanuri expressed amazement, Kkomi grabbed her hand and pulled her, as if to say this was not the time to admire them.
Out of the flower bud came not just one or two bees the size of a human fist, but dozens.
To make matters worse, the bees looked enraged, as if offended by the trespassing of unwelcome tenants hoping to sneak into their home.
Kyuuung!
Kkoma started running first, with Kkomi holding onto Hanuri’s hand and following close behind. Buuuuuung!!
Buung!!
The sound of the bees' wings was like that of a motorcycle engine.
“……!!”
The buzzing grew louder, and only when it came right behind her did Hanuri finally pick up her pace.
Now Kkomi started lagging behind.
“Yap!”
Hanuri hoisted Kkomi onto her back.
Though their speed increased slightly, the bees’ flight speed was even faster. Buuuuuung!!
Buung!!
At that moment!
Kkoma, who had been running ahead, glanced back and suddenly stopped in place.
Kkyuuung!
With a resolute expression, Kkoma turned fully around.
“Kkoma!”
Kyu!!
Despite Hanuri and Kkomi calling out, Kkoma remained unmoving.
Like a lone general guarding a narrow bridge, Kkoma stood firm between the two and the bees.
Seeing Kkoma’s solemn yet dependable back, Hanuri and Kkomi wore expressions of deep emotion.
Kkyung!
Without turning back, Kkoma urged them to hurry on.
Not wanting Kkoma’s noble sacrifice to go to waste, Hanuri and Kkomi resumed their running, tears welling in their eyes.
As they ran with sorrow in their hearts...
Buuuung!!
Kkyuuuuung!
Kkoma suddenly dashed past them like the wind, chased by the swarm of bees right behind!
Although this wasn’t part of the plan, if Kkoma could keep the bees occupied and continue to run, it might have worked out.
But
Thud!
Kkoma tripped on something and tumbled to the ground.
Kkyuuu……!!
The relentless bees attacked Kkoma without mercy.
“Waaaah! D-don’t come here!!”
Perhaps unsatisfied with just Kkoma, some of the bees turned their attention toward Hanuri and Kkomi as well.
*
Do-yoon had been watching the sky after giving Park Ki-ho the shopping list of items he needed.
By now, he was starting to feel bored.
So much so that he was contemplating going out to look for the kids.
Just then
Wusung wusung.
As if responding to his thoughts, the sound of voices reached his ears.
“Is this the place? Is there really a house here?”
"Woong!"
It was Hanuri’s voice, mixed with another unfamiliar one.
For a moment, Do-yoon wondered if Park Ki-ho had arrived already, but the voices were different.
And it wasn’t just one person speaking.
There were male and female voices, multiple voices.
Curious, he turned to look.
“Ahjosshi!!”
Hanuri came into view, bringing along a crowd of people she had somehow picked up.
Where in the world had she found these people in such a place?
And then
“What happened to your face?”
Hanuri’s face was swollen as if she had been hit by something.
Do-yoon quickly got up and approached Hanuri.
Moving with a speed that seemed like teleportation, the people following behind her murmured in awe.
“Ehehe.”
Despite his hurried concern, Hanuri giggled foolishly.
Her eyes, nose, mouth, and cheeks... all-
Their faces were so swollen it was hard to tell whether they were smiling or if their faces had turned into wrinkled steamed buns. But they were indeed smiling. Kyup!
Kyuung!
Hanuri wasn’t the only one with a swollen face.
Trailing behind her, Kkomi and Kkoma were in the same condition.
They looked like little balloons with bear faces drawn on them, their faces puffed up to the extreme.
It was strange that Shadow hadn’t reacted before things got to this point. Normally, it was supposed to alert him when it sensed any hostility...
Do-yoon’s gaze momentarily shifted to the group of people standing behind the children.
“Gasp?!”
“Eep?!”
The moment Do-yoon’s sharp gaze landed on them, the group froze in fear, their faces stiffening.
Whether he was aware of this or not
“Ahjosshi! Here, take this!”
At that moment, Hanuri called out to him.
Do-yoon set the people aside for now and turned his attention to Hanuri.
As if nothing had happened, his expression softened into one of warmth.
Huff, huff…
The group of people who had been holding their breaths let out a collective exhale, as though they had just escaped a death sentence.
“Hm?”
“Hehe, ta-dah!! Kkomi and Kkoma found this for you!”
Hanuri, her face swollen, proudly presented something to him.
It was a huge honey jar, so large it could practically cover her entire torso.
“What is this?”
“Kkomi said she wanted to give this to you, Ahjosshi! Here, it’s a gift!”
Hanuri pointed toward Kkomi and Kkoma, who handed over the large flower bud.
When Do-yoon received it, he realized it was quite heavy, as though something was packed tightly inside.
‘Could this be…?’
From the slightly open entrance of the flower bud came a sweet scent.
It was undoubtedly honey.
Raising his gaze to the group behind him, he noticed some of them had swollen faces like children’s balloons.
Additionally, he spotted a net filled with bees the size of human fists.
Now he finally understood why the children’s faces were so swollen. He also realized why Shadow hadn’t reacted.
It wasn’t what he’d expected.
“Pffft—hahahahaha!”
Upon realizing the reason, Do-yoon burst out laughing uncontrollably.
Now that he knew the situation, the children’s swollen faces struck him as utterly hilarious.
He even recalled how they must have huddled together in secret, whispering and scheming to get this for him.
If there had been a video of the scene, he was certain he would’ve replayed it endlessly without ever getting tired of it.
“Hehe. Ahjosshi is laughing!”
Kyup kyup kyup kyup!
When Do-yoon started laughing, Hanuri and the bear siblings laughed along with him.
Their faces, puffed up like balloons, beamed with innocent smiles, which made Do-yoon laugh even harder.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed this much. His laughter showed no signs of stopping.
The children, not understanding why he was laughing, just followed along, giggling endlessly...
But
‘…What the hell is going on?’
‘We really shouldn’t have come here.’
‘Isn’t he a monster?’
‘We’re definitely under some kind of spell. How did we even end up here...?’
The people standing behind the children couldn’t join in their laughter.
To them, the sight of Do-yoon glaring at them as if he wanted to kill them one moment, only to suddenly burst into loud laughter, was anything but normal.
Wuaaaaaah!!
And as if to add fuel to the fire, the deliveryman Do-yoon had ordered from earlier descended from the sky.
“Ah! Yongyong-ah!”
“A Wyvern!”
“Again?!”
“Huh?”
The deliveryman’s arrival caused mixed reactions, Hanuri was delighted, while the people behind her were filled with terror.
Seeing this, Do-yoon finally stopped laughing.
“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”
He’d nearly scared the life out of these innocent people.
Judging by their appearance, they seemed to have been through a lot. They were likely still on edge from being startled by his overwhelming aura earlier.
‘This actually works out perfectly.’
With the flower bud, no, the honey jar, in hand, he decided he’d make them some tea infused with honey as a gesture of apology.
*
‘Brosia honey…’
He wasn’t sure if Hanuri and the bear siblings had known what they were bringing, but what they had delivered wasn’t just ordinary honey.
This was a rare honey that appeared only in the annals of history from the place he had been stranded. Even he, who had encountered and fought countless legends, had only tasted it once in his life.
Whether it was as valuable here as it was there, he wasn’t sure.
At any rate, since he had unintentionally frightened innocent people, he decided to use it generously in the tea as a way to apologize.
After hearing the full story, it seemed the people had rescued the children when they were surrounded by bees.
Hanuri, in her gratitude, had invited them back to the house. "Puhihi!"
Kyup kyup kyup!
Do-yoon glanced at the children sitting nearby.
The children, their faces swollen, were laughing at each other without a care in the world.
Do-yoon had no idea what possessed these people to follow such puffed-up kids.
They said they had been enchanted by a fairy, lured along without even realizing it…
‘Well, she does look like a fairy.’
Hanuri, with her chubby, rosy cheeks, gave off the vibe of a bright, innocent fairy who might invite you to a magical place.
Even Do-yoon himself had been charmed at one point.
On top of that, she had two extraordinary baby bears trailing behind her, making the allure even stronger for anyone with a clouded mind.
The same held true now.
“Ahjosshi even made thiiiis delicious meat for me~!”
Before anyone realized it, Hanuri was mingling with the group of tense people, chattering happily.
The tense atmosphere began to ease as the people unconsciously lowered their guard at her pure and carefree energy.
‘Guess I should give some to them too.’
Do-yoon prepared some honey tea for Hanuri and the bear siblings, as well as the others.
Brosia Honey was incredibly rare, but its effects were undeniable.
It was a perfect natural elixir that could restore vitality, reconstruct the body, enhance mana, and strengthen the user.
Legends claimed that a hero who saved the continent consumed this honey to slay the demon king. There were even stories that it was used as an ingredient in holy water.
‘I’m not sure if that’s true, though.’
What was certain was that it was incredibly beneficial for the body, if you ignored the fact that it contained narcotic properties.
Some tales said that the hero who consumed Brosia Honey had gone mad from its narcotic effects, charging recklessly at the demon king. That’s how potent the substance was.
Of course, Do-yoon knew how to neutralize the narcotic component.
“Bring me those bee carcasses.”
"Yes?"
“Over there, those.”
Do-yoon pointed to the corpses of the Nectabee, the bees responsible for producing Brosia Honey. He directed Park Ki-ho, who had been lingering nearby, to fetch them.
“Y-yes!”
Park Ki-ho responded energetically and brought the bee carcasses.
From the corpses, Do-yoon extracted the stingers and collected the venom sacs separately.
He then pierced the venom sacs, releasing their contents into the honey he had prepared for the tea.
The narcotic component of Brosia Honey could be neutralized with the venom of the Nectabee.
‘If you want the full effects, you’d need to let the Nectabee sting you first before consuming the honey.’
That’s how he had experienced its effects the first time.
When he was on the verge of starving to death, he had stumbled upon a Brosia flower.
Mesmerized by its sweet fragrance, he drank the nectar without realizing he was being stung by the Nectabee in the process.
Looking back, it had been pure luck. The venom neutralized the honey’s narcotics, allowing him to reap its full benefits.
‘The neutralization is done.’
Now the water had boiled.
“There aren’t any cups.”
“Cups, sir? I believe the expedition team’s backpacks might have some. Shall I fetch them?”
“That’d be great.”
Park Ki-ho diligently performed his errand, heading to the expedition team investigating the Soyang Lake Dungeon Explosion near Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, to retrieve cups.
Do-yoon added a spoonful of the neutralized honey to each cup, pouring hot water over it.
For Hanuri and the bear siblings, he doubled the amount of honey.
“Hanuri, come here and drink this.”
"Okay! Hehe."
At his call, Hanuri darted over, her cheerful energy lighting up the room, and received the cup with both hands.
“Ah-hot-hot!”
She tried to drink it too quickly and burned her tongue, panting with her tongue sticking out like a little puppy.
She looked just like a beagle.
“Blow on it and drink it slowly. Sit here while you do.”
"Hiing......"
Hanuri, clearly eager to return to her chatting with the others, fidgeted restlessly, shifting her feet.
But as instructed, she blew on the tea and drank it slowly.
Do-yoon patted her on the head and turned his attention to the bear siblings.
‘They’re just too cute.’
As if playing with Hanuri wasn’t enough, now they were doing something even more adorable.
Slurp!
With their fluffy paws that looked like they were wearing white socks, they firmly held their cups and drank the tea.
They looked like little stuffed animals come to life.
The fact that the two were identical only made them cuter.
One plus one equals double the adorableness.
‘Everything they do seems cute now.’
Do-yoon’s gaze shifted smoothly from the bear siblings enjoying their tea to the expedition team.
‘Having interactions like this isn’t so bad.’
After all, he hadn’t come here to completely cut himself off from the world.
At the time, he had simply wanted to live peacefully in a quiet place, away from complicated matters. That’s why he had come here.
“Ahjosshi!”
“Hm?”
Hanuri, who had been happily sipping her tea, suddenly called out to him.
Grrrrrrrowl~.
“...Pffft, hahaha.”
Even without words, the sound of Hanuri’s stomach explained why she had called him.
Well, it made sense.
After hastily eating a light meal earlier, she had gone out, gotten stung around by bees, and now returned.
Honey tea alone wasn’t enough to fill her up. "It's a bit early for dinner, should I make you a snack?"
"Yes!"
Laughing again, Do-yoon rummaged through the shopping bag Park Ki-ho had brought and found some butter and a baguette.
‘Honey butter… All I need now is garlic.’
He decided to prepare a simple snack.
As he stood up, Hanuri quickly stood up too, following him like a shadow.
Her eyes sparkled brightly~twinkle, twinkle~.
Her expression was so full of excitement...
“Is it bread? Bread? Are we dipping it in honey to eat?”
“No. It’s something even tastier than that.”
"Woaaah!"
Kyup??
Even though she didn’t know what could possibly be tastier, Hanuri was thrilled and began hopping around.
Then, after finishing her honey tea and seeing Kkoma and Kkomi licking their empty cups, Hanuri grabbed their hands and started spinning them around in circles.
With the three of them now together, the yard quickly turned chaotic.
“Hihihi~ Bread~ Honey bread~ Honey-honey bread~ Yummier-than-honey bread~!”
Kyup! Kyup~.
Hanuri’s random, enthusiastic song mixed with the baby bears’ howls, filling the yard with cheerful chaos.
Swoosh.
Amidst the commotion, Do-yoon discreetly pulled some garlic from the shopping bag.
Of course, he made sure Hanuri didn’t notice.
*****