45
* * *
Kkeok!
The breath of the last magical beast that had been confronting the party was cut off pathetically. It was thanks to Stigma, a skill Doun used so often he could say he liked it.
Stigma.
Any creature marked with that symbol dies instantly the moment the pattern is completed. It was a tremendous skill just as its description suggested, but it was notorious among casters in various ways because it demanded enormous mana proportional to its power.
However, strangely enough, when watching only Doun using that skill, he looked so peaceful that one might mistake him for using Water Ball, which novice hunters essentially learned.
After confirming there were no magical beasts appearing in the vicinity, Kim Minhyeok ran toward the corpse and shouted.
“I’ll harvest it quickly!”
The time when the harvesting hunter was active was the maintenance and rest time for the attack hunters. The hunters including Doun gathered around Kim Siwon, fanning themselves with their hands in the sultry temperature. Then Kim Siwon proudly smiled while creating large ice chunks several times.
“Wow. I feel like I can live after drinking some water.”
The water in the ice box that supporter Hong Chan had brought was also gradually running out. While the guild members drank cool water, drank potions, or fanned themselves, Kim Minhyeok swung his sharp blade and muttered to himself.
“Why are the ribs on this side so hard to extract! Why are they shaped like this! Argh! It’s hot!”
It was an incomprehensible roar that could have been either a battle cry or a scream. Kim Chansol, who was standing in front of the ice chunk Kim Siwon made and using a hand fan to blow air, mumbled.
“What’s shaped like what that makes him act like that? Is it shaped like a star or something?”
“Come to think of it, Minhyeok does that every time he harvests that thing on floor 48? Jiwon was quiet though.”
Even Seong Suyeon, who was wearing sunglasses, began to get curious. It was a conversation held quite far away, so it was an impossibly small voice for Kim Minhyeok, who was screaming while harvesting, to hear.
However, the answer to the question came from an unexpected place.
“The magic stones usually hidden inside the ribs are much larger than others. If they’re in other parts, you just need to cut away the flesh, but the ones inside the ribs require breaking all the surrounding ribs to barely extract them…”
The owner of the voice was none other than Doun. He was wearing a large straw hat on his head and a cooling muffler around his neck. All of these were things that Kyung Samin, who was fanning him with a large fan like a courtier beside him, had given him.
Even while answering, Doun seemed hot as he couldn’t even finish his words and was busy gulping down the ice water he held in his hand.
“Ah. Is that so? It did seem bigger…”
Kim Chansol, who had been pondering Doun’s answer, tilted his head. Actually, he didn’t have much interest in how big the magic stones were or how harvesting was done.
Yeoun Guild divided magic stone sales revenue equally according to the number of conquest team members. It meant that the harvesting personnel who only mined magic stones were relatively safer and more comfortable in earning income compared to the main dealers who put their lives on the line fighting in the front.
So Kim Minhyeok didn’t easily ask other hunters for help, even as empty words. Since other guilds were in similar situations, attack-type hunters in main dealer positions didn’t know much about magic stone harvesting.
Moreover, Yeoun Guild had a structure where the harvesting personnel checked magic stone prices and sold them at appropriate times. Naturally, it was easy to embezzle in the middle, but the guild members completely trusted the harvesting hunters.
This was because guild master Kyung Samin had made contracts with the harvesting hunters using expensive artifacts.
‘Minhyeok. If you deliberately pocket some magic stones in the middle, you die, okay? It won’t end with just cutting off your wrists.’
‘Huk. If I make that contract, do I really die?’
‘Would the system fake kill you? Don’t you see the contract clause?’
‘What about if I accidentally make a mistake without knowing?’
‘…We’d have to let that slide. Since it wasn’t intentional. But you’d still get nagged at like hell by hyung.’
‘What specifically would be the level of that nagging…’
It was a contract made after Samin and the harvesting hunters including Kim Minhyeok coordinated details for a long time and obtained various opinions and consent from guild members.
Naturally, the hunters in Yeoun’s main dealer positions didn’t question or take interest in magic stone harvesting or sales revenue. They had no choice but to trust the sales revenue that the harvesting hunters literally staked their lives on. Since the artifact used for the contract was A-grade, it was difficult not to trust it.
‘Even if that’s the case for harvesting personnel, why does Doun-ssi know so much about this?’
Kim Chansol’s expression became subtle for a moment before reaching the answer. Looking at it now, it seemed he hadn’t just shouldered conquest alone but had also taken on harvesting after conquest ended.
If some clueless guild member dug into this carelessly, they’d only end up stirring up painful past. Someone like Do Hyeonwoo, for example. Kim Chansol stealthily changed the subject.
“Anyway, aren’t you really looking forward to the team-building retreat? Have you decided what to eat there? But guild master, how did you manage to book the pension? It’s peak season so reservations were completely full everywhere else.”
“That’s what I’m saying. The pension was really crazy, right? Ah, Doun hyung. If you’re really hot, at least feel the breeze from my fan! Here.”
When Hong Chan brought his cute little hand fan close to Doun’s face, Samin, who was watching, clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. Chan. How can you make our hyung feel artificial wind? Put that away right now. How cool could it be with a fist-sized fan? My fan breeze is cooler than that, right, hyung?”
Samin triumphantly waved his fan vigorously. The large fan, which made one wonder where he’d bought it, made fluttering, fluttering noisy sounds every time he swung it.
Normally, Doun would have told him to stop because it was embarrassing, but today he just stood there with a blank face.
“Hm? Doun hyung, are you listening? Did you get hit with a debuff? Why do you have no energy?”
“I actually don’t handle heat well…”
“…Ah!”
At Doun’s weak answer, Samin let out a sigh.
‘If I’d known this would happen, I should have brought more things besides the straw hat and scarf!’
He regretted the watermelon punch and ice creams he’d left at home after hesitating for a long time, thinking it seemed like overkill. He hurriedly pulled out an ice box from his inventory.
This was usually something that supporter Hong Chan should have prepared. The ice box placed in front right now was also something Hong Chan had separately prepared.
But the fact that Samin pulled it out from his personal inventory clearly meant it was exclusively for Lee Doun. The guild members who noticed this fact collectively rolled their eyes as if they’d planned it.
‘That crazy bastard doing something he’s never done before…’
Regardless of the guild members’ disapproving gazes, Samin immediately opened the ice box lid. Inside the ice box with preserved cold air were frozen water bottles and one mysterious tumbler. He pulled out the tumbler without hesitation.
“Hyung. Drink this at least.”
“What is it?”
“Ice water. I brought it frozen just in case.”
“…I already drank some that Chan gave me earlier.”
Contrary to his words that sounded like he was declining, Doun quickly grabbed the tumbler Samin handed him with both hands. When he felt the cool chill, his expression came alive.
What Hong Chan had prepared was water that all the conquest team members had to share. So honestly, he’d been holding back his thirst because he felt awkward about emptying several bottles by himself just because he was hot, making this water very welcome at just the right moment.
The Magnetic who had just shown magical beast slaughter scenes that heated his chest more than desert heat had disappeared somewhere, leaving only the soft and warm Lee Doun who was on the verge of melting from heat, so it really seemed to be hot.
“Ah… It’s cool.”
After opening the tumbler lid and taking another sip of the cool water full of chill, he felt like he could live. Doun muttered to himself, then glanced at Samin beside him who was wearing the same straw hat and earnestly fanning him.
‘He’s hot too…’
Even though he wore the same large straw hat, it wouldn’t be enough to avoid the scorching heat. Moreover, since he was constantly fluttering the large fan, sweat was beading on his face.
“Samin.”
“…Yes?”
“You drink too. You must be hot.”
Feeling guilty like he was enjoying luxury alone, Doun casually handed over the tumbler in his hand. It wasn’t something he’d prepared, but still, it seemed good to share.
However, Samin just stared intently at the tumbler while screaming internally.
‘Crazy. Is this a dream?’
He was facing a second round of indirect kissing at an unexpected timing. If he pretended to be crazy and accepted it to drink, an indirect kiss would happen. Since he’d been watching which side Doun’s lips touched while fanning, the probability was 100%. However, he had no confidence in calming his boiling heart afterward.
‘Wow, what do I do about this? Should I accept and drink? If I do that, I’ll probably get hard again. Will it show?’
As Samin panicked and hesitated, Doun added timidly with a face that showed he understood belatedly.
“Ah… Is it because I put my mouth on it? What’s the big deal between guys? My lips just barely touched it.”
“…First, ahem, if you’re done drinking, could you give it to me?”
When Doun handed over the tumbler, it disappeared completely into Samin’s inventory.
“Weren’t you asking for it to drink?”
“I’m not thirsty.”
“Then why did you ask for it?”
“Just because.”
Samin, who had acquired an item that allowed him to indirectly kiss Lee Doun anytime, anywhere he wanted, grinned while waving his fan.
Flutter, flutter.
His happy fanning, filled with his emotions, continued from then on.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
