Housekeeper in the dungeon

Episode 42

Kang jin-hyeon barely looked up from his discarded food.

“No, it’s most efficient to stay by the side of the boss monster and wait to attack in advance.”

“Then let’s go that way, shall I use my map skill?”

“That’s fine. I’ve been here before, so I know the way.”

The mention of the dungeon brought Kang jin-hyeon back to his senses and back to his normal self.

Gone was the man with the bento box and moist eyes, replaced by a seasoned hunter. He skillfully led Hee-Na along.

“You meant it when you said you’ve been here before. You know the way.

Hee-na used her ‘Where’s My Home’ skill to sneak a peek at the map. Kang jin-hyeon was heading in the right direction toward the boss monster.

It didn’t take her long to reach the boss monster, the Great Mushroom.

The day was cool and the ground was flat except for a little damp, so it was easy to walk.

“Wow……. This mushroom is the boss.”

Hee-Na looked up at the giant mushroom. It was huge. Its circumference alone was so large that three elders would have to hug it with all their might.

“Is this mushroom edible?

I was so curious, that I stood up and looked at the giant mushroom.

“Come here and sit down.”

Before I knew it, Kang had taken a seat next to the mushroom and gestured for me to sit down. He didn’t forget to sprinkle welcome magic powder around the area. He’d been told this dungeon wasn’t dangerous, but he’d done everything he could.

‘It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Hee-na nodded at Kang jin-hyeon’s actions and entered the circle. There were things she didn’t recognize, like a blanket, a sleeping bag, and a water container. He must have taken out something from his inventory.

“What’s in my inventory……?

Hee-Na pulled up her inventory window. Except for the Class A mold-killing liquid, there was nothing. It was empty.

“Shouldn’t I have something in my inventory for emergencies? I’ve fallen into a dungeon three times in three months.

Hee-na grumbled to herself as she crouched down next to Kang jin-hyeon.

“At least I’m with Hunter Kang jin-hyeon this time.

He might look like a puppy who wanted to pick up food off the floor, but Kang jin-hyeon was a strictly S-class Hunter, and there was no one more trustworthy in the world.

Moreover, he was quite attentive to Hee-na. He found a rock from somewhere, made her a place to sit, and wrapped a blanket around her. He even brought her something to eat.

“You must be hungry, so I’ll give you something.”

He handed me a biscuit the size of my palm, a handful of jerky, and a bottle of water.

“Thank you, Mr. Hunter.”

hee-na gratefully accepted his favor.

The sun was setting, and it would be more than 12 hours before it rose again. That meant that Hee-na and Kang would have a lot of time to spend alone.

‘At least it’s better than the old days.

Maybe it was because they’d had lunch together before, but this time it was much less awkward than the last time.

If they didn’t have anything to say, they could talk about what to pack for lunch next time.

Kang jin-hyeon said he’d be happy with anything that Hee-na could get her hands on, but she didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye at some of the options.

“I see you like chicken, so next time, we should try chicken kangjeong.

There was a moment of silence as they continued to chat.

“…….”

It wasn’t awkward, but comfortable. Hee-na picked up a piece of jerky and was munching on it.

After looking at her for a long time, Kang jin-hyeon cautiously opened his mouth.

“Ms. Hee-Na.”

“Yes, Mr. Hunter. How are you?”

“You don’t have to call me that.”

Hee-Na tilted her head at the odd sound.

“What?”

“I mean, the title, ‘Mr. Hunter Kang. I’d like you to call me something more comfortable.”

“How?”

“Well, I don’t think you mean to call me ‘dude’.

Hee-Na thought, chewing idly on her jerky.

“‘Mr. Hunter’ is a bit overwhelming. Please call me Mr. Kang or Mr. jin-hyeon.”

Hee-na almost spit out her jerky because she had never heard that before.

“What?”

“Mr. jin-hyeon,” what an embarrassing title!

‘Mr. Anyone is a common title in society, but the letter ‘Mr.’ next to Kang’s name felt a little more special.

Do you think we hear the expression “Mr. Hunter” more often?

“It was a little uncomfortable that only Ms. Hee-na used the superordinate title.”

Kang jin-hyeon’s comment that I should feel comfortable calling him “Hunter” because I see him often was reasonable. However, I felt embarrassed to talk about this topic in a private setting.

“I should say it feels more personal.

Hee-Na hesitated before answering.

“But…….”

“Please. I’d appreciate it if you could make me feel a little more comfortable.”

Kang jin-hyeon asked Hee-na sharply.

In this situation, she couldn’t say, “No, I’m going to call you Hunter Kang jin-hyeon until the end!” and be stubborn.

Hee Na had no choice but to nod in agreement.

“…… Okay, but I’ll call you Hunter Kang jin-hyeon in public.”

“Why?”

“It’s too conspicuous, and I call all the other Hunters ‘Mr. What’s-his-name Hunter,’ so if I call you differently, don’t you think everyone will mind?”

“If Hee-na thinks so, I can’t help it, okay.”

Kang jin-hyeon didn’t insist anymore and obediently backed down.

In any case, he seemed satisfied to hear the words ‘Mr. Kang’ instead of ‘Hunter Kang’ from Hee-na’s mouth.

Hee-na felt a little salty and asked.

“So, do you like the food I made?”

“What do you mean?”

“You allowed me to call you by a more intimate name. Isn’t that because my food is delicious?”

It might sound self-serving, but it was the only reason an S-class Hunter would want to befriend a C-class housekeeper.

“That’s…….”

Kang jin-hyeon seemed to consider for a moment, then slowly spoke up.

“Maybe you could look at it that way, but it’s not just because the food is delicious.”

With that, Kang began his story.

“Ever since I awakened as an S-class Awakened, I’ve never been able to relax for a single moment. My senses are so sensitive, that every single stimulus around me is amplified. My surroundings are too noisy to relax, and my taste buds are too sensitive to taste.”

“Are all S-class Awakened that sensitive?”

Hee-na remembered Choi Choi Hoon, an appraiser who had once gone on a rampage, trying to rip apart the bed in the common break room. He was also an S-class.

But he was both fiery and carefree. He didn’t seem as sensitive as Kang jin-hyeon.

“……Well, I guess I am exceptionally sensitive.”

Kang shook his head in response. He shook his head, a deep fatigue evident in his eyes.

“It must be hard.”

“Since I’ve gained that much strength, I suppose it’s something I can’t help. Anyway, eating Hee-Na’s food brings me peace for a while, because I can reminisce about the flavors I used to feel.”

Hee-Na felt a pang of sadness at that answer.

“So being high ranked and strong isn’t always a good thing. You don’t eat well, you don’t sleep well.

It was a disaster for someone who valued rituals above all else.

Suddenly, she realized that she might be able to relieve Kang jin-hyeon’s fatigue.

“Hunter Kang jin-hyeon, no……, Mr. Kang jin-hyeon, have you ever taken a break in the Hunter break room?”

“It’s loud and crowded, so I rarely go there.”

“Have you ever used the beds there?”

“No.”

He hadn’t tasted Hee-Na’s workmanship.

As soon as I heard that, I jumped out of my seat and headed to the sleeping bag Kang jin-hyeon had spread out. It was a spherical sleeping bag.

The last time I used this sleeping bag, I used the skill ‘Cozy Bed’ to increase my recovery speed to 100%.

Furthermore, Hee-na had already slept with S-class appraiser Choi Sang-hoon before.

“Maybe I can use my skills to put an S-class Hunter to sleep as well?

Hee-na put her heart into it and cast the skill ‘Cozy Bed’ on the sleeping bag. She moved her hands with a lot of sympathy, especially for Kang jin-hyeon.

“May Hunter Kang jin-hyeon rest in peace for a while!

The system window announced the casting of the skill. The skill seemed to work even better than usual. He looked back with pride.

“Can I have your attention for a moment?”

“What?”

“I used the skill to lay down a sleeping bag.”

Hee-Na gave me a brief explanation of the ‘comforting touch’.

She knew she shouldn’t talk about her skills, but this one was known by almost the entire guild.

Adding another jin-hyeon Kang to the mix wasn’t going to change anything.

“A skill that creates a safe and cozy place to sleep is……. unique.”

Kang looked down at his Class A sleeping bag curiously. But he didn’t seem to want to lie down.

Hee-Na persuaded him.

“We have a lot of time until dawn, and you said this place is safe as long as we stay quiet, and I’ve sprinkled the welcome stone powder over there, so it’s even safer. Besides, if you get restless, I can wake you up.”

Hee-na wanted to give this man a moment of honeyed respite, a kindness born of pure human goodwill.

“Even if my skills aren’t fully effective, it’ll be more comfortable than the other sleeping bags.

I didn’t think I could put Kang jin-hyeon, who was at the top of all stats, to sleep with only a C-ranked skill.

“Well, let’s try lying down for a while.”

Kang jin-hyeon seemed to think so too.

He said that the sleeping bag was uncomfortable and he wouldn’t be able to lie down for long, so he got into it.