Today was particularly nerve-wracking.
I was heading to the dungeon alone with Levinas.
Standing before Kim Min-jun, the dungeon management civil servant, I was more nervous than usual.
"Uncle, I've arrived."
"Is it Gyeoul?"
Kim Min-jun greeted me warmly, perhaps due to my frequent visits to the goblin dungeon.
His genuine demeanor made my tail wag.
"Today, I brought a friend."
"A friend?"
Kim Min-jun's gaze shifted behind me.
Turning around, I saw Levinas standing there, exuding confidence.
"I am Levinas!"
"What an assertive friend."
"Yes! Levinas is indeed assertive!"
Levinas's boldness could be embarrassing, but Kim Min-jun just chuckled.
He seemed to see her as a child proudly showing off.
However, I couldn't share Kim Min-jun's lightheartedness.
Today, I was responsible for Levinas.
"May Levinas enter the goblin dungeon too? She's quite young."
"How old is she?"
"She's only ten."
Instinctively, I showed Kim Min-jun ten fingers.
He blinked slowly, contemplating my hands.
"Isn't that fine?"
"What...?"
Not understanding his meaning, I just blinked for a while.
"If Gyeoul keeps her safe, it should be fine."
"Ah, yes."
With the manager's approval, I turned to Levinas, adopting a serious demeanor I hadn't shown before.
"Levinas."
"Huh?"
"In the dungeon, you must obey me. Understand?"
"—Yes! Understood!"
Levinas stood to attention, taken aback by my stern tone.
I began listing precautions.
"Don't speak loudly in the dungeon; goblins have keen hearing."
"Okay…! Levinas will be quiet…!"
Levinas replied in a whisper.
Her volume was appropriately low.
"Also, stay close to me. Wandering off could be dangerous, got it?"
"Okay···! Levinas will follow the king quietly···!"
Again, she spoke softly.
I was satisfied with her willingness to follow directions.
Chuckle
Suddenly, I heard laughter.
"······?"
I looked around to see several adventurers smiling at Levinas and me.
Young Levinas was simply too adorable.
After all, Levinas always showed a bold appearance.
"Levinas understands the king···! Be careful, right···?!"
"Yes. The dungeon is dangerous. Adhere to the rules, even if they're uncomfortable. Understood?"
"Yes···!"
I continued to emphasize important precautions to Levinas.
It seemed excessive, but caution in the dungeon could never be overstated.
"Gyeoul is really diligent."
Kim Min-jun tapped a stack of papers on his desk.
I wanted to ask what he meant, but then noticed the line of adventurers behind me.
Warning Levinas had taken too much time.
"Sorry···"
I apologized to the adventurers who had been waiting.
My demeanor differed from how I interacted with Levinas.
Thankfully, one adventurer simply gave a thumbs up without a word.
"Levinas, ready to go?"
"Yes!"
"Remember, speak softly."
"Okay···!"
With that, I led Levinas towards the portal, feeling a tension I hadn't experienced in a while.
<+>
Yeoreum had finished her early morning dungeon run and was now heading to the container house, pondering how to persuade Gyeoul.
Absorbed in thought, she noticed Kang Jinho and Yoo Sang-ah talking nearby.
"What's happening?"
"Ah, Yeoreum-nim."
Yoo Sang-ah smiled awkwardly, resembling someone caught in a misdeed.
"What's going on?"
"Well, this morning Gyeoul asked about the cost of living at the building···"
"And?"
"I told her it's around a million won."
A million won – the discounted rate for guild associates.
It was affordable, but still a tricky sum for Yeoreum.
She had intended to suggest to Gyeoul that it would be nearly free.
"A million won···"
"Yes. So, Gyeoul said she'd earn money and left for the dungeon early."
"Alone?"
"No, with Levinas."
Gyeoul and Levinas in the dungeon alone?
This alarmed the overly protective Yeoreum.
"They'll be safe. The goblin dungeon poses no real threat."
"Yes, but Gyeoul's real fear isn't monsters, but people."
That was true.
Yeoreum pondered Kang Jinho's significant remark.
"Is there a threat in the dungeon?"
"There's someone who often harasses the kid."
"Ah!"
What if Gyeoul, unaccompanied, encountered that person?
It wouldn't be a pleasant encounter.
'In the dungeon, of all places...'
A traumatic experience there could be devastating.
Without finishing her thoughts, Yeoreum rushed towards the dungeon.
"Um···"
Kang Jinho watched her leave, then slowly followed.
Despite his busy morning, Gyeoul remained his primary concern.
<+>
Thud-! Thud-!
I released two arrows simultaneously, both striking the goblin squarely between the eyes.
I could almost consider myself a sharpshooter now, right?
Smirking, I retrieved the mana stone from the goblin.
"King···! Should Levinas help collect mana stones···?!"
"No need. Today, Levinas is in charge of mushrooms."
Asking a ten-year-old to dismantle a corpse for mana stones was out of the question, even in this monster-filled world.
"Okay···! Ah···! Look, mushrooms over there···!"
Levinas pointed excitedly to a patch of mushrooms, hopping in place but refraining from rushing over until given permission.
Proud of her obedience, I listened carefully for any nearby monsters.
Hearing heavy footsteps, but no monster sounds, I relaxed.
"You can pick those mushrooms."
"Okay···!"
Levinas scurried towards them, carefully placing them in the bag I had given her, which was simple but functional.
"We have five mushrooms now."
"Yes···! Now Levinas is the world's richest person···!"
As she carefully gathered the mushrooms, the earlier footsteps drew closer.
A person approached, but I wasn't alarmed; encountering other adventurers was common in the dungeon.
I watched Levinas collect the damp mushrooms, paying little mind to the newcomer.
Then, a familiar adventurer stepped out from the nearby bushes.
It was the man who often harassed me at the beginner's hunting ground.
"Uh···"
His intimidating presence froze me in place.
Gazing up at him, he towered like a giant.
"Did you defeat all these goblins?"
He eyed the goblin corpses, my bow, and the arrow marks on their foreheads, his frown deepening.
"Yes! I defeated all the goblins!"
"...You little a*sholes, already in the dungeon."
Levinas bristled at his curse, clenching her fists and swinging them in the air, though her strikes fell short of him.
"As*hole is a bad word! Don't say bad words to Levinas!"
"What the hell."
Thud-!
With a swift backhand, the man struck Levinas's face.
Her body swayed from the impact, then she stood in silence, stunned.
"······."
I wanted to check if she was okay, but I couldn't move, frozen in shock.
Just as I thought Levinas was paralyzed with fear, she began stomping her feet.
"Nyaak!"
With a soft scream, Levinas hid behind me.
Since I was still crouched, she wasn't fully concealed.
Realizing she wasn't fully hidden, Levinas crouched behind me, burying her face.
"King! This is serious! It's too much for Levinas!"
I felt the same fear.
I longed to echo her sentiments, yet in this moment, I was her only protector.
Despite my fear, I knew I had to be the guardian she needed.
Just as others had shielded me, I resolved to protect Levinas.
<+>
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