’Hmm, is your teacher having a good conversation with her mother?’
I was keeping watch outside to give them so privacy. I was curious about what expression she would have and what they would talk about after eting her mother for the first ti in five years, but I consciously avoided sensing that direction to respect their privacy.
’Hmm, I hope no one else shows up.’
The guys I had chased away earlier were unlikely to co back, as I had thoroughly beaten them up and warned them not to return.
As I stood there blankly, a woman’s voice reached my enhanced hearing.
─ Over here!
The tone and manner of speaking were oddly familiar.
’Where have I heard this voice before?’
Tap tap tap tap─
But before I could identify the source of the deja vu, I heard the rapid footsteps of multiple people approaching. I stiffened my expression.
’They’re fast...! They’re all skilled fighters! Could they be monsters targeting my teacher?’
If that was the case, I couldn’t let them pass.
Kwaak─
I heightened my tension and gripped the hilt of my sword. I turned towards the source of the sound, ready to strike as soon as they appeared.
And finally, they revealed themselves.
"Huh?"
I couldn’t help but let out a deflated, disappointed sound.
After all, the people who appeared were people I knew well.
"....You guys?"
Standing before were all the mbers of Utopia.
What was even more surprising was that they were all dressed up more flamboyantly than usual. The only one who looked the sa as always was Ichika.
’What’s going on?’
I looked at them with bewildernt.
.
.
.
"So, you guys also ca here to rest?"
"Yes!"
"Yeah!"
"Of course."
The Utopia party mbers nodded eagerly like puppies.
They had found out that I was taking a break after receiving a personal request, and they envied , so they decided to follow .
"I tried to stop them, but it was inevitable."
Shin Se-hee shrugged.
’Then why are you also dressed up like you’re ready to party?’
I thought this for a mont, but on the other hand, it also ant that even Shin Se-hee needed a break.
’Have I been pushing them too hard...?’
Now that I thought about it, ever since we entered the academy, we had been constantly on the move with gates, training, classes, and recently, missions. We hadn’t even had a proper break during the sumr vacation. I had no excuse, as I had been so focused on getting stronger due to my own weakness that I had imposed the sa rigorous schedule on the party mbers.
This was clearly my mistake. I knew the importance of rest in Velvets, yet I had completely neglected it.
It was a stroke of luck that they had co to find . In gas, if you don’t give your characters proper rest, they can get burnout, depression, and even sulk, which requires a lot of resources to fix.
But at the sa ti, I scratched the back of my head, feeling awkward.
I thought of my teacher, who was eting with her mother behind .
’....What about my teacher?’
I couldn’t bring the party mbers to et her.
I couldn’t interrupt their mother-daughter reunion after five years, and even though I trusted the Utopia party mbers, I couldn’t tell them about my teacher’s business. The confidential information she had shared with was supposed to be known only to .
’I was planning to propose a protection contract to Seol-hwa after getting a promise from Shin Se-hee not to dig into it...’
It seed appropriate to call my teacher and let her know that the party mbers had co and that I would step away for a while.
Just as I was about to call her, she appeared from behind.
"You guys... What are you doing here?"
’Ah, it’ll be easier now that my teacher is here.’
Before the party mbers could say anything, I took the lead and explained the situation to her.
"Well, I’ll explain. What happened is..."
"What do you an... You ca here to rest?"
My teacher opened her mouth wide, looking bewildered.
’She seems upset...’
Hmm, she seed worried that the confidential information might be leaked to the party mbers. But there was no way I would let that happen. I whispered to her in a low voice.
"I can keep your parents’ side a secret. I have a good idea."
"....A good idea?"
"Yes, I’m planning to take the party mbers into a gate."
It wasn’t for hunting or dungeon exploration, but purely for a comfortable rest!
’Where is there such a place?’
There is!
Of course, it’s a dungeon that no one knows about, with a hot spring in the middle of a snowy winter landscape, where it snows 365 days a year!
I rembered it clearly because there was a mini-event in the ga when you found it.
"If we go inside the dungeon, there’s no way the secret will be revealed."
My teacher replied coldly.
"....I’ll co too. My request isn’t over yet."
"Huh? Are you sure it’s okay? What about your... mother?"
"Thanks to you, I’ve already had enough ti to talk."
’Haven’t you t your father yet?’
The thought crossed my mind, but it wasn’t my place to ddle in her business.
So, along with the entire Utopia party and my teacher, we headed towards the gate.
.
.
.
Whoosh─
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hoo!
"——. Chu, it’s cold——! Hu, why did we co to this, this place!"
Lim Ga-eul’s teeth chattered as she shivered in the biting cold.
As far as the eye could see, there was only white snow. Nothing but snow.
It felt like they were in the Antarctic, with bone-chilling cold.
’Why did we co to this dungeon that doesn’t even need to be conquered?!’
When they first requested to conquer this dungeon from the Jeju Island branch of the Dungeon Managent Bureau, they were t with bewildered expressions.
There were no monsters, only the biting cold. Other hunters had already visited several tis to confirm this.
Indeed, in such cold, even monsters couldn’t survive.
The Utopia party mbers had hastily put on the insulated coats from their subspatial tattoos, but they were insufficient to protect against the extre cold.
Why did they co here? Was it such a big mistake to just want to see her junior and spend ti with him, enjoying his company?
Sniff!
Lim Ga-eul wiped her nose, her eyes welling up with tears of resentnt.
The others were in the sa situation. Their elaborate preparations were in vain as they now looked like they were undergoing winter arctic training.
"We’re almost there! Just a little further!"
Jin Yuha shouted from the front.
This was probably the umpteenth ti he had said this. Whenever they asked where they were or what they were doing here, he would only tell them to expect sothing and not give a straight answer.
’What are we supposed to expect?!’
Lim Ga-eul glared at Jin Yuha, feeling unfairly treated.
Suddenly, Jin Yuha started doing sothing strange.
Sling.
He stopped and looked up at the sky. Then, he drew his sword.
Srrrrrrrrrrrrrr─
He swung his sword at the air, and the sound of sothing being cut could be heard.
And a gap appeared in the air.
"Get in before it closes! Hurry!"
Jin Yuha entered first and reached out his hand to urge them on.
Taht!
The party mbers imdiately rushed in after him.
"Wai, wait for eeee!"
Lim Ga-eul, the last one left outside, used Acceleration and threw herself towards the gap.
Roll, roll, roll─
Thud!
She tumbled clumsily and hit her head on the ground.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."
She rubbed her head and looked up. What caught her eye was...
"Huh? This is..."
It was a castle made of pure white ice.
"A castle?"
Lim Ga-eul’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was like a palace made by the Queen of Winter.
A majestic castle that seed to touch the sky stood tall, emitting a dazzling light. The castle walls, the tall towers, and the sharp protrusions were all made of cold ice crystals.
The fierce snowstorm that had been blowing also slowed down, and light particles fell like snowflakes.
It was a fantastic sight.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"
Jin Yuha smiled as he looked at Lim Ga-eul and the party mbers.
"Welco to the Winter Palace."
﹌﹌﹌
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