19. Arcana Online
19. Arcana Online
How did it end up like this?
"Is the al to your liking?"
"It's delicious."
"I think you'd fit well in our guild too."
"What!?"
Catlleya, the guild master of Frey Guild, smiles at as she says it's a joke.
She told to call her Rea unni with lots of affection, so that's what I've been calling her.
But how did I end up eating here?
The reason is that I was kidnapped this morning.
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I woke up at the sa ti as usual.
In a world where I don't know anyone, I habitually checked my phone and there was a ssage.
I thought it was spam and was about to delete it, but when I checked...
[I wanted to treat you to a al, unni. Are you free today?]
When I checked the ssage, I thought it was sent to the wrong person at first, but when I checked the business card I received before, the phone number written on it was the sa.
I was wondering how to refuse for a while when the phone rang.
In my confusion, I pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
"Hello...?"
"I'll be in front of your house in 30 minutes, can you co out?"
"What!? 30 minutes!?"
"I'll buy you sothing delicious!"
With those words, the call ended and I realized.
It wasn't a proposal, it was a notification.
No, more importantly, how does she know my ho address!?
There's no ti to be confused.
I quickly washed up to go out, put on a hoodie and hat, and when I went outside, there was a red sports car parked.
A pretty older sister getting out of the flashy car I've seen on wTube.
"Hello."
"It's been a while. Have you been well?"
"Yes, I've been doing well."
"Then shall we go right away?"
She opened the car door and told to get in the passenger seat, but it's my first ti in a sports car.
With trembling heart, I got in the car and everything was new.
The pretty older sister even kindly fastened my seatbelt, and the car started.
Where are we going?
"I made a reservation at a restaurant that only operates in the morning. Unni will buy you sothing delicious."
"Thank you."
"If you're grateful, want to join our guild?"
"What!?"
She says it's a joke and smiles brightly, but it's bad for my heart.
I'm not sure about in the ga, but in the real world, how should I put it.
I have social anxiety, so it's hard to deal with people.
The car drove quickly, entered a quiet alley, went into a public parking lot, parked, and then we got out of the car.
The pretty older sister smiles and says it's right in front just a minute's walk away.
We entered a store that looked like an ordinary house, but the interior was decorated with ornate decorations that looked like they could be used in a royal palace.
Following the staff's guidance, we entered a room and sat down, and food started coming out one by one.
Starting with appetizers, light foods that are easy to eat in the morning ca out in order, and while eating, I chatted with the pretty older sister.
"Do you want to call Rea unni more intimately?"
"Yes, Rea unni."
Hearing my words, Rea unni stared blankly for a mont and then nodded.
"You have such circumstances... I'm sorry."
"What!? No! You don't need to apologize!"
She suddenly shows tears and apologizes, saying she's sorry, and it's driving crazy.
No, I've lived my whole life as a man, how can I suddenly say "unni" overnight!
Even though I inherited this body's mories, I felt ntally resistant.
She wiped her tears and we spent ti chatting about everyday things and ga stories.
"So you went back to Cradle Village?"
"Yes. I'm staying there for a while because I missed the villagers."
"And you gave magic stones to the monsters appearing around there?"
"Yes. I owed them, so I repaid them."
"As expected..."
She nods as if she knew it would be like this and mumbles to herself, what's going on?
"Have you been to the Valley of Death recently?"
"How did you know?"
She clenches her fist and shouts "As expected!" but what's going on?
At that mont, she grabs my hand with a serious look!?
Th-this is the first... no, second... third ti? Such sudden progress in a relationship we've just started...
"Do you really not want to join our guild? I promise you the best treatnt."
I realized what kind of delusion I just had and bowed my head deeply.
I-I'm embarrassed.
I ca to my senses and refused the offer.
I'm satisfied traveling with Yong-yong.
No matter how good the offer, I have no intention of joining.
"I'll provide high-rank magic stones to top-rank magic stones every month."
"......"
"Unlimited low-rank and dium-rank magic stones!"
"I'll join!"
It was too good an offer to refuse like that.
If our Yong-yong can eat magic stones to its heart's content, joining a guild is nothing.
"You've made a good decision! Then I'll send you a guild invitation! You've reached level 50, right!?"
"I'm level 40 though?"
"What?"
For a mont, we looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions, why?
"Guild joining is possible from level 50... No, more importantly, you're still level 40!? Then how did you co back alive from the Valley of Death!?"
"The griffins let live and sent back?"
"......"
*
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After finishing the al and driving ho, she sent a friend invitation first and we agreed that I would join when I reach level 50.
"When you join the guild, we'll throw you a welco party! Our guild is a small elite guild, so there aren't many mbers, but they're all high rankers, so they can help you a lot. See you then!"
Rea unni waved goodbye to and left.
After spending a hectic ti, I went ho and collapsed on my bed.
I stared blankly at the ceiling for a while, then put on the gear and started the ga.
And I got scolded by Yong-yong.
"Kyuung!"
"I'm sorry."
Yong-yong is angry because I woke up too late.
Even when it's angry, it's cute.
I was forgiven with a high-rank magic stone, and when we went down to the first floor together, Bell unni was at the counter with a troubled expression.
"Bell unni, is sothing wrong?"
"Well, we're short on ingredients, but it's not yet the day the rchant is supposed to co."
"Then should I go get so?"
"Really!? Thank you so much!"
[A quest has arrived.]
Gather Kuing-kuing Mushrooms growing in the Giant's Cave.
Reward: Experience, gold coins.
She handed a map and asked to gather 'Kuing-kuing Mushrooms' growing inside the cave.
She also gave a pouch of stones, telling to mark the floor as I go in because the cave is twisted like a maze.
"I'll be back soon!"
"Be careful!"
*
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*
"Kyuung!!"
"I'm really sorry!"
I succeeded in gathering the mushrooms Bell unni asked for.
But a problem occurred.
We got lost.
I told Yong-yong to just trust when we entered the cave, and this is how it turned out.
The path was twisted like a maze, so I should have marked it as I went, but I trusted myself too much.
I heard sowhere that in a maze, you just need to follow the right wall...
I apologized to the angry Yong-yong and looked for a way out, but I couldn't think of any good thod.
If I had known this would happen, I should have bought at least one teleport scroll.
After wandering for a while, I saw light in the distance, and when I approached, I saw nurous tombstones in a wide open space.
Just as I was about to turn back due to the eerie atmosphere, I heard a voice.
"Are you lost?"
I flinched and turned around to see a headless knight looking at .
No, to be precise, he was holding his head under his arm.
I stamred in confusion, and he cald down, telling to speak slowly.
"It's dangerous for a human to be here. I may be a knight who lost his lord, but I haven't lost my chivalry. Trust and follow . I'll guide you to the exit."
"Th-thank you."
As I followed the headless knight, people with rotten skin or missing an arm or leg looked at from all around.
Among them, there was soone making strange noises, and another person next to them hit the back of the head of the one making noise and said sothing, what's going on...?
At that mont.
A huge sothing was created with a flash of light.
The headless knight guiding panicked and tried to hide .
"Damn it! Why did it appear now of all tis! Quickly, hide behind the tombstone!"
"Y-yes!"
As the headless knight said, I hid behind a tombstone, and he blocked my front with his massive body, hiding .
I was looking at sothing that looked like a huge door, and sothing was walking out of it.
A being with a massive body wearing armor revealed itself.
The body was human, but the head looked monstrous, sowhat similar to an orc.
"How are the invasion preparations going?"
"There are no problems."
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