Chapter 32: Hyosung’s Thick And Hot Sausage~♥

Chapter 32: Hyosung’s Thick And Hot Sausage~♥

Carrying luggage and performing other menial tasks was not a big deal for me and the other lower-ranked adventurers.

After all, if you were not a hero, most didnt even make it to veteran status and couldnt escape being mere laborers.

The reason for their grumbling might be that they started adventuring because they didnt want to be porters, but newcomers who were short on everything probably had to do these kinds of jobs without complaint to save money.

Alright, everyone worked hard. They said the farm would provide us with a meal, so come on!

At least a small consolation was that these farms didnt need to distribute their produce, so they were quite generous with their specialties.

Frankly speaking, they said they would slaughter a Korean beef cow right there and serve it. How many would pass up that offer?

Wow~ The color of this meat is excellent! Its been a while since Ive had such a treat!

Hey, merchant. Can we crack open a keg of beer here?

Did you come to work or to sightsee!? If youre caught sneaking a drink, Ill tell the guild and lower your rating, so do whatever you want!

That was how a small festival unfolded in a village we stopped by on the way to our destination.

It was a pity we couldnt drink, but just being able to eat the marbled meat was enough. Just as I was thinking this, Merilyn approached me with a plate in her hand.

Here, Woo Hyo-sung. Have some.

Oh, is this sausage?

The housewife over there just grilled it and brought it over.

At that moment, I saw the housewife grilling sausages on a grill not far away.

Given the labor-intensive nature of sausage-making, it seemed the supply being offered was limited to first-come, first-served.

She brought some over to feed me first.

Despite occasionally showing troublesome behavior, she really was a kind-hearted person, wasnt she?

Ah, yes. Then Ill gratefully accept

Swish.

But as I reached out to accept her offer, Merilyn pulled her hand back.

Then, as she lifted the sausage in her hand toward my mouth, I could see the mischievous playfulness she had shown several times before.

Um, Merilyn?

Ah~

No.

Ahh ahh~

Merilyn urged me to eat the sausage she held out.

Her face was smiling, but her steady hand conveyed strong determination to ensure I ate the sausage.

It was a gesture of kindness in its own way, so I wasnt upset.

The only problem was the overwhelming pressure of someone feeding me and my self-consciousness about others watching.

Merilyn, um. People around us are watching, so maybe we should avoid conspicuous behavior. Uh!

Hehe, its hot, so be careful.

Merilyn pushed the sausage into my open mouth.

Contrary to her words, perhaps because she cooled it with her breath, the sausage wasnt as hot as I expected.

Yes, the sausage carrying her breath was now in my mouth.

Gulp!

As I swallowed the sausage and realized this, Merilyn, looking up at me, began to chuckle.

How is it? Is it okay?

Yes, yes. Its delicious.

Then Im glad. Now, you should continue eating. Ah~

Ah, no. Now I should Uh.

Hehe, you look happy eating. Its nice to see~

Having fed me all the sausage, Merilyn chuckled.

Although she seemed satisfied that I went along with it, the situation still felt awkward enough that I couldnt easily let it go.

This cunning lady. Wasnt it vexing how annoying each of her actions was?

Then let me taste it too Huh?

Merilyn.

Lets see how she handles this.

I took the sausage she was holding and carefully extended the stick toward her.

Ah, ah Try it.

Merilyn looked at me silently, intently.

Her reaction was faint, but her hesitation to act immediately suggested she found my behavior unexpected.

Yes, she must feel embarrassed about doing it herself.

I thought, if she refused, Id use that as an excuse to tease her further.

Ah!



Oh, oh!?

Ah, hot!

She bit into the sausage suddenly, was startled, and quickly opened her mouth, beginning to back away.

Are you okay?

Ehehe, I burned my tongue because I ate it so quickly. Sorry, especially since you offered it to me.

Ever since I first saw her, she was always smiling.

If what she was saying was true, then she would only do this in front of me

How long have we known each other?

But could I really take that at face value?

Relationships with people require a certain amount of time.

Um, its been about a day.

Yes, just a day

In just the span of a day.

Was it reasonable to regard someone as special based solely on the fact that they helped in a crisis without any proper opportunity to build a bond?

Why are you doing this much for me?

My feelings for her, in many ways and in almost all aspects, were positive.

But that was just because people yearn for connection.

Since coming to this world, most of the people I had met either couldnt accept me or were largely untrustworthy.

Even those who acknowledged me were mostly beyond human comprehension

What do you mean?

Your actions right now.

Unlike me, who would welcome anyone, she had told me several times that her mischievous jokes and bold actions werent just for anyone but were kindnesses extended solely because it was me.

To be honest, its a bit scary. The way youve acted towards me, Merilyn, could easily be misunderstood.

Wasnt it natural to have doubts?

Why would she treat someone like me, just a foreign worker and not even a hero, with such openness?

Yes, I also find that quite intriguing.

She quietly responded to my question.

She continued to hold her hand over my eyes, gently stroking my head as it rested on her lap.

People are like leaves encountered along the journey of life.

Her voice, softer than the gentle breeze seeping in from above the carriage, whispered fragments of her journey.

Even the most unique and talented individuals leave an impression less impactful than that of a grand landscape viewed from a mountaintop. The more of the world I see, the less value I find in encounters with people, and the memories formed with them also lose their luster.

I thought you cherished connections.

They are precious, but theres a limit to the memories and feelings a person can carry

The intensity was only there at the beginning.

As experiences accumulate, familiarity sets in, and the sensations of awkwardness or novelty fade away, rendering everything seemingly pointless after a while.

Even the most beautiful gem, if it falls into a growing pile of gravel, eventually becomes just another shining pebble.

As the value I place on connections gradually diminishes, Ive found your presence particularly lingering in my mind.

That was how she was.

Having amassed experiences where even the most precious and beautiful gems were as insignificant as pebbles by the roadside.

As you said, we have only met for one day, among countless others that have come beforejust another trivial encounter, without any sense of specialness, as you described.

Yet among them all, my existence stood out as particularly significant.

Merliyn.

But even when Im away from you, the memory that should gradually fade doesnt extinguish. It keeps burning.

Swish.

The moment her hand, which had shielded my eyes, withdrew

Even now, as we face each other

When the darkness lifted, what came into view was

Her eyes, partially opened, revealed themselves.

Despite my long journey, being this close to you makes a corner of my heart gradually swell.

Her luminous amber eyes.

Despite the strangeness, I could feel the loneliness that those eyes couldnt entirely hide.

Do you feel it? My heart.

Though the trembling of her hand, as it stroked my cheek, had stopped, the blood flow emanating from within

grew stronger, pushing against me, and I felt the warmth transfer to me.

Silence.

Without a word.

Savoring that sensation internally, I closed my eyes, as if to shield myself from her gaze.

The reason was

Well, I had some guesses.

What I possessed might have seemed insignificant, but it was a power beyond the norms of this world.

The infamy that was forever etched around me

This power, which was more of a hindrance to a peaceful life, meant something different to her, who wandered the world collecting stories.

Do you know, Hyo-sung?

But should I speak of it?

The reason why I, who should simply pass you by, am so drawn to you.

The possibility that her kindness towards me might have been forced

Could I really reveal this truth to her?