chapter 60

After parting ways with Getro’s caravan, Jun-sang and Henes rode for about another day before finally reaching their destination, near Iberia. As they approached the wide fields where crops were ripening, Henes spoke to Jun-sang, who was running beside her.

“Could you stop for a moment?”

“…”

Although the walls of Iberia were visible in the distance, Jun-sang halted his steps as she requested. Henes dismounted the Red Wolf and massaged her thighs, saying, “I think it’d be better to walk from here.”

“Why?”

“I don’t think there’s any need to create unnecessary trouble.”

“…”

Even if Henes was from a well-known family in the area, bringing a large Red Wolf into the city would not be easy. Considering the potential hassle, it was wiser to walk slowly from here, even if it was a bit tiring. Jun-sang nodded, then pulled a cabinet from his inventory and handed Henes her dress, which had been stored inside. He then set up a tent for her to change in.

“…”

Henes wistfully stroked the tracksuit and down parka she was wearing for a moment before entering the tent to change once it was set up. The space was cramped, and the dress itself was not easy to put on alone, so it naturally took some time. While waiting for her to finish changing, Jun-sang simply prepared some tea. He dug a pit, gathered firewood, and lit a fire with a will-o’-the-wisp, but the water in the kettle was drawn from the surroundings by Morning Dew, the water spirit. Perhaps due to the card’s low grade, it wasn’t much help beyond drawing water this way, but for small amounts, it was convenient not to have to fetch water or use stored water.

By the time the small kettle of water boiled, the tea steeped from the teabag, and a cup was finished, Henes emerged from the tent, sweating profusely. “Phew…” It had only been a few days, but in that short time, her body had grown accustomed to the comfort of the tracksuit, making it a real struggle to squeeze back into the cumbersome dress.

“Gentle Breeze.”

Jun-sang called softly, and Gentle Breeze, which had been hovering nearby, cooled Henes’s sweaty face.

“Thank you,” she said, taking a sip of the green tea Jun-sang offered. It was cool and lukewarm, but perfect for quenching her thirst. Henes held the cup with both hands, savoring the tea, then looked at the distant walls of Iberia and asked Jun-sang, “When we arrive… will you leave?”

Jun-sang feigned ignorance of Henes’s careful, watchful tone and quietly replied with a nonchalant voice, “Perhaps.” In truth, even Jun-sang didn’t know. He had no way of knowing if this quest would end simply by taking Henes there, or if it would progress to a new stage. The only thing he knew for sure was that once all quests were complete, he would have to return to his original location. This made his answer seem rather uncommitted, and Henes, unaware of the reason, couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. As Henes, who always initiated conversation, fell silent, they walked awkwardly along the main road through the fields towards the walled city of Iberia.

As time passed, more and more people began to appear on the road. Jun-sang’s sturdy, exotic appearance and Henes’s elegant, purplish dress were enough to attract the attention of passersby. Suddenly, a passing carriage stopped beside them.

“Excuse me… Miss Henes, is that you?”

Henes, who had been deep in thought while walking, startled at the voice beside her and looked up. “Uncle Scroden?” The old man, called Scroden, quickly stopped his carriage by the roadside and approached Henes.

“It is you, Miss. But what on earth happened…?” He trailed off, glancing at Jun-sang, who stood silently beside Henes. Henes gave an awkward laugh and replied, “Things just sort of happened that way.”

“Ah, yes… Please, get in. You must be tired.”

“Thank you.” Henes expressed her gratitude first, then told Jun-sang, “Let’s ride together.” But Jun-sang shook his head.

“It’s fine.”

“…” Henes pouted, looking a bit miffed, and climbed onto the coachman’s seat alone. We might be parting ways soon… wouldn’t it be nice to be a little warmer?

“He doesn’t want to ride. Uncle, please set off.”

“What? Oh, understood.” Scroden, sensing the unusual atmosphere between the two, decided to remain silent. However, he also felt a bittersweet chuckle internally, realizing that the young, kind youngest daughter had grown old enough to feel human emotions.

The carriage slowly moved along the road, heading straight for Iberia’s city gates. The city walls were about three to four meters high, and the city itself wasn’t as large as he expected, but as this was the first proper walled city he had seen since the quest began, Jun-sang slowly took in the entire view. Upon reaching the city gates, the guards, who were checking people entering and exiting, were startled to see Henes and immediately straightened their postures.

“You’re working hard. This is my companion, so you don’t need to worry about him.”

“Ah, understood.”

As they moved further into the city, more and more people recognized and greeted her. Henes acknowledged each greeting, subtly glancing at Jun-sang. The hidden meaning in her gaze, if put into words, would be something like, “I’m really popular, you know.” However, Jun-sang was currently preoccupied with something else entirely.

• (Sub) Bers’s Request: Needs conversation.
• (Sub) Hoen’s Request: Needs conversation.
• (Sub) Barendil’s Request: Needs conversation.
• (Sub) Mia’s…

As they passed through the city gate and entered the defensive corridor, nearly a dozen sub-quests poured down, literally flooding his minimap and quest information window. Are there this many sub-quests because it’s a city with many people? While Jun-sang pondered whether to tackle these immediately or finish Henes’s main escort first, Henes finally couldn’t hold back and spoke to him.

“We’re almost there. See it over there? The mansion built with brown bricks.”

“…”

He looked in the direction she pointed and saw a somewhat gloomy, old-fashioned mansion. Having successfully diverted Jun-sang’s attention from his thoughts, Henes seized the opportunity to speak again. “If you don’t have any plans, please stay for a while. I’ll treat you well.”

“We’ll see.”

“…”

Henes couldn’t help but pout again at Jun-sang’s uncommitted reply. Scroden, driving the carriage beside them, subtly smiled at the sight of the two, but quickly wiped the smile from his face when he felt Henes’s gaze.

After passing the mansion’s entrance, through a rather overly spacious garden, and arriving in front of the building, people who had been notified rushed out to greet Henes. “Welcome, young lady.” “What happened? You came back alone like this.”

Maids rushed out, speaking to her. Henes glanced at Jun-sang, who was silently following behind, then sighed deeply and replied, “Well… that’s just how things turned out. Where’s Father?”

“He received word, so he’ll be out shortly… Ah, here he comes.”

Immediately, a stout middle-aged man appeared from the building’s entrance, spreading his arms wide and exclaiming towards Henes, “Henes!”

“Father!”

The father and daughter rushed towards each other, embracing in an emotional reunion as if they hadn’t seen each other in ten years. A graceful middle-aged woman, following behind, shook her head at the sight. “Oh dear… I sent her to boarding school, but she hasn’t changed a bit.” Henes then pulled away from her father, stuck out her tongue, and quickly hugged her mother, acting cute. “Oooh… I missed you.”

“Oh, this child.”

For Jun-sang, this kind of atmosphere was quite unfamiliar. He hadn’t seen such a warm family scene since his early childhood. Perhaps that’s why he just stood there blankly, unable to blend in. Just then, Henes’s father noticed Jun-sang and spoke to him. “And who might this gentleman be?”

Henes’s mother, finally realizing something was amiss, also spoke. “Now that you mention it… where’s your nanny? And Mr. Dehan?”

“Th-that…” Henes looked flustered and cautiously began. “Let’s… go inside first. I’ll explain everything there.” She then pulled her parents, who wore questioning expressions, by the arms and told the other maids, “Siena, please show him to the guest room. I’d appreciate it.”

“Yes, young lady.”

Jun-sang was immediately led to the guest room by the maid named Siena. It felt a bit too spacious to be used by one person, giving it a somewhat desolate feeling, but it was a luxurious room with a distinctly old-fashioned charm. Jun-sang sat on the large bed with a canopy, the kind that might appear in old storybooks, and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying its comfort.

How much time passed? Jun-sang slowly rose as he heard the door open gently. He looked to see Henes entering the room with two maids. She had changed out of her original purple dress and was now wearing a white dress with much lace.

“Oh… were you sleeping?”

“No.”

As another short reply came, Henes pouted and sat in a chair by the table. Jun-sang had to suppress a bitter smile as he saw the two maids standing by the door, watching him as if guarding. Indeed, considering that the precious youngest daughter of such a large mansion had suddenly returned without her escorts and with an unknown man, it was perhaps fortunate that chaos hadn’t erupted immediately.

Perhaps that was why Henes sighed deeply and beckoned to one of the maids standing by the door. The maid was holding a leather pouch on a tray, which looked quite substantial at first glance. “I’ve brought your payment first.”

“…”

As Jun-sang silently took the leather pouch, Henes bowed slightly, expressing her gratitude. “Thank you so much for saving me and bringing me safely here.”

Immediately, the quest information updated.

Epic Quest – Dawn

• 3. Every story begins with an encounter.
  • Speak with the Mercenary Captain. (Achieved)
  • Safely escort Henes Brea to her destination. (Achieved)
  • Complete!
• Reward: Much experience, (Gold Coins)
• Would you like to claim your rewards now? (Y/n) (Caution) Unclaimed rewards will be automatically deleted after 7 days.

As Jun-sang claimed the rewards, the quest information updated again.

Epic Quest – Dawn

• 4. Defend the city from the forces of darkness.
  • A mighty army of darkness is advancing, targeting the walled city of Iberia. Stop their invasion. (Time remaining until invasion: 68 hours 16 minutes)