Crunch!
"GAAAH!!"
Tang Ayeon's foot slammed into the vampire's face. The sound of something breaking echoed through the air.
Crunch!
Again.
CRUNCH!!
And again.
Smash! Crack! Crunch!
Tang Ayeon kept stomping on the vampire relentlessly. Her anger seemed unquenchable, radiating all the way over here.
"…That's a bit much. I should go stop her."
"A bit much…?"
"We get a bigger reward if we bring it back alive."
"…Oh."
So that's what he meant by "a bit much."
I followed behind Changsu toward Tang Ayeon, just in case the vampire got back up.
Swish!
She must've sensed us, because she turned to look—
Shiver.
Her face was so chillingly cold it froze me in place…
Brighten.
"Oh, you're safe?"
In an instant, her expression blossomed into something warm.
"Uh…?"
"You're not hurt anywhere, right? Sorry if I was a little harsh earlier—it was really urgent, so I couldn't help it."
"No… just now…"
"Just now? Oh, you mean why the vampire's like this? It's the poison. In the Tang Clan, they feed us poison from a young age, so…"
Seeing her casually wearing her usual bright smile, I figured I must've misread her earlier. No way Tang Ayeon would make a face that terrifying. It was probably just her facial muscles tensing from the tough fight.
"…Are you okay, Miss?"
"I'd like to say I'm fine… but I don't even have the strength to stand anymore…"
Seeing her stagger, I rushed over.
Thump.
Thankfully, I caught her before she collapsed.
…Wait, what do I do if she passes out like this?
What about the cleanup?
Don't we need to haul this vampire back?
"Uh…"
"I'll handle the cleanup. Take the miss back to the carriage—she looks exhausted."
"…Can you manage alone?"
Changsu pulled a ridiculously thick rope from his pocket.
"It's gear from the Martial Alliance. They say once it's tied, even a peak master can't break it."
What kind of rope is thicker than my forearm?
Leaving him to it, I supported Tang Ayeon—practically leaning on me—and headed for the carriage.
"Hey…"
"What's wrong, Miss?"
"I really tried my hardest… Could you call me by my name, just for a little bit, instead of 'Miss'?"
I didn't know why she asked, but it wasn't a hard request.
"Ayeong?"
"Ahh…"
She let out a strange sound.
It was like… the sigh of a vengeful spirit finally finding peace.
Anyway, for such a simple request, she's pretty modest—
"And could you do me one more favor…?"
Nope, not done yet.
"What is it?"
I sighed inwardly.
I could already guess what she'd ask.
"Let me see your face…"
As expected.
No surprise there. She's the type to ask to see my face every chance she gets—what else would it be?
"Sorry, but my face is absolutely—"
I started my usual refusal, but then I remembered her fighting the vampire alone.
She'd saved me from being targeted and nearly killed by it.
In a way, she was my lifesaver.
"…"
"Seriously… after all this, if you still won't show me, what do I even have to do…"
"I'll show you. Later."
"…"
For a moment, Tang Ayeon stopped breathing.
"R-Really?"
"Not right now. Later. Like, really later."
"S-So, you'll show me eventually?"
"Yeah, yeah."
I hadn't forgotten Master's words, but—
Somehow—
I felt like I could trust this woman.
That's what I thought.
I brought Tang Ayeon into the carriage and started rummaging through the luggage.
It's basic sense to bring medicine on a fight like this.
"Miss, do you know where the medicine is?"
"Oh, it's in the bundle I brought… Wait, I'll get it."
"You're injured—just tell me where it is, and I'll—"
"No!!"
She shoved me back with a desperate look, so I figured there must be something precious in there.
Even close friends have things they don't show, right?
Once she found the medicine, I stepped outside to let her apply it comfortably.
The most obvious wound was on her arm, but close combat must've left her with plenty of smaller cuts too.
Her clothes were torn in places, and from the front, it was honestly a bit embarrassing to look at.
She probably brought spare clothes, so I'd wait until she'd treated herself and changed before going back in.
Outside, I watched Changsu restraining the vampire—its face nearly smashed to bits. Then I noticed the other man, the one who'd lost his sword and been kicked away, awkwardly rejoining.
Oh right, that guy was there too.
I'd completely forgotten about him, given my own situation.
As for the man pierced by the vampire's claws…
May you rest in peace.
I offered a brief moment of silence.
Watching the men busy with cleanup, my thoughts grew complicated.
I'd joined this time, lured by liquor and money, but after this, I needed to rethink things.
Why had I escaped the mountain in the first place?
To have fun, right?
For more pleasures, more thrills.
Hadn't I joined this subjugation team, risking danger, for that very reason?
Ten gold coins…
A hefty sum.
More than hefty—it's overflowing. By my earnings, it's what I'd save in a month without spending, and for most commoners, it's an amount they'd never amass in a lifetime.
I could convert it to points in the shop, but since it's a one-way deal, I'd need to think that over.
So what should I do with this money?
Obviously, have fun.
Money earned risking my life—spending it on fun is only natural.
But doing what?
Blowing it all on liquor and gambling like the past six months feels too wasteful, doesn't it?
Money I risked my life for?
…Two to two and a half years.
That's how much time I've got left.
Even that's the max estimate—since I don't know when Master might pop up, I might need to head back earlier.
Thinking about the fun I usually enjoy, my mind settled on one idea.
Travel.
I've had my fill of fun in Shaanxi for over half a year.
With its high traffic and good security, it's perfect for business—but my goal isn't to live off fortune-telling.
It's to enjoy as much of the secular world as I can in my limited time before returning to Master.
To do that, it's about time I left Shaanxi.
My reputation's spread to other regions, so I could set up shop anywhere and make a decent living. With ten gold coins as travel funds, I'd have plenty to enjoy myself.
I tend to spend money like water, but if I cut back on gambling, my expenses would drop a lot.
Liquor's non-negotiable, though.
I'd skimp on anything else before I'd skimp on liquor.
Oh, maybe I should hire an escort too.
I'd stick to safe areas if possible, but you never know in this world.
A first-rate warrior might be a stretch, but with money, I could easily hire a third- or second-rate one.
Still, leaving right away's impractical… It'll take time to prepare.
I resolved to plan a trip once we got back, when Tang Ayeon's voice came from inside the carriage.
"Hey…"
"Why're you calling me?"
"Help me out a bit."
Can't she reach something?
Assuming she was struggling with the medicine, I pulled back the curtain and stepped inside—
"What's with that state?!"