Thump!

“Kyek!”

As Yeoreum caught the goblin, she wondered.

How Gyeoul would react upon learning the price of the Blessing.

Probably too shocked to eat properly for days.

Given her nature of hating to owe anything, she’d probably overwork herself to pay back.

It seemed she had to keep the part about the Blessing of the Beast God a secret.

It was all for Gyeoul’s sake.

✱✱✱

‘What’s this?’

There was nothing strange in the girl’s explanation.

The one who once scorned me for not being able to catch even a single horned rabbit, now felt guilty upon learning I was physically disadvantaged.

Anyone with a tender heart would feel guilty.

However, the real question was how she had fixed my body.

I was curious, but the girl didn’t seem to want to share that information.

‘What’s really going on?’

She wouldn’t tell me how my body was changed to possess mana, or why I specifically had ears and a tail.

It seemed like she was intentionally avoiding it.

That was why I couldn’t fully let go of my suspicion towards her.

“Excuse me…”

I ran over to the girl who was handling the goblin.

The only thing of use from the goblin was its mana stone.

Although the fingernail-sized mana stone was tempting, I didn’t dwell on it.

After all, it was the girl, not me, who had caught the goblin.

I didn’t indulge in the foolish act of greed.

“Yes?”

“How did you fix my body? Was it necessary to add ears and a tail?”

“Well, maybe the doctor knows better…?”

Her stammering was noticeably awkward.

Even a fool could tell she was lying.

‘Suspicious.’

She provided enough explanation to be convincing, so why fumble now?

I still couldn’t erase my distrust towards her.

“…It’s strange, but still, thank you for fixing my body.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Having mana feels like a dream come true.”

With this body, I could live like an ordinary person.

While I was happily rubbing my wrist,

The girl suddenly made an unexpected proposition.

“Hey, Gyeoul. Would you like to join my guild?”

“A guild?”

“Yes. It’s hard to see you living alone in the mountains.”

Hard to see me living alone?

Was she truly a person with a tender heart?

But why won’t she tell me the truth about my body?

Torn between distrust and belief, the girl handed me a mana stone.

“Here, you take this.”

“Why are you giving this to me…?”

I was tempted by the mana stone, but I didn’t accept it.

I knew better than anyone that I hadn’t contributed to the fight.

“It’s okay. We’re a party, right?”

“A party…?”

“Yes. You were the first to notice the goblin nearby. Thanks to you, we weren’t ambushed. You played the role of a lookout perfectly.”

“Really…?”

Was simply mentioning the presence of goblins in the forest such a significant role?

It seemed suspicious, but I couldn’t deny my contribution altogether.

So, I decided to take just one of the several mana stones.

“You can take a few more.”

“It’s okay. This is enough for my share.”

Greed leads to ruin.

The reason I had survived until now without mana was precisely because I didn’t indulge in greed.

‘It’s really beautiful.’

Mana stones are said to come only from monsters at least as strong as goblins.

I was captivated by the shimmer of the mana stone I was touching for the first time, and the girl who had finished collecting all the mana stones approached me.

“So Gyeoul, what will you do?”

“Join your guild?”

“Yes. You can’t live alone forever.”

She was right.

But I had to think about it.

Her guild just didn’t seem to fit the current me.

“Hmm…”

The luxurious accommodations and restaurants were apparent at first glance.

Living there for a month would surely cost millions of won.

And I still hadn’t let go of my suspicions about the girl.

‘But I really can’t live alone forever.’

I didn’t want to live like before, especially now that I had mana.

And I didn’t have enough money to step into society right away.

It seemed I had to compromise with the girl.

“Then, could I perhaps rent a small space near the guild? The land seemed quite spacious.”

“Ne-near there?”

“Yes. I’ll set up a tent and live there. I’ll pay two hundred thousand won a month.”

I knew the land in the city was expensive, but I wasn’t going to live inside the building, just camp nearby.

Two hundred thousand won a month should be enough.

With a body possessing mana, I planned to earn enough to buy a house soon.

“Well, um… I… um… shall we do that for now?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Swish

I bowed to the girl.

I was grateful for her help, but this level of distance felt the best for now.

Until she told me the whole truth, I wouldn’t fully trust her.