FVN Chapter 187
Chapter 187
"Please wait a moment."
Yoo Sangah dashed back to the guild building. Shortly after, she returned with a jump rope in her hands.
“Here you go.”
“This is...”
“It’s from the guild’s training area. Any guild member can use it.”
“The training area?”
I’d never seen a jump rope in the training area before. My tail naturally curled into a question mark.
“There’s a separate training area for non-adventurers.”
“Oh...”
That made sense. The guild had to have facilities for regular people too. I must’ve been thinking too much from an adventurer’s perspective.
I accepted the jump rope with both hands, bowing my head in thanks.
“Now, would you like to try it out?”
“Yes.”
The jump rope was longer and heavier than the cable we’d used earlier. It seemed perfect for Levinas and me.
Hop.
I easily jumped over the rope. This time, my tail didn’t get in the way.
“Wow!”
Levinas clapped enthusiastically, while Saebyeok smacked her lips as if something felt lacking. Still, she gave me a light round of applause.
“Gyeoul, you’re really good at jumping rope!”
“Ah, thank you...”
It felt a little embarrassing to be complimented for something like jumping rope. I let the rope hang loosely in my hands before passing it to Levinas.
“If you ever need exercise equipment, just ask the guild.”
“The guild?”
“Yes. The guild provides equipment like bikes, balls, and other workout gear for free.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
The guild’s support for physical training was impressive. I should look into exactly what kinds of equipment were available.
“Also, check out the other benefits. You might be missing out on something useful.”
“Alright. Thank you for letting me know.”
I hadn’t thought much about guild welfare benefits before. After playing with the kids, I decided to visit the guild master’s office to learn more.
The guild building’s top floor.
Guided by black-suited guards, I entered the master’s office.
Clack clack.
The guild master was typing on a keyboard but turned his gaze toward me.
“What’s the matter?”
“Well, you see...”
It felt too rude to immediately bring up what I wanted. It seemed better to start with casual conversation.
People in this world liked physical affection, so I decided to bridge the gap with some.
“...Can I sit with you?”
I pointed to his lap with my fingertip. The master flinched ever so slightly, a movement only perceptible thanks to my beastfolk senses.
Was it not allowed? Had I misunderstood?
Feeling uncertain, I clasped my hands over my chest. But then the master pulled his chair back.
“Sit.”
Tap tap.
He patted his lap a couple of times. Without hesitation, I climbed onto his knees. He didn’t seem to mind, which reassured me that physical affection was indeed common here.
“What were you doing?”
“Sending a message.”
“A message?”
Sitting on his lap gave me a clear view of the monitor. Two chat windows were open. One was an internal guild message, and the other bore the name of the Holy Guild master, Chae Jooyeon.
He didn’t seem to be hiding anything, so I figured it was okay to look.
───
“Research ways to fight without mana immediately.”
───
The message was concise and impactful, fitting for a guild master. It seemed the incident in the horned rabbit dungeon still weighed heavily on him.
Fighting without mana is hard...
Memories of the past weighed on my shoulders, and I slumped forward, resting my chin on the desk.
I had braved my embarrassment to ask because I wanted to get Levinas a new toy. Inline skates were technically exercise equipment, so I hoped it would qualify under the guild’s benefits.
“...Do you want me to buy an inline skate factory?”
“N-no! Just a pair to wear!”
A factory? The master’s scale of thinking was far too large. I shook my head vigorously.
“You mean just one pair?”
“Yes, just one. I heard the guild provides exercise equipment.”
“Well, sure. I could get you a thousand pairs if you want.”
“No, just one is fine...”
I held up a single finger for emphasis before sheepishly lowering it.
“Got it. I’ll get a good pair.”
“Thank you so much!”
Now I understood why people wanted to work for large organizations. Robust welfare benefits really were the best.
I stayed and chatted with the master a while longer before heading home. He even escorted me to my doorstep.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
That night, I played with the kids until bedtime. But when I lay down to sleep, something felt off.
I can’t fall asleep.
What was going on? I always got sleepy at this hour. After tossing and turning for a while, I gave up and went to the living room.
“Oh my, Gyeoul, you’re still awake?”
Midsummer looked at me from where she was watching TV. Sophia, reclining in a massage chair, also turned her gaze toward me.
“Yes, for some reason, I just can’t fall asleep...”
“...Could it be because of the coffee?”
“Coffee? Gyeoul drank coffee?”
Sophia rose from her chair and approached me. She gently lifted my eyelids and inspected my pupils. My already large eyes must have looked even bigger.
“I only had a few sips...”
“Oh dear, well...”
“I’m sorry...”
“It’s alright, but no more coffee, okay?”
Sophia picked me up and began pacing the living room, patting my back.
“
Try closing your eyes and resting anyway.”
“Okay. But Sophia, can I ask you something?”
“Hmm?”
“People in this world seem to like physical affection a lot more than in my world.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
I explained all the instances I’d experienced so far. After hearing everything, Sophia’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Well, that’s because you...”
“Sophia! Wait!”
Midsummer quickly interrupted her, awkwardly laughing as she covered Sophia’s mouth.
“Gyeoul, you’re absolutely right. People here love physical affection!”
So I was right after all. I nodded, satisfied, but then a thought struck me.
“Then why don’t you two ever do it?”
“W-we do!”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I hug Sophia all the time, and sometimes she sits on my lap. Haven’t you seen it?”
“Really?”
“Yep! Want me to show you?”
Midsummer reached toward Sophia, who frantically shook her head.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
Sophia seemed oddly resistant. Was I misunderstanding something?
Feeling puzzled, I alternated my gaze between the two of them.