Chapter 23 – An Oversized Robe

“Ugh, I’m motion sick.”

Hee-na got out of the sleeping bag in Kang Jin-hyeon’s arms and gasped for breath of fresh air.

‘How can someone think of running with the whole thing just because they don’t get up? No, what about me, who was sleeping peacefully without even knowing who was arresting me?’

No matter how much I thought about it, it was absurd.

Hee-na secretly glanced at Jinhyeon Kang.

He was patiently waiting for Hee-na with a face that seemed so common-sense that it was hard to believe that he had just done something so unreasonable.

‘Are all hunters like this? Or does everyone lose common sense when they reach a high rank?’

Even Kang Jin-hyeon, whom I thought was rational although somewhat uncool, is like this!

Perhaps only strange hunters gathered in the Blue Dragon Guild.

“It’s a shame.”

Apparently, Kang Jin-hyeon was not a nobleman either. How did he know that Hee-na was secretly seeing evil? He opened his mouth at the right time.

“If I had held on a little longer, I could have reached the gate.”

He seemed very disappointed that Hee-na woke up midway. Well, it was. Now that Hee-na would be walking too, it was obvious that her movement speed would be significantly reduced.

“But I got seasick and couldn’t take care of it anymore.”

Hee-na answered with a mixture of half lies and half truth. And then, as if to come to her senses, she shook off her apron.

The apron knot that I had tied tightly yesterday had not come undone even after a night had passed and was tied tightly.

“I feel a little better now. Shall we go now?”

“It would be easier if I carried you around.”

Hee-na flatly rejected Kang Jin-hyeon’s offer.

“No. That won’t work because I’ll get motion sick. Besides, I may look like a lump of luggage… but I’m not really a lump of luggage.”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-hyeon quickly understood Hee-na’s explanation and started walking. As if out of consideration for Hee-na, the walking speed slowed down.

Still, due to the height difference, the stride length was unavoidable, so Hee-na had to walk along with Kang Jin-hyeon at a slow pace.

A man wearing dark tech wear and a woman wearing a yellow apron following him.

It was a very strange combination to see in the gray wilderness.

Hee-na and Jinhyeon Kang walked in silence for about an hour without any conversation.

Hee-na was speechless because it was too hard to keep walking on the uneven ground, and Kang Jin-hyeon was just speechless.

‘Should I have said that I would just carry him like a piece of luggage and move even though I was motion sick and embarrassed?’

It was a time of regret.

“for a moment.”

Kang Jin-hyeon lowered his voice and stretched out his arm to block Hee-na’s path. I was about to ask what was going on, but Kang Jin-hyeon struck first.

“Shh. I see people in the distance.”

Hee-na also became nervous and whispered as the other person’s attitude became more serious.

“Where?”

“Hee-na Lee, you won’t be able to see it. It’s quite far away.”

It was said to be the super power of an S-class hunter. For no reason, I felt relaxed.

“Aha. Then shouldn’t I go and ask for help? Or maybe I should help them because they might need it.”

In response to Hee-na’s question, Jinhyeon Kang shook his head with a thoughtful expression.

“It is not common to see people in a dungeon that has stabilized after clearing out a boss mob. Moreover, the composition of the party is somewhat questionable.”

“How is it?”

“Two of them are on leashes with their hands tied, and the other two are walking armed.”

“ah.”

It was not just a bit suspicious, but a very strange composition.

“They are also heading in the direction of the gate, so let’s follow quietly for now.”

Kang Jin-hyeon, an S-class hunter and dungeon expert, said this, but Hee-na, who was only a D-class housekeeper, could only give one opinion.

“Yes. I do.”

The only option was yes.

Besides, Hee-na couldn’t even see the other person anyway, so she didn’t even feel the tension of being followed.

That was when I followed him for about 30 more minutes. Kang Jin-hyeon stopped.

“What happened this time?”

“People who appear to be a group of armed men have joined in. It looks like they are trying to hand over those on leashes.”

“Is this… like human trafficking?”

“It seems so.”

When I heard the positive answer, goosebumps ran down my back.

“You really buy and sell people in a dungeon? Do you know what this is, or why?”

In response to Hee-na’s question, Kang Jin-hyeon thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“Did you know that there are valuable resources buried inside the dungeon?”

“Yes. A lot of gems are produced, and materials for making items are also obtained from there. Dungeon by-products.”

This was such basic knowledge that even Hee-na, who had the common sense of an ordinary person, knew it.

Dungeons were dangerous, but the value of the natural resources buried within some dungeons was indescribably great.

It was one of the reasons to regularly clear the extremely dangerous dungeon and explore its interior.

“Managing dungeon resources is the responsibility of the government, but sometimes there are forces that mine resources illegally in unreported dungeons.”

Hee-na was able to immediately understand what Jinhyeon Kang meant.

“So, Hunter Jinhyeon Kang, what you’re saying is that this is an unreported dungeon and that these people are bad people doing shady things?”

“That’s right, Hee-na Lee. I understood correctly.”

Kang Jin-hyeon praised Hee-na as if he were an outstanding student. And then he continued speaking.

“They say they illegally source the manpower needed for resource extraction through human trafficking through employment fraud or kidnapping.”

According to what he said, Hee-na and Jinhyeon Kang were in a very dangerous dungeon.

Doesn’t it mean that the problem isn’t monsters, but that the two of us just fell into a garrison occupied by an illegal group?

“Well, then what should I do?”

Hee-na stuttered in embarrassment. This was a situation I had never imagined.

I’d never even thought of entering a dungeon like this in the first place, but it’s an undeclared dungeon full of criminals! I didn’t have much luck.

‘Is it true that my luck stat is 45?’

The situation was enough for Hee-na to doubt her luck stat.

“Lee Hee-na could be in danger, so we should get out of here as quietly as possible. And I plan to report to the government that there is an undeclared dungeon.”

Kang Jin-hyeon answered calmly. He wasn’t afraid of this situation at all. It seemed like they were just explaining that there was poop on the way and that we had to avoid it.

‘okay. ‘This person is the best S-class hunter in our country, no, the world.’

Hee-na once again realized that the person she was with was ‘him’ Kang Jin-hyeon.

‘Hunter Kang Jin-hyeon must have taken on much more dangerous and difficult missions than this. ‘It wouldn’t be a task to get me out safely from a place like this.’

When I thought about that, my heart, which was pounding like it was going to burst, calmed down a little.

“They are moving too. Let us start again.”

Kang Jin-hyeon urged Hee-na. Hee-na moistened her dry mouth from nervousness and followed Jinhyeon Kang.

As I continued walking for about 30 more minutes, the mountain that seemed so far away became significantly closer. I glanced at the map floating in the air and found that I was on the right path. If you walk straight up the mountain like this, you will reach the dungeon gate.

“Should we keep going in the same direction as those people?”

Hee-na whispered to Kang Jin-hyeon. This is because deep down, I hoped that my path would cross with the scoundrels.

But has Hee-na’s wish ever come true?

“Yes. We’re heading to the mouth of the mountain.”

Jinhyeon Kang gave a tragic answer. He made even more ominous noises.

“It looks like they have a garrison on that mountain. I can see more people.”

“You’re saying there are more people here? No, that mountain is a den of criminals?”

“That’s right. The number of armed personnel has increased, and I see people in shabby clothes who seem to be under their leadership. They must be mining something in the mountain.”

“no……!”

Hee-na was frustrated. If that mountain was a resource mining site, it was clear that security would be tight. How do you get past that many people without being noticed?

It may have been an impossible task for Kang Jin-hyeon, an S-class hunter, but for Hee-na, a D-class housekeeper, it seemed impossible.

‘Should I just honestly confess my ‘Home Sweet Home’ skills and ask to go where my house is?’

Hee-na seriously considered revealing her skills to Jinhyeon Kang. But then he shook his head.

This is because I didn’t know that if the ‘Home Sweet Home’ skill was discovered here, I might actually be taken away by the dungeon raid team.

“If we keep going like this, won’t we get caught? Don’t we need some camouflage? Is there a way?”

When I asked while gesturing to the yellow forsythia apron I was wearing, Kang Jin-hyeon touched my chin. He must have thought that Hee-na’s outfit stood out.

“I was planning to give an item to Hee-na Lee.”

“An item?”

“There is a robe item that blurs the presence. It is an item that is sometimes worn when an ambush is necessary, and it seems that Lee Hee-na needs it now.”

While talking, Kang Jin-hyeon took out a gray robe from his inventory and handed it to him.

“Thank you.”

Hee-na picked up her robe and put it on. As the forsythia-colored apron was hidden under the robe, its presence became noticeably lighter.

But there was one problem with this robe.

Hee-na, wearing a robe, called Kang Jin-hyeon in an embarrassed voice.

“But Hunter Jinhyeon Kang….”

“hmm.”

Kang Jin-hyeon also sighed a little at this situation.

“What should I do with this?”

… … Hee-na pulled up the hem of her robe that was dragging on the floor. Even the sleeves kept falling down, making it difficult to hold on to the hem.

Kang Jin-hyeon also pointed out the problem.

“It’s the wrong length.”

It was like that. The robe made to fit Kang Jin-hyeon’s tall body was too big and long for Hee-na to wear.

Housekeeper in the dungeon