NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1
The job of a Hunter is simple.
To clear and annihilate dungeons, remnants of a world that has been destroyed by another dimension.
The resources that can be taken from dungeons are limited.
And since the clearing conditions differ depending on the type, higher-grade dungeons are even more stringent and dangerous.
Even so, I worked as a Hunter and tackled various dungeons.
And the most recent dungeon I attempted to conquer and failed is this place.
This world, doomed to perish someday.
In fact, since I’ve reincarnated into the body of a powerless man, it’s the easiest choice to just off myself.
Monsters roam outside constantly.
Mana is misused by men, and now I’m even a slave, so life really is unbearable.
But no matter how tough it gets, I want to live as long as I can.
The brief experience of dying in a dungeon was more horrific than anything else, and I never want to go through that again.
And just like that, it seems a way to survive has appeared before me, as the status window, which had not been seen until now, has returned.
I wished I could scream and dance with joy.
But considering that doing so here might get me beaten up as a crazy slave, I held it in.
Instead, I stared intently at Shione Shianella.
Seeing her again really was like seeing a celestial maiden.
But I swallowed my feelings and quietly followed behind her.
“Huff….”
How long have I walked? Once again, Shione, exhausted, paused to catch her breath.
The issue was her weight.
She seemed to not exercise at all, yet she moved as swiftly as if chased by a mad lizardman.
Anyone would think she left cookies behind in her room.
After a moment, she turned around to look at me.
Why is she looking back at me again?
The reflection of this face in the mirror is quite handsome, but has a rather cold expression.
I didn’t think I had the kind of charm that made someone want to look at me multiple times.
…Is she giving me the death stare?
Wanting to avoid unnecessary trouble, I bowed my head slightly and asked.
“What seems to be the matter?”
Shione frowned slightly.
I tried to appear as calm as possible, as if to say, “Why do you ask?”
It felt like an annoying golden goblin was glaring at me, but I had to keep my expressions in check; I might end up on her bad side.
After all, I was going to see her every day from now on.
“…It’s nothing.”
With that said, she started to walk away again.
What on earth is her deal?
After a brief incident, I finally was able to follow her into her room.
“…Then, excuse me.”
I took a quick glance around Shione’s room.
To put it simply, it was a mess.
Honestly, I wondered if this was the room of a human being at all, as nothing was organized properly.
To be blunt, the kobold caves I had seen during dungeon raids were tidier than this.
Is this really a room where a human lives?
The air felt stuffy, as if it hadn’t been ventilated properly.
“Finally, I’ve arrived….”
Regardless of that, Shione Shianella sighed in relief as soon as she stepped into her room.
She naturally headed toward the table.
Curious as to why she was going there, I quietly observed as she popped one of the cookies left on the plate into her mouth.
It seemed one wasn’t enough, as she grabbed all the cookies remaining on the plate and made her way to her bed, settling down and lying down.
She covered herself with a blanket, completely hiding her figure, and began munching on cookies, regardless of cookie crumbs falling on the bed.
That little brat was definitely hiding food in her room.
…Now I have to clean it all up.
I barely resisted the urge to smack some sense into her.
No matter how ridiculous it was, if I hit Shione, my hands would be cut off.
“Ugh….”
After a frustrated sigh, I asked.
“May I start cleaning the room?”
Peek.
Her face popped out from under the blanket.
What in the world was that behavior?
It was like a goblin peeking its head out to gauge the surroundings.
I wasn’t a natural enemy or anything.
Why the hell is she wary of me as a noble?
“Of course, it’s your duty, isn’t it? So start cleaning swiftly.”
“…Yes, excuse me for a moment.”
“I don’t like a messy environment, so take care of it quickly.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Just make sure you understood.”
Can a person, especially a noble, really speak such unpleasant words?
Aren’t nobles supposed to take etiquette seriously?
I better avoid any conversation with Shione as much as possible.
Or else, I might get executed for noble disrespect or end up dying of stress.
I opened the tightly shut window and began cleaning the room with determination.
Before I arrived, I couldn’t help but wonder how the other servants left the place in such a state.
Calling it a noble’s room is a stretch—it would be better described as an abandoned storage space, kicking up a ton of dust as I cleaned.
And one more maddening thing.
How much snacks did Shione Shianella eat? No matter how much I swept, cookie crumbs just kept appearing.
After a while, I was completely drained from cleaning.
The only place left was the bed.
But who is my master? This useless noble, Shione Shianella.
No matter how many hints I dropped, she showed great perseverance by lying down on the bed without a care.
This is driving me crazy.
I can’t just pick her up and throw her out the window.
Since my first impression of her wasn’t great, I didn’t see her in a good light either.
“Lady Shione Shianella, could you please move so I can clean the bed?”
Peek.
That cheeky goblin is at it again.
Staring at me in silence was even more frustrating.
“What? Aren’t you supposed to get it done as quickly as possible? Hurry up.”
“Hah—”
Shione sighed dramatically.
She stood up and walked to sit in an ornate chair next to the table, eyeing me with curiosity.
“What are you staring at like that?”
“Yes?”
“Get cleaning. The bed.”
“…I’ll clean it as quickly as possible.”
“Don’t just talk; show me with your actions.”
If I keep listening to her, I’m going to lose my mind.
I hurriedly headed toward her bed.
As expected, the bed revealed a level of uncleanliness that was hard to describe.
Scattered cookie pieces and her greasy hair were sprinkled about.
And there were also stains, suggesting food had been dropped.
At this point, I’ll have to change the sheets.
But the problem is Shione Shianella.
She, who had only been seated for a short time, was giving me a look as though she’d mind if I took too long.
It seemed she’d hardly wait for me to change the sheets.
“Is it alright to change the sheets on the bed?”
“I told you to finish quickly.”
“But changing the sheets—”
“Who said you couldn’t change them?”
“…Yes?”
“Change them quickly. The sheets.”
With that statement, Shione gestured with her chin.
I barely restrained the impulse to punch her in the jaw.
Even when an orc spat on me, I didn’t get this angry.
I couldn’t gauge just how infuriating she could be.
As I stood there, stunned by the absurdity, it seemed that was also displeasing for her; she started picking a fight again.
“Do you have time to daze off?”
“I’ll hurry and finish.”
I rushed out of Shione’s room.
On my way to grab new sheets for the bed, I whispered softly in Korean, the common language of the continent forgotten for a moment.
“Damn….”
If I’m going to get caught, I might as well be caught by a genuinely crazy person.
I have no idea how to reform this little brat.
In the hallway, I sensed no one around, so it felt safe to express my frustrations aloud.
It’s quite unfortunate that there’s no one to hear my lament about my miserable existence.
Having someone to talk to during times like this would be great.
I returned to Shione’s room as quickly as I could, carrying the new sheets.
As expected, that little brat glared at me as soon as I stepped into the room, clearly displeased.
“You take much longer than anticipated. Considering it’s your first day, I’ll let it slide this once.”
“…I’m grateful for your generosity, Lady Shione Shianella.”
Regardless of the circumstances, I made sure to respond properly.
Thankfully, my reaction seemed to please Shione, as she remained silent and waited until I had the bed completely tidied up.
“I’m done. Thank you for your patience.”
“Good job.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she leapt at the bed with a thud.
Although it sounded like “thud,” it made a weightier thump due to her being on the floor.
Hiding once again under the blanket like a recluse, Shione turned her back to me as I started the final tidying.
Having ventilated the room sufficiently, I closed the window and began preparing to leave, when suddenly—
Peek.
That little brat popped her head back out from the blanket, staring at the back of my head.
I couldn’t ignore the feeling of her gaze.
I turned again to face Shione.
“Do you have something to say?”
“You’ll be returning, so while you’re at it, bring some snacks back, alright?”
“I will do so.”
Shione nodded, seemingly satisfied.
Just as I was about to grab the doorknob to leave—
Shione stuck her head out from the blanket again.
“You know to bring back a plate piled high with snacks, right?”
“…I’ll make sure to do that.”
That brat really is something…
Walking down the hallway, I whispered quietly in Korean again, feeling rather lost.
“Damn it….”
How am I supposed to reform Shione Shianella?
I really have no clue.