The cat in boots.
No, it was actually a dog in boots.
-Hmm, I’ve never seen them before, yet they know me?
But despite their appearance, their way of speaking was strange.
Before I met them, Ara had said they were cool, but could it be that you’re the one who influenced Ara’s speech?
“Ras! It is I!”
-Hmm? “It is I”? That familiar tone… surely…
“It is Ara!”
-Gula?!
The dog in boots, who was about Ara’s height, no, Ras, came running and held both of Ara’s hands.
-Hahaha! To think you’d come here! I’m so glad!
“Ras is still so cool!”
-Haha. And you are still so valiant!
The two of them got along perfectly.
Somehow, Ara looked much more excited than during the time with Mammon.
But really, I just couldn’t see how they matched.
This adorably cute creature was using an old-fashioned martial arts novel style of speech with such a cute voice.
And what’s this? Wrath, you say?
If this little one is wrathful, then am I supposed to be utterly enraged?
‘In that case, would Brother Hanul be considered a divine wrath?’
Ahem.
My apologies, Brother Hanul. I wasn’t trying to insult your appearance, but you just came to mind, sturdy and dependable as you are.
Anyway, as I watched their heartwarming reunion, Ras turned his attention to me.
-Who might you be?
“This is Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! My dad!”
-What?! Gula’s father?!
Ras started looking at me with a strange gaze.
Then he settled in front of me and looked at me intently.
-Remarkable! To think I would meet Gula’s father!
This just about confirmed my suspicions.
Maybe the Seven Deadly Sins aren’t as terrifying as people make them out to be.
Ras, with his sparkling eyes fixed on me, was incredibly cute.
The other creatures were also quite cute, but this one was overwhelmingly so.
“Uh… nice to meet you?”
-Nice to meet you. I am Ras, leader and guardian of these beings.
He clearly thought he was introducing himself in a cool way, striking a pose.
It was so endearingly cute that I couldn’t help but pat his head.
“You know, Ras, you really do look cool.”
-As expected of Gula’s father, you have a good eye!
“I am Ara!”
Ara interrupted from the side.
But Ras, completely unbothered, reveled in my pats like a dog, even closing his eyes in bliss.
-Yes, yes! A little higher would be perfect!
“Here? This spot?”
-Yes! Right there!
Watching this, Ara also started patting Ras, and soon Ras lay down on the ground, belly up.
Who would ever think this was the boss of Wrath?
As I rubbed Ras’s belly, I remembered I had brought dog treats to share with the others.
“This is a housewarming gift.”
-A gift? It smells delicious.
“Yup, it’s edible.”
“It’s tasty!”
Ara demonstrated by biting into a treat, and Ras quickly followed, chomping down on it too.
-This… this is…!
Seeing Ras enjoying the treat, the other creatures in the area also started approaching with interest.
“Here, you guys can have some too. I brought plenty.”
To make sure no one was left out, I handed out treats one by one.
Ara also joined me in distributing them.
“Delicious things are meant to be shared.”
Ara, with a satisfied smile, handed out the dog treats.
It reminded me of how she takes care of Seon-ah, like a big sister moment.
“Our Ara is so sweet.”
“Hehe.”
As we continued handing out the treats, the time to head back was approaching.
I took out the rest of the treats I had brought and handed them to Ras.
-What, this many treats!!
“It’s time for us to head back now. We’ll come again next time. That’s our gift for you, Ras.”
-You’re leaving already! I feel a little sad.
Ras’s tail and ears drooped.
Despite his grandiose speech, his actions were adorably cute. It was funny how he kept chewing the treat while saying he was sad.
I patted Ras’s head once more and called Ara.
“Ara, come here.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes, it’s time to go.”
The return stone was designed to return familiars along with us.
Thanks to that, I used the return stone and waved goodbye to Ras and the others.
“If we’re quick, we’ll come back tomorrow. If not, the day after tomorrow.”
Next time, I’ll try to convince them to move to a new place.
-I’ll wait here for you again.
Although he tried to sound dignified, his droopy ears and tail made him look both pitiful and lovable.
I guess I’ll have to come back soon.
With that, we used the return stone and were quickly able to escape the dungeon.
We stood at the entrance of the Wrath dungeon, where we had first entered.
Some people were nearby, but they still hadn’t noticed our presence.
‘There are about 13 minutes left?’
Enough time, but still cutting it close.
According to Mammon, the poison should wear off exactly on time. We needed to get back to the base before that.
Still carrying the door, we quickly returned to our lodgings.
Ara was thrilled, acting like she was on some kind of spy mission.
Once we were back at the base, there were about 5 minutes left.
We quickly put the door back where it belonged and removed our full-body armor, stuffing it into the backpack.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
I mumbled to myself, pretending not to care, and called out softly.
“Who is it? Who are you?”
Then, from the other side of the door, I heard the voice of Director Gaston.
“(It’s Gaston. Could we have a word? I apologize for the late hour.)”
Quickly running the translation app, I opened the door, acting as if nothing was wrong.
Meanwhile, Ara pretended to be fast asleep on the bed.
“Zzz!”
Ara, isn’t that a bit too obvious?
I chuckled at her adorable act and welcomed Gaston.
“What’s the matter?”
“(I’m sorry to disturb you so suddenly. I know it’s an intrusion, but some representatives from the Union are here, asking if they could meet with you.)”
“I see, we can meet. But it’s already past 11 o’clock…”
“(I sincerely apologize for that. I have no excuse.)”
Judging by his reaction, he had no idea I had been to the dungeon.
Thinking our operation had been a success, I sighed calmly.
“All right, I’ll give them a bit of time. If they need a longer talk, we’ll continue tomorrow.”
“(Thank you so much.)”
Using the translation app to communicate, I followed Gaston to his office.
“(Hello, I’m Marcell from the Union.)”
The Union representative greeted me naturally.
But these weren’t the same people I met last time in Korea.
“Hello, Marcell. But I don’t remember meeting you before. The ones I met last time aren’t here.”
“(Oh, those individuals are no longer part of the Union.)”
“What? What do you mean by that…?”
“(They left the Union due to internal issues.)”
Something…
Something felt off.
Could it be because of me that they were let go?
‘That’s… a bit unfortunate.’
After hearing the rough details of the attack, it seemed that the British representative had acted independently. However, the Austrian personnel who were in Korea at the time got caught up in the mess as well.
‘Looks like they ended up being fired.’
Those people had even come to me personally, kneeling and apologizing, which made me feel bad. It wasn’t their fault at the time, but they still apologized, clearly uncomfortable.
“Hm…
“(But Mr. Lee, why did you suddenly visit Wrath?)”
“Was your name Marcell?”
“(Yes? Yes, that’s correct.)”
“Did you call me just to ask about that? Do you know what time it is?”
“(Uh, well, that’s…)”
“I was just sightseeing since I had a permit. Honestly, who else would want to take a tour of the Wrath dungeon?”
I tried to act as annoyed as possible.
I figured this would get me out of the situation faster.
To be honest, I did feel a bit guilty.
I can’t really criticize Ara when I’m just as bad at acting.
“(Ahem, I apologize. I rushed over the moment I heard you had arrived, and in my haste, I didn’t consider the time.)”
“Shall we continue the conversation tomorrow then?”
“(Let’s do that.)”
I bowed lightly and returned to my room.
As I entered, Ara, who had been pretending to sleep, peeked at me and, realizing it was me, got up.
“Did you manage to get through it, Kyu-seong Kyu-seong?”
“Yeah, I think I did.”
“Oh! The plan was a success!”
“Well, half-successful. Ara, do you remember our goal?”
“To get Ras and the others to move!”
“That’s right. You’ve memorized it well. As expected of you, Ara.”
“Hehe!”
From my perspective, everything had passed the test.
I never expected Ras to be such an adorable dog.
Although the other creatures were closer to hyena-like monsters, Ras was definitely a dog.
Even if he hadn’t passed, I was determined to help them move.
Whether I liked him or not wasn’t the issue; if I didn’t take them, they might be hunted down.
Still, I had hoped they’d be obedient and kind, and Ras exceeded my expectations perfectly.
On top of that, as Mammon had said, Ras was rather simple-minded, and Ara and Mammon’s seemingly contradictory statements both turned out to be true.
‘Maybe he’s not as cool as they said, though.’
Anyway, now that I understood Ras, it was time to make another move.
Judging by the conditions inside the dungeon, moving shouldn’t be a problem.
The environment wasn’t ideal for the creatures.
They were practically living in underground burrows, so if I suggested moving, they’d likely be happy to leave.
“For now, let’s get some sleep. It’s late.”
“Okay!”
Though Ara nodded enthusiastically, still wide-eyed from the adventure, she quickly fell asleep as soon as she lay down beside me.
Let’s carry out the next phase of the plan tomorrow, Ara!
***
The next morning.
I woke up to the expected outcome, though it was bigger than I anticipated.
“Michael is here?”
“(He flew in from France. He arrived at dawn and will be ready to meet you soon.)”
Wow, I didn’t expect such a high-profile figure to show up.
I had expected someone from the Union to come, but I thought Marcell, whom I met yesterday, would be enough.
But Michael Rodman from France came here himself.
‘Was that really necessary?’
Could it be that they figured me out?!
No, if that were the case, I wouldn’t be sitting here so calmly.
During breakfast, I finally got to see Michael.
“(Hello. I didn’t get to greet you properly last time, so I came in person.)”
“We meet again so soon. It’s nice to see you.”
“(Kyu-seong, I have a proposal for you. Would you like to hear it?)”
Michael cut straight to the point without any pleasantries, which made me tense up.
Meanwhile, Ara, completely unconcerned, was happily enjoying her breakfast beside me.
“(Aren’t you curious about the Wrath dungeon?)”
“What?”
“(If it’s just a brief visit, I can guide you in and out.)”
It was an offer I hadn’t anticipated.
Cliche Novel 