“It’s simple.”
“Actually, with a little memorization and dexterity, it’s easy to get certified. But you can’t call yourself a bartender unless you make your own original drinks! All right, unknown bartender K?”
“It’s Shin Eun-hyuk.” The next day, as promised, Kang Shin-hyuk was in the bartender class Claire had planned after they had completed all of the mole claws. Even though he was still a minor, he was already in the mindset of his mysterious alter ego, who worked as a bartender.
‘Well, it seems okay.’ Claire glanced at him, confirming he at least seemed calm. Yesterday, after rejecting his confession, she was worried he would have been hurt, but fortunately, the shock didn’t seem to be too bad.
‘But to think that was the case…’ Kang Shin-hyuk had expressed his desire for her outright, of course, but he was normally so calm that she had thought it was a joke.
“Sister?”
“Oh, yes.” Suddenly, Kang Shin-hyuk was looking at her with an anxious expression.
“What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
“No, no. Why, if there were such a thing, would you solve it?”
“Absolutely. But please wait a little longer for me to get stronger first, it really won’t take long.” It was a voice full of confidence, combining the freshness of youth and the leisure of an adult to give him a subtle charm. Claire spontaneously remembered the boy’s confession from the previous day and the deep eyes facing her, feeling a little thrill go through her spine. If that was a joke, this boy was a shoo-in for Best Actor at the Oscars. She struggled to hide her agitation and flicked Kang Shin-hyuk’s forehead.
“Try it again, but explain what feels natural as you do it.”
“Speaking while I do it? That’s too much after only a little practice.”
“Wow, what’s with that look, huh?”
“If you keep jabbing me, I won’t be able to concentrate!” The two continued the class with an almost flirtatious mood, but soon they could feel a huge flow of energy outside. The two stopped immediately.
“You sense it too?”
“Yeah.” The two whispered quietly. They might have different ideas about each other, but they had the same opinion on how to treat Eunah. Immediately after that, their mother-in-law…no- Shin Eunah, knocked on the door.
“I’m entering.”
“Huh.” As soon as she entered, she made a face as she discovered the cocktail glasses and tools spread out on the table. It was easy to deduce what sort of class was happening here immediately.
“Claire, our junior is still physically underage.” Mentally he wanted to refute that, but he remained silent as Claire responded instead.
“But Shin Eun-hyuk is an adult. He’s not drinking alcohol, so what’s wrong with a little bartending?”
“That’s not important. Moreover, aren’t you confused about our purpose right now?”
“Hah…” Claire let out a sigh, shrugging her shoulders.
“Don’t you want to drink a cocktail that Shin-hyuk made himself?”
“I do.”
“Wouldn’t you like to chat with Shin-hyuk while you sit at a bar table…you’re drinking a cocktail elegantly while he wipes the counter down with a dry towel and a soft smile on his lips?”
“I want that.” Both times, she responded immediately. Claire smiled and shook Shin Eunah’s hand. “Then, it’s okay.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Hey!” When Shin Eunah said thank you to Claire, Kang Shin-hyuk was unable to stand by any longer. Besides, why was her description so specific?
“Please take care of the bartender training, Claire.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll implement your ideal.”
“Since when did you start nurturing me…”
“From the start.” He was filled with thoughts of blaming Claire as Shin Eunah turned to look at him.
“The moles are looking for you.”
“I guess it worked as I said.” He had a smile on his lips, but Shin Eunah’s expression was subdued.
“You shouldn’t think everyone in the world is as sincere, passionate, and incapable of giving up as you are.”
“It’s like you’re describing a game character…anyway, I know what you meant. Let’s meet them first.” He was determined to go outside. It was already night, which meant the moles could roam freely outside.
“Anvil!”
“Master Anvil!” One of the moles who found him shouted happily, and soon after, more began to pop up. In short order, thousands had appeared and began to bow around him.
“Help us!”
“I know.” He smiled and opened his inventory, laying out the large number of claws he prepared.
“I’ve prepared them for you. Now, can you excavate the land on your own?”
“Oh, oh! After all, Anvil…!”
“The former king certainly thought it through by bringing Master Anvil!”
“…Well?” The moles were enthusiastically moving around him in admiration. However, he felt something strange in their words. His question was quickly resolved as they all bowed to him once more.
“Become our new king!”
“Master Anvil…no, your majesty!”
“Sire!” Kang Shin-hyuk was confused for a moment, taken aback by their declarations.
“Become the second Jijoo King!”
“Please lead us!”
“Tell us what to do, sire!”
“Please stay here!”
“…” Shin Eunah jabbed him from behind, but he had no energy to react to her as he stared blankly at the moles. He bowed his head down.
“If I didn’t expect it in the first place, I would’ve felt betrayed. Still, I wanted to see something wonderful here…is this their limit? Is this the karma of the Jijoo King?” Claire shrugged, speaking quietly from behind him.
“Let’s go make some cocktails. Virgin…ah, non-alcoholic ones.”
“No.”
“Shall we wait a little longer?” Shin Eunah spoke up; her voice was soft and delicate as she tried to be considerate of him. However, waiting here for more time seemed like it wouldn’t change anything, and he didn’t want to go and force the Mole tribe to change.
“No…I think it’s pointless.”
“Eunah? What are you going to do?”
“Well, what should I do?” Shin Eunah furrowed her brow and muttered inaudibly before looking at Kang Shin-hyuk.
“I’ll install an alarm barrier.”
“Ah, good idea Eunah.”
“If it’s praise, I would rather receive it from my junior. No, a lap pillow would be better.”
“You’re really honest about useless things.”
“Master Anvil?!”
“Please don’t abandon us!” The moles tried to stop him as he turned away weakly, but they were unable to. He felt too disillusioned to deal with them now.
-Myu.
Onyx, who had been sleeping quietly in his arms, suddenly escaped and jumped into the middle of the moles. The moles were confused, but Kang Shin-hyuk understood what he was trying to do. Rather, he noticed what he was holding in his mouth.
“When did this guy…”
-Myuuuuuuuuuu!
Onyx cried vigorously as he chewed what he held in his mouth. It was the A-rank claw artifact made for the Jijoo King.
-Myu!
“Ah, this guy!”
“This hedgehog has the relic of the previous king!” Onyx chewed on the artifact with an expression of delight. The moles stood by, astonished, as did the three humans. He finished eating it and let out a cheerful cry as the thorns on his back began to harden and become sharper.
“Is that okay? Somehow, I think there are game companies that might sue him for this new form.”
“It’ll be okay so long as we don’t talk about it.” Onyx cried out once more and swelled his thorns out. They began to spin like drills.
“Oh, they won’t sue, thank god.”
“But, it looks more dangerous?!”
-Myuuuuuu!
“Oh!”
“Unbelievable!” Onyx dug into the ground with his spinning thorns, at a speed on par with the Jijoo King. The moles let out cries of excitement as they watched him disappear into the ground.
“Then he…!”
“Let’s follow! The new king is leading us!”
“Ooh!”
“Claws, grab your claws!” The moles were hurriedly following after Onyx with their own equipment. Claire shook her head as she watched the last one disappear underground.
“…Is this really okay?”
“Maybe? In two months, Onyx will disappear, but…by then, they can also settle down.” If they can’t adapt after all of this, then there was no helping them. He let out a sigh and turned to Shin Eunah.
“Because Onyx is with them…I’ll ask you, senior.”
“I’ll protect them.” They returned to the building they were staying in after Shin Eunah prepared her magic defenses. From then on, it would be up to them. Kang Shin-hyuk was focused on learning how to become a bartender from Claire, and as a bonus, he learned the basics of alchemy. Shin Eunah focused on studying the magic of this world with the help of Claire in her free time.
Kang Shin-hyuk spent some time training his body and martial arts in earnest with the help of the growth amplification potions and would go back and forth to the workshop to create new weapons. He also spent some time studying the orb and the Godslayer sword when he could. This way, he managed to establish his training and develop a good relationship with his two seniors, as well as begin his activities on the Hero Universe trading board.
A month and a half passed like that before they returned after successfully completing the dimensional quest.