ISMFWC 07

Chapter 7

Numerous gazes could be felt beyond the fog.

The branches twisted on their own despite there being no wind.

[Regional economic activity has increased sharply!]

[Imbalance in the surrounding ecosystem detected.]

Monsters drawn by the scent are heading toward Sehee’s Supermarket.

Sehee’s expression instantly hardened.

“Wait a minute. You said the economy was improving, didn’t you? Then what’s this imbalance supposed to mean?”

At that moment, the wolf suddenly raised its head.

Keeping its tail low against the ground, it lowered its body.

Until just moments ago, its gaze had been wary of the entire forest, but now it was fixed on a single direction.

Grrrr—

This time, it was a warning.

Cassian’s brows narrowed slightly.

Only then did Sehee realize.

This wasn’t modern society.

Cassian had also tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword and was glaring into the forest.

Despite his injuries, the killing intent radiating from him was razor-sharp.

“Something is coming. Have they lost their reason after being intoxicated by the smell of the meat?”

Sehee clenched her teeth as she alternated her gaze between the sizzling grill and the darkness of the forest.

The dreams of countless gold coins and points she had been imagining only moments ago had suddenly changed genres into a survival story.

Then, a sound came from the other side of the forest.

A noise seeped through the damp fog.

Rustle. Crack.

It was the sound of a branch being crushed.

“They’re coming.”

Cassian murmured briefly and adjusted his grip on his sword.

A cold aura settled over his pale face, made even paler by his injuries.

But Sehee, who should have been standing behind him, was doing something completely unrelated.

She carefully packed the remaining pieces of pork belly into an airtight container and snapped the lid of the ssamjang shut with a crisp click.

“They really came because they smelled the pork belly?”

Sehee’s fingertips trembled slightly.

“Hey, you definitely said it earlier, right? That the regional economic activity level would increase. But what kind of economic activity is this?”

She deliberately straightened her back and stood up.

Fortunately, Cassian didn’t notice her legs trembling.

The system remained silent for quite some time after Sehee spoke. Then, glowing with a cold blue light, it displayed its response.

[A surge in demand increases the value of a region.

The Monster Forest branch is currently emerging as the highest-value landmark within the forest.]

“What kind of landmark are you talking about?!”

Sehee gritted her teeth and stared into the fog, lowering her voice as much as possible.

“Do these look like customers who came to explore a popular restaurant?! They’re predators that came to eat me!”

In response to Sehee’s objection, the system’s letters appeared slowly, one character at a time, almost as if mocking her.

[Protecting the store owner is recommended, not mandatory.]

“What……?”

Sehee felt as though she had just been smacked hard in the back of the head.

“No, seriously. You have absolutely no business ethics.”

Sehee frowned deeply and muttered,

“If it’s recommended, shouldn’t you actually do it?”

Cassian, who couldn’t hear what the system was saying, was momentarily dumbfounded by her reaction.

Even though monsters were surrounding the tent, she was busy closing the sauce container while looking irritated.

She isn’t even blinking.

Cassian’s eyes wavered.

There were few beings capable of remaining so calm in a situation like this.

In reality, Sehee was screaming internally.

‘Aaaaaah! Damn system!’

It was all thanks to the poker face she had honed during her three years on the sales support team.

To her, the potential loss mattered even more than the fear.

Just then, as if it had been waiting for the perfect moment, a system window appeared in her field of vision.

[System Upgrade Mission: Convenience Store Stage]

Completion Rewards

• Unlock new features (including a security system)
• Significantly increased store operation efficiency
• Expansion of civilization level

※ Detailed conditions cannot currently be viewed.

“An upgrade? Right now, in the middle of this mess?”

Sehee stared in disbelief, but then her eyes landed on the words security system.

For now, she only had an old tent, so those troublesome monsters couldn’t exactly be stopped from approaching.

But if she could get a proper security system, perhaps she could take powerful measures such as banning entry.

“Fine, then give me the conditions already!”

She shouted toward the empty air.

Her tone was almost irritated, but she was just as desperate.

When Sehee shouted at thin air, Cassian shuddered again.

It looked as though she were speaking to an invisible Great Spirit.

And then—

Something burst out of the fog.

BOOM—

The ground shook as an ogre appeared.

Three times the size of an adult man, it charged straight toward the tent.

Just as the wolf lowered its body and was about to leap forward—

Cassian swung his sword at a speed invisible to the eye.

Whoosh—BOOM!

Only a faint black aura remained behind like an afterimage.

The wolf stopped mid-leap and planted itself back on the ground.

Its golden eyes turned toward Cassian.

Cassian sheathed his sword and turned toward Sehee.

“Sei, I know that you are not an ordinary person.”

Cassian spoke seriously.

“But protecting you is still my responsibility.”

“Ah…… thank you.”

She meant it.

The moment the ogre had burst out, she had screamed internally.

For a moment, she felt slightly relieved.

‘Romance? What romance?’

Sehee shook her head inwardly.

‘He’s just protecting me.’

Yet, for some reason, she couldn’t immediately take her eyes off him.

Sehee shook her head once and looked away.

Cassian silently straightened his sword before looking back at Sehee.

“You did not appear frightened. Truly, you have remarkable courage.”

“What? I was really scared. It just didn’t show on the outside.”

“You are honest.”

“What’s the point of pretending I wasn’t scared?”

After saying that, she pointed her chin toward where the ogre had fallen.

“By the way, do you think more of those things will come?”

“Ogres often act alone. They are not a species that forms groups.”

Sehee nodded and shifted her gaze toward the tent.

‘I can’t let this man leave right now.’

She had no intention of spending the night alone in this forest.

At least until morning, staying together would be much safer.

“Duke, with the forest being like this right now…… I think it would be safer for both of us if we stayed together tonight.”

Cassian’s heart seemed to drop with a heavy thud.

“You want me to…… sleep here? Do you not know what caution means?”

“Yes. The tent is a little cramped, though.”

Sehee paused and took another quick look inside the tent.

“You did give me quite a lot of money earlier.”

Considering how much she had already been paid, she figured this level of service could easily be included.

“Think of it as a service that includes the lodging fee.”

And finally, she added the decisive blow.

“If you refuse, I’ll feel a little embarrassed.”

Cassian’s face instantly flushed.

For the Imperial Duke, who was known as the strongest swordsman in the empire, this was the first time in his life he had ever received such a bold proposal.

‘Does this mean she trusts me?’

Cassian eventually nodded.

“If you put it that way…… I have no reason to refuse.”

When he stepped back, Sehee lifted the flap at the entrance of the tent.

The inside was even narrower than she had expected.

Once they arranged their places and lay down side by side, their shoulders were almost touching.

“Tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”

“This is sufficient.”

Perhaps because of everything she had gone through that day, Sehee’s eyelids grew heavy the moment she lay down.

In a sleepy voice, she mumbled,

“Tomorrow morning’s menu…… I’ll think about it after checking my points.”

Before she could even finish, Sehee’s head tilted slightly toward Cassian, and soon the sound of her steady breathing could be heard.

Cassian stared at Sehee’s sleeping face for a moment.

His heartbeat sounded unbearably loud.

Watching the faint firelight falling across her apricot-colored cheeks, Cassian murmured very softly,

“Sei, you truly are an incomprehensible person.”

His gaze lingered on Sehee’s sleeping face for a long time.

“And that…… only makes me more curious about you.”

The night deepened, filled with a mixture of tension, excitement, and an inexplicable sense of relief.

The light of dawn filtering through the tent canvas tickled Sehee’s eyelids.

Cassian was outside the tent, preparing to leave the forest.

“You’re awake.”

Cassian looked much more energetic than he had the day before.

“Did you sleep well? It must have hurt your back since the tent was so cramped.”

“No. It was the most peaceful night of my life.”

His voice trembled slightly, since he had barely slept at all.

“Thanks to you.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Cassian raised the corners of his lips ever so slightly.

That brief change in his expression strangely lingered in Sehee’s mind.

Feeling awkward for no particular reason, Sehee avoided his gaze, hastily tied up her hair, and stepped outside the tent to see him off.

“Be careful on your way down.”

He was the first person she had met in this unfamiliar world.

For some reason, sending him off felt more disappointing than she had expected.

‘I hope he comes back again.’

And seeing the color return to his face made her feel strangely proud.

“You know, right? Next time, you absolutely have to come with your knights.”

“I will.”

After a brief pause, he continued as though calculating something.

“I will decide about the group discount later, but I will make sure you receive proper service.”

“I promise.”

Cassian nodded seriously.

Finally, he looked deeply into Sehee’s eyes before turning toward the lower part of the forest.

How much time had passed since Cassian left?

The wolf, which had been lying near the tent, suddenly raised its head.

It stepped forward and positioned itself precisely between the tent and the forest.

“……Uh, wha—?”

Sehee, who had been checking her inventory, unconsciously held her breath.

“Hey, why are you suddenly acting like that?”

More presences began to appear behind it.

The sound of leaves brushing against one another.

The dull thud of feet stepping on the earth.

Faint silhouettes emerged through the fog.

There were deer-like beast monsters, rodents with numerous eyes, and small goblins crouching at the edge of the forest.

“……Are they lining up right now?”