169 – The Salamander Inn

[Rohan: Noah’s mother? If there are friends’ parents, I should pay my respects]

[Rohan: I’ll be there soon]

“Heeuuu…!”

Ichinose hugged her doll and wriggled at Rohan’s reply.

She could finally see Rohan.

He was coming here to convey his gratitude to her parents and pick up her and Noah as well.

The thought of facing the object of her one-sided love after a week and several days made the girl’s heart pound.

Moreover, Rohan’s behavior, prioritizing courtesy to the extent that her parents would be pleased, was admirable and delightful.

Nevertheless, Ichinose held a small worry.

She longed to be purely joyful, but tension and apprehension crept up on her, a truly unfortunate situation.

‘This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…’

Noah’s mother, Jane Frozenheart, was supposed to have slept off her alcohol and returned home that day.

Therefore, Ichinose hadn’t given it much thought. The blush-inducing inquisition had somehow passed.

But.

The next day, Jane enjoyed shopping with Momo and stayed another day in the Samhwa Kingdom.

And the following day was spent as Ichinose Jun’s sparring partner.

An endless string of circumstances kept Jane, who had no pressing matters, anchored to the Samhwa Kingdom.

And so, day after day passed, leading to today.

Upon seeing Noah preparing her luggage for the outing, Jane had even discovered the fact that Rohan was arriving today.

“…”

Of course, she knew.

She knew that Jane wouldn’t convey her feelings to Rohan on her behalf or cross the line with excessive teasing.

Still.

Considering their past experiences, how could she not worry?

‘Please, let nothing happen…’

Ichinose saved the photo Clara had just sent her – Rohan driving – and then

offered a fervent prayer.

*

Perhaps it was because Sion and Clara were so thrilled with their trip,

but Rohan, too, felt a surge of delight.

A positive feeling possessed a wonderful contagiousness, turning even the most unremarkable, trivial things into sources of laughter and joy.

There was no need to even plug in a phone and play music.

Just listening to the girls’ breaths and hums, Rohan’s ears were delighted, their conversation flowing effortlessly.

Even when silence fell, a simple glance at each other was enough to trigger another fit of giggles. Their relationship had long transcended the point where silence felt awkward.

“Oh! There it is.”

“Whoa…!”

Guided by the navigation system, they escaped the gridlocked city of academies and after a few minutes…

A magnificent interchange. The place commonly called an IC greeted the group.

Large numbers were painted on the road, and most lanes directed traffic to the right.

But Rohan aimed for the leftmost lane, number 1. He turned the wheel, choosing the special road that few dared to take.

Arriving at the entrance, before paying the toll, Rohan held Sione’s card and thanked her again.

“Sione, thanks. I’ll get you there safely.”

“Sione Unnie… thank you!”

“You’re entrusting me with the driving. I don’t think there’s any need for gratitude.”

He inserted the card into the machine, completing the payment, and a quiet road with wide lanes welcomed them.

This must be what they meant when they said you get what you pay for. It looked extravagant just to look at.

“Oppa! The road suddenly got so quiet…!”

“Nice to have some breathing room.”

“At that price, it had better be this good.”

From here on, it was the exclusive road leading from the Elysium in the academy city to Samhwaguk.

Though there were side roads that led back to the academy city in between, no roads led to other countries – a long, one-way route.

The fact that this wide, long road, in and of itself, occupied such a valuable location demonstrated the authority of Samhwaguk, one of the great powers.

Wooong──!

Rohan pressed down on the accelerator.

Careful not to get carried away by the comfort and excitement, he drove on.

“You both said it was your first time in Samhwaguk, right?”

“Mhm…!”

“Isn’t it Rohan’s first time too?”

“Yeah, it’s my first time. But I’ve heard some things, so I’m looking forward to it. I also liked the Samhwaguk food I had in the academy city.”

Rohan recalled the lore that the developers of Abyss City had released in interviews.

Why was Samhwaguk (三和國) called Samhwaguk?

The origin was simple.

Academy textbooks and history lessons offered a long and complicated explanation of its founding, but Abyss City gamers understood Samhwaguk in a single line.

A country created by combining the cultures of Korea, China, and Japan.

That was simply it.

‘When you think about it, they really mixed it together in a convenient way.’

Rohan couldn’t help but chuckle as he mulled over the setting.

Hanoks, hanboks, qipaos, kimonos, Japanese subculture maids and ninjas, martial arts, and so on.

A country perfectly suited for churning out characters that were familiar and guaranteed to be delicious to gamers.

Even for Sunday Games, the company that created Abyss City, Samhwaguk was probably one of their biggest cash cows.

Rohan, thus, held expectations of his own.

‘What will it truly be like, seeing it for real?’

He was considerably curious as to how this mingling of cultures would present itself in actuality.

As Rohan accelerated, his mind conjuring these imagined settings, he spotted a sign, prominently displayed.

[10 KM to Salamander Inn]

They said if the roadside rest stops went by names like “Inn” or “Tavern,” it was a sign you were well on your way to the United Sylvan Kingdoms.

Just the name alone stirred up a wealth of curiosity.

“Shall we stop by the inn? Buy something to nibble on for the road.”

“Sounds good. I’m thirsty for something cool.”

“Oppa! I looked it up… all the rest stops along this road are famous places! The ratings are all great…!”

“Guess this is just a better kind of road, then?”

“Yeah! The size of the rest stops and the shops are all different on each road! The Salamander Inn… is apparently known for its green onion pancakes, sweet potato chips, and Sujeonggwa punch…!”

Rohan listened to Clara’s excited voice, a smile tugging at his lips.

Back in his Hunter days, when driving long distances, he’d always buy sweet potato sticks at rest stops. Memories flooded back.

Ten kilometers on this road was a blink.

The entrance to the Salamander Inn came into view. With so little traffic, the parking lot was unbelievably spacious.

Rohan stepped out of the car, stretched, and took in the building.

‘Well-made.’

They called it an inn, but its size was reminiscent of a castle.

The interior, visible even from afar through the open central area, stayed true to the concept of an inn, size notwithstanding.

The kind of place where a pampered young master from one of the Nine Sects might start trouble with the protagonist eating noodles, only to get thoroughly trounced.

Sion and Clara gasped in admiration, pulling out their phones and starting to take pictures.

Waiting behind them for the photoshoot to end, Rohan felt Clara approach with steps as silent as a ghost.

“O-Oppa… picture… shall we take one together?”

“Should we? Since it’s a trip, let’s all take one together. Sion, come over here too.”

Rohan took Clara’s phone and extended his arm.

“Come to the back if you want to look like you have a smaller head~”

“Hehe…”

“Alright.”

Despite being told to stand behind, the two stuck to him like glue on either side, radiating perfume.

Rohan steeled his reeling mind, forcing his lips into a smile.

With trembling fingers, he pressed the shutter button.

But it wasn’t over.

Rohan, about to head into the inn now that they had a picture, was grabbed by the hands of the maidens and placed back in the center.

“Rohan. The photo is blurry.”

“Oppa, sorry… I closed my eyes…”

Only after taking several more photos at Sion and Clara’s request could Rohan finally find freedom.

Then, the three of them finally headed into the inn.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The airy, open central area. Shops lined up to the left and right.

The gazes of passersby still clung to Sion and Clara, but they seemed lost in their own marveling.

“Should we get sujeonggwa to drink? They say it’s famous here.”

At Rohan’s suggestion, the girls nodded without hesitation.

It seemed drinking sujeonggwa at the Academy City’s ‘Safe Stop’ had left a good impression.

“Oppa… Is it alright if we buy some snacks?”

“Of course. Buy whatever you two want.”

Like sisters, Sion and Clara linked arms, wandering around Rohan and browsing the shops.

Rohan, pleased by their amicable relationship, waited for the drinks to be prepared.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed.

— Waiter! Grant this pancake a spell of deliciousness!

— Oishikunare~ Moe moe kyun~!

Rohan thought his ears were playing tricks on him.

Turning around to see for himself revealed an even stranger sight.

The ‘waiter,’ it turned out, was not a man but a kemonomimi woman.

A staff member with cat ears and a tail, dressed in a maid outfit, was sprinkling soy sauce on a pancake while chanting the spell.

The customers at the tables seemed to be beside themselves with joy, suggesting the demand was quite significant.

‘…What even is that?’

A chaotic blend of cultures on display.

Rohan gave up trying to understand and turned away.

Chinese, Korean, and Japanese subcultures had been mixed and mingled for long enough; something like this was bound to exist.

Perhaps it was a privilege afforded to those traveling this road.

As he reaffirmed his commitment to respecting diverse cultures, their drinks were ready, and Sion and Clara returned.

“Did you buy everything you wanted?”

“Yep!”

“There were so many interesting things.”

Leaving the Salamander Inn behind, Rohan and the girls headed back towards Samhwa.

As he drove, Sion and Clara fed him snacks.

They also seemed to know the perfect timing for him to want a drink, placing a straw between his lips.

He told them they could sleep since there was still a long way to go, but Sion and Clara stayed awake, continuing their conversation with Rohan.

They were the ideal image of the perfect passenger seat companions.

And so, Rohan and his party, having set off early that morning,

arrived at Samgyeong, the capital of Samhwa, at 2 PM.

Another forty-minute drive from the capital brought them to Ichinose’s house. Before ringing the bell, Rohan took out the gifts he had packed in the car.

They might not fully satisfy Ichinose’s parents, who ran a corporation, but choosing not to prepare anything was simply not an option.

As Rohan, carrying the gifts, reached for the bell on the elegant front door,

“Finally here, are we!”

Jane flung the door open, as if she had been waiting.

Predatory eyes locked onto Rohan.