25-135

EP.135 [Jeanne, the Timid Alpha Female, Frets as She Secretly Watches Eugene and Mina’s Affectionate Moments.] 

“Haha! Is that all you kids can do? Put your backs into it!!” 

Eugene Schneider and Mina delivered the cartful of supplies to each home of the slum children. After finishing, they all ate together, and then Eugene and Mina played with the kids playing tag, house, and now Eugene was playing tug-of-war with them by himself. 

“Uwah! Eugene-uncle is so strong! Sis, look, even the big boys are getting dragged away!” 

“Yeah? That’s really something!” 

Margaret was amazed, seeing Eugene’s strength for the first time. He’d given her a piggyback ride before, but dragging nearly 20 kids tied to a thick rope was on a whole new level. Even the slum’s toughest kids were being dragged around like leaves in the wind, leaving Margaret in awe. Mina, hugging Margaret from behind, chimed in, sharing her excitement. 

“Wow~ These kids really have endless energy~” 

After playing for a while, Eugene sat down on a bench with Margaret and Mina. Eugene, a Sword Expert, was breathing heavily, but the kids he’d just dragged around were already back to playing energetically. Margaret, who’d been chatting with Mina, joined the other kids and played wildly. 

“Thanks to you, Eugene, I got to take it easy today. Usually, I’d be the one out of breath by now. Here, use this towel to wipe your sweat.” 

Mina handed Eugene a towel, understanding how tired he must be. Normally, she’d be the one playing with the kids, and it’s a job even tougher than blacksmithing. But every time she came to volunteer, she never neglected it, knowing that what the slum kids needed as much as supplies was attention and affection from outsiders connections and relationships that could give them hope and keep them from being swallowed by the darkness of the slums. 

“Haha! Thank you, Mina!” 

Eugene took the towel with a big grin. 

“And, um, Eugene, about earlier... I’m sorry...” 

As Eugene wiped his face and neck, Mina watched him quietly, then apologized in a careful tone. 

“Hm? Earlier?” 

Eugene looked puzzled. 

“It’s about Margaret’s lie... She told me she said you were her boyfriend to the other kids because she wanted to brag about being close to you... She just loves attention...” 

Mina was apologizing for Margaret telling the other kids Eugene was her boyfriend. For the first time in a month, Margaret had felt like the center of attention among the slum kids, thanks to Eugene and Mina. Wanting to keep that attention, she lied about Eugene being Mina’s boyfriend to make herself seem even closer to him. 

“Haha! No need to apologize. If anything, I should be sorry for publicly agreeing without your consent.” 

But Eugene waved it off. 

“Um... well...” 

Mina hesitated. “Eugene is a noble, and I’m from the undercity, so of course I should be the one apologizing...” For Mina, their relationship wasn’t typical. If Eugene acknowledged their closeness, she could only be grateful for his favor, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that. 

“I mentioned on the way here that I had something to tell you, right?” 

At that moment, Eugene brought something up. 

“Yes, you did. It sounded like good news.” 

As they were leaving Pangaea for the slum, Eugene had told Mina he had something to say, and his tone had been positive, so Mina was curious. 

“It’s not so much good news as something I hope will become good news. Our Red Fox Mercenary Band is thinking of founding a mercenary village. And I wanted to invite you to join us there.” 

It was Jeanne’s dream a mercenary village. The Alexandria quest had brought the Red Fox Mercenary Band more rewards than expected, and they’d secured routes to more high-quality quests. Jeanne had begun planning the village in earnest, and the first key recruit was, of course, a blacksmith Mina. 

“Me??” 

Mina’s eyes went wide in surprise. She’d heard from Marie that Jeanne wanted to build a mercenary village, but only Jeanne and Eugene knew that Mina was the intended blacksmith. So this was the first time Mina had heard the proposal directly. 

“Yes. Our leader wants a mercenary band that feels like family. For that, everyone needs a place to settle down and build families. That means we need a resident blacksmith, and Jeanne thinks someone as skilled and responsible as you would be perfect.” 

Eugene explained Jeanne’s proposal with sincerity. Originally, Jeanne planned to ask Mina herself, but Eugene suggested it would be more effective to bring it up during the slum volunteer work, so Jeanne entrusted him with the mission. 

‘A mercenary village’s blacksmith...’ 

Mina pondered. She’d already thought it sounded appealing when Marie mentioned it. Some blacksmiths dislike being tied down, while others welcome it if it’s with the right people. Mina wasn’t the ambitious type; she wanted stability, and more importantly, she wanted to keep caring for the slum kids. Being the village blacksmith would let her do that even better. 

‘Oh, looks like Marie was right Mina is interested.’ 

Eugene saw Mina’s thoughtful face and felt hopeful, remembering Marie’s earlier comments about how Mina had reacted positively to the idea. 

“Are you wondering if you could bring these kids with you, Mina?” 

Eugene saw right through her. Mina nodded slowly. “Yes, that’s exactly why I work so hard.” 

“The village we’re considering is near Jebodang, where our last quest took place. I’ve already talked to the locals about bringing the kids, and they were very welcoming. I’m sure you’ll be able to do what you want there.” 

Eugene had gone to Jebodang to persuade the locals and check the situation. The village was remote, with little new population for years, so they were eager for both the mercenary village and the arrival of the kids. 

“I see. Thank you so much for preparing all this, Eugene.” 

“Haha! Recruiting someone important takes effort!” 

Mina was impressed by Eugene’s preparation. 

“If you’d have me in such a wonderful place, I’d be honored. I’m not that skilled, but I’ll do my best to help the Red Fox Mercenary Village thrive.” 

Mina accepted the position as the village’s blacksmith. 

“That’s a great decision! Thank you, Mina!” 

Eugene, overjoyed, grabbed her hand in thanks. 

Mina smiled warmly at Eugene’s genuine happiness. 

And as the two of them shared this moment  

‘Looks like things went well.’ 

Someone was watching from afar, hidden. 

‘That Eugene Schneider guy really knows how to win over women’s hearts...’ 

It was Jeanne. 

Jeanne, the jealous one, had secretly followed Eugene like a stray cat and was spying on the scene.