MILF HUNTER IN ANOTHER WORLD [Rewritten]

The interior of the Adventurers' Guild felt familiar and lively, almost as if it had once been a tavern. Round tables were arranged on one side, giving parties space to sit and converse.

On the opposite wall, a large bulletin board dominated the view.

Further inside, female receptionists dressed in waitress-like uniforms were assisting adventurers. Judging by the setup of the tables, it looked like the guild also served simple meals.

It was more organized than I had expected.

As I observed the crowd, I realized I could now easily tell the difference between locals and those from another world. Their appearance and presence stood out noticeably. It wasn't that they wore bright or flashy clothes.

 Rather, their outfits had a subtle mismatch with the world around them. Just by looking, I could tell, "Ah, this person definitely came from somewhere else."

At the same time, my black hair seemed unusual to the people here. From my perspective, their looks felt overly exotic.

Still, I didn't particularly mind it.

The women walking the streets were all very attractive. Even compared to the modern world, with its advanced makeup techniques and cosmetic surgery, they held their own.

Why was that?

It might be because beauty was a kind of survival trait in this district. A woman who wasn't attractive would have a hard time here.

Another reason could be the age group. Most of the people who came through the gate were young. It was rare to see elderly individuals. The guild was filled with youth—energetic, healthy, and active.

With that in mind, this felt like a place worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.

But in this city, people were replaced far too easily. To put it bluntly, even if everyone here disappeared overnight, no one would care. Their spots would quickly be filled by new arrivals from elsewhere.

Among them, adventurers were likely the ones who flirted most closely with death.

I quietly found an empty seat and sat down. I ordered some coffee and bread, then casually began observing the room.

There they were.

The pink-haired twin sisters. I spotted them immediately.

They were so striking that it was harder not to notice them when they entered the guild.

No wonder Cecil found them so quickly.

"Ugh, it stinks. I want to get out of this district as soon as possible."

Sona, who seemed to be the older sister, muttered in annoyance.

"We can't help it. Sir Cren said we should look around a bit more…"

Lena sighed in frustration as she scanned the room, clearly waiting for someone.

It wasn't hard to guess that she was waiting for Cren, the leader of Cecil's party.

They were both undeniably pretty.

Two girls with slender, delicate builds. The younger one, who was said to wield a sword, had a body that showed some signs of training. Still, she had the kind of fragility that stirred a protective instinct.

They looked to be around 162 to 164 centimeters tall. Maybe the younger one was slightly taller?

The older sister, a mage, had a fuller chest. While Cecil clearly had the advantage in that regard, the sisters' slim figures were still quite appealing.

At a glance, they were truly charming.

The older one wore her hair long. The younger one had a short haircut. Both styles suited them perfectly.

The only thing I didn't like about them… was that they were members of Cren's party.

What on earth does that guy even do?

It wasn't just that I was jealous because all his party members were women. The fact that they were pink-haired twin sisters and a silver-haired, cat-eared beauty made it even worse.

At this point, I almost wished Cren were a sleazy womanizer.

That would've given me an excuse to step in.

But right now…

There wasn't any real way to get involved in their lives beyond casual small talk.

Adventurers didn't usually have permanent homes. And if they'd just arrived in the city, claiming to be a trainer would only raise suspicions.

"Your order is here."

"Thanks."

The twin sisters glanced in my direction.

I focused on my food, pretending to be just another passerby. Before long, they started chatting again.

"We should just ditch that idiot and leave. Ugh…"

"Sir Cren is so clueless. He doesn't even realize how much effort we've been putting in."

Something felt off.

Their complaints had made me uneasy from the start.

"Maybe we should've used poison instead of mushrooms."

"Cecil's pretty sharp. She probably would've caught on right away."

"She's half beast, isn't she? Sure, she's perceptive—but she's dumb."

"That's why she came back without even noticing anything."

Came back without noticing?

"Why doesn't she realize she's a burden? Maybe that dumb stereotype about big breasts is actually true."

"She should've gotten the message after what we said."

"She better have. It'd be a real pain if she shows up in front of Cren again."

"It was hilarious when her face changed after I told her we didn't need a bitch like her."

"She really thought we were friends. What an idiot."

Now I understood.

Why Cecil had locked herself in the workshop, crying.

Why she collapsed after eating mushrooms in a dangerous part of another world.

I remembered the way she stuck close to me, even though I was just some perverted jerk. The way she smiled, looking so helpless.

Were you afraid I'd abandon you too, Cecil?

Maybe you had some idea of what was going on…

But even so, you still ran around trying to find your companions?

It was disgusting.

These girls—pretty on the outside, rotten to the core—had stirred something in me. My mood soured with each word they said.

But at the same time, I saw an opening.

Thanks to Sona and Lena carelessly revealing their cruelty, an idea began to form.

If everything went according to plan, I could not only punish them…

I might even be able to take Cecil for myself.

Was that the end of their conversation?

The twins suddenly began to lower their voices, clearly aware that others might be listening.

Too late.

If I had more influence in this district—enough to command Belita's private soldiers—I would've had them arrested on the spot.

But time wasn't on my side. If Cren gave up on finding Cecil, they might leave for another part of the city.

"Have you been waiting long?"

Cren arrived and joined their table.

He looked exactly like Cecil had described—handsome and well-built. Even in armor, his figure drew the eyes of nearby female adventurers.

"Cren! We just got here too. Let's leave this district quickly."

"I agree with my sister. There's no sign of Cecilia here."

Sona and Lena sounded cheerful now, like they were completely different people.

"I'm sorry. But let's search a bit more. Cecil might still be looking for us."

"We managed just fine without her."

"My sister and I will work even harder."

Cren looked visibly conflicted.

Caught between two women—how enviable. If I hadn't learned the truth about those sisters, I might've genuinely hated him out of sheer jealousy.

But what truly held my attention was one thing: Did Cren know about the plan to get rid of Cecilia?

"I know you two are doing your best. But just like you, Cecil is an important part of our party," he said.

"Think back to what happened in Minak's Cave and Gina's Ruins. If Cecil hadn't been there, we wouldn't have made it out alive."

"Sigh… You're too kind for your own good, Cren."

"Maybe Cecilia left us because she didn't like being around us in the first place…"

"…You said she was already gone when you got there?"

"Yes. She was gone," Sona answered, her tone cold and composed.

"Cecil might've kept her complaints bottled up. She never said anything, but I saw her muttering curses to herself…"

"…!"

Lies. All of it.

That gentle girl never wronged anyone. I was so furious I couldn't believe I hadn't jumped out of my seat already.

"If that's true… If Cecil had issues she couldn't tell me…"

"That would make me a failure of a party leader."

"That's not true! We all trust your leadership."

"Sir Cren, you shouldn't blame yourself!"

"Thanks… But I still want to find her. I want to hear what she's feeling directly from her.

I don't believe she just left without a word."

That settled it—Cren wasn't part of the bullying.

And it made sense. If the twins truly hated Cecil and wanted her gone, there was no reason for them to linger in the Beast District searching for her.

Still, even though he comforted the twins and kept looking for Cecil, it was hard to believe Cren had truly noticed her suffering.

Should I feel relieved?

At least someone was on Cecil's side.

My mind told me that was a good thing. But my heart didn't feel any lighter.

The more I saw the genuine bond between Cecil and Cren, the more hollow the thought of her becoming my assistant felt.

Was there a chance this was all an act—that they somehow knew I was eavesdropping?

Ridiculous.

They had no idea who I was.

Cecil had said she hadn't seen Cren. She must've returned in tears after being coldly rejected by the sisters.

I'll take her away.

That was my resolve.

"Sona, Lena. Let's search a bit more for Cecil."

"…Sigh. Fine."

"We'll help too, of course."

"Let's retrace yesterday's search route."

Cren explained everything with sincerity, while the sisters barely paid attention.

I waited for the right moment. Then I casually left my seat and leaned against a nearby wall, watching the party from a distance.

When Cren eventually went to the bathroom alone, I approached him without hesitation.

"Cren."

He turned to me, surprised.

Why the hell is this guy so good-looking? I felt strangely self-conscious for a moment.

"Do I know you?" he asked. "How do you know my name?"

"I overheard it from the next table."

He frowned.

"Do you know something about our missing companion?"

"Let's go somewhere out of their line of sight. Somewhere the twins can't see us."

"I'm not doing that. Those two are my trusted comrades. Why would I go somewhere with a stranger?"

"I'm protecting Cecilia."

His eyes flicked toward the twins, then back to me.

"Tell me where she is. If you're plotting something, I'll stop you right here."

"This isn't the place. If you want to know more, follow me."

"Wait—!"

I turned and walked away without looking back.

Now that I'd revealed I was protecting Cecilia, he had no choice but to follow. If he caused a scene or tried to use force, he might put her in danger.

I led him to a secluded alleyway, deep in the shadows where no sunlight reached, and waited.

"Where is Cecil? Who are you?"

"Don't worry. She's safe now."

"I'll be the judge of that. Talk, or I'll draw my sword. Who are you—and where is she?"

His hand moved toward the two-handed sword strapped to his back.

Cren was ready to fight.

"Geum Taeyang."

"Geum Taeyang?"

"I'm a trainer in this district. And I'm also Cecil's master."

Cren's eyebrows twitched, clearly unsettled by the word "master." A reaction I found telling.

"What did you do to Cecil?"

"I didn't do anything."

Actually, it's more accurate to say I couldn't do anything.

No point in feeling sorry for a woman caught between men.

I got straight to the point before Cren could draw his sword.

"I'm serious, Cren. I didn't harm her. If you want, I can take you to see her. Just hear me out first."

He didn't hesitate long.

The two-handed sword slipped back into its sheath as he slowly lowered his hand.

"Did you tell them you were coming here?"

"No. But if I'm gone too long, they'll start looking."

"When I found her, Cecilia was in the forest on the outskirts of Isil, out of her mind after eating mushrooms."

"Mushrooms? What kind of joke is that? There's no way there are mushrooms that could incapacitate Cecilia growing naturally…"

"We'll get to that later. That's what happened. I'm not lying."

Cren studied my eyes for a moment, then exhaled in relief.

"Alright. I believe you. Thank you for rescuing Cecilia."

"Eating mushrooms and collapsing—that's so like Cecil, isn't it?"

"…You sound like you know her well."

"We've been together until now."

"I knew Cecil wouldn't have left without saying anything."

"Are you two dating?"

His eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden question.

"N-no… Why would you ask?"

"Just curious."

"Taeyang. She's my companion—a comrade who's fought alongside me, trusting each other's backs."

"I'm Cecil's master."

Cren looked uncomfortable.

"What's this 'master' thing? Is it a local tradition?"

"All otherworldly beings here are treated as slaves. I decided to look after Cecil. I paid her two gold coins and she's working as my assistant."

"Two gold coins?"

Oh, so he already understands the market value through experience. Typical adventurer.

Yes, I paid her two whole gold coins.

No matter how hard a slave works, it's rare to earn that much.

"Are you really saying you were protecting her...?"

"That's right. I'm Cecil's protector. I even paid for her."

"Then… the problem is money, right? Actually, I lost my money crossing the gate. I have nothing left…"

"Of course, if you want to take Cecil, you'll have to pay me.

I'll give you a discount for the time I've had her."

I spoke naturally, though I had no intention of giving Cecil away.

Never.

"Thank you, Geum Taeyang. You're my benefactor—no, our benefactor."

Cren bowed respectfully.

He's a decent guy. He knows gratitude.

I didn't rescue Cecil—I kidnapped her. So I don't deserve his thanks.

But that's not important now.

"The others don't seem to agree."

"What do you mean?"

"Cecil said she met you guys. More precisely, the twin sisters in your party."

"What? We never said anything like that."

"Of course not. Cecil didn't eat those mushrooms out of curiosity. She was tricked into eating them by the sisters."

I explained what had been said at the Adventurers' Guild while Cren was away.

"I'm currently Cecilia's guardian.

She wants to return, but after hearing this, do you really think I can trust her to you?"

"There's no way…"

Cren looked shocked.

To learn that malicious bullying had been going on behind his back.

And the culprits were his trusted companions!

It's natural to want to look away.

But if you keep looking away...

"How can I trust your words?"

His suspicion shifted toward me.

"Can you prove you're not falsely accusing my companions?"

"Why would I accuse them falsely?"

"I heard slave trading is rampant in this city.

So you must be trying to… take Cecilia!"

He wasn't wrong.

Cren's doubt made sense. A leader who blindly trusts a stranger over his own party would be reckless.

Right now, all sorts of doubts must be swirling in Cren's mind. But for now, he still trusts his companions.

Let's shatter that fragile trust.

"Then why did I appear in front of you? Wouldn't it be easier for me to pretend I don't know anything?"

"B-because Cecil found us!"

"You only believe that part? If that were true, you should've met her by now. Why did she have to come back? What I told you explains it perfectly."

"Sona and Lena… sent Cecil back?"

"Judging by how they handled it, they didn't care what happened to her. And they call themselves companions? Disgusting."

"…"

Cren finally seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation.

"I'll go back and talk to them. It can't all be true! There must be some misunderstanding."

I grabbed his arm as he turned to leave.

"As if they'd honestly tell you the truth."

"Th-then what should I do...?"

"How about this?"

I threw out my bait.