Au Revoir

Chapter 125

For a month, Jun split her time between the dungeon for training and the farmhouse in the valley. Unlike Andrea, she couldn't deal with living inside the dungeon, no matter how nice the accommodations were.

After getting used to her improvements and tweaks to her class, Jun moved out of general practice and into practical use. That training was divided between fighting other classes individually and participating in group fights. The latter was the most fun. She was paired up in a party with the skeletons in random assortments and would then fight another group.

When she found out about the betting, Jun was pissed and demanded that Dawn give her a cut. Thanks to that, she had a small sack of the chips the skeletons used. She squirreled some of them as keepsakes.

Being allowed to join in on the raid league didn't happen until Jun's last week in the dungeon. It was truly a wild experience to do a mock raid with the monsters normally tasked with defending the place. Something they did for fun in their free time normally.

To keep things fresh, 42 had shaken up the layout enough that the skeletons were coming in cold too. So they fought and stumbled through the various traps, puzzles, and flights together. Given that most adventures only ever fought in two or three in an entire career, Jun knew she'd picked up some invaluable experience getting to do it so many times.

Still, the fun had to end, and truthfully, Jun wasn't sad to know she'd be leaving soon. So on the last day, she didn't have training but still popped into the dungeon to say her goodbyes to everyone. Some of them were sweet, and plenty were just polite. Chris made a rude but sweet (for him) joke that she'd make a good skeleton if not for all the meat.

The last goodbye was the only one that was a bit difficult for Jun. With her and Andrea off for the day, she eventually found Henry working on a project in his crypt. One of the more avant-garde ones that looked more like filigree than a construct of leather.

"Miss Jun," Henry said, bowing slightly to be polite. "All packed, I hope."

"Yeah," Jun said, and it wasn't entirely a lie. She still needed to double-check some things, but it would be fine.

"I wanted to make sure I said bye before I left. You've helped me so much, and I wanted you to know that I appreciate it," Jun said.

"You've shown me that already with your diligence, but thank you," Henry replied.

"Also… Okay… I appreciate the fighter training but those clothes you made me are fucking awesome. Back home, you'd have been like, couture. Just the best of the best, and I wanted you to understand I will figure out a way to drag them through whatever portal I end up going home through," Jun said in a rush. She'd been holding that in for a while, the pure glee at being given not just handmade but beautifully detailed clothes.

At home, Jun had lived in t-shirts and jeans but not for want of a personal sense of fashion. Her taste was ridiculously expensive, so she'd never bothered to dress up. Now she had a bag full of clothes that would cost as much as a downpayment on a car.

"You… appreciate the clothes more than your training?" Henry asked with just a hint of disbelief in his tone.

"I appreciate both. The training was fun," Jun said, blushing furiously. Henry laughed, breaking the tension, and patted her on the shoulder.

"There's nothing wrong with pre-pre… Preferring non-lethal displays of skill," Henry said, stumbling on his words as he continued laughing.

"Thanks… Thanks for everything, Henry sun-seng-nim," Jun said when her embarrassment finally subsided enough to let her speak. Henry just nodded at that.

"My best wishes for your success, Miss Jun," Henry replied. Jun nodded, then turned and left, her cheeks still feeling like they were on fire. She didn't stop until she was back in the top layer and headed out for the farmhouse. It was still early morning, but she couldn't linger anymore.

Heading back took a while, but when Jun arrived, the person waiting for her at the farmhouse was 42. It was something that still surprised her even though they'd agreed to meet before she left. An agreement Jun should have turned up earlier to fulfill, but 42 graciously didn't say anything about it.

Rather than explain anything, Jun got busy double-checking her bag of supplies, just in case. It was mainly a set piece rather than a necessity but needed the right stuff in it for a trip. Otherwise, she might draw unwanted attention since she'd use her access to the item box for most things.

The item box, which was a result of Jun's contract with 42. The weird shadow monster hovering off to one side like a mom whose kid was about to go on their first overnight trip. It was equal parts creepy and endearing.

"All good?" 42 asked.

"Yep, I'm totally set. Just need to collect my whip, and I'm good," Jun joked. She looked around the farmhouse's living room where she'd spent the past month. She wouldn't miss it exactly, but she'd definitely miss how comfortable it was.

"Jun… did you name the horse Neigh Neigh?" 42 asked suspiciously.

"Maybe," Jun lied. She hadn't thought up a name for the horse but didn't mind using that one. She considered herself pretty good at naming things, but 42 had a flare for it. Jun got one of the weird gust of wind pats on the back for that, along with the privilege of hearing 42's unnerving laughter. Like two different people doing a villain chuckle, just slightly out of sync.

"Stay weird, kid," 42 offered once she stopped laughing.

"Will do," Jun said, chuckling a little herself. She put the pack on and then headed for the farmhouse door, only to pause.

"42, about Andrea," Jun trailed off, trying to think of what to say. Andrea had made her call, and Jun had her own deal. Despite that, she was still worried. It would have been easy for Andrea to change the terms of her deal when they weren't looking.

"Take care of her, okay?" Jun asked. It was not lost on her that she was asking the monster they'd both made a contract with to do it. She was also aware said monster had the decency not to let Andrea run straight back to Stromholt and her own doom just because she wanted to. It was stupid, but between Andrea and 42, the shadow monster had the better common sense.

42 didn't say anything in reply, just gave a little bow that Jun returned. Of course, the angle was wrong, and 42’s tail lashed weirdly, which thoroughly ruined the solemn effect. Still, it was the thought that counted.

Jun barely made it out of the door before a blue blur ambushed her. Andrea, who'd been missing all morning, grabbed her in a hug. One that threatened to drive the wind out of Jun.

Jun just hugged her back and laughed. It was bittersweet to be leaving the last of her friends from the cursed hero's party, but she was determined to ensure it wasn't a "goodbye," just an "until we meet again." She’d see her again, at least once, before she found her way home. She would make sure of it.