I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 170: Salamander Guesthouse

[Rohan: Noah’s mother? If a friend’s parent is there, I should say hello.]

[Rohan: I’ll be right over.]

“Heuuu...!”

Baby-nose flailed around, hugging a doll tightly in her arms after reading Rohan’s reply.

She was finally going to see Rohan.

He was coming over to greet her parents and also give her and Noah a ride.

Just thinking about meeting the person she had a crush on for over a week made her heart race.

On top of that, the fact that Rohan was so respectful and proper—enough to impress even her parents—made her both proud and happy.

And yet, Ichinose had a small worry.

Even if she wanted to be purely happy, tension and concern crept up slowly like smoke—it was frustrating.

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

She’d heard that Noah’s mother, Jane Frozenheart, would just spend the night after drinking and head home.

So Ichinose hadn’t thought much of it.

The shame-filled Q&A session had somehow been endured, after all.

But—

The next day, Jane went shopping with Momo, came back at night, and spent another day in Samhwa Nation.

Then the following day, she became Ichinose Jun’s sparring partner, and yet another day passed.

One situation after another piled on endlessly, and since Jane didn’t seem particularly busy, Samhwa Nation ended up holding her there.

So, day after day passed, and at last—today.

When she saw Noah packing for the trip, Jane happened to find out that Rohan would be arriving today.

“...”

Of course, she knew.

She knew that Jane wouldn’t go so far as to confess Ichinose’s feelings in her place or cross a line with some over-the-top joke.

But still—

With all the experience she had so far, how could she not worry?

‘Please let nothing happen...’

Baby-nose saved the photo Clara had just sent—Rohan at the wheel.

And then she prayed earnestly.

***

Maybe it was because Shion and Clara were so excited about the trip—

But Rohan felt happy too.

Positive emotions had excellent infectiousness.

Even the smallest, most trivial things could bring laughter and joy.

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

Just the girls’ soft breathing and humming were enough to delight his ears, and the conversation flowed smoothly.

Even when things got quiet for a moment, the second their eyes met, they’d just laugh—this trio had long passed the stage where silence felt awkward.

“Oh! There it is!”

“Waaah...”

Following the GPS directions, they escaped the traffic-jammed Academy City, and after a few more minutes—

A grand highway interchange—the kind people call “IC”—greeted the group.

The road was marked with large numbers, and most cars were veering off to the right.

But Rohan turned the steering wheel toward lane number 1, the farthest on the left.

It was a special road that only a rare few took.

Just before reaching the tollgate, Rohan held Shion’s card and thanked her once more.

“Shion. Thank you. I’ll make sure we get there safely.”

“Thank you, Shion-unni!”

“I’m the one who asked you to drive. No need to thank me for that.”

After inserting the card and completing the payment, they were welcomed by a wide, empty road.

This must be what it meant when people said “you get what you pay for.”

Even just looking at it felt luxurious.

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

“Feels good to finally breathe easy.”

“For that price, it better be this nice.”

This was the exclusive road from Academy City Elysium to Samhwa Nation.

While there were a few side paths that looped back into the Academy City, there was no exit leading to other countries.

A long-distance, one-way road.

The way this long, wide road was firmly planted in such a prime location clearly demonstrated the authority of Samhwa Nation—one of the great powers.

Vrooooom──!

Rohan pressed down on the accelerator.

Caught up in the comfort and the thrill, he took care not to speed excessively.

“This is the first time for both of you going to Samhwa Nation, right?”

“Yeah...!”

“Same for you too, isn’t it?”

“It is my first time. Still, I’ve heard a lot, so I’m excited.

The Samhwa Nation food I had back in Academy City really suited my taste.”

Rohan recalled some of the lore the developers of Abyss City had shared in interviews.

Why is it called Samhwa Nation?

The origin was simple.

Though the academy textbooks and historical accounts gave long, convoluted explanations about its founding, Abyss City gamers summarized it in one line:

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

And that’s it. That’s literally the whole story.

‘Even thinking about it again, they really mixed that together in the most convenient way.’

Reflecting on the setting, Rohan couldn’t help but chuckle.

Hanok, hanbok, qipao, kimono, Japanese-style subculture maids and ninjas, martial arts, and so on.

A country tailor-made for churning out characters familiar and guaranteed to appeal to gamers.

Samhwa Nation must have been a cash cow even for Abyss City's developer, Sunday Games.

That’s why Rohan was looking forward to it too.

‘I wonder what it’s like in real life.’

He was genuinely curious how the blended culture would come across when experienced directly.

As he sped along, lost in thought over the game lore, Rohan spotted a large sign overhead:

[Salamander Guesthouse – 10KM Ahead]

If rest stops on the highway had names like “tavern” or “guesthouse,” it was a sign you were well on your way into Samhwa Nation.

Just the name alone was enough to spark curiosity.

“Should we check out that guesthouse? Grab something to munch on.”

“Sounds good. I want something cold to drink.”

“Oppa! I looked it up... All the rest stops on this road are famous! They all have high ratings...!”

“Must be a bit different since it’s a premium road?”

“Yeah! Each road has different sizes and shops at its rest stops! Salamander Guesthouse... It says the pajeon, sweet potato snacks, and sikhye are the specialties...!”

Rohan smiled at Clara’s excited voice.

Back in his hunter [N O V E L I G H T] days, whenever he drove long distances, he’d always buy a pack of sweet potato sticks to chew on. The memories came back clearly.

10KM on this road passed in a flash.

The entrance to the Salamander Guesthouse came into view.

With so few cars around, the parking lot was absurdly spacious.

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

‘They built it well.’

Though it was called a guesthouse, its size brought a castle to mind.

The center was wide open, allowing a view of the interior even from afar, and despite its size, it was committed to the “guesthouse” theme.

It looked like the kind of place where a young master from the Nine Great Clans would pick a fight with the noodle-eating protagonist and get beat down.

Shion and Clara let out little gasps of wonder, pulling out their phones to start taking photos.

As Rohan waited in the back for the photo shoot to finish, Clara crept up to him silently.

“O-Oppa... Do you want to take a picture together...?”

“Why not? It’s a trip, we should take one all together. Shion, come over here.”

Rohan took Clara’s phone and extended his arm.

“If you want your head to look small, get in the back~”

“Hehe...”

“Mm.”

Even though he told them to stand in the back, the girls stuck tightly to his sides, releasing their scents.

Rohan steadied his spinning mind and forced a smile.

With trembling fingers, he pressed the shutter.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Just as he was about to head toward the guesthouse, having taken the photo, he was pulled back into the center by the girls.

“Rohan. The picture came out blurry.”

“Oppa, sorry... I blinked...”

At their request, they retook the photo several times before Rohan was finally released.

Only then did the three of them head inside the guesthouse.

Step, step, step.

The wide-open center was lined with shops on both sides.

Passersby still turned their heads at Shion and Clara, but the two were too absorbed in sightseeing to notice.

“Should we get sikhye for drinks? It’s supposed to be famous.”

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

They must have good memories of drinking sikhye back at Anshimjeong in Academy City.

“Oppa... Is it okay if I buy some snacks too?”

“Of course. Get whatever you two want.”

Shion and Clara, arms linked like sisters, started circling around Rohan while browsing the shops.

Rohan watched their pleasant dynamic with contentment as he waited for the drinks.

Then, a loud voice rang out.

─ Server girl! Cast a delicious spell on the pajeon!

─ Oishikunare~ Moe moe kyun~!

Rohan thought his ears were broken.

He turned to look—and the sight was even more unbelievable.

She was called a server girl, but she wasn’t a man. She was a beastkin woman.

A staff member with cat ears and a tail, wearing a maid outfit, was sprinkling soy sauce onto pajeon while chanting a spell.

The customers at the table were overjoyed, practically falling over with laughter.

Clearly, this was no ordinary demand.

‘...What even is that?’

Cultural chaos on full display.

Rohan gave up on understanding and turned his head away.

With Korean, Chinese, and Japanese subcultures mixed and enough time passed, it made sense something like that existed.

Maybe it was even a kind of perk, reserved for those traveling this road.

Resolving to respect the culture, Rohan turned back just in time for the drinks to be ready—and for Shion and Clara to return.

“Got everything you wanted?”

“Yep!”

“There was a lot of interesting stuff.”

Leaving the Salamander Guesthouse behind, Rohan and the girls continued on toward Samhwa Nation.

While Rohan drove, Shion and Clara fed him snacks.

They even somehow always knew the perfect moment when he wanted a drink, placing a straw to his lips with perfect timing.

He told them they could nap since there was still a long way to go, but Shion and Clara didn’t sleep a wink, continuing to chat with Rohan the whole time.

They were the ideal image of who you'd want in the passenger seat.

Having left early in the morning—

Rohan’s group arrived in Samhwa Nation’s capital, Samgyeong, by 2 p.m.

Another 40 minutes of driving brought them to Ichinose’s house.

Before ringing the bell, Rohan first took out the gift he’d prepared from the car.

It wouldn’t be enough to impress Ichinose’s parents, who ran a corporation, but showing up empty-handed wasn’t an option.

Just as he was about to press the antique doorbell with the gift in hand—

“You’re finally here!”

Jane flung the door open like she’d been waiting for him.

Predatory eyes locked onto Rohan.