-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Barbarian Who Hid His Face in a Reversal World
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I looked at the coins clutched in my hand.
Nine silver coins. That was my entire fortune now.
Converted to copper coins, that was 900. I had generated a profit of 225 times my initial capital.
It was due to the special circumstances of a gambling den and an underdog bet, but in any case, I now had money in my possession.
I pondered where and how to invest this precious initial capital.
“You don’t need to pay back your tab already. It’s not too late to start paying when you have more to spare. Don’t worry too much.”
I had intended to settle the inn's room and board, which I had put on credit first, but Diana smiled warmly and told me that.
I could only bow my head in immense gratitude.
Thanks to her, I didn't have to worry about food and lodging for the time being, leaving only clothing.
And indeed, I had no spare underwear. Who would pack extra undies in preparation for being transported to another world?
I'd been wearing the same pair for days, and it felt so gross I was dying. My quality of life felt like it was plummeting, and it wasn't hygienic either.
I figured I needed to get some decent underwear and two or three sets of tops and bottoms.
Assuming I'd secured everything I needed to get by for now...
What else would I need for my future, or to prepare for entering the Labyrinth?
“Do I need to obtain an explorer's qualification to enter the Labyrinth?”
“Yes. To be precise, you'll need the ID tag issued when you acquire the explorer's qualification. I'm not sure if it's still the case, but you'll probably be stopped by guards at the Labyrinth entrance without it.”
I was able to glean quite a bit of information from my conversation with Diana.
“Balkan, this is your first time in the Labyrinth City, isn't it?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
I just told her honestly. It wasn't a lie, after all. It really was my first time.
“You have that distinct aura of people who come to the Labyrinth City from other lands. Like when you get flustered seeing Beastkin or demi-humans, and also...”
Diana's gently narrowed eyes turned to my face.
More precisely, towards the helmet I was wearing.
Then, perhaps realizing she was staring too intently, she quickly averted her gaze in embarrassment.
“...No. I'm sorry. For digging up old wounds.”
I had no idea what misunderstanding about my face led her to mention “digging up old wounds,”
but Diana's demeanor towards me had softened even further, so I didn't say anything for now.
“It's fine. More importantly, how does one obtain an explorer's qualification?”
“The qualification itself will be granted if you just pay the guild. From what I remember... it was 20 silver coins?”
“20 silver coins?!”
Crazy. 20 silver coins is 2000 copper coins. Are those Explorer's Guild bastards out of their minds with greed?
Perhaps my reaction was too honest. Diana, who had been watching me intently, chuckled.
“Money. Are you short on it?”
“...It's nowhere near enough. Not with my current situation.”
It was really tight.
Well, it had always been like this. I had always lived crushed by money, and money had always held me back in life.
11 silver coins. If it weren't for special gambling like this, an ordinary laborer would barely earn that much even after months of working without eating, spending, or sleeping.
“Then, perhaps, would you be interested in working at my inn's tavern?”
“Huh?”
This was another sudden offer.
“I'll pay you well, enough to make it worth your while. Your main duties would be serving in the hall and cleaning. Work hours would be from when dinner service starts until closing. I'll also provide dinner. You can try it for a day, and if you don't like it, you can quit right away. I'll still pay you for the day. What do you think?”
Tavern work. It was a job I'd never even considered. I'd only ever done physical labor.
Not selling my body, but simple manual labor, like day labor, was my calling.
“I saw yesterday that you organized things really well. Until now, I've just done it all by myself, but having one more person around would definitely make the work more efficient, you see.”
Seeing my hesitation, Diana eagerly poured out her words.
In a short-term gig like this, what's more important than the workload is whether you'll get paid on time.
If the boss kept waffling and not paying on payday, I'd instinctively start to feel homicidal.
Because it's a reality that if you get stiffed on wages once, you'll have to starve for days on end.
In this world, where there probably isn't an agency like the labor board, if I got stiffed, all my hard work would have been for nothing.
In that case, it would be more rational to work under someone I could at least trust.
“What exactly is the pay?”
Diana silently held up two fingers.
“Two silver coins a day!”
“Oh, no...! Even for me, that would be a bit difficult... Instead, 20 copper coins.”
“Hmm...”
The average daily income for a regular laborer was 10 copper coins.
Considering the job's difficulty and that it's only for short hours during peak time, the conditions were incredibly good. Not just good, but ridiculously good.
And dinner is provided? For me, who needed to save money right now, there were no better terms.
If I were to go work somewhere else, who in the Labyrinth City would hire someone they didn't know?
I'd be lucky if I didn't get stabbed in the back and sold as a man-lover.
The answer was practically decided.
“Hmph...”
Still, I should try to negotiate once more. I'd already made my decision, but I pretended to ponder.
But Diana showed no sign of raising another finger.
She already knew that the terms she offered were quite exceptional.
I briefly fiddled with the helmet on my head.
“...Would it be alright if I wore my helmet while working?”
It was an insurance policy, just in case. I couldn't show my face to other customers.
Instantly, Diana's expression was tinged with pity.
“Of course. Naturally. If anyone says anything about it, tell me. I'll make sure they can never step foot in my establishment again.”
“...And since I'm aiming to be an explorer, if I were to enter the Labyrinth—”
“I'll give you that whole week off. Rest is most important before and after going into the Labyrinth.”
“Can I start working today, Boss?”
There was no need to hesitate further. The terms were too good.
“Hehe... 'Boss' is too stiff, isn't it? Just call me Diana, comfortably.”
“Understood, Ms. Diana.”
“Diana.”
“...? Yes, Ms. Diana.”
“...Alright.”
Diana's cheeks puffed out slightly. She probably wanted to get closer to her employee as the owner, but it couldn't be helped.
‘Honorifics just slip out without me realizing.’
I'd received too many favors to treat her casually like a friend.
And perhaps because I knew Diana was actually a powerful individual in the 70s level range, that warm and comforting aura felt like the composure of a strong person.
Should I call it mature beauty? Her rich, dense appearance, like fine wine or cheese, also played a big part.
She gently beckoned.
“Come. Come over here. First, I'll show you around the tavern.”
I followed Diana, who was gently beckoning me as if teasing, and began to learn the basic tasks.
***
After familiarizing myself with all the tasks and checking the time, it was around 3 PM. There were still about two hours until dinner service.
I decided to make good use of the remaining time. First, I planned to buy clothes.
I went to the market in the eastern district of Valerius, commonly known as the Explorer's District, and looked for a suitable clothing store.
“Uh... we don't have men's clothes in your size, sir...”
The female clothing store employee, who had been staring at my body as if mesmerized, said with an embarrassed expression.
I clutched my head at her words. It was because I had already heard the exact same thing three times and left three different clothing stores.
Yet, it was hard to voice a complaint. Walking through the streets, I understood why there were no large men's clothes.
‘Everyone was just scrawny.’
The few men on the streets. No matter where I looked, they were all small and thin.
It was so extreme that they looked not just frail, but even delicate.
At least, I hadn't seen a single man with a physique similar to mine since arriving here.
‘Were the men being raped by Goblins the only ones who were somewhat built?’
Suddenly, I remembered when I first arrived in this world. Five men being raped by Goblins.
It wasn't a pleasant memory to recall, but in my memory, those guys had fairly sturdy builds.
‘...Was it because they were explorers?’
I was half-convinced that was the case.
[Derio Lv.0]
[Jilbangu Lv.1]
[Naimus Lv.0]
[Dorure Lv.0]
[Porchio Lv.2]
I hadn't just come out to buy clothes.
I also had the goal of observing the people on the streets using my Status Window to check my current level.
‘The scrawny ones, probably ordinary people, are Level 0. Those with a healthier aura have levels.’
The vast majority of men were Level 0. Here and there, there were Level 1 or 2.
When I first checked my Status Window, my level was 3.
And at that point, I had just slaughtered dozens of Goblins. I probably started at Level 0 too.
‘So, killing monsters makes you level up?’
[Dorure Lv.0]
[HP:(2) Strength:(2) Agility:(2) Wisdom:(0) Dexterity:(4)]
[Porchio Lv.2]
[HP:(3) Strength:(2) Agility:(4) Wisdom:(0) Dexterity:(3)]
‘Initial 10 base stats are randomly distributed, and those with levels all have additional stats allocated.’
I could only guess that stats were automatically distributed during the leveling-up process.
‘There's no Free Points section.’
That's why other people's Status Windows didn't have a Free Points section.
This was useful information that I could put to good use.
When a situation arose where I might barely tie or lose in combat,
having Free Points meant I had a trump card to catch my opponent off guard.
Also, I could exclude unnecessary stats and distribute points only to necessary ones, allowing me to solidify my 'concept' or build.
“Um, sir...?”
Just as I was planning my future growth direction, the employee's voice snapped me out of it.
“Oh, yes. If you don't have my exact size, please give me the largest and sturdiest clothes you have.”
“Yes, yes...!”
With no choice in fashion, I took the black T-shirt and put it on.
There were no private changing rooms in a medieval market. I had no choice but to quickly undo my blanket and put on the T-shirt. Still, I had to try it on.
“Wow. Insane...”
“Thank you, Mother Earth, for providing our daily bread. Thank you...!”
Since I was squeezing into clothes that didn't fit, they naturally clung tightly to my body. It felt like I had handcuffed myself.
Is this what wearing a corset feels like? I want to shed this constricting feeling quickly.
Still, as I put it on, the neck area that had been caught on my helmet stretched slightly, so breathing wasn't uncomfortable.
If I was going to wear my helmet all the time, this much was something I had to put up with.
*Rip-rip-rip—*
As I flexed my muscles slightly to move my body, the sound of seams bursting echoed from the clothes.
My always-reliable muscular body became incredibly resentful at this moment.
“......”
“Wow. Those pecs... *Gasp*.”
My eyes met the employee's flustered face.
Ah. Let's just buy clothes more easily.
***
I bought two pairs of sturdy pants and six spare pairs of underwear for 28 copper coins. I visited about two more stores afterward, but I couldn't find a T-shirt until the very end.
In the end, my upper body remained in its empty state, wrapped in a blanket.
“Th-this is... a s-service. The owner said that a lot of female customers followed you into the store, so sales went up...”
I wasn't sure about the cause and effect, but I received one T-shirt as a service item.
The “service” item was the very shirt I had burst, but it was something. I was lucky they didn't charge me for it.
After what I considered a reasonable shopping trip, I had somewhat resolved the last problem among food, clothing, and shelter: clothes.
Now, all that was left was to work my ass off, save money, and acquire an explorer's ID tag.
As I came down after eating the free, hearty dinner Diana had made for me in my room, Diana, who was watching customers already beginning to trickle in, spoke to me.
“Hmm... I think it would be better if you wore even a torn shirt.”
“Huh?”
“Drunk folks don't see anything, you know.”
Saying so, Diana, who was gazing at the front door, smiled wryly.
‘Hmm... Is it that bad?’
At this point, I was slightly underestimating working at a tavern.
***
I stared blankly at the chaotic inn.
Overturned tables, scattered chairs, broken plates, mashed food, strewn oak barrels and beer mugs.
Looking down at my body, I saw my pants, soaked and damp with cow Beastkin milk, beer, wine, and more, and my blanket, stretched and undone in various places from being pulled.
Someone once said. The real enemies of a restaurant aren't missed orders or serving mistakes, but “problem customers.”
“Ms. Diana.”
“...Yes.”
“Ms. Diana.”
“...I'm listening.”
“I'm quitting this job.”
“...30 copper coins.”
“It's no use trying to bribe me with money. My mind is already made up.”
“40.”
“I've decided to bury my bones here. Just tell me what to do, Boss.”
“Wh-whatever...?!”
Sighing, I picked up the broom and a rag.
-------------------- Wanna support me personally, or suggest a series i should pick? you can do all of this and more at my ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/vinez --------------------