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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Unexpected Turns
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Looking at the sun, I saw it wasn't late. Diana's watch read just noon.
“First, we're planning to meet the client, get paid, and then gather for a drink tomorrow evening. What about you? Since you've gained a Blessing, will you go to the temple first?”
‘The temple, huh...’
The temple brought Seraph Adeline’s face to mind.
The woman with the suspiciously odd, vibrating cross necklace.
The priestess, a cat Beastkin clad entirely in white, who was strangely benevolent towards me and gave me sympathetic glances.
– Please head to the Labyrinth.
– Gain experience there, make allies, and grow strong. Strong enough to endure any danger that comes your way.
– That is my personal request.
She had offered to appraise my Blessing herself, and for free, as one of the favors for her personal request, but...
‘Too much hassle.’
The Status Window was a superior appraisal ability to the temple's.
As long as I had the Status Window, there was no reason to purposefully venture all the way to the temple district, unless I was seeking a special miracle.
‘After all, the first time I went to the temple was to check on the questionable Blessing, and the second time was to confirm Densi’s Curse.’
Though I was turned away at the entrance for the purification ritual back then. Anyway.
‘Considering the future, it would be good to go, but...’
Priests are quite valuable personnel.
Moreover, Seraph was a high-ranking priestess in the Mother Goddess Church, and even benevolent towards me.
There was no harm in visiting regularly to build connections.
But that wasn't a reason to go ‘right now’.
Should I complain a little? Honestly, I'm too tired right now. I just want to lie down on the ground, stretch out my legs, and sleep.
‘Even a two-week trip is exhausting, but two weeks in the Labyrinth? It was awful.’
I hadn't planned on staying this long in the first place. I intended to just dip my toes into the second floor and come back, but I got stuck on the fifth floor, and things went terribly wrong.
‘Diana must be worried too.’
Since the kid who said he was going to the second floor hadn't returned for almost three weeks, kind-hearted and benevolent Diana would definitely be worried.
‘I also need to find out where Densi and Jeremy are.’
We parted ambiguously on the second floor, so I was a bit worried about them too.
I decided to take care of all immediate matters first, rest for a few days, and then go see Seraph.
“I’ll go to the temple later, I suppose. I need to rest today too. Let’s meet for a drink tomorrow evening.”
“Hahaha! Sounds good!”
We made our arrangements and parted ways with Joy Hog’s party. We also decided to split the compensation when we met next.
I watched them walk away, then approached the guards near the Labyrinth entrance.
“Ahem. Wh-what is it?”
I asked the guard, who had been standing there boredly but suddenly straightened up.
“By any chance, did explorers named Densi and Jeremy exit the Labyrinth last week or the week before?”
“Densi… Jeremy… Ah. I don’t know who Densi is, but I remember that Jeremy girl.”
Just as I thought. It was a good idea to ask the guard.
They weren’t just wasting a ton of time checking ID tags every time someone entered or exited. Their memory was certainly reliable.
Since it took me two weeks to ascend from the fifth floor, they probably–
“It was quite a stir. That suicide-seeker. A girl who had just reached the second floor joined a 15th-floor expedition as a porter, you see.”
“Excuse me?”
What was this all about now?
***
“Ah. Are you referring to Mr. Jeremy, the Goblin Slayer?”
At the Adventurers’ Guild, where I went to inquire about my party members’ whereabouts, I heard even more astonishing news.
“She volunteered for the porter role in an expedition heading to Eden, a safe zone on the 15th floor. Her eyes, full of spirit, were quite impressive.”
After I was teleported to the fifth floor, Jeremy left.
“Even for an expedition, the middle floors are a place where only one in a thousand novice adventurers returns alive. Even if she does come back alive, it’ll likely take at least half a year, wouldn’t it? Ah, your name was Balkan, correct? As it happens, Ms. Jeremy left a letter and some items for you.”
“Ah. Yes…”
Dazed, I received a backpack and a letter from the Guild employee.
I carefully broke the seal and unfolded the letter.
[If you are reading this letter, it means Big Brother has safely returned from the fifth floor.]
The letter began this way. I slowly read it.
The more I read, the more my head ached, but I finished it anyway.
“Huh.”
After reading it all, a hollow laugh escaped me. Ugh, my head suddenly felt searing hot.
To summarize the letter’s contents:
After I fell into the fifth-floor transfer trap, the two of them joined forces and successfully broke through the second floor to exit the Labyrinth safely.
However, my sacrifice seemed to have been shocking to them in many ways.
– Master is still alive. Alive, I tell you. Master, I need the strength to protect my Master…
‘Ms. Densi muttered such words and left somewhere.’
Jeremy also seemed unaware of Densi’s whereabouts after that.
Afterward, Jeremy, left alone, reached the second floor after another Labyrinth expedition with a different party.
Despite earning the epithet ‘Goblin Slayer’ after only three Labyrinth expeditions, she was struggling with her growth when suddenly–
– You. Become our porter.
She caught the eye of the intermediate adventurers, the Aman sisters, and gained the opportunity to join an expedition as a porter for a supply mission to Eden, a mid-level base on the 15th floor.
‘I apologize for leaving this message so unilaterally. Your unworthy Jeremy felt a great lack during our journey with Big Brother. I cannot forever chase only Big Brother’s back. For the day we can journey together again, I write this letter.’
And so, Jeremy departed for the 15th floor. With the mindset that she shouldn’t hold me back,
‘P.S. I leave my love, which is as precious as my life, to Big Brother.’
I stared at the backpack as if possessed. Goddamn it. Don’t tell me this bastard–
“Aaaaaaah!”
As I pulled *it* out of the backpack, the employee shrieked and fell backward in terror.
It was a natural reaction. Anyone would be surprised if a pale-skinned head with pigtails popped out of a backpack.
I was momentarily startled too and almost dropped Anya’s head. Still, I held on tight, not letting go.
If I dropped this, it wouldn’t be a joke; I’d literally be smashing a head.
‘P.P.S. They say you can keep it clean by just sprinkling water on its crown once a month. I will return with good news. Your unworthy younger sibling, Jeremy.’
“Oh, for real. This crazy bastard–”
My blood pressure suddenly spiked, and I clutched the back of my neck, collapsing.
***
Labyrinth, 5th Floor. The cave on the third level of the Hobgoblin Village.
Densi subtly smiled as she looked at the Hobgoblins, covered in axe marks.
‘Just as I thought, my Master.’
Then she took out the map from her pocket and unfolded it.
This was it. The place where her Master had spent the most time after falling to the fifth floor. Her Master had survived the fifth floor safely.
However, his location wasn’t visible on the map she held, unlike a minimap. This implied two things:
‘Either Master was dead, or he had exited the Labyrinth.’
Densi gazed at the slave contract she always carried, then hugged it tightly with a satisfied expression. Her small chest swelled with emotion.
‘The thumbprint hasn’t disappeared.’
The paper of the slave contract document was specially treated; if a party to it died, the contract would be voided, and the thumbprint on the document would vanish.
But his thumbprint hadn’t disappeared. This was proof that Balkan was still alive.
In other words, he had survived safely, broken through the fifth floor, and exited the Labyrinth.
“Haaah…”
A sigh of relief escaped her automatically. What a relief. Truly.
But it wouldn’t be easy to meet him again in the future. At least two months would have to pass before even a chance to meet arose.
*Mwah*.
Densi unconsciously pressed her lips to his thumbprint.
It felt as if she had kissed his hand. A subtle smile appeared at the corners of Densi’s mouth.
Densi immediately pulled on the collar around her neck herself.
Just imagining his rough gestures made her solar plexus throb and pound with a dull ache.
“Stop that.”
But immediately, a cold voice came from behind her.
Like a doll, a woman with four arms was looking at Densi.
“We have a busy road ahead. You won’t grow any further by staying in a place like this.”
“Yeah, I know, *huff*, but, more than that, right now, *huff*, this is more important… Aaah… *ngh*… More, more… A little harder… Master…”
But for Densi right now, immediate comfort was more important.
She couldn't even fully indulge in this feeling, this joy, that her Master had safely survived and exited the Labyrinth.
Densi continued her pleasant time, choking herself and pressing hard on her solar plexus for a long while.
“……”
The four-armed woman, Intert, quietly watched Densi, then slowly covered her face with her four hands.
“[That person]… chose this kind of perverted girl…? Really…?”
The directive Intert received from [That person] was simple: train Densi to the level of a high-ranking adventurer.
At first, she thought it would be relatively easy compared to the tasks she had handled so far.
The woman named Densi had talent. Her potential was high. And above all,
–I want the strength to protect my Master. My very own Master. I will never lose my Master again.
She possessed immense will and determination. Her venomous eyes clearly held the potential to reach great heights.
‘This girl will definitely become stronger than me.’
Indeed, when taught with focus, Densi quickly absorbed the lessons and grew at an incredibly rapid pace.
Just an hour ago, that thought remained unchanged.
But now, she slightly retracted that thought.
“*Ngh*, *gasp*, *gasp*… Maaster… Maaster…”
“...Haaah.”
It wouldn’t be easy, it seemed.
***
“Densi… Densi… Hmm. There are no records of her visiting the Adventurers’ Guild in the past few weeks.”
Densi’s whereabouts remained unknown.
“Oh, that girl? She packed her bags and left two weeks ago. I don’t know where she went, but her eyes looked completely deranged, you know? She kept muttering, ‘Master, Master,’ and all that.”
I heard similar words from the innkeeper where Densi had stayed.
“Huh…”
Completely drained, I walked blankly through the darkening streets of the Labyrinth City.
I felt hollow. There was no other way to describe my emotions.
My party had broken up again. One had disappeared, and the other was on an expedition where dying wouldn't be surprising.
‘Am I really cursed to have my party break up every time I enter the Labyrinth?’
How could nothing good ever happen?
What made it sting even more was that I thought this party would last for a while.
Who would have known that the two I’d carefully invested in would explode in an instant?
They say there are hellos because there are goodbyes, but this was so damn sudden it just left me numb. All I could do was sigh deeply.
Did I have to form a party with strangers again, continue the meaningless emotional drain and vigilance, and shove my head back into the Labyrinth?
‘I guess I have to. Goddamn it.’
I had to go to the Labyrinth anyway. That thought had grown even stronger during this expedition.
‘Portals. The fifth floor. The unusually targeted misfortunes aimed at me.’
It felt as if none of this was a coincidence.
I shook my head vigorously, trying to clear it as much as possible.
But just as airing out a room doesn't get rid of a deeply ingrained smell, the remnants of Densi and Jeremy floated in my mind. It would probably take quite some time to forget them.
“Haaah…”
What was done was done. Instead of sighing, I should look to the future and think positively.
Noisy voices drifted from my surroundings. Everyone else was busy eating, drinking, and having fun, and I didn't like walking the streets alone, feeling gloomy.
When things were tough, it was all the more important to change one’s mood.
I resolved to soothe myself with a cold beer tonight and make a fresh start tomorrow morning.
‘I miss Diana.’
I wanted to heal quickly. I terribly missed her warm soup.
When I finally arrived, the Cozy Winter Night inn was, unlike usual, dark and closed.
“It’s closed. Did that Curse act up again?”
And then, an unfamiliar woman, clad entirely in black, was muttering that in front of the closed inn door.
Black hair, a high and voluminous ponytail, and red eyes. An expressionless face.
Light brown skin, subtly gleaming under the moonlight, and a well-developed muscular physique that didn’t detract from her femininity.
A daring leotard fashion that left little to the imagination, and a limp black tail hidden beneath her cloak.
A woman who gave the impression of a black cat.
She wasn’t familiar, but I had seen her sometime before. When was it?
‘Ah. When I was waiting in line to enter the Labyrinth.’
The woman the guards had handled with extreme tension. I remembered her because she shared the Adeline surname with Seraph.
But now, perhaps because of the cloak she wore, she looked even more familiar.
[Edelbert Adeline Lv.7X]
The Status Window provided the answer. This was one of the suspicious duo who occasionally visited Diana’s tavern. Her appearance without the mask was quite unfamiliar.
‘The other one was Zirnier, and this person is…’
Just as I was thinking that, the woman clad entirely in black looked at me. Her red eyes met mine through her helmet.
And at that moment, I felt the world stop.
My vision blurred instantly. The world plunged into darkness, and only faint outlines emerged.
Instinctively, I drew my axe.
*Jolt*— *Jolt*—
Cold sweat profusely beaded on the hand gripping my axe.
‘What was that? What was I almost hit by?’
I was instinctively certain. I had no idea what she had done, but I had just nearly died.
“Ah. My apologies. You approached without a sound, so I thought you were an enemy.”
The woman apologized blandly. Perhaps due to the sudden spike in tension, my head felt a little dizzy.
Her expressionless face, if seen alone, was closer to a slight glare, but the woman’s movements were calm.
Though I was wary for a moment, she didn’t seem to have any hostile intentions towards me.
‘Indeed, why would she suddenly be hostile?’
I recalled how Diana had acted casually with the woman. That alone made her far more trustworthy than the countless people scattered on the streets.
Cautiously, I put my axe back into my belt.
“It’s fine. Are you a customer? Or…?”
“I wanted to be a customer, but it seems to be closed today.”
The woman said that, gesturing towards the inn with her chin.
A notice on the door stated that the inn would be closed for the next week.
Diana had never taken a break from running the inn before, so this was strange.
“By the way, you. Your instincts are quite good.”
Her voice came from right beside me. It was as if she were whispering next to my ear.
No, it wasn't ‘as if’.
Her warm breath lightly touched me. She was actually right next to my ear.
The woman had moved several meters and approached me in a fleeting moment that I hadn’t even registered.
“For your level, you remarkably sensed my movement. Your reaction speed is also excellent. There was a reason Diana took you in, it seems.”
As I stiffly turned my head, her red eyes, gleaming under the moonlight, entered my vision.
“You’re Diana’s dildo.”
Her gaze was like one observing a delicious meal or a coveted item.
“Will you not accept my tutelage?”
“...Huh?”
I froze, dumbfounded by the sudden offer. It wasn’t merely because of the bewildering proposal.
‘Dil… what?’
She was quite a difficult person to deal with.
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