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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
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‘People!’
For a moment, in my eagerness, I almost rushed out.
But cold reason halted my steps, and I gripped my axe tightly.
I'd done some thinking during the long walk.
‘The Armored Knight was probably a very rare case.’
It was hard to believe everyone possessed the same morality as the Armored Knight, who had saved me without expecting anything in return.
Even in the modern world, overflowing with resources, there are plenty of bastards who'd stab you in the back. Why would it be different here?
If anything, it would be worse, not better.
Let's think logically.
How many sane people would willingly venture into a place teeming with hideous monsters that devour men and turn them into pleasure-addicted fools?
I felt the back of my head, checking if my helmet was securely fastened. Good. It was on tight.
Gripping my axe, I maintained my guard, just as I would when facing several Goblins.
Thump, thud.
They stopped just within the reach of the faint light.
The corridor was about 5 meters wide. They were pressed against the left wall.
To maximize the distance, I leaned my back against the right wall and approached cautiously.
With each step, their silhouettes began to emerge. I was probably in their line of sight too.
I quickly assessed their gear.
There were four of them. One man and three women.
The man's clothes were shabby, and his body looked frail. Aside from carrying a large backpack, he had no distinguishing features. He just looked like a common porter.
I scrutinized the women, who appeared to be the actual combatants.
All the women wore black combat boots, protective gear, and leather armor, and each carried a shield, a wand, or a sword.
But there was an even more striking feature.
"...Beastkin?"
Perked-up cat ears and swishing tails!
A group of Beastkin, with human faces but distinct ears and tails, stood before me.
"...Man-lovers."
"Looks delicious."
Gulp. I heard a gulp from the Beastkin's side.
Squeeze!
I gripped my axe so hard it felt like it would shatter.
‘Delicious?’
Surely these guys aren't cannibals, are they? Like, man-eaters?
Thump!
The Beastkin with the wand, after uttering the word "Man-lover," covered the mouths of the two Beastkin who had smacked their lips, eyeing me as if I looked delicious.
"Sorry. We had no intention of attacking, so how about we just go our separate ways?"
"...Go ahead."
"Okay."
As they approached, my wariness intensified. I was ready to swing my axe at any moment.
"Uhh-huh-huh-uh."
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh-huh. Huh-huh."
Sticky gazes followed me.
The Beastkin with the sword and the one with the shield muttered something to me, but the Beastkin with the wand stopped them, so I couldn't hear clearly.
"..."
The porter man at the very back looked at me with an envious expression, then silently turned his head and followed them.
‘...A collar?’
The collar around his neck bothered me for a moment, but it wasn't my business. I had enough on my plate just looking after myself.
And so, we passed each other completely.
For a moment, I stayed put, watching where they went. I didn't want them to change their minds and attack from behind.
But they went their way without hesitation.
"...What the hell was that?"
I felt bewildered, but relief was the stronger emotion.
In the absolute worst case, I'd prepared for a fight, so it was a relief that nothing happened.
‘Cannibal Beastkin, how awful.’
Lost in idle thoughts, I continued towards the escape portal.
***
Grumble, grumble—
My stomach screamed for food again.
But perhaps because I'd been fasting for so long, at some point, the hunger became somewhat bearable.
What truly hindered me, however, was thirst. A terrible, throat-burning thirst!
As I kept moving, sweat poured, but there was no water to replenish it.
Didn't they say a person dies if they don't drink water for three days?
How many days had I gone without water now? I didn't know for sure, but it felt like at least two.
About halfway through the second straight corridor, I finally pulled out the antidote.
The antidote I had carefully saved for an emergency.
Now, I really had to drink this, even this, to quench my thirst.
"I will truly repay this kindness."
Pop!
As I uncorked the potion bottle, a cheerful pop was followed by an apple scent.
It felt like uncorking a fine wine for a toast, though I'd never actually tasted fine wine.
Unfortunately, the amount was truly small. Too little even to just moisten my lips. But it was something.
Gulp.
There was too little to savor the taste.
Drinking just a little made me crave more. But I squeezed my eyes shut and recorked the bottle.
"Don't think. Just walk."
There was still a long way to go.
***
Thunk!
"Ugh...!"
I came to, slumped against a wall.
"Kek, ke-kek!"
A Goblin's knife had lightly pierced my left forearm.
Thwack!
I kicked the Goblin in the abdomen, sending it flying to roll against the opposite wall.
"Kek, kelek, kek."
Four Goblins gathered around the one struggling to get up.
‘Fuck. When did they gather like this? Did I even fall asleep?’
It seemed my brief rest had turned into actual sleep.
It felt like two days had passed already. I hadn't eaten or slept in that time, so I must have momentarily lost consciousness.
A painful mistake. But self-reproach now wouldn't change anything.
"Kelelek!"
I dodged the Goblin's fierce charge and buried my axe.
Thwack!
"Kek!!"
Damn it. It was shallow.
My stamina was low, and the axe blade was dulled by Goblin blood and fat.
The one with the axe half-buried in its neck swung its knife just before dying.
Crunch!
"Kerrr-r-r-r-ek!"
I quickly grabbed the Goblin's forearm and twisted it, making it scream in pain and drop its knife.
I picked up the knife, held it to the Goblin's neck, and threatened the other Goblins.
"Don't come any closer. If you make a move, this bastard dies."
"Kek! Keh!"
The Goblin horde charged at me as if to say, "Screw you!"
"Such merciless bastards, without a drop of blood or tears."
Slash!
I slit the Goblin's throat with its own knife, then plunged the knife into the head of the approaching one.
Is it because it's a monster's weapon? It slices through smoothly.
"Kek...!"
Before I knew it, the last remaining one began to tremble and flee.
Whoosh!
The knife, thrown through the air, embedded itself in the Goblin's heart.
Catchball used to be a hobby of mine back in the day. Though there was never anyone to catch for me.
Well, the Goblin caught it with its heart, so I guess this counts as a form of catchball, doesn't it?
Once the battle was over, my strength gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground.
It felt like I'd used up all my strength in that last fight.
I had to get up. I had to keep walking. I had to walk to escape the Labyrinth.
Now, I truly had no strength left. I was sleepy. And hungry.
"...I have to, get up..."
Thump, thump.
"..."
Heavy footsteps. Human presence.
—Looks delicious.
A chill instantly ran down my spine.
In my current state, if I encountered those Beastkin-like individuals, I'd become a meal without the strength to resist.
The footsteps grew closer.
"Huh...! What, what is it?!"
The eyes of the explorers who found me next to the pile of Goblin corpses in the corridor widened.
From inside my helmet, I quietly observed them.
A girl with the plain appearance of a country maiden and a woman who seemed prickly were each equipped with a dagger and a bow.
Both carried small backpacks, but they didn't seem to have any decent armor.
Their gazes swept over my body.
Could I win if they attacked? In this state?
I quickly tried to grip my axe, but my hand wouldn't clench properly.
They gradually approached me.
Damn it, if this keeps up...!
"Are you alright? You're still alive, aren't you...?"
...?
The plain-looking girl extended her hand with a worried expression.
I stared blankly at her hand.
What is this? Why are they being kind?
***
"How can I ever repay this kindness?"
Season 2 of benevolent grace. The Armored Knight was gone, and a new light had appeared.
"Oh, it's nothing. Explorers help each other, you know."
The plain-looking girl, like a country maiden, said with a pleased smile.
It's amazing how people who do good deeds all say the same things.
Even if the world is fucked up, good people still exist.
Crackling—crackling—
They had piled Goblin corpses like a wall to guard against potential attacks, and a bonfire crackled in the center, around which they sat in a circle.
The prickly girl kept watch over the surroundings, while the plain-looking girl was boiling soup.
It occurred to me that with several people, you could actually take a proper rest like this.
"Here. It's ready. Please try some."
The plain-looking girl handed me a plate full of soup.
"Ah... Thank you so much."
I took the soup with a grateful heart. My goodness. Soup. Food! My hands trembled with joy as I received it.
My mind was filled with thoughts of soup.
My eyes glazed over at the food, and I took off my helmet without thinking.
"..."
"...Wow."
Because of this, I didn't even notice the subtle shift in the atmosphere around me.
The plain-looking girl smiled quietly, and the prickly girl gasped, glancing at the plain-looking girl.
Taking off my helmet felt like shedding restraints; my vision widened, I could breathe freely, and I even felt a sense of liberation. Honestly, it had been stifling until now.
With my body warming by the bonfire and my heart melting with the soup I'd received, I carefully took a spoonful.
It was a thin, white soup. More like water than actual soup, really. No solid bits, and not a strong flavor.
But what did that matter! After what felt like two days and eight hours of fasting, I poured the soup into my stomach.
My insides warmed, and my heart began to pound.
A strangely hazy feeling washed over me. Yes. This was it. This was exactly it.
Tears of emotion streamed down my face.
I emptied the bowl of soup in an instant.
"I'm sorry, but could I possibly have another bowl?"
"Why are you sorry? There's plenty, so eat as much as you like."
"Thank you!"
"...No need to thank me."
I took the soup the plain-looking girl handed me again.
It should have been a simple matter of pouring soup into a bowl, but for some reason, it took a little longer this time.
‘...What? Why is it suddenly so sour?’
Moreover, unlike the first soup, the second one had a strong sour taste and a strange aroma that hit me immediately. The scent was so potent it made me squint slightly.
‘You idiot. Don't complain. Just drink it gratefully.’
"How does it taste?"
"It's, it's really delicious."
"Hehe. That's good. Drink it all down. All. The way."
"Ah. Yes."
"There's also bread here, so please eat. It's hard, so you'll need to soak it thoroughly in the soup before eating."
"Thank you."
I almost had trouble with the hard bread when I mindlessly shoved it into my mouth. A kind person indeed.
"..."
I soaked the bread in soup and took a mouthful. Thanks to the soup, it was definitely moist and soft to eat.
Still, the sour taste lingered stubbornly.
Just as I had almost finished the newly received soup.
An unusual wave of fatigue washed over me.
Certainly. I had been so tired I'd fallen asleep without realizing it, but with such warm kindness and warm soup, I felt my guard drop.
"Oh my. You must be tired. We'll take the first watch, so please rest easy."
"Are you sure that's alright?"
"Of course."
"Thank you. I'm grateful."
"Hehe. Not at all. We're the ones who should be grateful."
‘...Grateful?’
My eyes slowly closed without my realizing it. It felt like the thread of my consciousness was snapping.
"You can repay the kindness, with your body."
Through my blurring vision, I saw the two women smiling widely.
It was a smile I'd seen somewhere before. And quite recently, too.
‘Ah. That Goblin. The bastard licking its tongue from its crotch.’
That bastard had exactly that expression.
"Uh, oh...?"
A sudden chill ran down my spine, and my mind snapped awake.
‘Fuck. I've been had!’
"You, sons of bi—!"
"Oh my. Just noticing now? Don't get up, sleep more. You were tired, weren't you?"
Poke—
The plain-looking girl poked my forehead.
"To drink soup laced with sleeping poison without suspicion. You really are naive, aren't you?"
All strength had left my body. I couldn't resist this terrible, sweet slumber.
My consciousness severed, I instantly lost control of my mind.
***
"Haa, haa... My god. I've never seen anything like this. His body is like a rock. Ah, my womb is trembling like crazy... How much do you think he'd fetch if we sold him on the slave market?"
"Even over his pants, he's like this, almost as big as my forearm...? Gulp. And his face... At this rate, he's worth 30 gold coins, no, 40..."
"Isn't it too much of a waste to sell him right away? Should we have a little taste first?"
"Are you a genius?"
Several conversations drifted through my hazy mind. Conversations about selling me as a slave.
My mind grew colder and colder.
Ah. It hadn't been long since I vowed to be careful. And I'd already been tricked.
But it was too sweet a temptation. Warm food, a warm place, and rest. What could be more desperately needed by someone exhausted in the Labyrinth?
‘Thanks to them, I certainly got my rest.’
My exhaustion vanished as if I'd had a deep sleep. My body's condition was now at its absolute peak.
"You know what?"
As I quietly mumbled, the rustling sounds around me instantly ceased.
I slowly opened my eyes, and the plain-looking bitch's face, frozen in shock as she was in the middle of pulling down my pants, came into view.
"I've been drinking antidotes all the way here."
I clenched my fist tightly.
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