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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Idelbert's Curse
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There had been a minor commotion from night until morning, but the day proceeded as usual.
After filling my stomach with Diana Ordia's special breakfast course, a rare treat, I immediately headed to the Explorer's Guild.
— If you wish to receive training, seek out Edelbert Adeline at the Explorer's Guild.
Naturally, the reason was to receive combat training from Edelbert Adeline.
No matter how I thought about it, there was nothing to lose by going. How often does one get the chance to receive training from an explorer of her caliber?
In a world governed by barbaric and primal principles of power, martial prowess was an essential discipline.
I believed I shouldn't miss this opportunity, at the very least.
***
The Explorer's Guild was bustling today as well. Explorers and various other people flocked in.
There were fresh-faced newbies here to register as explorers, explorers milling about looking to form parties, explorers seeking work, and clients posting requests.
“Next. Please come in.”
All of them passed through the Explorer's Guild staff. They didn't earn high salaries for nothing; their workload was beyond what any ordinary person could endure.
At the weary-eyed staff member's words, a man sat down. The female employee looked at him.
A man wearing a helmet. His sturdy, toned body, hidden beneath a black short-sleeved t-shirt, was particularly impressive—the kind that made one feel a sudden urge for… *ovulation*.
“I’m here to find someone. I was told you’d know immediately if I mentioned their name.”
“Ah, yes. What is the purpose of your search? Party matching? Or a request?”
Energized by the sudden eye-candy, the staff member asked eagerly.
“No. I’m looking for someone who wants to… form a master-disciple relationship with me?”
“Ah! You’re here to apply for training!”
The Explorer's Guild had a training system.
It was a system where high-level explorers taught lower-level explorers, much like masters.
It was divided into a light type of training, where one was brought in as a porter and taught, and a deep type of training, where a full-fledged master-disciple relationship was formed.
On the surface, it seemed like a good system for explorers to build fundamental martial prowess and accumulate knowledge about labyrinth monsters and traps, but…
‘In reality, it wasn’t always good.’
Just as there were various types of masters, there were explorers with common sense and those without.
Especially in master-disciple relationships, even if an arm was severed during a simulated sparring match,
— ‘I didn’t know you were so weak. You can just get your arm reattached at the temple, can’t you? With your own money.’
Some would say.
— ‘This kid is too thick-headed; they can’t learn no matter how much I teach them. I’m stopping the lessons now. Of course, I’ll keep all the money you’ve paid so far.’
And others would say.
In short, there was a high chance of encountering a 'landmine' master.
The probability of finding a proper master was lower than a second-floor explorer surviving a fifth-floor teleportation trap and returning alive.
Though there were rookie explorers who lamented wasting precious time and money on terrible masters, what could they do about it?
Even a master with a terrible personality had to be at least an intermediate explorer, or at the very least, someone with comparable skill.
The Explorer's Guild preferred those who had proven their martial prowess to some extent and could hunt monsters in the labyrinth more effectively, rather than the countless low-level explorers.
“Ah, I’m not applying for it. The person told me to come if I wanted to be their disciple.”
But very occasionally, there were cases like this.
Cases where the master sought out a talented individual to take them on as a disciple, rather than the aspiring disciple waiting for days to find a master.
Worthless masters who merely wanted to leech money wouldn’t bother with such troublesome endeavors.
Paradoxically, this was also because of the Explorer's Guild.
The Explorer's Guild had little interest in weak individuals with no growth potential, but they promised strong individuals commensurate treatment and rewards.
If a master tried to exploit and ruin a talented sprout by leeching money, the Guild would intervene and shackle the master’s hand.
The staff member mentally noted the helmeted man before her.
She didn’t know who the master was, but the fact that he had been approached first was proof that he possessed enough talent to become at least an intermediate explorer in the future.
There was absolutely no harm in making a good impression.
“Ah, I see! If you tell us your master’s name, we’ll connect you right away.”
The helmeted man nodded immediately and spoke casually.
“Edelbert Adeline.”
Swoosh—
“?”
Nam Su-jin felt a sudden chill in the surrounding air.
‘What was that? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?’
He had merely uttered the name Edelbert Adeline. What could possibly warrant such a reaction?
“...D-did I, did I hear that wrong...?”
The staff member, though weary-eyed, had maintained a smile until now, but her face was now clouded with deep confusion.
“Edelbert. Her surname is probably Adeline.”
“Gasp…”
The staff member’s expression began to turn pale, beyond mere confusion. She looked incredibly flustered and tense.
…He didn’t know why, but he could certainly tell that Edelbert Adeline was no ordinary person.
“Male. Are you insane? How dare you casually speak Her name?”
“This bastard’s lost his mind. Hey. Just because you have a dick doesn’t mean everything you say is forgiven. You’re going to get into serious trouble, you know?”
It wasn’t just the staff member; explorers directly affiliated with the Explorer's Guild, who had been lingering nearby, also began to approach Nam Su-jin.
Not all explorers were loyal to the Explorer's Guild just because they were explorers.
‘They’re more like mercenaries, after all.’
They merely held explorer identification tags. Many were affiliated with various other powers: nobles, academies, temples, clans, and so on.
Those surrounding Nam Su-jin now were explorers who had dedicated themselves entirely to the Explorer's Guild. He could tell by the badges pinned to their chests.
Nam Su-jin looked at those glaring down at him menacingly and thought.
He didn’t know why they were having such an outburst, but he knew the commonality between them and the staff member: they were all affiliated with the Explorer's Guild.
Her. Her name. Forgiveness.
Reactions ranging from extreme confusion to anger…
‘Edelbert Adeline. She must be someone incredibly high-ranking.’
He had somewhat expected it, but still.
Given that she was Diana Ordia’s party member and possessed such martial prowess, it would have been stranger if she *weren't* a high-ranking individual.
He calmly observed them. There were some challenging opponents, but also some pushovers mixed in. If it came to a fight, he could probably make his way out somehow.
But there was no need to.
He wasn’t a barbarian obsessed with fighting, nor did he have any reason or justification to shed blood, and besides…
“So you’ve finally arrived, Diana Ordia’s dildo.”
A woman had calmly entered his range of perception.
***
“C-Chairwoman!”
“G-G-Greetings, Guild Master Edelbert Adeline!”
Those who had surrounded me tensed up and bowed their heads to Edelbert Adeline.
The dozens of staff members at the counters did the same.
“Wow. To actually see the Guild Master of the Explorer’s Guild…”
“She’s someone who rarely shows herself unless there’s a major incident. Why is she suddenly here?”
“I don’t know. Just look… *Hmph*, her body is incredible… That’s the ideal alpha female…”
“Hey. Your eyes are weird… You’re a woman, right…?”
Even the explorers who had been going about their business looked at Edelbert Adeline with eyes full of awe.
“Why are you all gathered here?”
When Edelbert Adeline asked those surrounding me, an answer immediately blurted out.
“This man, without knowing any better, dared to speak the Guild Master’s name and blab about a master-disciple relationship, so we were about to teach him a lesson— ”
“Yes. I was the one who proposed it first.”
“Haha. Of course. Then we’ll teach this fellow a les— Huh?”
The face of the person who had been laughing and answering mechanically stiffened.
“I called him, so now go about your business.”
“Ah. Y-yes, yes!”
As Edelbert Adeline casually waved her hand, the Guild-affiliated explorers who had been bowing deeply scattered like the parting of the Red Sea and returned to their duties.
I looked at Edelbert Adeline, who had arrived before me, and opened my mouth.
“What in the world is a ‘dildo’? I have a proper name: Balkan.”
“You’ll become Diana Ordia’s dildo eventually anyway, so, well. Fine. Balkan. The fact that you’re here means you’ve accepted my offer, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“A wise choice. From now on, you are my disciple. Follow me, Disciple.”
Edelbert Adeline’s tail, still expressionless, swayed slightly.
Watching Edelbert Adeline’s tail dance limply outside her cloak, I stepped into the Guild Master’s private magic elevator.
The interior was impossibly spacious. The air felt strangely fresh too.
Ordinary explorers or staff members had to climb this ridiculously tall Explorer's Guild building using cramped, old magic elevators and stairs. This truly seemed like a privilege only the Guild Master could enjoy.
Edelbert Adeline indifferently pressed the top floor button.
Through the closing gap in the doors, the bewildered faces of the Guild staff came into view.
“This is unbelievable…”
“H-has something like this ever happened…? No, even high-ranking explorers rarely take on disciples directly… but the Guild Master herself…?”
“The Guild Master has never had disciples before.”
“The Guild Master! A disciple…! The Guild Master has taken a disciple!”
I watched them in a panic, then quietly looked at Edelbert Adeline, who stood beside me.
Her height was nearly 180 centimeters. I didn't have to bend my neck much to look her directly in the eye.
“Am I your first?”
“First, with you, what exactly are you referring to?”
“?”
I had heard the Guild members’ words, so I was naturally asking if I was her first disciple.
Whap— Whap—
Seeing Edelbert Adeline’s black tail whip like a lash, it seemed she had interpreted my question with a subtly double meaning.
‘…She secretly enjoys sexual innuendos.’
“For your information, I am a virgin. I have a curse, just like Diana Ordia.”
The fact that Edelbert Adeline was a virgin was a completely irrelevant issue, but her last words suddenly piqued my interest.
“A curse, like Diana Ordia? You, Edelbert Adeline?”
Diana Ordia had a total of six Blessings and Curses.
‘One curse was the Curse of the Lewd, Frail, Corrupted Mark…’
I wondered what the other curses were, but it seemed I was about to learn one more.
“Indeed. And now, call me Master, Disciple.”
“Ah. Yes… So, what kind of curse is it? Can you tell me?”
“There’s no reason not to tell you. However, you must keep it a secret for life. Can you swear?”
“I won’t blab about it anywhere, at least.”
“Swear it if you want to hear.”
“Yes. I swear.”
Ding!
The magic elevator stopped. It was the topmost floor of the towering Explorer’s Guild.
‘Holy hell, this is amazing.’
Was some kind of spatial expansion magic applied here? It was far wider and more enormous than I had imagined.
It was a kind of training facility. Running tracks, sparring rooms, various exercise equipment, weapons, armor, and so on.
It was fully equipped with facilities optimized for training and countless pieces of equipment.
Admiring these, I followed Edelbert Adeline into the sparring arena. The arena itself was quite spacious.
Roughly 700 square feet? The ceiling was also quite high; it seemed a greatsword swung upwards wouldn't even reach it.
“First, as a simple test, I will spar with you a few times to gauge your level. We can decide on the direction of your training afterward, can’t we?”
She tossed off her cloak as she spoke.
Her skin had a pleasing bronze hue, and her body was firm.
My gaze was momentarily drawn to her leotard, which barely covered the peaks of her amply rising breasts, exposed more than half of her buttocks, and precariously flowed over her groin and gluteal cleft.
At a glance, it was an ideal, predator-style, child-bearing female physique, but…
Zing! Zing!
I could feel it. The immense aura erupting from that body.
‘If I relax my guard even for a moment, I’ll be finished!’
I drew my axe from my waist and looked at her.
“Master, aren’t you using a weapon?”
“I am a martial artist.”
Edelbert Adeline slowly extended her fist forward. The aura of a warrior emanated from her scar-covered fist.
“I’ll concede the first ten attacks.”
“Aren’t you being too generous?”
“They call it balancing. Usually.”
Right. To be honest, I still felt like I would lose. The chilling killing intent I had felt back then came to mind.
Perhaps it was because I was intimidated, but it felt like someone was whispering beside me, ‘Are you going to lose?’
But there was no benefit in being intimidated. Hesitation and reluctance were always the causes of defeat.
Since I was doing it anyway, I might as well aim high.
“I’ll win.”
At my murmur, Edelbert Adeline’s expression twitched slightly. Was she smiling?
“Earlier. You said you were curious about my curse, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
As I nodded, she immediately replied.
“It’s the Curse of Rejecting Worthless Dicks.”
“...What…?”
I, who had been aiming to launch a preemptive strike while she was speaking, could only freeze in blank astonishment at that absurd truth.
“Literally, it’s a curse that rejects the intrusion of worthless males. No matter what one does, the dick of a being weaker than me cannot be inserted. And that includes inanimate objects like dildos, of course.”
Edelbert Adeline looked at me with her characteristic expressionless face.
For a moment, I had a thought.
Perhaps that wasn't an expressionless face at all, but rather the look of enlightenment and liberation that only someone who had been unable to lose their virginity for decades could achieve.
“I have high hopes for you.”
What in the world was she hoping for? I felt a wave of fear. It suddenly felt less like disciple training and more like I had entered a dildo cultivation center. What kind of things would I have to go through from now on?
“Now. Come on. Attack me.”
Edelbert Adeline spread her arms wide, her face devoid of expression. She exuded confidence. Her black tail whipped like a lash.
I had completely missed the timing for a surprise attack. I had learned one thing properly the moment the sparring began.
During combat, completely divert your opponent’s gaze.
In many ways, it seemed I was about to receive training from a truly difficult woman, but…
Clench!
I clenched my axe tightly.
After all, if I couldn’t grow stronger, there was no future.
Furthermore, even a night with Diana Ordia might disappear.
‘That absolutely cannot happen.’
I gritted my teeth and charged at Edelbert Adeline.
Another reason to grow stronger had just been added.
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