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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: A Lucrative Offer
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“That was quite the rough greeting. Your old personality really hasn't changed, has it?”
Edelbert brushed off the frost clinging to their cloak.
We were currently sitting at a corner table in the inn.
Edelbert calmly chugged a beer, while Diana covered her face with her hands, looking embarrassed and ashamed.
I, with no strength left to do anything, just sat there quietly.
“Th-that... that's because you phrased it in a way that could easily be misunderstood...”
“Misunderstood? I merely stated the plain, unvarnished truth. Your perverted brain, pickled in curses, just interpreted it strangely. Wouldn't you agree, my disciple?”
“B-Balkan. Don't you honestly think it was a remark that could easily be misunderstood? Hmm?”
Edelbert stared at me with their characteristic blank expression, and Diana looked at me as if she was about to throw herself into my arms.
Ah. You shouldn't ask me about this.
With a troubled expression, I pondered over what had happened in the past hour.
***
A battle between monsters that transcended all comprehension.
It was too strenuous even to follow with my eyes; I had to concentrate so hard my head felt like it would split open, just to barely catch a glimpse of their afterimages.
Swoosh!
As Diana drew an ice bow in the sky, dozens of ice arrows appeared from the empty bowstring and rained down on Edelbert.
Even the magic circle-like formation behind her shot out ice shards.
Thwack! Thud!
Edelbert shattered each fiercely flying ice arrow and shard with their bare fists.
Ice crystals drifted down like snow in the dark Labyrinth City, and some citizens even came outside to witness the mystical sight.
On the other hand, there were also those who rushed over, their eyes blazing with alarm.
They were the Labyrinth City guards and their captain.
As they approached, Diana and Edelbert seemed to exchange a few words, then stopped fighting and retreated.
“Union Leader. And... Diana Ordia... If you two continue this, we'll truly be in a difficult position...”
“I apologize. We caused a nuisance.”
“Here. Take this. I heard the guards have been struggling lately with the disturbances in the outlaw district. Struggle more.”
“Oh my! Hahahaha! Why, thank you for this precious Soul Stone...!”
The guard captain, who had been drooling over the monster Soul Stone received from Edelbert, quickly dismissed his guards and left once the situation stabilized.
It seemed the lack of collateral damage played a significant role.
‘Or maybe, he was just scared.’
Besides the guards, another unusual person came looking for them.
A design that stirred a man's heart. A pure white armor standing two meters tall. A helmet that made one's chest swell with awe. A peculiar emblem embedded in the center of the breastplate.
That appearance, I could never forget it.
‘The Armored Knight?!’
My benefactor who saved me when I was dying in a Goblin den during my Labyrinth trip, and the eccentric who handed over the artifact map that Densi took!
She approached Diana and inquired about her well-being.
“Diana Ordia. It's been years since you retired, what is all this sudden commotion?”
But upon hearing the voice, I immediately shook my head.
The Armored Knight's voice was so sweet it made one's eyes widen. It wasn't that coarse.
Looking again, the armor's design was subtly different. The breastplate of the armor before me was flat.
The Armored Knight's breastplate was of a size that would naturally make one's chest swell.
Moreover, she had a peculiar awkwardness mixed in, even stammering when seeing someone like me.
‘Come to think of it, I even performed a naked dogeza to express my gratitude back then.’
“...Huhu. There was a minor disturbance just now. It's not a big enough deal for the Royal Knights Commander to worry about.”
“Hmm. I'll be watching. I hope you don't cause trouble like you used to.”
“Wh-when was that ever the case...”
After the Royal Knights Commander, who seemed like someone incredibly important, had come and gone, I revealed to Diana that I had become Edelbert's disciple.
“Wh-what kind of dreadful misunderstanding did I...?”
Diana, her face flushed crimson, practically crawled into the inn, bringing the immediate commotion to a halt.
***
“Hmm... rather than assigning blame, I think it's more fortunate that both of you are safe and unharmed.”
I chose to evade the issue like a slippery eel, sidestepping the situation.
If I defended Diana, tomorrow morning's sparring session would likely be incredibly difficult.
And if I defended Edelbert, tomorrow morning's breakfast might just be a "special course" instead of Diana's "special deluxe course."
“Balkan...”
“What a wise disciple, whoever's they may be.”
Diana looked at me with a touched expression, and Edelbert flicked their black cat tail like a whip.
Somehow, it seemed the situation had been handled well, thankfully.
“By the way, I never knew you and Balkan were acquainted...”
“I happened to meet my disciple in front of the inn yesterday. They have quite the talent. If taught well, they could achieve great things.”
“Hmm... a disciple, you say...”
Diana subtly narrowed her eyes and glared at Edelbert.
“Are you truly, only disciples?”
“...For now, yes.”
“......”
“......”
“......”
“......”
Edelbert calmly drank their beer, flicking their tail. Diana continued to stare at Edelbert for a while.
For some reason, I felt a suffocating tightness in my chest.
“Haa... alright. If you try anything foolish, I'll just stop you...”
Diana, who had been muttering quietly, gently closed her eyes again and looked at me.
“Balkan. Even if Edelbert's appearance is a bit... well, their skills are proven. Since you've become their disciple, you might as well drain them dry of all their knowledge. It will surely be a good foundation for your future growth.”
“Yes, I plan to.”
Diana surprisingly said nothing much about me becoming Edelbert's disciple. She simply respected and supported my choice to become stronger.
“Well, this is quite the impudent disciple. To openly declare that you'll leech off your master.”
“Leech? Please think of it as the relationship between fertile soil and a newly sprouted seedling. A disciple must grow by drawing nutrients from the master's teachings.”
“A rather good mindset. Grow quickly while the soil is fertile.”
Gulp. Gulp.
Edelbert chugged their beer in one go and stood up.
“I got a good stretch after a long time. I'll come again next time, Diana.”
“Yes. Go quickly. Hurry up.”
“Have a safe journey, Master.”
“Indeed. My disciple is truly polite, unlike some others.”
“You...”
Diana's reaction seemed new. Was this what they called a 'true friend' relationship?
Edelbert waved their black tail and hand casually behind them as they left. Their footsteps grew faster and faster.
“By the way, did they just leave without paying?”
“...They already spent a Soul Stone, so we should overlook that much.”
Diana, letting out a rare sigh, looked at the inn entrance, which had a hole punched through it by an ice shard.
“Evening business... will be impossible. We need to fix the shop, so just rest well for the next few days.”
“Yes, alright.”
Unexpectedly, I got a three-day holiday. It was a chance to adapt to Edelbert's intense training.
“So. How was the sparring? Was it still too much for you?”
“I'm telling you, that person is practically a demon! It was completely one-sided...”
In the inn, where a cool breeze drifted in, Diana and I sat at the table for a while, talking.
It was mostly gossip about Edelbert, and we also talked about trivial topics.
Even in simple conversation, a faint smile would appear, making it a truly healing time.
After our pleasant conversation with Diana, I left the inn again.
As I walked through the Labyrinth City under the sparkling night sky, I soon saw familiar faces.
“Oh, Balkan! You're here!”
Joy Hog's party greeted me warmly.
The delightful time for settlement had arrived.
***
At a table in one of the countless taverns in the explorer's district of Valerius, the Labyrinth City.
Five individuals looked at a Dwarf with eyes full of anticipation.
“Alright. Is this what everyone wants?”
Joy Hog, who had everyone's attention, grinned and held up a large pouch. Everyone nodded eagerly.
Clink!
As he set the pouch on the table, the sound of coins clinking together filled the air.
Joy Hog carefully untied the pouch's string, and a heap of silver coins spilled out.
“My heavens. How much is all this!”
“Drinks! Another drink here!”
“The Earth Mother blesses us...!”
“Krrraak!”
The Harpy Mage, Ramel Lois, rubbed her face in the silver coins, while Jubel, the Cow Beastkin Swordsman, shouted for another round.
Hitholys, the Cat Beastkin Priestess, invoked the Earth Mother. And Gregore, the Lizardgirl, let out an unintelligible cry.
“Whoa. Holy crap.”
I, too, was dumbfounded. How much was all this?
Suddenly, I recalled the memory of my second Labyrinth exploration, where I had suffered a complete loss on the first floor.
Excluding the bounty for defeating Deluna, my earnings were barely a single silver coin.
‘Of course, I couldn't properly hunt monsters back then...’
In contrast, the money pouch now contained at least 200 silver coins. An amount close to two gold coins.
Indeed, the deeper you go into the Labyrinth, the more significant the earnings become.
I finally understood why explorers risked never returning to the surface, venturing into lower levels for greater rewards.
‘How many months would a normal citizen of the Labyrinth City have to slave away to earn this much money?’
If I didn't have the special status of being Diana's employee, I would probably still be saving money to get an ID card.
It might have taken me years just to properly settle down.
“Alright, alright. Everyone calm down. Let's start the settlement.”
Joy Hog took the money from the pouch and distributed it precisely.
Piles of silver coins, like poker chips, were placed in front of each party member.
I'd heard that many parties fought and broke apart over money, but Joy Hog's party seemed to have no such troubles.
A smile lingered on everyone's lips.
Gregore and I received slightly less than Joy Hog's party members.
It was only natural. Gregore was a porter, and I had only joined in the very late stages.
‘But it's still 20 silver coins.’
It was a very satisfying amount. Honestly, I hadn't expected to receive this much.
‘Edelbert also promised to replace the axe they broke, and Diana said she'd get me a new breastplate since she accidentally tore mine...’
I mentally summarized the results of this Labyrinth trip.
I lost two party members, Densi and Jeremy, but gained a new Blessing. Plus, 20 silver coins and a massive power-up.
Should I consider this a gain or a loss?
“Balkan. Why are you so quiet after receiving just that much?”
“Huh?”
Lost in thought for a moment, I finally realized that Joy Hog's party members were all smiling slyly at me.
“Is the kid inexperienced, or just too pure...”
“From his voice, it sounds like he really didn't expect it? Pfft.”
“Tsk. Should I have just pocketed it first? But I've already spoken, so I can't take it back...”
Jubel, the Cow Beastkin Swordsman, and Ramel, the Harpy Mage, chuckled, and Joy Hog, the Dwarf, scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
I looked at them with a puzzled expression.
Joy Hog reached into the money pouch. He had already finished distributing the shares, so there shouldn't have been any money left inside.
“Aren't you considering the value of the 68 Hobgoblins you annihilated all by yourself?”
“Ah.”
No way. They managed to collect that amidst all that chaos?
I watched in a daze as what happened next unfolded.
The money pouch, once filled with silver coins.
From its inner corner, a single gold coin gleamed with a golden luster, revealed alongside a fragment of a crystal that looked familiar.
‘A Soul Stone!’
Densi had told me about it once.
A treasure dropped with an extremely rare probability when killing monsters, and an essential material for crafting artifacts!
And now, it was placed before me.
“A 5th-floor Hobgoblin's Soul Stone. Simply converted to money, it's worth at least one and a half gold coins.”
“Yahoo!”
These incredibly thoughtful and honorable explorers, with a touch of delightful madness! To think they managed to pick this up amidst all that chaos!
Damn right. After all that hell I went through, I deserve this kind of return!
When I received one gold coin from Zirnier, my heart trembled, fearing I might drop it. But now, more than two and a half gold coins worth of wealth was in my hands.
This wasn't someone's favor or a tip. It was money I earned solely through my own blood and sweat.
All the hardship I'd endured flashed before my eyes, and I felt like tears of emotion would stream down my face.
Excitedly, I rubbed my face against the Hobgoblin Soul Stone, but then the thought of Hobgokasu soured my mood, and I set the Soul Stone down.
Joy Hog, chortling as he watched me, made me an offer.
“Balkan, would you perhaps be interested in taking on a job with us? We're making this offer because we've seen with our own eyes that your skill is outstanding and your character is sound.”
“A job?”
“Yes. The date is two weeks from now, the day the Labyrinth opens. The destination is the 6th floor.”
And it was a truly intriguing offer.
“The objective is to escort Academy students on a Labyrinth field trip.”
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