Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: I'll Do Anything
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Rin felt the dazzling light seeping through the window and frowned.
Did I forget to close the curtains last night...?
Rubbing her half-open eyes, Rin started to sit up to draw the curtains but paused for a moment.
As her mind gradually cleared from the fatigue and sleepiness, she sensed that the place she was in felt a bit unfamiliar.
...Where is this?
Looking around, Rin belatedly realized that this wasn't her own room.
This was... Ian's room.
"...!"
Rin bolted upright in bed.
Recalling what had happened before she fell asleep last night, she finally remembered the events with Ian from the previous evening.
After doing it last night, she must have been so exhausted that she passed out right there.
As embarrassing memories of trying various things in the heat of the moment started surfacing one by one, Rin clutched her head, her face flushing bright red.
Last night, with the captain... that kind of thing.
And that too.
Even that...
How am I supposed to face him from now on?
The one silver lining was that she was alone in the room right now.
Ian must have gone out early for some business.
...At least this buys her a little time to figure out what to say the first time they see each other.
Rin sighed and rummaged through the pajamas folded in the corner, slipping them on.
After quietly washing up in the first-floor bathhouse, Rin felt a wave of hunger hit her belatedly.
Lunchtime had long passed, but Tanya must have left something prepared in the kitchen.
With that thought, Rin peeked her head out, only to lock eyes with the other squad members gathered in the lounge.
"......"
This was something she had hoped would never come...
But it was bound to happen eventually.
She had gone to the captain's room to talk, ended up spending the night in the same room, and now returned as a comrade.
There would be plenty of topics to gossip about.
Rin had brainstormed various excuses while in the bathhouse.
Like, we just talked all night...
Or, I was so tired I fell asleep in the captain's room...
Or, we just held hands while sleeping...
But looking at her friends' lecherous expressions as they stared at her, it was clear those flimsy excuses wouldn't fly.
"Rin! You're awake."
"Ah, hi. Where's the captain?"
"He said he had some business and stepped out for a bit."
Tanya greeted Rin first and stood up from her seat.
"Hungry? I've got stuff ready, so I'll whip something up quick."
Tanya headed to the kitchen to prepare Rin's lunch.
Meanwhile, Mika, who had been watching Rin from the side, patted the empty chair next to her.
Rin awkwardly turned away at the sight of Mika gesturing for her to sit.
"No, I'm not really hungry... Eek."
Just run for it.
As Rin thought that and turned to flee, something thudded into her forehead.
There was nothing there... but upon closer inspection, a translucent wall had appeared.
It was the remote barrier magic Mika had been practicing lately.
Rin turned to Mika with a dumbfounded grumble.
"...You could never get it right before, but it works now?"
"I'm the type who's strong in real combat."
"Save it for actual fights...!"
It was a futile resistance, easily blocked even that, leaving Rin no choice but to be dragged to the table where all her comrades were gathered.
Rin received a bowl of stew from Tanya and glanced at the comrades sitting beside her.
Mika and Tanya on either side, Ria directly in front.
She was surrounded so thoroughly she couldn't even scoop a single spoonful in peace.
Feeling like she was sitting on a bed of thorns, Rin ate her stew.
Mika, sitting next to her, observed Rin closely before asking the question burning in her mind first.
After all that commotion last night, they needed to know if it had worked or not.
"So, how is it? Feel any effects?"
"What?"
"...What do you mean? You went to the captain's room for that, right?"
"...Ah!"
Everyone made the same face at Rin's reaction, as if she herself was surprised and saying, Right, that was it!
Had she forgotten why she even went there, completely lost in that?
Rin realized her mistake belatedly and flushed bright red.
Upon hearing that, Rin belatedly checked her own body.
Is there anything different...?
No matter how much she pondered, just sitting in the chair and clenching her fist didn't reveal any noticeable difference from yesterday.
"Um... I don't really know yet. Maybe a bit more energetic than usual."
"What about magic power or anything?"
"How do you even feel that?"
"You know, like bubbling inside... and tingling..."
What if her magic power had increased and Rin just didn't notice?
Thinking that, Mika earnestly explained how to sense magic power, but understanding Mika's explanation was the first hurdle.
"What does that even mean...?"
"Just focus! And then, whoosh..."
As Mika grabbed Rin and tried to make her understand magic power...
Someone who had been quietly listening interjected from the side.
"Hey, wait a sec."
It was Ria, who had been silently listening until now.
"You're not messing with me...? You're serious?"
Ria looked at everyone with a still-suspicious expression.
Of course, Ria had heard the full story last night when Mika and Tanya dragged her to their room about why this had all happened.
But the answers weren't satisfactory.
Drinking the captain Ian's... stuff cures curses, or has effects like an elixir.
That was the absurd tale she got.
When Ria asked if they'd been drinking, Tanya and Mika looked utterly wronged.
"It's true."
"Yeah! We didn't mean to exclude Ria; we had to limit it to as few people as possible..."
The two were still dead serious.
Rin nodded in agreement.
At that point, Ria had no choice but to concede.
Setting aside whether it was real or not... they weren't trying to tease or trick her.
At the very least, all three here truly believed it.
"Just because of his constitution?"
Still, it was hard to accept that at face value.
Ria had never entered the labyrinth herself, but as a C-rank, she often heard stories about it.
Just stepping inside curses your soul.
Countless people who entered without proper curse countermeasures never returned.
There were tons of tales about people retiring because they couldn't cure their curses.
"Something that simple to lift a curse? If there was a person like that, no one would leave them alone..."
...I see.
If it's real, yeah, they'd have to keep it a total secret.
As the pieces clicked together like gears, Ria started tilting her head in doubt.
Ria nodded, agreeing to keep it secret as everyone insisted.
─Creak.
At that moment, the front door opened, and someone entered the guild house.
There was only one person who had gone out. Everyone's gazes turned to the entrance.
"Captain! Done with your business?"
"Yeah. Everyone's gathered, huh."
Everyone stood to greet Ian.
And... without any time to prepare mentally, Rin and Ian's eyes suddenly met.
"......"
"......"
An awkward atmosphere thick enough for everyone to feel.
It hadn't even been a full day yet, so the memories of last night were still vivid for both.
With so many onlookers, they couldn't openly express their true feelings.
In the end, they swallowed what they really wanted to say and exchanged awkward greetings.
"W-Welcome back."
"How's your body feeling?"
"Y-Yeah, um... I'm fine!"
Uncontrollable faint smiles crept onto their faces as they spoke.
...So hot.
Mika smirked and nodded, feeling that ticklish, half-understandable vibe.
Tanya took the items Ian was carrying in both hands and asked.
"By the way, what's all this?"
"Oh. Stuff for Rin."
Everyone, led by Rin, stared at the items he set on the table in confusion.
"All of this... for me?"
"Promised to help you get stronger."
Ian handed the items he had procured today one by one to Rin.
"Here. This is a guild training voucher."
It was something he got from the mercenary guild by paying guild coins.
He'd never used coins this way in the game.
But Ian's guess that they could be used more diversely in reality proved correct.
Ian had traded coins for work hours.
The result was this ticket for a full day of personal training from a guild mercenary.
...Rin currently knew two guild mercenaries personally.
Imagining training under Chris and Rebecca, her face went pale.
A chilling thought suddenly struck Rin.
Did I really say yesterday... that I'd do anything?
"And this is..."
"A potion that reduces stamina consumption. It'll let you train longer."
"What about this?"
"Seemed like you didn't have any books to study, so... the rest arrive tomorrow."
Hieeek...
Rin's silent scream escaped.