Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Harpy Queen (2)
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“I… I was only giving you a blessing…”
The Harpy Queen must have sensed their murderous intent, as she began to tremble.
“Alright. It wasn't on purpose, so both of you, calm down.”
“If you say so, Hyeon-ung…”
“Mister, you’re fine with a kiss from anyone, monster or not?”
“It’s not a matter of being fine with it or not.”
Well, it’s not like I knew it was coming.
And I wasn’t the one who did it.
“Hmph!”
“Rina, I know you like me, but there’s a time and place for jealousy.”
“Who… Who said I was jealous!”
“Um, it wasn't a show of affection, but a blessing. Please, don't be angry.”
Fortunately, they both withdrew their killing intent.
“Sorry for startling you.”
“No, not at all. I should have explained it properly… I apologize.”
“Let’s drop the subject. Isn’t there something else you were going to give me?”
I received the random stats and the blessing, but there was still one more thing to get.
The additional reward.
The quest window clearly stated there would be an additional reward for collecting more Hippogriff Hearts.
I wondered if it was just covered by the completion of the linked quest, but the Harpy Queen nodded.
“Yes. Benefactor, could we perhaps speak alone for a moment?”
Alone?
Timi and Rina stepped between me and the Harpy Queen.
“Isn’t being alone a bit… much?”
“That’s right. We don’t know what else she might try to do to you, mister.”
Given her track record, they were on high alert.
“There will be no physical contact. It’s just a very private matter… Is that not okay?”
Another quest?
The Harpy Queen looked at me with her large eyes, and my resolve nearly wavered, but I shook my head.
“Everyone here is a precious and trustworthy companion to me. If it’s something they can’t hear, then I won’t hear it either.”
Though no one said anything, they all looked slightly moved.
The problem was the Harpy Queen.
Fortunately, after a moment of thought, she dismissed the other harpies around her.
“As you wish, Benefactor, I will speak in front of everyone, but please promise me you will not repeat what I’m about to say to the other harpies.”
“I promise.”
When I answered, the Harpy Queen looked at my companions.
“We promise, too.”
“I promise.”
I didn’t know what she was being so cautious about.
She should just give me the reward.
“Benefactor, thanks to you collecting the Hippogriff Hearts, not only has my curse been completely cured, but I’ve also regained my forgotten memories.”
“Forgotten memories?”
“I may look like a monster now, but I was actually a Summoner who challenged the Labyrinth.”
A Summoner?
“That’s a ridiculous lie.”
“How can a Summoner become a monster?”
“Isn’t it possible the curse hasn’t been fully cured?”
My companions were greatly agitated, but I raised a hand to calm them.
“Everyone, that’s enough.”
“Mister, you can’t possibly believe that, can you?”
“Hyeon-ung, I’ve never heard a story like this either.”
It was hard for me to believe as well, but there was no reason for the Harpy Queen to make up such a lie.
In fact, some parts of it did add up.
The Lord of Kramis did say you could make a choice starting from the 50th floor.
Of course, you’d have to leave the Labyrinth, and the choice could only be made every ten floors. If you chose not to stay and died while continuing the challenge, you might end up as a monster like this.
It wasn’t an entirely impossible story.
“Thank you.”
“Nothing to thank me for. Continue your story.”
The Harpy Queen calmly continued.
Her story, which lasted nearly twenty minutes, could be summarized as follows.
The Harpy Queen’s original name was Alice.
She died while fighting the 51st-floor boss with her guild, and when she opened her eyes, she had become a harpy.
“So, what is it you want to say?”
“I had a lover I adored. He was a very strong and adventurous person. Benefactor, could you perhaps find him for me…?”
“No, wait a minute.”
…It seemed the information about being able to make a choice from the 50th floor didn’t reach her time.
“Is the world you originally came from Earth?”
There were foreigners among those brought to Elsia, after all.
“Earth? I’ve never heard that name before. The place I lived was called Klamasa. My lover was from the same country…”
I pretty much expected this, but she didn’t seem to be from Earth.
I didn’t know every country in the world, but I’d never heard of a nation like that.
That meant she wasn’t a Summoner from my era.
“All the Summoners currently active in the Labyrinth are from Earth.”
“Earth? That doesn’t sound like a country on the Jeita continent. Which continent are you from?”
“It seems we’re not just from different continents, but different planets entirely.”
“Planets? What are those?”
I explained the truth I had heard from the Lord of Kramis to the Harpy Queen, who was tilting her head in confusion.
“Benefactor, does that mean…”
“Your lover might have also stopped his challenge, lost his memories, and become a resident of this other world, or he might have reached the end of the Labyrinth and returned to his original world.”
There was one more option—death—but I didn’t mention it, as it seemed too cruel.
The first two possibilities were painful enough.
“…He could have died and become a monster, just like me.”
Such a desolate voice.
Her face was a mask of utter devastation.
I had deliberately left that part out because I was afraid of this, but it seemed it was all for naught.
“Hey, it’s not like he’s confirmed dead. Don’t you think it’s a bit early to think like that?”
“…That’s right. If you think positively, your lover might have successfully cleared all 100 floors, received the Orb of Wishes, and returned to where he came from…”
Hanna and Milli offered their condolences.
“I don’t think you need to assume the worst, either.”
“I agree with that.”
“Yeah. No need to think negatively, right?”
Alpen, Timi, and even Rina.
How admirable.
I was once again reminded of how warm-hearted all my companions were.
“Hey, mister, didn’t you just say that if you clear all 100 floors, you get an Orb of Wishes?”
“That’s right.”
“Then didn’t he fail? He didn’t use the Orb of Wishes to bring this woman back to life.”
“You can only make one wish…”
“Then even if he succeeded and went back, he’s a completely terrible person.”
“Huh?”
“It means going back was more important to him than this woman.”
Come to think of it, that was one way to look at it.
But no matter how right she was, saying it like this in front of the Harpy Queen…
Just as I feared, tears began to stream down the cheeks of the Harpy Queen, who had just seemed to be cheering up a little.
“Couldn’t he have stopped partway through?”
In truth, even if he had stopped, it wouldn’t change anything.
According to the information the Lord gave me, Summoners who stop partway through can never return to the Labyrinth.
If he stopped below the 70th floor, he would have lost all his memories…
“I suppose so. Benefactor, may I ask one more favor of you? I just want to know what happened to my lover. Could you please try to find out for me?”
[You have received a request from the Harpy Queen, who has regained her past memories, to find out what happened to her lover.
Find the whereabouts of the Harpy Queen’s lover and inform her. (No time limit)
Quest Reward: Random Stats +10, rewards will be distributed according to performance.]
I had a feeling the story was dragging on for a reason. So it wasn’t a direct reward, but a lead-in to a linked quest.
This wouldn’t be easy.
There was no way to know if he was dead or alive, and if he had stopped partway, he might have lost his memory.
“I don’t know how long it will take, but I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
She bowed her head repeatedly.
“That was a good decision, Hyeon-ung.”
“It won’t be easy. I’m seeing you in a new light, mister.”
“So you’re a romantic, Hyeon-ung.”
A romantic? Hardly.
The reward being based on performance was a bit vague, but with a bonus of 10 random stats and no time limit, there was no reason to refuse.
Besides, while it might be difficult, it wasn’t like I had no way of investigating.
I had the Lord of Kramis, who was quite favorable toward me.
“Excuse me. Then could you start by giving us some information about your lover?”
Oh, Timi, good point.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t even heard his name yet.
“You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
That Rina, always saying ominous things.
“No. I even remember his nickname. Almond. His name was Almondeu, so his nickname was Almond.”
I was genuinely surprised.
I knew someone with the same name.
The very person I was planning to visit first, the Lord of Kramis.
His name was Almondeu.
****
Day 10 in the Labyrinth.
After accepting the Harpy Queen’s quest, we continued hunting Hippogriffs on the 51st floor.
Miter’s blessing was still active, after all.
Of course, even after emptying out the hearts, my inventory filled up again in just a day, but fortunately, the Harpy Queen agreed to hold on to the items for me.
My inventory wouldn’t get any bigger for the next Labyrinth run, but Tae-soo would be coming next time.
If I entrusted the items to him and the other executives of the Golden Lion Guild, I’d be able to bring everything out.
“Hyeon-ung, how much time is left until the Labyrinth closes?”
I checked in response to Hanna’s question. Only 20 minutes remained.
When I told them the time, everyone looked crestfallen.
“We have to wait ten whole days to see you again, Hyeon-ung.”
“It’s a shame.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“How are we supposed to wait that long?”
Disappointment was written all over their faces.
“Anyone would think we’re never seeing each other again. Ten days will fly by, right, Rina, Hanna?”
The two of them had been through this before.
“It won’t fly by. A day without you, Hyeon-ung, feels like a hundred.”
Wow, I didn’t know our Hanna could say things like that.
I was a little touched.
“That’s right. What do you mean it’ll fly by! It seems like you won’t even miss us, mister.”
“Of course not. I’m going to miss our Rina so, so much.”
“Liar. It's written all over your face that you're dying to leave.”
“That's not true.”
I said it wasn’t, but I felt a pang of guilt.
It wasn’t a lie that I’d miss my companions, but I was also a little eager to return to Kramis this time.
There were several reasons, but the biggest one was that I wanted to see the Lord as soon as possible.
I wanted to confirm if he was really the Harpy Queen’s lover.
The Harpy Queen had even written a letter, asking me to deliver it if I found her lover.
In truth, it would be a problem even if he was the one.
If the Lord was her lover, the quest would be resolved quickly, but the two of them would never be able to meet again.
“I guess I won’t be able to see Geum-yong and Phoenix for ten days either…”
Alpen said with a gloomy face, looking at Phoenix and Geum-yong.
“Poyo poyo…”
“Kkyuing…”
Phoenix and Geum-yong sensing Alpen’s mood? Not a chance.
Phoenix had at least gotten much closer to Alpen, but our Geum-yong still only had eyes for Hanna.
Even now, it wasn’t even glancing at Alpen, busy acting cute in Hanna’s arms.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them.”
“Okay. Hyeon-ung, if Geum-yong doesn’t eat items even after we leave, please don’t try to force-feed him.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it a hundred times.”
Considering all the money and items we’d invested so far.
My other companions and I thought Geum-yong had just developed a picky palate, but Alpen had a different idea.
He thought it was about time for it to start paying us back.
It felt so far away at first, but the last day of this rest period would mark exactly one month.
Geum-yong hadn’t been eating items recently, but the amount it had consumed so far was by no means small.
For starters, 300 gold every single day.
Countless rare items.
I think we fed it over ten unique items, and last time it even gulped down a mythic item.
“Kkyuing!”
I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of item that little guy would bring us.
Before I knew it, time was up, and the Labyrinth began to shake.
“See you all next time. Take care until then.”
With that final farewell, my vision shifted, and a familiar plaza came into view.
I was about to head toward Kabisa when I saw a face even more familiar than the plaza.
“Little brother, you’ve worked hard.”
It was Tae-soo.
“Hyung-nim, didn’t you sit out this Labyrinth run?”
“I may have skipped the Labyrinth, but I had to come and greet my little brother.”
I once mentioned that I felt a little lonely coming back from the Labyrinth alone every time.
He had tried to entice me into joining their guild then, which I refused, but it seemed he remembered and came to welcome me.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. You must be tired.”
“I’m fine. I was resting right up until closing time.”
“That’s good to hear. Then let’s go to our guild hall and have dinner together. Seol-hwa has been gathering kimchi for the past few days with her skill.”
I knew she could procure ingredients from Earth with her trait, but I didn’t know that included kimchi.
How fascinating.
“Why kimchi?”
“She said she’d make you pork and kimchi stew when you came.”
In the past, I might have thought this was a green light, but I wouldn’t be fooled anymore.
…Had they still not given up on getting me to join the guild?
But I couldn’t resist pork and kimchi stew…
“Hyung-nim, your guild is really…”
“It’s not about joining the guild. Actually, I have another favor to ask…”
Unlike his usual self, he was scratching his head and looking hesitant, which suggested it was a rather difficult request.
“Hyung-nim, what’s with the hesitation between us? It’s not about joining the guild, so just speak freely.”
“Well… you know the new Summoners will be arriving in a few days, right?”
“Yes.”
You even skipped a Labyrinth run because the Golden Lion Guild is in charge of training this time and had a lot to prepare.
“For this training session, I was hoping our little brother could come and participate.”