Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Chapter 2 - Floor 2 #5
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“Burp.”
Aris let out an involuntary burp and blushed. Lucille chuckled softly.
It reminded her of herself two days ago.
“Our Hero’s cooking is delicious, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it really is. I never knew horned rabbit could taste this good.”
Cheon-ho did the cooking.
As promised to Lucille, he made horned rabbit stew while also roasting giant rat meat that had been salted and tenderized.
‘Nice.’
It wasn’t proper rabbit stew, truthfully.
Real rabbit stew required gochujang and gochugaru.
But Cheon-ho was satisfied.
This time, there were things to enhance the stew’s flavor beyond just salt.
First, garlic and green onions.
It wasn’t for nothing that they were in a village.
The amounts were small, but they managed to obtain not just garlic and green onions, but various spices as well.
On top of that, fruits.
Forest Elves were small, but the forest wasn’t. Naturally, the garlic, green onions, and fruits were full-sized.
He put chunks of rabbit meat cut for easy eating into the pot, added chopped green onions and crushed garlic, then sprinkled in some salt.
To that, he added umami.
With the Cooking skill, even meager ingredients turned out tasty.
Once the rabbit meat was fully cooked, he cut it into sizes suitable for the Forest Elves, gave Lucille a salt dish, and provided the Forest Elves with a strong salt broth.
The Forest Elves dipped chunks of meat larger than their fists into the salt broth and munched away. Cheon-ho ladled the broth into cups for them to pour into their own bowls, and they blew on it before sipping.
“Your culinary skills are truly excellent. I am sincerely impressed.”
Saschiell said in a solemn voice.
He had frowned at the raw meat at first, but now it seemed his mind had eased.
“It’s a skill even the God of Cooking acknowledges.”
“The God of Cooking?”
“Yes, the God of Cooking.”
Lucille smiled with a slight air of pride, as if it were her own achievement.
‘Ah, it’s purifying.’
It felt like all the emotional wounds from today were healing.
[When did you even get wounded?]
Holy Sword Mitra, who had played the biggest role in inflicting those wounds, asked. But Cheon-ho didn’t bother replying.
Looking at the generous garlic from Aris, he thought.
‘Beans... I want beans...’
With beans, he could make tofu.
He could make fragrant soy milk too.
Add rice straw, and he could even make doenjang.
Soy sauce, doenjang.
If he could just find chili peppers, even gochujang.
‘Awesome... With doenjang and gochujang, he could make ssamjang too.’
No sesame oil, but vegetable oil could substitute roughly.
Imagining Lucille dipping grilled meat into ssamjang, Cheon-ho made a resolution.
Someday, he would definitely make ssamjang for her.
It was a promise to himself.
Whether chili peppers existed was questionable, but he already knew from Mitra that beans existed.
Beans were common everywhere, East or West.
Fortunately, the Labyrinth World had them too.
‘Father, thank you.’
None of Father’s teachings were useless.
As a child, he had whined about why learn to make fermented pastes, complaining it made him smell.
[Hm, he seems lost in his own world.]
Thanks to Mitra’s words, Cheon-ho returned to reality. Everyone seemed to have finished eating, so it was time to continue the discussion.
“Still, let’s do the dishes first.”
“Yes, Hero.”
Cheon-ho and Lucille worked in perfect sync.
&
“The rough terrain is like this.”
Aris spread a map on the ground.
It was quite large by Forest Elf standards, but to Cheon-ho and Lucille, it was no bigger than a palm.
Still, they could make out the general layout.
“Our current position is here. Unlike the south where you and the angels came from, Hero, the north has less shade and turns into ordinary forest.”
Aris pointed to the southwest of the map. Since it was a map made by the Forest Elf Kingdom, the capital was at the center.
“The Plague God’s minions have occupied the capital. Forest Elves and royals captured from various places are imprisoned there too. It seems they’ve built an altar in the capital’s center.”
Saschiell said, squinting as if the map was hard to see.
“It’s not just ratmen. There are rat ogres too... and definitely the Plague God’s apostle—a named monster.”
Considering the altar and the scale of their forces, it was likely a far stronger foe than the Mad Crawler defeated on the first floor.
“The Treants should head northwest from here. There’s a fork along the way... The Forest Dragon’s abode is a bit further north.”
Aris traced the route on the map with her finger.
They would travel together until just before the Treant village, then split.
“What about the village residents?”
At Lucille’s question, Aris bit her lip briefly before answering.
“We plan to evacuate to the Treant tribe’s village. The ratmen might attack again.”
They had raided for sacrificial offerings, and since the unit was annihilated, the Plague God’s side would likely send a new one.
“We’ll go together until the fork, then split. Any issues convincing the Treants?”
At Cheon-ho’s question, Aris bit her lip again.
“Um... Could one of the angels come with us? It’d be easier for them to persuade the Treants...”
No one there would complain about such a humble request.
Lucille looked at Cheon-ho.
“Hero, I’ll go with the village chief to convince the Treants.”
“That sounds good. The real issue is the Forest Dragon. I’ll handle that side.”
Saschiell chimed in.
Cheon-ho felt a slight pang at separating from Lucille, but this was the logical choice, so he nodded.
‘The Forest Dragon side might be dangerous.’
The reason for refusing the Forest Elves was unknown.
Considering contingencies, going with Saschiell rather than Lucille made sense.
[Forest Dragons are generally mild-tempered. No need to worry much.]
Mitra spoke reassuringly.
Cheon-ho nodded to Mitra too, then looked around at everyone.
“Whether we succeed or fail with the Forest Dragon, let’s regroup at the Treant village.”
“Yes, Hero. That’s best. Even if the Treants refuse to fight, they won’t chase away refugees like us.”
She seemed confident from her tone.
“Then let’s head out.”
They had eaten, and preparations were made during dishwashing. No reason to delay.
Cheon-ho stood and looked north.
&
The Forest Elves’ evacuation went smoothly.
They loaded large baskets the ratmen had into them, piled the baskets on Saschiell’s back.
Secured with wire, the Forest Elves wouldn’t fall unless she did flips.
They proceeded like that.
By dusk, they reached the fork.
“I’ll be back, Hero.”
“Be careful. Don’t forget to eat.”
“You too, Hero.”
Cheon-ho held Lucille’s hand firmly in farewell, and she squeezed back.
It seemed Cheon-ho wasn’t the only one reluctant for the brief parting.
[Cheon-ho, Lucille has the inventory. She’ll eat and sleep better than you, so don’t worry.]
‘Hm.’
Truthfully, Cheon-ho had already stored several finished meals in his inventory. Time practically stopped inside, so he could just pull them out per meal.
In contrast, Cheon-ho only had some dried rations—rat meat jerky—in his basket.
[You won’t be cooking up a storm like usual, I suppose.]
‘Lucille’s not here.’
No point with just Saschiell.
It wasn’t just for Lucille. Without inventory, carrying raw meat was hard, and that was the main reason. Cookware too.
“Then let’s go.”
Saschiell led, Cheon-ho followed, and Lucille stood watching him off for a long while.
How much time passed.
After glancing at the sky, Cheon-ho spoke.
“Let’s move a bit further north, then camp. If we leave early tomorrow, we’ll arrive by lunch.”
“Very well.”
Recalling Father’s teachings, Cheon-ho scouted for a campsite.
Camping in the middle of a forest was quite dangerous, but with forest everywhere, no choice.
At a suitable spot, Cheon-ho began preparing to sleep.
Saschiell lay on her stomach, curling up.
“Hm.”
Cheon-ho watched Saschiell briefly, but she neither spread a wing for him nor invited him to sleep beside her.
‘Lucille really was the true angel-like one.’
Cheon-ho sat under a suitable tree, wrapping himself in the blanket from the basket.
Mitra said.
[Cheon-ho, I’ll stand watch, so sleep easy.]
The most comforting words at a campsite. Cheon-ho felt a touch moved.
“Mitra, are you perhaps an angel too?”
[I am a holy sword. Not an angel.]
More angel-like than Saschiell, but not one.
Cheon-ho smiled faintly and closed his eyes.
“See you tomorrow, Mitra.”
[Sleep well, Cheon-ho. Sweet dreams.]
It came true as Mitra said.
Third day in the Labyrinth World.
Cheon-ho slept more comfortably than ever.
&
The next morning, Cheon-ho rose early with Saschiell and continued north.
No guide, but the Forest Elves’ map was precise, and Cheon-ho’s Poison Detection excellent, so no issues.
‘Wish I could fly.’
A golden lion flying would stand out day and night.
Moreover, Saschiell’s wounds weren’t fully healed.
[Cheon-ho.]
After two hours of walking, Mitra spoke lowly.
It wasn’t just Mitra who sensed the anomaly.
Cheon-ho stopped, narrowing his eyes.
Saschiell went on alert ahead.
A line drew in Cheon-ho’s mind. Ten meters ahead from their position.
Beyond that line, the territory changed.
Beyond it, someone watched them.
“I am the 7th Rank Combat Angel Saschiell! We come to meet the Forest Dragon, guardian of the forest!”
Saschiell spread her wings wide and shouted.
A winged angel in partial armor—it was an imposing sight.
But no response from beyond the line.
“I say again. I am Combat Angel Saschiell! No reply means you accept our visit!”
Saschiell roared again and took a step forward.
Immediately, arrows thudded into the ground at Cheon-ho and Saschiell’s feet.
Two arrows, from different directions—opponents at least two.
A voice came.
“Go back.”
Deepened, but clearly a woman’s voice.
Saschiell growled lowly.
“Will you drive away a servant of the Five Goddesses?”
“Angel or not, doesn’t matter. No entry allowed. Next won’t be a warning.”
Saschiell’s face hardened at the firm tone. Faint anger flickered in her blue eyes.
[Cheon-ho, draw me. Mention my name—they might let us pass.]
It was Holy Sword Mitra, after all.
Judging it right, Cheon-ho drew his heat dagger and stepped forward.
“Holy Sword Mitra—”
Before finishing, another arrow flew. A slightly higher, lighter voice came from beyond.
“Don’t lie! Mitra’s a longsword!”
[Hm.]
Names wouldn’t work, it seemed.
Cheon-ho sheathed Mitra at his waist and spread his arms sideways.
Showing no hostility with his body, he took another step.
“Great calamity has befallen the Forest Elves! We need the aid of the Forest Dragon, guardian of the forest!”
No immediate reply to Cheon-ho’s shout.
They seemed slightly hesitant.
“Still no!”
“Go back!”
Two voices followed in succession.
But they couldn’t truly turn back. Cheon-ho steadied his breath and spread his senses.
Exhaling, he stepped forward.
“Final warning!”
Arrows flew. Still no intent to hit. Cheon-ho took another step.
Now it was real.
At that moment, the voices’ owners appeared.
“Truly the final warning. Come no closer.”
The low, calm voice belonged to one wearing a plain green mask.
Green top and leather pants, quiver on back, daggers at waist, large bow in hand—more hunter than ranger.
The light-voiced one had nearly identical attire, but one key difference.
The calm one had black hair; the light one, pale green hair.
Facing the two, Cheon-ho kept a poker face, but inside he was shocked.
‘Human-sized!’
Normal human size.
Long ears poking by the mask confirmed fairy kin—likely the dragon priestesses Aris mentioned, Shadow Elf sisters.
[Cheon-ho, your heart rate spiked suddenly.]
[Is something wrong?]
“Hm.”
Cheon-ho objectively assessed the Shadow Elf sisters.
Faint hostility, but no killing intent.
Some circumstance prevented entry, not personal malice toward him or Saschiell.
‘Showing themselves is their way of showing sincerity.’
They didn’t want to fight; please leave.
But they couldn’t back down.
Cheon-ho faced the black-haired elf squarely and took another step.
“Truly the final warning.”
The black-haired elf aimed at Cheon-ho’s shoulder. The green-haired one targeted his leg.
Still no killing intent.
Cheon-ho swallowed, tracing the arrows’ trajectories in his mind. It’d be forcing through, but no option for full battle.
‘Dodge in.’
Use Swift Scoundrel to close rapidly and neutralize the green-haired one.
Just a hunch, but black-haired felt like the elder sister.
More rigid personality too.
Usually, negotiation easier with flexible types than rigid, but rigidity varied.
Cheon-ho gathered internal energy.
The sisters’ arrow tips trembled faintly. Saschiell spread her wings wide, glaring.
And right then.
The sisters targeting Cheon-ho flinched and shuddered.
Both clearly flustered.
“Y-yes... Understood. We shall.”
The black-haired elf muttered very softly and lowered her bow.
She hesitated slightly, then bowed faintly to Cheon-ho.
“The guardian of the forest permits the visitor of noble blood.”
Noble blood.
Masked, but puzzlement from the black-haired elf.
Strong curiosity from the green-haired.
Truthfully, Cheon-ho was curious too.
Noble blood that moved even these angel-defying two.
Saschiell blinked at Cheon-ho.
Mitra asked in a very low voice.
[Cheon-ho, do you perhaps have a secret birth?]
Truthfully, Cheon-ho didn’t know well.
The noble blood they meant wasn’t his hero father’s.
‘Mother.’
Son of ???
Cheon-ho stepped forward.
&