Chapter 7 — If You’re Going to Grow, Grow Beautifully
Chapter 7 — If You’re Going to Grow, Grow Beautifully
Overnight, I had left my homeland and begun living in a strange world.
As someone clearly victimized by forced relocation, I could have vented my anger.
But I chose not to commit the uncultured act of shouting complaints at a deity.
In truth, rather than anger, I only felt sympathy.
Just how severe must the talent shortage have been for them to bring an ordinary civilian from another world?
《The Wise One watches you with delight, seeker who yearns for the Twisted Truth. If there is anything you desire, speak it!》
“Then can you display my overall abilities numerically, like when you showed my mental capacity? Set 20 as the highest level achievable through ordinary training, and 30 as the limit of transcendent beings. It would also help if you organized the Mysteries I possess.”
It was a somewhat complicated request, but the Eye That Perceives Truth quickly complied.
《Soul Rank — Level 1》
《Strength — 2｜Vitality — 1｜Dexterity — 2｜Agility — 3｜Sense — 3｜Charm — 20｜Knowledge — ?? (Unmeasurable)｜Wisdom — ?? (Incomprehensible)｜Faith — ?? (Insufficient basis)》
《Possessed Mysteries — [☆Eye That Perceives Truth☆ (First-Tier+)], [Web That Binds All Things (First-Tier)]》
“Why make it so hard to read? What are these ugly question marks and stars?”
《>:(》
I suddenly missed the clean stat window from the game.
Still, it was better than nothing.
“From now on, when I shout ‘Status Window!’ display this automatically. And polish the layout a bit. Remove your personal commentary too.”
As I calmly examined the pitiful stats of a cultist, more text appeared beneath them.
《A long-eared race such as yours should not be allowed the honor of worshipping an Evil God. The petty God of Nature watches closely, leaving no alternative.》
《Even so, you chose the ascetic path of serving the Great One. It was a righteous and sound decision, but unfortunately there is currently no way to block the curse that the God of Nature places upon long-eared traitors. Soon, your strength and agility will sink into the abyss…》
《:(》
“Why block it? Leave it alone.”
I immediately pulled up my shirt and looked at my chest.
At the center of my somewhat thin torso—
A small seed protruded as if sprouting from my solar plexus.
《Seed of the Curse “Fertilizer Sprout,” bestowed by the God of Nature》
《A cursed plant that grows by using a long-eared race serving an Evil God as its host. Once germinated, it greatly weakens the host’s physical abilities.》
《Time until germination — 3 days》
A vicious curse that fixed Strength and Agility at 1.
If left alone, it would simply function as a penalty.
But with certain procedures, it could be guided to produce an effect the God of Nature never intended.
Naturally, that would make them furious.
But even obedient behavior would not earn forgiveness for worshipping an Evil God.
“So if you’re going to grow… grow beautifully.”
Satisfied, I gently stroked the seed.
Then, unable to endure any longer, I crawled under the blanket and closed my eyes.
It was time to depart for the land of dreams.
《Special Advice: If you sleep well, your fatigue will fade and you’ll wake up feeling refreshed!》
Unlike the comfortable bedding of modern life, the pillow and mattress here were stiff and unpleasant.
Yet sleep came almost instantly.
A deep, restful sleep.
Warm sunlight filled the air.
It was nearly noon when I finally woke.
Perhaps because my body had changed, the sharp biological rhythm that once woke me at 7 a.m. no longer functioned.
“You slept quite a long time.”
After changing into clean clothes and stepping into the hallway, the siblings followed as if they had been waiting.
More precisely, only Marlin stood on her own feet.
Abel was riding on her back.
《Abel (Tiger Beastman, 12), the boy you helped. He sprained his ankle while fleeing from ghouls in the labyrinth but never showed it. I quite like that stubborn spirit.》
“Abel, you’re hurt. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“That’s just how he is.”
Marlin glared at her brother, who awkwardly looked away.
“Once he tried to pickpocket an orc’s coin purse and got caught. He was beaten badly and even broke a rib, but he hid it the whole time because he didn’t want me to worry.”
A touching story of sibling affection.
Though the emotional impact was slightly reduced by the fact that the injury came from pickpocketing.
“You waited instead of leaving first.”
“We should at least say goodbye before parting.”
“Let’s go. If we stay longer, they’ll charge extra.”
“…Alright.”
I left the tavern with Marlin.
Since the tavern stood in the center of the market, the streets were crowded with shoppers.
“Which direction are you going?”
“In District 6, where do kids like us even have a place to live?”
“Answering a question with another question isn’t polite.”
“…The eastern slums.”
“Let’s go. I’ll take you there.”
I started walking first.
Marlin stood still briefly before trudging after me.
Even someone with no sense for people could tell from her weak steps what she was feeling.
“You don’t want to go home?”
“…No.”
“Why?”
I already knew the reason.
Marlin and Abel—the tiger beastman siblings.
Children it would be a loss not to get close to.
I already knew every possible method of recruiting them as companions and the many benefits that came with it.
But problems were only officially shared once spoken aloud by the person involved.
Marlin sighed and hesitated before speaking.
“We’re actually part of a thieves’ guild.”
“I see.”
“You’re not surprised.”
“You children belong to a thieves’ guild? My goodness!”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“You’re quite a difficult child.”
“…Anyway, when we were younger, the guild master of the Black Sword Guild noticed us and taught us how to steal. I know it’s wrong, but we had no choice. We were orphans. What other way did we have to survive?”
She stared at Abel’s swollen ankle as she continued.
“Fortunately, I had some talent for stealing, so we managed not to starve… but a few weeks ago the guild master started calling only me and making secret demands.”
I did not pry into what those vague words implied.
Among players, the Black Sword Guild’s leader wasn’t called by his name but by a far more fitting nickname:
“That disgusting thief.”
“When I refused, he got angry and demanded that I pay all the tribute I’d been exempted from because of my age—within a week.”
“How much?”
“About 1,000 gold.”
Nightmare Dungeon was an American game.
One silver equaled one dollar.
Since 100 silver equaled one gold, that meant the siblings were being asked to pay a fortune.
An impossible amount for children barely in their teens.
And the labyrinth they risked entering hadn’t even earned them one silver.
“So… what should I do now?”
“It might help to know something.”
Though the situation seemed dire, the solution was surprisingly simple.
“Evil Gods generally prefer offerings filled with malice. They have a more stimulating flavor.”
Perhaps it was time to proceed with my usual plan of capturing fresh natural offerings.
A tribute like the Black Sword Guild master was rare.
Even the pickiest Evil Gods would likely be pleased.
“Wait.”
I grabbed Marlin’s shoulder and gently turned her.
“…Why?”
“Is there any urgent reason you must return to the slums right away?”
“Not really. Honestly, I’d rather go as late as possible. If I return, I’ll have to meet the guild master…”
“Then follow me.”
The place I led them to was the southern part of District 6 of Pletika, managed by the Harmony Church.
The closer we got, the fewer people we saw.
Eventually, the streets became completely empty.
Occasionally we passed pedestrians.
Each time, Abel whispered quietly to his sister.
“Where are we going…?”
His suspicion was understandable.
Everyone we met wore ominous robes, was wrapped in bandages, or had faces covered in tattoos.
How could he not be suspicious?
“We’re almost there.”
Just as Abel was about to ask his tenth anxious question, we entered a familiar street.
Houses and roads lined entirely in white.
At the boundary where the city’s gray tones shifted to white, two Holy Knights of the Harmony Church greeted us.
《Cultist Quarantine Zone of District 6》
A town created by the Harmony Church for cultists.
All Evil God worshippers in Pletika lived here.
“…Ah.”
Marlin flinched when she saw the knights.
“I-Isn’t this a cultist detention camp?”
“Detention camp? You can’t leave without permission, but it’s not a prison.”
“That’s still imprisonment!”
“It’s different. No one is forcibly confined here. Of course, if you leave without permission and get caught, you’ll be executed, so unauthorized outings are discouraged. But choosing to live here is technically voluntary.”
“……”
After showing my identity plate to the knights, we proceeded inside.
Marlin quickly looked around the streets with wide eyes.
“It’s… surprisingly normal.”
“What, did you expect tentacles in the streets, buildings made of flesh, and purple air?”
“Honestly… yes.”
“That only happens occasionally. Usually it’s clean like this.”
“……”
I led the silent siblings toward the building I had seen most often in the game.
A modest two-story house.
It looked identical to the others, except for the nameplate beside the door.
Kar
《The residence assigned to you by the Harmony Church. Of course it’s not truly free—every cost is meticulously recorded as debt. Their hypocrisy in pretending generosity is rather amusing.》
“Our house.”
I gestured casually.
“Technically it belongs to the Harmony Church, but there’s no rule against having roommates. So you can stay here comfortably.”
“…Kar, can I ask something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why did you bring us here? There’s no reason to do that. We only met in the labyrinth.”
Different expressions appeared on their similar faces.
Marlin looked confused.
Abel looked curious.
Kindness from an Evil God cultist seemed unsettling.
“Don’t be moved. It’s not free.”
Nothing in the world was free.
Anyone offering material support for free was either a scammer or a saint.
I was neither.
So I intended to demand proper payment.
“Marlin. Abel. You two have talent as explorers.”
Through countless experiences, I already knew.
These children possessed talent too valuable to waste on slum burglary and pickpocketing.
With sufficient support, both Marlin and Abel could become Tier-1 companions.
“I’ll become your sponsor. As I said, it’s not free. For now, you only need to accept the support. You can repay the debt slowly later.”
“……”
The siblings stared blankly.
I understood how they felt.
It should have been good news.
But their minds were confused.
After all, every adult they had met in the slums treated them as tools—not people.
“If it’s still uncomfortable, we’ll do this. In exchange for food and shelter, Abel will handle housework for now. Cleaning and washing dishes. Cooking too, if you can.”
“…Housework?”
“And Marlin, you’ll have something to do as well.”
Something more important than household chores.
“For now, you’ll serve as my assistant.”