Chapter 183: I’ll Have to Work Hard
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183: I’ll Have to Work Hard
“Yesterday wasn’t even the peak, it seems.”
“Tell me about it. Still, we made it through, so have a drink.”
“H-Hey, is it really okay for me to have a drink?!”
“No, Father. Please go inside and get some sleep.”
It was around 11:40 PM, just after the grueling dinner rush had finally ended. Thanks to being more assertive about the closing time than yesterday, we managed to finish up early. Normally, finishing by 11:00 PM is the standard, but yesterday had just been exceptionally long.
Perhaps because we were all getting used to working together, there were fewer mistakes, and the whole process felt much smoother. This is what it means to be a veteran.
“Yoo Eon, I’m so sorry. You have to participate in the match soon…”
“Don’t worry about it. Using this much mana won’t faze me. As for sleep… well, I’ll try to catch some more once I’m inside the Labyrinth.”
“Mmm…”
Sera had recovered around 9:00 PM and finally gotten out of bed. She’d had a bit of a hard time making excuses to Tresha, who had caught her suddenly changing the blankets at an odd hour, but it seemed she’d managed to smooth things over.
“You’re heading to the Guild now, right? Do you have everything you need?”
“Everything I need… Ah, yes. I’ve got it all.”
I no longer needed to drape myself in gear like I used to. The biggest change was definitely not having to squeeze into heavy armor. Having good skills really is the best. Either that, or spending a fortune on artifacts.
“I’ll see you off. Let’s go together.”
“You must be tired from working. You should rest. You had that… thing this afternoon, too.”
“Ah, ugh… T-That, I’ve fully recovered from that! Just wait a moment! I’ll go change my clothes!”
Her face turning as red as a beet, Sera hurried back to her room to change into her outdoor clothes.
“Aven, how many floors do you think you can reach?”
“Hmm, I’m not entirely sure. But I am aiming for the 40th Floor.”
“The 40th Floor? That’s a pretty high goal, isn’t it? And you only have twenty-four hours.”
“I’ll have to fly without resting. Honestly, I think it’ll be difficult myself.”
“No! I think you can do it! As long as you don’t run into any weirdos, it’s definitely possible!”
Father stood on his tiptoes and pounded my back with his small hands. It was his way of giving encouragement and support. Before long, Sera came down to the first-floor restaurant, having changed into simple outdoor attire.
“Let’s go quickly, or we’ll be late.”
“Yoo Eon! I’ll be rooting for you!”
“Good luck, Brother! You mustn’t get hurt!”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks for the support, Ravi.”
Finally, there was the restaurant interior, where Sola was busy tidying up by moving her Ents around. When Auntie’s eyes met mine, she gave a slow nod before turning away. It was the typical blunt and prickly reaction unique to her.
“Let’s go, Sera.”
* * *
“You’re here?”
“What, are you participating too?”
“As if. I told you, didn’t I? My schedule is packed starting this afternoon. I have no intention of wasting twenty-four hours just for some prizes.”
“I see… In that case, I suppose I can take this as you coming to see me off.”
“It’s not just ‘taking it’ that way; I did come to see you off.”
I met Theodora inside the Southwest Branch Guild lobby. Since she had her hood up, her face wasn't clearly visible, but I recognized her by the bracelet on her arm. It was the rose gold bracelet I had given her as a gift.
“You’re still wearing that bracelet.”
“I-It hasn’t even been a full day yet…!”
Theodora turned her head away, muttering under her breath. Between her and Sera, who had entered the lobby with me, being seen off by two women was more than I deserved.
“Sera, how are you feeling?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Did you get back okay, Dora?”
“As you can see. I heard you had work this evening too; that must have been tough.”
“Hehe… It’s what I’ve done my whole life. Though it was a little hard to stay standing….”
While Sera and Theodora chatted for a moment, I went to the lobby and handed my participation form to Dahlia, who looked busy.
“Cobalt-grade explorer Aven, participation confirmed. I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thank you, Dahlia. Is there anything I should be particularly careful about?”
“Hmm, basically everything that was listed when you filled out the application.”
I vaguely recalled reading the instructions. Things like: do not use artifacts that allow inter-floor movement, do not destroy or obstruct the Recording Broadcast Artifacts floating in the air, and so on.
“You mentioned Recording Broadcast Artifacts?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s so we can show what’s happening inside the Labyrinth to the people outside. They consume a massive amount of mana and are expensive to rent, so they’re artifacts we only use once a year during the festival.”
“I see. Where is it being broadcast?”
“We’ve installed mana screens on the outer second floor of the Guild buildings in all four directions. The streets are wide, so anyone can watch.”
“That’s impressive. I didn’t know such a thing was possible.”
“It’s the technology of the Page of Arcana. Hmm, and one more thing to watch out for….”
Dahlia placed an index finger on her cheek, thinking for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“During the match, situations might arise where you get into disputes with other Explorers. I truly hope things can be resolved in a way where no one gets hurt.”
“I see. I get the strange feeling you’re not worried about me.”
“Because at this point, the one I should be worried about isn’t Aven, who might get picked on, but rather the safety of the Explorer who picks the fight.”
“Ahaha….”
* * *
“What’s with this lovely expression?”
“Hmph.”
“Chee….”
When I finished my conversation with Dahlia and returned, Sera and Theodora were staring at me with deeply furrowed brows. Sera had her cheeks puffed out—her signature look when she was dissatisfied—and Theodora’s state was equally ominous.
“It’s truly amazing. How is it that there’s a woman everywhere you go?”
“What are you… No, Dahlia is a Guild receptionist….”
“You even seem to be on a first-name basis. The laughter just wouldn’t stop.”
“No… I mean, you see. What happened was…”
The two women, arms crossed, continued their encirclement. They circled halfway around me, pinning me against the wall, and glared as if they were trying to bore holes through me with their eyes.
“Now that I think about it, I have a question.”
“I have one too.”
“Uh… what question?”
Sera added her agreement to Theodora’s words.
“Is it me, or Sera?”
“Is it Dora, or me?”
“If you could specify exactly in what regard you’re asking….”
“Yoo Eon, don’t try to dodge the question.”
“You know exactly what we mean.”
A sudden, deadly two-choice dilemma had begun. A problem on the level of ‘Do you like Mom or Dad more?’ Sera or Theodora. There was Theodora, arms crossed and eyes sharp as axes, and Sera, looking up at me with a cold expression and half-lidded eyes.
Alfi-ssi, you didn't teach me about this.
I thought everything was settled, but I hadn't expected this at all. Moreover, I wasn't trying to dodge the question; I was genuinely curious. In what regard were they asking me to choose?
In terms of combat, Theodora is better. Sera is probably more skilled at housework. Both of them are amateurs when it comes to… nighttime activities.
Okay, that answer is discarded. I’d be asking for a blade to the gut the moment I said that.
“Who do you love more?”
“If you don’t answer quickly, it’ll be midnight.”
“Uhh….”
In real time, it was only a split second. In my head, I agonized for a long while. My honest impression was…
“Both of you are women who are far too good for me. How could I ever hope to meet a woman as beautiful and virtuous as Sera?”
“Eh?!”
“And how could I ever handle a woman as pretty and talented as Theodora?”
“Ugh….”
In times like these, only sincerity works. If I didn't show my true feelings, any result would just be a hollow, fabricated lie.
“It’s not like I’m anyone special. I’m not so great that I can take the feelings you’ve both given me and accept one while discarding the other.”
I grabbed the shoulders of the two who had me cornered and instantly spun them around, pinning them into the corner instead. The area was crowded and noisy, filled with people who had no room to pay attention to anyone else.
“Thank you. Both Sera and Theodora. I want to be a little… no, a lot greedy. Because I’m a flawed man. Both of you are precious to me, and you are both the lovers I love.”
“That’s….”
“Good grief….”
“I love you. Both of you. Sera, and Theodora.”
Sera lowered her head deeply, and Theodora jerked her head to the side, trying to avoid my gaze. I knew my feelings wouldn't be properly conveyed in this situation unless I did more.
“May I… work a little harder? So that I can make both of you happy.”
I took Theodora’s turned chin and gently pulled it toward me. I lifted Sera’s lowered head so she would look at me.
“Please—”
“Ugh! F-Fine, enough!”
Her face flushed a deep crimson, Theodora pushed against my chest and escaped the corner. Sera, who had been clutching her hands tightly beside her, opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“J-Just remember! Like you said, I’m pretty and talented! So you’d better work hard so I don’t get stolen by someone else!”
“…Of course, I will.”
When I slowly turned my head to look at Sera, she gripped her reddened cheeks and nodded.
“…I’ll believe you. Yoo Eon….”
“Thank you.”
Theodora was waving her hands, fanning her burning cheeks. I stepped toward her and pressed my lips to hers.
“Mmph…!”
“Thanks for coming to see me off. It gives me a lot of strength.”
“Ah, u-uh… yeah….”
I did the same for Sera, who was standing there with rabbit-like eyes, pinned in the corner.
“H-Hyut…!?”
“Thank you. Sera, go back and get some rest.”
“Y-Yes….”
Immediately after, the booming voice of Katrina, the Senior Guide, echoed through the first-floor lobby, announcing midnight. The moment the gates to the Labyrinth opened, Explorers began pouring out like a tide.
In the lobby, only those who had come to see them off remained, waving their hands or shouting messages of encouragement.
“I’m going. To go work hard.”
“G-Good luck… and don’t get hurt.”
“Be careful, Yoo Eon…!”
Leaving the two receding figures behind, I stepped into the Labyrinth.
“Ah….”
Sera traced her flushed lips with her fingertips, recalling the sensation from a moment ago. Beside her, Theodora cooled her cheeks with her cold hands.
The two women stood there for a long time, their gazes unfocused and dazed, until their eyes met. Simultaneously, their expressions softened into thin smiles.
“Hehe, what are we going to do now? We’ve been caught by a total bad boy.”
“I know… but I’m happy. I feel… relieved, somehow.”
Theodora let out a long, deep sigh. Seeing Sera, who was still as red as a beet, she shook her head as if she had no choice.
“Let’s go. I have a carriage, so I’ll drop you off at the inn.”
“Yes, thank you, Dora.”
“Saying he’ll love us both… that Aven guy. Isn’t he being way too greedy?! If he can’t satisfy the both of us, then I’ll…!”
“Ah, um….”
Sera seemed to ponder Theodora’s words for a moment before speaking quietly.
“Don’t you think the two of us might not be enough to satisfy Yoo Eon…?”
“U-Umm….”
A sudden reality check. Theodora briefly recalled the memories of the afternoon and lost her words, finally ending with an excuse.
“W-We’ll have to work hard… too….”
“Yeah….”