Chapter 288: Words of Blessing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 288: Words of Blessing
“Well, I’ll be. Never in my life did I imagine an Orichalcum-grade explorer would become my son-in-law!”
“Yes, I never imagined I’d become an Orichalcum... no, that I’d even become an explorer at all.”
“What, was being an explorer not in the plans?”
“You could say that.”
It was evening, and the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. It was a shame for the other explorers, but the Mounted Goat Inn had closed its doors early today to host a promotion party.
One might wonder if it was worth throwing a whole party over, but being Orichalcum Grade was just that incredible. In fact, the general sentiment was that reaching Cobalt Grade—or even Platinum—was enough to warrant a hero’s welcome.
Cobalt was fine. But a hero’s welcome for Platinum...?
‘More like a runner-up’s welcome.’
Regardless, Orichalcum Grade was, quite simply, an absurd rank.
“Oppa, it’s seriously amazing! I’m definitely going to tell everyone in town!”
“Sure, sure. Go ahead and tell your friends too.”
“Of course!”
Tresha was chattering away excitedly as if she had unlocked a life achievement just by being associated with an Orichalcum-grade explorer.
In reality, her achievement of being the disciple of a seven-hundred-year-old Vampire Lord was much more impressive.
“Ahem! And I’m the one who discovered that skill! Who am I?! Ravi Sateria!”
“That’s true. If it weren’t for Ravi...”
“The Yoo Eon of today probably wouldn’t exist, right?!”
“No. I probably would’ve just had it appraised by a normal appraiser.”
“Gah...!”
I knew that wasn't true. Though Ravi didn't know it, if I had been appraised by any other appraiser under the influence of the Antonio Brotherhood, Lilith Astaroth would have realized that the Emperor of Sinew had chosen a successor.
Ravi deserved a lot of the credit.
“Gwahaha! To be drunk two, three days in a row! Son-in-law! I like you!”
“Yes, is that so? I’m glad to hear it.”
Father-in-law had been wasted at the brewery for two days straight, and when he finally returned to the inn, what do you know? My promotion party was in full swing, so he was back to chugging alcohol.
I really wondered if his liver was okay. Did people with mana not get affected by that sort of thing?
As I took a slow sip of the beer in my hand, Yura, who was watching from beside me, stared at me intently.
“Daddy, is it yummy?”
“This? It doesn’t particularly taste good.”
Did Yura have no memory of seeing me drink? Seeing her dad drink for the first time seemed to have piqued her curiosity.
“I want to try it too.”
“Really? You might not want to if you knew how it was made.”
“How is it made?”
The way Yura looked at me with such an innocent expression... I suppose this is why people enjoy raising daughters.
“You take a plant, let it sprout, dry it out, and mix it with bitter plants and water. Then, tiny fairies swim around in that water and... well, they fart a lot. That’s how this is made.”
“It’s fairy fart water...?”
“Yeah. The world is full of people who love fairy farts.”
“That’s weird.”
“Right?”
Yura effectively lost all interest in the beer. I guess the day Yura starts drinking beer won't be coming anytime soon.
“Yoo Eon, don’t scare her like that.”
“Haha... she’s too young for alcohol.”
“True, that’s true.”
Sera was drinking, which was a rare sight. I think I’d only seen her drink once before. I couldn't recall any other time since we went out for that meal.
“Congratulations again, Yoo Eon. An Orichalcum-grade explorer... to be honest, I don’t know much about how big of a deal it is. Hehe...”
“If you were an explorer, Sera, you might have become Orichalcum Grade too.”
“Huh? What kind of joke is that?”
“The Labyrinth has a soft spot for beautiful people.”
Sera let out a girlish giggle, clutching her beer mug. Man, how could she be so pretty every time I looked at her? I really envied the guy she was going to marry.
“Still, I was really surprised. It means you’re a top-tier explorer, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I heard there was only one in Calax...”
“Now there are two.”
“How strange... hearing it like that makes it feel a bit more real.”
As I’d noticed before, Sera seemed to have a low tolerance for alcohol. With the bridge of her nose slightly flushed and her gait a bit wobbly, it looked like she’d be in trouble if she drank any more.
—Hero!! Congratulations!!
“Ah, Sola. Yeah, thanks. At the beginning of the year, I never thought a day like this would come.”
—I knew it! I believed the Hero could become number two!!
“Number two? Then who’s number one?”
—The Rainbow Mage, of course!
“The Rainbow Mage...”
She was likely referring to Aurora. Even in my opinion, the sheer power she displayed by killing Queen Arachne on the 50th floor in a single blow was undeniable.
Back then, I wasn't as strong as I am now, so I couldn't properly gauge her strength.
‘She’s a total monster of a mage.’
In Calax terms, it would be like killing Horus in one shot. Hmm, thinking about it that way, I felt like I might be able to pull off a similar performance now.
“I hope I can beat the Rainbow Mage someday too.”
—If it’s the Hero, you might be able to do it!
“You’re not going to say for sure, huh?”
—Because Brixi is just that kind of being!
Sola didn't really eat anything. Instead, she was swimming on top of the beer I’d poured into a shallow bowl. I wasn't sure if that was okay, but it was probably the best way for her to feel the carbonation.
Walter was drinking beer too. Not a lot, just a tiny bit. I’d heard that animals could get drunk, and judging by the way Walter was walking, he looked completely wasted.
“Gulp. Beer is good...”
“Father-in-law, take it easy. If you throw up on the floor, you’re sleeping outside.”
“Ugh... I don’t want to be kicked out...”
Come to think of it, there was one person left whom I needed to thank the most.
“Auntie.”
“What.”
It was a rare sight to see Auntie drinking. She was, without a doubt, the one who had contributed the most to my success.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you so much.”
“I haven’t done anything worth being thanked for.”
“That’s not true. Who do you think I owe my life to?”
The beginning of February was incredibly cold. I had been dropped into this world so suddenly, and I was only wearing a thin shirt and dress slacks. All the conveniences of modern civilization, like my phone and earphones, had vanished.
Not that having them would have changed much.
“If it weren't for you back then, Auntie, I’d be a dead man. You know that.”
“Hmph, listen to you. If it wasn't me, someone else would’ve picked you up.”
“Someone might have picked me up and sold me into slavery.”
Sera, who was listening nearby, flinched and looked at me.
‘Y-Yoo Eon as a slave...!’
Sera was momentarily tempted by the thought, but realizing she was drunk, she shook her head vigorously.
‘He probably would’ve been too expensive to buy...’
A slave Yoo Eon who followed her every command... in her mind, Sera was already writing a masterpiece of an erotic novel.
“It’s thanks to you, Auntie, that I’m living like this.”
Though she looked like a completely different person compared to back then, her dismissive expression and cynical tone remained the same. When I first saw Sera, I wondered how Auntie could have given birth to her.
But looking at her now, Sera’s face and figure were definitely a result of genetics. In fact, perhaps because of the mix with Father-in-law or just the age difference, Auntie seemed to have a more mature beauty.
Would Sera become like Auntie when she got older? It was hard to imagine Sera with such a cynical tone and expression. I found myself looking forward to it.
“You gave me a sword and a lantern... do you remember? You even grilled jerky for me.”
“It was just old, dried meat. I only held it over the fire for a second.”
“Tsk, there you go again. I don’t know if you realize how grateful I was.”
She always had a strong tendency to deny her own merits. I didn't know why she was like that; she could afford to be a little proud.
“Auntie. I’ve become Orichalcum Grade.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I’m telling you, it’s thanks to you.”
“...Why go that far.”
I set the beer mug in my right hand down on the desk and stood a short distance away from her.
“In the place where I used to live, when we’re this grateful to someone, we sometimes perform a deep bow.”
“And?”
“Well, nothing else. I just wanted to give you a formal bow.”
Every time I saw Auntie, I thought of my mother. Although the actual time we’d spent together wasn't that long, the events in this world had been so dense. It felt like a very long time had passed.
A feeling of, ‘Has it really only been this long?’
“Oh! What are you doing! I want a bow too!”
“You too, Father-in-law? Tsk... did you actually do anything...?”
“What?!”
“Hmm...”
Ah, right. There was one thing.
“Then please sit next to Auntie. You didn't do much else, but you did help Auntie give birth to my wife.”
“Bwahaha! That’s right! Raising a good daughter gets me a bow from an Orichalcum-grade explorer!”
“D-Dad?! W-What are you saying...?!!”
Sera’s face turned bright red, and I could almost see steam rising from the top of her head. Getting that hot couldn't be good for her health.
“Anyway... thank you both. Especially to you, Auntie. You’re my mother-in-law, and my savior.”
“...Pfft. Fine.”
Auntie took a sip of beer, set her glass aside, and prepared to receive the bow.
“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law. I offer you this deep bow.”
“Whooaaa!!!”
—Hero, you’re amazing!!
“Now you’re really getting married!!”
—Kikiruruk!!!!
“Daddy’s the best.”
To the sound of the kids’ applause, I performed a deep bow and stood up.
“You’ve done well so far, so keep it up.”
“Yes, I will.”
I thought it was a cool blessing, very much like Auntie. Was Father-in-law next?
“Urrrp.”
“Ah.”
Man. That fairy fart water really was potent.