Chapter 49: Just You Wait, Labyrinth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49: Just You Wait, Labyrinth
"Hmm."
Just as Tresha had mentioned before, Rufina—the novice archer from the trio I’d encountered in the Labyrinth—had finished her recovery and returned.
I’d heard she’d be walking in about a week, but is a leg fracture really that easy to heal? Well, in a world overflowing with magic and skills, I suppose it’s possible.
"So, uh, what happened with that boyfriend of yours?"
"He—he’s not my boyfriend… Ant still hasn't regained consciousness yet…"
"Rufina, was it? Do you have a plan?"
"I… I don't think I can enter the Labyrinth yet. I haven't fully recovered."
It seemed she wasn't quite ready for a full sprint. Honestly, even if she were fully healed, it felt wrong to tell her to go back into the Labyrinth to earn money.
That said, I didn't exactly need more hands at the inn. I’d already hired Tresha out of my own pocket because I owed Auntie, and I knew I wouldn't be able to help out once I started diving deeper into the Labyrinth.
"Hmm, this is a bit tricky."
Tresha seemed to realize she was asking for a bit much; she sat in her chair, fidgeting wordlessly.
Tresha had adapted quickly and was a big help with the chores. Even if she was a novice, she’d been the frontline for her party in the Labyrinth, after all.
She had good stamina, a quick wit, and solid manners, and she’d grown close to Sera. I’d told Auntie to only keep her for a month, but I knew how soft-hearted Auntie was.
I’d said that knowing full well that after a month together, Auntie wouldn't have the heart to kick her out. I’d hired her with the long term in mind.
"Tresha. How much does it cost to take a carriage from here to your village?"
"If it's just one person, about ten silver."
"And how long does it take?"
"I think it would take about two weeks…"
It was a bit far, but it couldn't be helped. One extra person was fine, but two was pushing it. Tresha had picked up the pace and was working efficiently now, so there was no need to increase the staff beyond what was necessary.
And I was a bit worried about Sera. If Tresha and Rufina were always together, Sera might feel left out.
"Tresha. Come here."
"Yes? Me?"
"Yeah."
Tresha stood up and followed me. I led her to my room on the second floor, pulled a gold coin from my pouch, and handed it to her.
"Make sure there are no accidents, and that she doesn't go hungry on the way."
"Ye—yes...?"
"Buy whatever food she needs and put her on a reliable carriage. Do you… feel like following her back?"
Tresha took the gold coin with both hands and looked up at me with a completely dazed expression.
"N-no! I want to work here!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes! Thank you, Brother Aven!"
"What about the boy?"
His name was Ant, if I recalled correctly. The kid was still hospitalized at the cathedral. They said it didn't cost much since they were just looking after him until he woke up.
"What are you going to do with him once Rufina goes back to the village?"
"Um… it would be nice if he could go back to the village with her, but…"
It was true that the cathedral wasn't doing anything special for him. They just had him lying in a bed with something like an IV hooked up. Tresha mentioned there was a place that did similar things in the village where she and Rufina lived.
"Can you send him back too? With that money?"
"I—I can! Thank you so much!"
"Right. You explain it well to Rufina. It’s just the way things are."
"This is already more than enough. Thank you…"
"Sure. Just work hard and don't give Sera or Auntie any trouble."
Tresha nodded vigorously. That should settle that matter for now.
* * *
"Aven, where are you going today?"
"I have an appointment. I’m heading to the Northwest for a bit."
"The Northwest…! That’s amazing, Yoo Eon! You go to places like that?"
"It’s not like that."
Tresha had woken up early to prepare for Rufina and Ant’s return to their village, running around the streets to get everything ready. Auntie, being the kind soul she was, had packed several meals for them since they were Tresha’s friends.
It was currently around 3:30 PM. I moved toward the Northwest, checking the map Theodora had given me as I navigated the streets.
"This is the place."
A dismantling workshop located in a spacious area on the outskirts of the Northwest. It was affiliated with the Golden Glove Syndicate, which the Lymain family belonged to.
A large open lot surrounded by a low fence caught my eye. Looking inside, I saw the carcasses of massive monsters I’d never seen before strewn about. They were grotesque and ugly things, looking powerful even in death.
"Halt. What is your business here?"
"Ah, someone called for me."
"Called for you? Who?"
I didn't really have anything to show him. For now, I showed the guard the map Theodora had given me. He scanned it briefly, told me to wait, and disappeared inside.
About two minutes later, the guard returned with a well-dressed Beastkin woman.
"Welcome. You said Lady Theodora summoned you?"
"Ah, yes. That’s right."
"She is waiting inside. Please follow me."
Following the Beastkin guide inside, I got a better view beyond the fence. Massive monsters were sprawled out on their backs.
I could see large, crane-like machines ripping out entrails, while hulking non-human races performed the labor.
Whoa, what kind of race is that?
There was even a race whose forearms were wings instead of hands. I think they were called Harpies.
There were quite a few Beastkin, along with many other non-human races.
"Is this your first time seeing Monsterkin?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. I’ve seen a few, but never this many at once."
"The Southwest has relatively few Monsterkin and other races. The Lymain family is a rarity even within the Golden Glove Syndicate—a Beastkin family with great power and influence."
"I see… That’s impressive."
So that was why it was hard to see Beastkin or Elves in the Southwest. According to the guide, most Monsterkin lived in the Southeast slums—races like Goblins, Orcs, and the like.
The Lymain family was composed of Beastkin, but they had reached their current position by hiring marginalized Monsterkin at reasonable wages, turning a profit, and expanding their influence.
For reference, "Demi-humans" referred to non-human races like Beastkin, Elves, and Dwarves. "Monsterkin" referred to races based on basic monsters, like the aforementioned Goblins, Orcs, and Harpies.
Of course, they had become Monsterkin by acquiring skills; they only looked the part but thought like humans.
"You don't seem to have any aversion to Monsterkin."
"Well, I’m not exactly a normal human myself."
"Is that so? You look like a member of the Human Species to me."
"Haha, well. My base is human, yes."
Since about 80 percent of my body fluctuated depending on the situation. But for now, I was human-based.
"Lady Theodora. Your guest has arrived."
"Ah, you found the place. Aven."
"Finding my way isn't that hard."
Theodora was sitting at a desk, dressed in a suit different from yesterday, handling paperwork. To be honest, I’d thought of her as just a prideful rich girl with no real talent, but was she actually handling all this work herself?
"What are you doing?"
"Checking the volume of commissioned requests. I’m managing rare materials that were requested for custom orders."
"Impressive."
"I—it’s nothing special. Do you mind waiting outside and looking around for a bit? I’ll be done in ten minutes."
"Got it."
Theodora seemed busy. Stepping outside to watch the work site, I saw a diverse mix of races working together. Beastkin made up about half, while the rest were the specialized races known as Monsterkin.
There were a few humans as well, distributed across various roles from management to manual labor.
"Whoa, what’s that?"
A Monsterkin standing about three meters tall was pulling a large metal cart into the workshop.
Loaded on the back was the carcass of a monster with bluish-gray skin. At first glance, it looked like a long-legged lizard.
Theodora told me to look around, so it should be fine to get a closer look, right?
"Whoa."
"What are you looking at?"
"Ah, Theodora. What’s that?"
"That… is a Cave Drake from the 3rd Stratum."
"What is it used for?"
"Mainly the blood. It goes into low-quality, mass-produced health potions. The belly skin is useful too, and the hard scales on the head are made into armor or shields."
Doesn't that mean the other organs aren't used?
"You don't use the other parts?"
"Except for the head scales, the rest of a Cave Drake isn't really suitable as material. It loses its durability the moment mana leaves it."
"Can't you just supply it with mana?"
"It’s fine while it’s alive because mana circulates constantly, but it’s not cost-effective to manually inject mana for use."
"Hmm."
"It possesses top-tier durability if you supply it with mana, but it doesn't have an organ to store it. The mana just leaks out. It’s a common trait among Drakes."
That meant if it became a living organ, it would maintain top-tier durability.
"That… do you use the tail?"
"The tail… we don't, right? I think it’s the most useless part."
"Then, can I have the tail?"
"A Drake tail? Why? Does your skill let you grow body parts you don't have?"
"Yeah."
"Re—really!?"
I’d worn clothes that opened at the lower back just in case I needed to use it. But since there were many eyes here, I decided to show her later.
"You said the durability drops when it’s dead, right? Is it soft enough for a person to bite through?"
"N-not that much… but it can be easily cut with a regular steel saw. Are you saying you’re going to eat all of that…?"
"If you’ll let me."
Theodora’s large tail was wagging so hard it looked like it might fly away. It must be hard for Beastkin to hide their emotions. I could tell just by looking at her how curious she was.
"Fine. The tail has poor meat yield anyway, so it’s a part we throw away. Go ahead if you want. I’ll have someone bring a mana cutter for you."
"Roger that."
Just you wait, Labyrinth. Next time I enter, I’m coming as a monster.