Chapter 65: Found It
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: Found It
"Father, we've arrived."
"Mmm... take me to my room. Did I use too much strength? I'm so sleepy I don't want to move a muscle."
"Yes, sir."
Surprisingly, I carried Sera’s father all the way back to the inn on my shoulders. It felt a bit strange to me, but to anyone else watching, it probably didn't look like much of an issue. He was nodding off as we walked, so I didn't have much of a choice.
Still, maybe the shoulder ride was a bit much.
As we entered the entrance, Auntie Marta came out to meet us. Like a mother cat picking up a kitten by the scruff of its neck, she grabbed Father by the collar and dragged him toward their room.
I guess they really do have a good relationship, seeing as they share a room.
"Aven, welcome back. My dad was being stubborn and wore you out, didn't he?"
"Haha, not at all. I learned a lot. It’s not every day you get the chance to spar with a high-ranking explorer."
"Oh, is that so?"
Curse skills were far more terrifying than I had imagined. I remembered my time as a regular guest at this inn. Back then, I’d chatted with several explorers and thought that curse skills weren't that big of a deal compared to what I’d expected.
Thinking back on it now, it’s more likely that those who were hit with serious curse skills simply never made it back to the inn.
That aside, if Sera’s father still had that much combat power even while suppressed by a curse skill... I couldn't even imagine how strong he must have been in his prime.
Of course, I hadn't gone all out either, but the same could be said for him. The wall of the Cobalt Grade was high indeed.
"After I pass the Platinum Grade, the next step is Cobalt. Is the gap really this wide?"
Furthermore, I lacked experience in the deeper parts of the Labyrinth. At most, I had only dipped my toes into the beginning of the 2nd Stratum before coming back out. In truth, I barely knew the Labyrinth at all.
To make matters worse, from the middle of the 2nd Stratum down to the 3rd Stratum, there weren't even any bases. I’d heard that the portals connecting the floors emitted a unique mana wavelength that the Labyrinth creatures disliked, but even so, the lack of a base camp made things incredibly inconvenient.
For one, solo dives became significantly harder. Explorers entering the Labyrinth alone can't set a night watch, so they absolutely must sleep at a base.
If you're attacked by monsters in your sleep without realizing it, you won't be able to respond in time.
Naturally, it would be great to have a skill that could overcome that, but obtaining skills is difficult. Getting a good skill is even harder, and finding one so exceptional that it allows you to sense danger even while asleep is like catching a star in the sky.
And above all, I couldn't help but wonder if I was letting some of my own good skills go to waste by not utilizing them properly.
"Whew, this is a problem."
As I lay on my bed, lost in thought, Tresha knocked on the door from the hallway.
"Brother Aven, may I come in?"
"Tresha? Sure, come on in."
"Ah, yes!"
Tresha entered with Walter perched on her—the owl had grown to about the size of a human torso. He was quite large now, but since he was still a bird at heart, he was mostly just puffed-up feathers and still relatively light.
—Coos, gurgle.
"Hehe, you cute little thing. You need to grow up fast and protect your sisters, but all you do is eat and get fat. What are we going to do with you?"
As I leaned back against the headboard, Walter hopped down from Tresha’s head and climbed onto my stomach. I thought a Labyrinth creature might be different, but he looked like a normal owl, true to his name, with red feathers growing on the sides of his head and the tips of his wings.
The only difference was that while he was still a young chick now, he would eventually grow large enough to fly away with a wild beast in his talons.
"So, Tresha, what's up? It's rare for you to visit my room."
"Ah, well, you see..."
When I asked what was wrong, Tresha hesitated. She was fidgeting just like she did when we first met. It looked like she had a favor to ask.
"P-Please look at this, Brother!"
"Huh? What is it?"
Suddenly, Tresha rolled up her sleeve and showed me her forearm. I didn't see anything particularly special...
"Wait, what is this?"
"T-That is..."
On her right wrist was a small, uniquely shaped sigil. It glowed with a strange, faint reddish light.
"Did you... get a tattoo?"
"N-No! It's... they call it a contract..."
"A contract?"
"Yes! Between me and Walter! They said we've formed a contract!"
"What does that even mean?"
Are Labyrinth creatures really that different? I thought he was just a bird, but he knows how to sign a contract? Did they go to a tattoo shop and get matching ink? I’m a bit conservative when it comes to tattoos, so this was hard for me to wrap my head around.
"It's not like that... It's a real, honest-to-goodness magical contract!"
"Right, right, I'm just teasing. So that mark is proof of the contract?"
"Yes! Exactly. The appraiser at the office I went to before told me."
"You went back to Sateria Appraisal Office?"
"Ah, I went when there were no guests at the inn and things were quiet."
"Well, going out isn't a problem."
I wasn't Tresha’s master, so I had no right to tell her where she could or couldn't go. As long as she did her job well, I was happy as an employer.
"So, what's the benefit of having a contract?"
"Mmm... for starters, I guess you could say we can communicate?"
"What? Communicate?"
What is she, Cinderella? Talking to animals? Wait, was it Cinderella who talked to animals? Anyway.
"So, have you talked to him?"
"No... not yet. Miss Sateria said that because Walter is still young, actual conversation might be difficult. She said we need to build more of a rapport."
"I see. Well, I hope it works out."
"S-So... now for the main point, Brother..."
So she hadn't even gotten to the main point yet.
"Would... would it be okay if I studied a bit?"
"Studied?"
"Yes! Miss Sateria said that contracting with a Labyrinth creature is very rare! She said if I can learn properly, it will definitely be helpful... and magic, too! She said I have talent for it!"
"Hmm."
Studying, huh? I guess that exists in this world too. Come to think of it, I’d heard there was an Academy in the Northeast.
"Tresha, how old are you now?"
"I'm sixteen..."
"I see."
She was definitely young. Sixteen would be a third-year in middle school back home. No, wait, does this world use international age? Then maybe a high school freshman? Either way, it was about the same.
According to Tresha, she wasn't going to a school like the Academy, but rather needed to find a master who could pass down magical knowledge. You know, like how witches raise apprentices.
She would find a master well-versed in magic, and if she didn't have money, she would do chores or menial labor while she studied.
"Have you found a master?"
"No, not yet..."
"Is any master okay? I mean, there must be people who specialize in things like contracts. Like a major."
"A major...? I'm not sure about that, but I was told that if I increase my magical ability, the contract will naturally strengthen."
"Hmm."
So we need to find a master.
"If you're doing menial labor... it'll be hard for you to help out at the inn, right?"
"I-I think it depends on the master. If I find a cranky one, maybe... or I could just pay them a tuition fee!"
"Your salary is 40 silver a month. You're going to pay a master out of that?"
"Ah, well... if I live very frugally..."
"That's too frugal."
One way or another, this was clearly why Tresha had come to see me.
"Go ahead and look for a good master. Just don't pick one that's too expensive."
"Does... does that mean..."
"I'll cover the costs. Just don't slack off on your work at the inn."
"Really?! Are you serious?!"
Tresha’s grin was so wide it practically reached her ears. It hadn't been that long, but after living together for a month, I knew she was a good kid. Sera and Auntie Marta liked her too. Everyone had been looking much better lately, and I suspected it was because their workload had decreased thanks to her.
—Screech!
Tresha grabbed Walter and started jumping for joy. Walter seemed happy too, flapping his wings and hooting loudly.
"How long do you think it'll take to find a master?"
"Mmm, I'm not sure. To be honest, I don't know many mages..."
"Well, it's not exactly a common profession."
Appraisers have some knowledge of magic, but they mostly study the phenomenon of 'skills.' While skills and magic share common ground and are similar at a basic level, they aren't quite the same.
I could get a general sense of it from the fact that Ravi’s petty magic was considered decent by an appraiser's standards.
"Right, I'll help you look for a master too. Just don't get lazy with the inn work. Did you get your wages for this month?"
"Ah, yes! I did. Auntie gave me 50 silver..."
She really is a generous soul. One way or another, unlike that first night, Tresha was now sharing a room with Sera. It didn't seem like they were charging her rent, either. Sera seemed to enjoy having a younger sister figure around.
—Tresha? Are you on the second floor?
"Sounds like Sera’s looking for you. Better head down."
"Ah, okay, Brother! Thank you so, so much! Sister, I'm coming down!"
Clutching Walter to her chest, Tresha gave a polite bow, carefully closed the door, and headed down to the first floor. Man, it really feels like I'm raising a kid.
That aside, a mage, huh? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a proper mage in my life. I’ve only lived in this world for a few months, but even though magic exists here, it doesn't seem to be that common.
Most of the things I'd seen that looked like magic were just skills. Have I ever seen real magic? I think Ravi’s 'Magical Stone Throwing' was the extent of it.
"Whew, let's get some fresh air."
I went out to the backyard and moved my body around a bit while I pondered. I felt like if I studied more, I could use my skills better.
I felt like I was relying too much on the skills themselves. Fighting is fundamentally about using your body. Even if my skills were unique, that part didn't change.
There's a world of difference between a punch thrown by a trained martial artist and one thrown by an amateur.
If I were to fight Nganou right now... after 10 seconds, it would just turn into Nganou holding a Testament vs. Otani. That’s the kind of difference there is if I don't use skills.
In conclusion, just because my skills were strong didn't mean I could neglect my training. Sera’s father had said as much during our fight.
"Ugh, my head hurts."
As I lay on the ground, staring up at the setting sun, I noticed something spinning in the distance.
"What is that?"
A pale, bird-wannabe-looking thing was circling around.
"Ah."
Soon enough, the object began a high-speed descent toward my forehead.
"Found one. A mage."