Chapter 95: Three Little Ones
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95: Three Little Ones
“Sigh.”
“Uuuugh…”
For the time being, Ravi was wrapped in a blanket I’d laid out on the bed as a makeshift cover. It wasn't a large blanket, so she was huddled on the bed with it wound tightly around her. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation.
And, not that I particularly wanted to point this out, but she was quite grimy, likely because she hadn't washed while she was a cat. That was sort of Ravi’s identity, so it wasn't something I should really complain about, but still.
Her hair was a tangled, greasy mess, and above all, the smell was a bit…
“Ugh.”
“Wh-what is it?!”
“Ravi. Do cats not wash themselves?”
“W-we groom ourselves!!”
“So you’re saying you just licked yourself with spit.”
“Be quiet, seriously!!”
So that was how it was. It was a dizzying situation, to say the least. It was a relief her hair was long enough to cover things, or a dangerous incident might have occurred.
“Where did the clothes you were originally wearing go?”
“Those… I suddenly turned into a cat in the Labyrinth, so…”
“So you left them all there.”
“Uuuu…”
That seemed like a bit of a problem. Aside from her other equipment, she’d left a lot behind and was in no position to go back for it. Apparently, even the 50 silver that made up thirty percent of her life savings was still in her belt pouch.
“It can’t be helped. Put this on for now.”
I was wearing a white undershirt, so taking off my outer shirt wasn't a big deal. Unfortunately, Ravi had no other clothes, including anything for her lower half. In the end, she wore my shirt on top and tied the blanket around her waist like a skirt.
“Can’t you turn back into a cat?”
“I-I can’t right now… My proficiency with Trasforma is low, and my Mana hasn't fully recovered yet…”
“What a mess.”
Usually, she got by using cleaning magic, and when the time came, she’d go to a nearby inn to bathe. That was impossible now since she had no clothes. If she went out like this, people would take her for a madwoman.
“At least you still have your robe.”
“What are you going to do with that…?”
Because she was wearing a wide shirt that didn't fit her frame, she looked quite pitiful. I rolled up the sleeves, draped the robe over her shoulders, and buttoned the front. At a quick glance, she now looked somewhat properly dressed.
“Ravi, do you want to go to the inn where I’m staying?”
“What?! Why?!”
“What do you mean why? First, you need to… you know, wash up.”
“A-auuu…”
I didn't know what she was so unhappy about, but she buried her face in the pillow and didn't answer.
“There’s a girl there about your age. If it’s okay with her, you might be able to borrow some clothes that fit.”
“Mmm…”
“This isn't a choice. Are you just going to stay here like this?”
“Well… I suppose not.”
There was no other way. I’d take her to the Mounted Goat Inn and see how things went. Since it had been five days since she lost her gear in the Labyrinth, it was uncertain if her clothes would even still be there.
“I’m going to pick you up.”
“P-please do…”
* * *
I carried Ravi Sateria, who had turned from a beast back into a human, wrapped in blankets and robes, to the Mounted Goat Inn. Knowing it would look strange if people saw us, I moved as quickly as possible, leaping across rooftops.
When I arrived at the inn, I saw the Father sprawled out in front of the door like laundry blown away by the wind, completely wasted. Beside him, Tresha was sweeping the floor with a broom—a typical daily scene.
“Tresha. Do you have any spare clothes?”
“Oh, Brother? Where are you coming from? And who’s that in your arms…?”
“H-hello…”
“Hmm? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before…”
Tresha tilted her head back and forth, broom in hand, peering at Ravi’s face. Come to think of it, Tresha had been to the Sateria Appraisal Office before.
“Ah! It’s the Appraiser Sister!”
“That’s right…”
So Ravi was the "Sister"? She didn't look the part at all.
“What on earth happened?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll take over the sweeping, so take this lady inside and toss her in the bath. Give her some spare clothes if you have any.”
“O-okay.”
It was late evening. The customers who came for dinner had all left, and a few were staying the night. Looking at the second floor of the inn, there were several closed doors; it seemed about seven people were asleep.
“Phew, it’s still chilly at night.”
Walking in with just a white T-shirt against the biting wind had left me with a chill. I grabbed a shirt from my room and went down to the kitchen. As usual, Sera and Auntie were tidying up the dishes.
“Sera? Auntie? I’m back.”
“Ah, Yoo Eon. You’re here? Someone came looking for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes, a tall knight. They ate a ton of food, too.”
A tall knight? And they ate a lot? I wondered who it could be. If they were tall, were they a man? I couldn't think of anyone in particular.
Did Mr. Dexter come by?
But Dexter didn't exactly have the face of a knight. With his messy beard and one eye haphazardly bandaged, he looked more like a vagrant at first glance.
“Where is this person now?”
“They should be in a room on the second floor. Room 7, I think?”
Maybe it was something related to the Antonio Brotherhood. I should go see them. Ravi was likely still washing up in the bath, and Tresha had probably brought her clothes. I decided to give Sera a heads-up.
“Sera, I brought someone with me.”
“You brat, who did you bring this time?”
“Oh, Auntie. It’s not like that. I’m just letting her wash up and stay for one night. It’s not like someone else is moving in.”
Auntie brandished the ladle she was washing in the air. I sensed a murderous intent behind the movement; it was a formidable attack.
“So, who is it, Yoo Eon?”
“She’s the owner of the appraisal office I always go to. Some things happened, so I brought her here. If it’s okay, could she have a simple meal?”
“Alright. We happen to have a little meat left over. I’ll use it all up so I can buy more tomorrow.”
“Thanks. I’m going to head up to the second floor and meet that person.”
Sera nodded slowly with a smile. Her smile was as beautiful as ever, even in the evening. I went up to the second floor and knocked on the door to Room 7. A voice answered from inside.
—Who is it?
Wait, it’s a woman.
Contrary to my expectations, it was a woman’s voice. Which female knight had come to see me?
“It’s Yoo Eon. I heard you were looking for me.”
“Ah, Yoo Eon. Is it you? Wait just a moment.”
“Sure.”
I leaned against the wall and waited. About three minutes later, the door opened. The person who stepped out was someone quite unexpected.
“Rubica?”
“Yoo Eon, it has been a long time.”
The Silver-grade explorer I’d met back when I was Brass Grade. The legend of the mukbang world who could devour an entire deer in one sitting—Rubica, the older sister of Rubia. Come to think of it, I’d heard their surname from Rubia.
So she was Rubica Spanya.
She was dressed comfortably in loose white pajamas, her hair down from its usual bun.
“What brings you here? I think it’s been almost two months.”
“Come inside first. I have something important to discuss.”
“Yes, well. Alright.”
The room’s layout was much like mine, just with the furniture mirrored. A large backpack was tossed to the side, and the wide pauldrons she’d worn back then were neatly arranged nearby.
“Yoo Eon, I heard you formed a party with my younger sister, who joined the Mayerbridge Union.”
“Yes, recently. We happened to meet by chance.”
“I heard the story. It seems you’ve become incomparably stronger than before.”
“I suppose so. I’m Gold Grade now.”
When I first met Rubica, I hadn't expected to grow this much. I’d finished six Labyrinth runs as a Brass Grade, and I’d nearly died at the end. Fortunately, thanks to finding a way to use my skills, I’d reached a grade that wasn't low by any objective standard.
“I heard that while you were the cause of the trouble, you ultimately handled it with your own strength. Since my sister returned safely, I hold no ill will toward you.”
“Ah. That… sip, I’m sorry. I should have been more careful.”
“No, it is fine. She is a thoughtless sister, but since she is currently in the Mayerbridge Union, friction with the Antonio Brotherhood would have happened eventually, even without you. Though I was against it myself.”
“You were against Rubia joining the Mayerbridge Union?”
Rubica nodded slowly. Contrary to what I’d thought, the Spanya family was a renowned noble house with its main estate in a city a bit away from the Labyrinth City Calax. Both Rubica and Rubia certainly looked the part of nobility.
Aside from the older sister eating like a glutton and the younger sister being incredibly boastful, they were fine. Why would the two daughters of the wealthy and prestigious Spanya family come to Calax to work as explorers?
“So you’re saying both you and Rubia left home because you were unhappy with the eldest son being the successor?”
“Precisely.”
“Why was that a problem?”
This world generally followed medieval customs. I thought it was common for the eldest son to become the successor and head of the family.
“He is a younger brother, eight years my junior. Furthermore, he is the son of a concubine. After my biological mother passed away, my father took a concubine.”
“I see.”
“There must have been a scheme by the woman who became the concubine. Despite my lifelong efforts to become the head of the family, my father suddenly announced he would pass the succession to him when the boy turned sixteen. That was already two years ago.”
One son and two daughters. Rubica, now twenty-six, had a half-brother eight years younger than her, making him eighteen. Rubica had worked hard to become the head of the house until he turned sixteen, but as soon as he had his coming-of-age ceremony, he’d snatched the succession away.
Rubica and Rubia believed their father had fallen for the concubine’s wicked whispers.
“That’s a sad story, but what do you plan to do?”
“The fame of a high-ranking explorer carries great value. Seeing your rate of growth, I believe you will easily reach Cobalt Grade, the threshold of the elite.”
“Haha, well. That’s quite the sudden compliment.”
“I have a request. Would you consider forming a fixed party with me?”
“A party?”
“Rather than coordinating with strangers, it is a better choice to break through the Labyrinth with a fixed set of members.”
Well, that was true. The problem was that I hadn't been planning on forming a party lately, though the numbers weren't an issue. I’d heard that Theodora, who I’d agreed to go to the Labyrinth with, was also exploring for similar reasons.
The biggest issue was positioning. Theodora was a front-liner with a two-handed sword, and as far as I knew, Rubica was also a swordsman who used a two-handed sword.
“That will not be an issue. I recently changed my armament.”
“Really? What did you change it to?”
Rubica rose from the bed where she’d been sitting, walked to an open space, and reached out her hand.
—Ting
With a clear sound like a ringing bell, a cluster of yellow light gathered in Rubica’s hand. Soon, the light, moving with a will of its own like fireflies, took a specific shape.
“That’s…”
“A Great Bow. Do you know? The most important thing for an archer is strength.”
“I think I’ve heard that.”
They did say archers were strength builds.
“As a daughter of nobility, I naturally practiced archery from a young age. Now that I have gained great physical strength, I can easily handle a Great Bow like this.”
“But why didn't you use it two months ago?”
“It was a matter of mastery. The sensation of drawing the string is closely tied to physical strength; after I gained my skills, I broke many bows while trying to draw them. Now that I have mastered the sense of the new strength I gained while using a greatsword, it is only natural to pick up the bow again.”
“I see.”
Apparently, she’d even risen to Gold Grade after switching back to her primary weapon, the bow. It seemed she still ate a lot, though. Was her incredible stealth when we first met because she was originally an archer? That seemed to make sense.
“I’ll give it some positive consideration.”
“I understand. Prudence is important. Had you accepted this proposal immediately, I would have doubted your judgment.”
“It’s not something I can just say yes to on my own.”
“It seems you have others you’ve already partnered with?”
“Yes, something like that.”
That concluded our talk for the day. Now that Rubica knew the location of the Mounted Goat Inn, she said she’d return in about a week. She was staying here for the night.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
When I finished my farewells and stepped outside, what was this?
Three little ones.
Three short children (in appearance) were huddled together, eavesdropping on the conversation.
“Ravi? Tresha? And Father, why are you here again?”
“Brother, you certainly know a lot of people. Mostly women…”
“Young man, you’ve got talent. She was quite pretty.”
“M-me too! Me too! Fixed party! In the Labyrinth!”
Sigh.
It was a total daycare in here.