16. Lessons and Back to the Labyrinth
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Lessons and Back to the Labyrinth
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The next day.
Jeong Yoo-shin woke up early, ate breakfast, and left the inn.
He arrived at the temple, pushing his way through the crowds.
“It’s over there.”
A temple guard pointed in one direction.
A large brick building with a courtyard stood a short distance away from the temple.
As he crossed the courtyard and entered the building, he heard a cacophony of voices.
“Emma! Hurry up! He’s coming today.”
“Alright, alright. Why are you so excited? We see him every time.”
“He’s soooo handsome! I want to see him every day!”
Jeong Yoo-shin approached the chattering young girls.
“Excuse me…”
“Aaaaagh!”
Two of the girls shrieked and jumped back.
“W-Who are you?”
“I’m here to learn how to read and write.”
“Huh?”
The shorter girl’s eyes widened.
“You’re here to learn how to read and write?”
“This is an orphanage.”
“I heard you also teach literacy here. I paid the fee.”
“Oh! I see. You’re here for the lessons. I thought you were a barbarian here to… hunt girls, like in the rumors. Sorry for the misunderstanding.”
The shorter girl bowed her head.
“I am a barbarian.”
“Huh?”
A moment of silence.
The girl stepped back.
“D-Don’t tell me…”
He felt a wave of exhaustion.
“I’m here to learn how to read and write. Would I really come to an orphanage in broad daylight to… hunt?”
He explained himself anyway. A small misunderstanding could escalate and create problems with the temple. He didn’t want to be expelled after paying a hefty sum of one silver coin.
Fortunately, the girl seemed convinced.
“Right. I misunderstood. Please follow me.”
He followed the girl down the hallway and into what appeared to be a classroom.
It was a fairly large room with several desks and chairs.
Children sat at their desks, chatting.
“Emma! Who’s that man?”
A girl asked the girl next to Jeong Yoo-shin.
“He’s here to learn how to read and write.”
“Wow. A grown-up coming here to learn?”
“I heard this was the cheapest place to do so.”
Jeong Yoo-shin replied casually.
“Oh. Right.”
The girl suddenly became shy.
She seemed uncomfortable talking to adults.
‘Me too.’
Children everywhere he looked.
He found an empty seat and sat down, feeling self-conscious.
He could feel their stares and hear their whispers.
He felt like a monkey in a zoo.
“Good morning, everyone. Please take your seats.”
The door then opened, and a woman entered the classroom.
‘Priestess Mion?’
Mion, with her flowing blonde hair and white cleric robes, looked different from the last time he had seen her.
Instead of the tight-fitting black habit, she wore a loose-fitting white robe. He could glimpse a black garment underneath, but overall, she looked saintly and maternal.
At Mion’s words, the children settled down in their seats.
Their eyes shone with admiration as they looked at Mion.
“We have a new friend today. Let’s all give him a round of applause.”
“Yes, teacher!”
Clap, clap, clap.
The classroom was filled with applause. Jeong Yoo-shin felt compelled to clap along. Applauding felt odd as the person being welcomed, but he wanted to do something.
“Now, today’s lesson…”
Mion’s class proceeded smoothly.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at the textbook Mion had given him and sighed inwardly.
The Woodcutter and the Earth Spirit.
Judging by the illustrations, it was a simple picture book for six-year-olds.
‘Get a grip, Jeong Yoo-shin. You can’t expect too much too soon. Just focus on the task at hand.’
He fought back the creeping sense of disappointment and stared intently at Mion, who was standing at the blackboard.
He focused all his attention on her words and the writings on the board while ignoring the children’s curious glances.
‘Just focus on the task at hand.’
Time passed, and the morning class ended.
“Alright, that’s all for today. I’ll check your homework tomorrow, so make sure you do it.”
“Yes, teacher!”
The children cheered.
Jeong Yoo-shin gathered his belongings and stood up. Lunch was provided at the temple, so he planned to eat quickly, stop by the inn to prepare for his exploration, and then head to the guild.
‘I’m a bit short on time.’
He didn’t want to waste time looking for the dining hall.
He spoke to Mion as she was about to leave.
“Teacher, where do we eat lunch?”
“Oh! Mr. Skar, please follow me. The children’s meal won’t be enough for you, so you can eat at the temple dining hall. I’ll show you the way.”
Mion replied with a gentle smile.
“Yes, Priestess.”
He left the classroom and walked alongside Mion down the hallway.
“How was today’s class?”
“It was good.”
He replied curtly. Being close to her, he could smell her sweet fragrance, which filled his nose and made his head spin.
Her voice was soft and warm.
Her beauty was almost divine.
Her dazzling appearance shattered the stereotype of half-closed eyes being secretive and sinister.
“I came to observe you today, Mr. Skar. I’m not usually the one who teaches this class.”
“I see. Did I pass?”
“Yes. You can continue attending. Explorers tend to be a bit rough around the edges. I screen them on behalf of the temple to protect the children from any negative influences.”
“Okay.”
That was strange.
‘But I’m a barbarian.’
The girl named Emma he met this morning had mentioned “girl hunting.”
He had been rejected by other parties and ended up joining a reject party.
He knew from experience that barbarians had a bad reputation.
No, he shouldn’t overthink it.
Mion, with her noble character, wasn't one to be swayed by rumors and prejudice.
Jeong Yoo-shin and Mion arrived at the temple dining hall while chatting casually.
“I’ll see you later. I’ll pray for your safe exploration.”
Mion bowed her head slightly.
“Yes, thank you.”
He saw Mion off and entered the dining hall.
Temple priests sat quietly while eating their meals. Jeong Yoo-shin joined the queue, received his food, and sat down at an empty table.
The meal was quite simple.
Rye bread, a small piece of cheese, and potato soup.
He ate quickly and left the dining hall.
‘I shouldn’t be late.’
He stopped by the inn to grab his gear and then headed to the guild.
The guild was relatively empty, so he easily found the goblin and his party.
“I thought you weren’t coming.”
Del grumbled.
The sight of a goblin crossing his arms and complaining was amusing.
“Sorry. Something came up.”
“Let’s go.”
Del said and raised his wooden bow. He was a bow user, perhaps due to his elven background.
The dwarf Einhorfer, the human mage Kelton, and the gnome Ditto gathered their belongings and stood up.
Their equipment was quite unusual.
The dwarf wore heavy armor, a horned helmet, and a long great axe. His iron gauntlets, studded with spikes, also caught his eye.
The mage wore a robe and carried a staff and a sword.
Jeong Yoo-shin stared blankly at the arming sword hanging from the mage’s waist. Their eyes met. The mage, Kelton, simply shrugged.
The gnome Ditto wore leather armor and carried two daggers, a crossbow, and a short sword. He was lightly equipped with minimal baggage.
“I’m the navigator, so I need to travel light, virgin barbarian.”
Ditto, seemingly reading Jeong Yoo-shin’s thoughts, explained.
“Let’s take it easy today since we have a newbie. We’ll just wander around the outer areas of the second level and hunt some goblins. It's an extermination and magic stone collection request.”
The idea of a goblin hunting goblins was somewhat amusing.
Del suddenly glared at him.
“What? You were thinking something weird, weren’t you?”
“No.”
“Yes, you were.”
“Are we just going to stand around here?”
Einhorfer, the taciturn dwarf, finally spoke.
“Fine, fine. Let’s go!”
Del led the way out of the guild.
They left the southern district of the city and entered the western district.
They walked through the quiet streets towards the labyrinth.
Bathed in the late spring sunshine, they passed several other parties as diverse in appearance and attire as the spring flowers.
He was entering the Great Labyrinth again.
Many things had happened during his first foray, but he survived. He learned valuable lessons. He even obtained a positive imprint, albeit an ordinary one. He was disappointed that it wasn't a cheat-like ability, but now, he was grateful he hadn't received a negative one.
Lost in thought, he arrived at the Great Labyrinth. He followed the soldiers’ instructions and stepped into the magic circle.
“Nervous?”
Del asked with a grin.
“This is only my second time. It’d be weird if I wasn’t nervous.”
Jeong Yoo-shin replied, fiddling with the flint and steel in his pocket.
“Hmm.”
Einhorfer made a strange sound, like a cough, and the magic circle glowed.
He felt a floating sensation.
Then the damp, cool air of the labyrinth touched his skin.
His surroundings darkened.
The drowsy afternoon feeling vanished.
He was back in the labyrinth.
Jeong Yoo-shin quickly took out his flint and steel and lit a torch.
The cave was the same as before.
Dark and damp.
“We’re in the central area. If we walk a bit, we can descend to the second level.”
Ditto said while looking around. He had grasped their current location with a single glance without even consulting the map.
‘He seems experienced.’
Unlike Jeong Yoo-shin who was tense, Del and his party seemed relaxed.
“Give me the torch. I’ll take the lead, virgin.”
Ditto said, holding out his hand.
“Please stop calling me a virgin.”
“You’re still nervous even though this isn’t your first time. Just stay close behind me.”
Ditto took the torch and walked briskly. Despite the limited visibility, his steps were sure and steady.
Ditto led the way, followed closely by Jeong Yoo-shin. Behind Jeong Yoo-shin was Einhorfer, then the mage, and finally Del in the rear.
Del’s party moved much faster than Karl’s. They practically ran, fearlessly navigating the darkness.
“Pant… Pant…”
After about two hours of brisk walking, Jeong Yoo-shin was breathing heavily.
“Six goblins ahead. Prepare for battle. Skar, to the front.”
Ditto stopped and stepped back.
“Yes.”
Shing.
He drew his new arming sword. The grip felt comfortable in his hand, much better than the long sword. He tightened his grip on his shield strap and stepped forward.
“Let’s see what the newbie can do.”
Del chuckled from behind.
“Here they come.”
“Kee kee keek.”
“Keh keh keh.”
Whoosh!!
Del shot an arrow. It disappeared into the darkness, and he heard the thud of a falling body. There was no scream.
“Got the archer.”
Five remained.
The goblins charged, roaring in anger.
Two with spears, two with swords, and one with a club.
A goblin swung its sword and lunged at Jeong Yoo-shin.
Clang!
He blocked with his shield and thrust his sword into the goblin’s neck. He must have hit a carotid artery because blood spurted out like a fountain when he withdrew his sword.
He kicked the collapsing goblin aside and grabbed an incoming spear, pulling it toward him. He smashed the face of the goblin holding the spear with the pommel of his sword.
“Keeek!!”
The goblin, its head caved in like Karl’s, staggered back.
A club swung towards his head.
While he was still holding the spear, another goblin approached and swung its club.
He quickly raised his shield, but it was useless.
Splatter!
The club-wielding goblin was cleaved in two by a great axe.
“Hmm.”
Thud!
A bolt from Ditto’s crossbow pierced the eye of a spear-wielding goblin. Its brain must have been destroyed because it collapsed like a puppet soon after.
The last remaining goblin turned around to flee, but Del’s arrow found its mark, embedding itself in its head.
Thud.
The battle ended with the sound of the last goblin falling.
A swift battle that lasted less than thirty seconds.
Honestly, walking had been more tiring. He had made a mistake by not noticing the club-wielding goblin in time, but it wasn’t a major issue in the end.
“Thank you, Einhorfer. You saved me.”
He expressed his gratitude.
“Sure.”
Einhorfer simply nodded.
“Hurry up and collect the ears. What are you standing around for?”
Del said impatiently.
“Yes.”
They set their torches down, crouched down, and began cutting off the goblins’ ears.
Only the quiet sound of knives echoed through the dark cave.
He hadn’t realized it during his first time in the labyrinth, but…
As he crouched there, harvesting goblin ears like weeds…
He had a realization.
His life…
Wasn’t some overpowered isekai story where he would take over the world with cheat abilities and conquer countless women.
‘It’s a different genre.’
“Skar, hurry up. We have a long way to go.”
“Yes.”
Del, who was crouching next to him, snapped at him.
A goblin cutting off goblin ears.
It was so absurd that he chuckled.
“Kelton, he’s laughing.”
“Leave him be. He’s probably having some pleasant fantasy. The idiot.”
Del and Kelton exchanged a cryptic conversation, but he ignored them.
This was much better than before.
The sounds of knives and conversation echoed throughout the dark cave.