Chapter 167 Is This Right
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Is This Right?
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A quiet evening at the inn.
Aldein's subordinates had left a long time ago, and Snout had just left the inn as well.
Karin was asleep in her room on the second floor with Delia's 'personality' and Ingrid's familiar rat, Lin.
Only Jeong Yoo-shin and Nelia were sitting at the inn's counter on the first floor.
Nelia's business was simple.
An invitation to join the labyrinth investigation team.
But since the Vice-Guild Master of the Explorer's Guild had come in person, it was difficult to think of it as just simple.
It seemed like it would be a long conversation.
He took a bottle of alcohol and a couple of glasses from the cupboard and placed them in front of Nelia and himself.
Jeong Yoo-shin poured Nelia a drink and asked.
"Vice-Guild Master, what's happening in the labyrinth?"
Nelia looked down at the filled glass and spoke.
"We don't know the fundamental reason either. As for recent events, I can tell you this. The entire Forest area has been designated as a no-entry zone because it’s now filled with the mana of the abyss. The same goes for the Sewer area. The only area you can go down to from the 5th floor is currently the Corridor area."
Jeong Yoo-shin tapped the counter with his finger.
He had been distracted by other things and had missed this most important news.
Nelia took a sip of her drink and her expression relaxed.
"I heard that you buried some 'holy relics' for a designated request a while ago."
Nelia's sudden statement.
Jeong Yoo-shin nodded in agreement.
"Yes."
He had accepted a request from the temple and entered the Forest area with Iron Mask’s party to bury some holy relics.
He had heard that the holy relics would disperse the mana rising from the labyrinth's abyss.
But from what the Vice-Guild Master was saying, it seemed that even the 'holy relics' hadn't been able to stop the mana of the abyss from accumulating.
"Actually, a few incidents have occurred in the deeper levels, but I can't speak of them carelessly here. I ask for your understanding."
Jeong Yoo-shin frowned.
'This doesn't seem like something I should get involved in.'
"I see. But as you know, my party is still very lacking and isn’t qualified to participate in a labyrinth investigation. I'm sure there are many competent clans and parties at the headquarters, so I'm curious as to why you came to me."
Nelia nodded.
"That's certainly true. Your party, Skar-nim, is at the 'low' intermediate rank."
Low intermediate?
It was a classification he had never heard of before.
Intermediate rank was intermediate rank, so what was this 'low' attached to it?
Nelia, as if reading his expression, continued her explanation.
"Low-rank explorers, commonly called novice explorers, are easy enough to distinguish. It's because the majority of them don't know much about the labyrinth. They are ignorant of how to make a living inside, let alone how to conquer the levels or the special laws of the labyrinth."
"I see."
"But, it's different when you move up to intermediate. They start to acquire one or two useful imprints, and their skills begin to improve. Because the speed at which their abilities blossom or their experience accumulates varies greatly from person to person, the intermediate rank is also divided into classes."
He understood.
Since the number of intermediate-rank explorers, who formed the backbone of the guild, was large and diverse, the guild must have made a separate distinction for them.
Even among intermediate-rank explorers, there would be a clear difference between an intermediate-rank explorer who had just moved up from low-rank and an experienced intermediate-rank explorer who had been through the wringer in the labyrinth.
Was it the difference between a private first class who had just been promoted from private and a senior private first class on the verge of becoming a corporal, the real power in a squad?
'So you're saying that I'm still a newbie?'
For some reason, he felt uneasy.
Nelia quickly noticed his expression and added a few more words.
"I'm not saying that I'm looking down on your party just because you're low intermediate, Skar-nim. There's a more important reason. Trust."
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched the back of his head.
Had he done anything to earn Nelia's trust?
He didn't remember doing so.
And he wondered if a grand condition like 'trust' was necessary to be recruited into a labyrinth investigation team.
"Fragments of the red sphere have been taken out of the labyrinth. Since we don't know who did it, it's difficult to rashly nominate a party or clan for this investigation."
"It could have been a mistake. Aren't you overreacting?"
"There's no harm in being careful. It's only natural to clean up the inside to prepare for external threats."
That was true.
"So why our party? I'd like to hear the reason."
"The first reason is that there are several people who have vouched for you, Skar-nim."
Who?
He couldn't guess.
"Who vouched for me?"
"First, Spirit Teacher Simus-nim."
"Ah."
He was the priest he had met when he first fell into this other world. A middle-aged man whose image of beating up goblins to death with his fists had been impressive.
"The guild conducted some investigations on you, Skar-nim. I heard that you were misunderstood by the guards on the Pilgrim’s road and came here to meet Karin-nim."
"That's right. And the misunderstanding was cleared up."
To hear his past from the mouth of a third person he had just met for the second time, honestly, it sent a chill down his spine.
"After that, you followed Karin-nim and joined her labyrinth investigation team as a porter. You survived admirably and completed the report. You also made a considerable contribution in the subjugation of the monsterized Hans while working at the labyrinth entrance. I heard that you didn't ask for any separate compensation."
"That's true."
"You also completed the designated request from the temple admirably, and you have a connection with Ingrid-nim and Astaroth-nim. Of course, the latter is a bad connection."
Jeong Yoo-shin rubbed his forehead and leaned back on his chair.
"I understand that I've earned the trust of several people. What are you trying to say?"
"I'm not finished yet. I also heard that you killed the intermediate-rank explorers Mage Slayer Ben and Pointed-Tooth, who were active in the underworld. And as for the reason why…"
Jeong Yoo-shin crossed his arms.
The rumor had spread faster than he thought.
"They were bastards who deserved to die."
"I was just admiring how quickly your skills are improving, Skar-nim. To get back to the point, you currently have the trust of several high-ranking people. This means that you are more than qualified to participate in this labyrinth investigation team."
"..."
Jeong Yoo-shin raised his glass and downed it.
The labyrinth investigation team.
It was definitely a problem to think about deeply.
"Alright, I understand. Can I think about it for a bit? I need to hear the opinions of my other party members and have a meeting."
"I understand. I'll give you about a month to decide. Discuss it thoroughly with them and then find me at the headquarters. If you decide to participate in the investigation team, I’ll prepare a sufficient reward for you. Well then…"
Nelia stood up without saying anything else.
He thought she would try to persuade him a bit more, but was that not the case?
This felt more like a job fair than headhunting.
Nelia left the inn, leaving Jeong Yoo-shin alone.
He racked his brain, but no answer came to mind.
"Aigo, my head."
Jeong Yoo-shin rubbed his forehead and sighed.
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The next morning.
Jeong Yoo-shin and Karin were gathered at a table in the inn.
Delia's golden personality was crawling around on the table.
Lin, the familiar, was leaning on Delia's personality while munching on some nuts.
"When can we put Delia's 'personality' back in her?"
"Tonight. Skar, you have to do it 'yourself'."
Jeong Yoo-shin made a disgusted face.
"...Why?"
"I don't know. Mion said that's the only way the personality can be preserved intact without any damage."
Since it was Mion who said it, he believed it unconditionally, but did he really have to spread Delia's butt cheeks and put that golden slime in?
It was a very difficult task.
Delia's personality raised its head(?) and bumped against Jeong Yoo-shin's cheek.
"Ah, don't do that."
Jeong Yoo-shin frowned and pushed Delia's 'personality' away.
At first, he had been horrified and pushed it away, but now he didn't resist that much.
If one looked at it closely, it was kind of cute.
'Am I going crazy?'
He considered slapping himself but decided against it.
"The procedure is tonight."
Karin emphasized the time once again.
Jeong Yoo-shin sighed and stood up from his seat.
"Alright. It's something I have to do anyway."
He had time until evening, so he stopped by Boron's smithy and picked up his repaired equipment.
It wasn't completely destroyed like before, so the cost and repair time weren't long.
When he returned to the inn, Luna was sitting at a table.
"Mister Skar."
For some reason, Luna had a dejected expression.
"What's wrong?"
"My mom scolded me."
"Why?"
"She said that there are a lot of people with strange imprints these days, and I've been wandering around carelessly."
"Is that so?"
"This is a letter from my mom."
Luna took a small piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Jeong Yoo-shin.
It said that she was worried because Luna wasn't listening to her even after a stern scolding.
It ended with a request to lecture Luna in her stead as well as an invitation to stop by the pharmacy anytime.
Jeong Yoo-shin gave a bitter smile and stroked Luna's head.
"It's because your mother cares about you so much, Luna. It's not that she dislikes you, but she just wants you to be a little more careful, you know? There are a lot of bad people wandering around these days."
"I know. Luna likes her mom too."
Luna smiled a little. Did she feel a bit better now?
"By the way, what's that wriggling thing?"
Luna, having come to her senses, raised her hand and pointed at Delia's 'personality' in his pocket.
"A slime."
It was a half-lie.
He didn't know how to explain this personality slime in front of a little fox beast-person.
"Ooh?!"
Luna's eyes sparkled.
"I want to see it!"
"S-Sure."
He took Delia's 'personality' out of the leather pouch and placed it on the table.
"It's amazing! Its color is even more brilliant than Luna's slime."
"Actually, it's a person."
"Heh?!"
Luna looked up at Jeong Yoo-shin with a blank expression.
"A person who got a slime imprint in the labyrinth. Scary, right? Do you understand what your mother was trying to say now?"
Luna stuttered.
"B-But! It's so moist and squishy!"
Luna reached out and squished Delia's personality.
Delia wriggled and enjoyed Luna's touch.
"D-Don't touch it, it's dirty."
Jeong Yoo-shin, flustered, put Delia's personality back in the pouch.
"Anyway, it's getting late, so I'll take you home."
Karin, who had been quietly observing them with her arms crossed, spoke up.
"Why don't you take her?"
"Where?"
"The temple."
Karin waved Luna's letter.
"Luna's mother wrote here that she wants you to teach her about the scariness of imprints. I don't think it would be a bad idea to let her see it once."
"There are things you should and shouldn't do. It's too stimulating a sight for Luna. It's not good for her education."
"Luna wants to see it!"
Luna clung to Jeong Yoo-shin's knee and acted cute.
"No, Luna. I'm telling you, it's not a very pleasant sight."
Karin snorted and shrugged.
"What's the big deal? When I was Luna's age, I was killing bandits with a dagger. Aren't you being too overprotective?"
At that age?
This crazy other world.
"Mister Skar, Luna wants to see it once! The scene of a slime turning back into a person!"
"Haa."
What should he do?
He knew of Luna's bold personality.
When the thugs came to the pharmacy and tried to force them to buy drugs, she hadn't backed down an inch and had swung her fists.
'Am I being too overprotective?'
"I'll take responsibility."
Karin said while coolly sweeping her hair back.
"I don't know. Luna, if you feel nauseous or scared, leave immediately. Got it?"
"I got it!"
Luna smiled brightly and nodded.
'Haa.'
Jeong Yoo-shin sighed and scratched his head.
He had to show a child a personality slime going back into an anus?
'Is this right?'
On a dark evening.
Jeong Yoo-shin and Karin, with Luna smiling brightly between them, left the street and headed to the temple.
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T/N - Shit’s getting real serious in the labyrinth. My guess is that it has something to do with the outer gods. I wonder what will happen this time to force the MC to get involved? Any bets?
Also, I don’t think it’s appropriate for Luna to see Delia’s personality going back into her body, but this is another world, so I guess they work on different rules. Maybe?