Chapter 173 Labyrinth Investigation Team
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: Labyrinth Investigation Team
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Inside the quiet carriage.
Vivian felt a chill.
‘What I can give…’
What could she give?
She had thought about it when she was left alone in the shop after Skar had left.
It wasn't by her own will, but she had revealed all of her inner thoughts to him.
That she had secretly used a curse on Skar to watch his every move, and that she had masturbated furiously while looking at his body and face.
Could there be anything more embarrassing?
When she heard that Skar was in trouble, she thought that this was her chance.
She saw it as an opportunity to break the command-like restriction.
But this man had asked her a strange question instead.
What could she give?
Vivian gathered her chaotic thoughts and fell into contemplation.
And she soon realized…
No matter how kind a barbarian was, his true nature wouldn't change.
The legendary incarnations of lust who had clogged the sewers of the Eastern District with their semen, turning all of the slime janitors white.
When Vivian opened her mouth, a trembling voice came out.
"D-Don't tell me…"
Her voice sounded so frail that not even a speck of a long-lived race's composure could be found in it.
"Yes."
Hearing the soft voice, Vivian squeezed her eyes shut.
If she kept looking at Skar, her heart felt like it would explode.
"Do you mean I have to crawl into your bed every night and comfort you?"
"Excuse me...?"
Vivian cautiously opened her eyes and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.
His face looked as if he had heard an absurd demand.
He had a stiff expression.
‘That’s not enough for him?’
Vivian barely suppressed the hiccup that was about to escape her mouth.
No.
This man…
He wanted her to say it more vulgarly.
He wanted her to feel the humiliation of a woman.
"So you mean I have to secretly visit you every night with my... baby-making room all warmed up, and become a pillow-hole that receives your baby-seed in your arms until morning?"
"..."
Jeong Yoo-shin's expression hardened even more.
Pillow-hole?
His head spun as Vivian suddenly spouted lewd talk.
"O-Or, are you going to tie me up all day and torment me with the lewd items in the shop until I go crazy?"
Jeong Yoo-shin rubbed his forehead.
‘What in the world...?’
He was bewildered.
Here he was trying to make a deal with her, but Vivian suddenly started spouting perverted nonsense.
It seemed that if he didn't correct the flow of this conversation, it would go in a strange direction.
"No. What I want is…"
"Yes?"
Vivian's cheeks were flushed as she asked, as if she had a fever.
"A crossbow and a bastard sword."
"...?"
Vivian's mouth fell open.
Jeong Yoo-shin stroked his chin.
Seeing Vivian's completely clueless expression, it seemed that a further explanation was needed.
"I'd like the crossbow to be light enough to be used with one hand. It also needs to be durable since I'll be moving a lot. The bastard sword needs to be well-balanced and sharp."
Jeong Yoo-shin didn't stop there.
He had to get everything he could.
Vivian owed him anyway.
"Ah! And it would be nice if you could install some magic tools when the inn is being repaired. I'll leave it up to you to decide what kind to use."
"..."
Vivian's shoulders slumped.
"I-Is that so? Is that all?"
"Yes! Please send the equipment to the Earth Mother Goddess’ temple within a week."
Jeong Yoo-shin finished his business and scratched his head.
"Will that be difficult?"
"No, I can do it. Then when will you release the restriction?"
"In a little while. Please wait until the inn is rebuilt."
"Ah, alright."
Vivian just nodded, as if drained of energy.
"Then I'll see you later."
Jeong Yoo-shin got out of the carriage and walked down the street toward the Earth Mother Goddess’ temple.
When he arrived at the temple, his comrades, including Karin and Mion, weren’t there.
Where had they gone?
"Skar-nim's comrades? They followed Priestess Mion-nim to the park to do volunteer work. The refugees who lost their homes are gathered there. They should be back soon, so please wait a moment."
"I see."
He nodded after hearing the reception priest's explanation.
Jeong Yoo-shin went to the temple's garden and sat down on a bench in the corner.
He enjoyed the feeling of relief as he admired the blooming flowers.
With Vivian's help, his debt was gone.
On top of that, he had been promised not only good equipment, but also magic tools to be installed in the inn.
As he was enjoying the scenery and passing the time, Mion and his party members approached him.
"Skar, where have you been?"
The party members surrounded Jeong Yoo-shin and asked him various questions.
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled faintly and explained everything that had happened.
Karin had a horrified expression.
"What?! Skar, you're leaving us to form a party with other people?"
"Don't worry. It's only temporary."
Delia tilted her head.
"But if you've paid off all your debts, then there's no need to enter the labyrinth, is there?"
Jeong Yoo-shin shook his head.
"Hearing what the Vice-Guild Master had said, the offer isn't bad. I'll go into the labyrinth first and take a look at what's happening. She said that a high-ranking explorer party is also involved, so don't worry too much."
"Still…"
Karin and Delia trailed off with worried expressions.
Just then…
"No. The essence of an explorer is to become stronger by taking risks."
Mion stepped forward and said.
Her golden pupils, revealed between her slitted eyes for the first time in a while, were shimmering.
"Skar-nim, I heard that all of your equipment had been buried under the inn. I'll prepare everything for you!"
Mion said while clenching her fists.
"No. It's alright."
"What?!"
"What?!"
Mion and the party members were surprised.
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched the back of his head.
"A dark elf boss who runs a business in the Eastern District said she would prepare the necessary equipment for the exploration."
"Vivian?"
Karin asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah."
At Jeong Yoo-shin's answer, Karin and Mion quickly exchanged glances.
'Don't tell me it's the Night of Death clan leader, Vivian-nim?'
'Yeah. Another one.'
'Are you sure?'
'She smells of a rich, female scent. I'm sure.'
'Haa.'
Jeong Yoo-shin, oblivious to the two women's silent exchange, leaned back comfortably in his chair.
"The expedition leaves in a week. Rest easy."
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After the party meeting was over, Jeong Yoo-shin remained alone in the garden.
He felt relieved, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
The biggest thing was that he didn't have to worry and weigh various things as a party leader.
No matter how much he thought about it, the position of a leader didn't suit him.
Thinking that his party members' lives depended on his decisions, his heart felt heavy every time he had to make a decision.
In that sense, this trip to the labyrinth was fine.
The high-rank explorers would act as a cushion, so he could watch from behind.
And although his new party members were a bit strange, they had the air of veterans. He saw it as an opportunity to learn various things from them by acting alongside them.
A trip to the labyrinth with only benefits, except for the risk of dying…
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled.
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The next day.
While he was spending time in a guest room at the temple, two dark elves visited.
"Here are the items you ordered, Skar-nim."
They said while placing the two wooden chests they had been carrying on their backs on the floor.
When the wooden boxes, engraved with beautiful decorations, were opened, a crossbow and a bastard sword were revealed.
One of the dark elves stepped forward and pointed at the crossbow.
"This is a limited-edition crossbow made by the renowned Jereus Workshop in the Western District. As you ordered, it’s light and sturdy, and we've added an option to fire bolts in succession in close combat."
"Is that so?"
He took the crossbow out of the box and looked at it.
It was completely different from the crossbows he had seen so far.
It was too short to be used with two hands, and a bit too long to be used with one.
There was another strange feature.
Where bolts would normally be placed one by one, there was a wooden cartridge that looked like a magazine.
There was also a grip and trigger that you would see in modern designs.
"How do I load this?"
Generally, you would use a tool called a goat's foot lever or a cranequin to load a crossbow, but he didn't see one here.
"Do you see the handle on the bottom of the body?"
"Ah."
"Grab it, pull it down, and then pull it toward your body. It's made for easy and fast loading. We've also prepared a generous 400 bolts. If you need more, you can contact us separately."
If he had to make a comparison, it seemed to operate like a pump-action shotgun.
"The downside is that its accuracy and power are slightly lower than a regular crossbow. But if you're assuming close combat against multiple opponents, then there's no better crossbow than this one."
After the explanation of the crossbow was over, the other one stepped forward and pointed at the bastard sword.
"It may look ordinary, but it’s a sword with a high proportion of mithril alloy. It has been specially treated with chemicals to reduce the risk of corrosion and to prevent fat from sticking to it. It’s light enough to be used with one hand, and is more powerful if you use it with two."
When he gripped the hilt of the bastard sword, it fit perfectly in his hand.
Looking at the blade, he saw that it was engraved with old-fashioned characters.
"This sword was also made by the Jereus Workshop. Your name is engraved on it, Skar-nim."
Jeong Yoo-shin swung the sword in the air.
Whoosh.
It was well-balanced, and the edge was chillingly sharp.
"Nice."
"Well then…"
The dark elves, as if their business was finished, bowed politely and left the room.
Jeong Yoo-shin put down the crossbow and the bastard sword and crossed his arms.
"As expected, making the first offer is the most efficient way to trade."
He hadn't had very high expectations, but he had gotten some good items.
He didn't know what the Jereus Workshop was, but it seemed that their skills were several levels above Boron's smithy.
He closed his eyes and fell into deep thought about how he should fight with his temporary party.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A week passed.
During that time, Jeong Yoo-shin practiced shooting his crossbow and swinging his bastard sword.
Fortunately, he was able to prepare his equipment with the help of several people.
He received a lot of potions from Luna's mother, who ran the pharmacy.
The general store owner, unlike his usual miserly self, gave him various supplies this time.
Aldein personally selected and prepared his leather equipment.
Since mobility was important for his role this time, he wore armor made of a rather light monster leather.
And this morning…
The time to enter the labyrinth had finally come.
He packed his belongings and stood in the front yard of the temple.
Around him stood his comrades who had come to see him off.
"I'll be back."
"Skar-nim, here."
Mion approached him and handed over a scroll sealed with a golden sigil.
"Mion? What's this?"
"I've put a 'little' of my holy magic in it for you, Skar-nim. Please use it when you're in danger."
"Thank you."
Jeong Yoo-shin carefully put the scroll Mion had given him in his pocket.
He didn't know what kind of magic was in it, but since it was a scroll from Mion, he intended to save it until the very end.
"I'll be back."
"Skar, be careful."
"Don't die."
Seen off by Karin, Mion, Barion, and Delia, he headed to the labyrinth.
The front of the labyrinth was deserted, with only a few people gathered.
This labyrinth investigation team was different from the last one.
For one, only one high-rank explorer party was entering this time.
It was a measure the guild had taken because of the large number of casualties they had during the last Eldritch Wave.
They wanted to minimize the damage by sending in people in smaller groups rather than a large investigation team all at once.
There was also a reason why the investigation team had been formed so quickly.
It was because Astaroth had pushed for it strongly. It seemed like she was dissatisfied that the people of the Eastern District were having trouble entering the labyrinth in their turn.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked around and found his party.
The priest Sarteurang, the mage Lena, the warrior Mick, and the wolf Varg.
It was a combination that could be recognized at a glance even from a distance.
He was going to them when he stopped in his tracks.
Black-haired barbarians caught his eye.
Jeong Yoo-shin's expression immediately soured.
"Why are these bastards here...?"
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T/N - Another run is about to begin. I’m not surprised that other barbarians are in this investigation team. The Guild seems to be going for an elite approach this time, and from what we’ve seen so far, the barbarians are pretty strong. I wouldn’t be surprised if these barbarians were the high-rank party leading the investigation team this time.
Also, damn, Vivian is really down bad. Her imagination is way too… active. Well, it’s also the MC’s fault for not expressing himself clearly from the get-go, but still… I also find it funny that Mion and Karin immediately knew they had a new competitor.