Chapter 252 Massage Later
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 252
Chapter Title: Massage Later
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Winter had drawn closer.
The night was deep, but the moon was bright.
Astaroth, dressed in a white fur coat, held a long spear in her arms and looked at the labyrinth's magic circle.
The entrance to the magic circle was teeming with explorers.
What would the explorers, full of ambition and desire, look like when they came out of the labyrinth?
They could get a monster imprint and unfortunately go mad.
Their lives could be ruined by getting a negative imprint.
Or they could soar by getting a good imprint.
That was something no one knew.
Astaroth was lost in thought while looking at the magic circle.
At that moment…
Flash!
A light flashed from the magic circle, and a mysterious person in a robe appeared.
The priests and guards were about to run, but Astaroth raised her hand to stop them.
"I'll go."
"Yes."
Astaroth slung her black spear over her shoulder and approached the mysterious person.
The mysterious person pushed back the hood of his robe.
A skull with a green glow burning in its eyesockets was revealed.
It was a familiar face. He was an executive of Pandemonium and a mage with a Lich imprint.
"Od, did you have a good trip?"
"Yes."
At Astaroth's question, the skeleton nodded in reply and walked slowly.
Astaroth followed him.
"Od, I heard that there was a problem."
"That's right. The magic coming up from the abyss has gotten even stronger. You must have heard of this, right?"
"Yeah."
"I stopped by the 20th floor and investigated it in detail. Ezdras' second seal has cracked."
Astaroth let out a deep sigh. Her head was already throbbing.
"Haa. If the seal that filters the magic is broken, it means that the monsters will get even stronger."
"The abnormal phenomena will also accelerate. We must inform the Explorer's Guild Headquarters. And the Labyrinth Council as well."
"I understand. For now, go and get some rest."
Od was silent for a moment.
Should he tell her?
That the long-lost Hellblade had returned?
He thought about it and then shook his head. Compared to what was happening in the labyrinth now, everything else was a secondary issue.
"Well then…"
The skeleton gave Astaroth a simple goodbye and left.
The latter leaned on her spear and turned her eyes to the magic circle.
'The hero.'
The emperor of the Empire had sent a hero. Was her name Cian?
Did the emperor also know that abnormal phenomena were occurring more frequently in the labyrinth?
He must be aware.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent a hero at such a menacing time.
Even so, it was difficult to grasp the emperor's intentions.
Had he really sent her to help?
Or was he planning to grab Labyrinth City and shake it up?
If Labyrinth City was taken, the Eastern Alliance would crack.
She knew that the barbarian Skar was struggling, disguising himself to find out the true nature of the hero's party.
Come to think of it, the thought was actually a bit cute.
'To think that he's deliberately pretending to be an actual barbarian.'
It also suited him.
Astaroth giggled and then fiddled with her lower abdomen.
Throb.
As she was thinking of Skar, the Masochistic Female Corruption imprint activated, and her lower abdomen rumbled.
There were many women around Skar.
Karin, Ingrid, Priestess Mion… And she had heard that there was also Vivian, the clan leader of the Night of Death.
'He must have had sex with them, right?'
How many times?
How did he do it?
Since he was a barbarian, he would probably have sex by mercilessly pressing down on them.
And then he would spit thick saliva on the face of the woman who was miserably broken down by pleasure.
Just imagining it made her body tremble.
"Astaroth-nim, you're drooling."
The dark elf adjutant next to her said.
"I-I'm just tired."
"Then please get some sleep."
"It's fine. Call the hero's party later. Tell them that I have something to talk about regarding the 20th floor."
"I understand."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The next morning.
Jeong Yoo-shin stopped by the market, bought some dwarf liquor and a warm meat pie, and stopped by Boron's smithy.
Clang!!! Clang!!! Clang!!!
The smithy, where the sound of iron being hammered could be heard vigorously.
Listening to it made his heart feel at ease.
"Boron, I'm here."
The dwarf sitting at the counter shot up.
"Skar?!"
"Why are you looking at me with such surprised eyes?"
"Isn't it cold to walk around the streets in that attire?"
"It is a bit cold."
His attire, with just a wolf skin slung over his leather armor, wasn’t something to be worn in the middle of winter.
Boron looked at Jeong Yoo-shin silently for a moment and then nodded.
"The rumor that you've lost your mind wasn't true. It was all an act."
Jeong Yoo-shin chuckled.
"Are you sure?"
Boron's face turned pale.
"D-Don't make such scary jokes."
"Did you hear the news about the greatsword last time?"
"Ah... You mean the black greatsword? I heard. I was so relieved!"
"Can you repair that greatsword?"
"I heard that it broke in half, but can I see it?"
"Sure."
Jeong Yoo-shin summoned the golden coffin, took out the broken greatsword, and placed it on the floor.
Boron observed the greatsword for a while and then called Einhorfer.
"Skar?"
"Einhorfer, it's been a while."
Einhorfer saw the greatsword on the floor and immediately noticed what he wanted.
"Skar, did you come to have this greatsword repaired?"
"Yes."
Boron and Einhorfer meticulously examined the broken part of the greatsword.
Jeong Yoo-shin placed the meat pie and dwarf liquor he had brought on the counter and looked at the weapons and armor in the smithy.
Boron and Einhorfer raised their heads at the same time.
""It's impossible.""
Was that so?
"Whoever it was, they put the sword back together seamlessly. It's no wonder you were scammed. Not only black iron, but other ores were also mixed in. At our level, we can't figure it out at all. Besides, we have to melt the greatsword down and make it again, but the fire in our bellows is no match for it."
"Then..."
"We'll have to entrust it to the underground workshop."
"Let's do that."
Jeong Yoo-shin followed the dwarves to the underground workshop.
The entrance to the workshop was quite a distance from the smithy street.
'Is this the place?'
He saw the entrance leading underground.
Many people were coming and going around the entrance made of steel.
It was similar to that of a dungeon that would appear in a novel.
The further he went down the stairs while following Boron and Einhorfer, the hotter it became.
Had they walked for about 20 minutes?
Jeong Yoo-shin, who had arrived at the bottom, opened his mouth as he saw the scenery of the underground workshop.
What should he say?
It was a village inside a cave.
It was similar to the Ash Village he had seen on the 10th floor of the labyrinth.
But there were a few differences.
The huge cave was carved straight, as if with a ruler.
And a small river flowing from underground was passing through the village.
'To think that there was a place like this in the city.'
It was truly a blacksmith village. There were various races moving about, but most of them were dwarves.
Jeong Yoo-shin walked through the underground smithy street and looked around.
He passed by the sight of a huge hammer emitting steam and striking iron.
And he also passed by the scene of dozens of people carrying boxes full of iron ore and rushing here and there.
Boron, who had been walking for a while, stopped and raised his hand to point at a smithy.
"This is the place. The Damascene Workshop."
Inside the wide-open smithy, dozens of dwarves were moving in perfect order.
At that moment…
An old dwarf approached them slowly with his hands behind his back.
"Boron? What is it?"
Boron scratched his head.
"Master, it's been a long time."
"What master, you who left in the middle of learning? Just state your business."
Boron made a bitter smile and then showed the greatsword he was carrying on his back.
The old dwarf stroked his long beard and observed the greatsword.
"A greatsword mixed with black iron? It's broken. But what about the hilt part?"
Einhorfer handed him the hilt.
"Here you go."
The old dwarf looked at Einhorfer's hand and then turned his head to look at Boron.
"Who is this? Why is his hand shaking?"
"He's my disciple. He has a hand tremor imprint."
"Hah! Boron, you who aren’t even half-decent, have taken such a cripple as your disciple?! Are you trying to bring shame to my name?!"
When the old dwarf shouted, Boron's face turned slightly red.
"M-Master."
"Leave the greatsword and go. I don't know what kind of greatsword it is that you've come all this way, but it must be a request to melt the sword and make a new one, right?"
'This bastard?'
A vein popped on Jeong Yoo-shin's forehead. He couldn't stand by and watch his friend be insulted to his face.
"Hey!!!"
A loud roar burst from Jeong Yoo-shin's mouth.
The sound of the hammer stopped, and the smithy became quiet.
The dwarves who had been running around also stopped and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin and his group.
A question appeared on the old dwarf's face.
"A barbarian? And who are you?"
"This bastard, look at this. Why are you insulting my friend?!"
A different, ignorant tone came out of his mouth, and Boron and Einhorfer's jaws dropped.
A chill ran down their spines as they watched him get into character without a single change in his expression.
Still…
Boron's eyes became moist. The barbarian who had gotten angry as soon as he had been yelled at wasn’t that scary to him. In fact, he was touched.
"Skar..."
"You can insult Boron, but I can't stand you insulting my friend Einhorfer! Apologize!"
Boron's face went blank.
"Skar...?"
"Hah. What if I don't want to?"
Jeong Yoo-shin reached out and grabbed the old dwarf's beard.
Clasp!!!
"Haaaaak!!!"
The dwarves who were watching the commotion were surprised and stepped back.
Jeong Yoo-shin pushed his face toward the stiffened dwarf and whispered in his ear.
"You don't want to? Then you and I will have a talk."
The dwarf's eyes twitched. He thought he finally knew of this barbarian’s identity.
The butcher who had swept through the Eastern District and dismembered the slave hunters.
And also the interviewer of the dwarves.
"S...Skar?"
"Correct. Sexy beard."
At Jeong Yoo-shin's whisper, the color drained from the old dwarf's face.
At that moment…
Einhorfer, who couldn't bear to watch, stopped Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Skar, I'm fine, so please stop."
Jeong Yoo-shin let go of the old dwarf's beard and stepped back.
"Tsk. Alright!"
The old dwarf, with a face as white as a sheet, staggered back.
"W-What is this...?!"
He wasn't even angry that his beard had been grabbed. He was just full of relief. Because it wasn't a threat to his life, but a crisis of his chastity.
Even so, there was something he couldn't yield as a blacksmith.
"Y-You said Einhorfer? No matter what, I don't acknowledge your skills..."
Thud!!!
Jeong Yoo-shin plunged a huge single-bladed axe into the smithy floor.
"Take a look! It's an axe made by Einhorfer!"
Only then did the old dwarf's eyes widen as he carefully examined the single-bladed axe.
"Hmm...!"
"How is it?!"
"I-It's excellent. But the balance of the axe seems to be shifted upward."
"I ordered it that way on purpose!"
Only then did the old dwarf raise his head and look straight at Einhorfer.
"Is that so? Einhorfer, I don't know how that good-for-nothing disciple of mine raised such an excellent blacksmith as you. I apologize."
Boron's shoulders went up a notch.
"Right?"
The old dwarf turned his head and glared at Boron.
"Boron, you bastard! You who left just to earn a little money early... It's frustrating, so shut your mouth!"
"..."
Boron scratched his head.
The old dwarf let out a deep sigh and lifted the blade.
"Hoo. Skar, leave the greatsword here and come back later. I'll melt the sword and make an ingot first. We'll talk about the reward then."
"Just take the blade! I'm taking the hilt!"
"Why?"
"Because I'm going to use it!"
"No, what are you going to use a broken sword for... Ah, alright! Get your hands off!"
The old dwarf saw Jeong Yoo-shin's slowly approaching hand, was startled, and shouted as he stepped back.
"Contact me when you've melted the blade! Then I'm going!"
Jeong Yoo-shin blurted out one phrase and left like the wind.
"T-Then I'll see you later, Master."
"Don't come. It's frustrating me to death. And Einhorfer."
"Yes."
"It's Gromdin. Let's see each other often from now on."
"I understand."
The two dwarves finished their greetings and followed Jeong Yoo-shin outside.
The group left the underground workshop and returned to the western street.
Jeong Yoo-shin waved his hand.
"Then I'll see you later! Please contact me if you've already melted the greatsword!"
Boron watched the receding back of Jeong Yoo-shin and then patted Einhorfer's shoulder.
"Disciple."
"Yes."
"You're not going to that workshop, are you?"
Einhorfer smiled faintly and shook his head.
"What does the evaluation of others matter? One person has already acknowledged me, so that's enough."
"Is that so? Skar brought some meat pie and alcohol earlier, let's go and eat and rest for a bit."
"Yes."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Jeong Yoo-shin ran down the street and arrived at the inn.
A person was standing in front of it.
"Cian?"
"Skar."
"Did you come for a massage?!"
Cian blushed and placed her finger on her lips.
"S-Speak quietly."
"First, come in!"
Jeong Yoo-shin and Cian entered the inn and stood there.
"What is it?!"
"W-We'll have to postpone the massage."
"Hmm?"
Cian's expression turned serious.
"The Explorer's Guild Headquarters and a committee called the Labyrinth Council have summoned our party. It seems like something unusual is happening in the labyrinth."
"Hmm."
Jeong Yoo-shin, who had been lost in thought for a while, raised his head.
"By the way, are you going to get a massage before you go?!"
'T-This guy!'
The flustered Cian hesitated for a while and then shook her head.
"Work comes first. We have to go right now. T-The massage is after that..."
"Alright!"
Jeong Yoo-shin and Cian immediately ran to the Explorer's Guild Headquarters.
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T/N - I think that interviewer of dwarves bit is a reference from when he was hiring for employees in Dalmong’s inn, maybe? Not really sure.
Also, it’s sweet that the MC protected Einhorfer’s honor. Just like the MC, the dwarf has come a long way even with his negative imprints.