Chapter 313 I Know Him Well
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 313
Chapter Title: I Know Him Well
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The person the mystic guy pointed at was…
The wolf beast-person Skar.
The Skars looked at the wolf beast-person with envious eyes.
"Grrrrr."
A voice like scraping iron leaked from the guy's mouth.
The mystic's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Third Brother, do you have a complaint or something? Why’re you growling?"
"It comes out sometimes when I'm in a good mood."
TS Skar smacked her lips as if it was a shame.
"Tsk. What a pity. Can't I just sneak in too?"
"Don't. Youngest and Third Brother, get ready to enter the labyrinth. Also, pick a trustworthy person among your party members."
The wolf beast-person grinned, his eyes shining.
"I understand."
An appearance closer to an animal than a person, befitting of a male beast-person.
It was the smile of a predator that had entered hunting season.
"Haa. I want to form a party with Skar too."
Karin muttered while slumping over the table.
Cian also had a sad face.
"I also want to enter the labyrinth with Skar quickly."
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled and held Cian and Karin's hands.
"We can just go together next time. You two are about to be promoted to intermediate-rank mid soon, right?"
The mystic, who was watching them, looked up at the ceiling.
"Sigh. Lovey-dovey… This dirty world."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After the meeting ended.
Another 3 days passed, and Einhorfer visited the inn with new armor and a sword.
This armor looked similar to full plate armor.
Of course, it was armor pieced together with a monster leather base, but…
The shoulder, arm, and leg armor pieces were all similar to that of plate armor.
Einhorfer swept the surface of the armor.
"I've infused it with Weight Reduction magic and Vitality Increase magic."
"It must have cost a lot of money."
Jeong Yoo-shin muttered with a worried face, but the mystic guy stepped forward with a broad smile.
"Youngest, who do you think I am? I frugally squeezed it out of the Mage Tower. Meaning they did the magic infusion for free!"
Einhorfer took out a sword.
"Next is the weapon."
Jeong Yoo-shin's mouth opened slightly.
"Isn't it a bit big?"
It was a greatsword.
It looked similar to a Zweihänder with a ricasso, but…
The blade width was wider and thicker than the sword the middle-aged Skar used.
"I made it with the black iron greatsword you brought as the inspiration."
"Is that so?"
Jeong Yoo-shin grabbed the greatsword and lifted it.
'A well-made famous sword.'
A heavy sensation, but not overwhelming.
The balance was also perfect, and it was quite sharp.
He had leveled up and had been training steadily, so it wasn't a strange thing.
His back probably wouldn't ache from swinging a sword of this degree.
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Einhorfer."
The dwarf smiled along with him.
"I’m the one who’s thankful. I got the opportunity to learn at the Damascene workshop this time thanks to you."
Einhorfer said he had something urgent to do and left immediately.
Jeong Yoo-shin put away the equipment carefully and went out shopping with Third Brother.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Labyrinth City, having met spring, was full of vitality.
Jeong Yoo-shin walked through the market with the wolf beast-person.
'What’s this?'
The first place the wolf beast-person Skar visited was a smithy that specialized in making cooking tools.
The guy bought a large pot, then he tied it with a rope and fixed it firmly on his back.
Jeong Yoo-shin thought that the wolf Skar would buy equipment first, but it seems he was mistaken.
He flicked the cast iron pot with his finger.
Ting!
"Third Brother, aren't you going to buy any equipment for yourself?"
"Youngest, although I do handle weapons, I'm a martial artist now. You must have already guessed it, right?"
It was true.
As a beast-person, he held an advantage in physical specs compared to other races.
Moreover, the third's imprint wasn’t just a mediocre beast-person imprint.
It was the imprint of the legendary beast, Behemoth.
An imprint that lets its holder permanently enjoy an effect similar to leveling up just by eating monsters.
Honestly, he didn't know how strong the wolf Skar was.
If he had to guess, wouldn't he be close to a superhuman?
But…
"Martial artist, all of a sudden?"
At Jeong Yoo-shin's question, the wolf Skar grinned.
"Grrrrr. You used to go to a boxing gym in the past, didn't you?"
At the wolf guy's words, old memories came flooding back to Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Ah! Right. But I only did it for about 3 years, right? I only have memories of getting beaten up every day."
It was an old boxing gym, but there were many men in their 40s and 50s.
On the outside, they were no different from the ordinary people you'd meet in daily life.
The owner of the chicken restaurant who laughed heartily while saying that he had gained weight because he hadn't been able to exercise lately due to lack of time…
The bald department head who made a crying face while worrying about what to do after retirement…
When he first entered the gym, he had looked down on those old guys a little after seeing their appearances.
His arrogance was shattered to pieces within 3 minutes of sparring with them.
They threw punches with plain faces, and he couldn't keep his wits about him, but he still got beaten up.
"Honestly, it was a gym full of old pros. Wasn’t that true for you too?"
At Jeong Yoo-shin's words, the wolf beast-person guy grinned.
"Grrrrr. But you were praised after 2 weeks, right? That you have talent."
Indeed.
The gym owner's eyes had sparkled, and he had grabbed Jeong Yoo-shin’s pant legs, saying that he should participate in a competition.
Jeong Yoo-shin, who had been lost in memories for a moment, raised his head.
"Then are you going to continue to fight using boxing?"
"I also use my legs, and sometimes joint locks. If it really doesn't work, I bite. But it usually doesn't go that far."
The wolf Skar’s whole body was a weapon.
Jeong Yoo-shin was curious how he would fight.
Afterward, Jeong Yoo-shin, with a much more relaxed expression, bantered with the wolf guy as they bought things at the market.
Mostly spices.
He was also able to get some unusual emergency food.
It was an item sold at a small shop in the corner of an alley, and he had heard that the owner was a sailor.
According to the wolf guy, it was a type of ship's biscuit.
It was an extremely preserved food made to prevent spoilage during long voyages.
It was emergency food made by kneading dough with water, flour, and salt, then baking it at a low temperature for a long time to remove all moisture.
It was definitely different from what he had seen in Labyrinth City.
He had eaten many types of emergency food to the point of getting sick of them while exploring the labyrinth, but this biscuit was on a different level.
At least the emergency food he bought could be bitten into.
"I don't think I can eat this raw."
It was so hard that he thought his teeth would break if he bit it.
If he sharpened it well, couldn't he even stab and kill a person with it?
"It's usually soaked in water before eating. I went around Labyrinth City once, and this place makes the best biscuits. Be sure to remember it."
"Got it."
After that, Jeong Yoo-shin and the wolf Skar went around the market and bought camping supplies, potions, and other kinds of emergency food.
After finishing their shopping, just as they were walking down the street with a full load of luggage to return to the inn…
"Kyaaaak!!!"
"Huk?!"
"He's here again!"
The central avenue became noisy.
Jeong Yoo-shin and the wolf guy turned their heads and looked toward the avenue.
A group of soldiers were moving their feet in an orderly fashion.
They were wearing individualistic equipment, so they couldn’t be called a knight order.
But they overflowed with too much elegance to be labelled as just mercenaries.
The man at the very front caught Jeong Yoo-shin’s eye.
He was a young man in his late 20s with brown hair, wearing silver plate armor and riding a white horse.
His features were clear.
His eyebrows were thick, and his skin was clean.
A handsome man who embodied both androgynous charm and nobility in one body.
The women's eyes sparkled.
And the men also unknowingly sent him gazes of admiration.
However…
The wolf beast-person crossed his arms and quietly stared at the brown-haired handsome man.
Jeong Yoo-shin glanced at the wolf Skar’s face.
The guy's expression was stiff.
"Third Brother, do you know that guy?"
At Jeong Yoo-shin's question, the wolf Skar bared his sharp teeth.
"I know him well. Dietrich, the leader of the White Night Mercenary Group, the most famous one in the Eastern Alliance. A man who jumped into the mercenary group business at the age of 20 and took the leader position 5 years later. Not only his swordsmanship, but his skill in handling people is also outstanding, so he's a guy who cleanly resolves everything, whether it's a battlefield or a large-scale monster subjugation."
"..."
Jeong Yoo-shin closed his mouth.
Because the wolf guy's pupils were already blazing and burning.
He knew without asking…
The wolf Skar was related to that White Night Mercenary Group.
He also had a rough idea of what kind of relationship it was.
Looking at the guy's face, it probably wasn't a relationship where they could smile as they saw each other.
Unlike Jeong Yoo-shin and the wolf guy who were keeping their mouths shut…
The people on the street muttered in excited voices.
"It's been a while. Has it been 3 years?"
"Exactly 2 and a half years."
"Will he hold an entrance exam this time too?"
"I don't know. Anyway, I'm really jealous. I heard that they receive an enormous salary."
"Is that all? I heard that their welfare is good and they even provide high-level training for free."
Jeong Yoo-shin immediately noticed it.
That mercenary leader named Dietrich had visited Labyrinth City more than once or twice.
At the same time…
Dietrich's head whipped around.
The man's gaze was fixed exactly on Jeong Yoo-shin and the wolf Skar.
"Why is that Dietrich bastard smiling?"
At Jeong Yoo-shin's question, the wolf Skar readjusted his luggage.
"Pay it no mind. It's likely a meaningless habit. Let's go back to the inn quickly."
"Yeah."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Dietrich looked at the departing young man and wolf beast-person, then turned his head and looked at his adjutant.
"Dina, please secure lodgings and let the men rest. The central and southern districts should be fine. I’ll go and have an audience with the Queen-nim."
A brown-skinned woman with impressive orange bobbed hair bowed her head.
"Yes!"
Under Dietrich's command…
The White Night Mercenary Group scattered in an orderly fashion.
Dietrich rode his horse alone and entered the inner castle in the central area.
After surrendering his weapons and passing the body search, he immediately had an audience with the Elf Queen.
Ellasein asked with a face infinitely close to expressionless.
"What is the White Night Mercenary Group doing here?"
A cold attitude. However, Dietrich's smile didn’t disappear.
"I came because I thought you might need guards at the labyrinth entrance."
Ellasein's eyebrows twitched.
"I don't know what rumors you’ve heard outside the city, but there’s no problem here. Naturally, there’s no request for your help either."
"...I understand."
Dietrich tilted his head slightly and then answered immediately.
"Dietrich, will you be staying in Labyrinth City for a while?"
At Ellasein's question, Dietrich politely bowed his head.
"Yes. I’m thinking of taking on a security request for the city outskirts if there’s one. I also plan to send the new recruits who joined this time into the labyrinth."
"I understand."
"Then I’ll take my leave. If you have any requests for us, please let me know."
Dietrich didn’t erase his smile and politely withdrew.
Ellasein crossed her arms as she watched Dietrich's departing back.
The most famous mercenary group in the Eastern Alliance.
Whether it was war or monster subjugation, they never failed a request once they took it.
She had heard that they had been staying at the border until recently.
'Did he really come here just to train his mercenary group and take on requests?'
Ellasein stopped her thoughts.
"Selenis, what did Skar say? Did he say that he would serve in the royal guards?"
Selenis knelt on one knee.
"There’s no news yet."
"Haa."
Ellasein sighed and stroked her lower abdomen.
"He’s truly an indifferent man."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Dietrich, who had finished his audience, left the inner castle, took a room at an inn in the central area, and waited until night time.
When evening came, he wrapped himself in a dark robe and entered the Eastern District.
Balthazar, the leader of the 2nd-ranked clan Pantheon in the Eastern District, sat in his office and looked at the man in front of him.
'This is baffling.'
He had heard the news that the White Night Mercenary Group had arrived in Labyrinth City, but he didn't expect them to come looking for him this quickly.
"Dietrich? What’s your business here?"
Dietrich lowered his robe and smiled brightly.
"Ah. It's been a while, Balthazar-nim."
"Enough. Tell me your business first."
"Do you still have no intention of joining our mercenary group? We’ll treat you generously."
Balthazar shook his head.
"Why should I? I like the Eastern District."
"Is that so? May I ask you a favor?"
"..."
Balthazar silently glared at the man’s handsome face.
An expression of not wanting to help at all.
However…
When Dietrich took something out of his pocket, Balthazar's eyes widened and his mouth opened.
"That is...?!"
"It’s a fragment of the red orb famous in the labyrinth these days."
"Why in the world do you have that? No. How did you get that fragment in the first place?"
Dietrich smiled faintly.
"Is it important how I got it?"
"..."
Dietrich looked at the fragment of the red orb with sparkling eyes.
"The red orb, isn't it a truly fascinating object? A passage connecting to another world. Isn't it a way for a mere mortal to reach a god?"
Balthazar made a reluctant expression.
"It's called a passage to another world, but many explorers were swept away by that orb and went missing."
"But it’s also a way to obtain great power. Who knows? Maybe you can become a god with it."
Shiver.
A chill ran down Balthazar's neck.
'Dietrich. This guy!'
The man was distinctly different from the last time they met.
He had a face as if completely bewitched by something.
But Balthazar couldn't complete his thought…
Because Dietrich slowly put the fragment of the red orb back into his pocket and looked at Balthazar.
"Balthazar-nim, let's enter the labyrinth together. I want to see an intact orb with my own eyes."
"Don't tell me you're suggesting we enter the labyrinth with just the two of us?"
Dietrich shook his head.
"No. I saw a pretty decent explorer while passing through the Southern District today. He was as handsome as me, so I'm definitely going to try and invite him."
"..."
But Balthazar remained silent instead of answering immediately.
Dietrich's head tilted sideways.
"Balthazar-nim, what's with that expression? Have you by any chance forgotten?"
"...I haven't forgotten."
Balthazar couldn’t refuse.
Because his only daughter, Dina, was this man’s adjutant.
"So who’s the handsome guy?"
Dietrich stroked his chin and then opened his mouth.
"Black hair."
Balthazar's body trembled once.
"B-Black hair?"
No way.
Right?
But Dietrich's answer shattered Balthazar's hopes to pieces.
"Yes. He seemed like a half-barbarian. Do you happen to know him?"
Balthazar's lips trembled.
"...I know him well."
Balthazar…
Muttered with a feeling like his insides were twisting.
'Very well!'
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T/N - Oh man, trouble’s coming for the MC again. I always have an aversion to these too perfect types of characters ever since Griffith. The Eclipse scene with the Band traumatized me for life. This Dietrich even has a mercenary group! Though I do wonder what’s the wolf Skar’s history with the man…