Chapter 4: Explanation
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Explanation
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“Barbarian, wake up.”
“Huh!”
Jeong Yoo-shin bolted upright. Judging by the light, it was already morning.
“Did I fall asleep?”
“Yes. You slept soundly.”
“Well, I’ll be.”
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his head and took some dried meat from his bag.
Simus took an apple from his pocket, showed it to Jeong Yoo-shin, and then munched on it.
“I was just in the forest.”
“Yes.”
'The old priest's talking a lot today,’ Jeong Yoo-shin thought as he chewed his jerky.
Simus spoke again.
“Karin-nim went to the Great Labyrinth.”
“I know. The captain told me.”
“Where do you plan to go after the Great Labyrinth? Where were you originally headed?”
Jeong Yoo-shin tilted his head.
It was as if Simus was certain he wasn’t associated with the slave hunters.
“I’m not going anywhere else. The Great Labyrinth was my original destination.”
“Is that so?”
Simus smiled faintly.
They packed their belongings and left the ruins.
On the afternoon of the seventh day, the final day of their journey, Jeong Yoo-shin arrived at his destination.
“Wow.”
The city, seen from a high hill, was enormous.
Simus hadn't been exaggerating last night when he said it was the second capital of the Eastern Alliance.
Numerous highways led to the city teeming with crowds that resembled swarms of ants.
The city walls were as tall as modern buildings.
A river flowed majestically from the north, encircling the massive walls and continuing south.
It was on a completely different scale from the cities he’d seen from afar while traveling on the highway.
“It’s truly a large city.”
Simus smiled at Jeong Yoo-shin’s admiration.
“Do people often tell you that you’re not very articulate?”
“Occasionally.”
“You’re just like him.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Let’s go.”
Simus took the lead. Jeong Yoo-shin had anticipated spending half a day waiting at the gate due to the enormous crowds, but he was mistaken.
“Oh, Sir Simus!”
The gate captain shouted upon seeing Simus. The captain was a bear beast-person with a large scar across his eye, giving him a menacing appearance.
The bear beast-person rushed over and bowed deeply to Simus.
“Welcome to the Labyrinth City. I’ll report your arrival to the council immediately.”
“There’s no need for that. I’m only here to briefly see Karin-nim before I leave.”
“Oh!”
The bear beast-person’s face fell in disappointment, and he fidgeted. Jeong Yoo-shin thought he resembled a bear begging for honey.
“Who's this?”
The bear beast-person pointed at Jeong Yoo-shin.
“There’s something I need to confirm with Karin-nim regarding this barbarian.”
“Is it related to the slave hunters?”
“Yes.”
“Leave such troublesome matters to me.”
The bear beast-person thumped his chest.
“You dark-skinned human! What are you hiding? Speak!”
The massive bear beast-person glared at Jeong Yoo-shin and growled, drawing the attention of the surrounding people. Murmurs arose, and several guards rushed over, spears in hand.
Simus waved his hand dismissively.
“There’s no need. I’m doing this of my own volition.”
“Understood. Please come in.”
The bear beast-person immediately changed his attitude. The inspection at the gate proceeded smoothly. An elf wearing glasses managed the inspection. The dark circles under his eyes suggested he was exhausted.
“Barbarian.”
The elf spoke.
“Yes.”
“Keep one thing in mind.”
The elf’s serious tone made Jeong Yoo-shin tense.
“Bride kidnapping is prohibited in this city.”
“Huh?”
What had he just heard?
Jeong Yoo-shin gathered his bewildered thoughts and was about to ask, but—
“Don’t look so shocked. We respect barbarian culture, but it causes chaos in this city. Frankly, it's not a virtue we encourage.”
The elf looked intently at Jeong Yoo-shin as if seeking agreement.
“Y-Yes, you’re right.”
The elf sighed deeply.
“For example, don't kidnap another man's wife, rape her for three days and nights, turn her into a semen-soaked mess, then go to the husband and say, ‘Hmm, your wife fainted during intercourse so she’s not worthy of being my wife. I’ll return her to you.’ Don't do things like that.”
Jeong Yoo-shin clutched his head, feeling dizzy.
Barbarians. What kind of crazy people were they?
He finally managed to speak.
“Yes. Bride kidnapping. I won’t do it.”
“Also…”
There was more?
“You can’t have sexual intercourse without the woman’s explicit consent.”
“Yes.”
Why was this elf stating the obvious?
“Don't grab a woman passing by, rape her, and then say something like, ‘This female was wiggling her hips and seducing me, so I couldn’t help myself.’ Don't give me that bullshit.”
“Yes. But is that really bride kidnapping? It just sounds like rape.”
The elf frowned.
“The literal translation of the barbarian term is ‘female hunting.’ But how could civilized people use such a vulgar term? So we refined it.”
“Yes. Female hunting. I won’t do it.”
“Call it bride kidnapping. It at least sounds like there’s a motive, unlike mindless female hunting. You may pass.”
Jeong Yoo-shin left the checkpoint in a daze. Simus was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
“Shall we rest for the day?”
“No. Let’s go quickly.”
“What if Karin-nim doesn’t recognize you?”
Simus’s casual tone sent a chill down his spine.
Jeong Yoo-shin shook his head.
“That beast-person Karin took my artifact.”
“Artifact?”
“Yes. Something like a flint.”
“Did you give it to her?”
“No. She just took it.”
“Hmm, that’s a shame.”
Simus stroked his chin. It seemed like even this monstrous priest coveted artifacts. Jeong Yoo-shin chuckled inwardly, seeing a glimpse of Simus’ human side.
“Well, it’s not that great of a magic tool, so I’m not too upset about it.”
“No, not the magic tool.”
Hmm?
“Then what are you… Ah!”
He understood.
Simus smiled.
“If Karin-nim didn’t recognize you, I was planning to dispose of you.”
“Dispose of me?”
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
“Even villains like slave hunters have the potential for redemption. I planned to have a leisurely journey with you focusing on rehabilitation, atonement, and obedience, but it seems like that won’t happen. What a shame.”
“…”
He desperately wanted to meet Karin and clear up this misunderstanding.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“I don’t really remember.”
Karin’s indifferent words made Jeong Yoo-shin’s jaw drop.
“No, wait a minute!”
He had somehow made it past the outer gate checkpoint and reached the main gate of the inner city, where only high-ranking individuals resided. Perhaps Simus had sent word ahead because Karin was waiting for them outside the inner gate.
“You saw me back then! With the three elves!”
Jeong Yoo-shin spoke urgently.
“Hmm.”
A confident smile and sharp eyes.
He hadn’t been able to observe her closely during their first encounter, but he could do so now.
Large breasts, proportionate to her tall stature, strained against her thin linen shirt. Tight leather pants clung to her muscular thighs, revealing the shape of her lower body.
Her fluffy, reddish tail swayed gently.
Like a flame.
Not just her tail, but her entire being.
“You took my artifact. The thing that makes fire.”
Jeong Yoo-shin fought to suppress the feeling of being captivated and spoke assertively.
“I don’t remember anything like that.”
She didn’t remember? Had she suddenly developed amnesia?
“And is that how you ask someone to remember you? Get on your knees. Maybe then I’ll remember.”
Karin’s tail swayed leisurely. Like a wolf toying with its captured prey.
Jeong Yoo-shin gritted his teeth.
Pride?
He’d discard it. He’d rather bang his head on the ground here than embark on a journey of rehabilitation, atonement, and obedience with a middle-aged man.
He immediately knelt and bowed his head.
“Should I lick your feet too?”
He felt her cold gaze from above.
“No. I thought you were hiding something important, but it seems I was thinking too much. How boring. Sir Simus, this man is not a slave hunter.”
Simus clicked his tongue.
“What a pity. He could have been a good companion on my journey. By the way, could we speak privately?”
Karin tilted her head.
“About what?”
“I’d prefer to discuss it somewhere more private.”
“Alright. You there, barbarian, get up and wait for us.”
Jeong Yoo-shin stood up and bowed his head.
“Yes. Have a good time, you two.”
“Hardly.”
‘Shit.’
Karin’s sarcasm annoyed him, but he didn’t let it show on his face.
“Sir Simus, have a good trip.”
“Farewell. I hope we meet again.”
Jeong Yoo-shin then left the inner gate, leaving the two behind. He planned to go to the inn he had noticed earlier while passing through the outer district.
“Damn it.”
He wandered for a time, looking, but could not find the inn he had seen earlier.
He had no choice but to enter another nearby inn.
“We don’t accept barbarians here.”
The innkeeper’s cold dismissal prompted Jeong Yoo-shin to ask,
“Why?”
“Why? Honestly!”
The innkeeper, as if he had a lot to say, uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on his hips.
“You’re the only ones who break into women’s rooms in the middle of the night, rape them, and turn them into semen-soaked messes. Every single black-haired barbarian who’s come to this inn has done that. And then what? ‘As long as we’re both happy, isn’t it fine?’ Get out before I call the guards!”
The innkeeper’s outburst left Jeong Yoo-shin reeling.
‘Those crazy barbarians.’
Judging by the innkeeper’s expression, there was nothing he could say that would persuade him.
A rat beast-person sipping his drink nearby chuckled.
“Oh, the innkeeper is fired up today. Is it because he’s a young barbarian?”
“No. I simply believe in the law and justice of this city.”
The innkeeper’s words caused the other patrons to burst into laughter.
Jeong Yoo-shin left the inn, ignoring the laughter.
The city was large, and there were many inns, but not a single one welcomed barbarians.
After being rejected by the twentieth inn, he stepped back onto the street to find that it was already dark. The streetlights were already on, and people who had finished exploring the labyrinth were boisterously entering taverns. A sudden, unsettling thought crossed his mind.
‘Am I screwed?’
He had expected it to be difficult to adapt to a completely unfamiliar world with his limited knowledge, but reality was far worse than he had imagined.
He needed to interact with people to adapt, but his appearance prevented him from even doing that. The notoriety of the crazy barbarians had become a high wall blocking his path.
“But it’s ridiculous that not a single one of these many inns will take me in.”
He wandered the streets, clinging to hope. But after the thirtieth rejection, Jeong Yoo-shin slumped against a wall and sat down.
Night had deepened, and people were returning home.
‘This is my last chance.’
Resigned to sleeping on the street, he walked on. Soon, he spotted a shabby inn tucked away in a corner at the end of the street.
There was something written on the sign, but he couldn't read it.
Come to think of it, it was strange.
How could he, who couldn’t read the words here, speak the language of this world so fluently?
‘That’s not what I should be worrying about right now. I’m about to become homeless.’
Jeong Yoo-shin opened the wooden door and entered the inn.
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T/N - Honestly, I don't understand the MC's confusion. It was quite obvious that both the priest and the wolf girl were playing him.
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