Chapter 5: Settling In
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Settling In
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“Are you a barbarian?”
The bear beast-person sitting at the counter asked.
“Do you have any rooms available?”
Jeong Yoo-shin asked with a desperate heart.
“Yes.”
The bear beast-person stood up. He looked twice as large as the gate captain bear beast-person he’d seen earlier. As he leisurely approached him, he looked like a giant ball of fur rolling towards him.
Jeong Yoo-shin stepped back slightly.
“How much is it?”
“Five copper coins. Breakfast included.”
Jeong Yoo-shin took five copper coins from his bag and handed them over.
“Wait.”
The bear beast-person raised a paw to stop him.
“What is it?”
The words “I’m a good barbarian who doesn’t rape” were about to escape his lips when…
"This inn has one rule that you have to follow.”
Jeong Yoo-shin gulped. He felt inexplicably nervous as the large fur ball spoke to him with a serious expression.
“What is it?”
“Don’t complain if you find hair in your food or bedding.”
Indeed.
The innkeepers he had encountered so far were mostly humans. There were the occasional dwarves, but rarely were there any beast-people. At least, none with such thick fur.
“Understood. Here are five copper coins.”
The bear beast-person finally accepted the coins and handed over a key.
“Second floor, third room on the right.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He felt like he had found light in the darkness, and his words of gratitude came out naturally.
He went up to the second floor and opened the door.
A bed, a desk, and a chair were the only furnishings. There were no lamps and the room was dark.
Jeong Yoo-shin unpacked his belongings and took off his leather armor. It reeked of sweat from the long journey.
“Phew.”
He took out his waterskin, poured some water onto a towel, and wiped himself down before lying down on the bed.
“Ah, finally.”
This was just the beginning.
Tomorrow, he would go to the Explorers Guild, get his explorer license, acquire some equipment, and delve into the labyrinth.
His heart pounded with anticipation.
It was said that those who entered and were successfully able to exit the labyrinth had a small chance of acquiring an “imprint.” With any luck, he would quickly become stronger.
His desire for strength had grown since arriving in this world.
It was probably due to all the hardships he had endured. He had a hunch that if he remained weak, he would be stuck in a world where his choices became more limited over time, struggling until he passed away in solitude.
Jeong Yoo-shin fell asleep, filled with a mixture of anticipation and resolve.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“It’s huge.”
Jeong Yoo-shin marveled at the imposing building before him.
The Explorers Guild.
The white marble structure resembled a temple.
He was glad he had woken up and left the inn early. There was no need to ask for directions. The destination of a large number of people carrying packs was obvious.
Inside the building, dozens of counters and guild staff moved around with practiced efficiency.
Jeong Yoo-shin joined the long queue. The line moved quickly as the guild staff worked diligently.
“How can I help you?”
It was Jeong Yoo-shin's turn. The guild receptionist, a woman, smiled without even pausing to wipe the sweat on her brow.
“I’m here to get an explorer license.”
“Is this your first time?”
“Yes.”
The woman pointed to the left.
“Please go to the far left. New explorers are processed at that counter. This counter is for intermediate-rank explorers, so please be mindful in the future. Have a nice day.”
“Yes.”
Jeong Yoo-shin went to the relatively empty counter on the far left and joined the shorter queue.
“How can I help you?”
Finally, it was his turn.
“I’m here to get an explorer license.”
“Certainly. That will be 10 silver coins.”
“Here you go.”
Jeong Yoo-shin handed over the silver coins.
“Thank you. Can you read and write?”
“No.”
“Please provide your basic information verbally. I’ll write it down for you.”
Here it comes.
If he honestly said he came from another world, would they believe him?
Or would they think he was crazy and report him to the guards?
He didn’t want to test his luck. Even if they believed him, there was another problem.
Would it be too farfetched to assume that explorers who delved into the depths of the labyrinth and unearthed its mysteries would also dissect the body of someone who came from another world?
He didn't know.
But he had to consider the worst-case scenario. It seemed safer to conceal his origins, at least until he was strong enough to protect himself. And he had a convenient identity readily available.
Jeong Yoo-shin spoke.
A barbarian who lived his entire life in an unnamed village in the North.
The receptionist nodded.
“Lastly, please tell me your name. Ah! You can use an alias, of course. For barbarians only.”
“Why should I use an alias?”
Jeong Yoo-shin wasn’t ashamed of his name, but he considered a few aliases to avoid suspicion.
But it was strange that the receptionist was suggesting an alias in the first place.
At Jeong Yoo-shin’s question, the receptionist’s face paled.
“I, I don’t know much about barbarian culture, but I do know a few things. I’ve heard that barbarians reveal their true names only to their lifelong partners or close friends.”
“Ah.”
Several possibilities flashed through his mind, aligning and combining.
He understood.
For barbarians who considered “hunting females” and turning them into “semen-soaked messes” a form of entertainment, revealing one’s real name to a woman…
It was a barbarian’s declaration and proposal, a promise to turn her into his personal, indefinite sex toy by any means necessary.
In short, it was a declaration of intent to rape.
“Uh…”
His mind went blank and his lips went dry. He licked them, and the receptionist’s face paled further.
“I have a boyfriend!”
He didn't want to prolong this exchange, so he quickly got to the point.
“Alright. My alias is Skar.”
“Skar. A good name.”
The receptionist quickly filled out the paperwork with trembling hands.
After the registration was complete, she handed him a small metal tag. There were characters engraved on it, but he couldn't read them. It was probably his alias.
“You don’t have to come to the guild headquarters every time. There are guild branches throughout the city, so you can use those. The rewards are higher at the headquarters, but the branches are more convenient for new explorers. The headquarters is mainly used by established or high-ranking explorer parties. So they tend to pay less attention to newcomers.”
The receptionist spoke quickly.
Did she want to get rid of him as soon as possible?
“Understood.”
Jeong Yoo-shin nodded and left the Explorers Guild headquarters.
He felt a sense of accomplishment, having completed one important task, regardless of the misunderstandings.
“Now I just need to prepare my equipment and supplies.”
He only had a few copper coins and two silver coins left in his pouch, but he thought it would be enough. He already had the hard leather armor he’d taken from the slave hunters, so he only needed a sword and a shield. The guard captain from before had confiscated his sword.
He was wrong.
“Five silver coins for this?”
Jeong Yoo-shin’s question made the dwarf blacksmith frown.
“Yes. It’s the cheapest long sword we have. And this shield is three silver coins.”
The dwarf pointed to a round wooden shield.
Eight silver coins. 100 copper coins equaled one silver coin, so he needed a total of 800 copper coins.
Jeong Yoo-shin laughed hollowly in dismay.
“What? Barbarian, how much is your budget that you’d laugh like that?”
“Two silver coins.”
“Get out. Shoo!”
He visited several blacksmiths, but the prices were similar.
Jeong Yoo-shin trudged back to the inn.
It was around lunchtime, and the inn smelled of delicious food.
The bear beast-person was sitting at the counter.
“Lunch is two copper coins.”
“Are you looking for any workers?”
“A barbarian inn worker. That’s like putting a cat in charge of fish. Want to have sex and earn money? Do you have no conscience? Get out.”
The bear beast-person replied flatly. Nevertheless, Jeong Yoo-shin calmly explained his situation and asked for help. He needed to buy a sword and a shield to explore the labyrinth, but they were too expensive, so he needed a job. Any job would do, even if it wasn’t at the inn.
At Jeong Yoo-shin's request, the bear beast-person crossed his arms.
“Why should I trust you?”
“Here’s my brand-new explorer license. Can I use this as collateral?”
Jeong Yoo-shin took the small metal tag from his pocket and handed it over.
The bear beast-person fiddled with the tag.
“Skar, do you know what it means for an explorer to hand over their identification tag?”
“I’m new so I don’t know.”
The bear beast-person clicked his tongue and pocketed the tag. Seeing this, a chill ran down Jeong Yoo-shin’s spine.
“Innkeeper, now that I think about it, handing over my explorer tag seems a bit foolish. Could I have it back?”
“I’ll find you a job. Go eat. And my name is Dalmong.”
Dalmong.
It was a rather cute name for a huge, furry male bear beast-person. Ignoring his request for his tag back and just pushing through wasn't very cute, though.
The lunch Dalmong brought him was free and delicious. It contained quite a bit of hair, but he ate it diligently as if picking bones out of fish.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
He found a job sooner than expected. The next morning, Dalmong called for him.
“The monster dismantling shop?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
Dalmong twitched an eyebrow at Jeong Yoo-shin’s ready agreement.
“It’s hard work.”
“Don’t worry. How hard could it be?”
“I’m not worried. Don’t come crying to me later.”
“Can I quit if I cry?”
“No.”
Dalmong’s firm answer made Jeong Yoo-shin chuckle dryly.
A growing sense of foreboding crept up his spine, but he ignored it.
“Can you read?”
“No.”
Dalmong marked something on a piece of paper and handed it to him.
It was a tourist map of the Labyrinth City.
The circled location was on the far west side of the map. It was at the outermost edge of the city.
“I marked it on the map so find your way there using this. The monster dismantling shop reeks of blood, so you’ll know it when you get close. Tell the manager that I sent you and he’ll understand.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“I’ll accept your thanks later.”
Jeong Yoo-shin left the inn and headed towards the monster dismantling shop. As Dalmong had said, when he reached the far west side, he found a large building in a secluded area reeking of blood.
A building made of red brick.
He recognized it immediately.
People were pushing carts laden with the carcasses of creatures he’d never seen before into the building.
Jeong Yoo-shin followed them inside. The building was bustling with activity and was noisy with the sound of people working.
“Excuse me, where can I find the manager?”
He asked a passing dwarf.
“Are you the new guy?”
“Yes.”
“Manager! The new guy’s here!”
The dwarf suddenly yelled. The surrounding area fell silent. He felt stares burning into him.
“The new guy?”
“Nah, he must be here for a tour. Surely, he must be.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Several people edged closer.
Jeong Yoo-shin had a bad feeling and started to back away.
Grip!
His leg couldn’t move. Looking down, he saw the dwarf’s strong hand gripping it tightly.
“Manager!!”
“Alright, alright. I’m coming.”
Someone working nearby replied and slowly walked over.
A male elf in blood-stained work clothes.
A black eye patch covered his left eye and a languid gait that gave him a decadent air.
The elf ran a blood-soaked hand through his blond hair.
“Are you the one Dalmong sent?”
“Yes.”
He felt like a mouse before a cat.
“Alright. Marlon, you’re in charge of training the newbie.”
“Yes! Understood!”
The dwarf who was holding his leg replied enthusiastically.
The elf turned away and said,
“If you’re going to run away after a day, leave now.”
“Yes.”
“Oh! I was just kidding. You can’t leave.”
“Huh?”
“Dalmong recommended you to me, and I accepted you because I trust him. If you run away, it'll be difficult for me to trust Dalmong again. Please live up to my trust, barbarian.”
That trust felt awfully heavy.
He had asked Dalmong for a job, but it felt like he was joining some martial arts sect.
“Hahaha! The manager may talk like that, but he’s actually a softie. Come on, newbie.”
‘Well, I’m not going to die, am I?’
Jeong Yoo-shin thought to himself as he followed the dwarf to the changing room.
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T/N - Alright, I won’t fault the MC for his other mistakes since he’s new to the world and is lacking information. But can’t he stop acting creepy with the women he meets? I mean really, licking his lips at a female employee who’s already pale from talking to him… It’s like he’s asking to be arrested.
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