Chapter 11
Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: A Fiery Night
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I couldn't sleep a wink all night.
It wasn't because I feared she'd rape me in revenge.
On the contrary, after checking Diana's level, I'd come to trust her even more.
What if Diana had approached me with my body as her goal, like those nuns or beggars?
Considering the power she wielded, no matter how much I resisted, she could've easily pinned me down and had her way with me.
But Diana hadn't done that.
This proved she'd helped me out of pure goodwill, without any shady ulterior motives.
I felt touched for a moment, but soon guilt came crashing in.
"I'm sorry, Diana..."
Even if it was a mistake, to do that to my benefactor—I was a total piece of trash.
What made me even trashier was that the soft sensation still lingered in my palms.
But that was just a man's instinct; there was no helping it.
With hands callused from endless manual labor, I'd never dreamed I'd get to touch vulgar, lewd I-cup breasts like those.
Separate from the guilt piling up in my heart, an inexplicable surge of motivation began to well up inside me.
It felt like one grope had washed away every miserable thing I'd endured up to now.
Was this why women on Earth teased guys with "Wanna feel my boobs?"
Healing. Those breasts were pure healing. Honestly, they seemed more effective than a recovery potion.
Sure, in a relationship it might be fine, but between total strangers? That was straight-up a crime.
"...I've gotta apologize properly somehow."
I couldn't just lie there in my room.
It was still the dead of dawn outside. The sun wouldn't rise for hours.
'Diana probably hasn't come back yet, right?'
I'd finally pulled myself together mentally and gone to the kitchen where she'd headed, hoping to apologize, but I hadn't found her.
I headed down to the first floor and surveyed the inn, abandoned after the drinking party ended.
The guests had all left ages ago, leaving half-eaten booze and food strewn across the tables, spilling onto the floor.
Vomit stains here and there, a fishy milk smell wafting from spots.
It was a total disaster. I had no clue where to even start.
"Guess I'll tackle the scraps first."
I was starving anyway, so I worked while picking at the leftovers bit by bit.
Even cold, Diana's cooking was delicious as ever.
Seemed like the guests had bolted in a hurry without finishing much.
I neatly dumped the scraps into the bin behind the kitchen and gathered the dishes for a thorough wash.
"Whoa there."
I even caught a slippery plate mid-air like a circus trick before it could shatter, finishing up the dishes.
I wiped down the tables splattered with spilled food, then covered them with cloths.
Finally, a sweep with the broom, wring out a mop, and scrub the floor until it shone. Cleaning done.
Glancing at the clock on the inn wall, it was already 4 a.m. Impressively quick work for such a mess.
My sister had frequent hospital stays, leaving me alone at home a lot—those times had honed my housekeeping skills nicely.
"Huh...?"
As I sat at an inn table killing time after cleaning, Diana slipped in through the front door—which had opened softly—with a startled look on her face.
"Oh. You're back."
"......"
I greeted her as casually as possible, but Diana jumped in surprise and slightly averted her gaze.
She glanced around the tavern for a moment before speaking.
"...Did you clean this?"
"If you mean the tavern, yeah, that was me. Figured you'd be tired."
I claimed it was out of concern for her, but...
The truth was, doing something like this would make my upcoming apology feel more sincere.
"I'm sorry, Diana. I made a huge mistake."
I bowed a solid 90 degrees. I hoped my genuine remorse would reach her.
"......"
A brief silence. Then...
"...I even missed my chance to apologize first. Raise your head. If anyone's sorry, it's me. I'm truly sorry."
She apologized right back.
Diana bowed a full 170 degrees at the waist. Probably couldn't hit 180 because of her massive chest armor heaving up.
No, this wasn't the time for that analysis.
Why was the victim apologizing to me?
The thought hit me, and memories from past days flashed by.
Men and women in this world were different from Earth. I'd learned that the hard way through countless near-rape attempts on me.
But my thinking wasn't free. Unilateral assault experiences had left me ignorant of this world's "normal" gender dynamics.
Question: When a man accidentally gropes a woman's breast, pick the victim from the choices below.
1. The man who groped the breast.
2. The woman whose breast was groped.
The correct answer was wrong from the start.
"I-I'm really sorry... for making you touch my breast. I know you won't believe me, but... it was truly an accident."
1. The man who ended up groping the breast.
2. The woman who created the situation allowing the grope.
In this world, the newly revised answer 1 was correct.
In other words, even though I sprayed water on Diana's chest and I panicked and rubbed it...
The one who owed an apology wasn't me—it was Diana.
The positions had flipped.
"You must have endured the disgust and wiped my chest out of kindness. Not only did I subject you to such a horrible ordeal, but I even made you clean up after... I have no face to show you..."
Diana bowed her head to me again, her face full of sincere regret.
'Is this for real?'
My common sense crumbled once more after so long.
I clutched my head, feeling like I might lose my mind, and calmly pondered.
'Going along with it isn't a bad compromise.'
Ending things here wasn't a terrible choice. Taking a modest settlement and backing off would be a short-term win.
'But it's the worst option. Utterly idiotic.'
Settling was rock bottom.
Blind to bigger gains for the sake of immediate profit.
And if this foolish low-end choice still yielded benefits, what about the best option?
'In this barren world, I can earn the goodwill of a level 70 powerhouse.'
Success gets me solid backing; failure costs nothing.
What's to deliberate?
"Diana. Raise your head."
I spoke in the warmest voice I could muster, suppressing the glee bubbling up, and smiled at her.
I couldn't see her bare face under the helm, but I felt our eyes meet.
"You weren't scheming anything bad on purpose. And why wouldn't I believe you?"
Softer now, as warm as possible.
Repaying the pure kindness she'd shown me.
They say the best way to win someone's favor is to burden their heart.
And the best way to burden someone's heart is...
"So, I'm fine."
...forgiveness.
Sizzle!
Thick bacon sizzled on the preheated frying pan.
I sat waiting at the table, and soon Diana emerged from the kitchen with a plate in hand.
"Here. Dig in."
I eyed the dish she set on the table.
Three thick strips of bacon bubbling with grease, two sunny-side-up eggs, a stack of pancakes drenched in maple syrup, and a fresh salad packed with assorted veggies.
Some might call it overly lavish for breakfast, but for someone used to heavy labor, this was the perfect morning fuel.
"Isn't this a bit too fancy for a three-silver breakfast?"
"...It's been a while since I put some real heart into it."
"Thank you. I'll dig in."
Diana smiled bashfully and gestured for me to eat.
A special breakfast no other guest got.
This was more than enough.
I instinctively reached to remove my helm for eating but caught myself.
Maybe it's okay to show Diana my face.
"Oh, I'm such a clod. I'll tidy the kitchen—eat comfortably. Or head upstairs to your room if you're more at ease."
But Diana, ever considerate of my helmet-wearing habit even in daily life, excused herself first.
...Well, suited me just fine.
Early hour meant no one else down for breakfast.
Thanks to that, I could remove my helm in peace and enjoy my first truly human meal in this world.
The thick bacon brimmed with smoky aroma and juices; the half-runny egg yolks were rich and savory.
The salad's tangy dressing cut the richness at just the right moments, and the pancakes—moist but not underdone—went down smooth as honey.
Every element complemented the others perfectly, harmonizing in one flawless plate.
The warm comfort radiating from the food nearly brought tears to my eyes.
Man, how long had it been since a proper meal like this?
After scraping by on sleep toxin soup, bread crumbs, and scraps, this heartfelt warm breakfast melted my heart.
"That was incredible. Best breakfast of my life."
I headed to the kitchen and handed Diana the plate, licked clean to a shine.
She'd already finished her dishes and stood with arms crossed, probably waiting for me to wrap up.
"Glad you liked it. ...I'll get the plate later."
Diana took it with an odd expression, setting it aside carefully instead of dunking it in soapy water.
"Come to think of it, we never properly introduced ourselves? Or did I already?"
Diana stared straight at me.
Her eyes were calmly closed, yet somehow I felt those eyes piercing right through me.
'A name. My name.'
Nam Sujin. A name from parents not even worth calling that. Honestly, I hated it.
I'd never changed it because it was the sole link between me and my sister.
That hadn't changed, but the situation had.
The honest day-laborer Nam Sujin, enjoying modern peaceful life, was dead now.
Heading into the Labyrinth meant a life far from peace.
Fighting monsters to the death, slicing people now and then.
To live that brutal existence without wallowing in past joys and regrets, without despair...
I needed a new name for the road ahead.
"Balkan."
The roughest name in the world.
To charge ahead bolder and fiercer in this savage world.
"Just Balkan."
"...Cool name. Looking forward to it from here on, Balkan."
Diana extended her hand as she spoke.
'Looking forward to it from here on...'
Not the kind of thing you'd say to a guest staying a few days.
I couldn't help chuckling inwardly.
"Same here. Here's to the future, Diana."
I gripped her outstretched hand firmly and shook.
A friendly bond with a level 70 powerhouse.
It was more than enough—overflowing gains, really.