Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Settlement
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I opened my eyes to find myself in bed. On the familiar mattress in inn room 201.
'Did Diana carry me here?'
I had no memory after collapsing into Diana's arms. Had I really passed out just like that?
'Gotta apologize first thing when I see her.'
I'd caused her trouble right when she was busiest.
Glancing out the window, I saw the sun high in the sky. The dazzling natural light felt unfamiliar after so long without it.
I stretched to shake off the drowsiness and loosen up my body while thinking about what needed doing today.
'Settle the goblin subjugation reward, prove Deluna's party were outlaws and bandits to claim the bounty... and...'
Part of me wanted to laze around doing nothing for a day, but I whipped myself into getting up.
I wiped down my grimy body, uncleaned from the Labyrinth, and tossed the blanket that was too filthy to salvage anymore after this last trip.
Then I forced on that ill-fitting T-shirt I'd bought and ignored last time, stretching it out as best I could.
Putting on proper clothes made me realize just how barbaric my lifestyle had been lately.
Heading out of the room and down the familiar stairs, a savory soup aroma wafted up.
A quick glance toward the kitchen showed Diana stirring a pot over the stove.
"Diana."
"...! Oh, uh, yeah, Balkan. G-good morning..."
Diana awkwardly avoided my gaze. It wasn't hard to guess why.
'This idiot...'
After what I'd done yesterday, I'd actually thought she'd just greet me normally.
"I'm sorry, Diana. I wasn't in my right mind yesterday."
"I-I'm fine. No need to apologize. If anything..."
I bowed my head, and Diana flushed red, waving her hands frantically. She seemed about to say something but clamped her mouth shut.
"If anything?"
"N-no, it's nothing. Anyway, want some lunch? I just finished making it."
"Yeah, I'd love some. You have no idea how much I missed your soup in the Labyrinth."
"R-really...? Then I'll heap you a big bowl."
I nodded at Diana's hasty topic change and took a seat at the table.
She soon brought over a bowl brimming with soup and some utensils.
"It's hot, so be careful."
"Got it. Thanks, Diana."
Probably considering my helmet, Diana quickly stepped away.
I scooped up a spoonful of the steaming soup and sipped. My body reacted immediately.
After days of lukewarm water and dry, tasteless preserved rations, Diana's hearty soup sliding down my throat made me tremble with delight.
By the time I'd nearly licked the bowl clean, Diana approached.
She beamed at the spotless dish.
"My, you must've been starving."
"A month of eating your cooking every day kinda spoiled me. Couldn't stomach the rations anymore."
"Hehe, really? Next time I'll pack some jerky for you."
Diana watched me quietly for a moment before speaking.
"So. How was it? The Labyrinth."
Her casual question froze me mid-motion. I swallowed hard and set down my spoon.
"...I didn't underestimate the Labyrinth. I thought I'd prepared as best I could, was in good condition, stayed vigilant... but."
Even so, the moment we entered, I lost two party members.
I could've chalked it up to bad luck or complicated circumstances, but I didn't.
Would things have turned out differently if I'd been even more cautious?
If I'd focused more on party coordination, could we have come out as four instead of three?
No way to know. It was all in the past now.
One thing I'd realized, though: in the Labyrinth, it wasn't just monsters you had to watch out for.
I wasn't going in alone.
Sudden changes, party management, external threats—there was way more to consider.
"From the vibe, I can guess what happened."
"...Just from the atmosphere?"
"Hehe. Explorers face similar issues. Especially rookies. Monster ambushes, party splits, outside attacks."
Diana's insight was eerily spot-on.
We'd run into goblins right away and lost one, then party strife claimed another, and finally we barely survived Deluna's slaver crew.
"No one's perfect from the start. You have to fail and mess up. What matters is what you gain from it. If you fear mistakes and give up, there's no growth."
Diana, who'd had her eyes closed, slowly opened them and looked at me. Her amber eyes seemed to peer right through me.
Then her eyes closed again.
"From that angle, you look like you'll grow a lot more, Balkan."
Yeah. Either way, I had to stick my neck in the Labyrinth.
"You think I can grow more?"
"Of course. That's not the eye of someone who's given up."
What did the eyes of someone defeated look like?
I wondered why she kept her eyes closed, but figured there was a story there and let it go.
With the fatigue gone and my head clear, my to-dos felt sharper than ever.
"Oh, the watch was a huge help too."
"Keep it. You'll be heading back in, right?"
"Still..."
I tried to hand it back, but she gently refused. Her watch was back on my wrist.
We chatted more after that—mostly me recounting the Labyrinth, her listening calmly.
I skipped the Puppet Curse only I could see via status window or the Serif stuff, but just talking it out lightened my heart.
"Thanks for listening to my boring stories."
"Not at all. Brought back some old memories for me."
"Yeah? Oh, and the soup was amazing."
I'd been rambling for nearly an hour.
"Whoa, give me the dishes. I'll handle cleanup."
Watching her hurriedly gather the bowl and utensils reminded me of my starving alley days.
From near-total distrust of people due to that attempted rape PTSD, I'd scraped together a basic life mostly thanks to Diana.
"Thanks for everything, always. Diana."
At that, Diana—who'd been eyeing the dishes with a strangely sultry look—froze.
She glanced between the bowl and me, then suddenly set it down and slapped her own cheek with a sharp smack.
"Diana?! What the—?!"
I rushed over in shock, but she shook her head.
"H-huh... Almost let myself get swept up in temptation..."
"Huh...?"
"N-nothing. I'll clean up, so head upstairs!"
Flustered by the suddenness, I let her push me back to the second floor.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yes. Don't worry. And..."
She hesitated, then said,
"...I'm just glad you came back safe."
Thirty minutes after leaving Diana, my stomach settling, I grabbed my pack.
The one with goblin ears and human heads inside.
"Heading to the Explorer's Union. Back before dinner opens!"
"I-it's fine! Rest up—you must be tired. Take tomorrow off!"
I left the inn, Diana busy in the kitchen behind me.
Her kind consideration bought me some leisure time.
I headed straight for the Explorer's Union.
Still packed with people. No ticketing system, so you just waited in line like idiots for the counter.
But the wait wasn't boring. There was entertainment.
Levels visible via status window varied, but mostly mid-20s.
Once they hit late 20s into 30s, censorship kicked in for sure.
'Why exactly then?'
Unable to see status meant that big a gap between us.
Including the ??? Blessing's bonuses, my total stats summed to 40.
Variables like blessings and curses aside.
Assuming 1 stat per level, simple math said I could match a level 30 on raw stats.
The Union let me observe all sorts of explorers. Even so-called mid-tier ones.
"Yo, check it. The Aman sisters. No way, they really came back from the mid-layers."
"Whoa, how do women's tits get that rock-hard? Zero jiggle. Like, all muscle—boxy like a dude's."
"Possible."
"What possible, you psycho."
'...No shot I'd win.'
But eyeing level 30-40 explorers, all I saw was my head getting smashed if I rushed them.
The gap was huger than expected.
Observing more, a pattern emerged.
'Around level 20, there's a sharp jump in caliber.'
Like first or second job change—sudden tier-up.
'Probably extra stat gains on level-up.'
That's why hard censorship post-late 20s.
'...Not bad, though?'
Looked at positively: my measly level 5 could hang with level 20s on pure stats?
Once I hit 20+, I'd have stat edge over most same-level foes.
And not random dumps—main stats.
"Hm..."
I just noted it for now.
Fights weren't pure stat number-crunch anyway.
Way off for a floor 1 newbie basher like me.
Lost in thought, my turn came up. I handed over the goblin-ear pack to the clerk.
"53 left goblin ears. Monster subjugation verified. Here's one silver and six coppers. Oh, and next time, use the settlement booth near the Labyrinth entrance for verifications."
The clerk, hands stained with goblin blood, gave a wry smile.
One silver, six coppers.
Party of four down to me and Jermi, split halfsies, toss Kakchi a bit for joining late—left me with about 45 coppers.
Two days' work at Diana's tavern paid double. Though that's Diana being generous.
Subtract potions, gear, rations, sundries for the trip? Pure loss.
'...What can ya do. Gotta go in.'
Floor 1 goblins didn't pay.
Not in it for cash anyway, but still stung after all that grind for zilch.
Sighing inwardly, I pocketed the coins and handed over Deluna's head pack.
"Name's Deluna. Blaz clan outlaw, bandit, slaver, explorer. Ambushed us in the Labyrinth. Killed her in the fight."
"Any other victims or witnesses from the ambush?"
"Party member hit with us, and one of her slaves."
"Got it. Thanks for your trouble. Verification takes two days—come back then for the bounty."
The clerk took the head pack matter-of-factly, like it was routine.
Watching, I felt how cheap life was in this world.
One relief: Explorer's Union wasn't a criminal den.
'Cursed freaks like Deluna aren't common.'
Not common meaning they existed.
A few guys' eyes locked on me right after pulling out Deluna's head.
"Thanks for the polite service despite the corpse. Appreciate it."
"Ah, y-yes, sure..."
I made an obvious "I'm outta here" gesture and stood.
Helmet on, enhanced senses caught their movements. They started prepping to leave too.
I slipped out of the Union quietly, heading to a dim alley.
'Showing their curses too means they're chum compared to me.'
How to pry info from these sneaky tail-followers.
"Hey, you. Male. Stop when I'm askin' nice."
Mulling it over, my hand drifted to my belt.
The axe knows the answer.