Chapter 15: Dating an Adventurer is Insane
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 15: Dating an Adventurer is Insane
A brief, sweet moment of rest.
Rien, who had been on a forced march for nearly two days without pause, fell into a sleep so deep it was like she’d fainted.
Erika, too, unable to fight off the drowsiness, nodded off before finally closing her eyes.
‘But why are they sleeping on my shoulders?’
For some reason, both of them were using my shoulders as pillows.
Rien rested her head on my right shoulder, while Erika borrowed my left.
I didn't know why, but as soon as sleepiness hit them, they naturally gravitated toward me and leaned on my shoulders without a word.
“Are those two your lovers?”
“Huh? No. I only met them for the first time yesterday.”
“...What?”
Rohan’s eyes widened in bewilderment, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
But it was the truth; surprisingly, I hadn't even spent a full twenty-four hours with them.
In fact, I’d spent more time with the Young Lady.
Aside from staying in the Labyrinth for a few hours with these two, we had no prior connection.
And yet, it seemed I had become someone they felt they could rely on.
Seeing how comfortably they approached me to lean on me and sleep, it certainly felt that way.
“Wait, wait, wait a second.”
“Yes?”
“No, I mean... they aren't even precious to you? You met them for the first time yesterday, and you risked your life to come save them? Why? For what reason?”
“Ah, well, about that...”
It was a bit awkward to tell him the truth—that I was doing it for the gold coins.
Adventurers are people who are very honest with their desires.
No matter how kind or trustworthy someone seems, there’s no need to go around revealing your financial situation.
Money—gold coins—possess a certain demonic quality.
Some people will kill for a single gold coin.
Rohan and Hachi were certainly reliable men.
However, they were also people I had met for the first time today.
We hadn't spent enough time together for me to grasp the depths of their character.
We shared a sense of camaraderie as fellow warriors, but when it came to trust on a human-to-human level, I had nothing to say.
Above all, these two had six comrades they needed to bring back to life.
Six corpses waiting in the Underground City.
I didn't know the exact relationship between them and those six.
Resurrection requires a massive amount of money.
It’s common to see people fall into debt because they can't afford the resurrection costs, or eventually have to watch their comrades be sold off as slaves.
That was why I decided not to breathe a word about the reward I was set to receive.
There’s nothing stupider than bragging about money in the Labyrinth City.
“A noble I’m acquainted with asked me. I owed them a favor, so I couldn't refuse.”
I wasn't lying.
I did have a connection with the Young Lady, so she was a "noble I’m acquainted with."
The Young Lady had dragged me from the 4th floor of the Breeding Grounds up to the 3rd floor when I collapsed, so it was true that I "owed her a favor."
Furthermore, the amount of gold was too large to turn down, so it was also true that I "couldn't refuse."
I didn't tell a single lie.
“Ah. So that was it. You’re a more loyal man than I thought.”
“Haha. It’s nothing.”
Rohan gave a slight smile and nodded.
He’d probably constructed some story in his head about me and the noble.
I came for the money, not out of loyalty, but if he wanted to think well of me, that was fine.
“Anyway, those two... even though you aren't lovers, they seem to rely on you quite a bit.”
“It seems so.”
It was all because of the suspension bridge effect.
When you go through a crisis together, feelings sprout, and love starts to bloom.
Actually, it’s a common occurrence in mixed-gender parties.
Of course, you should absolutely never ‘date a party member.’
No, to be precise, it’s better not to date an ‘active adventurer’ at all.
It’s like... how do I put it?
The reason why people say you shouldn't date within your college major?
No, it feels a bit different from that.
‘It’s dangerous. Dating an adventurer is dangerous.’
If you date a comrade in the same party, you see them often.
Seeing them often means you can do this and that whenever you want, which might be nice.
But.
‘What if they die? What are you going to do then?’
Imagine dating a woman in your own party.
Going into the Labyrinth is, frankly, insane.
Being an adventurer is a textbook 3D job.
It’s Dirty, Difficult, and Dangerous.
If there were a way to make money without brawling with monsters, there’d be no reason to be an adventurer.
Of course, there are plenty of people like me who aim for a life-changing jackpot through the Labyrinth, or those who enter to raise their level and gain abilities through Mana Adaptation.
But why?
Why enter the Labyrinth if you already have money?
That was why I’d scoffed inwardly when I first saw the Young Lady, thinking of her as just a noble.
It was an eyesore to see a noble’s child, who had no need to suffer and roll around in the Labyrinth, trying to force her way in.
While some people were putting their lives on the line and crawling through the dirt, I thought nobles were just doing it for fun without any of the hardship.
And that thought was a conviction built from months of experience.
Of course, the Young Lady was a bit different from that type.
A noble lady whose dream was to be an adventurer? She was out of her mind.
Anyway, being an adventurer is a profession where it’s impossible to predict when, where, how, or in what state you might die.
Could you really date a woman in that line of work with a peaceful mind?
Especially in the same party?
What if, while you’re dating, she gets torn apart by a monster right in front of your eyes?
Your mental state would shatter into a million pieces that very day.
It would actually be better if the corpse was so mangled that resurrection was impossible.
Then you could just kill yourself quickly or give up on life in despair.
But what if resurrection is possible?
You’d go crazy for money to afford the resurrection costs.
Blinded by greed, you’d take risks and probably die yourself.
Those who die like that are eventually found by someone else, taken to the Church, and resurrected against their will. Then they’re given a choice: pay back the money by force, go to the mines, or be sold as a slave.
I’d seen that ending several times already.
There were truckloads of adventurers who died that way.
The Church in the Labyrinth City is relentless.
If they can squeeze the resurrection cost out of someone, they’ll use any means necessary.
And one of those methods includes threatening to put the resurrected person up for auction in the slave market.
Because until the resurrection cost is paid, the Church holds the identity of the ‘Resurrected Person.’
If an adventurer with no connections is judged to have no ability to pay, they’re sent to the mines or handed over to a slave trader for a decent price.
But for an adventurer judged to have connections or someone who can pay for them, the system is rigged so they can never escape the debt.
They absolutely have to pay.
Furthermore, they make it impossible to buy the resurrected person as a slave at a cheap price.
If you want your dead comrade back, you have to prepare at least 100 gold coins.
To the Church, a Resurrected Person is a product.
The price goes up even more for high-level adventurers who have undergone significant Mana Adaptation.
Moreover, the cost can double or triple every time someone is resurrected.
The minimum is 100 gold.
If you were murdered by a fellow adventurer or comrade, you might be able to avoid the resurrection fee by testifying before a priest with Lie Detection... but well, that doesn't happen often.
Anyway, if you’re from a wealthy family, have noble parents, or are a rich adventurer, 100 gold might be easy to come by, but for others, it’s an amount they couldn't save in a lifetime.
For these reasons, dating within the same party is madness.
And dating a member of a completely different party is basically saying it’s okay for someone to steal your girlfriend at any time.
As I’ve said repeatedly, the Labyrinth City is full of home-wrecking bastards, and NTR happens more often than you’d imagine.
I’d like to give an example of how a girlfriend gets taken away... but just thinking about it makes me want to puke.
‘Wait, so what’s the conclusion?’
The conclusion is that I need a pretty slave who will take care of the housework faithfully without ever having to step foot in the Labyrinth.
Furthermore, just because someone’s status is a slave doesn't mean the people of the Labyrinth City will intimidate or discriminate against them.
After all, it’s not their slave.
Unless you’re the slave’s owner, you can't treat that slave however you want.
You shouldn't use or break someone else’s property, right?
Treating someone else’s slave poorly means you have to be prepared to pay the price.
Treating them like trash when they aren't yours?
That’s a challenge to the slave’s owner.
Anyway, after going around in circles, this is the conclusion I’ve reached.
I’ve listed various reasons, but what I’m trying to say always boils down to one thing.
Slaves are the best.
Mmm. No matter how much I think about it, slaves are the best.
They don't have to go into the Labyrinth and risk their lives fighting.
They live quietly on the money I earn without complaining.
Furthermore, by my command, they can never cheat on me, no matter what.
That kind of woman.
A virgin would be even better.
Actually, I didn't have much of an opinion on virginity, but what the slave merchant said last time stuck in my head, and now I don't want to buy a slave who isn't a virgin.
I mean, I’m paying a lot of money for this; I’d rather have something brand new than something used.
‘Come to think of it... the Young Lady was a virgin too.’
Oops. What am I thinking?
After going through so much with the Young Lady, her face naturally popped into my mind.
Good grief, I must be crazy.
Thinking of a noble lady as a romantic interest?
I’ve lost it. Know your place, porter.
‘Let’s not even imagine it. I don't want to die young at the hands of the Margrave of Lionel.’
As I shook my head to clear my thoughts, Rohan spoke to me again.
“By the way, do you belong to a party?”
“No. Not particularly.”
“Then... would you like to join our party later?”
“You’d always be welcome.”
Rohan offered me an exclusive contract.
Hachi, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, chimed in as well.
It seemed those two had taken quite a liking to me.
“Haha. I don't really have any intention of tying myself down anywhere.”
“I see. May I ask why?”
“Well, you see. How should I put it...”
There were a few reasons why I didn't look for an exclusive party.
One was that I didn't want to be deeply tied down.
I was also afraid that if I became too close to my comrades, I wouldn't be able to handle their deaths.
Furthermore, if I joined an exclusive party and went in and out of the Labyrinth...
‘It would really start to feel like work, and I hate that.’
It would feel like being an office worker.
The feeling of having to go to the Labyrinth out of obligation.
Being part of a team means having to coordinate schedules with team members.
That alone is quite stressful.
I’m satisfied with picking up a decent party on the days I want to work, when I feel like working, and just hitting the upper levels before coming back out. You could say I longed for the freelance life.
But if I’m in a party, I have to defer to the party leader’s opinion, which is a bit much. It feels like having a boss at work.
The situation is different when you participate as an external member versus a formal party member.
Even without an exclusive party, there are plenty of people looking for me.
To increase my value and influence, it’s better to be a freelancer.
And once I escape the Labyrinth this time, even more people will be looking for me.
Why?
‘Because now I can move around in the Underground City too.’
Yesterday, while rescuing the Young Lady, I underwent my 6th Mana Adaptation.
I reached Level 6. I’d met the minimum entry requirement for the Underground City.
Up to Level 5, you suffer from Mana Poisoning symptoms when entering the Underground City, but at Level 6, you’re perfectly capable of moving around down there.
Love calls will pour in from those who have always wanted me.
A Subspace Pocket is just that rare.
“I see. If you ever change your mind, let me know. You’re always welcome.”
“Yes. Thank you for the offer.”
“Don't mention it. A porter of your caliber would be welcomed anywhere.”
Hachi and Rohan left the door open.
Even though I’d clearly refused, they really didn't want to let me go.
“Well then, enough small talk. Shall we head up?”
“Yes. Rien, Erika. Wake up. It’s time to go.”
I woke the two sleeping women.
“Slurp... Mmm...”
Rien woke up, wiping drool from the corner of her mouth.
Wait, there’s drool on my shoulder...
“Ugh... My, my legs... they hurt so much...”
Erika couldn't even stand up.
She looked like she wanted a piggyback ride, but there was no one to give her one.
I felt like I was about to collapse and die myself.
Rohan and Hachi had to be ready to fight, so they didn't have the luxury of carrying dead weight on their backs.
Even if they did have the luxury, they wouldn't have carried her anyway.
“Get up quickly. There’s no time to complain.”
“Ugh... Okay...”
The pink-haired priestess stood up.
We moved toward the transfer stone on the 3rd floor again.
“Monsters approaching from the front.”
“Erika, can you give us a buff?”
“Yes...! Just a moment.”
There were still many monsters.
If there was one silver lining, it was that we now had a healer on the team.
“There, it’s the transfer stone!”
“Damn bugs!”
We ran toward the transfer stone.
An immense number of Killer Bugs chased us from behind.
Even the 3rd floor was still dangerous.
“It’ll be easier once we get to the 2nd floor! Run!!!”
Rohan shouted as he swept away the insects.
Rien ran while half-crying because her legs hurt so much, and Erika, who was falling behind, ended up being carried by Hachi.
“Pant. Pant... Dammit...”
I felt like I was going to die too.
Cursed Labyrinth.
“Get in!!!”
Hachi, with Erika on his back, leaped into the blue gate.
Rien and I followed immediately after, and finally, Rohan, who had watched us all enter, succeeded in coming up to the 2nd floor.
“Ha. Hahahaha!”
Rohan laughed.
Killer Bugs don't appear on the 2nd floor.
Goodbye to those damn insects.
“Filthy sewers. I’m never coming back here again for the rest of my life.”
“I agree.”
Hachi concurred with Rohan’s words.
Rien, who was bent over with her breath hitching, drool dripping from her mouth, also nodded aggressively.
“Rien, are you okay?”
“Yeah... I’m fine...”
She didn't look fine at all.
“Now, let’s head back up. We’re almost out.”
“Phew. That way. We just need to head that way.”
“Ah, I have a map of this area. I’ll lead the way.”
The place we had transferred to was a location already marked on my mapping.
We could move to the transfer stone via the shortest route.
“Haa... Thank God.”
Rien, who was suffering from a headache from overusing Search and Track, let out a sigh of relief and clutched her chest.
Soon, we were able to go up to the 1st floor via the transfer stone.
And as expected, we quickly found the next transfer stone and left the Labyrinth.
Finally, we were out of this wretched place.