Chapter 69
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Exam End
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'Why is she here?'
I had no idea why Vivian had come looking for me. She said she'd checked the exam contents... but I still didn't know. For now, I was just exhausted. Whatever her reason, when Vivian cast her spell, the scenery around us shifted, and we warped straight into the Labyrinth Guild headquarters.
The staff member grabbed me and vented for a while. Apparently, even after the exam ended, I hadn't come out, and the guild had been in an uproar.
The procedures afterward were simpler than expected. I presented my promotion token, answered a few questions, handed over my adventurer's license, and in exchange, I received a silver one instead of the copper-colored beginner version.
"With this, Ian, you are now officially qualified as an Intermediate Adventurer starting today. As for the benefits of being an Intermediate Adventurer..."
"Um, could I head back and rest first?"
"Ah, of course! If you'd like to know more about Intermediate Adventurer benefits, feel free to ask next time!"
I dragged my weary body back to the mansion under the receptionist's very friendly farewell. Oh, right... I didn't have shoes. Whatever. I'd just go barefoot.
When I got back to the mansion, Alensia was out somewhere. I washed up roughly and lay down on the bed, but despite my fatigue, sleep wouldn't come—maybe because it was still bright out, or maybe because I had things on my mind.
So instead, I stayed in bed and pulled out the two items I'd stashed in my pocket to examine them.
One was the silver adventurer's license. The bold "Intermediate" inscription on it was dazzling. Who am I? An Intermediate Adventurer.
Truth be told, ever since registering with the Labyrinth Guild, I'd technically been a Beginner Adventurer right away, so carrying the same "Beginner" title as fresh newbies had always bugged me a little. But no more.
And from my pocket, I took out the ring Vivian had given me. In the end, I never got an explanation for it.
What was this thing? Jewelry? It was too big for a ring and too small for a bracelet or anklet...
As a test, I infused some mana into the ring, and it expanded or shrank, so size adjustment was possible. So it really was jewelry?
I shrank the ring to a suitable size and slipped it onto the index finger of my right hand. Would something happen now?
".................."
Nope.
Just in case, I adjusted the size and tried it on my wrist, ankle, even enlarging it to fit around my waist, but no functions activated.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?"
What good was exploring the unknown with something like this?
Irritated, I yanked the ring this way and that, then in a fit of anger, hurled it at the wall.
-Click.
"Huh?"
Unexpectedly, instead of bouncing off the wall, the ring stuck right to it. What? Did it have adhesive properties or something?
-Whoosh.
"Eh?"
And beyond the round ring, instead of the wall, I could see a different scene. It was the guest room next to my own.
Was I hallucinating? I approached the wall and reached through the visible scenery with my hand.
-Shloop.
"...Heh, well I'll be."
My arm passed through without issue. When I pulled it back and removed the ring from the wall, the scenery vanished.
Instead, I infused mana to enlarge the ring and stuck it back on the wall, revealing the view beyond once more.
-Slide.
I stepped through with my foot and passed my whole body over to the other side. Definitely the guest room right next to mine.
I opened the door, turned down the hallway, and opened my room's door—the ring was still stuck to the wall there.
Whoa... this was amazing.
In the meantime, Alensia, who had left the mansion, was wandering the commercial district with a robe pulled low over her face.
Normally, she'd strut down the streets boldly, face uncovered and clad in her favorite armor...
[Adult Goods Specialty Store: Hillia's]
But given the shop she was visiting, she couldn't exactly show her face. Worried about running into an acquaintance, she'd covered up and headed to the commercial district.
"Welcome..."
Half-listening to the clerk's greeting, she quickly searched for what she wanted to finish up fast.
The item was a women's masturbation toy. Commonly called a "dildo." Lately, she'd fallen back into masturbating and had been using whatever cheap thing she could find, but the low-quality one broke after barely holding up. Though it might have been her improper usage...
'Ah, found it.'
[Dildo Series Modeled After Real Human Genitals: Human Ver.]
One of the displayed items caught her eye. True to the description of being molded from a real person's genitals, the color and texture felt just like actual human skin. And at the base, the note that it was shaped after the "human" race jumped out at her.
"......."
For some reason, the face of the human man she lived with popped into Alensia's mind. She browsed other items but ultimately picked up the first one and headed to the counter.
"I'll... check out."
She kept her voice low and her head down as she bought it. The female clerk at the counter smiled warmly at Alensia.
'Aw, how cute. There's a certain joy in watching customers buy toys while blushing like that.'
"Customer~ Do you know how to properly handle a masturbation toy?"
"??"
"Using it as-is could scratch your insides~ Of course, this product's body-safe, so the risk is low, but for proper use, I'd recommend buying it with this gel and condom at a special discount..."
"Th-then... that too."
Gauging the embarrassed customer's reaction, she pitched additional products. Women this shy usually wanted to wrap things up quick, so suggesting more often led to impulse buys.
Her sales tactic worked; the robed woman paid hastily and fled the store.
'So cute~'
"Hm..."
I looked down at the ring in front of me—the one I'd tentatively named "Portal Ring."
After some experiments, I'd figured out its abilities.
1. When stuck to something like a wall, the ring becomes a hole connecting the spaces on either side. Removing it seals the wall again.
2. I tried it on a thick outer mansion wall, but no hole appeared. It doesn't work on walls thicker than a certain amount. Probably why it didn't work on the floor either.
3. The created passage lasts based on the mana I infuse. Without mana, sticking the ring does nothing.
Pretty neat. Anyway, this could be handy for passing through thin walls.
Or sticking it on those occasional mystery boxes to grab contents without opening them.
I wonder if it works on labyrinth walls. They say those don't break... Would punching a hole like this work? Gotta test it later.
-Clunk.
"Huh?"
Hearing the mansion door open, I figured Alensia was back. I pocketed the ring and headed to the entrance.
"Alensia."
"!!! I-Ian."
She'd been out somewhere, carrying a bag that looked like it held purchases, still wearing a pitch-black robe that covered her body and face completely—not her usual armor.
"I-Ian. Is the promotion exam over?"
"Yeah. Thanks to your hard training, I passed on the first try."
"Th-that's fortunate."
What was this? Alensia's face was her usual blank mask, but her voice carried a hint of urgency? Panic?
"Looks like you were out for a bit too, Alensia."
"Y-yeah. Good work on the exam, Ian. Congrats on passing first try. Youmusthaveworkedhardontheexamsohowaboutyouheadtotheroomandrestquickly?"
Whoa, breathe. I'd never heard Alensia talk that fast. Was something urgent?
Alensia was grateful for her habit of maintaining a stoic knight's expression at all times.
It let her hide how flustered she was right now.
She desperately wanted to escape before Ian noticed her purchase. She was proud of him passing the exam first try... but the timing sucked.
"S-sorry, Ian. I have urgent business. I'll head in first."
"Ah, sure. Sorry for bothering you."
She hurried past him with a quick bow and climbed to the second floor.
Not to her own room, but to the one with the bed—currently used for mana circuit treatment massages.
Just in case, she locked the door and pulled out her purchase.
She usually masturbated right after Ian's massages. For some reason, her desires overwhelmed her then.
So, Alensia had secretly hidden the new dildo in the corner of this room, ready for use here.
With Ian done with his exam, treatment would resume soon—tomorrow at earliest, the day after at latest. That would be the dildo's debut.
"Hm. Hm."
She stashed the dildo, returned to her room, shed the robe, changed into casual clothes, calmed herself, and headed back downstairs.
"Right, Ian. I didn't congratulate you properly earlier. Once again, sincere congrats on passing the exam first try."
While hiding her anticipation for the next massage session.