Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Locked Door
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After shedding my bandages as my wounds healed, I headed straight to the Association.
I needed to report that I'd properly explored the Labyrinth, as any Novice Explorer should.
"Hey, how many times have I told you to send these documents to the Association President? Why are they still sitting here!"
"Wait, why are you sending that to the Safety Management Department? I said put it in the Intelligence Department!"
The moment I stepped into the Association, I was greeted by a swarm of papers flying through the air.
The staff dashed back and forth across the office, shouting at the tops of their lungs.
They were making such a racket it felt like a drunken brawl—anyone would believe this was a monkey enclosure at the zoo rather than an explorers' association.
'Tough crowd.'
Leaving the hardworking bunch behind, I approached the reception desk.
"Welcome. We've been expecting you."
Grace greeted me warmly from behind the reception desk.
I gave a short bow to the woman who welcomed me with her usual businesslike smile.
"Hello. I've just returned from the Labyrinth."
"Was your trip back alright? I heard rumors that monsters from the Labyrinth had entered the city."
"Really? I didn't see anything like that."
Even though I'd just dealt with it myself on the way back, I kept that fact hidden from her.
The moment I let it slip, her cold gaze would pierce right through me.
"The Association's in absolute chaos over it. Everyone's running around like headless chickens."
"I can see that."
"Senior, this document hasn't been approved yet!"
"Hold on—did it get swapped with the papers the rookie took earlier!? Chase him down!"
Amid the whirlwind of confusion, only Grace remained calmly at the reception desk, handling her duties.
The other staff scurried about like ants, too busy to even sit still for a moment.
"I offered to help since everyone looked so exhausted, but they told me they'd handle it themselves and to stay out of the way. So I'm sticking to greeting explorers here."
'Of course they did. She's the boss's daughter.'
She's oddly oblivious about stuff like this.
I rested my chin in my hand, pondering her thoughtfully—or so she thought—while chuckling inwardly.
If I were an Association employee and saw her handling grunt work? I'd check for onlookers first.
If the president caught sight of it, every last one of us would be packing our bags on the spot.
"Anyway, any results to report?"
"Yes, right here."
I pulled a mana stone from my pocket and placed it on the desk.
Grace took a monocle from her pocket, slipped it on, and examined the mana stone closely.
A moment later, she nodded.
"It's a gnoll mana stone. Confirmed. Shall I settle up now?"
"Please do."
Grace rummaged under the desk and soon placed a small pouch in my palm.
The moment I took it, I was disappointed by how light it felt—lighter than expected.
"It's light."
"Even mana stones from upper-layer beasts aren't worth a fortune. If they were too expensive, that'd be its own problem."
"Tch."
Maybe my first day's earnings had set the bar too high?
Selling just one mana stone barely made a dent.
Of course, I had more valuable ones—like the other gnoll stones or even the banshee's—but pulling those out here would invite a world of headaches.
Not the right time.
'I'll sell those once I'm a full-fledged explorer.'
"In any case, that clears one commission. Time for my reward."
"As requested, here's the additional settlement for Leon."
With that, she pulled another pouch from under the desk and handed it over.
I opened it to check the contents.
No money inside.
Instead, there were several round, earthy grains.
Tonics.
The extra reward from the Association for completing a basic Novice Explorer commission.
One of the three quests I'd taken before entering the Labyrinth—done.
"Now, about the Dawn Bud..."
"..."
The plant that grows in the upper layers—her expression shifted subtly at the mention of its name.
Grace narrowed her eyes, glaring at me.
Surely you didn't actually go down to the upper layers, right?
That was the suspicion in her stare.
"No luck there. I scoured the uppermost layer, but couldn't find a single one."
"I see. That's a relief."
I played it off regretfully, and her face visibly softened.
A lie, of course.
I'd used every last Dawn Bud to heal Leon—none left.
Still felt like a waste, even now.
More importantly...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Grace is satisfied with your wise judgment. Affinity increases by 2. 'Affinity goes up over something like this?'
I knew she was a stickler for the rules, but I didn't expect her to react to something so minor.
It meant she was keeping a close eye on me—and we'd only met a few days ago?
"I was worried you might have pushed yourself and gone down to the upper layers."
"To reach the upper layers, you'd have to get past the elite gatekeeper monsters first. I'm just a greenhorn Novice Explorer..."
"That's exactly why I warned you to be careful."
Her red eyes fixed on me.
That piercing gaze swept over me, leaving me feeling utterly exposed.
"From what I've seen, you could take down something like that without breaking a sweat, couldn't you?"
Even a rotten fish is still from the sea.
True to her past as a High-tier Explorer, she'd long since noticed I was hiding my true strength.
She knew I was concealing my abilities—but not the full extent of them.
"No way. I'm just a newbie who's barely started exploring. I don't have skills that advanced."
"You're too humble. Or is it on purpose?"
It's on purpose, I thought to myself.
Successful rich folks don't go around bragging about their wins.
Moderation is key—too much is as bad as too little.
From my previous runs, I'd learned the hard way that promoting yourself just enough to avoid being overlooked was the sweet spot.
Her picking up on my secrets was within expectations.
That's why I doubled down on humility and flattery to cover it up.
"In any case, please be careful. Confidence is good, but overdo it and it turns poisonous. Even if you could reach the upper layers, gain more experience first. The Labyrinth holds far greater dangers than you might think."
For a fleeting moment, a shadow of gloom crossed her face.
Knowing Grace's past, I recognized it as the scar left by her sky-high arrogance—a reminder of an irredeemable mistake.
She probably didn't want me following in her footsteps.
"I'll keep that in mind."
I took her advice to heart.
"Well then, thanks for your hard work. I have other business, so I'll be off."
"I'll be waiting for your next visit."
With her farewell, I left the Association.
Things would only get busier for them from here.
Monsters from the Labyrinth appearing in the city had everyone on edge, but this was just the beginning.
Such incidents would soon become commonplace, culminating in the awakening of that entity slumbering in the Labyrinth's depths.
Not if I had anything to say about it.
'Alright, time to head home?'
Labyrinth exploration complete, I made my way to that familiar spot: Aren’s potion shop.
What was Aren up to right now?
Probably buried in potion research as usual.
Or maybe she'd jumped into some side gig to make ends meet?
'Or could she be waiting for me, eyes glued to the door?'
That might be wishful thinking.
Either way, post-Labyrinth, I needed some rest there.
'She'll be thrilled when she sees this.'
I'd even prepared a gift for her.
The Dawn Buds I'd originally planned to give her were all used up in the Labyrinth, but I'd snagged something even better in their place.
This root would revolutionize her potion development.
And as a bonus, I could down one of her inventions to boost my stats.
But...
"Where the heck did she go?"
The shop, which I'd expected to be brightly lit, was firmly shuttered.
The sun had just begun to set—far too early to close up.
Why was Aren's place the only one with the shutters down?
'Must be some urgent business.'
If only there were phones, I could check in.
No such modern conveniences in this world meant no way to ask what happened or call her out.
'Nothing for it—inn it is tonight.'
I postponed our reunion until tomorrow and booked a room at a nearby inn.