Chapter 16
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 16
I never thought a fully grown adult woman would cling to me in my life.
Trembling pupils, unsightly flowing snot, flushed red face, strong hands grasping my pants.
“Ryuo-ya! 5 gold coins! Every day! I will treat you so you won't be disappointed!”
Honestly, I was tempted, but I reminded myself of my purpose.
“I have to go.”
“Uheoheoheoeuheoeo you can't you rascal! Fine! If you want to go, step on me and go!”
She was an owner who took good care of me, but seeing her lying on the hallway throwing a tantrum was slightly... hm.
The owner who caught me leaving the room after putting Cheon Hwaryeong to sleep.
The owner is shouting in such an unsightly manner that all the good memories so far are being swept away.
“Step on me quickly! If you're going to do it, step on my neck Ryuo-ya! Only then I won't die!!!”
“Owner-nim, aren't you making too much of a fuss? Sigh... I'll stop by occasionally on days I don't go to the labyrinth so please get up.”
Anyone watching would think the shop would fail without me...
When I grabbed the owner's hand and gently lifted her up, the owner got up glancing at me.
“Is that true? If it's that much, somehow...”
“You have plenty of hands, why are you like this? I have to go buy supplies, so please give me today's wage quickly.”
The owner took out a letter and 3 gold coins from her bosom with trembling hands.
“Ryuo-ya... Could you deliver this to Arin-nim?”
Since it wasn't a particularly difficult request, I nodded.
“Of course, don't worry.”
The owner, sighing as if relieved of a burden, held my hand tight and said.
“You worked hard during that time, Ryuo-ya... If the labyrinth is hard, it's okay to return anytime.”
Thinking it would get longer if I refused, I just smiled and nodded.
“Dried rations, canteen, clothes, bandages, potions, sleeping bag, herbs, torch, oil... Tsk, is there anything else to pack?”
I spent 40 silver coins buying various supplies as Master taught me.
I feel like I bought a bit too much, but it's better than lacking.
I intended to buy armor too but...
[Armor? Have you seen an Easterner wearing armor in the East? There are some, but buying in the Central District is much better.]
I nodded at those words.
This is the East, Petit Murim.
Even in my image, a martial artist wearing armor? Something felt weird.
Even if I assume I'll get armor separately near the labyrinth, I want to purchase at least a sword before going.
Since capital is sufficient, I think buying a slightly high-quality one would be better.
Probably right now, the inside of the subspace is flashing with light emitted by gold coins.
With a satisfied smile, I headed inside the smithy Master told me about.
“Welcome guest! Welcome to the Iron Smelting Workshop (Yacheolbang).”
… Usually in subculture, isn't it standard for a dead drunk dwarf to welcome you with blunt lines...?
I was dumbfounded at the smithy with no cobwebbed workshop, no drunk blacksmith, and no famous swords lying roughly in boxes.
No wonder the exterior of the shop was clean...
As I was just looking around the interior blankly, a male employee tilted his head and called me.
“Guest? Do you have an item you are looking for?”
I spoke to the polite clerk who didn't scan and ridicule me, acting like a luxury brand salesperson overflowing with pride.
“By any chance is there a sword about this big? I would like it to be sturdy. Budget is about 2 gold coins?”
The clerk bowed his head slightly for a moment, brought a measuring tape, and measured the space between my hands.
“A sword between three or four ja (approx. 90-120cm), for 2 gold coins... If you wait a moment I will bring it right away!”
“Th, thank you.”
“Don't mention it.”
Ki... Kind...
As I looked around the neat shop interior, the clerk brought three wooden boxes and placed them in front of me one by one.
“The first sword is our Iron Smelting Workshop's pride, the standard iron sword. It has the most standard center of gravity, and the cord wrapped around the handle was polished with man-eating spider fluid. Many adventurers use it comfortably up to the 15th floor of the labyrinth, and even the Sword Demon Yang Haeyeon-nim, a raid member who went up to the 52nd floor, favored it in the beginning just as it is...”
De... Detailed...
“By any chance if you want to try using it, we prepare a scarecrow for 1 silver coin. Do you need it?”
“Yes...”
“Then I will guide you inside, guest.”
Even service...
In the end, I chose the first sword as if possessed.
“An excellent choice! Please wait a moment guest!”
I asked the employee heading inside holding the sword.
“Excuse me, why are you taking it?”
The clerk smiled and said.
“This is for display so I will bring you one for sale, guest!”
…
I don't remember after that.
When I came out of the shop, I had a sword well wrapped in a sturdy leather scabbard at my waist so...
“…? Shopping is a fun thing.”
I went back home blanking out like that.
Fiddling with the handle that winds chak chak around my hand.
Arrived in front of the house before I knew it, Master welcomed me with a bright smile as always.
“Child, did you have a safe trip?”
“Yes Master. I purchased all the items you mentioned, and bought a sword too. Armor quality wasn't good so I plan to buy it near the labyrinth.”
“Right, well done. I'll tell you what to be careful of on the lower floors while eating.”
Just as I was about to enter the house, I remembered the letter the owner gave me.
“Ah, Master. Here is a letter the owner asked me to deliver.”
Master tilted her head and started opening the letter.
“Hm? That person sent me a letter? Let's see...”
Master's complexion holding the letter darkened in real-time.
“Child, did something happen today?”
A serious and low voice rang in my ears.
Feeling the atmosphere that she would run out holding a sword if I said I served a troublesome customer, I spoke as euphemistically as possible.
“No, I just took one customer and came out quickly.”
“I see... Child, rest from morning training and go to the labyrinth. That will be much better.”
At the atmosphere that something big might happen, I asked Master.
“By any chance is there something wrong? Something in the letter...”
Master, raising her head and smiling brightly, took my hand and led me.
“No child, you must be hungry. Let's go in quickly.”
“Yes...”
A tone where somehow firmness was felt, I just shut my mouth and went inside the house.
“Child, with your level of skill, you can easily go to the 5th floor alone... Still, do not let your guard down, form a party if possible, request rescue if you really can't handle it, don't just pick up and eat anything just because an essence dropped...”
I held the shoulders of Master, who was stomping her feet, and smiled.
“Master, I'll be back.”
Master's movement stopped, then she smirked and said.
“Right, I should trust my disciple. But I must say just this one more thing.”
Eyes becoming serious in an instant.
Master brought up brutal words too plainly.
“Do not trust people too much. Always suspect. Do not hesitate when killing.”
Outside the Labyrinth City operates by laws to some extent.
It's not that there is no crime rate, but compared to inside the labyrinth, it's very clean.
I am currently entering an extraterritorial jurisdiction.
It is a reality too cold to rely on the Luck stat.
“I will keep it in mind.”
I walked for a long time with complex feelings.
Apart from the resolution that I can do well, it seems unavoidable to be nervous.
As I walked looking only forward like that, the style of buildings coming into view started to change.
From the warm feeling built with wood, stone buildings one might see in medieval times started to catch my eye gradually.
As if announcing that the Central District starts from here, the buildings changing like a gradient melted the tension.
‘Right, this is the fantasy I thought of!’
It feels like I've faced the Labyrinth City for the first time since coming to the Labyrinth City.
Scenery changed without a boundary line, feels like I came to a different dimension.
As I looked around like a country mouse just arrived in the city, whispering started around me.
—Did you see?
—Slurp!
—As expected, men must be Eastern men...
—The body is fck... Wow...*
—The face looks obedient so just... Kuhuhu!
Feeling déjà vu, I looked around but the sticky gazes had no thought of falling off.
This rarely happened in the East, it seems they noticed I'm a country bumpkin.
I decided to just run before getting ripped off.
—Whoosh!
As my steps gained speed, people around me started blanking out.
—Almost got fcked... Why do Eastern bastards look so young?*
—Don't make eye contact...
—In the East, be careful of men, children, and the elderly.
Without even hearing the surrounding sounds, I ran towards the most conspicuous building in the East.
(Note: Ryuo ran to the Central District/Adventurer's Guild, likely leaving the "East" behind, but the murmurs suggest people recognize his Eastern origin/skills).
Inside the Guild Master's office within the Adventurer's Guild is filled with thick smoke.
“How does it make sense that there isn't a single available person! It's only the 5th floor, 5th floor!”
A woman with short silver hair and long ears getting angry while puffing smoke from her mouth and nose.
To her shout, a curly-haired woman with horns, completely cowed, spoke timidly.
“There are many people... Hearing the request content, they all refused...”
The short-haired woman, taking a deep suck on the pipe with steam rising from it, spoke without even exhaling the smoke.
“Just why? What's the problem? It's 20 gold coins, 20 coins! Isn't 20 coins for the 5th floor a profitable business?”
An amount too large for an adventurer capable of going up to the 5th floor to grasp.
But hearing the reason the curly-haired woman gave, she had no choice but to agree.
“The Bellatus Ducal House has such bad rumors originally... They'd rather pretend not to know than have their necks fly off because a problem arose even if they were hired...”
“Ssp! Phew... F*cked...”
The short-haired woman with veins popping on her forehead shook off the tobacco ash tak, and opened the window wide to let out the thick smoke.
“F*ck, get ready Maydel. I will go direct... Hm?”
At the flow of wind felt from outside the window, the silver-haired woman opened her eyes wide.
What entered her eyes was a handsome man with black hair and black eyes that made one's jaw drop.
But that handsome man ran... flew? towards the guild without even stepping on the ground. Anyway, he is coming.
—Tak! Whoosh!
The wind blowing from under the man who landed in front of the guild made his bangs flutter.
A face she sees for the first time. Anyone can see he's an expert from the East.
One in a hundred people coming from the East has outstanding skills like that.
How did he grow like that without an essence...
Guild Master Sylvia ran to the 1st floor with her eyes glaring.
“Oi, Master! What happened...”
“Get lost you bastards!!!”
Everyone was dumbfounded and looked at the Guild Master...
—Bang!
As the Guild Master hurriedly threw the door open, the handsome man who would make eyes pop open was staring blankly with his hand extended.
The Guild Master, filled with emotion, grabbed the man's hand and shouted.
“Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild! I will guide you to the floor above right away.”
“……. Yes?”