Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Debt of the Living
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Thud thud thud thud...
Having been ambushed once, Susa deemed the area too dangerous to linger. He kept the cart moving without pause, though at a reduced speed.
No one knew the scale of the labyrinth's overflow. It was safest to assume the vicinity was crawling with monsters.
As proof, other carts that had fled Lehil much like them were keeping pace, running alongside the supply wagon without slowing down.
"......"
The carts came in various shapes and sizes, but they shared common traits: each was small enough for only three or four passengers, escorted by a handful of guards, and uniformly luxurious in appearance.
Susa noticed Hwan-in eyeing the carts.
=They're probably hoping to tag along after seeing your prowess, Hwan-in.
=
"Is that so?"
=The smaller the cart, the easier it is to apply wards. Their ride handles far better than a supply wagon, yet they hold back even with orange and gray Ques hitched up. It's obvious.=
Hwan-in recalled what he'd heard from the Yukam village chief.
Que came in many colors, with straw the most common, followed by brown, orange, gray, black, red, and green in order of rarity.
Straw through gray could be bred from straw Ques, but black, red (sunset), and green only appeared in natural labyrinths.
The rare ones—black, red (sunset), and green—possessed special abilities, while rarer colors in general meant greater stamina, wing power, leg strength, endurance, and speed compared to straw.
"Those carts scream highborn."
=Indeed. Likely young scions from noble houses on journeys or errands, or perhaps landowners.=
Sure enough, some escorts had auras cloaking their bodies. Ignoring the blatant stares from those other carts' guards, Hwan-in asked Susa,
"You were talking about something back at the inn before we got interrupted."
=Ah, the labyrinth overflow?=
"Yes."
=There's only one type of labyrinth where overflows happen: the underground variety. Open-top labyrinths blend with nature, so local heteromorphs or beasts flow in and out, keeping numbers stable. But...=
Underground labyrinths were structured in layers.
Moreover, they constantly bombarded their inhabitants with mental interference, so monsters rarely escaped.
The "overflow" was when those pent-up hordes burst out all at once for some reason.
=That's the theory from scholars who study labyrinths.=
"So cities station troops near labyrinths for policing and routine maintenance to prevent overflows."
=Exactly.=
Hwan-in glanced back toward Lehil, now out of sight.
The more he learned about labyrinths, the more his curiosity surged. But delving in his current state would be folly.
'Best to wait until after contracting with Isilite. More skilled allies would be icing on the cake.'
Lost in such thoughts, Hwan-in furrowed his brow with a somber gaze—the picture of a brooding man weighed by troubles.
Falling for it hook, line, and sinker, Susa mustered a cheerful tone to comfort him.
=Don't worry about the village hit by the monster wave. Any settlement that size has a public security force, same as Lehil. Their troops are competent, including professionals, and the walls are high and thick enough to hold until aid from nearby cities and villages arrives.=
"......"
Hwan-in saw through the misunderstanding but held his tongue instead of correcting it.
'Aid's coming? They must have some magical long-range comms network.'
Come to think of it, both the Yukam chief and Susa had accepted his "teleportation accident" excuse without question.
If teleportation tech existed, magical comms for emergencies wouldn't be a stretch. Wards or whatever they called them.
Well past moonrise, Susa figured a suitable campsite from memory would appear soon.
Sure enough, familiar landmarks emerged from the dark. Cresting a hill revealed the small shrub grove he remembered.
Checking the Ques pulling the cart, Susa cautiously addressed Hwan-in, who had sat silently for a while.
=Soul Shaman, we'll rest there. The Ques look worn out from all the chaos.=
"Sure."
As the grove neared and Susa slowed, the lead carts subtly matched pace.
Susa stopped near the shrubs, and they claimed spots along the roadside.
At their obvious freeloading, Susa scoffed inwardly.
'Look at them, too proud to mingle despite their high status.'
Travelers or merchants like him would band together into a temporary convoy.
But these folk offered no thanks for blocking the pursuing monsters, ignoring his group entirely as they kindled their own campfire.
Infuriating, but what could a lowly peddler do?
'Better to build rapport with the Soul Shaman than waste energy on them.'
Ignoring them right back, Susa approached Hwan-in by the fire the porter had lit and plopped down beside him with some chatter.
=Whew~. This trip's been nothing but huge profits. Makes a merchant's heart swell with pride.=
"......Pardon?"
Hwan-in wondered if Susa had lost his mind.
The plan was to spend three days in Lehil loading specialties, luxuries, processed goods, and staples before heading to Etbrook hamlet.
But monster waves hit the first night, forcing Susa to flee empty-handed.
"Didn't you leave Lehil without loading cargo? How's that a profit?"
Skipping a trade run meant pure loss, yet he called it profit?
Suspicious, but...
=As Isilite said, no treasure beats life itself. You saved ours twice, so what could be a bigger gain? Hahaha.=
"Haha."
Hwan-in had never met anyone as upbeat as Susa in his corporate days. He couldn't help a chuckle.
=Still, an empty cart feels hollow... Hope we run into plenty of game on the way to Etbrook. Hate arriving with bare wheels.=
"A matter of merchant pride, I suppose."
=Grr~. You're the first to get a merchant's heart like that, Hwan-in. Unlike... some.=
Susa's gaze swept the line of carts along the road, now visible to Hwan-in too.
He hadn't paid them mind until now, and he remained utterly indifferent, treating them like inanimate objects.
=Those guys...=
Then the porter, stirring a small pot, approached with two steaming silver cups. Jerky soup.
"Thanks for the meal."
=Cheers, Elres.=
Sipping the thick, slightly spicy pottage after cooling it, Hwan-in's senses picked up presences and flashed a warning.
"......"
Cup in right hand, he casually brushed the grass with his left, resting it on the Black Spear.
Side-eyeing the approacher.
'Warrior?'
A crimson-furred wolfkin, nearly 2.3 meters tall—two heads above Hwan-in. Coincidentally, he evoked the same vibe as Bartul from the Ridgewood fringes.
A fight would bring euphoria and thrill.
"......"
Hwan-in's eyes scanned the man's gear.
Even in darkness, moonlight glinted off gray cuirass, greaves up to the thighs of matching material, armored gauntlets, and a black longsword at his waist.
To Hwan-in's untrained eye, it screamed high-end.
Battling him would surely electrify...
"......"
But Hwan-in released the spear and cradled the cup two-handed.
No hostility, no enmity. An innocent man. No fight.
Brillit and Isilite, however, edged behind Susa and Hwan-in, weapons ready, wary of the intruder.
=Pardon the intrusion during rest.=
The man bowed politely and spoke. Susa rose to greet him.
=Of course. Might I ask who you are?=
=Forgive my late introduction. I'm Ktachinan, escort to the third son of Third-Grade Tiger Ktachinan of the Awik Clan. Are you this group's leader?=
Tiger Clan?! They had Tiger Clan in the convoy?!
Shocked but composed, Susa bowed deeper.
=I am. Susa of Susa the Peddler... What brings a Tiger Clan guard warrior to a mere merchant like me?=
=Please accept this.=
Ktachinan proffered a gray wooden box the size of two palms without fanfare.
Instantly grasping the intent, Susa raised his brows in surprise before accepting it reverently with both hands.
=As a member of the glorious Tiger Clan of Lukrang, I suffer great remorse for failing to block the monsters you led us past, burdening your group instead. Thus, A'erelt, second young master of the Awik Clan, offers his thanks and recompense to you, Susa.=
=Such generosity from the young master... Shouldn't I pay my respects in person?=
=Your sentiment suffices.=
Ever courteous, Ktachinan glanced briefly at Hwan-in before departing.
Susa murmured in admiration.
=A warrior guarding a direct descendant of a third-grade Tiger must hold high rank, yet so humble. Impressive.=
"Plenty of rulers carry an elect's arrogance, I suppose."
=Not quite. They just don't bother conversing with commoners. Anyway, that gear's top-tier.=
To Susa, Ktachanin's kit totaled at least 50 gold—magic armor etched with runes, and a magic sword to boot.
"Pricey."
Considering local prices mirrored Earth's in spots, 50 gold equated to roughly 500 million won. Enough for a luxury Gangnam apartment.
Asking what spells justified the cost, Susa explained armor runes typically boosted physical enhancement.
=Two ways to empower gear: incantation magitech with phase stones as cores, or rune-packed magic arms. Each has pros and cons—no clear winner. For escort duty, versatile body boosts make sense.=
"......"
Magic armor enhancing the body—like his Spirit Possession? If compatible, stacking could close the physical gap with melee classes.
=Here, for you, Soul Shaman.=
Hwan-in took the box Susa offered and opened it.
Unprepared for him to peek immediately, Susa blinked wide-eyed before sidling closer for a look.
=Oh, two gold coins. Fitting for Tiger Clan direct lineage generosity.=
'Their pride on display.'
Converted, about 200 million won—but paled next to the 5-billion-won-equivalent gear, hard to feel real.
Still, big money. A gold covered three years at a luxury inn.
'Lehil's high-end inns match four-star hotels.'
Hwan-in offered Susa one coin.
He could've kept both without complaint, but sharing bought goodwill.
Susa's savvy screamed 30 years in trade—worth cultivating long-term ties.
=No, why share with me? You repelled the horde.=
"I'm traveling with your group now. And you've helped me, so you deserve a share."
But Susa gently pushed back his hand, resolute.
=I gratefully decline.=
Money meant little to Hwan-in, but Susa's stubbornness defied persuasion. He pocketed it.
'Puts connections over cash.'
He'd known a few like that in office life.
They spent surplus on networking, stayed broadly likable with good reps—solid allies.
'Cover their meals and tabs at Etbrook. Fine idea.'
About 40 minutes into the break.
"......?"
As Hwan-in focused on the pearl stone, his senses caught pale green and sky-blue spirits fluttering agitatedly around.
—Kyaa, kyaa~
—Coming. Coming.
—Ahaha. Ahahaha.
Whispers like hallucinations echoed.
"......!"
Hwan-in gripped his spear and stood, brows knit fiercely.
The sudden killer intent jolted half-dozing Susa awake. Brillit and Isilite snatched weapons and rose reflexively from fire-gazing.
=Ugh, ahem! Soul Shaman, what's wrong?=
"Something's coming."
Susa snapped alert at Hwan-in's icy voice, as if doused in cold water.