Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Deal
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The spoils were split with our side taking the boots, Myth Clan claiming two Dark Sorcerer sets, and the gold divided evenly between us.
In truth, without Yun Yeon, conquering the dungeon would have been nearly impossible, so it was only natural for Myth Clan to take two out of the three items.
They even let us pick the item we wanted in exchange for them taking two, which is why we chose the boots.
The party members wanted to hand me Bahn's ring, but I flatly refused.
Since I'd claimed all the rewards from the last expedition, it wouldn't be right for me to take anything this time too.
After my firm insistence, Yu-rim ended up with the boots. Seo Yu-ju and Kang I-seo were also considered, but Yu-rim always seemed the most at risk in battle.
"Congratulations on conquering the dungeon, everyone. Here's the promised compensation."
We were now reporting the dungeon conquest to Lady Tierra.
"Thank you, Lady Tierra."
'Damn it...'
The problem was that for someone like me, the losses from this expedition outweighed the compensation I'd received.
'Gotta make another chimera.'
With my chimera smashed to pieces, all the materials I'd poured into it were wasted. I still had half the supplies left at the clan house, but I'd originally planned to use them for two chimeras, so this loss hit me hard.
'... Still, seeing everyone so happy makes it worth it.'
After leaving Lady Tierra's office, watching my party members beam with joy over their compensation lifted my sour mood.
Since this was a Hero Dungeon conquest, the rewards were generous, so it was no surprise they were thrilled.
Seo Yu-ju glanced at me cautiously before speaking up.
"Yun-seong... Once we're back at the clan house, how about switching to a non-combat role...?"
For her, the fact that I'd nearly died again was such a shock that she wanted to pull me from the front lines.
'... No way that's happening.'
Being separated from the party would only distance our bond. And if something happened to them on an expedition without me there, just the thought was horrifying.
'Above all... the safest place is by Seo Yu-ju's side.'
"... Yu-ju, how many times do I have to say it? I'm fine. This was just a freak case."
"Still... you've nearly died twice already..."
"Sigh..."
I let out an involuntary sigh, and she flinched.
"... I appreciate the concern, but I need to go on expeditions to get stronger too. Or... do you think I'm a hindrance?"
"No, not at all! A hindrance? That's not it...!"
"Then what's the problem? If I'm not holding you back, I'm not stepping aside. End of discussion."
This needed to be crystal clear. No matter what, the safest spot was next to Seo Yu-ju. Holing up in the clan house like a freeloader? No thanks from me.
"Y-Yun-seong...!"
She called after me, but I ignored her. Right now, I had to assert my stance firmly.
'And... I have business to attend to.'
I needed to see Yun Yeon. Since she knew my Unique Trait, I planned to propose a deal to her.
'Who knows when I'll see her again.'
Not knowing when our paths might cross again meant I had to make the offer today.
As I approached the room where Myth Clan was staying, one of their members stopped me.
"What brings you here?"
"... I'd like a word with the Myth Clan Master. Could you pass that along?"
"... Please wait a moment. I'll check with her."
"Appreciate it."
The man knocked on Yun Yeon's door, went inside briefly, then came back out.
"... Go ahead in."
"Thanks."
Stepping into Yun Yeon's room, I could immediately tell it was far nicer than ours. As the master of a major clan, Lady Tierra must have pulled out all the stops for her.
"So, Lee Yun-seong, what business do you have with me?"
"........"
I stayed silent, organizing my thoughts on how much to reveal, and she spoke first.
"Hm... Didn't you have something to say?"
"... Myth Clan Master, I've come with some valuable information to share."
"... Information?"
"... Pretty valuable stuff. In exchange, let's make a deal."
I tried to sound casual proposing the deal, but I couldn't help feeling tense. I was a newbie to the continent, and she was a clan master. She might take offense to my boldness.
"Ahaha... A deal, huh? What kind of talk is this?"
"Since you know my Unique Trait, here's a hint: it's info I got from it."
"Hm..."
She seemed lost in thought. Knowing my trait, she had plenty to mull over.
'... At least she'll figure it's not worthless.'
"... So what do you want from me, Lee Yun-seong?"
"When our party is in real danger, help us out once."
My party needed some insurance. Seo Yu-ju was there, but she needed time to grow strong enough. And one more thing...
'Seo Yu-ju doesn't know about a lot of things.'
Even in this incident, she had no idea a Parasite Sorcerer existed. It drove home that even regressors aren't infallible.
'Better to have as much insurance as possible.'
From what I pieced together, in the first timeline, I probably never entered that dungeon, so Bahn couldn't find a host and died right away.
"... Help you once in a crisis?"
"Yes, but not unconditionally. If it looks too risky for you too, feel free to sit it out."
No one would help in a situation that deadly anyway, no matter what I said.
"So... you're saying if it's safe for me to step in, help your party once when they're in trouble?"
"Exactly. Accept the deal, and I'll share what I know."
She smirked and spoke.
"You're bold."
'Damn... Did I cross a line?'
For a newbie like me to act this way here was plenty arrogant. She had every right to be annoyed.
"... You've grown a lot, physically and mentally, since last time. Looks like I didn't misjudge you."
"... Meaning?"
"Fine, deal accepted. But if the info's not worth it, it's off."
Fair enough.
"... Alright, here's the info. Do you know Sharlis, the maid by Lady Tierra's side?"
"Ah... I've seen her a few times. Why her?"
"She's no ordinary maid. Got a sheet of paper?"
Hearing my request, Yun Yeon seemed to guess what I was up to.
She handed me paper and a pen.
I jotted down Sharlis's Status Window as I'd seen it and passed it over.
"This is..."
"And... as a little bonus, one more piece. That Bahn guy we saw in the dungeon? He's part of a group."
Yun Yeon looked puzzled at the mention of a group.
"A group?"
"I don't know the details either. But it seemed like a bunch of natives—not outsiders—with ties to demons."
"... Demons?"
"Yes. I'm no expert on demons, but from what I gathered, it's a gathering of Dark Sorcerers. Even if not, they're definitely connected to demons."
"... Do you know their numbers or the group's name?"
"No clue."
She fell silent for a while, then grinned at me.
"Ha... Interesting info. Never saw that coming."
Compared to the value of one favor from a monster like Yun Yeon, this was nothing. For me, it was easy info to come by.
"Lee Yun-seong, mind if I ask something?"
"... Go ahead."
"I get the Status Window on Sharlis. But how'd you learn about that weird group?"
'... Sharp as ever.'
My Unique Trait lets me read Status Windows. It doesn't reveal group affiliations.
She'd caught that.
"... From the chimera back then?"
'Quick on the uptake. Figured it out in a flash?'
She wasn't clan master for nothing.
"......"
My silence was as good as a yes.
"Ahaha! Lee Yun-seong, you've got some real talent. What if I sweeten the pot and make another offer?"
"... Sorry. You know I can't accept."
She was probably just testing the waters.
"Heh... Yeah, I know. Just checking."
Being recognized by someone that strong didn't feel bad at all.
"Anyway, I'll be going. I trust you'll honor the deal."
"Of course. What do you take me for? Don't worry—I'm not the type to take info and ghost."
'Figured as much.'
Part of why I proposed this deal was trusting her character.
From what I'd seen at the training facility, she at least had a sense of responsibility and honor.
- Creak. Slam.
And one more reason I'd made the offer.
I'd deliberately not told Yun Yeon that Sharlis had gone quiet.
'If she takes care of that bitch, great. If not, whatever.'
No loss for me. I wasn't selling out my party's info—just that of a potential enemy.
'... Maybe getting caught using my ability at the training facility wasn't so bad after all.'
Aside from nearly dying twice, things had worked out pretty well so far.
'Ha... Still pisses me off thinking about it. Why do I keep crossing paths with these psychos?'
Ha Yu-ri, Joo Seung-hwan, Kim Myung-jun, Bahn.
The names of everyone who's been hostile to me so far.
'Kim Myung-jun... didn't cross the line, and two are handled... Wait, Joo Seung-hwan's still alive?'
From what I heard, Joo Seung-hwan was kicked from his clan with his mana circuits wrecked.
'... Pretty much the end of his adventurer life.'
But you never know. He might become a threat again.
'Joo Seung-hwan... I'll track him down and finish him someday. And... Ha Yu-ri.'
Ha Yu-ri's tricky. I want her gone, but has she really crossed the line with me? Eh...
'... Nah, no way I can ever get close to her.'
No matter how I sliced it, taking her out seemed right. I doubted she'd ever warm up to me.
The issue was she was top-tier in Eras, and I had no way to deal with her yet.
Still, I wasn't too worried.
'A big shot like her... gotta be some dirt if I dig.'
The higher up you are, the more skeletons in the closet. That's why I stripped the evil alignment from my chimera.
'She's got that Evil Phobia trait.'
Had to eliminate any chance of getting caught.
All in all, despite the losses from this commission, securing one favor from Yun Yeon was a huge win. Honestly, it meant more to me than the dungeon rewards.
The unease in my heart started to fade a bit.