Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Unexpected (2)
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"Now there really shouldn't be anything left."
Maybe it was because things had piled up on me all at once lately, keeping me constantly on the move. The quiet morning in the cafe felt almost awkward now.
Of course, my busyness didn't make the days any longer. Time flowed steadily onward, and dates passed by without fail. Before I knew it, the once-mild air had started radiating a sweltering heat like a boiling pot.
Astraea, influenced by the labyrinth, was surrounded entirely by desert, making it incredibly dry year-round regardless of the season. The daily and annual temperature swings were extreme. Once it got cold, it plunged in an instant, and when it heated up, the stifling air felt suffocating.
On days like this, you'd normally be told to avoid outdoor activities altogether. Paradoxically, though, the labyrinth's cool interior drew adventurers in even more actively, following entirely different rules. It was like heading to a bank or supermarket to escape the heat in my past life.
Monsters and wild animals also tended to slack off in such weather, so those who could endure the scorching air and sunlight sometimes ventured out of Astraea or into it.
Heatstroke aside, it was actually safer.
"If this were a game, just breathing would probably slap you with a debuff."
For reference, I'd briefly opened the door for some ventilation, gotten hit with a blast of hot wind, and decided to just stay put. This was my second summer here since arriving in winter two years ago. I'd suffered terribly through the first one and meticulously set up air conditioning and a fridge, so as long as I didn't foolishly open doors or windows, it wasn't too bad.
I mixed cold brew from the fridge with water and ice in a glass, stuck in a straw, and took a sip.
Iced drinks really hit the spot in this heat.
I generally preferred hot coffee straight up, but everyone has to bend their principles for survival sometimes.
I had no intention of calling myself a coffee connoisseur while chugging hot stuff in this swelter.
Gazing quietly at the glass beaded with condensation while basking in the cool breeze from the magic-powered fan felt like pure paradise.
Compared to those days back home, training relentlessly no matter the heat, it was nothing. My damn father believed people got stronger the more they endured, forcing me to swing my sword until I was practically desiccated. I'd never forget it.
Fueled by rage, I slurped up the coffee with a slurp.
Anyway, passersby outside must have caught sight of me in my short-sleeved shirt sipping an iced drink through the window, glancing curiously at my shop as they went. Even tough adventurers found it hard to stroll the streets unfazed now that the murderous heat had arrived so suddenly. Plenty looked half-dead.
Maybe I should sell coffee outside. It'd probably fly off the shelves.
Nah. Crazy to go out in this weather. Better just sip my coffee and wait for customers.
Lounging comfortably in the cool air, lost in thoughts that would make other merchants call me spoiled, the door opened and Liza walked in.
"Manager bro."
"It's been a while."
"Anything cold, please. One of whatever."
For Liza, who looked like death warmed over—her lightly dressed body soaked in sweat—I pureed a chilled apple I'd set aside, then ducked into my living quarters to grab a towel.
I draped the towel over her head, strained out the apple pulp, melted in a bit of sugar, and floated some ice on top.
"Manager, mind if I step back there for a sec?"
"Or you could head up to the second floor if you want."
"Heehee. Thanks!"
I unlocked the door to the stairs, letting her in towel in hand. She emerged after wiping down, still with damp hair and clothes. I blew a gentle magical breeze to help dry her slowly.
Liza giggled, finding it a bit ticklish, then slurped up her drink. With the sugar I'd added, it probably tasted pretty good. I'd never tried it myself.
Lately, everything I served was stuff I hadn't even sampled, which felt a little off, but using good ingredients and the right methods should make it fine.
Sure enough, her expression had improved noticeably from when she'd first staggered in.
"The labyrinth is cool, but the streets and home are brutal."
"Yeah, I could tell. Everyone looks beat."
"Ugh, I want to just camp in the labyrinth, but I'm not skilled enough..."
No money, no skills—just suffer in the heat. It really was a structure where you needed talents beyond adventuring to survive. Still, that potential for rags-to-riches was what made adventuring special.
Whether from excessive sweat or the rare cool breeze, Liza leaned slightly against the fan, eyes closed, motionless for a while.
Her swaying silver hair looked much better cared for than before—the frizziness gone, even shimmering a bit.
Must be thanks to the decent part-time wages I'd given her under the guise of "alba fee." Life seemed a little easier now.
Life really was simpler to navigate with money than emotions or tangled relationships.
After enjoying the cold air for a rest, Liza shivered once, eyes snapping open. She downed her apple juice in one go and stood.
"Mmm. Thanks for the drink! Back to work."
"You could rest longer."
"Nah. If it drags till night, I can't stay in the labyrinth. Gotta finish today's quota quick and head back."
Fair point. She ignored physics solo but claimed scouting got tough after sunset.
Compared to regular demons or monsters whose behaviors we could somewhat predict, she was overwhelmingly bizarre.
Thinking of this game-based world, maybe she was some gimmick like a level-up dungeon from a sequel. Grind endlessly for items and EXP.
Musing on plausible theories, I waved goodbye to Liza as she left, then mentally poked at Carthis before checking the system message tucked in the corner of my vision.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
The progress bar has vanished. A serious error has occurred.
Progress gone, serious error. It meant the story couldn't follow the normal storyline anymore. Flipping a fate-like script felt satisfying at first glance, but now it made me uneasy—future events might diverge wildly from what I knew.
Carthis dying fast could enrage his comrades, smashing the academy to bits. Or demon king/demon god forces, respecting raw power, might raid the emperor over imperial involvement. Either way, it'd be a catastrophe I couldn't just watch unfold.
"So what now? I ditched all my old hotlines anyway."
With demons camped at my house back then, I'd built up plenty of intel sources on them. But those were tied to the Lebedev family, and using them would spread rumors instantly.
Even a casual check-in would draw the Imir Kingdom's scrutiny.
So, the only low-pressure, reliable contact for accurate info now was...
"The emperor."
But... that was a bit much.
Suddenly messaging, only for her to show up in sheer negligee, striking weird poses and flashing stuff I didn't want to see.
I'd caught a whiff of someone I didn't want to deal with.
"...No choice, though."
It might catch her off guard since it was sudden, but leaving a message was smart. "Please contact when seen. Important matter."
She'd report it and reach out. Maybe I'd get a disguise identity for covert ops, or early warning on emergencies.
With those hopes, I carefully typed the message into the communicator, returned to my seat, and sipped the now mostly melted coffee.
Delicious.
So good I didn't want to leave.
"I don't want to leave. Spot on. I just want to settle into this reality."
Still, the system error didn't erase real threats.
If anything, they might morph into something unknowable, stealthier, beyond my predictions.
If that threatened my past and present, striking first to shatter it was best.
I jotted demands and questions for the emperor on a memo, then stashed it in my safe.
Back at my seat, another sip of coffee. The tangy chill refreshed me as I awaited the next customer.
"Whew, the heat's hit hard again this year."
"Dras. Welcome."
"Am I the first customer?"
"No, Liza was here briefly."
"Hardworking from the morning. With talent in martial arts or magic, she'd go far."
"Yeah?"
Calling Liza diligent was fair, but she'd finished her morning quota before coming, so pure diligence-wise, old man Dras took the cake.
Even in this weather, he ordered a hot Americano.
I went iced, Dras hot. Time to debate Americano tastes again.