Chapter 15
Chapter 15
"Noona, it's been a while! Where have you been staying all this time?"
The first place we visited was the inn we stayed at before, 「Goose Bed」. The freckled kid who always stayed there and handled things came running out to greet us.
"Went to Arcanum for a bit."
"No, why go all the way out there?"
"It's not that far."
I ruffled his hair—practically messing it up—and headed to the counter. The familiar-faced innkeeper greeted me, "Oh? Long time no see." I requested three rooms and added:
"We're heading into the Labyrinth soon, so I'll leave our luggage in storage. We brought a wagon, so please sell that off for us."
"Got it. Shall I just deduct the storage fee from that amount?"
"Yes. Please do that."
Once I paid, Hera unpacked her luggage. Erion stood there blankly for a moment, then seeing what Hera was doing, he started packing his own things.
I watched that for a moment and said:
"Items for two days, and things needed for the Labyrinth raid. Put everything else away. Take out anything that might rot, too."
"Understood."
"Why are you taking out the book?"
"To read when I'm bored..."
"You're going to bring a book when we go into the Labyrinth?"
Realizing his mistake, Erion sheepishly put the book back into his luggage.
As for me, I always carry my portable gear separately, so I didn't really need to do that.
I handed the three bags over the counter, and the owner wrapped them in cloth as usual, then sealed the cloth bag by drawing a line with graphite.
I watched that for a moment before turning my head.
"Let's go register."
We left the inn and headed to the 「Silver Needle Guild」.
The street scene, as I mentioned before, was completely different from Arcanum. It was a scene closer to chaos than order. While Erion was looking around, we arrived at our destination. As always, a staff member came out, saw us, and called out, "Ray!" to summon the staff member in charge.
"Well, everyone! It's been a while!"
"Yeah. Did you miss me?"
"W-well, I don't know~"
Hera, ignoring the negative answer, started fiddling with her hair. I skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"We're here to register an Explorer."
"Oh, you found one? A new Healer?"
"Yeah. This kid."
Hera said that and lifted Erion by the scruff of his neck. Erion let out a faint, "Ha, haha," and smiled. Ray clapped her hands as if glad.
"Actually, I had inquiries from other places, but they all said they didn't have anyone."
"I doubt there were none at all."
"Right. There were other High-level Explorers interested, but there was talk about it being a raid team, and since it's just the two of you in the party..."
Ray trailed off.
I did have something I wanted to ask.
What about us being a duo? Is there a problem with that?
But we already found someone, so there's no need to ask.
"Can it be processed by tomorrow? I want to go in. With this kid in tow."
"It'll be done by tomorrow! Shall we proceed with this person's registration first?"
"Do that."
"Then, Explorer-nim, could you come this way?"
At those words, Erion bowed his head and headed toward Ray's counter. While he answered various questions, I looked out the window.
"If we're leaving tomorrow, we should secure a party today, right?"
"Right. I'm asking this now, but what's the plan?"
"Well..."
We can't go to the Deep Layer right away.
Not only do we have luggage (a.k.a. a Healer), but even though the two of us are High-level Explorers, it's been years since we last entered the Deep Layer.
Pulling your own weight in the Deep Layer just means 'surviving,' not that we can go around smashing everything up. We needed a warm-up to revive our stiff bodies.
It wasn't just about going back and forth on the lower floors killing a few monsters; we needed to face several situations that would sharpen our senses.
"First, the Labyrinth Stone... what floor are you?"
"I'm 55."
"I'm 60, so... we can't use either. Then we'll have to climb up from the bottom."
"Since we have to train that kid, too."
"True."
In the end, we're fated to climb. However, I looked at Erion, who was scribbling something, and muttered.
"Let's try joining a party on the 15th floor or higher and see."
"Why? He's a total Rookie."
He is a Rookie.
But if a Rookie shows talent, hmm.
"You have to roll hard to grow hard."
As I said before, the people in this world are also affected by the game system like me. It's just that their Skill Trees are automatically selected based on their life's trajectory.
That means if they grow lazily, a lazy Skill Tree gets selected, which isn't suitable for the environment we need to go to.
I needed a Healer who could treat injuries even in an environment where blood is splattering and limbs are flying off, not a Healer who would sit calmly after everything is over and say something like, 'Please calm your heart...'
"Even if he's a Rookie, if we're there, they'll let him join. Let's roll him around there and see."
* * *
Once the Explorer registration was finished, Ray gave the documents to a messenger to send to City Hall.
If an ordinary Explorer went to City Hall to register themselves, they might have to wait over two weeks, but this case was different because of the 「Silver Needle Guild」's guarantee. At the latest, the registration should be complete by around lunchtime tomorrow.
So, after sending the registration documents, our party headed to the party bulletin board in front of the Labyrinth. There were all sorts of handwriting there, from things that looked like drawings rather than letters at first glance, to neat, perfectly aligned text.
'They should ask someone who knows how to write to write those for them. Would you trust someone going to the 30th floor if they wrote like that...'
Handwriting that makes you wonder if they even know how to hold a pencil.
I shook my head and focused on other posts.
While Erion was looking around with a fascinated expression, Hera pointed to one.
"This one's going to the 18th floor. It's a 20-person party, 17 people as of this morning. It's the Baleon group."
"Wonder if it's full? 17 people is a bit tight."
"Yeah. How about another one... this one is 16 people, a 10-person party."
"This is that guy. The one who was kicked out of 「Hytrak」 before for doing drugs. How many years ago was it? Was it 3 years?"
"Oh, this is him?"
I felt someone standing next to us looking at that flyer flinch. Were you planning to join that party? You got lucky, so go to the Pantheon today and, what's it called, pray to that god or something.
Anyway, we were looking around, and Erion poked my arm from the side.
"What?"
"Isn't this the condition you were talking about? 15th floor or higher, large party. This seems suitable too."
The flyer Erion was pointing at read, 「17th Floor, Small Party Treatment, 15-person capacity, Healer preferred」.
The conditions were suitable.
It's just that the party members listed below were a bit of a problem.
———
- 2 Elves
- 3 Beastmen (Humanoid type, Pure type)
- 1 Dark Elf
- 1 Dwarf
⋮
———
What is this, the Animal Kingdom?
There's fur, there's pointy-ears, it's a mess.
I didn't really want to join a demi-human party.
It's not because I'm a racist, but getting tangled up with demi-humans is a hassle in many ways.
But then again, we have a new party member.
It was necessary to teach him about demi-human parties.
We can't go on with just humans forever. It's not that there's a restriction, but the higher the floor, the more you end up getting involved with demi-humans.
"Ugh. No, what kind of party has a Dark Elf and Elves? Plus Furballs on top of that."
"Is it bad?"
"It's not bad, but, hmm..."
Hera seemed to think the same, as she had a look of utter distaste. Well, since we've been through similar things, she'd know well too.
"It wouldn't be bad to experience it as a first party. You know how it is. If you get hit hard at first, then when you get hit a little lighter later, you're like, 'Oh, this is fine?'"
"Oh, that's a good thought."
"Uh... Teachers?"
We were clearly reluctant, but the conversation suddenly shifted to joining this party. Perhaps sensing something ominous, Erion looked at us with an awkward smile.
But what are you going to do if you don't like it?
If I say we're going, we're going.
It looked like it had been hanging there for over two days since it was slightly worn, but since the bulletin board here is updated twice a day, there was no way it was already formed.
I remembered the location on the flyer and started walking.
The location was the East District, 「Ackerman Assembly Hall」.
* * *
Like Arcanum, the Labyrinth City also has districts.
The place where I operate and where Explorers operate is mainly the Central District. There's City Hall, inns, Explorer guilds, shops, and so on and so forth.
Near the Central District, there are four districts that everyone calls by name, even though they aren't separated by walls. Unimaginatively, they are named East, South, West, and North Districts.
Each district has its own characteristics and functions, but I'll get to that later. For now, the East District is where many demi-humans gather and live. It's not that they've been segregated; when humans go elsewhere, they make Koreatowns and Chinatowns, right?
You can think of it like that.
The 「Ackerman Assembly Hall」 was an Explorer guild and assembly hall in that East District.
As soon as I opened the door to the assembly hall and stepped in, gazes poured onto us. I walked in, scanning them as if to say, "What are you looking at?", and someone came out to talk to me.
"Uh, are you a human? We are..."
"Why are you here?"
"Did I come to a place I shouldn't be?"
A blunt voice flew at me.
When I answered just as bluntly, I heard some chaotic movement from inside the building. The owner of the voice, who had been sitting deep inside the counter, stood up and approached me.
"Rian. Why did you come here?"
"I just told you. Asking if I came to a place I shouldn't be."
"That depends on your answer."
"Cut the bullshit. Fuck, is this your house? You stale pointy-ear bastard, can't you tell right from wrong?"
The guy standing tall in front of me was much taller than me and had much longer ears. He looked at me with a face that made it clear he was gritting his teeth, and looking at that mug, I suddenly felt like knocking his teeth out.
Well, I didn't just have to think about it.
Wouldn't it be fine to knock them out? He'll heal if he uses a potion.
"Stop it, stop."
"Stop it!"
Stepping in between us were Hera and the 「Ackerman Assembly Hall」 guild staff. While I just relaxed my hand without much thought, the guy stepped back and let out a short breath.
"Well, Rian-nim. How did you come here?"
"I saw the party notice posted on the central bulletin board and came."
"Ah! You came after seeing the notice."
While the Dog Beastman staff member was taking the huffing pointy-ear guy away, someone heard that and sent a hand signal inside.
Meanwhile, a voice was heard from behind.
"U-uh, you're blocking the path for our people right now... could you not go in?"
"What?"
Erion's words.
I turned my head and saw we were in an awkward state, neither inside nor outside. I stepped aside to clear the path, and a few Furballs came in, glaring at us, but then lowered their eyes when they saw Hera.
Meanwhile, a human staff member called us to the counter.
I ignored the fiery gaze coming from inside the counter and stuck to that side.
"Which notice did you see?"
"The one going to the 17th floor. I saw two Elves and one Dark Elf..."
"Ah! That party. They haven't left yet, and if you all join, I think there will be one or two spots left..."
The staff member rummaged through some documents and pulled out a paper to show me. The document, dated today, had much more detailed information than the central party bulletin board. One Healer, three front-liners, etc...
"But Rian-nim, you're joining this party?"
"We have a new party member, and I need to train him a bit."
As I said that and glanced back, Erion awkwardly smiled and waved.
The staff member bowed awkwardly and said.
"You're going into the 17th floor? With that person?"
"There's nothing saying we can't."
"Uh, but, well... if Rian-nim and Hera-nim join, the combat power itself will definitely increase significantly."
The staff member said that and sent a messenger.
As I watched what I presumed to be a Cheetah Beastman run off, Erion whispered from the side.
"Excuse me, Noona."
"..."
"... Party Leader-nim. What happened to make the atmosphere so savage like this?"
"Do you really need to know?"
"No, it's nothing."
Erion shut his mouth tight.
Meanwhile, Hera was joking and chatting with a Cat Beastman (it's hard to tell the gender of Beastmen, but it's definitely a female).
I sat on the stool I was given, looking out the window and thinking a bit about the past, when a Dwarf ran in with the Cheetah Beastman.
"Huff, huff. They said someone wanted to join?"
"It's those people."
"Hup. Whew... are they humans?"
"Yes."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Puglish. As you can see, I'm a Dwarf, and I'm the Party Leader."
"I'm High-level Explorer Rian Werner. This is Hera, also a High-level Explorer. And our party member, the Healer Erion."
"... High-level Explorer?"
The stubby eyes looked at me. I shrugged. The Dwarf looked at me, then turned his head to the staff member, who nodded when the gaze returned to him.
"Is it for real... if it's for real, why?"
"We have our reasons."
I have no intention of giving a long speech starting with, "Our party is this and that~". I could, but it's a hassle.
"Can we join or not? If not, we'll just go."
"Well, that's..."
"For the record, we don't need any special treatment. Just consider us joining as individual party members."
"Individual? ... Then is the distribution rate the same too?"
"That's right."
"Then we're going together! Tomorrow morning!"