Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Returning Home
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The return trip was swift.
We made it back to the Labyrinth Fortress in less than a quarter of the time it had taken to explore.
Upon arriving at the fortress, the party's faces visibly relaxed, as if a burden had lifted from their shoulders.
I could understand why, after encountering all sorts of bizarre creatures.
Before heading back to Slumber,
I sent Ignis to the Hero's Sanctuary.
They didn't check IDs or anything when leaving the labyrinth, but using the teleport magic circle cost money.
There was no reason to spend gold unnecessarily.
We teleported out of the 10th floor of the labyrinth and arrived at the management office.
As we stepped out of the management office, bright sunlight greeted us.
"Being in that dim place felt so stifling. Now I can finally breathe."
Ayla stretched as she spoke, and the rest of the party nodded in agreement with brightened expressions.
"Master, I'll go fetch the horses."
Mary said that and headed off to retrieve the horses we'd left at the management office.
I pulled the carriage out of my Inventory, and soon after, Mary returned leading the horses and hitched them up. They looked glossy and well-fed after their rest.
As always, we boarded the carriage driven by Mary and set off for the mansion.
But after a short distance, the carriage came to a halt.
It was far too soon to have reached the mansion.
The moment I felt puzzled,
Mary's voice came from the driver's seat.
"Master. There's someone who looks like a mage blocking the road."
A mage?
I lifted the curtain on the driver's side and peered outside.
A woman was standing in the middle of the road, blocking the carriage.
With her ornate staff and luxurious blue robe, she certainly appeared to be a mage.
Even more striking were her long, flowing light blue hair and matching eyes—she was a stunning beauty.
"I apologize for the intrusion, but I wished to see you, Un-ho."
My name came from her lips.
This woman I'd never seen before knew me.
And she even knew my name.
But I'd never laid eyes on her.
"I'd like to have a word with you, Un-ho."
The beautiful mage said, gazing at me intently.
I hadn't been in Slumber for very long.
Yet here was an incredible beauty showing interest in me...
Could this be... a date invitation?
Had she spotted me from afar and fallen at first sight?
Maybe I could dare to hope.
Thanks to Mary, my confidence as a man had grown enough to entertain such thoughts.
It wasn't every day a beauty like her asked for a date first.
A man would have to be a fool to turn that down.
I turned to the party in the carriage.
"You all head back to the mansion first. I've got some business to attend to."
I kept my face serious to avoid showing too much excitement.
"Are you sure? She looks like a high-ranking mage."
Luna asked with concern.
From her perspective, some unknown mage had appeared out of nowhere, so she was probably worried about a trap.
I was hesitating on spending my 32 skill points,
but if needed, I could enhance my Body Strengthening skill.
Would there even be a trap I couldn't escape from after that?
Even if it was a trap...
Sometimes a man had to stand his ground.
"It'll be fine."
I sent the party ahead to the mansion
and moved to a fancy teahouse with the beautiful mage.
"I'm Berna Perkuna, tower master of Perkuna Magic Tower. Please call me Berna."
Tower master?
She was a big shot.
Distracted by her beauty, I'd overlooked the obvious. I tried sensing her circle count belatedly, but it was hazy, like fog.
If you couldn't detect the circles, assume grand mage.
Liliana had told me before.
Grand mages made it hard to discern their mana rings.
Her claim of being tower master rang true.
So she had some other motive, huh?
'Disappointing. Not a confession. And Perkuna... sounds familiar... where have I heard that before...'
Ah... that shabby mage in the elf forest had a spellbook called something Perkuna.
The spellbook should still be in my Inventory.
"So... what brings a grand mage like you here?"
I asked, masking my disappointment.
"You're a Transcendent, aren't you."
"Transcendent? Me?"
"Your actions so far speak for themselves. No need to hide it."
I hadn't planned on hiding...
Transcendent was just a new term to me.
"I'll be direct. I want to take the next step forward. That's why I sought you out."
Even without more words, I got the gist.
"So... you want me to teach you?"
"I know it's a big ask. You might think I'm shameless. But please understand how desperate I am."
"Uh... hmm."
I was at a loss for words.
Not because it was difficult, but because I had nothing to say.
How could I teach when my strength came from level-ups and skill enhancements?
Berna gazed at me with affectionate, seductive eyes.
Her soft hand gently grasped mine.
"Of course, I'm not asking for free. If there's anything you desire, I'll do whatever I can. Even if it's..."
She blushed and trailed off shyly.
The unspoken part... matched what I was thinking, right?
But I could only smack my lips in regret.
I squeezed her soft hand wistfully.
She shyly pulled away.
It was a shame, but I didn't know the method she wanted.
I'd put in some effort hunting, sure... but it was basically free power anyway.
"...I'll think about it."
I didn't flat-out refuse.
Opportunities with beauties like her were best kept open.
"I understand. It's a tough decision. I'll wait."
Berna spoke considerately without pressing, and handed me a note.
"This is where I'm staying. Contact me anytime."
She winked and rose from her seat.
I carefully stored the note in a corner of my Inventory.
After finishing my talk with Berna, I stepped out to find Mary waiting with the carriage.
"Where's the rest of the group?"
"I dropped them off at the mansion. They're resting."
Ah, right. I'd forgotten.
I'd meant to call before heading to the mansion...
I summoned Ignis from the Hero's Sanctuary.
"Hm? Where's this?"
Ignis looked around curiously after emerging.
"Outside the labyrinth. We're heading to my mansion."
"I see. I'm curious about my lord's mansion."
It was technically Liliana's mansion.
But if she ever became mine, it might as well be.
"Welcome home, Master!"
The maids stood in a neat line, bowing politely to welcome me.
'Mary's doing?'
They wore the cute black-and-white maid outfits I'd requested.
Having been away from the mansion for over a week,
the custom-made maid uniforms must have arrived.
Just the right amount of cleavage on display.
Skirts a touch on the short side.
Black and white stockings hugging their thighs halfway up.
And garter belts holding everything securely in place.
Perfection.
Mary had nailed my tastes perfectly.
An outstanding head maid.
It was a delightful sight.
Home truly was the best.
My eyes felt cleansed just looking at them.
As I admired them fondly, my mood suddenly plummeted.
There was a turd in my flower garden.
A face I'd forgotten about...
A face I'd wanted to forget.
"Master! You've returned!"
A guy bowed energetically with a beaming smile, as if thrilled.
And next to him, Ailin bowing as well.
"Who?"
"M-Master. It's Albert."
"...Kidding."
I'd seen an unwelcome face.
"Yeah... what brings you here."
"Pardon? Welcoming my master is only natural for a disciple, isn't it?"
Albert replied, looking baffled. The guy was annoyingly polite.
"You don't need to bother with that stuff. Focus solely on training! Coming out for every little thing disrupts your practice. From now on, don't come unless I call you. And don't forget that hungry spirit."
"M-Master."
When I said I didn't need such formalities for training, Albert looked deeply moved.
"Good. Did you finish everything I told you to do?"
"Yes, Master. All done."
Could a house be built in just a week?
If you knew how to handle mana, maybe.
But he was still a novice who couldn't even wield mana.
"Built it sturdy, right?"
"W-Well... I'm not... sure."
An honest kid.
A house built by a total beginner who'd never constructed one.
No way it was solid.
I considered nitpicking but let it go.
Shoddy workmanship or not, it didn't matter. It wasn't for me; it was his place.
If anything, shoddier might be better.
The roof could cave in while he slept—an unfortunate accident, but unavoidable.
"Is this brat your disciple too, my lord? He looks like a warrior who fights with his body... but compared to you, he's utterly pathetic."
Ignis, standing beside me, scanned Albert up and down as she spoke.
I agreed with her.
Showing such a pitiful disciple to Ignis was so embarrassing I couldn't lift my head.