0 – Labyrinth City #1
Today, I woke up unusually early. Normally, my eyelids are heavy and it’s not easy to wake up in the morning.
Is it because my heart feels restless?
The room is pitch black. I can’t see anything.
There are holes in the walls, and the wind seeps in. There isn’t a single ray of light.
“Ugh.”
My body trembles. Even with my arms crossed and hands tucked under my armpits, it’s not enough to ward off the cold.
It’s not a joke, I can feel it in my bones that I’m freezing to the core.
Thanks to being dropped in a medieval village, I’m learning so much.
For example, the social infrastructure and sources of entertainment I used to enjoy were the essence of human progress?
I’m sorry, South Korea. If I could go back, I wouldn’t insult you. I would have cherished you with a lifetime of love.
Of course, I don’t know if a dead man can return.
I can’t stay still.
I throw off the blanket and get out of bed. Every step I take, the floor creaks.
A shabby warehouse. Even for an outsider with no connection, this sleeping place was nothing but a refuge.
Having a roof somewhere. Having walls somewhere.
If you’ve experienced homelessness, you know. A roof and walls are better than nothing.
I put on a worn-out coat that reeks.
In South Korea, I wouldn’t even wear it if it was given to me. But here, it’s my lifeline. If I don’t wear it, I’ll die.
So I put it on as thickly as possible.
Whiiiiiiing-.
I opened the warehouse door and stepped out. The wind felt like it was tearing at my flesh, brushing against my cheeks and ears.
It feels like my face is being ripped apart.
“Ugh…! Damn it!”
I hunched over and quickened my pace.
As the sun rose from the east, the sky was painted in shades of blue. It was a sight I wouldn’t be able to see again. I climbed the hill early in the morning, wanting to capture it in my eyes.
The sky gradually grew brighter. Beyond the distant purple boundary, something was shimmering.
What lies beyond the boundary?
I don’t really know much about this world. I’m not even a local, so how could I know everything?
That’s why I can’t be sure.
Based on what I’ve heard here and there, there are incredibly terrifying creatures outside the boundary.
Monsters that can easily chew on a human head like a snack.
I stood facing the boundary, feeling the cold wind on my face.
Swoosh, swoosh.
The boundary shimmers. A foreboding vibration, as if something is pounding on it, echoed ominously.
As I watched silently, a chill ran down my spine.
“Maybe it would be better to go to the labyrinth?”
Living in the central labyrinth city might be better than living in a rural village on the outskirts of the empire.
I gathered my thoughts and headed back to the hill. It wasn’t my first time, so I could easily descend.
Chirp, chirp, chirp-!
As I walked, listening to the crazy sparrows chirping as if they had acquired resistance to the winter cold, it didn’t take long.
“Is the Labyrinth City this cold too? Then it’s a little better here.”
Winter is long in this world. Is it because it is the outskirts of the empire that it feels unusually long?
I don’t really know.
Anyway, it was a long way. It seemed like it had been a while since winter arrived, but that guy never thought of turning off.
“Hoo, hoo…!”
When I returned to the warehouse, my hands and feet were frozen stiff. They were swollen and purple.
I wondered if I would end up freezing and cutting off my fingers and toes.
“…Does that mean I don’t have to go to the labyrinth?”
I wanted to think about which option would be better. But I didn’t have the luxury to do so.
Clank, clank, clank…
– Ray, are you awake?
I had just returned to the warehouse when someone knocked on the door.
Since it was a door that couldn’t be locked from the inside or outside, I could just open it and let them in. Because I’m a guy who looks like that.
The women in the village respected my privacy.
“Yes. I’m awake.”
– The village chief wants to see you for a while. He said to have breakfast together for the last time.
“…I’ll go.”
I carried the backpack I had packed last night. My experience as a soldier came in handy.
At least one thing was first-class.
Have I spent about two months in this narrow warehouse?
Just as I was getting used to it, it’s time to move again. I wonder when I’ll be able to settle down in this new world…
I closed the warehouse door and made my way to the village chief’s house. Thankfully, it wasn’t as cold as the early morning.
The village chief’s house was different from the warehouse. The fireplace had been lit since early morning.
As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, the warm air greeted me.
“Have you come, Ray?”
“…Yes.”
The village chief of Horn Village was a grandmother.
It’s strange. A position like the village chief should be held by a grandfather.
In the world I’ve lived in, most important positions were held by men. In an era where human rights didn’t exist, women had no place.
This world was different. Here, women were stronger than men.
To put it simply, it was a world where gender roles were reversed.
“Have a seat. I’ve prepared meat for you. It must be delicious, right?”
Is this the last supper in Horn Village? I said it grandly, but in reality, it wasn’t a lavish meal.
From the perspective of a young person in South Korea, it was ridiculously simple.
“…Thank you. I’ll enjoy it, Village Chief.”
It wasn’t a large amount of meat. It was just thinly sliced and put into a soup.
If we were to measure it by weight, it would be around 200g?
Only two months. It’s the duration of being in the military training camp twice.
During that time, I learned how to be grateful.
Hard bread? Thank you very much.
Light soup? Thank you so f*cking much.
But on top of that, meat too?
I’m grateful that I can eat. Thank you to the gods who provided me with daily rations.
Just keep thanking.
Squish-squish-. Squish!
I quickly tore into the bread and poured the soup. Since I was leaving anyway, I filled my stomach first, regardless of my pride and dignity.
“…Were you very hungry?”
The village chief looked at me intently.
There was a slight hint of farewell in the corner of her eyes. It was because I had spent quite a bit of time with the village chief grandmother for the past two months.
She treated me like a grandchild.
“I woke up early.”
“Couldn’t sleep?”
“No. I just woke up early because I wanted to see the boundary one last time before leaving.”
I finished my breakfast while feeling the village chief grandmother’s gaze all over my body.
I was extremely satisfied. I had enough confidence to go hungry for the rest of the day.
Thump, thump, thump-.
Someone knocked on the door.
– Village chief, the conscription officer has arrived.
The conscription officer. A reporter from the city hall who came to take me away.
The conscription officer waited for me in the village of Horn these past few days, giving me time to gather my thoughts.
“…Ray, I hope you come back safely.”
I bid farewell to the village chief grandmother.
In a situation where I might as well be sold as a mountain product, I wondered what meaning there was in worrying only with words.
“Put this on.”
I was mistaken. The village chief grandmother wasn’t someone who only worried with words.
“What’s this…?”
“A leather armor I got from a hunter. It’s not the best, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t refuse. A leather armor.
As the grandmother said, it was better than having nothing.
I left the chief’s house and went to the open space where the conscription officer was waiting. There was a carriage waiting in the open space.
The villagers were surrounding the carriage.
“I hope everyone in the village of Horn stays healthy.”
I greeted them first. Then, the old men wiped their eyes as if tears were welling up.
Suddenly, I felt uneasy.
“…What a mature young man.”
“He must be scared. Saying he’ll go to the labyrinth city on his own…”
“We weren’t mature enough. No matter how precious our sons are to each of us, it was too much.”
I heard murmurs. It was too late to say such things now.
Without even considering reversing the decision that had already been made,
A mere two months acquaintance versus our one and only son.
I unconditionally support the latter. I would have done the same. That’s why I understood everyone’s selfishness.
“Thank you for saving me that day. If it weren’t for all of you, I would have been eaten by the wolf.”
Since I was saved. Now it’s my turn to save.
The sons of the men in Horn Village.
I rationalized it and moved on. There’s no point in blushing now, so I decided to leave with a smile.
“Goodbye, Ray.”
“It was fun.”
“Take care.”
People gathered in the village square. From those who are the same age on the outside to those who are already married.
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They embraced as they said their goodbyes.
We weren’t that close. But when a young boy is dragged into the labyrinth city.
It seems like everyone is emitting female hormones.
“Is it male hormones in this world?”
Anyway, we exchanged brief greetings.
Even the conscription officer said she could wait this long. Surprisingly, she showed a human side.
“Because you’re a male adventurer. It’s only natural to provide whatever you need. So don’t hesitate to ask.”
By the way, the conscription officer was a woman. It was a rough and tough job for a man, so a woman was doing it here.
“Let’s go. Don’t get up. It’s dangerous.”
I left Horun Village, traveling with the recruiter. The carriage slowly moved towards the next village.
The weather was still chilly.