12 – Cleaning Up the Trash #2
Portals are randomly generated throughout the first floor of the labyrinth. Their locations and numbers are not predetermined. Each party must find a portal that has been generated nearby and escape the labyrinth on their own.
That’s why we start preparing for our return from the 6th day. Unless we plan to hunt in the depths or stay for another week, that is.
I stepped on the portal carrying a backpack full of magic stones. The moment I did, the quality of the air changed.
The dark, humid, and uncomfortable cave of the first floor of the labyrinth is now goodbye. The fresh air of the central square of the Labyrinth City welcomes me.
As soon as I came out of the labyrinth and entered the Rabilins, I heard bustling sounds.
Explorers’ parties trying to go down to the labyrinth using the portal, older sisters comforting a crying boy, and the cheers of the citizens welcoming us.
“Wow!”
“You’ve been through a lot!”
“I’m glad you’re back, kids!”
People I don’t even know gathered in the square and cheered. The sound was so loud that it made my ears ring.
There used to be a separate host for this reception a week ago. Today it was for me.
I felt proud for no reason and my tail wagged.
It really hit me that I returned safely. Although the number of people entering and leaving changed.
“Thank you!”
I shook hands with people like the boy explorer I saw back then. It was like a fan service.
Brown also awkwardly responded, following me.
After the reception, I met a civil servant.
Knowing nothing, me and Swu followed the Poison Dagger Sword Sisters obediently. So we went through the necessary procedures right after the expedition.
“The Poison Dagger Sword Guild, party leader Brown and two others. Confirmed.”
The female civil servant found the Poison Dagger Sword Guild in the list of labyrinth visitors. She drew a line next to Brown and the sisters’ names and stamped their badges.
It was a seal engraved with the characters “Chul Chul” in Chinese.
“What’s next?”
“Well…”
I explained to the city hall employee what had happened in the labyrinth. I went down with the “Miracle Vanguard” people, and somehow I was the only one who came back alive.
“My party was completely wiped out. We went down to the second floor forcefully, but the party leader couldn’t hold on.”
“Well, hold on a moment.”
Swoo suddenly interrupted and explained his situation. But the city hall employee didn’t even pretend to listen to Swoo’s words.
He couldn’t do it.
“You’re saying that the ‘Miracle Vanguard’ explorers tried to kidnap you?”
“I’m not sure of the details, but they did bring some thugs with them.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
The employee scanned me up and down. He examined my body with worried eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“…I’m fine.”
My body recovered quickly. I hadn’t actually been injured.
“And what about the ‘Miracle Vanguard’?”
The person who caused all this is already dead and gone. And not just dead, he was killed.
Swoo personally took care of it.
Swoo became a murderer. Even if it was something that happened in the labyrinth, it didn’t seem like something I could just overlook.
I was worried about this part.
“The sisters acted in self-defense, so they said it was alright…”
As someone who has lived with the honorable title of surviving without the need for laws in modern society, the current situation was quite burdensome for me.
I wanted to resolve it as soon as possible. That’s why I told the truth without lying.
“…Because I am a member of that guild.”
“You’re curious about the punishment?”
Punishment. The word may sound harsh, but I nodded anyway.
The city official smiled and responded.
“Young adventurer, are you afraid that you might suffer a tragedy afterwards? Don’t worry. You don’t have to be scared. The ‘Miracle Vanguard’ guild is scheduled to be disbanded today.”
“…What?”
The city official spoke to the knight standing next to them.
“Summon all the adventurers registered in the ‘Miracle Vanguard’ guild.”
“Understood.”
The knight wearing a full plate armor politely left the headquarters of the Labyrinth Management Office. For some reason, the sound of their footsteps felt ominously harsh.
“So, what does it mean that they’re being disbanded?”
“It literally means they’re being disbanded.”
The city official said casually.
“Now, there is no guild called ‘Miracle Vanguard’ in the city of Labyrinthis. Kidnapping and trafficking of male adventurers are serious crimes, you know.”
“…Serious crimes? What is the punishment for that?”
“According to the city law, all guild members are sentenced to death. So you can say that the ‘Miracle Vanguard’ guild has been disbanded.”
Did I mishear something?
“Execution?”
“The male explorer is a member of the Labyrinth Watch and an asset of the Empire. Instead of dedicating himself to protecting humanity under the Empire, he attempted to kidnap and trade precious children for personal gain. Of course, he should pay with his life.”
“…”
“Of course, there is a sky and earth difference between the life of a male explorer and the lives of worthless prostitutes. It falls far short of appeasing the Empire’s anger for almost losing you.”
The employee at the Watch was sincere. They truly believed that the members of the “Pioneers of Miracles” had to die.
It was ruthless. It wasn’t the severity of the sentence that was terrifying, but the anger bordering on madness.
I feel like the case has slipped through my fingers. I don’t know.
“So, don’t worry, Explorer. Please serve the Empire. Thanks to the magic stones you brought, the sky of the Empire can be clear today as well.”
“…”
“The magic stone exchange is over there.”
There were many other parties in the Labyrinth Management Department besides us. The employees had to deal with all of them. We couldn’t be the only ones watching.
I exchanged the magic stones that we, the “Sword Sisters,” had collected. All the F-grade magic stones were converted into 4 silver coins.
“Is it because of the Beastman in our party? It’s definitely more flavorful.”
Beastmen cost more than humans. Rather than taking one Beastman, it’s better to take two humans. That kind of thinking was prevalent.
But they were a race that worked that much harder. Only when it came to hunting.
“They can’t do anything except hunting.”
Navigation, trap disarming, orders, and all the trivial tasks were taken care of by the “Sword Sisters.” That way, Swu could focus solely on hunting.
“What about the money then…?”
“Let’s each take two silver coins. How does that sound?”
Lauren suggested first. Since we received 4 silver coins, let’s distribute 2 each.
It was not a bad suggestion.
“There are more of us sisters, is that okay?”
I asked out of courtesy. Whether there are many or few people, it’s just two parties coming together. I want to split it exactly 50% each.
“But Su did all the hunting, didn’t she?”
“We didn’t just stand idly by, but still, if we’re talking about shares, it pricks my conscience.”
“So you want a steel plate on your face. It’s because we met and Ray could safely return. Is splitting it in half okay?”
I smirked and agreed. It was fortunate that the other party could read the atmosphere and make a cheeky argument.
Thanks to that, I felt a little less guilty.
“Well then, rest well.”
“If we can meet next time, let’s meet.”
I parted ways happily with the “Dokdangeom” sisters. And if there’s a chance, I told Brown that we should meet.
Brown smiled and shook my hand.
Only Su and I were left in the central square. Two silver coins were loosely placed on my small palm.
I handed one of them to Su.
“Su, take this silver coin.”
“…No. It’s fine. I wasn’t even an official party member. It’s right for Ray to have them all.”
“These are the magic stones that Su collected by hunting. Su should take them too.”
I forced the silver coin into Su’s hand. Su pretended to give in and accepted the coin.
It’s what I learned during our week together. No one can break my stubbornness.
It’s better to adapt and accept quickly, saving time for conflict and being comfortable with each other.
“Ray, can you come with me for a moment?”
“Yes. I have plenty of time.”
I wanted to find a place to rest, but if Sue asked, I couldn’t refuse.
Sue took me to the street. It was a commercial area with stalls and shops stretching out.
There were many adventurers coming and going. Maintenance was essential to survive in the labyrinth.
After looking around, we entered a magic item shop that seemed to be empty. The sign said “Artifact Shop”.
“Welcome…”
The shop owner rushed out and greeted us. The expression full of anticipation quickly disappeared.
“…Please.”
The shop owner was wearing a tight-fitting dress. She fell into the category of an older sister by my standards.
“Hmm.”
She looked Sue up and down openly. Her gaze was like that of a department store employee suspicious of a customer who came to buy luxury goods.
She seemed flustered for no reason. I wondered if I had come to a place where I shouldn’t have.
“Ray, do you see anything you like?”
Sue confidently wandered around the store, seemingly unaffected by that gaze. With dirty hands, she touched random items and asked the owner.
“Merchant, do you have any good items for a young boy?”
“They’re over here.”
Fortunately, most adventurers here looked like they had fallen on hard times. Especially those who had just come out of the labyrinth looked even more desperate.
So it seemed that the owner of the artifact shop was guiding us with a hesitant expression.
“How much does it cost?”
“An artifact that can be bought with a silver coin.”
“…A gold coin?”
“No? Silver coin. I have only one silver coin.”
“Silver coin? Silveeerrr──?”
The shopkeeper, who understood our financial situation, widened his eyes and spoke.
“What are you going to buy with that? Ha!”
“A silver coin is not a small amount of money.”
“It is! It’s small! To buy my artifact! At least a gold coin!”
From Noble mtl dot com
I wonder if there is such a thing as a hysterical shopkeeper in this world. The shopkeeper pushed his spittle out and pushed Sue away.
“Suin! Do you also think my artifact is worthless? Huh?”
“Is it not enough?”
“It’s not enough! It’s far from enough!”
The shopkeeper yelled in frustration.
“Do you know how rare it is for a boy to have an artifact he can use? It’s not something anyone can make! Only I, Abella, can make artifacts in this labyrinth! But a silver coin? Silveeerrr──? Do you want to die?!”
“……”
“Get out! Get out right now!”
Abella kicked me and Sue out.
Bang-!
As soon as Abella pushed us out, she slammed the door very roughly. It was a nonverbal expression that would be appropriate when teenage girls claim that I made them angry.
But Abella, who used that expression, had a mature appearance that was far from being a teenager.
When I was kicked out of Avella’s shop and stood there dumbfounded, someone approached us.
“hehehe, why are you going there anyway?”
A middle-aged woman with a warm belly came up to us and casually struck up a conversation, pretending to know us.
“If you see me blowing flies around the shop with no customers, doesn’t it give you a rough idea? That shop only sells garbage, you know.”
“Who are you?”
Soo scowled at the middle-aged woman. It meant she wasn’t a good person, so I stepped forward instead of Soo.
“I’m Berena, a merchant doing business across from the shop that’s gone to ruins. I came here because I felt sorry for our young adventurer taking the wrong steps and wanted to talk for a moment.”
“….”
I stared at Berena intently. I tried to observe her to get a sense of who she was.
I don’t know.
Berena only had a pleasant smile on her face. The first words weren’t very nice, though.
“If you have time, how about a cup of tea?”
“Well, sure…”
What could be happening in the Labyrinth City? I followed Berena with a light heart.
From behind, I felt a sharp gaze as if someone was staring through the back of my head. When I turned around, the door of Avella’s Artifact Shop closed with a creak.