2 – Party Formation #1
They had been homeless for a fortnight. If they could find a place to stay in nearby villages, they would, but if not, they would sleep on the bare ground.
It wasn’t a pleasant experience.
By the time they arrived at Labyrinthus, the condition of me and the others was beyond description.
A mess, dirty, it was hard to tell if we were human or beggars.
But I was fine. As we entered the imperial center from the Horn Village, the weather cleared up, and my body actually felt better.
“We’ve finally arrived.”
Executioner Yuri took the lead and passed through the castle gate. The status of an executioner held weight even in the Labyrinth City.
In fact, being a city, it was living up to its name.
“Congratulations on your return, Executioner.”
“Thank you. Work hard.”
We entered Labyrinth with Yuri, receiving not just congratulations but heartfelt congratulations from the soldiers guarding the city walls.
As soon as we passed through the grand arched gate, the air changed.
The awe of the villagers, young and old, taking their first steps into Labyrinth, and the sparkling gazes of the city dwellers casually walking the streets as if it were familiar.
It was fascinating. It felt like looking at European photos from the internet or traveling to Europe in person.
Except it wasn’t a trip, but a conscription.
Unlike the other kids, my heart was infinitely light. It was because I had prepared myself by asking Yuri all sorts of questions.
“Wow.”
“This is Labyrinth? It’s amazing…!”
Unlike the harsh reputation of being a Labyrinth City, Labyrinth was also a city where people lived.
Maze explorers wearing sophisticated equipment and merchants selling various items to them.
Thanks to their cries of “Whale, whale,” Labyrinth seemed like it would never have a quiet day.
The children marveled at the city with shining eyes, as if they had forgotten their own circumstances. It was fortunate that they were all simple-minded.
It was better than sobbing and whining.
“Now, are you going to stay here, sister?”
Executioner Yuri could speak comfortably now. If they had spent two weeks together and still felt distant and awkward, that would have been a bigger problem.
“How is it? Isn’t Lavince nice? It’s much better than the village where you were born and raised.”
Excluding the conditions of having family in the village and the Guardbuga, of course.
Purely considering regional development and satisfaction, Lavince was a prosperous city compared to other rural areas.
“True. Even in South Korea, there’s a huge gap between city and rural living standards.”
As soon as she saw Lavince, her memories of the Horn Village were cleanly washed away.
From today, I became a citizen of Lavince. I didn’t register separately at the City Hall, but in my heart, I decided that Lavince was my hometown.
“Is everyone tired?”
“…Yes!”
“There’s something we have to do before resting. Let’s finish this and then take a break.”
Yuri, who said that, had a relieved expression somewhere on her face. It seemed she was proud to have successfully completed the two-week schedule.
The children followed Yuri eagerly. Yuri returned the horse and carriage to the City Hall’s stable and entered the main building.
“It’s really tall…”
Looking up, there was no end to the height. The overwhelming presence of the five-story building was immense.
The children stuck out their tongues. Their wide-eyed expressions made them look like typical country bumpkins.
They followed Yuri closely. Yuri walked through the complex but seemingly uncomplicated interior of the main building.
It seemed like she had a destination in mind.
The Labor Management Department. It was written on the protruding sign.
As we entered the office following Yuri, a staff member who had been organizing documents came out to greet us.
“Miss Yuri, you’ve returned?”
Yuri waved her hand dismissively at her and got straight to the point.
“Skip the greetings, I’m tired. Start registering the eight members, all humans, as explorers.”
“Okay, got it.”
I wonder if there’s a difference between field work and office work. While Yuri’s face was filled with fatigue, the female employee had a decent complexion.
“One by one, come to me in order to receive the ‘Blessing of the Incarnate God.’ Please maintain the order and come to me.”
The female employee brought out a stamp. The stamp had a strange pattern engraved on it.
The children exchanged glances. It was something they had never seen before and something they had never heard of, so they were on guard.
It wasn’t long ago that they were fascinated by the Labyrinth City.
The atmosphere quickly became gloomy. At times like this, being young was a disadvantage.
“It doesn’t hurt. It’s literally a blessing. It’s the power we need to explore the labyrinth.”
“…I’ll go first.”
There was no one else to step forward except for me. Whatever it was, I was the first batter.
“It really doesn’t hurt. It’ll be over soon.”
The female employee smiled and took my hand. Then she stamped my hand.
Ding-!
Instantly, a strange sound accompanied a foreign energy that traveled up my arm and was absorbed into the left side of my chest. The stamp pattern was engraved on the back of my hand.
“Has the blessing been properly applied?”
The female employee looked at me and asked, gesturing with her eyes as if asking me to explain to the children.
“Yes, that’s enough.”
Familiar. It’s unfamiliar, yet familiar.
This is the status window.
Ray Lv.1
Current Stats (Fold)
[Strength 2] [Agility 2] [Stamina 3]
Skills possessed (Fold)
[Soul Protection EX]
Active Protection (Fold)
[Divine Protection of the Incarnate God]
Pathetic and unmatched information.
But my heart flutters. The modern society’s soul strongly reacts to the status window that shows itself before my eyes.
“You don’t need to be so nervous. It’s nothing.”
The reason for selecting boys from each village is to make them labyrinth explorers. This is the process of becoming an explorer.
It was something that had to be done.
“…If Ray says so…”
Brown continued, receiving the Divine Protection of the Incarnate.
“It’s okay, Brown?”
“Yeah. It really is nothing.”
“…If you do it, then I’ll do it too.”
Among the children who were conscripted together, Brown had an unusually fearful personality. Everyone knew that.
So, if Brown passed, the rest could finish quickly.
“Just wait a moment. I’ll make explorer badges for you.”
It took about ten minutes.
The female staff member came out with eight small badges in her hand. The badges were the size of a fist.
“This is a mark of an explorer. You saw the one that Yu-ri was carrying, right? The conscription officer’s badge. This is something similar. It’s a proof of your identity.”
“……”
The wooden badges were engraved with the same pattern as the back of their hands.
“Here. Each of you take one.”
They received their badges. As soon as they held the badges, the patterns on the back of their hands emitted light.
“Others can’t touch the explorer badges. So if you lose it, you can go to the City Hall to get a replacement.”
After a brief explanation about the badges, they left the City Hall.
Yu-ri led us, as it seemed there was still work to do. The destination was the Explorer Guild.
“We’re going to register as a party. There’s a way to do it directly at the City Hall, but you’re still young, so it might be difficult. It’s easier to leave it to the Explorer Guild.”
The Explorer Guild was a place that catered to the convenience of explorers.
“We can’t visit all the guilds in Labyrinths. We’ll only visit a few nearby. If you don’t find an adventurer you like today, you’ll have to find party members on your own later.”
Yu-ri warned us as she stood in front of the Explorer Guild. The first place we visited was a guild named “Heart of Steel.”
Creak-. Click-.
Yu-ri opened the door and went inside. The heavy wooden door creaked as it opened.
Inside, it was subtly dim. It was a structure where sunlight didn’t penetrate. The artificial light from the lamps barely illuminated the interior.
“So….”
“……”
As Yoori crossed the threshold, the guild suddenly fell silent. People were seated at each table, but there was no sound.
Even the women who were chatting noisily and the women who were already drinking in broad daylight suddenly stopped talking.
It was as if they had heard a ghost.
“Heeek….”
In this chilling situation, Brown, who was following behind, trembled. He was already a cowardly guy, and he was overwhelmed by the intense atmosphere.
At that moment, all the women’s gazes turned to us. The attention that Yoori had been receiving all over her body was now focused on us.
The air changed in an instant.
“What the hell! Is it a guy?!”
“What the hell are you saying! I thought you were a bunch of cowardly bastards!”
“A new guy is always welcome. Come in quickly.”
The female adventurers rushed out and welcomed us. The adventurers on the second floor also leaned their heads out and came down.
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The eyes that had looked like they could easily tear us apart just a moment ago suddenly changed. It was actually a joke, and they were kind.
Yoori asked.
“Are all of you the adventurers who are not affiliated with any party?”
“If you include the personnel who haven’t reported for duty, there are more. Over twenty.”
The female adventurers stood in a line. They begged us to choose them. It was almost like a courtship.
“Ugh….”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Despite the explorers’ efforts,
The children couldn’t regain their composure. They were completely overwhelmed, only glancing at the female explorers.
The first encounter was the worst.
“There’s nothing we can do.”
“It’s our fault.”
“Ugh, because of those damn bastards.”
The members of the “Heart of Steel” guild expressed their disappointment in not being chosen. But they didn’t forcefully demand anything from the children.
“Let’s go to the next guild.”
At Yoo-ri’s words, the children turned their backs without hesitation, as if they had been waiting. Inside the guild building we left behind, sighs of relief echoed endlessly.
“A man must be present to enter the labyrinth….”
Although it was a short meeting, I knew exactly how it felt.