23 – 2nd Floor #1
They made a contract with the guild “Dokdangeom”. It wasn’t anything grand.
It was simply a promise not to recklessly explore.
“I trust that Lauren will make her own judgment, but we don’t know what situations might arise in the labyrinth.”
The guild master of “Dokdangeom” looked at Lauren with a gaze that exuded trust. It seemed that Lauren held a fairly high position within the guild.
“I will be careful.”
I plan to follow Lauren’s orders as much as possible. It was better to trust the judgment of an experienced person than stubbornly sticking to my own ideas in order to safely complete the maze exploration.
“Of course, Raya. Are you going down right after a week off?”
“I went once and I was exhausted. I don’t want to go again.”
I untied the rope with the boys who joined the “Dokdangeom”. Since it had been a long time since we met, I thought I should at least say hello before leaving.
“Are you going with Lauren? Aren’t you scared of her?”
“Raya seems fine.”
“Raya is a real man after all. But what did the real man say?”
The boys spat out a word each as they looked at me. Some greeted me, some complained, and they poured out one-dimensional words like children.
I answered each one of them. I felt like I was losing my mind.
Only after treating them all equally could I escape to Suu’s side. If I stood next to Suu, the kids wouldn’t come near me.
Suu’s distinctive appearance blocked the children’s approach. It made them unable to even come close, like mosquito repellent.
“Let’s meet at the square tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, see you then.”
Finally, I bowed to Lauren and greeted her. Lauren smirked, patted my head, and messed up my hair.
Suu, who was watching that, narrowed his eyes.
* * *
“Uchya!”
Morning. I woke up early and packed my backpack.
Maybe it’s because the backpack is filled with food from yesterday, but it’s incredibly heavy. The pressure on my shoulders was beyond imagination.
“Can you please let me carry it?”
Soo begged me with tears in her eyes. It was difficult to witness her whimpering like that, and the dog beside her whimpered as well.
I firmly rejected Soo’s proposal.
“But Soo, you also have a backpack full of supplies. It’s much heavier than mine.”
“…I’m different from Ray.”
“What’s different?”
“I am from the Baekho Tribe. I am much stronger than humans in terms of physical strength and power. Compared to a boy like Ray, I am dozens of times stronger.”
Soo spoke only the truth. There was not a single lie.
“I can handle Ray’s share too, without any problem.”
“That’s true.”
Even if I said I could carry a backpack, it wouldn’t be much. According to Soo’s standards, I could probably juggle like a circus monkey.
“Why do you keep insisting on carrying it when you know? Ray can just relax and not worry about it…”
It would be much better to leave it to Soo. It would be more efficient. I knew that too.
But I didn’t want to do that.
“It’s harder to just stand by and watch without doing anything.”
The human body becomes stronger the more it is used. Muscles tear and recover, upgrading themselves.
On the contrary, if it is not used and left alone, it becomes weaker.
“Even boys need good physical condition to be active as explorers. We can’t neglect training.”
I’m not someone who enjoys exercising regularly.
If there is no motivation, I will spend my life rolling around in bed. That’s the kind of lifestyle I have.
Entering the labyrinth or training. That’s the mindset of “when else would we do it?”
Suwoo persuaded me with a reasonable argument.
“If it’s really difficult, you can leave it to me, right? It’s okay, isn’t it?”
“……”
There was no need to go empty-handed from the beginning. When I push myself too hard and feel like I can’t go on, I can just rely on Suwoo’s hand.
“Being overprotected isn’t good.”
Of course, it feels good. It’s a happy thing to have someone to lean on whenever you need.
At least it means my back isn’t at the edge of a cliff.
Suwoo couldn’t break my stubbornness. After spending two weeks together recently, he realized that he couldn’t break it.
“I have to say it. Don’t worry about me, and if it gets too difficult, hand over the backpack. I’ll be fine anytime.”
So, I changed my attitude. Pretending to go along with what I said, he reassured me several times.
“I got it. I’ll definitely do that.”
“It’s a promise.”
“Yes.”
We had to make a promise, even betting our little fingers. And then we could start our journey.
“Take care and don’t get hurt.”
The innkeeper aunt waved her hand gently. We had stayed at the inn for a week, so our relationship naturally became one where we exchanged light greetings.
We headed straight for the central square. Labyrinth explorers were moving in a scattered line.
It was obvious that they were parties of explorers, like a procession. It was a scene reminiscent of a gathering place for reserve troops.
We met up with Lauren along the way.
“It’s nerve-wracking.”
“Does Lauren noona get nervous too?”
“Every time we go down to the labyrinth. You never know what might happen.”
The labyrinth is practically a lawless zone. You could die anytime, anywhere.
“You were lucky. I’m sure all the other adventurers would be amazed if they asked. How on earth did you make it out alive?”
“I think the same way.”
If I hadn’t met Sue, if I hadn’t joined the “Dominion Sword” guild, if Lauren’s party leader wasn’t Brown.
Just the thought of it gives me chills.
“You can’t be certain that you’ll have that kind of luck again. It’s foolish to expect it. You might end up facing the worst situation.”
“….”
“That’s why I get so nervous every time I enter the labyrinth. Ugh, I hate it.”
“…Thank you for helping me.”
I’m grateful that you joined even though it’s not a particularly profitable exploration for you. Thanks to you, we’re able to enter the labyrinth and explore.
Lauren smiled and clapped her hands.
“It’s fine. I can’t just let a guy go when he’s mustered up the courage, knowing what he’s getting into.”
The three of them arrived at the central square side by side. The portal was already open.
Adventurers entered the labyrinth one by one.
Periodically, the portal glowed red and spat out exhausted adventurers from inside. Disheveled boys and women.
They all had tired faces.
“…Their condition is beyond words.”
“Experienced men sometimes spend more than a week exploring the labyrinth. Even if you just descend to the third floor, it’s impossible to explore for only a week and return. The round trip alone takes three days.”
“Wow.”
Just standing in the labyrinth is mentally stressful. But staying for over a week?
I can’t even imagine how difficult it must be.
Lauren stared blankly at the expedition party that had just returned.
“There’s no other choice. To quit being an explorer, you have to fulfill the quota and receive a rank.”
“A rank?”
“…I didn’t tell you… Ah, your guild was the ‘Vanguard of Miracles,’ right?”
Lauren looked down at me as if I were pitiful.
“You were conscripted and became an explorer too?”
“Yes.”
“But it’s too much to ask someone to keep exploring until they die. Do you think children will obediently follow the saying to wander in the labyrinth until they die? The more you go, the more exhausted you become.”
“….”
“That’s why the Empire set a condition. It’s a kind of reward.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Motivation to encourage diligent exploration of the labyrinth.
“You can become a noble?”
“The Empire grants the rank. It’s considered a contribution to the stability of the continent, as much as the number of magic stones brought back.”
“Oh….”
Noble rank. I could clearly feel the merit.
“So, once you become a noble, you’re released from the obligation of being an explorer, right?”
“You could say it’s the only way out.”
“Wow.”
“The problem is that the demand for marbles is enormous.”
Of course it is. It shouldn’t be something that anyone can easily achieve.
The boys are the pillars that support the empire. Not metaphorically, but literally.
If they don’t explore the labyrinth, the barrier that safeguards humanity will collapse.
And then everything will be f*cked. It’ll be the end of the world.
From the empire’s perspective, they had to manipulate the boys as much as possible. That was the only way to protect the remaining continent.
Sacrificing the few for the sake of the many.
“In reality, you can count the number of boys who have received noble titles on one hand. That’s how difficult it is.”
“….”
“They either lose their lives in the labyrinth or live in the city forever….”
It was definitely a bitter statement, but I couldn’t sense any sympathy in Lauren’s voice.
When I looked at her intently, Lauren smirked. It seemed like she had caught the meaning behind my gaze.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“…A little, I guess?”
“It’s sad that children die. But it’s inevitable.”
From a logical perspective, conscription was a necessary evil.
“And the children who live in the city, they’re not really struggling. They eat well and live comfortably. They’d probably prefer it over their hometowns, for the most part.”
“…Including Brown?”
“It’s an adapting stage. How do you think it compares to when we were first conscripted?”
“It seemed okay.”
“I suppose so. It’s better here than in the rural villages on the outskirts of the Empire. It must be hard not being able to see your parents… But still, it’s not as bad as I thought. Lavince is the most developed city in the Empire.”
Lavince was the Seoul of the Empire. A city where you could have anything if you had money.
It felt like hell when I didn’t know, but once you got to know it, it wasn’t so bad.
“Next.”
As we chatted, we found ourselves in front of the portal without realizing it. The city hall employee looked at me and asked.
“Please tell me your affiliation and name.”
“…I don’t have a guild. My name is Ray. This is Sue, and this is Lauren…”
“Ray, Sue, Lauren. A party of three. Please enter.”
The portal swayed. I passed through as it was, bypassing the city hall employee who was writing in the entry log.
[Skill “Soul Protection EX” has been activated.]
[Please designate a target.]
The air changed. It became humid in an instant.
Darkness began to creep in.
It spread its jaws wide to swallow Sue and Lauren.
[Please designate a target.]
[1. Sue / 2. Lauren / 3. ─]
[Soul Protection has been strongly activated.]
I cast “Soul Protection” on the two of them. Then Lauren let out a breath as if she was ecstatic.
“Hmm, what is this… I feel so good…”
“?”
Lauren, realizing belatedly what she had said, blushed.
“Um, a mistake. I made a mistake.”