Chapter 36
Jeong Yushin was escorted by the guards to the explorers’ guild exchange office directly in front of the labyrinth.
Since the labyrinth lockdown had not been completely lifted, there were few people, and the exchange office was quiet.
He entered a small office in the corner of the exchange office.
An elf sat at the desk inside, scribbling something on a scroll with a pen.
The elf looked up. Dark circles hung beneath their eyes.
“The Labyrinth Investigation Team, Team 12. The leader would be Karin, I suppose. Are you the only survivor?”
Jeong Yushin approached and dropped into the chair across from the elf.
“No. But who are you?”
“I’m the chief secretary of the Labyrinth Investigation Team. I belong to the committee. My job is to write down the team’s reports. Tell me what happened.”
The elf glanced at Jeong Yushin’s hair and added,
“Leave out the mating story.”
“Yes.”
Jeong Yushin opened his mouth.
He summarized what had happened in the labyrinth, conveying only the facts clearly and leaving out his emotions.
Thirty minutes passed.
“···And that’s how Lady Karin ran off somewhere, while two party members turned into animals. One of them seems a little dazed. It looks like a simpleton’s brand.”
“Where are those party members?”
“They’re waiting outside the exchange office.”
“Then let me take a look···”
“Quack quack!!”
At the sound from outside, the elf started to rise, then sat back down.
“I heard that clearly. You’ve had a hard time. Now go back and get some good rest.”
He had reported everything that happened in the labyrinth. Now it was time to ask what he wanted to know.
Jeong Yushin asked,
“What happened to the other investigation teams?”
The elf sighed and rubbed the corners of their eyes.
“Some have finished investigating and returned. Others haven’t returned yet. We’ll have to wait a little longer to know. There’ll be an announcement soon, so wait for that.”
The elf spoke vaguely, skirting around the important points. Staying longer did not seem likely to reveal anything.
Jeong Yushin stood and left the office.
Creak.
Thud.
The door closed, and silence descended on the office.
The elf rubbed their forehead and muttered to themself,
“Whew. You toppled a tower, dug a hole into it, and made a portal on top? Even someone with nerves of steel couldn’t do something like that. You’re seriously insane.”
The elf’s pen moved rapidly across the parchment.
A little while later.
After writing the report, the elf added their own opinion separately at the very bottom.
Additional investigation required.
The elf set down the pen and looked over the entire report once more.
They nodded several times, apparently quite satisfied, then leaned back in the chair.
It was an uncharacteristically quiet noon for a labyrinth city.
Jeong Yushin exited the exchange office with the guards’ guidance.
At the entrance to the exchange office, a duck, a lizard, and Gilsion were huddled together waiting for Jeong Yushin.
Jeong Yushin gave his party members a quick once-over and said,
“Then I’ll see you later. Stay well.”
Just as Jeong Yushin was about to leave, Roynel, who had turned into a duck, bit down hard on his foot.
“Ow! What is it?”
“Quack quack!!”
‘What is it?’
“You want me to take you to a temple? To get your brand removed?”
The duck shook its head.
“Then what the hell do you want? Say it. In human language.”
“Quack.”
The duck brought its wings together and mimed sleeping.
“You want me to put you to bed?”
“Quack!”
“What about money?”
The duck stuck out its plump belly.
Jeong Yushin stared at the belly covered in soft white feathers for a moment, then said,
“You want me to cut open your belly?”
The duck nodded.
Jeong Yushin found it so absurd that he chuckled hollowly.
“Come here for a second. Hey, don’t back away. This elf, seriously.”
Perhaps because it had once been an elven archer, the duck was quick to read the situation. It instantly backed away and began quacking loudly.
A passing guard saw what was happening and approached.
“What’s going on?”
“The duck made a fool of me.”
“You look tired. Were you with the investigation team? Go get some rest.”
“All right. Come here, ducky. Let’s go home. Aren’t you a pretty thing?”
The duck cautiously approached.
‘Now.’
Chomp!
Jeong Yushin’s hand clamped firmly around the duck’s body.
“Roynel, please don’t do this. Pull yourself together. You’re an elf.”
The duck flapped wildly.
“Quack quack!”
The guard laughed and said,
“That’s a plump one. It’ll make a good meal.”
The duck’s body stiffened.
Jeong Yushin’s face hardened frighteningly.
“It really is an elf.”
“I know. I saw you from a distance. I was just joking around. But be careful. Once you go out into the streets, it might not be a joke.”
Hearing that, Jeong Yushin suddenly came to his senses.
Earlier, some priests had rushed over, asked Jeong Yushin several questions to confirm that he was in his right mind, and then left. There had been a reason for that.
It was a procedure to check whether he could properly fulfill his role as the party’s protector.
Jeong Yushin unpacked his luggage and searched through Roynel’s clothes.
His finger caught on something cold.
When he pulled it out, it was a silver badge that gleamed faintly.
A silver badge symbolizing a mid-rank explorer.
Jeong Yushin hung the silver badge around the duck’s neck.
The guard’s warning no longer felt like a joke at all.
They had barely survived, only to be kidnapped by a passerby and end up as duck meat. What a tragedy.
Jeong Yushin looked around. Ahiman was nowhere to be seen.
“Chirrup.”
Ahiman, who had turned into a lizard, was already sitting on Jeong Yushin’s shoulder.
“Ahiman, are you going to have your brand removed? Shall I escort you to the temple?”
The lizard bit Jeong Yushin’s earlobe.
“Let’s use words. If you don’t want to, bite my palm twice.”
When he held out his palm, the lizard stared at it for a moment, then bit it.
Once. Twice.
“You don’t want to? Got it.”
Jeong Yushin had no idea what on earth these people were thinking.
Jeong Yushin looked at Gilsion and sighed, then took Gilsion’s hand.
“Let’s go.”
A strange procession began.
At the very front, the duck strutted and waddled along with the silver badge around its neck.
Behind it, Barbaroi held the hand of a warrior in plate armor. A lizard sat atop his black hair.
The streets were crowded with people, filled with murmurs.
“Could they be the labyrinth investigation team?”
“Did they fail?”
“Who knows? Anyway, two brands that transform people into animals? That’s really unusual.”
People clustered together and murmured among themselves, but no one approached.
Jeong Yushin’s face reddened.
‘Stop staring. This is embarrassing.’
The duck wiggled its rump and proudly waved its silver badge as it walked.
Under the people’s gazes, they passed along the southern street and arrived at Darmong’s inn.
“I’m back.”
Darmong, who had been sitting at the counter, sprang to his feet.
“You came back alive.”
“Yes. How many days has it been since I left?”
“About a week.”
Had they really been gone that long?
‘Time really flew.’
Darmong looked around Jeong Yushin and said,
“A duck, a lizard, and a holy knight. What a fascinating combination. Where’s Lady Karin?”
“She suddenly started talking about towels, then covered her mouth and ran off somewhere.”
“I see. Anyway, welcome back.”
When Jeong Yushin sat down across from the counter, Darmong took out a glass and poured him some liquor.
“Wait a moment. I’ll bring you something to eat.”
“Yes.”
When the duck began flapping its wings beside him, Jeong Yushin picked it up and seated it on a chair.
He gently took Gilsion by the hand, led the holy knight over, and seated him beside the duck.
The lizard had already climbed down onto the counter and was flicking its tongue.
“Pheeeeeew.”
An inexplicable sigh escaped from deep inside him.
Darmong emerged from the kitchen carrying wheat bread, cheese, and dried sausage.
“I can’t light a fire because of the earthquake. Bear with me.”
“It’s all right. Thank you.”
Jeong Yushin slowly ate the food.
When Roynel’s eyes lit up and it thrust out its beak, he tore off some bread and cheese and gave them to the duck.
‘This should be okay, right?’
He was uneasy because he did not know what ducks usually ate, but he was relieved when he saw it swallow the food eagerly.
He tore off a piece of bread for the lizard as well, and it eagerly accepted it with its tongue.
‘It eats well.’
While he was at it, he removed Gilsion’s helmet and put food into Gilsion’s mouth. Fortunately, Gilsion ate the food without trouble.
Watching this, Darmong gave a faint smile.
They finished the entire meal.
Jeong Yushin told Darmong what had happened in the labyrinth.
“···When we came out of the labyrinth, Roynel had become a duck, Ahiman a lizard, and Gilsion a simpleton. I finished my report at the explorers’ guild and came back.”
“Ska, you’ve grown.”
Darmong patted Jeong Yushin on the shoulder.
“I don’t know. I was lucky.”
“Luck is a skill too.”
Splosh!
Beer splashed across Jeong Yushin’s face.
When he looked to the side, Roynel was wiggling its rump, its head buried in the beer mug as it moved its beak in perfect rhythm.
‘My head.’
Jeong Yushin clutched his head at the dizzying sight.
“Roynel, aren’t you an elf? A proud member of a long-lived race? Please, let’s maintain some dignity.”
“Quack!!”
Splat!
Beer splashed across his face once more.
‘Has this bastard gone crazy?’
Somehow, after laughing and crying near the end of the labyrinth, it seemed to have lost its mind.
His anger flared up, then quickly faded.
‘Ah, whatever.’
He was too tired. Mentally and physically, it had been one shock after another.
Jeong Yushin wiped the beer from his face with his hand and stood.
“Darmong, I’m going upstairs to rest.”
Darmong smiled and nodded.
“All right. Does this holy knight serve the Spirit God of Light?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll contact you separately, so get some rest. You look exhausted.”
“Yes. I’ll rest first.”
Jeong Yushin said goodbye and went upstairs. The duck and lizard followed him up. The lizard was riding on the duck’s back.
“Let’s sleep separately. Let’s go to different rooms.”
“Quack!”
“I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
After entering the room, Jeong Yushin caught the flailing Roynel, dampened a dry towel, and wiped its feet. The lizard slowly retreated to a corner, so he left it alone.
Jeong Yushin also took off his clothes, wiped himself down with a towel, changed into fresh clothes, and lay on the bed.
The lizard and duck slowly crawled under the blanket.
“Good grief.”
Jeong Yushin sighed and closed his eyes.
* * *
Around lunchtime the next day.
Jeong Yushin opened his eyes.
When he lifted the blanket, the duck and lizard were sleeping with their eyes closed, snoring softly.
“Wake up.”
Jeong Yushin shook the duck and lizard awake and went down to the inn’s first floor.
“You’re up? A priest of the Earth Mother took Gilsion last night.”
“Yes. That’s a relief.”
After eating the food Darmong brought out, he went for a walk.
Roynel kept biting his pant leg and throwing a tantrum, so he couldn’t fend it off.
The streets were still being controlled by knights and guards glaring fiercely at everyone.
Jeong Yushin was detained and questioned by the guards several times, but each time Roynel took the lead and poked the guards’ knees with its beak.
A guard looked down at the duck with pity.
“Your companion?”
“Yes. I’m an elf.”
“Whew. How did a long-lived one end up like this? Go on. You’ve had a hard time.”
“Yes. Take care.”
Only after enduring the guards’ sympathetic looks several times did Jeong Yushin finally manage to reach the park.
There were tents all over the park. People who had fled because of the earthquake had settled there.
Jeong Yushin sat on a wooden bench some distance from the fountain.
Roynel had forgotten all about dignity and was frolicking in the park fountain. It looked ready to pick up and eat an earthworm at any moment.
Ahiman was beside Jeong Yushin, eyes closed and basking in the warm sunlight.
Jeong Yushin sat on the bench, staring blankly at the duck and the fountain.
There were many things he needed to do, but it was difficult to take his eyes off his party members.
‘Roynel is really enjoying itself.’
“Oh? Mr. Ska!”
At the call, Jeong Yushin turned his head and saw Mion standing there.
“Ms. Mion.”
Jeong Yushin stood and gave Mion a slight bow. Mion also smiled softly and lowered her head.
“I heard you joined the labyrinth investigation team. I’m glad to see that you’re safe.”
“I was lucky.”
Truly. This time, he had nearly been slapped by the Grim Reaper at the threshold of the underworld and dragged away.
If he had not come to his senses, if his luck had been even a little worse, he would have died.
“Is that so?”
Mion sat beside Ska.
The early-summer breeze brushed past the two of them.
They sat quietly, watching the duck splash around in the fountain.
Jeong Yushin pointed at the duck with his finger.
“That duck is a member of my party.”
Mion nodded.
“I see.”
“Why is it acting like that?”
“Who knows? It looks like the labyrinth put it under a lot of stress.”
“Can stress be relieved that way?”
“Everyone’s different, aren’t they, Mr. Ska?”
‘Is that so?’
No matter how hard he racked his brain trying to understand, he could not figure it out.
What did it feel like to become a duck?
He wanted to hear how it felt, at least once.
The duck splashed around and quacked.
Jeong Yushin asked again,
“Where are you headed?”
“I’m on my way back from the relief center. I stopped by the park for a while before returning to the temple.”
“The relief center?”
Jingle.
Mion held up a silver badge.
‘Fiona’
That was the name written on the silver badge.
“A priestess of the Earth Mother who joined this labyrinth investigation team died in the labyrinth. They lost the body and barely managed to bring back only her silver badge, I heard. The party leader cried as they apologized to me. They said they were sorry.”
Oh no.
“Would you like me to hold your hand?”
He asked honestly. Mion glanced at the lizard, then gave a faint, forlorn smile.
“No. Just stay beside me.”
“Understood.”
The unfamiliar brand he had acquired came to mind, but he pushed the thought away.
He decided not to mention it.
He did not want to bring up work with someone quietly mourning another person’s death.
After all, this was not the labyrinth.
He wanted to act like a human being.
Late lunch.
The man and woman watched the duck flap its wings and frolic in silence.