Chapter 17
“Today, let's stop by the Adventurers’ Guild first.”
“Why? Didn't you turn in the quest yesterday?”
“Yeah, but I figured it'd be better to check in with the hunting party and not join.”
“Why? Didn't you get an invitation yesterday, too?”
“I did, but it said to come alone. Basically, they won't protect anyone weak.”
A man and an elf girl headed for the Adventurers’ Guild, chatting as they went.
Though their conversation was in a language that didn't exist in this world, strangely enough, nobody paid them any mind.
Along with Seonghyeon's unusual status as someone from the Eastern Labyrinth, the Labyrinth City was a place where the languages of people from all over mingled.
That was why nobody thought it strange when they spoke anything other than Human.
“You can go with the hunting party by yourself. Is this because of me?”
“I had a really bad dream.”
“Why?”
“Someone snatched you away.”
“Ah…”
For some reason, Suyeon had fallen into [Denial of Reality]; she hugged herself and trembled.
Seonghyeon thought back over what he'd said and realized the word ‘kidnapping’ had flipped a switch in her, making her react like this.
Rubbing his forehead, Seonghyeon quickly changed the subject.
“No, I'm going to try something a little easier this time.”
“Hmm… Is there something like that?”
“Yeah. I was thinking of picking apples at an orchard or something.”
“An orchard? Doesn't all the food come from the Labyrinth?”
“Meat does, but vegetables don't.”
“Oh… That's interesting. Then why not let animals graze and raise livestock?”
“Apparently, that kind of thing doesn't work.”
In truth, Seonghyeon had never given food much thought.
Unlike Suyeon, who was curious about everything like a child, Seonghyeon's goal had been to just get by.
Since he didn't know what the point of living was, he'd become an adventurer to find out. It turned out he was better suited to it than he'd expected, and he hardly even considered doing anything else.
“But if we go to the orchard, do you think we can pick and eat the fruit ourselves?”
“I don't know. We'll have to go and see.”
Unlike the excited Suyeon, Seonghyeon entered without much enthusiasm.
Even more people than yesterday were lounging around the Adventurers’ Guild, since the trouble on the first and second floors had left many of them stranded.
Thankfully, none of them got up to angrily blame Seonghyeon.
After all, they'd survived thanks to him.
“The mood's kind of tense. Oh, it really is tense. Oh, it really is tense.”
“After what happened yesterday, of course it is.”
“Wow… They look even more like a bunch of homeless people than yesterday.”
“They are novice adventurers, after all. Let's see, the quests…”
This time, Seonghyeon held Suyeon's hand tightly.
Suyeon followed right beside him, her hand held in his.
Her legs were aching and terribly tired, but she was worried they'd run into that bandit elf again like yesterday.
They hadn't talked about it, but they were both wary of the bandit elf.
“Hmm, this one's too far away. This one's pay is too low. Jeez… Have all the adventurers gone outside, leaving no work out there?”
“What, are there no quests?”
“Nope.”
“That's a problem.”
“No, it's fine. I can take a day off… I've got the reward from this time, too.”
“Don't you have to pay off your debt?”
“I can pay it off slowly.”
“Then how about going to the hunting party? I can use magic now, too.”
“What's the point of a spell you can only use once? You saw yesterday how it just jumped out of the way and took no damage.”
“Ah… Right.”
Remembering what had happened yesterday, Suyeon squeezed Seonghyeon's hand even tighter.
Holding his hand like this reminded her of something else.
Seonghyeon. Lee Seonghyeon.
They'd been friends since before elementary school, playing together on the playground.
Since they lived in the city, there had been plenty of classes. In elementary school, they'd sometimes been in the same class and sometimes in different ones.
They'd gone to different middle schools, but when they ended up in the same class in their first year of high school, she remembered the two of them clasping hands in a handshake.
But now…
They were slave and master now, and she even wore an awkward collar. But she remembered how this guy had protected her…
“Looks like all the quests are gone. Fine, let's go check out the hunting party like you said.”
“That's too bad. The fruit.”
“I'll buy you some at the market if we have a little money to spare.”
“That's what happens when you eat such a luxurious breakfast.”
“You have to eat breakfast. If you don't, you'll get hungry and your Stamina and Strength will drop.”
“I see…”
“Calories are what give you the stamina to keep going. Like you said, this is a documentary.”
“…All right.”
Suyeon looked bored as she let Seonghyeon's nagging go in one ear and out the other.
Though Suyeon had been the one to initiate the nagging in the first place.
“Goodbye!”
The two of them left after an Adventurers’ Guild member passing by called out to them.
Once they were outside, Suyeon cautiously asked Seonghyeon a question.
It wasn't as if she was asking because all she could do was chatter beside him right now.
“About yesterday. That powder.”
“Mouraguga powder?”
“Yeah. It felt good. I think just a little would be nice.”
“Isn't that a drug?”
“Uh… Is it?”
“So it is a drug. Ah! You said there was an encyclopedia of elves.”
“An encyclopedia of elves?”
“Yeah. Let's stop by the library after we check in with the hunting party.”
“A library? There's one of those?”
“There are plenty of ordinary people living here.”
“Oh… That's amazing.”
At the mention of a library, Suyeon's eyes widened.
But this was a human city in the Labyrinth, so there probably weren't many books about elves.
Already crestfallen just thinking about it, Suyeon soon arrived with Seonghyeon at the City Guard office recruiting for the hunting party.
“I'm here about the invitation to the hunting party.”
When Seonghyeon held out the invitation, the woman at the counter greeted him with a bright smile.
“Oh! Ah, you're Cleric Raine. I've heard all about you.”
“Yes… I have a question about that.”
“What would you like to ask?”
“Can I bring my slave with me?”
“Um… Would you be all right if your slave died?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“Then what level is your slave?”
“Two…”
“I'm afraid that's not possible. Is that elf beside you your slave?”
“Yes…”
“In that case, our Guard can look after her for you.”
“Hmm…”
Seonghyeon rubbed his rough chin and thought it over a little longer.
If the Guard looked after Suyeon, he might not lose her.
But they'd only said they would protect her; they hadn't said where they would keep her.
And since Suyeon was a slave, they might lock a whole lot of slaves together in a cramped room.
If they were all mixed together… someone might snatch her away.
The remark he'd heard yesterday—that Suyeon was a precious High Elf princess—gave Seonghyeon pause.
“No. Are there any other Clerics besides me?”
“Yes, there are two, counting you, Mr. Raine.”
“Hmm… Would it be all right if I didn't participate?”
“It'll make things a little more difficult, but it should be fine. The Labyrinth City doesn't force people to participate unless there's a war. Besides, what we gave you was an invitation, not a conscription notice, right?”
“Understood.”
“Then… does that mean you won't be joining us, Mr. Raine?”
The woman clasped her hands together and gazed at Seonghyeon.
But there was someone beside him whose charm easily eclipsed hers.
Seonghyeon looked down at Suyeon, who was drawing in the dirt with the tip of her foot, apparently bored, then gave the woman an awkward smile and answered.
“I'm afraid I can't.”
“Understood. Then I hope you'll help us next time.”
“Yes.”
When Seonghyeon finished talking with the woman, Suyeon looked up at him.
Judging by Seonghyeon's expression, behavior, and tone, it didn't seem like things had gone well.
“So I can't go with you?”
“They said no. It's official.”
“It's official…”
“Well, then. What should we do? There probably aren't many places to make money as a day laborer. Should I sing on the roadside like a Bard?”
“A Bard? That's a class, too?”
“Yeah. They give out buffs and hum songs and stuff.”
“Ooh…”
“Stop acting so amazed. There's no hunting party or quest, so I guess we'll just kick a ball. Let's go to the library.”
“Okay.”
The two of them made their way to the library.
Seonghyeon was bored, but Suyeon looked quite excited.
That was probably why Suyeon had high Intelligence, was a Sorcerer, and had gone to ○○ University.
Seonghyeon had been a good student too and could have gotten into a university in Seoul, but he'd spent two years fixated on wanting to attend ○○ University.
Now… it was all in the past, in a previous life.
“Sigh…”
“Lee Seonghyeon, if you keep sighing like that, the ground's going to cave in.”
“The ground caving in… It really could cave in.”
“Why?”
“This is the Labyrinth City, right? There's a Labyrinth underneath us.”
“Yeah, that's right.”
“You saw the temple ruins on the surface level, didn't you? I heard all of that used to be aboveground, like this.”
“Huh… That's scary.”
“They say the cycle is getting pretty close, but it still won't happen for another hundred years or so. Once every thousand years, the ground caves in and a dungeon's surface level is formed.”
“That sounds like some kind of ghost story. But… this is a documentary, too, right?”
“Yeah.”
Seonghyeon wanted something to chew on, so he took out a piece of adventurer's jerky and chewed on it.
Suyeon, watching him from the side, gave him a sparkling look.
“Want some?”
“Yeah.”
“It's tough. It'll feel like chewing on iron.”
“That's fine.”
“Here.”
Suyeon chewed the jerky Seonghyeon held out to her.
Then, with a crunch, Suyeon realized something was wrong.
“How… are you supposed to chew this?”
“I just let it soften in my mouth, then chew it.”
“I… can't eat this. Ugh… It tastes weird, too.”
“Oh, maybe it's different because you're an elf?”
“No, ugh, bleh. Why would anyone eat this?”
“More things are different than I thought. I should borrow a book as soon as possible.”
When Seonghyeon quickened his pace, Suyeon followed despite struggling.
She didn't want to drag her feet like yesterday, and she also felt a strange gaze on her, as if someone were watching her.