Chapter 1: Do You Admit Your Guilt? I Admit You’re a Fool!
—
“Confirmed the elimination of 22 hobgoblins.”
The clerk wiped his blood-stained hands as he spoke.
Jung Yusin, Tarman, and the old man from the relief shelter stood in front of the counter.
Ching-rang.
The clerk placed a pouch filled with coins on the counter.
“The bounty for the slaying is 15 silver coins.”
At first glance, it seemed like a large sum.
But since the 15 coins had to be evenly split among five people…
Each individual would receive only 3 silver coins.
“Tarman.”
“What is it?”
“How many days has it been since Kael’s group left?”
“Today is the sixth day.”
After struggling for six days, the reward was a mere 3 silver coins.
It was not a profitable venture at all.
Jung Yusin took out 3 silver coins from the pouch given by the clerk, kept them for himself, and handed the rest to Tarman.
“Kael said the bounty would be distributed fairly. So, I’ll take 3 coins. You can handle distributing the rest. We’re all fellow villagers, after all. If you’re curious about anything, ask Ann when she wakes up.”
“…”
Tarman stared blankly at the pouch of silver coins handed to him by Jung Yusin.
What must he be feeling right now?
The party had fallen apart just to earn a measly 12 silver coins, and there was no one to complain to since they had made this choice themselves.
“Poor bastards.”
Since things had turned out this way, they could either return to their village or struggle to survive in Labyrinth City.
It was hard to imagine a bright future for Kael’s group, but nobody knew what paths they would take next.
“Damn. I have to earn a living too.”
Though a shred of sympathy stirred within him, that was all.
Jung Yusin turned around and began walking away.
Tarman stood rooted to the spot, unmoving, as if his feet had sprouted roots into the guild floor.
“Are you leaving?”
An elderly man who had followed him out of the building spoke.
“Yes. See you later.”
It was already evening, with the sun setting.
“Wait a moment.”
The old man stopped Jung Yusin.
“Yes, what is it?”
I just want to rest at the inn, but I still wanted to see Darmong.
“There’s just one favor I’d like you to do.”
“Favor?”
Jung Yusin frowned.
“Remember that female apprentice priestess? Please take her to the Temple of Dejimoseon.”
“Mari? Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He asked purely out of curiosity.
“It’s just a courtesy. There’s no reason for someone with clear affiliation to stay at the relief shelter. Also…”
The old man pointed at Jung Yusin’s chest.
“Didn’t you get a ‘Mark’? Haven’t you noticed?”
“What?!”
Jung Yusin’s eyes widened.
All traces of fatigue disappeared.
“When you exited the labyrinth, didn’t you feel a strange sense of liberation?”
“Really? How do you even know this, Elder?”
Jung Yusin’s tone became more respectful.
“I checked your body while you were sleeping.”
His hand clenched tightly.
“So, the saying is true: ‘Good deeds bring blessings.’”
“If you grant my favor, the temple will check your mark for free.”
“Can’t we verify it right here, immediately?”
“The confirmation of a mark can only be done at temples belonging to the Spirit Sect. Anything else is illegal.”
“Does the Dejimoseon temple belong to the Spirit Sect?”
The old man looked at Jung Yusin as though he had asked a strange question.
“Oh, I forgot! You’re a Barbaroy! I made a mistake. Dejimoseon is one of the spirit deities. Alongside others, they all belong to the larger Spirit Sect. There are many temples in this city devoted to different spirit deities. If you have free time, take a look around.”
Jung Yusin scratched his head.
Honestly, he didn’t understand it.
“Take Mari to the Dejimoseon temple. While you’re at it, confirm your mark for free. Is that what you’re saying?”
“It seems like part of the explanation is missing, but yes, that’s correct.”
The old man returned to the relief shelter and brought out Mari.
“I’ll talk things over with the young man Tarman. Take her without worry.”
“But will they accept her just because I bring her?”
“Take this. It’s a symbol of the Spirit Instructor, so it should suffice. Don’t lose it.”
What’s a Spirit Instructor?
Judging by how casually the old man mentioned it, it didn’t seem like a crucial issue.
The crucial thing here is the ‘Mark.’
I wanted to hurry and confirm it.
“Fine, I understand. See you later.”
“Yes. Somehow, I feel we’ll meet again soon.”
The old man smiled as he bid Jung Yusin farewell.
—
Mari and Jung Yusin walked hand in hand since tying her up with a rope was not an option. Mari still clung to Kael’s head with her other hand, like a child hugging a teddy bear.
They felt the gazes of people as they walked through the streets.
After asking around, they finally found the Dejimoseon temple.
“Finally, we’re here. Whew, much effort! You’ve done well, Mari.”
“Eh-oo…”
By the time the sun had fully set, they had reached the temple’s entrance.
Fortunately, the temple’s doors were still open.
Inside the temple, people clad in black priest robes moved about.
“Excuse me, we’re here to confirm a ‘Mark’ and leave someone in your care.”
He stopped a passing rabbit therianthrope and addressed him.
“Yes?”
The rabbit therianthrope looked at him curiously.
Since it was too troublesome to explain further, Jung Yusin showed the old man’s token. The therianthrope’s rabbit ears immediately perked up.
“Please wait a moment!”
The rabbit therian dashed away in a panic.
After a brief wait, an elderly human woman with freckles approached them.
“This way, please.”
Following the woman, they arrived at a grand hallway.
There were more than ten counters where explorers stood in line.
It was similar in structure to the Explorers’ Guild.
The difference was the small rooms behind each counter.
People were entering and exiting these rooms one by one.
“That’s the room for mark confirmation.”
The freckled female priestess explained.
“Do I go in there too?”
“No, sir. You’ll meet someone special who will personally confirm your mark for you. Please maintain proper decorum.”
Jung Yusin followed the priestess down the corridor until they reached a dead-end room.
Judging by the size of the door, this room was much larger than any he had seen so far.
“This is the room you should enter.”
Holding Mari’s hand, Jung Yusin opened the door.
Inside stood a woman.
“Wow.”
She had warm platinum hair.
Her serene half-closed eyes.
A black mole near her full lips.
Her appearance exuded an aura of noble sanctity and motherly warmth.
If one judged by her face, she would be mistaken for a saint.
But her figure told a different story.
—
Her tight-fitting nun’s habit left little to the imagination.
The massive contours of her H-cup bust were unmistakable.
It was tight enough that even the shape of her belly button and the curves of her wide hips were clearly visible.
The soft and plump curve of her behind was outlined unmistakably by the garment.
Just how tight was it? The shape of her underwear was clearly visible. So clearly that it seemed to proclaim the type of panties she was wearing, if not their exact color.
Her thighs were firm and athletic, like those of a track athlete.
Covered below by black stockings hugging her knees.
Her appearance—sanctity and maternal warmth—contradicted her body.
Simply put, it was a lewd body perfectly suited for intense reproductive intercourse.
“Hello, explorer. I am Mion Randsyere.”
“Maaaaama-zzo.”
“It’s Scath! I’m here at the old man’s request. This girl is Mari, and she was mentally broken after being assaulted by goblins during exploration. The old man said that showing this token would allow you to take her in, so here I am.”
“Just a moment…!”
Mion, startled by Jung Yusin’s rapid explanation, waved her hand to stop him.
Her enormous chest bounced with impressive elasticity.
“Please explain slowly. Scath.”
“Yes.”
Jung Yusin began recounting the events so far in detail.
The time it would take to drink a cup of tea passed.
“So, we’ve arrived here.”
He summarized the facts quickly, devoid of emotion.
“I see. Since you have the token of the Spirit Instructor, we’ll take Mari into our care. And would you like to confirm your mark now?”
“Yes.”
“Please come closer, fold your hands, and kneel on one knee.”
“Yes.”
As Jung Yusin knelt, Mion’s tight outfit made her groin area even more exposed.
“The panties have a front seam too?”
He quickly lowered his head.
His erection was painful. His manhood ached.
Mion murmured something solemn, but none of it registered. There was a flash of light, it seemed.
“It’s done.”
“Finished?”
But he couldn’t stand up right away.
Jung Yusin spoke without lifting his head.
“I’ll stay like this for a moment. The grace bestowed by Dejimoseon is overwhelming, making it hard to move freely.”
“Y-yes…”
“Damn it! Erection, just die already. Dieeee!”
He sang the national anthem.
“As the East Sea and Baekdu Mountain dry and wear away… Long live our nation.”
The lyrics were hazy, but it didn’t matter. The erection had subsided.
Confirming the population-reducing contribution of military service, he finally stood up.
“Now, I will tell you about the Mark you possess.”
“Yes.”
“Ahem! The name of the Mark is…”
Mion made a cute cough and announced the name of the Mark.
—
Struggling to regain his wits, Jung Yusin eventually reached the inn.
“I’m back, Darmong.”
At the quiet inn counter, Darmong was seated as usual.
“You’re back, but your mind seems absent even though your body looks intact.”
“Please give me a drink.”
He dropped his luggage and sat across from Darmong.
“Wait just a moment.”
Darmong went into the kitchen. The sound of clinking utensils was heard, and soon Darmong reappeared with a plate full of snacks.
“Well, tell me. What happened during those six days?”
“It’s like this…”
He explained in greater detail than what he had told Mion.
Darmong interrupted with many questions out of sheer curiosity, and Jung Yusin, drunk after a long time, answered frankly.
Darmong listened intently, nodding occasionally.
“…So, I took Mari to the temple and had my Mark confirmed.”
“It sounds like quite a challenging experience for a beginner explorer.”
“It wasn’t easy.”
“No, I mean Ann.”
“Yes?”
“She explored the labyrinth with a wound on her abdomen, dragging a mentally broken comrade. She didn’t even have time to rest properly for three days.”
“Thinking about it now, it is somewhat regrettable. But I won’t explore the labyrinth with them again.”
“Why?”
“They acted too recklessly. The labyrinth already has too many variables, and they went ahead and altered the plan as they pleased.”
“They lacked experience, that’s all. Humans learn from experience.”
“Those people didn’t even attend any exploration classes before entering the labyrinth. What good is learning if they die? Without me, they would’ve all perished.”
“Really? Did you escape the labyrinth alone without any help?”
That was not entirely true.
If Ann hadn’t struggled to save her comrade during the last attack, they would’ve died then. Or, they might have run out of torches due to insufficient supplies and been consumed by the Darkness, going mad like Dain.
And…
Although they went to the second floor by majority vote, they still harbored a complacent mindset that everything would work out fine.
“I admit. Without Ann’s help, I wouldn’t have escaped the second floor alone. But if we hadn’t gone down to the second floor in the first place, we wouldn’t have suffered like this.”
“They probably regret it more.”
Shit. That’s true.
“They’ll feel their friend’s empty seat every morning, and every night they’ll regret and replay their decisions over and over.”
Damn it.
He took a sip of his drink to wash away the bitter taste in his mouth.
“So, what do you suggest? Should I go back with them?”
“That’s not what I meant. It just seemed like you were focusing too much on others. I just wanted to say a word or two.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I understand your anger at Kael’s words and actions. I understand your dissatisfaction with the party’s unreasonable decisions, and that such decisions were the starting point of a tragedy.”
Darmong paused for a moment and took a sip.
“But if you get caught up in it and don’t reflect on yourself, then you didn’t really learn anything from this expedition.”
That’s true.
Since leaving the labyrinth, he had only thought about not wanting to get involved with those troublesome people again. He had only resolved to avoid parties similar to Kael’s group.
“Thank you. Darmong. I’ve learned a lot today.”
“Go on. You look exhausted. You’ve worked hard.”
“Yes.”
He climbed upstairs, unpacked his belongings, wiped his body with a damp towel, and lay down on the bed. Sleepiness overcame him immediately.
‘Now that I think about it, did I even mention what Mark I received?’
Jung Yusin blinked his eyelids while pondering this for a moment before dozing off.
