The day after purchasing the ring at the Magic Tool Shop.
After finishing his dawn exercise and having breakfast, Jeong Yusin left the inn.
“Darmong, I’m going out.”
“Alright.”
He sprinted towards the temple.
Now that he wore the ‘Prevent Female Corruption’ ring, he could relax and learn to read among the children.
Following Maya’s advice, he braced himself for possible side-effects. Though his libido surged several times, he never lost complete control like when he first put the ring on.
When he entered the orphanage, the children greeted him warmly.
“Eww, you’re here again?”
“Boo, you’re scary.”
“Uncle, aren’t you working?”
Jeong Yusin nodded at the enthusiastic welcome, finding his seat and sitting down.
Ignoring the children’s murmurs, he waited patiently for a little while.
A man entered the classroom.
He appeared stern due to his glasses.
“Everyone, quiet down.”
Standing at the lectern, the man looked around the classroom before speaking.
The classroom fell silent instantly.
Their eyes met.
“Teacher Mion won’t be coming today.”
“Eh…”
“Ugh…”
The children expressed their discontent.
“Quiet.”
The man lightly tapped the lectern.
“I’m about to start the lesson. Open your books. Get out your writing materials.”
“Yes sir.”
The man meticulously conducted the lesson. The board was filled neatly with elegant handwriting.
Contrary to his stern appearance, he sincerely taught each child individually.
The male priest also carefully inspected Jeong Yusin’s academic progress and gave much advice.
“…This character should be drawn downward. If you curve it up, it changes the meaning completely. Be careful.”
“You’ve memorized all the words in the picture book? Excellent. Let’s move to the next textbook. If you continue to strive like this, you’ll achieve good results.”
The lessons began in the morning and ended around lunchtime.
Finally, he was glad to have some proper learning time.
The children exited the classroom in a rush to eat lunch.
Jeong Yusin gathered his writing tools and books, placing them in his bear bag.
The male priest approached.
“You’re not very Barbaroy-like.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“My name is Diego Perez. I’m an intermediate priest serving Dejimoseon.”
Diego extended his hand.
“I see. It’s a pleasure.”
Jeong Yusin shook Diego’s hand.
Was it just a feeling?
Diego’s glasses glinted.
Jeong Yusin slung his bear bag and got up from his seat.
“Let’s see each other on the way.”
“Sure.”
They exited the orphanage and went to the temple’s cafeteria.
The menu was modest.
Black rye bread, tomato soup, and a small piece of cheese.
After quickly eating, Jeong Yusin stood up from his seat.
He thought about visiting the swordsmanship guild after a long time.
It was the best way to use the money he received from Karin meaningfully.
Besides, according to Mion, the Elf who could evaluate the worth of the ‘Avenger’s Mark’ was also there.
Walking through the streets under the light early summer breeze, he reached the swordsmanship guild.
Upon entering the guild building, an elf sitting at the reception desk caught his attention.
“Are you here?”
The Elf leaned on their chin and looked at Jeong Yusin.
Ashur Startris.
City certified Sword Master.
“Yes.”
Ashur extended his hand.
Jeong Yusin calmly shook Ashur’s hand.
Ashur frowned and swatted his hand away.
“Money first. Thirty silver coins.”
“Alright.”
Jeong Yusin placed a pouch containing thirty silver coins on the counter.
Ashur yawned once and then took out the silver coins one by one from the pouch to count them.
“One gold coin burned on armor?”
While counting the silver coins, Ashur muttered.
“Something like that happened. Thanks to that, it saved my life too.”
Jeong Yusin looked around the swordsmanship guild as he replied.
“You’re going into the Labyrinth again soon, right? This is the third time, isn’t it? No matter how much Karin likes you, you need to be more careful. You’re a beginner explorer. Focus on steadily building your skills in the safer lower levels.”
“Yes.”
“Tch. Let’s go. To the training ground.”
Ashur stuffed the silver coins back into the pouch, then stood up from his seat.
The training ground was bustling with people.
Ashur and Jeong Yusin faced each other, holding wooden swords.
“Seeing your face, I assume you’ve got plenty of money.”
“Not really.”
“You’re looking all cheerful, Mr. Fat Wallet. Let’s have a little sparring.”
“Shouldn’t we survey the training ground first?”
“You get some morning exercises at Darmong’s yard, don’t you?”
‘Is he some kind of creepy stalker?’
Jeong Yusin glared at Ashur.
Ashur grinned, then his expression hardened.
“Friend, is something wrong with your eyes?”
“I’m sorry, I’ll try to look more pleasant.”
“Not that. Come here for a moment.”
Jeong Yusin moved closer to Ashur.
‘What’s this?’
Ashur squinted as he inspected Jeong Yusin’s eyes closely.
“Did something happen to you in the Labyrinth?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Your eyes are swirling with the madness of ‘Darkness’.”
“Oh.”
On the 4th floor of the Labyrinth, he had been swallowed by a black portal with Karin.
When they transported to the 5th floor, he was without a torch and unconscious for a few hours.
“Three hours or so on the 5th floor without a torch. Not entirely sure.”
“Are you insane?”
“I had no choice.”
Jeong Yusin briefly explained what happened while on the Labyrinth investigation team.
Ashur clicked his tongue.
“You should have lost your mind with that. Are you sure you’re fine?”
Jeong Yusin pondered what had happened in the Labyrinth.
He had told Karin off, spoken disrespectfully to Gilsian, and even killed a demon with his teeth, but there were no significant issues.
It’s just common adventure stuff that many explorers experience.
Lowering his hand from his chin, Jeong Yusin looked at Ashur.
“No significant issues.”
“Hmph. That’s strange. Killa!”
Ashur called out to the assistant guild master.
A bald man soon walked out into the yard.
“What is the matter?”
“Come take a look at this guy’s eyes.”
Killa approached and inspected Jeong Yusin’s eyes.
“It’s not entirely clear, but they do shimmer a bit.”
“See?”
Killa stroked his hairless head.
“Remarkable that he hasn’t gone mad.”
“Maybe, but we still need to check.”
Ashur extended a finger.
“How many do you see?”
“One.”
“This guy?”
Ashur pointed at Killa.
“He looks like a diligent person.”
Jeong Yusin answered clearly.
Killa nodded approvingly with a thumbs up.
“How about me?”
Ashur pointed at himself.
“Honestly?”
“Yeah, speak freely.”
“Kind of picky.”
“…”
Ashur glared at Jeong Yusin.
Turning his head, Ashur stared at the assistant guild master.
“Is this guy crazy?”
“Seems like he just told the truth.”
Killa defended Jeong Yusin.
“Assistant guild master, get back to work.”
Ashur glared at Killa while pointing at the swordsmanship guild building.
“It’s not really my job, but I’ll head back to work.”
“Your mouth is long because you don’t have time to grow hair. Go work on your sharp tongue instead of your proper duties.”
Ignoring Ashur’s words, Killa gave Jeong Yusin a pat on the shoulder and left the yard.
Ashur asked again.
“Ever had difficulty controlling your impulses?”
Jeong Yusin stroked his jaw and thought deeply.
It’s been four months since he became a gold daughter-in-law. Has he ever had trouble controlling his impulses?
Never happened.
There was one time he passed out briefly at the Magic Tool Shop, but neither the dwarf owner nor Maya mentioned what he had tried to do.
They just advised him to be careful.
It must not have been a significant issue, so he didn’t bring it up.
Judging that, he spoke.
“I manage them well.”
“Be careful. Even though the madness is dormant now, in an extreme moment, it might burst out and consume you.”
“What happens if I’m consumed?”
“It’s over.”
Kael from the party flashed in Jeong Yusin’s mind.
The boy who lost his mind in the darkness of the Labyrinth.
Ashur pointed at Jeong Yusin’s eyes.
“Guard your heart.”
Jeong Yusin’s eyebrows furrowed at the vague instruction.
“Could you please explain further?”
“Stay alert.”
“How?”
“It’s obvious for a swordsman. Practice hard with your sword. Don’t swing it like a wild animal. Engrave the sword’s path in your body and mind.”
“I understand for now.”
“And don’t enter the Labyrinth. Not for a while.”
“Suddenly?”
“Do you really want to lose your mind?”
“…Alright then.”
“What’s that ring?”
Ashur looked at the ring on Jeong Yusin’s finger.
“It’s a mark suppression ring.”
“What mark is it suppressing?”
“Virgin Female Corruption Mark.”
“Wow, what strange mark have you gotten. There are supposed to be side-effects to using magic tool marks, right?”
Ashur dismissed Jeong Yusin’s mark casually.
“Increased sexual desire, they say.”
“Take the ring off if you can.”
“Why should I do that?”
“You’re unstable right now. You’re prone to strong urges.”
Since the topic of the mark came up, Jeong Yusin had one more thing to ask.
“Do you know anything about the Avenger’s Mark?”
“Yeah.”
“How good is it?”
“That depends on one’s skills.”
“Could you explain further?”
“What’s there to explain? For the Avenger’s Mark to fully activate, you need to be attacked by your opponent and attack them back. If the skill gap is too big, either your head will fall before the mark activates or the opponent will die. It’s effective during an evenly matched fight or against a large number of enemies.”
Ashur pointed at Jeong Yusin with his finger and added.
“Ultimately, skill as a swordsman is crucial.”
“So the Avenger’s Mark gets better as one’s skill improves?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
Ashur nodded, then stopped and continued speaking.
“Stop pretending to be okay and go home. I’ll be at the magic tower for a bit.”
“Why are you going to the magic tower?”
“Are you stalking me? Stop asking.”
“…”
Jeong Yusin lost his words and stared blankly at Ashur.
After a while, Jeong Yusin hesitantly spoke up.
“The tuition fee has already been paid?”
“I’ll take care of everything, so don’t worry about it.”
“Well… alright.”
“Go stay somewhere proper until I call you.”
“Yes.”
With that dismissal, Jeong Yusin scratched his head as he exited the swordsmanship guild building.
Am I crazy?
It doesn’t seem like it.
Even though it was something Karin said verbatim, Jeong Yusin thought that even Karin couldn’t have properly measured the time inside that darkness.
He aimlessly wandered through the southern district. It was lunchtime, so there weren’t many people out.
“Oi, black-haired one.”
Someone called out to Jeong Yusin.
Looking back, he saw a man.
He had a large sword wrapped in bandages slung over his shoulder.
His face was covered with an iron mask, and his whole head was wrapped with a robe.
He looked suspicious enough that the guards would have reason to rush over.
“What?”
“If you want to register as an explorer, go to the main explorer’s guild in the central district. It’s in the far left corner. You pay 10 silver coins there to register.”
“I don’t quite understand the map since I’m new here. Could you point it out for me?”
The man approached and showed Jeong Yusin a map of the Labyrinth City tourist attractions.
A pungent smell hit Jeong Yusin’s nose. It was a mix of chemical odors and the smell of rotten seafood, certainly not pleasant.
Jeong Yusin quickly glanced at the man and gently tapped a marked location on the map.
“Here.”
The man nodded.
“Understood. Thank you.”
“Not at all.”
Jeong Yusin put some distance between them.
“Could you be a Barbaroy?”
The iron-masked man asked.
“Yes, the first time we meet, do you know?”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Such a naïve iron mask.
Jeong Yusin decided to give the man a word of warning.
“Be careful. All other Barbaroys except me are crazy.”
“What do you mean?”
“They don’t care if it’s a man or woman, if they like you, they’ll do it. They’re the uncultured ones who disrespect decency and do as they please in the Labyrinth City. You could call them criminals.”
“…Are you a Barbaroy too?”
“I’m the only good Barbaroy who doesn’t commit rape.”
Jeong Yusin declared seriously.
“Hmph.”
The man looked at Jeong Yusin for a moment before turning around to speak.
“I’ll see you around. Although I’m not certain, I have a feeling I’ll see you frequently.”
“Yes.”
With those words, the iron-masked man slowly moved forward.
He looked highly suspicious, but there was a sense that he had been well educated in conduct.
Furthermore, his eyes visible through the mask’s eyeholes were undeniably clear and resolute.
Since the man seemed noble, Jeong Yusin automatically spoke politely.
Jeong Yusin sensed someone watching him from the corner of his eye, it was the owner of the sundry goods store.
It was a man he’d borrowed things from a few times when purchasing Labyrinth exploration equipment.
“Shopkeeper, the world is wide, and there are some truly peculiar people.”
Jeong Yusin said while looking at the shopkeeper.
“You’re the most peculiar Barbaroy there is.”
The shopkeeper replied.
“Do you have complaints about my tone? Shall we take it inside where we can have an open conversation?”
Jeong Yusin moved closer.
The color drained from the shopkeeper’s face.
“No…how can I have complaints? We’ve crossed paths more than once, haven’t we? Everyone in the eastern district knows you’re the noble Barbaroy who protects the city’s good customs. It was just a joke. Calm down.”
“I was just joking.”
At Jeong Yusin’s reply, the shopkeeper’s face twitched.
“You…you’re hilarious and making my belly ache with laughter. Your sense of humor is impeccable.”
The shopkeeper managed to reply.
“Stop frowning. Can’t handle a joke, can you?”
Jeong Yusin shrugged and resumed walking.
The shopkeeper sighed deeply as Jeong Yusin walked away.
“What exactly happened in the Labyrinth? Mr. Crazy Barbaroy.”
