One day. Two days. Three days.
Time slowly passed.
The fourth morning.
Jeong Yusin woke up early once again and headed to the Explorer’s Guild.
“No!”
“…Go away!”
After asking to join a party, the reactions from the people were the same as before.
He grew tired after being turned down several times.
Jeong Yusin sat at a corner table in the guild, sighing deeply.
It had already been three days, and the fourth had begun.
The continuous rejections were making his head spin.
“There’s no answer.”
Jeong Yusin, pulling at his hair, muttered to himself.
Whispers could be heard from nearby.
“Is that him?”
“I heard the guards sympathize with him. Honestly, it’s hard to believe.”
“Still, if this guy hasn’t hurt anyone, perhaps he’s not a bad person? Maybe he has restraint being a half-breed.”
“What ridiculous talk. He looks like a young man, and they say he has sympathy? There’s definitely something wrong with him. You can see it. He’s brimming with fiery desires. Once he loses control in dark labyrinths, it’s all over! Oh? Do you understand what I mean?”
‘Shit.’
Jeong Yusin’s expression darkened.
He wasn’t sure exactly when it happened.
But as time passed, the rumors about him being a sympathizer had spread even to this branch of the guild.
The problem was that people either doubted him or treated him as if he were even more dangerous.
Every time he asked to join a party, he faced fierce rejection, making it impossible to carry on a conversation.
There was no good solution.
‘I should put together my own party instead.’
Jeong Yusin stood up from his seat and went to the reception desk.
“Yes. How may I assist you?”
The dog humanoid looked at him with a sympathetic gaze.
“I intend to form a party.”
“O…Oh, I see.”
The dog humanoid picked up a pen.
“Is the objective to collect Magic Stones from floors one to five and eliminate Hobgoblins?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any specific party members in mind?”
“I think one frontline fighter, one guide, and one rear guard would be sufficient.”
“Are lower-ranked rookies acceptable?”
“Yes.”
‘I need to compromise. Proper people certainly won’t come.’
This was his temporary conclusion.
Still, he planned to turn away anyone who had an overwhelming stigma that would make his life difficult.
“Understood. Please wait at table number five.”
“Yes.”
He went to the designated table after being guided by the receptionist.
How long had it been?
Despite waiting for quite some time, no one came.
As he was about to stand up, thinking that today wasn’t the day either,
Someone sat down in front of him.
“I heard you’re recruiting for a party.”
A human youth sat across from Jeong Yusin and spoke.
“That’s correct.”
“I heard you accept lower-ranked members.”
“What type of stigma do you have? What is your stigma?”
“Rubber-Rubber stigma.”
“Wh-What does that stigma do?”
“It allows my body to stretch like rubber.”
“…No. Declined.”
“Why?”
“You’ll understand if you don’t qualify.”
“Damn!”
The young man grumbled as he stood up. It seemed like being rejected was familiar to him; he abandoned his effort quickly without lingering.
“And why is that stigma so problematic?”
Curiosity piqued, he asked.
“Once stretched, the body takes time to return to its original form. About a month?”
“Understood. You’re dismissed.”
After the young man left, a few others came by.
Most were lower-ranked rookies.
“What stigma do you have?”
Jeong Yusin asked.
The skunk humanoid sitting in front of him rolled his eyes before speaking.
“If I get nervous, I pee my pants.”
Jeong Yusin folded his arms.
What an interesting stigma.
Jeong Yusin spoke.
“Are you nervous?”
“No.”
Upon finishing his sentence, the skunk humanoid shivered.
“…Don’t be nervous.”
Upon hearing Jeong Yusin’s response, the skunk humanoid shivered again.
‘What on earth…’
He didn’t know what to say. It was absurd.
Can this even be practical for daily life?
He wondered if he unintentionally caused the skunk humanoid to pee himself. Pulling out a few coins from his pocket, Jeong Yusin pressed them into the skunk humanoid’s hand.
“Get yourself some diapers.”
The skunk humanoid’s eyes reddened.
“Thank you! I’d heard there are no compassionate Barbaroys in this world, but I believe you!”
“…Alright.”
Jeong Yusin sent the lower-ranked explorer away and slouched in his chair.
Creak.
Someone entered the guild hall.
Everyone chatting noisily suddenly fell silent.
‘What’s going on?’
Turning his head, he saw someone around his age.
Roughly in their early twenties.
Blue hair.
With a confident expression that stood out.
With slow, deliberate steps, the youth enjoyed the gazes of the onlookers.
The crowd began to whisper.
“Is that the guy?”
“Yes. This is the one who obtained that stigma. Unbelievably lucky.”
Jeong Yusin casually slipped into a nearby table.
“What stigma did this blue-haired guy obtain?”
The cat humanoid furrowed his brow.
“Back off.”
“I’m just asking. I’m not trying to join your party. Even in the same field, we can’t have a simple conversation?”
The cat humanoid seemed to think it was too much, scratching his chin before speaking.
“That person obtained the ‘Genius Swordsman’ stigma.”
“Genius Swordsman?”
“What stigma is that?”
“It grants unparalleled talent in swordsmanship. It’s no joke.”
“Can you tell me more?”
“What more is there to say here? He was originally a rookie explorer. He joined a high-ranked explorer party as baggage when he obtained this stigma.”
‘Wow.’
Jealousy bubbled up inside him, causing a slight ache in his stomach.
‘Damn. If only I had gotten a cheat stigma like that.’
Jeong Yusin glanced enviously at the youth who obtained the ‘Genius Swordsman’ stigma.
The cat humanoid frowned.
“Still, that’s troubling.”
“What’s troubling about it?”
“You’ll see.”
As the blue-haired youth passed, people parted ways to make a path.
The young man walked to the reception desk as if showing up there was the most natural thing in the world.
“I’m looking for party members.”
The dog humanoid nodded and picked up a pen.
“Understood.”
“Frontline, one. Rear guards, two. All must be female.”
“Y-Yes…”
The dog humanoid hesitated for a moment before resuming writing.
The cat humanoid shook his head and gave a wry smile.
“He used to be diligent. After getting a good stigma, he’s slowly showing his true colors. Though most explorers are kind of like that.”
“That’s true. Considering that, I suppose I’m better than the girls-obsessed type. Please consider letting me join your party.”
The cat humanoid gave him a serious look.
“No, you’re not. That fellow may only like women, but you don’t discriminate. Moreover, with those rumors, honestly, you’re somewhat dangerous. With even a small bit of kindness, you’re likely to think ‘Does this person like me?’ and start fantasizing, eventually leading to… Well, you know. In the darkness of the labyrinths.”
Such a specific example.
If anything, the imagination of the maze city folks was impressive.
“Tsk. You’ll regret it. Think I’ll keep extending my hand like this forever?”
The cat humanoid looked surprised.
“Barbaroy, don’t you often hear people say you might have an overactive self-awareness?”
“No?”
Jeong Yusin calmly lied without licking his lips.
The cat humanoid waved his hand dismissively.
“Go. Our party is fully booked.”
“Phew.”
Jeon Yusin stood up and left the explorer guild branch.
He spent the time until evening back at the inn.
Tarmen and Ann had finished work, and Delnaco had gone upstairs to his room on the second floor.
Jeong Yusin sat with his arms crossed.
‘Is there really no way?’
He wasn’t eager to join some random, troublesome party due to urgency.
But the situation wasn’t easy.
Acknowledging the reality of anti-Barbaroy prejudice, he resolved that he’d have to make more compromises than anticipated.
As he lay back and reflected, looking at the ceiling.
Creak.
The inn door opened.
Two robed individuals entered.
One was short; the other was tall.
The tall one approached.
The sound of clanking metal suggested that the person wore a metal armor underneath the robe.
Jeong Yusin checked his concealed dagger.
“Is there a room available?”
A clear, feminine voice.
Jeong Yusin had mistaken the tall person for a man, but it was a misunderstanding.
“There is.”
“How much?”
“Five silver coins per night for accommodation. Breakfast is free, but lunch and dinner are three silver coins each.”
“Here are ten silver coins.”
The tall person took out the coins from inside their robe and placed them on the counter.
The smaller person stood silently at the back.
Jeong Yusin glanced at the shorter one and said:
“If you share a room, it’s eight silver coins.”
“In that case, we’ll share.”
Jeong Yusin returned two silver coins.
“Go upstairs and take the fifth room on the left.”
“Hold on.”
Jeong Yusin stopped the two as they were heading upstairs.
“Is there something you wish to say?”
Jeong Yusin looked at the tall person.
Due to the robe, he couldn’t see their face clearly.
“What do you think of slave hunters?”
He asked casually.
It was an abrupt and somewhat rude question, but since he didn’t know their identities, he had to ask something. This was the minimum safety measure. Besides, Delnaco wasn’t present anyway.
“They’re bastards. Is that answer satisfactory?”
The robed woman replied smoothly.
“May I see your sword?”
“Why do you think I have a sword?”
“Any weapon will do. Please show something.”
“Hmm… fine, take a look.”
The tall person took out a longsword from under their robe and handed it to Jeong Yusin.
“There’s no need…”
Jeong Yusin pulled the sword out of its sheath.
Swish.
The cold blade reflected the inn’s light.
‘Check.’
There was no slave hunter’s emblem.
Clang.
Jeong Yusin sheathed the sword and handed it back respectfully.
“The city has been chaotic lately, so I had to confirm. Have a pleasant night.”
“The innkeeper certainly has deep concerns.”
The tall woman commented and turned away.
Jeong Yusin watched as the two cloaked figures climbed upstairs and scratched his head.
“Am I being overly self-conscious?”
Surely not?
Probably not.
Jeong Yusin glanced at the inn door for a while before tidying up and returning to his room.
He changed his clothes and lifted the blanket.
The white rat, Lin, was not in the room.
“Did it go out somewhere?”
He was curious but not worried.
After all, its master was Ingrid Redtail.
Jeong Yusin lay down and closed his eyes.
*
The next day started early again, and Jeong Yusin headed to the Explorer’s Guild.
Once more, he took several rejections and sat crouched at a corner table, looking rather dejected.
‘Damn bastards.’
It infuriated him to the point of madness.
The World.
A dark something stirred in his chest.
Someone approached.
“Are you Scath?”
Looking up, he saw a human woman in plate armor standing there.
“That’s me.”
“I heard from a senior that you are different from other labyrinth city people because you have feelings of righteousness and loyalty.”
“Who is this senior?”
“Gilsian.”
Jeong Yusin’s eyebrows twitched.
The silver-haired dog humanoid he met in Karin’s party.
A paladin who served the Spirit of Light.
A former colleague who became mentally incapacitated due to a strange stigma after escaping the labyrinth but was restored to normal with the help of another temple.
The last time Jeong Yusin heard, he had said he was going to the Temple of Light outside the city.
“How is Gilsian doing?”
“Our senior is doing well. These days… They are somewhat busy, though.”
“I see.”
An awkward silence passed between Jeong Yusin and the paladin.
The paladin spoke first.
“May I sit?”
“Yes.”
The paladin sat across from Jeong Yusin.
“My apologies. I forgot to introduce myself.”
“You can relax.”
“Soline. A paladin who serves the Light Spirit. I’m visiting the labyrinth city for training under the Temple’s orders.”
“I see. I’m Scath, as you may have heard.”
“I know. Our senior spoke about you quite often.”
“Yes.”
“Are you looking for a party?”
“That’s correct.”
“Is the frontline role filled?”
“Not yet. You see, I’m a Barba—”
Jeong Yusin shrugged and gave a bitter smile.
“In that case, I will join.”
That’s it.
Jeong Yusin’s expression brightened.
Of course, good karma comes to those who live virtuously.
He wanted to hit his knee and raise his hands high in jubilation but resisted the urge.
It was due to the overactive imagination and sensitive personalities of the guild comrades.
However, a more significant hurdle still remained.
“How much did Gilsian tell you about me?”
“He mentioned enough for one to recognize you at a glance.”
“…Did he also mention that I have the stigma of Corrupting Innocent Females?”
“Th-That topic was not mentioned.”
Soline pulled her chair back a little.
“Don’t worry. I am wearing a stigma suppressor ring.”
“Is that a reliable magical tool?”
“I spent one gold coin on it. It works properly.”
Though he made the claim confidently,
He had some doubts lately about whether the ring was functioning correctly.
Lately, he had felt his libido fluctuating more often, possibly because of recent stress.
Still, the suspicion lingered.
‘Some day, I should visit a magical goods shop.’
Soline nodded her head.
“To openly disclose a negative stigma and have preventive measures in place shows courage combined with wisdom. There’s truth in what the senior said.”
With Soline’s praise, Jeong Yusin’s shoulders subtly rose.
“I do possess some of those qualities.”
“Then, will you accept me?”
“Yes, but…”
“What is it?”
“How many times have you been inside the labyrinth?”
“I’ve entered about five times. The highest level I’ve reached is the fifth floor. After the last expedition, I took a bit of a long break.”
“I see. May I ask if you have any kind of stigma?”
Soline’s face turned slightly red.
“E-Excuse me, it’s difficult to speak about.”
Jeong Yusin furrowed his brow.
What kind of stigma could it be?
Suspicion grew in his heart.
“No matter what, it’s not a stigma that would threaten the party’s well-being. Trust me. I swear by the name of the Light Spirit.”
She swore by the name of her revered deity?
This should be believable, shouldn’t it?
After pondering for a moment, Jeong Yusin finally nodded.
She’s a paladin who evaluates people fairly.
With high judgment and good character, it didn’t seem like she’d lie in such a situation.
“Really, it’s not a peculiar stigma, is it?”
“I vow it’s not. It’s a stigma I find embarrassing to talk about, that’s all.”
“Understood. Given that you’re Gilsian’s junior and serve as a priestess, I will trust you.”
“Thank you.”
Soline smiled awkwardly, scratching her head.
‘I’m the one who should be thankful.’
Having secured one party member, he decided to wait a bit longer.
Thud!
“I heard you’re looking for a guide.”
A male Nuum wearing a mask with a long nose sat down at the table.
Who could this be?
Jeong Yusin nodded.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Add me to the party.”
Before Jeong Yusin could respond, the Nuum continued.
“By the way, what stigma do I have?”
“Pinocchio stigma. My nose grows when I lie, and it shortens when I tell the truth.”
“Ah…Yes.”
Jeong Yusin shook himself out of the stupor.
Pinocchio?
What bizarre stigmas exist in this world!
He wasn’t sure whether to believe this tale.
Still, it was necessary to check.
“Things have been a bit chaotic lately in the city, haven’t they? Let’s remove the mask first and talk.”
“Understood.”
The Nuum casually removed the mask.
‘Nothing strange.’
It was just a middle-aged Nuum. Nothing unusual.
Ah, but looks could be deceiving.
Jeong Yusin cleared his throat before asking.
“What do you think about slavery?”
He needed to conduct a basic ideological screening.
Caught off guard by the sudden question, the Nuum slightly opened his mouth.
“Sla…Slavery?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you asking about something like that?”
“Because I’m curious.”
Hesitating at first, the Nuum finally responded.
“Sla…Slavery is bad, I think.”
Whoosh!
The Nuum’s nose grew longer.
Jeong Yusin’s eyes widened.
