The training ground was filled with members of the Swordsmen’s Guild standing in neat rows. The boy seen earlier this morning was also present.
A quiet training ground.
Dozens of people stood silently, all their gazes fixed on Jeong Yusin.
“Stand up straight.”
Ashur, who had turned his back at some point, was glaring at Jeong Yusin.
“Yes.”
Jeong Yusin adjusted his posture.
Ashur turned his back again and looked around at the Swordsmen’s Guild members.
“Did everyone hear about how Scath fought at the Labyrinth entrance? What do you think about it?”
A Bearded Human who had been standing quietly among the guild members stepped forward and spoke.
“He was fighting pretty well, right?”
“Lie flat on the ground.”
“Yes.”
The Bearded Human placed his hands on the training ground floor and lay flat.
“Let me ask you again. What do you think?”
In response to Ashur’s question, the man with Mohawk Hair stepped forward.
“I heard that the Iron Masked Swordsman and Half-Ogre worked together with Scath to form a formation and faced the demons. I think the new guy has quite some style…”
“Get down and lie flat as well.”
“Yes.”
The man with Mohawk Hair lay down.
Ashur looked intently at the Swordsmen’s Guild members, sighed deeply, and turned to look at Jeong Yusin.
“Scath, I admit. It’s impressive that a novice Explorer stood his ground and fought head-on against an overwhelming number of demons. It’s commendable. Yes, but…”
Ashur flailed his arms in empty space.
It was as though he was holding a sword and cutting something in the air.
“Isn’t something here off? Huh? Can’t this be executed more artfully? Can’t we wield the sword or blade with some finesse instead of acting like this? Why are you biting the necks off demons and gnawing at heads with a blade clenched between your teeth?”
Ashur’s voice was filled with regret.
It was like the stale advice of a stagnant veteran telling a newbie, “That’s not how it’s done.”
‘Then let me become a Sword Master.’
Jeong Yusin suppressed the sigh rising in his throat and bowed his head.
“During the fight, I lost all sense of myself. I’m sorry.”
The swordsmen nodded.
A muscular Elf stepped forward and spoke.
“I heard that your friend, the Barbaroy, broke Hans’s defense. Although it’s true that he received help from many people, his courage hasn’t faded. Please take this into account, Guild Master.”
The muscular Elf smiled and continued.
“And, unlike other Barbaroy, this one didn’t seize the moment to exploit any guild member’s weakness, which deserves some praise. Honestly, it’s a little hard to believe.”
The guild members nodded, approving of the muscular Elf’s assessment.
“Now that I think about it, that’s true. It’s surprising that no one has been seriously harmed so far.”
“Could it really be sympathy? I thought the guards were exaggerating…”
“Nonetheless, Guild Master, to be honest, it seems rather excessive. That guy hasn’t even learned much yet, right?”
“Hey! Stop politicking with Deputy Guild Master!”
Ashur’s face turned bright red as he shouted.
“My dignity, you bastards!!!”
The surrounding area quieted for a moment.
Soon, the guild members began whispering.
A few voices chimed in.
“…Suddenly bringing up dignity?”
“You’re always lying around without any work, aren’t you? You should also think about the hair loss of Deputy Guild Master, who’s worrying over everything.”
“Hey! Everyone, piss off! Go do your jobs!”
Outnumbered, Ashur waved his hands and shouted as the guild members grumbled and dispersed.
As everyone went back to their respective spots, only Ashur and Jeong Yusin remained.
A short silence ensued.
Ashur cleared his throat once before speaking.
“I admit it. That was a brave act.”
“Yes.”
“Still, be cautious. It seemed to me like you were recklessly rushing in relying solely on your seals. It looked that way to me.”
“Understood. I’ll be careful.”
“Come here.”
Jeong Yusin approached when Ashur beckoned with a gesture.
Ashur placed a hand on Jeong Yusin’s shoulder and stared into his eyes.
“…Does it seem a little sweaty?”
“I’m fine.”
“Is that so? Well, now that I think about it, it’s pretty irritating. How could you put a sword in your mouth? In my day—”
The grip on Jeong Yusin’s shoulder tightened.
“And, well, how are the Barbaroy these days?” Jeong Yusin asked, stepping back slightly.
“Why are you asking me that?”
Ashur crossed his arms and countered.
“Do you not know everything?”
“Not everything. I only know what I know.”
“Is there a possibility that the Barbaroy might target Darmong’s Inn?”
“There’s no such possibility, I think. If they target anyone, it’d be you, not the inn.”
A chill ran down Jeong Yusin’s spine.
“B-but then, what should I do?”
“It seems like I already mentioned this before…”
Ashur crossed his arms and glanced around the training ground.
People were swinging swords and spears, running about in the training ground.
Why isn’t he saying anything?
The growing uneasiness was making Jeong Yusin anxious.
Ashur’s lips slowly parted.
“There’s nothing you can do. Just enjoy it.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Think of it as a storm.”
Jeong Yusin’s mouth dropped open.
Is that something a Sword Master would say?
If that were true, wouldn’t it be safer to go into the Labyrinth instead of staying at the inn?
“I will enter the Labyrinth.”
“Really beyond reason. Go ahead then.”
Ashur nonchalantly dismissed him and wiped his hands as if washing them.
“I’ll start making preparations from today.”
“Understood. Take care of yourself. Don’t die.”
“Yes.”
Jeong Yusin turned and left the training ground.
Ashur watched Jeong Yusin leave and let out a deep sigh.
“What’s got him so rushed? Tsk.”
Walking out of the Swordsmen’s Guild, Jeong Yusin headed towards the Explorer’s Guild.
There was no need to worry, as he had already informed Mion he’d be unable to attend classes for a while.
The problem of the inn’s protection was resolved.
The Barbaroy issue was postponed—because his abilities didn’t suffice.
The task of forming a party remained.
Reflecting on this, it was the most challenging hurdle.
Because it involved finding people.
Walking through the streets, he arrived at the Explorer’s Guild located in the southern area.
Creak.
Pushing the door open, he was greeted by the sparse sight of the guild’s interior.
The majority of the Explorers had ventured into the Labyrinth early in the morning. Thus, it was quite normal to see the guild practically empty around lunchtime.
He approached the bulletin board hanging on the wall.
Looking up, numerous recruitment notices were tightly pinned together.
Back when he knew nothing, he would have grabbed any paper from the board, taken it to the receptionist, and asked about it.
Now, thanks to the literacy lessons at the orphanage, he could understand parts of the text.
“Hmm.”
Although his literacy extended merely to a few words and numbers, compared to his former state, it was a vast improvement.
Most of the bulletin notices were for rear-guard positions.
In particular, there was a high demand for Clerics and Mages.
Their pay rates were also relatively high.
Of course, they weren’t unreasonably high.
Kael’s group shared everything fairly because they were all inexperienced.
In the bottom-tier groups, as he believed himself to be the most level-headed, there was no negotiating when it came to splitting the pay.
When he joined Karin’s group as a porter, he didn’t even bring up the topic of pay.
On the opposite side of the board, there were requests, but most of them were similar.
Mostly, they were monster extermination and Magic Stone mining requests, ranging between floors 1 to 5.
Requests above the 5th floor were sparse.
He heard that Explorers of mid-level and above ventured to the central district’s Explorer Guild.
Moreover, several requests were looking for Explorers with experience.
Individuals who had transcended the level of being called pure novices but were still too raw to be mid-level Explorers—an ambiguous position, one might say.
They should have been referred to as low-tier Explorers.
There wasn’t any particularly appealing party.
Jeong Yusin moved from the bulletin board to the reception desk.
A dog-person was sitting alone at the counter.
“Hello. How may I assist you?”
“I’m looking for a party.”
“Do you have a particular party in mind?”
“Is there a party that needs someone for a front-line role?”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
The dog-person shuffled through the nearby stacks of documents.
“Hmm…There isn’t much. Some novice Explorer groups are recruiting.”
“Nothing but novice parties?”
“Well, there are some bottom-tier parties recruiting, but…”
“That’s fine.”
“I recommend coming in the morning. The Explorers tend to gather at that time.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
The dog-person smiled brightly and bowed slightly.
“Alright then, see you tomorrow, Explorer.”
‘She’s cute.’
Jeong Yusin chuckled fondly as he left the Explorer Guild.
Upon returning to the inn, Delnaco was already there.
It was only morning when he sought Aldein’s help, yet here Delnaco was—handling things fast indeed.
“Have you arrived?”
Delnaco bowed respectfully in greeting.
“Is everyone really spreading stories about me?”
Delnaco scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
“I couldn’t help it when my colleagues kept asking, so I ended up saying a few things.”
“That’s okay. Thank you for coming.”
“…Scath-sama!”
What’s with him?
Delnaco’s expression of gratitude felt a bit awkward.
“Let’s sit down first. I have a question for you.”
“Yes.”
Delnaco carefully sat across from Jeong Yusin.
“What happened with those slave hunters?”
“Most of them were killed by you, Scath-sama. There are leftovers, but they barely know each other since they use rough insignias to identify their own. Plus, they lack high loyalty to the organization, so there’s no immediate cause for retaliation.”
“Is it safe enough for me to enter the Labyrinth?”
“…It should be fine for now. But this doesn’t mean it’s over. We’ll have to see how things develop over time.”
They are pests, aren’t they? Like cockroaches that never go away fully.
“Understood. Coordinate the报酬 with Tarman.”
“Yes.”
With confirmation of temporary safety, Jeong Yusin let out an unconscious sigh of relief.
A smile surfaced.
Even though he came here empty-handed, he had now acquired things he felt compelled to protect, one by one.
Though his shoulders felt heavy, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
Jeong Yusin smiled at Delnaco.
‘This world isn’t so bad. People are similar, wherever they are.’
*
“Our group does not accept Barbaroy. Scram.”
The party leader, a bald Dwarf, spoke firmly.
Jeong Yusin’s expression crumpled completely.
‘What the hell is wrong with this alternate world?’
Getting up early in the morning, dashing to the Explorer Guild, and trying in vain at multiple party interviews resulted in mostly disappointed shakes of the head.
“Could you at least tell me the reason?”
“Well…because you look like a female hunter?”
‘Shit.’
“Just give me one chance. I’m not a bad person.”
“What the hell are you talking about?! You crazy bastard, get out of here!”
The Dwarf jumped up with his axe in panic.
Jeong Yusin drew back slightly.
“Let’s talk first. I just mean, could you let me join your party?”
“Not possible!”
Jeong Yusin glanced at the party members sitting on the table. Their looks were far too cold to offer any hope.
He stood up and made his way back to the registration desk.
“Hmm…another rejection?”
The dog-person asked with a slightly apologetic look.
“Yes.”
This was the fifth rejection. Even with the merciful non-spread of his ‘former Barbaroy’ rumors, this streak would eventually change minds…
Screech!
Jeong Yusin snapped himself out of the increasingly negative thoughts.
‘This is not the end of the day.’
One can’t expect a full stomach after the first spoonful. If he kept trying, he might eventually land with a skilled and well-mannered party, right?
“I’ll try again later.”
“Yes, sorry about that.”
The dog-person bowed apologetically.
Jeong Yusin returned the bow and exited the Explorer Guild.
Walking through the streets, he returned to the inn.
“I’m back.”
“Hey! You’ve arrived?”
Delnaco and Tarman, who had been diligently delivering food, greeted Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin looked at Delnaco and asked.
“Delnaco, why do you work?”
“I felt sitting around doing nothing was impolite, so I decided to keep my body moving. Don’t worry, it’s not too tiring.”
Seeing Delnaco’s bright smile, Jeong Yusin sat at the counter.
A soft, comfortable seat.
It was always Darmong’s spot.
“I’ll have… not alcohol… but a glass of water.”
“Right!”
Tarman returned from the kitchen with water.
As Jeong Yusin sipped the water and looked blankly at the outside scenery through the open window, the warm breeze of summer entered, gently tousling his hair.
‘This is nice.’
If only his life’s genre were a healing story, things would be much better, wouldn’t they? A slow life as an innkeeper in another world.
Getting hit by a truck and falling into another world, equipped with a cheat skill and running an inn with soft-hearted friends while leading a relaxed, flowing life wouldn’t be bad.
“Shite.”
Jeong Yusin muttered under his breath with his eyes closed.
He wasn’t hit by a truck. He had no cheat skill.
The inn wasn’t his.
Having indulged in such thoughts, he dozed off.
In a half-asleep state, he overheard parts of a conversation between guests.
“Did you hear this news yet?”
“What news?”
“Prince 5 of Lionel Kingdom has disappeared.”
“Prince 5? Isn’t he the youngest among five Princes? Could it be an abduction?”
“Not sure. Rumors say the kingdom has been in an uproar, though.”
“Where did you hear this?”
“I heard it from merchants who came from Lionel Kingdom.”
“Lionel Kingdom is far south of here, yet they ventured this far?”
“Given this Labyrinth City’s monopoly on Magic Stones, rare materials, and Artifacts, would they not come?”
“That’s true, but the distance is immense.”
“Money talks. Distance matters less.”
“You have a way of silencing people. Regardless, Lionel Kingdom must be in a mess, right? Isn’t the Crown Prince also bedridden with a fatal illness?”
“Seems so, but nothing is confirmed.”
The conversation continued, but Jeong Yusin slipped back into sleep.
The comfortable chair made it hard for him to regain his composure.
As the surroundings grew silent, someone gently touched his shoulder.
“Scath-sama.”
Jeong Yusin opened his eyes. Delnaco was looking down at him.
“What is it?”
“It’s closing time.”
“Understood.”
Jeong Yusin got up and climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Even after sleeping all day, he still felt tired.
He changed and lay down on the bed.
“Chriiik!!!”
Something soft and wet was underneath him.
Jeong Yusin quickly got up and looked beneath the bedsheet to find a white mouse sprawled out flat.
“Lin, I’m sorry.”
“Chiiik!! Chriik!!”
The white mouse flailed and squeaked.
“Forgive me. I’ll give you a massage.”
Jeong Yusin gently massaged the white mouse until it calmed down and yawned.
There were no cheat skills or truck incidents, yet there was a soft friend.
Soft friend.
‘Is this right?’
A moment of doubt passed through his mind.
As he continued gently patting Lin’s stomach, he succumbed to the encroaching darkness.
