episode_0027

“This time, we divided the gold based on contribution. We earned a lot this time, but…”

Erme wore a somewhat sorrowful expression.

An enormous pouch came into view.

“Glasses, you’re in the negative for now. Please keep working hard in the labyrinth next time.”

“Guh…!”

Glasses made a pained face.

“And Teresa, here’s your 10% share of the gold.”

“Yay.”

A flat, emotionless voice.

But I could tell she was actually quite excited.

“And the rest goes here…”

Thud.

As Erme set the pouch down on the table, a heavy sound echoed.

“All of this is yours, Yuseong.”

“…All of it?”

“Yes. I got the sword, and Glasses over there took the potion and skill book.”

“Hmm…”

“Sigh, then I guess we should plan our next schedule, even if we’re all tired.”

“…I’d like to rest until tomorrow.”

“Gla— Marcel’s opinion sounds good too. Pushing ourselves too hard can be dangerous.”

“Wait, did you just call me Glasses…?!”

“Anyway, let’s set the next labyrinth dive for next week. How about Monday?”

“Sunday isn’t bad either. Three full days of rest would be nice, but too much downtime can make us slack.”

“I vote Sunday too.”

At Glasses and Teresa’s input, Erme nodded.

…Huh, the way we count days is the same as in my past life.

Well, this is a game world to begin with.

But then, a thought struck me.

Is this world a game world based on reality, or a reality where the game has been realized?

The question lingered, but right now, even pondering it felt like a luxury.

I calmly stretched my body.

Despite yesterday’s intense battle, I felt light.

The others are struggling, though.

When I wondered why I felt so fine, I realized it was because we’d divided roles well and managed our stamina efficiently.

“Well, since everyone’s tired, let’s call it a day here. Yuseong, you’re coming on a date with me—”

“Ah, I have some business at the adventurer’s guild today.”

“Hmm…”

Erme glared at me with narrowed eyes, then suddenly grinned and waved.

“Then I’ll head in first. Last night was pretty intense, so I’m exhausted.”

“Pfft!”

Glasses choked on air at Erme’s words.

“Cough! Hack! Y-You two! Just because I stepped aside doesn’t mean you should progress that fast in a single day!”

“You two went at it intensely?”

Ignoring the flustered Glasses, Teresa asked. Erme smirked and glanced at me.

“Nothing happened. We just talked.”

“Hic!”

Rozenta, who had been listening, suddenly hiccuped.

“Last night was intense~ Yuseong kept looking at me with those I want you eyes, persuading me~”

Hic.

Rozenta, clearly drunk, slurred those words.

Last night, she was so composed, though.

This wasn’t just turning pain into pleasure—it was like a split personality emerged when she drank.

“Well, I’ll head out first.”

“Okay, don’t stay out too late~.”

As I waved, Erme fluttered her hand back.

Glasses was staring at me with an extremely strange look.

Must be a misunderstanding.

He was definitely misinterpreting something big.

After parting ways,

I headed to the training grounds inside the adventurer’s guild.

I’m diving into the labyrinth today, but…

I was curious about what I’d gotten from the masked man yesterday.

Martial Arts.

A method of handling the body—and it looked pretty useful.

After changing into training clothes, I stood in front of a dummy.

I took my stance.

But I couldn’t bring myself to strike it.

“Kid, here again today?”

It was because of Vulcan, who was watching me with an approving gaze.

“Most youngsters these days don’t train this diligently.”

“I’m just a bit diligent.”

“A bit lacking in manners, but diligent, I’ll give you that.”

-This guy knows something.

At Vulcan’s teasing, Lisiel nodded in agreement.

Unbelievable.

Ignoring them, I kicked the dummy.

“Hmm…?”

What the masked man had done was a mix of swordsmanship and martial arts—dynamic footwork combined with strikes.

…It’s harder than I thought?

But Vulcan seemed to see it differently.

“Kid, what did you just do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you level up or something in that short time?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, I guess you couldn’t have. But to improve this fast…?”

Vulcan muttered in disbelief.

Lisiel nodded beside him.

-An incomprehensible growth rate. Even among us elves, few possess such talent…

Well, of course.

Unlike others, I had plenty of advantages—special perks, so to speak.

If anything,

If I couldn’t manage even this, wouldn’t that be the real problem?

That’s just how I saw it.

Anyway, after working up a sweat with martial arts, I changed back into regular clothes. Then, I removed the iron weights Vulcan had given me.

…I feel lighter.

My body felt weightless.

I must’ve gotten used to the heavy load. Pretending to tuck them away, I stored them in my second-dimensional bag.

“Leaving already?”

“I have a labyrinth dive today.”

“Already? Didn’t you just go yesterday?”

“My stamina’s holding up better than expected.”

“Your stamina’s fine? Wait, kid, you were the rear guard, right? Even so, how…?”

Vulcan tilted his head, studying me.

“You don’t look or sound like you’re pushing yourself.”

“Do people force themselves into labyrinths?”

“There are fools like that. Even taking it slow is risky, but some rush in, driven by something. Short-term gains, but long-term? Not wise.”

Still,

Vulcan looked at me and added,

“You don’t seem to have packed much. Going with others?”

“No, the others said they’d rest.”

“But you could find someone… Actually, maybe you’d prefer going alone?”

After scrutinizing me, Vulcan said that.

Another party…

I didn’t really need one.

But to maintain perfect condition, having at least a night watch would help.

Glasses made this so convenient.

Because he’d handle the entire night watch himself. Something about an “innovative alarm spell,” he’d said.

Well, I’d manage.

Even if they couldn’t pull their weight, I’d cover the rest.

With that mindset, I set out to find a party.

—

“Hey, nice to meet you. You’re an archer?”

A friendly-looking man recruited me into his party.

I scanned the members.

A gloomy man in a pitch-black robe.

A middle-aged man with a handaxe at his waist.

A young man with a massive shield strapped to his back.

And the dual-sword wielder who’d brought me here.

Three vanguards?

No mages or priests in sight. Not surprising—those were rare classes.

But something feels off.

On the surface, nothing was wrong. Yet, this party gave me a bad feeling.

Was I being too paranoid?

“Alright, everyone, I found us an archer for the rear guard.”

“Tch, since when do archers ever pull their weight? As long as they don’t shoot us, it’s a win.”

“Cut it out, James. I heard this guy’s got a reputation.”

“A reputation?”

The middle-aged man, James, eyed me warily.

“The good kind, apparently.”

“That’s a relief, then.”

“Anyway, let’s get moving. Even if he only does half a job, the four of us can handle the rest.”

“Fair enough.”

“……”

Their confidence suggested they were competent.

Well, good enough.

With my new party, we headed into the labyrinth.

—

Labyrinths are places where time and space intertwine.

That’s why accidents happen often.

And not just accidents—many go missing, and what happens inside is treated as an unspoken rule.

Early on, countless incidents occurred because of this.

The adventurer’s guild tried to prevent them in various ways but eventually realized they couldn’t stop everything.

So, they turned a blind eye to things like killing in self-defense.

This was possible thanks to an artifact the guild possessed.

Anyway, once you enter a labyrinth, trouble follows.

This was my third time entering one.

And.

I realized just how lucky I’d been until now.

“S-Save me! Please!”

“Five goblins?! How?!”

“Y-You bastards! If you run, what am I supposed to do?!”

“……”

It hit me again.

Meeting Erme had been a stroke of incredible luck.

How does a party like this even exist?

At first, things seemed smooth.

They’d spoken with confidence, but the moment we entered the labyrinth, they fell silent—a bad sign.

They talked big, but surely they’re not useless?

I’d thought.

Amazingly.

They were utterly useless.

Two vanguards collapsed against three goblins, and another got injured.

Three goblins? Erme would’ve wiped them out without breaking a sweat.

I should’ve run then.

Written off this party as a lost cause and saved myself.

But a misplaced sense of responsibility made me decapitate the goblins with my sword.

“W-Wow…! Just like the rumors, you’re insane…!”

Had it ended there, no problem.

With their skills, they’d never survive the labyrinth. I’d have gone my own way, cleared a few floors solo, and left.

“That iron sword looks fancy.”

“Now that I look closer, that robe’s high-quality too. Magic gear?”

I’d only shown a simple iron sword, yet they were already eyeing my back.

So.

So, I had no choice.

“……”

I sighed, staring at the bloodstained bags.

Can’t catch a break.

Guess my luck with people had been too good lately.

From Erme to my current party, they’d all been decent.

…Well, Lucia’s still a question mark.

With a title like “Execution Princess,” I wasn’t eager to find out.

Anyway.

Now, I stood at a crossroads.

Continue solo? Or take some of their loot and leave?

-Solo labyrinth diving isn’t bad.

Lisiel’s voice.

-If it gets too dangerous, I’ll guard you at night. As a spirit, I don’t sleep anyway.

You don’t sleep?

-Nope. Not a bad deal. I never needed it to begin with.

Is that so?

-Yeah. Now stop overthinking and head deeper.

Lisiel sounded annoyed. Nodding, I ventured further into the labyrinth.