episode_0002

“Sigh…”

I descended to the lower floor of the inn.

“Oh, you’re up?”

Ted, the staff member who had returned to work in the morning, greeted me.

“Will you be having breakfast before you go?”

“Yeah… for two.”

“And what about the person you were with last night?”

“Hmm.”

“But that person was a woman, right? And you even got her drunk. Rashwood, that’s unlike you.”

“Don’t talk nonsense… I think it was a mistake on my part too.”

No, really.

I had no intention of going that far with Linde.

I just wanted to find out if the truth detection magic was real or not by giving her a bit of alcohol.

But as one drink led to another, Linde ended up emptying several bottles of that expensive Sinigia honey wine all by herself.

I foolishly assumed she was just an ignorant girl who knew nothing.

Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, but somehow, in an attempt to at least recover some of the cost of that honey wine, I ended up taking Linde to bed.

“Ugh!”

I banged my head heavily on the empty table.

What’s done is done.

I can’t change the past.

But I don’t know what to do now.

Getting a clueless maiden drunk like that.

After hastily washing up and escaping from the bed once the alcohol wore off, how should I face Linde when she comes down?

“Ha… I should apologize.”

Yeah.

What other choice do I have?

Apologize and maybe even get slapped…

No, I don’t have the audacity to do something like that.

And unfortunately, Linde came down really quickly.

I did tell her to hurry up and wash, but she came down too soon.

“Oh, um, hello…”

Linde was wrapped in black clothes from head to toe like yesterday, but her flushed face gave away everything.

“Uh, yeah… um… I’ve already ordered breakfast.”

“T-Thank you.”

“…”

“…”

This is so awkward.

I can’t keep this up forever, so let’s start with an apology.

“That…”

“R-Rashwood!”

Before I could speak, Linde spoke first.

“Huh?”

“You… you were thinking the same thing as me.”

The same thing?

What is she talking about?

“I… like you, I covered my face because I’m from the Evoni tribe… We don’t have anyone on our side… right?”

What’s with this sudden talk?

“So I was a bit surprised yesterday, but still happy. You also… are thinking of expanding the Evoni tribe like me…”

“Um…”

Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the Evoni tribe or anything like that.

If it were someone else, I would have told them to stop talking nonsense like I did to Ted, but…

“I didn’t really… think about reviving the tribe as such. But it would be nice to have more of our kind around.”

It’s not a lie.

If the tribe grows, it seems like Linde would be happier than me.

It’s unfortunate, but if she’s genuinely pleased for such noble reasons, there’s no need to ruin it.

At least Linde seems to be thinking of yesterday’s events not as a grudge but rather as a stroke of luck… right?

“Y-Yes! It would definitely be good to have more of our kind around. Hehe…”

Seeing Linde genuinely smile for the first time, I decided to continue with this lie.

But…

“Still, raising a child is no easy task. It requires preparation in its own way.”

“Ah, y-yes! Um… By any chance, does Rashwood have a house in the Labyrinth City?”

“Huh? Yes, I do. It’s a bit tucked away, but it’s definitely my property.”

“I was anxious coming to the Labyrinth City without knowing anyone, but now I won’t need to stay at the inn. I’m glad I can save on rent.”

“…?”

“Oh, um, w-would it be okay if I waited for you to come back from the Labyrinth? I need to pack at the inn…”

Could it be…

“She wants to come to my… house?”

“Yes? Of course.”

He raises his head confidently.

Now, without stumbling in speech and with a steady voice, he seems perfectly fine.

The extreme changes and thoughts actually make my own thoughts unclear.

“I didn’t expect to settle in the Labyrinth City, but still, I feel so fortunate to find fellow beings who share the same thoughts as me… When I first left my hometown, I was really lost about what to do…”

Suddenly, Rinde’s voice darkened again.

“I don’t know anyone… and there’s no one to help… Ah… that wasn’t even available back in my hometown… haha…”

As Rinde reminisced about the past, her face looked infinitely desolate, leaving me momentarily speechless.

“Hmm…”

For starters, there is plenty of space in my house.

Well, calling it “plenty” might be an overstatement; it’s both an advantage and a disadvantage to have such a spacious place.

Anyway, Rinde has enough living space.

Considering cohabitation was something I had in mind from the start if her abilities are indeed real.

It’s not uncommon for adventurers in the Labyrinth City to live together as a team.

Saving on rent, as Rinde mentioned, means investing in making my companion a little stronger and more capable.

While it might seem like a good idea for teammates to live together…

“I want to ask something cautiously, what would you do if you really got pregnant?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“You can’t enter the labyrinth with a pregnant body. That’s one of the reasons I’m taking you in.”

In fact, that was the only reason.

“Well…”

Rinde’s head and voice softened.

“Raising a child also costs a lot of money. It’s not an easy decision to make.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

It feels like the conversation is flowing as if it’s already confirmed that I will be raising a child with Rinde. While it was my fault for getting carried away that night, it’s unreasonable to take lifelong responsibility for someone I spent just one night with.

Though I feel guilty, I need to coolly collect my thoughts.

“Let’s take it slow for now. Let’s eat first, then head straight to the labyrinth. We’ll confirm your abilities there, and then we can talk again.”

“Okay…”

And an awkward silence followed until Ted brought breakfast.

Buttered toast with milk and eggs, bacon and bean stew.

Although ordinary vegetable dishes are much cheaper, it’s said that to fight well, one must eat well.

“Wow…”

Rinde exclaimed as she looked down at the food on the table.

Even in this situation, she shows such reactions, making me wonder what kind of food she ate and lived on back in her hometown.

“The smell is really nice.”

“Eat quickly. If you’re too slow, there won’t be any seats left.”

I folded the thin bread, speared it with my fork, and took a bite, then ate the stew.

The labyrinth is vast, able to accommodate city adventurers adequately, but even within it, areas where one can operate relatively safely are limited.

With many inexperienced novice adventurers lacking skills and experience, and few safe zones, competition inevitably arises.

“It’s delicious…!”

Rinde exclaimed while eating the bread and stew enthusiastically.

If she had dragged out the meal, I would have urged her to hurry up, but she finished her meal quickly, seemingly lost in thought only after finishing.

“Let’s go now.”

“Okay…”

I paid and left the inn, heading to the adventurer guild, which could be considered the heart of the city, a city built by and for the labyrinth.

The organization that manages people exploring the labyrinth and its vicinity is called the Adventurers Guild.

It was early in the morning, yet quite a few people had gathered as expected.

I quickened my pace and entered the guild building.

Since there was no line at the reception, I could meet the receptionist, Misty, right away.

“Good morning.”

Misty greeted me.

“Oh, good morning. Give me a ticket.”

To enter the labyrinth, one must obtain a ticket and present it to the guards who protect the labyrinth. Registered adventurers can enter for free, but those of a certain rank can enter with just their rank badge.

Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since I last came to get a ticket.

“A ticket? Ah, you must have agreed to work with Rinde yesterday.”

“Yeah.”

“Was her skill really impressive?”

“I haven’t confirmed it yet. I’m going to do that now.”

“You haven’t…? Weren’t you supposed to check it with the magic stone last night?”

“…”

“…What were you up to last night, anyway?”

“…It’s meaningless unless we confirm it with a monster. We’re not trying to excavate magic stones.”

“Oh, I see… Here’s your ticket.”

Misty handed me a small wooden board.

“Take care…”

“Rasiwood.”

Taking it and turning to leave, Misty spoke.

“Why?”

“What happened between you and Rinde yesterday?”

I couldn’t see her face as I turned away, but her voice sounded uneasy.

“…Nothing happened.”

“…”

“It’s fine. Anyway, take care.”

With those words, I walked out.

I felt suspicious glances following me from behind, but I ignored them.

I took Rinde, who was in the corner, and left the guild building.

“We’re going to the labyrinth now. Have you ever been inside the labyrinth before?”

“No…”

“Have you had any real combat experience?”

“Re… Real combat?”

Expecting real combat experience from this guy might be difficult, but let’s give it a try.

I should have asked about his school of magic or confident spells from last night, but he drank too much…

“Have you fought with magic or killed monsters?”

“Oh, yes. I have.”

“Oh? Still seems a bit green. What was the strongest enemy you faced?”

“A dragon.”

“Oh, a dragon. What kind of dra… gon? Huh? What was it?”