Chapter 102: The Day Before the Storm (4)

Chapter 102: The Day Before
the Storm (4)

This
guy suddenly says something funny.

“Wouldn’t
you like to take down an outlaw clan, by any chance?”

This
was her way of admitting that she had deadly information, and that
she might give it to me.

“Hey.
You asshole!”

Given
the seizure of Gurmimi, who was locked up with her, and Reichem’s
origins, this was likely information about Clan Blues, a small to
medium-sized clan of criminals whose main focus is slave trading and
all sorts of dirty, nasty things.

‘It’s
also where Grumpy was enslaved.’

Two
contribution points for one wanted outlaw.

With
a clan of this size, there must be at least a dozen of them, and
there’s a reward for catching the bad guys.

It
makes my mouth water but I must not be too greedy since it could be a
trap, or she could be using the information against me.

The
nervousness in her eyes makes it seem pointless, but it never hurts
to be cautious.

“Couldn’t
you have just called those guards, and why did you single me out to
make the offer?”

“If
I simply want to blow the whistle and reduce my sentence, I may do
so. But I want to give you this information.”

We
talked a bit more, and I figured her out.

She’s
afraid that one day, when her sentence is up and she gets out, I’m
going to retaliate.

So
she’s handing over information that could be used by me, hoping to
stay out of my sight rather than get a reduced sentence.

To
be honest, I hadn’t been paying attention since the commission was
completed, but this is a different story.

“You’re
not afraid of the clan’s retaliation? Are you out of your mind?!”

“Ugh.
Do you really think the clan can survive in this Labyrinth City for
ten years? It’s a good place to make a quick buck, but it’s not a
place to stay for ten years.”

“That’s-”

Gurmimi
and Reichem argued, but Gurmimi couldn’t easily refute Reichem’s
words.

Even
Gurmimi, who had risen to a position of leadership, was not convinced
that the group would survive for another decade.

“Forget
about that outlaw clan,” she says, ”you’d be better off lining up
somewhere else.”

Reichem
looked at me as she said that.

Apparently,
to her, I was that ‘line’.

“Before
you say anything, I need you to promise me one thing.”

“Promise?”

“It’s
not much to ask, but when I get out of this prison one day⋯don’t
trample on me.”

She
felt like a convict who had been in prison for 10 years, reformed and
improved herself, and was begging for leniency because I would make
her life hard when she got out.

There
was no reason not to take advantage of the situation when the other
person was making her own case.

“I’ll
judge that after hearing your story.”

Reichem
hesitated for a moment before speaking, realizing the implications of
my words.

“Clan
Blues is a clan whose main business is slave trading. But things
haven’t been going so well lately.”

Slave
trading, and it’s not going well.

How
does one make a living in a world where the fist is closer than the
law?

“That’s
why the hobgoblin shaman’s staff was used to mass-produce idiot
slaves.”

Though
risky, there were plenty of ways to create slaves without going
through the legal process.

I
glanced at Gurmimi beside me and her fluttering eyes quickly averted
my gaze.

The
reaction was on point, which means Reichem’s confession was true.

“But
since we were caught and the staff was taken away soon after, it must
be quite difficult for the higher-ups…as the leader, Vesta.”

Yeah,
her business is on the rocks, and she must be pretty nervous.

“Also,
are you aware that the Academy is having a graduation ceremony soon?”

“Of
course.”

I
know. I even got the suit tailored to wear yesterday but why did she
go from talking about slaves to the Academy?

“⋯Wait.
Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Reichem
was silent for a moment, then spoke.

“The
Blues Clan might attack on the day of the Academy’s graduation.”

***

The
word ‘Academy’ must have a curse attached to it.

What
the hell, getting into so many damn incidents.

“⋯Really,
that’s what she said?”

“Yes.”

“Huh⋯
Crazy, demented assholes⋯”

When
I shared the information I’d gleaned from Reichem, the guard platoon
commander scratched her head and looked shocked.

If
it was a secret from some outlaw clan, I’d keep it to myself, but
this was too dangerous for me to have in my possession.

It
was information that directly related to Ellie’s safety at the
graduation ceremony and could cost the lives of the students.

“Are
they out of their mind? Outlaws are targeting Academy students, and
at graduation? That’s just suicide.”

The
Academy is one of the most powerful forces in Labyrinth City. It
wasn’t a place that a mere outlaw clan could look up to.

“From
what I’ve heard, things are pretty bad over there, too. If they
succeed, they’ll make a fortune, if they fail, they’ll be
annihilated.”

“⋯Maybe⋯”

The
guard platoon leader muttered quietly.

Might,
which means they might not.

Aside
from the bravado, Reichem’s information was highly subjective.

She
seemed to be 100% sure that she was right, but she didn’t know how it
would look to others.

“Okay,
well, I guess I’d better contact the Academy just in case.”

“I
guess we should.”

It
was always better to be prepared for anything, considering the
possible damage.

The
guard platoon leader ordered the guards to retrieve the
communications artifact.

I’ve
given them the information, so they can communicate with the Academy
on their own.

“You’ve
done a great job. What kind of magic did you use?”

“Magic,
that’s a big word.”

“No!
If those guys really do come on the day of the Academy Graduation
Ceremony…you’ve really done something big.”

The
platoon leader of the guard applauded my efforts and gave me a
sideways glance.

It
was a suspicious situation, one that might at first glance seem like
I was in league with an outlaw group, but this guard platoon leader
knew I was working at Diana’s inn.

“Even
if you say that, I won’t even get a single beer.”

“Haha,
it’s us who owe you one, here’s your contribution papers.”

“Oh⋯!”

The
platoon leader handed me the one-point contribution paper.

I
thought I would at most get a few coins, but I never thought I would
get contribution points.

I
chatted with the guard platoon leader for a bit and left the
guardhouse.

There
was one month left until the next labyrinth trip so I decided to
devote myself to training in the meantime.

Naturally,
I turned to the Explorers’ Union.

The
time for training has arrived.

⋯Although
I have a few things to do before then.

***

Balkan
came to the Explorers’ Union, which was bustling as usual.

“Wow.
Did you see the holy lady from earlier?”

“Uh.
She smiled so fucking benevolently, I almost thought it was the same
woman, just a different race.”

“I
can’t believe she has to stay a virgin for the rest of her life with
that face. If it were me, I’d kill myself.”

“I
wonder if Mother Earth Order would approve of anal sex?”

“Ugh.
You crazy assholes. Will you shut the fuck up? You guys are going to
get arrested for heresy.”

‘Did
Serif come and go?’

The
explorers were talking excitedly to each other about Serif.

‘Speaking
of which, I should go to the temple.’

The
keyword “temple” reminded me that I needed to pay Serif for the
damage.

I
was going to get all my errands done today.

I
went to the floor for junior explorers and stood in line to register
the contribution papers I had received so far.

The
teller greeted Balkan with a friendly demeanor.

“What
brings you here?” he asked.

“I’m
here to settle my contribution papers.”

“Oh,
I see!”

The
tired employee’s complexion brightened at Balkan’s words.

Those
who brought contributions were different from the low-level explorers
who were just complaining and swearing, the common slobs.

This
is because the contribution points were collected by those who are
not just undeveloped explorers who live hand to mouth, but rather
those who are serious about developing the labyrinth and becoming
respectable mid-level explorers.

At
the very least, it meant he was a serious explorer.

‘Besides,
this guy⋯’

The
teller’s eyes fell on Balkan’s helmet.

A
muscular big man in a helmet.

A
man who had been mentioned in recent months by several explorers, not
to mention the staff of the Explorers’ Union.

‘Of
course. He is the leader’s disciple.’

“You
can give me the papers!”

At
the teller’s friendly response, Balkan pulled the papers from his
arms and handed them to the man.

Two
cards worth 5 points each, two cards worth 2 points each and one card
worth 1 point.

“15
contribution points, 15 in total.”

The
teller, who had raised his voice for a moment, fell silent again.

The
tellers next to him looked at him and the common emotion was
surprise.

Of
course, a contribution score of 15 was no surprise.

There
were plenty of people in the entire population of Explorers who were
scrambling for promotions.

However,
if a sentence is added before this, the story becomes a little
different.

‘In
less than half a year as an Explorer, he grew to the point where he
accumulated 15 contribution points⋯?’

This
kind of growth was rare.

“That’s
insane talent. Does this mean the Alliance Leader didn’t take him on
as a disciple for nothing? What kind of blessing did he get?”

“If
he’s already at 15 points, he’ll be an intermediate explorer within
the year, right?”

“You
never know. There are a lot of rookies who start out shining and
lose. I heard that Lizard Girl or something quit being an explorer
not long ago.”

“But
I still have two five-point contribution papers.”

“Oh,
yeah. Is that guy still with the party?”

“Who
did you run into in the labyrinth the other day, the same party as
that crazy breastfeeding bitch?”

“Ugh.
Let’s go.”

He’s
talented after all. No, he’ll get over it. Should I recruit him to
the party?

Several
of the Union’s resident explorers have tailored their own plans for
Balkan.

“I’m
sorry⋯”

“No,
no. It’s nothing to apologize for.”

Balkan
gestured toward the bowing staff.

‘As
much as they care about me, I care about them.’

I
don’t plan to stay a low-level explorer forever. Nor will I be
content to be a mid-level explorer.

I
need to look further and higher.

It
definitely helps to grow and get more experience, meet more parties,
and make more connections.

The
more interested they are in me, the faster and more opportunities
will come my way.

Of
course, some people will be jealous and malicious, like Galen, but I
just have to axe them from the front.

While
Balkan was thinking this, the teller was processing the contribution
papers Balkan handed him and noticed a familiar pattern.

“City,
temple issued⋯?”

The
teller mumbled, then covered his mouth in disbelief.

One
of the places that had issued Balkan’s contribution papers was the
Mother Earth Order.

The
explorers looked at Balkan in disbelief.

“The
temple issues contribution papers? I’ve never heard of that before.”

“Perhaps
it’s because of your experience, though I’ve only heard of them
issuing one a few years ago.”

Although
Balkan was oblivious to the attention of Serif, the temple was an
object of love and hate among ordinary explorers.

The
presence of priests, blessings, and curse checks made them
indispensable⋯
but they knew their value only too well, especially
the skyrocketing prices for removing curses.

It’s
rare for a temple that knows their value to offer a five-point
contribution document, even less so for lower-level explorers.

‘What,
exactly, did he do for the temple?’

But
no matter how much they thought about it, there was no way they could
infer why Balkan was rewarded contribution points by the temple.

“Is
it over now?”

“Ah,
yes, your contributions have been settled, and you have 15 points
left for the promotion to Intermediate Explorer.”

The
clerk bowed his head in acknowledgment.

With
his business done, Balkan stepped into the elevator reserved for the
Union Leader with a fluid, natural movement.

“This
is so different from when I was a low-level explorer.”

“⋯You’re
still a low-level explorer. You’ll soon realize the barriers of
reality after the tenth floor.”

“Arthur.
Why are you comparing yourself with a guy who even caught a mutant
Minotaur?”

As
they watched and discussed the elevator ride from the lobby to the
top floor, the explorers felt an odd sense of desolation.

The
emotions that filled the silent room were envy, jealousy, and⋯

“⋯Why
don’t we try to recruit him on our next trip to
the Labyrinth?”

It
was desire.

***

The
elevator doors opened, and the view of Idelbert’s private training
facility came into view.

‘Well,
I guess I’ll be sharing it now.’

With
that thought in mind, I walked toward the training room where
Idelbert would be training as usual.

“The
fifth floor⋯
and the twentieth floor⋯
show signs of being unsealed.”

“I
heard that the 5th floor was taken care of by my disciple…The 20th
floor…”

“⋯Wait.
Disciple? You don’t mean Mr. Balkan-”

It
was usually quiet until I arrived, but today, another voice could be
heard from inside the training room.

‘⋯Serif?’

Only
one person had ever called me Mr. Balkan.

‘Should
I open the door or not?’

I
hesitated, then knocked.

“Who
is it?”

I
knocked on the training room door and immediately heard Idelbert’s
cold voice.

Suddenly,
a chill ran down my spine.

Her
tone was similar to the one she usually used to speak to me, but
strangely more edgy.

“It’s
me, Master. May I enter?”

“Hmm.
Yes. Come in.”

Idelbert’s
voice softened at the identification.

As
I opened the door, I saw two figures, a black cat, and a pure white
cat.

The
black cat had no ears and a black tail, while the white cat had ears
and a tail.

Idelbert
Adeline, a black cat with a cool demeanor and a large, sturdy body.

Serif
Adeline, a white cat with a body that is more worthy of the title of
saintly slut than saint.

The
female cat sisters were different in many ways, from their colors to
their bodies to their moods.

“Ahhhh!
Bal, Balkan?!”

Serif’s
face, which had been expressionless until just before the door
opened, suddenly broke into a smile.

“Uh,
what a coincidence!”

Immediately
afterward, a small crack appeared in her smile as she came closer to
me.

A
sharp nose seemed to detect a vague, fuzzy odor wafting through the
air.

“⋯Breast
milk? No, coffee, huh?”

“Ugh.”

A
chuckle from behind her made Serif turn her head.

Idelbert
smirked bewitchingly through narrowed eyes and muttered.

“Now
you’ve really done everything but mate.”