Chapter 244: Familiar and different Parties (3)

Chapter 244: Familiar and
different Parties (3)

“You
damn guards! From now on, I won’t squirt a single drop of breast milk
in their direction!”

Jubeel
clicked her tongue and spat through the bars above the door of the
adjacent cell.

“Arghhhh!
What is this!”

A
prisoner’s scream came from inside the cell, but Jubeel ignored it
and followed me.

“Balkan,
you wouldn’t know. What I went through with these guards.”

“I’d
rather not know.”

“Listen.
Here they only give you rock-hard bread for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner, you know? Do you know how many tears I shed while soaking it
with breast milk to eat it? I was already pissed about being locked
up right after getting out of the labyrinth. Well, at least my body
got some rest.”

While
Jubeel was clicking her tongue and going “tsk tsk,” I told
her what happened at the Union.

“Lammel
left the party.”

“…As
expected? I knew it would happen someday, but that’s a bit quick.”

Jubeel,
who had spent more time with Lammel than I had, showed a slightly
bitter expression as if deep in thought.

Still,
she didn’t seem too disappointed, as if she had somewhat anticipated
Lammel’s departure from the party.

Despite
Jubeel’s strange behaviors, she was surprisingly observant of party
members.

“Then
we need to find a new mage now. Have you looked into it?”

Even
though someone left, we had to keep preparing for what’s next. Jubeel
seemed to think the same.

“We
received an offer from Nuer, a mid-rank explorer and mage, to make a
long-term contract with our party on the condition of hunting the
Elder Lich that appeared on the 19th floor.”

“19th
floor? Oh shit. We’ll need to upgrade our equipment to go there, huh?
That’s gonna cost some money.”

Even
though we hadn’t accepted yet, Jubeel was already thinking about
changing equipment and planning ahead.

“We
haven’t accepted yet though?”

“Huh?
What’s there to think about? By Nuer, you mean that dark elf mage
Nuer from before? Even though we’re doing pretty well these days, we
can’t find a better mage than them in our current situation. Whatever
it is, be it an Elder Lich or whatever, we just need to kill it. It’s
more profitable if you think long-term.”

“Well.
That’s true but… Aren’t you scared? It’s the 19th floor.”

Lammel
feared the labyrinth.

Not
just Lammel, but other explorers too.

19th
floor. It’s going deeper than half of the labyrinth that has 34
floors.

Naturally,
the level of traps, environment, and monsters gets higher.

According
to Nuer, unlike the upper floors where monsters handling magi only
appeared recently, this was the real middle layer where monsters
wielding magi had existed from before.

“Of
course it’s scary. But I’ve already rolled around too much in the
labyrinth to feel afraid of such things. How many times have I nearly
died since meeting you?”

Jubeel,
who was looking somewhere with a somewhat nostalgic expression,
glanced at me.

“What’s
this? Don’t tell me you’re scared?”

“What
kind of bull—”

“Pffft!
How adorable, you little male baby. Where’s that ferocious muscle and
axe-wielding monster hunter now, getting all timid about going deep
into the spooky labyrinth with females? Your fragile male instincts
must be showing. Grrrr. I can’t stand it. Come here!!!”

Suddenly
excited, Jubeel hugged me from behind and bumped her pussy mound
against my buttocks.

-Thwack!

When
I quickly swung my arm backward, my elbow struck Jubeel’s temple
directly.

“Urk—”

Jubeel’s
legs instantly gave out and she collapsed unconscious onto the guard
station floor.

“…Sigh.”

I
rubbed my face while sighing.

I
didn’t want to take such violent action, but that was too
humiliating.

‘If
she had done it to my crotch instead of my butt, at least my male
pride would have survived.’

Clicking
my tongue, I grabbed her cow horns protruding from her head like
handles and lifted her up.

Knocked
out cold, she was completely limp and couldn’t move a finger as she
was lifted by my hands.

With
the unconscious Jubeel tucked under my arm, I bowed slightly to the
guard who had witnessed this whole scene.

“Thanks
for keeping this one locked up.”

“Ah,
uh, yes, yes… Take care…”

After
receiving the guard’s farewell, who seemed to think they had it
easier than I would, I left the guard station.

“Should
I dump her in the back alley?”

“Forget
it. Let’s just go.”

Though
I wanted to just throw her on the street as Denshi suggested, it was
obvious that outlaws or beggars would strip and take advantage of
Jubeel if I did that.

But
I didn’t know where her lodgings were either.

In
the end, we headed to the temple together, to meet our last party
member, the junior priest Hitolis.

***

There
were many injured people in the temple’s infirmary.

Roughly
counting, there seemed to be over a hundred.

“Aaagh!
Heal! Hurry with the heal…!”

“Priest.
I’ll get better, right? Right…? Please tell me that’s true…”

“I,
I got cut by a black goblin. I, I can’t feel my arm…”

The
effects were clearly felt from what they said about monsters becoming
more violent in the labyrinth.

Cut
by something, pierced through, bite marks deep enough to leave
scars…

Explorers
bearing all sorts of wounds were barely managing to stop their
bleeding, drinking antidotes and potions while receiving healing from
priests to sustain their lives.

The
sticky smell of blood permeating everywhere was incomparable to the
blood scent I dealt with at the Union.

In
the center of this battlefield-like infirmary, the cat-person priest
Hitolis, whose fluffy fur was soaked with the injured people’s blood,
bowed her head.

“I’m
sorry. I don’t think I can go to the labyrinth for a while.”

Along
with this shocking news that she wouldn’t be able to join the
labyrinth exploration for a while.

“As
you can see, too many injured explorers have been coming in these
past few days and we haven’t had a moment to breathe. Not just this
infirmary, but other infirmaries are also full of people…I think
I’ll have to stay put for at least a month. From what I hear, priests
from other explorer parties have also been mobilized to treat the
injured before going into the labyrinth.”

Deep
fatigue was visible in Hitolis’ eyes as she said this.

Keeping
dying people alive through healing requires tremendous holy power.

And
with the number of injured being so high, there was no need to
elaborate on that fatigue.

Moreover,
since the temple had even mobilized contracted priests prioritizing
treatment of the injured over labyrinth exploration, it seemed
unlikely we could take her on this labyrinth expedition.

Not
just Hitolis, but other priests were in the same situation.

‘We’re
screwed.’

A
priest is the number one personnel you should secure first if you
dream of a safe labyrinth expedition.

No
matter how good healing potions are, quality potions are not only
expensive but also limited in quantity due to high demand.

On
the other hand, priests have at least mid-grade potion level healing
ability, and on top of that, can provide beneficial buffs for
fighting monsters through various miracles.

Given
that holy power has good compatibility against magi, the buffs they
provide would be quite effective in this labyrinth expedition…

“I’m
sorry…”

Perhaps
my expression looked bad, as Hitolis hung her head low.

Though
tension naturally built up at the thought of going into the labyrinth
without a priest for the first time in a while, I swallowed my
disappointment and answered.

“No
need to be sorry. Saving people obviously comes first.”

“I’m
really sorry…But why is Jubeel like that? Is Jubeel injured too?”

“No.
She’s just unconscious. It’s Jubeel after all.”

“Ah…”

Hitolis
nodded with an understanding expression and that sight made me smile
a little.

Right.
Even if it’s disappointing, we just need to pack more potions than
usual.

Later,
while giving compensation for the previous labyrinth expedition and
discussing Lammel’s party withdrawal and matters related to Nuer.

“Aaagh!”

A
sharp scream cut through our conversation.

Hitolis
immediately ran to the injured person.

The
injured person started rolling their eyes while foaming purple at the
mouth.

Though
Hitolis urgently squeezed out holy power and poured out healing
light, even that didn’t have a meaningful effect.

The
injured person was shaking all over but still held on while clenching
their fists.

Humans
are creatures with an intense attachment to life.

Even
when horrible pain torments them, their attachment to life doesn’t
easily subside.

That’s
why screams filled with desperation and groans enduring pain and
suffering covered the surroundings.

Just
as the lives of those desperately holding onto their lifelines were
gradually being cut off.

“It’s
okay.”

Along
with a calm voice, a new rope was lowered to those who were holding
onto a line about to break.

-Shhhhh.

A
warm sensation drove away the smell of blood as dazzling white light
spread far away.

Like
white snow falling, particles of light fell from the air and touched
those crying out in pain.

“Ugh,
my arm, my arm… Huh? …It’s healed?”

“The
blood. The bleeding stopped. My fingers… are moving too…!”

“It’s
a miracle. A miracle from the Earth Mother Goddess!”

The
holy power containing warm light eliminated pain and brought only
comfort as soon as it touched them.

The
face of the explorer who was foaming at the mouth and nearly dead
just moments ago regained peaceful relief.

The
gazes of those who were writhing in pain turned toward the one
approaching while emitting dazzling holy power.

“Ah,
Holy Maiden…”

“The
Holy Maiden saved us…!”

They
bowed or lowered their heads to the being who bestowed life-saving
grace upon them.

Among
those bowing their heads, I watched the particles of light that
touched my palm before fading away.

‘Strangely
familiar.’

Unlike
other priests’ holy power, it felt somehow attractive…A very
nostalgic feeling.

‘Where
have I felt this sensation before?’

Separate
from such questions, it felt like thunder struck in my mind.

Why
haven’t I thought of this until now?

-Kiiing.

When
I slightly activated the Blessing of Radiance in my hand, holy power
similar to the light I just saw flowed out.

The
holy power emitted by the Blessing of Radiance was qualitatively
superior to that of ordinary priests.

Then…

‘Can’t
I do something similar to what priests do?’

Right
after reaching that thought, someone’s toes entered my helmet-covered
field of vision, along with a white, plump, soft cat tail.

At
that familiarity, I raised my head to see Serif smiling with her
characteristic smile while twitching her white fluffy cat ears.

“Welcome.
Balkan-nim. Did you come to study with me again like last time?”

Serif’s
eyes looked ten times more tired than Hitolis’ as she said that.

The
healing miracle just witnessed was worth feeling such fatigue. Her
voice was even trembling slightly, which said it all.

Even
amid all that, she still brought up studying as if thinking of her
promise with me, but this was an opportunity too good to miss.

“Yes.”

An
opportunity to learn healing ability using holy power.

“I
want to receive lots of education from Serif-nim.”

-Flinch.

At
those words, Serif’s eyes, which had been drowsy with fatigue, went
wide and their white cheeks turned red.

“…What?!”

Along
with a squeaking moan, her snow-white cat tail started thumping
against the floor.