47. Let’s Take It Easy

“Is she asleep?”
“Yeah. Seems to be sleeping deeply.”

After tucking Olivia into the guest room, I stepped outside.
Yuria and I had things to discuss separately.

“Shion, what do you plan to do from now on?”

As we sat at the table, Yuria handed me a glass of wine and asked. The faint aroma of the wine lingered as she sought my thoughts on our future plans.

“Hmm. What should we do?”

Yuria and I were in this together.
We were lovers, and at the same time, we shared the secret of Olivia’s existence.
Now, we could never betray each other.

If either of us were to reveal Olivia’s existence to the outside world-
a storm of blood would sweep through the labyrinth city.
Perhaps even Lady Leah or the Guild Leader wouldn’t be easy to confide in.
These were secrets too dangerous to share with anyone we couldn’t absolutely trust.

‘We can’t let it slip. Olivia’s existence. The vast knowledge she holds about the labyrinth. This is mine… no, ours-mine and Yuria’s.’

Would people really die over the knowledge Olivia possesses?
Of course. Do you still think human lives are precious?
This is the labyrinth city, where even the dead are resurrected with the Art of Resurrection and put to work.

Knowledge is power. Just knowing a single unexplored route can change one’s life.
Let alone the weaknesses and uses of unknown monsters, or even information on temporary dungeons.
This isn’t knowledge that can be measured in gold.

If rumors of Olivia’s existence and her knowledge were to spread through the labyrinth city-
adventurers wouldn’t hesitate to draw their swords against each other to claim her.
Eventually, Olivia would fall into the hands of the city’s power players, toyed with and modified until she became nothing more than a totem forced to regurgitate information.
And in the process, who knows what would happen to me and Yuria?

That’s just how the labyrinth city is.
Behind its dazzling nightlife, death lurks everywhere.
If you obtain a rare potion or treasure, you must hide it at all costs.
Any adventurer who stumbles upon a stroke of luck in the labyrinth must always be wary of the night.
You never know when, where, or by whom it might be taken from you.

Nothing is more dangerous than flaunting wealth or good fortune.
Even the comrades who laughed and explored the labyrinth with you moments ago might plunge a knife into your back.

Of course, with the guild’s presence, such incidents are significantly reduced.
But what if the guild itself coveted such information?
What if it was something that would make the city’s power players salivate?

‘Just imagining it is horrifying.’

Today, Yuria and I had obtained a stroke of luck-Olivia.
A labyrinth strategy guide acquired for the absurdly cheap price of 22 gold.
Though she didn’t remember everything perfectly, the information she painstakingly recalled was all true.
If we used Olivia’s knowledge to plunder the underground city, just how much could we gain?

‘Money won’t be an issue anymore. I might even become a recognized powerhouse in the labyrinth city.’

That’s why the information Olivia provided must not be revealed to the world yet.
It’s better for us to monopolize it in every way.
There’s no need to share it with others.
After all, the true pleasure of a stroke of luck lies in monopolizing and devouring it whole.

‘And while we’re monopolizing Olivia, we must grow as strong as possible. Strong enough to ignore even the threats of Platinum Badge holders.’

To protect what I have, overwhelming power is necessary.
And to gain that power, I also needed a reliable ‘team’ of my own.

“We’ll need a team to properly plunder the underground city.”

The underground city was vast and dangerous-Yuria and I couldn’t explore it alone.
Ultimately, to conquer it, we’d need a team composed of at least Silver Badge adventurers.
A team we could trust enough to share Olivia’s knowledge with.
People who wouldn’t betray me.

A few names came to mind immediately.

‘What about Lady Leah?’

She likes me.
But is it the same blind, devoted love Yuria has for me?
Lady Leah’s feelings seem closer to a typical one-sided crush.
I felt it was too soon to share Olivia’s information with her and her party.

‘Her party members would ultimately follow her lead.’

Until I could fully trust them, I couldn’t rely on them either.

Then, could I trust Guild Leader Moira?

‘Her offer of a physical relationship was likely just for pleasure and desire.’

Moira doesn’t blindly love me.
She probably just chose me as her plaything because I seemed easy to handle and fit her tastes.
Moreover, the Guild Leader was someone who would sacrifice pawns for the greater good.
I couldn’t entrust Olivia to her.
She might even sacrifice Olivia for the sake of the guild and the labyrinth city.

So, what remained was-

“Slaves, I guess.”
“That seems to be the case. You need people who won’t betray you, after all. But Shion, you know, right?”
“Yeah. I know just how pathetic most slaves are.”

Most slaves sold by traders are worthless rejects who can’t even function as adventurers.
No skill, no luck, nothing but their bodies.
Handing them a weapon and expecting them to explore the underground city?
If that were possible, major trading companies would’ve already formed slave exploration teams.

Being an adventurer requires talent.
The ability to think on your feet in crises and handle your body well.
Or exceptional mana, high mental fortitude, divine power, or faith.
At least one of these must exceed that of an ordinary person to survive as an adventurer.

Most of those who end up in slave markets have nothing to offer.
People don’t become slaves just because they’re poor.
If they had talent, the church would’ve picked them up first.

In the end, finding someone to explore the labyrinth with among slaves was difficult.
There weren’t many I could trust.
And even if I could trust them, their abilities were lacking.

“Maybe it’d be better to coax Lady Leah after all.”
“Do you really think she’s trustworthy?”
“I think she’s reliable enough.”
“Hmm. She definitely likes you, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah…”

Yuria had already noticed.
Leah’s feelings for me.
And that I was considering using those feelings.

A bitter taste filled my mouth.
Looking back at myself, planning to exploit someone else’s emotions, felt uncomfortable.
But if I wanted to monopolize the hidden elements of the underground city… what choice did I have?

“But Shion, is the daughter of the Lionel family really capable?”
“She’s calm and quick-witted. If we train her well, she might pull her weight. If we can develop her before the subjugation battle…”
“The subjugation battle starts next month, Shion. Can you raise her to Silver Badge level in just a month?”
“Reaching Silver in a month would be tough, but… if we use the high-concentration training method Olivia mentioned, we might be able to enter the underground city within that time.”
“Hmm. Still risky. What we’re aiming for isn’t something you can get just by having a single Silver Badge. You know that, right?”

Yuria was right.
I nodded.

There was so much to gain.
But whether I could obtain it all was uncertain.
Still, if I could get everything-
At the very least, Yuria and I could quickly rise to Platinum Badge status.

And if we became Platinum Badges-
I could fulfill Yuria’s dream.
Yuria, who wanted to see the 7th floor.

To descend into the underground city and reach the 7th floor, Gold Badge alone wouldn’t be enough.
And to meet Lady Leah’s conditions, I’d need at least a Gold Badge.

My head was a mess.
I felt impatient. My heart was heavy.
I wanted to enter the labyrinth quickly and seize opportunities faster than anyone else.
It felt like only then would a bright future await us.

“What do you think, Yuria?”
“Me? About what?”
“Just… things moving forward. The direction we should take. Stuff like that. I want to know your thoughts. My head’s too cluttered.”

At my question, Yuria thought for a moment before speaking.
“I haven’t changed. I still want to see the 7th floor. But I wouldn’t risk my life for it. To me, the 7th floor is just a dream, a small wish.”
“A dream… a wish?”
“Yeah. I want to see the same sights my mother saw. If you ask whether I’d die for it… well, not that much. The same goes for the spider dens and snake nests Olivia mentioned. I’m just curious about what new places look like. That’s all.”

Dreams and wishes.
Curiosity and wonder.
Her reason for entering the labyrinth.
It was adventure.

Simply because she loved adventure.
Not to gain something from the 7th floor, not to bring anything back.
Just the small desire to see its scenery.

“Olivia’s stories alone aren’t enough. That’s just knowledge. I need to see it for myself to be satisfied. But honestly? I don’t need to see it. It’s not worth risking my life. I’m happy just being with you like this. What about you?”
“…”

I was momentarily speechless at her question.

“Shion, you seem to be overthinking things.”
“Do I? Maybe.”
“Yeah. You’re not acting like yourself. It’s like you’re obsessed with something.”

Yuria tightly grasped my hand.
Her warmth seeped into me.
My heart felt warmer.
At the same time, my mind cleared slightly.

As she fiddled with my hand, she asked:
“Shion, why do you enter the labyrinth?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Your purpose.”
“My purpose… The reason I entered the labyrinth was…”

At first, it was for money.
Just to afford a piece of bread.
That’s why I became a porter and entered the labyrinth.
I was starving.
Even knowing I might die, I went in.

But now?
Now that I had money, why did I still want to enter?
For more wealth?
To fulfill Yuria’s dream?
To officially date Lady Leah?

No. That’s not it.

The reason I wanted to enter the labyrinth now-
the reason I wanted to descend into the underground city…
was perhaps greed.
The desire to monopolize the advantage of possessing knowledge no one else had.
Maybe that was what was driving me into the labyrinth.

“You look lost in thought.”

Yuria stared straight at me.
Her crimson eyes seemed to peer into my soul.
Like Moira using her Magic Eye to read intentions.
Yuria, too, seemed to see through my thoughts.

“Don’t rush. Getting ahead of others doesn’t guarantee happiness.”
“But…”
“So what if a few opportunities are taken? The upper layers’ opportunities were already claimed by past adventurers. Did you ever resent them for taking what was already gone?”
“Well… no. They discovered them long ago.”
“Exactly. Even if others take opportunities first, does it directly harm us?”
“Not really. It might be frustrating, though.”
“Right. It’s just a little envy. Is that worth risking your life? No. You can’t assume you’ll always be resurrected. What if you die for good trying to seize an opportunity? Or end up broken, like Olivia.”
“You’re right.”

Yuria’s words were undeniably true.
Just look at Olivia.
She tried to monopolize the labyrinth’s opportunities, died four times, was resurrected, and ended up broken like this.

“And Shion, have you heard that artifacts choose their owners?”
“Moira-nim mentioned it once.”

When I asked about the magic sword she possessed.
She had hinted at it, I think.

The treasures born from the labyrinth-
choose their owners themselves.

“Yeah. My mother said the same. No matter how hard you struggle, they’ll eventually find their destined wielder.”

She might be right.
Just because I desperately want something doesn’t mean it’ll be mine.

“More importantly, you already have more than enough to envy. Look at me. The greatest opportunity in the labyrinth city-who’s holding me right now?”

At her question, my perspective widened slightly.

Ah.
The opportunity every man in the labyrinth city would envy-was sitting right in front of me.

“My hand. You’re holding my hand.”
“Exactly. Shion, everything eventually falls into the hands of those meant to have it. If you struggle to claim what isn’t yours, the labyrinth will devour you. Like Olivia.”

I nodded at Yuria’s words.
Just because I obtained undisclosed information didn’t mean I could monopolize every opportunity.
The labyrinth was cruel and cold.
It wasn’t kind enough to let one person hoard everything.

And the moment you’re consumed by selfish desires-
you become the labyrinth’s prey.

“It was greed. Thanks, Yuria.”
“Yeah. Now you sound like yourself again. You’re greedy for money, but you’re not the type to be consumed by it. Let’s take it easy. That’s what you always say, right? Take it easy.”

Yuria smiled brightly.

I felt ashamed of myself for being so obsessed with monopolizing opportunities that I considered exploiting Lady Leah and her party, who hadn’t even been in the labyrinth city for a month.
To think of using Lady Leah’s feelings for me…
That was clearly the wrong approach. Yuria had kindly pointed that out.

Don’t let greed blind you and get swallowed by the labyrinth.
Don’t abandon your humanity.

Yeah, let’s not rush.
No one’s chasing me, and I’m not competing with anyone.
Opportunities are nice if you can get them, but-
even if you don’t, your life won’t immediately fall apart.

And even without opportunities, I could still reach Gold Badge within six months.
I’d thought so even before meeting Olivia.
Olivia’s existence shouldn’t dictate my life.

Since things have come to this, let’s return to my original mindset.
Before meeting Lady Leah, before the cataclysm, I was different.
A carefree porter who explored the labyrinth without being tied down.
Not someone who moved solely to monopolize opportunities for wealth and fame.

I must’ve made too much money lately.
A mere porter like me has gotten drunk on wealth.

As Yuria said, I should reclaim that old mindset.
Losing composure narrows your vision and limits your thoughts.

I needed to reach Gold Badge within six months to persuade Lady Leah’s family, but-
pushing her into danger for that would be putting the cart before the horse.

“I should register at the Martial Hall tomorrow.”
“Yeah, good idea. I’ll help you train.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I was planning to rest a bit before the subjugation battle anyway. And if my boyfriend’s serious about training, of course I’ll help. But my methods might be a bit rough.”
“Rough how?”
“I’ll teach you exactly how my mother taught me. Don’t cry in the middle of it.”
“Wait, Yuria. On second thought, maybe I should train alone at the Martial Hall.”
“What’re you scared of?! Come here!”

Yuria grabbed me.
Lifted me up and pulled me into her embrace.

“I’ll help you train, so just say yes. Understood, Master?”
“Hey, calling me ‘Master’ only now? That’s cheating.”
“So, yes or no?”
“Fine, fine. But Yuria, I can’t breathe.”
“Don’t like being in my arms? Want me to spin you around?”
“No, I love it. Sorry.”

Yuria grinned and threw me onto the bed.

“Ghk-?!”
“Hehe. I’ve been waiting for Olivia to fall asleep.”
“W-Wait, Yuria.”
“Stay still, Master. I followed you around all day looking at slaves and listened to your worries. Now it’s my turn to have fun.”
“Agh-! You sound like an old man-!”
“Hehehe. Master, I won’t let you sleep tonight.”
“Guh-! The master-servant relationship is reversed-!”

Yuria’s hands stripped my clothes.
My shirt was half-torn, my belt ripped off.
As I grew slightly excited at the thought of being devoured by Yuria-

Someone knocked on the door.

–Knock knock knock.

“Huh? Who’s there?”
“Hah…”

Yuria left me on the bed, picked up her sword, and approached the door.
She looked extremely displeased at having our time interrupted.
If it was a peddler or an unwelcome guest, she’d cut them down on the spot.

“Who is it? At this hour?”

Her voice dripped with irritation.
Then, a voice answered from outside.

-Is this Yuria-ssi’s house?

That voice…

‘Lady Leah?!’

Come to think of it, Lady Leah had mentioned wanting to meet Yuria separately.
I guess today was the day.