79. Location Selection Is Very Important

“Moira, are you awake?”

No answer. She seemed to be fast asleep.

Staring at the ceiling alone, many thoughts crossed my mind.

‘What do I do?’

I got the Guild Leader pregnant.

At this point, it’s probably a 120% certainty.

There’s no way she isn’t pregnant.

If she gives birth, the child will undoubtedly look exactly like her.

Of course, the Guild Leader wouldn’t even consider an abortion-she’d definitely go through with it.

A child between me and the Guild Leader will be born.

They’ll definitely be cute. Damn it.

The thought that I might become a father soon made my head spin.

My girlfriend is Yuria, but now my first child will be with her mother.

This is all Rin’s fault. If that damn maid hadn’t lied about it being a safe day, I would’ve done it outside.

“Haaaah.”

Moira lay beside me, breathing softly in her sleep.

I stroked her hair. She’s older than me, but just by looks, she could pass as Yuria’s older sister-she’s that youthful.

How could anyone believe this woman has a daughter my age?

‘She’s really pretty, though.’

Honestly, she’s too good for a mere porter. A woman with looks like hers, carrying the title of the city’s strongest, and leading the largest guild in the Labyrinth City-the Adventurer’s Guild.

I heard nobles constantly court her. How absurd must they feel?

The woman they spent fortunes trying to woo suddenly gets knocked up by some Eastern porter brat-now that’d be a sight.

‘If I don’t want to tarnish Moira’s reputation, I have to get stronger.’

Moreover, if I don’t want to make Moira a widow, I have no choice but to push myself even harder.

At this point, the only answer is to dive into the Labyrinth and grow stronger.

It’s like every circumstance is forcing me into the Labyrinth.

For Lady Leah’s sake, for Yuria’s dream, and even the contract with the Three Witches.

Everything is pushing me toward the Labyrinth.

‘This isn’t a coincidence.’

There must be something in the Labyrinth.

What exactly is calling me from its depths?

Why is it summoning me?

For regression?

Or perhaps for something even greater.

I closed my eyes.

Time to sleep.

I’ll be diving back into the Labyrinth soon.

I should rest while I can.

---

“Ugh…”

I even drooled in my sleep.

Moira was still asleep.

Judging by the sun outside, it was about time to leave.

“Moira, Moira?”

“Mmm…”

“Shouldn’t you get up?”

“Mmm… You go first… I’ll come later…”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She wants to sleep more, huh.

Being the Guild Leader, she can come to work whenever she wants.

‘I promised to meet the young lady today, so I should hurry.’

I quickly pulled on my pants and left the room.

“Shion…”

“Ah.”

And then I ran into Yuria in the hallway.

Yuria, looking dizzy from a hangover, tilted her head and looked me up and down.

“Y-Yuria…”

“Why are you coming out of my mom’s room?”

Thud.

My heart sank in an instant.

How the hell do I explain this?

“Well, you see…”

“Wait, were you drunk too?”

“Huh?”

“Did Mom drag you in there while drunk or something? Right?”

“Uh, well…”

What the hell should I say here?

Should I just tell her the truth?

Hiding it from Yuria feels too guilt-inducing.

I want to be free of this guilt. Should I just confess everything?

“Ah, Lady Yuria. It seems Master dragged Shion-nim into her room on a whim.”

“Rin-nim…”

Rin-nim appeared behind Yuria.

Before I could say anything, she defended me first.

“Nothing must’ve happened. They were both drunk.”

“Really? Nothing happened, right?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah. Right.”

There’s no way I can say I probably got Moira pregnant in this atmosphere.

Yuria would kill me.

“Then, could you both wait in the dining room? I’ve prepared soup for your hangovers.”

“Really? Rin-nim’s soup is delicious. Hehe.”

Yuria went downstairs first.

“Shion-nim.”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Let’s keep today’s matter a secret. Hehe.”

“Wait-! What’s your game here? It wasn’t even a safe day yesterday!”

“Did you finish inside?”

“Huh? No, that’s not-”

“I see. She’ll get pregnant, then.”

“What kind of nonsense is that…! Was this all your scheme?”

“It’s not a scheme. I simply wished for Moira-nim to be happy.”

“Moira-nim’s happiness?”

“Yes. She’s lived a lonely life. She even raised Yuria mostly alone. It’s time for Moira-nim to find happiness too.”

“But Yuria-”

“Yuria-nim will accept it. After all, it’s not like you’re taking her away completely. You’re just sharing someone you love for a while. She’ll understand. Sharing a husband is part of Eastern culture, isn’t it? As an Easterner, you’d know that, right?”

“…Uh, right? You mean polygamy?”

“Exactly.”

Rin-nim patted my shoulder.

“I’ll do my best to help you too. So please, make the women of this household happy.”

“You’re just dumping everything on me…!”

“Dumping? I said I’ll help as much as I can. Let’s do our best together.”

“Ugh…”

This crazy maid. She set me up.

“Now, let’s go downstairs. A good day starts with a proper meal.”

There’s no way out.

Moira’s womb has probably already been fertilized by my sperm.

And it’s my fault for blindly trusting Rin’s words without question.

At least now I know how devious this maid is. I’ll have to be careful from now on.

As expected, there’s not a single trustworthy person in this damn city.

---

After breakfast, I took Yuria home and headed straight to the guild.

It was time to collect the overdue payment from Lady Leah.

She mentioned giving me money and some mysterious gift.

“Shion. Over here.”

When I entered the guild, Lady Leah and some unfamiliar men were waiting in the reception room.

A massive, muscular man, a blond man, and a one-eyed man who looked like a seasoned adventurer.

Four people in total were waiting for me.

The big guy and the one-eyed man were probably the blond man’s bodyguards.

“Porter, you’re late.”

“Huh? Ah, my apologies.”

The moment I stepped into the reception room, the blond man glared at me with a displeased expression as he sipped his tea.

Judging by his demeanor, this must be Lady Leah’s older brother.

The typical high-handed aura of nobility oozed from him.

“Brother. Be nice. He’s my savior, okay?”

“Ahem. Fine.”

“Shion, this is my older brother.”

Leo Lionell.

The eldest son of the Frontier Count.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Shion.”

“Right. I heard about you through letters. You saved my sister?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“Good. First, here’s the promised reward. Dooms, bring it out.”

“Yes, Master.”

The large man placed a bag on the table.

“400 gold coins. The base payment.”

“Wha-? Huh?”

“400 gold coins. Should I give you 4 platinum coins instead?”

“Ah, hold on. Whoa. Whoaaa!”

My eyes nearly popped out at the sight of 400 gold coins.

I expected maybe 200, but double that?

“The reward isn’t over yet. Don’t get too excited. Commoners-always losing their minds over money.”

“Hey! Brother! Stop looking down on commoners. This is the Labyrinth City. You’ll get stabbed.”

“Hmph. Fine. Damn labyrinth.”

Leo sipped his tea while glaring at me.

I don’t care. 400 gold coins? I could retire right now with this.

Of course, retirement isn’t an option for me.

“Duran. Bring out the next reward.”

“Yes.”

This time, the one-eyed bodyguard placed a pouch on the table.

“This is…”

“Open it. It’s a gift from the Family Head. Handle it respectfully.”

“Uh, yes.”

I wasn’t sure what “respectfully” meant, but I did my best to open it carefully.

“This is…”

Inside was a bracelet woven from grass.

It looked fragile, but this was the reward?

“Father received this from his predecessor. It’s called the Bracelet of Growth.”

“A magic tool?”

“Yes. Even Father doesn’t know the exact magic imbued in it. But he assured me it’s definitely not cursed. He said only those who enter the Labyrinth will discover its true purpose. It’ll surely be of great help. If it breaks, just leave it in water. It’ll regenerate.”

The Bracelet of Growth.

This is that thing, isn’t it?

‘The hidden piece in the upper-layer Botanical Garden that Olivia mentioned.’

This insane item is now in my hands?

The deeper you go into the Labyrinth, the stronger the bracelet becomes.

It grows in power with each floor descended and periodically produces fruits or flowers that could be called elixirs.

Just wearing it grants various abilities-a treasure among support-type accessories.

“Whoa. Why would you give such a treasure to me instead of Lady Leah…?”

“Because Leah will be returning to the family soon.”

“Huh?”

“Wait, what? Brother, what do you mean? Returning to the family?”

“Shouldn’t you end this adventurer playacting soon? How long do you plan to keep this up? You nearly died this time and still haven’t learned your lesson? Come home. Father’s orders. No objections.”

“But… but…”

Lady Leah glared at Leo Lionell.

But Leo didn’t even flinch.

“Brother. I’m not going back.”

“Leah. Enough. The Labyrinth is dangerous. There’s no reason for you to go in. You’ve grown up lacking nothing-why are you so obsessed with the Labyrinth?”

“It’s…”

Lady Leah couldn’t answer.

She, too, had her own reasons for wanting to reach the deepest part of the Labyrinth.

“Listen, porter.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t give Leah false hope. She isn’t strong enough to withstand the darkness of the Labyrinth. One day, she’ll be swallowed by malice and devoured.”

“Brother!”

Lady Leah finally raised her voice.

Leo remained unfazed, sipping his tea as if stating a simple fact.

“Getting angry won’t change anything. You’re returning to the family. Settle everything within two days. Father allowed you time to say goodbye to those who helped you.”

“…”

Lady Leah hung her head low.

She didn’t ask for my help.

This was a family matter-she couldn’t involve an outsider.

But her hands trembled with frustration.

I expected this.

Honestly, I knew the Lionell family wouldn’t allow her to continue adventuring.

But.

But still.

This is the Labyrinth City.

The one place where noble authority and intimidation don’t work.

The only place in this world where people live freely, built on the principle of equality.

‘You know how troublesome nobles are. Don’t interfere.’

I know. I’m aware.

I know nobles will resort to dirty tricks if you resist them.

But here’s the thing-if I earn a Gold Badge within six months, this problem solves itself.

‘The die is already cast. I’ve accepted that I’ll have to suffer.’

One reason I agreed to hunt heretics with the Saintess was to grow stronger quickly.

I have to get stronger.

To avoid tarnishing the Guild Leader’s reputation.

To descend deeper and break free from the Three Witches’ curse.

Becoming stronger is inevitable.

In this world, reaching Gold Badge-level strength alone makes you nearly invincible outside the city.

Ah, screw it.

I’ve already given my heart to Lady Leah.

She’s given me hers too. We’ve shared too much for me to ignore this.

Before being a noble, Leah is my comrade and friend. Helping her is natural. Of course, I’ll ask for her opinion first.

“Lady Leah.”

“Y-yes…?”

“Shall I help you?”

“Huh? Uh… I don’t want to go back. I’m sorry, but… could you help me one more time?”

“Yes, of course.”

Lady Leah asked for my help.

That means it’s okay to interfere now.

This isn’t a family matter anymore.

As her Labyrinth guide, I’m simply discussing her future with her family.

“Excuse me, Leo Lionell-nim. I’m terribly sorry, but it seems Lady Leah doesn’t wish to return home.”

“Huh? And? What are you trying to say, you lowly porter?”

“Forcing someone who doesn’t want to go seems a bit unreasonable, don’t you think?”

The atmosphere in the room turned hostile in an instant.

Dooms and Duran placed their hands on their sword hilts, warning me not to overstep.

But I’m not scared at all.

What are you gonna do? The Guild Leader is my future wife.

“Tch. You. Who do you think you are, meddling in family affairs? Know your place, you commoner trash. Take your reward and scram.”

“Kid, you’d better leave while the Master is being generous.”

“You’ve got no sense of boundaries. Do you have multiple lives to spare?”

At Leo’s dismissal, the two bodyguards flared their auras in warning.

“You three seem to be the ones who don’t understand the situation… This is the Adventurer’s Guild. Lady Leah and I are guild members. You’re outsiders. Got it? You chose the wrong place.”

You’re trying to draw swords against adventurers in the Adventurer’s Guild?

You’re about to get beaten up today.

The Guild Leader will be here soon.