True Consciousness

When I crossed the Portal and set foot on the ground, the first thing I saw was the people guarding the open space.

“Ah! They’re here! They’ve come out!”

“The saviors have emerged from the Labyrinth!”

“Waaaaaaah!!”

The open space where the injured were first transported.

Those who discovered the Portal that had reopened cheered as they found us emerging from it.

Unlike Eden, which was morning, it was the middle of the night on the ground.

Beneath the dark night sky, the countless crowds standing with torches were quite a sight to behold.

That was because the party had stayed in Eden for several days to recover Ellie and Nuer’s Mana.

It was a short time, not even exceeding five days.

Once the healing was done and the injured, their business concluded, had returned to their respective homes, there was no reason for them to still be here.

Therefore.

“Why are so many people here at this late hour…”

“What’s going on? Did something happen?”

Ellie and the other party members tilted their heads, expressing unease at the sight.

The wary party members prepared to draw their weapons, and Denji, who had even experienced a battle with the Puppeteer, even spread Mana thread around in case of an emergency.

“No. It’s not that, it’s just…”

But Balkan, who had come out of the Portal first and heard the cheers of the people, trailed off.

The citizens who had been waiting until late at night with torches, waiting for them to come out, had begun to approach one by one.

“Ugh…”

“…”

Ellie, who was beside him, flinched slightly, and the party members increased their vigilance little by little.

But that vigilance.

Thud!

Turned into bewilderment as the approaching people knelt down in unison.

“Thank you.”

When they heard the gratitude that came from their mouths, question marks appeared on the faces of the party members.

“Thank you…! Thank you for healing us…”

The explorer who had lost his legs in the Labyrinth and lost the meaning of life.

“My daughter, who was caught up in the riot, has recovered safely thanks to you…! How can I ever repay this kindness… sob…!”

A father shedding tears of relief as his daughter, who had been half-dead after being caught up in the riot, was alive, and a girl bowing deeply with a formal greeting.

“Thanks to you, my right arm is healed. When the Black Dragon suddenly appeared, I thought we were all going to die, but thanks to you—”

The injured who had lived without a right arm because they could not receive healing at the temple, and then felt despair in life again due to the appearance of the Black Dragon.

Countless people who had benefited from the injured transport operation and felt grateful were gathered together, bowing their heads and expressing their heartfelt gratitude.

“…”

“…”

The bodies of the party members who faced the pure and sincere gratitude stiffened.

Explorers are those who chase wealth and power.

They are used to battles where blood and flesh fly, shady conspiracies, jealous envy and contempt, and spicy backstabbing.

They rarely receive gratitude that comes from sincerity.

“Hawaawaaa…! I, is this! The feeling that a true noble feels?!!!”

Rubia, the noble lady knight who had been trying to practice noblesse oblige, sparkled her eyes with emotion.

“…Hmph. This is the first time I’ve seen such a sight.”

Nuer, the dark elf who had lived as the shadow of the Explorer Federation, fiddled with her ears as if she was unfamiliar with receiving people’s gratitude.

“Ha. Aish. Geez. G, gratitude my ass. How much did we bust our asses because of you guys, of course we should be thanked. Hmph.”

Jubel, who was uncharacteristically blushing, grumbled as if embarrassed, then flicked his nipples and kicked the innocent ground.

“…Hehet. It’s more than worth the trouble. I never thought I’d receive this much gratitude…”

Denji, who was from the same lawless area, was amazed and unfamiliar with the sight of them expressing their gratitude so much, and clenched his fists tightly, calming his surging heart.

“O, Onni…! Oppaaaa…!”

Ellie and Balkan, who were staring blankly at the scene, looked at a girl who had approached them.

A girl who was mixed in with the group of injured, listlessly held in her parents’ arms with her right arm cut off.

“Thank you! For making me, no… all of us, not hurt!”

The girl said so and handed over a headband woven with pure white flowers.

There was no special Mana or power in the six headbands held in her small hands, but they shone beautifully when illuminated by the dazzling moonlight.

Balkan carefully accepted it and stroked the girl’s head.

“Thank you, little one.”

“Eheheh…”

The girl, who was embarrassed by the pure praise, twisted her body, and then slipped into the arms of her parents who had come with torches.

The child’s parents bowed politely as if looking at the benefactor who had saved something more precious than their own lives, and slowly moved away.

“…I feel proud.”

The benefactors who had led them to the fountain and evacuated them from the appearance of the Black Dragon.

Perhaps they were moved by the people who had stayed behind to the end because they did not return immediately, and believed that they would return, even preparing small gifts.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect everyone to be so grateful…”

Ellie said with a refreshing smile.

Balkan chuckled at her words.

“What did you expect?”

“Ummm… just a wave. That’s what all the injured we’ve moved so far have done.”

Ellie was right.

The injured they had moved so far had also thanked them, but they had not expressed their gratitude so desperately.

“The Black Dragon must have been scary.”

Unlike the injured they had moved last time, the injured they had moved this time had directly faced the Monster of the 32nd floor.

Since they had been freed from the overwhelmingly deep sense of fear, it was natural that they felt more grateful than the other injured.

“I want to see the flower headband too.”

“Shall I put it on you?”

“I’ll put it on Daddy first. And then Daddy puts it on me.”

“…Now you’re just openly calling me Daddy.”

“Somehow, I think I’m the only one who can call Oppa that for the next few years… so I’m happy.”

Balkan smiled bitterly at Ellie’s answer.

‘For the next few years.’

Then, does that mean that there will be another being who will call him Daddy in a few years?

Ellie, who stroked her lower abdomen with a lewd gaze, received the flower headband that Balkan handed her and placed it on his helmet.

“I feel strange because it feels like I’m showing filial piety with something I received from someone else.”

“What does it matter? We all worked hard together to receive it.”

Balkan said so and put the flower headband on Ellie.

The red elf’s hair and the white flower headband created a strange contrast, and her beauty seemed to come to life even more.

“Hehet… I have to keep it safe.”

Pushing away Ellie, who was twisting her hair while stroking the symbol of good deeds she had obtained for the first time in her life.

“Kiaaaaaaaak!!! Put a CONDOM on me too!!!!”

Jubel, who degraded the flower headband made by a pure girl into a condom given by a pimp, rushed towards the flower headband that Balkan was holding.

“Haa. The scent of flowers… it feels so good…”

Jubel, who slid on the floor and snatched one of the flower headbands, put it on his head as it was and smiled with a promiscuous smile.

“I feel like my head has broken because I’ve been milking tits and causing trouble every day, and then I heard words of gratitude.”

Denji glanced at Jubel with a slightly contemptuous look, then approached Balkan and bowed his head.

“…? What.”

“Wasn’t it an atmosphere where you put it on one by one?”

“No, it’s not even mine…”

“You received it on behalf of the party, and you’re the party leader. I think it’s right to put it on one by one.”

Zuuuuuuuuuk…!

Balkan chuckled as he watched Denji, who was even standing on tiptoe because she wanted to receive the flower headband that he had put on her, and reluctantly placed the flower headband on her head.

“Hmph. Hehehe.”

Only then did Denji hum a satisfied tune and snatched the flower headband from his hand.

“I will distribute the rest to those who are tired on behalf of our master.”

“Ugh…! I can’t stand such profiteering…! Heeung…”

“Uuu. A planned piece of trash who only wants to receive it from Balkan. Is it okay to be Balkan’s exclusive slave, aaohooheut…”

As Denji quickly put flower headbands on Rubia and Nuer, even using the power of the Puppeteer, a languid satisfaction spread across their faces.

“Hawaawa… My first product of noblesse oblige… This is definitely something I have to keep as a family treasure…”

“Eungae… Ttyuttyuttatta also feels like her head is breaking…”

Balkan chuckled as he watched the party members wearing pure white flower headbands.

‘Did Soeun also feel this emotion when she went around saving people?’

He thought of his younger sister, who had been saving people as a hero since the era when demons were rampant.

His younger sister said that her brother would naturally save people, but her brother thought differently.

But now.

Balkan, who had saved countless people and received gratitude for it, stared blankly at his hand.

“…It’s addictive.”

Countless people bowing their heads and being treated as benefactors.

A small girl handing over a flower headband, and sharing it with trusted companions.

As a result, smiles blooming on the faces of precious people.

It’s not a bad feeling.

Clap clap clap clap…

A small applause was heard from behind the retreating injured.

“As expected of Balkan-nim.”

Balkan turned his head at the familiar voice that came with the applause.

“This is your first time doing relief work for so many injured, but you didn’t complain once and fulfilled your duty… I can only say that you have the qualities of a saint.”

Swaying. Swaying…

There stood a beautiful woman with a pure white cat tail swaying gently as if trying to hide her excited emotions, and cat ears twitching.

“Serif-nim?”

When he called her name, the pure white cat saintess of The Great Mother Goddess Order smiled with a languid smile.

Balkan tilted his head the moment he saw such Serif.

“How are you here… I heard you’ve been busy preparing for the Pacification Ritual recently.”

He heard that the upper echelons of The Great Mother Goddess Order were busy preparing for the Pacification Ritual in preparation for the Labyrinth’s omen phenomenon that would occur in a few weeks.

Serif, who held the position of saintess, was at the center of that upper echelon.

She was not someone who should be in a place like this.

“I wanted to sincerely thank you for doing relief work on behalf of the temple. And…”

Glance.

Serif’s eyes turned to Balkan.

“Onni called me because she said she had something important to say.”

“…”

For some reason, Balkan felt like he knew what the important thing to say was.

‘She noticed.’

Idelbert… Master, noticed that Diana’s crappy Dick intrusion prohibition curse had been lifted.