Ch.1818. The Broken ATM

# An Unprecedented Situation

An indescribable softness struck my mind, but I managed to maintain my rationality and endure it.

‘A mid-level priest needs to come.’

If she had simply fainted, it would likely be a simple paralytic poison that wouldn’t endanger her life.

But the problem wasn’t with Shiro’s body, but with mine.

…I had to endure.

“Ms. Airi! Are you around?”

I called out urgently, but there was no sign of anyone nearby.

I’m screwed.

With Shiro’s body lying on my abdomen.

If a priest couldn’t come here to wake her up, there was only one way to resolve this situation.

“Ugh…!”

I tried somehow to push her away.

Indescribable pain flooded through me whenever I forcibly twisted my muscles.

‘This isn’t working.’

I wasn’t strong enough to push Shiro to the side.

Of course, it wasn’t because she was heavy.

Judging by her build, she probably weighed around 45 kilograms.

Moreover, given the elven racial characteristic of weighing about two-thirds of humans with the same build, I dared to estimate she was probably less than 30 kilograms.

“…Sigh.”

After spending time in agony, I finally gave up trying to push Shiro to the side.

Of course, if I thrashed around enough, I could probably make her fall off the bed.

But pushing an unconscious person off would make me look like a jerk no matter who saw it.

So I just gave up.

‘Pathetically incompetent.’

I was furious that my body was this broken.

Even though I had taken attacks meant for two people, hadn’t I received healing from an upper-level priest?

Moreover, it wasn’t even me who dealt with the basilisk, but Shiro.

I didn’t know exactly how she handled it, but I hadn’t done anything in this incident.

“What now?”

The quiet surroundings naturally led me to talk to myself.

As winter gave way to spring, the air gradually became warmer.

Being alone… no, being pinned down by Shiro in that warm air gave me a strange feeling.

‘Things have changed a lot.’

My life seems to have changed dramatically over the past few months.

At first, I was just struggling to survive as usual, but despite three years of effort, I received an explorer’s license.

Recently, I got rewards for defeating the Shade Predator, received gifts from a heroic family, and even gained a trustworthy companion, albeit with a cold personality.

Just two months.

My life changed quite a bit in that short time.

“Thank you.”

Those words came out unconsciously.

She wouldn’t hear it since she was unconscious, but I felt silly anyway.

‘I should tell her when she wakes up.’

If I don’t say such things because I’m embarrassed, I might never get to say them.

As long as we’re in the Labyrinth, no one knows when Shiro’s head, or mine, might get smashed.

-Tap, tap.

After spending quite some time lost in thought, I heard light footsteps nearby.

It seemed a priest had finally come to check on our condition.

With a sense of satisfaction at having endured this time of patience, I looked toward the entrance of the camp.

Though my body still hurt, I could at least move my head now.

“Ms. Reneva?”

Contrary to my expectation, a red twin-tailed girl stood at the entrance.

I was about to feel relieved, thinking I could ask Reneva to call a priest, when I noticed something strange in her expression.

She stood there with a flushed face, as if she’d seen something she shouldn’t have.

“Um, I think I came to the wrong place? Sorry, enjoy your time together!”

“Wait, Ms. Reneva! This is a misunderstanding!”

She seemed to have misunderstood our situation, and if she left now, I didn’t know how much longer I’d have to stay like this.

“Please hear me out! Ms. Shiro has fainted!”

“…”

Fortunately, my shout seemed to reach her, and Reneva stopped in her tracks as she was about to flee.

“Shiro fainted? But why are you in that position…?”

She spoke suspiciously, standing with her back to the camp entrance.

“Ms. Shiro was checking on my condition beside me, when she suddenly collapsed without strength.”

Hearing that, Reneva slowly peered into the camp.

“…Then why is that dress on the bed?”

“What?”

Looking beside me, I saw Shiro’s clothes were indeed there.

She must have thrown them at me as a joke earlier, but was Reneva misunderstanding because of this?

“Well, I understand. I’ll tell the priest to come later.”

“No, please, it’s not like that, so please call them right away. This is an urgent situation.”

The situation was urgent, but not for Shiro—for me.

When I was alone with my thoughts, it didn’t bother me, but now that Reneva had arrived and I faced reality, my patience was running thin.

“Please quickly bring someone who’s at least a mid-level priest!”

“R-really? Alright then.”

Finally seeming to understand my sincerity, Reneva left to call a priest.

‘Was it that suspicious?’

I wondered if a woman lying on top of a man was that shocking, but thinking about it, I could see why it might be.

A man lying still, a woman lying on his abdomen with her round body parts pressed against him.

And on top of that, a dress hastily removed on the bed.

‘…Let’s not think about it.’

It only got weirder the more I examined it in detail.

I endured for a little while longer, and fortunately, by the time I had almost regained control of my body, Reneva returned with a priest.

The blonde, blue-eyed priest, Airi, approached me.

“…You’re saying Shiro fainted like this because of poison?”

She looked down at me for a moment, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing despite the situation.

Looking at her with such an innocent expression made me feel guilty even though I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Ms. Airi. She seems to have fainted, probably due to poison. Could you cast a detoxification spell on Ms. Shiro?”

“…Mr. Adel.”

Airi looked down at me with a troubled expression.

“Shiro isn’t unconscious because of poison; she just fainted as if falling asleep. She was already in a strained condition… and it seems she collapsed again after forcing herself to move.”

Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

She had collapsed as if hit by a tranquilizer dart, but the reason was simply that she was tired.

“She lost a lot of blood too, so it’s probably best not to wake her forcibly.”

“I understand.”

With that, Airi, with Reneva’s help, moved Shiro to another bed.

‘She moved around despite being in such bad condition.’

Shiro had played a prank on me even though she was in such a serious condition that she could collapse at any moment.

That made her seem childlike, and looking at her sleeping peacefully in bed, she also looked like a white puppy.

‘She’s human after all.’

Even she, who seemed cold and sharp, was just a person when examined closely.

“Adel. I have something to ask, if that’s okay?”

As I was about to lie still, Reneva approached and spoke to me.

“That’s fine. What is it?”

“It was probably written in the letter you received before, but would it be okay to invite you to the coming-of-age ceremony of the Manis Count family’s young lady?”

I survived thanks to my armor protecting my vital points.

Meanwhile, Reneva was the one who helped me receive that amazing equipment.

She was now practically my benefactor who had saved my life twice.

Whatever favor she asked next, nodding in agreement would be the right thing to do.

“Of course. I’ll come whenever you call, but is it appropriate for a barbarian like me to attend such an event?”

However, I questioned with some doubt.

It’s not like I was being directly invited by the Manis family, so is it okay for a mere explorer like me to participate?

“It doesn’t matter. They often invite promising explorers or knights anyway, and you’re quite handsome too, aren’t you?”

“…What?”

She said it so casually that I felt embarrassed.

I couldn’t say I was ugly because of my mixed elven genes, but honestly, I wasn’t that level either.

“By the way, the young lady actually doesn’t have a fiancé and has been refusing arranged meetings. So who knows? She might fall for you.”

“…While that would be an honor, it’s not likely to happen in the first place.”

If someone like me went to such a party, the protocol would be to stay crumpled in a corner and then quietly leave.

The possibility of me, an extra nobody, conversing with the young lady who was the protagonist of the party was non-existent.

“Is that so? Well, I’ll try to arrange at least some kind of meeting for the two of you.”

Not only inviting me, a mere explorer, to a Count family’s party from her Viscount family, but also arranging a personal meeting.

I was filled with doubt at such an outlandish suggestion, but it soon disappeared.

“…Come to think of it, your family must be benefactors to the Manis Count family.”

“Hmm? Something like that, I guess.”

When the noble massacre occurred, it was the head of the Rostia Viscount family who stopped it.

And the timing of stopping the culprit was just before the current head of the Manis Count family was about to be attacked.

‘A life-saving benefactor.’

When you save someone just before they die, they can’t help but give you special treatment.

“Anyway, I’ll send you a separate letter later. The young lady of the Manis family is outside now, so I need to hurry back.”

With that, Reneva left the camp.

The only people left here were me, Shiro, and the priest Airi.

Just when I thought I could finally rest quietly…

“Mr. Adel. If it’s alright with you, could we talk for a moment?”

Airi approached me.

It really felt like the world was doing everything in its power to prevent me from resting comfortably.

“Yes, of course.”

Still, I had to answer the person who saved my life.

…Come to think of it, I seem to be surrounded by life-saving benefactors wherever I go.

Anyway. Let’s listen to what Airi has to say.

“This might sound really strange… but, what if… just what if the young lady of the Manis Count family were to fall for you, what would you do…?”

“What? Why are you suddenly asking that?”

I would normally just answer, but I couldn’t understand her intention at all.

Is this priest Airi so curious about my love life?

“Ah, just… I suddenly became curious. There’s no particular intention behind it, so you don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Well, it’s not that uncomfortable.

“Hmm.”

I briefly indulged in imagination.

Considering cases where the young lady might be extremely beautiful, or perhaps an unimaginable monster…

“I would politely decline and continue my work as an explorer, wouldn’t I?”

“Really?”

Joy was clearly visible on Airi’s face.

“Yes. After all, my goal is to reach the last floor of the Labyrinth. The young lady might find it a ridiculous fantasy if she heard, but I’ll continue climbing the Labyrinth anyway.”

After I said that, she clenched her fist with sparkling eyes and spoke as if cheering me on.

“I support your goal, Mr. Adel! Now, I have gifts for you and Ms. Shiro…”

She then started taking out many items from her pocket and laying them beside me.

Several high-grade potions, a temporary pass for the Polaris Guild, a voucher for the Polaris Guild members’ exclusive forge, and more.

“Why are you suddenly giving me these…?”

“These are gifts from the guild to you, Mr. Adel!”

Airi continued, suggesting that wasn’t all.

“Besides, Ms. Shiro briefly testified that you faced a baby basilisk? Other guild members seemed skeptical, but I believe you!”

“…”

“Is there anything else you might need? If you have damaged equipment, you can visit the Polaris Guild later and request repairs at the forge under my name… no, under the Guild Master’s name on credit.”

Airi continued talking and trying to give me more things.

Had something in my statement about continuing to climb the Labyrinth stimulated her?

“And to replace your broken equipment for use in the Labyrinth this time…”

This was getting a bit scary.

It felt like standing in front of an ATM spitting out tens of 50,000 won bills every second.

“So, is there anything else you need?”

“…My equipment isn’t completely broken, but could Ms. Shiro also use the Polaris forge?”

“Ah, yes! Of course. You can also put that on credit under the Guild Master’s name.”

To be honest, it felt really good.

I didn’t know what would happen later, but for now, I’d enjoy it.