Chapter 339: Sweet Night (2)

Chapter
339: Sweet Night (2)

I
had a lot to do, but first, I coordinated schedules with my party
members.

My
trustworthy party members immediately gathered in the Explorer’s
Guild conference room at their leader’s call.

Perhaps
because I had been promoted to a high-ranking explorer, a guild
employee approached and guided us to a spacious conference room.

“Wow…
I didn’t know the Explorer’s Guild offered services like this.”

“It
was a little embarrassing talking at the table because of Jubel, but
thankfully, it’s gone, I say!”

“Why?
What? Why am I embarrassing?”

“…Do
I really have to say it, I say?”

Jubel,
the bovine beastkin swordsman, and Rubia, the blonde-ringlet-haired
young lady tank, looked around the conference room and marveled
quietly.

Instead
of a stiff, small wooden table, there was a wide, long table that
could seat at least 10 people.

Instead
of roughly hewn wooden chairs without backrests, there were soft,
comfortable sofas.

It
was truly a lavish treatment that we could never have received
before.

“Once
you’re a high-ranking explorer, the guild considers you a valuable
asset, less than 30 of you. I’m jealous. You’ve already surpassed my
rank.”

Nuer,
the dark elf mage who now seemed to want to show off her pacifier,
openly wore a children’s pacifier around her neck and a yellow dress,
nudged my side with a subtle voice.

I
informed the party members that I had become a high-ranking explorer.

I
had told Hitorisu, the cat beastkin priest, as well, but she was too
busy with temple duties to properly focus on party matters.

Balkan,
naturally sitting at the head of the table, looked at the assembled
party members and informed them about the quest he had accepted.

“This
quest is from the royal family. Ellie is using portal magic to
transport the injured to the fountain, and our purpose is to protect
Ellie and the citizens so that no accidents occur in the process.”

The
party members’ reactions to the fact that it was a royal escort quest
were unified.

“This
is an opportunity for Sir Jubel to make a name for himself, I say.”

“A
quest from the Queen…! As a noble, I can never disappoint the
Queen, I say…!”

“Aww…
that royal mage Ellie from last time? A half-elf who’s still quite
young doing such dangerous work… As a mature elf, I can’t just
stand by and watch.”

Jubel
was arrogant as usual, Rubia burned with determination, and Nuer,
perhaps to show her mature elf side, took off her pacifier and
carefully put it in her pocket.

It
was gratifying that the party members readily accepted the quest,
but…

‘Should
I say it, or not?’

Balkan
hesitated for a moment and shook his head.

Originally,
he was going to suggest heading straight to the fountain on the 20th
floor after taking on the Ellie escort quest.

The
reason, of course, was to commune with the fragment of the Earth
Mother by contacting the fountain in the labyrinth.

‘But
the timing is too bad.’

Considering
Ellie’s mana recovery period, it would take at least two weeks for
Ellie to transport the 300 or so injured people to the labyrinth.

Two
weeks after that, the harbinger phenomenon would occur.

The
harbinger phenomenon, where monsters multiply countless times and
surge like a wave.

‘I
long to see my sister, but… I can’t put my party members in danger
because of my desires.’

If
he sacrificed his party members, swayed by his own desires, he would
be disqualified as a party leader, as Joy Hogg had warned.

And
more importantly.

He
had seen what happened to those who sacrificed others for their own
selfishness.

‘I
can’t fall to the level of the demons that Soeun was so intent on
sealing.’

Balkan
took a short breath and made a decision as the party leader.

For
the time being, he would focus solely on Ellie’s escort quest.

“Since
there are only two days left, recover your stamina and mana
sufficiently and come.”

“Okay!
Hmph. I should spend a night with Prince Dick to get ready.”

Balkan
chuckled at Jubel’s bluff.

Perhaps
feeling strangely stung by that ridicule, Jubel suddenly raised his
voice.

“Wh-what.
Why, why are you laughing? I wasn’t talking to you, it’s the name I
gave to this guy?! Aw, my Prince Dick. Let’s show those monster dicks
who laughed at you what’s what!”

Jubel,
properly scratched by a single snort, drew the curved sword from his
waist.

The
curved sword, about the length of a typical one-handed sword, was
smoothly curved, and the tip was sharpened.

Seeing
the clear blue energy emanating from it even from a distance, it
seemed he had purchased a new relic weapon with the compensation he
had received.

“Oh…
you spent quite a bit of money?”

“…!
Keuh-ha! As expected, a warrior knows! In front of Swordsman Jubel
and Prince Dick, 10th-floor monsters are annihilated in an instant!”

To
ease the atmosphere, I exclaimed in admiration, and Jubel, who had
become excited, climbed onto the table and shouted, raising his sword
high.

“Oh,
oh… Prince… Dick… Monster… Dick… Ee…”

“Sigh…”

Rubia
blankly nodded her head at the sight, and Nuer sighed deeply.

In
many ways, they were truly consistent party members.

***

Zirnier’s
Weapon Shop.

“Wow.”

Balkan
stared blankly, his mouth open, the moment he saw the shining dark
armor before him.

Vivid
blue light filled his vision.

The
pure and dazzling radiance told him that the object before him had
reached the realm of relics.

Not
a relic excavated from the labyrinth, but a relic born from human
hands.

“How
is it? I’ve restored it quite a bit from that rag armor, right?”

“This…
it’s not just restored, you’ve completely remade it.”

“Keuh-heuh.”

Zirnier,
a renowned blacksmith in the labyrinth city and a half-dwarf,
shrugged her shoulders as if it were nothing, watching Balkan, who
couldn’t close his mouth.

Her
copper skin was red from spending nights in front of the furnace for
the past few days, and she was soaked from head to toe in sweat she
had shed all day, but Zirnier didn’t pretend to be weak.

She
smiled confidently, watching the warrior who sincerely admired her
masterpiece.

She
was confident that the weapons, like children born from her hands,
would protect him from threats, and he would take her children to the
edge of the labyrinth.

“Last
time, I only used wyvern scales, but this time, I mixed in the black
dragon’s claws from the 32nd floor. The weight is similar, but the
defense will be incomparably higher.”

“Black
dragon’s claws…”

Balkan
smiled at the material that sounded ominous just from hearing about
it.

The
32nd floor was only two floors away from the 34th floor, the edge of
the labyrinth.

How
many explorers in this labyrinth city could receive a weapon with a
first-class blacksmith’s week of work and precious materials melted
into it?

Now
he was one of those very few explorers.

“Take
the helmet too.”

Balkan
received the helmet that Zirnier handed him.

The
new helmet, matched with the full-body armor, had the sharpness of
dragon scales in the form of a closed helm.

To
put it simply, it looked very intimidating.

‘It’ll
be great for intimidation.’

Since
it contained the claws of the black dragon that lived on the 32nd
floor, perhaps even monsters would retreat the moment they
encountered it, thinking, ‘That guy doesn’t seem right.’

Clang!

Wearing
the helmet, which was made to fit his face perfectly, he felt like he
was in a new car.

It
also felt like wearing a suit made just for one person in the world.

“Thank
you, Zirnier.”

“It’s
nothing. If you’re really grateful, buy me a drink later.”

A
chuckle escaped at the half-dwarf’s words, who lived and died for
alcohol.

“Oh,
and.”

Zirnier
hesitated for a moment, then flicked her finger.

Clang!
Creak, creak!

At
their owner’s signal, Zirnier’s mechanical arms No. 1, 2, and 3 were
dispatched.

The
mechanical arm trio, kicking the ground with their fingers, supported
each other and brought a ring box.

The
fingers of the mechanical arm trio were filled with dozens of rings
that seemed to have been made with great care.

“I
made them little by little whenever I had time, and I picked the ones
that looked the prettiest objectively, excluding my style, and put
them in the box.”

Just
looking at the number of rings on the fingers of the mechanical arm
trio, it was clear that she had made them properly, not just little
by little.

“…Children?”

“Keuh-heut.
Yes. They’re children. You philandering bastard.”

“……How
am I ever going to repay this debt…”

Balkan,
unable to speak from the flood of emotions, looked at the
rough-looking ring on Zirnier’s finger.

Unlike
the other rings, it was a rough and fierce ring that seemed to be
filled with Zirnier’s style.

“Well.
You don’t really have to think of it as a debt… Instead of saying
it’s a repayment, how about…”

Zirnier
showed the rough ring on her finger and said.

“…Is
it okay if I take this one?”

The
blacksmith, her face flushed red, hurriedly added.

“…It’s,
uh… a business ring. A friendship ring or something…? You know
what I mean?”

***

Balkan
hurriedly moved his feet, looking up at the darkening night sky of
the labyrinth city.

‘I
was going to prepare dinner myself today!’

Last
night. Diana was freed from the curse of the succubus.

Because
she had been with the curse for too long, some stigma remained, but
thanks to Lilith’s efforts, she was almost 97% healed.

To
take care of Diana, who was in poor condition due to the long-term
healing that lasted for two weeks, I confidently said that I would
make dinner tonight…

But
preparing the supplies and getting ready for the labyrinth
exploration took longer than I thought.

It
took even longer to buy the ingredients in a hurry and bring the
special cake that I got from the best bakery in the explorer’s
district using my noble authority.

The
time was already 8 o’clock.

Balkan
hurriedly burst into the inn.

Bang!
Pop! Boom!

He
stared blankly at the fireworks that had poured over his helmet.

And,
he faced Diana and Ellie, who were wearing ridiculous cone hats and
holding a cake in front of the inn door.

“Ha,
happy birthday… Balkan.”

“Happy
birthday! Big brother!”

“I
already knew today was Master’s birthday! Here, receive this handmade
king cake!”

Balkan
couldn’t bring himself to say that it wasn’t his birthday today in
front of the women who were smiling brightly.

Instead,
he looked at Diana, whose face had become even more flustered after
seeing his momentary frozen expression.

“…Ah,
that, today last year… was the day we first met, wasn’t it…?”

The
woman, her face flushed red and embarrassed, scratched her cheek with
an awkward smile.

“So,
uh… I thought it would be nice to remember and commemorate even the
smallest things that happened with Balkan—Huu—!”

Balkan
immediately rushed to Diana.

“Hyaat!”

When
Denshi, who had caught the cake falling between the two who were
closing the distance in an instant, raised her head.

The
two men were sharing a passionate kiss.