Rest

I woke up to the sound of birds coming from outside. I got up from the bed. Turning my head at the soft skin felt on the back of my hand.

“Mmm….”

Inis was lying beside me with a peaceful face. She was chewing on her hair that was in her mouth. I pulled the hair away with my finger.

As she moved her body slightly, her breasts jiggled. Unable to resist the impulse, I reached out toward her breasts.

Squeeze-

When I applied slight pressure with my grip, her skin escaped in various directions. Inis frowned slightly and turned her body to the side.

I smiled gently at her cute appearance and got out of bed. Inis would probably need more time to wake up.

‘I wonder how Isabella is doing.’

I drank the water placed on the drawer and went out to the corridor. When I slightly opened the door to the end room, I could see Isabella sleeping in bed.

Isabella was already weak in the mornings. Since she probably spent the night wide awake, it would take a long time for her to get up.

Click-

After quietly closing the door again, I went down the stairs. I went to the kitchen and ate some leftover bread from breakfast.

I ate it all, but I was still hungry. Since neither of them showed any sign of waking up, I would have to take care of breakfast alone.

‘I should buy a clock for the house.’

It was inconvenient not being able to check the exact time. I went to the well in the house. I drew water and then wet my face. The cold water made me fully awake.

“Phew.”

After washing roughly, I returned to my room. I took out clothes, put them on, and went down again. I opened the door and went out to the garden.

“Fire.”

Flare-

I took out a cigarette from my pocket and put it in my mouth. Due to the lack of suitable situations lately, it had been a really long time since I smoked.

“Sip. Phew….”

As the smoke traveled through my oral cavity and seeped into my lungs, my languid mind began to wake up.

After smoking the cigarette in one go, I turned the butt completely into ash. The ash disappeared with the wind. I crossed the stone floor where weeds had grown, opened the main gate, and went outside.

Quiet streets. Rather than taking a carriage, I needed to walk a bit to wake up my languid body. My mind was clear, but my body lacked strength.

I walked along the sidewalk as if taking a stroll. It was a leisurely area except for the occasional passing carriage. Upon reaching the square, I saw the time along with a small clock tower.

The hour hand was pointing to the 1 o’clock position. Morning had long passed, meaning it was lunchtime. No wonder there were no people on the streets.

I trudged toward a place where restaurants might be. There were quite a few signboards with pictures on them. The food shapes were intuitively drawn, making it easy to see at a glance what they were selling.

‘What is that?’

Occasionally, there were truly strange pictures that were completely unrecognizable. Was it a strategy to make people curious enough to come in? Or was it the painter’s poor skill?

Either way, it succeeded in stimulating my curiosity. I stuck to the store window and looked inside.

‘Eight people.’

Not a small number. Considering it was lunchtime, it wasn’t many but not too few either. After gaining some trust in the store, I opened the door and went in.

Ding ding-

“Welcome.”

As soon as I sat down, a waiter immediately brought a menu. This was what was good about the Labyrinth City. Other cities in other regions didn’t have such kindness.

I opened the menu. Due to the poor drawing skills, I hadn’t known, but now I realized it was a place selling fish dishes.

‘Fish, huh.’

Except in coastal cities, fish was difficult to eat. This was because it spoiled quickly. Ice would be fine, but considering how precious ice was in the medieval period, it would be a loss.

The fish that came to Falcion probably borrowed the power of demons or were salted fish.

‘Fish jam?’

There was a jam I had never heard of or seen in my life. There was also fish pickle. What an unappetizing name.

“Grilled trout, please.”

“Understood.”

I ordered the most ordinary menu item. Though the taste wouldn’t be bad, medieval fish dishes? It was obvious they wouldn’t taste as good as grilled meat.

I watched the waiter moving around the store for a moment.

The Labyrinth City had surprisingly many such jobs. Money gathered where people gathered. Merchants aiming for adventurers’ money had settled here.

That woman was probably the child of this store or the daughter of someone in another field. There wouldn’t be people who came to the Labyrinth City alone to do such work.

“Here is your order.”

The food the waiter brought. Two grilled fish on a wooden plate with simple sauce. Also fermented fish sauce and bread.

I tore the bread and dipped it in the fermented fish sauce. A salty and fishy taste. I didn’t understand why people ate such things.

Among male adventurers, it was said that if you couldn’t eat fermented fish sauce, they wouldn’t even let you join the party. Indeed, being an adventurer was not a job for normal people.

I picked up the whole fish and tore into it. Crispy skin and soft flesh. It was very salty, but perhaps because of the fermented fish sauce, it was bearable.

“Hmm.”

It had a slightly refreshing taste, perhaps from lemon juice. I dipped it in the sauce. A sour and slightly tingling taste. Peace briefly came to my tongue, which had been tired of the saltiness.

I roughly filled my stomach with fish. Finally, I put bread in my mouth and got up from my seat.

“Check, please.”

“1 silver and 50 copper.”

I took out two silver coins and handed them over. It would be ridiculous to use a check in such a store. Going to the bank to receive money would be troublesome for the owner or waiter.

After receiving five copper coins, I put them in my pocket and left the store. I turned around and looked at the fish restaurant. It wasn’t a taste I’d return for.

I went out to the street and walked for a while to digest. Once my stomach felt somewhat comfortable, I took a carriage and headed to the commercial district.

“We have arrived.”

After paying the carriage fare, I entered the commercial district. Various stores with pictures drawn on them were visible in a row.

The reason I left the house alone was not only to satisfy my hunger but also to buy some items.

First, I visited a woodworking workshop. I didn’t know any specific store, so I visited the largest one in the vicinity.

“What brings you here?”

A young man hurriedly approached and asked. He seemed to be an apprentice here.

“Do you sell items for sword and bow training here? Like straw dummies. Or target boards.”

“Ah, yes. We have what the sword guild and archery guild use. We have exactly the same ones. If you need, I’ll show you.”

“Show me.”

“Alright. Follow me.”

The young man led the way. Following him inside, I saw various furniture. There were also many wooden spoons, but it was hard to find adventurers who used them. They all used their bare hands.

“Here are these.”

“Do the prices differ in order?”

“Yes. For targets, they differ according to the drawn picture and the sturdiness of the cloth. For items like straw dummies, they differ according to precision and firmness. Usually, the better the skill, the better the item used.”

The apprentice subtly provoked my competitive spirit. Looking at his skill, it seemed he had done this more than once or twice.

“Do you also deliver?”

“Yes. If you provide the address, we will deliver there.”

“This way.”

I wrote down the address and then selected items. Several target boards and several straw dummies. I also purchased various large and small wooden furniture.

“Just put everything down in the yard and leave. Ah. And could I also purchase a tent?”

“Yes. That’s possible.”

“Then include that as well.”

“Understood. Then how would you like to pay?”

“How much is it? I’ll use a check.”

I said that and took out a check along with a magic pen from my chest.

“5 gold and 25 silver.”

A considerably high price. Well, everything I bought for training from several stores was of the highest quality.

“Here you go.”

I wrote the amount and handed over the check. I also kept one copy in my chest. The apprentice received it, checked it, and then nodded.

“Confirmed. As soon as we receive the payment from the bank, we’ll deliver it immediately. You should be able to receive it tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

I left the carpentry guild, accompanied by the young man. Surprisingly, it didn’t take much time to purchase the items.

I went out to the street and caught a carriage.

“Where shall I take you?”

“To the magic district.”

The coachman flinched slightly and then said he understood. The carriage ran quickly on the road. As soon as we arrived at the magic district, the carriage immediately left.

I walked along the magic street and then entered an alleyway. A winding path. I seemed to have gotten a bit lost when I first came, but I could find it skillfully on the second visit.

Knock- Knock knock-

After knocking on a shabby wooden door, I pulled the handle. Creeak, with the sound of old hinges, a linear space appeared.

Boom-

As I entered, the door closed by itself. Following the passage, the corridor gradually widened, revealing a vast space. There, a young boy sat at a desk reading a book.

“You’re back.”

He said without even looking at me. A youthful voice. Plump skin. The child closed the book and looked at me with green eyes.

“What have you come for this time?”

“I need something to offer as a sacrifice to a demon.”

“For a contract? For a demon?”

“Both.”

The child frowned slightly and then tilted his head.

“You’re trying to do something very dangerous. It seems you’ve already contracted with a demon. It would be better not to do something reckless. Demons are very greedy and dislike sharing their possessions with others.”

“That’s something I have to deal with. It’s not something you need to worry about, is it?”

“…That’s correct. A merchant should just sell goods. 10 gold.”

A price much higher than last time. I frowned. The money was a bit regrettable, but there were no other stores I knew.

I took out a check, entered the amount, and handed it over. The child took it and nodded.

“Wait a moment.”

The child waved the check and smiled innocently. It was a truly pure smile like a child’s.

“Here it is.”

The boy, who had disappeared into the darkness, appeared before long.

“I’ve brought good materials in proportion to the substantial amount paid.”

“Should I say thank you?”

“…You’re insolent.”

“Aren’t I your only customer? So, can’t you overlook this much?”

“You’re quick-witted.”

The child handed me a box and then rubbed his forehead. He waved his hand as if tired, and my body was suddenly pushed back.

“Now go.”

A space covered in darkness. Before I knew it, a wooden door appeared in front of me. Thinking that he was indeed an unusual being, I left the store.

I didn’t plan to attempt a demon contract right away. I didn’t feel the necessity that much yet. But if I hit a wall later, I planned to try contracting at that time.

‘Time to go back.’

Not much time should have passed since entering the store, but the sun was setting in the city. I quickened my steps.

A chill swept through the ice palace. A woman with blue wings turned up the corners of her mouth while holding a document in her hand.

“Egun’s contractor… I’m tempted?”

Her eyes gleamed with a blue light.