episode_0014

“Ugh, spit spit! I’m dying of thirst.”

Jung Yushin spat out bear fur from his parched mouth and got up.

Looking out the window, it was dawn.

He was incredibly fatigued, but he had to wake up early the next day.

He became proud of his own relentless diligence.

A delicious smell wafted from the first floor.

He simply put on a shirt and pants and went straight down to sit down.

“Darmon! Water, please.”

“Are you up?”

“Yes. I had some drinks last night, so my throat is scratchy.”

“Last night?”

“Yes?”

“Scar, you slept like a corpse for a day and a half.”

No wonder his body felt so heavy.

He scratched his head in embarrassment.

Darmon brought the meal and water.

Thump!

“Eat slowly.”

“Thank you for the meal.”

Black rye bread, sweet pumpkin porridge, and well-grilled sausages were served for breakfast.

“Darmon, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why are there no people at this inn?”

“…”

Darmon was silent for a moment.

“It’s the off-season.”

“Suddenly?”

“It’s not sudden. The molting is almost over.”

When do bears molt?

I don’t know. Was it spring?

“So, will people flock here soon?”

“Enough come to make a living.”

“Could it be that guests aren’t coming because of me?”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a barbarian?”

“…I forgot. You were a barbarian.”

Barbarians, lawless libertines who undermine the virtues and rules of the city.

When they pass through the streets, married men cast wary glances, and virtuous maidens hide their faces.

A husband who had his wife stolen went to the barbarian in anger, but the husband was turned into a female by the incarnation of sexual desire.

‘Honestly, that sounds like an exaggerated rumor.’

But he couldn’t be sure if the rumor was false. He had never seen a real barbarian.

Darmon folded his arms and sighed deeply.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Ah. And I have another question.”

“What is it?”

“What is a Spirit Master?”

“It’s the highest rank in the Spirit Order. There are only a few in the Order.”

The old man in the shelter.

His rude tone and words.

Memories flashed through his mind, and cold sweat poured out.

“The Spirit Master’s power must be immense, right?”

“At least in the Eastern Union, they are in a position where they can wring the neck of a novice barbarian without anyone saying anything. Why are you asking?”

Damn it.

I should have been more polite.

Jung Yushin explained about the old man he met at the shelter last time.

After the short story ended, Darmon scratched his chin with his fingers.

“Still, you’re still alive, so it must be okay. Was it an old man? A white-haired human male?”

“Yes.”

“That must have been Luke. Apologize for your rudeness when you see him next time. He’ll gladly let it go.”

Luke Weisman.

The head of the priests who worship the Spirit of Wind and one of the members of the highest council of the Maze City.

Jung Yushin was dizzy after hearing Darmon’s additional explanation.

‘Why is someone like that in a shelter?’

He decided that he should never go near a temple that worships the Spirit of Wind.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

At Darmon’s question, Jung Yushin stroked his chin.

“I want to learn more.”

“Be specific.”

“Should I say how to handle weapons? I want to strengthen my body. I felt that insight alone was not enough. Ah! And…”

Jung Yushin stopped talking and fell deeply into his own thoughts.

There are many areas for improvement.

There were also disappointing parts.

There was also reflection on whether he could have done better if he had done it this way.

Kaal’s journey is already over.

When he took away all the resentment and painful feelings and looked at it from a self-reflective point of view.

He saw areas where he could improve.

He organized what he wanted to say in his head.

Jung Yushin opened his mouth again.

“Where do you learn weapon skills?”

“There is a swordsmanship association that has been officially approved by the Maze City. The price is 30 silver coins per month.”

“Hehehe…”

‘I only have 5 silver coins now.’

“Then, where should I go to learn writing or knowledge?”

“Are you talking about the Maze City Academy? It costs 10 gold coins a year.”

100 silver coins are 1 gold coin.

He has to burn a whopping 1000 silver coins a year at the academy. Just considering the pure tuition fee excluding textbook costs.

“If I just want to learn to write, where do I go?”

“I heard that the Temple of the Earth Mother runs an orphanage.”

“Do they teach writing there? Are there any other places?”

“Are you rich?”

“…”

Oh dear.

I forgot. I remembered because the story of the temple came up.

“Did I mention what kind of engraving I received?”

“No.”

“Hehehe.”

Jung Yushin smiled meaningfully.

“I’ll show you. Here!”

“You don’t have to show me.”

Darmon muttered indifferently.

“Here!”

Jung Yushin raised his arm.

Warm-colored golden mana particles gathered in his palm.

After a while.

A golden dagger was created on his palm.

“Oh.”

Whoosh!

The dagger, created by gathering all his strength, immediately disappeared.

“Gerk.”

Jung Yushin lost all strength in his body and slammed his head on the plate.

“Sacred Weapon. Isn’t that a basic magic of priests with physical power and light attributes mixed in half and half? It’s ordinary.”

Darmon patted Jung Yushin on the shoulder. It was a rare consolation for his personality. So it was even more painful.

“Uh… um, cheer up. Good days will come if you live.”

“Is it that bad of an engraving?”

“It’s not that it’s bad, but it’s ordinary. Anyone can use it if they are a priest. And be grateful. Where is it that you didn’t get a negative engraving?”

“Do you remember any negative engravings?”

“Wait a minute.”

Darmon held his chin for a moment and stared blankly into the air. And suddenly, he started laughing.

“One of my friends had it once.”

“What?”

“An engraving that makes him erect in front of men instead of dying in front of women.”

“…”

“For reference, there is also an engraving that makes you want to buy delicious things when you see children. Be careful.”

It’s dangerous.

“What happens if you get such an engraving?”

“You can erase it. By paying money. The more times you erase it, the more money you have to pay.”

“Hehehe.”

It was not the Great Maze, but the Unlucky Goddamn Maze.

The legend that all demons were gathered and sealed was not false.

“The Sacred Weapon engraving is ordinary. Ordinary is not bad.”

Darmon was not saying that there was a good engraving even if he died soon.

Mi-on’s face, who said it was a good engraving with an awkward smile, came to mind.

‘Was it a lie of good will?’

Jung Yushin staggered and got up from his seat.

“I’ll go to the smithy for a while.”

“Okay. Cheer up.”

“Yes.”

He went up to his room, put a longsword on his waist, and left the inn. It was morning, so people were moving busily on the streets.

He walked diligently and arrived at the smithy.

“Boron, I’m here.”

The sound of hammering iron stopped inside the smithy, and a dwarf appeared with a frown.

“I told you not to come.”

“Please change this longsword to a shorter one.”

“I told you not to come.”

“The longsword is too long, so it’s not suitable for holding and swinging with one hand. To be more specific, when I get close enough to touch the shield, the movements become large when I cut and stab, and the sword doesn’t properly hit the goblin.”

Boron grabbed his hair.

“Listen to me. I told you not to come. I’m busy right now! You crazy human.”

“Please change it. To a shorter one.”

“No, listen to me…”

“Change it.”

“Kaaaaaa!!”

“Cha…”

“Here it is! Take it and get out! I’m busy!”

Boron ran over in a hurry and threw the sword and scabbard.

An arming sword, a one-handed double-edged straight sword mainly used by knights, also called a knightly sword.

‘I don’t know if it’s called that here.’

“Here’s a longsword.”

“Just take it! And don’t come again!”

‘I saved money.’

He put the longsword on his back and wore the arming sword on one side of his waist.

“Thank you. I’ll come again.”

“Hey.”

Boron stared seriously.

Then, the dwarves who were watching from across the smithy chattered and laughed.

“Kherher. You’re in a good state! Boron!”

“That’s right, you accepted all kinds of orders by yourself, and now you’ve been caught by a scoundrel. It’s karma.”

Boron’s face turned red.

Jung Yushin felt a little wronged. He turned around and protested.

“I’m not a scoundrel, am I?”

One of the dwarves behind him said seriously.

“You are a scoundrel.”

‘What the hell?’

“Why am I a scoundrel?”

“Didn’t you leave a perfectly good weapon store and come all the way here to ask the blacksmith to cut it down? You’re a scoundrel.”

Listening to him, he was right.

But I feel a little wronged.

‘In the fantasy I know, you buy directly from the blacksmith!’

“I came here for the first time last time through an acquaintance. I haven’t been in this city for long. I apologized for my mistake.”

A moment of silence came over the surroundings.

The dwarves stroked their beards with embarrassed expressions.

“Ahem. He was a complete novice explorer.”

“If you came through an acquaintance. Ahem.”

“Boron, you pig. Ahem ahem.”

Boron lost all his strength and sat down.

“I didn’t mean not to come. But I’m really busy. I haven’t been able to sleep properly and have been hammering iron for a week. Understand.”

“I understand. Then I’ll buy you a bottle of alcohol later.”

“Please make it expensive and strong.”

“Yes.”

The dwarves in the back muttered as if they were exhausted.

“Is it going to end warmly like this? Isn’t this wrong?”

“Boron, you pig. You take all the orders by yourself.”

Boron shouted.

“Okay! I’ll share some orders. You guys are real.”

“You should have said that sooner. Let’s share the good things! Are we strangers?”

Jung Yushin bowed to Boron.

“I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.”

The dwarves waved their hands.

“Goodbye! Scoundrel Barbarian!”

Jung Yushin frowned and turned his body.

‘I remembered the dwarf who called me a scoundrel barbarian.’

The next destination he diligently walked to was the Temple of the Earth Mother.

A place where Mi-on is, who flawlessly reveals her figure with a tight priestess outfit.

“I heard that this orphanage teaches writing.”

At Jung Yushin’s question, a human woman wearing a neat priestess outfit asked back.

“Do you have a child to entrust?”

“No.”

Jung Yushin answered.

Doubt arose in the priestess’s eyes.

“Have you come to teach writing? Volunteers are always welcome.”

“No.”

The priestess’s doubts grew even greater.

“Then have you come to adopt a child who can write?”

“No.”

A moment of silence.

The priestess’s face turned pale.

“Co…could it be ‘bride hunting’?”

“No. I came to learn to write.”

“And at the same time, ‘female hunting’?”

Did this woman just say female hunting?

“I really just came to learn to write. Barbarians are also people. Don’t be misled by false rumors.”

“I…if you say so. It’s 1 silver coin per month for adults. Classes start in the morning. We will prepare the textbooks here and lunch is only available.”

He immediately took out the silver coins from his pocket and paid.

“Finally, just.in.case. I will say this. If anything unpleasant happens during class, you will be immediately expelled.”

“Okay. Don’t worry. I’m a good barbarian who doesn’t rape.”

The blood drained from the nun’s face. It was a joke, but it didn’t work.

Jung Yushin stammered and tried to fix it.

“I’m…a barbarian who is very interested in women’s rights? Me. If you know. Yes.”

“Ah. Yes, yes. I see.”

The meeting ended in a cold and awkward atmosphere.

Looking at the back of the priestess running somewhere in a hurry, he felt a bitter taste.

‘I’m a virgin, but I’m being treated like a female hunter in this other world, it’s unfair and resentful.’

Jung Yushin suppressed his resentment and trudged back to the inn.