episode_0036

Jung Yushin, guided by the guard, went to the explorer association exchange located right in front of the maze.

Because the maze closure order was not completely lifted, there were few people and the inside of the exchange was deserted.

He entered a small office in the corner of the exchange.

Inside the office, an elf was sitting at a desk, scribbling with a pen and writing something on a scroll.

The elf raised her head. Dark circles were settled under her eyes.

“Maze Investigation Team 12, the leader is Karin, I presume. Are you the only survivor?”

Jung Yushin approached and plopped down in a chair opposite the elf.

“No. But who are you?”

“I am the chief secretary of the Maze Investigation Team. Affiliated with the committee. My job is to take reports from the investigation team. Tell me your story.”

The elf glanced at Jung Yushin’s hair and added.

“Exclude any mating stories.”

“Yes.”

Jung Yushin opened his mouth.

He summarized the events that occurred in the maze. He omitted emotions and clearly conveyed only the facts.

30 minutes passed.

“…So Karin ran off somewhere, and two of my party members turned into animals. One of them seems a little out of it. I think it’s a ‘blank slate’ imprint.”

“Where are those party members?”

“They are waiting outside the exchange.”

“Then let’s have a confirmation…”

“Quack quack!!”

The elf started to get up from her seat at the sound coming from outside, but sat back down.

“I heard you well. You’ve worked hard. Now go back and get some rest.”

He reported everything that happened in the maze. Now it was time to find out what he was curious about.

Jung Yushin asked.

“What happened to the other investigation teams?”

The elf sighed and rubbed her eyes.

“Some have finished their investigation and returned. Some have not yet returned. It’s something we’ll only know after a little more time has passed. There will be an announcement soon, so please wait.”

The elf spoke vaguely, glossing over the key points. It didn’t seem like she would tell him anything more even if he stayed longer.

Jung Yushin got up from his seat and left the office.

Squeak.

Thud.

The door closed and silence filled the office.

The elf stroked her forehead and muttered to herself.

“Hoo. Knocking down the tower, digging a hole, and creating a portal on top of it? Even a strong-hearted person wouldn’t do such a thing. He’s completely insane.”

The elf’s pen moved quickly across the parchment.

A moment later.

After writing the report, she wrote her own opinion separately at the very bottom.

Additional investigation required.

The elf put down her pen and looked over the entire report again.

She seemed quite satisfied, nodding her head a few times before leaning back in her chair.

It was a quiet noon, not typical of a maze city.

Jung Yushin was guided by the guard and came out of the exchange.

At the entrance of the exchange, Duck, Lizard, and Gilshion gathered around and greeted Jung Yushin.

Jung Yushin quickly scanned his party members and said.

“Then, see you later. Take care of your health.”

Just as Jung Yushin was about to move, Roynel, who had turned into a duck, bit Jung Yushin’s foot.

“Ugh! What is it?”

“Quack quack!!”

‘What is it?’

“Are you saying you want me to take you to the temple? To remove the imprint?”

The duck shook its head.

“Then what do you want me to do? Speak. Speak human language.”

“Quack.”

The duck put its two wings together, imitating sleeping.

“You want me to put you to sleep?”

“Quack!”

“What about money?”

The duck protruded its plump belly.

Jung Yushin stared at the belly covered in soft, white feathers for a moment and said.

“Rip open your belly?”

The duck nodded.

Jung Yushin chuckled in disbelief.

“Come here for a moment. Uh-uh. Don’t back away. This elf, really.”

Perhaps because she was a former elven archer, the duck was quick to notice. She quickly backed away and cried out loudly.

“Quack quack!”

A passing guard saw the scene and approached.

“What’s going on?”

“The duck is mocking me.”

“Looks like you’re tired. Were you in the investigation team? Go and rest.”

“I understand. Okay, come here, duck. Let’s go home. Oh, you’re so pretty.”

The duck slowly approached.

‘Now.’

Clasp!

Jung Yushin’s hand firmly grabbed the duck’s body.

“Roynel, please don’t do this. Come to your senses. You are an elf.”

The duck flapped its wings.

“Quack quack!”

The guard said with a smile.

“That one’s quite plump. Looks like you’ll be getting some nourishment.”

The duck’s body stiffened.

Jung Yushin’s face hardened menacingly.

“She’s a real elf.”

“I know. I saw her from afar. Just playing around. But be careful. If you go out on the streets, it might not be a joke.”

Hearing those words, he was jolted awake.

Earlier, the clerics had rushed over to Jung Yushin and asked him a few questions to confirm that he was sane before returning. There was a reason for that.

It was a procedure to confirm whether he could fulfill his role as a protector of the party.

Jung Yushin unpacked his luggage and rummaged through Roynel’s clothes.

Something cool caught on his finger.

He took it out and it was a silver badge, sparkling in the light.

A silver badge symbolizing a mid-rank explorer.

Jung Yushin put the silver badge around the duck’s neck.

The guard’s words felt serious.

He barely survived, only to be kidnapped by a passerby and end up as duck meat. What a tragedy that would be.

Jung Yushin looked around. Aihman was nowhere to be seen.

“Chirp.”

Aihman, who had turned into a lizard, was already sitting on Jung Yushin’s shoulder.

“Aihman, will you remove the imprint? Shall I take you to the temple?”

The lizard bit Jung Yushin’s earlobe.

“Let’s talk it over. If you don’t want to, hit my palm twice here.”

As he held out his palm, the lizard stared at it for a moment before biting it.

Once. Twice.

“You don’t want to? Confirmed.”

He didn’t know what these people were thinking.

Jung Yushin looked at Gilshion and sighed. He took Gilshion’s hand.

“Let’s go.”

A strange procession began.

At the very front, a duck with a silver badge around its neck strutted and waddled.

Behind it, a Barbaroi was holding the hand of a warrior wearing plate armor. On top of his black hair sat a lizard.

The streets were crowded with people, murmuring.

“Could that be the Maze Investigation Team?”

“Is it a failure?”

“Who knows. Either way, having two animal transformation imprints is really unusual.”

The people gathered among themselves and murmured, but did not approach.

Jung Yushin’s face turned red.

‘Stop looking. It’s embarrassing.’

The duck wiggled its butt and proudly waved its silver badge as it walked.

They passed through the south street, receiving the attention of the people, and arrived at Darmon’s Inn.

“I’m back.”

Darmon, who was sitting at the counter, jumped up.

“You came back alive.”

“Yes. How many days has it been since I left?”

“It’s been about a week since you left.”

Had it been that long?

‘Time really flies.’

Darmon looked around Jung Yushin and said.

“A duck, a lizard, a paladin. What a strange combination. Where’s Karin?”

“She suddenly talked about towels, then covered her mouth and ran off somewhere.”

“I see. Anyway, you’re back.”

As Jung Yushin sat down across from the counter, Darmon took out a glass and poured him some wine.

“Wait a moment. I’ll bring you something to eat.”

“Yes.”

The duck was flapping its wings next to him, so he picked it up and placed it on a chair.

He gently took Gilshion’s hand and led him to sit next to the duck.

The lizard had already come down to the counter table and was flicking its tongue.

“Hoo…”

An unknown sigh flowed out from within.

Darmon came out of the kitchen with bread, cheese, and dried sausage in his hands.

“We can’t light a fire because of the earthquake. Please understand.”

“No, thank you.”

Jung Yushin slowly ate the food.

Roynel was shining her eyes and sticking out her beak, so he tore off a small piece of bread and cheese and gave it to her.

‘Is it okay?’

He was worried because he didn’t know what ducks mainly ate, but he was relieved to see her swallowing it well.

He also tore off a piece of bread for the lizard, and it licked it up well with its tongue.

‘It eats well.’

While he was at it, he took off Gilshion’s helmet and put some food in his mouth. Fortunately, Gilshion ate the food well.

Darmon smiled faintly as he watched the scene.

They finished all their meals.

Jung Yushin told them about what happened in the maze.

“…When I came out of the maze, Roynel had turned into a duck, Aihman had turned into a lizard, and Gilshion had become an idiot. I finished reporting at the Explorer’s Guild and came back.”

“Scar, you’ve grown.”

Darmon patted Jung Yushin on the shoulder.

“I don’t know. I was just lucky.”

“Luck is also a skill.”

Splash!

Beer splashed on Jung Yushin’s face.

He looked to the side and saw Roynel wiggling her butt, burying her head in the beer glass, and moving her beak in unison.

‘Oh, my head.’

He grabbed his head at the dizzying sight.

“Roynel, aren’t you an elf? Aren’t you a noble long-lived species? Please keep your dignity.”

“Quack!!”

Whack!

Beer splashed on his face once more.

‘Is this bastard crazy?’

For some reason, she was laughing and crying at the end of the maze, so it seemed like she had gone crazy.

Anger suddenly surged up, then quickly died down.

‘Ah, I don’t know.’

He was too tired. It was a series of mental and physical shocks.

Jung Yushin wiped the beer from his face with his hand and got up from his seat.

“Darmon, I’m going up to rest.”

Darmon smiled and nodded.

“Okay. Does this paladin serve the Spirit God of Light?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll contact you separately, so you get some rest. You look very tired.”

“Yes. I’ll rest first.”

Jung Yushin greeted him and went upstairs. The duck and the lizard also followed him upstairs. The lizard was riding on the duck’s back.

“Let’s sleep separately. Go to another room.”

“Quack!”

“I shouldn’t have said anything.”

He came into the room, grabbed the struggling Roynel, wet a dry towel with water, and wiped her feet. The lizard was slowly running away to the corner, so he just left them alone.

Jung Yushin also took off his clothes, wiped his body with a towel, changed into new clothes, and lay down on the bed.

The lizard and the duck wriggled into the blanket.

“Sigh.”

Jung Yushin sighed and closed his eyes.

* * *

Around late lunch the next day.

Jung Yushin opened his eyes.

When he lifted the blanket, the duck and the lizard were closing their eyes and sleeping, purring.

“Wake up.”

Jung Yushin shook the duck and the lizard to wake them up and came down to the first floor of the inn.

“Did you wake up? The Earth Mother cleric took Gilshion last night.”

“Yes. That’s a relief.”

He ate the food that Darmon brought out and went for a walk.

Roynel kept biting his pants and causing a fuss, so he couldn’t handle it.

The streets were still being controlled by the knights and guards, glaring.

He was caught by the guards and questioned several times, but each time, Roynel took the lead and pecked the guards’ knees with her beak.

The guard looked down at the duck with pitiful eyes.

“Is it your companion?”

“Yes. She’s a former elf.”

“Hoo. How could a long-lived race become like this. Go on. You’ve suffered a lot.”

“Yes. Please take care.”

Only after receiving the sympathetic glances of the guards several times was he able to finally reach the park.

There were many tents throughout the park. This was because people who had fled due to the earthquake had set up camp.

Jung Yushin sat on a wooden bench a little away from the fountain.

Roynel forgot her dignity and was running around in the park fountain, playing. She was about to pick up earthworms and eat them.

Aihman closed his eyes next to Jung Yushin, enjoying the warm sunshine.

He sat on the bench, blankly staring at the duck and the fountain.

There were many things to do, but it was difficult to take his eyes off his party members.

‘They’re really enjoying themselves.’

“Oh? Mr. Scar!”

He turned his head at the sound of someone calling him and saw Mion standing there.

“Teacher Mion.”

Jung Yushin got up from his seat and respectfully bowed to Mion. Mion also smiled softly and bowed her head.

“I heard that you joined the Maze Investigation Team. I’m glad to see you safe.”

“I was lucky.”

Really. This time, he was almost slapped by the Grim Reaper at the gates of the afterlife and dragged away.

If he hadn’t come to his senses, if he had been even a little less lucky, he would have died.

“Is that so.”

Mion sat next to Scar.

The early summer breeze swept past the two of them.

They sat quietly, watching the duck splashing in the fountain.

Jung Yushin pointed to the duck with his finger.

“That duck is my party member.”

Mion nodded.

“I see.”

“Why is she like that?”

“Well, it seems like she’s been under a lot of stress in the maze.”

“Is it possible to relieve stress like that?”

“It’s different for everyone. Isn’t it the same for Mr. Scar?”

‘Is that so.’

No matter how much he racked his brain to understand, he couldn’t figure it out.

What would it feel like to be a duck?

He wanted to hear her thoughts at least once.

The duck splashed and quacked.

Jung Yushin asked again.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m coming back from the relief center. I stopped by the park for a while before going back to the temple.”

“Relief center?”

Clang.

Mion showed her silver badge.

‘Fiona’

That was the name written on the silver badge.

“The Earth Mother cleric who participated in this Maze Investigation Team died in the maze. They lost her body and only managed to bring back the silver badge. The party leader was crying and apologized to me. Said she was sorry.”

Oh dear.

“Shall I hold your hand?”

He asked honestly. Then Mion glanced at the lizard and smiled softly. It was a poignant smile.

“No. Just stay by my side.”

“I understand.”

The newly acquired unknown imprint came to mind, but he erased it.

He decided not to mention it.

He didn’t want to bring up work matters to someone who was quietly mourning someone’s death.

This wasn’t the maze.

He wanted to act like a person.

Late lunch.

The two men and women silently watched the duck flapping its wings and strutting around.