episode_0088

A noisy inn.

Jung Yushin frowned as he looked at the rat beastman trembling while held in his hand.

“What does that mean?”

“…It’s exactly as I said. I have a kleptomania engraving. It’s not stealing I did of my own will.”

Strength entered Jung Yushin’s hand.

“You want me to believe that?”

The rat beastman’s face became urgent.

“Kugh! It’s true. It’s an uncontrollable desire! I’m sorry!”

“Really? What exactly did you take? Open your hand quickly.”

“He…here it is.”

The rat beastman opened his palm.

There was the honey candy Teddy Bear gave as a gift and a fairy tale to give to Luna.

“Hmm…It doesn’t seem like that’s all.”

“Ah, no. That’s all! Didn’t you grab my hand right away? I swear on my mother!”

Even swearing on his mother?

“As I recall, there was silver coin, not a fairy tale, in my pocket.”

“Wh…what?!”

The color drained from the rat beastman’s face at Jung Yushin’s words.

At that moment.

The smell of medicine wafted from behind.

“Scar, were you here? Mars, you were here first too.”

Turning around, Iron Mask was standing there.

Mars?

Is he talking about this rat beastman?

“Do you know this friend?”

Jung Yushin asked, looking at Iron Mask.

“His name is Mars. As you can see, he’s a rat beastman. He’s the guide for our party.”

Iron Mask answered.

Jung Yushin turned his head and stared at the rat beastman for a moment, then turned back to Iron Mask.

“This guy rifled through my pockets.”

“He got a kleptomania engraving on the last labyrinth trip. It’s an engraving that makes you unintentionally rummage through treasure chests or pockets. Understand with a generous heart.”

“Why didn’t you erase it?”

“You’ll have to ask Mars about that.”

The rat beastman, feeling Jung Yushin’s gaze, cleared his throat.

“Ahem. We don’t know what kind of engraving we’ll get in the future, so we’re keeping it for now. It’s to prepare for a case where we get a worse engraving than this.”

As expected, do thoughts become similar as experience accumulates?

“Judging by the fact that you haven’t been caught by the guard until now, you seem to have some talent.”

Jung Yushin said, releasing the rat beastman’s arm.

The rat beastman massaged his arm and sat down on a chair.

“Barbarian, didn’t you just say? It hasn’t been long since I got the engraving.”

Jung Yushin nodded.

I see.

So it was just luck.

Come to think of it, how many brave guys are there in the labyrinth city who would pickpocket a person called the Black-Haired Barbarian?

You’re more likely to receive a big baby than a big fortune if you mess up.

“I see. Mars, I look forward to working with you.”

“Uh…”

“Why?”

“Take your hand off my butt.”

Coming to his senses, Jung Yushin was fondling the rat beastman’s butt.

“Damn it. Get your butt away!”

Jung Yushin shouted, completely enraged.

“No…”

The rat beastman made the most wronged expression in the world.

“Barbarian, were you into that kind of thing?”

Iron Mask asked, stepping back.

“No. There’s a deep story here.”

“Does that require an explanation?”

“I’ll tell you later. Where is the priest?”

Iron Mask stared at Jung Yushin’s face for a while before speaking.

“…Wait a moment.”

Thud!

The door opened and someone came into the inn.

All eyes in the inn were on the person who had just entered.

A naked body.

A dwarf wearing only a pair of briefs looked around.

Jung Yushin’s mouth dropped open.

What is this?

How morally corrupt does a city have to be for someone to walk around in such shameless and outrageous clothes?

If he stays still after seeing that sight, it’s obvious that the honor and justice of the inn owner’s proxy will fall to the ground.

I can’t stand by and watch.

He immediately got up from his seat.

“You!”

Jung Yushin shouted, pointing his finger at the dwarf.

At that moment.

“Oh! You’re here?!”

Iron Mask waved his hand, looking at the naked dwarf.

Jung Yushin’s head whipped towards Iron Mask.

What?

That naked dwarf is a party member?

It felt like he had been hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat.

He thought he wouldn’t be surprised anymore, but he was wrong. The darkness of the labyrinth was much deeper than he had imagined.

“Yo. Iron Mask, you came quickly.”

As the dwarf waved back and approached, his shaggy chest hair fluttered.

As the dwarf took each step, the murmuring of the people grew louder.

“How can there be such a perverted dwarf? Doesn’t that guy have any family or relatives?”

“…Is it the owner’s taste?”

“It used to be customary to gather here for a meeting because of the Blue Moon Festival, but I think we should reconsider. I heard he was a kind mixed-race barbarian, but he’s finally revealing his true colors.”

All sorts of speculations and slanders were rampant inside the inn’s dining area.

However, the dwarf confidently walked up to Jung Yushin.

“Nice to meet you! Barbarian, I’m Kubo Heavyhand. I am a priest who serves the spirit god of fire.”

A dwarf in briefs, looking up at him and holding out his hand.

Jung Yushin hurriedly turned his head and shouted.

“…Tarman!!!”

“Yes!”

Tarman, who was carrying food from the kitchen, shouted with wide eyes.

“Bring a sack of flour! A used one!”

“…Yes!”

Tarman slammed the food down on the counter and quickly ran into the kitchen.

“…Why, what’s wrong?”

The dwarf stammered, stepping back.

“What do you mean why? Are you crazy? Why are you walking around naked?”

“Scar, calm down. Priest Kubo is going around like this because of an engraving.”

Iron Mask stepped in to stop him.

“What kind of engraving is it?”

Dwarf Priest Kubo proudly spread his arms.

“It’s an engraving that increases defense when you don’t wear clothes or armor!”

“…”

“Here’s the sack of flour!”

Jung Yushin received the sack of flour and handed it to the dwarf.

“Use it.”

“Didn’t I just explain?”

“This isn’t the labyrinth, is it? Or has your heart been stained by the darkness of the labyrinth?”

“I, I understand.”

Iron Mask’s party gathered at a corner table.

The naturalist dwarf priest Kubo, covered in a sack of flour.

The thief guide, rat beastman Mars.

The former heir to the throne, Iron Mask.

And the kind Barbarian, Jung Yushin.

Sitting face to face in a corner inn.

His chest felt cramped.

‘It’s not easy.’

No.

You can’t judge a person by their appearance. You must look at the inner self.

“Ahem! Then let’s get down to business.”

“Scar, shouldn’t you start by explaining about fondling Mars’ butt earlier?”

Iron Mask interjected.

“There are many ears listening. Not now.”

The dwarf priest’s face frowned at Jung Yushin’s answer.

“Barbarian, speak frankly. Aren’t we going to be back-to-back in the labyrinth?”

“I’m sorry. It’s an engraving that can’t be said in a place with many people. Please wait a little longer.”

“…Really?”

“Is it that dangerous of an engraving?”

The party members’ expressions became serious.

Saying it out loud here is suicide. A natural death, so there’s no way to complain.

“It’s not that serious of an engraving, so loosen your expressions. I’m also wearing equipment to suppress the engraving.”

“I understand. I’ll believe you if you say so.”

Among the party members who were shining with faint suspicion, only Iron Mask believed in Jung Yushin.

That being said.

I guess the first meeting was a bit rocky.

The party members were making sullen expressions.

There is only one way to solve this awkwardness.

He got up from his seat, rummaged through the cupboard, and brought out a bottle of alcohol.

“Let’s have a drink each and then talk.”

“Oh!”

The party members’ faces brightened.

The dwarf wrapped in the sack of flour smiled brightly.

“A 50-year-old dwarf liquor, that’s generous!”

“I brought the wrong one. I’ll bring something else.”

“…”

Despite the party members’ piercing gazes, he stubbornly brought out a 10-year-old dwarf liquor.

“Tsk, isn’t 10 years still liquor that hasn’t properly matured?”

Perhaps because he was a dwarf who was serious about alcohol, he was being picky.

Jung Yushin opened the bottle, poured it into a glass, and drank a little.

It went down smoothly and burned hotly in his stomach.

“It’s well-matured. Don’t drink it if you don’t like it.”

“No. What can I say when you’re giving it away for free? I’ll drink it gratefully.”

The bottle went around the table once. The dwarf, who had been complaining, also tapped the table in satisfaction.

“I thought it was unripe, but the fresh scent is impressive.”

“Good.”

The story was gradually going astray.

Jung Yushin stepped forward and opened his mouth.

“Enough of that, let’s get back to the party discussion.”

Jung Yushin and the party started the conversation with the story of pay.

The conversation gradually lengthened.

They exchanged various stories, such as the weapons and equipment they used, party formation, and the engraving abilities they possessed.

“Everything is good, but it’s unsettling that there isn’t a vanguard to take charge of defense.”

The rat beastman Mars pointed out.

“Iron Mask, don’t you use a greatsword?”

“That’s right. Scar, I saw you using a sword last time, can you use a one-handed sword?”

Jung Yushin stroked his chin at Iron Mask’s question.

“I can. I’ll take charge of the vanguard defense. Would a round shield and arming sword be enough? I’ll also bring a longsword as a secondary weapon.”

Iron Mask nodded.

“That would be enough.”

“Let’s stop the meeting here.”

Because a long time had passed with the continuous conversation, the inn was deserted with no people.

Iron Mask crossed his arms and looked at Jung Yushin.

“So, will you tell me now?”

Jung Yushin immediately realized what Iron Mask was talking about.

“It’s a virgin female corruption engraving.”

“…”

A cold silence fell among the party members.

“Don’t worry. As I said earlier, I’m wearing a magic tool that suppresses engravings. As a side effect, my hands move on their own unconsciously, but I’m controlling it well.”

The rat beastman Mars gaped.

“Barbarian, didn’t you fondle my butt a few hours ago?”

“You were the one who stuck your butt out. Let’s get our facts straight. And is your butt plated with gold? Tsk.”

“…”

The rat beastman, who was lost for words at his logical rebuttal, picked up his glass and poured it into his mouth.

“Isn’t that a typical Barbarian way of speaking?”

The dwarf priest, who was wrapped in a sack of flour, scratched his head and said.

Come to think of it, that’s true.

“I’m sorry. It seems like we had an unpleasant experience with each other, so how about we just bury it and move on?”

“…I understand. I was the one who made the mistake first, so I’ll let it go this time.”

Mars nodded and replied.

Iron Mask got up from his seat first.

“Let’s end the meeting here. Let’s meet here in the morning in two days.”

““Understood.””

The party members also got up from their seats and left the inn.

Jung Yushin saw off the party members and sat down at the counter.

Tarman, who was guarding the place, bowed his head.

“Scar, then I’ll go in first.”

“Okay. You didn’t have to wait, but thank you.”

“It’s nothing. Since that big-nosed guy isn’t here, I have to guard the place.”

Jung Yushin smiled and looked at Tarman, then hardened his face.

“Tarman, you seem a little haggard?”

“Uh…I guess it’s because I’ve been working hard lately.”

Tarman muttered, stroking his bald head.

“Just wait a little longer. I’ll try to find one more worker.”

“…Thank you.”

Jung Yushin thought as he looked at Tarman’s back as he drooped his shoulders and went home.

‘I need to raise his salary a little more.’

Jung Yushin cleaned up his seat and opened a book. The preparations for the labyrinth trip were almost finished. There were still 2 days left, so he was thinking of rereading the Forest Monster Ecology Book that Mion had lent him as a review.

No matter how thorough you are, preparation is never enough.

Rustle. Rustle.

The sound of flipping pages echoed through the quiet inn.

Creak. Creak.

The inn door opened.

Jung Yushin raised his head.

It’s late at night. There’s no one who would come at this time.

“…Huh?!”

A surprised voice popped out of Jung Yushin’s mouth.

Red ears and tail.

Karin Redtail.

“Hi? Did you wait for me?”

Stumble stumble.

A white see-through tank top and a ‘leopard print’ bra with bursting breasts stuffed inside.

Tight leather pants. And work boots under that.

“…Karin?”

Jung Yushin muttered, staring blankly at the approaching Karin.

Strangely enough, she was wearing a choker around her neck.

“Scar, it’s been a while.”

“Ah…Euh?”

Jung Yushin, who had temporary dementia because of the ‘leopard print’ bra that was clearly visible through the tank top, stammered.

“Scar, I have a favor to ask.”

“Uu?”

“Can you let me sleep here?”

Karin smiled and gently stroked Jung Yushin’s face with her tail.