Chapter 71 – 070 Village – Outskirts of Leheel
Doo doo doo doo-
Susa, who believed that this area was dangerous as long as she had been attacked once, drove the wagon without stopping even if she slowed down.
There is no information on how large and vast the backflow phenomenon of the labyrinth is. It’s easier to think that this area is covered with monsters.
As proof, other wagons that had similarly exited Lechil also slowed down and were running around the wagon.
“…….”
The wagons were of various shapes, but to point out what they had in common, they were the size of barely carrying three or four people, accompanied by several escorts, and all of them had a luxurious appearance.
Seeing that Hwanin was watching the carriage, Susa said.
= It must be a ulterior motive to see Hwanin-nim’s performance. =
“Is that so?”
=The smaller the wagon, the easier it is to cast secrets. It drives much better than a wagon, and it’s obvious when you see that it doesn’t get ahead even with an orange or gray cue.=
Hwanin recalled the story he had heard from the village chief of Yulkam.
Que comes in several colors, with straw being the most common, brown, orange, gray, black, red, and green in order of rarity.
Straw-colored to gray colors can also be born by mating straw-colored Que, but black, red (yellow), and green colors are only found in natural labyrinths.
Black, red (twilight), and green are rare Que that can use special abilities, and the rarer they are, the stronger the stamina, wing power, and leg strength, so they have more endurance and faster sprinting speed than straw color.
“Looking at the wagons, they seem like people from good families.”
=Yes. It may be the descendants of the Gojo clan, or landlords who are traveling or on training.=
Somehow, there were people wearing auras while being escorted. Ignoring the gazes of the escorts on the other wagons who were clearly concerned about this side, I asked Susa.
“The thing we stopped talking about earlier at the inn.”
= Ah. Are you talking about the labyrinth where overflow occurs?=
“Yes.”
=There is only one type of labyrinth where overflow occurs. It’s a type of labyrinth that goes underground. The number of labyrinths with open topography, that is, labyrinths that harmonize with nature, tends to remain constant, such as the inflow of heterogeneous species or animals from the surroundings, and the escape of heterogeneous species or animals inside. However…….=
The underground labyrinth is made up of layers.
In addition, underground labyrinths are basically constantly inflicting mental damage on the creatures inside, so the monsters inside the labyrinth rarely escape.
The phenomenon called regurgitation is when the accumulated monsters explode for some reason and come out all at once.
=…… This is the theory put forward by scholars who studied the labyrinth about the overflow phenomenon.=
“That’s why we have troops stationed in the labyrinth near the city for periodic management to prevent overflow and to maintain public order.”
=Yes.=
Hwanin turned his head toward the now invisible Reheel.
The more you know about the labyrinth, the more curious and curious you are about what kind of place it is. However, it would be difficult to taste the labyrinth in its current state.
‘At least it would be better after signing a subordination contract with Isilite. It would be icing on the cake if I found more talented colleagues.’
Hwanin, who was thinking this in his heart, was in a state of slightly frowning with his sunken eyes.
Of course, Susa, who was deceived by that appearance, tries to comfort Hwanin with a cheerful expression.
=You don’t have to worry so much about the village that was hit by the wave of monsters. Every town the size of a village has a public security unit, and that’s the case with Leheel. The skills of the crew members are also excellent, and the barriers are high and thick, so you should be able to hold out until rescue comes from nearby cities and villages.=
“…….”
He noticed that Susa was misunderstanding, but Hwanin kept his mouth shut instead of answering.
‘Rescue is coming. Does it even have a magical long-distance communication network?’
Come to think of it, Yulkam’s village chief and Susa accepted his excuse that the transfer had been in an accident without any doubt.
If teleportation technology exists, it wouldn’t be strange to have magical technology to establish an emergency contact network. It’s like that esoteric or something.
As the moon passed long overhead, Susa expected that a suitable camping point that she remembered would appear.
Before long, some terrain familiar to the eye emerged from the darkness, and as we crossed the hills, a small grove of memories appeared.
After checking the condition of the Que pulling the wagon, Susa cautiously spoke to Hwanin, who had been sitting there silently for a while.
= Spirit Master. I will take a rest there. I think the queues are tired from the chaos.=
“Yes.”
As the shrubbery approaches, Susa slows down the wagon, and the wagons in front slow down as well.
Susa stopped the wagon near the bush, and they each took their places at the edge of the road.
Susa sneered inwardly at the obvious appearance of trying to get on her side.
‘Let’s see how he builds his pride just because he has a high status.’
If it was a traveler or a merchant like himself, they would have gathered and made a temporary procession.
However, they didn’t say thank you for stopping the chasing monster, and they didn’t pay attention to this side, and they made a bonfire separately and sat down.
It’s a heart-wrenching sight, but it’s something he, a mere peddler, can’t do.
‘It’s more important to build a friendship with the spirit master rather than focusing on unpleasant things.’
Susa ignored the other side in the same way and approached Hwanin, who was sitting quietly near the bonfire the porter had lit. Then he quietly sat down next to me and trembled.
= Whoa~. This uptrend is leaving only huge gains. As a merchant, I am very proud.=
“…… Yes?”
For a moment, Hwanin wondered if Susa had gone mad.
The original plan was to stay in Lechil for three days, fill the wagons with Lechil’s specialties and some luxuries, processed goods and manufactured goods, and then head to the village of Etbruk, the next destination.
However, on the night they arrived in Rehill, a wave of monsters came and Susa ran away from the village without loading any of his goods.
“Didn’t you leave Lehhill without packing your luggage? But it is profitable.”
Since I was forced to take a break from trade, it would have been left as a loss, but it was a benefit.
It’s normal to suspect that she’s lost her mind, but…….
= As Mr. Isilite said, there is no treasure more precious than her life. However, thanks to Hwanin-nim, I saved my life twice, so what if it wasn’t a huge benefithaha.=
Haha.”
He was a Hwanin who had never seen a positive person like Susa in his social life. That’s why I couldn’t help but laugh at Susa’s joke.
=Still, an empty wagon feels empty…… I hope many beasts will attack you on the way to the village of Etbruk. It’s a bad feeling to drag an empty cart.=
“It is also a matter of merchant pride.”
= Big. Hwanin is the first person who understands the merchant’s heart this well. Compared to that…….=
Seeing where Susa’s eyes were headed, the wagon camps lined up along the road caught Hwanin’s eyes.
I didn’t care at all, so I now know that they were doing that, but Hwan-in was still unresponsive, as if they were inanimate objects.
= Well…….=
At that time, a porter who had been boiling something in a small pot brought a steaming silver cup in both hands. It was a meat soup made with beef jerky.
“I will enjoy this food.”
=Thank you, Elles.=
While drinking a little bit of thick, slightly spicy soup like potage, Hwanin felt a sense of presence and began to announce the crisis.
“…….”
Hwanin held the cup in his right hand and placed his hand on the black spear with his left hand pretending to mow the grass.
And with a sidelong glance, I checked who was approaching.
‘Warrior?’
Its appearance was that of the Inrang tribe with dark red fur.
He’s almost 2.3m tall, he’s two heads taller than himself, and if it’s a coincidence, he has a similar feel to Bardul who fought at the beginning of the forest on the ridge.
The feeling that if you fight, you will be able to get a sense of exhilaration and joy.
“…….”
Hwanin’s eyes quickly scanned the man’s equipment.
A gray cuirasse that shimmers in the moonlight even in the dark, gray leggings that go up to the thighs of the same material as the breastplate, and gauntlets for armor. And even the black longsword hanging from her waist.
Even in the eyes of Hwanin, who had no knowledge of the weapons of this world, it looked like expensive equipment.
Fighting with the author is sure to exhilarate, but…….
“…….”
Hwanin took his hand off the spear and took the cup with both hands again.
He is an innocent man with no enmity and no enmity. He can’t fight
However, Brillitt and Isilite stand behind Susa and Hwanin and watch out for the approaching man.
=Excuse me during the break.=
The man bowed politely and started talking, and Susa also stood up to greet him.
=Yes. Excuse me, who are you?=
= It’s too late to introduce yourself. My name is Ktachinan, who is on a mission to escort the son of Awik 3rd-class Baron. Are you the leader of the party?=
Baron?! Was there even a baron in the ranks!
Susa was surprised, but he answered even more politely without revealing it.
=Yes. It is said that it is Susa of the Susa peddler…… What is the Awick family escort warrior doing to a mere merchant like me?=
=Please accept this.=
Without further ado, Ctachinan held out a gray wooden box the size of two palms.
As soon as he saw the box in his hand, he realized the meaning. Susa raised her eyebrows in surprise and politely accepted the box with both hands.
=As a member of the glorious noble family of Lucrang, I should have taken the lead in stopping the monsters that followed, but I felt great pain that I had delayed that role to everyone. This is Aerelt, the second prince of the Awick family, giving thanks and return to the master.=
= Huh, it’s a gift from a nobleman……. Shouldn’t I visit you and say thank you?=
= I will only be grateful for that heart. =
Ktachinan, who had a conversation with Susa in a respectful manner throughout, looked at Hwanin for a very short time and then went back.
Susa gave a small admiration.
=A warrior escorting a direct descendant of a 3rd-class baron must be in a high position in the family, but it is surprising that he is so polite.=
“There seem to be many people who have a sense of chosen people among those who rule.”
= Well, not to that extent. It’s just that I don’t want to have a conversation with the common people because there is a difference in social status. By the way, the equipment is really great.=
In Susa’s eyes, Ktachinan’s equipment seemed to total 50 gold coins. All of them had magical armor engraved with magic gates, and their weapons were also magical weapons.
“It is expensive.”
Considering that the price of this world is subtly similar to that of Earth, 50 gold coins is roughly 5 billion. It is a price that allows you to buy a high-class apartment in Gangnam, Seoul.
When I asked what kind of magic it had on it and why it was so expensive, the explanation came back that the magic gates on the armor were mostly body strengthening aids.
=There are two ways to strengthen arms. One is a magic tool that uses a phase stone as a core, and the other is a magic weapon that is made with densely written magical characters. Both have their pros and cons, so I can’t say which one is better. If it’s an escort mission like now, wouldn’t it be a more versatile body strengthening aid?=
“…….”
Magical armor that strengthens the body, is it an effect similar to his own code? I wondered if it would overlap if it was similar.
If it overlaps, you can narrow the gap between melee occupational groups and physical abilities by adding mantras to such equipment.
= You will receive it. This belongs to the spirit master.=
Hwanin took the box Susa held out with both hands and opened it.
Susa, who handed him the box as if he didn’t know how to open it right away, opens his eyes wide and sneaks up next to Hwanin to look into the box.
= Oh. 2Gold coins, as expected, is a direct lineage of a noble family.=
‘Is this the pride of the baronial family?’
If you convert the market price, it is about 200 million won in Korean money, but compared to the value of a product that does not exist in Korea, which is 5 billion won right before, it feels like it does not touch the skin well.
But big money is right. Even if you look at the cost of lodging and lodging at a luxury inn, you can live for about three years on one gold screen.
‘Come to think of it, the cost of staying at a luxury inn in Lehhill is similar to that of a 4-star hotel.’
Hwanin held out one of the two gold coins to Susa.
He would not be dissatisfied even if he took care of everything himself, but in such a case, sharing is good for favor.
If you look at Susa’s way of living and how she responds, considering that she has been a merchant for 30 years, including peddling, it would be better to keep a relationship with her for a long time.
= No, why are you sharing it with me? It was the spirit master’s performance that defeated the monsters.=
“Aren’t you accompanying Mr. Susa right now? And since I received help, Mr. Susa has a right too.”
However, with an expression of disapproval, Susa carefully bit Hwanin’s hand back.
= I will only be grateful for the heart of Mr. Soul. =
I honestly don’t understand why he refuses money, but Susa’s stubborn attitude doesn’t seem persuasive.
‘He’s the type who values personal connections more than money.’
I’ve seen a few people of this type in my company life.
The type of person who says that networking is also an asset and spends the extra money in their pockets to build relationships with people around them.
The characteristics of this kind of person are friendly with many people, and they have a good reputation among people, so they are not bad to get close to…… That was Hwanin’s perception.
‘It would be okay to take responsibility for their meals and lodging when they arrive at Etbruk Village.’
It was when I took a break for about 40 minutes like that.
“…… ?”
Hwanin, who was concentrating on a pearl-colored stone, felt the light green and light blue spirits freely floating around, trembling and moving busily.
— Kyaaaaa~
– Come. Come.
— Ahaha. Ahahaha.
And whispers similar to hearing hallucinations.
“…… !”
Hwanin unknowingly tightened his eyebrows and grabbed his spear to stand up.
Susa, who had been half asleep at that sudden force, was startled and woke up, and Brillit and Isilite, who had been quietly staring at the bonfire, reflexively raised their weapons and stood up.
= Ugh, uhm! Spirit Master, what are you doing?=
“Something is coming.”
Hearing the cold Hwanin’s voice, Susa woke up as if she had been splashed with cold water.
