NOVEL NEXT Chapter 65
The road to Rotten’s Inn on the outskirts of District 4, riding on a carriage.
In the quiet atmosphere, I pondered what to say upon arrival.
“Once we get there, I should propose to Jacob that he join the party. We’ve been discussing it for a few days now, so it should be fine.”
A swordsman, thief, priest, wizard + a reliable frontline tank.
I imagined that in the future, it would be nice to operate as a standard five-member party. If things went sideways, a party of six would also work.
For now, with Lumia’s instincts, I had somehow managed to continue exploring the labyrinth with my clumsy rogue skills…
But surely, I couldn’t keep fumbling my way through forever.
“Even if Jacob doesn’t join the party, we need to recruit an explorer-type adventurer, or one of us—either me or Lumia—needs to learn the necessary skills and knowledge.”
Clatter!
“Ladies and gentlemen. We’ve arrived at our destination, so it’s time to disembark!”
Just as I was propping my chin and continuing my thoughts, we had already arrived in front of the inn, which seemed rather quick.
“Ugh. I slept so well. I must’ve dozed off. Looks like the others are still fast asleep, too.”
Jacob, sitting next to me, said this and yawned widely.
“Guys, it’s time to wake up! Are we going to send everyone right back to sleep instead of having breakfast?”
Lumia was sound asleep with her eyes shut tight.
I shook Yeriell, who was sleeping with her head resting on Lumia’s shoulder.
As I lightly grabbed her shoulder, Lumia’s eyes flew open.
“Let’s go. Whether to eat or sleep, we need to head down.”
“Ugh. You go ahead. I’ll wake Yeriell and bring her along.”
After agreeing, I went down with Jacob first and opened the inn door.
“Hmm? Oh! Aren, is that you? I see unfamiliar faces beside you.”
As soon as we quietly entered, Rotten, who was sitting at the counter, sensed us and deftly turned around.
“Mr. Rotten, we’re back! I hope everything’s been well in our absence?”
I greeted him warmly, sharing the good news as he smiled kindly at Jacob and me.
“Of course! All is well. You look unscathed, but it seems this trip was quite tough on you. Your gear looks a mess.”
“Well, we’ve been engaged in life-or-death battles, so it was anything but easy. Haha, but I guess it might just be a walk in the park for you, Mr. Rotten.”
“Haha… I also had my share of being a low-tier adventurer in my younger days, so who am I to say it’s nothing? Anyway, well done. Where are the other two?”
“They’ll be here soon. Is there any chance we can have a meal right now? Including drinks, please.”
Rotten assured us it was possible since the adventurers who had stayed while we were gone had checked out a few days ago, leaving the place empty.
Feeling a bit stiff after the journey, he let out a hearty laugh and headed to the kitchen.
Clatter.
“We’re back!”
“Hey, I nodded off for a bit there.”
As soon as the door opened, Yeriell looked at me and smiled sheepishly.
“I figured you’d be hungry, so I’ve already ordered breakfast. How about it? Your special condition isn’t causing you any stomach issues, is it?”
“Nope, since I only had a bit of jerky for breakfast, I think I’m pretty hungry. But I can hold out for now.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
After waiting a bit at a nearby table, Rotten brought out our food.
“Here you go. Let me know if you need more!”
“Thank you!”
After Rotten left, we exchanged glances and raised our mugs of ale.
“To the self-proclaimed mercenary group, a powerful species, and a mad goblin! We faced all sorts of obstacles, but look at us—we came back unscathed!”
As I mentioned in the last return, those who don’t kill us only make us stronger.
“May we continue to return safely from the labyrinth! Cheers!”
Clink!
After our mugs met, a lively breakfast continued.
Chomp chomp.
“Eat too quickly and you’ll regret it. Take your time.”
“My stomach’s too empty to slow down… Ugh! I’ve got to get rid of this special condition by tomorrow!”
Yeriell, looking worried, said this with a pout.
‘Well, considering Yeriell usually barely eats, it must be pretty frustrating for her to be forced to consume so much.’
I shook my head and continued eating.
*
“Jacob. I’ve been thinking deeply, but how about formally joining our party?”
“Eh? Joining the party?”
Jacob looked stunned, as if he couldn’t believe what he heard.
“Yep. I’ve been following you all this way, and I can see you get along well with everyone without any sharp edges, and your character is solid. At least that’s what I gathered from spending weeks together.”
“Uh, um, suddenly complimenting me is a bit embarrassing.”
“And not just that, but your skills as a scout aren’t half bad either. We need someone reliable who can hold their own without being overly powerful right away.”
“Is that so?”
“What do you think? You can give me an answer right now if you want, but if it feels overwhelming, no rush—take your time after we disband. The three of us are going to stick around this inn.”
“Um… That’s…”
Bringing a new party member into our trio, which was already tightly bound with trust and camaraderie, was certainly something to think through.
Thus, I’ve thought long and hard about everything since capturing Grielops.
Although I could safely say our first meeting was horrendous, after battling through a dire crisis together, my thoughts began to transform.
Back then, I merely watched as Jacob bled out, barely alive until I heard his desperate cries about a treasure chest…
It took me a moment to act, but despite many opportunities for revenge due to lingering resentment…
Jacob quietly led the way to the location we sought and afterward, stayed back, observing the situation while fulfilling his duties.
‘Especially in that last moment, without Jacob’s quick thinking, who knows how much more I would have struggled and fought in vain?’
Jacob tossing a gem to summon the golem to combat Grielops was probably the best move he could make at that moment.
‘Assuming the worst-case scenario, Grielops could have made things chaotic and someone could have gotten severely injured. The chaos was quite chaotic already.’
What surprised me the most was…
While he could have fled unnoticed, he chose to focus on summoning the golem instead.
Watching the golem dump its contents on the ground, I realized he wasn’t carrying anything in his backpack.
During such a life-and-death situation, he could have easily escaped, even if it required extra time…
Perhaps he feared he wouldn’t survive an encounter with other goblins or adventurer parties afterward.
Or he might have simply wanted to pay back the favor of saving his life by helping defeat Grielops; only he would truly know.
“Brother. I jested about considering myself temporarily part of your party before returning, but… I need a bit of time to think about it.”
Jacob said, rolling his eyes as if deep in thought, then scratched his cheek, sounding a bit flustered.
“Of course. Take your time and think it over.”
⋯
This was just about when the meal was winding down.
“Brother… May we talk a moment alone?”
“Sure. Let’s step outside for a bit and chat while catching some fresh air.”
I stood up, clinging slightly to fleeting drowsiness as I followed Jacob outside.
“Yeriell, Lumia, I’ll be back shortly, so just relax.”
“Uh-huh. Be quick about it. Don’t take a wrong turn!”
“Take care. Don’t worry about us, we’re the only ones here anyway.”
Nodding, I stepped outside to greet the cool breeze.
Wow, it’s already night. It’s dark.
Silently standing and waiting for Jacob to speak, he opened up with a strangely serious tone.
“After hearing what you said earlier, I took a moment to think it over. My mind feels quite tangled now.”
Jacob let out a soft sigh.
“To cut to the chase, I’m afraid I must decline the offer to join your party.”
…Decline.
I wasn’t overly surprised since I had sensed it coming for a while.
“Is it alright to ask why? I mean, I’m really just asking out of curiosity, not to pressure you or be upset about it.”
Jacob nodded and slowly began to explain.
“Honestly, I think joining your party would be out of my league.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Put simply… I’m weak. I could say I’ve got the basics as a thief, but that doesn’t mean I’m exceptional enough to stick around here.”
He gazed up at the sky with an earnest expression, and I could see him recalling the past.
“I grew up under a poor, violent father who was a complete jerk. My mother left long ago, and my little brother was killed by him one day just because he was hungry and begged for food.”
“…”
“So I learned to suck it up until I could stand on my own, and eventually seized the chance to escape with just a few coins and bits of belongings while that scumbag slept.”
Everyone has their own stories, but hearing Jacob’s made me realize just how tough his upbringing was.
“Haha. But somehow, having parents was never a thought that crossed my mind.”
Jacob dropped his gaze, letting out a bitter chuckle.
“Anyway, I struggled to get by in the harbor city, got involved with the thieves’ guild, and luckily had some talent, so I managed to rise from the bottom to become a thief.”
“So then you ended up here in Labyrinth City?”
“Yeah. They say if you can just get past the lower levels of the Great Labyrinth, life becomes decent. It was easy to transition to being an adventurer, as long as you didn’t have a criminal record.”
It makes sense why he chose this opportunity for independence in such a promising place.
“After that, I’ve diligently made a living here. I even secured a room in District 6 and did adventuring through several parties on the matching board.”
Jacob chuckled and crossed his arms.
“Though, I barely survived after hitting the wrong party once.”
Hmm…
“See, I want to live a long life as an adventurer and once I hit middle age, I’ll visit that little shit back in my hometown to confront him.”
He smiled broadly, as if the thought delighted him.
“I’ll throw gold coins in his face and laugh at him: ‘Look at me, I’ve made it. I’ve succeeded far beyond you.’”
That’s an ambitious and splendid life goal.
“But if I were to join your party and dive into the labyrinth, a guy like me would eventually just end up dead in a meaningless way. I could almost picture it, and I felt half-certain.”
Jacob stretched his arms to the sky, pretending to grab the stars.
“Brother, or rather, Aren. You’re going to grow strong and go far, just like those stars up high… and I’ll never reach you.”
“…”
“I want to survive steadily within my limits, aiming for some small success as an adventurer. That’s both my life goal and the reason I’m declining your invitation.”
Staring straight at me with those clear eyes, I could only nod in understanding.
Jacob seemed to lose himself slightly in the evening as he sheepishly chuckled.
“I think your party needs a versatile adventurer who can take the role of both a frontline and rear guard, not just a weak thief like me.”
“We definitely felt the lack of numbers during this expedition into the labyrinth. I’ll bear that in mind.”
“Alright then! Haha! It seems I’ve chatted long enough; I should head in. I need to pack my things and get going anyway.”
After his sincere advice, Jacob said he must start getting ready to leave.
I couldn’t just let Jacob go without something.
“Jacob, don’t rush off. After you pack, wait inside just a bit. I’ve got something for you.”
“Eh? Something for me?”
“Yep, I won’t take long, so don’t worry.”
“What is it? I doubt the carriage will stop running, so it’s not that urgent… but I’m curious. Let’s go!”
We opened the door and stepped back inside the inn.
Since our conversation went longer than expected, I noticed Yeriell soundly asleep with her cheek squished against the table like a doughnut.
‘Oh boy. Now that we’re back in the city, it’s clear the accumulated exhaustion just hit her all at once. Let’s get Jacob out before moving her to a room.’
“Aren, is everything done?”
Lumia, still awake, gazed at me with sleepy eyes.
“Haha… Though my attempt at recruiting ended in failure, I couldn’t let Jacob leave empty-handed.”
Lumia glanced at Jacob then nodded without saying anything.
Clatter.
We went up to the second floor and opened the door to my room.
“Let’s see here.”
I rummaged through the space bag set in one corner of the room.
What I needed to pull out was… a dagger and a mid-tier potion.
I looked down at the blood-red dagger.
It radiated a chilling aura, clearly the weapon of the human hunter Gospel, known for its monstrous prowess, who possessed C-class stats back then.
‘I’ve held onto this without rushing to dispose of it; finally, it’s finding its way to its rightful place.’
Holding the dagger and potion bottle in both hands, I headed back down to the first floor.
“Jacob, catch. This is a gift from me. If it feels too burdensome, you can treat it as gratitude for helping take down that beast on the fourth floor.”
As I handed him the items, I explained the history and capabilities of the blood-red dagger.
“Wha, Brother! This is way too much. For what I did… I can understand the potion, but suddenly giving me a D-class weapon?!”
“I’m just giving it to you so you won’t die out there. May this weapon be a small help toward achieving your grand dreams.”
“…”
Jacob appeared stunned, or maybe slightly touched; he momentarily sealed his lips and covered his face with both hands.
“Thank you. I won’t forget everything from the life you saved me on the fourth floor to your words and this weapon.”
“Sure. We’re going to stay here in this inn, so whenever life as an adventurer gets tough, feel free to drop by anytime. We can share some drinks and catch up.”
“Sure! If I’m not struggling, I’ll pop in frequently too, but you better not ignore me when you become all successful later!”
With a cheeky smile, he extended his fist.
“Take care. Stay strong.”
Thud.
We lightly bumped fists, then Jacob turned to leave, taking a few steps before pausing.
“Oh, Lumia! If you let go of someone as good as Brother, you’ll truly regret it for the rest of your days! Haha, I’m off for real now!”
What a character.
Just like that, Jacob departed, leaving behind laughter.
[Chaos comforts that it’s okay and not to be disheartened.]
‘Oh please. I’m not disheartened. It’s a bit bittersweet that my first recruitment attempt failed, but at least we parted on good terms, so I’m rather relieved.’
[Chaos agrees it’s good news.]
Right. Jacob will manage on his own, and when the time comes, I’ll surely find good party members.
In the end, time will tell.
Shaking off my vaguely ambiguous feelings, I strolled back to the table.