Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

“When you hug me tightly, I feel⋯ my heart warms up.”

Veronica asked me to hug her, and the atmosphere became even warmer than before we boarded the carriage.

“I won’t do anything, I just want to stay like this until we arrive. I’m sorry for acting like a child.”

Her tantrums have increased a lot in just a few hours.

“I’m sorry. There’s no reason not to.”

Well, I wouldn’t mind if it was her original body.

I felt nothing because she was just a cute little sister trying to act like an adult.

[Chaos taps his forehead, saying that she’s not a little sister.]

“Ahren.”

“Yes?”

Veronica, who was hesitating in front of the inn, took my hand and led me inside.

“⋯I just wanted to say thank you. Let’s go in.”

Although there was no conversation between us while entering the inn, I could tell from her slowly rising smile that she had forgotten the gloomy topic and was in a good mood.

“Hey, innkeeper! Two beers, please!”

“Kid, you’re too early! Why don’t you eat some snacks first? You’ll pass out again.”

Speaking of which, this place is quite crowded.

“If we had arrived a little later, we would have had to share a table with others. Let’s go to an empty table first.”

“Yes, it’s good that we’re not late.”

We moved through the busy waitresses and adventurers and sat down at an empty table in the corner.

“Oh! Veronica, did you just arrive?”

“Yes. Can I ask for a meal as usual?”

“Sure. I’ll bring you the recommended set menu, and for drinks⋯ Damn, I almost said something stupid! Please, can you just go back to normal?”

Veronica looked embarrassed and rolled her eyes.

“It’s not my choice to end early, you know. You didn’t show it at first, but you must have been surprised.”

“I was surprised to see you change after returning from the labyrinth!”

He patted his muscular chest.

“I can’t sell alcohol to a young girl like you, even if I’m not an old non-human! It’s against my conscience!”

The innkeeper was surprised to see the stoic knight girl turn into a child after something happened in the labyrinth.

It’s not illegal to sell alcohol to a minor, but the stares from others and her own conscience made it difficult.

I didn’t feel like drinking either, so I passed.

“Anyway, I will bring two recommended sets and basic drinks. It’ll be ready soon!”

The energetic innkeeper left, and I looked at Veronica.

We shrugged at each other and listened to the lively conversations around us.

“Hey, have you heard the news? A large-scale search operation will soon be launched in the sewer underground zone.”

“Isn’t the sewer patrol a regular request on the bulletin board?”

“No! This time, it’s a large-scale search, not just a routine patrol by a few adventurers!”

“Oh, come on, old man! Just tell us quickly!”

“Yes, I’m about to burst from listening to you!”

The party’s complaints were loud, and the middle-aged man with a thick beard at the next table spoke up.

“Don’t be surprised! The Second Order of the Holy Knights will be leading the search this time!”

The Second Order of the Holy Knights?

“To be precise, the leader of the Second Order of the Holy Knights, who has just returned from a mission, will be supervising the search for a few weeks.”

When I heard this, I remembered Orion, the leader of the First Order of the Holy Knights.

Similarly, I vividly remembered the former leader of the Second Order, who was used by the evil god and died in a massive explosion.

Damn. My appetite had already disappeared before the meal was served.

“The scale of the operation has suddenly become too large, hasn’t it?”

“Perhaps the evil god’s influence has spread further into the city, and they’ve decided to root it out.”

“Yes, I agree. After being infiltrated by the evil god’s apostles, it’s unlikely that the city’s security will remain intact.”

“Indeed, the sewers and underground are the perfect place for such disgusting people to hide. Haha, our bearded friend has brought us some big news!”

“Hmm. Anyway, the information will spread soon. I don’t know if the request will be posted on the bulletin board, but if you want to join the search, let me know! If not all five of you are joining, you’ll need to adjust your party schedule!”

Tap.

While listening to the conversation, our food arrived.

My appetite had already disappeared due to the memory of the former leader’s death, so I started eating the well-cooked meat quickly.

As I chewed the meat, I continued to eavesdrop on the conversation.

The conversation at the next table was almost over.

“If there’s nothing else to do, it might be worth considering participating. The rewards will be quite satisfying, and depending on the conditions, your guild contributions or achievements may increase significantly.”

“What if, just what if, another apostle similar to the evil god appears again?”

The freckled girl with braided hair bowed her head.

“Ugh, I want to live a long life. I’ll just rest this time.”

I happened to overhear this information, but as someone who directly confronted the evil god’s apostle, I found it to be very credible and valuable.

I’ll consider joining the search, as there may be a large contribution reward.

Before that, let’s rest.

“That was delicious. Wow, the chef here is amazing!”

Despite my loss of appetite, the quality of the food was excellent.

“The innkeeper’s wife is the one who cooks. It’s one of the reasons why I stay here long-term.”

The innkeeper handles serving and chasing away ruffians, while his wife cooks with skill⋯ It seems like they have a good marriage.

“I’m not sure if there’s a room available. Just a moment.”

Fortunately, there was a room next to Veronica’s, so we took it and went upstairs to rest.

I decided to think about where to go tomorrow before going to sleep.

Morning came.

I lay down and blinked.

I looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling for a moment.

“That’s right. This is Zone 6.”

I remembered that we had stayed at Veronica’s usual inn, and I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Today’s schedule was to visit the treatment center in the Sacred District and meet Veronica’s old colleague.

Her name was⋯ Jeanette, I think?

She was a skilled female archer in her early 30s, and she was engaged to marry one of the two deceased party members, a vanguard.

They had planned to work hard this year, get married next year, and then reduce the frequency of their explorations to live a happy life with the money they had saved over the years.

They had even prepared wedding rings to exchange in front of the remaining three colleagues⋯ but now she’s alone, hospitalized in a single room.

“It’s still terrible to think about.”

When I see that one person died and the other lost an arm and their job, it’s a tragic end.

On the other hand, this experience has become a reason for me to not settle and to make a new resolution.

“Let’s go. It’s time to leave.”

Whether I feel sorry for others or not, I’m still an outsider, and Veronica is a close friend and former colleague.

There are enough people in the world who find excessive sympathy from others offensive.

I must not show any signs of pity or sympathy in front of Veronica and Jeanette.

I straightened my mind to avoid any carelessness, and then I started to prepare myself.

Knock knock.

“Veronica, it’s me, Ahren. Are you awake?”

I knocked on the door of the next room, but there was no answer, so she must have gotten up early and gone downstairs already.

As expected, Veronica was sitting at a table, looking dazed.

“Did I wake you up? Did you wait long?”

“I just got up and washed, so it’s not been long. Let’s have breakfast before we leave.”

“Good. I’m feeling a bit hungry.”

We’ll be riding the carriage for a long time today, so we need to fill our stomachs.

Fortunately, I don’t get motion sickness no matter how much I eat.

Since there was a recommended set menu for breakfast, just like dinner, I ordered two servings without much thought.

I tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in cream soup, then took a bite.

I took a bite of the well-cooked, plump sausage, and a burst of juice filled my mouth.

I smiled with satisfaction and finished the rest, including a glass of milk, two eggs, and the rest.

I paid with fairy tales and headed to the carriage platform.

The problem was that as soon as we got into the personal carriage, Veronica asked for a hug again.

[Chaos says that this is how bad habits start and can become a headache.]

“Can you just hug me until we arrive?”

“⋯Again?”

“I need to recharge before facing Jeanette in her sickbed.”

What, am I a charger? I charge by contact.

“Please. It’s okay if it hurts, just hug me tightly.”

“That’s too much. If a hug hurts, there’s a problem.”

She’s weak, but she’s pushing her luck.

“Since we’re going anyway, it’ll take a long time. I’ll sit on your lap.”

Veronica insisted, so I had to hug her tightly for the entire four to five hours it took to get to Zone 3.

“Aren’t you hot? Should we separate for a while?”

“No, it’s fine. Well, it would be nice if you could stroke my head a bit.”

‘How did this happen?’

I started to feel something strange from her, even though I had assumed that she was overcoming her trauma and changing for the better.

.

.

.

.

We arrived at the treatment center’s third floor, a single room.

Early 30s⋯ she said, right?

A brown-haired woman in her 40s, with plump cheeks and a missing arm.

Jeanette spoke to Veronica in a gentle voice, with a gloomy expression.