LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 23
As I mentioned yesterday, after clearing out the sparse belongings in the room, I returned the key to the innkeeper.
After finishing my last meal at the inn, I headed towards the guild with Yeriell.
While walking, I thought about Lumia.
‘The curse that Lumia received shows up as a trait in the status window, but can’t it be removed at the cathedral?’
[Chaos shakes its head, saying that traits related to gods cannot be removed by conventional means.]
If conventional methods won’t work, will I be able to find a way to remove it later when I become a high-level adventurer, like a Layered Adventurer or a Deep Adventurer?
Lost in thought, I arrived at the guild before I knew it.
As I opened the door and stepped inside, I noticed that the gazes of several adventurers were lingering on one table.
Sure enough… Lumia was sitting alone at a corner table, staring blankly at the ground.
“Lumia! Have you been waiting long?”
As soon as she heard my voice, her eyes sparkled as if all the lights had just turned on.
“No. More than that, Aren, I missed you so much.”
Hadn’t it been less than a day since we last met?
“Yeah. I missed you too.”
“Really?”
“Of course. By the way, I decided that both Yeriell and I will move to the inn where you’re staying today.”
I shrugged and continued speaking.
“Well, it’s to prevent any trouble in the future, since we’re in the same party and all.”
Lumia stared at me intently.
“I feel so hot and good—”
Whap!
“Come on! We need to rush to the reception desk! If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late for training! Aren, let’s go wait in line at the party registration counter.”
Yeriell interrupted and pointed at Lumia with both arms outstretched.
Right. To avoid being late for the training today, we need to finish the party registration before it gets crowded.
I just hope the procedure doesn’t take too long.
As I stood in the shortest line, a few people who had seen Lumia moved over to another line, and it was soon our turn.
“Hello. How can I help you?”
“Yes. We’d like to create a fixed party.”
“Is your goal to establish a fixed party? Please wait a moment.”
When the receptionist asked for our names, I replied.
“Yes! You’re confirmed. Are the two behind you also party members?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Aren, you’re confirmed. Please have the two behind you step forward and provide their names before we proceed with the consent process.”
The receptionist gestured for Yeriell and Lumia to come forward.
After a short wait, they completed what they needed to do.
“Um, Aren.”
But as I approached again, the receptionist suddenly whispered to me.
“That girl, Lumia… she has a history of her party getting wiped out, and she was the only one to survive twice. There are also other bad rumors. Are you still sure you want a fixed party with her?”
Ugh! My stomach turned with irritation as I heard that.
But I soon calmed down and chose to brush it off. She was just worrying about me, after all.
“Yes. I’m sure, so please proceed with the process. Thank you for your concern.”
“Uh, yes. The cost for establishing a fixed party is 10 silver coins. …Yes, I’ve confirmed it. Your process is complete, so you may go now.”
“Thank you.”
After successfully handling the matter, we headed up to the 2nd floor just in time for today’s training to begin.
Yeriell was okay, but would Lumia be allowed in too?
Just in case, I opened the door and went inside to greet Bardus and Berkel, asking for permission.
Both of them had somewhat sour expressions, but fortunately, they told Lumia it was fine to come in.
Bardus looked at Lumia, let out a low whistle, and then apologized with a startled expression.
“Hmm… so you’re Araru, huh? Hah, I’m sorry. I’ve heard the rumors about you, but this is my first time seeing you in person.”
Bardus looked genuinely remorseful and forced a smile.
“Hah, if you’re Aren’s companion, you can’t be a bad person.”
“Yes. I haven’t known her for long, but I can definitely say that Lumia is not a bad person.”
Instead of explaining how Lumia’s curse relates to my traits, it would be less cumbersome to just leave it at that.
“Don’t worry about the bad luck rumors either. I’ve spent all day with her, and it’s been just fine. A few hours of training together won’t be a problem at all.”
Bardus laughed heartily.
“Is your name Lumia? It’s a real blessing for you to meet Aren. Don’t let him go.”
‘But why is Isaac just sitting there? He’s not the kind to let Lumia go unnoticed.’
As Lumia opened her mouth, Berkel chimed in.
“As a high-level adventurer, I haven’t seen Araru before I took on the role of instructor. If we’re talking about strange folks I’ve seen in this city so far….”
He trailed off in thought.
“From distant Easterners to Northern Barbarians, wandering priests who worshipped forgotten gods, and noble High Elves, I’ve seen quite a few interesting characters. And now Araru is one of them.”
Berkel wore a wistful expression, recalling the past, but then shook it off and said seriously.
“It’s already the third day. I mentioned that the training spans a total of five days, right? The Great Labyrinth will open soon, so let’s not delay any further.”
The training began.
About the rest areas in the labyrinth…
And the Layered Rulers who appear if certain hidden conditions are met every five floors…
Everyone listened attentively as the information flowed, but in the corner, Isaac, who had been quiet, suddenly exclaimed.
“Why is it only every five floors?”
He seemed both confused and excited as he asked why there were no Layered Rulers on lower floors.
“The 30th floor hasn’t been reached yet. Layered Rulers have been found on 5, 10, and 15 floors, adding up to a total of 25 floors.”
Only on every five floors. I made a mental note.
“Adventurers who discovered the conditions for summoning these Rulers are keeping their reasons to themselves, so few know the actual criteria.”
Berkel chuckled and crossed his arms.
“Well, even if they knew, a certain period must pass before the spots of the deceased Rulers can be filled again, so rookies shouldn’t worry too much about it. Just know the facts.”
Oh! Speaking of which, he pointed at me.
“After the first day of training, I checked your information, Aren. I never would have guessed you were Yeohee’s disciple. Didn’t she once team up with a Apostle to take down Aldebaran on the 15th floor?”
Berkel casually expressed his admiration while continuing.
“The aura she radiated after defeating a Ruler with her Unique Weapon was fearsome, even from a distance. I still vividly remember that chilling blood-red dance of her sword.”
And here’s the mention of my master, the great Bellin.
“Damn… I’m the protagonist here, so why does that guy get the spotlight?”
Isaac’s jealousy bubbled over as he heard Berkel’s comments, glaring at me and mumbling something under his breath.
Then he turned his head away with a crafty expression, as if plotting something.
⋯
As the class was nearly over, Isaac, who looked like he was deep in thought, turned his gaze towards me.
Then, as if he had just heard some great gossip yesterday, he spoke with a condescending tone.
“By the way, I heard an amusing rumor. Yesterday, a cursed witch threw herself right in the middle of the guild and clung to someone, and they even went outside hugging and caressing her!”
Ugh, this jerk. Here we go again.
“Wow, I just learned what Araru is yesterday, and you look impressive. This is what they call forbidden love!”
Seriously, has he lost his mind?
Berkel started to glare at him, yet he continued his rant.
“Why on earth would such a being come to Labyrinth City? I heard they live in a village with other outcasts who have been cursed since birth. What a nuisance!”
While it’s not entirely incorrect…
Even so, talking like that right in front of me has crossed the line.
“Such a fantastic guy. You never know when you might die next to someone like that, but you still have the guts to hug such a beauty!”
“Here we go again. Seriously, Isaac…”
Bardus shook his head, clearly fed up with Isaac’s bravado and thoughtlessness after days of listening to his nonsense.
This guy hasn’t changed even after observing him for a few days.
At that moment, Yeriell quietly spoke.
“Ugh. I can’t hold it anymore. Aren, hold my hand.”
⋯ Wait, what? I held her hand.
“Throw that brat into the water if you can! I don’t know how many trashy years you’ve lived, but you just can’t stop spouting nonsense that even the slum residents would disbelieve! The only thing you’re good at is mocking and belittling others! Why do you keep provoking me?!”
Oh my.
“Then when someone stronger than you challenges you, you’ll just crawl back, huh? No guts, no skills, your face looks like the trash dumpster of the Cathedral! Maybe when my sister becomes a Deep Adventurer later, should she use you like a bug to show off?”
“⋯.”
“You’re the real cancer of this society. I’d love to see your parents who let you roam around! Oh, they’ve probably died and left you—whup! Ugh—!”
Whoa, if she keeps going like this, she might just kill everyone in the family tree.
I covered her mouth to calm her down.
[Chaos is holding its stomach and laughing uncontrollably.]
“Yeriell, thanks for cursing in my place. But it’s too precious for you to waste your emotions getting angry at someone like that, don’t you think?”
I patted Yeriell on the shoulder.
“Those who get cursed and draw attention are the ones who enjoy it in their hearts. Let’s take a few deep breaths and relax.”
⋯ She nodded.
Looking around, Berkel was frozen in shock as he approached Isaac, while Bardus had his mouth wide open in astonishment.
Lumia… had a slight smile at the corners of her mouth.
“Ha. I really can’t. What a mess. Did I just put a rag in my mouth?”
Isaac, still dazed by Yeriell’s sudden outburst.
“Damn. Do you think Lumia chose to be cursed? It’s likely she came here because there’s a reason she has to enter the Labyrinth.”
The more I think about it, the less I understand.
“What’s the point of making a fuss in front of me? Am I supposed to scratch your itching ego just because I’m the disciple of some renowned figure?”
This jerk, Isaac…
Does he really think he’s chosen by a god?
Since he’s an expert in a game mirroring the Great Labyrinth, he must think he’s something special and great.
‘Except for Apostles, there’s no way a guy like him falling from the city, with just a couple of decent traits, is anything special right?’
[Chaos is laughing and pointing at Isaac.]
Ugh, it’s tiring to keep talking.
Anyway, since I need to get some materials for the curse, I guess I’ll have to deal with him directly now.
“Enough already, Isaac. If you don’t like me, how about we settle things with a light sparring match? How about a friendly duel? The loser has to deal with two more days of sitting quietly.”
Isaac’s face showed disbelief.
“Wow. I’ve been wanting to see how impressive you are, and you’re handing me this opportunity on a silver platter? Great! Shall we do it right now?”
Perfect, he took the bait.
“Berkel, did you hear that? Can you oversee the match for us?”
Finally, Berkel moved.
“Uh, okay, I’ll oversee it to prevent any complaints later. Let’s head to the training ground, everyone follow me.”
Great. I’ll easily obtain the materials needed for the curse magic.
On the way, Bardus spoke to me with a worried expression.
“You’re sure you want to fight because you’re confident you can win, right? It’d be great if you could flatten him.”
“Of course. There’s no way I’d lose to him. Don’t worry.”
He better get ready. Isaac, let’s have a light match before we risk our lives in the Labyrinth.