NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 37
Chapter 37: The Samurai Receives a Letter
“The total for the material buying is thirteen gold coins. And here’s your Direct Gate usage permit. Amazing, isn’t it? Completing ten levels on your first exploration as an E-Rank party is quite an accomplishment!”
“Thank you very much!”
The group had immediately applied for the permit and sold their materials after exiting the Labyrinth. Unlike Angila, it was convenient that the Hunting Ground and the Guild were close by.
“Did you hear that? We’ve achieved something extraordinary!”
“It was all thanks to Cross in the second half though.”
“But still, it’s not bad, right?”
“…”
The party was praised by the receptionist and their faces beamed with joy, lit up by their happiness. However, Kurosu was left feeling out of place. Although he understood that the Labyrinth was an extraordinary magical environment, he still struggled to comprehend the glory in exploring deeper into what was essentially just a large basement. Honestly, it was difficult for him to grasp.
He had once heard that among the young samurai, a form of courage-testing called “liver training” had become popular. Similar games, such as infiltrating the hibernating den of a bear, were known as methods to train one’s nerve. Could this be something akin to that?
Though everyone was smiling and in good spirits, he couldn’t bring himself to utter any words of pessimism. It didn’t seem like there was any meaning to exploring the Labyrinth beyond earning money, and he rather sensed that the words of the receptionist carried an ulterior motive, aimed at pushing adventurers to delve deeper.
To the Guild, the materials from slain monsters represented their interests. To adventurers, the coins received from selling those materials were theirs. Their interests aligned, but the underhanded way they incited young people was distasteful.
“An inch of good brings a foot of evil.”
As his elder brother had once said upon their departure: the human world resembles a living hell. For every inch of happiness comes a foot of calamity. Perhaps due to his distrustful nature from years of travel, he couldn’t find it in himself to trust anyone. Yet, if any harm should come to his companions, Kurosu was determined to dispel it himself.
“Mr. Cross?”
“Hey, stop brooding and let’s get moving.”
Kurosu was lost in thought with his arms crossed when the pair pulled at his sleeves and guided him out of the Guild. They were apparently heading next to a store to appraise their spoils.
“Um, which way was it again?”
“While there are a few magic item shops in Garland, the one I know is this way.”
Under Barth’s guidance, they wandered into a secluded alley and arrived at a quiet little store. Despite the bustling main streets, this area seemed to repel passersby, with hardly any people around.
Pushing open the creaky door, they entered. In the dim interior, miscellaneous items covered in dust were scattered about, and an elderly white-haired woman sat at a counter.
“Excuse me, but could we request an appraisal?”
“Sure thing. I charge one silver coin per item, though. Is that alright?”
“Please do. The things we’d like appraised are…”
Franz took out the magic bag, ring, and monocle, placing them before the elderly woman.
“Ah, a magic bag, huh? You folks sure are lucky. Let me take a look…”
The shopkeeper held the magic bag in her left hand while shading her right hand, eyes closed. From the outside, she looked like a typical suspicious diviner.
“…Hey, do you plan to appraise it with your eyes closed?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, sorry. Please continue.”
Upon asking, the shopkeeper looked taken aback like a startled pigeon, while Franz, in apparent embarrassment, hurriedly took Kurosu aside into a corner of the store.
“Cross, this ‘appraisal miracle’ is a dark attribute magic that only magicians above the level of a philosopher can use.”
“Philosopher?”
“Uh, guess I haven’t told you that yet… Do you know that Pamela joined the Mage Guild?”
“Nope, first time I’m hearing it.”
“Ah, well, maybe Pamela can explain more about that later. But in short, it’s a rare type of magic not many can use…”
According to Franz, ‘appraisal’ literally means to unveil the true nature of an item. It’s highly valued when determining the authenticity of goods in a magic shop or when merchants inspect merchandise.
Kurosu still found the explanation vague, but in simple terms, it seems to reveal the true identity of mysterious objects. Magic, it appears, is far more versatile than he imagined.
“You folks are truly lucky. This is a mid-tier magic bag. It can hold about the volume of three carts… and also has a weight reduction effect. It doesn’t seem to have time-stop functionality, but if I were to buy it, I’d offer sixty gold coins. If you auction it off in the capital, you might get around seventy gold coins if you’re lucky.”
The party clapped and cheered. Recalling how dejected they had been at the shortage of funds earlier, a faint smile flickered across Kurosu’s face.
“Wow, this is outrageous! One expedition and this is what we get. The Labyrinth is insane!”
“We couldn’t compare this with the usual commissions we take on!”
“Undoubtedly, this is an impressive haul for our first exploration!”
“My, my… was this your first attempt? Truly blessed by the goddess.”
“Gold coins… seventy coins…”
Franz turned his face away, his body trembling visibly as if overwhelmed by emotion.
It seemed he was trying to hide this from everyone, but naturally, both Kurosu and the others knew how often Franz cried. The group, with exception of the shopkeeper, conspicuously avoided looking at Franz, exchanging amused glances with expressions that said, ‘Here we go again.’
However… seventy gold coins…
In Kurosu’s mind, this was still ridiculously undervalued. Considering the functionality, it was literally priceless—worth the equivalent of a hundred thousand ryō.
“If you use this magic bag in a surprise attack, the impact would be tremendous. With just a few of these, you could easily control logistics and transportation of weapons. You could even conquer a country with ease.”
“Night attacks and early morning raids are a samurai’s forte.”
If only he could get more of these as souvenirs for his hometown.
“This ring’s power is weak but has a magic regeneration effect. I’ll offer two gold coins and five silver coins for it. And this monocle…”
The elderly woman’s face suddenly contorted as if looking at some vile object.
“Unfortunately, your luck ran out at the last minute. This is like a nemesis to us appraisers—it’s called the Appraisal Monocle. If you knew how to use it, you wouldn’t have needed to pay for the appraisal. But as it stands, I can offer you six gold coins.”
Apparently, wearing this monocle while infusing it with magic reveals the same information as the ‘appraisal miracle’ spell. Thus, for someone who knows nothing about magic like Kurosu, it was a worthless trinket.
“Well then, how about it? Would you sell these to me?”
“Hmm… let me think…”
Franz furrowed his brows as if pondering a chess move, considering his options for an extended moment.
…
“We can see the Guardian Tower!”
“Finally! My butt’s sore…”
After staying overnight in Garland and changing carriages twice, they finally passed through Angila’s gate. The ride had been unbearably uncomfortable, reminding them of how exceptional the driver, Roro, truly was.
“It’s bearable this time without the extra cargo compared to when we left.”
Franz chuckled as he patted the magic bag as if it were precious cargo.
“…Were we really correct not to sell it? Seventy gold coins is a significant sum.”
In the end, the group decided against selling the magical items, thanking the elderly woman politely before bringing them back home. They had all wrestled with the decision until the very last moment.
“All these items will be beneficial for our future activities. Also, the value of magical items doesn’t depreciate unless they’re damaged, so we can always sell them if we need to later.”
“The money from selling materials alone will keep us secure for a while. With no major expenses, it should last a few months.”
“Hey everyone! Stop chatting and let’s go!”
Evidently excited to be home after so long, prompted by Pamela’s urging, the group quickened their pace. Even though it was still early afternoon since they set out first thing that morning, none of them complained, understanding her excitement.
“Finally we’re back.”
“Everyone, we’re back!!”
“Who are you talking to?”
“I’m going to take a bath.”
“I’m going for some booze!”
The moment they arrived, Kurosu headed straight for the tub, Barth to the liquor, and the other three declared they’d nap and retreated to their rooms.
“—– Phew.”
Soaking in the tub, Kurosu idly played with his hair drifting aimlessly in the water like seaweed, exhaling a long, slow breath. The view from this bath, where the sound of a babbling brook soothed his ears, had become familiar to him. Spending a moment here had unconsciously turned into a blissful time.
Eyes closed, he relaxed mindlessly in the bath. On this foreign soil, where men without a true home would find none, his face could not suppress a look of relief.
…
“How did everyone find their first Labyrinth experience?”
For their evening meal, all the foods each of them had yearned for during their exploration were laid out—skewered pig demons from street stalls, soft bread, fresh vegetable salads, plump fruits, and a bottle of red wine. Each dish was a long-awaited feast.
“There were quite a few new monsters, but overall, it didn’t feel especially dangerous, did it? As long as everyone returned safely, that’s all that matters.”
“I was scared before entering because of all the rumors, but it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. Besides, compared to normal commissions, the Labyrinth’s definitely more profitable.”
“The thrill of opening treasure chests was incredible! Although it was sheer luck this time, finding handy magical items is exciting!”
“Unlike the Forest of Demons, it was convenient not having to chase after monsters.”
Since the exploration went smoothly, everyone’s reactions were mostly positive.
“To be honest, I believe this expedition went rather smoothly. So… how about we focus mainly on the Labyrinth for our upcoming activities?”
“Sounds good to me. There are superior levels post-level ten, but I think if we don’t get over-confident, we can keep progressing.”
“I don’t have any objections. I’ve been wielding my sword and bow quite a bit lately… maybe I’ll take a spear or glaive next time.”
“Our items are tailored for Labyrinth exploration, especially this magic bag. It’s a game-changer to carry as many items as we need, including your weapons.”
“In light of necessities we were lacking on this expedition, we can now pack soft bread, spices, rain gear, backup boots. Oh, and since there were fewer water sources than expected, a large flask would be useful.”
“Alright. Let’s take a few days of rest starting tomorrow, and during that time, we’ll prepare for a long Labyrinth dive.”
Agreeing with Franz’s summarizing statement, everyone nodded in consensus.
“Hm? What’s this?”
“What is it?”
Just as they were settling on what to bring next, Mauri, who had dropped his bread and peered under the table, raised his voice in curiosity.
Re-seating himself, Mauri now had a paper with elaborate designs in hand, though its color suggested it was more of an animal skin.
“Is it a letter? That’s unusual. Did someone slip it in through the door while we were away?”
Taking the letter from Mauri, Pamela turned it over to examine it.
“This is addressed to Mr. Cross.”
“… To me? I don’t have any acquaintances in this country other than you guys. Who’s it from?”
“It’s from someone named Ms. Saria from the Mercenary Guild. Do you know her?”
At the mention of this unwelcome name, deep furrows appeared between Kurosu’s brows who had been enjoying his meal just moments before.