How a Black-Haired Barbarian Survived the Labyrinth in Another World-Chapter 81: Think, think, think

A drizzle fell in the open field.

Aldein, looking around, casually spoke.

"Impressive."

The wet ground was littered with corpses lying haphazardly, but a satisfied smile lingered on Aldein's face.

Jeong Yusin glanced at Aldein.

"What’s going on here?"

"I came to help since you look like you're struggling."

"As you can see, I did all the killing myself."

"True enough. Weren’t you supposed to be at the Dreadville village forest? I came here after waiting for you, and it turns out you were here dancing with your sword."

"..."

Jeong Yusin leaned against the carriage steps.

Aldein spoke to his subordinates.

"Clear the bodies and tidy up. Neatly. Those captured should be put on another carriage and sent back to the Labyrinth City."

"Yes."

With the response, Aldein’s subordinates began to move busily.

Aldein approached and leaned against the carriage wall.

"Got any questions?"

Jeong Yusin absentmindedly stared at the open field.

"Oswald, is he one of Aldein’s subordinates?"

"No. I helped him out because of his situation."

"Without any compensation?"

"There is compensation, but I can’t tell you what it is."

"Pfft."

Jeong Yusin sighed deeply. His body and mind were too tired to think clearly. How did he end up in this mess?

Oswald, that guy. He seemed different when I met him in the Labyrinth and when we met outside.

There was a deal.

What a clown.

Was his helpless appearance an act?

The Labyrinth City was really a tough place.

"What happened to the 5th Prince and the nanny?"

Jeong Yusin asked.

"I’m taking good care of them."

"It would’ve been nice if you had done that sooner."

"The Royal Family of Lionel contacted me unofficially. They said the 5th Prince is likely in the Labyrinth City and asked me to escort him back."

"Couldn't you have moved earlier?"

"Why? Do I look like someone who’d blink an eye because some prince ran away from the palace?"

Jeong Yusin gave a dry smile.

A crazy Elf. I already knew he was someone who saw the world crookedly because he only had one eye, but I didn’t expect him to be this bad.

Aldein continued.

"I was originally just going to leave him. The Lionel Kingdom is part of the Eastern Alliance, so I just closed my eyes and helped out. I haven’t even registered as an explorer yet."

The Eastern Alliance.

The Eastern Alliance.

I feel like I’ve heard of it before, but I can’t quite recall.

"What is the Eastern Alliance?"

"..."

Aldein’s sharp gaze was felt. But Jeong Yusin maintained an unflinching expression.

"What? Never seen someone ignorant before?"

"...You do know that this is the Eastern part of the continent, right?"

"Yes."

"In the East, there are many different races. In the West, there are a few empires and kingdoms, but as far as I know, there are only humans."

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"So?"

"There were several invasions from the West. The people of the East had to band together. That’s how the Eastern Alliance was formed. The Eastern Alliance includes the Beastmen Alliance, the Dwarven Kingdom, the Elf Kingdom, and the Lionel Kingdom. There are others, but let’s move on."

"I see. Then isn’t it right to help? Isn’t Labyrinth City part of the Eastern Alliance?"

"No."

"Eh? No? What does that mean?"

"It’s a neutral city. The Eastern Alliance does have control, but it’s more like a proxy rule. You could call it a regency. Anyway, that’s how it is."

"A regency? Sounds like there’s someone else who owns the city."

Suddenly, Aldein’s face contorted.

"Let’s stop talking about that. I don’t want to discuss it further. The point is, royalty and nobles from other countries also come here. The Labyrinth is the only place where they can obtain the Mark. As for a prince low in the succession line, no one’s bothered enough to care about him. That’s all."

Jeong Yusin tilted his head.

What a strange governance structure.

I couldn’t help but be impressed by how it had lasted this long.

From what Aldein said, it sounded like the higher-ups treated Labyrinth City like a bomb waiting to go off.

‘Complicated.’

Jeong Yusin shook his head.

It had nothing to do with him. For now, he had saved the captured people. He had even saved Ahiman’s life. That was enough for now.

Jeong Yusin stood up.

"Where is the 5th Prince?"

Aldein raised his hand and pointed towards the bushes.

Jeong Yusin walked through the field and passed the bushes.

There was a small carriage. He approached and knocked on the carriage door.

Knock, knock.

The carriage door opened, and the 5th Prince, his nanny, and a female knight appeared.

"Ska, are you alright?"

The 5th Prince asked cautiously.

A prince who uses honorifics, huh.

Jeong Yusin gave a wry smile.

"Yes. I heard you’re leaving soon, so I came to see you."

The female knight frowned at Jeong Yusin’s casual tone.

In contrast, the prince smiled faintly.

"I see. My actions have caused a lot of trouble for many people. I apologize."

"No, it’s all about helping each other. Well, farewell."

Just as Jeong Yusin was about to close the door.

"Wait, wait a moment!"

The 5th Prince called out.

"Do you have something to say?"

"I’m looking for ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) my older brother."

A sudden statement. The nanny and female knight were shocked.

"Your Highness!"

"How can you talk about the royal family’s secrets like this?!"

Jeong Yusin crossed his arms.

"Your older brother?"

"There is an eldest brother. He left the palace after falling gravely ill. He was someone who led with kindness... but he disappeared without a word."

The young prince’s eyes reddened.

So, he had run away from the palace because he missed his older brother.

I thought he was a bold and innocent boy.

"What disease did he have?"

"Ska!"

The nanny’s eyes sharpened.

"It’s a disease where the flesh rots. It’s called the Curse of the Spirit God."

"He must be hiding his appearance."

"Yes."

"The smell of rotting flesh must be present too."

"Yes."

"I know someone. Would you like to meet him?"

The 5th Prince’s eyes wavered.

"R-Really?"

"Yes."

The 5th Prince opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.

After thinking for a moment, his voice was low and hesitant.

"I’ve thought about it deeply. While wandering in the Labyrinth City, I wondered why my older brother left everything behind without a word. I’m still young, so I haven’t thought much about death. But..."

The young prince sniffled, then continued.

"I believe there must be a reason for my older brother’s actions. I won’t meet him."

‘He really likes his older brother.’

It seemed the youngest was deeply attached to his eldest brother.

"I understand."

"But please tell him something."

"Yes, what should I tell him?"

"Tell him that I will wait. I hope to see him again, healthy, at the palace."

"I will."

Jeong Yusin nodded.

‘As expected, he’s a king’s child. What a sharp boy.’

Seeing him sniffling made me feel a little sorry for him.

"Then, see you later, Your Highness."

The 5th Prince bowed, and the female knight closed the carriage door.

Screech.

Thud.

Clop, clop, clop.

The 5th Prince’s carriage disappeared into the forest path.

Aldein walked over with his hands behind his back, slowly.

"I thought he was a naive boy, but he’s quite sharp. He’ll die young."

Jeong Yusin’s expression scrunched up.

"Aldein, can’t you speak more kindly?"

"I’m just speaking the truth. The youngest is the last in the line of succession, but the 2nd Prince is watching him with burning eyes. Talented ones die quickly. Let’s go."

Aldein got into the carriage he had prepared.

The others, including Darchunko, Maya, and Ahiman, got into a different carriage.

The remaining subordinates stayed behind to clean up the field.

The carriage clattered along, running through the summer rain.

Jeong Yusin crossed his arms and looked out at the scenery.

As they passed through the forest, a vast plain came into view.

Watching the blue reeds sway in the rain, fatigue washed over him.

Jeong Yusin spoke.

"Aldein."

"Yeah?"

"What do you do? You don’t seem like just a monster disposal officer."

"Curious? Take this sword. Then I’ll tell you."

Jeong Yusin observed the red single-edged sword.

What could this mean?

It didn’t seem like just a simple matter of receiving the sword.

"Can’t you just tell me directly?"

"Everything comes with a price. If you want to gain something, you have to give something in return. You know that, right? It’s a cruel law of the world."

"Fine. I’ll just sleep then."

Jeong Yusin closed his eyes.

Soon, darkness took over.

Aldein, stroking the red single-edged sword, gazed at Jeong Yusin’s sleeping face.

"The more I look, the more interesting you are."

In fact, he had been watching Ska’s battles from a distance.

Without experience, it would be hard to gain an advantage, so he had replaced it with madness.

He created opportunities for himself, killing the 2nd Prince’s assassins and even killing the dark elf mercenary Kuellen Calhyde, a wandering mercenary in the underworld.

Thanks to the Hyper Sensitivity Mark, his pain threshold had been lowered, forcing him to retire early, but the dark elf had been a mid-level explorer.

Of course, compared to the other prominent mid-level explorers, his level was low.

But it had meaning that he had killed a mid-level explorer by any means necessary.

Aldein smiled with confidence.

Ska didn’t realize it, but...

In the midst of all the continuous battles, Ska’s latent madness, which he had suppressed, was slowly awakening.

"Ska, this is truly delightful."

Aldein muttered while stroking the single-edged sword.

The sun set in the evening. The carriage continued across the plain.

Three days passed after returning to Labyrinth City.

The 5th Prince and his nanny left for the Lionel Kingdom.

The captured people returned to Labyrinth City.

Everyone who had been with Jeong Yusin either took care of their own business or quietly rested.

On the 4th morning.

Jeong Yusin yawned as he rummaged through the food.

His appetite was gone. He had been quite active recently, so the fatigue hadn’t worn off easily.

Screech.

The inn door opened, and Ahiman and Maya entered.

Ahiman had returned to his human form. Maya looked strangely down.

"Ska."

Ahiman approached and sat down.

Jeong Yusin smiled.

"Ahiman, you’ve turned back into a human."

"Lizards are fine, but being in human form is more comfortable. It’s a bit late, but I came to thank you."

"No. I didn’t do anything. Your disciple did everything. Anyway, I’m glad to see you’re okay."

At Jeong Yusin’s response, a faint smile appeared on Ahiman’s face.

"I want to repay you. Is there anything you want?"

Jeong Yusin thought for a moment before speaking.

"I have one thing to ask."

"What is it?"

"Where do mid-level explorers get their information about the Labyrinth?"

"Does that mean you’re about to rank up?"

"Yes. Something like that."

He had asked Oswald to find a simple, quick task for him. He had requested it be done under his name if possible, but it had been a bit of a stretch, and he didn’t expect much.

He hadn’t gone to the Eastern region. He was tired, and Oswald was busy dealing with the captured people.

Ahiman cleared his throat and spoke.

"There are three ways. The first is to take lessons at the Labyrinth Academy."

"That’s a bit."

"The second is to learn from senior explorers. The third is to go to the library."

"The library is in Labyrinth City?"

"In the central area."

A library, huh.

If I can just read, I can access a treasure trove of information.

"The second and third options sound best. The Labyrinth Academy would take too long, right?"

"Exactly. It’s a long process. But you seem good at reading."

"...I’m doing my best to learn."

Jeong Yusin scratched his head in response.

He hadn’t been able to attend the orphan academy for a while due to various issues. He needed to keep learning, but with all the events happening, he hadn’t had time.

"Is that so? Well, it’d be a shame to leave without saying something. It’s not much, but this is my way of repaying you. Take it."

Ahiman pulled out a small stone from his pocket and handed it to Jeong Yusin.

"What is this?"

"It’s a mid-grade mana stone. It’s not enough to pay for your life, but it’s all I have. Sorry."

"It’s fine. I’ll use it well."

Ahiman and Maya stood up.

"Then, see you later."

"Ska, thank you."

"Take care, both of you."

Jeong Yusin escorted Ahiman and Maya out of the inn and returned to his seat.

Just as he was about to eat his food.

Screech.

The inn door opened, and someone entered.

Jeong Yusin looked up and his eyes went wide.

A teddy bear wearing a white chef’s hat waddled in.

"Is...is this the barbarian who doesn’t rape?"

Jeong Yusin stared at the teddy bear blankly.

All his plans spinning in his head evaporated like blank paper.

My god.

Can there really be such a small bear beastman in this world? This crazy otherworld.

"I...I..."

Jeong Yusin’s voice trembled.

The teddy bear flinched and shook, but bravely took a step forward and spoke.

"I...I have a request!"

Jeong Yusin stared at the teddy bear for a long time before softly replying.

"Let’s hear this request. Come here."

At Jeong Yusin's gesture, the teddy bear’s body stiffened.