How a Black-Haired Barbarian Survived the Labyrinth in Another World-Chapter 57: Inn guest

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

Jeong Yushin opened his eyes.

He got up from the bed and grabbed the staff that he had placed by his bedside.

"Who is it?"

"It's Annie. There's a guest downstairs."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"You've been sleeping from yesterday morning until tonight."

Had he really slept for a day and a half?

He must have been terribly exhausted.

"I'll be down soon."

He changed his clothes and strapped his sword to his waist.

A guest at this late hour?

Could it be Aldein? Perhaps he's come to return the sword he borrowed.

Jeong Yushin checked his attire and went downstairs to the first floor of the inn.

Ingrid was sitting at the table.

On the table was a cage, and inside it, a white rat.

"Ingrid?"

"Skah."

Jeong Yushin sat across from Ingrid and asked, "What brings you here?"

"I've come to ask a favor."

"A favor?"

Curiosity appeared on Jeong Yushin's face as he asked.

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"I'll bring you some food."

Anticipating a lengthy conversation, Annie entered the kitchen.

Once Annie disappeared, a brief silence lingered between the two.

Jeong Yushin crossed his arms and stared at the white rat.

The rat was sitting with its back turned, so its face was not visible.

Still, the plump little rear end looked familiar.

He had seen it somewhere before.

Jeong Yushin turned his head and looked at Ingrid.

"I don't know what the favor is, but it will be difficult to fulfill."

Ingrid raised her eyebrows.

"...Why?"

Why? Because you publicly executed me as a sympathy target.

Still, he couldn’t be so blunt and complain like this to someone of her stature.

He decided to give a more practical reason.

"I don't have the luxury. I'm struggling to manage this inn, barely scraping by. Plus, I've lost all my equipment in the recent fight, and all I've managed to salvage is a dented helmet."

Clink!

Ingrid placed a small pouch on the table.

The sound of coins. The happiest sound in the world. A sound that resonates deep within the soul.

Jeong Yushin’s eyes widened.

"Ten gold coins. This is the reward for Hans's subjugation, plus my sincerity. This amount is excessive for a beginner explorer. And on top of that, I'll exempt you from the night watch duties. Of course, consider the watch duty completed."

"Ten gold coins?"

Jeong Yushin asked again, his voice trembling faintly.

"The exemption from the watch duty is an added bonus. But."

Ingrid tapped the table with her finger as she continued.

"You'll fulfill my favor as a condition."

Jeong Yushin swallowed dryly.

"Wh-what is the favor?"

Could it be some unreasonable request?

Even so, with ten gold coins in his hands, he would enter the fire if he had to.

Ten gold coins would cover the inn's deficit and pay for the equipment.

Ingrid pointed at the white rat in the cage.

"This white rat. It's my familiar."

The rat pricked up its ears, then turned its body.

"I see."

Looking at the white rat’s face, he immediately recognized it.

It was the same rat that had come under the bed.

No wonder it looked strangely familiar.

Jeong Yushin nodded, then widened his eyes.

Wait a minute.

A chill ran down his spine.

"Did you, by any chance, send it to spy on me?"

Ingrid looked at him with a look that said he was a fool.

"You're overthinking it. Barbaroi. Do you not know your place?"

The sudden fact attack left his mind in a haze.

Right. He wasn’t important enough to be under surveillance.

Heat spread across his face.

Jeong Yushin stammered.

"Y-yes, I see. So, what’s the reason you’re showing me this familiar?"

Ingrid opened the cage.

Creeeek.

The white rat came out of the cage and looked up at Jeong Yushin.

"This rat’s name is Rin. Take care of it."

It had a name.

Now that he thought about it.

"What do you mean by 'take care of it'? This needs to be clarified."

"I'm not saying to lock it in a cage. When Rin roams around the city and gets tired, provide it with food and shelter now and then. And..."

Ingrid hesitated for a moment, struggling to continue.

"Feel free to speak plainly."

"Sometimes, give it a massage."

"Excuse me?"

Jeong Yushin's eyes widened.

That's too easy!

Ingrid looked away as she spoke.

"You know, like the time during the night watch duty..."

"Oh."

He recalled the time he had casually grabbed the white rat and massaged it while eating roasted chicken.

"Ahem. Rin said it liked it, and that's why I'm asking again."

"Chirp?"

The white rat tilted its head.

"This thing... can it speak?"

"It’s not language, it’s ‘feeling’ and ‘emotion,’ to be precise."

"You seem to care a lot about Rin, asking for massages too."

"..."

Ingrid’s face slightly flushed.

Jeong Yushin thought for a moment.

Regardless of the familiar’s fortunate fate, this was a decent deal for ten gold coins and the exemption from the watch duty.

He nodded and continued.

"Understood. But isn't it dangerous? A small rat like this wandering the city isn’t safe. The security in the labyrinth city isn’t great."

"Rin is smart. If there’s danger, it’ll handle it well. And I've cast a magic as insurance."

"It’s already been caught by me once."

"That’s because it was careless. It won’t happen again."

"Ah, yes."

Jeong Yushin stepped closer and poked the rat’s belly with his finger.

"Chirp!"

The white rat, Rin, squirmed and covered its belly with both hands.

Clank!

Suddenly, Ingrid leapt up from her chair.

"W-What!!"

Ingrid’s usually expressionless face was slightly flushed.

"What’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing. Don’t mind it."

Ingrid slowly sat back down.

She seemed quite flustered, her ears turning red.

"...Don’t touch it randomly. Only touch it ‘gently’ and ‘softly’ during ‘designated’ times."

'Quite a lot to ask for.'

"Yes, understood."

Jeong Yushin scratched his head and nodded.

Ingrid’s strange behavior wasn’t surprising. It was just another odd hobby that high-ranking individuals often had.

Anyway.

With ten gold coins on the line, he was ready to give the rat massages or whatever it took.

"I’ll accept those terms. But the reward seems a bit more than I expected."

"It’s because it’s deserved. Unholy Flash is a pretty strong monster."

Unholy Flash.

The name of the monster that Hans turned into.

"Is it really that strong of a monster?"

"To be more precise, it was more difficult because of Hans’s brand. If the summoned creature had spread to the western street, there could have been civilian casualties. Your help was crucial."

"I don’t think I was much help. I believe you could have broken the defense barrier yourself, Ingrid."

"That may be true, but it would have taken longer."

A brief silence passed between the two.

Ingrid had said no, but upon reflection, the reward for the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) subjugation did seem a bit excessive.

Looking back calmly at the previous battle, there had been some close calls.

Without the half-ogre’s strength, the frog beastman’s holy magic, they wouldn’t have reached Hans.

Moreover, without Aldein’s sword and the Iron Mask’s gauntlets, they wouldn’t have been able to strike the anti-sympathy barrier.

And if Ingrid hadn’t delivered enough blows to the anti-sympathy barrier, Jeong Yushin’s sword strike would never have been the finishing blow.

To sum it up.

This was a success due to the party’s help, good equipment, and external assistance.

He suddenly had a question.

"I don’t know much about it, but isn’t the brand supposed to be all-powerful?"

Ingrid looked at Jeong Yushin and spoke.

It was a vague question, but Ingrid caught the essence of it.

"When I swung my staff, you saw that cracks appeared on Hans’s anti-sympathy barrier. That’s right. The brand is not all-powerful. It’s easier to think of it as something that grows with its owner."

"So you’re saying that even with the same brand, its power can vary depending on the person?"

"Exactly."

Ingrid’s explanation made sense.

He had experienced it himself with his Sacred Weapon, where the speed of its deployment increased as he leveled up, and it became sharper.

"I have one more question."

"Ask."

"Why do people enter the labyrinth? It doesn’t seem worth it to endure the risk of a bad brand. It doesn't seem attractive enough."

Ingrid smiled bitterly.

Jeong Yushin raised his eyebrows.

The person who had maintained a neutral expression since the beginning suddenly gave a wry smile, causing his heart to skip a beat.

"Why people enter the labyrinth... I’m curious too. Everyone has different reasons. Some seek sudden wealth. Some want to change their fate. Some desire strength. Some want to test their luck. Some want to resurrect dead lovers. There are many reasons. It’s beyond reason. Skah, why do you go in?"

Ingrid’s question made Jeong Yushin stiffen.

To understand a person, one had to know their desires.

It wasn’t a lesson from a sage. It wasn’t something he learned from books.

It was a realization from his life before the transmigration.

In fact, it wasn’t much of a realization. It was just a thin thread he had pulled from his not-so-long life.

Ingrid’s question was meant to understand Jeong Yushin.

The problem was how Ingrid would react to his answer.

He didn’t know.

Moreover.

Despite her calm tone, there was a faint glint of suspicion in Ingrid’s eyes.

His instincts sensed danger.

It could be paranoia. But he decided to trust his instincts.

"...It’s hard to say."

"Why is it hard to say? Feel free to speak. Are you perhaps looking for a brand that can control the world?"

Ingrid’s eyes, as she carelessly probed, glinted coldly like ice.

A brand to control the world?

Could such a ridiculous brand even exist?

He calmed his fluttering heart. That kind of brand had nothing to do with him.

"It’s not that. I’ll tell you when the time comes."

"Is that so. Do as you please."

Ingrid crossed her arms and turned her head. Her eyes were more tired than ever.

Annie came from the kitchen with snacks.

It was a dish made by wrapping chicken and vegetables in thin pancakes and adding sauce before grilling it.

"Bring a bottle of Dwarf wine."

"Yes."

Annie brought the bottle and glasses from the counter.

The food and wine were placed on the table.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Dwarf wine, huh. A barbarian who knows his drinks."

"Yes. It’s decent enough."

'It’s just like soju, but I’ll drink it.'

Jeong Yushin poured wine into Ingrid’s glass.

Slosh.

He filled her glass.

Slosh.

Then, he filled his own.

Jeong Yushin asked.

"Shall we toast?"

"No."

"Okay."

Jeong Yushin and Ingrid emptied their glasses at the same time.

Jeong Yushin grabbed a pancake and chewed it with his mouth full.

Ingrid, elegantly holding her fork, carefully bit into the pancake.

It was quite a contrast to the sight of her wildly swinging a large sword.

She had the grace and poise of a noblewoman.

"By the way, how is Karin doing?"

At Jeong Yushin's question, Ingrid covered her mouth and swallowed her food.

"That guy’s under house arrest for now."

"Really?"

"I heard that in the labyrinth city, he caused trouble by flaunting his status. He deserves to be punished. Honestly, I’m so ashamed I can’t even look him in the eye."

"Karin always had that side to him. He liked to use his position, didn’t he? Yes, yes."

Jeong Yushin admitted it.

Ingrid glared at Jeong Yushin.

Jeong Yushin didn’t back down and met her gaze.

"I’ll send him back to the labyrinth city once he comes to his senses. This time, I’ll send him back empty-handed. Rules must be followed."

Rules?

Was it the rule that children of wealthy families don’t receive support from their clans?

He couldn’t remember clearly, but it seemed right.

"It’s late, so let’s wrap up the conversation here."

Ingrid stood up and said.

"Okay, let’s do that."

He saw Ingrid out of the inn and returned to his seat.

Jeong Yushin let out a deep sigh as he looked at the white rat, who was munching on a pancake.

"Ugh, it’s like a son-in-law interview. Terrifying."