Chapter 35: Beware of the Merchant in the Dungeon, Part 3

Tap. Tap.

“She’s definitely unconscious.”

“Indeed. Did she have anemia or something?”

“Hmm… I don’t think so. She’s been like this ever since our Barufus expedition. I figured she saw something… unsettling… in the labyrinth.”

Rex, a member of Hermia’s team, chuckled, looking at the unconscious Hermia.

“…If only that idiot Hermia had listened to us, this wouldn’t have happened. Haha…”

“Hmm… I suppose there’s truth to that.”

Kayleen observed Rex, then tilted her head slightly.

“So… Hermia…?”

“Yes. Hermia. You’ve heard of the Hermia Exploration Team, right?”

Seeing Kayleen’s interest, Rex’s initially stoic expression softened as he began to talk about their team, his tone far more animated than when speaking with his own companions.

He’d never understood his teammates’ reactions to Kayleen.

While she had a striking, perhaps even intimidating, appearance, she was still a woman, a merchant with no discernible combat skills.

Once you looked past her initial impression, she was undeniably beautiful, with a… curvaceous figure.

“This little one is our party leader. But since I handle most of the planning and combat, she’s more of a figurehead. Even the team’s name comes from her parents, not her.”

“Hmm… go on.”

While her expressionless face made it difficult to tell, Kayleen seemed to be listening intently.

His father’s words echoed in his mind:

Women are drawn to strong men. He’d inherited his father’s good looks and physique, so it was natural for women to be attracted to him.

Kayleen’s initial indifference and those unsettling red eyes had been intimidating, but…

Now, looking at her with renewed confidence, he saw only intrigue and a hint of uncertainty in her gaze. She didn’t know how to react to him.

“Even during our Barufus expedition, if it weren’t for me, Hermia would have…”

Rex continued, exaggerating his own accomplishments and downplaying Hermia’s contributions, disregarding the truth.

Kayleen wouldn’t know the difference, and even if Hermia did, she couldn’t do anything about it.

The team’s continued existence depended on his father’s funding, and their trading partner was a connection of his father’s.

If he could somehow oust Hermia from her leadership position, the team’s reputation and earnings would be his.

And Hermia’s female companions, who’d joined the team because of her, they too… would be his.

A predatory glint flickered in Rex’s eyes.

“Then, I’ll see you around, Rin.”

He addressed me with an unearned familiarity. I simply waved, suppressing my annoyance.

Business was business.

While most of my income came from within the labyrinth, maintaining external connections was essential for clearing my name in the kingdom.

“Gasp…! W-where… am I…?”

As Rex left, Hermia sat up, looking around in confusion.

Her wide eyes met mine, and her body stiffened, though she didn’t collapse this time.

While she might be anemic, fainting at the sight of someone’s face was rude. I felt a flicker of annoyance.

But I sensed no malice in her, no inherent wickedness.

Perhaps she seemed even more innocent in comparison to the previous customer, Rex, whose nature was diametrically opposed to hers.

Even Rex, in a way, had been… pure.

“You’re in my shop, Hermia.”

“H-how do you know my name…?”

Hermia scrambled to her feet, searching for her weapon.

Unfortunately, her companions had taken it with them. She simply stared at me, her expression wary.

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re safe, Hermia.”

“What… do you mean…?”

“I would have been… displeased… if you’d been injured after I’d gone through the trouble of rescuing you.”

While my motivations weren’t entirely altruistic, I had rescued them, even at a personal loss since I couldn’t convert the necklace into cash.

Seeing them unharmed somehow justified my actions, despite the financial setback.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

“I’ve already received sufficient payment, so I’d prefer a positive outcome.”

“Payment…?”

Hermia glanced at her missing necklace, then shook her head, lost in thought. Her expression suddenly shifted from confusion to alarm.

“Asera…! Where’s Asera?!”

“Asera? I’m not sure who you’re referring to.”

Asera. The name wasn’t unfamiliar.

But Rex hadn’t mentioned anyone named Asera among their party members.

Seeing my genuine confusion, Hermia clutched her head, shaking it slowly.

“No… no… that’s not possible… it can’t be…”

Her face paled, and she muttered something incomprehensible, then burst out of the shop.

“Asera! Asera!” Her voice echoed from the street.

I watched the still-open door for a moment, then turned my attention to the necklace Hermia had given me as payment.

A necklace that glowed faintly, suppressing strong emotions.

I didn’t remember such an item in the game, but it felt… familiar.

I detached the gem from its gold chain and examined it closely.

I pulled out my dagger, the one infused with demonic power, and struck the gem.

Any ordinary gem, even a magically enchanted artifact, would have shattered under the force of the demon-infused blade, but this gem was different.

Instead of weakening, the gem’s faint glow intensified, illuminating the small shop, while the black mist swirling around the dagger began to dissipate.

Before the dagger completely lost its power, I placed the gem in a special container and closed the lid.

Just before the lid closed, I saw the gem’s red hue, an imitation of a ruby, fade, replaced by a swirling mix of black and white.

And then, my suspicions were confirmed.

“The Gem of Temperance…”

Unlike holy relics, which were usually fragments of power or essence, this gem contained a sealed divinity.

A key item used by the Part 4 protagonist to save Ravakion, a city already under demonic influence.

And a piece of information revealed in a later side quest:

An adventurer named Hermia, possessing a similar gem, had ventured into a high-level dungeon, far beyond her usual range, and vanished without a trace.

“Cough…”

I coughed, a stream of blood trickling down my chin. My stomach burned.

It felt like a scene from a melodramatic soap opera. I stumbled and collapsed behind the counter.

Hermia… she was supposed to die in that labyrinth.

I’d saved her, and the world’s damned corrective force had punished me.

Talk about bad luck.

“Alright… Lucia.”

Lucia stood nervously before a small hut.

As she approached, the word “shop” materialized before her eyes. It was a place she’d avoided for years, a place of fear.

While her physical appearance hadn’t changed in two years, the recent incident had spurred her mental growth, giving her the courage to finally face her fear.

And Kayleen, regardless of her motives, was her savior, someone who, like Lucia, was entangled with the system and its cursed status window.

Lucia wanted to express her gratitude. She opened the door and stepped inside.

“Welcome to the General Store. Are you looking for something?”

A familiar, yet unwelcome, face greeted her.

A wave of emotions washed over Lucia, but gratitude surfaced first.

“Thank you… for before.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kayleen’s smile was warm and… comforting.

A strange sense of unease lingered.

But Lucia dismissed it as her imagination and continued the conversation.