Becoming an Extra in a Trash Game

Chapter 31

Noble cliff.

Some might call a lady who is elegant and difficult to approach a flower on a cliff, but Gadia was different.

She was not a flower, but the glacial cliff itself.

When the sun rises, it may shine brilliantly and captivate the eyes, but it’s a cliff where no one can set foot.

As Gadia walked in her academy uniform and brushed her silver-blue hair, a splendor like shattering light lingered at its ends before disappearing.

“Senior Gadia. Where are you going?”

However, that cold elegance only raised its thorns against men.

A girl with fluffy, soft-looking brown hair and brown eyes approached, hugged Gadia’s arm, and smiled. Gadia’s red lips drew a gentle curve.

“Verbut, I was going to my private training room.”

Perhaps a smile that wouldn’t have been seen if the one who approached had been a man.

At that smile, the girl called Verbut rubbed her soft, rosy cheek against Gadia’s shoulder and let out a laugh.

“Can I come with you? I have something to tell you.”

Like a gentle lamb.

Seeing that face without even a speck of malice, Gadia nodded lightly and invited Verbut into her training room.

“Your training room is always neat, senior.”

Watching Verbut chirp like a small bird, Gadia habitually brewed a cup of tea and placed it on the table in one corner of the training room.

“So, what did you want to say?”

“Senior Gadia. Don’t you sometimes think… That this world is absurd?”

As Verbut sighed deeply and spoke as if grumbling, one of Gadia’s eyebrows seemed to rise, but Gadia opened her mouth without any change in tone.

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“I’ve been studying about religion lately, and I’ve been thinking. Why are we born to suffer? Why is this world absurd? Why do people fight because everyone has different standards and ideologies?”

Verbut, who had been speaking softly, took a sip of tea, pressing her rose-colored lips to the white cup, then looked at Gadia with a bright smile.

“It seems to be a religion with somewhat dangerous ideas. What would happen if it were not us nobles, but the lowly ones who rose up against this absurdity?”

“But what if even such rebellious thoughts are absurd? What if it’s the principle of this world that instead of the less capable trying to pull down or hinder the more capable for their own gain, they should push them forward and be more devoted?”

What do you think, senior? At the sweetly whispered voice, Gadia’s eyes took in Verbut’s innocent face, like that of a lamb.

‘If she’s foolishly being captivated by some strange minority cult.’

Then it would be right for Gadia, as her senior, to guide her to the right path.

“It sounds interesting. So, what is this cult called?”

At Gadia’s words, Verbut covered her mouth with both hands and smiled coyly.

* * *

After handing over the magic stone obtained from catching the troll as evidence to the dungeon entrance manager who said there was no way a troll could have come from the lower floors, we, no, I headed towards the inn where we had left our horses, dragging my tired body.

“Let’s eat something delicious, soak in hot water, and rest.”

Since it was a fairly expensive inn and we had rented the entire top floor, it had a bathroom like a regular house with rooms divided around a living room.

I was walking faster at the thought of soaking my body comfortably in hot water, turning on the tap full blast, when I heard someone crying in front of the inn.

“Waaah! It’s true… Really! They took my luggage!”

“But guest, that’s just your claim, and since you originally came in together as a group, our inn cannot compensate you for theft.”

Her gray hair was tied in a single ponytail, swaying like a tail every time she jumped up and down.

Is her height similar to Luna’s? A girl with a still youthful face was clinging to the inn’s guard, washing her face with tears, but the guard was pushing her hand away with a cold face.

‘I need to go in, though.’

With her making such a fuss at the entrance, it’s awkward to push through.

“But… But… I!”

From what I could gather from her crying and wailing, she was a novice adventurer who had formed a party with two sibling adventurers, and while staying here together, all her luggage was stolen when she briefly went out.

So she has no money, no ID, nothing but the clothes on her back, and she hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday.

‘Well, even if she reports it, it won’t be of much use.’

What, fingerprints or whatever. If they’ve gone to another city for the time being or entered a Labyrinth, they won’t be able to find them. It’s not like they put a tracking spell on them.

‘Thanks to that, Kane’s gaze just got dirtier…’

Feeling that if I stayed here any longer, Kane would just dwell more on the past. I was about to push past her to go in when I suddenly felt a strange sensation and looked at the girl again.

At a glance, she doesn’t have any big weapons, and with her small build, no muscles, and looking so careless, she probably isn’t in a profession like a thief.

Unable to suppress my rising suspicion, I opened the Trait window.

[Aria Pon Tateria – Pitiful Novice Adventurer]

Representative Traits: [Spirit(A)] [Magic (B)]

Hidden Traits: [Accounting(A)] [Patience(C)]

Oh Harlon.

Shout my name.

You’re about to get a junior soon.

After the guard went in.

I approached the sobbing girl with a bright smile and spoke in a kind tone.

“Hey. I couldn’t help but overhear while waiting to go in, and your situation seems tough. Have you eaten?”

I thought I heard something like ‘There’s something again’ or ‘S-scary…’ From behind me in my kind voice, but I ignored it and looked at the girl.

“F-food?”

The girl, who had tensed up when a stranger spoke to her, answered with her stomach at the mention of food.

Growl―

“Th-that’s right. I’m not… Hungry?”

As I was slightly bending over with my hands behind my back while speaking, I wiggled my hands behind me to request support, and Luna quickly approached to assist.

As if the girl’s wariness was further eased by this, she glanced at Luna’s and my faces, and then her gaze fixed on Kane, who had approached at my insistent hand gestures.

“I’m hungry.”

As she spoke somewhat firmly and solemnly, I couldn’t help but laugh and entered the lodging with her.

At first, when we came in with her, who had been causing a scene crying outside for a while, the guard seemed to think she was now clinging to me and tried to intervene, but I said it was fine and ordered a meal to be sent up to the top floor. The girl looked around as if searching for someone.

“As I thought… They’re not here.”

“I heard the gist of it. Bad people, right? So, what’s your name? I’m Adelian.”

“Ah, my name is Aria… No, Ari.”

Hmm, she’s not good at lying.

I smiled, pretending not to have heard the latter part, and opened my mouth.

“Alright, Aria. It’ll take a while for the meal to arrive, what do you want to do?”

“It’s not Aria, it’s Ari…”

“I’ll… Take Aria to wash up…”

As Luna looked at Aria and said they could wear the same clothes, she took her away, and I waved my hand.

“What are you up to?”

After they disappeared, Kane muttered in a low voice, and I turned my head to meet his eyes with a somewhat practiced, slightly meaningful smile.

“What do you mean?”

“These actions right now.”

“I also have enough heart to feel pity for others. And well, it’s killing two birds with one stone?”

I let my words trail off vaguely as I walked into the bathroom attached to the individually given room.

‘Money is good after all.’

It sounds like I’ve become too jaded by society, though.

I reflected on this as I soaked my body in hot water, absentmindedly letting out a breath before starting to turn my brain.

‘First, I need to persuade her.’

It won’t be a bad thing for Aria either. With no home or temple, being fed, housed, and even given money while being taught business skills.

‘That should be fine, right?’

If I attach her to Halron for about a year, it’ll be good for Harlon, good for Aria, and good for me.

I finished washing up while making pleasant plans, lightly dried my hair, and sat down at the lavishly set table.

“Looks delicious…”

She must be so hungry, not having eaten since yesterday.

I looked at Aria, who seemed like she might drool, smiled kindly, and picked up a piece of bread first.

“Shall we talk while eating?”

“I-I’ll eat well!”

The order of using a fork and knife, eating food neatly despite slightly hurried hand movements, and a posture that’s not slouched but so straight it might look uncomfortable at a glance.

‘Whoever swindled her must have had no eye for talent.’

It was fortunate that Aria’s personality seemed innocent and not evil.

‘Well, I’m helping her for my own reasons right now too.’

I don’t know whose precious daughter she is, but for now, she’s Harlon’s prospective junior, right?

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Well… Um, about money…”

I stuffed my mouth full, chewed, and swallowed with a gulp before meeting Aria’s purple eyes that were watching me nervously.

“Right, you don’t have any money? If Aria is okay with it, I could look into a job for you.”

It’s no fun if I just lend it to her, so I pretended not to notice and threw words in a different direction, to which Aria made a troubled face.

“Could you lend…”

“Right. I don’t think Aria lacks the manners to ask a stranger she just met for money, so don’t worry.”

“…”

“It’s not too difficult, just auxiliary work like organizing documents. If you help for a short period, you’ll earn enough to travel again. What do you think?”

At least 5 years, or maybe 10 years is short-term compared to Harlon who will probably roll for that long. Yeah.

At my words, Aria, who had been hesitating, lowered her head and spoke in a small voice.

“I’ll… Think about it.”

And behind Aria, who had lowered her head, Luna and Kane were looking at her with eyes that seemed to understand, ‘So this is what you were aiming for,’ and somehow pitying her.

* * *

It’s still early, if you could call it early.

Kane got up first, saying he was going out for a run, and Luna and Aria were still sleeping, or at least the lodging was quiet.

I walked out on tiptoe, trying not to wake them.

‘As expected, maybe because there’s a lot of floating population, it’s crowded even in the morning.’

It feels like it’s always crowded regardless of the time.

I moved towards the inn where we had gone out separately for dinner yesterday, without Luna or Kane.

“Oh, will we meet again today? I guess you’re just going out for a bit?”

How lucky.

I met Ruby, who was doing light stretches wearing just one light piece of clothing in the front yard of the inn, and smiled slightly.

“That’s right. Well, I was just out for a short walk and was on my way back in when we met like this.”

Ruby grinned at my words, which I made up as if I had stayed here for a day.

“How was the Labyrinth yesterday?”

A strong rose scent wafted from Ruby as she approached, wiping her sweat.

I lowered the corners of my eyes unnecessarily and opened my mouth as if complaining.

“It was definitely difficult because I lack experience, and I couldn’t really get a feel for things. Do you have any know-how or tips?”

Without measuring or probing, I spoke words that would sound like getting to the point from her perspective, as if I currently had no leeway. Ruby made a face of pity for me.

“Oh my… Know-how? Well, actually, rather than that. For beginners, it’s best to party up with people who have a bit more experience than you.”

“A party… How far down do you usually go, Ruby?”

Keeping my tone as polite as possible.

Anyway, thanks to my arrogance trait, it would probably feel like a reckless youngster suddenly getting desperate and trying to tag along.

But Ruby looked at me with a fairly affectionate face and smiled brightly.

“Well, our party goes from the lower floors to the beginning of the middle floors? But actually, you know…”

She came close and whispered in my ear as if telling a secret.

“Have you heard the rumor about a new dungeon that’s appeared?”

“I’ve heard of it, but they say it’s off-limits.”

“That’s right, but I know a secret way to get in. There’s a rumor that the difficulty is low but the rewards are really good, so the association is trying to monopolize it by making it off-limits. If it’s a place like that, I think I could help more easily than in a complicated labyrinth. What do you think?”

At those words whispered with mingled breath, I awkwardly smiled, moving my eyeballs as if I had nowhere to look.

“Is it okay to enter secretly without the association knowing? If we get caught…”

“Who cares. What has the association ever done for us? Besides, I heard they just sealed it off without managing it. And that’s how you make some money and make a name for yourself.”

As if Ruby’s words were decisive, I nodded.

“Alright.”

In my words, Ruby raised her head with a bright smile, and her gorgeous dark red curly hair swayed.

“Really? Then let’s meet at the central tower at this time tomorrow. Everyone else will come too, right? Like that boy.”

At her words, throwing a dizzying eye smile, I nodded and opened the Trait window.

We locked gazes, smiling with different meanings.