Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

Last night, I returned to the Roten Inn with Lumia and had a restful sleep.

After deciding on a school, I thought that once the learning began, I would stay at the Mage Tower and the nearby inn, but that was a foolish thought.

I woke up early in the morning, trained in the backyard that Rotten had renovated with his own funds.

Then, I washed up and headed to the Mage Tower, visiting the three schools in turn, learning various things until I was utterly exhausted.

This was the task that Lumia had to take on moving forward.

It seemed quite tough at first glance, but since there was so much to gain, I could only offer my support.

‘Well, let’s start moving!’

I woke up early, had a solid meal for breakfast, and since there wasn’t much to prepare, I finished everything in a leisurely manner.

Ah, right, I took off my armor and put it in my backpack.

For some reason, I had a feeling that my conversation with Leesia might take longer, and wearing armor in a bakery that many common folk visit would be too conspicuous.

Thinking that I’d be going around in normal clothes for the first time in a while, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

Now, I’m officially an adventurer.

It’s funny how armor, not ordinary clothes, feels more comfortable as a front-line warrior.

“I’m off. Stay strong, and don’t get hurt anywhere.”

“Okay. Starting today, I’ll be busy all day long. I’ll do my best.”

I waved back at Lumia, who was waving me off, and left the inn.

.

.

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District 5.

Ding!

As I entered the bakery, a clear bell rang out.

It had been exactly one week since I was treated by Leesia.

Once again, due to the limited sale of cakes, there was a long line, so I waited outside for quite a while before entering, guided by an employee.

As I was scanning the interior, I noticed a woman dressed in a plain but elegant dress and accessories, looking like a beautiful flower.

I approached her slowly and spoke up.

“Leesia, I’m not too late, am I? The line’s quite long today as well.”

“No! You came at the perfect time!”

Leesia, wearing a pure white dress with a flower headpiece and a sparkling blue butterfly brooch near her neck, looked stunning.

Her golden blonde hair, lit up by the sunlight coming through the window, shimmered like pure gold, and its soft, warm light resembled the wheat stalks in a field.

Her noble blue eyes sparkled unusually today, resembling aquamarine and sapphire.

Leesia, who had stood up abruptly, said:

“Ahren, we decided to meet here, but… actually, the place where we’re going to talk isn’t here.”

What’s going on?

I thought we would just have some bread and sweets like last time and part ways.

If there was an important place we needed to go, wouldn’t it have been better to tell me in advance? I awkwardly waited for her explanation.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. You see, my father, who’s been away, is supposed to return this evening… so I thought it would be better to go ahead, have a conversation, and greet him.”

“Shouldn’t we stop by a clothing store and prepare some proper attire? I’m a bit concerned about this.”

I had planned to buy formal clothes like a tuxedo and frock coat with the remaining gold coins just before the banquet, but now I had to go to the Count’s mansion, and it was as if a thunderbolt had struck.

Hearing my worried words, she put her hand on her mouth and chuckled like a nightingale.

“Oh ho ho! Don’t worry! My father doesn’t care much about appearances or formalities!”

“Is that so? Well, I’m not from a noble family. I suppose as long as I don’t look too shabby, it’ll be fine.”

Leesia nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go. I’ve sent a signal, so if we wait outside for a bit, the family carriage will arrive.”

.

.

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This is District 2, Estevan.

To put it simply, it’s the noble district.

Looking out the window, I admired the different atmosphere of the streets, which felt both refined and restrained compared to the other districts I had visited.

Buildings like stores and mansions, as well as large and small estates, were never in close proximity to each other.

“Estevan is larger than District 4, which is known as a mixed-use district.”

It was also near the Mage Tower, so I occasionally saw convenient magical tools and engineering structures strategically placed here and there.

While chatting about various trivial things in the carriage, we were waiting to arrive at the mansion when a problem occurred.

It wasn’t with us, but with someone outside.

“Why! Why on earth are you refusing? The seat next to Leesia is perfectly suited for me!”

“Sigh… That troublesome person is here again.”

‘Troublesome person?’

Hearing Leesia sighing in annoyance, I leaned forward to look out the window.

“Hmm.”

I saw a beastman causing a commotion in front of the mansion’s main gate.

“Who’s that? I heard something about your name coming up, but I’m not sure.”

“About two months ago, I ran into him by chance in the maze, and since then, he’s been using his status to bother me.”

He’s actually visiting the mansion of a Count?

I don’t know much about beastmen, but according to the books I read at the Great Library…

It seems that the continent is home to five major beastmen tribes, along with smaller ones, and society is formed by a mix of these tribes.

Moreover, due to their innate strength, population, and other factors, there’s a hierarchy among the tribes.

As far as I remember, the noble beastman tribe is the most dominant.

They’re arrogant and temperamental, but their power allows them to push others around, and no other tribe can challenge them.

Yeah, that’s exactly like the person shouting in front of Alfredo.

“The first time I met him was utterly disgusting. That crazy guy had a partner with him in the maze, and when he noticed our party’s light, he came after us.”

What a freak. He wasn’t shot in the head; he just… did that in the maze?

If it was due to the light, it probably wasn’t in a designated resting area.

Leesia made a gagging sound.

“Want to know something even funnier? The moment he saw me, he had this look like he’d fallen in love, threw on some sloppy clothes, and left his passed-out companion behind to approach me.”

“What did he say when he came up to you? Wait, you didn’t just let him walk up to you, did you?”

“Of course, I threatened him, saying that if he came closer, I’d treat him like a human hunter. He’s a rare noble beastman, so he listened to me and I decided to hear him out.”

“He said what?”

“Well, he said he fell in love with me at first sight. He’s from a purebred noble beastman family and asked if I wanted to seriously meet him. Then he started rambling about something like his magic power bursting in his head.”

Was he raised without proper education because his parents were odd?

In some ways, this guy is quite impressive.

“Anyway, he’s quick to spot pretty women… but being too beautiful can be a problem, you know?”

I absentmindedly agreed to her self-praise.

“Well, you are certainly exceptionally pretty, Leesia. Even despite that guy’s pitiful display, I can understand why he acted like that.”

“…Eh?”

She had just been bragging about her beauty, and now she’s surprised by my comment?

I wasn’t making a big deal out of it, just stating the truth.

“Honestly, isn’t that the case? You’re definitely one of the top ten women I’ve seen so far.”

Leesia’s cheeks turned red from my unembellished compliment.

“Uh, I-I see.”

She awkwardly cleared her throat to cover up her embarrassment before continuing.

“Pretty, beautiful… I hear that often. But hearing it from you, Ahren, feels a little different. It makes me feel a bit shy.”

I had always thought she was confident and assertive, but it turns out she’s sensitive to compliments.

I almost teased her, but then decided against it.

While we were having this conversation, the commotion at the front gate was getting louder.

“Grr, just reconsider! The only man who’s suited for Leesia is me!”

“Do you not remember who the owner of this place is? Lower your voice.”

“Tch… It’s already decided, so there’s no chance left. Just ten days ago, or even a week ago!”

“After undergoing a trial process conducted by the house steward, my father personally made the decision. Further disrespect is not tolerated, so you should leave now.”

“I’ll ask one last thing before I go. Who is this guy that the Count won’t even acknowledge? Huh?”

“I cannot tell you.”

Crack!

The swollen cheek from clenching my teeth.

It almost felt like I could hear the sound of the bastard’s sharp teeth grinding from here.

‘Didn’t the Count say he would be back by tonight? If this bastard doesn’t leave and insists on staying, it’s going to be troublesome in many ways.’

I sighed inwardly, and just as I was about to focus on the state window out of habit…

I froze.

For a moment, a hesitation crossed my mind: What if Chaos Eye is detected again?

“⋯.”

Crack!

I snapped back to reality by biting my cheek.

No matter how many times I faced incredibly powerful beings—Master-level individuals—it was still hard to believe that I was here with the same ability.

But even so, what the hell was I doing with the Chaos Eye, this ridiculous and overpowered trait?

I was angry at myself.

‘Damn it. Did I lose my mind? If I get caught, I get caught! Since when did I become someone who hesitates to peek at someone else’s state window? Get a grip!’

[Chaos strongly advises that this should never be said under any circumstances.]

…That’s just how it is. Suddenly, I felt a sense of trauma.

Anyway, if it were someone like Conrad, who was clearly an absolute powerhouse, it might be different, but…

I didn’t want to go down without a fight, especially when it came to some fool chasing after a woman.

“Ahren? What’s wrong?”

“Ah, just a bad memory popped up. I’m fine.”

I adjusted my stiff face and kept my eyes on the nobleman facing off with Alfredo.

──

[Kaizan Rugenberger]

[Strength: B-] [Agility: B-] [Endurance: C+]
[Health: B-] [Mana: C] [Luck: C-]

[Traits] (Fold)

Beast King’s Authority
Bloodline of the Emperor
Rugenberger’s Strong Body
Ferocious Gaze
Intimidating Roar
White Tiger Transformation

──

See? It’s not like Sena or Conrad, where the Masters are literal monsters. There was no need to be overly cautious around just anyone.

Let’s take a look…

──

[Bloodline of the Emperor (A)] [P]

A pureblood noble from the Rugenberger family, known as the rulers of the mountains and the clan chiefs.

Despite being born as the sixth of ten children, Kaizan inherited an unusually strong bloodline.

On the day when his bloodline fully awakens,
The ruler of the mountains will rise, making the forests tremble in fear.

──All physical attributes increase by three steps.
──Skill bonuses to all physical movements.
──Rarely, reduces mental attack damage by half.
──Takes less damage in mountain terrain, and health gradually regenerates.
──Occasionally, the blood boils, making it difficult to suppress impulses.

──

‘Born with an A-grade trait from the start? What the hell is with all these buffs?’

He’s still young, barely in his early twenties, but the reason for his B-grade stats was clear now.

While I was checking his state window to assess his strength, the smooth-turning wheels of the carriage stopped.

“Lady, we’ve arrived.”

“⋯Lady?”

As the coachman notified us of our arrival, Kaizan, with his keen senses due to his beast nature, swiftly turned his head toward us.

His face, which had been full of a grin as he was thinking of meeting Leesia, instantly contorted when he saw me escorting her instead.

“Ahren, thank you.”

“No problem. So, what do we do now?”

“Don’t worry, just follow me closely, okay?”

“Got it─”

“Grrr, you there!”

After a short exchange with Leesia, just as we were about to move following her guidance, Kaizan, with his face twisted in contempt, walked over toward me and spoke.

“You, who do you think you are, touching hands you shouldn’t be touching? Which family do you belong to?”

“What?”

I could understand if he was angry for seeing his crush with another man, but that didn’t mean I’d accept being threatened with disrespect, especially from someone I hadn’t even met before.

I was about to snap back at him when Leesia, with a genuinely disdainful expression, stepped in first.

“How rude. Kaizan Rugenberger.”

“⋯Leesia?”

“How dare you show such disrespect to my benefactor and dear friend, a distinguished guest of my family.”

“No, it’s just… I’ve never seen him in the social circles, and his appearance is ordinary… He’s clearly just good-looking, but clearly not someone of our caliber.”

“Hah! Caliber, you say? Are you even sane?”

Leesia’s tone had completely shifted when speaking to someone she disliked.

“Enough. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Apologize and leave, please.”

Kaizan’s hand trembled in frustration after Leesia’s 100% genuine scorn.

“How dare you speak to me like that, I’m the third son of the Rugenberger family! Do you think you can just send me away without consequences?”

Consequences?

Leaving aside the neutral zone of the Labyrinth City,
A Count from an empire that controls half of the continent wouldn’t lose much compared to the five major bloodlines of the tribes.

As expected, Alfredo, who had been watching silently from behind, exuded a fierce aura.

“Enough. Leave now, or I will use force.”

“No, Alfredo. Wait. Before we kick him out, I have something to say.”

Her eyes, shining like jewels, stared coldly at the rude man.

“Consequence? The only reason I didn’t send you away earlier was not because I feared your family, but because I didn’t want to cause trouble for my father.”

“⋯.”

“Pureblood nobility, even though it’s corrupted. If the direct line of the higher-ups gets tangled up in problems, even equal families can end up with grudges. It would only be worse due to the difference in species.”

Leesia stared emotionlessly at Kaizan.

“You, being cunning, must have known that. So, you kept pursuing me without crossing the line. There’s a saying in the East, ‘There’s no tree that doesn’t fall after ten strikes.’”

He sneered.

“What’s this? You’ll never reach my feet no matter how hard you try.”

“Damn it, Binglemjo! Runestone Ore! Moonlit Spring Water! Blood Red Essence!”

Kaizan, unable to hold it anymore, shouted in anger.

“You’ve turned down every gift I sent and even ignored me when I came to visit!”

His finger pointed directly at me with resentment.

“Grrr… What do you think you’re doing, bringing some random unknown man and laughing with him, calling him your friend?”

“Unknown man?”

This bastard had no filter on his words.

“Have you ever laughed like that with me─”

“Enough. I’ll report to the family head myself.”

Just as Alfredo was about to act…

Snap!

I quickly removed a single white glove and threw it forcefully at Kaizan’s face.

I whispered to the stunned man, holding his cheek in disbelief.

“Why are you talking so much, you little loser? Let’s have a real fight.”

Forget about consequences.

My origins might be humble, but when it comes to connections, I wasn’t lacking.

Obsessive men are terrifying.

A pureblood noble beastman, raised without ever facing hardship, soaked in arrogance and pride.

After clearing Kaizan from in front of the mansion, I decided to earn points with the Count, who would be returning soon.