Chapter 35

"Ah, it's the hero who defeated the Black Dragon. Is it alright? Wasting your time here like this?"

The old man, upon seeing me, immediately started teasing.

"Hero... I'm not really that. Still, you already know I defeated the Black Dragon?"

"Ho ho ho. You defeated the boss of the deepest level all by yourself. Calling you a hero isn't far off. Besides, the whole town is buzzing about it. Even this old man with poor hearing can hear the talk."

Poor hearing, huh.

"I only succeeded because I was lucky. I don't know if I could do it again if faced with the same situation."

"Is that so? From what I heard, Orun didn't receive a single attack, you know?"

No way, that kind of information shouldn't be circulating...

The old man sometimes shows information-gathering skills that rival those of active information brokers. I've known the old man for a long time, but I still can't fathom his depths.

Well, selfishly, I consider the old man like family, so I don't really care what kind of person he is.

"So? What brings you here today?"

"I wanted to talk to you, old man."

"Ho? Go on, tell me."

"Just now, I received an invitation from the 'Silver Hare of the Night Sky.'"

I've complained to the old man many times before. I have no intention of hiding anything from him, so I honestly tell him what happened just now.

"Well, of course. The 'Silver Hare of the Night Sky' wouldn't let a swordsman capable of defeating the Black Dragon slip by, especially since they lost their frontline attacker."

"...Yeah. I think what you said is probably the reason. Plus, it was a very attractive offer. They offered to take me in as a frontline attacker in Selma's party and even offered me a position in the leadership."

"Ho, that's quite a good deal."

"Yeah. -- But I'm hesitating."

"...Why is that?"

"Well, when I was in a party with Oliver and the others, I always suppressed myself to serve the party."

This city is lively because of the Great Labyrinth. Young people constantly come to the city hoping to strike it rich. As a result, the city has a variety of entertainment options, including casinos.

"There are many forms of entertainment in this city. I was interested in them, but I did most of the negotiations and behind-the-scenes work for the party. Luna helped sometimes, but I also had to train myself, so I had no time to play. I became an explorer to get stronger and to not give up when faced with injustice, so I had no complaints. ...But in the end, I was kicked out of the party."

Some people might think being kicked out was unfair. But I don't think it was. The party I was in aimed to conquer the Great Labyrinth, and it's not unreasonable to kick out members who can't keep up. It simply means they lacked the ability.

I understand that intellectually.

But emotions aren't that simple.

I still feel regret and wonder why, after all I did for the party.

"The 'Silver Hare of the Night Sky' has a good strategy, and I know the clan is a comfortable place to be. I strongly want to join. But what they want is my knowledge. If I'm used and then become unnecessary, I might be discarded again. The thought of that scares me... I can't make up my mind..."

"Ho ho ho ho ho!"

The old man, who had been listening to me, suddenly burst out laughing.

"Sorry for laughing suddenly. I always saw Orun as mature, so it made me happy to realize you have thoughts appropriate for your age."

"Appropriate for my age? You mean my thoughts are young?"

I felt a bit irritated by the old man's comment but tried to ask calmly.

"Yes."

He readily agreed with my question.

"Listen, Orun. I believe this society is built on mutual benefit."

Mutual benefit, I think, means a relationship where both parties benefit from each other.

"People can't survive alone. Everyone is supported by someone, and we also support others without realizing it. The relationship between Orun and me is the same. Orun uses me to get what you want, and I use Orun to make money. The word 'use' might not be easy to accept positively, but what Orun means by 'use' can be rephrased as 'complementing each other's shortcomings.'"

"Complementing each other's shortcomings..."

"Yes. It seems you think that if you join the clan, you'll only provide something. But is that really the case? Does the clan not offer anything to you?"

Hearing the old man's words, I felt as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes.

I had only been thinking about being used.

If I join the clan, I will also rely on the clan's connections.

I will contribute to the clan's Great Labyrinth exploration, and the clan will support me in various ways.

I had been negative about joining a clan or a fixed party, but the old man's words changed my perspective.

Until now, I had only done serious dungeon exploration with the hero party.

Exploring the dungeon with the members of the 'Silver Hare of the Night Sky' seemed fun.

I will indeed be used by the clan.

But whether I will be discarded afterward depends on my efforts, doesn't it?

If I can become indispensable to the clan, even after giving everything I have, they will still need me.

The old man smiled when he saw my face.

"It seems your thoughts have changed."

"Yeah. You're amazing, old man. Thanks for listening to me."

"You're welcome. Listen, Orun. Decisions made after hesitation will always lead to regret. Whether you join the 'Silver Hare of the Night Sky' or not, you will likely regret something in the future. Therefore, the important thing is to make a choice that your future self, who will regret, can at least accept. Of course, you're unsure about the future, which is why you're hesitating now."

Always regret, huh.

Having choices means the future branches out.

Thinking 'If only I had done this then' is something everyone does daily.

Therefore, it's important to make a choice that you can accept when you think that way.

The words of an elder carry weight...

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice. Next time, I'll come to buy something properly."

"Sure. I'll be waiting."

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