SWNOVELS Chapter 7: Life Sucks
But nobody believed me when I said I had been clinging to life like that.
Among adventurers, I soon became known as an ominous totem that brought death if taken along, effectively blocking any chance of getting porter jobs.
Of course, such rumors were usually short-lived, like a fad, but my special ability had the knack for dragging out even those fleeting happenings…
“Woo Hyo-sung? Where have I heard that name before?”
“That’s the guy. The one blacklisted at the adventurer’s guild.”
“He sends everyone he goes with to their doom.”
“Rumor has it he was hired by some assassin guild?”
“And he always goes around crying ‘Woo Hyo, Woo Hyo’.”
“Eek, a monster. Get out of our empire right now!”
“I didn’t do anything like that.”
I understood that being remembered for a long time led to rumors, but in truth, I was just a hardworking foreign laborer seeking romance in this world.
Becoming a scapegoat just because I had desperately survived felt truly unjust.
“…Sigh, this damn ability is no help at all.”
Others received abilities that were somewhat helpful unless they were idiots like Oh Deok-hun, but I never once received proper help from mine.
After all, people tend to remember the bad things more.
If I were a civil servant at a local office or a service employee at an AS center, surely all kinds of jerks would remember my name and flood me with complaints, blocking my way out.
If things went wrong, I thought of taking a civil service exam and putting snacks in the iron rice bowl to eat when bored, but even that option was blocked now.
Life sucks.
“The fundamental reason is this world that just gives heroes false hopes.”
Of course, it was a problem that the powerful enticed heroes with sweet talk from within their wells, but considering the default was all grown adults, I couldn’t just blame the world.
First of all, no matter how much money and connections you might have, if a crazed person with nothing to lose swung a knife at you, your life was in peril in this world.
Likewise, even if you obtained the legendary Mithril to forge a weapon, you’d become a target for those who envied you, risking ambushes and possibly losing both your life and your treasure.
So, what was the best way to live in such a harsh world?
You must conceal any power you possess, live modestly, and seize opportunities when they arise.
If I were given Mithril, I would craft a crutch and feign a disability. Then, when my underestimators approached, I’d crush their skulls, erase any witnesses, and complain to scrape together a little more profit.
If even the mighty must resort to such schemes to survive, what couldn’t I accomplish?
So, dear status window, grant me just enough strength to fashion a crutch from Mithril.
“Argh, status window!”
A status window pops up as I shout in frustration.
I yearned to find something within it to escape my dire straits, but alas, there was no such luck, Hyo-sung.
No sudden leap in the talents you wished for, no secret to turning your abilities around.
“Why are all my pulls in this cursed lottery duds?”
“Just not me, pleeeaaase!”
I overheard cries from a lottery stand in the marketplace as I strolled by.
Witnessing them clutch at each other’s collars and bicker, they seemed to be living on the edge of fortune, but I’d always steered clear of gambling.
It was true that one must labor earnestly. If you become entranced by games of chance, you’re likely to forfeit both your wealth and your life.
“Still, some good luck would be welcome for a change.”
Hoping for a stray piece of Mithril to craft my crutch, I roamed the streets deep in thought.
Out of the blue, I spot a collection of notices pinned to a bulletin board in the plaza.
There were imperial edicts, local announcements, and job offers…
“Could I take on these requests as well?”
Now that I thought about it, the adventurer’s guild primarily offered day labor, short-term work, and fragmented tasks like subjugation and exploration, which were unsuitable for long-term employment.
So, for more official matters, these bulletin boards were commonly used.
They were stable but not high-paying, which was why I’d ignored them until now. Given my current situation, however, I had no choice but to consider this option as well.
“Let’s see, a suitable job would be… Hmm?”
Among the documents hanging there, one caught my eye.
The request, written in poor handwriting on quite old paper, also bore the official mark of the Mage Tower.
Had a mage affiliated with the Mage Tower written this document because they needed to assign some tasks while staying in this city?
However, the content was vague, stating only, “There’s a lot to be done. Come to the designated place,” with no other significant information.
The only remarkable detail was the reward… Yikes! What was this?
Wasn’t the reward ten times more than what I had earned slaving away for the heroes?
“What’s this…? What kind of task is it that the pay is so high?”
“You’re taking that request? Are you out of your mind?!”
At that moment, an old man passing by approached and began to express his astonishment at me.
To me, his reaction seemed very unexpected.
Even for a first meeting, yelling without greetings was one thing. But why treat someone like an escapee from a mental ward so suddenly?
“Cough, sorry. The sight of someone willingly choosing the path to hell was so pitiful, I couldn’t help myself…”
“Ah, well, if that’s the case.”
I had to acknowledge someone trying to dissuade me from going to hell.
Indeed, to survive long, one must heed such advice.
Holding the document, I looked down at it again and quietly asked the old man,
“But why is this request I’m holding considered dangerous?”
“Well, doesn’t it have the Mage Tower’s mark? Don’t you know how arrogant and dangerous the mages affiliated with the Mage Tower are?”
Ah, well, I’ve heard plenty of rumors.
In fact, a mage who was torn limb from limb not long ago had learned magic with the support of the Mage Tower after being summoned. Their utterly arrogant nature was clearly influenced by the Mage Tower.
“The mages from the Mage Tower are all competent, but they lack ethical consciousness due to their focus on research. Those who can’t enter the Mage Tower are considered foolish and dull. Such people are seen as expendables that can be used for their research at any time.”
“No, but would they really kill people so easily? Despite the world’s chaos, the empire maintains a law-abiding society.”
“The empire actively supports the Mage Tower. Without proper backing, they wouldn’t hesitate even if one or two people died.”
Geez, so even here, it was those with money and connections who ruled everything.
What chance did I have as a small fry with no opportunity to make money?
“Just a word of caution from an old man, but if you’re considering the Mage Tower’s request just because of the high reward, you should think carefully. Unless you’re ready to die for money!”
“Ah, yes. Thank you for the advice.”
After receiving such rare advice in this harsh world, I bid farewell.
Left alone in the square, I took time to ponder the content of the request I held.
“Hmm, right. It’s better not to take such dangerous requests, isn’t it?”
Just hearing the rumors, the Mage Tower seemed infested with psychopathic scientists.
Following them blindly and trusting the law could lead to being used for biological experiments in hidden places or becoming a meat shield for monsters while gathering materials.
That’s not happening. I might be worth nothing, but my life is precious.
“Indeed, life is more important than money.”
Damn Mage Tower folks. Do they really think I’d follow them just because they offered high pay?
You can’t buy me with money!
Yet, the money was too substantial to pass up, and, failing to find a decent source of income, I eventually decided to visit the dwelling of the Mage Tower’s mage.
It wasn’t that I was in an inherently bad place.
It was the world that was making me desperate… this world!
“Sigh, life really sucks.”
Despite the danger, the offer was too tempting to refuse.
Just looking at the amount on the request, it was far more than I would make as a porter following heroes, even if I did it dozens of times.
That money alone could fund the ‘personal adventure’ I had initially planned.
When you think about it, wasn’t it better to take the risk once rather than risk it dozens of times?
“…Indeed, if I’m after romance, I should be ready for some adventure.”
If things turned sour, I’d strip to my underwear and run.
With that decision made, I knocked on the door of the building I had arrived at and took a moment to survey my surroundings.
“Excuse me, is anyone there?”
The mage’s supposed residence was a slightly larger-than-average mansion.
Though the house had several windows, they were all curtained, concealing the interior from view.
A slightly unsettling sensation crept up on me.
But, if necessary, I could always break a window to escape, which I considered an opportunity.
Click.
As I stood there, tense, the door finally opened, revealing the inside.
“Hehehehe…”
The faint laughter that ensued probably belonged to the person I presumed was the client.
“Wh-Who’s there? Are you the one who answered the request?”
A disheveled woman with a trembling voice and weak laughter.
Her hair was unkempt, and her clothes were wrinkled, revealing her collarbones and chest.
Hardly a sight one should present in front of a man.
“Ah, yes, that’s correct, but…”
“You’ve… you’ve finally come. Hehe.”
Yet, seemingly oblivious to her disheveled appearance, she blinked her unfocused blue eyes and gestured quietly for me to enter the mansion.
“Co-Come in. I’ll… I’ll explain the request right away…”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
It was surprising that she was a woman, but the atmosphere remained eerie…contemporary romance
Well, it didn’t seem immediately dangerous, so I decided to follow her. As I stepped inside, I noticed blue lights swirling around the dark room.
Not lighting… Could they be magic circles? Or perhaps a reaction caused by magic stones?
“Ah, ah-ah. Th-The… those things over there, yo-you don’t need to worry about them. Th-They’re just various… re-research outcomes, that’s all…”
“No, that’s not what concerns me.”
I glanced around the room stealthily.
Surveying the room illuminated by the blue light, I felt my breath stop.
It wasn’t because I found something dangerous. Rather, it was a compulsive reaction to the cleanliness—or lack thereof.
“The dirtiness of the room is somewhat concerning.”
I knew that people from the Mage Tower only cared about their research, but wasn’t this an excessive disorder?
“……Pfft!“
As I pondered this, she burst into laughter.
Feeling slightly uneasy, I watched as she looked at me, her eyes brimming with mirth.
“Yo-You’re concerned about the room being dirty? Re-Really…?”
Why was she suddenly laughing?
Was she offended because I mentioned it?
Should I consider breaking a window to escape?
“Th-Then cleaning… Dirty things… ne-need to be cleaned, right?”
Just as I was about to succumb to that impulse, she spoke.
For a moment, not grasping her point, I faced her with a blank look.
“Huh? Cleaning…?”
“Yo-You’re a housekeeper, aren’t you?”
Housekeeper? What was she talking about?
Confused, I continued to stare at her, and soon, she wrapped her arms around herself, chuckling and making a sweeping gesture.
“If I hire a housekeeper… then… then I won’t have to clean my room anymore, right? Right?”
“Well, yes. A housekeeper usually does that kind of work…”
“Now, the room cleaning, laundry, and even the food—I won’t have to touch them with my hands. I can eat without… Ehehe, I’m free from all the annoying tasks. I can now focus on my research!”
Pfftt. She stifled her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand and bowing her head.
Staring blankly at her unnaturally trembling form, which was difficult to see as normal, she suddenly raised her head and asked me.
“You will do it, won’t you? The cleaning…”
“Oh, yes. If you pay, I’ll have to do it.”
After all, I had struggled so far; I deserved some good fortune to make life more enjoyable.
Life is sweet as honey.
done.co