"Oho! If it isn't the hero who slayed the black dragon. You sure it's okay to be wasting time in a place like this?"
The moment Grandpa spotted me, he launched straight into teasing.
"Hero...? I'm not anything like that. Anyway—word's already spread that I took down the black dragon?"
"Hohoho. Soloing a deep-floor boss? Calling you a hero doesn't feel like an exaggeration at all. The whole town's buzzing about it right now—even these old ears can't escape the chatter."
Old ears, huh.
"I just got lucky. If the same situation happened again, I don't know if I'd win."
"Is that so? From what I heard, you didn't take a single hit."
No way that kind of detail is circulating... right?
Grandpa occasionally shows off an information-gathering skill that rivals any active intelligence broker We've known each other a long time, but I still can't see the bottom of him.
Well, selfish as it sounds, I think of him like family. Whatever kind of person he really is, it doesn't bother me.
"So? What brings you here today?"
"I just... wanted someone to listen for a bit."
"Oh? Go on, then."
"I got scouted by *Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky* earlier."
Grandpa's listened to my complaints plenty of times before. I don't hide anything from him, so I told him everything that happened straight-up.
"Well, that's only natural. A swordsman strong enough to take down a black dragon? No way a clan that just lost its frontline attacker like *Silver Rabbit* would let someone like you slip by."
"...Yeah. Nine times out of ten, that's exactly why. And honestly, the offer was pretty tempting. They said they'd take me on as frontline attacker in Selma-san's party—and even prepare an executive seat for me."
"Hoho, that's quite the generous treatment."
"Yeah. —But I'm hesitating."
"...And why's that?"
"Back when I was with Oliver and the others... I spent all my time suppressing myself for the sake of the party."
This city has a Great Labyrinth, so it's way livelier than most places. Young people pour in constantly, chasing that one big score. That's why the entertainment scene is booming—casinos, bars, you name it.
"There are all kinds of fun things in this town. I was interested in them too, but I handled almost all the behind-the-scenes stuff: negotiations with every faction, miscellaneous party management, everything. Luna helped sometimes, but between that and my own training, there was no time left to play. I became an adventurer because I wanted to get stronger—because I didn't want to just take unfair treatment lying down. So I didn't mind at first. ...But in the end, they kicked me out."
Some people might call getting expelled unfair.
But I don't see it that way.
The party I was in existed to conquer the Great Labyrinth. Cutting loose someone who couldn't keep up wasn't strange at all.
It just meant that person wasn't strong enough. That's all.
My head understands that perfectly.
But emotions aren't so simple.
It still stings. After everything I poured in, why? That feeling lingers.
"After joining *Silver Rabbit*'s operation, I could tell it's a comfortable clan to be in. Part of me really wants to join. But what they want from me is my knowledge. If they just use me up and toss me aside when I'm no longer needed... that scares me. I can't bring myself to commit..."
"Hohohohohoho!"
Grandpa suddenly burst out laughing while listening to me.
"Sorry for laughing out of nowhere. You've always seemed so mature, so seeing you wrestle with thoughts that actually match your age... it just made me happy."
"Match my age? So you're saying my thinking is childish?"
I felt a little annoyed, but I kept my voice calm and asked.
"Exactly."
He answered without hesitation.
"Listen, Orun. I believe this world runs on mutual benefit."
Mutual benefit... yeah, that's the idea of both sides giving each other something valuable.
"No one can live alone. Everyone relies on someone else, and unknowingly supports others in turn. Our relationship is the same. You use me to get what you want. I use you to make money. Sure, the word 'use' doesn't sound very positive. But what you're calling 'being used' can be rephrased as 'filling in each other's gaps.'"
"Filling in each other's gaps..."
"Precisely. You seem to think that if you join the clan, you'd be the only one giving anything—providing value without getting anything back. But is that really true? Would the clan give you nothing?"
Hearing that felt like scales falling from my eyes.
I'd only been thinking about how I'd be exploited.
But if I joined, I'd probably end up relying on the clan's connections too.
I'd lend my strength to their Great Labyrinth conquests, and in return, the clan would support me in all sorts of ways.
I'd always been reluctant to join a fixed party or clan, but Grandpa's words shifted my perspective.
Up until now, the only serious labyrinth diving I'd done was with the Hero Party.
Exploring with the *Silver Rabbit* members... it actually sounded fun.
Sure, the clan would use me.
But whether they discarded me afterward? That depended on my own effort, didn't it?
Even after giving them everything I had, if I could become so indispensable that the clan couldn't imagine operating without me—then I'd be safe.
Grandpa looked at my face and smiled.
"Looks like your thinking's changed."
"Yeah. You're amazing, Grandpa. Thanks for listening."
"Don't mention it. Listen, Orun—any decision you make after hesitating will always carry some regret. Whether you join *Silver Rabbit* or not, someday you'll look back and feel a pang of 'what if.' That's unavoidable. So the important thing is to choose the path that your future self can at least somewhat accept. Of course, since we can't see the future, that's exactly why we're agonizing over it now."
Any choice will bring regret, huh.
Having options means the future branches.
Everyone experiences those "if only I'd done that back then" moments in everyday life.
That's why you have to make the choice that, when the regret hits, you can still nod and say "yeah, that was the right call at the time."
Words from someone older really do carry weight...
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice. Next time I'll actually come to buy something."
"Mm. I'll be waiting."