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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Tower Genius Descends into the Labyrinth
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마탑 천재는 미궁을 내려간다 4화.
Sylbian parted ways with Jelen after a conversation that dragged on for six hours.
"I gained more than I expected."
The labyrinth information Jelen had shared was mostly unexpected intel.
It was valuable enough that venturing in blind would have spelled disaster.
He walked through the city for a bit, sorting out his tangled thoughts.
One step, then another.
With each stride, Sylbian's gaze sank deeper.
'Even back at the Magic Tower, I'd heard countless times how dangerous the labyrinth was.'
But he hadn't imagined it would be this dangerous.
Thud.
Sylbian abruptly halted and glanced around.
Furtive glances darted his way.
He could feel countless eyes on him—hard to pinpoint, yet impossible to ignore.
Was it because he'd given up entirely on hiding the stigma?
Just walking through the city like this drew those stares without fail.
"..."
Instead, Sylbian met the gazes of those watching him, one by one, unflinchingly.
Whoosh!
Most averted their eyes the instant their stares locked with his.
A scant few, though, held his gaze with evident curiosity.
'Not great.'
I'm not the type to feel burdened or uncomfortable by attention from others.
His talent had stood out even more at the Magic Tower, so if anything, he was quite used to it.
Stroke.
As he gently touched the stigma etched on his neck, a heavy sigh escaped his lips.
"The problem is, I won't be the only one enduring these stares."
Exiled from the Magic Tower, he could no longer belong to any group.
Above all, resolving the stigma issue was something only he could handle.
His mood sank lower still as he returned to the Golden Barrel Inn.
-...Even if you go into the labyrinth, it'll just be a dog's death.
That one line from Jelen had rung true.
It was the first time Jelen—otherwise detached throughout their labyrinth talk—had infused his words with real emotion.
Just as Jelen said, heading into the labyrinth in his current state meant death.
After all, he didn't possess any great power right now.
Jingle!
Sylbian settled for dinner at the inn before heading straight back to his room.
Yet his contemplations about the labyrinth stretched deep into the night.
Even as dawn broke, he hadn't reached a solid conclusion.
The night deepened relentlessly.
Chirp chirp...
The faint chirping of birds filtered through the window.
"For all that worrying... in the end, there's only one answer."
Sylbian rubbed his weary eyes and nodded.
He'd drafted and scrapped countless plans, over and over.
The conclusion he'd finally reached was brutally simple—and the hardest path of all.
"I need to find companions to descend into the labyrinth with me."
Reliable ones, at that.
Heading in alone would end exactly as Jelen predicted: a meaningless death.
The more he thought it through, the clearer it became—companions weren't optional; they were essential.
Someone to protect him in a pinch.
Someone he could protect in turn, complementing each other's strengths.
"But are there companions out there who meet those conditions?"
Even if there were, would they team up with an exile like him?
Sylbian raked a hand through his hair roughly, unable to hide his frustration.
It had already been several days since arriving in Helsen.
In that short time, he'd felt society's view of exiles down to his bones.
Everyone kept their distance; no one lingered near him.
A mage was still a mage, even branded.
That lofty status ironically made it hard to mingle with ordinary adventurers or mercenaries.
Stroke.
As he laced up his boots, Jelen suddenly crossed his mind.
"Even a Special Grade Adventurer like Jelen didn't treat me lightly. Especially knowing I'm only half a mage."
-Mage sir.
You could tell just from how Jelen addressed him.
How mages typically looked down on and dismissed others.
In that sense, his current situation was the absolute worst.
Finding adventurers or mercenaries willing to join him.
And even if he did, the journey ahead would bring its own problems.
"Teaming up with an exile means falling out of the Magic Tower's good graces."
Grind...
His teeth ground together involuntarily.
He'd certainly lost the massive advantage of Magic Tower affiliation.
But the disadvantages of being an exile were unimaginably vast.
'Now the Magic Tower is my enemy.'
Even acquiring magic tools or enchantments would come with strings attached.
Hell, even healing spells would demand concessions.
Thud.
Sylbian stood up promptly and cleared his mind.
"Let's do it. Find some first, then figure it out."
Hesitating would just leave him stuck in place.
To move forward, he had to take that step and act.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The upper floors of the Adventurer's Guild.
In the reception room, Jelen and Sylbian faced each other once more, just like yesterday.
"You want to find companions. A wise choice, but Mage sir, do you really think you can team up with adventurers or mercenaries?"
Jelen squinted at him.
This mage before him was intriguing in so many ways.
His outward demeanor and attitude weren't as arrogant as expected.
He didn't demand formality or etiquette from a mere adventurer like Jelen, either.
'Above all.'
This exile could wield 'magic'—a true mage, not some half-baked pretender.
And declaring he'd seek companions?
It suggested he'd mentally prepared himself to accept others.
For such a young mage, the surprises kept piling up.
"Truth be told, I've tried recruiting companions, but it was all for naught. Not a single adventurer or mercenary was willing."
Sylbian replied calmly, meeting Jelen's eyes. Jelen nodded as if it were obvious.
"Yeah, figures. Who'd team up with an exile? You had to have seen that coming, right, Mage sir?"
"...Yeah, I did."
"Well, if you're after advice on recruiting, I don't have much to say.
Teaming with an exile carries massive risk. So the answer's simple, isn't it?"
There is an answer.
Catching the implication, Sylbian narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Pay them enough to outweigh the risk?"
"You get it, Mage sir. Adventurers and mercenaries are bound by profit in the end."
"Jelen. Got anything beyond vague platitudes?"
"No idea how you see me, Mage sir, but I can't hand you all the answers."
He shrugged, then continued.
"Well, there's another way. Accept someone in a similar boat—it'd be far easier."
Sylbian blinked reflexively.
"Someone in my boat? They exist?"
"Simple example: outcasts, beastkin, or other non-humans.
Not easy to lure them in, but if you absolutely need companions, they're an option."
With that, Jelen fiddled idly with his pouch of silver coins.
Jingle...
At the clinking sound, he flashed a pleased grin at Sylbian.
"And Mage sir, since I've been well-paid for my services, one bit of advice: don't trust anyone. Humanity's filthier the more you know it."
"Noted."
"Haha! You're a trip. Nothing else you wanna hear? I think I've covered everything on the labyrinth."
With that signaling the end, Sylbian agreed without objection.
As their discussion wrapped and he descended the stairs, Sylbian pondered calmly.
'His words definitely have merit.'
He hadn't realized how many hours he'd wasted trying to recruit before meeting Jelen.
He'd approached ten adventurers who seemed decent.
Seven bolted the moment they spotted the stigma on his neck.
The other three chatted a bit but refused outright upon hearing the destination was the labyrinth.
Yet asking Jelen on a whim had yielded an unexpected solution.
-Outcast non-humans.
Especially that phrase—someone in the same boat—struck a chord.
Step.
He'd reached the bustling first-floor lobby of the Adventurer's Guild.
He paused, scanning the adventurers packed inside.
"@#$%..."
The raucous noise here contrasted sharply with the quiet reception room upstairs, assaulting his ears.
Amid the adventurers, mercenaries dotted the crowd now and then.
Others huddled in small groups at tables with their parties.
Sylbian wove through the throng, his gaze drawn to one spot.
His violet eyes sought out those isolated amid the bustle.
And soon, he spotted a non-human.
A presence utterly detached from the surrounding vibe—silent and alien.
'A wolf beastkin.'
Pointed black ears atop her head, sharp amber eyes slitted like a predator's.
And that glossy black tail? Definitely not human.
The adventurers around her kept their distance to a one.
Their eyes mixed wariness with outright contempt for the beastkin.
Jelen's words about 'outcast non-humans' flashed through Sylbian's mind.
Thud!
Without hesitation, he strode toward her.
A gut feeling that Jelen might be right.
And an inexplicable pull toward someone in a similar plight.
Twitch!
At that moment, the beastkin seemed to sense his gaze and shifted her eyes slightly.
"...?"
"..."
Her inhuman amber eyes crossed with his mystical violet ones.
For an instant, their gazes tangled—but she held her guard up.
Yet Sylbian was already seating himself at her table, as if they were old party members.
"Sylbian Blanc."
He introduced himself casually. Not just the beastkin at the table, but nearby adventurers turned to watch with interest.
"Human, what the hell do you want?"
Her voice was low and gravelly in reply.
Thick wariness laced with displeasure as she stared him down.
"I introduced myself first, so how about we exchange names?"
"I asked what your game is. Answer that first, human."
At her repeated question, Sylbian let out a light chuckle.
It was the kind of easy laugh that might make anyone see him as a good guy.
Paired with his strangely relaxed demeanor, it wove an oddly captivating atmosphere.
"You look like you're seeking companions too. Or am I wrong?"
The beastkin blinked, as if doubting her ears.
The goodwill in Sylbian's tone...
"What?"
To her, it hit like a thunderbolt.