Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: The Altar of Promised Blood
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On top of that, right in the center was what looked like a massive dish-shaped altar. Something was inscribed on the base supporting the dish, but it was hidden from view by the people.
For now, including me, there were eight people in sight.
Most of them stood spaced apart, looking like total strangers. And a few didn't even have visible weapons—what was going on?
Just in case, I hid my codex, kept my force shield up, and walked toward them.
"A new person's arrived."
"Ah... uh, hello, milord...."
"Ahem...."
Had I been making a sour face without realizing it?
Seeing them glance warily at me the moment I approached, I grumbled inwardly about my own arrogance, then forced a smile and greeted them.
"Ah, nice to meet you. Do you happen to know where we are?"
"We don't really know either."
A mild-mannered young man, who seemed relieved that the topic had shifted away from the dwarf's nagging thanks to me, answered with a welcoming expression.
His hands were rough, but his clothes were unremarkable. Judging by his build, he didn't seem like a frontliner.
"For now, it looks like one of the labyrinth's tricks. Unfortunately, not a treasure room."
A sharp-featured woman grumbled as she added to the conversation.
She looked slender, but her well-fitted leather armor and the glimpse of her body suggested taut muscles and strength—she didn't seem like a mage type.
"I was just coming down the stairs and got separated from my party... I have no idea what's going on."
As soon as I finished speaking, Cain emerged from one of the passages.
Thank goodness, for real.
I didn't know what floor this was, but since he was the only one of my party I'd run into so far, it was good news either way.
Overjoyed, I raised my hand and beckoned my employer over quickly. Feeling much more at ease, I scanned the surroundings again, and that's when the stocky, dour-looking middle-aged dwarf jabbed his elbow into the waist of a plain-faced young man.
"Shouldn't we let that milord know first?"
The young man sighed, scratched his head, then pointed at the altar and spoke.
"We who got here first checked around, and the only noteworthy thing is this altar... If you come read it, it's written in ancient script: 'Offer the promised blood.'"
"Hmm, is that so?"
I positioned Cain's sturdy shield in front of me and poked his back. He sighed and subtly positioned himself to block me as we moved toward the altar.
Up close, thanks to Rachel's blessing, the so-called ancient script read smoothly.
[You shall offer the promised blood.]
[Among lies and truth, there shall be the promised one.]
[Offer the right one, and the path shall open, with fitting reward.]
[Offer the wrong one, and it shall become right.]
The base of the four-sided altar had one line inscribed on each face.
Well, from this at least, it seemed there was a clear way out of here.
"So, what's the 'promised blood'?"
When I asked with a smile, the young man flinched in surprise, muttered 'Ah, he's a noble,' then scratched his head awkwardly before speaking.
"Well... from what I heard. Not that it's definite or anything."
The slightly dopey-looking young man glanced at me hesitantly as he explained.
"Do you know about doppelgangers? Special monsters... I think this floor has them. Not sure if it's true, but I overheard some pub talk about an altar and stuff."
The dwarf warrior thumped his chest, frustrated at the young man who'd been keeping quiet to avoid spreading unconfirmed rumors.
"What? I pieced it together from rumors too, so just spill everything you know!"
"Hmm, I think I heard something similar at a druid temple."
An elderly man in furs, who had been standing quietly, finally chimed in.
He was a druid, but separated from his animals, so he'd stayed out of it until now.
They all started sharing whatever rumors they'd heard about the doppelganger floor.
So, basically: find and kill the doppelganger hiding among the people, then pour its blood into the dish on the altar, and the door opens?
As I hummed thoughtfully at the young man's words, a woman climbed onto the altar dish, crossed her legs, and tossed out a snide remark.
"Huh? That's not what I heard. Killing the doppelganger opens the door, sure, but they said if you promise to offer a sacrifice first, it gives you back as much as you offered?"
A man who looked like an archer from his calluses—no bow in sight—scratched the back of his neck with thick fingers, his expression hardening.
Her sharp voice seemed to irk him; he furrowed his brow slightly at her before turning to look at me.
"From what I heard, you have to enter each passage and kill whoever's hiding in there. Just something I overheard at an inn restaurant...."
The stocky, solid-looking dwarf leaned on his axe like a staff and replied.
"Hmph, that's what I heard. You can leave after time passes, but to get rich quick, only four or fewer can remain?"
Total chaos.
I made a subtle face, and a man decked out in small weapons, dressed like a pro dungeon hunter, clicked his tongue loudly and kicked at the ground with his heel for no reason.
He looked uneasy. Well, getting teleported to another floor in a labyrinth like this wasn't common.
"Damn it, what kind of sacrifice talk is this? How do you even tell doppelgangers apart?"
The hunter spat out harshly, even hocking a loogie on the floor—pure back-alley thug.
"Can't just pick one and kill 'em. Man."
The woman on the altar whipped around at his mutter after spitting, glaring daggers.
Hmm, her armor was pretty sturdy, so she was ambiguous. No obvious weapons, quiet steps.
Probably an assassin or rogue type. Better to gauge them all first.
The tense-faced man was likely a swordsman.
The one with a nasty personality and unlikable looks was the dungeon hunter... The early amiable explainer seemed like the party's errand boy.
The one woman: assassin. Dwarf warrior, elderly man in furs, man who seemed like an archer without a bow.
Recap: swordsman, dwarf warrior, nasty dungeon hunter, female assassin, bowless archer, animal-less druid, and errand-boy youth.
Plus me and Cain. Total nine.
All different classes.
As I mentally cataloged them, footsteps echoed from a passage: tap-tap-tap.
"Y-Young master...!"
The mood had grown tense with everyone eyeing each other warily, but from the far passage, Luna emerged rubbing her eyes, spotted me, and ran over.
The swordsman and woman eyed her suspiciously, but she ignored them and hugged me.
Her eyes were brimming with tears—like, was her original race the crybaby bunny maid tribe or something?
"Bunnykin? One that doesn't seem human showed up."
"Don't say stupid stuff right now."
"What'd I do, archer? Talking like I said something unforgivable."
As everyone's eyes turned to Luna amid the woman's sharp tone, I patted her head.
"Aigoo, you must've been scared."
"Ugh... I thought I was the only one dumped in some weird place...."
There, there. As Luna clung to my clothes and rubbed her eyes, I pretended to pull a handkerchief from my coin pouch—actually from my subspace—and handed it to her. The dwarf stroked his chin beard and spoke.
"But... you all from the same party?"
"I got separated from my group...."
"Man... can't relax even with young folk like you. But we don't know who's the doppelganger."
At the dwarf and youth's words, everyone made thoughtful faces, and the bowless archer asked me.
"So, is your whole party gathered now?"
Somehow, ours was the only full one.
I shrugged, palms out like 'as you see.'
"No one from your party here either?"
As I asked, the swordsman kept gripping his sword hilt tensely.
Cain, sensing a threat, subtly positioned himself in front of me and Luna, hand on his pommel too.
A bit of tension.
One cough, and swords would fly.
Clap!
To break the ice, I clapped slowly and loudly, drawing all eyes to me, then smirked with just a corner of my mouth.
"Unless you're planning to draw swords and dance right now, how about we talk first?"
Cain's wary glare said the swordsman was probably the strongest here—why the herbivore eyes?
At my words, the swordsman flinched, shifted his gaze from Luna to me, and took a step back.
"Hmph, once your party's reunited, shouldn't you keep a safe distance first?"
She nodded sharply at Luna with a pointed tone. Luna looked confused.
"Is it okay to stick that close? One of them might be a doppelganger."
The youth added awkwardly.
"That's for me to judge. I'd like to savor the party reunion a bit longer."
Arrogantly, of course. Traits were for using like this.
She pouted her red lips and huffed, turning away.
The bowless archer looked sheepish at us and spoke.
"I think talking's a good idea. Doppelgangers are different from real people, so we might get hints from conversation."
"Now that you mention it, I heard doppelgangers can't fully read the memories of who they copy."
"You love talking, huh. Just ask 'Are you a doppelganger?' and they'll say 'No'?"
"Oh come on, got any better ideas right now?"
"What, you wanna kill everyone? Fighting among ourselves is worse. Your brain that slow?"
"Watch your mouth. How about I crack your skull first, bitch?"
"Oh please, whose skull cracks first—you sure you wanna find out?"
The archer spoke, the youth added, the hunter picked a fight, and the assassin jumped in—total mess.
I watched them escalate like they might brawl.
"Ahem, honestly, the latecomers look more suspicious, no?"
"Considering the time to get ambushed and replaced."
Their arrows turned toward us mid-argument.
"Yeah. Can't tell just by looking, so how do you know the ones you just met are real party members?"
"Strangers might actually be safer than that."
"I agree. Instead of blindly trusting, a bit of mutual suspicion could help us all."
'Haha, look at these guys.'
I shrugged as their suspicious gazes turned to us.
"So, does the wise one among you know how to spot a doppelganger here and now?"
Suspicion with evidence?
At my question, they all cleared throats, fiddled with weapons, checked nails, scratched heads.
"Then... more might come, so let's wait and talk."
"Yeah. Conversations might reveal inconsistencies."
"Not a bad idea. Young noble lord thinks so too?"
They backed off a step, looking contemplative. Luna and Cain glanced at me.
I twisted one corner of my mouth up and crossed my arms.
'These imposters sure are varied.'
Whoops, face control.
Softening my voice like I was backing off too, I spoke.
"Sure, why not? Let's open the floor for talk—maybe over some food."
Ten people gathered in the chamber.
One of them is a doppelganger.
I beamed brightly at them, their faces anxious, eyes intrigued, bodies tense as they looked my way.