Chapter 52: I Wouldn’t Believe It Either
Chapter 52: I Wouldn’t Believe It Either
《Targon, Guild Master of the Ashen Wolf Guild (Gray Orc, age 40). Needless to say, he is powerful.》
Ranked 2nd among the Twelve Heroes selected by the Royal Labyrinth Management Corps.
The strongest orc among warrior-class explorers.
Seeing him in person, his presence was no joke.
It felt as though I were facing a massive mountain compressed into the shape of an intelligent being—solid and overwhelming.
So this is a warrior.
As an explorer, I wasn’t particularly fond of the Ashen Wolf Guild, which showed little consideration for beginners. But personally, I had a favorable impression of Targon.
We shared a few similarities, so it was hard not to feel drawn to this massive orc.
The reason Ymir—who had been offered as a sacrifice last time—was an orc berserker was also because of the huge man standing before me.
“Good to meet you. I’m Targon.”
The gray orc of overwhelming size extended a hand larger than most bucklers.
“Greetings. I am Kar, expedition leader of the Moon Expedition and a Cultist of the Twisted Truth.”
When I reached out with my slender hand, the size difference looked like that of an adult and a child.
Even for an orc, was it really possible to be this big?
《This absurdly large orc must have inherited the blood of an extinct giant. :O》
There was even a video on creator Mitube explaining Targon’s lineage that made a similar guess.
Though it missed the decisive point.
“Sit.”
The massive orc sat on the sofa across from us.
Even though the couch was large enough for the three of us to sit side by side comfortably, he filled it all by himself.
“First, there’s something to give you.”
The secretary quietly handed over an item from a pouch.
When I checked it, it was an identification badge made of bronze with a wolf’s face engraved on it.
Pendrick’s name was inscribed at the center.
“Congratulations on becoming an official Bronze-Rank Explorer.”
Pendrick had successfully escaped his aspiring-explorer status.
Bronze badges were actually issued fairly easily as long as one demonstrated reasonable ability, but the genius swordsman from the Eastern Continent stared at the badge for quite a while, as if the moment still felt special.
Soon, Targon spoke again.
“I heard you came to sell Hidden Piece information.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Speak.”
A seasoned warrior did not waste time on trivial greetings or idle chatter.
Satisfied with his straightforwardness, I immediately laid out the information.
“There are two types of Hidden Piece information I intend to sell.”
The method of entering and clearing Nightmare World, the true form of Pleasure Metropolis.
And the artificial heart used to lure and weaken the leader specimen Bloodbird Blurrybe of the Banquet Hall of the Bloodbirds.
I did not mention the Mystery Body of Resistance that Pendrick had learned.
It could only be obtained on the first entry, so there was no need to tell them.
“That is all.”
The secretary who had taken down everything I said in shorthand bowed slightly and pulled out a pouch of money from a glove—one of the most common subspace tools.
A heavy bundle of gold coins that would have made Marlin’s eyes spin.
“Well explained. Eight hundred gold as an advance.”
Targon looked steadily at me as he continued.
“The rest will be paid once the information is verified. Do you have any complaints?”
Judging by his expression and tone, it sounded like “Try complaining and see what happens.” But in reality, he was being fairly polite.
Targon’s innate nature was somewhat rough, but his alignment was classified as good.
I shook my head as I stored the heavy pouch of gold coins into my subspace.
“No. It’s more than satisfactory.”
Eight hundred gold as an advance alone was far above the average price.
And considering that he had even arranged Pendrick’s explorer badge without us asking, it was clear he was treating us favorably.
I more or less knew the reason.
“Is there something you want from me?”
“There is. Especially from you.”
The blunt warrior leaned his upper body slightly toward me.
“Join our guild. We’ll treat you at the level of a Gold-Rank Explorer immediately.”
Pendrick inhaled sharply in surprise, while Rosalia tilted her head slightly and discreetly poked my back.
As if to say, Isn’t that strange?
“You would treat me at the Gold-Rank level?”
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
“Because we need your knowledge.”
Targon placed both hands on the table with heavy deliberation.
“A guild war will be held in a month. Become an advisor to our guild.”
Pendrick raised his hand cautiously while glancing between Rosalia and me.
“Excuse me, but… what exactly is a guild war? I’ve heard the term but don’t really know the details.”
“…Elvira.”
“Yes.”
The secretary stepped forward and explained in place of the guild master.
“The authority to manage District Three rotates periodically. Every two years, guilds compete through labyrinth exploration, and the guild that achieves the best results gains the honor of becoming one of the powers governing Pletika.”
Other districts occasionally changed hands as well, but District Three was the only one where the governing authority rotated on a fixed schedule.
“Do you have any further questions?”
“I understand everything. Thank you.”
The elf smiled faintly and stepped back.
Targon clenched and opened one hand, his brow furrowed.
“I’ll be honest. This time, it looks like we might not win.”
“Even with Guild Master Targon, one of the Twelve Heroes? I don’t quite understand. Is it because I lack experience?”
At Pendrick’s question, the secretary Elvira exchanged a glance with her superior.
When the orc nodded, the elf leaned slightly closer and spoke quietly.
“There is a spy from another guild within ours.”
It was an explanation simple enough for even a rookie explorer to understand.
“Our guild’s strategies and our explorers’ Mystery information have all been leaked and publicly revealed to every explorer in District Three. We even used an artifact that detects lies but still failed to identify the culprit. It appears they possess a special Mystery.”
“That’s why I want you,” Targon said. “You discovered the Hidden Piece of Pleasure Metropolis. You showed potential. Your low level and lack of real combat experience—we can fix that. What do you say?”
I looked into Targon’s eyes before answering.
“I’m sorry, but this is not something I can decide alone. I must consult with the co-founder of our expedition team before giving an answer.”
“…Understood.”
“However, before that, I can offer you a small gift.”
There was a gift that would make even this stoic warrior break into a wide smile.
“The spy is Rigobert—the vice guild master of the Ashen Wolf Guild and captain of the Watcher Expedition.”
It was the quick answer offered for the sake of the orc who could become a reliable ally once befriended.
“…That’s not something I can ignore.”
Targon’s expression hardened as he leaned forward slightly.
With just that simple motion, it felt as though a massive mountain pressed down on my entire body.
“Rigobert has been with me since I first started my life as an explorer. He’s practically family. And you’re saying he betrayed me?”
Targon’s murderous gaze tightened around my throat.
“And I was fooled like an idiot without noticing? That’s an insult I cannot overlook.”
……
To experience the killing intent of one of the Twelve Heroes—and the strongest berserker in Pletika—firsthand!
Mentally it was thrilling, but physically it was difficult to endure.
Rosalia quietly placed a hand on my back as my breathing grew strained.
After briefly meeting her eyes in gratitude, I looked directly at Targon again.
“I understand. Of course you’re upset. Anger is the natural reaction.”
“And you said something like that knowing it?”
“Lidni granted me a revelation. And the young master of the Brites family—my business partner—also obtained that information.”
Even after activating two powerful justifications at once, the stubborn orc did not budge.
“Anyone can string together convincing words. What matters is the truth.”
“Then treat it as if you were being deceived and conduct a quiet investigation. You will discover clues you failed to notice before.”
“That sounds less like being deceived and more like being tricked.”
The gray orc’s huge body shifted as if he might stand up at any moment.
The secretary Elvira seemed inclined to consider my words carefully, but she had no intention of shortening her lifespan by advising an already furious superior.
“Cultist Kar. Are you slandering Rigobert—my irreplaceable companion—for some malicious purpose?”
“No.”
“Of course you would say that. No fool would confess to their own scheme.”
Trivial wordplay would never persuade the warrior before me.
What I needed now was a single secret capable of piercing the heart wrapped in muscles harder than armor.
I knew the words that would shake Targon’s mind like a Mystery.
“If I’m wrong, I will enter a labyrinth in District Four with you.”
……
The orc immediately understood the implication of my statement and frowned slightly.
Meanwhile, the secretary Elvira widened her eyes openly before quickly regaining composure under her superior’s gaze.
“…Hah. What an absurd man.”
Targon stared silently at the table for several minutes before finally lifting his head.
“Fine. I’ll verify it. But if it’s a lie, you will take responsibility for your words.”
The meeting ended there.
“We will conduct our own investigation. We look forward to meeting you again.”
With Elvira escorting us, we left the headquarters of the Ashen Wolf Guild.
Since it felt like a waste to return immediately, we headed toward the lively eastern district.
Astrimia, who had been quiet until now, finally asked me a question.
—Kar, why would the spy release the information to all competing guilds? Wouldn’t it be better if only their own guild knew in order to win the guild war?
A sharp observation worthy of an Ego Sword smarter than its own lover.
“Please keep this among yourselves for the time being. The reason the spy released the information is because he wasn’t sent by another guild.”
Vice Guild Master Rigobert—the spy.
He belonged to someone far higher.
“Nightmare Dungeon.”
I looked up at the sky where the inhabitants of the night were absent in the morning.
“Rigobert is acting under orders from the great monster residing at the top floor of Nightmare Dungeon.”
The boss of the final labyrinth could exert influence outside the labyrinth.
—…What?
Astrimia’s blade trembled slightly.
—No matter how astonishingly knowledgeable you are, Kar, that’s hard to believe. Honestly, does that even make sense? Nightmare Dungeon has fifty floors, and explorers have only cleared up to the fourth floor so far.
“Yes. That’s true.”
—And I’m hearing for the first time that a ‘great monster’ even exists on the top floor…! Ah! Wait, was that one of your usual deadpan jokes, and I reacted too seriously?
I kept walking in silence for a while before finally speaking.
“You answered so seriously that it caught me off guard. Obviously that was just a joke.”
—Aah! I don’t even have a face, but it feels like my face is burning!
“Astrimia, you’re embarrassing me.”
—Pendrick! You were startled for a moment too!
Listening to the couple’s bickering, I smiled bitterly.
Just a joke.
For now, that was how it had to remain.
The fact that even this intelligent Ego Sword reacted so negatively meant that very few people would believe my words at this point in time.
《But seriously…》
Yet the black letters appearing before my eyes proved that I had spoken the clear truth.
《How in the world do you know about the corrupted divine leader residing at the top floor of Nightmare Dungeon? The Wise One is utterly astonished!》