Chapter 68: Who I Am Now
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 68: Who I Am Now
Screeeak—
Thud!
As the male explorer left the appraisal office, Ravi took off her hat and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Whew! So many customers again today! The Sateria Appraisal Office is always bustling with people!"
"Ravi, that man just now. Has he visited before?"
"O-oh, no... it was his first time... but he said he'd come back if my antidote works well!"
Ravi yapped indignantly, anticipating my question. Of course, that wasn't what I was curious about.
'Found me? What exactly did he find?'
Given the circumstances, it seemed like a mutter directed at me, not Ravi. If he had been looking for Ravi, he would have done something the moment he first entered the office to order the Poisonous Nepenthes antidote.
That meant he was looking for me. But why?
It was a volume that a normal person could never have heard from that distance. He had clearly spoken so that I wouldn't hear. It might have been the influence of a skill.
Just before that explorer spoke, the sound of the wind had died down slightly.
"Ravi, is there a skill that reduces noise in a specific area?"
"Hmm, wouldn't that be Silent magic? It’s not a skill. It’s actually one of the easier spells to learn. It’s a magic that reduces sound occurring within a spherical range!"
"Can you use it too, Ravi?"
"W-what do you take me for?!"
Ravi raised her hands and started chirping. Suddenly telling me to watch closely, she grabbed the long staff beside her and cast the spell.
—How is it? You can't hear my voice right now, can you?
"What did you say, Ravi?"
—Ohoho! My magic is so perfect that even Yoo Eon, standing this close, can't hear me!
"Ravi? I can't hear your voice."
—A-ahem! I am the world's coolest future Archmage, Ravi Sateri—
"Yes. I heard you loud and clear, 'World's Coolest Future Archmage Ravi-nim.'"
"Y-you were listening the whole time...!!"
* * *
"You think that person just now used Silent magic...?"
"Yes."
I became certain after seeing Ravi use it. That male explorer must have cast Silent magic in an instant. That sensation of noise within a spherical range being unnaturally dampened was identical.
Are there people looking for me? People who are detected as red in the Evil Eye's vision?
"Ravi. What does the Evil Eye's vision actually see?"
"The Evil Eye? Hmm, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name. Since it’s not a common monster entity, I’ll probably have to look through some books."
"You said Liches summon them, right? I suppose they aren't mentioned in general texts."
"Exactly! From what I remember... I don't think the details regarding the Evil Eye's vision have been revealed yet... but just in case! Could you wait a moment?"
"Take your time."
Ravi nodded vigorously and disappeared behind the curtain into the study filled with books. Someone the Evil Eye strongly detected was looking for me.
In a vision filled with gray where I could barely discern distances, they glowed red.
Why was this giant eyeball only capable of producing that much information? Surely, it must have grown this large to extract specific data.
'Wait.'
I needed an experiment.
"I found the book, Yoo Eon! Should we look at it toge—? Kyaaaaah!!!!"
"This is it."
Ravi, who had been trotting out with a large book in her arms, jumped in shock at the sight of me. It was the head of the Wild Boar I had consumed earlier. It was a head that looked absolutely hideous at first glance, and until my voice came out, Ravi's form had glowed with a faint red light.
Considering the emotions Ravi must have felt, it wasn't detecting fear. Ravi was the type to faint from shock if a regular Ursus head suddenly popped out. If it were a vision that detected fear, she probably would have shown up as a brilliant red.
Above all, an explorer roaming the 3rd Stratum wouldn't feel blind terror toward an opponent for no reason, so the red color didn't signify fear.
"Ravi. What did you just feel?"
"W-w-w-what did I feel??! I was terrified!! Are you going to keep playing pranks like this?!"
"I needed to experiment. Anything other than being scared?"
"I—I almost punched you! I was totally angry!"
"I see."
It seemed the Evil Eye's vision detected 'hostility.' A mere desire to throw a punch appeared as a faint red light, but to harbor enough hostility to look like that explorer... one would need at least the will to commit murder.
'A murder threat?'
Against me? Going out of their way to find me? For what?
What on earth had I done since coming out into this world? I just went to the Labyrinth normally. Got some food from Auntie. Lived a normal life helping out at the inn.
'Wait.'
"The Antonio Brotherhood."
"W-wait...!"
Ravi, who had been loudly protesting beside me, suddenly looked startled. With eyes wide like a rabbit's, she ran over and covered my mouth with her tiny hands.
"Lower your voice, Yoo Eon...! You shouldn't say things like that...!"
"What's wrong, Ravi?"
Ravi shook her head, looking at me with an expression that asked if I was serious. Were the Antonio Brotherhood really people to be that trembled over?
"Silent...!"
As Ravi brought her staff and cast the spell, the faint sound of wind flowing through the office died down, and even the thumping of Ravi's heart vanished.
I felt it then. The reason the footsteps of those criminals I met in the 2nd Stratum sounded unnaturally quiet was likely due to this. Of course, that guy's magic was much more refined.
"Yoo Eon, why did you suddenly mention that name...?"
"Is there a problem?"
"O-of course there is...! The Antonio Brotherhood...! D-don't you know what those... people do...?"
"Hmm..."
This was the Southwest, but Ravi's appraisal office was located relatively close to the Southeast. It was impossible to say the Antonio Brotherhood had no influence here.
"That explorer who just left. I suspect him."
"Of what...? The Antonio Brotherhood...?"
"Yes."
"W-well, of course...! He's an explorer living in the Southeast, so it's obvious he'd be part of the Antonio Brotherhood...!"
"Ah."
Come to think of it, was it that obvious? Someone with power and ability living in the Southeast. It was unthinkable unless they were part of the Antonio Brotherhood. There was no reason to live in a region with shitty infrastructure, filled with bottom-of-the-barrel people, where the influence of criminals was overwhelming.
Unless you were part of that criminal organization yourself, it wouldn't make sense.
"Whew. I see."
"Yoo Eon... did something happen involving the Antonio Brotherhood...?"
"No, not particularly... well, actually, there was something."
They didn't... call themselves the Antonio Brotherhood back in the 2nd Stratum, did they? Regardless, I had fought some criminal bastards who were clearly Antonio Brotherhood.
I had crushed all six of them, and the one who looked like the leader had his legs turned to mush and was destined to die soon.
'Wait. Did he make it back alive?'
There were a few possibilities.
"Ravi. Are Teleportation Artifacts common?"
"Teleportation Artifacts? They aren't super common... but they aren't exactly rare either."
In terms of performance, weren't they top-tier artifacts? Artifacts that allowed you to return to the surface regardless of how deep you were in the Labyrinth.
"About ten years ago, the Page of Arcana succeeded in deciphering the magic circuits for Teleportation Artifacts. They developed the technology to engrave magic circuits onto mana crystals! Even if they're a bit pricey, the supply of artificially made artifacts is actually quite decent!"
"Whew... is that so."
Circumstantially, it seemed the Antonio Brotherhood explorer I had half-killed used a Teleportation Artifact, or somehow returned to the surface and reported my existence.
'Should I have made sure he was dead?'
Or I should have stripped him naked and taken everything like I was looting bodies in a game. No wonder that four-man explorer party made sure to kill the guys they were fighting back then.
'I'll give you one piece of advice: never get involved with the Antonio Brotherhood. Whether you turn your back on them or join hands with them. Either way.'
That advice from back then was hitting home now.
As Theodora said, the most terrifying thing is 'justification.' The reason one couldn't strike the Antonio Brotherhood criminals first, and the reason one must kill them if a conflict arises.
It was all an effort to eliminate 'justification,' nothing more, nothing less.
It wasn't a binary issue of 'normal explorers and citizens are good, so Antonio Brotherhood criminals are bad.' The reason one couldn't strike first wasn't because of such simple morality.
It would have been fine if the Antonio Brotherhood had no reason to hate me, but since that wasn't the case...
"Ravi. I'm leaving."
"Uh... what? I... I found the Evil Eye book..."
"When I open the door and leave, throw some salt behind me."
"Why salt all of a sudden...?"
The appraisal office where Ravi stayed was under their influence. They must not find out that I am associated with the Sateria Appraisal Office.
"I'm going."
"U-ueh...? W-wait a second, Yoo Eon?!"
"Aven. It's Aven. Call me by my pseudonym. I might have become a target of the Antonio Brotherhood."
"Hup...!"
"If someone comes and asks about me, just pretend you don't know. If they ask for a name, give them the pseudonym, and tell them I was just a customer who bought some trivial potion."
"U-ueh..."
"Never, ever mention that I had a skill appraised here. Instead, go to the Southwest branch guild later and give a heads-up to that person named Katrina we saw last time."
Ravi gave a small nod. If Ravi also got targeted by being associated with me... then things would truly get complicated. It wasn't a situation I could handle alone.
I didn't care much about being targeted myself. I couldn't say I'd be fine no matter who came, but I had enough martial power to protect my own skin.
But what about the Mounted Goat Inn? Even if Father was there, he wasn't someone who would stay at the inn forever.
'Wait, actually...'
Since he was someone who frequently visited the Southeast gambling dens, I might be able to get some help if needed.
"I'm leaving. Don't follow me out."
"O-okay, be careful..."
I should have been more careful, more prudent.
"This is crazy."
It was coming clearly into view. People painted in bright red. Everywhere on the streets, I could see people tinged with various shades of red. Seeing it like this actually made me feel a bit more at ease.
'I'm glad I ate that Evil Eye.'
As long as I could clearly distinguish friend from foe, there was no problem.
I had no mercy left to spare for those who considered me an enemy.
Now, I am someone with something to lose.