Chapter 114: Reunion (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: Reunion (2)
"Bjorn! I got it! It's that perrrson!"
"There is no need to explain. I remember too."
Feeling strange, I combed through my memory, going back three months to when I was trapped in the Evil Hiatus of the Lord of the Floor, Riakis.
"Be thankful that I haven't killed you yet, you piece of trash."
When Clan Dzarwi had rejected the riotous adventurers, they fell into a collective panic. At that point, this man appeared.
"I-I know about this ability."
He opened up a new path for the clueless adventurers. Of course, it was hard to blindly trust him.
"I've been teaming up with this guy for over a year and I've been through a lot of incredible things with him. This man is mysterious. He really knows everything. I have no doubt that his words will save us."
The adventurers, who had no other choice, had followed him, trusting only the assurances of an elf who claimed to be his companion.
No doubt, my ass.
They had all died. That was all I had heard when I inquired about it later on, so that was all I thought had happened, too—until I saw this man today.
It looks like they're the only ones who survived after leading over a hundred people to their deaths.
When I thought about it like that, he was an interesting guy. It couldn't have been pure luck that he managed to come back alive. It would be fair to say he pulled something to survive. At the time, I thought he was just an asshole.
But to think he led them knowingly to their deaths.
"N-Now! Get out of the way!"
As I watched the man predict the Death Knight's attack pattern and yell out orders, I narrowed my eyes. He had a total of four summoned beasts. The compatibility between the summons was good, but the rank of the essence itself was not high. This told me one thing.
I'm guessing an average of rank seven.
The man was a low-rank adventurer with nothing to his name. If he were from a rich family, his equipment, at least, would be of good quality. That made me even more suspicious. If he wasn't from a good family, how could an adventurer with a short career know Riakis's pattern and the conditions for making the Death Knight appear?
...It'd be reasonable to assume he's a player.
I came to this conclusion through rational reasoning. That unfamiliar summoner was a player. I didn't know why a guy like that had made the mistake of choosing a summoner role as a human being, though.
Dang, but that makes it confusing.
Perhaps if he were a beastman, dragonian, or dwarf instead, it'd make sense, but humans had no aptitude for summoning. Of course, the power difference at the beginning of the game was small, but it widened into a huge gap as you entered the second half. In other words, it was very inefficient.
Maybe that's not important to him...
That was definitely plausible. Forget making a perfect character—it was human nature to want to choose a freeloader job. After all, who wanted to fight head-to-head? Although that probably wasn't something I should be saying, considering I chose a shield as soon as I realized I was starting as a barbarian.
[You have killed a Death Knight. EXP +4]
I opened my eyes, relishing in the feeling of contentment that filled my body. After a fireball from the wizard pierced its inner core, the Death Knight turned into a cluster of lights and disappeared. There was no essence.
"That's a shame. I even bought a Magic Vial at a high price just in case."
"B-Be careful with your words, Parteian..."
"Oh, right." The wizard shut his mouth and looked this way.
Then it must be our turn now.
After watching them impassively for a while, I put the mask of a naïve barbarian back on. "Oho, amazing! What kind of magic was that at the end?"
When I tried to approach the wizard in a friendly way, the elven archer stopped me, coldly cutting me off. "I don't think we need to be having that kind of conversation. Why did you do that earlier? If you don't have a good explanation, I'll consider you an enemy."
Jeez, I'm pretty sure she was gentle in front of that big group of adventurers back then... Was it all an act? Ah, right. Elves and barbarians don't get along very well.
"As I said earlier, I was just trying to help!"
"That's strange. None of us asked for anything like that."
"Death Knights are strong! That's why I thought you guys were in danger!"
The elven archer glared at me suspiciously. How bad was the barbarians' reputation among elves for her to look at me like that even in baby barbarian mode? "Is that really the only reason?"
"What other reason could there be?"
"Well, there's the essence. I don't know about you, but the beastwoman next to you would be very desperate for one."
Missha was startled by the elf's sharp accusation and waved it off with her hand. "Th-that's not true! I do use a sword, but I can't even take another essence because all my slots are full!"
"...Is that true?"
"You can check for yourrrself!"
Check what? What exactly are you going to do here?
It was a truly ridiculous response, but the elf just nodded. "Then I believe you." Apparently, this elf archer's snarky behavior was limited to barbarians. "But if you only stepped in to help us, something doesn't add up."
"Oh, you tree-huggers..."
"You! What did you say just now?"
"How wicked are you in your everyday dealings that you doubt me at first sight?" I asked right back, annoyed at her sharp tone. It wasn't that I was actually angry or anything. I also knew that it was wrong to intrude on someone else's battle. But, so what? "Are you belittling me for being a barbarian?" Coming out strong even in a situation where I was clearly at fault was the true barbarian way. "If you insult me any further, I will not stand for it! Tree-hugger!"
The elf was taken aback when she saw me start to raise my shield like I was willing to fight even in a four-on-two situation. "No, it's not that! There's something unclear, so I'm asking you to clarify!"
"What's not clear?"
"I understand that your intention wasn't to get an essence. However, it is difficult to accept that you had no intention of piggybacking off of our accomplishment."
Wow, she was sharp. That was pretty much exactly what had happened, but there was nothing wrong with that either. "Why would I go through that trouble? I've already killed one of those before."
"...Pardon?" At my words, the elf stared at me blankly. I'm sure what I was saying made no sense to her because Death Knights were a difficult monster to encounter before the sixth floor.
I quickly went on to explain, "I once went to the Bloody Citadel. Does that clear things up?"
It had been a variant rift so a vampire had popped out instead of a Death Knight, but they didn't need to know that. It wasn't like they could somehow figure out the truth here. Plus, it was actually half true in the first place.
"That's a shame. I even bought a Magic Vial at a high price just in case."
"B-Be careful with your words, Parteian..."
"Oh, right." The wizard shut his mouth and looked this way.
Then it must be our turn now.
After watching them impassively for a while, I put the mask of a naïve barbarian back on. "Oho, amazing! What kind of magic was that at the end?"
When I tried to approach the wizard in a friendly way, the elven archer stopped me, coldly cutting me off. "I don't think we need to be having that kind of conversation. Why did you do that earlier? If you don't have a good explanation, I'll consider you an enemy."
Jeez, I'm pretty sure she was gentle in front of that big group of adventurers back then... Was it all an act? Ah, right. Elves and barbarians don't get along very well.
"As I said earlier, I was just trying to help!"
"That's strange. None of us asked for anything like that."
"Death Knights are strong! That's why I thought you guys were in danger!"
The elven archer glared at me suspiciously. How bad was the barbarians' reputation among elves for her to look at me like that even in baby barbarian mode? "Is that really the only reason?"
"What other reason could there be?"
"Well, there's the essence. I don't know about you, but the beastwoman next to you would be very desperate for one."
Missha was startled by the elf's sharp accusation and waved it off with her hand. "Th-that's not true! I do use a sword, but I can't even take another essence because all my slots are full!"
"...Is that true?"
"You can check for yourrrself!"
Check what? What exactly are you going to do here?
It was a truly ridiculous response, but the elf just nodded. "Then I believe you." Apparently, this elf archer's snarky behavior was limited to barbarians. "But if you only stepped in to help us, something doesn't add up."
"Oh, you tree-huggers..."
"You! What did you say just now?"
"How wicked are you in your everyday dealings that you doubt me at first sight?" I asked right back, annoyed at her sharp tone. It wasn't that I was actually angry or anything. I also knew that it was wrong to intrude on someone else's battle. But, so what? "Are you belittling me for being a barbarian?" Coming out strong even in a situation where I was clearly at fault was the true barbarian way. "If you insult me any further, I will not stand for it! Tree-hugger!"
The elf was taken aback when she saw me start to raise my shield like I was willing to fight even in a four-on-two situation. "No, it's not that! There's something unclear, so I'm asking you to clarify!"
"What's not clear?"
"I understand that your intention wasn't to get an essence. However, it is difficult to accept that you had no intention of piggybacking off of our accomplishment."
Wow, she was sharp. That was pretty much exactly what had happened, but there was nothing wrong with that either. "Why would I go through that trouble? I've already killed one of those before."
"...Pardon?" At my words, the elf stared at me blankly. I'm sure what I was saying made no sense to her because Death Knights were a difficult monster to encounter before the sixth floor.
I quickly went on to explain, "I once went to the Bloody Citadel. Does that clear things up?"
It had been a variant rift so a vampire had popped out instead of a Death Knight, but they didn't need to know that. It wasn't like they could somehow figure out the truth here. Plus, it was actually half true in the first place.
"B-But! How are we supposed to believe that?"
"In that case, you won't believe anything! If you want to fight, come at me, tree-hugger."
"You think I won't—!"
Seeing the elf erupt in anger, the man jumped in surprise and stepped in. "Miss Meirin, p-please stop! What he said is probably t-true!"
"Pardon? What do you—"
"I-I remember now! That barbarian... h-he's the one I saw back then! Bjorn, son of Yandel. The adventurer who earned the nickname of Little Balkan!" Although our last encounter had been brief, it seemed the summoner remembered my face.
Soon, the wizard and the warrior let out simultaneous exclamations of surprise. "No wonder he deflected the Death Knight's sword so easily mid-conversation."
"Oh, how incredible. Miss Meirin, it seems we had it wrong. Why would someone as famous as him do such a thing just to earn experience points?"
The elven archer pursed her lips, perhaps sensing that this situation was taking a strange turn.
"I understand how you feel. Admitting you were wrong is sometimes the hardest thing. But sometimes you have to learn to let go of stubbornness and accept things at face value too."
"Hah, all right..." When all of her comrades concluded that I had no ill intentions, the elf didn't press the issue any further.
Huh, is this why you need a good reputation?
Realizing once again the importance of fame, I stared at the summoner approaching me. "N-Nice to meet you, Bjorn, son of Yandel." It was easy to look down on him because of his habit of stuttering, but this was no ordinary guy, either. After all, he once led hundreds of people to their deaths just to save his own life. "It was fate that we met like this. Sh-shouldn't we introduce ourselves?" the man asked me cautiously. I was sure he wasn't just curious about my name, so it was probably safe to say he wanted to get acquainted with me.
"All right." I nodded without hesitation. There was no reason to refuse. After all, the reason I was still here in the first place was because I wanted to learn his name. "As you know, I'm Bjorn, son of Yandel. What's your name?"
Since I was certain he was a player, I thought I'd learn his name and look into him later. Nothing major, but I was a bit curious. After observing his performance, I thought that he could serve as a reference for how normal players behaved.
"I'm Hans Chrisen."
Fuck, I hadn't expected this, either. A player in the body of a Hans? What kind of soap opera was this?
"If you don't mind, I'd like to be acquainted with you in the f—"
I stepped back as he began to ask for a handshake with a friendly smile. "Stop right there. I'm busy with something, so I'm going to leave!"
"Pardon? What do you—"
"Missha! What are you doing?! We're leaving!"
"Y-Yeah! Okay—wait! W-Wait for me...!"
Damn it, I should have brought some salt or something. My heart was already pounding at the thought of what was to come in the future.
***
As soon as I discovered Hans G's identity, I fled the area. How much time had passed since?
"What arrre you doing?! Running is fine, but please explain why—"
"He was also a Hans."
"Huh? What do you m—"
"I've never had things work out after meeting a Hans."
"B-But! How are we supposed to believe that?"
"In that case, you won't believe anything! If you want to fight, come at me, tree-hugger."
"You think I won't—!"
Seeing the elf erupt in anger, the man jumped in surprise and stepped in. "Miss Meirin, p-please stop! What he said is probably t-true!"
"Pardon? What do you—"
"I-I remember now! That barbarian... h-he's the one I saw back then! Bjorn, son of Yandel. The adventurer who earned the nickname of Little Balkan!" Although our last encounter had been brief, it seemed the summoner remembered my face.
Soon, the wizard and the warrior let out simultaneous exclamations of surprise. "No wonder he deflected the Death Knight's sword so easily mid-conversation."
"Oh, how incredible. Miss Meirin, it seems we had it wrong. Why would someone as famous as him do such a thing just to earn experience points?"
The elven archer pursed her lips, perhaps sensing that this situation was taking a strange turn.
"I understand how you feel. Admitting you were wrong is sometimes the hardest thing. But sometimes you have to learn to let go of stubbornness and accept things at face value too."
"Hah, all right..." When all of her comrades concluded that I had no ill intentions, the elf didn't press the issue any further.
Huh, is this why you need a good reputation?
Realizing once again the importance of fame, I stared at the summoner approaching me. "N-Nice to meet you, Bjorn, son of Yandel." It was easy to look down on him because of his habit of stuttering, but this was no ordinary guy, either. After all, he once led hundreds of people to their deaths just to save his own life. "It was fate that we met like this. Sh-shouldn't we introduce ourselves?" the man asked me cautiously. I was sure he wasn't just curious about my name, so it was probably safe to say he wanted to get acquainted with me.
"All right." I nodded without hesitation. There was no reason to refuse. After all, the reason I was still here in the first place was because I wanted to learn his name. "As you know, I'm Bjorn, son of Yandel. What's your name?"
Since I was certain he was a player, I thought I'd learn his name and look into him later. Nothing major, but I was a bit curious. After observing his performance, I thought that he could serve as a reference for how normal players behaved.
"I'm Hans Chrisen."
Fuck, I hadn't expected this, either. A player in the body of a Hans? What kind of soap opera was this?
"If you don't mind, I'd like to be acquainted with you in the f—"
I stepped back as he began to ask for a handshake with a friendly smile. "Stop right there. I'm busy with something, so I'm going to leave!"
"Pardon? What do you—"
"Missha! What are you doing?! We're leaving!"
"Y-Yeah! Okay—wait! W-Wait for me...!"
Damn it, I should have brought some salt or something. My heart was already pounding at the thought of what was to come in the future.
***
As soon as I discovered Hans G's identity, I fled the area. How much time had passed since?
"What arrre you doing?! Running is fine, but please explain why—"
"He was also a Hans."
"Huh? What do you m—"
"I've never had things work out after meeting a Hans."
I spoke with sincere concern in my voice, but Missha just looked relieved. "Jeez, that's it? I thought something big happened!"
No, this is really big. He's Hans! And also a player I met in the labyrinth!
"I guess you have a quirrrky side. I didn't think you'd believe in superrrstitions."
Missha's nonchalant reaction upset me for some reason. "Missha... this is not something to be trifled with."
"Pffft! Bjorn, you... You seem kind of cute today, huh?"
What was this kid talking about? I walked her through my Hans-related encounters one by one: Hans A, who kicked off the list; Hans C, who had been Elisa's subordinate; and Hans D, who had been the leader of the band of plunderers we ran into in the Witch's Forest.
"C-Come to think of it, you said you didn't like that name back then too..."
"Yes. But at the time, I just thought it was ominous."
When I told her about Hans B, who had been nearby right before Dwalkie got taken away by Mozlan, Missha's complexion changed too. "W-What the—! What the hell is up with Hans?!" Like any adventurer vulnerable to superstition, by this point Missha also seemed a bit uneasy. "Now what? We already met him... you don't think something bad is going to happen, do you?!"
Well, I didn't know about that—just that we would need to be more careful in the future. "Let's head up to the third floor as soon as possible."
"...Not the first floor?" Missha, now even more serious than me, expressed her concerns, but my plan of action was the most reasonable one.
First of all, I was not sure if this was superstition or not... but even if superstitions were real, it changed nothing. If the Hans curse was real, running would be pointless. Fucked-up things happened in the city too. Just doing what needed to be done was the best way to reduce the damage.
"Ugh, if that's the case, you shouldn't have told me. Frrreaking me out like this..."
That was fair. Apparently, running into Hans, a former player, had made it hard for me to think clearly. Or was it that I had come to rely on her at some point?
"I don't know about happy things, but sharing burdens is a surefire way to divvy up the suffering, right?"
"What are you saying?! You annoying barrrbarian!"
"...That was a joke."
"Don't lie! Your eyes were sincere!" When I told her the truth, Missha was greatly enraged.
Well, even so, the fact that I had unknowingly confided in her seemed to satisfy her. "Whew! Anyway, you did a good job telling me without hiding it. If something like this happens in the futurrre, don't suffer alone and tell me. I'm older than you, remember?"
"Oh, right." Missha was five years older than me. Though that only applied to Bjorn, of course.
"What's with that rrreaction?"
"It means you're more dependable."
"I don't think that was it..."
Anyway, the chitchat ended there and we resumed our journey. I wasn't sure how long it had been since, but I started to feel fatigue building up in my body, which meant it was time to set up camp.
It's been almost a day since we ran into those guys, so we'll be arriving on the third floor tomorrow or the day after.
I was pretty tired too, but after I settled down, I put Missha to sleep first. Then I sat vigil, continuing my train of thought.
I spoke with sincere concern in my voice, but Missha just looked relieved. "Jeez, that's it? I thought something big happened!"
No, this is really big. He's Hans! And also a player I met in the labyrinth!
"I guess you have a quirrrky side. I didn't think you'd believe in superrrstitions."
Missha's nonchalant reaction upset me for some reason. "Missha... this is not something to be trifled with."
"Pffft! Bjorn, you... You seem kind of cute today, huh?"
What was this kid talking about? I walked her through my Hans-related encounters one by one: Hans A, who kicked off the list; Hans C, who had been Elisa's subordinate; and Hans D, who had been the leader of the band of plunderers we ran into in the Witch's Forest.
"C-Come to think of it, you said you didn't like that name back then too..."
"Yes. But at the time, I just thought it was ominous."
When I told her about Hans B, who had been nearby right before Dwalkie got taken away by Mozlan, Missha's complexion changed too. "W-What the—! What the hell is up with Hans?!" Like any adventurer vulnerable to superstition, by this point Missha also seemed a bit uneasy. "Now what? We already met him... you don't think something bad is going to happen, do you?!"
Well, I didn't know about that—just that we would need to be more careful in the future. "Let's head up to the third floor as soon as possible."
"...Not the first floor?" Missha, now even more serious than me, expressed her concerns, but my plan of action was the most reasonable one.
First of all, I was not sure if this was superstition or not... but even if superstitions were real, it changed nothing. If the Hans curse was real, running would be pointless. Fucked-up things happened in the city too. Just doing what needed to be done was the best way to reduce the damage.
"Ugh, if that's the case, you shouldn't have told me. Frrreaking me out like this..."
That was fair. Apparently, running into Hans, a former player, had made it hard for me to think clearly. Or was it that I had come to rely on her at some point?
"I don't know about happy things, but sharing burdens is a surefire way to divvy up the suffering, right?"
"What are you saying?! You annoying barrrbarian!"
"...That was a joke."
"Don't lie! Your eyes were sincere!" When I told her the truth, Missha was greatly enraged.
Well, even so, the fact that I had unknowingly confided in her seemed to satisfy her. "Whew! Anyway, you did a good job telling me without hiding it. If something like this happens in the futurrre, don't suffer alone and tell me. I'm older than you, remember?"
"Oh, right." Missha was five years older than me. Though that only applied to Bjorn, of course.
"What's with that rrreaction?"
"It means you're more dependable."
"I don't think that was it..."
Anyway, the chitchat ended there and we resumed our journey. I wasn't sure how long it had been since, but I started to feel fatigue building up in my body, which meant it was time to set up camp.
It's been almost a day since we ran into those guys, so we'll be arriving on the third floor tomorrow or the day after.
I was pretty tired too, but after I settled down, I put Missha to sleep first. Then I sat vigil, continuing my train of thought.
When I checked the time, it was past midnight. Since today was the seventh day, that meant that the first-floor Crystal Cave had already closed and spat its adventurers back out into the city. Well, whether we left earlier or later, we'd all arrive at the same time.
I hope he got home all right.
I was suddenly reminded of Kharon, whom I had escorted down to the first floor.
"I think it would be a good idea to intentionally find human night companions and pretend to be asleep. If they have ulterior motives, that will definitely reveal them!"
Was it because of those parting words of his? I was worried there might have been an incident.
Ah, I'm sure it's all right.
It was time to switch, so I woke Missha and closed my eyes for a bit.
***
Dazzling light, noise from a crowd, and the humid air unique to the city filled his lungs.
Kharon let out an impulsive shout. "Behelahhh!"
He just felt like doing it. Should he say it was refreshing? He didn't care about the stares of the people around him, looking at him like he was a savage. At one time he used to feel intimidated by those gazes, but...
Who cares!
"Behelaaah!"
Kharon had changed. No, he had shed his old shell, like a big hornworm breaking through its cocoon to become an adult. During this expedition, he'd grown into a true warrior.
"Tsk, they're always showing off like that, those barbarians."
"Hey, he'll hear you. He might do something rash and headbutt you, so be careful."
That condescending gaze was just a pleasant fuel for his motivation. It just showed how careless they were, just like the two night companions he'd killed in the past few days.
It was easy.
Everything was as Bjorn, son of Yandel, had said. The first floor was full of garbage that hid their true intentions, and as soon as they revealed an opening, Kharon went for it. Unaware it was a trap, when the people who once looked down on him as prey realized they had been tricked, the look on their faces was enough to evoke a new kind of ecstasy in him.
Clink, clink.
One on the back, one on the right arm, and one on the left arm—with a total of three bags on his person, he proudly headed for the checkpoint. The line was long, befitting a gate exclusively for rank-nine explorers.
When he arrived, his people found him and approached him. "Kharon, son of Tarson! What is that bag?"
"I-It's full of gear! Have you been looting?"
Kharon shook his head firmly. "Pffft, looting? Of course not."
This was not an act as disgusting as looting. No, it was a noble act to protect his own people. When he drew a clear line in response to their concerns, the looks in the barbarians' eyes shifted.
"How can something like this be possible without looting!?"
"I-I'm jealous! If you sell all of that, how many loaves of stonebread will you be able to buy?"
These were his peers who had completed the coming-of-age ceremony with him, but today, they looked young to him. That was why he summoned as many of his own people as possible. He had once felt a sense of competition toward them, but he now knew the real enemy lay elsewhere. "Hoohoo, don't be jealous. If you learn the right method, you can earn just as much. You won't have to eat stonebread for the rest of your life."
"What!? If there really is such a thing, please let me know!"
"I will tell you! But before that, I have something else to tell you first."
First, Kharon told them what he had experienced in the labyrinth in order: getting betrayed by his teammates because of his heart, and even the way they regarded barbarians as easy and valuable monsters.
"We are not monsters!"
"We are warriors!"
As expected, the barbarians were extremely indignant. And when they heard that Little Balkan had been the one to save him, they raised their voices and praised him.
"Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
"To be able to read the thoughts of those vicious predators, he is a great and wise warrior!"
The atmosphere instantly warmed. Kharon, in the middle of them all, proudly exclaimed, "He taught me. It is all thanks to his teachings that I returned with so many trophies!"
"Oooh! Is that true!?"
"It's true! I will teach you what he taught me!"
Eventually, Kharon openly shared what he'd learned from Bjorn, and even the strategy he'd devised himself. Of course, all the credit went to Bjorn.
"I just need to find a human night companion and pretend to sleep!"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! Is he a genius?"
"I wasn't sure about it at first, but it is the word of a great warrior! I will follow it!"
As he watched his fellow countrymen burning up with excitement, Kharon was convinced.
"Tsk, those guys are starting up again."
"I don't know why they leave them alone when they always make so much noise."
"I bet even if you take out their hearts and sell them, those howls of theirs will be the same."
Up to this point, barbarians had been the lowest-level prey in the labyrinth. Although Kharon didn't want to admit it, that was the reality he had been faced with not too long ago. They may have been strong in a head-to-head battle, but they were helpless in the face of cunning tricks. But...
"Bjorn, son of Yandel, has spoken! All of this will be a noble step forward for all of us!"
"Behelahhh!"
"Behelahhh!"
Things would be different from now on.
When I checked the time, it was past midnight. Since today was the seventh day, that meant that the first-floor Crystal Cave had already closed and spat its adventurers back out into the city. Well, whether we left earlier or later, we'd all arrive at the same time.
I hope he got home all right.
I was suddenly reminded of Kharon, whom I had escorted down to the first floor.
"I think it would be a good idea to intentionally find human night companions and pretend to be asleep. If they have ulterior motives, that will definitely reveal them!"
Was it because of those parting words of his? I was worried there might have been an incident.
Ah, I'm sure it's all right.
It was time to switch, so I woke Missha and closed my eyes for a bit.
***
Dazzling light, noise from a crowd, and the humid air unique to the city filled his lungs.
Kharon let out an impulsive shout. "Behelahhh!"
He just felt like doing it. Should he say it was refreshing? He didn't care about the stares of the people around him, looking at him like he was a savage. At one time he used to feel intimidated by those gazes, but...
Who cares!
"Behelaaah!"
Kharon had changed. No, he had shed his old shell, like a big hornworm breaking through its cocoon to become an adult. During this expedition, he'd grown into a true warrior.
"Tsk, they're always showing off like that, those barbarians."
"Hey, he'll hear you. He might do something rash and headbutt you, so be careful."
That condescending gaze was just a pleasant fuel for his motivation. It just showed how careless they were, just like the two night companions he'd killed in the past few days.
It was easy.
Everything was as Bjorn, son of Yandel, had said. The first floor was full of garbage that hid their true intentions, and as soon as they revealed an opening, Kharon went for it. Unaware it was a trap, when the people who once looked down on him as prey realized they had been tricked, the look on their faces was enough to evoke a new kind of ecstasy in him.
Clink, clink.
One on the back, one on the right arm, and one on the left arm—with a total of three bags on his person, he proudly headed for the checkpoint. The line was long, befitting a gate exclusively for rank-nine explorers.
When he arrived, his people found him and approached him. "Kharon, son of Tarson! What is that bag?"
"I-It's full of gear! Have you been looting?"
Kharon shook his head firmly. "Pffft, looting? Of course not."
This was not an act as disgusting as looting. No, it was a noble act to protect his own people. When he drew a clear line in response to their concerns, the looks in the barbarians' eyes shifted.
"How can something like this be possible without looting!?"
"I-I'm jealous! If you sell all of that, how many loaves of stonebread will you be able to buy?"
These were his peers who had completed the coming-of-age ceremony with him, but today, they looked young to him. That was why he summoned as many of his own people as possible. He had once felt a sense of competition toward them, but he now knew the real enemy lay elsewhere. "Hoohoo, don't be jealous. If you learn the right method, you can earn just as much. You won't have to eat stonebread for the rest of your life."
"What!? If there really is such a thing, please let me know!"
"I will tell you! But before that, I have something else to tell you first."
First, Kharon told them what he had experienced in the labyrinth in order: getting betrayed by his teammates because of his heart, and even the way they regarded barbarians as easy and valuable monsters.
"We are not monsters!"
"We are warriors!"
As expected, the barbarians were extremely indignant. And when they heard that Little Balkan had been the one to save him, they raised their voices and praised him.
"Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
"To be able to read the thoughts of those vicious predators, he is a great and wise warrior!"
The atmosphere instantly warmed. Kharon, in the middle of them all, proudly exclaimed, "He taught me. It is all thanks to his teachings that I returned with so many trophies!"
"Oooh! Is that true!?"
"It's true! I will teach you what he taught me!"
Eventually, Kharon openly shared what he'd learned from Bjorn, and even the strategy he'd devised himself. Of course, all the credit went to Bjorn.
"I just need to find a human night companion and pretend to sleep!"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! Is he a genius?"
"I wasn't sure about it at first, but it is the word of a great warrior! I will follow it!"
As he watched his fellow countrymen burning up with excitement, Kharon was convinced.
"Tsk, those guys are starting up again."
"I don't know why they leave them alone when they always make so much noise."
"I bet even if you take out their hearts and sell them, those howls of theirs will be the same."
Up to this point, barbarians had been the lowest-level prey in the labyrinth. Although Kharon didn't want to admit it, that was the reality he had been faced with not too long ago. They may have been strong in a head-to-head battle, but they were helpless in the face of cunning tricks. But...
"Bjorn, son of Yandel, has spoken! All of this will be a noble step forward for all of us!"
"Behelahhh!"
"Behelahhh!"
Things would be different from now on.