Chapter 120: Dark Clouds (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: Dark Clouds (4)
In an office with a heavy, woody scent, Niall Urbans, the seventh district chief of the Adventurers' Guild, chuckled. He had just remembered something his daughter had said a while back.
"I have no intention of living the rest of my life as my father's doll."
When the jailbreak incident first happened, he had noticed the rebellious moves his daughter was making. That was because she had had no reason to be speaking to the branch manager on her own. He couldn't help but investigate this in earnest, and when he did, he found out that his daughter was secretly establishing a position within the guild.
"There's fulfillment in living a woman's life, you know," he'd said.
For a one-time act of rebellion, it was quite a decent one. Even though it was a headache for him, he was a bit pleased by the realization that she really was his daughter.
"I told you, you should be careful about where you so much as breathe."
Even ambitions like this could be interpreted as cute because she was his child.
The branch manager... so that man has chosen my daughter, after all.
Bjorn Yandel was a barbarian he'd intended to get back at one day, but he had undergone meteoric growth in a short period of time. The branch manager had tried to contact that man today. Niall still didn't know what his daughter intended to do with the barbarian, but it was clear that the branch manager had taken his daughter's side. That fact made him very irritated.
He dared to rebel against me.
It wasn't like he couldn't understand why the branch manager had made that choice. He was already out of Niall's favor, and Niall had someone in mind to take over the branch manager position once he was gone. Since the manager knew that, too, he must have tried to at least cling onto a rotten rope. However, understanding and forgiveness were two completely different things.
I'll have to use this opportunity to deal with both of them for good this time.
Niall sipped his tea with a gleam in his eye. He had originally intended to leave the barbarian alone. He still shuddered at the humiliation he'd experienced back then, but in just a few months the barbarian had established his own position. There was no reason to make another enemy, after all. But now things had changed. There must have been a reason why his smart daughter had been trying to contact that barbarian.
...Besides, it strangely keeps bothering me.
Niall made a decision. If something bothered him, all he had to do was get rid of it before it turned into a bigger problem later.
***
Rummmble!
How long had it been since I'd left the Adventurers' Guild? As I was returning to my inn, thunder rumbled in the distance and rain began to pour.
Goddamn it.
Dark clouds were covering the once-clear sky all of a sudden. I debated just walking in it, but figuring it could just be a passing storm, I entered a nearby restaurant. It was time to eat anyway, so I decided to watch the rain while I did.
"Here is the meal you ordered."
Grilled meat, pumpkin stew, and rye bread warmed up my insides, but it somehow seemed to be lacking. It wasn't like this was a cheap restaurant that cost three hundred stones per meal like the ones I frequented in the past, either.
...Missha is definitely better at cooking meat.
I ordered another rum and contemplated buying some meat tomorrow and asking her to grill it. Now that I was here, I decided to pass the time until the rain quieted down. It wasn't like Missha would be there if I headed back now anyway.
Oh, maybe she is still there because of the rain?
As I drank alone with the sound of rain as company, my thoughts wandered. It seemed like not too long ago that I was eating stonebread while watching out for goblin traps, but it had already been half a year.
Pizza and beer... they wouldn't sell that here, right?
The thought of wanting to go home had faded a lot. I had just gotten used to everything—the creaky bed, the small single room with one bathroom, and the daily routine of laughing and chatting with my comrades while drinking cheap beer.
I've changed a lot too.
I could spend all day listing the shitty things about this world. But if you asked me if I hadn't had any good times here... That wasn't the case. At first, survival had been my goal. But as a gamer, I derived joy from gradually getting stronger. Chatting and laughing with my team wasn't so bad, either. It felt a little strange.
If I hadn't been brought here, I'd probably still be playing games alone in the corner of my room.
The twenty-nine-year-old office worker Hansu Lee had had a very small social circle. Of course, there were no complaints or issues there. I had been steadily preparing for my retirement, and had been able to live alone without relying on others, unlike in this world, where you were forced to find teammates.
Considering the fact that I'm thinking this way... I must've grown attached to them.
I took a sip of the rum, which had an unnecessarily sweet aftertaste. But when I thought about Hikurod, Rotmiller, and Dwalkie, my taste buds grew bitter.
If I want to go to the upper floors, I'll have no choice but to form a new team.
Starting from the fifth floor on, our current members wouldn't be strong enough. I could see the ways their growth was limited. First of all, Dwalkie was not from the Magic Tower, and had a pressing problem—namely, his low mana.
He can learn new magic now, but it's safe to say he can't use any rank-six spells.
Not to mention Rotmiller. On the lower floors all he had to do was navigate, but on the higher floors, scouts needed a high level of combat ability as well. That was because the maximum number of people in a team was five.
Unless he awakens as a guide... Otherwise, the fourth floor will be his limit.
Of course, unlike those two, Hikurod would be able to play an active role on the upper floors as long as his equipment was well-suited for it. But there was no need to have two tanks on a team.
...Once Missha's specs go up a bit, I'll have to form a new team.
To be honest, it was something I had been thinking about for a while, but I finally made up my mind. The battle we'd had with the Troll had had a big effect on me. I wanted to keep going upstairs, and I couldn't achieve that goal with these guys. That may seem harsh, but it was also a decision I was making for their sake. The upper floors were teeming with monsters worse than Trolls. It would be better not to expect dumb luck to save us again.
"Yandel?"
Uh, what the heck? When I turned around at the sound of someone calling my name, there was someone standing there that I hadn't expected at all: Mr. Bear.
"Urakburak?"
"...It's Urikfried. If that's difficult for you to pronounce, you can just call me Abman."
"Then I'll go with that."
Mr. Bear sat across from me without asking for permission, as befit his macho-looking appearance. As this was something I also did often, I didn't feel particularly offended. "I didn't expect you to stop by here as a customer."
Oh, maybe she is still there because of the rain?
As I drank alone with the sound of rain as company, my thoughts wandered. It seemed like not too long ago that I was eating stonebread while watching out for goblin traps, but it had already been half a year.
Pizza and beer... they wouldn't sell that here, right?
The thought of wanting to go home had faded a lot. I had just gotten used to everything—the creaky bed, the small single room with one bathroom, and the daily routine of laughing and chatting with my comrades while drinking cheap beer.
I've changed a lot too.
I could spend all day listing the shitty things about this world. But if you asked me if I hadn't had any good times here... That wasn't the case. At first, survival had been my goal. But as a gamer, I derived joy from gradually getting stronger. Chatting and laughing with my team wasn't so bad, either. It felt a little strange.
If I hadn't been brought here, I'd probably still be playing games alone in the corner of my room.
The twenty-nine-year-old office worker Hansu Lee had had a very small social circle. Of course, there were no complaints or issues there. I had been steadily preparing for my retirement, and had been able to live alone without relying on others, unlike in this world, where you were forced to find teammates.
Considering the fact that I'm thinking this way... I must've grown attached to them.
I took a sip of the rum, which had an unnecessarily sweet aftertaste. But when I thought about Hikurod, Rotmiller, and Dwalkie, my taste buds grew bitter.
If I want to go to the upper floors, I'll have no choice but to form a new team.
Starting from the fifth floor on, our current members wouldn't be strong enough. I could see the ways their growth was limited. First of all, Dwalkie was not from the Magic Tower, and had a pressing problem—namely, his low mana.
He can learn new magic now, but it's safe to say he can't use any rank-six spells.
Not to mention Rotmiller. On the lower floors all he had to do was navigate, but on the higher floors, scouts needed a high level of combat ability as well. That was because the maximum number of people in a team was five.
Unless he awakens as a guide... Otherwise, the fourth floor will be his limit.
Of course, unlike those two, Hikurod would be able to play an active role on the upper floors as long as his equipment was well-suited for it. But there was no need to have two tanks on a team.
...Once Missha's specs go up a bit, I'll have to form a new team.
To be honest, it was something I had been thinking about for a while, but I finally made up my mind. The battle we'd had with the Troll had had a big effect on me. I wanted to keep going upstairs, and I couldn't achieve that goal with these guys. That may seem harsh, but it was also a decision I was making for their sake. The upper floors were teeming with monsters worse than Trolls. It would be better not to expect dumb luck to save us again.
"Yandel?"
Uh, what the heck? When I turned around at the sound of someone calling my name, there was someone standing there that I hadn't expected at all: Mr. Bear.
"Urakburak?"
"...It's Urikfried. If that's difficult for you to pronounce, you can just call me Abman."
"Then I'll go with that."
Mr. Bear sat across from me without asking for permission, as befit his macho-looking appearance. As this was something I also did often, I didn't feel particularly offended. "I didn't expect you to stop by here as a customer."
"Customer?"
"Oh, I didn't mention. This place is run by my wife."
He was the owner, huh? This was new information, but it wasn't all that surprising. A rank-five adventurer would have enough money to open a shop. If I was going to be surprised, it was going to be about something else.
"You have a wife, yet you enter the labyrinth alone?"
"The restaurant is in the red these days. I figure I should at least earn some money."
Well, then I had no follow-up questions. This wasn't something I needed to worry about. "Anyway, it's a strange coincidence that you're the owner of the place I came to to escape from the rain."
"It's not enough to call it a coincidence. Thanks to that, I'm now certain, Bjorn Yandel."
"About what?"
"Will you let me join your team?" Mr. Bear replied as if this wasn't a huge deal.
Huh? What was this? Accept him as a teammate? All of a sudden? It was an unexpected request, but after listening to him, I was convinced. From Mr. Bear's point of view, I had proven myself as an adventurer.
"If you can save a total stranger in that situation, you won't stab me in the back."
Although I'd asked for five million stones, apparently saving him by using one of the most advanced potions on the market inside a rift that was blocked off from the outside world had left a good impression.
...This is an interesting turn of events.
Tank support, summons, and strong long-distance physical damage. It was clear that Mr. Bear would be able to do his part without any trouble even on the fifth floor or higher.
However, I firmly declined his offer. "You must have misunderstood something. I went in separately this time, but I have a set team." Dwalkie would be part of the team for a while, so I couldn't just kick someone out to include this man.
Surprisingly, Mr. Bear nodded agreeably. "If you say so. What we talked about today can be discussed again later when there is an empty spot, or if you leave the team."
"Empty spot?"
"You should know what I mean." With a final significant look from Mr. Bear, the teammate issue was officially tabled. After that, we had a brief conversation about when he should pay back the five million stones. "Since I put some unused equipment up for sale on the exchange, I should be able to give you the money on the agreed-upon date."
The sight of the shop's empty interior was weighing on my heart, but we agreed to meet here again in ten days to exchange five million stones for his collateral. "Then I'll see you then."
"Wear this. It will fit you." It didn't look like the rain was going to stop even if I waited longer, so I borrowed a raincoat from Mr. Bear and headed to the inn.
Swaaaaaa!
Rain fell down in heavy, typhoon-like sheets. After running through the strangely deserted streets, I immediately arrived at the inn. But what was this?
"Ah, you're here, Bjorrrn? You have a visitor."
"Waaah! Mister—!"
Not unlike pouring rain on a sunny day, something unexpected was waiting for me.
***
Since that incident ten years ago, she had lived in moderation in many ways. She had been confident in her self-discipline—at least, until today.
"Someone who steals something that belongs to someone else deserves to be punished, no?" Erwen froze at the thought that unwittingly escaped her mouth.
"Hmm? You... are tougherrr than you look, huh?" Fortunately, the other team didn't seem to have noticed the true meaning behind what she just said.
What did I just...?
Strictly speaking, 'it' wasn't even stolen. Bjorn wasn't an object. Also, she was the one who had made the choice to leave Mister's side and be with her sister. But what was that feeling just now?
Crunch.
Strangely, hostility welled up inside her. Could she beat this woman in a fight? She found herself subconsciously considering this and analyzing her opponent accordingly.
"Come to think of it, we don't even know each otherrr's names. I'm Missha Karlstein."
"...Erwen Fornacci di Tersia."
"Wow, even your name is prrretty... Erwen, nice to meet you."
"Right..." Hiding her reluctance, Erwen accepted the handshake. Then they sat and talked. She had no desire to get close to this woman, but she had a question to ask. "Miss Karlstein, are you seeing anyone, by any chance?"
"S-Seeing someone? Don't be rrridiculous. Bjorn and I are just teammates, teammates!"
"Hmm, is that so?" For some reason, it felt like her anger was fading away, although it was strange that Bjorn's name was being mentioned when she had only asked if Missha was seeing someone. There seemed to be more to investigate. "I'm sorry. You said you washed up together earlier, so I misunderstood."
"W-Washed up togetherrr? What are you saying?! I was just borrowing his bathroom."
"Borrowing a man's bathroom? Your inn must be quite far..."
"Uh, it's not that far..."
"...It's not?" At those words, Erwen's eyebrows furrowed. Bjorn may not have realized it, but it was clear this woman had shady intentions, enough that she'd use such a vulgar technique.
"Ahem! So how do you and Bjorn know each otherrr?" Was she trying to divert attention away from herself? This time Missha asked a question of her own.
Erwen answered honestly. "Mister and I were teammates."
"Hmm? Mister? Bjorn is only twenty years old..."
"Ah, that's just a nickname between us, so don't worry about it."
"Nickname...?"
"Is there a problem?"
When she tilted her head casually, the beastwoman smiled awkwardly. "No. What prrroblem? Of course not. Nyaha!" Her mouth was smiling but her tail was flicking unhappily on the bedspread.
Erwen felt a strange sense of victory at the sight—until an unexpected counterattack followed. "Mister and I have a special relationship. He was my first teammate and we also had our first return drink—"
"Hehe, but was it only special to you?"
"...Pardon?"
"I've been with Bjorrrn for months, and I've never heard anything about you. Nyaha!"
The beastwoman smiled brightly and thrust a dagger into her heart. Erwen couldn't hide her bewilderment at her sudden change in attitude. However, instinctively, she realized one thing.
"Did you say your name is Erwen? You seem cute enough. But... didn't you consider that being this blatantly hostile to another perrrson and treating them like an idiot would piss them off?" The hostility Erwen had felt upon meeting this woman was totally justified. "Um, but thanks for one thing. Thanks to you, I don't think I'll be confused anymorrre."
"C-Confused about what?"
"I don't know. Don't you already know what I mean?"
This woman was her enemy, someone trying to take away something precious to her.
"Customer?"
"Oh, I didn't mention. This place is run by my wife."
He was the owner, huh? This was new information, but it wasn't all that surprising. A rank-five adventurer would have enough money to open a shop. If I was going to be surprised, it was going to be about something else.
"You have a wife, yet you enter the labyrinth alone?"
"The restaurant is in the red these days. I figure I should at least earn some money."
Well, then I had no follow-up questions. This wasn't something I needed to worry about. "Anyway, it's a strange coincidence that you're the owner of the place I came to to escape from the rain."
"It's not enough to call it a coincidence. Thanks to that, I'm now certain, Bjorn Yandel."
"About what?"
"Will you let me join your team?" Mr. Bear replied as if this wasn't a huge deal.
Huh? What was this? Accept him as a teammate? All of a sudden? It was an unexpected request, but after listening to him, I was convinced. From Mr. Bear's point of view, I had proven myself as an adventurer.
"If you can save a total stranger in that situation, you won't stab me in the back."
Although I'd asked for five million stones, apparently saving him by using one of the most advanced potions on the market inside a rift that was blocked off from the outside world had left a good impression.
...This is an interesting turn of events.
Tank support, summons, and strong long-distance physical damage. It was clear that Mr. Bear would be able to do his part without any trouble even on the fifth floor or higher.
However, I firmly declined his offer. "You must have misunderstood something. I went in separately this time, but I have a set team." Dwalkie would be part of the team for a while, so I couldn't just kick someone out to include this man.
Surprisingly, Mr. Bear nodded agreeably. "If you say so. What we talked about today can be discussed again later when there is an empty spot, or if you leave the team."
"Empty spot?"
"You should know what I mean." With a final significant look from Mr. Bear, the teammate issue was officially tabled. After that, we had a brief conversation about when he should pay back the five million stones. "Since I put some unused equipment up for sale on the exchange, I should be able to give you the money on the agreed-upon date."
The sight of the shop's empty interior was weighing on my heart, but we agreed to meet here again in ten days to exchange five million stones for his collateral. "Then I'll see you then."
"Wear this. It will fit you." It didn't look like the rain was going to stop even if I waited longer, so I borrowed a raincoat from Mr. Bear and headed to the inn.
Swaaaaaa!
Rain fell down in heavy, typhoon-like sheets. After running through the strangely deserted streets, I immediately arrived at the inn. But what was this?
"Ah, you're here, Bjorrrn? You have a visitor."
"Waaah! Mister—!"
Not unlike pouring rain on a sunny day, something unexpected was waiting for me.
***
Since that incident ten years ago, she had lived in moderation in many ways. She had been confident in her self-discipline—at least, until today.
"Someone who steals something that belongs to someone else deserves to be punished, no?" Erwen froze at the thought that unwittingly escaped her mouth.
"Hmm? You... are tougherrr than you look, huh?" Fortunately, the other team didn't seem to have noticed the true meaning behind what she just said.
What did I just...?
Strictly speaking, 'it' wasn't even stolen. Bjorn wasn't an object. Also, she was the one who had made the choice to leave Mister's side and be with her sister. But what was that feeling just now?
Crunch.
Strangely, hostility welled up inside her. Could she beat this woman in a fight? She found herself subconsciously considering this and analyzing her opponent accordingly.
"Come to think of it, we don't even know each otherrr's names. I'm Missha Karlstein."
"...Erwen Fornacci di Tersia."
"Wow, even your name is prrretty... Erwen, nice to meet you."
"Right..." Hiding her reluctance, Erwen accepted the handshake. Then they sat and talked. She had no desire to get close to this woman, but she had a question to ask. "Miss Karlstein, are you seeing anyone, by any chance?"
"S-Seeing someone? Don't be rrridiculous. Bjorn and I are just teammates, teammates!"
"Hmm, is that so?" For some reason, it felt like her anger was fading away, although it was strange that Bjorn's name was being mentioned when she had only asked if Missha was seeing someone. There seemed to be more to investigate. "I'm sorry. You said you washed up together earlier, so I misunderstood."
"W-Washed up togetherrr? What are you saying?! I was just borrowing his bathroom."
"Borrowing a man's bathroom? Your inn must be quite far..."
"Uh, it's not that far..."
"...It's not?" At those words, Erwen's eyebrows furrowed. Bjorn may not have realized it, but it was clear this woman had shady intentions, enough that she'd use such a vulgar technique.
"Ahem! So how do you and Bjorn know each otherrr?" Was she trying to divert attention away from herself? This time Missha asked a question of her own.
Erwen answered honestly. "Mister and I were teammates."
"Hmm? Mister? Bjorn is only twenty years old..."
"Ah, that's just a nickname between us, so don't worry about it."
"Nickname...?"
"Is there a problem?"
When she tilted her head casually, the beastwoman smiled awkwardly. "No. What prrroblem? Of course not. Nyaha!" Her mouth was smiling but her tail was flicking unhappily on the bedspread.
Erwen felt a strange sense of victory at the sight—until an unexpected counterattack followed. "Mister and I have a special relationship. He was my first teammate and we also had our first return drink—"
"Hehe, but was it only special to you?"
"...Pardon?"
"I've been with Bjorrrn for months, and I've never heard anything about you. Nyaha!"
The beastwoman smiled brightly and thrust a dagger into her heart. Erwen couldn't hide her bewilderment at her sudden change in attitude. However, instinctively, she realized one thing.
"Did you say your name is Erwen? You seem cute enough. But... didn't you consider that being this blatantly hostile to another perrrson and treating them like an idiot would piss them off?" The hostility Erwen had felt upon meeting this woman was totally justified. "Um, but thanks for one thing. Thanks to you, I don't think I'll be confused anymorrre."
"C-Confused about what?"
"I don't know. Don't you already know what I mean?"
This woman was her enemy, someone trying to take away something precious to her.