Chapter 122: Old Hand (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: Old Hand (1)
The next day, Missha woke me early in the morning. "Wake up, wake up! How long are you going to sleep for!?"
The time was 6:30 a.m. Even considering our plan to go to Kommelby, it was quite early.
"Let's eat out today. I couldn't pack lunch because I woke up earrrly."
"Then let's head down to the first floor and—"
"Here's no good! Let's go out to eat, huh?"
"I'm hungry, though..."
"Come on, I'll buy you something delicious. Okay?"
I wasn't even able to eat breakfast thanks to Missha's prodding and ended up getting dragged out. Then, like we were being chased by something, we got on a carriage. Only after we had arrived at the business district of Kommelby did we eat at a restaurant located thirty minutes from the public carriage platform, which Missha explained was famous.
"How is it? Does it taste good?"
"It's delicious!" I didn't know what they did to the stew, but it had a very familiar, savory taste. I was determined to remember this place and come back whenever I was nearby.
"I'm glad you look satisfied. Did you like it that much?"
"Except for how much a single plate costs."
"That's because you ate four plates, you barrrbarian!"
After a late breakfast, we stopped by the armor store and general store we frequented and disposed of all of our loot.
Three million stones, huh?
That was the amount we netted after selling all the equipment and consumables of the trio that we had encountered on the second floor plus Jencia. It wasn't a small amount, but it didn't feel all that big, either. The amount would have been many times bigger if we'd sold the Serpent's Fang and second-grade leather armor too.
Well, those are things we can sell later.
After that, I hired a blacksmith that Hikurod had told me about to repair my equipment. I was worried about the cost of the repairs because my shield and breastplate got dented a lot in the battle against the Troll.
"All in all, three hundred thousand stones."
However, the repairs were cheaper than I expected. Well, it was probably easier to repair dented gear than melted gear.
"Do you handle leatherrr as well?"
"Yes, do you have anything to repair?"
"Ah, this one is tight around the chest..." While we were there, Missha also entrusted him with her new armor.
Since it was leather, I wondered if alterations would be an issue, but it turned out to be no big deal. "I don't even need to add new material. I think I can just use a softener on the tight parts to slightly loosen them."
The cost of those particular repairs was only around fifty thousand stones. Maybe it was because I came here with a recommendation from Hikurod, but there were no attempts to screw us over. It seemed like a very conscientious business.
"Come back in three days."
After leaving the smithy, we wandered around and bought supplies for our next expedition. I replenished our supply of Witch's Lamp solution, which was a consumable that could counter Stealth abilities, and bought a few more items that came to mind.
"I'll give you two bottles together for two million stones."
I bought two more bottles of the advanced potion from the general store I visited before. I hadn't known I'd use an entire bottle so quickly. It was a considerable expense, but it was a little better because the two of us were paying for it together.
"Fortunately, we didn't have to touch the money in the shared account. Here are 325,000 stones." I shared the remaining money with Missha. With that, we finished everything on the schedule for today.
"Then I'll be heading home now! Good night, Bjorrrn!"
"Good night."
We returned to Ravigion at night and parted after a simple meal.
What's this?
When I returned home, I found a silver-haired elf crouched in front of my door with her head down. "Erwen?"
"Oh, you're here?" Erwen greeted me with a smile as soon as she saw me. Her eyes looked tired for some reason, so I couldn't help but ask the question on the tip of my tongue.
"...How long have you been waiting for me?"
"Not long. Did the two of you go out?"
"Ah, we had business in Kommelby."
"Oh... I see."
"So, what are you doing here?"
It was time to wash up and go to bed, so I asked what she was there for, but Erwen just kept her mouth shut. It seemed she was mulling something over because she had a somewhat serious look on her face. But when she spoke again, it was in her usual cheerful tone. "Mister, I can't come by as often as I used to. I came to tell you that."
"Hmm? Ah... well, things have changed since then."
She wasn't a month-old fledgling adventurer anymore—although she hadn't even reached a full year yet, either. But that was all the more reason for her to focus on her growth right now.
"Yes, I decided to start special training with my sister tomorrow. So maybe once a week? I don't think I can come by more often than that. I wish I could, but... if I did, it'd take a long time..."
"Long time?"
"...It's nothing." Erwen didn't give a proper answer and before I could ask, she smiled brightly and disappeared. "Anyway! I'll be back next week, so see you then, Mister!"
"Oh, right..."
What was this uneasy feeling?
***
The next day at lunchtime, the whole team gathered at a bar. Having a drink to celebrate our return, we took time to distribute the loot from our previous expedition.
"I think we can divide it into 550,000 stones per person. The Frogman Sorcerer's remains sold at a much higher price than I thought."
"Haha, isn't it all thanks to Rotmiller's dissection?"
"Ahem, since I'm not very helpful in battle, I should at least be able to do this much."
After Rotmiller's humble statement, I balanced our earnings from this quest. We had obtained 400,000 mana stones from the rift and the first and second floors, then 320,000 stones from selling the equipment (after subtracting the cost of the potion, of course), and 550,000 stones from completing the commission and selling the remains. The grand total was 1.27 million stones.
Even though I spent that much, I still earned a lot.
Whatever the reason, on the fourth floor, I had earned a lot more than I had in the past two months. No, actually, considering the essence Missha consumed, the leather armor, and the Serpent's Fang, it was safe to say that we had made a crazy profit. I also had five million stones I still needed to receive from Mr. Bear.
With this momentum, I'll be able to get to the sixth stage of the Immortality Imprint soon.
I grinned and drank my beer. There were still two million stones left in the shared account with Missha, and the personal wealth I had accumulated so far was about 2.5 million. I had been a bit uneasy about my plateaued growth over the past two months, but looking at my bank account made my heart full.
"Fortunately, we didn't have to touch the money in the shared account. Here are 325,000 stones." I shared the remaining money with Missha. With that, we finished everything on the schedule for today.
"Then I'll be heading home now! Good night, Bjorrrn!"
"Good night."
We returned to Ravigion at night and parted after a simple meal.
What's this?
When I returned home, I found a silver-haired elf crouched in front of my door with her head down. "Erwen?"
"Oh, you're here?" Erwen greeted me with a smile as soon as she saw me. Her eyes looked tired for some reason, so I couldn't help but ask the question on the tip of my tongue.
"...How long have you been waiting for me?"
"Not long. Did the two of you go out?"
"Ah, we had business in Kommelby."
"Oh... I see."
"So, what are you doing here?"
It was time to wash up and go to bed, so I asked what she was there for, but Erwen just kept her mouth shut. It seemed she was mulling something over because she had a somewhat serious look on her face. But when she spoke again, it was in her usual cheerful tone. "Mister, I can't come by as often as I used to. I came to tell you that."
"Hmm? Ah... well, things have changed since then."
She wasn't a month-old fledgling adventurer anymore—although she hadn't even reached a full year yet, either. But that was all the more reason for her to focus on her growth right now.
"Yes, I decided to start special training with my sister tomorrow. So maybe once a week? I don't think I can come by more often than that. I wish I could, but... if I did, it'd take a long time..."
"Long time?"
"...It's nothing." Erwen didn't give a proper answer and before I could ask, she smiled brightly and disappeared. "Anyway! I'll be back next week, so see you then, Mister!"
"Oh, right..."
What was this uneasy feeling?
***
The next day at lunchtime, the whole team gathered at a bar. Having a drink to celebrate our return, we took time to distribute the loot from our previous expedition.
"I think we can divide it into 550,000 stones per person. The Frogman Sorcerer's remains sold at a much higher price than I thought."
"Haha, isn't it all thanks to Rotmiller's dissection?"
"Ahem, since I'm not very helpful in battle, I should at least be able to do this much."
After Rotmiller's humble statement, I balanced our earnings from this quest. We had obtained 400,000 mana stones from the rift and the first and second floors, then 320,000 stones from selling the equipment (after subtracting the cost of the potion, of course), and 550,000 stones from completing the commission and selling the remains. The grand total was 1.27 million stones.
Even though I spent that much, I still earned a lot.
Whatever the reason, on the fourth floor, I had earned a lot more than I had in the past two months. No, actually, considering the essence Missha consumed, the leather armor, and the Serpent's Fang, it was safe to say that we had made a crazy profit. I also had five million stones I still needed to receive from Mr. Bear.
With this momentum, I'll be able to get to the sixth stage of the Immortality Imprint soon.
I grinned and drank my beer. There were still two million stones left in the shared account with Missha, and the personal wealth I had accumulated so far was about 2.5 million. I had been a bit uneasy about my plateaued growth over the past two months, but looking at my bank account made my heart full.
"Bjorn! Don't drink the first return drink on your own!" chided Hikurod.
"Hmm?"
"Let's all drink together! We haven't even celebrated properly yet, have we?"
"...Sure, do whatever you want."
"Here's to defeating that Troll bastard and the entire team returning alive! Now! Drink up, everyone!"
After we were done settling our accounts, everyone drank the return drink and let go of any regrets we were holding onto from the previous expedition. Maybe it was because we had all overcome another crisis together, but the leader of our team, Hikurod, seemed very happy. However, the drinking team ended rather quickly compared to the last time.
"Um... I have to go now. I have to stop by my parents' today."
First Missha left, then Rotmiller.
"I'm also finished for the night. I have business at the guild."
Because they had things scheduled for afterward, the two just sipped their drinks to join in and left. Rotmiller wasn't a talker anyway, but after Missha left, the rowdy drinking team quieted down. I figured the dwarf would get upset if I left, too, so I tried to stay and keep the celebration going.
Surprisingly, though, Hikurod slipped out and moved over to the next table. "Hahaha, I'm telling you! That Troll bastard was no big deal... A-A lie? Of course not. See that barbarian over there? That's Little Balkan, I don't know if you've heard of him..." Hikurod ditched his teammates to clink glasses with adventurers he had never met.
I was about to leave too when Dwalkie grabbed me. "Hey, how about we talk?"
"What?"
"W-Well, come to think of it, we've never had a quiet conversation just the two of us."
That was true. I spoke with Rotmiller a lot whenever everyone passed out drinking, but Dwalkie had always been one of the ones sleeping.
Does he have something to say to me?
I sat back down and clinked glasses with Dwalkie, but that was it. Dwalkie sipped his drink hesitantly, but didn't speak up first.
Fuck, I should've just left.
Despite our noisy surroundings, an awkward air settled on my shoulders. I eventually just opened my mouth first because there was something I was curious about. "How are you feeling?"
"Ah, fine... To be honest, I was in a bit of pain after I got treated by the priest, but now I am completely healed."
"That's good—then how about this?" I asked, tapping my forehead. Dwalkie tilted his head. "That must have been the first time that your body ever got folded in half like that. Do you think you can continue in the labyrinth?"
Adventurers with broken wills were more common than you'd think. Sometimes the cruel things that happened to the body scarred the mind in the form of intense memories.
"Ah, well..." Picking up on what I was really asking, Dwalkie hesitated to answer. It seemed things weren't where he wanted them to be. "Hah... to be honest with you, I haven't been able to sleep properly since that day. I thought it was just because I was inside the labyrinth, but it's the same in the city." Dwalkie let out a long, drunken sigh and confessed that his hands shook at the thought of entering the labyrinth again. "But, don't worry. Isn't this something everyone goes through and ends up overcoming? I will be fine before the next quest."
Could he overcome it? From the look in his eyes, his words seemed genuine. But I had one question. "Is there a reason to push yourself that far?"
"Bjorn! Don't drink the first return drink on your own!" chided Hikurod.
"Hmm?"
"Let's all drink together! We haven't even celebrated properly yet, have we?"
"...Sure, do whatever you want."
"Here's to defeating that Troll bastard and the entire team returning alive! Now! Drink up, everyone!"
After we were done settling our accounts, everyone drank the return drink and let go of any regrets we were holding onto from the previous expedition. Maybe it was because we had all overcome another crisis together, but the leader of our team, Hikurod, seemed very happy. However, the drinking team ended rather quickly compared to the last time.
"Um... I have to go now. I have to stop by my parents' today."
First Missha left, then Rotmiller.
"I'm also finished for the night. I have business at the guild."
Because they had things scheduled for afterward, the two just sipped their drinks to join in and left. Rotmiller wasn't a talker anyway, but after Missha left, the rowdy drinking team quieted down. I figured the dwarf would get upset if I left, too, so I tried to stay and keep the celebration going.
Surprisingly, though, Hikurod slipped out and moved over to the next table. "Hahaha, I'm telling you! That Troll bastard was no big deal... A-A lie? Of course not. See that barbarian over there? That's Little Balkan, I don't know if you've heard of him..." Hikurod ditched his teammates to clink glasses with adventurers he had never met.
I was about to leave too when Dwalkie grabbed me. "Hey, how about we talk?"
"What?"
"W-Well, come to think of it, we've never had a quiet conversation just the two of us."
That was true. I spoke with Rotmiller a lot whenever everyone passed out drinking, but Dwalkie had always been one of the ones sleeping.
Does he have something to say to me?
I sat back down and clinked glasses with Dwalkie, but that was it. Dwalkie sipped his drink hesitantly, but didn't speak up first.
Fuck, I should've just left.
Despite our noisy surroundings, an awkward air settled on my shoulders. I eventually just opened my mouth first because there was something I was curious about. "How are you feeling?"
"Ah, fine... To be honest, I was in a bit of pain after I got treated by the priest, but now I am completely healed."
"That's good—then how about this?" I asked, tapping my forehead. Dwalkie tilted his head. "That must have been the first time that your body ever got folded in half like that. Do you think you can continue in the labyrinth?"
Adventurers with broken wills were more common than you'd think. Sometimes the cruel things that happened to the body scarred the mind in the form of intense memories.
"Ah, well..." Picking up on what I was really asking, Dwalkie hesitated to answer. It seemed things weren't where he wanted them to be. "Hah... to be honest with you, I haven't been able to sleep properly since that day. I thought it was just because I was inside the labyrinth, but it's the same in the city." Dwalkie let out a long, drunken sigh and confessed that his hands shook at the thought of entering the labyrinth again. "But, don't worry. Isn't this something everyone goes through and ends up overcoming? I will be fine before the next quest."
Could he overcome it? From the look in his eyes, his words seemed genuine. But I had one question. "Is there a reason to push yourself that far?"
Most people overcame their trauma to continue working as adventurers because they had no other options. In a city where they had to pay taxes to survive, they had no choice but to work through it. But Dwalkie, a wizard, was different.
"You could get enough work in the city. Why do you want to continue working as an adventurer?"
Dwalkie hesitated, then answered only after taking a swig of beer. "That's... because it's fun."
That wasn't the answer I was expecting at all. "Fun?"
"Obviously, it was for a different reason at first. Do you remember what I said when we first met?"
"I remember. You said you would become a great adventurer and bring glory to the baron."
"I was actually lying. I just thought that if I became a famous adventurer, my father... no, the late baron would show interest in me."
Dwalkie was the illegitimate son of an aristocratic family. Like all illegitimate children, he felt both a deep love and contempt for his blood relatives, a contradictory combination of hating them but wanting to be loved by them.
"As you know, the baron is dead. And as you saw... my brother, who inherited his position, wasn't even aware of my existence." He had been frustrated at first. He said it felt like he had been lost at sea, like he'd lost his life's goal in one fell swoop. Poeticizing his feelings at the time, Dwalkie stared straight into my eyes. "But I was able to overcome it because there were four people around me to lean on."
"A-Are you... talking about us?"
"Who else is there? At first, I didn't know that was what a comrade was. It felt like something beyond friends that you could trust and rely on... Like a family."
"I-I see?"
"Yeah. After my mother passed away, I always felt like I was alone in the world... But I never feel that way when I'm exploring and laughing and chatting with you guys." Maybe he also realized this was embarrassing, because Dwalkie ordered another beer and emptied it immediately. "Thank you, Bjorn. Thanks to you guys, I'm enjoying every day. Therefore... even though I went through something like that... I've been able to overcome it."
"...I see."
"That's right. So don't worry too much."
"Okay, I won't bother with that anymore." Soon, I wiped my worries away. Whatever the reason, at this rate, it seemed I wouldn't have to worry about Dwalkie's mental health.
"Huhu, when you look a little closer, you have a big heart even if you don't seem to."
"Shush, let's just drink."
Perhaps thanks to our heartfelt conversation, the rather awkward vibe between us disappeared. Dwalkie, who had been hesitant in my presence, grew lively and started talking about whatever came to mind, and I listened and chimed in.
"Hey, Bjorn... I have a question for you."
"Speak."
"Are you and Miss Karlstein... dating?"
Instead of answering, I stared at Dwalkie. His face, flushed with alcohol, was full of nerves and tension. It was then that I realized something.
No wonder he asked to speak alone. So this was his objective.
***
"Brown Rotmiller. Thirty-four years old, and you've been an adventurer for eight years."
As soon as he entered the office, he was met with a look of contempt. Disconcerted, Rotmiller replied, "...That's right."
He was more curious than confused, to be honest. He had received a summons from the Adventurers' Guild this morning, so he arrived at the guild on time even after catching up with his teammates. When he followed the employee, he ended up in this room. A man was sitting in a chair, and he had a face Rotmiller recognized.
Niall Urbans, the seventh district chief of the Adventurers' Guild. Why did this man call for me?
Questions filled his throat, but instead of doing anything impulsive, he waited for the man to continue explaining. You never knew what kind of misfortune you might be met with if you made a mistake in a situation like this.
"Hmm, I like you. Especially that you're waiting for me to explain instead of trying to sate your curiosity."
"Then can you tell me your business with me now?"
At his request, the district chief nodded with a pleased smile and explained his reason for calling him here. The more Rotmiller listened, the more ridiculous the explanation grew.
"You mean you want me to betray my teammate?"
"That's up to you. To be precise, I just need that barbarian's manners fixed."
Rotmiller gritted his teeth. This man was one of this city's thirteen district chiefs, and just annoying one could put an adventurer at a huge disadvantage. Which was why this took so much courage.
"That offer... I'm going to pretend I didn't hear it." With clenched fists, he spat out a refusal.
The district chief smiled, intrigued by this.
"If we're done talking, I'll take my leave." Rotmiller hurriedly turned toward the door before fear could overtake him.
"It's nice to treasure your comrade. What a wonderful value that is. But...how long do you think you'll be comrades?" Rotmiller stopped mid-step at those words. "I saw your records. How terribly unfair. It took you eight years to make it to rank seven. On the other hand, didn't a certain barbarian become rank six in half a year?"
"Feelings like that... I have never felt them."
"If you say so. But isn't it time you accept reality? Your comrades will keep moving up. They're not ordinary humans like you."
Rotmiller pursed his lips at the hard-hitting words. However, he couldn't argue with them. And it wasn't because he was afraid of the man's power, either; he just knew very well that what he was saying was true.
"How much longer do you think you're going to travel with them? Three months? Four months? Well, maybe even longer, if they pity you."
Rotmiller didn't listen any longer and opened the door.
"I trust you will make the wise decision." The district chief, who he could see through the crack in the closing door, had a friendly smile on his lips.
Most people overcame their trauma to continue working as adventurers because they had no other options. In a city where they had to pay taxes to survive, they had no choice but to work through it. But Dwalkie, a wizard, was different.
"You could get enough work in the city. Why do you want to continue working as an adventurer?"
Dwalkie hesitated, then answered only after taking a swig of beer. "That's... because it's fun."
That wasn't the answer I was expecting at all. "Fun?"
"Obviously, it was for a different reason at first. Do you remember what I said when we first met?"
"I remember. You said you would become a great adventurer and bring glory to the baron."
"I was actually lying. I just thought that if I became a famous adventurer, my father... no, the late baron would show interest in me."
Dwalkie was the illegitimate son of an aristocratic family. Like all illegitimate children, he felt both a deep love and contempt for his blood relatives, a contradictory combination of hating them but wanting to be loved by them.
"As you know, the baron is dead. And as you saw... my brother, who inherited his position, wasn't even aware of my existence." He had been frustrated at first. He said it felt like he had been lost at sea, like he'd lost his life's goal in one fell swoop. Poeticizing his feelings at the time, Dwalkie stared straight into my eyes. "But I was able to overcome it because there were four people around me to lean on."
"A-Are you... talking about us?"
"Who else is there? At first, I didn't know that was what a comrade was. It felt like something beyond friends that you could trust and rely on... Like a family."
"I-I see?"
"Yeah. After my mother passed away, I always felt like I was alone in the world... But I never feel that way when I'm exploring and laughing and chatting with you guys." Maybe he also realized this was embarrassing, because Dwalkie ordered another beer and emptied it immediately. "Thank you, Bjorn. Thanks to you guys, I'm enjoying every day. Therefore... even though I went through something like that... I've been able to overcome it."
"...I see."
"That's right. So don't worry too much."
"Okay, I won't bother with that anymore." Soon, I wiped my worries away. Whatever the reason, at this rate, it seemed I wouldn't have to worry about Dwalkie's mental health.
"Huhu, when you look a little closer, you have a big heart even if you don't seem to."
"Shush, let's just drink."
Perhaps thanks to our heartfelt conversation, the rather awkward vibe between us disappeared. Dwalkie, who had been hesitant in my presence, grew lively and started talking about whatever came to mind, and I listened and chimed in.
"Hey, Bjorn... I have a question for you."
"Speak."
"Are you and Miss Karlstein... dating?"
Instead of answering, I stared at Dwalkie. His face, flushed with alcohol, was full of nerves and tension. It was then that I realized something.
No wonder he asked to speak alone. So this was his objective.
***
"Brown Rotmiller. Thirty-four years old, and you've been an adventurer for eight years."
As soon as he entered the office, he was met with a look of contempt. Disconcerted, Rotmiller replied, "...That's right."
He was more curious than confused, to be honest. He had received a summons from the Adventurers' Guild this morning, so he arrived at the guild on time even after catching up with his teammates. When he followed the employee, he ended up in this room. A man was sitting in a chair, and he had a face Rotmiller recognized.
Niall Urbans, the seventh district chief of the Adventurers' Guild. Why did this man call for me?
Questions filled his throat, but instead of doing anything impulsive, he waited for the man to continue explaining. You never knew what kind of misfortune you might be met with if you made a mistake in a situation like this.
"Hmm, I like you. Especially that you're waiting for me to explain instead of trying to sate your curiosity."
"Then can you tell me your business with me now?"
At his request, the district chief nodded with a pleased smile and explained his reason for calling him here. The more Rotmiller listened, the more ridiculous the explanation grew.
"You mean you want me to betray my teammate?"
"That's up to you. To be precise, I just need that barbarian's manners fixed."
Rotmiller gritted his teeth. This man was one of this city's thirteen district chiefs, and just annoying one could put an adventurer at a huge disadvantage. Which was why this took so much courage.
"That offer... I'm going to pretend I didn't hear it." With clenched fists, he spat out a refusal.
The district chief smiled, intrigued by this.
"If we're done talking, I'll take my leave." Rotmiller hurriedly turned toward the door before fear could overtake him.
"It's nice to treasure your comrade. What a wonderful value that is. But...how long do you think you'll be comrades?" Rotmiller stopped mid-step at those words. "I saw your records. How terribly unfair. It took you eight years to make it to rank seven. On the other hand, didn't a certain barbarian become rank six in half a year?"
"Feelings like that... I have never felt them."
"If you say so. But isn't it time you accept reality? Your comrades will keep moving up. They're not ordinary humans like you."
Rotmiller pursed his lips at the hard-hitting words. However, he couldn't argue with them. And it wasn't because he was afraid of the man's power, either; he just knew very well that what he was saying was true.
"How much longer do you think you're going to travel with them? Three months? Four months? Well, maybe even longer, if they pity you."
Rotmiller didn't listen any longer and opened the door.
"I trust you will make the wise decision." The district chief, who he could see through the crack in the closing door, had a friendly smile on his lips.