Chapter 148: The Great Inheritance (5)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 148: The Great Inheritance (5)

There were some days when a momentary whim led to unexpected luck. For Amelia Rainwales, today was that kind of day. Who could have guessed that, while climbing the castle in an attempt to burn off some frustration, she would run into this man?

"Regal Vagos."

The member of Orcules, who divided this cursed city into two halves, was passed out on the floor in this remote area with injuries covering his body. And he was alone.

Could it be that he escaped through a portal? Is that why he was dropped here instead of the square?

That was the first possibility that came to mind. There were no wizards on the Dragon Slayer's team, but he could have pulled it off if he sacrificed the poor old man he always took with him.

What kind of enemy did he run into...?

Amelia discarded her questions. It didn't matter who had reduced him to this state. The only thing that mattered was that he had been hand-delivered to her. First, she bent down to check his pulse.

He's still alive.

About two hours had passed since the labyrinth closed. Circumstantial evidence suggested that he had been unconscious since then. It would have been difficult for a normal person to survive for so long, but this guy was not normal. Perhaps the skewer stuck in his shoulder was stopping the bleeding.

Then he opened his eyes and stared at her. "You're..." He had probably sensed her presence.

Before he could say anything, Amelia spoke first. "Dragon Slayer, do you have any potions?"

"Waist..."

"I see." Amelia untied the pouch he wore around his waist and held it in her hand. "I'm going to pour the potion on you. Can I pull this out of your shoulder?"

"Do it..."

As soon as she heard his answer, she pulled out the skewer, and the bleeding started again. If left as he was, even the Dragon Slayer would definitely die. Amelia just stood there and watched.

"What are you... the potion..." He was beginning to sense that something was off.

"Why should I do that?" she asked.

"You made... a contract..."

"Oh, the contract?" Amelia smirked. A long time ago, she had been given a contract by the lord of Noark. It was famous; everyone who lived in the city knew about it. Inside Noark, she could not kill. The contract was carved into her flesh, and it was impossible to break. "But aren't you the one who asked me to remove the skewer?"

She had just done as he told her. Of course, this was the first time she had ever deceived someone like this, so she was also nervous. However, if it were a violation of her contract, she wouldn't have been able to do it in the first place.

"You... bitch..."

Amelia put his entire pouch into her subspace. She stole his other equipment—not just the dagger hanging from his waist, but also the ring on his hand, his wrist guards, and his necklace. These were all things she had always had her eye on. "Thank you for ending up here. I'll take good care of these. Oh, but who did this to you?"

He did not answer her mocking question. He just glared at her in a rage. Amelia leaned back against the wall and watched him, rather than continuing her pointless chit-chat. She intended ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to watch him die, just to make sure nothing unexpected happened along the way. But apparently, it wasn't yet time for this guy's string of fate to be cut.

Step, step.

Before long, she heard the presence of the castle's patrolmen in the distance. Amelia thought fast. Actually, there was nothing for her to think about. Everything the patrols saw and heard was passed on to the lord. If she got caught, it'd all be over.

"You're lucky, Dragon Slayer." She pressed her lips together, bitter. If this guy died, Orcules's authority would take a hit.

Upon realizing he would live, he gritted his teeth and bit out, "You won't... be able to handle... the consequences." She would pay for this.

Amelia just shrugged and closed the distance between them. "Doesn't matter. You won't remember anything, anyway."

"...What?"

She took out a pill and held it in her hand, a magic pill named the Blessing of Lethe, developed by an alchemist in Noark. Evil spirits were immune to it, but it had the convenient effect of erasing the memories of those who consumed it.

"Damn it! Mm, mm—!"

Amelia grabbed the struggling man by the jaw and shoved the pill down his throat. The higher someone's Dignity of the Soul was, the less effective the pill was, so she used the best one she had just in case. The alchemist said that an ordinary person who took this pill would lose up to a week of memories.

Considering who he is, better safe than sorry.

It didn't feel like too much of a waste. This wasn't something she would be able to get another one of all that easily, but considering what she had earned today, it shouldn't be a loss. Besides, the further back his memories were erased, the more advantageous it was for her. He'd think he lost his items in the labyrinth; he'd never think he was robbed in the underground city.

I don't know who did this, but I should be grateful.

Hearing the patrol's footsteps approaching, Amelia quickly left the castle.

***

Not even ten minutes had passed, and the available uses of the ring that blocked Regal Vagos-related death flags had already gone from three to two.

It's not going to break once a day, right?

I tried to clear away the anxiety that suddenly filled me. I shouldn't make a fuss before I even knew if that was actually going to happen, and I thought the possibility of that was really low. The goddess herself had said so, right?

"You must be prepared to face your fate when all the stems of that ring are cut off."

The goddess had used her vessel to tell me to prepare myself, knowing full well how great the gap between me and that man was. I was sure she would have had the conscience to give me more than a couple of months.

Yeah, in the end, the most important thing is when the last vine will break.

Trying not to jump to conclusions, I calmed my quaking heart. What was important wasn't what had just happened. It was the number of times it did—in other words, how long this ring would last.

Just focus on what you need to do.

With that thought in mind, I briefly discussed the bounty and left the church. The bounty would be paid out when we visited again tomorrow. "Then let's each go home and meet again tomorrow."

Just as we decided on a meeting place and were about to head back to our respective lodgings, Hikurod cautiously stopped us. "Hey, I don't know what you guys will think about this, but why don't we donate Dwalkie's portion of the reward to the orphanage?"

Step, step.

Before long, she heard the presence of the castle's patrolmen in the distance. Amelia thought fast. Actually, there was nothing for her to think about. Everything the patrols saw and heard was passed on to the lord. If she got caught, it'd all be over.

"You're lucky, Dragon Slayer." She pressed her lips together, bitter. If this guy died, Orcules's authority would take a hit.

Upon realizing he would live, he gritted his teeth and bit out, "You won't... be able to handle... the consequences." She would pay for this.

Amelia just shrugged and closed the distance between them. "Doesn't matter. You won't remember anything, anyway."

"...What?"

She took out a pill and held it in her hand, a magic pill named the Blessing of Lethe, developed by an alchemist in Noark. Evil spirits were immune to it, but it had the convenient effect of erasing the memories of those who consumed it.

"Damn it! Mm, mm—!"

Amelia grabbed the struggling man by the jaw and shoved the pill down his throat. The higher someone's Dignity of the Soul was, the less effective the pill was, so she used the best one she had just in case. The alchemist said that an ordinary person who took this pill would lose up to a week of memories.

Considering who he is, better safe than sorry.

It didn't feel like too much of a waste. This wasn't something she would be able to get another one of all that easily, but considering what she had earned today, it shouldn't be a loss. Besides, the further back his memories were erased, the more advantageous it was for her. He'd think he lost his items in the labyrinth; he'd never think he was robbed in the underground city.

I don't know who did this, but I should be grateful.

Hearing the patrol's footsteps approaching, Amelia quickly left the castle.

***

Not even ten minutes had passed, and the available uses of the ring that blocked Regal Vagos-related death flags had already gone from three to two.

It's not going to break once a day, right?

I tried to clear away the anxiety that suddenly filled me. I shouldn't make a fuss before I even knew if that was actually going to happen, and I thought the possibility of that was really low. The goddess herself had said so, right?

"You must be prepared to face your fate when all the stems of that ring are cut off."

The goddess had used her vessel to tell me to prepare myself, knowing full well how great the gap between me and that man was. I was sure she would have had the conscience to give me more than a couple of months.

Yeah, in the end, the most important thing is when the last vine will break.

Trying not to jump to conclusions, I calmed my quaking heart. What was important wasn't what had just happened. It was the number of times it did—in other words, how long this ring would last.

Just focus on what you need to do.

With that thought in mind, I briefly discussed the bounty and left the church. The bounty would be paid out when we visited again tomorrow. "Then let's each go home and meet again tomorrow."

Just as we decided on a meeting place and were about to head back to our respective lodgings, Hikurod cautiously stopped us. "Hey, I don't know what you guys will think about this, but why don't we donate Dwalkie's portion of the reward to the orphanage?"

"I'm... okay with that. We wouldn't have earrrned it if it wasn't for Dwalkie."

"That's fine with me, too. In fact, it feels ridiculous for me to claim an additional share of such a large sum."

To put it simply, the proposal was to donate 3.5 million stones per person to an orphanage. Unlike my colleagues, who agreed without much hesitation, I kept my mouth shut. This was completely irrational. Weren't we in the middle of a battle with a major enemy called the Dragon Slayer? If we were really going to fulfill Dwalkie's wishes, it would be better to use this money to make ourselves a little safer.

"...Bjorn, you don't have to do it. Unlike us, you were the one who went thrrrough the most back there."

"Th-that's right. We're doing this out of guilt, so don't worry too much about it."

My colleagues noticed my silence and quickly spoke up. If I nodded my head here, this matter would be settled. However, I put my decision on hold for now. "Let's properly discuss this the next time we meet. We haven't received the money yet, anyway."

This was definitely a suggestion that I needed to flat-out decline, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out. It wasn't that I couldn't speak because I was swept up in their enthusiasm, but a weak part of me wondered if I would feel more at ease after donating the 3.5 million stones. Whew, this was why you had to be careful about affection. It made making logical decisions difficult. A few months ago, I wouldn't have worried about this.

"See you tomorrow, then!"

Soon after, we parted ways and headed to our respective inns. I walked the peaceful streets for about an hour to reach the inn, and once there, I washed my body, stained with blood and sweat, with clean water. While I was lying on my bed in a daze, someone knocked on the door.

It was Erwen. "Um, Mister? Are you there?"

When I opened the door, she was already washed up and wearing a fluttering skirt. I conversed with her, wondering if she had business with me, but it was mainly just chatter about what she did inside the labyrinth. A while ago, this was normal to me. In fact, usually, this would have been interesting to listen to, but today it was difficult to do so.

"Erwen, I'm tired today, so you should go home."

"Pardon? But now is when things get really good..."

"Later. I'll listen later. I'm tired today."

"Okay..." When I firmly gave her the order to leave, Erwen headed out with her pointy ears drooping.

Silence soon followed. In it, I had some time alone to think. If there was a problem, you had to fix it.

How to survive.

Ever since I opened my eyes in this body, this had been my biggest goal, and that had not changed even now. However, the process of reaching that goal was the problem.

"...Barbarian, you kept your oath, right?"

I broke the warrior's oath in front of everyone, and while leading the team, did countless things that would have made me seem strange. At that time, I justified everything as survival, but I knew differently. In the end, there was trust at the root of all those actions. If I thought there was anyone on the team who suspected me of being an evil spirit, I wouldn't have done that even if it killed me.

"...Hey! Hang on, my friend!"

The same went for splitting the advanced potion between Rotmiller and Dwalkie. It had been an irrational decision that put me in more danger than anyone else. And it wasn't much different from the dilemma I now faced.

"I'm... okay with that. We wouldn't have earrrned it if it wasn't for Dwalkie."

"That's fine with me, too. In fact, it feels ridiculous for me to claim an additional share of such a large sum."

To put it simply, the proposal was to donate 3.5 million stones per person to an orphanage. Unlike my colleagues, who agreed without much hesitation, I kept my mouth shut. This was completely irrational. Weren't we in the middle of a battle with a major enemy called the Dragon Slayer? If we were really going to fulfill Dwalkie's wishes, it would be better to use this money to make ourselves a little safer.

"...Bjorn, you don't have to do it. Unlike us, you were the one who went thrrrough the most back there."

"Th-that's right. We're doing this out of guilt, so don't worry too much about it."

My colleagues noticed my silence and quickly spoke up. If I nodded my head here, this matter would be settled. However, I put my decision on hold for now. "Let's properly discuss this the next time we meet. We haven't received the money yet, anyway."

This was definitely a suggestion that I needed to flat-out decline, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out. It wasn't that I couldn't speak because I was swept up in their enthusiasm, but a weak part of me wondered if I would feel more at ease after donating the 3.5 million stones. Whew, this was why you had to be careful about affection. It made making logical decisions difficult. A few months ago, I wouldn't have worried about this.

"See you tomorrow, then!"

Soon after, we parted ways and headed to our respective inns. I walked the peaceful streets for about an hour to reach the inn, and once there, I washed my body, stained with blood and sweat, with clean water. While I was lying on my bed in a daze, someone knocked on the door.

It was Erwen. "Um, Mister? Are you there?"

When I opened the door, she was already washed up and wearing a fluttering skirt. I conversed with her, wondering if she had business with me, but it was mainly just chatter about what she did inside the labyrinth. A while ago, this was normal to me. In fact, usually, this would have been interesting to listen to, but today it was difficult to do so.

"Erwen, I'm tired today, so you should go home."

"Pardon? But now is when things get really good..."

"Later. I'll listen later. I'm tired today."

"Okay..." When I firmly gave her the order to leave, Erwen headed out with her pointy ears drooping.

Silence soon followed. In it, I had some time alone to think. If there was a problem, you had to fix it.

How to survive.

Ever since I opened my eyes in this body, this had been my biggest goal, and that had not changed even now. However, the process of reaching that goal was the problem.

"...Barbarian, you kept your oath, right?"

I broke the warrior's oath in front of everyone, and while leading the team, did countless things that would have made me seem strange. At that time, I justified everything as survival, but I knew differently. In the end, there was trust at the root of all those actions. If I thought there was anyone on the team who suspected me of being an evil spirit, I wouldn't have done that even if it killed me.

"...Hey! Hang on, my friend!"

The same went for splitting the advanced potion between Rotmiller and Dwalkie. It had been an irrational decision that put me in more danger than anyone else. And it wasn't much different from the dilemma I now faced.

Three and a half million stones...

I slowly decided to admit it. I had become weak. The reason was simple: I had become attached to others. My rationality, which had always been my greatest strength, was now greatly complicated. It wouldn't be such an issue if I were just going to live in this world. But for me, whose top priority was survival, this problem couldn't be ignored. So what was the solution?

I was unable to find the answer before I fell asleep.

The next morning, I received a letter from an administrative branch of the Adventurers' Guild. The contents said that I had been designated as the beneficiary of Riol Warb Dwalkie's inheritance, so I had to go and receive it.

***

"Did you get it too?"

"Eh, you too?"

This was the first conversation I had with my teammates the next day. It looked like all four of us had gotten a letter from the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guild. But Dwalkie had definitely designated an orphanage as his beneficiary, so how did this happen?

"...Instead of trying to figure it out ourselves, it would be better to visit the guild and ask."

At Hikurod's behest, we all visited the guild together. The relevant department confirmed that it was not an administrative error or anything like that. Dwalkie had updated his will, appointing the four of us as beneficiaries, just last month.

"...After we fought the Troll."

Having almost been killed by the Troll, the first thing Dwalkie had done back in the city was update his will. He had been preparing. The worst of the worst-case scenarios that I hadn't even considered, that positive and optimistic guy somehow did.

A while later, Dwalkie's equipment and backpack, which had been handed over to the guild, were returned to us intact. We were also given ownership of the house he owned while alive. We left the building like defeated soldiers.

"My debt to him... I don't know if I'll be able to repay it in my lifetime."

"Dwalkie wouldn't have wanted us to pay him back."

"Yes, he certainly wouldn't have. So, let's spend the money he left us where we want. If he had one wish, that would be it."

After that, we went to the temple and picked up the reward. The archbishop seemed busy, so all business was conducted through Krovitz. After telling everyone else to head to the bar first, I chatted with him for a while. "Can you promise to keep everything I say now a secret?"

"You can speak comfortably. As long as it doesn't go against the will of the goddess, I swear I won't reveal my savior's words to anyone."

The part about the will of the goddess bothered me a little, but I still pulled out the longsword made of arc without much hesitation and showed it to him.

"...That's the Dragon Slayer's sword."

"For some reason, when we try to use it, it rejects us. Do you know why? If it's a curse, I want to get it lifted."

"The power within that object is not a curse." Krovitz had no trouble answering my question, as he knew much about this sword. It was a long story, but the gist was simple. The original name of this sword had been the Dragon Slayer Sword. Regal Vagos had killed the guardian dragon and run away with it, giving it the name Dragon Slayer. "Since ancient times, only dragonians have been able to wield this sword. From generation to generation, guardian dragons inherited it and enjoyed a near-immortal lifespan."

"But that man wasn't able to properly use this sword."

"Ah, that's because of the Dragon's Curse."

The guardian dragon cast a curse before its death. As a result, Regal Vagos was both one of the dragononians and not. His dragon scales, a hallmark of the dragonians, had been burned off with fire, and his source of power, his heart, was more or less like a human's now. The act of betraying his tribe to obtain the sword had been repaid in bad karma, so the item was no longer usable.

Three and a half million stones...

I slowly decided to admit it. I had become weak. The reason was simple: I had become attached to others. My rationality, which had always been my greatest strength, was now greatly complicated. It wouldn't be such an issue if I were just going to live in this world. But for me, whose top priority was survival, this problem couldn't be ignored. So what was the solution?

I was unable to find the answer before I fell asleep.

The next morning, I received a letter from an administrative branch of the Adventurers' Guild. The contents said that I had been designated as the beneficiary of Riol Warb Dwalkie's inheritance, so I had to go and receive it.

***

"Did you get it too?"

"Eh, you too?"

This was the first conversation I had with my teammates the next day. It looked like all four of us had gotten a letter from the guild. But Dwalkie had definitely designated an orphanage as his beneficiary, so how did this happen?

"...Instead of trying to figure it out ourselves, it would be better to visit the guild and ask."

At Hikurod's behest, we all visited the guild together. The relevant department confirmed that it was not an administrative error or anything like that. Dwalkie had updated his will, appointing the four of us as beneficiaries, just last month.

"...After we fought the Troll."

Having almost been killed by the Troll, the first thing Dwalkie had done back in the city was update his will. He had been preparing. The worst of the worst-case scenarios that I hadn't even considered, that positive and optimistic guy somehow did.

A while later, Dwalkie's equipment and backpack, which had been handed over to the guild, were returned to us intact. We were also given ownership of the house he owned while alive. We left the building like defeated soldiers.

"My debt to him... I don't know if I'll be able to repay it in my lifetime."

"Dwalkie wouldn't have wanted us to pay him back."

"Yes, he certainly wouldn't have. So, let's spend the money he left us where we want. If he had one wish, that would be it."

After that, we went to the temple and picked up the reward. The archbishop seemed busy, so all business was conducted through Krovitz. After telling everyone else to head to the bar first, I chatted with him for a while. "Can you promise to keep everything I say now a secret?"

"You can speak comfortably. As long as it doesn't go against the will of the goddess, I swear I won't reveal my savior's words to anyone."

The part about the will of the goddess bothered me a little, but I still pulled out the longsword made of arc without much hesitation and showed it to him.

"...That's the Dragon Slayer's sword."

"For some reason, when we try to use it, it rejects us. Do you know why? If it's a curse, I want to get it lifted."

"The power within that object is not a curse." Krovitz had no trouble answering my question, as he knew much about this sword. It was a long story, but the gist was simple. The original name of this sword had been the Dragon Slayer Sword. Regal Vagos had killed the guardian dragon and run away with it, giving it the name Dragon Slayer. "Since ancient times, only dragonians have been able to wield this sword. From generation to generation, guardian dragons inherited it and enjoyed a near-immortal lifespan."

"But that man wasn't able to properly use this sword."

"Ah, that's because of the Dragon's Curse."

The guardian dragon cast a curse before its death. As a result, Regal Vagos was both one of the dragononians and not. His dragon scales, a hallmark of the dragonians, had been burned off with fire, and his source of power, his heart, was more or less like a human's now. The act of betraying his tribe to obtain the sword had been repaid in bad karma, so the item was no longer usable.

"I know he has been looking for a way to get rid of the curse for a long time. However, from what you've said, it seems that there is no way to completely overcome it."

"Anyway, you're saying that it's not this sword that's cursed, but that guy."

"Yes, that's right."

Afterward, I asked how we should dispose of this sword that we couldn't use.

Krovitz's answer was simple. "I think it would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be prudent to return the sword to the dragonians and receive a well-deserved reward."

Yes, that was the only way. Since the sword could only be used by dragonians, it would be difficult to sell as stolen goods. I decided to think about this more later. "I see. Thanks for the advice."

"It's nothing. You are a hero to our church. If you need my help, please visit anytime."

"Oh, does that mean that I will be able to receive blessings for free in the future?" I asked just in case.

"Haha, that's a bit..." Krovitz laughed awkwardly and drew a line in the sand. He said he would if he could, but there had been another prophecy that morning. "The twilight star has said that everything will flow as it should, so we shouldn't try to go against it by misinterpreting her will."

For some reason, it felt like the goddess was talking to me: I already gave you a holy relic to settle our debt, so don't even think about getting something else out of it.

"Still, I can always listen to your worries, so please visit us whenever it is convenient for you."

After Krovitz's very religious comment, I left the temple and headed to the tavern.

"Ah, are you here? Come sit." The other three were already drinking. However, the atmosphere was very different from when we usually finished an expedition. There was no laughing and talking, just drinking. I realized at that moment that despite our team making more income than ever before, we had lost more than ever.

The window seat is empty.

At the table at the bar where five people used to gather was an empty chair that would never be filled again. However, we did not mention this at all and turned our conversation to more serious matters.

"We'll divide the bounty and the rest of the money exactly by four."

"Let's do that."

Even Hikurod, who at first suggested donating a share to the orphanage, just nodded. I sort of expected that. The reason why such a proposal had come about in the first place was in an effort to respect Dwalkie's wishes. But if he wanted us to use the precious property he left behind, we were just following his last request.

We'll have to meet again tomorrow to distribute the settlement money.

Everyone, including the dwarf, drank quietly in Dwalkie's memory, so I passed my time like that too.

"He shouldn't have died like that..." Hikurod, who had been drinking glass after glass, was the first to drop, his head falling onto the table. At this, Rotmiller said he would take him home, leaving me and Missha alone.

"Bjorn, let's go home too..."

As always, the two of us walked together as we headed for our inns. Missha staggered from drinking too much.

"Lean on me."

"Ah, thanks."

It was still sunny out. We made our way through the busy streets smelling of alcohol. As usual, we reached my inn first, and it was time to say goodbye. But the two of us just stood there, staring at each other in front of the door.

The air was strangely hot, probably because of our drunkenness. Yes, if things were normal, that was what I would have thought, since that was easier and more convenient for me. Pretending not to notice, I would have ignored it like a barbarian.

Missha broke eye contact first. "Um... I-I'm gonna go now. Rrrest—"

"Missha Karlstein."

She turned around when I grabbed her. I had made a promise to him.

"You are not sneaky. Please stop averting your eyes and face it head-on."

He told me not to look away. With the precious time he could have used to reveal his feelings to Missha, he instead left me with those words. And I had agreed.

"Hmm?"

It was my turn to strike. Her wrist in my hand, Missha looked at me quizzically. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. Then, I bluntly asked, "Do you like me as a man?"

It wasn't a romantic line, and it wasn't even that romantic of an atmosphere. I spat out the question like the barbarian I was, but Missha didn't get angry. She didn't even laugh and call the question strange. She flinched, then shifted her gaze to the ground to avoid my eyes. However, after dragging her feet through the dirt several times, she raised her head, looked up at me, and answered in a small voice. "...Yeah. I like you. As a man."

"I know he has been looking for a way to get rid of the curse for a long time. However, from what you've said, it seems that there is no way to completely overcome it."

"Anyway, you're saying that it's not this sword that's cursed, but that guy."

"Yes, that's right."

Afterward, I asked how we should dispose of this sword that we couldn't use.

Krovitz's answer was simple. "I think it would be prudent to return the sword to the dragonians and receive a well-deserved reward."

Yes, that was the only way. Since the sword could only be used by dragonians, it would be difficult to sell as stolen goods. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I decided to think about this more later. "I see. Thanks for the advice."

"It's nothing. You are a hero to our church. If you need my help, please visit anytime."

"Oh, does that mean that I will be able to receive blessings for free in the future?" I asked just in case.

"Haha, that's a bit..." Krovitz laughed awkwardly and drew a line in the sand. He said he would if he could, but there had been another prophecy that morning. "The twilight star has said that everything will flow as it should, so we shouldn't try to go against it by misinterpreting her will."

For some reason, it felt like the goddess was talking to me: I already gave you a holy relic to settle our debt, so don't even think about getting something else out of it.

"Still, I can always listen to your worries, so please visit us whenever it is convenient for you."

After Krovitz's very religious comment, I left the temple and headed to the tavern.

"Ah, are you here? Come sit." The other three were already drinking. However, the atmosphere was very different from when we usually finished an expedition. There was no laughing and talking, just drinking. I realized at that moment that despite our team making more income than ever before, we had lost more than ever.

The window seat is empty.

At the table at the bar where five people used to gather was an empty chair that would never be filled again. However, we did not mention this at all and turned our conversation to more serious matters.

"We'll divide the bounty and the rest of the money exactly by four."

"Let's do that."

Even Hikurod, who at first suggested donating a share to the orphanage, just nodded. I sort of expected that. The reason why such a proposal had come about in the first place was in an effort to respect Dwalkie's wishes. But if he wanted us to use the precious property he left behind, we were just following his last request.

We'll have to meet again tomorrow to distribute the settlement money.

Everyone, including the dwarf, drank quietly in Dwalkie's memory, so I passed my time like that too.

"He shouldn't have died like that..." Hikurod, who had been drinking glass after glass, was the first to drop, his head falling onto the table. At this, Rotmiller said he would take him home, leaving me and Missha alone.

"Bjorn, let's go home too..."

As always, the two of us walked together as we headed for our inns. Missha staggered from drinking too much.

"Lean on me."

"Ah, thanks."

It was still sunny out. We made our way through the busy streets smelling of alcohol. As usual, we reached my inn first, and it was time to say goodbye. But the two of us just stood there, staring at each other in front of the door.

The air was strangely hot, probably because of our drunkenness. Yes, if things were normal, that was what I would have thought, since that was easier and more convenient for me. Pretending not to notice, I would have ignored it like a barbarian.

Missha broke eye contact first. "Um... I-I'm gonna go now. Rrrest—"

"Missha Karlstein."

She turned around when I grabbed her. I had made a promise to him.

"You are not sneaky. Please stop averting your eyes and face it head-on."

He told me not to look away. With the precious time he could have used to reveal his feelings to Missha, he instead left me with those words. And I had agreed.

"Hmm?"

It was my turn to strike. Her wrist in my hand, Missha looked at me quizzically. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. Then, I bluntly asked, "Do you like me as a man?"

It wasn't a romantic line, and it wasn't even that romantic of an atmosphere. I spat out the question like the barbarian I was, but Missha didn't get angry. She didn't even laugh and call the question strange. She flinched, then shifted her gaze to the ground to avoid my eyes. However, after dragging her feet through the dirt several times, she raised her head, looked up at me, and answered in a small voice. "...Yeah. I like you. As a man."