Chapter 149: Barbarian Chief (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149: Barbarian Chief (1)
Not long ago, Missha had put her foot down with me.
"I... I like skinny men."
"Eeet! It means that you have no charrrm as a man!"
When we got lost in the Witch's Forest, she said this because she misunderstood my friendly offer of a contract. I had been relieved by those words. People often said there was no such thing as friendship between a man and a woman. I figured that if her tastes were that defined, we would be able to remain comrades without any issues, even if we stayed together for a long time.
"Come, sit quickly. Not getting enough food while you'rrre recovering is bad for you."
Missha's attitude toward me gradually changed. She stopped by every morning to wake me up, and we ate homemade dishes together. She even conceded the meat to me. To be honest, it felt like I had a girlfriend instead of a comrade. At first, I thought it was because I had risked my life to save her, so she was repaying me in her own way.
"...Yeah. I like you. As a man."
So it had been that all along.
"Did you know?" she asked.
"I wasn't sure."
To be more accurate, I had been ignoring it for that very reason. It was not like she had ever brought it up herself. I decided not to face this problem, telling myself that I could just be mistaken, because now that I knew, there was only one option.
"I-I see..."
Watching Missha tremble as she looked at me, I realized how cowardly I was. If I had faced this problem earlier, I would have been able to solve it in a different way. I could have pushed her away with obvious hints, too, if Missha's feelings hadn't already grown to the point where even Dwalkie told me to stop ignoring them. Yes, I'm sure that would've been the case.
"So... what do you think?"
There were now two choices in front of me: bring my body closer and light a blazing fire, or put out the fire before it got any bigger. The answer had already been decided.
"I..."
I was an evil spirit and a player. I was not Bjorn Yandel, and I hadn't given up my hopes of returning home. But because I couldn't say that, and since Dwalkie had also said that it would be cowardly to ask for her honesty without showing my true self, I spoke sincerely.
"I consider you a valuable comrade."
I got an answer a few seconds later. "Yeah... it's not going to worrrk with me, huh?"
"The same goes for anyone else. I can't afford that. We don't know when we will die. Besides, it hasn't even been a year since I finished my coming-of-age ceremony." In many ways, this was a time when survival should be my top priority, and Missha had to keep adventuring with me. If we were emotionally entangled, it would be difficult to make a logical decision in certain situations. This would put both of us at risk. I had to face the facts and draw the line. However, even if I packaged it as what was best for us, the root of my decision was selfishness. "I want you to only consider me as a teammate."
Missha flatly rejected my suggestion. "No!"
"...What?"
"Why should I do that? In the firrrst place, I had no intention of revealing my feelings today, you horrible barbarian! You con man! All this, after asking me that as if you werrre going to accept them!" Missha shouted in annoyance and thrust her fist into my stomach.
Smack!
The cold damage even reached my heart. Still angry, Missha continued to shout. "When did I ask you to accept my feelings? I know you'rrre not in a position to do that! But! Telling me not to like you, that's too crrruel!"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Cold damage quickly stacked.
"No, that—"
Just as I was about to say something, Missha's hand weakly dropped onto my stomach. "I... don't even want much. The way things arrre now is enough for me. So don't say stuff like that. Hm? Why are you trrrying to take this away from me too...?"
Tremors ran through my skin where Missha and I were connected. I couldn't see her face because she had her head down, but it wasn't hard to guess what expression she was wearing. I kept my mouth shut. I figured I wasn't qualified to console her right now, whether through words or actions. A moment of silence passed, and soon the trembling stopped.
Missha stepped back and glared at me with red, swollen eyes. "You'rrre not getting any food tomorrow," she said venomously and left.
I stood there like a statue and watched her leave.
Creak.
When I entered the inn, the owner sitting at the counter looked at me and clicked his tongue. "You did her wrong today."
I knew that without needing to hear it.
Step, step.
I climbed the stairs and opened the door. Bjorn Yandel's room was still cramped. For some reason, it reminded me of Hansu Lee's empty room. It was time to admit it. It was not because I had gotten attached that I'd become weak. It was because I was weak that I didn't want to get attached.
***
The next morning, Missha, who said I wouldn't be getting any food, came to wake me up with a healthy lunchbox full of carrots in her hand. "Chew them all thoroughly. Got it?"
Because of the sins I had committed, I obediently chewed and swallowed them all. It didn't take long as I gobbled them down. However, noticing me awkwardly averting my eyes after the meal, Missha opened her mouth first.
"It's not bad, how things are now."
"But—"
"No buts. You have no rrright to decide. So don't look so worried. I'm just doing what I want to do." This was the conclusion she must have reached at home last night. There was no room for me to argue. Missha was more mature than me. She must have been saying this so resolutely because she didn't want this relationship to become any more uncomfortable.
I was sure Dwalkie wouldn't want me to take such a wishy-washy stance, but I just said, "Okay."
"Okay, then we won't talk about this anymore frrrom now on. Got it?"
"Got it."
With that, the matter had been settled. Nothing had actually changed from before.
"Wash up. We should leave soon."
After eating, I quickly washed up and headed out with Missha. We headed to the meeting place, met up with our teammates, and all went to Kommelby together. The air in the carriage was quite heavy.
"This is the first time we've all headed there together." Hikurod tried his best to sound upbeat, but strictly speaking, not everyone was here. Now, even if we wanted to, we never could.
"...Let's finish our business fast and head back."
After arriving at Kommelby, things got better. We repaired our equipment and sold what was to be sold. Finally, we went to the central administrative office and drew up a contract to transfer Dwalkie's house to Hikurod. The reason was simple: the dwarf said he would buy it.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Cold damage quickly stacked.
"No, that—"
Just as I was about to say something, Missha's hand weakly dropped onto my stomach. "I... don't even want much. The way things arrre now is enough for me. So don't say stuff like that. Hm? Why are you trrrying to take this away from me too...?"
Tremors ran through my skin where Missha and I were connected. I couldn't see her face because she had her head down, but it wasn't hard to guess what expression she was wearing. I kept my mouth shut. I figured I wasn't qualified to console her right now, whether through words or actions. A moment of silence passed, and soon the trembling stopped.
Missha stepped back and glared at me with red, swollen eyes. "You'rrre not getting any food tomorrow," she said venomously and left.
I stood there like a statue and watched her leave.
Creak.
When I entered the inn, the owner sitting at the counter looked at me and clicked his tongue. "You did her wrong today."
I knew that without needing to hear it.
Step, step.
I climbed the stairs and opened the door. Bjorn Yandel's room was still cramped. For some reason, it reminded me of Hansu Lee's empty room. It was time to admit it. It was not because I had gotten attached that I'd become weak. It was because I was weak that I didn't want to get attached.
***
The next morning, Missha, who said I wouldn't be getting any food, came to wake me up with a healthy lunchbox full of carrots in her hand. "Chew them all thoroughly. Got it?"
Because of the sins I had committed, I obediently chewed and swallowed them all. It didn't take long as I gobbled them down. However, noticing me awkwardly averting my eyes after the meal, Missha opened her mouth first.
"It's not bad, how things are now."
"But—"
"No buts. You have no rrright to decide. So don't look so worried. I'm just doing what I want to do." This was the conclusion she must have reached at home last night. There was no room for me to argue. Missha was more mature than me. She must have been saying this so resolutely because she didn't want this relationship to become any more uncomfortable.
I was sure Dwalkie wouldn't want me to take such a wishy-washy stance, but I just said, "Okay."
"Okay, then we won't talk about this anymore frrrom now on. Got it?"
"Got it."
With that, the matter had been settled. Nothing had actually changed from before.
"Wash up. We should leave soon."
After eating, I quickly washed up and headed out with Missha. We headed to the meeting place, met up with our teammates, and all went to Kommelby together. The air in the carriage was quite heavy.
"This is the first time we've all headed there together." Hikurod tried his best to sound upbeat, but strictly speaking, not everyone was here. Now, even if we wanted to, we never could.
"...Let's finish our business fast and head back."
After arriving at Kommelby, things got better. We repaired our equipment and sold what was to be sold. Finally, we went to the central administrative office and drew up a contract to transfer Dwalkie's house to Hikurod. The reason was simple: the dwarf said he would buy it.
"...Is there a reason you're going out of your way? I'm sure Dwalkie wouldn't want you to go so far, either."
"Haha! It's always been my dream to own a house. Didn't we make a lot of money this time?" I tried to dissuade him, but Hikurod's resolve was unbending. "Now, that's enough of your worrying. Hurry up and sign."
With the government official as a notary, the signature was signed, and Dwalkie's house became property of the dwarf. The appraisal value of the house given to us by the administrative office was twenty-four million stones. However, we were told that it would have been sold for 20 percent cheaper at an auction, so we only received five million stones per person.
"Then let's head back and have a drink."
After finishing our business and returning to the residential area, we headed to the tavern. There, we did our final loot distribution. All income, including mana stones, was divided into four. Because of equipment repair costs or the cost of consumables used in the labyrinth, there may have been slight differences for each person, but an otherwise huge sum of money had fallen into each of our laps.
Twenty-five million stones...
Hikurod likely only had ten million stones left after buying the house, though. It was also agreed that the Dragon Slayer Sword and the Restrained Wish I used in the labyrinth would be acknowledged as part of my share.
"Your Essence of a Vampire disappeared and got replaced by the Essence of an Ogre? That was definitely the item that man was looking for, then. But it happened while you were trying to save us, right?"
"I'm not so shameless as to be that greedy. If it weren't for you, he would have kept the Dragon Slayer sword in the first place."
I was very grateful to hear those words. If we were to convert those two items into money and divide them into four, I'd be filing for bankruptcy several times over.
"Now then, let's drink."
After a few more drinks, I quietly opened my mouth. "I guess we should start talking about the team."
A seat on the team had become vacant. I wasn't planning on filling the position, but instead leaving the team with Missha.
However, Hikurod was one step ahead of me. "I have something to say to everyone about that. I'm going to quit being an adventurer."
"What?"
"I'm sorry for bringing this up at a time like this. However, I came to the decision after thinking about it all day yesterday, so I hope you understand."
"If you quit this job, what are you planning to do in the future?" Rotmiller asked in response to the dwarf's declaration.
"I'm going to set up a forge. That's why I bought that house. I thought it was now or never." No wonder he had stepped up to buy Dwalkie's house. He was planning to renovate it and set up a forge. "To me, becoming an adventurer was always kind of like running away from reality. I gave up on my dream because I had no talent, because I needed money to live on in the present. That's why I don't want to live with regrets anymore. That would be an insult to my friend."
No one dared to speak out against Hikurod's resolute proclamation. We could only root for his success in his future endeavors.
"...I really hope your dream comes true."
"Oh, does that mean you'rrre the boss, now? I will definitely come visit."
"If I ever need to go to the blacksmith, I can just go to your shop from now on."
"Yes, that will work! Really, just thinking about it makes me happy! Hahaha!"
After the fait accompli that was the dwarf's resignation, it was Rotmiller who took over the conversation. "Murad, don't feel too bad about your decision. After all, I was planning to leave the team after this expedition, too."
"What? You? But why?"
"I sensed that I was lacking. That's all." Hikurod didn't say anything in response to that blunt reply. Rotmiller, who had perhaps anticipated this reaction, continued without hesitation. "Actually, I told Bjorn beforehand. I couldn't have imagined at the time that it would end like this, though. Now that I've earned a sizable amount of money, I will take time to develop myself."
"...I believe that with your diligence and perseverance, you will be able to achieve any goal."
After Hikurod's heartfelt statement, their eyes shifted to me and Missha. They must have been wondering what we were going to do.
I briefly outlined my future plans. "The two of us will form a new team. And we will go even higher."
"Yes, I thought you would say that."
"Miss Karlstein has a hard road ahead of her."
"...Well, it's my own karrrma, I guess. I can't do anything other than this, eitherrr."
We all raised our glasses and toasted to our last drinking party together as Team Half-Wit. Blessing and cheering for each other's futures, we spent our parting reminiscing on the past. As always, however, time marched on mercilessly, and soon the dwarf and Missha got drunk and hit their heads on the table as they passed out.
"It's time to start heading home." I flashed Rotmiller a rueful smile. At the end of a drinking party, we were always the only two left to sort things out. We were finishing our meeting in true Team Half-Wit style.
Just as I was standing up with that thought in mind, Rotmiller deviated from the script, lowered his voice, and called my name like he had been waiting for the two of them to fall asleep. "Bjorn, I want to ask you something."
"...Speak."
I stared at him, feeling a strange tension settle on my shoulders. Rotmiller paused. Then, he spoke. "Are you an evil spirit?"
The biggest, most essential task for the safe dissolution of Team Half-Wit yet remained.
"...Is there a reason you're going out of your way? I'm sure Dwalkie wouldn't want you to go so far, either."
"Haha! It's always been my dream to own a house. Didn't we make a lot of money this time?" I tried to dissuade him, but Hikurod's resolve was unbending. "Now, that's enough of your worrying. Hurry up and sign."
With the government official as a notary, the signature was signed, and Dwalkie's house became property of the dwarf. The appraisal value of the house given to us by the administrative office was twenty-four million stones. However, we were told that it would have been sold for 20 percent cheaper at an auction, so we only received five million stones per person.
"Then let's head back and have a drink."
After finishing our business and returning to the residential area, we headed to the tavern. There, we did our final loot distribution. All income, including mana stones, was divided into four. Because of equipment repair costs or the cost of consumables used in the labyrinth, there may have been slight differences for each person, but an otherwise huge sum of money had fallen into each of our laps.
Twenty-five million stones...
Hikurod likely only had ten million stones left after buying the house, though. It was also agreed that the Dragon Slayer Sword and the Restrained Wish I used in the labyrinth would be acknowledged as part of my share.
"Your Essence of a Vampire disappeared and got replaced by the Essence of an Ogre? That was definitely the item that man was looking for, then. But it happened while you were trying to save us, right?"
"I'm not so shameless as to be that greedy. If it weren't for you, he would have kept the Dragon Slayer sword in the first place."
I was very grateful to hear those words. If we were to convert those two items into money and divide them into four, I'd be filing for bankruptcy several times over.
"Now then, let's drink."
After a few more drinks, I quietly opened my mouth. "I guess we should start talking about the team."
A seat on the team had become vacant. I wasn't planning on filling the position, but instead leaving the team with Missha.
However, Hikurod was one step ahead of me. "I have something to say to everyone about that. I'm going to quit being an adventurer."
"What?"
"I'm sorry for bringing this up at a time like this. However, I came to the decision after thinking about it all day yesterday, so I hope you understand."
"If you quit this job, what are you planning to do in the future?" Rotmiller asked in response to the dwarf's declaration.
"I'm going to set up a forge. That's why I bought that house. I thought it was now or never." No wonder he had stepped up to buy Dwalkie's house. He was planning to renovate it and set up a forge. "To me, becoming an adventurer was always kind of like running away from reality. I gave up on my dream because I had no talent, because I needed money to live on in the present. That's why I don't want to live with regrets anymore. That would be an insult to my friend."
No one dared to speak out against Hikurod's resolute proclamation. We could only root for his success in his future endeavors.
"...I really hope your dream comes true."
"Oh, does that mean you'rrre the boss, now? I will definitely come visit."
"If I ever need to go to the blacksmith, I can just go to your shop from now on."
"Yes, that will work! Really, just thinking about it makes me happy! Hahaha!"
After the fait accompli that was the dwarf's resignation, it was Rotmiller who took over the conversation. "Murad, don't feel too bad about your decision. After all, I was planning to leave the team after this expedition, too."
"What? You? But why?"
"I sensed that I was lacking. That's all." Hikurod didn't say anything in response to that blunt reply. Rotmiller, who had perhaps anticipated this reaction, continued without hesitation. "Actually, I told Bjorn beforehand. I couldn't have imagined at the time that it would end like this, though. Now that I've earned a sizable amount of money, I will take time to develop myself."
"...I believe that with your diligence and perseverance, you will be able to achieve any goal."
After Hikurod's heartfelt statement, their eyes shifted to me and Missha. They must have been wondering what we were going to do.
I briefly outlined my future plans. "The two of us will form a new team. And we will go even higher."
"Yes, I thought you would say that."
"Miss Karlstein has a hard road ahead of her."
"...Well, it's my own karrrma, I guess. I can't do anything other than this, eitherrr."
We all raised our glasses and toasted to our last drinking party together as Team Half-Wit. Blessing and cheering for each other's futures, we spent our parting reminiscing on the past. As always, however, time marched on mercilessly, and soon the dwarf and Missha got drunk and hit their heads on the table as they passed out.
"It's time to start heading home." I flashed Rotmiller a rueful smile. At the end of a drinking party, we were always the only two left to sort things out. We were finishing our meeting in true Team Half-Wit style.
Just as I was standing up with that thought in mind, Rotmiller deviated from the script, lowered his voice, and called my name like he had been waiting for the two of them to fall asleep. "Bjorn, I want to ask you something."
"...Speak."
I stared at him, feeling a strange tension settle on my shoulders. Rotmiller paused. Then, he spoke. "Are you an evil spirit?"
The biggest, most essential task for the safe dissolution of Team Half-Wit yet remained.