Chapter 151: Barbarian Chief (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: Barbarian Chief (3)
We had me, a tank, and Missha, a cold-type melee damage dealer. Now we needed to recruit three more team members with a compatible combination.
One priest, one wizard, and one archer or scout.
The first configuration that came to mind was this. You could say it was the fundamental team comp in Dungeon and Stone. Since my vampire essence was gone, the presence of a priest would be of great help to the team.
But I'm giving up on the priest.
Or, rather, it'd be misleading to say I was giving up. I had even asked Krovitz if he could introduce me to a priest, but he refused point-blank. Apparently, there needed to be at least three rank-five adventurers in the team, and the team had to have a certain number of accomplishments under its belt first.
The basic recruitment conditions are stricter than in the game.
That was disappointing, but not a major problem. Although having a priest would greatly increase the team's cohesion, I'd also been deliberately pushing it off because of the downside of disadvantageous deals.
I'm starting to get a sense of how to form the team.
That evening, I had learned the shocking fact that Missha was a speciesist. After I finished gathering my thoughts, I got dressed, went outside, and headed to the tavern I had been meaning to visit.
Jingle!
As soon as I opened the door, I saw a woman from the Black Bear tribe who was built like a boulder. She asked if I was alone. When I answered with Mr. Bear's name, the woman pursed her lips and pointed to a spot with her chin. Mr. Bear, a rank-five adventurer, was carrying drinks and food to some guests with his apron on.
"We don't even have any customers, yet he always invites his friends."
I sat down in an empty seat, trying to ignore the grumbling behind me. After Mr. Bear finished serving a round, I quietly raised my hand and waved him over.
"Oh, hold on. I'll be th—Bjorn Yandel?"
"Let's talk for a minute."
At my words, Mr. Bear gently shifted his gaze and side-eyed the counter. I didn't expect him to be like this, but he was rather whipped by his wife. I was just planning to talk for a bit, but I ended up ordering two snacks and drinks. I figured that this would make things less tense.
"...Ahem." Soon after, Mr. Bear, who had brought the order over, sat down across from me with an embarrassed look on his face. "It's not always like this," he said, coming up with an excuse. "You know that, right? It's just that the tavern is very busy these days..."
It was pretty quiet for a busy tavern, but I didn't bother saying that. What was so embarrassing about being a family man?
Soon, Mr. Bear opened his mouth and changed the subject. "So, seeing as you are here, does that mean you've left your original team?"
"...The team disbanded."
"From the look on your face, you must have lost someone." I neither confirmed nor denied that. However, my silence was enough of an answer. Mr. Bear smiled bitterly and gulped down an entire glass. "It's a damned thing, that is."
"Yeah, it really was." I also threw back the entire glass and ordered two more. Then we finally got to talking.
"How many have you gathered?"
"Only two for now."
"That must be you and the red cat woman."
"So, your answer?"
"All right, I'll join you."
After Mr. Bear calmly agreed, he started asking questions: what floor we were aiming for, how the loot distribution would work, and how I was going to fill in the remaining two spots. I briefly mentioned the team comp I was thinking of.
"First of all, there has to be a wizard, for sure. And the remaining spot... leaves us no choice but to find a scout."
Actually, there had also been the option to put Erwen on the team in the archer position instead of Mr. Bear. However, it was unclear how well a kid who'd just started adventuring lessons would do. In addition, Mr. Bear, who had a summon that could serve as a tank, was able to cover for the absence of a priest to some extent, so I had chosen him instead.
"Until a scout is found, we'll hire one. We plan to distribute the rest equally, except for the scout."
"I see." Mr. Bear nodded. "If I play the scout, can you increase my share?" he asked bluntly.
"What?"
"Just as I said."
What the hell was this old man talking about? Did he just say that he was a scout? If so, there was something I didn't understand at all. "Didn't you say you were lost on the first floor for nineteen hours when we met?"
"...Did I even tell you the time?"
"It was around 19:00 on the first day when the rift opened."
Mr. Bear had been wandering around the Crystal Cave even then, unable to find the portal to the second floor. No matter where you ended up in the labyrinth, a scout would accurately know the direction of the portal on the first floor. Nineteen hours didn't make sense when I considered that Rotmiller's record was six hours.
"Ah, that... You know the path in the Crystal Cave is a bit complicated."
"Huh?"
"I know where the portal is, but it's always difficult to find it." Mr. Bear went on to explain that he only gave directions and that his other teammates were usually the ones responsible for finding the way.
I didn't know what to say to that, so I asked, "To put it simply, are you saying you are a scout but bad with directions?"
"Ahem! My former coworkers said so. It's hard to admit, honestly."
What was hard to admit? Even an ordinary person could find their way to the second floor's portal within a day, as long as they had a compass.
A scout who is bad with directions...
I didn't know how that was possible, but I didn't express those thoughts and wrapped the conversation up. "I will think about the loot distribution. I need to listen to the opinions of those who will be joining later, too."
"That is enough for me."
"Then our conversation is over."
We had our first teammate: Abman Urikfried, a rank-five archer with a tank summon, and a guide whose aptitude for navigation was near zero.
"I hope we work well together, Bjorn, son of Yandel."
Our specs may have gone up a lot, but was it just me, or were we beginning to see the return of Team Half-Wit?
In commemoration of becoming a team, we even clinked glasses for a while. Soon, Mrs. Bear glared at us. "Honey, how long are you going to play around?"
"D-Dear? No, this is not playing." Mr. Bear got up in a hurry and headed to his wife, after which they talked in hushed voices. At first, it seemed like a scolding.
"All right, I'll join you."
After Mr. Bear calmly agreed, he started asking questions: what floor we were aiming for, how the loot distribution would work, and how I was going to fill in the remaining two spots. I briefly mentioned the team comp I was thinking of.
"First of all, there has to be a wizard, for sure. And the remaining spot... leaves us no choice but to find a scout."
Actually, there had also been the option to put Erwen on the team in the archer position instead of Mr. Bear. However, it was unclear how well a kid who'd just started adventuring lessons would do. In addition, Mr. Bear, who had a summon that could serve as a tank, was able to cover for the absence of a priest to some extent, so I had chosen him instead.
"Until a scout is found, we'll hire one. We plan to distribute the rest equally, except for the scout."
"I see." Mr. Bear nodded. "If I play the scout, can you increase my share?" he asked bluntly.
"What?"
"Just as I said."
What the hell was this old man talking about? Did he just say that he was a scout? If so, there was something I didn't understand at all. "Didn't you say you were lost on the first floor for nineteen hours when we met?"
"...Did I even tell you the time?"
"It was around 19:00 on the first day when the rift opened."
Mr. Bear had been wandering around the Crystal Cave even then, unable to find the portal to the second floor. No matter where you ended up in the labyrinth, a scout would accurately know the direction of the portal on the first floor. Nineteen hours didn't make sense when I considered that Rotmiller's record was six hours.
"Ah, that... You know the path in the Crystal Cave is a bit complicated."
"Huh?"
"I know where the portal is, but it's always difficult to find it." Mr. Bear went on to explain that he only gave directions and that his other teammates were usually the ones responsible for finding the way.
I didn't know what to say to that, so I asked, "To put it simply, are you saying you are a scout but bad with directions?"
"Ahem! My former coworkers said so. It's hard to admit, honestly."
What was hard to admit? Even an ordinary person could find their way to the second floor's portal within a day, as long as they had a compass.
A scout who is bad with directions...
I didn't know how that was possible, but I didn't express those thoughts and wrapped the conversation up. "I will think about the loot distribution. I need to listen to the opinions of those who will be joining later, too."
"That is enough for me."
"Then our conversation is over."
We had our first teammate: Abman Urikfried, a rank-five archer with a tank summon, and a guide whose aptitude for navigation was near zero.
"I hope we work well together, Bjorn, son of Yandel."
Our specs may have gone up a lot, but was it just me, or were we beginning to see the return of Team Half-Wit?
In commemoration of becoming a team, we even clinked glasses for a while. Soon, Mrs. Bear glared at us. "Honey, how long are you going to play around?"
"D-Dear? No, this is not playing." Mr. Bear got up in a hurry and headed to his wife, after which they talked in hushed voices. At first, it seemed like a scolding.
"Oh my gosh, you should have said that earlier. The person who will be my husband's new teammate!" She came up to me and gave me a friendly smile after their conversation was over. "Nice to meet you. People call you Little Balkan, right? Seeing how tall and strong you are makes me a little relieved."
"I-I'm glad."
"Yes. To be honest, I didn't really like his previous teammates. How could they not show their faces here even after working as a team for over half a year?"
"...Previous teammates?" I was sure this man was playing solo, no? I quietly glanced at Mr. Bear. He was shaking his head repeatedly, his face pale. A past conversation came to mind.
"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."
It was good to work hard, but I never suspected he had been working alone while lying to his wife. Following the revelation of his poor sense of direction, it felt like my first impression of him was crumbling down. I had thought he was going to be a reliable yet wise teammate, almost like a bear. Now I saw that he was just a man living in the moment.
"Anyway, please consider your food today my treat. And although my husband may be lacking, I hope you take good care of him in the future."
Not wanting to interfere in someone else's family affairs and get caught in the crossfire, I half ran away from the tavern.
When I arrived at the inn, Erwen had ordered a drink and was sitting in the lobby on the first floor, waiting for me. "Oh, Mister. Have you been drinking?" I wondered if she came by to continue her story from last time. Before I had time to say anything, though, Erwen delivered an apology. "I'm sorry!"
"Sorry? What do you mean?"
"I had no idea what happened to your teammate and I—"
"How do you know about that?"
"Your face seemed so dark back then, so I asked your other teammate."
When I asked who she was talking about, she answered Hikurod. It seemed likely that he'd told her what happened without mistrust because she told him that she was my former comrade. Fortunately, it seemed he left out the blessing and the Dragon Slayer parts.
"You must've had a hard time. I know... what it feels like to lose something." Erwen sniffled and touched my hand. It was very embarrassing, like being comforted by a three-year-old child. It was a little late, anyway. By now, I'd pretty much already finished sorting out my thoughts.
"...Let's stop talking about that. Anyway, it's good that you're here. I had something to tell you."
"What is it? Uh, I still have something left to do..."
"Left to do?"
"...It's nothing. So, what did you want to talk about?"
I decided to be blunt. "I'm starting a new team, are you interested in joining?"
Originally, I didn't plan to include Erwen. Of course, it wasn't because of Missha's request. It was just that after much thought, I chose Mr. Bear for our archer, and there was no room left. However, the situation changed now that I knew that Mr. Bear was a scout. The spot meant for the real scout was now available.
She's lacking combat power for now, but with enough work, she'll be able to pull her own weight.
The fact that she was getting scouting lessons from her sister was a great bonus. It would be perfect if she guided the way with Mr. Bear.
"Oh my gosh, you should have said that earlier. The person who will be my husband's new teammate!" She came up to me and gave me a friendly smile after their conversation was over. "Nice to meet you. People call you Little Balkan, right? Seeing how tall and strong you are makes me a little relieved."
"I-I'm glad."
"Yes. To be honest, I didn't really like his previous teammates. How could they not show their faces here even after working as a team for over half a year?"
"...Previous teammates?" I was sure this man was playing solo, no? I quietly glanced at Mr. Bear. He was shaking his head repeatedly, his face pale. A past conversation came to mind.
"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."
It was good to work hard, but I never suspected he had been working alone while lying to his wife. Following the revelation of his poor sense of direction, it felt like my first impression of him was crumbling down. I had thought he was going to be a reliable yet wise teammate, almost like a bear. Now I saw that he was just a man living in the moment.
"Anyway, please consider your food today my treat. And although my husband may be lacking, I hope you take good care of him in the future."
Not wanting to interfere in someone else's family affairs and get caught in the crossfire, I half ran away from the tavern.
When I arrived at the inn, Erwen had ordered a drink and was sitting in the lobby on the first floor, waiting for me. "Oh, Mister. Have you been drinking?" I wondered if she came by to continue her story from last time. Before I had time to say anything, though, Erwen delivered an apology. "I'm sorry!"
"Sorry? What do you mean?"
"I had no idea what happened to your teammate and I—"
"How do you know about that?"
"Your face seemed so dark back then, so I asked your other teammate."
When I asked who she was talking about, she answered Hikurod. It seemed likely that he'd told her what happened without mistrust because she told him that she was my former comrade. Fortunately, it seemed he left out the blessing and the Dragon Slayer parts.
"You must've had a hard time. I know... what it feels like to lose something." Erwen sniffled and touched my hand. It was very embarrassing, like being comforted by a three-year-old child. It was a little late, anyway. By now, I'd pretty much already finished sorting out my thoughts.
"...Let's stop talking about that. Anyway, it's good that you're here. I had something to tell you."
"What is it? Uh, I still have something left to do..."
"Left to do?"
"...It's nothing. So, what did you want to talk about?"
I decided to be blunt. "I'm starting a new team, are you interested in joining?"
Originally, I didn't plan to include Erwen. Of course, it wasn't because of Missha's request. It was just that after much thought, I chose Mr. Bear for our archer, and there was no room left. However, the situation changed now that I knew that Mr. Bear was a scout. The spot meant for the real scout was now available.
She's lacking combat power for now, but with enough work, she'll be able to pull her own weight.
The fact that she was getting scouting lessons from her sister was a great bonus. It would be perfect if she guided the way with Mr. Bear.
"Um..." Erwen only managed to come up with an answer after a long period of silence. "I'm really glad you made the offer, so don't get me wrong."
So, it was a no. "Is it because of your sister?"
"No. It's because of me. I still have a lot to learn from my sister."
Her response was unexpected. Well, it wasn't that I couldn't understand where she was coming from, though. There was no doubt that sticking with her sister now would help her develop. It had only been a few months since she started getting adventuring lessons, and I couldn't teach her about elemental magic, either.
"I see. Okay."
"Um... you're not mad, are you?"
"Why would I be? It's a great choice. You too have become an adventurer now."
"Ah, I haven't received a compliment in a long time..." Erwen stared off into space blankly for a minute before clearing her throat and coming back down to earth. Then she spoke in a determined voice. "Please wait for me for just half a year. After half a year, I will have learned everything I can learn from my sister and join your team."
Well, the thought was nice, but... This now felt like I was hiring someone for corporate espionage.
Crumble.
For some reason, I swore I could hear her sister's world come crashing down.
***
The next morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, I headed to the holy land without even washing up. It was a reasonable assessment that there was no need to wash up when going to a place full of barbarians, anyway.
It feels like I've come back to my hometown.
I was not even a real barbarian, but there was something comforting about the green bushes here. There was a time it had been uncomfortable because the chieftain was scary, but it at least felt like that now. Maybe that was why...
Goddamn it.
Suddenly, the blessing came to mind and my heart felt heavy. An instinct trained by constant misfortune whispered in my ear. It said a secret that more than ten people knew couldn't be kept forever.
Even if I finish the sixth stage today, it will take several more years to reach the ninth stage...
Unlike the other races, who had abandoned the old ways, barbarians were close to maddeningly stubborn. If it were known that I had been entrusted with a blessing from a star goddess rather than an ancestral god, super rookie or not, the chieftain would step in and try to kick me out.
I'm going to think about that later...
I walked through the bushes and headed toward the center of the holy land. As I was doing so, I saw young warriors gathered in an empty field, little fighters practicing martial arts while waiting for their coming-of-age ceremonies. This was what I always saw when I came here, but...
Is that... Kharon?
I saw a familiar face among the young warriors: Kharon, son of Tarson. He had once been an ignorant baby barbarian, but he had accepted the world's dark side and become a full-fledged warrior. He now stood in front of the young barbarians like a drill instructor.
"All together. Humans are...?"
"Enemies!"
"Our hearts...?"
"Must be protected!"
It was rote education that was closer to brainwashing than anything else, but even with this, their chances of survival would be much higher. I looked at them with a pleased smile until I realized one thing.
But what is that?
Kharon and several of the senior barbarians who seemed to have followed him looked strange. For some reason, they were each carrying three or four backpacks. I wondered if it was a fashion trend among barbarians.
"Instructor! What about those bags?" one of the young warriors raised his hand and asked. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who found the look strange.
Kharon replied with a smile as if he had been waiting for someone to draw attention to it. "Good question, young warrior! This is Robert, this is John, this is Aiden..." Kharon called out the name of each backpack on his left and right as well as his front and back.
"Hahaha! Those sound like people's names!" the baby barbarian chuckled.
"That's because they're all human names." Kharon was no longer laughing.
"...W-What do you mean?"
Kharon explained in detail how he had obtained the backpacks to the shocked baby barbarians, and again continued his mental conditioning regime.
"Repeat again. Humans are...?"
"Enemies!"
"Our hearts...?"
"Must be protected!"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel is...?"
"A great warrior!"
I watched, rendered speechless. What the hell had I done?
"Um..." Erwen only managed to come up with an answer after a long period of silence. "I'm really glad you made the offer, so don't get me wrong."
So, it was a no. "Is it because of your sister?"
"No. It's because of me. I still have a lot to learn from my sister."
Her response was unexpected. Well, it wasn't that I couldn't understand where she was coming from, though. There was no doubt that sticking with her sister now would help her develop. It had only been a few months since she started getting adventuring lessons, and I couldn't teach her about elemental magic, either.
"I see. Okay."
"Um... you're not mad, are you?"
"Why would I be? It's a great choice. You too have become an adventurer now."
"Ah, I haven't received a compliment in a long time..." Erwen stared off into space blankly for a minute before clearing her throat and coming back down to earth. Then she spoke in a determined voice. "Please wait for me for just half a year. After half a year, I will have learned everything I can learn from my sister and join your team."
Well, the thought was nice, but... This now felt like I was hiring someone for corporate espionage.
Crumble.
For some reason, I swore I could hear her sister's world come crashing down.
***
The next morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, I headed to the holy land without even washing up. It was a reasonable assessment that there was no need to wash up when going to a place full of barbarians, anyway.
It feels like I've come back to my hometown.
I was not even a real barbarian, but there was something comforting about the green bushes here. There was a time it had been uncomfortable because the chieftain was scary, but it at least felt like that now. Maybe that was why...
Goddamn it.
Suddenly, the blessing came to mind and my heart felt heavy. An instinct trained by constant misfortune whispered in my ear. It said a secret that more than ten people knew couldn't be kept forever.
Even if I finish the sixth stage today, it will take several more years to reach the ninth stage...
Unlike the other races, who had abandoned the old ways, barbarians were close to maddeningly stubborn. If it were known that I had been entrusted with a blessing from a star goddess rather than an ancestral god, super rookie or not, the chieftain would step in and try to kick me out.
I'm going to think about that later...
I walked through the bushes and headed toward the center of the holy land. As I was doing so, I saw young warriors gathered in an empty field, little fighters practicing martial arts while waiting for their coming-of-age ceremonies. This was what I always saw when I came here, but...
Is that... Kharon?
I saw a familiar face among the young warriors: Kharon, son of Tarson. He had once been an ignorant baby barbarian, but he had accepted the world's dark side and become a full-fledged warrior. He now stood in front of the young barbarians like a drill instructor.
"All together. Humans are...?"
"Enemies!"
"Our hearts...?"
"Must be protected!"
It was rote education that was closer to brainwashing than anything else, but even with this, their chances of survival would be much higher. I looked at them with a pleased smile until I realized one thing.
But what is that?
Kharon and several of the senior barbarians who seemed to have followed him looked strange. For some reason, they were each carrying three or four backpacks. I wondered if it was a fashion trend among barbarians.
"Instructor! What about those bags?" one of the young warriors raised his hand and asked. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who found the look strange.
Kharon replied with a smile as if he had been waiting for someone to draw attention to it. "Good question, young warrior! This is Robert, this is John, this is Aiden..." Kharon called out the name of each backpack on his left and right as well as his front and back.
"Hahaha! Those sound like people's names!" the baby barbarian chuckled.
"That's because they're all human names." Kharon was no longer laughing.
"...W-What do you mean?"
Kharon explained in detail how he had obtained the backpacks to the shocked baby barbarians, and again continued his mental conditioning regime.
"Repeat again. Humans are...?"
"Enemies!"
"Our hearts...?"
"Must be protected!"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel is...?"
"A great warrior!"
I watched, rendered speechless. What the hell had I done?