Chapter 155: Male Lion (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 155: Male Lion (1)
I was drinking something similar to green tea at a tea shop near the administrative office.
The people accompanying me were some rank-seven officials from the administrative office: Shavin and her best friend, Ragna. This was not our first meeting. After becoming acquainted with the sewage commission, we met a few times under Shavin's decree to have a tea or a meal. In terms of frequency, this happened about once a month.
"Oh! Share these with your teammates when you get back later. They are sold at a new cookie shop near our office, and are very popular these days."
"...I will. Thanks for this."
Most of our conversations were about trivial things, but the reason I kept coming to these gatherings was simple. Sometimes, there was useful information.
"Oh, right! Did I already tell you about this? I think the system that charges mana stone exchange fees according to seniority is going away."
"How certain of that are you?"
"Our chief sees the law as pretty much passed already."
Goddamn it. For an adventurer with less than a year of experience, this was no different from a bombshell. "When do you think it will be implemented?"
"Well, maybe next year at the earliest, or the year after that at the latest?"
"That's fortunate, at least, I guess."
As always, after exchanging useful information, the conversation turned to the usual stuff. And around the time I started to get bored, Shavin would spit out another useful tidbit. By our second gathering, I realized this wasn't a coincidence.
It's like I'm being trained or something.
Shavin definitely knew that without bait like this, I would have no reason to participate in these boring gatherings.
She must be doing all this for this kid.
"And you? Ragna? Anything happening with you?"
I didn't realize this at first, but the librarian, Ragna Litaniel Peprok, had the social skills of a rock. Was that why Shavin wanted me to be good friends with her? Did she think she was her mother or something?
"No, nothing."
"Is that so? Anything you want to say to Mr. Yandel? You've been so quiet since earlier."
"Something I want to say... There might be something, actually."
"Oh, yeah? Then let it out. You two are already friends, right?"
Shavin glanced at me, and I let out a silent sigh and nodded. "Yes, we are friends."
It was a friendship that had been ratified with a handshake during our first gathering. Honestly, I didn't know how meaningful that could possibly be but what could I do? Working at the administrative office, Shavin had a lot of information that could benefit me. Not only that, but she also commissioned me for sweet, non-sewage jobs, so all I could do was flop around like a caught fish in her net.
"Friends..." Did my words give her courage? Ragna, who had been sitting in silence throughout the conversation, stared at me with an expressionless look as usual and then spoke in an almost scolding tone. "B-Bjorn Yandel. You shouldn't stay away from books."
"Oh, I've been busy these days." That was true. I hadn't had a day of proper rest since coming out of the labyrinth.
"Then... are you coming tomorrow?"
"If today's work goes smoothly."
I still had the Dragon Slayer Sword, but I couldn't really do anything about that until Krovitz got me a meeting. So, once I finished recruiting a wizard, I would be able to take it easy for a while.
"Ragna Litaniel Peprok." In that spirit, it was time to get down to brass tacks. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this was the reason I had participated in this gathering, even though I was busy.
"If you have something to say, say it. Go ahead. We're f-friends, right?"
"Of course!" When Ragna used the word "friend" first, Shavin smiled happily and agreed.
Okay, that should be enough groundwork. "Are you interested in becoming an adventurer?"
"...This is the same proposal you made back then."
"Yes." I'd made the same offer before, but the situation was a little different from what it used to be. Our team had become much more diverse, and we were now friends.
As I waited for Ragna's answer, Shavin let out a shriek. "N-No! What are you talking about!?" I hadn't expected this. "Ragna? You'll refuse, right? Of course you will. You know how the labyrinth is!"
This had been a mistake. I thought that Shavin would help me out and tell Ragna that being an adventurer was also a social experience, since it seemed she was friends with several adventurers. I had misjudged, thinking she would be less resistant to adventuring. That was why I had brought it up while the three of us were together in the first place. I never thought she would be the one to spoil my plan.
"...Shavin, don't be so scared. I'm not going anywhere." Ragna gently grabbed Shavin's hand. Only then did Shavin regain her wits and sit down again, looking embarrassed.
That left a bitter taste in my mouth. "So you're rejecting my offer."
"Yes. I like the library job."
She liked being a librarian, huh? To believe that, I'd need to ignore a clear memory of her looking into the distance and saying, "Who would be interested in this place?" It would be more prudent to accept that she couldn't leave for some reason.
Recruiting her was a failure.
I was a bit disappointed. After meeting with them a few times, I learned that her wizard ranking was very high. She was at least rank five, but also young and had room for future growth.
Well, the fact that a kid like this is working as a librarian means there's some sort of backstory there.
I let go of my disappointment. She would have been a great recruit, but there was nothing I could do right now. At our current level of acquaintance, even if I asked her what her story was, I didn't think she'd tell me so easily.
Shavin, now back to normal, asked, "Uh, but isn't there already a wizard on your team, Mr. Yandel? The administrative wizard..."
"He is dead," I answered.
"Oh..."
That was the end of today's gathering.
***
After the meeting, I headed to the Magic Tower. It was my first visit in about two months. Wow, so it had already been that long since our research agreement ended.
"Huh? Mr. Yandel?"
"Long time no see. Can I come in?"
"Well, sure."
Raven's personal laboratory had remained unchanged since then. Documents piled up like mountains, and magic materials were scattered everywhere. I wished she would clean up a bit.
"Don't put that down just anywhere—give it to me. I need to remember where I put it." Mmm, or was this a system that didn't need cleaning up because she remembered everything? Maybe there was more of a method to this madness than there seemed to be. "So," Raven said sharply once I handed over the document that had been sitting on top of my chair, "what's happened? You haven't visited in two months."
"Ragna Litaniel Peprok." In that spirit, it was time to get down to brass tacks. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this was the reason I had participated in this gathering, even though I was busy.
"If you have something to say, say it. Go ahead. We're f-friends, right?"
"Of course!" When Ragna used the word "friend" first, Shavin smiled happily and agreed.
Okay, that should be enough groundwork. "Are you interested in becoming an adventurer?"
"...This is the same proposal you made back then."
"Yes." I'd made the same offer before, but the situation was a little different from what it used to be. Our team had become much more diverse, and we were now friends.
As I waited for Ragna's answer, Shavin let out a shriek. "N-No! What are you talking about!?" I hadn't expected this. "Ragna? You'll refuse, right? Of course you will. You know how the labyrinth is!"
This had been a mistake. I thought that Shavin would help me out and tell Ragna that being an adventurer was also a social experience, since it seemed she was friends with several adventurers. I had misjudged, thinking she would be less resistant to adventuring. That was why I had brought it up while the three of us were together in the first place. I never thought she would be the one to spoil my plan.
"...Shavin, don't be so scared. I'm not going anywhere." Ragna gently grabbed Shavin's hand. Only then did Shavin regain her wits and sit down again, looking embarrassed.
That left a bitter taste in my mouth. "So you're rejecting my offer."
"Yes. I like the library job."
She liked being a librarian, huh? To believe that, I'd need to ignore a clear memory of her looking into the distance and saying, "Who would be interested in this place?" It would be more prudent to accept that she couldn't leave for some reason.
Recruiting her was a failure.
I was a bit disappointed. After meeting with them a few times, I learned that her wizard ranking was very high. She was at least rank five, but also young and had room for future growth.
Well, the fact that a kid like this is working as a librarian means there's some sort of backstory there.
I let go of my disappointment. She would have been a great recruit, but there was nothing I could do right now. At our current level of acquaintance, even if I asked her what her story was, I didn't think she'd tell me so easily.
Shavin, now back to normal, asked, "Uh, but isn't there already a wizard on your team, Mr. Yandel? The administrative wizard..."
"He is dead," I answered.
"Oh..."
That was the end of today's gathering.
***
After the meeting, I headed to the Magic Tower. It was my first visit in about two months. Wow, so it had already been that long since our research agreement ended.
"Huh? Mr. Yandel?"
"Long time no see. Can I come in?"
"Well, sure."
Raven's personal laboratory had remained unchanged since then. Documents piled up like mountains, and magic materials were scattered everywhere. I wished she would clean up a bit.
"Don't put that down just anywhere—give it to me. I need to remember where I put it." Mmm, or was this a system that didn't need cleaning up because she remembered everything? Maybe there was more of a method to this madness than there seemed to be. "So," Raven said sharply once I handed over the document that had been sitting on top of my chair, "what's happened? You haven't visited in two months."
She used to at least bring me some water in a flask when I visited. Did we not even have a business relationship anymore? Well, I welcomed the opportunity to get straight to the point. No matter how much I flattered her or led up to it, that wouldn't change this woman's decision. If it wouldn't affect the outcome of this conversation, I might as well save time.
"I have a suggestion for you."
"Tell me."
"There's a vacancy for a wizard on my new team."
"In other words, this is another recruitment offer." Raven laughed. Her attitude was completely different from the last time I asked, when her expression had gone flat the moment the words left my mouth. Well, that had been back before I earned the nickname of Little Balkan. "Mr. Yandel, do you remember what I told you back then?"
"You said it would be nice if all the members of the team were above rank six and there was a priest."
"And? How did that go?"
I gave truthful introductions for each of the members, starting with the fact that there was no priest and that Missha was a rank-seven melee damage dealer.
"Hmm, rank seven?"
"She'll be promoted to rank six within the month, so don't worry about that."
Noticing her skepticism, I recited Missha's essences and their ranks, and Raven's expression relaxed. "If you say so."
Next was Ainar. Since we had cleared the Bloody Citadel together, there was no need for a long explanation of who she was.
"You made that offer so confidently, yet she's rank nine? No, more importantly, why is she still rank-nine? She consumed an essence of a Bone Knight back then."
"She's in the same boat as Missha. There was no time to apply for a promotion."
This wasn't an excuse, but the truth. Right around now, those two, who had had an epic battle yesterday, would be at the Adventurers' Guild applying for a promotion. Ainar would receive at least a rank-seven evaluation. She currently had one rank-seven essence and a whopping rank-four essence.
"She inherited a rank-four essence? Well, that changes things."
"Her evaluation might end up being rank seven, but it's safe to say that she's rank six. I fought her and judged that for myself, so there is no need to doubt it."
"I can see that for myself. And the last person?"
"Abman Urikfried, a rank-five adventurer from the Black Bear tribe. He uses a large crossbow as a weapon."
When I told her about his summoned beast, Raven's expression changed. "That's enough for him to be welcome anywhere. Why did he join your team?"
"We've met before. He said that I at least won't stab a teammate in the back."
"Well... You are trustworthy in that sense." Surprisingly, Raven readily accepted that and moved on. But after hearing the team composition, she seemed to have her doubts. "What about a scout?"
The long-awaited question had come. Because people interpreted information differently depending on how it was presented, I brought it up as if I had just remembered it. "Oh, I didn't tell you. Urikfried is a scout."
"...Is that true?"
"Do I need to make an oath for you to believe me?"
"No, but..."
I chuckled, straightened my shoulders confidently, and threw away the remorse that was starting to squirm to life in my conscience.
Well, I didn't lie, did I?
She used to at least bring me some water in a flask when I visited. Did we not even have a business relationship anymore? Well, I welcomed the opportunity to get straight to the point. No matter how much I flattered her or led up to it, that wouldn't change this woman's decision. If it wouldn't affect the outcome of this conversation, I might as well save time.
"I have a suggestion for you."
"Tell me."
"There's a vacancy for a wizard on my new team."
"In other words, this is another recruitment offer." Raven laughed. Her attitude was completely different from the last time I asked, when her expression had gone flat the moment the words left my mouth. Well, that had been back before I earned the nickname of Little Balkan. "Mr. Yandel, do you remember what I told you back then?"
"You said it would be nice if all the members of the team were above rank six and there was a priest."
"And? How did that go?"
I gave truthful introductions for each of the members, starting with the fact that there was no priest and that Missha was a rank-seven melee damage dealer.
"Hmm, rank seven?"
"She'll be promoted to rank six within the month, so don't worry about that."
Noticing her skepticism, I recited Missha's essences and their ranks, and Raven's expression relaxed. "If you say so."
Next was Ainar. Since we had cleared the Bloody Citadel together, there was no need for a long explanation of who she was.
"You made that offer so confidently, yet she's rank nine? No, more importantly, why is she still rank-nine? She consumed an essence of a Bone Knight back then."
"She's in the same boat as Missha. There was no time to apply for a promotion."
This wasn't an excuse, but the truth. Right around now, those two, who had had an epic battle yesterday, would be at the Adventurers' Guild applying for a promotion. Ainar would receive at least a rank-seven evaluation. She currently had one rank-seven essence and a whopping rank-four essence.
"She inherited a rank-four essence? Well, that changes things."
"Her evaluation might end up being rank seven, but it's safe to say that she's rank six. I fought her and judged that for myself, so there is no need to doubt it."
"I can see that for myself. And the last person?"
"Abman Urikfried, a rank-five adventurer from the Black Bear tribe. He uses a large crossbow as a weapon."
When I told her about his summoned beast, Raven's expression changed. "That's enough for him to be welcome anywhere. Why did he join your team?"
"We've met before. He said that I at least won't stab a teammate in the back."
"Well... You are trustworthy in that sense." Surprisingly, Raven readily accepted that and moved on. But after hearing the team composition, she seemed to have her doubts. "What about a scout?"
The long-awaited question had come. Because people interpreted information differently depending on how it was presented, I brought it up as if I had just remembered it. "Oh, I didn't tell you. Urikfried is a scout."
"...Is that true?"
"Do I need to make an oath for you to believe me?"
"No, but..."
I chuckled, straightened my shoulders confidently, and threw away the remorse that was starting to squirm to life in my conscience.
Well, I didn't lie, did I?
Mr. Bear was a scout. It was just that he was bad with directions. Anyway, after revealing Mr. Bear's ability, the rest was a breeze. Raven pretended to think it over since her pride was on the line.
"It will be a good opportunity for you, too. Don't you always say you don't have enough money? For now, our goal is to get to the sixth floor, so there won't be a shortage of money once we start exploring in earnest."
"Hmm."
"And as you can see from our team's composition, it can't be just any wizard. We need a skilled mage like you."
"Hmm?"
"Oh, and one more thing. Since we have a scout, we might enter rifts or discover hidden areas of the labyrinth on several occasions. A wizard like you should know the value of that, right?"
"Hmmmm." When I came at her more convincingly, Raven let go of her pride and nodded. "Alright. Since you're so determined." I sort of expected this, because she hadn't immediately rejected the offer when I made it. If she didn't already have exploration in mind, she wouldn't have even heard me out. "But, I have one condition."
"...Speak."
"Exploring will always be my second priority. The first will be my research."
"Speak plainly."
"If I have a topic to research, I may take a break for a month or two, or even leave the team altogether. I hope you can understand that."
I was secretly nervous, but her demand wasn't an unreasonable one. It wasn't like we were an official clan. Sudden vacancies were common in this industry, especially for a lofty wizard. Yeah, this wasn't bad at all.
"Fine. But tell me in advance. If you're going to leave for good, I'll have to find a new wizard. We can use mercenaries for month-long absences, though."
"Okay. That's it, then."
That was how the last member of our team was decided: Arua Raven, a rank-six, conventional wizard under the Altemion School.
"I guess we're really colleagues now."
"I'm counting on you."
Recruitment success.
After that, we chatted for a bit. The foundation for our team had been laid down, but the team itself was not yet ready. "We're all going to gather together to register the team at the guild and talk about loot distribution. When would be a good time?"
It was common for parties to collapse during the initial meeting stage, so I wanted to have a meeting as early as possible. Time was running out to find new members if we needed to.
Unfortunately, our meeting was immediately delayed by over a week. "My thesis on the vampire guardian is in its final stages. Next week, everything including being published in the academy will be over, so maybe we can gather around that time."
I decided to look on the bright side. If the research had been scheduled to end next month, she wouldn't have even thought to listen to my proposal. The timing was good in many ways. With her specs, she could actually find a better team than us.
"Then let's meet on the 17th. I'll discuss the location and time with the rest of the team and send you a letter."
"I would appreciate that."
After that, I left the Magic Tower and met with Missha and Mr. Bear individually. After deciding on a place and time, I went back to my inn and rested.
The next day, I visited the library, and after that, my daily life continued without any incidents.
"Whoa! I have never seen such a huge mace!"
I sparred with Ainar and practiced True Giantization mode.
"You're buying me this even after you bought me cotton candy? Bjorn, are you some kind of shaman's pot?"
"I'm not buying it for you, it's an investment—No, a loan. When you earn money later, you have to pay it back."
With Missha, we visited Kommelby as a trio to upgrade Ainar's equipment. Missha moved into the room next door, which happened to coincidentally be vacant.
"What about your original accommodations?" I asked. "There aren't many inns that let you cook."
"It's fine. I'm going to buy everything now. She steals all my food anyway!"
We visited Mr. Bear's shop and almost got him killed after Missha ran her mouth.
"Honey, have you been lying to me and entering the labyrinth on your own this whole time!?"
"D-Dear? I-I'm sorry. Don't kill me...! Think of the baby!"
Peaceful days passed just like that.
With just one minute left until midnight on the fifteenth, I lay comfortably on the bed.
[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn into a different world.]
That time had come once again.
Mr. Bear was a scout. It was just that he was bad with directions. Anyway, after revealing Mr. Bear's ability, the rest was a breeze. Raven pretended to think it over since her pride was on the line.
"It will be a good opportunity for you, too. Don't you always say you don't have enough money? For now, our goal is to get to the sixth floor, so there won't be a shortage of money once we start exploring in earnest."
"Hmm."
"And as you can see from our team's composition, it can't be just any wizard. We need a skilled mage like you."
"Hmm?"
"Oh, and one more thing. Since we have a scout, we might enter rifts or discover hidden areas of the labyrinth on several occasions. A wizard like you should know the value of that, right?"
"Hmmmm." When I came at her more convincingly, Raven let go of her pride and nodded. "Alright. Since you're so determined." I sort of expected this, because she hadn't immediately rejected the offer when I made it. If she didn't already have exploration in mind, she wouldn't have even heard me out. "But, I have one condition."
"...Speak."
"Exploring will always be my second priority. The first will be my research."
"Speak plainly."
"If I have a topic to research, I may take a break for a month or two, or even leave the team altogether. I hope you can understand that."
I was secretly nervous, but her demand wasn't an unreasonable one. It wasn't like we were an official clan. Sudden vacancies were common in this industry, especially for a lofty wizard. Yeah, this wasn't bad at all.
"Fine. But tell me in advance. If you're going to leave for good, I'll have to find a new wizard. We can use mercenaries for month-long absences, though."
"Okay. That's it, then."
That was how the last member of our team was decided: Arua Raven, a rank-six, conventional wizard under the Altemion School.
"I guess we're really colleagues now."
"I'm counting on you."
Recruitment success.
After that, we chatted for a bit. The foundation for our team had been laid down, but the team itself was not yet ready. "We're all going to gather together to register the team at the guild and talk about loot distribution. When would be a good time?"
It was common for parties to collapse during the initial meeting stage, so I wanted to have a meeting as early as possible. Time was running out to find new members if we needed to.
Unfortunately, our meeting was immediately delayed by over a week. "My thesis on the vampire guardian is in its final stages. Next week, everything including being published in the academy will be over, so maybe we can gather around that time."
I decided to look on the bright side. If the research had been scheduled to end next month, she wouldn't have even thought to listen to my proposal. The timing was good in many ways. With her specs, she could actually find a better team than us.
"Then let's meet on the 17th. I'll discuss the location and time with the rest of the team and send you a letter."
"I would appreciate that."
After that, I left the Magic Tower and met with Missha and Mr. Bear individually. After deciding on a place and time, I went back to my inn and rested.
The next day, I visited the library, and after that, my daily life continued without any incidents.
"Whoa! I have never seen such a huge mace!"
I sparred with Ainar and practiced True Giantization mode.
"You're buying me this even after you bought me cotton candy? Bjorn, are you some kind of shaman's pot?"
"I'm not buying it for you, it's an investment—No, a loan. When you earn money later, you have to pay it back."
With Missha, we visited Kommelby as a trio to upgrade Ainar's equipment. Missha moved into the room next door, which happened to coincidentally be vacant.
"What about your original accommodations?" I asked. "There aren't many inns that let you cook."
"It's fine. I'm going to buy everything now. She steals all my food anyway!"
We visited Mr. Bear's shop and almost got him killed after Missha ran her mouth.
"Honey, have you been lying to me and entering the labyrinth on your own this whole time!?"
"D-Dear? I-I'm sorry. Don't kill me...! Think of the baby!"
Peaceful days passed just like that.
With just one minute left until midnight on the fifteenth, I lay comfortably on the bed.
[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn into a different world.]
That time had come once again.