Chapter 173: Choice (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: Choice (1)
The day after I went to Kommelby with Raven, the entire team gathered at the tavern for the final payout.
"We really made a lot of money."
Mana stone income: 25.19 million. Expandable backpack and miscellaneous equipment: 3.01 million. The Ifrit's essence minus the Magic Vial: 9 million. The Mila Roden's remains: 750,000.
A total of 37.95 million stones.
Of course, it wasn't fair to divide this into five equal parts. For the mana stones, it was agreed that Ainar would take 15 percent and Mr. Bear would take 25 percent. The essence and Mila Roden's remains were special loot, so Raven took 40 percent.
Let's see, then my share is... 7.1 million and 2,500 stones.
For the record, my share was exactly the same as Missha's.
"Miss Ainar gets 5,843,000 stones."
"Ooh!"
"Now, what are you going to do about the cost of the essence?"
"Uh, the essence...? How much was that?" Her delight about the ridiculously high number was short-lived, and Ainar soon wore an expression of confusion.
"...I'll pay with her." I took 2,157,000 stones from my share and gave them to Raven.
"What about Miss Karlstein?"
"Ah, I'll let Ainar pay me back laterrr."
"Well, if you say so. Uh... wait, then Miss Ainar gets paid nothing today."
Was that a problem? Although she had worked hard in the labyrinth, her debt had only increased. She owed 4 million to Missha and 7.5 million to me (if you included the cost of the equipment I had bought her last month) for a total of 11.5 million stones.
"I-Impossible...! I had money, but now I don't! S-Something is wrong!"
"That's how the worrrld works. Still, you're much stronger now with the essence."
Unlike Missha, who comforted her with words, I decided to give her a tangible reward. "Anyway, I hope we can raise Ainar's share soon." She had a rank-five essence now. It was hard to argue that Ainar's combat power was below average anymore.
"Ah, I don't mind."
"...From the next expedition on, I'll only take 20 percent." Mr. Bear readily agreed, so Ainar's share of the mana stones was raised to 20 percent. It was now an even split.
Whew, I wish I could adjust the ratio for the special loot too... But Raven will definitely go into a rage if I suggest it, so I'll do that another time.
Actually, now that I thought about it, this was a bit unfair. I was the tank, the leader, and now even a scout despite not having experience. Plus, I spoon-fed them all the hidden features. Shouldn't I get at least 30 percent?
"Ah, then, once everyone pays the team fund, today's business is over."
"How much was the team fund?"
"Three hundred thousand stones per person."
"Are you taking more money?!" Ainar's debt increased by another three hundred thousand stones. Well, that didn't matter considering I fed and housed her, anyway.
***
Three days after splitting the loot, while Missha went out with Ainar to apply for a promotion to rank six, I lay down on my bed to get my thoughts in order.
I've already earned another ten million stones, excluding the money lent to Ainar and the money in the shared account with Missha.
My growth had accelerated now that I'd reached the fifth floor. Now that I could play proactively, I could leverage my knowledge of the game to the fullest. I sketched out a rough plan.
I'll lay the foundation on the fifth floor and then climb up to the sixth after just one year.
Of course, once I reached the sixth floor, it would be difficult to advance as quickly since you couldn't clear it with combat power alone. Starting from there on, I'd be in for a long slog.
But on that floor, I can absorb that essence.
As long as I had a formidable enemy like the Dragon Slayer gunning for me, I needed to become stronger as soon as possible.
Even if that wasn't the case, considering the social climate these days, my current status isn't good enough.
Recently, the air in the city had grown heavy. To be more precise, the adventurer industry was tense and on edge. Which made sense, considering what had happened.
Four hundred and seventy-one people had died on the fourth floor during this expedition alone. You couldn't even compare this tragedy to the deaths caused by the Lord of the Floor on the third floor months ago. These people had died at the hands of plunderers, not monsters, in a large-scale terrorist attack targeting veteran adventurers who had been in and out of the labyrinth for nearly ten years.
"Bjorn!" Just as I was thinking that, Missha rushed into the room after running here from the guild, a piece of paper in hand. "L-Look at this! The palace issued a notice to adventurers!"
I quickly took the paper and read it. The announcement stated that the kingdom had drawn up a war plan and that rewards would be given to adventurers of rank-six or higher who participated. The target of their conquest was Noark.
There will be an uproar.
The underground city was something of an open secret. The people who knew about it knew about it, but 99 percent of people didn't even know it existed. However, the palace had now mentioned it in an official notice.
"Bjorn, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
The reward was quite attractive: a custom amount of money per person and a three-year exemption from taxes. Plus, the palace would bestow one essence in their possession on one lucky person based on their achievements, so many would be tempted.
Looks like they've already recruited super-mega clans too.
The announcement also included the names of clans that had already agreed to participate. They'd probably been given a much greater reward. It was a sort of publicity stunt. Just the participation of large clans alone would increase the trust of ordinary adventurers. No, they'd even consider it a good opportunity and think it foolish not to participate.
"Anyway, what I want to say is, don't participate."
Recalling Baekho's advice, I made up my mind. "We are not participating." I refused to play monkey in the middle. Besides, weren't we already progressing at a good rate? It was hard to see the merit of participating in a conquest.
"I see... I'm glad. I don't have a good feeling about this..."
"Just to be sure, I'll meet with Raven and Abman to tell them. Oh, how did Ainar react?"
"She was looking forward to the opportunity to rrrise to fame. Don't worry, though. I'll make sure to properly explain it to her."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
After speaking with Missha, I headed to the Magic Tower. What would a wizard think of all this? It turned out the answer was rather straightforward.
"Ah, that announcement... I heard it last night, too. I was going to ask, but I'm glad you won't participate."
I'll lay the foundation on the fifth floor and then climb up to the sixth after just one year.
Of course, once I reached the sixth floor, it would be difficult to advance as quickly since you couldn't clear it with combat power alone. Starting from there on, I'd be in for a long slog.
But on that floor, I can absorb that essence.
As long as I had a formidable enemy like the Dragon Slayer gunning for me, I needed to become stronger as soon as possible.
Even if that wasn't the case, considering the social climate these days, my current status isn't good enough.
Recently, the air in the city had grown heavy. To be more precise, the adventurer industry was tense and on edge. Which made sense, considering what had happened.
Four hundred and seventy-one people had died on the fourth floor during this expedition alone. You couldn't even compare this tragedy to the deaths caused by the Lord of the Floor on the third floor months ago. These people had died at the hands of plunderers, not monsters, in a large-scale terrorist attack targeting veteran adventurers who had been in and out of the labyrinth for nearly ten years.
"Bjorn!" Just as I was thinking that, Missha rushed into the room after running here from the guild, a piece of paper in hand. "L-Look at this! The palace issued a notice to adventurers!"
I quickly took the paper and read it. The announcement stated that the kingdom had drawn up a war plan and that rewards would be given to adventurers of rank-six or higher who participated. The target of their conquest was Noark.
There will be an uproar.
The underground city was something of an open secret. The people who knew about it knew about it, but 99 percent of people didn't even know it existed. However, the palace had now mentioned it in an official notice.
"Bjorn, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
The reward was quite attractive: a custom amount of money per person and a three-year exemption from taxes. Plus, the palace would bestow one essence in their possession on one lucky person based on their achievements, so many would be tempted.
Looks like they've already recruited super-mega clans too.
The announcement also included the names of clans that had already agreed to participate. They'd probably been given a much greater reward. It was a sort of publicity stunt. Just the participation of large clans alone would increase the trust of ordinary adventurers. No, they'd even consider it a good opportunity and think it foolish not to participate.
"Anyway, what I want to say is, don't participate."
Recalling Baekho's advice, I made up my mind. "We are not participating." I refused to play monkey in the middle. Besides, weren't we already progressing at a good rate? It was hard to see the merit of participating in a conquest.
"I see... I'm glad. I don't have a good feeling about this..."
"Just to be sure, I'll meet with Raven and Abman to tell them. Oh, how did Ainar react?"
"She was looking forward to the opportunity to rrrise to fame. Don't worry, though. I'll make sure to properly explain it to her."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
After speaking with Missha, I headed to the Magic Tower. What would a wizard think of all this? It turned out the answer was rather straightforward.
"Ah, that announcement... I heard it last night, too. I was going to ask, but I'm glad you won't participate."
"Are you against it too?"
"Yes. I'm curious about the underground city, but however they package it, this is just a war. I don't want to get involved in a fight over rights like that." Whatever the reward may have been, Raven was not particularly interested in it. That was fortunate for many reasons.
Afterward, I received a similar answer at Mr. Bear's tavern. "Everyone has been talking about that all day here, but I have my doubts. Well, the reward sounds nice, but..."
Mr. Bear admitted that if he had still been working solo, he might have joined the fight. Well, this man was almost forty years old. Three years' worth of tax exemption was huge. He was practically taking care of his wife's share of the taxes alone right now.
"Haha, but our child will be born next year. My taxes will be reduced for twenty years thanks to the childbirth tax credit, so I'm not in a hurry."
"I see."
"If you guys are sitting this out, I have no intention of joining, either."
Okay, so our team had officially passed up on the conquest.
I'll learn about the details at Ghost Busters once it opens.
For now, there was nothing I could do. I was about to head back to my inn to review my list of things I had to do in the city this month when Mr. Bear made an unexpected suggestion. "Yandel, how about a drink later?"
"A drink?"
"You're the leader of a team now. From the looks of it, you don't seem to have any connections in this regard."
"So?"
"There is a meeting of fifth-floor adventurers this evening. Why don't you go with me?"
Hmm, networking... To be honest, I'm not up for it.
However, it was common for adventurers to hang out and exchange information. It wouldn't be bad to try it out at least once.
Plus, since the Watchers of the Round Table only have high-level information, it's hard to learn about this side of the job from them.
"Fine. When and where is it?"
After getting the time and place, I headed to the library to pass the time. Ragna greeted me, looking as aloof as usual. I wondered how she'd heard this news, given she was in the library all the time.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
"Are you... joining the conquest?"
"No, our team has decided not to participate."
Ragna's expression brightened a bit. "I see. That's a relief..."
The comment seemed strangely suspicious to me, so I flat-out asked, "Relief? Do you know something about Noark?"
"I... don't know much about that. But I know what kind of people the royal family are... Enormous sacrifices are sure to follow," Ragna answered, her voice dark.
"The royal family?"
Ragna suddenly looked like she had said something she shouldn't have, and withdrew her statement. "Please ignore what I just said."
I didn't bother pressing her, though. I knew how dangerous it was to slander the royal family. "Thanks for your concern."
"Concern..." Ragna chewed on that word. What followed was unexpected. I thought she would correct me and say she wasn't worried about me, like she usually would. "Yes. I was concerned, but I'm really glad."
"Are you against it too?"
"Yes. I'm curious about the underground city, but however they package it, this is just a war. I don't want to get involved in a fight over rights like that." Whatever the reward may have been, Raven was not particularly interested in it. That was fortunate for many reasons.
Afterward, I received a similar answer at Mr. Bear's tavern. "Everyone has been talking about that all day here, but I have my doubts. Well, the reward sounds nice, but..."
Mr. Bear admitted that if he had still been working solo, he might have joined the fight. Well, this man was almost forty years old. Three years' worth of tax exemption was huge. He was practically taking care of his wife's share of the taxes alone right now.
"Haha, but our child will be born next year. My taxes will be reduced for twenty years thanks to the childbirth tax credit, so I'm not in a hurry."
"I see."
"If you guys are sitting this out, I have no intention of joining, either."
Okay, so our team had officially passed up on the conquest.
I'll learn about the details at Ghost Busters once it opens.
For now, there was nothing I could do. I was about to head back to my inn to review my list of things I had to do in the city this month when Mr. Bear made an unexpected suggestion. "Yandel, how about a drink later?"
"A drink?"
"You're the leader of a team now. From the looks of it, you don't seem to have any connections in this regard."
"So?"
"There is a meeting of fifth-floor adventurers this evening. Why don't you go with me?"
Hmm, networking... To be honest, I'm not up for it.
However, it was common for adventurers to hang out and exchange information. It wouldn't be bad to try it out at least once.
Plus, since the Watchers of the Round Table only have high-level information, it's hard to learn about this side of the job from them.
"Fine. When and where is it?"
After getting the time and place, I headed to the library to pass the time. Ragna greeted me, looking as aloof as usual. I wondered how she'd heard this news, given she was in the library all the time.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
"Are you... joining the conquest?"
"No, our team has decided not to participate."
Ragna's expression brightened a bit. "I see. That's a relief..."
The comment seemed strangely suspicious to me, so I flat-out asked, "Relief? Do you know something about Noark?"
"I... don't know much about that. But I know what kind of people the royal family are... Enormous sacrifices are sure to follow," Ragna answered, her voice dark.
"The royal family?"
Ragna suddenly looked like she had said something she shouldn't have, and withdrew her statement. "Please ignore what I just said."
I didn't bother pressing her, though. I knew how dangerous it was to slander the royal family. "Thanks for your concern."
"Concern..." Ragna chewed on that word. What followed was unexpected. I thought she would correct me and say she wasn't worried about me, like she usually would. "Yes. I was concerned, but I'm really glad."
"Uh... right." This baffled me. However, after she blurted that out, her neck reddened in embarrassment. I pretended not to notice. "...So, can you cast the spell? I want to go read now."
"Oh, right. Magic. Sure."
I didn't want to make this more awkward.
***
Ten at night was normally the time I would have washed up and gotten ready for bed. However, I was instead at a bar I'd never been to, not in District Seven where I lived, but across a wall in District Eight.
"Abman! Long time no see! How have you been?"
"About the same. And you?"
"Haha! Still living as long as death evades me!" We entered a private room that had about a dozen adventurers inside. It seemed this man with the warm vibe was the organizer of this meeting. "Who is your friend next to you?"
"He is the leader of our team."
"Oh? I wondered who might have taken you in. I guess the lucky guy is right here?"
As soon as we entered the room, our host kicked off a brief round of introductions.
"I am Perpe Derves. Call me what you want. You can just call me Pepe too. It's a nickname only used by my close friends."
Pepe... That was an overly cute nickname for a bearded man. "...I'll go with Derves."
"Sure."
"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"Can I call you Bjorn?"
"Do as you wish." Our titles were agreed upon with adventurer-like speed.
"Wait, Bjorn Yandel? That sounds familiar." One of the adventurers tilted his head and a moment later recalled where he had heard it. "Ah, Little Balkan! The barbarian who made his name against the Lord of the Third Floor! Am I right?"
"That's right."
When I readily admitted it, Derves's gaze shifted to one of surprise and slight doubt. "Oh, so this is only your first year?"
"Don't focus on that. We were on the fifth floor this time." With Mr. Bear's assistance, the doubts were totally cleared, and only admiration remained.
"Reaching the fifth floor in less than a year... how amazing."
Afterward, Derves introduced the other participants one by one. With Little Balkan's fame and my explosive growth behind me, everyone's reception was positive. Except for one person.
"I'm Jack Johnsonville, belonging to the rank-five Nevis Wolf Clan." The tanned, blond man introduced himself with a somewhat aggressive look on his face.
Why is he opening his eyes like that? Does he wanna die?
My body itched to act on my barbarianized thoughts, but I endured it with superhuman patience. After all, I was one of the few modern people in this world. Of course, I should be able to handle that.
Sensing the chill in the air, Derves dispelled the tension with a toast. "Haha, then let's drink."
The meeting started like that. Everyone drank casually and exchanged friendly or business-related conversations.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Mr. Bear whispered in my ear.
I chuckled and nodded. I had assumed there would be a lot of trash-talking since it was a gathering of adventurers, but this wasn't that bad. Well, one bastard was stirring the pot, though.
"Why don't we meet somewhere other than an old bar next time?" asked Jack Johnsonville. "There is a tavern affiliated with our clan, and the drinks are amazing. Of course, it's much more expensive than here. Hahaha... The conquest? We should all participate. Oh, perhaps it's scary for team units like you guys. Work hard, though. You never know. Maybe you'll catch a talent scout's eye and get to join a clan."
He was the only person in this gathering who was a member of a clan, and the bastard continued to brag about it. This son of a bitch also ruined the conversation every time any attention landed on me.
"I can't help but ask. Yandel, what is your secret? How did you rise up the ranks so quickly?"
"Isn't it obvious? He found a good team."
"...Haha, finding a good team is a skill in itself."
Every time a silence came over us, Derves tried his best to put a bow on it and brush aside any disputes. "A-Anyway, Bjorn. How about you? I would like to hear your impressions of our meeting since this is your first time attending."
Should I tell them the truth or not? I thought about it for a while, but I had already decided on an answer. "I like it."
"Pft, of course he does. He's a rookie who just reached the fifth floor."
I was a K-barbarian with the spirit of a modern man, the philosophy of a Confucian, and the boldness of a savage. If I had to, I could be patient. I was confident in my ability to withstand insults even worse than this.
"What the hell is this stupid son of a bitch going on about?"
"W-What? Are you talking to me right now?"
"Is there another stupid son of a bitch here besides you?"
However, when I didn't have to be patient, I was not. That was how a K-Barbarian operated.
"Uh... right." This baffled me. However, after she blurted that out, her neck reddened in embarrassment. I pretended not to notice. "...So, can you cast the spell? I want to go read now."
"Oh, right. Magic. Sure."
I didn't want to make this more awkward.
***
Ten at night was normally the time I would have washed up and gotten ready for bed. However, I was instead at a bar I'd never been to, not in District Seven where I lived, but across a wall in District Eight.
"Abman! Long time no see! How have you been?"
"About the same. And you?"
"Haha! Still living as long as death evades me!" We entered a private room that had about a dozen adventurers inside. It seemed this man with the warm vibe was the organizer of this meeting. "Who is your friend next to you?"
"He is the leader of our team."
"Oh? I wondered who might have taken you in. I guess the lucky guy is right here?"
As soon as we entered the room, our host kicked off a brief round of introductions.
"I am Perpe Derves. Call me what you want. You can just call me Pepe too. It's a nickname only used by my close friends."
Pepe... That was an overly cute nickname for a bearded man. "...I'll go with Derves."
"Sure."
"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"Can I call you Bjorn?"
"Do as you wish." Our titles were agreed upon with adventurer-like speed.
"Wait, Bjorn Yandel? That sounds familiar." One of the adventurers tilted his head and a moment later recalled where he had heard it. "Ah, Little Balkan! The barbarian who made his name against the Lord of the Third Floor! Am I right?"
"That's right."
When I readily admitted it, Derves's gaze shifted to one of surprise and slight doubt. "Oh, so this is only your first year?"
"Don't focus on that. We were on the fifth floor this time." With Mr. Bear's assistance, the doubts were totally cleared, and only admiration remained.
"Reaching the fifth floor in less than a year... how amazing."
Afterward, Derves introduced the other participants one by one. With Little Balkan's fame and my explosive growth behind me, everyone's reception was positive. Except for one person.
"I'm Jack Johnsonville, belonging to the rank-five Nevis Wolf Clan." The tanned, blond man introduced himself with a somewhat aggressive look on his face.
Why is he opening his eyes like that? Does he wanna die?
My body itched to act on my barbarianized thoughts, but I endured it with superhuman patience. After all, I was one of the few modern people in this world. Of course, I should be able to handle that.
Sensing the chill in the air, Derves dispelled the tension with a toast. "Haha, then let's drink."
The meeting started like that. Everyone drank casually and exchanged friendly or business-related conversations.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Mr. Bear whispered in my ear.
I chuckled and nodded. I had assumed there would be a lot of trash-talking since it was a gathering of adventurers, but this wasn't that bad. Well, one bastard was stirring the pot, though.
"Why don't we meet somewhere other than an old bar next time?" asked Jack Johnsonville. "There is a tavern affiliated with our clan, and the drinks are amazing. Of course, it's much more expensive than here. Hahaha... The conquest? We should all participate. Oh, perhaps it's scary for team units like you guys. Work hard, though. You never know. Maybe you'll catch a talent scout's eye and get to join a clan."
He was the only person in this gathering who was a member of a clan, and the bastard continued to brag about it. This son of a bitch also ruined the conversation every time any attention landed on me.
"I can't help but ask. Yandel, what is your secret? How did you rise up the ranks so quickly?"
"Isn't it obvious? He found a good team."
"...Haha, finding a good team is a skill in itself."
Every time a silence came over us, Derves tried his best to put a bow on it and brush aside any disputes. "A-Anyway, Bjorn. How about you? I would like to hear your impressions of our meeting since this is your first time attending."
Should I tell them the truth or not? I thought about it for a while, but I had already decided on an answer. "I like it."
"Pft, of course he does. He's a rookie who just reached the fifth floor."
I was a K-barbarian with the spirit of a modern man, the philosophy of a Confucian, and the boldness of a savage. If I had to, I could be patient. I was confident in my ability to withstand insults even worse than this.
"What the hell is this stupid son of a bitch going on about?"
"W-What? Are you talking to me right now?"
"Is there another stupid son of a bitch here besides you?"
However, when I didn't have to be patient, I was not. That was how a K-Barbarian operated.