Chapter 176: Doppelganger (1)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 176: Doppelganger (1)

Standing in front of the mirror, Amelia tucked her shoulder-length red hair behind her half-cut ear, revealing the scar on it—a wound that would surely become a flaw if she wished to live a typical woman's life. At the time, she didn't have the money to buy a potion, so she had no choice but to leave it alone. Of course, she could easily treat it today, but she didn't bother. Besides, it suited her lean, muscular, five-six physique and matched the tattoo under her eye.

"Almost there."

This wound always reminded her of who her real enemy was.

"Amelia, the lord is calling you."

She slung her packed bag over her shoulder and stepped outside. A figure was waiting for her. "I didn't expect you to come."

He was a member of Orcules, the most infamous evil spirit both above and below the surface, and a big-name criminal they called the Corpse Collector. "The situation is urgent."

"How bad is it?"

"The palace has made an incredibly bold move. I never thought they would release that madman from prison."

"...He's out?" Even Amelia, who was always expressionless, could not hide her surprise. If the Corpse Collector was a well-known evil spirit, this man was the opposite. Few people knew his name, but anyone faintly familiar with him could only feel fear at the thought that he was free.

"Yes, he is here. Thanks to that, things have gotten a little messy. Our side is dying off en masse, too." The man in the spectacles grinned and patted Amelia on the back. "So, let's go. Everyone's already gathered—you're the only one left."

"...All right. Let's move." Amelia followed the man into a quiet hallway, their quick footsteps the only sound to be heard. "Is the Dragon Slayer involved in the battle?"

"Hm? Oh, him... his arm is crippled, so what can he do? He's probably resting in his room even now."

"...I see." Amelia cautiously raised one more question. "Has there been any improvement?"

The man stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Why are you curious about that?" As someone famous for his intelligence, he may have been forming a connection between Amelia and the Dragon Slayer's equipment being found on the black market.

That was a mistake.

Amelia realized her misstep a moment too late, but she answered as calmly as possible. "If he's no longer useful, I'm going to kill him."

"Huh? You two are unfriendly?"

"I don't like his eyes."

A moment of silence followed Amelia's answer. It wasn't long. The man burst into laughter. "Ahahaha! True! His snake eyes are kind of annoying. Especially because he doesn't know his place." The man started walking again. "Be patient, though. It looks like his body will heal in half a year to a year."

"And the Dragon Slayer Sword? Isn't he useless without it?"

"Ah, that. We'll have to look for it. The alchemist said restoring his memories isn't impossible."

"...I see."

A way to restore memories; she wanted to ask what exactly that was, but she held back. She wasn't typically interested in others. This smart guy was sure to sense that something was wrong if she asked too many questions.

I should look into that later, though.

After traveling through the corridor for about three minutes, a big door appeared before her eyes—the white door that led to the great hall. Stepping inside, she saw the castellan sitting on the throne. "It's been a while, my lord."

"Come, Amelia Rainwales."

After a brief salute, Amelia inspected the other four figures in the hall. Three were familiar, and one was not.

"An adventurer from Orcules. But since we don't have much time, introductions can come later. Let's move on to why we're here."

She shoved aside her curiosity and awaited the lord's commands.

"As you can already tell, I've gathered you all because the situation isn't good."

"Hehe, I heard! I heard that madman is down here?" a woman asked.

"That's right, Miss Carmila. The captain is dealing with him now, but he won't hold out for long," the castellan continued with a tight smile. The city would finally be sealed off. No one would be able to enter or leave Noark for the next two years. "As soon as you exit through the secret passage, the sealing magic circle will be activated. Do you have any questions?"

"No, my lord."

"See you in two years, my handsome lord!"

"Carmilla, show some respect."

"Shut up, smelly man."

After that brief exchange, Amelia moved to the secret passage with her four companions. It wasn't long before they reached the spot where the red flag was planted. They exchanged communications with their lord over a message stone.

"We have arrived."

"I wish you good luck."

A moment later, an immense barrier of blue mana surrounded the entire city.

"Wow, so cool. We really can't go through it."

I didn't think I'd end up leaving the city like this.

Amelia did her best to shake off her mixed emotions and recalled the objective of this mission.

"I heard you're the commander. What do we do now?" Carmilla asked.

The mission was very simple: gather information in Rafdonia. That was their main objective.

Finally. I've made it here.

Recalling the second mission their lord had given them, her lips curved.

If possible... kill a certain adventurer.

***

Rumors of all kinds circulated in the city, from the conspiracy theory that the failure of the conquest was orchestrated by the palace to the apocalyptic theory that the city would soon be wiped out by the war with Noark.

This world is no different than Earth, huh?

For the past few days, I'd been going around taverns and hearing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠these ridiculous stories over and over again. It was a boring yet stressful operation, but it was also one I couldn't avoid. It wasn't as if I were Lion of the Round Table right now. What could a barbarian on the ground do except move his own body?

"Bjorn, are you going drrrinking today too?"

"Yes, I'm going to be late, so don't wait up for me."

There was less than a week left until the labyrinth reopened. Today as well, as soon as the sun started to set, I headed for the streets and had a glass on my own. Just by doing so, information reached my ears.

"I heard that death gratuity payments are delayed until next month."

"Makes sense—even the palace can't pay for all those deaths."

"Come, Amelia Rainwales."

After a brief salute, Amelia inspected the other four figures in the hall. Three were familiar, and one was not.

"An adventurer from Orcules. But since we don't have much time, introductions can come later. Let's move on to why we're here."

She shoved aside her curiosity and awaited the lord's commands.

"As you can already tell, I've gathered you all because the situation isn't good."

"Hehe, I heard! I heard that madman is down here?" a woman asked.

"That's right, Miss Carmila. The captain is dealing with him now, but he won't hold out for long," the castellan continued with a tight smile. The city would finally be sealed off. No one would be able to enter or leave Noark for the next two years. "As soon as you exit through the secret passage, the sealing magic circle will be activated. Do you have any questions?"

"No, my lord."

"See you in two years, my handsome lord!"

"Carmilla, show some respect."

"Shut up, smelly man."

After that brief exchange, Amelia moved to the secret passage with her four companions. It wasn't long before they reached the spot where the red flag was planted. They exchanged communications with their lord over a message stone.

"We have arrived."

"I wish you good luck."

A moment later, an immense barrier of blue mana surrounded the entire city.

"Wow, so cool. We really can't go through it."

I didn't think I'd end up leaving the city like this.

Amelia did her best to shake off her mixed emotions and recalled the objective of this mission.

"I heard you're the commander. What do we do now?" Carmilla asked.

The mission was very simple: gather information in Rafdonia. That was their main objective.

Finally. I've made it here.

Recalling the second mission their lord had given them, her lips curved.

If possible... kill a certain adventurer.

***

Rumors of all kinds circulated in the city, from the conspiracy theory that the failure of the conquest was orchestrated by the palace to the apocalyptic theory that the city would soon be wiped out by the war with Noark.

This world is no different than Earth, huh?

For the past few days, I'd been going around taverns and hearing these ridiculous stories over and over again. It was a boring yet stressful operation, but it was also one I couldn't avoid. It wasn't as if I were Lion of the Round Table right now. What could a barbarian on the ground do except move his own body?

"Bjorn, are you going drrrinking today too?"

"Yes, I'm going to be late, so don't wait up for me."

There was less than a week left until the labyrinth reopened. Today as well, as soon as the sun started to set, I headed for the streets and had a glass on my own. Just by doing so, information reached my ears.

"I heard that death gratuity payments are delayed until next month."

"Makes sense—even the palace can't pay for all those deaths."

"Haha, it's the opposite. They have enough money, but it's taking a long time to count all the bodies."

In a way, it was similar to my early days here. Back then, I didn't have the money to go to a tavern, so all I could do was keep my ears open during meals.

Nothing special today, either.

After the conquest failed, the palace did not make any official announcements, leaving endless rumors to propagate from mouth to mouth. There were a few agreed-upon facts, though.

First, Noark had also suffered considerable losses and had narrowly escaped defeat by sealing off the city. This was confirmed as there had been many witnesses. No matter how hard the palace tried to keep it quiet, how could they when the number of people who had participated in the battle was so high?

Second, the palace had a super adventurer who lived out of the public eye. This I heard directly from a drunk survivor—namely, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Mr. Derves from the fifth-floor gathering, who had managed to return alive. Apparently, this mystery adventurer had fought on equal footing against the head of Orcules. Well, it wasn't strange that the palace would have a champion like that.

Third, three of the ten biggest clans had been disbanded thanks to this conquest—or rather, they were completely annihilated. Not even 10 percent of their members had survived, making recovery virtually impossible. This wasn't just the case for the ten clans, either. The smaller clans active on the fifth and sixth floors had had more than half of their members reduced to ashes.

Thanks to that, limitations on hunting will be lessened.

That was the only positive in this situation, but the costs that came with it were too steep to be happy about it.

If this battle drags on, I'll eventually have to face it inside the labyrinth.

This was what I had been worrying about since the first signs of war had appeared. To be honest, this situation was ridiculous.

An Unlimited Player Kill storyline...

I hadn't even experienced this in the game. If the labyrinth turned into a battlefield, a person like me, who had to make money and level up my character inside of it, would have no choice but to get involved.

If the supply of mana stones decreases, inflation is bound to go up too.

Sadly, no one was talking about this in the cheap taverns. I supposed anyone already worrying about inflation was bound to be an evil spirit.

I'll have to make a decision soon.

It was nearing the time for me to choose: should I stop adventuring until the situation deescalated, or should I enter the labyrinth as usual? To be honest, my answer was already decided.

Going in would be the right choice.

There was no telling when this confusion would end. Just hitting pause would be a bad decision, since my misadventure with that Dragon Slayer son of a bitch was not over yet. I had to get stronger before the ring of vines broke off. That was the only way I would survive.

If I get force-conscripted down the line, I'll have to participate in the war anyway.

More importantly, Noark had suffered considerable losses in this battle. Put simply, they'd need time to bounce back, too. Even if that weren't the case, we were in a better position than other adventurers. That was to say, we could crack the first floor with a bug, the fourth floor was independent, so I didn't even need to worry about it, and as long as we entered the mirror on the fifth floor, we would be safe from TPK-ing.

"Haha, it's the opposite. They have enough money, but it's taking a long time to count all the bodies."

In a way, it was similar to my early days here. Back then, I didn't have the money to go to a tavern, so all I could do was keep my ears open during meals.

Nothing special today, either.

After the conquest failed, the palace did not make any official announcements, leaving endless rumors to propagate from mouth to mouth. There were a few agreed-upon facts, though.

First, Noark had also suffered considerable losses and had narrowly escaped defeat by sealing off the city. This was confirmed as there had been many witnesses. No matter how hard the palace tried to keep it quiet, how could they when the number of people who had participated in the battle was so high?

Second, the palace had a super adventurer who lived out of the public eye. This I heard directly from a drunk survivor—namely, Mr. Derves from the fifth-floor gathering, who had managed to return alive. Apparently, this mystery adventurer had fought on equal footing against the head of Orcules. Well, it wasn't strange that the palace would have a champion like that.

Third, three of the ten biggest clans had been disbanded thanks to this conquest—or rather, they were completely annihilated. Not even 10 percent of their members had survived, making recovery virtually impossible. This wasn't just the case for the ten clans, either. The smaller clans active on the fifth and sixth floors had had more than half of their members reduced to ashes.

Thanks to that, limitations on hunting will be lessened.

That was the only positive in this situation, but the costs that came with it were too steep to be happy about it.

If this battle drags on, I'll eventually have to face it inside the labyrinth.

This was what I had been worrying about since the first signs of war had appeared. To be honest, this situation was ridiculous.

An Unlimited Player Kill storyline...

I hadn't even experienced this in the game. If the labyrinth turned into a battlefield, a person like me, who had to make money and level up my character inside of it, would have no choice but to get involved.

If the supply of mana stones decreases, inflation is bound to go up too.

Sadly, no one was talking about this in the cheap taverns. I supposed anyone already worrying about inflation was bound to be an evil spirit.

I'll have to make a decision soon.

It was nearing the time for me to choose: should I stop adventuring until the situation deescalated, or should I enter the labyrinth as usual? To be honest, my answer was already decided.

Going in would be the right choice.

There was no telling when this confusion would end. Just hitting pause would be a bad decision, since my misadventure with that Dragon Slayer son of a bitch was not over yet. I had to get stronger before the ring of vines broke off. That was the only way I would survive.

If I get force-conscripted down the line, I'll have to participate in the war anyway.

More importantly, Noark had suffered considerable losses in this battle. Put simply, they'd need time to bounce back, too. Even if that weren't the case, we were in a better position than other adventurers. That was to say, we could crack the first floor with a bug, the fourth floor was independent, so I didn't even need to worry about it, and as long as we entered the mirror on the fifth floor, we would be safe from TPK-ing.

The problem is how I'm going to convince those two...

I couldn't be sure yet that Raven, the wizard, and Mr. Bear, the ten-year veteran, would want to enter the labyrinth.

I have no other choice but to deal with this head-on.

As soon as I reached a decision, I emptied my glass and left the tavern. A barbarian had their own barbarian way. I made my way to Mr. Bear's tavern instead.

Mrs. Bear greeted me. "Sorry, we're closed—oh, Mr. Yandel. What brings you here? Is it my husband?"

"Is Abman here?"

"He's probably knocked out from drinking. Wait here. I'll bring him to you." I wasn't sure if it was because she had received some proper financial therapy, but Mrs. Bear seemed several times nicer than before.

I sat and waited at the half-cleared table until Mr. Bear was dragged in, rubbing his eyes. "Yandel, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"I have something urgent to talk to you about."

"Hmm, do you? Wait, let me sober up first. Honey?"

When Mr. Bear called for her, Mrs. Bear served him honey water. "Drink up." Based on that heartwarming show of hospitality, it seemed he'd regained his authority as the head of the family.

"Ugh, that hits the spot. So, your urgent matter?"

"I'll get straight to the point. Are you going to join the next expedition?"

"Hmm, looks like you've already made up your mind?"

"I'm going in."

As I nodded without any pretense, Mr. Bear chuckled. "Is that so? Then I will join as well."

"That was fast. Do you know something I don't?"

"No, but we're a team. If our leader has made a decision, I should trust it." I hadn't expected that at all. To think he would respect the authority of a leader! This man was more traditional about stuff like this than I thought.

"End of conversation, then."

"Why not have a drink while you're here?"

"No thanks. Your wife needs to rest, too. Now that you're awake, you can help her clean up."

The conversation ended in an instant and I left the tavern. It looked like I had earned some points with her thanks to that line because I noticed Mrs. Bear's eyes became much softer as I headed out.

It was past three o'clock in the morning, but I headed for the Magic Tower without hesitation. To Raven, this was practically daytime. As a matter of fact, she was locked up in her lab working on an experiment when I arrived.

"Hm? Mr. Yandel? What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you something."

"Is that so? Let me just finish this. You can sit anywhere while you wait."

I thought she would call me out on my rudeness for coming to see her at this hour, but surprisingly, she didn't. Was it because we were teammates now? At least she wasn't treating me like a stranger, like she did a while back.

"So. What do you want to ask?" Raven tidied up the area around us and sat down.

"The labyrinth," I said bluntly. "Are you going?"

"Oh, that... Well, we did need to talk about that. What did the others say?"

She asked like it were obvious that I would come to ask her last. It hurt my pride a little, but she was right. "Everyone except you has agreed to enter."

"Is that so? Then I will go with you guys."

"That was fast. Do you know something I don't?" I repeated the same thing I said to Mr. Bear and this time I received a different answer.

"Yes."

"...What is it?"

"Nothing major. Just that the palace didn't send an official notice to the Magic Tower yet."

"An official notice?"

"Normally, when something dangerous is going on, the Magic Tower is notified first. Like, 'Don't go into the labyrinth this month.'"

My mind went blank for a moment, but this VIP treatment made sense. Since wizards were considered high-quality human resources, the palace was directly ensuring their safety.

"So, don't worry. They're the ones who led the conquest, so if there's still no official announcement? That means the palace has assessed the situation and has decided that it isn't dangerous."

"...I see. If you ever hear anything like that, tell me in advance."

"If our leader commands it," she said with a teasing smile.

I left the Magic Tower, returned home, and woke Missha and Ainar up from their sleep.

"Ugh, what is it? I was sleeping."

"Ugh, I smell alcohol! Did you go drinking without me again!?"

"Uh huh, just eat this." I handed them both chicken legs and notified them of the verdict. "We're going into the labyrinth."

Ainar reacted like she hadn't even considered not going as an option. Missha let out a big sigh. "I already knew that, you ridiculous barrrbarian."

Hah, it would be nice if the rest of the team were like them.

"So, is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it. Go to sleep."

"Ugh, just tell us these things in the morrrning!" Missha complained and went back to her room.

So did Ainar. "Good night, Bjorn!"

I took out my key as well and inserted it into the groove. However, just as I was about to unlock the door, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Click, clack.

This bit of white noise was not particularly strange considering this was an inn, but for some reason, the sound pricked my ears today.

Click.

In the end, I subconsciously turned to the stairwell and made eye contact with the person coming up. I thought maybe I was mistaken because of the skirt, but of course not.

What's she doing here?

This was the unsurmountable wall I had faced twice before, once in the Land of the Dead and once in the sewers—the eighth-floor adventurer from the underground city, otherwise known as the deranged bitch.

Gulp.

As soon as I saw this face that was imprinted in my mind, I swallowed subconsciously. But it seemed she might have been just as surprised.

"To think I would see a familiar face here... This is kind of a problem." The woman looked at me, frowned, and pulled one foot back to take up a stance. It looked like she'd already decided how she was going to handle this. "Well, I'll just have to beat you up and erase your memory like last time."

God damn it.

The problem is how I'm going to convince those two...

I couldn't be sure yet that Raven, the wizard, and Mr. Bear, the ten-year veteran, would want to enter the labyrinth.

I have no other choice but to deal with this head-on.

As soon as I reached a decision, I emptied my glass and left the tavern. A barbarian had their own barbarian way. I made my way to Mr. Bear's tavern instead.

Mrs. Bear greeted me. "Sorry, we're closed—oh, Mr. Yandel. What brings you here? Is it my husband?"

"Is Abman here?"

"He's probably knocked out from drinking. Wait here. I'll bring him to you." I wasn't sure if it was because she had received some proper financial therapy, but Mrs. Bear seemed several times nicer than before.

I sat and waited at the half-cleared table until Mr. Bear was dragged in, rubbing his eyes. "Yandel, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"I have something urgent to talk to you about."

"Hmm, do you? Wait, let me sober up first. Honey?"

When Mr. Bear called for her, Mrs. Bear served him honey water. "Drink up." Based on that heartwarming show of hospitality, it seemed he'd regained his authority as the head of the family.

"Ugh, that hits the spot. So, your urgent matter?"

"I'll get straight to the point. Are you going to join the next expedition?"

"Hmm, looks like you've already made up your mind?"

"I'm going in."

As I nodded without any pretense, Mr. Bear chuckled. "Is that so? Then I will join as well."

"That was fast. Do you know something I don't?"

"No, but we're a team. If our leader has made a decision, I should trust it." I hadn't expected that at all. To think he would respect the authority of a leader! This man was more traditional about stuff like this than I thought.

"End of conversation, then."

"Why not have a drink while you're here?"

"No thanks. Your wife needs to rest, too. Now that you're awake, you can help her clean up."

The conversation ended in an instant and I left the tavern. It looked like I had earned some points with her thanks to that line because I noticed Mrs. Bear's eyes became much softer as I headed out.

It was past three o'clock in the morning, but I headed for the Magic Tower without hesitation. To Raven, this was practically daytime. As a matter of fact, she was locked up in her lab working on an experiment when I arrived.

"Hm? Mr. Yandel? What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you something."

"Is that so? Let me just finish this. You can sit anywhere while you wait."

I thought she would call me out on my rudeness for coming to see her at this hour, but surprisingly, she didn't. Was it because we were teammates now? At least she wasn't treating me like a stranger, like she did a while back.

"So. What do you want to ask?" Raven tidied up the area around us and sat down.

"The labyrinth," I said bluntly. "Are you going?"

"Oh, that... Well, we did need to talk about that. What did the others say?"

She asked like it were obvious that I would come to ask her last. It hurt my pride a little, but she was right. "Everyone except you has agreed to enter."

"Is that so? Then I will go with you guys."

"That was fast. Do you know something I don't?" I repeated the same thing I said to Mr. Bear and this time I received a different answer.

"Yes."

"...What is it?"

"Nothing major. Just that the palace didn't send an official notice to the Magic Tower yet."

"An official notice?"

"Normally, when something dangerous is going on, the Magic Tower is notified first. Like, 'Don't go into the labyrinth this month.'"

My mind went blank for a moment, but this VIP treatment made sense. Since wizards were considered high-quality human resources, the palace was directly ensuring their safety.

"So, don't worry. They're the ones who led the conquest, so if there's still no official announcement? That means the palace has assessed the situation and has decided that it isn't dangerous."

"...I see. If you ever hear anything like that, tell me in advance."

"If our leader commands it," she said with a teasing smile.

I left the Magic Tower, returned home, and woke Missha and Ainar up from their sleep.

"Ugh, what is it? I was sleeping."

"Ugh, I smell alcohol! Did you go drinking without me again!?"

"Uh huh, just eat this." I handed them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠both chicken legs and notified them of the verdict. "We're going into the labyrinth."

Ainar reacted like she hadn't even considered not going as an option. Missha let out a big sigh. "I already knew that, you ridiculous barrrbarian."

Hah, it would be nice if the rest of the team were like them.

"So, is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it. Go to sleep."

"Ugh, just tell us these things in the morrrning!" Missha complained and went back to her room.

So did Ainar. "Good night, Bjorn!"

I took out my key as well and inserted it into the groove. However, just as I was about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to unlock the door, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Click, clack.

This bit of white noise was not particularly strange considering this was an inn, but for some reason, the sound pricked my ears today.

Click.

In the end, I subconsciously turned to the stairwell and made eye contact with the person coming up. I thought maybe I was mistaken because of the skirt, but of course not.

What's she doing here?

This was the unsurmountable wall I had faced twice before, once in the Land of the Dead and once in the sewers—the eighth-floor adventurer from the underground city, otherwise known as the deranged bitch.

Gulp.

As soon as I saw this face that was imprinted in my mind, I swallowed subconsciously. But it seemed she might have been just as surprised.

"To think I would see a familiar face here... This is kind of a problem." The woman looked at me, frowned, and pulled one foot back to take up a stance. It looked like she'd already decided how she was going to handle this. "Well, I'll just have to beat you up and erase your memory like last time."

God damn it.