Chapter 193: Bifron (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 193: Bifron (3)
On the third floor of the tavern where Team Apple Narak always assembled, Raven let out a sigh. Said sigh was the result of a lack of a certain person's presence, thanks to unforeseen circumstances. "Well, we've all gathered as promised, but we won't be able to divide the loot like this."
It had already been three days since they had returned to the city. On behalf of their absent leader, Raven visited Kommelby and sold all of their loot on her own. The payout was a whopping 152,400,000 stones.
"A h-hundred million?! I've never heard of that unit before!"
"Woah, that's the amount even after subtracting the equipment we took?"
"Well, we sold equipment we collected from seven intermediate adventurers, after all. And the numbered item Fox Flame Knot was just registered at the auction house and hasn't even been sold yet."
"...I expected a high number, but this is really incredible."
As soon as they heard the amount, everyone gasped. It was just the reaction she was hoping for, but why did it feel like something was missing? Raven subconsciously glanced at the empty seat at the table.
I didn't notice when he was here, but things are kind of boring without him.
Bjorn, son of Yandel, leader of Team Apple Narak and the barbarian warrior who served as the team's tank. If he were here, they would be engaged in a war of attrition on the distribution ratio by now. The conversation would progress something like this:
"You should get 40 percent of the Manticore essence because it's special loot? What strange math. Maybe if we had won the dice roll that day, but I got this from the dwarf, so it's only fair to distribute it evenly."
"Then what about the twenty million stones we received as a labor fee?"
"You'll definitely get back the cost of the Magic Vial. But 40 percent of the labor fee? I recall the distribution agreement for special loot had no clause for labor fees?"
As always, she would laugh and offer a new compromise. At the time, she thought it was all just for her profit, but maybe that wasn't necessarily the case.
"Aruru, what arrre you thinking about?"
"It's nothing." Raven brushed off her thoughts and ended the meeting. "If no one is urgently in need of money, I'll hold on to this until Mr. Yandel gets back."
"Okay. Sure. Ainar can just borrrow money from me."
"Again? I have to borrow money again!?"
"You have a lot to pay back, anyway. Taking the money in advance will only make the math morrre complicated for Aruru. So just wait until then. Okay?"
"Okay!"
"Hmm, it was twenty days, right? It's a little over two weeks left now."
For some reason, Raven felt a strange emotion. She was the one who had suggested it, but was it normal to agree that one person should hold onto goods worth over one hundred million stones this easily? Normally, no. Like the wizard she was, Raven couldn't resist asking. "Aren't you all worried? I said I would hold onto it."
"Hmm?"
"Worry? Why would we do such a thing?"
They reacted like she was asking something bizarre. That made her feel even more strange. It wasn't a bad feeling at all, but also hard to define with words.
Is this why that guy used the Awakening combo?
When she first heard that story from Bjorn, she thought the man he was talking about had been too naive. That was because a wizard from the Magic Tower would never do such a thing. But now, she could sort of understand his decision. Not completely, but maybe 1 percent.
"Anyway, that's it for today's agenda."
After the point of the meeting was over, they ate together and chatted about various things. Naturally, most of the conversation centered around their absent leader.
"Aruru, what kind of place is Bifrrron?"
"...A sinister place. Even virtuous people turn vile there."
"That's what poverty and hunger will do to someone."
"Mr. Urikfried, have you experienced them?"
"...Three years into my career, there was an incident where I lost all my equipment. I just barely managed to save my money back up by living on stonebread alone. I only narrowly paid my taxes too."
The atmosphere got a little heavier. Missha spoke cautiously. "He should be fine, rrright? Bjorn?"
"What are you worried about, Miss Karlstein? He's strong and has money. What issues would he have? He's probably on vacation mode right now."
"Mm... I hope so..."
Raven chuckled and shook her head. What could you say to a woman in love to console her in a situation like this? Missha seemed extremely cute to her at that moment.
She's a year older than me...
For some reason, she was even envious.
Will I ever make that face about someone?
It wasn't easy to imagine it now. Missha turned her head, embarrassed about being stared at, and pinched innocent Ainar's side. "Ainarrr, stop eating meat and say something. Aren't you worrried about Bjorn?"
"...Huh? Bjorn? Why would I worry about Bjorn? Bjorn is a great warrior! Without the law, he'll live a better life!" It was a truly barbarian-like answer.
Normally this was the time when everyone would shake their heads in disapproval, but on an unspoken agreement, everyone kept their mouths shut. The reason was simple. It really seemed like he would. This was the same man who skillfully evaded the law and did as he liked, after all.
***
I shouted louder than ever, "Behelaaah!"
Currently, I was on the terrace on the fourth floor of District Fourteen's old administrative office. A total of 514 subordinates stood in a line at ground level, and there was only one thing these guys had to do right now. Since I had made the first shout, their task was to shout back.
"Behela!"
These were the fruits of my labor three days into my stay here. I had become the boss of the Western Alliance, which occupied the western sector of Bifron. It wasn't hard to pull off. Following the natural order, strength became authority in a lawless land like this. By which I meant I crashed their camp and destroyed everything.
"Too quiet!"
"Behelaaah!"
"Louder!"
"B-Behelaaah!"
Now that I had subordinates, I taught them the barbarian battle cry, which wasn't quite there yet. I supposed it was because there was not a single barbarian among all these people. It would take some time for me to be satisfied. If someone asked the basic question of why I was even teaching them this, I only had one answer to give: I was a K-Barbarian with a humanitarian spirit. Of course good things should be shared.
"Behelaaah!"
It still didn't meet my standards so I tightened my grip on my mace. In response, the cry grew louder.
"Anyway, that's it for today's agenda."
After the point of the meeting was over, they ate together and chatted about various things. Naturally, most of the conversation centered around their absent leader.
"Aruru, what kind of place is Bifrrron?"
"...A sinister place. Even virtuous people turn vile there."
"That's what poverty and hunger will do to someone."
"Mr. Urikfried, have you experienced them?"
"...Three years into my career, there was an incident where I lost all my equipment. I just barely managed to save my money back up by living on stonebread alone. I only narrowly paid my taxes too."
The atmosphere got a little heavier. Missha spoke cautiously. "He should be fine, rrright? Bjorn?"
"What are you worried about, Miss Karlstein? He's strong and has money. What issues would he have? He's probably on vacation mode right now."
"Mm... I hope so..."
Raven chuckled and shook her head. What could you say to a woman in love to console her in a situation like this? Missha seemed extremely cute to her at that moment.
She's a year older than me...
For some reason, she was even envious.
Will I ever make that face about someone?
It wasn't easy to imagine it now. Missha turned her head, embarrassed about being stared at, and pinched innocent Ainar's side. "Ainarrr, stop eating meat and say something. Aren't you worrried about Bjorn?"
"...Huh? Bjorn? Why would I worry about Bjorn? Bjorn is a great warrior! Without the law, he'll live a better life!" It was a truly barbarian-like answer.
Normally this was the time when everyone would shake their heads in disapproval, but on an unspoken agreement, everyone kept their mouths shut. The reason was simple. It really seemed like he would. This was the same man who skillfully evaded the law and did as he liked, after all.
***
I shouted louder than ever, "Behelaaah!"
Currently, I was on the terrace on the fourth floor of District Fourteen's old administrative office. A total of 514 subordinates stood in a line at ground level, and there was only one thing these guys had to do right now. Since I had made the first shout, their task was to shout back.
"Behela!"
These were the fruits of my labor three days into my stay here. I had become the boss of the Western Alliance, which occupied the western sector of Bifron. It wasn't hard to pull off. Following the natural order, strength became authority in a lawless land like this. By which I meant I crashed their camp and destroyed everything.
"Too quiet!"
"Behelaaah!"
"Louder!"
"B-Behelaaah!"
Now that I had subordinates, I taught them the barbarian battle cry, which wasn't quite there yet. I supposed it was because there was not a single barbarian among all these people. It would take some time for me to be satisfied. If someone asked the basic question of why I was even teaching them this, I only had one answer to give: I was a K-Barbarian with a humanitarian spirit. Of course good things should be shared.
"Behelaaah!"
It still didn't meet my standards so I tightened my grip on my mace. In response, the cry grew louder.
Okay, that's good enough.
"That's it for today! Go have fun! Oh, but don't do anything that harms others!"
"Yes sir!"
Finishing off our first-ever morning gathering, I dismissed my subordinates. Quite a few of them were on crutches because of broken legs, but they were able to leave the premises safely with the help of their colleagues. Now, it was time for me to start my morning too.
"Your tea is ready."
Upon entering the room, a man with a jellyfish haircut and a giant bald spot on the top of his head bowed and served me brunch. This guy had been the boss of the Western Alliance until yesterday. He was suffering from severe circular hair loss so he normally wore a wig, but I told him to stop wearing it from now on. A subordinate shouldn't hide anything from his boss, right?
"Tea and bread, huh?" Seeing the breakfast on the table, I couldn't help but sigh. "Are you joking? Bring me wine and meat."
"Sorry? Ah, yes! S-Sorry. I didn't know what you would want, so—"
"It's because you eat things like this for breakfast that your hair is already falling out."
"Th-this is because of the witch's poison!"
Yeah, right. If that were really the case, everyone here would be bald.
"Don't make embarrassing excuses."
After a brief wait, crispy grilled meat was set on the table. As usual, I just ate it with my bare hands. Having thick skin on my hands and high Flame Resistance on top of that, this much was no problem.
"You, what was your name? I don't remember."
"Because you didn't ask—" Was this treason? Just as that thought was about to enter my mind, he realized his mistake and quickly rectified his statement. "Jingkasar Feljain."
"That's unusual. Where does it come from?"
"It comes from the south-central region."
Oh, so his ancestors were desert people. No wonder his skin was so dark. "Hmm." I studied him for a moment and contemplated this. Jingkasar Feljain? That was too much work to pronounce. It should be shortened for practical reasons. Okay, since he was Mr. Jing... "Jingjing. Yes, Jingjing sounds good."
"...Pardon?"
"From now on, I will call you Jingjing."
The reply only came several moments later. "...Okay."
"Okay, boss."
"Okay, boss..." Jingjing didn't seem to like his new name at all, but what was he gonna do about it?
If you don't like it, you should've won, or supervised your subordinates better so they didn't start a fight with me.
"Water."
"Sorry?"
"Water."
"Ah, yes!"
After the meal, I swallowed the antidote the knight had given me with water. I was uneasy about it since I didn't know what it was made of, but since Raven guaranteed it was safe, I was sure it was fine.
The idea of not taking it makes me more uneasy.
Bifron was a district where the protective magic circle was damaged. The witch's poison that had driven the world to its end was leaking in even at this moment, and all the residents here were being exposed to it. The witch's poison was easy to think of as radiation, but since this was a fantasy world, it had one peculiar trait.
Okay, that's good enough.
"That's it for today! Go have fun! Oh, but don't do anything that harms others!"
"Yes sir!"
Finishing off our first-ever morning gathering, I dismissed my subordinates. Quite a few of them were on crutches because of broken legs, but they were able to leave the premises safely with the help of their colleagues. Now, it was time for me to start my morning too.
"Your tea is ready."
Upon entering the room, a man with a jellyfish haircut and a giant bald spot on the top of his head bowed and served me brunch. This guy had been the boss of the Western Alliance until yesterday. He was suffering from severe circular hair loss so he normally wore a wig, but I told him to stop wearing it from now on. A subordinate shouldn't hide anything from his boss, right?
"Tea and bread, huh?" Seeing the breakfast on the table, I couldn't help but sigh. "Are you joking? Bring me wine and meat."
"Sorry? Ah, yes! S-Sorry. I didn't know what you would want, so—"
"It's because you eat things like this for breakfast that your hair is already falling out."
"Th-this is because of the witch's poison!"
Yeah, right. If that were really the case, everyone here would be bald.
"Don't make embarrassing excuses."
After a brief wait, crispy grilled meat was set on the table. As usual, I just ate it with my bare hands. Having thick skin on my hands and high Flame Resistance on top of that, this much was no problem.
"You, what was your name? I don't remember."
"Because you didn't ask—" Was this treason? Just as that thought was about to enter my mind, he realized his mistake and quickly rectified his statement. "Jingkasar Feljain."
"That's unusual. Where does it come from?"
"It comes from the south-central region."
Oh, so his ancestors were desert people. No wonder his skin was so dark. "Hmm." I studied him for a moment and contemplated this. Jingkasar Feljain? That was too much work to pronounce. It should be shortened for practical reasons. Okay, since he was Mr. Jing... "Jingjing. Yes, Jingjing sounds good."
"...Pardon?"
"From now on, I will call you Jingjing."
The reply only came several moments later. "...Okay."
"Okay, boss."
"Okay, boss..." Jingjing didn't seem to like his new name at all, but what was he gonna do about it?
If you don't like it, you should've won, or supervised your subordinates better so they didn't start a fight with me.
"Water."
"Sorry?"
"Water."
"Ah, yes!"
After the meal, I swallowed the antidote the knight had given me with water. I was uneasy about it since I didn't know what it was made of, but since Raven guaranteed it was safe, I was sure it was fine.
The idea of not taking it makes me more uneasy.
Bifron was a district where the protective magic circle was damaged. The witch's poison that had driven the world to its end was leaking in even at this moment, and all the residents here were being exposed to it. The witch's poison was easy to think of as radiation, but since this was a fantasy world, it had one peculiar trait.
It doesn't affect you until the age of fifteen. After that, the probability of it affecting you increases depending on the length of exposure.
To explain it in game-like terms, Bifron was a place covered with probability-type terrain that was capable of causing instant death. For adults, the life expectancy following deportation was eight or nine years, and that was only because the protective magic circle was still half-working. If they left the castle walls, they would die within the day.
Well, no one has ever gone outside, though.
The world outside the city was also unknown to me. Even in the game, it had been completely blocked off by the system.
"I'm full. Let's go on a walk."
"...I will accompany you."
I took Jingjing for a walk and, while walking aimlessly in one direction, asked some questions I'd been curious about. As he was once the head of an organization, he was more knowledgeable than the kid who had guided me on the first day and even answered my weird questions with sincerity. He was devoting his whole soul to my boss act.
"Ask me anything you want to know. Jingkasar Feljain will answer them all."
Well, his ulterior motive was too obvious. He probably figured he just had to endure this for twenty days, after which I'd be gone. Making any attempt to stab me in the back was sure to get him killed.
Should I be thanking that kid?
Of course I hadn't planned to get exiled to Bifron or take over the Western Alliance, but it wasn't like I didn't have a plan, either. Whether I liked it or not, I would be staying here for twenty days. I figured that there would be less hassle if I established a home base here. There was also something I now wanted to check out. Well, I couldn't say I wasn't bored, either.
"But boss, how far are we going? We're already in the eastern territory."
"Just follow me."
Once our morning walk hit the two-hour mark, Jingjing started to get curious. "But any further and it's just the castle wall..."
"That is our destination."
An empty castle wall? Why? The question clearly crossed his mind, but Jingjing did not ask. Within a day, he had learned how to talk to me.
Step.
We arrived at a street near the castle wall. I got up on a rooftop that looked to be higher than the rest and studied the wall.
It's the same here, too.
As in the other districts, there were soldiers standing guard on the wall. I'd always wondered this: why were the soldiers watching this side instead of the outside?
I asked Jingjing, but received the following answer: "I'm not sure. I guess it's in case someone tries to go outside."
To be honest, I once thought the same. That was what everyone else believed, too.
But is that necessary in Bifron?
From the royal family's perspective, it would be better for these people to disappear anyway. Moreover, if these people died from the witch's poison while trying to climb over the wall, it would only help solidify the legitimacy of the monarchy.
It's so strange.
This was a contradiction I had noticed the moment I arrived here. Bifron's protective magic circle was broken, which was why even the sentries on the castle walls had to be fed an antidote. Yet they were wasting their resources to position sentries here?
There's something here.
That was my intuition, the same intuition that had allowed me to discover countless hidden features in the past. But no matter how long I stared up at the castle walls and sifted through my thoughts, the answer did not come to me. I did have a plausible hypothesis, but there was still insufficient evidence to support it.
"Let's head back. I'm hungry."
"Yes, boss."
Soon, I took my eyes off the wall and turned around. Just then, a group of dozens gathering in the street below caught my eye.
"Those Eastern bastards. Looks like they heard you were here. What will you do?" Although he posed it as a question, Jingjing's eyes showed how eager he was for me to crush them just like I did his group. Too easy to read.
"It's fine. Guide me back to our territory. It's best not to run into th—" Just as I was about to walk away, I froze. There was a familiar face among the Eastern bastards.
Amelia Rainwales?
What was she doing here?
It doesn't affect you until the age of fifteen. After that, the probability of it affecting you increases depending on the length of exposure.
To explain it in game-like terms, Bifron was a place covered with probability-type terrain that was capable of causing instant death. For adults, the life expectancy following deportation was eight or nine years, and that was only because the protective magic circle was still half-working. If they left the castle walls, they would die within the day.
Well, no one has ever gone outside, though.
The world outside the city was also unknown to me. Even in the game, it had been completely blocked off by the system.
"I'm full. Let's go on a walk."
"...I will accompany you."
I took Jingjing for a walk and, while walking aimlessly in one direction, asked some questions I'd been curious about. As he was once the head of an organization, he was more knowledgeable than the kid who had guided me on the first day and even answered my weird questions with sincerity. He was devoting his whole soul to my boss act.
"Ask me anything you want to know. Jingkasar Feljain will answer them all."
Well, his ulterior motive was too obvious. He probably figured he just had to endure this for twenty days, after which I'd be gone. Making any attempt to stab me in the back was sure to get him killed.
Should I be thanking that kid?
Of course I hadn't planned to get exiled to Bifron or take over the Western Alliance, but it wasn't like I didn't have a plan, either. Whether I liked it or not, I would be staying here for twenty days. I figured that there would be less hassle if I established a home base here. There was also something I now wanted to check out. Well, I couldn't say I wasn't bored, either.
"But boss, how far are we going? We're already in the eastern territory."
"Just follow me."
Once our morning walk hit the two-hour mark, Jingjing started to get curious. "But any further and it's just the castle wall..."
"That is our destination."
An empty castle wall? Why? The question clearly crossed his mind, but Jingjing did not ask. Within a day, he had learned how to talk to me.
Step.
We arrived at a street near the castle wall. I got up on a rooftop that looked to be higher than the rest and studied the wall.
It's the same here, too.
As in the other districts, there were soldiers standing guard on the wall. I'd always wondered this: why were the soldiers watching this side instead of the outside?
I asked Jingjing, but received the following answer: "I'm not sure. I guess it's in case someone tries to go outside."
To be honest, I once thought the same. That was what everyone else believed, too.
But is that necessary in Bifron?
From the royal family's perspective, it would be better for these people to disappear anyway. Moreover, if these people died from the witch's poison while trying to climb over the wall, it would only help solidify the legitimacy of the monarchy.
It's so strange.
This was a contradiction I had noticed the moment I arrived here. Bifron's protective magic circle was broken, which was why even the sentries on the castle walls had to be fed an antidote. Yet they were wasting their resources to position sentries here?
There's something here.
That was my intuition, the same intuition that had allowed me to discover countless hidden features in the past. But no matter how long I stared up at the castle walls and sifted through my thoughts, the answer did not come to me. I did have a plausible hypothesis, but there was still insufficient evidence to support it.
"Let's head back. I'm hungry."
"Yes, boss."
Soon, I took my eyes off the wall and turned around. Just then, a group of dozens gathering in the street below caught my eye.
"Those Eastern bastards. Looks like they heard you were here. What will you do?" Although he posed it as a question, Jingjing's eyes showed how eager he was for me to crush them just like I did his group. Too easy to read.
"It's fine. Guide me back to our territory. It's best not to run into th—" Just as I was about to walk away, I froze. There was a familiar face among the Eastern bastards.
Amelia Rainwales?
What was she doing here?