Chapter 257: Clan (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 257: Clan (1)
After the royal army's return, the people of the city learned that the army was indeed real, and that the reason they were not at Dimension Square was because they had traveled underground for a stealth mission.
What happened?
No one knew how things had gone, and so, speculation ran wild. Conspiracy theories flourished, from ones debating whether they had won or lost, to one claiming that the palace was actually just pretending to fight the underground city. New hypotheses were crafted by the gossip every day.
A few days later, the palace put posters up all over the city. To briefly summarize their contents, it was as follows: our awesome army won, and even conquered Noark. So stop worrying. I couldn't tell how much of it was legit, but assuming that the posters were to some extent grounded in truth, and compensating for a few holes in the story...
I'm sure of it. There was no battle.
It had been difficult to find evidence of a battle on the knights returning to the palace.
Those bastards from Noark probably escaped.
But where to? The world was blocked in on all sides by walls. The idea that they could be hiding aboveground didn't make sense either. If that number of people came from aboveground, there would obviously be evidence.
Then that means they are still underground...
"Bjorn! Stop messing around and come move these!"
Yeah, I should just focus on moving. Continuing to worry about it won't give me an answer. It's wiser to wait for the opening of the Round Table, since Clown is a member.
And so I ended that train of thought and moved my body.
"Oh, could you put the bed down over there?"
I was currently in an orphanage affiliated with the Church of Reatlas, carrying things around like a mover. It was time for me to start racking up achievements. So, occasionally, when a commission that could be done for the church popped up, I headed there with anyone who was free to complete it.
"Ainar! You thought I wouldn't notice you sneakily taking a brrreak?!"
"I-I'm not taking a break, I'm playing with the kids!"
"Waaah! She broke my doll! Doll murderer!"
"That's... I was trying to teach you where the weak points are and accidentally...!"
There was some chaos today as usual, but after an hour or two, the move was complete. And so today's commission came to an end. Afterward, we had a simple meal at a restaurant near the church, where I learned a strange fact from Missha.
"Did you know? The orrrphanage we went to today is that orphanage."
"That orphanage?"
"You know. The place Dwalkie spent a small porrrtion of his childhood. The old building that's scheduled to be demolished tomorrow is that place."
"...I see."
"Anyway, I was just saying! I'm leaving now! Oh, and I'm going to be home late today so both of you take care of dinner on your own."
After eating, we immediately dispersed. Missha left after informing us she had an appointment with one of her old teammates, and Ainar headed for the holy land.
"Hehe, it's just the two of us now."
"I have to stop by somewhere, so you head home first."
"...Eh?"
Sending away Erwen, who had nothing to do, I headed to the guild alone. The knights who used to shadow me every day were no longer at their posts because they had all left at the end of last month. Apparently, their superior had recalled them.
At the time I didn't think much of it, but they must have been called back for the raid against Noark.
If everyone in Noark got away safely and were somewhere underground the knights might return, but I decided not to bet on that. Still, having spent a month together, one of the knights had taken a moment to offer me a warning before leaving.
"Please take care of yourself. If more assassins appear, the higher-ups have determined that it is more likely to be the work of a large clan than Noark."
It seemed even Deer, who had assigned guards to me, thought the assassination attempt was the work of a large clan rather than Noark. I could see why—it had already been a month since Clown had claimed the assassin was coming soon.
"Then shouldn't you be protecting me more? After all, this means the large clans will be targeting the palace."
"...You don't have to worry about that."
Besides, based on the nuances I could pick up on in my conversation with the knight, it seemed the palace had finished all necessary preparations to stop the large clans without issue, even if they attempted to manipulate public opinion. Which was why they didn't have to protect me anymore.
Well, part of me feels more comfortable without them around, anyway.
Since I was lost in thought during my walk, I arrived at the Adventurers' Guild before I knew it. There was no need to take a number like last time. There weren't a lot of adventurers in the first place now, and...
"Baronet Bjorn Yandel, your identity has been verified. We will guide you to the branch manager's office."
Yeah, I should at least enjoy the perks of having a title like this.
"Not the branch manager. I want the district chief."
The employee asked if I made a prior appointment, but I just bulldozed over that trivial concern with the power of a nobleman.
"Are you guys rebels?" A barbarian on whom words didn't work mixed with a noble who had no intention of listening to anyone: aka, Barbarian Noblesse Mode.
"...We'll guide you straight there."
When we got to the fourth floor, the employee knocked to announce my presence and before long, a loud sigh was heard from inside. As the door swung open, I immediately went in and sat down on the sofa. Then, putting my feet up on the table, I spoke arrogantly. "Greetings."
The man didn't respond.
"Go on."
As soon as the words left my mouth, the district chief, who had been working at his desk, got up and greeted me. "Baronet... Yandel... you're here..."
Shouldn't you be used to stuff like this by now?
"Okay, sit down."
When I gave him permission to sit, only then did the district chief sit down across from me. It had happened several times already, but it was still thrilling every time. Was this what real power tasted like?
"...What business do you have with me today?" The seventh district chief of the Adventurers' Guild, Niall Urbans, who had had a bad relationship with me from our first meeting, was now speaking to me in a polite tone. Of course, our conversation hadn't started this way. At first, he tried to use mildly respectful language to put us on the same level, but when I got angry with him and asked if he was insulting me, a nobleman, he ended up settling on this tone.
Sending away Erwen, who had nothing to do, I headed to the guild alone. The knights who used to shadow me every day were no longer at their posts because they had all left at the end of last month. Apparently, their superior had recalled them.
At the time I didn't think much of it, but they must have been called back for the raid against Noark.
If everyone in Noark got away safely and were somewhere underground the knights might return, but I decided not to bet on that. Still, having spent a month together, one of the knights had taken a moment to offer me a warning before leaving.
"Please take care of yourself. If more assassins appear, the higher-ups have determined that it is more likely to be the work of a large clan than Noark."
It seemed even Deer, who had assigned guards to me, thought the assassination attempt was the work of a large clan rather than Noark. I could see why—it had already been a month since Clown had claimed the assassin was coming soon.
"Then shouldn't you be protecting me more? After all, this means the large clans will be targeting the palace."
"...You don't have to worry about that."
Besides, based on the nuances I could pick up on in my conversation with the knight, it seemed the palace had finished all necessary preparations to stop the large clans without issue, even if they attempted to manipulate public opinion. Which was why they didn't have to protect me anymore.
Well, part of me feels more comfortable without them around, anyway.
Since I was lost in thought during my walk, I arrived at the Adventurers' Guild before I knew it. There was no need to take a number like last time. There weren't a lot of adventurers in the first place now, and...
"Baronet Bjorn Yandel, your identity has been verified. We will guide you to the branch manager's office."
Yeah, I should at least enjoy the perks of having a title like this.
"Not the branch manager. I want the district chief."
The employee asked if I made a prior appointment, but I just bulldozed over that trivial concern with the power of a nobleman.
"Are you guys rebels?" A barbarian on whom words didn't work mixed with a noble who had no intention of listening to anyone: aka, Barbarian Noblesse Mode.
"...We'll guide you straight there."
When we got to the fourth floor, the employee knocked to announce my presence and before long, a loud sigh was heard from inside. As the door swung open, I immediately went in and sat down on the sofa. Then, putting my feet up on the table, I spoke arrogantly. "Greetings."
The man didn't respond.
"Go on."
As soon as the words left my mouth, the district chief, who had been working at his desk, got up and greeted me. "Baronet... Yandel... you're here..."
Shouldn't you be used to stuff like this by now?
"Okay, sit down."
When I gave him permission to sit, only then did the district chief sit down across from me. It had happened several times already, but it was still thrilling every time. Was this what real power tasted like?
"...What business do you have with me today?" The seventh district chief of the Adventurers' Guild, Niall Urbans, who had had a bad relationship with me from our first meeting, was now speaking to me in a polite tone. Of course, our conversation hadn't started this way. At first, he tried to use mildly respectful language to put us on the same level, but when I got angry with him and asked if he was insulting me, a nobleman, he ended up settling on this tone.
"I came to check if there are any adventurers who have responded to my recruitment posting."
"That's something that the branch manager could handle for you..."
What was this guy saying? I specifically came to the guild headquarters in the Seventh District for him. "Talking back... to a noble?"
"...I will check on that right away."
"Since there could be a mistake like last time, do it personally. Don't get someone else to do it."
"Right..."
The district chief headed down to do as I instructed and I munched on the snacks laid out on the table as I waited. I wasn't sure how long I had been sitting there when the district chief finally came back holding some papers.
"Here they are." When I ripped them out of his hands without so much as a thank you and began to read, I found that nothing had changed since my last visit two days ago.
"One more applicant, but they aren't even all that great."
"I'm sorry."
"There's nothing you need to apologize for." Showing a rare bit of generosity as his superior, I read through the document again. The number of people who had applied to the teammate recruitment posting I put up a few days ago was exactly thirty-one. It was fewer than I had expected. This was because fewer adventurers wanted to enter the labyrinth these days.
Still, since the clans are so broken up, I thought more would apply than this.
I set my disappointment aside and put the paper down. There were no adventurers on that sheet that I was interested in taking to the interview stage. I hadn't been able to find the special class that I'd been looking for, either. I guessed all we could do was wait indefinitely.
"Um, but..."
"Don't waste my time and speak."
"Is there a specific class you're looking for?"
"Not really, I just need someone who is capable. Why do you ask?"
"Because I spotted a famous name among the applicants." The district chief went on to rave about how skilled, loyal, and promising said adventurer was. It seemed like this guy wanted to find me a teammate soon so I'd stop coming here.
"Enough!" I threw the paper on the floor and stormed out of the office. "You just do what I tell you to do!"
No matter how great his resume may have been, to put a Hans on my team? Was this guy out of his mind?
***
Nearly two weeks had passed since the fire broke out. I could sort what I'd been up to since into a few categories: grinding for achievements at the temple, stopping by the holy land to spar with the chieftain, going around Kommelby to get a feel for the prices, and then heading to the guild every three days to relieve stress by tormenting the district chief. Although my schedule was rather productive, it didn't yield any immediate results. The value of currency would probably continue to rise for the next while, so I wasn't making any moves money-wise.
And it looks like it'll take another two to three months before I have enough achievements to get a priest...
The same went for recruiting a teammate. There was no sign of the special class of adventurer required for the sixth floor appearing anytime soon, and the three other spots I needed to fill to reach ten people were still vacant.
Will we have no choice but to climb it with only six people in the end?
The idea was disheartening. Normally, when a clan was split into two parties or more, the team met up on the fifth floor. This was because when the number of people traveling together exceeded five, the fourth floor ended up taking considerably longer, a painful loss for adventurers who treated time as money.
"I came to check if there are any adventurers who have responded to my recruitment posting."
"That's something that the branch manager could handle for you..."
What was this guy saying? I specifically came to the guild headquarters in the Seventh District for him. "Talking back... to a noble?"
"...I will check on that right away."
"Since there could be a mistake like last time, do it personally. Don't get someone else to do it."
"Right..."
The district chief headed down to do as I instructed and I munched on the snacks laid out on the table as I waited. I wasn't sure how long I had been sitting there when the district chief finally came back holding some papers.
"Here they are." When I ripped them out of his hands without so much as a thank you and began to read, I found that nothing had changed since my last visit two days ago.
"One more applicant, but they aren't even all that great."
"I'm sorry."
"There's nothing you need to apologize for." Showing a rare bit of generosity as his superior, I read through the document again. The number of people who had applied to the teammate recruitment posting I put up a few days ago was exactly thirty-one. It was fewer than I had expected. This was because fewer adventurers wanted to enter the labyrinth these days.
Still, since the clans are so broken up, I thought more would apply than this.
I set my disappointment aside and put the paper down. There were no adventurers on that sheet that I was interested in taking to the interview stage. I hadn't been able to find the special class that I'd been looking for, either. I guessed all we could do was wait indefinitely.
"Um, but..."
"Don't waste my time and speak."
"Is there a specific class you're looking for?"
"Not really, I just need someone who is capable. Why do you ask?"
"Because I spotted a famous name among the applicants." The district chief went on to rave about how skilled, loyal, and promising said adventurer was. It seemed like this guy wanted to find me a teammate soon so I'd stop coming here.
"Enough!" I threw the paper on the floor and stormed out of the office. "You just do what I tell you to do!"
No matter how great his resume may have been, to put a Hans on my team? Was this guy out of his mind?
***
Nearly two weeks had passed since the fire broke out. I could sort what I'd been up to since into a few categories: grinding for achievements at the temple, stopping by the holy land to spar with the chieftain, going around Kommelby to get a feel for the prices, and then heading to the guild every three days to relieve stress by tormenting the district chief. Although my schedule was rather productive, it didn't yield any immediate results. The value of currency would probably continue to rise for the next while, so I wasn't making any moves money-wise.
And it looks like it'll take another two to three months before I have enough achievements to get a priest...
The same went for recruiting a teammate. There was no sign of the special class of adventurer required for the sixth floor appearing anytime soon, and the three other spots I needed to fill to reach ten people were still vacant.
Will we have no choice but to climb it with only six people in the end?
The idea was disheartening. Normally, when a clan was split into two parties or more, the team met up on the fifth floor. This was because when the number of people traveling together exceeded five, the fourth floor ended up taking considerably longer, a painful loss for adventurers who treated time as money.
But there are still a lot of things about the idea of going up in groups of three that make me uneasy. It'll be much safer to just meet on the second floor.
Of course, it was a bit too early to worry about that. If our return to the labyrinth ended up being delayed a few more months, all of this would be pointless. What was important was when the situation would stabilize again.
There's a chance I might be able to figure that out today.
It was the 15th, the day when Ghost Busters opened. This morning, I headed to the holy land in preparation for my trip into the community. That was because I couldn't just go in like usual this time.
GM.
Even the GM suspected me of being an evil spirit now. It was highly likely that the GM would make a move today because that was what I would do if I were him.
Twelve hours spent in the forum was twelve seconds in real life. I'd always thought this, but this brief moment was a huge weakness for community users because you were totally cut off from reality. Since even getting stabbed in the neck with a knife wouldn't wake you, if someone were to take proper advantage of this twelve-second stretch, they would be able to tell if you were a player or not.
But not going in would be worse.
I decided to enter the community anyway, making the call that after Noark and the palace's recent encounter, the amount of information I'd be able to get this month would be huge. Besides, the GM's right-hand man, Soul Queen, had also entered the Round Table as a new recruit last month. If Lion were absent during this meeting, it would be possible for them to connect me and Lion together in the future.
...Is that too much of a leap?
Anyway, the point was this: in life, it was always better to be safe than sorry. I didn't know for sure whether the GM would aim to check during those twelve seconds, but there was no reason not to be prepared.
"Bjorn, you called for me?"
"Ah, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Favor?"
"Can you try putting this on your face?"
When I arrived at the holy land, I called over Kharon and handed him the Golden Mask, the hidden item I had obtained in the Bloody Citadel.
"What is this? I like that it's shiny, but..."
"It's a magic item that transforms your face for thirty days."
"Huh? But why are you giving it to me?"
"Because you're the person whose build is most similar to mine."
I proceeded to ask Kharon to drink in the city until midnight tomorrow while wearing my face.
"That's not a difficult request, but why?"
"I have somewhere I need to go tonight that's a secret from my teammates."
"...Looks like that beastwoman is not very understanding of you."
Huh? Why was he bringing her up here? I was confused as to what he was talking about, but I soon realized what he was getting at.
"It is a warrior's instinct to want offspring. Is that why you came to the holy land today?"
I took this in for a moment before nodding. Now that I thought about it, this seemed like a much better way to keep my secret than the excuse I had prepared.
"Anyway, don't worry! I will do my best so that even if that beastwoman shows up, she won't suspect a thing!"
Actually, he would most definitely be found out if she showed up, which was why I had told him to spend all night drinking. "I'll trust you. You are the wisest warrior here after me, after all."
"Y-You think that too, huh?! I'm flattered!"
After filling him in on the precautions he should take and his itinerary for the night, I gave Kharon, who had turned into me, my equipment and sent him into the city.
[You have used Golden Mask. Your appearance will change for 30 days.]
I also put the mask on and took it off in order to adopt Kharon's appearance. That was because my face stood out in the holy land. If there were eyewitness accounts of me being in both places at once, there would be no point in all the effort I went through today.
I should get back to the city too.
Since it would be possible for Kharon's friends in the holy land to figure out who I was, I quickly put on Kharon's equipment and left the bushes to return to the city. Then I found a room at a random inn and locked myself in.
[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn to a different world.]
Whew, I just hope he doesn't do anything strange while wearing my face...
But there are still a lot of things about the idea of going up in groups of three that make me uneasy. It'll be much safer to just meet on the second floor.
Of course, it was a bit too early to worry about that. If our return to the labyrinth ended up being delayed a few more months, all of this would be pointless. What was important was when the situation would stabilize again.
There's a chance I might be able to figure that out today.
It was the 15th, the day when Ghost Busters opened. This morning, I headed to the holy land in preparation for my trip into the community. That was because I couldn't just go in like usual this time.
GM.
Even the GM suspected me of being an evil spirit now. It was highly likely that the GM would make a move today because that was what I would do if I were him.
Twelve hours spent in the forum was twelve seconds in real life. I'd always thought this, but this brief moment was a huge weakness for community users because you were totally cut off from reality. Since even getting stabbed in the neck with a knife wouldn't wake you, if someone were to take proper advantage of this twelve-second stretch, they would be able to tell if you were a player or not.
But not going in would be worse.
I decided to enter the community anyway, making the call that after Noark and the palace's recent encounter, the amount of information I'd be able to get this month would be huge. Besides, the GM's right-hand man, Soul Queen, had also entered the Round Table as a new recruit last month. If Lion were absent during this meeting, it would be possible for them to connect me and Lion together in the future.
...Is that too much of a leap?
Anyway, the point was this: in life, it was always better to be safe than sorry. I didn't know for sure whether the GM would aim to check during those twelve seconds, but there was no reason not to be prepared.
"Bjorn, you called for me?"
"Ah, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Favor?"
"Can you try putting this on your face?"
When I arrived at the holy land, I called over Kharon and handed him the Golden Mask, the hidden item I had obtained in the Bloody Citadel.
"What is this? I like that it's shiny, but..."
"It's a magic item that transforms your face for thirty days."
"Huh? But why are you giving it to me?"
"Because you're the person whose build is most similar to mine."
I proceeded to ask Kharon to drink in the city until midnight tomorrow while wearing my face.
"That's not a difficult request, but why?"
"I have somewhere I need to go tonight that's a secret from my teammates."
"...Looks like that beastwoman is not very understanding of you."
Huh? Why was he bringing her up here? I was confused as to what he was talking about, but I soon realized what he was getting at.
"It is a warrior's instinct to want offspring. Is that why you came to the holy land today?"
I took this in for a moment before nodding. Now that I thought about it, this seemed like a much better way to keep my secret than the excuse I had prepared.
"Anyway, don't worry! I will do my best so that even if that beastwoman shows up, she won't suspect a thing!"
Actually, he would most definitely be found out if she showed up, which was why I had told him to spend all night drinking. "I'll trust you. You are the wisest warrior here after me, after all."
"Y-You think that too, huh?! I'm flattered!"
After filling him in on the precautions he should take and his itinerary for the night, I gave Kharon, who had turned into me, my equipment and sent him into the city.
[You have used Golden Mask. Your appearance will change for 30 days.]
I also put the mask on and took it off in order to adopt Kharon's appearance. That was because my face stood out in the holy land. If there were eyewitness accounts of me being in both places at once, there would be no point in all the effort I went through today.
I should get back to the city too.
Since it would be possible for Kharon's friends in the holy land to figure out who I was, I quickly put on Kharon's equipment and left the bushes to return to the city. Then I found a room at a random inn and locked myself in.
[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn to a different world.]
Whew, I just hope he doesn't do anything strange while wearing my face...