Chapter 26: The Plunderer (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: The Plunderer (3)
"Ainar. Whenever something happens, always consider the worst-case scenario first."
Just look at what happened earlier, when we had gotten our hopes up about coincidentally encountering human adventurers. Life didn't always work out the way you wanted it to.
"The only reason we could run away was because she let us go. She must have thought that, if she wanted to, she could catch us easily. So it's too early to let our guards down."
The explanation was starting to get long despite myself.
Let's get to the main point.
"By now, she must be—"
"Watching you from nearby."
Mother—
I thought she would at worst be on her way here. There was another rock-bottom below rock-bottom. Or maybe I just wasn't as clever as I thought I was.
"Bjorn!"
As Ainar and I set down our backpacks and prepared to fight, the woman emerged from the darkness, once again with no mask.
"I'm sorry, barbarian."
...What's with this creepy bitch?
"Still, your earlier battle was impressive."
Despite the gnome's ability, it seemed like she'd been watching us for a while... but that didn't make logical sense.
"...Why didn't you show up before now?"
It had taken a few minutes for me to be able to move again after drinking the potion. So, why hadn't she come after me during that time?
While I was waiting for an answer...
"Ahhh!"
The blond-haired guy jumped up from the ground and started running with all his might. Ainar and I didn't react in time to stop him because we were focused on that outrageous bitch. However...
Thud.
A thin, needle-like thing flew out in a straight line and pierced the blond-haired man's neck.
Could it have been poisoned? Despite the minor injury, his blond hair fluttered like the branches of an aspen tree, and he soon fell limp.
It was at that point that I realized that this was not the time to be leisurely asking questions like "how" or "why."
"Ainar!"
Lengthy conversations weren't necessary between us. The moment I called her name, Ainar pushed off the ground and leaped forward like she had just been waiting for my signal. I did the same.
If you can't run away, there's no choice but to fight!
Whooom!
The plunderer bitch easily evaded Ainar's greatsword by ducking. Then she simultaneously blocked my mace with a dagger as it was coming down at her.
Clang!
What the...
How many essences had she guzzled down? The dagger that had blocked my mace was completely fine. And, when the woman exerted more force, I was helplessly pushed back.
"Stop this meaningless fight, barbarian."
Well. That sounded like a very hard ask.
Even if it's pointless...
"Behel-aaah!"
I was a barbarian. And of course, my mind had not yet forgotten my time as a member of modern civilization either.
Clang!
I was constantly afraid, there was no sign that my pain tolerance was improving, and I still thought of a way to run away in every situation. Nevertheless, there was one thing about me that was the same as the barbarians.
Clang!
If there was only one possible path forward, I chose to follow through without hesitation.
Clang!
As my mace collided with her dagger, I discarded it and attempted a tackle. As expected, she didn't budge.
Why is a random adventurer so strong? I unconsciously whined.
Still, even if I couldn't knock her down, I could use my grit to stall her.
"Ainar! Now!"
Before I was even done shouting, Ainar's greatsword was already swinging in a perfectly straight line. For the first time, the plunderer, who had been expressionless this entire encounter, showed some glimmer of emotion. Surprise, or annoyance.
Mmm, or maybe it was anger.
Stab!
Pain erupted in my back.
Did she stab me in the spine? But what happened to my armor?
Before I could even question what was happening, the strength left my body.
[You are now under the Paralysis effect.]
I tried to grab onto her pants and hold on somehow, but my body, which was capable of rampaging like a monster even while stabbed in the neck, did not listen.
Stab!
Then, a moment later, the sound of stabbing flesh was heard again.
Clang!
With that sound, Ainar's greatsword fell to the floor. When I moved my eyes upward, I saw a dagger buried in Ainar's wrist. I wondered if this was the end of us...
But even when she was in pain, Ainar did not stop.
"Ahhh!"
Having lost her weapon, instead of her paralyzed right arm, she swung her left fist. Seeing her fighting spirit, I realized it all over again... Why barbarians, who were no different from large humans in appearance, were treated like monsters.
However, this was not a good matchup for her.
Whooom!
The woman escaped the fist with an evasive maneuver and didn't stop there, instead grabbing Ainar's wrist, twisting it, and—
Boom!
—throwing her to the ground.
Ainar immediately pushed off the ground and tried to stand up, but she kept slipping and falling. Her arm was trembling, and her tendons were tense. At the sight, the woman let out an apathetic sigh.
"Give up. There is nothing you can do after being paralyzed by a basilisk's poison."
This was like a death sentence. My mind went blank, and my eyes darkened.
Equipment, skills, experience... There was a stark, insurmountable difference between us in every domain.
No matter how much I turned the gears in my head, I couldn't think of any way to turn the situation around. But just when the word "death" was stamping itself on my mind—
"That's why you should have listened when I gave you the chance."
—the woman bent over, released the tight fist I had around the hem of her pants,
Clang!
I was constantly afraid, there was no sign that my pain tolerance was improving, and I still thought of a way to run away in every situation. Nevertheless, there was one thing about me that was the same as the barbarians.
Clang!
If there was only one possible path forward, I chose to follow through without hesitation.
Clang!
As my mace collided with her dagger, I discarded it and attempted a tackle. As expected, she didn't budge.
Why is a random adventurer so strong? I unconsciously whined.
Still, even if I couldn't knock her down, I could use my grit to stall her.
"Ainar! Now!"
Before I was even done shouting, Ainar's greatsword was already swinging in a perfectly straight line. For the first time, the plunderer, who had been expressionless this entire encounter, showed some glimmer of emotion. Surprise, or annoyance.
Mmm, or maybe it was anger.
Stab!
Pain erupted in my back.
Did she stab me in the spine? But what happened to my armor?
Before I could even question what was happening, the strength left my body.
[You are now under the Paralysis effect.]
I tried to grab onto her pants and hold on somehow, but my body, which was capable of rampaging like a monster even while stabbed in the neck, did not listen.
Stab!
Then, a moment later, the sound of stabbing flesh was heard again.
Clang!
With that sound, Ainar's greatsword fell to the floor. When I moved my eyes upward, I saw a dagger buried in Ainar's wrist. I wondered if this was the end of us...
But even when she was in pain, Ainar did not stop.
"Ahhh!"
Having lost her weapon, instead of her paralyzed right arm, she swung her left fist. Seeing her fighting spirit, I realized it all over again... Why barbarians, who were no different from large humans in appearance, were treated like monsters.
However, this was not a good matchup for her.
Whooom!
The woman escaped the fist with an evasive maneuver and didn't stop there, instead grabbing Ainar's wrist, twisting it, and—
Boom!
—throwing her to the ground.
Ainar immediately pushed off the ground and tried to stand up, but she kept slipping and falling. Her arm was trembling, and her tendons were tense. At the sight, the woman let out an apathetic sigh.
"Give up. There is nothing you can do after being paralyzed by a basilisk's poison."
This was like a death sentence. My mind went blank, and my eyes darkened.
Equipment, skills, experience... There was a stark, insurmountable difference between us in every domain.
No matter how much I turned the gears in my head, I couldn't think of any way to turn the situation around. But just when the word "death" was stamping itself on my mind—
"That's why you should have listened when I gave you the chance."
—the woman bent over, released the tight fist I had around the hem of her pants,
and said dryly, "Barbarian, swear that you won't speak of what happened today to anyone. Then I will spare you."
...What?
After that announcement, a brief silence followed. Then, the woman opened her mouth.
"I was going to make this offer before you ran away. I owe your people something."
I could instinctively sense that taking this deal was the only way to survive, but... I couldn't understand it.
"I don't want to kill a barbarian with my own hands if I can avoid it," the woman briefly explained as I desperately raised my head.
With my own hands...
Is that why she had just sat back and watched while the blond-haired man had been attacking me? Because she wanted to let someone else take care of her mess?
"Bjorn... the plunderer's words... don't believe them... she is just toying with us."
But even if you say that, we don't have a choice.
Whether she toyed with us and then killed us, or just killed us... There was no difference either way.
I spat out the blood that had reached the back of my throat and asked, "If I turn down the offer, what will you do...?"
"Kill you, of course. That was our agreement in the first place."
"Agreement...with who?"
"That's not for you to know." Her voice was the same as usual, but somehow it sounded a bit harsher. "Choose. I'll give you a little time—"
"I swear on my honor as a warrior."
No time was needed. It wasn't like there were any other options.
"...No doubt about it, you are a little odd."
The plunderer looked down at me for a moment with a strange look in her eye, then sprayed something.
Chhhz.
I felt a familiar pain. It was a potion.
[You have consumed a Recovery Potion (Greater).]
[The Paralysis status effect has been removed.]
My tense muscles began to relax, and strength gradually began to return to my body. The woman looked away from me and asked, "Lady barbarian, what will you do?"
Ainar gave an answer after a brief pause.
"...I refuse."
"I see."
The woman did not ask again. She just nodded slightly. However, her intentions were clear as day from that single action. She didn't take out her weapon, nor did she pose a physical threat, but...
This woman was going to kill Ainar now.
And to prevent that, there was only one thing I could do.
"...Ainar, make the oath."
"Bjorn?"
"Didn't you say you would obey me no matter what?"
"Still, the oath of a warrior is..."
Fuck, what's so important about pride?
"Ainar, second daughter of Fenelin!"
Ainar stiffened at my shout. I lowered my voice, looked into her eyes, and spoke calmly.
"Trust me. This is the right decision."
After a brief silence, Ainar struggled to open her mouth.
"...Okay. I swear."
and said dryly, "Barbarian, swear that you won't speak of what happened today to anyone. Then I will spare you."
...What?
After that announcement, a brief silence followed. Then, the woman opened her mouth.
"I was going to make this offer before you ran away. I owe your people something."
I could instinctively sense that taking this deal was the only way to survive, but... I couldn't understand it.
"I don't want to kill a barbarian with my own hands if I can avoid it," the woman briefly explained as I desperately raised my head.
With my own hands...
Is that why she had just sat back and watched while the blond-haired man had been attacking me? Because she wanted to let someone else take care of her mess?
"Bjorn... the plunderer's words... don't believe them... she is just toying with us."
But even if you say that, we don't have a choice.
Whether she toyed with us and then killed us, or just killed us... There was no difference either way.
I spat out the blood that had reached the back of my throat and asked, "If I turn down the offer, what will you do...?"
"Kill you, of course. That was our agreement in the first place."
"Agreement...with who?"
"That's not for you to know." Her voice was the same as usual, but somehow it sounded a bit harsher. "Choose. I'll give you a little time—"
"I swear on my honor as a warrior."
No time was needed. It wasn't like there were any other options.
"...No doubt about it, you are a little odd."
The plunderer looked down at me for a moment with a strange look in her eye, then sprayed something.
Chhhz.
I felt a familiar pain. It was a potion.
[You have consumed a Recovery Potion (Greater).]
[The Paralysis status effect has been removed.]
My tense muscles began to relax, and strength gradually began to return to my body. The woman looked away from me and asked, "Lady barbarian, what will you do?"
Ainar gave an answer after a brief pause.
"...I refuse."
"I see."
The woman did not ask again. She just nodded slightly. However, her intentions were clear as day from that single action. She didn't take out her weapon, nor did she pose a physical threat, but...
This woman was going to kill Ainar now.
And to prevent that, there was only one thing I could do.
"...Ainar, make the oath."
"Bjorn?"
"Didn't you say you would obey me no matter what?"
"Still, the oath of a warrior is..."
Fuck, what's so important about pride?
"Ainar, second daughter of Fenelin!"
Ainar stiffened at my shout. I lowered my voice, looked into her eyes, and spoke calmly.
"Trust me. This is the right decision."
After a brief silence, Ainar struggled to open her mouth.
"...Okay. I swear."
"Smart choice."
After Ainar made the oath, the plunderer healed her by using up another potion. This was a true carrot-and-stick situation. The feeling of being forced to choose between them was the same.
Nauseatingly disgusting.
As soon as the treatment was over, the woman turned to leave when I decided to ask her a question.
"...What floor?"
To this random question, the woman tilted her head for a moment and gave a brief answer.
"Floor eight."
Of course, way higher than floor five.
No wonder she was so strong despite being a plunderer. Even if there had been ten of me, we would have been no match for her.
But...
I closed my eyes.
As I watched the psychopath disappear from my vision like smoke, I made a promise to myself. Next time, things would be different.
***
"Ainar, are you okay?"
"...I am okay. I can get up on my own."
Ainar pushed my hand away and stood up on her own. I wondered if she was disappointed in me, but maybe the person she was disappointed in was herself, not me.
After all, barbarians were honest to a fault.
I decided to leave Ainar and the complicated look on her face alone for a while and took stock of my current state.
First, this thing...
Click!
Taking off the armor and checking the back, I could see that there was a hole the size of a dagger in it. It had penetrated very cleanly.
...Could she be an Auror?
Damn it all.
Why did we have to run into a monster like that on the second floor, not to mention somewhere as wide and vast as the Land of the Dead? What kind of shitty situation was this?
All I could think was that I needed to get stronger as fast as possible. Whether I went home or not, that was the only way to protect myself in this rotten world.
"Bjorn, what are we going to do now?"
"...Go down to the first floor."
The Land of the Dead was not a bad hunting ground. But I had no intention of staying here with that crazy bitch roaming around. We could come back if I changed my mind.
"Right... Okay."
Ainar, dejected, followed my instructions without argument. Therapy was not my specialty, but...
Ha... I should at least say something when we get down there. She looks like the world has ended.
"Follow me."
Skirting around most of the avoidable encounters, we followed the markers. After about six hours, we were finally able to return to the portal that led down to the first floor.
Thudㅡ!
Once again, I landed fine while Ainar rolled across the floor, and quite badly too. But she got up slowly as if nothing had happened.
"...Didn't that hurt?"
"It does."
"But why..."
"Since I am not a warrior, I don't deserve to feel pain."
...The situation was much worse than I had thought. Was it really so disgraceful to beg for your life? Well, it had been the same in the game, too.
"Um, Ainar...?"
"What is it?"
"The strongest warrior is the one who lives to see another day. Instead of things ending with one defeat, we've opened up the possibility of a later victory!"
"I can't understand what you say when you use so many words." Although I kept my tone deliberately cheerful, Ainar's voice was still gloomy. "However, I think I understand what you mean by 'the strongest warrior is the one who lives to see another day.'"
"I-Is that so?"
"Being able to overcome such humiliation and the urge to commit suicide at every moment must make someone a strong warrior. Just like you, Bjorn."
No, I don't have any of those thoughts...? Commit suicide? It's not like I'm a samurai.
That wasn't what I had originally meant, but there was no need to get into that right now.
"Ainar, you can do it."
"I don't know if I'll be able to get through this pain... but I will try."
"Yes, one day you will make up for this disgrace."
With my sincere support, we continued moving. And after deciding to camp in a suitable location, I let Ainar sleep first.
"I'll wake you up in two hours."
"...I will accept your kindness this time."
Kindness...
Her assumption was half right and half wrong.
[07:39]
Time-wise, it was the morning of the third day. I hadn't slept in over twenty hours. After everything we'd been through, the mental fatigue I was under was enormous. But I knew that even if I closed my eyes, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep for a long time anyway.
It wasn't like I was being driven by emotions as extreme as Ainar's, but... I still felt dirty.
It was like the pain of drinking a potion. No matter how many times I experienced the feeling, I could never get used to it.
Chomp!
The time I had been saved by that blond and his party had felt similar. The priestess had looked into my eyes and refused to treat me. The swordsman had thrown the potion at me like it was a waste. But despite all that, I had taken the potion anyway, drinking it while lying on the ground like a dog.
Of course, I was happy to have survived, but...
All the same, emotions that were difficult to describe also rose up inside of me.
"Whew..."
I let out a long breath in an attempt to dispel them.
What the hell am I doing right now? It's not like me to be swayed by my emotions. Maybe it's time to use that.
I closed my eyes and remembered the advice given to me by someone I had admired as a child.
"Remember, you are nothing. You will never be special."
It was a magic spell that always made me feel a little bit better. Yes, let's use even this feeling as fuel, just like I always did.
That would be a little more effective.
"Smart choice."
After Ainar made the oath, the plunderer healed her by using up another potion. This was a true carrot-and-stick situation. The feeling of being forced to choose between them was the same.
Nauseatingly disgusting.
As soon as the treatment was over, the woman turned to leave when I decided to ask her a question.
"...What floor?"
To this random question, the woman tilted her head for a moment and gave a brief answer.
"Floor eight."
Of course, way higher than floor five.
No wonder she was so strong despite being a plunderer. Even if there had been ten of me, we would have been no match for her.
But...
I closed my eyes.
As I watched the psychopath disappear from my vision like smoke, I made a promise to myself. Next time, things would be different.
***
"Ainar, are you okay?"
"...I am okay. I can get up on my own."
Ainar pushed my hand away and stood up on her own. I wondered if she was disappointed in me, but maybe the person she was disappointed in was herself, not me.
After all, barbarians were honest to a fault.
I decided to leave Ainar and the complicated look on her face alone for a while and took stock of my current state.
First, this thing...
Click!
Taking off the armor and checking the back, I could see that there was a hole the size of a dagger in it. It had penetrated very cleanly.
...Could she be an Auror?
Damn it all.
Why did we have to run into a monster like that on the second floor, not to mention somewhere as wide and vast as the Land of the Dead? What kind of shitty situation was this?
All I could think was that I needed to get stronger as fast as possible. Whether I went home or not, that was the only way to protect myself in this rotten world.
"Bjorn, what are we going to do now?"
"...Go down to the first floor."
The Land of the Dead was not a bad hunting ground. But I had no intention of staying here with that crazy bitch roaming around. We could come back if I changed my mind.
"Right... Okay."
Ainar, dejected, followed my instructions without argument. Therapy was not my specialty, but...
Ha... I should at least say something when we get down there. She looks like the world has ended.
"Follow me."
Skirting around most of the avoidable encounters, we followed the markers. After about six hours, we were finally able to return to the portal that led down to the first floor.
Thudㅡ!
Once again, I landed fine while Ainar rolled across the floor, and quite badly too. But she got up slowly as if nothing had happened.
"...Didn't that hurt?"
"It does."
"But why..."
"Since I am not a warrior, I don't deserve to feel pain."
...The situation was much worse than I had thought. Was it really so disgraceful to beg for your life? Well, it had been the same in the game, too.
"Um, Ainar...?"
"What is it?"
"The strongest warrior is the one who lives to see another day. Instead of things ending with one defeat, we've opened up the possibility of a later victory!"
"I can't understand what you say when you use so many words." Although I kept my tone deliberately cheerful, Ainar's voice was still gloomy. "However, I think I understand what you mean by 'the strongest warrior is the one who lives to see another day.'"
"I-Is that so?"
"Being able to overcome such humiliation and the urge to commit suicide at every moment must make someone a strong warrior. Just like you, Bjorn."
No, I don't have any of those thoughts...? Commit suicide? It's not like I'm a samurai.
That wasn't what I had originally meant, but there was no need to get into that right now.
"Ainar, you can do it."
"I don't know if I'll be able to get through this pain... but I will try."
"Yes, one day you will make up for this disgrace."
With my sincere support, we continued moving. And after deciding to camp in a suitable location, I let Ainar sleep first.
"I'll wake you up in two hours."
"...I will accept your kindness this time."
Kindness...
Her assumption was half right and half wrong.
[07:39]
Time-wise, it was the morning of the third day. I hadn't slept in over twenty hours. After everything we'd been through, the mental fatigue I was under was enormous. But I knew that even if I closed my eyes, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep for a long time anyway.
It wasn't like I was being driven by emotions as extreme as Ainar's, but... I still felt dirty.
It was like the pain of drinking a potion. No matter how many times I experienced the feeling, I could never get used to it.
Chomp!
The time I had been saved by that blond and his party had felt similar. The priestess had looked into my eyes and refused to treat me. The swordsman had thrown the potion at me like it was a waste. But despite all that, I had taken the potion anyway, drinking it while lying on the ground like a dog.
Of course, I was happy to have survived, but...
All the same, emotions that were difficult to describe also rose up inside of me.
"Whew..."
I let out a long breath in an attempt to dispel them.
What the hell am I doing right now? It's not like me to be swayed by my emotions. Maybe it's time to use that.
I closed my eyes and remembered the advice given to me by someone I had admired as a child.
"Remember, you are nothing. You will never be special."
It was a magic spell that always made me feel a little bit better. Yes, let's use even this feeling as fuel, just like I always did.
That would be a little more effective.