Chapter 287: Cause and Effect (3)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 287: Cause and Effect (3)

After Raven left the library, I debated following her to her house, but I soon abandoned the idea. That wouldn't be the respectful thing to do as her comrade. The reason why she hadn't mentioned her family situation until now was probably because she didn't want us to know about it. If I was really that curious, it would be better to ask her about it myself once I got back.

Then what do I do now?

I tried to get back to brainstorming once Raven was gone, but I eventually left because I couldn't concentrate.

After I had eaten a meal and loafed around in bed for a while, Amelia came back from her earlier engagement. "...Have you been doing that all day?"

"Yes, and?"

You told me to stay at home.

When I stared back at her, Amelia shook her head and tossed something heavy from her pouch at me. "Here, take it."

"...Money?"

"It's money from selling the equipment and items from the plunderers. I divided it exactly in half, so find yourself some equipment in the city tomorrow."

"Oh, it's quite a lot."

"There aren't many forges in Noark, so it'll be difficult to get equipment there. Only spend it on things that are absolutely necessary."

Oh, you and your nagging.

"And your work? How's it going?"

"It's still a work in progress."

Amelia told me she would let me know when she had results to report and then disappeared somewhere, saying she had something to do. Apparently, she'd only stopped by to hand me the money.

I'm going to grill some meat tomorrow.

Once the next day dawned, I left the inn early and headed to the commercial district of Kommelby, otherwise known as the Free Market. I headed to the forge I normally used and requested some custom-made equipment. They said it would take about three weeks.

Business was good here twenty years ago too.

Well, that made sense. There weren't many forges in Kommelby that were both reasonably priced and handled top-quality equipment like this.

I should look around while I'm here.

I had nothing in particular to do after ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that, so I wandered around to sightsee. I went to the Central Exchange to check prices, asked nearby adventurers for recommendations to popular eateries from twenty years ago, etcetera. I made good use of my time until just before the last train, and then I headed back to the inn and had a drink before going to bed.

The next day, the third day, I visited the holy land.

Whew, I'm nervous.

I was slightly worried someone would come up to me and point out that I was an unfamiliar face.

Is it because of the larger population? The vibe in the holy land is also completely different here in the past.

Thankfully, my worries ended up being unfounded. Unlike my generation, which memorized the names and faces of everyone in our year and one above and below us, things here were very different.

Okay, I'm just going to leave the letter and bounce.

After hanging around the chieftain's tent for a bit, I slipped the letter I had written the day before inside while the chief was away. Then I left the holy land and visited the Church of Reatlas. Coincidentally, a commission that was perfect for me had been announced. The job was repairing a building under the church. The only reward for this commission was achievement points in the eyes of the guild, and it was practically a volunteer job.

"Your application has been received."

The commission started in three days, so I just submitted the application and stepped out onto the street. I had pretty much reached the end of today's to-do list, but there was still quite a lot of time left in the day, so I headed to the library.

While I was sitting there quietly mulling over my plans just like I did yesterday, the chair across from me was pulled back with a scraping sound.

Drag.

So, you're here again.

"Nice to see you, Arua."

Although I greeted her and even called her by her name, Raven looked sulky. "Why didn't you come yesterday?"

She made it sound like we'd had an appointment, even though she was the one who left without looking back the other day. "Did you already eat?"

"Yeah." Raven explained that she ate a piece of bread she brought from home. How was that a meal?

"Let's go grill some meat."

"...Meat?"

"You don't like it?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I've never had it before."

Jeez, this girl was going to make a grown man cry. "Then you can try it today. What are you doing? Hurry, get up. You can study another time."

"But—"

"I'm going to a restaurant right in front of the library, so don't worry."

"I wasn't worried at all." It seemed that being treated like a child annoyed her because Raven closed her book and got down from her chair. Then she moved one seat down and sat a little farther away from me. "Don't pity me. I can buy things like meat with my own money in the future."

I guess trying to buy her something had hurt her pride quite a bit. Whoops, that was my bad. You had to approach people like her in a specific way. "Oh, sorry if you thought that way."

When I offered her a genuine apology, Raven got down from her chair again. "I've never met an adult who apologizes. I'll let it slide." Then she moved back to her original seat. Was she a cat or something? "I'm going to read now, so don't interrupt me," Raven said firmly before actually beginning to read.

I was a little dumbfounded. When did I ever interrupt her? Anyway, with that sensible distance between us, we quietly passed the time.

Tap.

It was when she turned the last page of the book that Raven spoke again. "...Are you an adventurer?"

Honestly, I'd been wondering when she was going to ask. Kids were usually super excited about things like these. "Yes, I'm an adventurer."

"What rank?"

"Rank five—no, rank six." I quickly corrected myself. Just in case, I figured it was best to base all of my answers on Nivelles Enze's life.

"Is that high?"

"It's average. Most of the adventurers that appear in books would have passed rank four."

"Hmm, I see." Surprisingly, Raven didn't try to pick a fight or say my rank was low or do anything else to look down on me. She just seemed curious. "Can you tell me about it?"

"About the labyrinth?"

"Yeah."

Afterward, like playing make-believe with a kid, I told her somewhat exaggerated stories about things that had happened to me in the labyrinth and other interesting stories I heard while working as an adventurer. I left out the scary stories as much as possible. Raven's case was different from Dwalkie's. You needed to protect a child's innocence.

"Your application has been received."

The commission started in three days, so I just submitted the application and stepped out onto the street. I had pretty much reached the end of today's to-do list, but there was still quite a lot of time left in the day, so I headed to the library.

While I was sitting there quietly mulling over my plans just like I did yesterday, the chair across from me was pulled back with a scraping sound.

Drag.

So, you're here again.

"Nice to see you, Arua."

Although I greeted her and even called her by her name, Raven looked sulky. "Why didn't you come yesterday?"

She made it sound like we'd had an appointment, even though she was the one who left without looking back the other day. "Did you already eat?"

"Yeah." Raven explained that she ate a piece of bread she brought from home. How was that a meal?

"Let's go grill some meat."

"...Meat?"

"You don't like it?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I've never had it before."

Jeez, this girl was going to make a grown man cry. "Then you can try it today. What are you doing? Hurry, get up. You can study another time."

"But—"

"I'm going to a restaurant right in front of the library, so don't worry."

"I wasn't worried at all." It seemed that being treated like a child annoyed her because Raven closed her book and got down from her chair. Then she moved one seat down and sat a little farther away from me. "Don't pity me. I can buy things like meat with my own money in the future."

I guess trying to buy her something had hurt her pride quite a bit. Whoops, that was my bad. You had to approach people like her in a specific way. "Oh, sorry if you thought that way."

When I offered her a genuine apology, Raven got down from her chair again. "I've never met an adult who apologizes. I'll let it slide." Then she moved back to her original seat. Was she a cat or something? "I'm going to read now, so don't interrupt me," Raven said firmly before actually beginning to read.

I was a little dumbfounded. When did I ever interrupt her? Anyway, with that sensible distance between us, we quietly passed the time.

Tap.

It was when she turned the last page of the book that Raven spoke again. "...Are you an adventurer?"

Honestly, I'd been wondering when she was going to ask. Kids were usually super excited about things like these. "Yes, I'm an adventurer."

"What rank?"

"Rank five—no, rank six." I quickly corrected myself. Just in case, I figured it was best to base all of my answers on Nivelles Enze's life.

"Is that high?"

"It's average. Most of the adventurers that appear in books would have passed rank four."

"Hmm, I see." Surprisingly, Raven didn't try to pick a fight or say my rank was low or do anything else to look down on me. She just seemed curious. "Can you tell me about it?"

"About the labyrinth?"

"Yeah."

Afterward, like playing make-believe with a kid, I told her somewhat exaggerated stories about things that had happened to me in the labyrinth and other interesting stories I heard while working as an adventurer. I left out the scary stories as much as possible. Raven's case was different from Dwalkie's. You needed to protect a child's innocence.

"Interesting. Are all barbarians like you?"

"It's Nivelles Enze, not barbarian."

"Oh, sorry. I will call you by the correct name from now on." In contrast to my first impression of her, where she seemed like a wild child, Raven was surprisingly down-to-earth. She was considerate and tried not to do to others what she herself wouldn't want done to her. However, she was lacking in one area.

"Why do you keep picking fights with adults?"

"I wasn't picking a fight."

"I'm sure a kid as smart as you must know a better way to resolve things than by zapping people with electricity."

"...I don't know."

Something I noticed while conversing with her was that Raven had a great desire to be acknowledged. Well, who didn't have that desire? But hers was several times worse than that of her peers. Perhaps electrocuting passers-by who were blocking the way was an expression of that psychological need. She probably wanted to show off the fact that she was a wizard, regardless of who she was showing off to. I doubted she ever received the reaction she was craving, though. Based on my experience, you generally only thought one thing after being suddenly electrocuted: Is this child out of her mind?

"Then I'm going now. Goodbye."

It was a little earlier in the day than the last time we ran into each other, but Raven left the library as if fleeing from an embarrassing topic of conversation. And so I headed back to my inn.

Three more days passed in the past. At first, I had wandered the streets every day in fascination over the fact that I had really gone back in time, but I quickly lost interest. What was so special about twenty years ago? Everyone lived the same lives, after all. And so, except for chatting with Raven in the library these past three days, I spent most of my time at the inn.

Oh, come to think of it, I forgot to tell her I can't come today.

After meeting up and talking to her every day for several days, I'd gotten quite close with Raven. Now I wasn't just telling her stories about the labyrinth, but she voluntarily told me about her family too.

That was unexpected.

Raven was from a single-parent family, but not because her father was dead. Apparently, he left home a year ago after having an affair. Oh, for reference, her father was also a wizard. No wonder. I'd been pondering how it could be possible for a child, no matter how smart they were, to learn magic just by reading books in a library, but it seemed it was because her father had laid down the basics.

"Anyway, that's why Mom doesn't want me to learn magic. She even sold all the books we had at home. I guess it reminded her of him."

I was a bit blindsided by being lectured on her family history out of nowhere like that, but Raven's tone was utterly nonchalant. The way I saw it, it must have been some kind of defense mechanism. If she pretended to be okay in front of others, it'd convince her that nothing was wrong, too.

Ha, honestly, breaking my heart...

And so I recently identified a new goal. The goal was none other than to help Raven get into the Magic Tower. Even without me, she'd join the Magic Tower one day, but...

The sooner she joins, the better.

Perhaps when I returned to the future, Raven would have become an even greater wizard. Hmm, then would that change our first meeting too?

Ah, how different could it be?

That'd just make the Vampire battle a little easier, and it didn't matter if it didn't. The past had already been changed. I'd left a letter in the holy land. Not only that, but in three weeks, I would have to head down to Noark with Amelia and save the life of a person who should have died.

"Interesting. Are all barbarians like you?"

"It's Nivelles Enze, not barbarian."

"Oh, sorry. I will call you by the correct name from now on." In contrast to my first impression of her, where she seemed like a wild child, Raven was surprisingly down-to-earth. She was considerate and tried not to do to others what she herself wouldn't want done to her. However, she was lacking in one area.

"Why do you keep picking fights with adults?"

"I wasn't picking a fight."

"I'm sure a kid as smart as you must know a better way to resolve things than by zapping people with electricity."

"...I don't know."

Something I noticed while conversing with her was that Raven had a great desire to be acknowledged. Well, who didn't have that desire? But hers was several times worse than that of her peers. Perhaps electrocuting passers-by who were blocking the way was an expression of that psychological need. She probably wanted to show off the fact that she was a wizard, regardless of who she was showing off to. I doubted she ever received the reaction she was craving, though. Based on my experience, you generally only thought one thing after being suddenly electrocuted: Is this child out of her mind?

"Then I'm going now. Goodbye."

It was a little earlier in the day than the last time we ran into each other, but Raven left the library as if fleeing from an embarrassing topic of conversation. And so I headed back to my inn.

Three more days passed in the past. At first, I had wandered the streets every day in fascination over the fact that I had really gone back in time, but I quickly lost interest. What was so special about twenty years ago? Everyone lived the same lives, after all. And so, except for chatting with Raven in the library these past three days, I spent most of my time at the inn.

Oh, come to think of it, I forgot to tell her I can't come today.

After meeting up and talking to her every day for several days, I'd gotten quite close with Raven. Now I wasn't just telling her stories about the labyrinth, but she voluntarily told me about her family too.

That was unexpected.

Raven was from a single-parent family, but not because her father was dead. Apparently, he left home a year ago after having an affair. Oh, for reference, her father was also a wizard. No wonder. I'd been pondering how it could be possible for a child, no matter how smart they were, to learn magic just by reading books in a library, but it seemed it was because her father had laid down the basics.

"Anyway, that's why Mom doesn't want me to learn magic. She even sold all the books we had at home. I guess it reminded her of him."

I was a bit blindsided by being lectured on her family history out of nowhere like that, but Raven's tone was utterly nonchalant. The way I saw it, it must have been some kind of defense mechanism. If she pretended to be okay in front of others, it'd convince her that nothing was wrong, too.

Ha, honestly, breaking my heart...

And so I recently identified a new goal. The goal was none other than to help Raven get into the Magic Tower. Even without me, she'd join the Magic Tower one day, but...

The sooner she joins, the better.

Perhaps when I returned to the future, Raven would have become an even greater wizard. Hmm, then would that change our first meeting too?

Ah, how different could it be?

That'd just make the Vampire battle a little easier, and it didn't matter if it didn't. The past had already been changed. I'd left a letter in the holy land. Not only that, but in three weeks, I would have to head down to Noark with Amelia and save the life of a person who should have died.

If it's going to change anyway, it's better to induce a change that's good for us.

Tap.

Arriving at my destination, I took a deep breath at the entrance.

I'm kind of nervous.

This was an orphanage under the Church of Reatlas, the place where Dwalkie had spent his childhood.

"Ah, are you Nivelles Enze?"

"That's right."

"If you wait here for a moment, the shift leader will inform you what you need to do today. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, it's okay."

I went inside the orphanage, announced that I was there to do volunteer work, then sat down and waited. A little while later, a tough-looking man came out and led me and the other volunteers to the site.

"As you can see, the building is quite old, so some areas are uncomfortable and even dangerous for the children to stay in. We've divided the groups into a mix of experienced workers and first-timers, so let's all work hard today."

My role here for the next week was to help do repair work on the old building. It felt a bit strange. The last time I had been here, my job had been to carry boxes and furniture out right before demolition, not repairs.

"Hey there, barbarian! The morning shift is over, so go and take a break!"

Anyway, I did what I was told, and in my free time, I went to the vacant lot where the children were playing. Finding Dwalkie wasn't difficult. Everyone was running around, but one kid was reading a book by himself in the shade of a tree.

So he didn't have any friends back then, either.

Drinking water from a canteen, I casually walked over to the shade and sat down next to him. But I suddenly couldn't recall the lines I'd composed to get close to him. All I could remember were his last moments. There were so many things I'd always wanted to say to him if we met again someday.

"I-I'll get ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out of your way so you can rest..." My staring seemed to bother him because Dwalkie squirmed and stood up. Only then did I come to my senses.

Get sentimental later, do what you need to do now.

"Sit."

"Y-Yes!"

"...You can relax. I won't eat you."

Dwalkie sat back down again at my words, but it was like he was sitting on a bed of nails. He was too busy watching me out of the corner of his eye to relax. Jeez, I didn't realize he was this submissive.

"What's your name?"

"Riol."

"Last name?"

"...I don't want to say."

"I'm Nivelles Enze. Rank-six adventurer."

"Okay..."

Huh, now it just looked like I was bugging him. Didn't the kids usually like it when adventurers came to visit this place? Yeah, like these kids.

"Wow, a barbarian!"

"Is that a tattoo? Did it hurt?"

After I sat on the floor, the other children came up to me with curiosity. When I revealed that I was an adventurer, they begged me to tell them about the labyrinth. Dwalkie had moved to a corner before I could even blink, and I studied his face.

He could have left, but since he's still here, I guess he's curious too.

I figured Dwalkie wanted to hear about the labyrinth because he was looking my way from a short distance away. And so I cracked open the storybook in earnest. Oh, of course, I told them a different version of the story, full of dreams and innocence that I'd told Raven.

"Goblins! Have you fought goblins too?"

"Of course I have. One time, after crushing its eyeball with my hands like this, I slammed down my fist like this. Their skulls are so hard that I had to slam down three times."

"Wow..."

"That reminds me of the one time I stepped on a goblin trap. I thought I was really going to die then. I couldn't even use my leg because the muscles and tendons were all torn. I crawled in the darkness for several hours, not able to walk properly, looking for someone to rescue me."

"Uh..."

"Yeah. It's still a difficult experience to think back on. I think a bone was protruding from my shin, and oh, it was really painful each time the bone touched the floor. Halfway through, the Goblin Paralysis Poison also left my system, so I thought I was going to go nuts from pain. I didn't know it at the time, but later I found out that one of my molars was missing."

"...Eh?" I guessed they weren't expecting such a realistic story because the children's faces darkened as the story progressed. True, who would have told them about stuff like this?

"Oh, and one more thing. Most people think monsters turn into mana stones as soon as they die, but that's a misconception. They stare at you for about three seconds while gushing brain fluid through their noses and ear holes. With eyes just like these. Oh, is monster talk not fun for you guys? Then I'll tell you a story about people this time. I once met a plunderer who used to wear human ears around his neck like a necklace—"

"Wahhh!" A trembling little girl in the front ran out crying.

Regardless, I continued telling stories. "I guess that one's no good? Then this time I'll tell you about the time my arm was ripped off... That's no good, either? Then... Mm, how about the time the guild framed me and tried to get me killed?"

"Um..."

"Huh?"

Just as I was about to keep going, one of the kids spoke up in a shaky voice. "A-Are those all the stories you have?"

I nodded without a moment's hesitation. "What else do you expect? I don't know what you guys have been hearing up until now, but terrible things like this happen every day in the labyrinth."

That was the honest-to-goodness truth. Even though you could still smile in those situations and say you were glad you became an adventurer, it was, without a doubt, terrible.

"Yeah, so..." I looked right at Dwalkie and said, "Don't be like me, you guys. Got it?"

If it's going to change anyway, it's better to induce a change that's good for us.

Tap.

Arriving at my destination, I took a deep breath at the entrance.

I'm kind of nervous.

This was an orphanage under the Church of Reatlas, the place where Dwalkie had spent his childhood.

"Ah, are you Nivelles Enze?"

"That's right."

"If you wait here for a moment, the shift leader will inform you what you need to do today. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, it's okay."

I went inside the orphanage, announced that I was there to do volunteer work, then sat down and waited. A little while later, a tough-looking man came out and led me and the other volunteers to the site.

"As you can see, the building is quite old, so some areas are uncomfortable and even dangerous for the children to stay in. We've divided the groups into a mix of experienced workers and first-timers, so let's all work hard today."

My role here for the next week was to help do repair work on the old building. It felt a bit strange. The last time I had been here, my job had been to carry boxes and furniture out right before demolition, not repairs.

"Hey there, barbarian! The morning shift is over, so go and take a break!"

Anyway, I did what I was told, and in my free time, I went to the vacant lot where the children were playing. Finding Dwalkie wasn't difficult. Everyone was running around, but one kid was reading a book by himself in the shade of a tree.

So he didn't have any friends back then, either.

Drinking water from a canteen, I casually walked over to the shade and sat down next to him. But I suddenly couldn't recall the lines I'd composed to get close to him. All I could remember were his last moments. There were so many things I'd always wanted to say to him if we met again someday.

"I-I'll get out of your way so you can rest..." My staring seemed to bother him because Dwalkie squirmed and stood up. Only then did I come to my senses.

Get sentimental later, do what you need to do now.

"Sit."

"Y-Yes!"

"...You can relax. I won't eat you."

Dwalkie sat back down again at my words, but it was like he was sitting on a bed of nails. He was too busy watching me out of the corner of his eye to relax. Jeez, I didn't realize he was this submissive.

"What's your name?"

"Riol."

"Last name?"

"...I don't want to say."

"I'm Nivelles Enze. Rank-six adventurer."

"Okay..."

Huh, now it just looked like I was bugging him. Didn't the kids usually like it when adventurers came to visit this place? Yeah, like these kids.

"Wow, a barbarian!"

"Is that a tattoo? Did it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hurt?"

After I sat on the floor, the other children came up to me with curiosity. When I revealed that I was an adventurer, they begged me to tell them about the labyrinth. Dwalkie had moved to a corner before I could even blink, and I studied his face.

He could have left, but since he's still here, I guess he's curious too.

I figured Dwalkie wanted to hear about the labyrinth because he was looking my way from a short distance away. And so I cracked open the storybook in earnest. Oh, of course, I told them a different version of the story, full of dreams and innocence that I'd told Raven.

"Goblins! Have you fought goblins too?"

"Of course I have. One time, after crushing its eyeball with my hands like this, I slammed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down my fist like this. Their skulls are so hard that I had to slam down three times."

"Wow..."

"That reminds me of the one time I stepped on a goblin trap. I thought I was really going to die then. I couldn't even use my leg because the muscles and tendons were all torn. I crawled in the darkness for several hours, not able to walk properly, looking for someone to rescue me."

"Uh..."

"Yeah. It's still a difficult experience to think back on. I think a bone was protruding from my shin, and oh, it was really painful each time the bone touched the floor. Halfway through, the Goblin Paralysis Poison also left my system, so I thought I was going to go nuts from pain. I didn't know it at the time, but later I found out that one of my molars was missing."

"...Eh?" I guessed they weren't expecting such a realistic story because the children's faces darkened as the story progressed. True, who would have told them about stuff like this?

"Oh, and one more thing. Most people think monsters turn into mana stones as soon as they die, but that's a misconception. They stare at you for about three seconds while gushing brain fluid through their noses and ear holes. With eyes just like these. Oh, is monster talk not fun for you guys? Then I'll tell you a story about people this time. I once met a plunderer who used to wear human ears around his neck like a necklace—"

"Wahhh!" A trembling little girl in the front ran out crying.

Regardless, I continued telling stories. "I guess that one's no good? Then this time I'll tell you about the time my arm was ripped off... That's no good, either? Then... Mm, how about the time the guild framed me and tried to get me killed?"

"Um..."

"Huh?"

Just as I was about to keep going, one of the kids spoke up in a shaky voice. "A-Are those all the stories you have?"

I nodded without a moment's hesitation. "What else do you expect? I don't know what you guys have been hearing up until now, but terrible things like this happen every day in the labyrinth."

That was the honest-to-goodness truth. Even though you could still smile in those situations and say you were glad you became an adventurer, it was, without a doubt, terrible.

"Yeah, so..." I looked right at Dwalkie and said, "Don't be like me, you guys. Got it?"