Chapter 288: Cause and Effect (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 288: Cause and Effect (4)
The week-long work on the repairs went by quickly. There were no notable incidents. All I did was engross myself in my work without getting sidetracked, and then talk about how hard it was to be an adventurer in front of the children. But even that was taken off the agenda starting the third day. Now, even if I rested under the shade, the other children didn't come near me anymore. So, during the break, it became routine to sit quietly in the shade with Dwalkie.
Oh, of course, we chatted from time to time too. "How did you end up here?"
"...The director told me my parents couldn't afford to raise me."
"I see."
"S-Still, I'm better off than the other kids. My parents will come back for me in a little while, so..."
"...Did you say that in front of the other kids?"
"Y-Yes, why?"
I think I know why he doesn't have any friends here.
When I sighed, Dwalkie came up with some excuses. "I-I'm all right. It's not like I'm going to be here for long, anyway... M-My parents are both merchants. So things are a little difficult for them right now..."
Difficult, my ass.
As soon as I heard that, I was overcome with bitterness because I knew his situation. The current baron had placed Dwalkie with some members of the collateral line as soon as he was born, and they'd abandoned him here without a care.
Only after his birth mother found out and told the baron did Dwalkie get to live with her in her annex...
For reference, he said he barely ever saw his adoptive parents over the ten years they spent living together. However, the financial support they provided wasn't bad so he was able to live a normal life and learn magic as well.
"Sounds like you had a hard time. Have some beef jerky. You need to eat well when you're young if you want to grow taller."
"Oh, right... thank you." We sat together and munched on jerky. My break ended soon after. "Um... is today your last day?"
"Yes, the repair work is now finished. The ceiling won't leak now even if it rains."
"...Thank you."
At least you have manners. The other kids seem to think it's only natural to have volunteers come and fix the house.
"If you're really thankful, don't ever become an adventurer."
"Sorry? What do you—"
"Just promise."
"Adventurer? I-I could never do that... And I don't want to, either." Kid Dwalkie's face as he said that was sincere. Well, I was sure that was normal after hearing all the stuff I'd been telling them the past few days. The other kids were sick and tired of anything to do with adventurers now, so no one would be fanning the fire, at least.
...To be honest, I'm still not all that reassured. But I can't stay here forever, so I can only leave the rest up to fate.
"Hey, Enze! If you're done resting, come help me with this!"
"Then I'll be on my way, Riol."
"...Right. Goodbye."
After that, I gave all the jerky and snacks in my bag to Dwalkie and headed back to the job site. The kid tried to refuse for a while, but what was he going to do against a barbarian who was insisting?
"Thanks to you, we managed to wrap up today's agenda quickly as well. Now, good work, everyone!"
Anyway, after a few more hours of repair work, the chief announced that the week-long job was finally done.
"We're going to have drinks later today, are you coming?"
"But I'm an adventurer."
"Haha, we know you're not condescending like the other adventurers, so it's fine."
The chief asked if I would attend the dinner and I replied yes after a moment's thought. I had nothing else to do afterward, anyway. Raven wouldn't be at the library at this time.
"The church has paid you generously for your hard work, so let loose and drink tonight!"
And so we moved to a nearby pub and had a drink. But was it because this was my first time attending something like this with non-adventurers?
It's kind of awkward.
I couldn't keep up with the topics of conversation. All we talked about was which forge had good quality equipment, who in what clan was going out with whom, and so on.
"Uhm..." While I was sitting alone, I heard a voice pipe up next to me. "My name is Warb Emirn."
Oh, right, I knew her. Even with her small physique, she carried heavy loads without taking shortcuts and was a diligent worker. "Do you have something to say to me?"
"Well... I heard what you were saying to the kids."
Ah, no wonder she had been giving me strange looks every time I spoke to them. "You mean about the labyrinth?"
Emirn nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "Yes." Then, after a moment, she carefully asked, "Is... that place really so terrible?"
"Not always."
"Sorry? But..."
"The reason why I said that in front of the kids is because I don't want them to get any weird ideas. It's a difficult place to handle if you go in half-cocked and unprepared, that's for sure."
"Ah..."
While I was at it, I told her about some other parts of the labyrinth, from the view on the third floor that Dwalkie especially liked, to the vast forest, to the snowy white field and various mysteries of Glacier Cave. The longer the conversation went on, the more I noticed the people around me growing quieter. Well, these were stories that children and adults alike could enjoy.
"Snow, huh? I've never seen it before so I can't even imagine it."
"Would it be like cold sugar?"
To people who had been confined within the castle walls all their lives, the inner workings of the labyrinth must have sounded like tales from another world. Just as their anecdotes felt unfamiliar to me, it would have been rare for them to spend time with adventurers too.
"It's been a while since I've heard such a fantastical story."
"I'll have to tell my son when I get back."
Of course, I didn't spend too long rambling by myself. When I finished up my story, the topic naturally shifted to the stories of their own lives, and I just joined in on the topics I could.
This isn't so bad...
As time passed and the sun began to set, the dinner came to an end and people returned to their homes one by one. Just as I was about to head back to the inn myself, the woman from earlier followed and stopped me. "Excuse me...!"
"Ah, Emirn. What is it?"
"I just wanted to ask you one thing. Is that all right?"
"Ask me."
Emirn hesitated for a moment, and when she spoke, she sounded somewhat troubled. "You said there were times you felt afraid too, right?"
"I did."
"We're going to have drinks later today, are you coming?"
"But I'm an adventurer."
"Haha, we know you're not condescending like the other adventurers, so it's fine."
The chief asked if I would attend the dinner and I replied yes after a moment's thought. I had nothing else to do afterward, anyway. Raven wouldn't be at the library at this time.
"The church has paid you generously for your hard work, so let loose and drink tonight!"
And so we moved to a nearby pub and had a drink. But was it because this was my first time attending something like this with non-adventurers?
It's kind of awkward.
I couldn't keep up with the topics of conversation. All we talked about was which forge had good quality equipment, who in what clan was going out with whom, and so on.
"Uhm..." While I was sitting alone, I heard a voice pipe up next to me. "My name is Warb Emirn."
Oh, right, I knew her. Even with her small physique, she carried heavy loads without taking shortcuts and was a diligent worker. "Do you have something to say to me?"
"Well... I heard what you were saying to the kids."
Ah, no wonder she had been giving me strange looks every time I spoke to them. "You mean about the labyrinth?"
Emirn nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "Yes." Then, after a moment, she carefully asked, "Is... that place really so terrible?"
"Not always."
"Sorry? But..."
"The reason why I said that in front of the kids is because I don't want them to get any weird ideas. It's a difficult place to handle if you go in half-cocked and unprepared, that's for sure."
"Ah..."
While I was at it, I told her about some other parts of the labyrinth, from the view on the third floor that Dwalkie especially liked, to the vast forest, to the snowy white field and various mysteries of Glacier Cave. The longer the conversation went on, the more I noticed the people around me growing quieter. Well, these were stories that children and adults alike could enjoy.
"Snow, huh? I've never seen it before so I can't even imagine it."
"Would it be like cold sugar?"
To people who had been confined within the castle walls all their lives, the inner workings of the labyrinth must have sounded like tales from another world. Just as their anecdotes felt unfamiliar to me, it would have been rare for them to spend time with adventurers too.
"It's been a while since I've heard such a fantastical story."
"I'll have to tell my son when I get back."
Of course, I didn't spend too long rambling by myself. When I finished up my story, the topic naturally shifted to the stories of their own lives, and I just joined in on the topics I could.
This isn't so bad...
As time passed and the sun began to set, the dinner came to an end and people returned to their homes one by one. Just as I was about to head back to the inn myself, the woman from earlier followed and stopped me. "Excuse me...!"
"Ah, Emirn. What is it?"
"I just wanted to ask you one thing. Is that all right?"
"Ask me."
Emirn hesitated for a moment, and when she spoke, she sounded somewhat troubled. "You said there were times you felt afraid too, right?"
"I did."
"I-I do too. There are times when everything seems impossible and just thinking about it scares me to the point that my heart might burst. How do you get through situations like that?"
This was kind of a tough question to answer, especially when the asker was someone who until a few days ago was a complete stranger to me. But I decided not to think too hard about it. Someone was standing in front of me asking for courage.
"As I said before, barbarians know fear too." I knew it even more intimately as an ordinary office worker, but... "We just know that if we don't do what must be done because of fear, it'll only lead to ruin."
"Ruin... Yes, I'm sure it would be..."
Afterward, an awkward silence followed. Giving her a moment to think, I then asked her, "Is it something you have to do?"
"Yes." Her voice was small, but there was no hesitation, and so there was only one thing I could say to her.
"Then do it." It was a pep talk only a barbarian could give.
It took a while for her to reply. "...Thank you for giving me the courage. I'll try my best."
"Yeah? Whatever it is, I hope it goes well."
"Yes. The stories you told earlier were really interesting too."
"Then I'm glad."
"Especially the one about the place called the sea. I've only heard about it but I think it must be a very cool place. Although... someone like me will never be able to go there in my lifetime."
I didn't say anything to her self-deprecating remarks. What could I say? That she could go if she really wanted to? I knew very well that that would be a lie.
"...Then I'll be on my way."
"Oh, right. Go ahead."
After exchanging one last goodbye, I parted ways with Emirn.
Warb Emirn...
I didn't know why, but that name kept popping into my head all the way home.
When I returned from the dinner reeking of alcohol, I found Amelia in my room. "You were gone the whole day. Where have you been?"
"Oh, I went to do some volunteer work."
"Volunteer...?"
Oh, you and that frown of yours. What, did I say something I shouldn't have?
"People need to know when to give back."
"...I see."
"Anyway, it's a good thing you're here. I'm out of money. Lend me some while you're here."
"You spent all that money already?"
"Ah, after buying equipment and doing other things, there was nothing left."
"...I see." Amelia fiddled around with something on her waist and threw me a pouch. It was quite hefty.
I won't have to worry about paying for meat for the next while.
"I'll use it well."
After expressing my gratitude, I told her about some of the good restaurants I'd visited. Judging by her reaction, I didn't think she'd be checking them out, though. Yikes, I got the sense she was going to get pissed if I didn't cut the small talk ASAP.
"Ah! So, how is the work going? You said you met with the broker or something last time?"
"We're still establishing contact. Thankfully, everything is going as planned, so if there are no other hitches, we should be able to leave next week. You should prepare yourself."
"I-I do too. There are times when everything seems impossible and just thinking about it scares me to the point that my heart might burst. How do you get through situations like that?"
This was kind of a tough question to answer, especially when the asker was someone who until a few days ago was a complete stranger to me. But I decided not to think too hard about it. Someone was standing in front of me asking for courage.
"As I said before, barbarians know fear too." I knew it even more intimately as an ordinary office worker, but... "We just know that if we don't do what must be done because of fear, it'll only lead to ruin."
"Ruin... Yes, I'm sure it would be..."
Afterward, an awkward silence followed. Giving her a moment to think, I then asked her, "Is it something you have to do?"
"Yes." Her voice was small, but there was no hesitation, and so there was only one thing I could say to her.
"Then do it." It was a pep talk only a barbarian could give.
It took a while for her to reply. "...Thank you for giving me the courage. I'll try my best."
"Yeah? Whatever it is, I hope it goes well."
"Yes. The stories you told earlier were really interesting too."
"Then I'm glad."
"Especially the one about the place called the sea. I've only heard about it but I think it must be a very cool place. Although... someone like me will never be able to go there in my lifetime."
I didn't say anything to her self-deprecating remarks. What could I say? That she could go if she really wanted to? I knew very well that that would be a lie.
"...Then I'll be on my way."
"Oh, right. Go ahead."
After exchanging one last goodbye, I parted ways with Emirn.
Warb Emirn...
I didn't know why, but that name kept popping into my head all the way home.
When I returned from the dinner reeking of alcohol, I found Amelia in my room. "You were gone the whole day. Where have you been?"
"Oh, I went to do some volunteer work."
"Volunteer...?"
Oh, you and that frown of yours. What, did I say something I shouldn't have?
"People need to know when to give back."
"...I see."
"Anyway, it's a good thing you're here. I'm out of money. Lend me some while you're here."
"You spent all that money already?"
"Ah, after buying equipment and doing other things, there was nothing left."
"...I see." Amelia fiddled around with something on her waist and threw me a pouch. It was quite hefty.
I won't have to worry about paying for meat for the next while.
"I'll use it well."
After expressing my gratitude, I told her about some of the good restaurants I'd visited. Judging by her reaction, I didn't think she'd be checking them out, though. Yikes, I got the sense she was going to get pissed if I didn't cut the small talk ASAP.
"Ah! So, how is the work going? You said you met with the broker or something last time?"
"We're still establishing contact. Thankfully, everything is going as planned, so if there are no other hitches, we should be able to leave next week. You should prepare yourself."
"I will."
As soon as our brief discussion was over, Amelia left, saying she had something to do.
We're leaving in a week, huh?
After washing up a bit, I lay down on the bed and mapped out what I had to get done during my last few days here. There wasn't much to map out, actually.
If we're leaving next week, I should wrap things up with Raven.
I should be able to pick up the equipment I ordered sometime next week, and then I just had to deal with Raven. Tomorrow, I should go straight to the library.
What's important is what'll happen after we head down to Noark, I guess.
From then on, I would probably have to live on high alert. Although I'd already discussed with Amelia how I should act once we got down there, when did things ever go as planned?
Man... I just want to go back already.
With a head full of hopes and dreams, sleep slowly came over me.
***
The location was a two-story rental house that Missha and I had found together. There, I was laughing and chatting with my comrades. I didn't realize it at first, but I quickly noticed.
This is a dream.
What convinced me was the mirror. I glanced to the side while laughing to see that the person in the mirror was not Bjorn but Hansu Lee—something that could never happen in real life. The moment I realized this, the backdrop crumpled and the space changed.
"Bjorn, what arrre you doing? Let's go!"
Now, I was in the labyrinth. I was climbing the floors and exploring as usual. But once again, I was Hansu Lee, not Bjorn. The shield was heavy, and my eye level had dropped so I was forced to look up. Maybe that was why...
"Why can't you even stop that!?"
I kept making mistakes, leaving my comrades to suffer damage. At first, it was injuries, but it ended up leading to death.
"If it weren't for you..."
It was Dwalkie. Only then did I remember this was a dream, and the space around me swirled again. I was once again in a familiar place—a quiet room reminiscent of a medieval aristocrat's office.
"What, it's the Round Table this time?" At first, I just laughed, about to move on, but I soon noticed something strange.
It's a bit different...
The structure and feel of the room were similar, but the wall that should have been filled with clothes and accessories was missing. Well, it could have been that my imagination had just missed a detail while cooking up this dream.
"...But it's too realistic for that."
Numbly, I opened and closed my hand repeatedly. Every time I tightened my grip, I could clearly feel my muscles moving. Even my train of thought grew more natural and coherent.
Knock, knock.
The sound and sensation of knocking on a wall—all of it was indistinguishable from reality.
Slide.
Coming to a realization, I immediately checked the full-length mirror to the side of the room. As expected, there stood Hansu Lee, not Bjorn. But how did this happen? As I was assuming that this wasn't a dream, a plausible hypothesis presented itself to me almost immediately, surprisingly.
Ah... today is the day the community opens.
I'd been summoned while asleep. That would explain the situation I was in. The community of twenty years from now had computers and masks, but this version must have operated differently. Considering this was the early days, that made sense. I might even be able to see the surprised face of the GM once I walked out that door.
I suddenly recalled a conversation I'd had with Baekho.
"There were already evil spirits in this city even more than a hundred years ago. On Earth, that was more than twenty years ago. So who were those people?"
Back then I told him to just tell me the answer because I didn't know.
"The answer is they were from another dimension!"
Evil spirits summoned from another dimension, few in number compared to the people from Earth, but each possessed unique powers. Apparently, one of them created this space, and the GM we knew in the present had just inherited it.
Could it be...?
One very plausible possibility popped into my mind.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on my door.
"I will."
As soon as our brief discussion was over, Amelia left, saying she had something to do.
We're leaving in a week, huh?
After washing up a bit, I lay down on the bed and mapped out what I had to get done during my last few days here. There wasn't much to map out, actually.
If we're leaving next week, I should wrap things up with Raven.
I should be able to pick up the equipment I ordered sometime next week, and then I just had to deal with Raven. Tomorrow, I should go straight to the library.
What's important is what'll happen after we head down to Noark, I guess.
From then on, I would probably have to live on high alert. Although I'd already discussed with Amelia how I should act once we got down there, when did things ever go as planned?
Man... I just want to go back already.
With a head full of hopes and dreams, sleep slowly came over me.
***
The location was a two-story rental house that Missha and I had found together. There, I was laughing and chatting with my comrades. I didn't realize it at first, but I quickly noticed.
This is a dream.
What convinced me was the mirror. I glanced to the side while laughing to see that the person in the mirror was not Bjorn but Hansu Lee—something that could never happen in real life. The moment I realized this, the backdrop crumpled and the space changed.
"Bjorn, what arrre you doing? Let's go!"
Now, I was in the labyrinth. I was climbing the floors and exploring as usual. But once again, I was Hansu Lee, not Bjorn. The shield was heavy, and my eye level had dropped so I was forced to look up. Maybe that was why...
"Why can't you even stop that!?"
I kept making mistakes, leaving my comrades to suffer damage. At first, it was injuries, but it ended up leading to death.
"If it weren't for you..."
It was Dwalkie. Only then did I remember this was a dream, and the space around me swirled again. I was once again in a familiar place—a quiet room reminiscent of a medieval aristocrat's office.
"What, it's the Round Table this time?" At first, I just laughed, about to move on, but I soon noticed something strange.
It's a bit different...
The structure and feel of the room were similar, but the wall that should have been filled with clothes and accessories was missing. Well, it could have been that my imagination had just missed a detail while cooking up this dream.
"...But it's too realistic for that."
Numbly, I opened and closed my hand repeatedly. Every time I tightened my grip, I could clearly feel my muscles moving. Even my train of thought grew more natural and coherent.
Knock, knock.
The sound and sensation of knocking on a wall—all of it was indistinguishable from reality.
Slide.
Coming to a realization, I immediately checked the full-length mirror to the side of the room. As expected, there stood Hansu Lee, not Bjorn. But how did this happen? As I was assuming that this wasn't a dream, a plausible hypothesis presented itself to me almost immediately, surprisingly.
Ah... today is the day the community opens.
I'd been summoned while asleep. That would explain the situation I was in. The community of twenty years from now had computers and masks, but this version must have operated differently. Considering this was the early days, that made sense. I might even be able to see the surprised face of the GM once I walked out that door.
I suddenly recalled a conversation I'd had with Baekho.
"There were already evil spirits in this city even more than a hundred years ago. On Earth, that was more than twenty years ago. So who were those people?"
Back then I told him to just tell me the answer because I didn't know.
"The answer is they were from another dimension!"
Evil spirits summoned from another dimension, few in number compared to the people from Earth, but each possessed unique powers. Apparently, one of them created this space, and the GM we knew in the present had just inherited it.
Could it be...?
One very plausible possibility popped into my mind.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on my door.