Chapter 365: Responsibility (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 365: Responsibility (3)
The Canyon of Vengeful Spirits was the Dark Continent's barrier to entry. When you got out of there, the lake where we were currently stationed appeared, and after that was a map divided into three main zones. The first was the Aribeona Estuary. This route followed a river to a waterfall lake, and if you went down it, it got you to the Dragon Mountain Range located in the center of the Dark Continent the quickest.
That's also where the Bellarios spawns.
The place where I could acquire the essence responsible for my Mana Resistance in the final stages of my cultivation strategy was found in that mountain range. We wouldn't be patrolling all the way there, though.
The second area was a wide jungle to the east of the estuary called the Great Forest. Because it was so large, the forest was subdivided into several zones, but that was the official name. Third was the Panthelion Ruins, located west of the estuary, the destination for the Fourth Patrol Squad, which was made up of about thirty people, including me.
"All troops, march!"
The patrol squad arrived at the entrance to the ruins, adjusted our formation, and then officially entered the area. Of course, the purpose of creating a patrol squad was to proactively defend against possible ambushes, so we didn't travel deep into the ruins.
"Front line, march!"
"Raise the shield wall!"
There were a lot of monsters here anyway.
"Krrr...!" It started with modified beasts whose bodies were made of steel, like Golems.
Boom! Boom!
Giant, magically engineered Golems.
Whirl!
Flight-type monsters flew around like drones. Monsters that were asleep throughout the ruins sensed the presence of intruders and came running out. These monsters were not able to penetrate the shield-wielding front line to reach us.
Kwaaang!
The monsters were obstructed by a huge wall of people. The sight was strange. I never thought the day would come when I'd see someone else's back from this angle.
This is what the others would have seen when they looked at me.
Even as I was seized by an uncanny feeling, I pounded the monsters that managed to escape to the sides with my hammer.
[You have cast Swing.]
[You have killed a Gigawolf. EXP +4]
Even if this was the seventh floor, the average rank of the monsters at the entrance to the Panthelion Ruins wasn't very high, meaning there wasn't a monster that could survive more than one single blow. Maybe because they were converted from machines, the feeling when you hit them was also odd.
Kakagak, rip, smash!
Whew, but it's so convenient to just swing a hammer.
"Front line to the side!" the patrol commander soon shouted, and the tanks and their shields moved in unison, opening up a path in the center. As a result, the monsters broke through the front.
"Leona er epura!" But a joint spell was already ready to go in the rear.
Swoop!
Something a lot like a laser cannon fired from the center of the formation and blew holes in about fifteen large monsters, disrupting their charge and allowing the remaining monsters to be quickly cleared out.
It's definitely easier to hunt in a raid team format. The front line is also stable with the priest here.
Although the average rank was admittedly low, it didn't take more than ten minutes to clear out almost a hundred rampaging monsters. That was only natural since there were over thirty of us here. Even if we killed a hundred, the profits from this battle wouldn't be that big once you divided by the number of people.
"There was no essence, so we'll just collect the mana stones and keep moving!"
The patrol squad continued hunting—no, patrolling—and followed the pre-planned route circling the entrance to the ruins.
Wow, the amount of XP I mined today alone has to be over a hundred.
The number of new monsters I had already killed during this patrol exceeded twenty. The spawning monsters were low-rank, but there were many unique creatures here that only inhabited this zone.
"Good work, everyone."
After patrolling for about ten hours, we let the next team take over our shift and returned to the base. There, we received a ticket from an administrative officer. Apparently, it confirmed our share of the loot from today's hunt. It looked like we could receive our payment by submitting it to the Ministry of Merit later in the city.
"Hey there." When I turned around with my ticket, a shifty man started talking to me.
I could only tilt my head in confusion. "...Who are you?" Not only did I have no memory of making a friend like this, but I'd never seen this guy before.
"Why are you acting like we've never met? I was beside you the entire fight."
Oh, really? Come to think of it, he was...
From experience, it was best to gloss over stuff like that and change the subject in these cases. "Ah, so, what did you need?"
When I asked why he came up to me, the unnamed man patted me on the shoulder like he was my boss. "You were fighting real good there."
Hmm, did he come over to socialize?
With that thought in mind, I decided to be humble for now. "You say that's good? You have low standards."
"What?"
For some reason, the man frowned. That wasn't my problem, though. I removed his hand from my shoulder. It was annoying me.
Tap.
If you want to make friends, choose a better way to approach them.
"So, what do you want?"
When I asked again, the man's fake smile disappeared, and the next thing that came out of his mouth was something unexpected. "I thought I'd give you some advice."
"...Advice?"
"Looks like you've ignorantly poured everything into Strength. If you keep taking essences like that, you'll be in great danger someday." He took out a dagger and cut his arm. "See that? Even if I apply tons of force, it's hard to cut. Adventurers should be well-balanced like me, rather than just relying on Strength—"
"Oh, what, you were just an idiot? Ah, sorry. I forgot to say that in my head."
Even though I apologized like a man, his expression went stony and he glared at me.
Jeez, you look like you could be knocked over by a single tap. Who do you think you are, bragging about your measly Physical Resistance to me?
But just in case, I asked his name first. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Melliver Eltain."
What, you're not even a Hans?
"I see. See you around."
"Mister, what are you doing over there?"
"As you can see, someone's calling me," I told the man. Then, erasing the name I just heard from my memory, I walked away.
"There was no essence, so we'll just collect the mana stones and keep moving!"
The patrol squad continued hunting—no, patrolling—and followed the pre-planned route circling the entrance to the ruins.
Wow, the amount of XP I mined today alone has to be over a hundred.
The number of new monsters I had already killed during this patrol exceeded twenty. The spawning monsters were low-rank, but there were many unique creatures here that only inhabited this zone.
"Good work, everyone."
After patrolling for about ten hours, we let the next team take over our shift and returned to the base. There, we received a ticket from an administrative officer. Apparently, it confirmed our share of the loot from today's hunt. It looked like we could receive our payment by submitting it to the Ministry of Merit later in the city.
"Hey there." When I turned around with my ticket, a shifty man started talking to me.
I could only tilt my head in confusion. "...Who are you?" Not only did I have no memory of making a friend like this, but I'd never seen this guy before.
"Why are you acting like we've never met? I was beside you the entire fight."
Oh, really? Come to think of it, he was...
From experience, it was best to gloss over stuff like that and change the subject in these cases. "Ah, so, what did you need?"
When I asked why he came up to me, the unnamed man patted me on the shoulder like he was my boss. "You were fighting real good there."
Hmm, did he come over to socialize?
With that thought in mind, I decided to be humble for now. "You say that's good? You have low standards."
"What?"
For some reason, the man frowned. That wasn't my problem, though. I removed his hand from my shoulder. It was annoying me.
Tap.
If you want to make friends, choose a better way to approach them.
"So, what do you want?"
When I asked again, the man's fake smile disappeared, and the next thing that came out of his mouth was something unexpected. "I thought I'd give you some advice."
"...Advice?"
"Looks like you've ignorantly poured everything into Strength. If you keep taking essences like that, you'll be in great danger someday." He took out a dagger and cut his arm. "See that? Even if I apply tons of force, it's hard to cut. Adventurers should be well-balanced like me, rather than just relying on Strength—"
"Oh, what, you were just an idiot? Ah, sorry. I forgot to say that in my head."
Even though I apologized like a man, his expression went stony and he glared at me.
Jeez, you look like you could be knocked over by a single tap. Who do you think you are, bragging about your measly Physical Resistance to me?
But just in case, I asked his name first. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Melliver Eltain."
What, you're not even a Hans?
"I see. See you around."
"Mister, what are you doing over there?"
"As you can see, someone's calling me," I told the man. Then, erasing the name I just heard from my memory, I walked away.
***
So, the name was Melliver... What was it again?
I couldn't remember it and unfortunately, I never got to see the man again. I continued to take on patrol duties after that, but I joined a different patrol unit each time. The reason was simple. Each patrol unit only patrolled a single zone. This was a sensible strategy from Command's perspective. If each patrol squad was in charge of an area, they would get familiar with the terrain and work better as a group. Normally, it was impossible to change teams every time... unless you had the support of a higher-up in the military.
"Raven, I heard the Eleventh Patrol Squad is going in deep this time..."
"Okay. I'll write you a recommendation."
"Thanks."
Thanks to Raven's help, I was able to visit the Aribeona Estuary and Great Forest in addition to the Panthelion Ruins to accumulate XP. Of course, I only ventured to the entrance and hadn't encountered most of the monsters yet, but I still amassed XP each time I changed teams and time flew by to today.
[You have leveled up. Your Soul Power has increased by +30. The maximum number of essences you can absorb has increased by +1.]
Finally, I reached level seven, which I had been striving for, and added a new essence slot. This meant I could add new synergy to my current combo.
Since our money problem is essentially solved, I won't have to join the war effort next time. Starting next month, I should farm for an essence. Ah, do I need a boat first?
As I was idly mulling over various things, I suddenly noticed how quiet things were. "Raven?"
"What is it?"
"Where are Erwen and Emily?"
"Emily left the barracks earlier to get some sleep and Erwen... I don't know. She followed that woman not long after."
"Hmm, I see."
"So, is that all the questions you have?" Raven had already taken her eyes off me and was reading a document.
Jeez, at least give me time to answer. Come to think of it... It seems I'm alone with her.
As I stepped back and stopped talking so as not to disturb Raven's work, I realized how strange this moment felt. That was because Amelia and Erwen had constantly been by my side ever since our reunion with Raven.
I should take this opportunity to ask her the question on my mind.
"Um, Raven."
"What is it this time?"
"That 'thing' you mentioned before... what was that?" I asked cautiously.
Raven's pen flinched and stopped moving. She lifted her eyes to glance at me. "What do you mean?"
Jeez, pretending not to know?
"What you mentioned in front of the steel bars. You said 'that thing' happened not long after you went to the Magic Tower."
"...I don't really want to talk about it. It's not important."
"Really? That's too bad, then." No matter how much effort I put into pretending to be a barbarian 24/7, I had no intention of being my usual rude self right now. I readily backed off. "Then how's your mother? Is she doing well?" I just decided to chat instead. This may also have been a sensitive subject, but it wasn't completely out of left field for me to ask.
"Did... you know something already...?"
"Huh?"
When I tilted my head at her strange reaction, Raven quickly blurted, "It's nothing. But... why are you asking about my mother all of a sudden? I don't see how that's something you'd be interested in."
***
So, the name was Melliver... What was it again?
I couldn't remember it and unfortunately, I never got to see the man again. I continued to take on patrol duties after that, but I joined a different patrol unit each time. The reason was simple. Each patrol unit only patrolled a single zone. This was a sensible strategy from Command's perspective. If each patrol squad was in charge of an area, they would get familiar with the terrain and work better as a group. Normally, it was impossible to change teams every time... unless you had the support of a higher-up in the military.
"Raven, I heard the Eleventh Patrol Squad is going in deep this time..."
"Okay. I'll write you a recommendation."
"Thanks."
Thanks to Raven's help, I was able to visit the Aribeona Estuary and Great Forest in addition to the Panthelion Ruins to accumulate XP. Of course, I only ventured to the entrance and hadn't encountered most of the monsters yet, but I still amassed XP each time I changed teams and time flew by to today.
[You have leveled up. Your Soul Power has increased by +30. The maximum number of essences you can absorb has increased by +1.]
Finally, I reached level seven, which I had been striving for, and added a new essence slot. This meant I could add new synergy to my current combo.
Since our money problem is essentially solved, I won't have to join the war effort next time. Starting next month, I should farm for an essence. Ah, do I need a boat first?
As I was idly mulling over various things, I suddenly noticed how quiet things were. "Raven?"
"What is it?"
"Where are Erwen and Emily?"
"Emily left the barracks earlier to get some sleep and Erwen... I don't know. She followed that woman not long after."
"Hmm, I see."
"So, is that all the questions you have?" Raven had already taken her eyes off me and was reading a document.
Jeez, at least give me time to answer. Come to think of it... It seems I'm alone with her.
As I stepped back and stopped talking so as not to disturb Raven's work, I realized how strange this moment felt. That was because Amelia and Erwen had constantly been by my side ever since our reunion with Raven.
I should take this opportunity to ask her the question on my mind.
"Um, Raven."
"What is it this time?"
"That 'thing' you mentioned before... what was that?" I asked cautiously.
Raven's pen flinched and stopped moving. She lifted her eyes to glance at me. "What do you mean?"
Jeez, pretending not to know?
"What you mentioned in front of the steel bars. You said 'that thing' happened not long after you went to the Magic Tower."
"...I don't really want to talk about it. It's not important."
"Really? That's too bad, then." No matter how much effort I put into pretending to be a barbarian 24/7, I had no intention of being my usual rude self right now. I readily backed off. "Then how's your mother? Is she doing well?" I just decided to chat instead. This may also have been a sensitive subject, but it wasn't completely out of left field for me to ask.
"Did... you know something already...?"
"Huh?"
When I tilted my head at her strange reaction, Raven quickly blurted, "It's nothing. But... why are you asking about my mother all of a sudden? I don't see how that's something you'd be interested in."
Haha, I knew you would say something like that.
"Why wouldn't I be? I was the one who convinced your mother to send you to the Magic Tower."
Raven flinched. "W-What did you say?"
"I don't know if you remember, but there was a time you came to the library after being beaten by your mother. At the time, you cried like a child and begged me for help—"
"I-I never did that!"
"Huh? I thought you don't remember much of what happened back then?"
"Still, I... am confident I would never have done that."
"Oh, really?"
"I'm not in the mood so stop joking around and tell me. Is it true what you said? That you... persuaded my mother?"
"Yes."
While I was at it, I told her more about what happened in the past. I just skipped over it in the cage because I hadn't had time to get into it. I'd wanted to have a moment like this with her at least once, though. To be more exact, I wanted to know how much of a positive impact my presence had on the overall chain of events. You never knew. There could come a day when I had to use the Fragment of Records Stone again.
Ah, but I should leave that part out.
As I talked, I made sure to omit parts of the conversation I had with her mother. The reason for that was simple.
"That child will abandon me. She'll become a great person one day and look down on me. Then, in the end, she'll leave me behind for that world of hers. Just as he did that day, since she's his blood... Isn't this unfair? Why is that child's life so easy? I gave birth to her, but no one in my entire life has ever helped me for that reason. But... why that child...?"
How could I relay something so dark, and to the person in question herself?
"Forget about what happened in the library and tell me already. That day... what did you talk about with my mother?"
"Nothing special. I tried to persuade her to send you to the Magic Tower by saying I would pay all the expenses, but she refused."
"Refused?"
"Ah, she refused the money, to be exact. Apparently, someone had visited from the Magic Tower a few days before. I guess you caught someone's eye, electrocuting people with magic everywhere you went."
"I see... that's why she suddenly changed her mind..."
"Ahem, not to toot my own horn, but I'm kind of your savior in a way..." I implicitly lobbied for that interpretation but Raven just ignored me.
Jeez, you're embarrassing me.
"So... what happened to your mother? Are you getting along now?"
When I changed the subject again, Raven's response was frigid. "We can't even if I wanted to."
"...Hmm?"
"She's already dead."
I was rendered momentarily speechless, and silence fell. "Ah, uh... r-really? That's unfortunate. She didn't seem like sh-she had any health problems..." It had really been a while since I had been this flustered so I tried to calm down and sort this out, but it wasn't like I could put the genie back in the bottle.
"It wasn't a health issue. It wasn't even an accident. And she wasn't at the end of her lifespan, either."
"...Then?"
"She hung herself. It was about a month after I left for the Magic Tower. I was able to go home for the first time in a week because of some homework from Master, and..." Raven's tone was calm as she spoke, like she was simply reading an entry in an old diary she'd found hidden in the corner of a storage room—like it wasn't her story at all. "There was a rotten smell in the bedroom. And that was my last memory of my mother... Don't look at me like that. I already worked through it a long time ago. People die. It's nothing new."
Raven ended up being the one to offer comfort instead of the other way around, while I ended up unable to speak at all. The memory got clearer and clearer.
"Isn't it strange? Everything I've accomplished in my life is in a single room in this dump... What was the point of my life, then?"
That was the last conversation I had with her mother. After that, I watched her stumble into the back alley like a person who had been drained of all life.
***
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 7 (New +1)
Physique: 1230.39
Spirit: 443.3
Special Ability: 1745.25 (New +39)
Item Level: 8305
General Combat Power: 5495.19 (New +39)
Acquired Essences: Orc Hero - Rank 5 / Ogre - Rank 3 / Bayon - Rank 3 / Storm Gush - Rank 3 / Vol-Herchan - Rank 3 / Gachabone - Rank 6]
Haha, I knew you would say something like that.
"Why wouldn't I be? I was the one who convinced your mother to send you to the Magic Tower."
Raven flinched. "W-What did you say?"
"I don't know if you remember, but there was a time you came to the library after being beaten by your mother. At the time, you cried like a child and begged me for help—"
"I-I never did that!"
"Huh? I thought you don't remember much of what happened back then?"
"Still, I... am confident I would never have done that."
"Oh, really?"
"I'm not in the mood so stop joking around and tell me. Is it true what you said? That you... persuaded my mother?"
"Yes."
While I was at it, I told her more about what happened in the past. I just skipped over it in the cage because I hadn't had time to get into it. I'd wanted to have a moment like this with her at least once, though. To be more exact, I wanted to know how much of a positive impact my presence had on the overall chain of events. You never knew. There could come a day when I had to use the Fragment of Records Stone again.
Ah, but I should leave that part out.
As I talked, I made sure to omit parts of the conversation I had with her mother. The reason for that was simple.
"That child will abandon me. She'll become a great person one day and look down on me. Then, in the end, she'll leave me behind for that world of hers. Just as he did that day, since she's his blood... Isn't this unfair? Why is that child's life so easy? I gave birth to her, but no one in my entire life has ever helped me for that reason. But... why that child...?"
How could I relay something so dark, and to the person in question herself?
"Forget about what happened in the library and tell me already. That day... what did you talk about with my mother?"
"Nothing special. I tried to persuade her to send you to the Magic Tower by saying I would pay all the expenses, but she refused."
"Refused?"
"Ah, she refused the money, to be exact. Apparently, someone had visited from the Magic Tower a few days before. I guess you caught someone's eye, electrocuting people with magic everywhere you went."
"I see... that's why she suddenly changed her mind..."
"Ahem, not to toot my own horn, but I'm kind of your savior in a way..." I implicitly lobbied for that interpretation but Raven just ignored me.
Jeez, you're embarrassing me.
"So... what happened to your mother? Are you getting along now?"
When I changed the subject again, Raven's response was frigid. "We can't even if I wanted to."
"...Hmm?"
"She's already dead."
I was rendered momentarily speechless, and silence fell. "Ah, uh... r-really? That's unfortunate. She didn't seem like sh-she had any health problems..." It had really been a while since I had been this flustered so I tried to calm down and sort this out, but it wasn't like I could put the genie back in the bottle.
"It wasn't a health issue. It wasn't even an accident. And she wasn't at the end of her lifespan, either."
"...Then?"
"She hung herself. It was about a month after I left for the Magic Tower. I was able to go home for the first time in a week because of some homework from Master, and..." Raven's tone was calm as she spoke, like she was simply reading an entry in an old diary she'd found hidden in the corner of a storage room—like it wasn't her story at all. "There was a rotten smell in the bedroom. And that was my last memory of my mother... Don't look at me like that. I already worked through it a long time ago. People die. It's nothing new."
Raven ended up being the one to offer comfort instead of the other way around, while I ended up unable to speak at all. The memory got clearer and clearer.
"Isn't it strange? Everything I've accomplished in my life is in a single room in this dump... What was the point of my life, then?"
That was the last conversation I had with her mother. After that, I watched her stumble into the back alley like a person who had been drained of all life.
***
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 7 (New +1)
Physique: 1230.39
Spirit: 443.3
Special Ability: 1745.25 (New +39)
Item Level: 8305
General Combat Power: 5495.19 (New +39)
Acquired Essences: Orc Hero - Rank 5 / Ogre - Rank 3 / Bayon - Rank 3 / Storm Gush - Rank 3 / Vol-Herchan - Rank 3 / Gachabone - Rank 6]