Chapter 392: Captain Barbarian (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 392: Captain Barbarian (2)
The trainee sorcerers who once did odd jobs under the old sorcerer certainly looked quite convincing, from the eye patch that helped him give off a mysterious aura to the tattoos all over his body. He may have been young, but he was believable as a sorcerer.
"Now, sit down and take off your top, little warrior."
The way he lowered his voice on purpose and spoke in a theatrical tone broke the illusion, though. He wasn't wearing an eyepatch on a perfectly normal eye, was he?
Slide.
Although I couldn't bring myself to fully trust in his abilities, I sat down and took off my shirt anyway. The young sorcerer placed his hand on my shoulder.
"You already hold the power of an immortal spirit in your body." The sorcerer immediately identified the path I chose, then lowered his hand to my chest and groped me like a pervert. "Then let's see how far you have gotten." I could tell just by his tone that he was underestimating me. It didn't take long for that to change, though.
The hand that started on my shoulder moved down to my chest, then headed toward my side where my lat muscles were located. That was where I'd received the third stage of the Immortality Imprint and the point where you could start specializing.
"Kekeke, you chose the Spirit of the Wild."
I obtained Wild Outburst then. A proper tank should have the ability to raise their Threat Level, right?
"Already accepting a spirit at a young age, you must have worked hard—" The sorcerer was yapping away in a proud tone when he suddenly stiffened in shock. Before I knew it, his hand was moving beyond my lats and over my back. At this point, I seriously considered socking him in the face.
This is fine and all, but your face is getting too close.
It looked a lot like he was hugging me.
Slide.
The sorcerer's hand traveled up my back and reached the nape of my neck. "Oh? Even your spirit vein is open? Quite..." That was stage four, which increased my Spirit Ability and Soul Ability. The hand moved down the back of my neck and returned to the front, settling on the spot over my heart. "...Th-the qi vein is also open?"
Judging by his startled tone of voice, it seemed he assumed from the marquess's explanation that he was only here to make a low-level imprint. This was starting to bother me so I forcibly removed the sorcerer's hand.
"W-What are you doing? I'm conducting a sacred ritual to read your path—"
And I'm saying that's a waste of time.
"Spirit vein, qi vein, or whatever, stop groping me. I've finished imprinting up to the Soul of Battle."
"Y-You've opened... even the Soul of Battle...?" When he heard I finished imprinting even the sixth stage, the sorcerer flinched. Then he seemed to realize that was too undignified of him. "D-Did you know? You must make a very precious offering to imprint the next—"
"Ah, I already bought the Soul of the Dead, so you don't have to worry." I didn't know why the warrior led the imprinting ritual instead of the sorcerer, but he had everything he needed to start. "That's enough conversation, why don't we get started?"
I lay down on the cloth that seemed to have been prepared for me. But no matter how long I waited there, the procedure did not start.
"Sorcerer, what are you doing?"
"...Just wait a moment. I need time to center my breathing and concentrate before I start the ritual."
Concentrate on what? You're just nervous.
As soon as I picked up on the fact that something was wrong, I raised my upper body off the ground and verbalized my doubts. I was sure this couldn't possibly be, but... "Sorcerer, are you... You've never done a high-level imprint before?"
"...There may not have been any warriors who have asked to receive it yet, but I've learned the technique."
Dang, this is making me anxious now.
I suddenly felt like I'd become a test dummy for a young sorcerer to gain experience but I had no other choice. It wasn't like I could tell him to bring the veteran sorcerer here instead. I was also starting to think it might be better to receive the imprint from the young one since he didn't recognize me. Besides, he officially held the title of sorcerer.
I'm sure he'll do a proper imprint.
That's what I thought until the first needle pricked my skin.
Stab.
"Ahhh!"
Stab.
"Kaaaagh!"
Stab.
"Why are you tilting your head? Fuck, you just stabbed the wrong spot, didn't you?"
"...I-I didn't!"
"Yeah right—"
"It's going well, just stay still!"
Stab.
"Arghhh!"
Was the Spirit Imprint always this painful? I felt like I was going to lose my mind last time, too, but it wasn't this bad.
Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab!
Time passed slowly and my brain continued to marinate in a bath of vivid pain. It felt like days later when...
"I-It's all done..." The sorcerer finally uttered the words I'd been desperately waiting for, looking exhausted.
[You have activated Immortality Imprint: Stage 7.]
A foreign sensation filled my body, which was drained of all energy. It was a slightly different sensation from when stats normally went up. Based on this, it seemed the imprint itself had worked out all right.
[Your Restorative Power has increased.]
Restorative Power was a similar stat to Muscle Mass. If Muscle Mass increased Strength stats by 1 percent per point, Restorative Power adjusted all healing and regeneration effects in proportion to its value. Of course, it still wasn't as immediately obvious as a change in Strength.
[Your Special Ability stat has increased by +300.]
Whether it was natural regeneration or a potion, it'd be more noticeable when I tried to use a healing effect.
"Hehehe..." The rewards were great and worth the hardship.
As I laughed to myself, forgetting all about the pain, I heard the sorcerer make a strange comment. "...This is my first time seeing someone smile after imprinting a new soul on their body."
"That's because you're inexperienced. Warriors usually laugh when times are tough."
"That's not true...! I've worked on so many warriors—"
Uh-huh, and how many people could you have possibly imprinted in the two and a half years I was away?
"Right, good work." Energy was slowly returning to my body so I got up from where I was lying. Because the room was filled with candles and the curtains were already shut when I got there, I hadn't realized it was already nighttime.
As soon as I picked up on the fact that something was wrong, I raised my upper body off the ground and verbalized my doubts. I was sure this couldn't possibly be, but... "Sorcerer, are you... You've never done a high-level imprint before?"
"...There may not have been any warriors who have asked to receive it yet, but I've learned the technique."
Dang, this is making me anxious now.
I suddenly felt like I'd become a test dummy for a young sorcerer to gain experience but I had no other choice. It wasn't like I could tell him to bring the veteran sorcerer here instead. I was also starting to think it might be better to receive the imprint from the young one since he didn't recognize me. Besides, he officially held the title of sorcerer.
I'm sure he'll do a proper imprint.
That's what I thought until the first needle pricked my skin.
Stab.
"Ahhh!"
Stab.
"Kaaaagh!"
Stab.
"Why are you tilting your head? Fuck, you just stabbed the wrong spot, didn't you?"
"...I-I didn't!"
"Yeah right—"
"It's going well, just stay still!"
Stab.
"Arghhh!"
Was the Spirit Imprint always this painful? I felt like I was going to lose my mind last time, too, but it wasn't this bad.
Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab!
Time passed slowly and my brain continued to marinate in a bath of vivid pain. It felt like days later when...
"I-It's all done..." The sorcerer finally uttered the words I'd been desperately waiting for, looking exhausted.
[You have activated Immortality Imprint: Stage 7.]
A foreign sensation filled my body, which was drained of all energy. It was a slightly different sensation from when stats normally went up. Based on this, it seemed the imprint itself had worked out all right.
[Your Restorative Power has increased.]
Restorative Power was a similar stat to Muscle Mass. If Muscle Mass increased Strength stats by 1 percent per point, Restorative Power adjusted all healing and regeneration effects in proportion to its value. Of course, it still wasn't as immediately obvious as a change in Strength.
[Your Special Ability stat has increased by +300.]
Whether it was natural regeneration or a potion, it'd be more noticeable when I tried to use a healing effect.
"Hehehe..." The rewards were great and worth the hardship.
As I laughed to myself, forgetting all about the pain, I heard the sorcerer make a strange comment. "...This is my first time seeing someone smile after imprinting a new soul on their body."
"That's because you're inexperienced. Warriors usually laugh when times are tough."
"That's not true...! I've worked on so many warriors—"
Uh-huh, and how many people could you have possibly imprinted in the two and a half years I was away?
"Right, good work." Energy was slowly returning to my body so I got up from where I was lying. Because the room was filled with candles and the curtains were already shut when I got there, I hadn't realized it was already nighttime.
I told them I might be late so they hopefully won't be worried.
The sorcerer would return to the holy land today or tomorrow morning on his own, so I just put my clothes back on and left. Out front were the staff members who guided me earlier. But what was wrong with their expressions? They looked almost scared.
"Um... Are you all right?"
Ah, they must've heard my screaming from out here. Since they didn't know about the imprint, they must have been wondering what I was doing inside.
"Yeah, I want to go back home now. Can I just leave?" Implicit in my question was a request for them to prepare a carriage for me again just like the one I used to get here.
"Mr. Schuitz," the guard carefully said, "Lord Tercerion has asked to see you."
"The marquess...?"
When I spoke without honorifics, the man's face paled like he was the one who made the mistake. But it seemed he couldn't point out a guest's blunder to his face. "Yes, Lord Tercerion is waiting. Let us go." He emphasized the title and then led me off to another room.
Hmm, I should be more careful about those things around other people from now on. I can't let them know I'm a barbarian yet.
Creaaak.
We arrived at the study. When I walked in, the marquess took his eyes off his papers and glanced up at me. He only greeted me when the guard closed the door and left. "How was the imprint, Baronet Yandel?"
"Good, thanks to you. But why did you call me again?" I got straight to the point because I was tired, but as always, he didn't condemn me for my rudeness. He simply answered in kind, just like I wanted him to.
"I had something I needed to tell you right away." The marquess got straight to the point without showing any displeasure. But I wondered if this guy knew that the more he showed me his friendly side, the less trustworthy he seemed and the warier I became.
"Tell me. What is it?"
"The first thing is that I've finished persuading the individuals you wanted to recruit." The marquess explained that he was able to recruit the wizard I wanted, and because the priest refused, he got the special ability user we chose as our Plan B. Too bad, if the priest worked out, we would've had a lot more options.
"Anyway, I'm guessing there's a second thing?"
"There is. To be honest, the first part could have been conveyed in writing."
"I'm curious, tell me."
"Tomorrow, the heads of each team are planning to hold a meeting. If possible, we plan to get them to decide on the position of commander-in-chief then."
"...Tomorrow, so suddenly?"
"The labyrinth will be opening soon. We may not be able to mobilize you for a big operation right away, but there's a need to finish finalizing the squadron's structure. Is there a problem?"
"No, none. As you said, it's better to deal with things like this as soon as possible. So, how will you decide on the commander?"
"I told you. It will be determined there. Since all five team leaders have their own backers, they will each try to take on the role of commander."
"Put simply, your plan is to gather us all up in one place and make us decide amongst ourselves."
"To summarize, yes. Is that all right with you?"
"Don't worry. I refuse to work under an uptight prick." This was a special unit going on dangerous missions, right? It was better that I become the commander than watch some brutish moron lead us in circles. Of course, if the right person showed up, it wouldn't be a bad idea to sit back and enjoy the ride, either.
I told them I might be late so they hopefully won't be worried.
The sorcerer would return to the holy land today or tomorrow morning on his own, so I just put my clothes back on and left. Out front were the staff members who guided me earlier. But what was wrong with their expressions? They looked almost scared.
"Um... Are you all right?"
Ah, they must've heard my screaming from out here. Since they didn't know about the imprint, they must have been wondering what I was doing inside.
"Yeah, I want to go back home now. Can I just leave?" Implicit in my question was a request for them to prepare a carriage for me again just like the one I used to get here.
"Mr. Schuitz," the guard carefully said, "Lord Tercerion has asked to see you."
"The marquess...?"
When I spoke without honorifics, the man's face paled like he was the one who made the mistake. But it seemed he couldn't point out a guest's blunder to his face. "Yes, Lord Tercerion is waiting. Let us go." He emphasized the title and then led me off to another room.
Hmm, I should be more careful about those things around other people from now on. I can't let them know I'm a barbarian yet.
Creaaak.
We arrived at the study. When I walked in, the marquess took his eyes off his papers and glanced up at me. He only greeted me when the guard closed the door and left. "How was the imprint, Baronet Yandel?"
"Good, thanks to you. But why did you call me again?" I got straight to the point because I was tired, but as always, he didn't condemn me for my rudeness. He simply answered in kind, just like I wanted him to.
"I had something I needed to tell you right away." The marquess got straight to the point without showing any displeasure. But I wondered if this guy knew that the more he showed me his friendly side, the less trustworthy he seemed and the warier I became.
"Tell me. What is it?"
"The first thing is that I've finished persuading the individuals you wanted to recruit." The marquess explained that he was able to recruit the wizard I wanted, and because the priest refused, he got the special ability user we chose as our Plan B. Too bad, if the priest worked out, we would've had a lot more options.
"Anyway, I'm guessing there's a second thing?"
"There is. To be honest, the first part could have been conveyed in writing."
"I'm curious, tell me."
"Tomorrow, the heads of each team are planning to hold a meeting. If possible, we plan to get them to decide on the position of commander-in-chief then."
"...Tomorrow, so suddenly?"
"The labyrinth will be opening soon. We may not be able to mobilize you for a big operation right away, but there's a need to finish finalizing the squadron's structure. Is there a problem?"
"No, none. As you said, it's better to deal with things like this as soon as possible. So, how will you decide on the commander?"
"I told you. It will be determined there. Since all five team leaders have their own backers, they will each try to take on the role of commander."
"Put simply, your plan is to gather us all up in one place and make us decide amongst ourselves."
"To summarize, yes. Is that all right with you?"
"Don't worry. I refuse to work under an uptight prick." This was a special unit going on dangerous missions, right? It was better that I become the commander than watch some brutish moron lead us in circles. Of course, if the right person showed up, it wouldn't be a bad idea to sit back and enjoy the ride, either.
"So, where are we meeting tomorrow?"
"I have invited them here to my home. We will be having lunch together."
Lunch tomorrow, huh? If it's going to be here anyway, it'd be a hassle to go back and forth.
"Can I sleep here today?"
"Of course. If you want, I can help send word to your household right away. I'm sure she'll be worried."
"Ah, I'll leave that part to you."
After talking for about thirty more minutes, the marquess helped me contact Erwen and Amelia through the branch of the Magic Tower in District Seven. Once that was done, I headed to the room I stayed in last time, washed up, and got ready for bed.
Flop!
A nobleman's bed was too soft to compare to the bed back home. As it always did the day I received an imprint, sleep came to me as soon as I lay down.
Hooonk!
I was sure I wouldn't get any strange visitors tonight.
***
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 7
Physique: 1461.40
Spirit: 521.3
Special Ability: 2197.65 (New +390)
Item Level: 8305
General Combat Power: 6256.60 (New +390)
Acquired Essences: Orc Hero - Rank 5 / Ogre - Rank 3 / Bayon - Rank 3 / Storm Gush - Rank 3 / Vol-Herchan - Rank 3 / Gachabone - Rank 6 / Deep Sea Giant - Rank 3]
***
The next morning, although the meeting was scheduled for lunch, I woke up early and got ready with the help of the servant to uphold Tercerion's reputation. My hair was neatly combed, and I was dressed in a fitted top and trousers.
It's been a while since I've worn clothes like this... Not bad.
My reflection in the mirror looked pretty good even by my standards. Was it because my body shrank? For once, I didn't feel too torn up about it.
"Wait a little longer."
"I saw out the window that some people are already here."
"Not everyone has arrived yet."
Since I stayed at the mansion last night, I was able to finish getting ready early, but I was made to keep waiting in my room. I wondered why I couldn't just wait in the banquet hall but apparently, nobles were prideful about that kind of stuff. It seemed there was an unspoken tension around what time you arrived for meetings.
"Okay, let us go now. Everyone will be waiting."
Well, I had no reason not to listen to the marquess when it came to these things so I waited until it was time and we headed to the banquet hall together.
Creaaak.
The servant opened the door for us without me even needing to touch it myself.
"Hello, Lord Tercerion."
"I didn't know you would also be attending the meal, Prime Minister."
"What a treat. I am truly honored."
When the marquess arrived, the three men and one woman who had arrived first all stood up and bowed, and the marquess greeted them once they were done. "Haha, it is nice to meet you all. The food may not be up to the standards of distinguished individuals such as yourselves, but please enjoy yourselves while you are here."
"So, where are we meeting tomorrow?"
"I have invited them here to my home. We will be having lunch together."
Lunch tomorrow, huh? If it's going to be here anyway, it'd be a hassle to go back and forth.
"Can I sleep here today?"
"Of course. If you want, I can help send word to your household right away. I'm sure she'll be worried."
"Ah, I'll leave that part to you."
After talking for about thirty more minutes, the marquess helped me contact Erwen and Amelia through the branch of the Magic Tower in District Seven. Once that was done, I headed to the room I stayed in last time, washed up, and got ready for bed.
Flop!
A nobleman's bed was too soft to compare to the bed back home. As it always did the day I received an imprint, sleep came to me as soon as I lay down.
Hooonk!
I was sure I wouldn't get any strange visitors tonight.
***
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 7
Physique: 1461.40
Spirit: 521.3
Special Ability: 2197.65 (New +390)
Item Level: 8305
General Combat Power: 6256.60 (New +390)
Acquired Essences: Orc Hero - Rank 5 / Ogre - Rank 3 / Bayon - Rank 3 / Storm Gush - Rank 3 / Vol-Herchan - Rank 3 / Gachabone - Rank 6 / Deep Sea Giant - Rank 3]
***
The next morning, although the meeting was scheduled for lunch, I woke up early and got ready with the help of the servant to uphold Tercerion's reputation. My hair was neatly combed, and I was dressed in a fitted top and trousers.
It's been a while since I've worn clothes like this... Not bad.
My reflection in the mirror looked pretty good even by my standards. Was it because my body shrank? For once, I didn't feel too torn up about it.
"Wait a little longer."
"I saw out the window that some people are already here."
"Not everyone has arrived yet."
Since I stayed at the mansion last night, I was able to finish getting ready early, but I was made to keep waiting in my room. I wondered why I couldn't just wait in the banquet hall but apparently, nobles were prideful about that kind of stuff. It seemed there was an unspoken tension around what time you arrived for meetings.
"Okay, let us go now. Everyone will be waiting."
Well, I had no reason not to listen to the marquess when it came to these things so I waited until it was time and we headed to the banquet hall together.
Creaaak.
The servant opened the door for us without me even needing to touch it myself.
"Hello, Lord Tercerion."
"I didn't know you would also be attending the meal, Prime Minister."
"What a treat. I am truly honored."
When the marquess arrived, the three men and one woman who had arrived first all stood up and bowed, and the marquess greeted them once they were done. "Haha, it is nice to meet you all. The food may not be up to the standards of distinguished individuals such as yourselves, but please enjoy yourselves while you are here."
The marquess sat at the head of the table. As I was instructed to in advance, I sat in the seat immediately to his right.
"Bring out the food." While the staff filled the table, the marquess led us through introductions much like a blind date. "Since some of you are meeting for the first time, I believe an introduction is in order. What do you think?"
"I agree. May I go first?" The first person to step forward was the man sitting across from me. "Since everyone seems younger than me and there don't seem to be any nobles, I will speak comfortably." He had on a crisp uniform with a checkered pattern embroidered on it and neatly brushed red hair. "I am Melend Kaislan."
I remembered the marquess telling me about him yesterday. He was the youngest son of Count Kaislan and a veteran knight who had entered the military at a young age and had many war achievements. While he may have been the youngest son, he was still over forty and married with several children.
"I've spent decades in the military and thanks to that, I'm extremely familiar with combat. But commanding is another thing entirely. I have seen countless talented individuals lose their lives in vain due to incompetent leaders." This guy had gotten up to introduce himself but instead launched into some lengthy self-promotion. "I am not looking down on you all, but if one of us is to assume responsibility and take that position, I believe no one is better suited than me."
Was it because he was a veteran with a lot of experience? That military-style speech alone seemed to show off just how narrow-minded he was. And I wasn't the only one who thought so.
"...Oh my, weren't we simply introducing ourselves? You've put a lot of pressure on the next person." The dwarf lady next to him offered a soft smile and a passive-aggressive comment before standing up. "In that case, I will go next."
Wow, look at how smooth that was.
In truth, I knew who this woman was before she even revealed her name. There weren't many female dwarven adventurers of her age.
"I'm Titana Akurava." She didn't seem to have any intention of mentioning her age herself but everyone who knew her knew she was sixty-one. Of course, as it was a trait of her race to age quickly and then maintain that appearance for years, she looked much younger than a human born in the same year would. Age meant nothing to this woman, though.
"...Akurava? Are you really Akurava?" When she revealed her name, the noble knight flinched, his eyes going wide. Rightfully so, because she was a famous adventurer. No, should I say legendary?
"Even I wouldn't dare lie in front of the marquess."
"I... right. I was just surprised. I heard you retired ten years ago."
I first heard about this woman from the marquess, actually. She was a member of a legendary team that used to explore the ninth floor, but after the team suddenly announced their retirement ten years ago, she never appeared in public again. In short, she was from a completely different generation than me.
"Haha, I happened to venture back out into the world again. May I continue, young knight?"
"...Of course."
She silenced the interrupting knight and took some time to promote herself as he did earlier. "I can guarantee no one knows more about the labyrinth than me. Nor does any adventurer have as much luck. Doesn't that speak for itself?" It was a short speech that exuded confidence.
As soon as she sat down, another man stood up, unfazed. "Haha, I never expected to meet one of my role models like this. I will go next." The man gave off a rather lighthearted air. His most notable feature was his height, around 5'3", which was slightly on the shorter side even among humans. "I am James Calla, the deputy commander of the Sawtooth Clan."
Sawtooth was one of the super-huge clans that had gone from a Top Ten clan to a Top Four clan. This guy also took a page from the first two speakers' books and talked up his strengths for a while. Being part of a large clan, he was up to date on the latest information and confident about his ability to synthesize everyone's opinions and come up with strategies that would satisfy us all. It was clearly an appeal that targeted the old dwarf and stubborn knight, but I wasn't particularly impressed. My mind wandered to something I had read about him in the papers.
He was an archer, I think?
That was the only thing I had to remember about him.
Once the deputy commander's introduction was over, the paladin next to him stood up. "I am Jun from the Heindel Church. The surname I once used in the secular world is no more, as I have abandoned it." In contrast to the previous ones, this introduction was short.
"...Is that it?" the knight asked.
The paladin clicked his tongue with a slightly displeased look on his face but added, "There is nothing more unstable and dangerous than human desire. Everything will go as is planned, according to god's will."
"It seems the three churches are being surprisingly selfless about this mission." The knight attempted to compliment the churches but the paladin ignored him.
"Now... it's just you left."
My turn finally arrived and their attention turned to me. Everyone pretended not to be, but their curiosity was obvious. Of course they were curious. I was here as a representative of the marquess, the kingdom's second-in-command, but my face was one they were seeing for the first time. They must have been wary about the fact that they had very limited information about me.
Creak.
I pushed my chair back, stood up, and told them my name. "Riehen Schuitz." I could see frowns around the table.
That's it?
That was what those frowns seemed to be asking. Even the marquess looked like he felt the same. He must have been wondering why I was staying quiet when everyone before me had actively promoted themselves.
Jeez, don't rush me. So not cool.
I had no intention of going on and on like everyone before me. It was obvious they'd all tune it out anyway, so why bother?
Slide.
I looked around the table slowly and made eye contact with each person, starting with the soldier of noble birth. "Knights, noblemen." Next was the dwarf lady. "Famous adventurers." Third was the deputy commander. "Clans." Finally, I looked at the paladin. "God, or whatever... I don't follow anyone weaker than me."
When it came to self-promotion, the shorter it was, the more of a punch it packed.
The marquess sat at the head of the table. As I was instructed to in advance, I sat in the seat immediately to his right.
"Bring out the food." While the staff filled the table, the marquess led us through introductions much like a blind date. "Since some of you are meeting for the first time, I believe an introduction is in order. What do you think?"
"I agree. May I go first?" The first person to step forward was the man sitting across from me. "Since everyone seems younger than me and there don't seem to be any nobles, I will speak comfortably." He had on a crisp uniform with a checkered pattern embroidered on it and neatly brushed red hair. "I am Melend Kaislan."
I remembered the marquess telling me about him yesterday. He was the youngest son of Count Kaislan and a veteran knight who had entered the military at a young age and had many war achievements. While he may have been the youngest son, he was still over forty and married with several children.
"I've spent decades in the military and thanks to that, I'm extremely familiar with combat. But commanding is another thing entirely. I have seen countless talented individuals lose their lives in vain due to incompetent leaders." This guy had gotten up to introduce himself but instead launched into some lengthy self-promotion. "I am not looking down on you all, but if one of us is to assume responsibility and take that position, I believe no one is better suited than me."
Was it because he was a veteran with a lot of experience? That military-style speech alone seemed to show off just how narrow-minded he was. And I wasn't the only one who thought so.
"...Oh my, weren't we simply introducing ourselves? You've put a lot of pressure on the next person." The dwarf lady next to him offered a soft smile and a passive-aggressive comment before standing up. "In that case, I will go next."
Wow, look at how smooth that was.
In truth, I knew who this woman was before she even revealed her name. There weren't many female dwarven adventurers of her age.
"I'm Titana Akurava." She didn't seem to have any intention of mentioning her age herself but everyone who knew her knew she was sixty-one. Of course, as it was a trait of her race to age quickly and then maintain that appearance for years, she looked much younger than a human born in the same year would. Age meant nothing to this woman, though.
"...Akurava? Are you really Akurava?" When she revealed her name, the noble knight flinched, his eyes going wide. Rightfully so, because she was a famous adventurer. No, should I say legendary?
"Even I wouldn't dare lie in front of the marquess."
"I... right. I was just surprised. I heard you retired ten years ago."
I first heard about this woman from the marquess, actually. She was a member of a legendary team that used to explore the ninth floor, but after the team suddenly announced their retirement ten years ago, she never appeared in public again. In short, she was from a completely different generation than me.
"Haha, I happened to venture back out into the world again. May I continue, young knight?"
"...Of course."
She silenced the interrupting knight and took some time to promote herself as he did earlier. "I can guarantee no one knows more about the labyrinth than me. Nor does any adventurer have as much luck. Doesn't that speak for itself?" It was a short speech that exuded confidence.
As soon as she sat down, another man stood up, unfazed. "Haha, I never expected to meet one of my role models like this. I will go next." The man gave off a rather lighthearted air. His most notable feature was his height, around 5'3", which was slightly on the shorter side even among humans. "I am James Calla, the deputy commander of the Sawtooth Clan."
Sawtooth was one of the super-huge clans that had gone from a Top Ten clan to a Top Four clan. This guy also took a page from the first two speakers' books and talked up his strengths for a while. Being part of a large clan, he was up to date on the latest information and confident about his ability to synthesize everyone's opinions and come up with strategies that would satisfy us all. It was clearly an appeal that targeted the old dwarf and stubborn knight, but I wasn't particularly impressed. My mind wandered to something I had read about him in the papers.
He was an archer, I think?
That was the only thing I had to remember about him.
Once the deputy commander's introduction was over, the paladin next to him stood up. "I am Jun from the Heindel Church. The surname I once used in the secular world is no more, as I have abandoned it." In contrast to the previous ones, this introduction was short.
"...Is that it?" the knight asked.
The paladin clicked his tongue with a slightly displeased look on his face but added, "There is nothing more unstable and dangerous than human desire. Everything will go as is planned, according to god's will."
"It seems the three churches are being surprisingly selfless about this mission." The knight attempted to compliment the churches but the paladin ignored him.
"Now... it's just you left."
My turn finally arrived and their attention turned to me. Everyone pretended not to be, but their curiosity was obvious. Of course they were curious. I was here as a representative of the marquess, the kingdom's second-in-command, but my face was one they were seeing for the first time. They must have been wary about the fact that they had very limited information about me.
Creak.
I pushed my chair back, stood up, and told them my name. "Riehen Schuitz." I could see frowns around the table.
That's it?
That was what those frowns seemed to be asking. Even the marquess looked like he felt the same. He must have been wondering why I was staying quiet when everyone before me had actively promoted themselves.
Jeez, don't rush me. So not cool.
I had no intention of going on and on like everyone before me. It was obvious they'd all tune it out anyway, so why bother?
Slide.
I looked around the table slowly and made eye contact with each person, starting with the soldier of noble birth. "Knights, noblemen." Next was the dwarf lady. "Famous adventurers." Third was the deputy commander. "Clans." Finally, I looked at the paladin. "God, or whatever... I don't follow anyone weaker than me."
When it came to self-promotion, the shorter it was, the more of a punch it packed.