Chapter 447: Party (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 447: Party (4)
Since we didn't know what would come out of the Order of the Rose's sub-spaces, we decided to open them one by one.
First up was the wizard Lilith Marrone. "There's a box...?" What came out was a small wooden box, just big enough to hold a book or two.
"You can go ahead and open it. There's no traces of other magic on it."
As soon as Versyl gave the okay, Marrone slowly opened the box.
"Oh..."
"That's..."
There were uneasy murmurs from all the members as they looked over Marrone's shoulder to see what was inside. The contents were much different than expected.
"There's some money, a few counterfeit IDs, and a picture..."
"Who is that a picture of? Maybe her family?"
"With how many fingerprints are on it, I would assume so."
What was this?
"L-Let's open the next one, then!"
While the excitement may have died down a little, the others and I didn't relinquish all hope just yet and resumed opening the sub-spaces.
"It's the same. Some money and IDs... and there's a weird pill here as well?"
The pill found in the second box was all too familiar to me and Amelia. "It's a drug called Blessing of Lethe."
"...Do you recognize this, Ms. Raines?"
"Yeah. It erases the memory of the person who takes it. An alchemist in Noark invented it, though it seems the royal family has also discovered how to make it."
"This... might come in handy someday. How many memories does it erase?"
"Hard to say. It looks a bit different from the one I remember. Maybe it's been improved?"
"I see... They are all different sizes, so I assume the bigger the pill, the more memories it erases. But I'll have to examine it further in my lab."
We wound up going through the third, fourth, and fifth sub-spaces, and before we knew it, the entire opening ceremony was coming to a close.
"...It's that Blessing of Lethe pill again."
"Looks like there's some kind of poison here too."
"That's a powerful acid used to destroy any and all traces of something like, for example, a corpse..."
The sub-spaces that were meant to be treasure chests were sadly a disappointment. Well, it wasn't like everything within them was useless, though. There were even some Blessing of Lethe pills.
"Sir Kaislan, would you mind taking a look at this notebook?"
"It's... a list of spies sent out by the royal family."
One item from the sixth sub-space was a list of people who were operating as undercover informants for the royal family. I was once again struck by the unmitigated power the palace held as I read over the names.
"By the looks of it, this is probably just a mere fraction of all their sources."
"There are so many... yet you're saying this is only a fraction of them?"
"Look at this. The informants listed here are all centered around one noble in particular. That suggests the owner of this sub-space was on a special mission related to that noble."
"You're saying that all these names are the undercover agents needed to carry out a mission... related to one single individual?"
"Well, that's just my guess," Kaislan concluded.
I couldn't help but agree. What other possibility could there be? "I heard that the royal family has eyes and ears everywhere, but I never imagined it would extend this far..."
Silence hung heavy over the room at that. Everyone there felt it—the sheer magnitude of the power that we would have to contend with in the future.
"Either way, this is good," I said when the silence became unbearable, trying to sound nonchalant. "Versyl, I'll hold onto this list. I might need to use it one day."
After agreeing to set aside the list for me, we moved on.
"We're finally on the last one."
Their eyes lit up at my words. While the opening of the sub-spaces hadn't yet lived up to our expectations, every one of us wondered if this one might be different.
"...This was her sub-space, right?"
We couldn't be sure whether Six of the Order of the Rose was a commander, deputy commander, or just a regular member, but one thing was clear. That day, she had taken on the role of commander.
"It's another wooden box."
Still clinging to hope, we all prepared ourselves to open the final box.
Money, ID, a Blessing of Lethe, and... a single piece of paper within an opened envelope.
"Oh, wow..."
It was an order issued by the royal family to exterminate the expedition team at Ice Rock if they made it back alive.
"We can use this."
It wasn't a bad find.
***
Once we finished opening the sub-spaces, we all pulled out the equipment that we had taken from the labyrinth.
"What are we going to do with all this equipment?"
"First off, we should be careful and take our time getting rid of the equipment we got from Noark. We can use the money for our clan fund going forward."
"That makes sense..."
In the end, most of the loot acquired during the expedition was handed over to me. They also gave me the authority to deal with it as I saw fit. Surprisingly, no one voiced any complaints. I was glad that they put so much trust in me, but at the same time, it worried me.
Damn. It would be so easy to scam all of them.
What if it were someone else seated at the helm and not a good, responsible barbarian like me?
"Yandel, what should we do with the equipment from the Order of the Rose? If we try to sell it off, it will surely catch the eye of the royal family."
"Ah, when it comes to those, I think we should scrap them and re-forge them first. They might be dangerous to sell, but the raw materials are far too valuable to waste."
Mystium was a metal as valuable as arc, so we would melt that down. As for the grade-five material Ogre leather, we could cut it into pieces and use it on other equipment. Of course, that wouldn't leave us much to work with. Even if all the daggers were melted down, there wouldn't be enough mystium to forge even a set of armor, and most of the leather would be scrapped in the process of repurposing it.
"We can decide what to do with the raw materials later, so if anyone wants some for themselves, please bring a convincing reason for the group the next time we meet."
The mystium would be perfect to make myself a shield, but as the leader, I shouldn't be greedy. It was only right to use the money we gathered as a group for the betterment of the group. Though, to be fair, it didn't seem like any of them cared much either way.
I couldn't help but agree. What other possibility could there be? "I heard that the royal family has eyes and ears everywhere, but I never imagined it would extend this far..."
Silence hung heavy over the room at that. Everyone there felt it—the sheer magnitude of the power that we would have to contend with in the future.
"Either way, this is good," I said when the silence became unbearable, trying to sound nonchalant. "Versyl, I'll hold onto this list. I might need to use it one day."
After agreeing to set aside the list for me, we moved on.
"We're finally on the last one."
Their eyes lit up at my words. While the opening of the sub-spaces hadn't yet lived up to our expectations, every one of us wondered if this one might be different.
"...This was her sub-space, right?"
We couldn't be sure whether Six of the Order of the Rose was a commander, deputy commander, or just a regular member, but one thing was clear. That day, she had taken on the role of commander.
"It's another wooden box."
Still clinging to hope, we all prepared ourselves to open the final box.
Money, ID, a Blessing of Lethe, and... a single piece of paper within an opened envelope.
"Oh, wow..."
It was an order issued by the royal family to exterminate the expedition team at Ice Rock if they made it back alive.
"We can use this."
It wasn't a bad find.
***
Once we finished opening the sub-spaces, we all pulled out the equipment that we had taken from the labyrinth.
"What are we going to do with all this equipment?"
"First off, we should be careful and take our time getting rid of the equipment we got from Noark. We can use the money for our clan fund going forward."
"That makes sense..."
In the end, most of the loot acquired during the expedition was handed over to me. They also gave me the authority to deal with it as I saw fit. Surprisingly, no one voiced any complaints. I was glad that they put so much trust in me, but at the same time, it worried me.
Damn. It would be so easy to scam all of them.
What if it were someone else seated at the helm and not a good, responsible barbarian like me?
"Yandel, what should we do with the equipment from the Order of the Rose? If we try to sell it off, it will surely catch the eye of the royal family."
"Ah, when it comes to those, I think we should scrap them and re-forge them first. They might be dangerous to sell, but the raw materials are far too valuable to waste."
Mystium was a metal as valuable as arc, so we would melt that down. As for the grade-five material Ogre leather, we could cut it into pieces and use it on other equipment. Of course, that wouldn't leave us much to work with. Even if all the daggers were melted down, there wouldn't be enough mystium to forge even a set of armor, and most of the leather would be scrapped in the process of repurposing it.
"We can decide what to do with the raw materials later, so if anyone wants some for themselves, please bring a convincing reason for the group the next time we meet."
The mystium would be perfect to make myself a shield, but as the leader, I shouldn't be greedy. It was only right to use the money we gathered as a group for the betterment of the group. Though, to be fair, it didn't seem like any of them cared much either way.
"There's something else I wanted to ask about instead. I heard that you founded a clan a few days ago... When would it be possible for us to join?"
"Ah, Versyl actually made a timeline for that, so she'll be going over that briefly now."
"Oh, really? Then when would I be able to join?"
"You should be able to join in about three months, Ms. Marrone. I think it would be best for you to retire from your current position on the grounds of friction with your superiors. If you think of a better reason, though, please let me know in advance."
"Well then! What about me?"
"Sir Kaislan... you will be the last to join us. After all, you hold quite a high position already. We should wait until the royal family has somewhat lost interest in us before you move. I'd say joining a year from now would look the most natural."
"I see..."
"Mr. Calla, didn't you mention that you were released from your clan not too long ago? You should take a break for a couple of months and make a point of expressing your interest in joining another clan. There won't be any other clan willing to accept you, anyway. You looked for another place to go, but couldn't find anywhere willing to take you in, so naturally, you joined Yandel's clan since you had already met previously on another quest. If you do that, then it will look as natural as possible and won't pose any risk of attracting suspicion."
"And if another clan accepts me... what then?"
"Then you ask them to recognize your previous position as deputy commander. If you demand a higher position, then they will end up rejecting you out of hand. You can trust me on this. I used to work in Personnel Management."
James Calla said nothing in response, his spirit visibly crushed.
"Ah, and Sir Parav..."
Versyl's briefing went on like that for some time. It was quite impressive to watch. Was it because she had the personality of a wizard, the experience of a former deputy commander, and had come from the modern world? She was extremely efficient.
I wonder what type of work she did on Earth.
The briefing eventually came to an end, and the next question was directed at me.
"Then how much does Ainar know about our situation?"
"She doesn't know anything. So watch what you say when you meet her later."
"I see..."
"Either way, the clan already has two members of the Seven Powerful, so once we join... Well, I guess it won't be easy to avoid attracting attention, no matter how much we don't want it, hahaha."
"Hm, you think you're already at that level, Parav?"
"Oh, uh. Not at all? No, I mean, I might not be that famous, but maybe just a hair behind? I... think."
"I'm curious about the other member. Auyen Rockrobe, was it? I've never heard of them before. Are they trustworthy?"
Since the topic of our navigator was raised, Amelia replied in my stead. "He's trustworthy. I can vouch for him."
More questions of a similar vein were pumped out, but eventually, the topic changed to the banquet held to celebrate my elevation in status. I told them that we were going to team up with Melbeth and transitioned the discussion into the next step of our plan. However, since I couldn't explain everything in detail right now, I kept things simple and only gave them broad strokes.
"For as many enemies as we have, they all have enemies of their own. And as the saying goes, the enemy of our enemy is our friend."
Creating a clan and building up the reputation of my noble house would serve as protection as we gathered more allies. That was the crux of my plan.
"There's something else I wanted to ask about instead. I heard that you founded a clan a few days ago... When would it be possible for us to join?"
"Ah, Versyl actually made a timeline for that, so she'll be going over that briefly now."
"Oh, really? Then when would I be able to join?"
"You should be able to join in about three months, Ms. Marrone. I think it would be best for you to retire from your current position on the grounds of friction with your superiors. If you think of a better reason, though, please let me know in advance."
"Well then! What about me?"
"Sir Kaislan... you will be the last to join us. After all, you hold quite a high position already. We should wait until the royal family has somewhat lost interest in us before you move. I'd say joining a year from now would look the most natural."
"I see..."
"Mr. Calla, didn't you mention that you were released from your clan not too long ago? You should take a break for a couple of months and make a point of expressing your interest in joining another clan. There won't be any other clan willing to accept you, anyway. You looked for another place to go, but couldn't find anywhere willing to take you in, so naturally, you joined Yandel's clan since you had already met previously on another quest. If you do that, then it will look as natural as possible and won't pose any risk of attracting suspicion."
"And if another clan accepts me... what then?"
"Then you ask them to recognize your previous position as deputy commander. If you demand a higher position, then they will end up rejecting you out of hand. You can trust me on this. I used to work in Personnel Management."
James Calla said nothing in response, his spirit visibly crushed.
"Ah, and Sir Parav..."
Versyl's briefing went on like that for some time. It was quite impressive to watch. Was it because she had the personality of a wizard, the experience of a former deputy commander, and had come from the modern world? She was extremely efficient.
I wonder what type of work she did on Earth.
The briefing eventually came to an end, and the next question was directed at me.
"Then how much does Ainar know about our situation?"
"She doesn't know anything. So watch what you say when you meet her later."
"I see..."
"Either way, the clan already has two members of the Seven Powerful, so once we join... Well, I guess it won't be easy to avoid attracting attention, no matter how much we don't want it, hahaha."
"Hm, you think you're already at that level, Parav?"
"Oh, uh. Not at all? No, I mean, I might not be that famous, but maybe just a hair behind? I... think."
"I'm curious about the other member. Auyen Rockrobe, was it? I've never heard of them before. Are they trustworthy?"
Since the topic of our navigator was raised, Amelia replied in my stead. "He's trustworthy. I can vouch for him."
More questions of a similar vein were pumped out, but eventually, the topic changed to the banquet held to celebrate my elevation in status. I told them that we were going to team up with Melbeth and transitioned the discussion into the next step of our plan. However, since I couldn't explain everything in detail right now, I kept things simple and only gave them broad strokes.
"For as many enemies as we have, they all have enemies of their own. And as the saying goes, the enemy of our enemy is our friend."
Creating a clan and building up the reputation of my noble house would serve as protection as we gathered more allies. That was the crux of my plan.
All for the sake of getting back at those bastards who left us in hell.
***
After we exhausted the serious topics, our conversation regained its lighter, more comfortable tone.
"What happened to you, Sir Kaislan? Did they interrogate you when you returned?"
"Not exactly. They asked me some questions, but I wouldn't call it an interrogation. They didn't use any verification magic either."
We talked about what was going on in our day-to-day lives.
"Ms. Gowland, do you happen to have any medicine that helps you sleep?"
"I do. I'll give you some if you need it."
"Are you not going to ask me why?"
"Well, the truth is that I can't sleep all that well either. Not since that day."
Some people turned to each other for help.
"Your name was Ms. Marrone, right? What did you use to paint your nails?"
"Oh, these? Aren't they pretty? It's popular among wizards these days. Would you like to try it yourself, Tersia?"
Others took the time to just talk about their hobbies. It was interesting to watch. Just a month ago, before we entered the labyrinth, we were all strangers to each other.
I glanced around before sitting on the sofa in the corner alone. Unlike the banquet, there were no fancy dishes or expensive wine. We simply rented an empty building to chat with each other. Still, this was much more enjoyable than a dazzling banquet.
"I should get going."
Like always, the good times flew by. By evening, everyone began to trickle out one by one. When I got ready to leave with Erwen and Amelia to head back home, the party officially came to an end.
Two days later, I left the house bright and early, ignoring the suspicious gazes of Amelia and Erwen.
"You're going to the library? This early in the morning?"
I had only just remembered.
In three days, I'll meet you at the place where we first met.
There was no time written down on the note. Ragna always did seem like the type to forget important details like that.
I sighed as I made my way through the streets of District Seven, but eventually arrived at the National Library of Ravigion.
When I first woke up in the body of a barbarian, I'd spent most of my days here. By this point, it had become something of a childhood home for me. However, as soon as I arrived, I froze. There was a notice on the front of the library that it would be closed today.
...I never imagined this would happen.
What now? Should I just wait here? If I did, then at least I wouldn't accidentally miss her.
Step, step.
The sound of shoes hitting the pavement interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up to see a woman slowly approaching. As soon as we made eye contact, I couldn't help but flinch.
"It's nice to meet you, Baron Yandel."
From her black hair to her black eyes and black skirt, the woman was decked out in black from head to toe, aside from her white shirt.
"Please follow me. The countess is waiting—"
"Wrong."
"...Pardon?"
I stared at the woman who was tilting her head in confusion, then said simply, "I'm not a baron today but a commander. A few days ago, I founded the Anabada clan."
If she was surprised by my out-of-the-blue statement, she didn't show it. Her response merely came packaged with a business-like smile. "I see. From now on, I will be more mindful of how I address you, Commander Yandel."
"Thank you. For some reason, I just felt like being a commander today."
"You... felt like it? What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, don't you think a commander sounds stronger than a baron?"
"...I see," she awkwardly agreed despite clearly not understanding the difference.
I decided to give her a nudge. "Do you happen to know what Anabada means?"
"To my knowledge, it's a word from an ancient language that means 'a group of savage beasts,'" came her immediate reply.
"R-Right... I guess you already knew that?"
I must have looked like a depressed barbarian who had just lost the opportunity to show off my knowledge. The woman pretended not to notice as she opened the locked library door. "Come this way. The countess is waiting for you." She walked in front of me, and I followed close behind with a smack of my lips.
Step, step.
Going off first impressions alone, I couldn't help but think she was Hyeonbyeol.
All for the sake of getting back at those bastards who left us in hell.
***
After we exhausted the serious topics, our conversation regained its lighter, more comfortable tone.
"What happened to you, Sir Kaislan? Did they interrogate you when you returned?"
"Not exactly. They asked me some questions, but I wouldn't call it an interrogation. They didn't use any verification magic either."
We talked about what was going on in our day-to-day lives.
"Ms. Gowland, do you happen to have any medicine that helps you sleep?"
"I do. I'll give you some if you need it."
"Are you not going to ask me why?"
"Well, the truth is that I can't sleep all that well either. Not since that day."
Some people turned to each other for help.
"Your name was Ms. Marrone, right? What did you use to paint your nails?"
"Oh, these? Aren't they pretty? It's popular among wizards these days. Would you like to try it yourself, Tersia?"
Others took the time to just talk about their hobbies. It was interesting to watch. Just a month ago, before we entered the labyrinth, we were all strangers to each other.
I glanced around before sitting on the sofa in the corner alone. Unlike the banquet, there were no fancy dishes or expensive wine. We simply rented an empty building to chat with each other. Still, this was much more enjoyable than a dazzling banquet.
"I should get going."
Like always, the good times flew by. By evening, everyone began to trickle out one by one. When I got ready to leave with Erwen and Amelia to head back home, the party officially came to an end.
Two days later, I left the house bright and early, ignoring the suspicious gazes of Amelia and Erwen.
"You're going to the library? This early in the morning?"
I had only just remembered.
In three days, I'll meet you at the place where we first met.
There was no time written down on the note. Ragna always did seem like the type to forget important details like that.
I sighed as I made my way through the streets of District Seven, but eventually arrived at the National Library of Ravigion.
When I first woke up in the body of a barbarian, I'd spent most of my days here. By this point, it had become something of a childhood home for me. However, as soon as I arrived, I froze. There was a notice on the front of the library that it would be closed today.
...I never imagined this would happen.
What now? Should I just wait here? If I did, then at least I wouldn't accidentally miss her.
Step, step.
The sound of shoes hitting the pavement interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up to see a woman slowly approaching. As soon as we made eye contact, I couldn't help but flinch.
"It's nice to meet you, Baron Yandel."
From her black hair to her black eyes and black skirt, the woman was decked out in black from head to toe, aside from her white shirt.
"Please follow me. The countess is waiting—"
"Wrong."
"...Pardon?"
I stared at the woman who was tilting her head in confusion, then said simply, "I'm not a baron today but a commander. A few days ago, I founded the Anabada clan."
If she was surprised by my out-of-the-blue statement, she didn't show it. Her response merely came packaged with a business-like smile. "I see. From now on, I will be more mindful of how I address you, Commander Yandel."
"Thank you. For some reason, I just felt like being a commander today."
"You... felt like it? What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, don't you think a commander sounds stronger than a baron?"
"...I see," she awkwardly agreed despite clearly not understanding the difference.
I decided to give her a nudge. "Do you happen to know what Anabada means?"
"To my knowledge, it's a word from an ancient language that means 'a group of savage beasts,'" came her immediate reply.
"R-Right... I guess you already knew that?"
I must have looked like a depressed barbarian who had just lost the opportunity to show off my knowledge. The woman pretended not to notice as she opened the locked library door. "Come this way. The countess is waiting for you." She walked in front of me, and I followed close behind with a smack of my lips.
Step, step.
Going off first impressions alone, I couldn't help but think she was Hyeonbyeol.