Chapter 46: Line (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: Line (3)
Tarikan Riyen. Of course, that wasn't his real name, but anyway.
I think it would be best to get something in his mouth before we talk.
Since the inn wasn't far, I brought him to my room and bought him a meal on the first floor. The meal was a three-hundred-stone house special for that week. Although it was just chicken stew, a few pieces of bread, and some roasted vegetables, that alone made him overjoyed. However, there was one thing bothering me.
"I will not f-forget this favor!"
Whew, what is this clumsy barbarian talk all about? I'm glad that he's come to his senses, but if he's going to try to speak like a barbarian, he should at least do it better.
He lacked confidence, and his voice was too quiet. We barbarians were at our happiest when someone bought us food.
He eats just fine, though. Perhaps because he's really starving?
Watching him hurriedly gobble down his food, I smiled bitterly because of what I learned after the meal was over.
To think, he's not a newbie...
Surprisingly, this man was older than I, if only by a little. He had been called to this world a month before I had opened my eyes within Bjorn's body. And there was one more surprising thing about him.
"C-Coming-of-age ceremony? Oh, that was a real surprise. W-Who would've thought that there was an e-evil spirit among us?"
An evil spirit, huh?
Coincidentally, this man and I shared similar beginnings. An evil spirit had appeared at his coming-of-age ceremony, too. In other words, there had been an incident where a player was executed by the chieftain. One question arose in my mind at this point.
How did he survive that?
At the coming-of-age ceremony, your name was called. However, an evil spirit had no knowledge of what body it was going to be in when it opened its eyes, which was why I had had to stand there, suffocatingly tense, and count inwardly to myself each time the chieftain called out a name.
But even without that, maybe there hadn't been anything for the chieftain to be suspicious about. Hmm, that could be the case. Or maybe he used a similar strategy to mine to avoid suspicion.
Curious, I asked a bit about this, but the answer I got in return was useless.
"What place was I during the ceremony? I don't know why you're asking tha, but... I was the last!"
I see. He had been the last name called. So he wouldn't have needed to know his name because there would have been no other warriors left anyway. All I could think was that he was lucky, but he didn't seem to even realize that, which slightly annoyed me.
"So what happened after that?"
"W-What do you mean? Why... do you ask?"
What do you mean by why? Because I'm an evil spirit too. It's called data collection. I deliberately kept my answer as vague as possible. "If I feel bad about what I hear, I may even help you out."
However, in his head, he had already registered my help as a given. "I-I see! Then I'll tell you!" He did not hide the anxiety in his eyes as he slowly began to tell his story, from the day he woke up in the body of Tarikan Riyen to today.
As I listened, I didn't particularly feel bad for him. He had actually brought everything on himself.
"...You didn't enter the labyrinth after the ceremony?"
"I-I had no choice! I got lost on the way..."
First, he did not enter the labyrinth. The excuse he gave was that he got lost, but...
I should probably filter that out on my end.
His actual reason was likely that the idea of fighting monsters was inconceivable to him. It would have been very easy to break away from the overexcited horde of barbarians. The problem would have been what happened next. Left behind in the city, he survived a week on stonebread, wandering around to find a job, but no one would take him because he was a barbarian.
Actually, that's the biggest con of being a barbarian.
Other races could have multiple jobs. For example, if you went into any tavern, there were beastpeople who served you, and you could occasionally find dwarves who worked as blacksmiths. They dug for mana stones on the days the labyrinth was open and worked in the city for the rest of the month to earn money, unlike barbarians, who had no options other than combat.
"But you didn't know that? You would have been told about that at the holy land, no?"
"Tha-that... For a while, I forgot! And oh, didn't I tell you earlier? I got lost, so I didn't have a choice..."
I'm saying this because I know you're lying.
I phrased it like it was something barbarians learned while at the holy land, but in reality, I was actually saying that it was a plot point in the game that he should have known about if he had played it before.
But that's his answer?
I was slowly starting to get suspicious. Was it really true that evil spirits were the people who had opened the Gate of the Abyss on the last level of the game? If you were skilled enough to accomplish that, you should at least know how barbarians were set up, right?
"...So, can I continue?"
"Ah, sorry. Go ahead."
Anyway, back to the main point of the story. After starving for several days, he sold his starting weapon for fifty thousand stones. I didn't know who the buyer was, but they really scammed him. A barbarian's starting weapon was worth 150,000 stones on average.
Well, that's not the important part.
He spent a month living on that small amount of money until he reached another opening of the labyrinth. That had been the same day I woke up in this body and decided to enter it myself.
"Ha! You didn't enter the labyrinth then, either? Are you crazy?"
"But how can I fight a monster without a weapon!"
That's why you should have just entered in the first place. You must have been a player who reached the Gate of the Abyss, too, right? But you couldn't even figure that out?
"P-Plus I ate something bad that day and had a stomachache!"
Now I'm really speechless. My head was spinning. It's not like I can openly ask if he's ever played the game...
Now that I thought about it, I didn't even know if all of the evil spirits, including this man, were from the same Earth as me. Wasn't this a world where monsters and magic existed? It could also be possible that some of the evil spirits were summoned from another strange dimension.
"Anyway, keep going." It didn't seem like he was going to say anything special, but I patiently heard out the rest. Of course, it didn't deviate much from my expectations.
The money ran out, he got kicked out of the inn, and days of hunger, cold, and fighting illness ensued. One day, when he found out about the existence of the dormitory where the barbarians were staying, he went to see if he could get help, but for some reason, he was denied.
"I-I had no choice! I got lost on the way..."
First, he did not enter the labyrinth. The excuse he gave was that he got lost, but...
I should probably filter that out on my end.
His actual reason was likely that the idea of fighting monsters was inconceivable to him. It would have been very easy to break away from the overexcited horde of barbarians. The problem would have been what happened next. Left behind in the city, he survived a week on stonebread, wandering around to find a job, but no one would take him because he was a barbarian.
Actually, that's the biggest con of being a barbarian.
Other races could have multiple jobs. For example, if you went into any tavern, there were beastpeople who served you, and you could occasionally find dwarves who worked as blacksmiths. They dug for mana stones on the days the labyrinth was open and worked in the city for the rest of the month to earn money, unlike barbarians, who had no options other than combat.
"But you didn't know that? You would have been told about that at the holy land, no?"
"Tha-that... For a while, I forgot! And oh, didn't I tell you earlier? I got lost, so I didn't have a choice..."
I'm saying this because I know you're lying.
I phrased it like it was something barbarians learned while at the holy land, but in reality, I was actually saying that it was a plot point in the game that he should have known about if he had played it before.
But that's his answer?
I was slowly starting to get suspicious. Was it really true that evil spirits were the people who had opened the Gate of the Abyss on the last level of the game? If you were skilled enough to accomplish that, you should at least know how barbarians were set up, right?
"...So, can I continue?"
"Ah, sorry. Go ahead."
Anyway, back to the main point of the story. After starving for several days, he sold his starting weapon for fifty thousand stones. I didn't know who the buyer was, but they really scammed him. A barbarian's starting weapon was worth 150,000 stones on average.
Well, that's not the important part.
He spent a month living on that small amount of money until he reached another opening of the labyrinth. That had been the same day I woke up in this body and decided to enter it myself.
"Ha! You didn't enter the labyrinth then, either? Are you crazy?"
"But how can I fight a monster without a weapon!"
That's why you should have just entered in the first place. You must have been a player who reached the Gate of the Abyss, too, right? But you couldn't even figure that out?
"P-Plus I ate something bad that day and had a stomachache!"
Now I'm really speechless. My head was spinning. It's not like I can openly ask if he's ever played the game...
Now that I thought about it, I didn't even know if all of the evil spirits, including this man, were from the same Earth as me. Wasn't this a world where monsters and magic existed? It could also be possible that some of the evil spirits were summoned from another strange dimension.
"Anyway, keep going." It didn't seem like he was going to say anything special, but I patiently heard out the rest. Of course, it didn't deviate much from my expectations.
The money ran out, he got kicked out of the inn, and days of hunger, cold, and fighting illness ensued. One day, when he found out about the existence of the dormitory where the barbarians were staying, he went to see if he could get help, but for some reason, he was denied.
"That's what makes you so different! Everyone else looked at me strangely."
To be honest, he was even stranger to me. How had he managed to survive the past three months in such a half-assed way?
Should I praise him for at least figuring out that he needs to act like a barbarian?
Although I couldn't understand all of his decisions, on one hand, I was relieved. If I had made a different choice that day, if I had run away because I was scared of fighting, perhaps I would have ended up in a similar situation to this guy.
"...But how much does this place cost per day?"
Then I would have ended up on the streets instead of in an inn with a window and a private bath. Without soup to eat and unable to eat the stonebread, I would have been digging around in the trash, and I may have had to tell my sob story and rely on a stranger's sympathy.
"Oh! So, how was my story? Do you feel bad for me?"
I thought it over one more time before answering and made a decision.
"It was definitely a sad story."
"Then will you help me?" The color instantly returned to his face. "O-Of course, I will pay you back. You may not believe it, but I know a lot about the labyrinth! If you take me along, I will be of great help to you!"
Help? To me? Judging by those words, it seems he does know a thing or two about this world...
I could even tell what kind of hopeful future he was picturing in his head. He was probably imagining journeying into the labyrinth with me as a team. He may really have been offering that to repay me, too, because he didn't know who I really was. But I drew a line there early on.
"I will not enter the labyrinth with you."
There is no such future. I've got bigger fish to fry. I can't take dead weight into the labyrinth just because he's in a similar situation to me. Why would I do something so crazy?
"But you said you would definitely help me!"
His voice was now tinged with a little bit of anger. I forcefully swallowed back another pained smile. "I will help you in a different way."
"Different way?"
"Here. This is 150,000 stones. Buy a weapon with this and go into the labyrinth."
When I took out three fifty-thousand-stone coins and placed them in his hand, his face brightened again. "Are you really just giving this to me? Thank you! I will definitely repay this favor!"
I really didn't expect him to pay this back. Even with this money, with that kind of mindset, he wouldn't last long. The labyrinth I had personally experienced was not a place I could easily navigate with just knowledge of the game. But I gave him 150,000 stones. I handed him the money, knowing that doing so would not do me any favors.
"I'm tired. Will you leave now?"
"Ah, I-I see! Okay! I'll come back another—"
"Don't come." To make sure that fully sunk in, I lowered my voice and repeated it. "Tarikan, son of Riyen, whether you lose that money or survive the labyrinth and make a lot more, or even if things turn out well enough for you to be able to repay me..." When I approached him and grabbed his shoulder, he flinched. I could tell he was flustered by the touch, but I continued. "...The reason doesn't matter. Once you leave this room today, do not come find me. If you understand, answer me. Do you understand?"
"...Okay."
After hearing that, I semi-forced him out of the room. Then I stretched out on the bed and pondered what I had just done. I smirked.
What, did this situation remind me of the past?
Perhaps it reminded me of a time when I had desperately needed someone's help. But even taking that into consideration...
I have done something sickening even in my own opinion.
A calculating person would surely find me foolish. An emotional person would think of me as crooked and question how what I did could possibly have been helpful. They weren't wrong. I had neither the apathy needed to step away from the line nor the recklessness to cross it, so I stopped right on top of it.
I'm sure this is what you would call hypocrisy.
I closed my eyes and thought again. Even if my actions today were nothing but hypocrisy, this was the best I could do, something I would never have been able to do if I didn't have money.
"Tarikan, live as long as you can."
***
The next morning, I visited the nearby branch of the Adventurers' Guild again. Unfortunately, the staff member who helped me today was a different person.
"Five stars...?" Just like yesterday, the expression of the employee checking my identification card changed in an instant, and her responses got friendlier.
What the hell was this? Did the district chief do something to my ID? I was curious, but I didn't manage to extract a definitive answer from the employee.
"Stars? D-Did I say something like that?"
Well, come on now, don't pretend like you don't know.
I didn't dig deeper, though. It must have been something like a code used just by the guild, something to designate either a VIP or a nuisance. I suddenly wondered which side I was on.
Either way, this works better for me.
Who cared if it was good or bad? The friendly service I got as a result was the same.
"This is a list of parties that meet the criteria you mentioned. Would you like to read it, sir?"
I looked through today's recruitment listings that fit the same criteria as yesterday. Aside from the addition of a few new parties, the contents were pretty much the same.
Will I be able to find a proper team today?
Looking through the documents with a focus on the new parties, my eyes stopped at one section in particular. A familiar name stood out.
[Third Floor Exploration - Hikurod Murad
Preferred Exploration Area: None, to be decided at a later meeting
Average Rank: Undefined
Current Member: 1 Close-combat dwarf warrior (Rank 7)
Recruiting: 4 people (regardless of role, may vary depending on team composition)
*Equal distribution]
The team leader's name is Hikurod Murad? And he's a dwarf. This doesn't seem to be a different person with the same name...Did his previous team disband?
Whatever the reason, this wasn't a bad option. It was a bit odd that there weren't any other members yet, but at least I knew the team leader was quite trustworthy. I was curious which Numbered Item he got from the Bloody Citadel, too.
I should at least meet up with him.
After that, I filled out a short application, submitted it to the person at the admin desk, then left the building and headed straight for the business district. Maybe tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after at the latest, a meeting would be arranged.
So let's spend some cash in the meantime.
I was certain that this was going to be the most fun I'd had in a while.
Uh... but have I ever had an enjoyable moment?
I decided not to worry about the minutiae.
"That's what makes you so different! Everyone else looked at me strangely."
To be honest, he was even stranger to me. How had he managed to survive the past three months in such a half-assed way?
Should I praise him for at least figuring out that he needs to act like a barbarian?
Although I couldn't understand all of his decisions, on one hand, I was relieved. If I had made a different choice that day, if I had run away because I was scared of fighting, perhaps I would have ended up in a similar situation to this guy.
"...But how much does this place cost per day?"
Then I would have ended up on the streets instead of in an inn with a window and a private bath. Without soup to eat and unable to eat the stonebread, I would have been digging around in the trash, and I may have had to tell my sob story and rely on a stranger's sympathy.
"Oh! So, how was my story? Do you feel bad for me?"
I thought it over one more time before answering and made a decision.
"It was definitely a sad story."
"Then will you help me?" The color instantly returned to his face. "O-Of course, I will pay you back. You may not believe it, but I know a lot about the labyrinth! If you take me along, I will be of great help to you!"
Help? To me? Judging by those words, it seems he does know a thing or two about this world...
I could even tell what kind of hopeful future he was picturing in his head. He was probably imagining journeying into the labyrinth with me as a team. He may really have been offering that to repay me, too, because he didn't know who I really was. But I drew a line there early on.
"I will not enter the labyrinth with you."
There is no such future. I've got bigger fish to fry. I can't take dead weight into the labyrinth just because he's in a similar situation to me. Why would I do something so crazy?
"But you said you would definitely help me!"
His voice was now tinged with a little bit of anger. I forcefully swallowed back another pained smile. "I will help you in a different way."
"Different way?"
"Here. This is 150,000 stones. Buy a weapon with this and go into the labyrinth."
When I took out three fifty-thousand-stone coins and placed them in his hand, his face brightened again. "Are you really just giving this to me? Thank you! I will definitely repay this favor!"
I really didn't expect him to pay this back. Even with this money, with that kind of mindset, he wouldn't last long. The labyrinth I had personally experienced was not a place I could easily navigate with just knowledge of the game. But I gave him 150,000 stones. I handed him the money, knowing that doing so would not do me any favors.
"I'm tired. Will you leave now?"
"Ah, I-I see! Okay! I'll come back another—"
"Don't come." To make sure that fully sunk in, I lowered my voice and repeated it. "Tarikan, son of Riyen, whether you lose that money or survive the labyrinth and make a lot more, or even if things turn out well enough for you to be able to repay me..." When I approached him and grabbed his shoulder, he flinched. I could tell he was flustered by the touch, but I continued. "...The reason doesn't matter. Once you leave this room today, do not come find me. If you understand, answer me. Do you understand?"
"...Okay."
After hearing that, I semi-forced him out of the room. Then I stretched out on the bed and pondered what I had just done. I smirked.
What, did this situation remind me of the past?
Perhaps it reminded me of a time when I had desperately needed someone's help. But even taking that into consideration...
I have done something sickening even in my own opinion.
A calculating person would surely find me foolish. An emotional person would think of me as crooked and question how what I did could possibly have been helpful. They weren't wrong. I had neither the apathy needed to step away from the line nor the recklessness to cross it, so I stopped right on top of it.
I'm sure this is what you would call hypocrisy.
I closed my eyes and thought again. Even if my actions today were nothing but hypocrisy, this was the best I could do, something I would never have been able to do if I didn't have money.
"Tarikan, live as long as you can."
***
The next morning, I visited the nearby branch of the Adventurers' Guild again. Unfortunately, the staff member who helped me today was a different person.
"Five stars...?" Just like yesterday, the expression of the employee checking my identification card changed in an instant, and her responses got friendlier.
What the hell was this? Did the district chief do something to my ID? I was curious, but I didn't manage to extract a definitive answer from the employee.
"Stars? D-Did I say something like that?"
Well, come on now, don't pretend like you don't know.
I didn't dig deeper, though. It must have been something like a code used just by the guild, something to designate either a VIP or a nuisance. I suddenly wondered which side I was on.
Either way, this works better for me.
Who cared if it was good or bad? The friendly service I got as a result was the same.
"This is a list of parties that meet the criteria you mentioned. Would you like to read it, sir?"
I looked through today's recruitment listings that fit the same criteria as yesterday. Aside from the addition of a few new parties, the contents were pretty much the same.
Will I be able to find a proper team today?
Looking through the documents with a focus on the new parties, my eyes stopped at one section in particular. A familiar name stood out.
[Third Floor Exploration - Hikurod Murad
Preferred Exploration Area: None, to be decided at a later meeting
Average Rank: Undefined
Current Member: 1 Close-combat dwarf warrior (Rank 7)
Recruiting: 4 people (regardless of role, may vary depending on team composition)
*Equal distribution]
The team leader's name is Hikurod Murad? And he's a dwarf. This doesn't seem to be a different person with the same name...Did his previous team disband?
Whatever the reason, this wasn't a bad option. It was a bit odd that there weren't any other members yet, but at least I knew the team leader was quite trustworthy. I was curious which Numbered Item he got from the Bloody Citadel, too.
I should at least meet up with him.
After that, I filled out a short application, submitted it to the person at the admin desk, then left the building and headed straight for the business district. Maybe tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after at the latest, a meeting would be arranged.
So let's spend some cash in the meantime.
I was certain that this was going to be the most fun I'd had in a while.
Uh... but have I ever had an enjoyable moment?
I decided not to worry about the minutiae.