Chapter 48: Teammate (2)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 48: Teammate (2)

After a moment of silence and much contemplation, the dwarf, who had been hesitating to speak, opened his mouth. "I-I see?" His reaction was one of both bewilderment and surprise.

"What are you so surprised about? You must have at least one of these!"

"That's true, but... Was your personality always like this?"

Well, I didn't know what this guy thought he knew about me, but that was enough embarrassment for today. With the dwarf's expertise, he should have gotten a feel for the quality of my equipment just from that information alone.

With this, he won't be able to try any funny business with the distribution ratio despite my short career.

Of course, the recruitment posting clearly stated "equal distribution," but I still remembered the dwarf's angry eyes at the Bloody Citadel, calling me greedy when I said I would concede all the other loot for the Rift Stone.

After all, he is an adventurer.

If he started looking down on me now, there would be no end to it.

Without asking if I could sit down, I sat across from him and declared, "Hikurod, you buy the drinks, since you earned the Numbered Item thanks to me." The comment both showed off my skills and reminded him of his debt to me.

"What? Hahaha! Is that how it is?" The dwarf just laughed loudly and didn't deny it. He couldn't, because I was the one who'd made the greatest contribution at the Bloody Citadel. "Well, that's not wrong! It's a bit early, but I can buy you as many drinks as you want. Let's catch up while we drink!"

"All right."

It looked like it would take some time until the food we ordered arrived, so we naturally started chugging down our drinks first. Then we got to the real matter at hand.

It was the dwarf who first brought it up. "When I found out you applied, I was very surprised. What the hell happened? Was there some kind of treasure hidden in that rift? I was sure that wizard had looked everywhere." Unsurprisingly, the questions came pouring in. That made sense given my current appearance, although I didn't have enough loyalty to him yet to provide an honest answer to any of them.

"Something like that."

"What does that mean? Give me more details!"

"As you said, there was a treasure. That's it. Don't ask any more questions."

When I drew the line, the dwarf looked disappointed, but I guess he realized that it was going to be difficult to get an answer out of me. "I don't know what kind of treasure you found, but you are very lucky."

Lucky? This guy was the one who had benefited the most from the Bloody Citadel in the first place. I almost died in there. All he had done was the work of one person before taking the Numbered Item and getting the hell out of there.

I'm curious what got dropped ... I should ask about it later.

Our plates started arriving, so the rest of the conversation happened as we filled our stomachs.

First, I should lead with this.

"So, have you found any team members yet?"

"Not anyone who interests me. You're the first one I've actually met with."

"I see." Nodding, I got straight to the point, just like a barbarian. This was the real objective of this meeting. "So, what are you going to do?" Would Hikurod Murad accept me as a team member?

"Um, that's... Until a few minutes ago, I mostly came out here to check that it was you. Apart from building a team, I mostly wanted to speak with you. Ah, also, I've written down floor three, but with the right people, I plan to go to the fourth floor too..."

It was a needlessly long explanation. Just saying he'd had no intention of accepting me onto his team would've been enough. "So, have you changed your mind now?" I asked, staring at him intently.

"Ahem, you could say that," the dwarf responded while stroking his beard. "After all, who would look at you now and think you're a beginner? If it weren't for the fact that it would be difficult to recruit the rest of the team if a beginner joined, I wouldn't have even worried about bringing you on in the first place!"

Instead of making such poor excuses, I wondered if it would've been better for him to just tell me that in the first place. However, the lack of that kind of craftiness was one of the things that made dwarves so attractive. "Then are we done here?"

"Hahaha! You could say that."

When I picked up my glass, the dwarf followed suit. "I hope we'll work well together again."

Thus, a team was formed. There were still only two of us, but when it came to that part, I'd just have to pretend to discuss it with him while recruiting members that suited my own tastes.

***

"Hikurod, didn't you say earlier that a lot of people applied?"

"I did."

"Who were they?"

"You don't have to worry about that. They were just rank-eight greenhorns without even a year's experience."

What is this? An indirect insult?

While I was seriously mulling that over, the dwarf suddenly opened his mouth like he'd just remembered something. "Oh! I forgot to ask! How did you level up so quickly? It wouldn't be easy to get a rank seven ranking with just a corpse golem's essence."

"Just the corpse golem's essence?" I realized my mistake immediately after the words came out of my mouth. Right. He was passed out when it happened, so he didn't know that I had the essence of the vampire. Would it be okay to just tell him something like that?

I was deep in thought when suddenly, the dwarf shouted, "Aha! I see! Haha! I didn't think that far ahead! True, equipment like that would surely bring you up to rank seven!"

Ah, uh, um... That's a plausible guess, but... "Yeah, something like that.

Now that he'd already thrown that out there, I decided I would keep that particular fact to myself. It was not like the team had officially been formed yet, and I couldn't know what kind of people were going to join later. It was best to plan for everything. Someday, this essence may become my trump card.

I can just say my ability to regenerate comes from the Immortality Imprint.

With the most important matter of business dealt with, we continued to drink and converse. Through that, I was able to find out why the dwarf had left his previous team to recruit another.

"As you know, I left my team for a brief period recently."

"You did." I heard that he had applied for a leave of absence in the hopes of entering a rift.

"But when I tried to return, they were more interested in the warrior they recruited temporarily to fill my empty spot!" The dwarf then furiously spat out his anger toward his former comrades, but I could not empathize with him at all.

The fact that he left his team for personal reasons is the real problem, no?

The biggest victim in this situation was his former team leader. Whilst planning for their upcoming expedition, the dwarf suddenly took a break, leaving him scrambling. Maybe if the replacement warrior they recruited ended up having issues, things would have turned out differently. But if they were better?

It was a needlessly long explanation. Just saying he'd had no intention of accepting me onto his team would've been enough. "So, have you changed your mind now?" I asked, staring at him intently.

"Ahem, you could say that," the dwarf responded while stroking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his beard. "After all, who would look at you now and think you're a beginner? If it weren't for the fact that it would be difficult to recruit the rest of the team if a beginner joined, I wouldn't have even worried about bringing you on in the first place!"

Instead of making such poor excuses, I wondered if it would've been better for him to just tell me that in the first place. However, the lack of that kind of craftiness was one of the things that made dwarves so attractive. "Then are we done here?"

"Hahaha! You could say that."

When I picked up my glass, the dwarf followed suit. "I hope we'll work well together again."

Thus, a team was formed. There were still only two of us, but when it came to that part, I'd just have to pretend to discuss it with him while recruiting members that suited my own tastes.

***

"Hikurod, didn't you say earlier that a lot of people applied?"

"I did."

"Who were they?"

"You don't have to worry about that. They were just rank-eight greenhorns without even a year's experience."

What is this? An indirect insult?

While I was seriously mulling that over, the dwarf suddenly opened his mouth like he'd just remembered something. "Oh! I forgot to ask! How did you level up so quickly? It wouldn't be easy to get a rank seven ranking with just a corpse golem's essence."

"Just the corpse golem's essence?" I realized my mistake immediately after the words came out of my mouth. Right. He was passed out when it happened, so he didn't know that I had the essence of the vampire. Would it be okay to just tell him something like that?

I was deep in thought when suddenly, the dwarf shouted, "Aha! I see! Haha! I didn't think that far ahead! True, equipment like that would surely bring you up to rank seven!"

Ah, uh, um... That's a plausible guess, but... "Yeah, something like that.

Now that he'd already thrown that out there, I decided I would keep that particular fact to myself. It was not like the team had officially been formed yet, and I couldn't know what kind of people were going to join later. It was best to plan for everything. Someday, this essence may become my trump card.

I can just say my ability to regenerate comes from the Immortality Imprint.

With the most important matter of business dealt with, we continued to drink and converse. Through that, I was able to find out why the dwarf had left his previous team to recruit another.

"As you know, I left my team for a brief period recently."

"You did." I heard that he had applied for a leave of absence in the hopes of entering a rift.

"But when I tried to return, they were more interested in the warrior they recruited temporarily to fill my empty spot!" The dwarf then furiously spat out his anger toward his former comrades, but I could not empathize with him at all.

The fact that he left his team for personal reasons is the real problem, no?

The biggest victim in this situation was his former team leader. Whilst planning for their upcoming expedition, the dwarf suddenly took a break, leaving him scrambling. Maybe if the replacement warrior they recruited ended up having issues, things would have turned out differently. But if they were better?

If I were that team leader, I wouldn't accept this selfish dwarf back into my team, either. He's sure to act up again.

Of course, I kept that to myself.

"My gosh, what disloyal bastards, don't you think?"

"That's right. It sounds like they don't know what loyalty is!" In these situations, I learned that unconditional agreement was the best way. Maintaining the act, I decided to ask about the thing I was really curious about. "I don't know how great they are, but if they found out about the item you obtained during your last trip, I'm sure they'd regret it for the rest of their lives!"

"What I obtained?"

"The Numbered Item!"

"Ahh! Come to think of it, that's right! If I run into them later, I have to let them know how foolish they were!" The dwarf seemed to already be picturing that in his mind. After taking a swig of his drink, he burst into laughter.

Nice, that seemed like a natural transition, right? "So, I wanted to ask..." I started cautiously. "What did you get?"

"Hmm, have I not told you yet?"

"You haven't!"

It was something I'd been curious about since we reunited. I knew all the Numbered Items that could possibly be dropped, but what I had cleared was a variant rift. Perhaps a unique item had appeared, just like the mysterious box that Raven had left open in the boss room.

Come to think of it, I didn't ask what was in that.

I decided to ask her about it when we saw each other next week.

The dwarf grinned and set his thick arm on the table. "This wrist guard is what I got from it."

Hmm, I couldn't get a feel for it just by looking at it. "What's its name?"

"The appraiser at the guild said it's called a Guardian's Wrist Guard."

"Shut up." That came out?

"...Hmm? Do you know of it?"

"O-Oh, no. I was just surprised at how cool the name was."

"Hahaha! We have something in common after all! I thought so too!"

No. 3112: Guardian's Wrist Guard was a Numbered Item belonging to the 3000s, which could usually only be obtained from the rifts on the fourth floor or higher. Its actual effects were of secondary importance. How much did this thing cost, again?

"I checked the price through the Central Exchange, and it seems to be worth around fifty million stones."

Damn it all. Was I being messed with? What exactly did this dwarf bastard do in that rift to deserve this?

"Hahaha! They even said that was the old price, and it could be more expensive now since there's almost no stock for sale! Of course, I have no intention of selling it!" He paused when I didn't reply. "Uh, hey, why are you so quiet all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing. I'm... just... surprised, that's all." To be honest, I was so surprised that my stomach, filled with alcohol and meat, was starting to ache unbearably.

"I understand. Fifty million stones? I thought I was going to faint when I first heard it, so you must be too."

Was this what it meant to sow the wind and reap the whirlwind? Now that I had seen this, my showing off earlier was nothing compared to this bastard dwarf's.

"Don't be too jealous. If you keep exploring, you'll find a Numbered Item someday too. Of course, it won't compare to the one I have! Hahaha!"

Avoiding the gaze of the smiling dwarf, I slowly lowered my hand under the table.

If I were that team leader, I wouldn't accept this selfish dwarf back into my team, either. He's sure to act up again.

Of course, I kept that to myself.

"My gosh, what disloyal bastards, don't you think?"

"That's right. It sounds like they don't know what loyalty is!" In these situations, I learned that unconditional agreement was the best way. Maintaining the act, I decided to ask about the thing I was really curious about. "I don't know how great they are, but if they found out about the item you obtained during your last trip, I'm sure they'd regret it for the rest of their lives!"

"What I obtained?"

"The Numbered Item!"

"Ahh! Come to think of it, that's right! If I run into them later, I have to let them know how foolish they were!" The dwarf seemed to already be picturing that in his mind. After taking a swig of his drink, he burst into laughter.

Nice, that seemed like a natural transition, right? "So, I wanted to ask..." I started cautiously. "What did you get?"

"Hmm, have I not told you yet?"

"You haven't!"

It was something I'd been curious about since we reunited. I knew all the Numbered Items that could possibly be dropped, but what I had cleared was a variant rift. Perhaps a unique item had appeared, just like the mysterious box that Raven had left open in the boss room.

Come to think of it, I didn't ask what was in that.

I decided to ask her about it when we saw each other next week.

The dwarf grinned and set his thick arm on the table. "This wrist guard is what I got from it."

Hmm, I couldn't get a feel for it just by looking at it. "What's its name?"

"The appraiser at the guild said it's called a Guardian's Wrist Guard."

"Shut up." That came out?

"...Hmm? Do you know of it?"

"O-Oh, no. I was just surprised at how cool the name was."

"Hahaha! We have something in common after all! I thought so too!"

No. 3112: Guardian's Wrist Guard was a Numbered Item belonging to the 3000s, which could usually only be obtained from the rifts on the fourth floor or higher. Its actual effects were of secondary importance. How much did this thing cost, again?

"I checked the price through the Central Exchange, and it seems to be worth around fifty million stones."

Damn it all. Was I being messed with? What exactly did this dwarf bastard do in that rift to deserve this?

"Hahaha! They even said that was the old price, and it could be more expensive now since there's almost no stock for sale! Of course, I have no intention of selling it!" He paused when I didn't reply. "Uh, hey, why are you so quiet all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing. I'm... just... surprised, that's all." To be honest, I was so surprised that my stomach, filled with alcohol and meat, was starting to ache unbearably.

"I understand. Fifty million stones? I thought I was going to faint when I first heard it, so you must be too."

Was this what it meant to sow the wind and reap the whirlwind? Now that I had seen this, my showing off earlier was nothing compared to this bastard dwarf's.

"Don't be too jealous. If you keep exploring, you'll find a Numbered Item someday too. Of course, it won't compare to the one I have! Hahaha!"

Avoiding the gaze of the smiling dwarf, I slowly lowered my hand under the table.

Slide.

It was the hand wearing No. 9425: Ring of the Frost Spirit.

***

A karma wrist guard? Fifty million stones? I decided to think as positively as possible. The minor issue of my insides turning to the point that I wanted to throw up could be overlooked. After all, it was a good thing to have a strong teammate.

Let's just focus on building a team.

Calming myself with this thought, the next thing I did was raise this dwarf guy's adventurer ranking one level higher. To find good teammates, we first had to look like an attractive team. There was a huge gap between a team leader being rank seven and being rank six, one that couldn't be put into words.

"Hikurod, go to the guild today and raise your adventurer rank as soon as possible."

"...Why so suddenly?"

"Don't you have fifty million stones' worth of equipment? If you apply for a review, the guild will definitely take it seriously!"

"But, it's too sudden—"

"So you don't want to?"

"No, it's not like that..."

"Then, let's go!"

I even followed him to the guild and watched him submit the application just in case he tried to slip away. For reference, it took six days for the results of the evaluation to come back, a little more than what I had expected, but fortunately, the rank promotion was successful. As a result, the skills of the applicants we received greatly increased from this point on. More than ten applications arrived every day.

I carefully reviewed the applicants with the dwarf. We were in the middle of a spirited discussion when suddenly, a wizard's application arrived.

"A w-wizard?"

Of course, it wasn't a wizard from the Tower—it was instead a rank eight wizard who was likely working in a guild, or perhaps a public institution. But it was a wizard nonetheless.

"Hey, Bjorn, is this some kind of mistake? Why would a wizard be applying for our team?"

"It definitely is strange. There should be a lot of parties with more attractive conditions than ours."

"What should we do, then?"

A few things about this were a bit fishy, but we decided to meet with the wizard anyway and communicated this to the guild. That morning, finally, a place and time for the meeting were set.

"They won't ask for half of the earnings, will they? They say all wizards are very entitled..."

I didn't know what was making Hikurod so nervous. He had defended his share of the profits against Raven, who was a member of the Tower, without being cowed in the slightest.

"What are you so worried about? If they make a request like that, we can just say 'no thanks' and leave."

"R-Right?"

Was it because this was the first wizard he was meeting as a team leader? While I was reassuring Hikurod, who was bouncing his leg without pause and getting worked up, a robed man entered the tavern. When he saw us, he waved.

"Oi, you there! Barbarian! Dwarf!"

Shit, was this another landmine? How could you piss someone off with such a short greeting? I could already sense a catastrophe waiting to happen, but just in case, I decided to observe him a little longer before making a judgment.

"Hahaha! Nice to meet you, are you the wizard we're meeting today?"

"What is the probability of you meeting another wizard by chance at the exact same time and place?"

At the bastard's question, the dwarf looked at me in bewilderment. I couldn't help but sigh. "Ha... He means you're right."

"R-right? Hahaha! Anyway, nice to meet you, my name is Hikurod Murad!"

"What an odd name. I am a Riol Warb Dwalkie, a rank eight and Rafdonian royal family-approved wizard."

"...Rafdonian royal family-approved?" asked Hikurod.

Why are you so surprised? "That means he works in a public institution as an administrator, not a guild."

"Ahh, I-I see?"

The wizard jerk kept speaking in tongues, but the dwarf who kept falling for it each time was also starting to get on my nerves.

The wizard laughed. "Haha! Even though you're a barbarian, you're very knowledgeable. What's your name?"

"Bjorn, son of Yandel. Sit down." I had originally been planning to just observe, but feeling frustrated, I decided to lead the conversation myself. That would save more time. "Dwalkie, I read your application. I have a few questions that I would like to ask. Is that all right?"

"Of course."

"Do you have a labyrinth pass?"

"Would I have come if I didn't?"

Just say yes, man. "One more thing, why would you want to be an adventurer if you can already make enough money in the city?"

It was rare for a rank eight wizard to go on an expedition. The reason for that was simple: they weren't skilled enough to operate in the middle floors or higher, but exploring the lower floors didn't make much money. The income they could earn by working for a public institution was much higher. Considering how hard it was to get a labyrinth pass and the risk involved, in many ways, it was not worth the money.

"Hmm, that's an unexpected question." Dwalkie cocked his head and continued, "It's simple. I want to become a great adventurer and bring glory to our Baron Martoin." He expressed his aspiration proudly with a face full of confidence.

Hikurod, who had been quietly listening to this, promptly freaked out. "B-Baron? Could it be that you're a n-noble? No, er, are you a nobleman... sir?"

Nobility. Rafdonia's most powerful, and individuals an ordinary person may never encounter in their entire life.

Hikurod's reaction was apparently quite satisfying because Dwalkie burst into laughter. "Hahaha, my mother's sister, Aunt Enka, is married to a man who is the one and only Baroness Martoin's third youngest brother," he said proudly. At that, the dwarf took in a deep breath like he was about to faint. Dwalkie patted him on the shoulder like he understood completely, a kind smile on his lips. "Don't be so nervous. I have no intention of using my status to mistreat anyone."

Seeing that smile, I thought to myself, This guy... could it be that he's a nutcase?

Slide.

It was the hand wearing No. 9425: Ring of the Frost Spirit.

***

A karma wrist guard? Fifty million stones? I decided to think as positively as possible. The minor issue of my insides turning to the point that I wanted to throw up could be overlooked. After all, it was a good thing to have a strong teammate.

Let's just focus on building a team.

Calming myself with this thought, the next thing I did was raise this dwarf guy's adventurer ranking one level higher. To find good teammates, we first had to look like an attractive team. There was a huge gap between a team leader being rank seven and being rank six, one that couldn't be put into words.

"Hikurod, go to the guild today and raise your adventurer rank as soon as possible."

"...Why so suddenly?"

"Don't you have fifty million stones' worth of equipment? If you apply for a review, the guild will definitely take it seriously!"

"But, it's too sudden—"

"So you don't want to?"

"No, it's not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like that..."

"Then, let's go!"

I even followed him to the guild and watched him submit the application just in case he tried to slip away. For reference, it took six days for the results of the evaluation to come back, a little more than what I had expected, but fortunately, the rank promotion was successful. As a result, the skills of the applicants we received greatly increased from this point on. More than ten applications arrived every day.

I carefully reviewed the applicants with the dwarf. We ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were in the middle of a spirited discussion when suddenly, a wizard's application arrived.

"A w-wizard?"

Of course, it wasn't a wizard from the Tower—it was instead a rank eight wizard who was likely working in a guild, or perhaps a public institution. But it was a wizard nonetheless.

"Hey, Bjorn, is this some kind of mistake? Why would a wizard be applying for our team?"

"It definitely is strange. There should be a lot of parties with more attractive conditions than ours."

"What should we do, then?"

A few things about this were a bit fishy, but we decided to meet with the wizard anyway and communicated this to the guild. That morning, finally, a place and time for the meeting were set.

"They won't ask for half of the earnings, will they? They say all wizards are very entitled..."

I didn't know what was making Hikurod so nervous. He had defended his share of the profits against Raven, who was a member of the Tower, without being cowed in the slightest.

"What are you so worried about? If they make a request like that, we can just say 'no thanks' and leave."

"R-Right?"

Was it because this was the first wizard he was meeting as a team leader? While I was reassuring Hikurod, who was bouncing his leg without pause and getting worked up, a robed man entered the tavern. When he saw us, he waved.

"Oi, you there! Barbarian! Dwarf!"

Shit, was this another landmine? How could you piss someone off with such a short greeting? I could already sense a catastrophe waiting to happen, but just in case, I decided to observe him a little longer before making a judgment.

"Hahaha! Nice to meet you, are you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the wizard we're meeting today?"

"What is the probability of you meeting another wizard by chance at the exact same time and place?"

At the bastard's question, the dwarf looked at me in bewilderment. I couldn't help but sigh. "Ha... He means you're right."

"R-right? Hahaha! Anyway, nice to meet you, my name is Hikurod Murad!"

"What an odd name. I am a Riol Warb Dwalkie, a rank eight and Rafdonian royal family-approved wizard."

"...Rafdonian royal family-approved?" asked Hikurod.

Why are you so surprised? "That means he works in a public institution as an administrator, not a guild."

"Ahh, I-I see?"

The wizard jerk kept speaking in tongues, but the dwarf who kept falling for it each time was also starting to get on my nerves.

The wizard laughed. "Haha! Even though you're a barbarian, you're very knowledgeable. What's your name?"

"Bjorn, son of Yandel. Sit down." I had originally been planning to just observe, but feeling frustrated, I decided to lead the conversation myself. That would save more time. "Dwalkie, I read your application. I have a few questions that I would like to ask. Is that all right?"

"Of course."

"Do you have a labyrinth pass?"

"Would I have come if I didn't?"

Just say yes, man. "One more thing, why would you want to be an adventurer if you can already make enough money in the city?"

It was rare for a rank eight wizard to go on an expedition. The reason for that was simple: they weren't skilled enough to operate in the middle floors or higher, but exploring the lower floors didn't make much money. The income they could earn by working for a public institution was much higher. Considering how hard it was to get a labyrinth pass and the risk involved, in many ways, it was not worth the money.

"Hmm, that's an unexpected question." Dwalkie cocked his head and continued, "It's simple. I want to become a great adventurer and bring glory to our Baron Martoin." He expressed his aspiration proudly with a face full of confidence.

Hikurod, who had been quietly listening to this, promptly freaked out. "B-Baron? Could it be that you're a n-noble? No, er, are you a nobleman... sir?"

Nobility. Rafdonia's most powerful, and individuals an ordinary person may never encounter in their entire life.

Hikurod's reaction was apparently quite satisfying because Dwalkie burst into laughter. "Hahaha, my mother's sister, Aunt Enka, is married to a man who is the one and only Baroness Martoin's third youngest brother," he said proudly. At that, the dwarf took in a deep breath like he was about to faint. Dwalkie patted him on the shoulder like he understood completely, a kind smile on his lips. "Don't be so nervous. I have no intention of using my status to mistreat anyone."

Seeing that smile, I thought to myself, This guy... could it be that he's a nutcase?