Chapter 490: Declaration of War (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 490: Declaration of War (1)
I only asked about the third option out of pure player curiosity and animosity toward him, but in truth, I had already made my choice. I didn't know what kind of reward choosing that other door would get me, but whatever it might be, it couldn't possibly be worth more than three comrades I could rely on.
And... I don't think I can defeat that thing on my own.
After collecting my thoughts, I glanced up. Every time I met his eyes, I felt a strange sense of unease. It was as if I was looking at something entirely alien.
"It seems you have made a decision."
"Yeah. I'm going out that door," I declared, then walked toward my choice. He simply watched me go without a word. It felt almost like he was staying quiet out of respect for the decision I had made.
Step.
When I finally reached the door, I didn't step through immediately, instead turning to ask him something. If I left things like this, I knew I'd be plagued by this question for the rest of my life. "If... If any of us had fallen for your tricks and betrayed each other, what would have happened?"
This had been my first time seeing this secret level. Thankfully, things had ended well, but I couldn't shake the thought of the what-ifs.
Fortunately for me, he readily answered my question. "In accordance with established providence, my clone would have gained even more strength."
"...So that's what would've happened." No wonder he kept trying to make us betray each other, even when he could have easily killed us from the start. I was slowly starting to understand the design of this event. The endgame was always a one-on-one boss battle, but in the event of a betrayal, the difficulty of said battle would rise significantly.
And if you lose the boss battle, it's Game Over.
Since this was ultimately a game, I figured that even the Betrayal Route had to be beatable somehow, and likely had its own route-specific rewards as well. None of that mattered now, however. Thanks to him, I had been able to appease my curiosity.
Still, while I was at it, I decided to ask one final question. "What the hell... even are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you already know exactly what I mean?"
This was not the first time I'd had a conversation with one of the labyrinth's monsters.
"You are the first living beings I've seen in a long time. Where did you all come from?"
The first had been Vampire Duke Cambormere of the Bloody Citadel.
"Wild dogs of the empire, seized by greed... I will punish you today."
There was also the Knight of the End from the White Temple.
"If it is... a lie... no one knows... how is it... any different from the truth?"
Even the Doppelganger had spoken to me, and that was just to name a few.
However, despite the fact that I'd had similar encounters in the past, I'd always gotten the sense during each one that the monsters were simply saying dialogue they had been programmed to say. In fact, they never seemed to have much sense of reason at all and attacked any adventurers near them with blind rage. However, this guy was different. It felt almost like he was a real being capable of conscious thought.
And he said something earlier that caught my attention...
He had stated plainly that in the case of betrayal, according to established providence, his "clone" would have gotten a power boost. I couldn't quite wrap my head around it, but there was one thing I could say with some certainty after combining all the information I'd gathered thus far. Just like how Dungeon and Stone was modeled off this world, this labyrinth had to have been modeled after something as well.
"By any chance," I carefully began, "do all the monsters here in the labyrinth have originals, and you happen to be one of them?"
He stared at me, silent. As I watched him contemplate the question, the strength seemed to drain out of him. Then, after a long moment, he shook his head. "Perhaps." The moment that word left his mouth, I felt like I had gotten a step closer to unraveling the secrets of this labyrinth. "Perhaps you'll uncover the truth one day."
That was the end of my conversation with him.
Thud!
The moment the stone door in front of me creaked open, something shoved me in the back and pushed me through.
***
[You have perfectly overcome the labyrinth's most terrifying ordeal. No.12: Trust has been permanently equipped to you.]
[The Nameless Pilgrim has vanished from the labyrinth forever. Special Condition – Distorted Memories have been permanently deleted. A hidden area has opened.]
[First Achievement Unlocked: The great feats you have accomplished will be engraved in the Stone of Honor, recorded forevermore.]
[The labyrinth is now closed. You are being transported to Rafdonia.]
***
A warm glow dusted my screwed-shut eyelids. As I slowly opened my eyes and raised my head, a gloomy sky welcomed me. I sat there for a while, staring up at the clouds blankly. I really made it back alive. It was like this every month, but whenever I returned and looked up at that familiar sky, I felt the tension drain right out of me.
Of course, the feeling never lasted long.
"...Bjorn Yandel."
"Wasn't he fighting the Lord of the Floor? I wonder what happened?"
"Did he really succeed with just five people?"
Nearby adventurers quickly recognized me and started to gossip. I shook myself out of my stupor and stood up to head to the checkpoint. However, only one person was waiting for me there. It was Amelia, who had stepped away from the group to interrogate the intruders.
"...I'm glad to see you got back alive. Do you know how worried I was? You didn't show up until the labyrinth closed." She had been frantically scanning the crowd from her spot near the checkpoint, but when she spotted me, she let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't long before she tensed up again, though. "Any casualties?"
With no way of knowing what had happened to us, Amelia was more worried about potential losses than whether or not our raid was successful. Thankfully, I could answer that question, at least. "None. Well... there should be none."
"Should be...? What does that mean?"
"...It's hard to explain." I was told that we would all return alive, but I doubted I'd be able to relax until I saw them with my own two eyes. "Let's just wait here for now."
Amelia nodded, opting not to badger me any further. I was sure she had plenty of questions, though. But she held her tongue as we waited there for what felt like years until finally, they began to show up one by one.
The first was Erwen.
"M-Mister..." She broke out into a run the moment she spotted me near the checkpoint, and when she finally reached us, her knees gave out in apparent exhaustion. "This... This isn't a dream... right?"
"Don't worry. This isn't a dream."
"What... What happened?"
Well, from her perspective, she had died while trying to draw aggro then opened her eyes to find herself here. It was no surprise that she was confused and struggling to process.
"By any chance," I carefully began, "do all the monsters here in the labyrinth have originals, and you happen to be one of them?"
He stared at me, silent. As I watched him contemplate the question, the strength seemed to drain out of him. Then, after a long moment, he shook his head. "Perhaps." The moment that word left his mouth, I felt like I had gotten a step closer to unraveling the secrets of this labyrinth. "Perhaps you'll uncover the truth one day."
That was the end of my conversation with him.
Thud!
The moment the stone door in front of me creaked open, something shoved me in the back and pushed me through.
***
[You have perfectly overcome the labyrinth's most terrifying ordeal. No.12: Trust has been permanently equipped to you.]
[The Nameless Pilgrim has vanished from the labyrinth forever. Special Condition – Distorted Memories have been permanently deleted. A hidden area has opened.]
[First Achievement Unlocked: The great feats you have accomplished will be engraved in the Stone of Honor, recorded forevermore.]
[The labyrinth is now closed. You are being transported to Rafdonia.]
***
A warm glow dusted my screwed-shut eyelids. As I slowly opened my eyes and raised my head, a gloomy sky welcomed me. I sat there for a while, staring up at the clouds blankly. I really made it back alive. It was like this every month, but whenever I returned and looked up at that familiar sky, I felt the tension drain right out of me.
Of course, the feeling never lasted long.
"...Bjorn Yandel."
"Wasn't he fighting the Lord of the Floor? I wonder what happened?"
"Did he really succeed with just five people?"
Nearby adventurers quickly recognized me and started to gossip. I shook myself out of my stupor and stood up to head to the checkpoint. However, only one person was waiting for me there. It was Amelia, who had stepped away from the group to interrogate the intruders.
"...I'm glad to see you got back alive. Do you know how worried I was? You didn't show up until the labyrinth closed." She had been frantically scanning the crowd from her spot near the checkpoint, but when she spotted me, she let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't long before she tensed up again, though. "Any casualties?"
With no way of knowing what had happened to us, Amelia was more worried about potential losses than whether or not our raid was successful. Thankfully, I could answer that question, at least. "None. Well... there should be none."
"Should be...? What does that mean?"
"...It's hard to explain." I was told that we would all return alive, but I doubted I'd be able to relax until I saw them with my own two eyes. "Let's just wait here for now."
Amelia nodded, opting not to badger me any further. I was sure she had plenty of questions, though. But she held her tongue as we waited there for what felt like years until finally, they began to show up one by one.
The first was Erwen.
"M-Mister..." She broke out into a run the moment she spotted me near the checkpoint, and when she finally reached us, her knees gave out in apparent exhaustion. "This... This isn't a dream... right?"
"Don't worry. This isn't a dream."
"What... What happened?"
Well, from her perspective, she had died while trying to draw aggro then opened her eyes to find herself here. It was no surprise that she was confused and struggling to process.
"When everyone gets here, I'll explain everything."
Soon after, Versyl Gowland appeared.
"Why are you so late? Weren't you worried about us too?"
"S-Sorry. This j-just doesn't make any sense... I-Is this... a dream? I'm c-certain that I died..." Versyl was acting the same way Erwen was.
Amelia stared at them, tilting her head in confusion. "...Died?"
"Like I said before, it's a long story. I'll explain when we are all together again."
"...Okay."
A while later, the last wayward member of our party finally appeared just as Versyl was calming down.
"B-Bjorn...!" Ainar, who had noticed us near the checkpoint, ran toward us with a shout. Only then was I able to breathe a sigh of relief, finally secure in the fact that everyone had returned alive. "...Wh-what?! What is this?! W-Was that all a dream earlier?! I'm sure that I died—"
I quickly slapped a hand over Ainar's mouth.
"...Agh! Mm! Mph!"
"Be quiet! Everyone is looking at us because of you. Let's move somewhere else first, then I'll explain everything."
Now that we were all gathered together, we quickly passed through the checkpoint and made our way down the street. As usual, the front of the checkpoint was full of close family and friends of the adventurers who went into the labyrinth this month.
"Versyl, would you be all right with finding your way home from our place in Kommelby?"
"I don't mind. I would actually feel more comfortable if we discussed this there anyway."
"All right, then."
We headed toward the platform to wait for a noble carriage that would take us to Kommelby. This was the downside of living on a main street. When I lived in District Seven, the Dimension Square was close enough that I could just walk home.
"Captain! You're back!" When we got home, Auyen was waiting for us, the scent of appetizing dishes permeating the air. Did he prepare all of this for our return?
"Thanks for this, but we need to talk amongst ourselves for a moment. Do you mind waiting upstairs?"
"...Of course. Please get some rest, and call me whenever you need me."
Once he headed to his room, I asked Versyl to cast Voice Control. We talked while eating the delicious dishes, though in reality, Ainar and I were the only ones touching the food.
"Mr. Yandel... Please stop eating for a moment and tell us what happened. I was dying of curiosity on the way here."
Oh, right. I guess I should explain.
After swallowing, I launched into a blow-by-blow account of everything that transpired.
"So you're saying that... from the very beginning, the encounter was designed so that all but one of us would have to die? And that everyone would only be revived if the last survivor was able to defeat the enemy?"
"Right."
Once I was done explaining everything, save for the final conversation I'd had with the real Dreadfear, I noticed a strange look in Amelia's eyes. "Hey..." she said. "Are you okay?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"That must've been like torture for you, given your personality."
Ah, that...
"When everyone gets here, I'll explain everything."
Soon after, Versyl Gowland appeared.
"Why are you so late? Weren't you worried about us too?"
"S-Sorry. This j-just doesn't make any sense... I-Is this... a dream? I'm c-certain that I died..." Versyl was acting the same way Erwen was.
Amelia stared at them, tilting her head in confusion. "...Died?"
"Like I said before, it's a long story. I'll explain when we are all together again."
"...Okay."
A while later, the last wayward member of our party finally appeared just as Versyl was calming down.
"B-Bjorn...!" Ainar, who had noticed us near the checkpoint, ran toward us with a shout. Only then was I able to breathe a sigh of relief, finally secure in the fact that everyone had returned alive. "...Wh-what?! What is this?! W-Was that all a dream earlier?! I'm sure that I died—"
I quickly slapped a hand over Ainar's mouth.
"...Agh! Mm! Mph!"
"Be quiet! Everyone is looking at us because of you. Let's move somewhere else first, then I'll explain everything."
Now that we were all gathered together, we quickly passed through the checkpoint and made our way down the street. As usual, the front of the checkpoint was full of close family and friends of the adventurers who went into the labyrinth this month.
"Versyl, would you be all right with finding your way home from our place in Kommelby?"
"I don't mind. I would actually feel more comfortable if we discussed this there anyway."
"All right, then."
We headed toward the platform to wait for a noble carriage that would take us to Kommelby. This was the downside of living on a main street. When I lived in District Seven, the Dimension Square was close enough that I could just walk home.
"Captain! You're back!" When we got home, Auyen was waiting for us, the scent of appetizing dishes permeating the air. Did he prepare all of this for our return?
"Thanks for this, but we need to talk amongst ourselves for a moment. Do you mind waiting upstairs?"
"...Of course. Please get some rest, and call me whenever you need me."
Once he headed to his room, I asked Versyl to cast Voice Control. We talked while eating the delicious dishes, though in reality, Ainar and I were the only ones touching the food.
"Mr. Yandel... Please stop eating for a moment and tell us what happened. I was dying of curiosity on the way here."
Oh, right. I guess I should explain.
After swallowing, I launched into a blow-by-blow account of everything that transpired.
"So you're saying that... from the very beginning, the encounter was designed so that all but one of us would have to die? And that everyone would only be revived if the last survivor was able to defeat the enemy?"
"Right."
Once I was done explaining everything, save for the final conversation I'd had with the real Dreadfear, I noticed a strange look in Amelia's eyes. "Hey..." she said. "Are you okay?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"That must've been like torture for you, given your personality."
Ah, that...
"I'm fine," I replied with a lopsided smile. Though, if I were to be honest, I did nearly lose my mind while in the thick of it. But all's well that ends well, right? In any case, it seemed I'd answered everyone's questions, so now it was my turn. "But Amelia, what happened to you?"
Her expression darkened. "I didn't get any evidence. They were commissioned through the black market, so they didn't know who the client was."
"I see..."
That was unfortunate, but it wasn't Amelia's fault. We would figure out some other way to deal with Count Alminus. He honestly felt like a non-issue in the face of my teammates dying and coming back to life.
However, it seemed she wasn't done. "A-And..."
"...And?"
"Never mind. I'll tell you later."
I felt a sudden prickle of unease. She said she would tell me later, though, so I didn't see a reason to force it out of her now.
"What about you, Erwen?"
"...Oh, me? I'm sorry. You trusted me to protect you, but I couldn't escape from him. No matter how fast I ran and tried to shake him off, he always seemed to catch up to me somehow. It was like he was using teleportation magic."
"Teleportation..." Maybe he really did have an ability like that, one that would trigger if you were a certain distance away from him.
"But the weird thing is that he spent every moment until he killed me trying to persuade me to betray you. He kept on saying that it wasn't too late."
Though her story was brief, I could feel the pain and suffering that she must have endured more keenly than anyone else. "Erwen, you went through a lot."
"...N-No. I'm fine."
Then it was Versyl's turn.
"Versyl Gowland."
"...Yes?"
"What the hell were you thinking? Don't you ever—ever—do something like that again."
"Okay..."
I made sure to scold her for a bit before moving on to the most critical thing I needed to address.
"Ainar..." I hedged carefully.
"...Hm?" Ainar was stuffing her face with food, but when she heard me call her name, she lifted her head for the first time since our conversation began.
I had a hard time getting the words out, but this was something I absolutely had to ask. "You know... at the end there... before you died... do you remember?"
"Remember? What are you talking about?"
"What I told you." Specifically, I was asking if she remembered me confessing that I was an evil spirit.
Ainar continued to shovel pieces of meat into her mouth as she answered. "Oh, that? I thought you were telling me something... but I don't remember what you said. Maybe I had trouble hearing you since I was about to die."
Hm, is that true? I studied her expression closely, but nothing about it seemed off. She really must not have heard me. That made sense—if she had, she definitely would have freaked out on me the second she saw me in the square.
"Why? What did you say?"
"Never mind. It was nothing important."
"Really?"
Ainar didn't bother trying to figure out what I told her, instead happily letting it go so she could keep eating. Meanwhile, all the other women at the table were worked up for some reason.
"What did you tell her? Actually, wait, I already have an idea."
"I suppose Yandel has always been an emotional guy."
"...Why are you all saying things like that? He's going to be embarrassed."
What's with them...?
Rather than responding, I took a page out of Ainar's book and chose to just stuff my face with food instead. The rest joined in, and we settled into easy conversation as we ate.
"By the way, Mr. Yandel..." Versyl eventually said. "What is that bracelet? Have you always worn that?"
I didn't even realize I was wearing something until she asked. "What is this...?"
There was an unfamiliar bracelet clasped on my wrist. This was news to me too, so I was just as confused as everyone else. Erwen and Amelia stopped eating and threw in their two cents.
"Huh...? I was going to ask, but I decided to wait until you told us first..."
"You've been wearing that this whole time and you really didn't notice?"
Why did everyone notice but me?
"Then could that be the reward? The special reward you get if you complete the raid with five or fewer people?" Versyl asked, throwing out a perfectly reasonable explanation. But no, this wasn't the reward I had been expecting. The standard reward for clearing Dreadfear with five people wasn't a bracelet. Not only that, but I thought my reward this time around was getting to save all of my teammates.
...Then is this another reward on top of having everyone come back alive? Hm...
Well, maybe? I'd never found that particular level before, even after playing the game religiously for nearly ten years. But what was this thing? None of this made any sense to me.
Clink.
I took off the bracelet, and as I carefully examined it to figure out what it could be, a single item popped into my head. Since I wasn't sure, I asked Versyl to confirm it for me. After all, Versyl had the Special Appraiser license that even Raven didn't have. And like I thought, after just a few moments, she was able to determine exactly what it was.
"This is... a double-digit Numbered Item..."
So it really is that one.
Amelia, who loved these sorts of treasures, stared at it with sparkling eyes. "Wait, if it's a double-digit Numbered Item in the shape of a bracelet..."
There was only one item it could be—No. 12: Trust.
Was it a set reward, or randomized? Well, considering the theme of the level, there was no item better suited to be its reward.
...So it was an event that rewarded you with a double-digit Numbered Item. But what the hell were the trigger conditions? If I can figure that out, then I can keep doing it again and again to reap the rewards.
Ding dong.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Visitors, at this hour...?
I stopped eating and headed over to the door. Outside were a group of knights who seemed to be from Mozlan.
"Greetings, Baron Yandel." Given the polite greeting they gave me as soon as I opened the door, they must not have come bearing bad news. I quickly said hello back and asked what was up. "...Two hours ago, a new achievement was inscribed on the Stone of Honor."
A new achievement? But what did that have to do with me?
Apparently anticipating my question, the knight clarified without me even needing to ask. "An achievement attained by His Lordship, Baron Yandel."
So that meant that saving my teammates and obtaining the bracelet weren't the only rewards for clearing the secret level. I hastily asked what was written on the stone, and as I listened to their explanation, my jaw dropped more and more.
[In Year 157, the Great Barbarian Warrior, Bjorn Yandel, and his companions defeated Dreadfear, the Lord of Terror, and opened a hidden area of the labyrinth.]
Who would've thought that there were more hidden areas of the labyrinth yet to be explored?
"I'm fine," I replied with a lopsided smile. Though, if I were to be honest, I did nearly lose my mind while in the thick of it. But all's well that ends well, right? In any case, it seemed I'd answered everyone's questions, so now it was my turn. "But Amelia, what happened to you?"
Her expression darkened. "I didn't get any evidence. They were commissioned through the black market, so they didn't know who the client was."
"I see..."
That was unfortunate, but it wasn't Amelia's fault. We would figure out some other way to deal with Count Alminus. He honestly felt like a non-issue in the face of my teammates dying and coming back to life.
However, it seemed she wasn't done. "A-And..."
"...And?"
"Never mind. I'll tell you later."
I felt a sudden prickle of unease. She said she would tell me later, though, so I didn't see a reason to force it out of her now.
"What about you, Erwen?"
"...Oh, me? I'm sorry. You trusted me to protect you, but I couldn't escape from him. No matter how fast I ran and tried to shake him off, he always seemed to catch up to me somehow. It was like he was using teleportation magic."
"Teleportation..." Maybe he really did have an ability like that, one that would trigger if you were a certain distance away from him.
"But the weird thing is that he spent every moment until he killed me trying to persuade me to betray you. He kept on saying that it wasn't too late."
Though her story was brief, I could feel the pain and suffering that she must have endured more keenly than anyone else. "Erwen, you went through a lot."
"...N-No. I'm fine."
Then it was Versyl's turn.
"Versyl Gowland."
"...Yes?"
"What the hell were you thinking? Don't you ever—ever—do something like that again."
"Okay..."
I made sure to scold her for a bit before moving on to the most critical thing I needed to address.
"Ainar..." I hedged carefully.
"...Hm?" Ainar was stuffing her face with food, but when she heard me call her name, she lifted her head for the first time since our conversation began.
I had a hard time getting the words out, but this was something I absolutely had to ask. "You know... at the end there... before you died... do you remember?"
"Remember? What are you talking about?"
"What I told you." Specifically, I was asking if she remembered me confessing that I was an evil spirit.
Ainar continued to shovel pieces of meat into her mouth as she answered. "Oh, that? I thought you were telling me something... but I don't remember what you said. Maybe I had trouble hearing you since I was about to die."
Hm, is that true? I studied her expression closely, but nothing about it seemed off. She really must not have heard me. That made sense—if she had, she definitely would have freaked out on me the second she saw me in the square.
"Why? What did you say?"
"Never mind. It was nothing important."
"Really?"
Ainar didn't bother trying to figure out what I told her, instead happily letting it go so she could keep eating. Meanwhile, all the other women at the table were worked up for some reason.
"What did you tell her? Actually, wait, I already have an idea."
"I suppose Yandel has always been an emotional guy."
"...Why are you all saying things like that? He's going to be embarrassed."
What's with them...?
Rather than responding, I took a page out of Ainar's book and chose to just stuff my face with food instead. The rest joined in, and we settled into easy conversation as we ate.
"By the way, Mr. Yandel..." Versyl eventually said. "What is that bracelet? Have you always worn that?"
I didn't even realize I was wearing something until she asked. "What is this...?"
There was an unfamiliar bracelet clasped on my wrist. This was news to me too, so I was just as confused as everyone else. Erwen and Amelia stopped eating and threw in their two cents.
"Huh...? I was going to ask, but I decided to wait until you told us first..."
"You've been wearing that this whole time and you really didn't notice?"
Why did everyone notice but me?
"Then could that be the reward? The special reward you get if you complete the raid with five or fewer people?" Versyl asked, throwing out a perfectly reasonable explanation. But no, this wasn't the reward I had been expecting. The standard reward for clearing Dreadfear with five people wasn't a bracelet. Not only that, but I thought my reward this time around was getting to save all of my teammates.
...Then is this another reward on top of having everyone come back alive? Hm...
Well, maybe? I'd never found that particular level before, even after playing the game religiously for nearly ten years. But what was this thing? None of this made any sense to me.
Clink.
I took off the bracelet, and as I carefully examined it to figure out what it could be, a single item popped into my head. Since I wasn't sure, I asked Versyl to confirm it for me. After all, Versyl had the Special Appraiser license that even Raven didn't have. And like I thought, after just a few moments, she was able to determine exactly what it was.
"This is... a double-digit Numbered Item..."
So it really is that one.
Amelia, who loved these sorts of treasures, stared at it with sparkling eyes. "Wait, if it's a double-digit Numbered Item in the shape of a bracelet..."
There was only one item it could be—No. 12: Trust.
Was it a set reward, or randomized? Well, considering the theme of the level, there was no item better suited to be its reward.
...So it was an event that rewarded you with a double-digit Numbered Item. But what the hell were the trigger conditions? If I can figure that out, then I can keep doing it again and again to reap the rewards.
Ding dong.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Visitors, at this hour...?
I stopped eating and headed over to the door. Outside were a group of knights who seemed to be from Mozlan.
"Greetings, Baron Yandel." Given the polite greeting they gave me as soon as I opened the door, they must not have come bearing bad news. I quickly said hello back and asked what was up. "...Two hours ago, a new achievement was inscribed on the Stone of Honor."
A new achievement? But what did that have to do with me?
Apparently anticipating my question, the knight clarified without me even needing to ask. "An achievement attained by His Lordship, Baron Yandel."
So that meant that saving my teammates and obtaining the bracelet weren't the only rewards for clearing the secret level. I hastily asked what was written on the stone, and as I listened to their explanation, my jaw dropped more and more.
[In Year 157, the Great Barbarian Warrior, Bjorn Yandel, and his companions defeated Dreadfear, the Lord of Terror, and opened a hidden area of the labyrinth.]
Who would've thought that there were more hidden areas of the labyrinth yet to be explored?