Chapter 531: Escape Plan (4)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 531: Escape Plan (4)

A shortsword with the Silver Lion Clan's insignia on it. Why was something like that here?

One possibility immediately came to mind.

"If you're talking about the Silver Lion Clan, they left the island not long after you did. And they haven't returned yet."

What the chief told me earlier could have been a lie. There was a chance that rather than the Silver Lion Clan simply not returning, the issue was that they had already crossed a river from which they could never return.

And by a certain someone's hands.

Judging by Amelia's expression, she was thinking along those very same lines.

"Did you find anything other than this shortsword?" I asked.

"This is all we've managed to find for now."

"I see..."

It was too early to come to a definitive conclusion. The clan could have simply left behind a shortsword that the monsters then took for themselves, or they could have sold the shortsword to the monsters of their own volition. Put simply, we could interpret this as optimistically as we wanted to.

"Things just got messy."

However, we needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario whenever new details came to light.

"You should already know this since you were there too, but he is dangerous."

"Monstrous" wasn't a strong enough word to describe the chief's power. With just a single throw of his sword, he instantly killed the Hipramajent.

If that sword was one day aimed at me, would I be able to survive it?

Since I didn't know the answer, I needed to make some decisions, and fast. "Who knows you took this shortsword?"

"No one else should know at this point. I discovered it when I went to check if Fenelin was causing trouble."

"Would it be possible for you to go and put this back where you found it without getting caught?"

There was no need for any lengthy explanations.

Amelia nodded. "If I go now."

"Then please."

Upon receiving my request, Amelia hid the shortsword in her clothes again. "Got it."

She probably understood the full ramifications of what had just happened as well as I did. And that in this situation, confronting the chief was too risky.

We're stuck in this village until the rainy season is over.

The chief was hiding something. That, at least, I was sure about.

However, we weren't ready to find out what it was yet.

***

The day after Amelia safely returned the shortsword to the forge, I gave her a quest.

"Starting today, investigate what happened to the Silver Lion Clan, and do it as discreetly as possible. Don't tell anyone, including Ainar, Versyl, or Erwen."

"Yandel, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go meet with the chief, like we agreed."

With the quest delivered, I headed to the chief's house.

"You came earlier than I expected," he greeted.

"There's not much to do other than rest right now."

"I wish I could've at least served you tea, but there isn't anything like that in this village. Take a seat."

We were merely chatting like we always did, and yet, perhaps because I came here after seeing the Silver Lion Clan's shortsword, my muscles unconsciously grew tenser and tenser.

Ba-dump!

It felt like I was sitting in front of a serial killer. However, I tried my best to not let it show and act naturally.

After all, that was practically my specialty at this point.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" I prompted. "Seeing as you made a point to invite me over, I would wager a guess that we're not here for a friendly chat."

"Hmm, I don't know how to word this. I suppose this could be considered another request I'd like to make of you," the chief said in his signature neutral tone as he looked at me. "Bjorn Yandel, I am curious about you."

"...What?"

"Is that odd to you? That I would feel that way about the adventurer who could one day set me free from this place?"

"Not particularly..."

The topic threw me for a loop, but I quickly compartmentalized. This and the Silver Lion Clan problem were two different matters.

So, gathering my wits, I took the answer he gave me yesterday and reworded it in my own way. "Why should I tell you about myself just because you're curious? Weren't you the one who said not to get distracted by idle curiosities and focus on the work at hand?"

I made my response deliberately rude, but surprisingly, the chief didn't show any signs of being displeased. In fact, he showed an easy acceptance that only made me more uneasy. "That's true. Then how about we both answer any questions the other has? You must have your fair share of questions about me as well."

Hmm, a one-on-one game of Truth...

"Sure."

It didn't take long for me to come to a decision. This world wasn't kind enough as to give you everything you wanted if you weren't willing to take a few risks.

And I'm no stranger to this sort of setup either.

I quickly took the initiative. "Then could I ask the first question?"

"Of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠course."

"Do you by any chance still have the essences you used to possess when you were human?"

That was my most pressing question. The essences that Bruingrid possessed while he was alive were well-documented. Just like the other legendary heroes of his party, the essence combination he used was passed down from generation to generation.

Well, not all his essences were common knowledge, per se, but if he answered my question, I'd be able to at least get a rough idea of how strong he was.

"No."

Hmm, no? "Then what was that shining sword yesterday?"

"It's now my turn."

"...Go for it."

Since I was getting something out of this arrangement as well, I didn't argue and passed the proverbial mic to him.

So, what was the chief's first question going to be?

I was in the middle of trying to come up with potential answers to some of the things he might ask when he opened his mouth.

"How old are you?"

This was a line of questioning I hadn't anticipated at all.

"How old...?"

We were merely chatting like we always did, and yet, perhaps because I came here after seeing the Silver Lion Clan's shortsword, my muscles unconsciously grew tenser and tenser.

Ba-dump!

It felt like I was sitting in front of a serial killer. However, I tried my best to not let it show and act naturally.

After all, that was practically my specialty at this point.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" I prompted. "Seeing as you made a point to invite me over, I would wager a guess that we're not here for a friendly chat."

"Hmm, I don't know how to word this. I suppose this could be considered another request I'd like to make of you," the chief said in his signature neutral tone as he looked at me. "Bjorn Yandel, I am curious about you."

"...What?"

"Is that odd to you? That I would feel that way about the adventurer who could one day set me free from this place?"

"Not particularly..."

The topic threw me for a loop, but I quickly compartmentalized. This and the Silver Lion Clan problem were two different matters.

So, gathering my wits, I took the answer he gave me yesterday and reworded it in my own way. "Why should I tell you about myself just because you're curious? Weren't you the one who said not to get distracted by idle curiosities and focus on the work at hand?"

I made my response deliberately rude, but surprisingly, the chief didn't show any signs of being displeased. In fact, he showed an easy acceptance that only made me more uneasy. "That's true. Then how about we both answer any questions the other has? You must have your fair share of questions about me as well."

Hmm, a one-on-one game of Truth...

"Sure."

It didn't take long for me to come to a decision. This world wasn't kind enough as to give you everything you wanted if you weren't willing to take a few risks.

And I'm no stranger to this sort of setup either.

I quickly took the initiative. "Then could I ask the first question?"

"Of course."

"Do you by any chance still have the essences you used to possess when you were human?"

That was my most pressing question. The essences that Bruingrid possessed while he was alive were well-documented. Just like the other legendary heroes of his party, the essence combination he used was passed down from generation to generation.

Well, not all his essences were common knowledge, per se, but if he answered my question, I'd be able to at least get a rough idea of how strong he was.

"No."

Hmm, no? "Then what was that shining sword yesterday?"

"It's now my turn."

"...Go for it."

Since I was getting something out of this arrangement as well, I didn't argue and passed the proverbial mic to him.

So, what was the chief's first question going to be?

I was in the middle of trying to come up with potential answers to some of the things he might ask when he opened his mouth.

"How old are you?"

This was a line of questioning I hadn't anticipated at all.

"How old...?"

"Was that a difficult question?"

Although I was still a little shocked, I gave an honest answer. "...I'm twenty-four."

Why is he only asking me my age? Is he trying to trip me up so that he can slip an important question by me later?

I felt a little uneasy about the whole thing, but I wasn't going to argue about getting to go again after an easy question like that.

"You're much younger than I expected. Having that amount of skill and even forming a noble house at that age... I must commend you."

I ignored his flattery and took my turn. "If it wasn't an essence you had as a human, did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you gain that ability while on this island?'

These beings who called themselves "human" were quite special. Members of their species seemed to be born with both an innate passive and active ability, like most other monsters.

"That's right. I've had an abundance of time, and as you can see, this island is full of monsters."

But unlike other monsters, they were able to absorb essences.

Of course, they couldn't level up, and it seemed their essence slots were set at birth, ranging anywhere from three to seven. But...

...I don't know if they can even be considered monsters.

In truth, these people could be considered a distinct race like elves, dwarves, barbarians, and beastpeople. After all, the races of Rafdonia had their unique characteristics too. The elves could control spirits, barbarians became stronger through Spirit Imprints, dwarves were bolstered by their gear, and beastpeople could strengthen themselves using Soul Beasts.

They have a set level from birth, and they are all born with their own race-specific essence as well.

Depending on how you looked at it, this could all be filed under what was functionally a race-specific ability.

But...they drop mana stones.

During our recent battle, I noticed the dead warriors disappear in a flash of light. In ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that sense, they were definitely monsters.

Well, it's not like this really matters in the grand scheme of things.

With that, I concluded my little anthropological exercise. It was now the chief's turn.

"Could you tell me about the first time you entered the labyrinth?" he asked.

"...Why are you curious about that?"

"I want to understand who you are as a person."

"It'll take too long to tell you everything."

"If there's one thing I have in abundance, it's time. However, that may not be the case for you. You may give me a summary."

"...Sure."

I went on to share a few chapters worth of information about my first expedition, and then it was my turn again.

All right, what do I ask him this time?

I took my time thinking it over.

What I really wanted to ask about was the Silver Lion Clan's shortsword in the forge... but there was a high likelihood that I wouldn't get a definitive answer. It wasn't like I had Misplaced Trust on right now—not that it would work on him anyway. Asking that question would only raise his guard against me and make it more difficult for me to get the truth out of him later.

So I decided to ask this question instead.

"Tell me about the Immortal."

"The Immortal...?"

"Was that a difficult question?"

Although I was still a little shocked, I gave an honest answer. "...I'm twenty-four."

Why is he only asking me my age? Is he trying to trip me up so that he can slip an important question by me later?

I felt a little uneasy about the whole thing, but I wasn't going to argue about getting to go again after an easy question like that.

"You're much younger than I expected. Having that amount of skill and even forming a noble house at that age... I must commend you."

I ignored his flattery and took my turn. "If it wasn't an essence you had as a human, did you gain that ability while on this island?'

These beings who called themselves "human" were quite special. Members of their species seemed to be born with both an innate passive and active ability, like most other monsters.

"That's right. I've had an abundance of time, and as you can see, this island is full of monsters."

But unlike other monsters, they were able to absorb essences.

Of course, they couldn't level up, and it seemed their essence slots were set at birth, ranging anywhere from three to seven. But...

...I don't know if they can even be considered monsters.

In truth, these people could be considered a distinct race like elves, dwarves, barbarians, and beastpeople. After all, the races of Rafdonia had their unique characteristics too. The elves could control spirits, barbarians became stronger through Spirit Imprints, dwarves were bolstered by their gear, and beastpeople could strengthen themselves using Soul Beasts.

They have a set level from birth, and they are all born with their own race-specific essence as well.

Depending on how you looked at it, this could all be filed under what was functionally a race-specific ability.

But...they drop mana stones.

During our recent battle, I noticed the dead warriors disappear in a flash of light. In that sense, they were definitely monsters.

Well, it's not like this really matters in the grand scheme of things.

With that, I concluded my little anthropological exercise. It was now the chief's turn.

"Could you tell me about the first time you entered the labyrinth?" he asked.

"...Why are you curious about that?"

"I want to understand who you are as a person."

"It'll take too long to tell you everything."

"If there's one thing I have in abundance, it's time. However, that may not be the case for you. You may give me a summary."

"...Sure."

I went on to share a few chapters worth of information about my first expedition, and then it was my turn again.

All right, what do I ask him this time?

I took my time thinking it over.

What I really wanted to ask about was the Silver Lion Clan's shortsword in the forge... but there was a high likelihood that I wouldn't get a definitive answer. It wasn't like I had Misplaced Trust on right now—not that it would work on him anyway. Asking that question would only raise his guard against me and make it more difficult for me to get the truth out of him later.

So I decided to ask this question instead.

"Tell me about the Immortal."

"The Immortal...?"

This guy claimed that he was an ancient hero. If that was true, I could learn more about that era through him, and even if it was a lie, I could get closer to figuring out his true identity based on the falsehoods he told.

"I'm talking about Rafdonia's first king."

"Ah, you speak of the castellan? I should warn you—it will take quite some time to tell you the full tale. Is that all right with you?"

"I also have an abundance of time right now."

"Hmm... It's such an open-ended question that I'm struggling to figure out where to start. The castellan was a very lucky man."

"...Lucky?"

"That's right. He was an ordinary person. However... he had the privilege of calling the greatest wizard in the world his friend."

"You mean the Great Sage."

The chief nodded. "The Great Sage had foreseen the calamity long before it came and made preparations accordingly. He convinced his friend, the castellan, that his prophecy was true and got him to use all of the wealth in his family's possession to prepare for that day. It's said that all the people on the continent laughed at the castellan for doing something so ridiculous."

However, everyone changed their tune after the end of the world began.

"The kings of neighboring countries, the strongest swordsman on the continent, the wizard of Incarun... Every single person took everything they could carry with them and headed to the castle. And then they kneeled before him, begging to be allowed to enter his city."

The castellan and the Great Sage harshly scrutinized the refugees and only let a select few in.

"That is how Rafdonia was born."

"Wait, then what about Noark?"

The chief gave me an almost questioning look.

"The city beneath the city," I explained. "There's a portal that leads to the labyrinth there."

"Ah, you speak of the underground shelter. I haven't been there personally, but I have heard about it."

Hmm... a shelter...

"Sorry for interrupting. Please continue."

"...In any case," he went on, "with so many people trapped in the city, our resources were used up very quickly. But right around that time, the Great Sage created a portal leading to another dimension."

That dimension was the labyrinth, a strange land full of monsters.

Apparently, the entire city had been planning to migrate to the new land at first.

"To make this plan a reality, the Great Sage formed an expedition party, and I was lucky enough to join that party."

The party then began to travel through the labyrinth. In the process, the wizards with them discovered just how valuable mana stones could be, and their plans to relocate were scrapped entirely.

Mana stones.

A versatile material that could become food, water, or even steel when needed.

"With that, the city stabilized and had a way to sustain itself for eternity. The city slowly grew in size and the number of portals increased as well. However, if you ask me what the castellan was up to at this time, there's not much I can tell you."

All the achievements he spoke of were the work of the Great Sage, and the castellan was just the luckiest person in the world. That was what the chief believed, anyway.

This guy claimed that he was an ancient hero. If that was true, I could learn more about that era through him, and even if it was a lie, I could get closer to figuring out his true identity based on the falsehoods he told.

"I'm talking about Rafdonia's first king."

"Ah, you speak of the castellan? I should warn you—it will take quite some time to tell you the full tale. Is that all right with you?"

"I also have an abundance of time right now."

"Hmm... It's such an open-ended question that I'm struggling to figure out where to start. The castellan was a very lucky man."

"...Lucky?"

"That's right. He was an ordinary person. However... he had the privilege of calling the greatest wizard in the world his friend."

"You mean the Great Sage."

The chief nodded. "The Great Sage had foreseen the calamity long before it came and made preparations accordingly. He convinced his friend, the castellan, that his prophecy was true and got him to use all of the wealth in his family's possession to prepare for that day. It's said that all the people on the continent laughed at the castellan for doing something so ridiculous."

However, everyone changed their tune after the end of the world began.

"The kings of neighboring countries, the strongest swordsman on the continent, the wizard of Incarun... Every single person took everything they could carry with them and headed to the castle. And then they kneeled before him, begging to be allowed to enter his city."

The castellan and the Great Sage harshly scrutinized the refugees and only let a select few in.

"That is how Rafdonia was born."

"Wait, then what about Noark?"

The chief gave me an almost questioning look.

"The city beneath the city," I explained. "There's a portal that leads to the labyrinth there."

"Ah, you speak of the underground shelter. I haven't been there personally, but I have heard about it."

Hmm... a shelter...

"Sorry for interrupting. Please continue."

"...In any case," he went on, "with so many people trapped in the city, our resources were used up very quickly. But right around that time, the Great Sage created a portal leading to another dimension."

That dimension was the labyrinth, a strange land full of monsters.

Apparently, the entire city had been planning to migrate to the new land at first.

"To make this plan a reality, the Great Sage formed an expedition party, and I was lucky enough to join that party."

The party then began to travel through the labyrinth. In the process, the wizards with them discovered just how valuable mana stones could be, and their plans to relocate were scrapped entirely.

Mana stones.

A versatile material that could become food, water, or even steel when needed.

"With that, the city stabilized and had a way to sustain itself for eternity. The city slowly grew in size and the number of portals increased as well. However, if you ask me what the castellan was up to at this time, there's not much I can tell you."

All the achievements he spoke of were the work of the Great Sage, and the castellan was just the luckiest person in the world. That was what the chief believed, anyway.

But there are too many things that just don't add up here...

I wanted to ask a follow-up question, but unfortunately, it was his turn now.

"What was your second expedition like?"

The chief once again asked me to share another story arc, and even though I was still wary of his intentions, I told him about my second adventure.

"The Bloody Citadel... What a nostalgic name. Thank you for that entertaining story."

"Then it's my turn."

I sighed inwardly. What question should I ask now?

I took a moment to think it over, then decided to ask one that might be a bit of a touchy subject.

"How did the Immortal gain his immortality?"

The purpose of this question was twofold: to get ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠some information about the royal family's power while also prying into Cornelius Bruingrid himself.

I was eager to hear how the chief was going to respond, so I patiently waited.

Knock, knock.

Just then, a knock came from the front door and I heard someone on the other side speak in the ancient tongue.

"Chief, I have something urgent to discuss."

"My apologies. Let's continue this another time."

With that, the chief ended our exchange, and there wasn't much I could do except leave. When I opened the door, I came face-to-face with the monster outside.

It's Marupichichi's dad.

He was a respected warrior in the village and the man who served as the chief's right hand.

We exchanged an awkward look in greeting, and I stepped around him to start heading home. Yet despite putting physical distance between us, my thoughts were still consumed by this recent turn of events.

Something urgent...

It must've been something really important for him to come straight to the chief.

What could it be?

***

My conversation with the chief was suspicious in many ways.

...He asked me my age.

It was safe to say that I had no clue what his angle was there.

First of all, if he was that curious about me, he could've just interrogated the Silver Lion Clan and pried the information out of them.

Am I barking up the wrong tree?

The thought suddenly occurred to me that maybe the shortsword in the forge really didn't mean anything, and the Silver Lion Clan really had left the village and just hadn't made it back.

Slap!

Thoughts like that were dangerous, though. As such, I changed tacks entirely and replayed the conversation we had today.

The chief asked me how old I am.

Why?

Was he really just curious about my age?

No way.

Even if he didn't question the Silver Lion Clan through torture or anything like that, he could've easily heard everything I told him today from them if he bothered to ask.

Which means he was lying when he said he's been curious about me.

Then why did the chief play that game of Truth with me, if all he was going to ask was stuff like that? It was the equivalent of buying a single slice of bread with a bar of gold...

Wait.

The realization struck me then, rocking the foundation of my mind.

Maybe... Maybe that was his plan all along.

Handing me that gold bar was, to put it simply, a way of using our game of Truth as an opportunity to cleverly feed me information.

If that was his plan, things added up.

That shining sword as well... In hindsight, there was no need for him to show off like that during that fight.

I knew next to nothing about the chief's power level, so if the chief had wanted to hide his strength from me, he could've hidden it without much trouble. Even so, the chief made a point of one-shotting that giant right in front of me.

Meaning that everything he did, he did intentionally...

I still couldn't tell what he was after, though. I lacked context, and it would be tough for me to get any closer to the truth without talking to him some more.

One day, two days, three days...

However, while I visited the chief's house every day in the hopes of getting more clues, it was empty every time. When I asked about him to the monsters of the village, they all told me he was busy.

Is he avoiding me? Or is he actually busy?

As the days went by, my list of questions only grew.

"Mr. Yandel..."

"What is it?"

"I can't find Ms. Raines. She's always back by now even if she's running late. I thought maybe she was here with you."

Then, on one particular night, Versyl reported that Amelia hadn't come home yet, and I forced myself to stay put until the following morning despite my unease.

However...

"She's not here."

I didn't intend to waste a critical window of time out of a misplaced sense of optimism.

"Everyone, gear up."

Amelia, who had been snooping around the village every day at my behest, had officially gone missing.

But there are too many things that just don't add up here...

I wanted to ask a follow-up question, but unfortunately, it was his turn now.

"What was your second expedition like?"

The chief once again asked me to share another story arc, and even though I was still wary of his intentions, I told him about my second adventure.

"The Bloody Citadel... What a nostalgic name. Thank you for that entertaining story."

"Then it's my turn."

I sighed inwardly. What question should I ask now?

I took a moment to think it over, then decided to ask one that might be a bit of a touchy subject.

"How did the Immortal gain his immortality?"

The purpose of this question was twofold: to get some information about the royal family's power while also prying into Cornelius Bruingrid himself.

I was eager to hear how the chief was going to respond, so I patiently waited.

Knock, knock.

Just then, a knock came from the front door and I heard someone on the other side speak in the ancient tongue.

"Chief, I have something urgent to discuss."

"My apologies. Let's continue this another time."

With that, the chief ended our exchange, and there wasn't much I could do except leave. When I opened the door, I came face-to-face with the monster outside.

It's Marupichichi's dad.

He was a respected warrior in the village and the man who served as the chief's right hand.

We exchanged an awkward look in greeting, and I stepped around him to start heading home. Yet despite putting physical distance between us, my thoughts were still consumed by this recent turn of events.

Something urgent...

It must've been something really important for him to come straight to the chief.

What could it be?

***

My conversation with the chief was suspicious in many ways.

...He asked me my age.

It was safe to say that I had no clue what his angle was there.

First of all, if he was that curious about me, he could've just interrogated the Silver Lion Clan and pried the information out of them.

Am I barking up the wrong tree?

The thought suddenly occurred to me that maybe the shortsword in the forge really didn't mean anything, and the Silver Lion Clan really had left the village and just hadn't made it back.

Slap!

Thoughts like that were dangerous, though. As such, I changed tacks entirely and replayed the conversation we had today.

The chief asked me how old I am.

Why?

Was he really just curious about my age?

No way.

Even if he didn't question the Silver Lion Clan through torture or anything like that, he could've easily heard everything I told him today from them if he bothered to ask.

Which means he was lying when he said he's been curious about me.

Then why did the chief play that game of Truth with me, if all he was going to ask was stuff like that? It was the equivalent of buying a single slice of bread with a bar of gold...

Wait.

The realization struck me then, rocking the foundation of my mind.

Maybe... Maybe that was his plan all along.

Handing me that gold bar was, to put it simply, a way of using our game of Truth as an opportunity to cleverly feed me information.

If that was his plan, things added up.

That shining sword as well... In hindsight, there was no need for him to show off like that during that fight.

I knew next to nothing about the chief's power level, so if the chief had wanted to hide his strength from me, he could've hidden it without much trouble. Even so, the chief made a point of one-shotting that giant right in front of me.

Meaning that everything he did, he did intentionally...

I still couldn't tell what he was after, though. I lacked context, and it would be tough for me to get any closer to the truth without talking to him some more.

One day, two days, three days...

However, while I visited the chief's house every day in the hopes of getting more clues, it was empty every time. When I asked about him to the monsters of the village, they all told me he was busy.

Is he avoiding me? Or is he actually busy?

As the days went by, my list of questions only grew.

"Mr. Yandel..."

"What is it?"

"I can't find Ms. Raines. She's always back by now even if she's running late. I thought maybe she was here with you."

Then, on one particular night, Versyl reported that Amelia hadn't come home yet, and I forced myself to stay put until the following morning despite my unease.

However...

"She's not here."

I didn't intend to waste a critical window of time out of a misplaced sense of optimism.

"Everyone, gear up."

Amelia, who had been snooping around the village every day at my behest, had officially gone missing.