Chapter 569: Closed Doors (3)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 569: Closed Doors (3)

My private chat with the village chief went on for a bit longer. I asked him about the things I supposedly didn't know about this floor and what I needed to do to open the portal stone, trying to pry as much information out of him as possible, but he avoided my questions with vague responses.

"You'll figure it out when the time comes. And what's the point in worrying about that now? Either way, you will one day leave this place and get back to the city."

"Why won't you just tell me, though? Are you—?"

"It's not because I have ulterior motives. It has simply occurred to me that telling you might not be helpful."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a chance that there is something on this floor that even I haven't discovered. If I point you in a certain direction, your odds of finding those secrets will decrease because you will be moving according to my advice."

So, what, he was a lion pushing his cub off a cliff to make them stronger? That was even more difficult to wrap my head around than him just not wanting to tell me. The chief and I didn't have a strong bond like a parent would with a child. I found it hard to buy the idea that he was trying to "help" me.

"Heh, don't look at me like that." The chief flashed his signature smile. "Now that we've reached this point, we're on the same team at least for now. Surely you've also been considering how I might be helpful to you in the future, no?"

"Well... it's not like I haven't thought about it."

"The same goes for me. Having my accomplice grow stronger will open more doors for me later on."

Don't try to be all slick when all you're saying is no.

"So I will think more on this and let you know. It's not as if I am going anywhere anytime soon." His tone was not unlike that of someone placating an angry child, but in the end, I let it pass with a nod. His schtick was still hard to believe, but it didn't seem like pushing back would make a difference at this point.

Besides, I would rather spend this time discussing something more productive.

"Then what are you going to do now?"

I had already asked a variation of this question several times today. However, this time, the nuance was a bit different. The last few questions were about the chief personally, while this was more about the entirety of the expedition group.

"Are we going to stay on this island for a while?" I asked.

What was his plan for the expedition group going forward?

This question, the village chief deigned to answer directly. "We will stay on the island for today at least. We haven't officially discovered the portal stone yet. We should 'find' it first and give the wizards time to study it."

"Is that what Jerome Saintred would have done?"

"He would have."

"Okay, then what about after that?"

"That's still up in the air. However, I will think it over more and tell you tomorrow."

"...Sure."

With that, our conversation came to an end.

I returned to my companions, and we killed time until the deputy commander announced new orders. We were to go around the village once more, looking for anything of interest that we may have missed. Each squad would be able to go wherever they wanted.

"It's more that they're giving us more time to rest than anything else. Let's go and find somewhere to relax."

Temporary Squad Four followed my command and found an empty house to relax in. However, a few people seemed dissatisfied with the idea of wasting our time doing nothing.

"We're going to go and take a look around," Myul Armin said. "Staying put here is a bit..."

"Are you worried about what the commander will think?"

"More than that, something really could be hidden down here and we could miss it if we just stay in the house."

Myul Armin left with the Adventurer Group, and Wyatt Hektz of the Hektz Clan echoed the same sentiment before leaving with his team.

"...If we find something, we'll be recognized accordingly."

If Armin was putting more emphasis on the adventuring part of the equation, these guys were more looking for potential monetary gains.

Well, not that I was in any position to judge. The important thing was that if we stayed put a while, we'd soon receive word that the cave with the portal stone had been found, and all I'd need to do was walk over there and put on a decent show.

Anyway, we somehow ended up alone again.

With the Hektz Clan and the Armin Adventurer Group gone, only the members of the Anabada Clan remained.

"Ack! D-Don't look at me!"

As I scanned the others, Erwen freaked out and quickly covered her face the second our eyes met.

Agh, so she's still doing that.

I felt a twinge of guilt as I watched Erwen run off into a corner to hide. Versyl took that as an opportunity to approach me.

"Don't worry, I know a potion that'll help her grow her hair out again. I'll make it and deliver it to her when we get back to the city."

"Oh, that's good to hear."

"Wow... So you are pretty set in your preferences."

"...Huh?" What did my preferences have to do with this?

As I blinked at her in confusion, Versyl avoided my eyes. "I just... think Ms. Tersia looks pretty good with short hair too..."

I thought so too. But every time I looked at her, she went and did that. And I knew that if I said anything, she would only interpret it as me trying to make her feel better, so I didn't even try.

But we'll be stuck down here for a while...

I was worried about how to handle this for the near future, but since I didn't have a solution at hand right now, I chose to file the concern away for later.

"Here you are. I've been looking for you everywhere."

A while later, a man entered the house we were hanging out in.

"Kaislan? What are you doing here?"

"I saw the Armin Adventurer Group wandering around by themselves. I talked to them a bit, and when I heard that you were taking a break in here, I decided to come visit."

"Well, come on in. You should put your feet up a bit too. Don't work like a dog for no reason."

"That was what I was thinking too. After all, once this expedition is over, my life as a soldier will officially be a thing of the past."

It seemed his hostility against the royal family after the Ice Rock incident had hit an all-time high. Doing no work while still collecting a paycheck wasn't something the Kaislan of the past would've ever done.

Well, not that I blamed him.

In any case, surprisingly enough, Kaislan wasn't our only visitor.

"Hello... Is anyone here...?"

"We're going to go and take a look around," Myul Armin said. "Staying put here is a bit..."

"Are you worried about what the commander will think?"

"More than that, something really could be hidden down here and we could miss it if we just stay in the house."

Myul Armin left with the Adventurer Group, and Wyatt Hektz of the Hektz Clan echoed the same sentiment before leaving with his team.

"...If we find something, we'll be recognized accordingly."

If Armin was putting more emphasis on the adventuring part of the equation, these guys were more looking for potential monetary gains.

Well, not that I was in any position to judge. The important thing was that if we stayed put a while, we'd soon receive word that the cave with the portal stone had been found, and all I'd need to do was walk over there and put on a decent show.

Anyway, we somehow ended up alone again.

With the Hektz Clan and the Armin Adventurer Group gone, only the members of the Anabada Clan remained.

"Ack! D-Don't look at me!"

As I scanned the others, Erwen freaked out and quickly covered her face the second our eyes met.

Agh, so she's still doing that.

I felt a twinge of guilt as I watched Erwen run off into a corner to hide. Versyl took that as an opportunity to approach me.

"Don't worry, I know a potion that'll help her grow her hair out again. I'll make it and deliver it to her when we get back to the city."

"Oh, that's good to hear."

"Wow... So you are pretty set in your preferences."

"...Huh?" What did my preferences have to do with this?

As I blinked at her in confusion, Versyl avoided my eyes. "I just... think Ms. Tersia looks pretty good with short hair too..."

I thought so too. But every time I looked at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her, she went and did that. And I knew that if I said anything, she would only interpret it as me trying to make her feel better, so I didn't even try.

But we'll be stuck down here for a while...

I was worried about how to handle this for the near future, but since I didn't have a solution at hand right now, I chose to file the concern away for later.

"Here you are. I've been looking for you everywhere."

A while later, a man entered the house we were hanging out in.

"Kaislan? What are you doing here?"

"I saw the Armin Adventurer Group wandering around by themselves. I talked to them a bit, and when I heard that you were taking a break in here, I decided to come visit."

"Well, come on in. You should put your feet up a bit too. Don't work like a dog for no reason."

"That was what I was thinking too. After all, once this expedition is over, my life as a soldier will officially be a thing of the past."

It seemed his hostility against the royal family after the Ice Rock incident had hit an all-time high. Doing no work while still collecting a paycheck wasn't something the Kaislan of the past would've ever done.

Well, not that I blamed him.

In any case, surprisingly enough, Kaislan wasn't our only visitor.

"Hello... Is anyone here...?"

Another person carefully poked their head into the house.

"Sven Parav? What are you doing here?"

"I ran into the Hektz Clan while they were walking around... Could we perhaps have a quick conversation? Just the two of us."

"Of course."

At Goblin's request, I left the building with him, and the two of us headed over to another vacant house to chat.

It seemed he had a lot of questions.

"So... what happened?" he asked. He didn't specify what exactly he meant by "what," but I figured he was probably wondering what was going on in general. I may have given my companions a perfunctory explanation, but this guy hadn't gotten to hear a word of it.

So I offered him the basic gist.

"I can't give you the full rundown right now, but everything worked out in the end."

"Oh?"

"We've avoided the scene you saw in your vision."

"Ah... that's quite the relief, then..."

I could tell that he was curious about the things I was omitting, but he swallowed back his questions. This was proof that he at least had basic social awareness.

I patted his shoulder in encouragement. "Now that I think about it, I wasn't able to tell you this earlier. Thank you, Sven Parav."

"Huh?"

"There's a reason I can't give you all of the details, but regardless, I don't know how things might've turned out if not for you."

"Ah..."

"I'll be in your care in the future as well. And if you ever need something sorted out, come find me. I'll do everything I can to help you."

He seemed surprised by my gratitude as he stood there, stunned speechless. A moment later, he shook himself from his daze and humbly insisted it was nothing.

"You have a lot on your plate as well," I noted, watching him inch toward the door. He seemed in a hurry to leave. I did remember him mentioning the archbishop would throw a fit if he was away for too long, so I let him go with a, "Okay, I'll see you later."

When I entered our building again, Ainar ran up to me with a shout.

"Bjorn!"

Hmm? That was the tone she used when she wanted to show off to me.

I glanced around, and then immediately noticed a change in the configuration of our hang-out spot.

"Raven?"

Raven was here, and...

"Ignore Aruru! There! Look over there!"

Erwen was now wearing a dark, steel helmet.

"...What's with that?"

I looked at Raven for answers, not Ainar, and the former let out an explosive sigh before explaining. "Ms. Tersia has been feeling down, and it seems Ms. Fenelin has thought up a solution."

Oh, so that was why she looked so proud of herself.

"Hahaha! Am I not a genius? If she wears that, she can hide her embarrassing short hair. No, that isn't all! It also protects your head too!"

Ainar patted herself on the back for her very barbarian solution.

"Whatever. Now that you're here, how about you stop her?" Raven whispered, clearly pleading for me to handle this.

Another person carefully poked their head into the house.

"Sven Parav? What are you doing here?"

"I ran into the Hektz Clan while they were walking around... Could we perhaps have a quick conversation? Just the two of us."

"Of course."

At Goblin's request, I left the building with him, and the two of us headed over to another vacant house to chat.

It seemed he had a lot of questions.

"So... what happened?" he asked. He didn't specify what exactly he meant by "what," but I figured he was probably wondering what was going on in general. I may have given my companions a perfunctory explanation, but this guy hadn't gotten to hear a word of it.

So I offered him the basic gist.

"I can't give you the full rundown right now, but everything worked out in the end."

"Oh?"

"We've avoided the scene you saw in your vision."

"Ah... that's quite the relief, then..."

I could tell that he was curious about the things I was omitting, but he swallowed back his questions. This was proof that he at least had basic social awareness.

I patted his shoulder in encouragement. "Now that I think about it, I wasn't able to tell you this earlier. Thank you, Sven Parav."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Huh?"

"There's a reason I can't give you all of the details, but regardless, I don't know how things might've turned out if not for you."

"Ah..."

"I'll be in your care in the future as well. And if you ever need something sorted out, come find me. I'll do everything I can to help you."

He seemed surprised by my gratitude as he stood there, stunned speechless. A moment later, he shook himself from his daze and humbly insisted it was nothing.

"You have a lot on your plate as well," I noted, watching him inch toward the door. He seemed in a hurry to leave. I did remember him mentioning the archbishop would throw a fit if he was away for too long, so I let him go with a, "Okay, I'll see you later."

When I entered our building again, Ainar ran up to me with a shout.

"Bjorn!"

Hmm? That was the tone she used when she wanted to show off to me.

I glanced around, and then immediately noticed a change in the configuration of our hang-out spot.

"Raven?"

Raven was here, and...

"Ignore Aruru! There! Look over there!"

Erwen was now wearing a dark, steel helmet.

"...What's with that?"

I looked at Raven for answers, not Ainar, and the former let out an explosive sigh before explaining. "Ms. Tersia has been feeling down, and it seems Ms. Fenelin has thought up a solution."

Oh, so that was why she looked so proud of herself.

"Hahaha! Am I not a genius? If she wears that, she can hide her embarrassing short hair. No, that isn't all! It also protects your head too!"

Ainar patted herself on the back for her very barbarian solution.

"Whatever. Now that you're here, how about you stop her?" ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Raven whispered, clearly pleading for me to handle this.

However, I ignored her and looked at Erwen.

"Um, Mister... h-how does it look...?"

Surprisingly enough, Erwen didn't avoid my eyes anymore now that she was wearing her helmet. I'd been worried that her hair might distract her or cause her to be overly cautious in battle, but it seemed the helmet solved all our problems.

"...It's not bad?"

Of course, her clothes were a delicate blend of both fashionable and practical as an adventurer, so putting a metal helmet on her head kind of threw off the look. But who cared about that?

"You used your head, Ainar," I praised.

"Hah! It wasn't easy. But Erwen is my friend!"

Yeah, problem solved.

Raven, however, seemed to disagree. "Are you really going to let Ms. Tersia walk around like that? She'll definitely turn into a laughingstock. Hey, Ms. Raines? Shouldn't you say something—?"

"Leave her be," I cut her off. "She says she's fine."

"Ms. Tersia! Are you really okay with this?"

"Huh? Yes... I definitely feel less embarrassed when I'm wearing it..."

Raven's jaw dropped in disbelief, and the matter was settled. Erwen would wear a helmet from now on.

"By the gods... How did we end up here?"

What was she going on about now?

"Let's move on," I suggested. "Anyway, Raven, why are you here?"

"Ah, me? I was just wondering what you were up to."

"Huh?"

"We were told to search wherever we wanted, right? I figured that you would've found something..."

Ah, so to put it simply, she was here to mooch off of me. If she was next to me when I found something, she would get first dibs on studying it.

"That's unfortunate. As you can see, we decided to just rest."

"...Yeah. I didn't expect this."

In the middle of my chat with Raven, Amelia came over to me.

"By the way, Yandel, did you finish your conversation with the paladin?"

"Yep. Sven Parav headed out already."

"I see... then could you give me some of your time as well?"

For some reason, a lot of people wanted to talk to me today.

"Excuse me, Raven, this might take a while," I said. "But you can hang around here for as long as you want before going back."

"Do I really look that free to you? I was about to leave right now."

"Really? Then see you around."

After sort of sending off Raven, I walked outside with Amelia. To be honest, I was kind of curious. Why did she pull me aside for a talk?

I soon learned the answer.

"I was going to mind my business, but I can't just say nothing after seeing her sit in the corner all alone like that."

Ah... Sure enough, that's what it was.

"Did something happen between you and Missha Karlstein yesterday?" Amelia asked.

There was no reason not to tell her the truth—about Baekho Lee, the Stone of Revival, our two years apart and the mistrust that had bloomed between us, and more. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to say any of it.

Instead, I responded, "Nothing happened."

A lie that even a three-year-old wouldn't believe. However, Amelia just nodded quietly in response.

"I see. Tell me when you're ready. I'll be waiting."

She spoke like she was addressing said three-year-old.

Still, I found myself smiling. "Sure."

For some reason, I felt a little better.

***

The time we spent on Chief Island dragged on longer than anyone expected. The reason was simple. We were planning on leaving for our next destination the day after we discovered the portal stone, but...

"The flow of mana from the portal stone is showing a similar frequency to that of a two-way transmission device described in a recent paper!"

"If we're right... we might be able to forcibly activate the stone!"

The wizards investigating the portal stone seemed to have found something new, and in between bouts of unintelligible jargon, they requested that we stay on the island for longer.

"I'll give you ten days. Figure it out before then."

The village chief accepted their request. It couldn't be helped, not with the role he had to play. Jerome Saintred would have absolutely made the same decision in his position.

He was probably holding onto a little bit of hope as well. If these wizards succeeded in activating the stone, he'd be able to return to the city immediately.

Plus, the chief has no interest in exploring this floor in the first place.

The village chief was only waiting to "get used to" his body and was planning on leaving immediately afterward, so it didn't make a difference to him whether he was here in the village or out there adventuring when he did.

One day, two days, three days...

Time passed.

The wizards spent all day next to the stone, running trial after trial. The rest of us either rested in the village or went around the island defeating monsters to pass the time.

A few more days passed.

[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn into a different world.]

Once again, it was time for the community forums to open for the month. A space where I could communicate with the outside world, and the only place I could meet up with that bastard, Baekho Lee.

I can finally interrogate him.

Since I had been looking forward to this for weeks, the moment I woke up in my room, I immediately turned on my computer and moved my mouse.

Click, click.

But for some reason, when I opened the forum, a pop-up took up half my screen.

[A notice for all players using Ghost Busters.]

"...An announcement?"

I had no recollection of ever seeing something like this before. Did something happen outside?

My eyes hurriedly darted through the lines and by the time I reached the end, I was frozen, unable to do anything but stare.

[Hello, I am the GM.]

The announcement started there, then went on to talk about when the community first began, why it was created, how hard the mods had worked over the years to maintain it, and so on. It was an intro that would send a shiver down the spine of even the most casual of gamers.

Because whenever something like this was posted online, the reason why was always the same.

Damn it.

I wished I was wrong. But there was no mistaking it.

[I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has used Ghost Busters over the years, and I must ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠apologize for making this announcement this way.]

[Due to personal circumstances in the lives of the administrators, today will be the last day of Ghost Busters, after which service will end.]

[Any GP bought with real money can be refunded through the newly created Refund tab...]

The server was dead.

However, I ignored her and looked at Erwen.

"Um, Mister... h-how does it look...?"

Surprisingly enough, Erwen didn't avoid my eyes anymore now that she was wearing her helmet. I'd been worried that her hair might distract her or cause her to be overly cautious in battle, but it seemed the helmet solved all our problems.

"...It's not bad?"

Of course, her clothes were a delicate blend of both fashionable and practical as an adventurer, so putting a metal helmet on her head kind of threw off the look. But who cared about that?

"You used your head, Ainar," I praised.

"Hah! It wasn't easy. But Erwen is my friend!"

Yeah, problem solved.

Raven, however, seemed to disagree. "Are you really going to let Ms. Tersia walk around like that? She'll definitely turn into a laughingstock. Hey, Ms. Raines? Shouldn't you say something—?"

"Leave her be," I cut her off. "She says she's fine."

"Ms. Tersia! Are you really okay with this?"

"Huh? Yes... I definitely feel less embarrassed when I'm wearing it..."

Raven's jaw dropped in disbelief, and the matter was settled. Erwen would wear a helmet from now on.

"By the gods... How did we end up here?"

What was she going on about now?

"Let's move on," I suggested. "Anyway, Raven, why are you here?"

"Ah, me? I was just wondering what you were up to."

"Huh?"

"We were told to search wherever we wanted, right? I figured that you would've found something..."

Ah, so to put it simply, she was here to mooch off of me. If she was next to me when I found something, she would get first dibs on studying it.

"That's unfortunate. As you can see, we decided to just rest."

"...Yeah. I didn't expect this."

In the middle of my chat with Raven, Amelia came over to me.

"By the way, Yandel, did you finish your conversation with the paladin?"

"Yep. Sven Parav headed out already."

"I see... then could you give me some of your time as well?"

For some reason, a lot of people wanted to talk to me today.

"Excuse me, Raven, this might take a while," I said. "But you can hang around here for as long as you want before going back."

"Do I really look that free to you? I was about to leave right now."

"Really? Then see you around."

After sort of sending off Raven, I walked outside with Amelia. To be honest, I was kind of curious. Why did she pull me aside for a talk?

I soon learned the answer.

"I was going to mind my business, but I can't just say nothing after seeing her sit in the corner all alone like that."

Ah... Sure enough, that's what it was.

"Did something happen between you and Missha Karlstein yesterday?" Amelia asked.

There was no reason not to tell her the truth—about Baekho Lee, the Stone of Revival, our two years apart and the mistrust that had bloomed between us, and more. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to say any of it.

Instead, I responded, "Nothing happened."

A lie that even a three-year-old wouldn't believe. However, Amelia just nodded quietly in response.

"I see. Tell me when you're ready. I'll be waiting."

She spoke like she was addressing said three-year-old.

Still, I found myself smiling. "Sure."

For some reason, I felt a little better.

***

The time we spent on Chief Island dragged on longer than anyone expected. The reason was simple. We were planning on leaving for our next destination the day after we discovered the portal stone, but...

"The flow of mana from the portal stone is showing a similar frequency to that of a two-way transmission device described in a recent paper!"

"If we're right... we might be able to forcibly activate the stone!"

The wizards investigating the portal stone seemed to have found something new, and in between bouts of unintelligible jargon, they requested that we stay on the island for longer.

"I'll give you ten days. Figure it out before then."

The village chief accepted their request. It couldn't be helped, not with the role he had to play. Jerome Saintred would have absolutely made the same decision in his position.

He was probably holding onto a little bit of hope as well. If these wizards succeeded in activating the stone, he'd be able to return to the city immediately.

Plus, the chief has no interest in exploring this floor in the first place.

The village chief was only waiting to "get used to" his body and was planning on leaving immediately afterward, so it didn't make a difference to him whether he was here in the village or out there adventuring when he did.

One day, two days, three days...

Time passed.

The wizards spent all day next to the stone, running trial after trial. The rest of us either rested in the village or went around the island defeating monsters to pass the time.

A few more days passed.

[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn into a different world.]

Once again, it was time for the community forums to open for the month. A space where I could communicate with the outside world, and the only place I could meet up with that bastard, Baekho Lee.

I can finally interrogate him.

Since I had been looking forward to this for weeks, the moment I woke up in my room, I immediately turned on my computer and moved my mouse.

Click, click.

But for some reason, when I opened the forum, a pop-up took up half my screen.

[A notice for all players using Ghost Busters.]

"...An announcement?"

I had no recollection of ever seeing something like this before. Did something happen outside?

My eyes hurriedly darted through the lines and by the time I reached the end, I was frozen, unable to do anything but stare.

[Hello, I am the GM.]

The announcement started there, then went on to talk about when the community first began, why it was created, how hard the mods had worked over the years to maintain it, and so on. It was an intro that would send a shiver down the spine of even the most casual of gamers.

Because whenever something like this was posted online, the reason why was always the same.

Damn it.

I wished I was wrong. But there was no mistaking it.

[I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has used Ghost Busters over the years, and I must apologize for making this announcement this way.]

[Due to personal circumstances in the lives of the administrators, today will be the last day of Ghost Busters, after which service will end.]

[Any GP bought with real money can be refunded through the newly created Refund tab...]

The server was dead.