A Debt to Settle

What the hell? Don't tell me the acquisition itself is being canceled because I lack the inherent Madness trait and can't enter a berserk state? ⋯

'Thank god. I was worried I wouldn't get it.'

Another offensive trait this time.

"Aren! Sorry for the wait!"

"We made sure to grab everything we could."

The two girls who had finished farming approached me as I sat there, drained.

"You made it? You two wiped out the rest of them without missing a single one⋯ You really worked hard."

Yeriel waved her hands dismissively, her face twisting into a pout.

"Ehh, you're the one who did all the hard work! Look at you. You said you weren't hurt that badly!"

Lumia wiped the tears welling in Yeriel's eyes and spoke.

"What Aren needs right now isn't crying. He needs healing."

"Mm-hmm."

They must have grown pretty close while fighting together. Good to see.

"May they rise above their pain and stand once more."

Thanks to Yeriel's healing, my condition began improving rapidly.

I probably won't have any use for this myself. I'll have to figure out how to sell it once we return to the city. As for the rest of the loot, it was mostly the weapons and armor the hunters had been wearing. We stripped the intact gauntlets and pauldrons—gear that fetched a decent price relative to its bulk—and stashed them in the spatial bag. We also managed to gather quite a few essential supplies like small potions, flares, torches, and dried rations.

"I checked the map. There's a rest area coming up soon. You two must be tired, but let's push a little further."

The spot where we'd first landed was near the path leading to the northern portal. Since we'd encountered the human hunters while heading south following the curse arrow, the rest area should appear if we kept going a bit more. The only concern was whether someone else might already be occupying it when we arrived. We didn't have the energy to walk to the next one⋯ All we could do was hope it was empty.

⋯Thud, thud.

"This looks like the right place, right?"

"Yeah. When I first came to the first floor, I entered through a similar hole."

"Right. It shouldn't be a trap or anything."

Fortunately, the first rest area we found was unoccupied. There was a hole in the wall marked on the map. Inside was a space large enough for one or two parties to rest—nothing more than an empty cavern meant solely for shelter.

Once we secured a place to rest, the fatigue I'd been holding back crashed over me all at once.

"Darkness is my servant. Rise and obey."

"It's like an alarm spell, so you rest first, Aren. Yeriel and I will take the first watch and wake you last."

"Exactly! You fought human hunters with C-rank stats. You must be exhausted."

Lumia summoned her familiar with magic and even decided the watch rotation.

"Thanks. Then I'll sleep first. When my turn comes, don't leave me be out of consideration—make sure you wake me."

No matter how grueling the battle, some things still had to be done. Too tired to refuse the kindness, I immediately spread out my sleeping bag and passed out the moment I lay down.

And the next day.

We moved forward, easily dispatching the monsters we encountered while following the curse. Finally, we found Isaac.

"Found him."

⋯We found him, but damn it. As expected, he'd gathered a party and entered.

'Should I ambush them before they close the distance?'

The thought of dropping lightning first and then charging in to kill them all flashed through my mind, but⋯

'Then how would I be any different from the human hunters that Master so despised?'

After fighting the human hunters to the death just yesterday, was I really going to do the exact same thing?

"Aren. I know exactly what kind of grudge you have with Isaac, so whatever decision you make, I'll follow it."

"I⋯ If I can stay by your side, I can do anything. Should we attack before they notice us?"

Yeriel and Lumia spoke up first, seeing the conflicted look on my face. Hearing their words solidified my resolve. This was a matter that only Isaac and I needed to see through to the end. That much was certain.

In the first place, the reason I'd revealed to Yeriel that I was a transmigrator and told her about my grudge with Isaac was⋯ to ask her to look the other way when I killed him, not to ask her to participate in a murder born from my personal circumstances.

'Lumia is the same.'

I didn't want to use her insecurities to stain her hands with unnecessary blood. The tracking curse alone was enough.

"Let's approach slowly."

We kept moving closer. Eventually, Isaac and his entire party spotted us. Isaac narrowed his eyes and raised his voice toward me.

"What the hell! I figured you'd come in when the labyrinth opened, but running into you on the first floor?"

His party members each chimed in.

"Isaac, do you know them?"

"⋯."

"Whoa, whoa. How do you know that handsome oppa?"

"Everyone, quiet! Their expressions don't look good."

The man who seemed to be the leader—a shield and mace wielder—calmed the party down.

He scanned our party and spoke.

"If this was just a friendly reunion, I'd suggest we each go our own way, but the way your faces hardened the moment you saw us tells me that's not the case."

He shrugged and added,

"From what I hear, you seem to know Isaac. Got some business with him?"

As long as that guy was in their party, I needed to either convince the others to stay out of it or make them leave entirely so I could face Isaac one-on-one.

"First off, it's unfortunate we had to meet under bad circumstances."

I pointed at Isaac.

"I have an unresolved grudge with that bastard Isaac in your party that must be settled."

Grind.

"We could only settle it with a spar in the city, so I've been waiting for the day we'd meet in the labyrinth. Now we'll fight until one of us dies."

At my words, Isaac shouted from behind.

"Hey, what grudge, you crazy bastard? You beat the crap out of me in that spar and now you're slandering me!"

He really didn't remember anything. Ignoring him, I looked at Louis.

"This isn't a fixed party, right? I won't harm any of the others, so would you look the other way while I fight him?"

"⋯Hmm."

"I'll compensate you for losing a party member because of me."

Louis shook his head.

"Even if he's a new recruit, I can't do that."

Shing.

I drew my sword.

Vwoooom.

Crackle—

"If that's how it has to be, then so be it."

The moment he saw me draw my sword, Louis raised his shield and gripped his mace.

"So the entire party has to stand in the way to protect him? You must've thought we were pushovers."

'Damn it. Do I really have to fight all five?'

The tension was at a breaking point. Then—

"Waaait—!"

The beautiful female archer raised her hand and shouted.

All eyes turned to her as she spoke.

"Louis! Who decided 'all of us' on your own?"

"⋯So your opinion is different?"

"I'm against it. I was already annoyed by how he acts all high and mighty just because he has a few good traits. I don't want to fight over someone like that."

"Y-you crazy bitch! You done talking?"

"Not yet! While we're at it, stop staring at my chest and ass, you pervert!"

She stood with her arms crossed, glaring at Isaac as if she'd been waiting for this moment.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice where your disgusting gaze was going?"

Isaac's usual arrogant expression was gone, replaced by panic.

"⋯I asked if you were staying at an inn or what you did before coming to the city, but I never peeked at your body!"

The long-haired priestess cleared her throat and chimed in.

"No, Hannah is right. I didn't say anything, but I've felt your gaze lingering on the chest area of my priestess robes several times."

Wow⋯ So ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he was just a shut-in NEET who only aged while playing games. How was he any different from Hans? In the labyrinth, he should've been even more restrained. I couldn't understand it—every time he entered the labyrinth, whether last time or this time, he'd been risking his life.

After hearing the priestess, Louis, his face flushed with anger, spoke while still watching me.

"Isaac, was everything we just heard true?"

From the way his face turned red with rage, the priestess must be his girlfriend.

"No, it's not! Shit, is this misandry too? Where's your proof! Why are you ganging up on someone without evidence?!"

At this point, even the masked rogue who had been silent and taciturn from the beginning spoke up, as if his mind was made up.

"Hmm, either way, I'm against it too. From the way he's radiating killing intent, it seems he has a reason he must kill that guy. But I don't want to take the risk for someone I've only known for a few days."

He glanced at me.

"Louis, Hannah, or Natasha might be targeted, but I don't want to put myself in danger for a guy I barely know."

He gave me another look.

"Look at those sunken eyes. Doesn't it look like he's staring at the enemy who killed his mother? And that sword crackling with lightning?"

Mother, my ass.

"⋯Well, I almost lost something more precious than family because of him."

The two billion that could've changed my life.

'And I probably shouldn't curse the Goddess of Chaos⋯'

Thinking about the two billion I'd lost, I almost cursed Ceres along with Isaac. Since she was an apostle, she might be watching even if she wasn't speaking like Chaos—how would I know if she could read minds?

"Shit, shit! If we entered the labyrinth as the same party, shouldn't we at least fight together in times like this?!"

Realizing the mood was turning against him, Isaac pleaded desperately.

"Don't just stand there—say something!"

"I don't have any particular feelings, but if that's what you two think, then I don't see the need to step in either."

Louis, who had raised his shield the moment I drew my sword, listened to the last priestess's words, squeezed his eyes shut once, then lowered his shield.

"⋯Isaac. I didn't hand you over right away and stood ready to fight, so I think I've upheld the camaraderie we built over this short time."

He continued, mentioning how he'd been uneasy about Isaac's frivolous attitude from the first day.

"I recruited an extra dealer to break some records, but if I'd known this kind of conflict would arise, I should've just entered with four like usual."

Thud!

"Isaac, you're expelled from the party."

He pointed his mace at me with an uncomfortable expression.

"And you over there, do whatever you want—fight or whatever. We don't need compensation, so let's never meet again."

Isaac, who had been standing still with his head down, began to laugh.

"⋯Heh, heh, heh."

Isaac glared at Hannah with bloodshot eyes.

"You shitty four-man queue bastards. I knew it, you damn bitch. You think just because you're pretty, you're worth anything? Your face might look decent, but I bet it stinks like a whore down there!"

Hannah let out a derisive laugh.

"Pfft, too bad. Unfortunately for you, I'm a virgin, so that doesn't hurt. Sure, sure. I am pretty. Thanks for the compliment!"

"⋯Damn it. Sylph, cast a buff!"

Whoooosh—

I thought he was going to charge after suddenly casting a buff, but—

Tap, tap!

He turned and started running away without looking back.

'I have to catch him here. If he escapes through the portal, it'll all be for nothing.'

Remember Cicero's chain lightning.

'Lightning'

Crackle, crackle!

To hit the quickly fleeing target, I ran after him while dropping weak bolts of lightning in several places.

"Ghk!"

Got him!

"Aaaagh! You bastards, I'll get my revenge on all of you!"

He stopped after being hit by lightning and twitched for a moment. Forcing his slowed body to move, Isaac used a charging skill and shot forward, shouting about revenge.

The deadly game of tag had begun.