Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Newbie Adventurer Bern (20) - Senior
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Bern was often judged by those around him as "not fitting the adventurer mold," but he didn't particularly dislike the unique culture of adventurers.
When a senior and junior adventurer met to share stories, wouldn't knocking back beers at a tavern suit them better than sipping tea in some fancy mansion?
"Kya! Frensia has a few good eateries, but when it comes to beer, this place is the best, hands down. What do you think? To your liking?"
Alseus lifted a massive wooden beer mug that could cover his face without hesitation, then slammed it down on the table with a thunk! His image perfectly embodied the rough-and-tumble adventurer Bern had vaguely imagined, leaving Bern quietly impressed despite himself.
Honestly, by his standards, the beer here was too lukewarm and lacked any real bite, tasting more like weak water. But atmosphere made all the difference with stuff like this—the vibe alone made it taste better.
"Yes, it's not bad."
"Tch, that's a lukewarm response."
"If it's on Senior's tab, I suspect 'not bad' might upgrade to 'good.'"
"Hahaha! This guy's got a proper sly side under that prim exterior! If I don't pick up the tab after you say that, what kind of man would I be? It's all on me, so drink up without a care!"
Alseus burst into hearty laughter, clearly delighted by Bern's reply.
With that light icebreaker wrapped up...
Blanca, who had barely touched her drink, finally spoke up.
"So, can we get to the main point now?"
"Hm. Right."
Alseus stroked his chin beard for a moment before blurting it out.
"Well, to be frank, it's a handover. When you get down to it, we're just dumping our failed cleanup on you juniors. But even if we're bowing out, I figured it's right to lend some help along the way."
"...Is that really all?"
Blanca's voice carried a hefty dose of bewilderment and skepticism.
In the adventurer world, where everyone was both partner and rival, "acts of kindness" were especially rare.
Unless they were collaborating on the same commission, helping out a unrelated party brought no real gain.
Among the thugs filling the adventurer ranks, few faithfully repaid favors received.
Even if an adventurer intended to, they could drop dead anywhere, anytime before settling the score—both the debtor and the one owed.
Everyone knew that a culture of aiding the desperate would boost overall survival rates, ultimately benefiting themselves. But adventurers favored quick hits over vague, distant rewards.
As if reading Blanca's doubts, Alseus let out a broad, easy laugh.
"I get it, I get it. I know what you're driving at, miss. Doesn't my being here alone give you a rough idea?"
"Did you perhaps... have a falling out?"
"Spot on. They blew up, saying why help you lot solve what we couldn't—it'd just tarnish our rep. Bunch of petty small-timers. No magnanimity, none at all."
Alseus vented his frustration by downing the half-full mug in one go, then shot a sidelong glance at the shopkeeper, his face somehow hollow as he dutifully watched the room.
"Place is run solo by the owner now, but it used to have a daughter waiting tables. Folks were scared, begged us to restore the city to normal. She said she'd do anything she could—even volunteer as bait. We were hitting dead ends on the search, so we swore to protect her and took her on. But look—no waitress in sight now."
Blanca and Renya swallowed hard.
A raw aura of grief and fury poured from Alseus, who had seemed like nothing more than a cheeky layabout.
"That was the most humiliating moment of my adventuring career. I wanted to stick with the commission and solve it somehow, but eventually, you realize it whether you like it or not. Clinging on without the ability just racks up more victims. So we quit, and now you're here. Do I need any other reason to help you?"
Speaking for the speechless pair, Bern replied.
"No, that's plenty. Would you mind sharing the details?"
"Good man. I'll tell you everything. From what we gathered during our stay—"
From there, Alseus began passing on all the intel his party had uncovered.
-Disappearances occur at random intervals. Sometimes one a day, sometimes nothing for days, then a sudden snatch. But at least one every week, minimum.
-The only way to prevent them: don't sleep. If even one person stays awake in a space with potential victims, nothing happens there.
-If everyone's asleep, it infiltrates anywhere effortlessly, no matter the defenses. Even sealing physical entrances doesn't help.
-Some victims tried tying family together to prevent it, but ropes came undone easily, and they vanished.
-Traps didn't trigger. No footprints or tracks to follow.
-The forest, initial suspect site for the culprit, was thoroughly searched—no evidence found.
"Last resort: we gathered likely victims into a few buildings, took rotating watches... but even that failed. A watchman dozed off where no party member was posted, and the young women there vanished in an instant. That trauma's got folks refusing to cooperate on watches now, even. 'Can't trust anyone but family,' they say."
Once Alseus finished, Renya spoke up with a grim face.
"Is there even a solution here? Doors locked—no dice. Traps set—no dice. Physically binding victims—no dice. What the hell do we do?"
Renya knew Bern's overwhelming might.
He'd figured nothing could beat Bern—not mystery monsters, evil dark wizards, or even aura-wielding knights. So he'd been relaxed. But this seemed trickier than expected.
No matter how strong Bern was, they had to engage the enemy first to win or lose.
"Hmm."
Meanwhile, Blanca felt an odd disconnect and glanced aside, spotting Bern deep in thought, just like her.
Their eyes met briefly, and Bern gave a slight nod.
Feeling a strange satisfaction, like their minds were in sync, Blanca asked.
"That person from the group watch who supposedly dozed off without meaning to—where are they now?"
Alseus raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Why do you ask?"
"It's just too suspicious. Not a simple slip—knowing one doze spells doom for everyone."
"Sleep hits whether you will it or not. Even wired with tension, one lapse and you're out."
"Even so, seems worth investigating at least once."
"Hmm..."
Thud!
Just then, the shopkeeper approached unnoticed and set down plates of food on their table.
"Malcolm? Probably holed up in a ruin on the city outskirts. Folks who've lost family or lovers to this glare daggers at him—can't survive in town, got chased out."
Bern bowed politely to him.
"Thank you for the info."
"If you're outsiders working to catch the culprit, this is the least I can do."
With that, the shopkeeper eyed Alseus.
"I'm counting on you. Don't let my daughter's courage go to waste."
Alseus's face soured briefly, then he nodded firmly.
"Leave it to us. I'll cooperate with these folks as much as I can."
Renya, piecing together their situation from Alseus's words and the shopkeeper's demeanor, rubbed his eyes as if moved.
Blanca reaffirmed her resolve to catch the culprit somehow, while Bern sipped his beer with an inscrutable expression.
'Who knows. Maybe the beer's gone flat compared to before.'
Bern didn't reply.
"I'll be sticking around town for a while, so call if you need help. Oh, and don't get the wrong idea—I'm not after any rewards."
Adding that he couldn't stand losing, Alseus departed.
Renya spoke with unmistakable admiration.
"Man, I used to think adventurers outside Big Bro and Sis were just decently tough thugs, but at Rank 4, they've got real class. That win-at-all-costs drive, sense of duty, pride... No wonder they're the Eastern Branch's banner stars!"
"Well, first time I've chatted with him directly, but I've never heard bad rumors in the Guild either."
He was probably the closest thing to the "storybook adventurer" Bern always raved about.
Thinking that, Blanca glanced at Bern, but oddly, he said nothing.
Tilting her head, she fell in step behind him as they headed to the city outskirts.
The sun had set, blanketing everything in darkness, but a fireball bloomed in Blanca's palm, lighting their way.
Maintaining it idly like this, without firing it off, guzzled mana pretty hard, but with her reserves surging lately, it wasn't a burden.
She wondered what her old self—who counted every low-tier spell—would snark if she saw this.
They walked a bit longer.
"...Whoa. Heard it was a ruin, but this is rough."
Renya whistled in dismay.
As he said, the building ahead was in bad shape.
Peeling walls. Thick dust. A pervasive dreary air.
The night made it gloomier, sure, but it didn't look livable. Fine for a guts test, maybe.
"Mr. Malcolm? You there? We have questions about the disappearances."
No answer to the knock.
Four, five times.
Repeated knocks and calls yielded nothing.
"Not home?"
"Yeah, Bro. No way anyone's living in a dump like this."
Despite their protests, Bern kept knocking steadily.
About ten minutes in, irritable thumps echoed from inside.
The door flew open with near-destructive force, and a man barked irritably.
"What! What the hell! Do you know what time it is!?"
Bloodshot eyes. Gaunt cheekbones. Reeking of booze. And a handaxe gripped tight.
A walking red flag. Blanca and Renya instinctively readied for combat.
But Bern spoke calmly.
"We'd like to ask about the night of the disappearance. Would you cooperate briefly?"
"Cooperate my ass! I got nothing to say, so if you don't wanna drop—"
"So you'll wear this stigma forever?"
"—Huh?"
Malcolm flinched at Bern's words.
Bern pressed the stunned man.
"I know dozing off on watch wasn't your fault. Let us clear your name. Cooperate."