Chapter 114 - Reunion (2)

"Bjorn! I remember! It's that man from back then, nyah!"

"No need to explain. I remember too."

Feeling strangely unsettled, I retraced my memories. They took me back three months, to when we were trapped inside [Crevice of Evil], the Floor lord Riakis's instant-death skill.

["Be grateful we aren't killing you on the spot, you trash."]

When the Djarwi Clan cast out the explorers who had rioted, mass panic swept through them. That was when this man appeared.

["I-I know about this phenomenon."]

He offered the helpless explorers another way forward. Of course, it wasn't a story anyone could simply take on faith...

["I've been on a team with him for over a year. He's a mysterious man. There truly isn't anything he doesn't know. I have no doubt that his words will save us."]

With no other options, the explorers followed him, trusting only the assurances of an elf who claimed to be his companion.

And...

'No doubt, my ass.'

Every last one of them fucking died.

When I got curious and asked around afterward, that was all I heard, so I'd assumed it was true. Until I ran into this bastard today.

'Looks like they led over a hundred people to their deaths and were the only ones to survive.'

That made him quite an interesting fellow. Getting back alive couldn't have been down to luck alone. It made more sense to credit his resourcefulness.

Back then, I'd thought he was just a dumbass...

'Who knew he'd led them there knowing it was a death trap?'

"N-now! Dodge!"

I narrowed my eyes at the man as he predicted the Death Knight's attack patterns and issued instructions.

He had four summons in total. Their synergy was fairly good, but the Essences themselves weren't high-grade. That told me one thing.

'Around grade seven on average.'

He was a low-level explorer with nothing to his name. If he'd been born rich, at least his equipment would have looked impressive.

Which only raised more questions. Riakis's attack patterns. The conditions for a Death Knight to appear. An explorer with little experience and no privileged background knew all that?

'... The reasonable conclusion is that he's a Player.'

Through logical deduction, I reached my final verdict. This nameless summoner was a Player. Though I couldn't understand why he'd made the mistake of choosing a class like summoner as a human.

'Tsk. That's the part throwing me off.'

A Therianthrope, a Draconic human, or a dwarf would have been another story. Humans had absolutely no racial synergy with summoning. Of course, the difference was tiny early on, but it became an enormous gap in the late game. In short, it was terribly inefficient.

'Maybe that sort of thing didn't matter to him...'

That was entirely possible. Regardless of how well-rounded their character ended up, most people would probably want a class that let them coast. After all, who wanted to fight on the front lines themselves? Not that I had room to talk, having picked a shield the moment I realized I'd started as a barbarian.

「You have defeated a Death Knight. EXP +4」

I opened my eyes as a sense of fulfillment suffused my body. With the fireball the mage drove into its core serving as the final blow, the Death Knight was scattering into motes of light. No Essence dropped, incidentally.

"A pity. I even paid good money for a test tube, just in case."

"M-Mr. Hwang, b-be careful what you say..."

"Ah, yes."

The mage clamped his mouth shut and looked our way.

'Our turn now, then.'

After watching them expressionlessly for a moment, I put my innocent barbarian mask back on.

"Ooh, impressive! What sort of magic was that at the end?"

"... I don't believe we're on terms to have that sort of conversation."

As I tried to approach the mage in a friendly manner, the elf archer cut me off coldly, stopping me.

"What exactly were you doing earlier? Unless you can provide a proper explanation, we'll consider you an enemy."

Tsk. I remembered her being so gentle when addressing everyone back then... Was that all an act? Oh, right. Elves and barbarians didn't get along.

"Like I said, I was only trying to help!"

"How strange. None of us asked for help."

"Death Knights are strong! I thought you were in danger!"

The elf archer glared at me suspiciously. If she was still giving me that look even in baby barbarian mode, just how bad was our reputation among elves?

"Was that really your only reason?"

"What other reason would there be?"

"The Essence, for one. Perhaps not for you, but I imagine the Therianthrope beside you would find it quite desirable."

Startled by the elf's sharp remark, Misha waved her hands in denial.

"Y-you've got it wrong, nyah! I do use swords, but all my Essence slots are full anyway, so I couldn't even absorb it, nyah!"

"Is that true...?"

"You can check, nyah!"

Check? What was she talking about? What would she do if they actually checked here? It was an utterly ridiculous answer, but the elf simply nodded and let it pass.

"In that case, I'll believe you."

Apparently this elf archer reserved her prickliness for barbarians.

"Even so, some things don't quite add up if you intervened simply to help us."

"Tch, pointy-ears..."

"You! What did you just say?"

At her shrill shout, I retorted irritably.

"Just how devious are you normally, that suspicion is the first thing you turn to?"

I wasn't actually angry. I knew that barging into someone else's fight uninvited was wrong. But so what?

"Are you looking down on me because I'm a barbarian?"

Being able to turn the tables and go on the offensive even when you were clearly in the wrong—that was what it meant to be a true barbarian.

"Insult me again, and I won't stand for it, pointy-ears!"

The elf grew flustered as I raised my shield as though ready to fight, four against two or not.

"No, that's not it! I'm asking you to clear up the things that don't add up!"

"What doesn't add up?"

"I understand you weren't after the Essence. But it's hard to believe you weren't trying to ride on our coattails for free merit."

Hmm. She really was sharp. She'd practically reached the truth, but that wasn't a problem either.

"Why would I bother doing that? I've already killed one before."

"... Pardon?"

The elf stared blankly at my reply.

Well, of course she couldn't make sense of it. It was a monster you rarely even encountered before reaching the sixth floor. I gave a brief explanation.

"I've been to the Blood-Tinted Castle before. Does that explain it?"

It had been a variant rupture, so a Vampire had appeared instead of a Death Knight, but who cared? They weren't going to launch an investigation here. Besides, it was half true.

"B-but! How are we supposed to believe that?"

"By that logic, you won't believe anything I say, will you? If you want a fight, come at me, pointy-ears."

"Just because I've been holding back, you think I wouldn't...!"

As the elf finally erupted in anger, the man hurried forward in alarm.

"Miss Meirin. P-please stop! He's probably telling the t-truth!"

"What? What do you mean...?"

"I-I remember now! That barbarian... He's the p-person we saw back then! Bjorn, son of Jandel. The explorer who earned the epithet Little Valcan!"

It had only been a brief encounter, but apparently the summoner remembered my face. The mage and warrior exclaimed at the same time.

"No wonder he was blocking the Death Knight's sword so easily while talking."

"Oh, how remarkable. Miss Meirin, it seems we were mistaken. Surely someone so famous wouldn't do such a thing merely to gain a little merit score."

Perhaps sensing that things were taking a strange turn, the elf archer pressed her lips together.

"I understand how you feel, Miss Meirin. Sometimes admitting you're wrong is the hardest thing to do. But there are times when you must set aside your stubbornness and accept it."

"Whew. All right..."

Once all her companions concluded that I'd had no ulterior motive, the elf archer stopped digging her heels in.

'Whew. Is this why you need to grind reputation?'

Realizing the importance of fame all over again, I watched the summoner approach me.

"N-nice to meet you, Bjorn, son of Jandel."

His stutter made him seem a little ridiculous, but this bastard was no ordinary man either. After all, he'd driven hundreds of people to their deaths to save his own skin.

"S-since fate has brought us together like this, why don't we introduce ourselves?"

He made the request cautiously.

He couldn't be curious about my name, so this probably meant he wanted to get acquainted.

"Fine."

I nodded without hesitation. I had no reason to refuse. Curiosity about his name was the whole reason I'd stayed here this long.

"As you know, I'm Bjorn, son of Jandel. What's your name?"

Since he was definitely a Player, I intended to learn his name and investigate him later. There wasn't any grand reason for it. I was just a little curious. Looking into his activities might at least give me a sample of how ordinary Players behaved.

But...

"Hans Krissen."

Fuck. Even I hadn't seen this coming. A Player possessing a Hans? What kind of utterly fucked-up combination was that?

"If you don't mind, I'd like us to become f-fri—"

I backed away as he smiled amiably and offered his hand.

"Freeze. I have urgent business, so I'll be going now!"

"... What? What do you—"

"Misha! What are you doing? Hurry up!"

"Huh? Okay... Wait, nyah! L-let me catch up...!"

Damn it, I should have brought some salt. My heart was already pounding at the thought of what might happen next.

* * *

The moment I discovered Hans G's identity, I fled the scene as though running for my life. How long had it been since then?

"What are you doing, nyah! I don't mind running, but at least explain wh—"

"... He was a Hans too."

"Huh? What does that me—"

"Nothing has ever gone well after I've met a Hans."

I'd spoken out of genuine concern, but Misha actually looked relieved.

"Oh, honestly. Is that all? I thought something terrible had happened, nyah!"

No, this really was terrible. He was a Hans, remember? And a Player I'd encountered in the Labyrinth, no less?

"You really do have your quirks, nyah. I thought you'd be the last person to believe in superstitions like this, nyah."

Seeing Misha take it so lightly left me feeling oddly hurt.

"Pfft! Bjorn, you're... actually kind of cute today, nyah?"

What the hell was she talking about?

Since we were on the subject, I told her about every incident involving a Hans. Starting with Hans A, who'd kicked it all off, then Hans C, Elisa's thrall, and Hans D, leader of the plunderers we'd met in the Witch's Forest.

"C-come to think of it, you did say you hated the name Hans back then, nyah...?"

"Yes. But back then, I only thought it was a bad omen."

When I told her about Hans B, who'd been nearby right before Mozlan dragged Dwalki away, Misha's expression changed too.

"W-what is it with these Hans guys, nyah?!"

Like any explorer susceptible to superstition, Misha seemed to be getting anxious by this point.

"Then what do we do, nyah? We've already met him... Don't tell me something terrible is going to happen again, nyah?!"

Well, I didn't know either. I only thought we should be as careful as possible from now on.

"For now, let's get to the third floor as quickly as we can."

"... Not the first, nyah?"

Misha, who was now taking this even more seriously than I was, questioned the decision, but it was the most rational option available.

For one thing, I wasn't even sure whether this was just superstition... And even if it really existed, that changed nothing. If the curse of Hans was real, running away would be pointless. Fucked-up things could happen in the city too, couldn't they? Finishing what we'd come to do was the best way to minimize our losses.

"Ugh, then why did you even tell me, nyah? Now you've got me feeling uneasy too..."

Hmm. She had a point. Apparently meeting a Hans who was a Player had made rational thought difficult. Or perhaps I'd come to rely on her without realizing it. I wasn't sure about joy, but sharing a hardship between two people certainly cut it in half, didn't it?

"How can you say that, you crazy barbarian, nyah?!"

"... I was joking."

"Don't lie! Your eyes said you meant it, nyah!"

When I told her the truth, Misha became furious. Though she did seem rather pleased by the part about my unconsciously coming to rely on her.

"Whew! Anyway, you did the right thing telling me instead of hiding it, nyah. If anything like this happens again, don't stew over it alone. Tell me, nyah. I'm older than you, aren't I, nyah?"

"Ah, right."

Misha was five years older than me. Than Bjorn, of course.

"What's with that reaction, nyah?"

"I meant I can rely on you even more."

"... I don't think that was it, nyah."

Anyway, we ended our chatter there and resumed traveling. How much more time passed? I began to feel fatigue building in my body. It was about time to make camp.

'It's been almost a day since then, so we should reach the third floor tomorrow or the day after.'

I was quite tired myself, but after we settled in, I let Misha sleep first. Sitting quietly on watch, I let my thoughts wander. How long had it been?

[00 : 37]

When I checked the time, it was already past midnight. Today had been day seven, meaning the first floor's Crystal Cave had already closed and spat the explorers back into the city. Well, whether we left early or late, we'd all return to the city at the same time...

'He made it back all right, didn't he?'

I suddenly thought of Karon, whom we'd escorted to the first floor.

["It might be a good idea to deliberately find human overnight companions and then pretend to sleep. If they're scheming something, they're sure to show their true colors!"]

Was it because of the last thing he'd said? I found myself worrying that he might have caused some trouble.

'Nah. What could possibly happen?'

It was already time to switch watches, so I woke Misha and got some sleep myself.

* * *

Dazzling light. The noise of a crowd. And the city's distinctively damp air filling his lungs. Karon shouted before he knew it. He simply felt like doing so. It felt refreshing, perhaps?

He didn't care that the people around him stared as though he were a savage. Once, those looks had intimidated him... But so what!

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!!"

Karon had changed. No, he had shed a layer. Like a great horn-carving beetle breaking out of its shell to become an adult. On this expedition, he had grown into a true warrior. And so...

"Tsk. Those barbarians always have to make a spectacle of themselves."

"Hey, he'll hear you. Watch yourself. Those bastards charge in without thinking."

Those contemptuous looks felt only pleasantly stimulating. Didn't that mean their guard was down? Just like the two overnight companions he had killed over the past few days.

'It was easy.'

Bjorn, son of Jandel. Everything had been just as he'd said. The first floor swarmed with scum concealing their true intentions, and the moment Karon showed an opening, they eagerly pounced. Never realizing it was a trap. The expressions on those who'd looked down on him as prey when the tables turned gave him a thrill unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

CLINK, CLINK.

One on his back, one on his right arm, and one on his left. Carrying three bags in total, he strode proudly toward the checkpoint. As expected of the gate reserved for rank-9 explorers, the line was long. When he arrived, fellow barbarians he knew spotted him from various places and approached.

"Karon, son of Tarson! What are all those bags?"

"Th-they're full of equipment! Don't tell me you've been plundering?"

Karon shook his head firmly.

"Heh. Plundering? Of course not."

This was no disgusting act like plundering. No, it was a noble act to protect their people. Once he firmly dismissed their concerns, the barbarians' eyes changed.

"You can get all that without plundering?!"

"I-I'm jealous! How much stone bread could you buy if you sold all that?"

They had completed their coming-of-age ceremony alongside him, but today they seemed so young. That was why he gathered as many of his people as possible. He had once considered them rivals, but their true enemies lay elsewhere.

"Heh heh. Don't be jealous. Once you know how, you can earn this much too. You'll never have to eat stone bread again."

"What?! If there's a way to do that, tell us at once!"

"I will! But first! There's something I need to tell you."

First, Karon recounted what he'd experienced in the Labyrinth, in order. How his companions had betrayed him. How they had done it for his heart. And how they saw barbarians as easy monsters with lucrative rewards.

"We are not monsters!!"

"We are warriors!!"

As expected, his people were outraged. And when they heard that Little Valcan had saved him, they raised their voices in praise.

"Little Valcan, Bjorn, son of Jandel!"

"To read those wicked plunderers' thoughts! He truly is a great and wise warrior!"

The atmosphere heated up in an instant. Amid it all, Karon declared proudly,

"He taught me. His teachings are the reason I returned with so much loot!"

"Ooh! Is that true?!"

"It is! And now I'll pass those teachings on to you!"

Karon then shared everything he had learned from Bjorn. No, he even shared "the method" he had devised himself, holding nothing back. Of course, he gave Bjorn all the credit.

"All we need to do is find human overnight companions and pretend to sleep?!"

"Bjorn, son of Jandel! Is he a genius?"

"It sounded a little strange at first, but if such a great warrior said it, I'll follow his advice!"

Watching his people flush with excitement, Karon became certain.

"Tsk. There they go again."

"They're always so loud. I don't know why they're allowed to get away with it."

"I bet those mouths would keep going even if you cut out their hearts and sold them."

Until now, barbarians had been the lowest prey in the Labyrinth. He hated to admit it, but that was the reality he had faced not long ago. They might be strong in a fair fight, but against those cunning tricks, they had been helpless. However...

"Bjorn, son of Jandel, said it himself! All of this will be a noble first step for all our people!!"

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!!!"

"VEHELLLAAAAAA!!!"

From now on, things would be different.