Chapter 340 - Snowball (4)

The Dark Continent, the seventh floor of the Labyrinth.

Deep in the mountains, shrouded in the black fog that marked them as part of that continent, five explorers were preparing to camp.

“Grandpa Doom, how much longer on that warding circle?”

“About ten minutes.”

“Still? Ugh, this is why we need a priest.”

At the blond man's complaint, the old man drawing the magic circle underwent a subtle change of expression. It barely showed, but it was displeasure.

“If you are so dissatisfied, why not fill our remaining spot with a priest?”

The blond man snorted.

“Gramps, would a priest join our team?”

“There are priests of Carui, are there not?”

“I'll pass on a half-assed healer.”

Muttering that, the blond man turned away from the old man and peered into the fog. Though pitch-black mist blocked the way ahead, he could make out a monster approaching through it.

A rank-five beast-type monster, a Dyvil Wolf.

They normally lived in packs, but this one was alone, perhaps driven out after losing a fight for dominance. The blond man turned to a woman and spoke in his usual flippant tone.

“Kitty, you take care of that.”

“I believe I told you not to call me that?”

“So touchy. Well, what's your answer?”

The red-haired Therianthrope woman, Misha Karlstein, rose silently with her swords.

And then...

“Woof, woof...!”

The instant the monster emerged from the fog, she swung. Two strikes were all it took.

SHUNK!

The moment the sword in her left hand pierced its hide, cold swirled around the wounded monster, freezing it solid.

CRASH!

The sword in her right hand shattered the frozen monster.

“Oh, you can finish rank fives in one combo now?”

“...”

Without answering, Misha returned to her seat. The blond man muttered as though he'd been wronged.

“Hey, why am I the only one you give the cold shoulder?”

“Do you really have to ask...?”

“How should I know? I take you along, feed you Essences, help you get stronger, and even tell you how to bring your beloved back to life. What the hell are you so unhappy about—”

“Stop.”

“Even the way you talk. You were cuter when you kept meowing—”

“I said stop.”

When Misha fixed him with an icy glare, the blond man shrugged and sat down by the campfire.

“Oh, right. Your beloved is off-limits. Sorry.”

His apology utterly devoid of sincerity, he began chatting with the others as though nothing had happened. Misha quietly reined in her seething emotions.

'... Lee Baekho.'

That was the name of the blond man sitting before her. The only individual the royal family feared, and a man so powerful that even Noark always yielded ground to him.

CRACKLE, CRACKLE.

Watching the sparks spit erratically from the fire, Misha recalled their first meeting.

* * *

It had been like a hand extended by the devil. Especially in that it was an offer she couldn't refuse.

[“What would you do if I told you there was a way to bring Bjorn Jandel back to life?”]

That day, Lee Baekho told her there was something called the Stone of Resurrection on the ninth floor. With it, she could bring back the person she'd lost.

Of course, his kindness came at a price.

[“But there's something you have to do for me.”]

Lee Baekho laid out two conditions.

[“First, testify that Bjorn Jandel was an evil spirit.”]

[“... What?”]

[“You two were practically lovers, right? If you say it, people won't dismiss it as some baseless rumor.”]

She couldn't fathom the purpose behind that first condition.

[“Don't be ridiculous, nyah! If I do that, Bjorn won't have anywhere to go even if he comes back alive! How could I—!”]

[“So, you won't do it?”]

Lee Baekho cut her off with a grin.

Though seized by the urge to leave at once, Misha pressed her lips together and endured it. The reason was simple. She had a gut feeling that one more word would make him withdraw his offer and leave.

[“Good girl.”]

Watching her restraint with satisfaction, Lee Baekho continued in a more generous tone.

[“Now, I know that caught you off guard, but I didn't suggest it without thinking. If my plan works out, we can fuck the royal family up for good.”]

[“... The royal family?”]

[“Looks like we'll have to deal with them first if we're going to get through the Gate of Abyss. Revealing that Bjorn Jandel was an evil spirit is the first step.”]

Lunatic.

The word rose to her throat, but Misha held it back.

[“Anyway, what I'm saying is... once the royal family is gone, he'll have no trouble living here, evil spirit or not.”]

[“... And if your plan fails?”]

[“Then I'll personally make sure you escape beyond the walls. From what I've heard, it's more livable out there than you'd think. Or, if you don't like that, you can make new identities and live together in secret on the outskirts of the city.”]

[“...”]

[“Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?”]

Whether it sounded good didn't matter. If what he said was true, she effectively had no choice.

Being alive was better than being dead. And to her, a world without Bjorn was no different from death.

Still, Misha wasn't foolish enough to agree immediately.

[“... Tell me the second condition.”]

[“Oh, that? Simple. I need you to help me out.”]

[“...?”]

[“I've been needing a dual-wielding frost swordswoman anyway.”]

Misha flinched at his nonchalant words. He was clearly smiling, yet his eyes seemed to regard her as an object rather than a person.

[“... Why me, of all people?”]

Under an inexplicable sense of pressure, Misha struggled to get the words out. She wanted to know his hidden intentions.

But...

[“Just a whim.”]

His answer wasn't what she'd expected.

[“... A whim?”]

[“Yeah. Honestly, it doesn't have to be you. It's not like I can't spread rumors that Bjorn Jandel was an evil spirit without you. Plus, I'd have to get you the Stone of Resurrection. It's just more hassle for me...”]

He spoke as though she were an annoying burden. Humiliation was boiling up from the tips of her toes when he added:

[“Oh, but there is one advantage.”]

Lee Baekho grinned at Misha.

[“You have a reason you can't betray me, don't you?”]

That was why he'd come to her.

* * *

Her question made me feel like I'd go mad at the prospect of proving my identity all over again, but clearing up Erwin's suspicions wasn't particularly difficult. I just had to tell her the truth from beginning to end.

The Stone Fragment of Records activating on Parune Island. Arriving in the city twenty years in the past. The six months we'd spent struggling to return to our own time.

For the record, I left out anything to do with evil spirits.

[“No matter what anyone says, you're Bjorn Jandel to me, Mister.”]

Lying to the first person who'd ever said that to me was far from easy, but I had no choice. This was the best option for both of us.

[“It is an ability that will be of great help in concealing your identity from now on.”]

I had the “gift” Auriel Gabis had given me. If it worked properly, proving I wasn't an “evil spirit” wouldn't necessarily be impossible.

But what if Erwin were subjected to verification? What if my confession to being an evil spirit became public knowledge as a result?

'That would make things a real headache.'

Nobody knew what the future held. It was absolutely right to be cautious and account for that possibility.

'But did that old geezer Auriel Gabis give me that gift with this situation in mind...?'

Since this was the news I'd heard as soon as I returned to the future, I couldn't help wondering. Still, I couldn't draw any conclusions about that either.

“Hmm... So you're not an evil spirit, Mister?”

Perhaps she'd meant it when she said she didn't care either way, because Erwin didn't probe deeply into the evil spirit issue. Instead, she persisted in questioning me about something unexpected.

“Um, then...”

“Yeah?”

“You spent half a year with that woman, Amelia Reinweils...?”

“Y-yeah?”

“And she fell for you after you saved her, and said she'd become your companion?”

“She didn't fall for me. She just wanted to repay—”

“If it's just gratitude, you can throw her away now, right?”

“... Huh?”

Throw her away? Amelia? How had the conversation suddenly taken that turn?

Unlike before, keeping up with Erwin was proving a little difficult.

While I was carefully choosing my words, Erwin spoke first.

“Whatever her circumstances, she's still a plunderer from Noark, isn't she? Can you trust a woman like that?”

“But Amelia is an extremely useful asset...”

I trailed off and closed my mouth. For some reason, Erwin was smiling with a knowing look in her eyes.

“Hehe, you're so cute, Mister...”

That might have been the first time I'd received that compliment since entering a barbarian's body. As I stared at her, she finally seemed to notice my gaze and covered her mouth shyly.

But was this something she simply had to say?

“Don't worry about that woman, Mister. You have me. I've gotten incredibly strong. Strong enough that losing one woman like her won't matter at all. I make good money, and I even have subordinates who'll do whatever I say.”

“Oh, is that so...”

“Yes. Of course, I understand how you feel. Suddenly finding yourself in that situation, you must have needed someone to lean on.”

Her tone made it sound as though she thought I couldn't live without a woman. I was wondering whether I was just being oversensitive when she continued.

“Maybe she did seem pretty dependable there. L-like when you first met me...”

After saying something that could only have come from a distorted memory, Erwin clasped my hand tightly.

“But don't worry. I'm here now.”

Honestly, that only left me bewildered. We'd been close, sure, but had we been this close? Close enough for her to say things like that without hesitation after two years and six months apart?

“I'll protect you from now on, Mister. Yes, so...”

“So...?”

When I asked with a sense of foreboding, Erwin beamed.

“Make sure you kill her next time you see her.”

“Kill... who?”

“Reinweils! That woman!”

* * *

I thought I understood now. Why Amelia had said that.

[“Jandel, she is no longer the elf you knew.”]

The innocent twenty-year-old elf was gone. All that remained was an extremist elf who seemed to have a screw loose.

'If I let her drag me along here, I'm done for.'

I instinctively realized that smiling and laughing along would get me nowhere. So...

“VEHELLLAAAAAA!!!!”

I started by shouting. It made me feel like I could do anything.

Whatever Erwin had been through in the meantime, though, she didn't so much as blink at my sudden roar. No, she actually clapped delightedly.

“Wow! That's my Mister!”

... Well, that took the wind out of my sails.

Doing my best to ignore her reaction, I spoke firmly.

“Erwin, we're not killing Amelia.”

“What? Why not?”

As expected, she wasn't going to make this easy.

“The fewer people who know a secret, the better, right? That includes the Stone Fragment of Records and everything else. We'll have to keep the fact that you're alive a secret for now, so there's no reason to keep that woman—”

“Enough.”

When I cut her off, Erwin tilted her head. She genuinely seemed unable to understand why I was acting this way.

“I'll handle Amelia myself. Don't say anything like that again. Understood?”

I spoke firmly once more, then stared at her until she answered. Looking somewhat flustered, she glanced around before finally letting her shoulders droop.

“... All right. I won't.”

Whew. Seeing that, maybe I could keep her under control somehow.

With the Amelia issue settled for now, I discussed a few things with Erwin, then took the secret passage to the surface.

And then...

“Don't worry. Nobody will be able to see you.”

Once aboveground, we hid ourselves using a darkness spirit and made our way to an inn. It was the middle of the night, so the streets were empty, let alone populated by anyone skilled enough to detect our concealment.

“It's cramped, but please stay here tonight. I'll find you somewhere better by tomorrow, somehow...”

“Somewhere better...?”

This was already a top-floor suite with four rooms...?

It was hard to believe those words had come from the Erwin who'd once made an hour-long journey each way for a thousand-Stone meal just because it was cheap and tasty. But I supposed that was what the passage of time did.

I'd better get used to it quick—

“Come on, let's go in!”

“... You too?”

“Of course. I paid for the room, didn't I?”

Oh. Fair point.

While I stood there spluttering, unable to find anything to say, Erwin ushered me into the room.

And then...

“Do you remember this, Mister?”

Erwin abruptly pulled a bottle of liquor from her subspace. It felt like I'd been plunged into another test.

'Do I remember...?'

... Oh, now I did.

“It's the first return drink we had together.”

Thankfully, that seemed to be the right answer. Erwin chuckled happily, saying, “I knew you'd remember!”

In the process, though, I learned something I hadn't wanted to know.

“Isn't it incredibly romantic?”

“Romantic...?”

“This liquor. I was saving it to drink alone after I'd killed every last bastard and bitch I needed to kill. Hehe, but to think the day would come when I'd drink it with you...”

What on earth had happened to her? If she was like this, I was starting to worry about the others, too...

“All right. Let's have a drink.”

Staying sharp while drinking was my specialty, so I accepted her invitation. How much time passed after that?

'She still can't hold her liquor.'

It wasn't long before Erwin got drunk and went to lie down on the bed. Seeing her collapse so defenselessly made me worry that she might do this elsewhere, too, but...

'No, what am I worrying about?'

With a faint chuckle, I sat in the chair by the window. It was a moment that made me feel I understood why husbands craved time alone so much once they were married.

'It's peaceful...'

Moonlight fell across the window. After sitting there and enjoying the silence for a short while, I put my mind to work in earnest. I'd learned quite a bit during our conversation over drinks, and I needed to sort it out.

Raven was in the Third Magic Corps. Mister Bear had joined a clan to make a living. Erwin said she knew nothing at all about Misha. As for Aynar...

'If things work out, she should be the easiest to bring back.'

I sighed and shook my head. There was a far more important obstacle than gathering my scattered companions again. Even quests had to be completed in the right order, didn't they?

'She said the royal family confirmed it a few months after the rumors about me being an evil spirit started spreading...'

Let's sort that out first.