Chapter 366 - Responsibility (4)

Raven broke the awkward silence.

“Are you going to keep making that face? This isn't your fault, Mr. Jandel... I mean, Mr. Schuitz.”

She probably didn't know the whole story, but she wasn't wrong. It was hard to say this was entirely my fault.

Still, I couldn't shake the thought that I'd given someone standing at the edge of a cliff that final push.

If I hadn't gone to see that woman, perhaps she wouldn't have made that choice.

No, in fact...

Dwalki. Jandel Jarku, Bjorn's biological father.

Thinking of those two only made that possibility harder to dismiss.

A future changed by my existence.

“Sigh... If I'd known you'd react like this, I never would have told you.”

Once again, Raven spoke as though trying to spare my feelings.

I felt I couldn't keep my mouth shut, pretending I knew nothing. That would be another deception.

But...

“...”

At the same time, another thought occurred to me. Did I have the right to reopen a wound that had finally healed? Just because I didn't want to shirk my own responsibility?

As I struggled to speak, caught up in those doubts...

“What a strange atmosphere. Have we interrupted something?”

“Strange? Of course we haven't. But... Mister, what were you two... doing...?”

Sensing someone at the entrance, I turned to see Amelia and Erwin lifting the tent flap and stepping inside.

“...”

When I turned back, Raven had returned her attention to her paperwork.

Right. This wasn't the time for that conversation.

“...”

In the end, I couldn't say anything that day.

* * *

「The Labyrinth has closed.」

「Moving character to Raphdonia.」

* * *

Day 75 of the expedition.

Before we knew it, the seventh floor's closing day had arrived, and we returned to the city.

'Wow, it feels like it's been forever.'

After spending over two whole months in the Labyrinth, even the sight of the city felt unfamiliar.

I'd heard some upper-floor clans took a month or two off after each expedition. I was starting to understand why.

“Are we heading straight home?”

“For now. Let's get some rest. Then we'll have something good to eat.”

“Okay!”

Leaving the exchange, we headed straight for the mansion.

Oh, for the record, we hadn't had many magic crystals to exchange. Ever since reaching the sixth floor, we'd received all our spoils in the form of slips bearing the royal family's official seal.

We could redeem them for money at the Merit Office, but it would be crowded for the next few days, so we decided to wait a little before going.

“Whew. Finally home.”

A mansion with a small garden and every last window boarded up.

Who knew I'd ever be this happy to see it?

Anyway, we decided to wash up before eating the food we'd picked up on the way.

“So, who's washing first?”

As we began sorting out the order, Amelia spoke to me.

“Schuitz, take the upstairs bathroom.”

“Huh? Thanks, but are you sure I can go first?”

“The downstairs bathroom is bigger. The two of us can use it together.”

I didn't quite follow.

“... What? Together?”

Somehow, I had trouble picturing that.

“When did you two... get that close?”

I made no effort to hide my surprise. Erwin became visibly flustered and waved her hands.

“C-close?! We're not!! Say something, will you? Why would I wash with you?!”

“It's more efficient. Well, if you hate the idea that much, I'll go first.”

“What? Why do you get to decide—”

“I'll be heading in, then.”

“... Wait, stop!”

As Amelia headed for the bathroom, Erwin followed, shouting something after her.

'How come there's never a quiet day with these two?'

I stopped paying attention and headed upstairs. I was a little curious about who would go first, or whether they'd wash together...

But what did it matter either way? Surely, by now, they weren't going to pull out their weapons and fight.

“Ahh, that's more like it.”

As I poured hot water over myself, all the fatigue that had steadily accumulated seemed to melt away.

At the same time, it finally sank in that the expedition was over.

'Still... considering everything that happened, it ended pretty smoothly.'

There hadn't been any notable incidents after the first attack. I'd kept joining patrols and earning EXP until I reached Level 7, and things had stayed peaceful.

Something must have happened with the main force, though, because at one point they'd requested reinforcements and taken some of our troops.

Of course, that didn't have much to do with me. Raven had to stay in the rear because of her strategic role, and the same went for us as members of her unit.

'We'll have to sell the equipment and cash in all the slips before dividing up the proceeds this time... '

As I washed and took stock of what I'd gained from the expedition, I found myself feeling strangely moved.

“Level 7, huh...”

A level where I could proudly say I'd reached the mid-to-late game. In fact, considering how many rank-three Essences I'd obtained, it wouldn't be a stretch to call this the beginning of the late game.

It felt like only yesterday I'd been crawling around after stepping in a goblin trap.

'... I really have gotten a lot stronger.'

My own growth hit me anew.

After all, why was I able to say this expedition had ended smoothly in the first place?

The Corpse Collector, the Screaming Witch, the Lighthouse Keeper, and the Blood Knight.

I'd had to fight no fewer than four members of Orculus. In the past, someone surely would have had to sacrifice themselves, and I would have had to stake my own life on the outcome too.

And yet, even so...

'I need to get stronger.'

Rather than satisfaction, I felt my shortcomings more keenly.

Because I was still nowhere near being able to guarantee my safety and my companions' safety one hundred percent against monsters like the royal family, Auriel Gabis, and Lee Baekho.

'I have to reach Level 9 somehow. And I need to sort out the Spirit Seal problem as soon as possible... '

Just as my thoughts reached that point...

“Mister, will you be much longer? I'm thinking of reheating the food...”

“Oh, I'll be right out.”

Realizing I'd spent far longer in the bathroom than I'd intended, I hurried to finish up and came out. Then we talked over our reheated meal.

“Schuitz, what are you planning to do about the Guild?”

“The Guild?”

“Didn't that woman, Raven, tell you? If you want to stay out of the royal family's sight, you should do something about the information the Guild has on file first.”

“Oh...”

Rihen Schuitz, rank-five explorer. Last entered the Labyrinth roughly five years ago.

But if the royal family looked through the Guild's records, my cover would be blown in no time. Those records would list the teams Rihen Schuitz had worked with, the Essences he was confirmed to have absorbed, and so on.

“They'd only need to ask an old companion a few questions to realize something was wrong. Never mind bringing one here to meet you face-to-face.”

We needed to burn Rihen Schuitz's records or alter them so they couldn't be traced.

And only someone inside the Guild could do that.

“Is there anyone who might help?”

“Hard to say. I've never exactly been on friendly terms with the Guild.”

Even as I said that, though, one person did come to mind.

Julie Urbans.

The district manager's precious daughter, whom I'd once taken hostage to clear my name.

'Hmm, maybe “precious daughter” isn't quite right.'

Even looking back, she'd been a pretty unusual woman. She'd wanted her own father to fall from power because she didn't want to live like a puppet.

What had become of her by now? If I'd helped her back then and put her in my debt, could I have asked her for help?

* * *

The day after we returned to the city, Amelia went out to sell the Lighthouse Keeper's equipment, and Erwin left, saying she needed to visit the sanctuary.

And...

“Guess I'll head out too.”

I got dressed and stepped outside.

After discussing it, we'd concluded that this much should be safe. After all, not even Raven, my former companion, had recognized this face.

Sadly, it was nearly impossible to look at it and think of Bjorn Jandel. Under those circumstances, staying cooped up at home all the time would be a little strange too.

'I should've had this face when I met that Draconic human brat.'

Even that priestess of the dragons, who'd called me filthy ugly the moment we met, wouldn't have been able to tell such a lie about this face.

Tsk. What was so great about looking like a weakling, anyway?

'Anyway, let's start there... '

This was my first proper outing since returning to the present. Strolling along and looking around the streets as I had when I'd traveled into the past, I soon reached my destination.

[Karsia Romne.]

A smithy with a fancy name in the ancient tongue that seemed ill-suited to its trade. If I remembered right, it meant Magical Flame or something.

It was the smithy the dwarf—Hikurod Murad—had founded after leaving the Outcast Team.

'... They said business was good these days. They weren't kidding.'

Raven had told me a little, but I hadn't expected this. Judging by how the place had expanded into the neighboring buildings, the business had really taken off over the past two and a half years.

'Might as well take a look inside.'

Curiosity drew me into the smithy.

As I slowly browsed the equipment on display...

“Hahaha! Those aren't for sale. They're samples for custom orders. If there's anything else you're looking for, just let me know!”

I turned at the familiar voice, and sure enough, there was a familiar face.

“Hikurod Murad.”

“Oh, you know my name? Hahaha! I suppose I really have become famous lately...”

The dwarf, whom I hadn't seen in so long, laughed heartily and looked up. Then he flinched at the sight of me.

“... Hm?”

“Is something wrong?”

“N-no, nothing. Just an odd feeling. My, you're a tall, handsome young fellow, aren't you?”

For a moment I wondered if he'd recognized me, but apparently not.

Okay, at this point, I could safely assume no one would recognize me even if I walked around with my face uncovered.

'But... why does that sting so much?'

I pushed the inexplicable feeling aside and continued talking to the dwarf.

“Is it all right for the owner to be out here?”

“Haha, I hardly do any smithing myself.”

“Why not?”

“Why would I, when the smiths I've hired do it for me? They make much better things than I do, too.”

“... I see.”

“I'd say this is more my calling. I've finally found what I'm suited for, even if it took a while. So tell me what you need. Whatever it is, I'll find a way to make the price work for you.”

Apparently, the dwarf had given up on his dream of smithing and switched to sales.

No wonder business seemed to be booming.

'Well, look at that. He's even wearing a mithril necklace.'

Honestly, it was quite a shock. From abandoning his dream to the way he dressed, he hardly seemed like the man I'd known.

But the finishing touch was what he said at the end.

“Bah, tsk... You looked like you had money, so I went to all that trouble explaining things. Just my luck.”

The moment I said I was only browsing and didn't intend to buy anything, his smile vanished and he chased me out.

“If you're not buying, get going! You're keeping other customers from coming in!”

Even as he pushed me out the door, I could hardly believe it.

What had happened to make him this money-obsessed?

'... Still, he seems to be doing well. I guess that's what matters.'

After leaving the smithy, I headed to a training school whose location I'd looked up beforehand. It was where Rotmiller made a living teaching Scout techniques to explorers, but...

'It's closed. I was hoping to at least see his face from a distance.'

For some reason, he wasn't open today.

'Where to, then?'

I considered going home, but there'd be nothing to do there, so I chose a new destination.

[Lavigion National Library]

There was no better place when I had nothing to do.

I walked through the doors, standing wide open as if to announce the library was open for business, and saw the familiar desk.

But...

'What's this?'

The faces behind it were different. Normally, there should have been just one sleepy-eyed librarian at that enormous desk.

“Hello. Welcome to the library.”

Instead, over twenty employees were seated at the desk, working.

Just like the library twenty years in the past.

“Excuse me... where's the librarian who used to work here?”

“... Who do you mean?”

“Lagna Litaniel Pefroch...”

“...?”

The librarian tilted their head, apparently unfamiliar with the name, then went to ask the others at the desk before returning.

“I asked my senior colleagues, and they said that's the name of someone who left before the library's restructuring.”

“... Could you tell me when she left?”

“They said just before the restructuring, so that would be about two years ago.”

Two years ago, huh...

Well, with her abilities, she wasn't exactly someone who'd spend her whole life as a librarian. She'd been doing the work of dozens of people all by herself with her enormous reserves of magic power.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, just cast the detection spell on me. I'll handle the rest.”

“The fee for Book Detection is three thousand Stones!”

Well, well. They charged a fee now too?

It really brought home how much had changed while I'd been gone, but for now, I paid, found a few books, and sat down.

How much time had passed since then?

SNOOORE!

Who the hell had been doing that all this time?

SNOOOORE!

Unable to stand the relentless, irregular snoring any longer, I looked up.

“Um... patron, we've had some complaints... Please, could you wake up...?”

A librarian was already shaking the shoulder of the huge, snoring barbarian, practically begging.

SNOOOORE!

Ugh. Giving all barbarians a bad name...

'Huh?'

The moment the barbarian woke, wiped away some drool, and sprang up, I couldn't help flinching.

“Ah, sorry! I must've dozed off!”

Blond hair, roughly braided and left hanging any which way.

Stubborn golden eyes.

“Ah, yes... Well, if you could leave...”

Huh. I hadn't expected to run into her at the library.

Her frame had grown so much that I'd nearly failed to recognize her at first, but one look at her face made it certain.

“Haha! No need to throw me out. I'm apologizing, aren't I? Don't be so stingy. Oh, was ‘stingy’ too difficult a word?”

It was Aynar, Pheneline's second daughter.