Chapter 85 - Baron Martoin (1)

When I emerged from the sewers, I was greeted by a sky that had already darkened and two familiar faces.

"Mr. Bjorn! You're safe!"

"Shahvin? What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? Hours went by without you coming to report on the commission, so I got worried and came looking!"

Ah, so that was it. I was grateful that she'd come to find me herself.

But...

"Just the two of you?"

If something really had happened to us, wouldn't the sensible thing have been to send other explorers after daybreak? Rather than personally putting together a party consisting of an administrative clerk and a librarian.

"What's that look for? Lagna is an incredibly skilled mage!"

Only then did I take a closer look at the librarian beside her. Her attire alone was certainly different from what I'd seen at the library.

"Hmm."

A lustrous robe. Scrolls and potions dangling all along her belt. And in her hand, a wand that looked quite expensive.

I didn't know how skilled she was, but that equipment was definitely beyond the means of an ordinary librarian's salary.

Had she been rich all along?

"Bjorn, who are these people, nyah?"

"Shahvin Emur. She's the administrative agency employee who gave me this commission. And this is... Lagna Litaniel Pefroch."

"It's Litani-el, not Litaniel!"

"Anyway, she's the librarian at the library I go to."

"Ohh, I see, nyah."

After briefly introducing Misha and the others, I offered a few polite words.

"Sorry to have made you come all this way at night."

"There's no need to apologize."

"Then I'll thank you instead. I never expected you to come here for me."

"... Thank Shahvin. I was simply dragged into this against my will."

With that, the librarian sharply turned her head away.

Why did she seem even colder than usual today?

Just as I was wondering whether I was imagining it, Shahvin grinned and sidled up to her.

"Dragged into it, Lagna? You were terribly worried yourself."

"W-worried? When was I ever worried?"

"Didn't you say they might have gotten lost because the sewers are so complicated?"

"Shahvin, stop making things up. I was merely suggesting a possibility. And my point was that it was probably nothing serious."

"Hmm, was it?"

Shahvin grinned at the flustered librarian. That alone gave me a pretty good idea of their relationship.

Not that it mattered right now.

"Enough small talk. I'll report on the commission."

We needed to move quickly if I wanted to get back to my lodgings and rest before the day was over.

* * *

The results of the sewer patrol were simple.

One vagrant found and killed. Nothing else out of the ordinary.

With the video-recording orb smashed, we had no proof we'd properly completed the commission, but taking his identification tag had helped.

"Hans Marcom. I remember him. A fugitive wanted for robbery and murder. Your commission fee, including the additional reward, comes to 180,000 Stones. Come to the administrative agency tomorrow and I'll pay you right away."

"I don't have to pay for breaking the video-recording orb?"

"Well... I'll try to sort that out with my superiors. I'm sure they'll probably approve. You did go through something quite unusual, after all."

"Something unusual..."

She wasn't wrong, but I hadn't expected them to take even that into consideration.

Still, rather than assuming the administrative agency was more flexible than the Guild, I should probably take this as Shahvin doing me a favor.

"The star that rises at dusk shall guide my way..."

After a short wait, someone arrived from the temple Shahvin had contacted.

Not an ordinary priest, but a paladin with a fearsome greatsword strapped to his back. He examined the body we showed him carefully, then nodded.

"This is indeed the apostate Elisa Vehench. Our order will never forget your service."

His voice was friendly, without a trace of arrogance, and even conveyed respect for us.

But never forget?

Wasn't that a little vague?

"By service, do you mean the reward money?"

I got straight to the point, like a barbarian who knew nothing of pretenses.

The paladin merely smiled good-naturedly.

"There's been a misunderstanding. It was the Explorer Guild that posted the bounty."

"Does that mean we won't get paid if we hand her over to you?"

"Haha, I'll send an official notice to the Guild first thing tomorrow morning, so you needn't worry about that."

"... I see."

Well, now I felt awkward.

He should have said that in the first place.

"Excuse me, Sir Paladin? We lost our memories while fighting that woman earlier... Could you check if there's anything else wrong with us, nyah?"

"Of course."

The paladin cast [Greater Purification] on each of us before leaving. Something about needing to get the body to the temple quickly.

"We'll be going too. I imagine I'll have plenty of reports to write tomorrow, so I should at least get to bed early."

Shahvin and the librarian were no different. Given the late hour, they turned and left as soon as their business was finished.

Well, did that take care of everything urgent?

"Let's meet again tomorrow to discuss the bounty."

"Ugh, we're finally going back, nyah!"

"I think I smell worse than after a trip to the Labyrinth! Hahaha!"

We disbanded and headed to our respective lodgings.

It was eleven thirty at night when I arrived. I wanted nothing more than to rest, but first I went to the bathroom and spent a long time scrubbing the filth off my body.

Only after that, when I lay down on my bed, did it finally sink in.

'What a rough day.'

I didn't know why I had to feel this way after completing a commission worth 150,000 Stones...

But I'd made it back alive again.

* * *

The next morning, we all gathered and visited the Guild to collect the bounty. Fortunately, the paladin must have handled things quickly, because all we had to do was present our identification tags.

And the amount was a whopping...

"Ten million Stones! I can hardly believe it. Hahaha!"

Even divided five ways, it was a hefty two million Stones each.

The others, who'd been grumbling that morning about how they still smelled of sewage, were now beaming.

"Now I see it, Bjorn! You're our lucky charm! Ever since we met you, it feels like money's been falling from the sky!"

Sure, of course you'd feel that way.

I was the one who'd had his head blown apart by that psychopathic bitch.

Even Rotmiller chimed in.

"... I'm not superstitious, but at this point I have little choice. Bjorn, the goddess of fortune must be accompanying you on your journey."

I knew it was meant as a compliment, but it didn't feel particularly good to hear.

Why should some goddess I'd never even seen get the credit for what I'd won by working my ass off?

"Then I'll be off."

"Hmm? Where are you going? You should have a drink with us."

"I need to visit the administrative agency too."

"Ah, she did ask you to come collect the commission fee. We'll be drinking, then. Have a good trip."

Huh. Not even an empty offer to come along.

"Bjorn! Want me to go with you, nyah?"

"It's fine. You had a rough day yesterday. Get some rest."

"Mmm, okay, nyah."

After we finished dividing the bounty, I headed straight to the administrative agency.

It was a five-story building reminiscent of the old Seoul Station building. I climbed the stairs to the Facilities Management Department on the third floor and found Shahvin without any trouble.

"Mr. Bjorn! You're here!"

Shahvin wore her usual formal uniform, but since everyone was dressed the same way, she didn't particularly stand out.

Actually, I was probably the one who stood out.

"Ohh, is that Little Valcan?"

"I hear he gets enormous when he uses that Ability..."

"What are you all talking about? Oh my, how indecent..."

Was this a predominantly female workplace?

The moment I entered the Facilities Management Department, excited whispers broke out all around me. I felt like a monkey in a cage.

I decided to finish my business and leave as quickly as possible.

"Here, just sign this payment receipt. If you don't have a registered signature, you can simply write your name."

"All right."

Before long, I'd received the money and signed the paperwork.

But just as I turned to leave, Shahvin stopped me to tell me something.

"Oh! That's right! Please stop by the library when you have time."

"The library?"

"Sweet little Lagna apparently prepared something for you, Mr. Bjorn!"

She did?

Judging by the mischief in Shahvin's eyes, I probably needed to take that with a grain of salt, but...

"All right. I'll stop by when I have time."

"Yes! Make sure you do!"

It certainly seemed there was something she wanted, so I should pay her a visit.

* * *

After leaving the administrative agency, I returned to the tavern where the others were.

One look was enough to tell me it was a complete shitshow.

I'd thought they might show a little restraint, considering it was still broad daylight.

"No, I'm telling you, it's true! Hahahahaha!"

"Don't lie, you damn dwarf! How can someone's name be Dick Johnson... Nyaha! Nyahahahaha!"

The dwarf and Misha were roaring with laughter as they chatted, thoroughly drunk, while Dwalki had his head on the table and was giggling to himself.

"Hehe, I am the great mage, Leor Wuerv Dwalki..."

As I sighed at the sight, Rotmiller greeted me politely.

"Ah, you're back. How did it go? No trouble?"

"I think that's my question. Why are they already like this?"

"We did make a great deal of easy money this time. They must have been in high spirits."

"... I see."

With that reply, I walked over to Misha, took the beer mug from her hand, then lifted her by the scruff of her neck.

"Aagh! Wh-who...! Bjorn? When did you get here, nyah?"

"Just now. And stop drinking."

"... Hmph! Are you my dad, nyah?"

Misha glared at me in disgust and protested.

I was about to put her in her place before she got any more defiant, but she suddenly burst out laughing.

"Oh! Right! My dad wouldn't even care about something like this, would he? Nyahahahaha!"

... She really wasn't doing well today.

Sigh. I'd been planning to take it easy myself.

"Enough. If you're bored, drink this instead."

"Okay, nyah."

I couldn't let her get any drunker, so I ordered tomato juice, put it to Misha's lips, and sat beside her.

The dwarf was none of my concern, but if she got too drunk to walk, I'd have to take her home. I was the only one heading in the same direction.

"Hahaha! There's really something strange about you two! Something's going on! I tell you, something's going on!"

"Stop talking nonsense and drink some water if you're drunk."

"Hahaha, you really are still young. Does this look like beer to you? To me, it's just water! Water!"

"... Suit yourself."

Deciding to ignore the dwarf, I ordered a few dishes to fill my empty stomach.

As I ate, Misha began fidgeting beside me and staring at me, perhaps having sobered up a little.

"What... Is there something you want to say?"

"There is, nyah!"

Her answer came as though she'd been waiting for the question.

I felt a little uneasy, but nodded anyway.

"... Go ahead."

Misha patted her alcohol-flushed cheeks a couple of times, steadied her breathing, and spoke.

"My father wants me to bring you—"

"Oh! Look who it is! Bjorn, son of Jandel!"

"Huh? Who's that, nyah?"

The man who had interrupted Misha to call out to me loudly was someone I remembered.

"You're..."

"Forgotten my name already? It's Hans! Hans Horge!"

"... Right."

His name had come to me immediately. I'd just gotten confused about the order.

This freckled, scrawny little fellow's Hans code was B.

I'd happened to meet him at a tavern when Aynar left the party. He'd even advised me to visit the Guild if I wanted to find companions.

'But what does this bastard want with me?'

Was it because I'd encountered so many Hanses since then?

The moment he spoke to me, I started feeling uneasy.

Like something shitty was about to happen.

"Mind if I sit?"

"Yes. I have nothing to say to you."

"Hmm, meeting like this must be a coinci—"

"We're about to leave. So go."

"I-I see. I was just happy to see you..."

With me shutting him out to avoid getting involved, Hans B turned away dejectedly.

I had no basis for it, but I felt as though I'd gotten past a crisis.

That was when it happened.

BANG!

The ground-floor door flew open, and a group of knights entered the tavern, all bearing the same house crest on their chests.

"It's Mozlan!"

Mozlan.

One of this city's most powerful armed organizations, open only to knights of noble birth.

"What on earth are they doing in a backwater tavern like this...?"

True to their reputation that only blood and death awaited anyone they took away, every eye turned toward them the moment they entered.

The tavern had fallen completely silent.

"Over there."

At their commander's order, the knights moved in perfect unison toward a single spot.

Unfortunately, it was in my direction.

'Motherfucker.'

What was it this time?

As I went over my recent actions one by one, wondering if I'd made some mistake...

["Wherever you are, always beware those full of han—resentment."]

The words the tribe's Shaman had spoken while reading my fortune suddenly came back to me.

I also spotted Hans B, pressed against the side of the aisle to make way as he returned to his seat.

'Wait, someone full of han...'

Could he have meant Hans?

Things certainly never went well whenever I got involved with one of them...

Just as my thoughts reached that point...

CLANK.

The knights stopped in front of our table. Looking at us, one of them spoke in a deep, imposing voice.

I froze, my fork still in my hand.

"Leor Wuerv Dwalki, you are under arrest for insulting a noble."

To my surprise, this time it wasn't me.