Reunion (2)
“Bjorn! I remembered! It’s that person from before!”
“No need to explain. I remembered too.”
I reminisced with a strange feeling.
Time goes back three months to when we were trapped in the Lord of Chaos Riakis’s instant-kill skill, [Crack of Evil].
[Be grateful that we’re not killing you on the spot, trash.]
When the Dzarwi Clan ostracized the explorers who caused the riot, the explorers fell into collective panic.
That’s when this man appeared.
[I, I know about this phenomenon.]
He offered a new path to the helpless explorers.Of course, it was a story that was hard to believe…
[I’ve been on a team with this man for over a year. He’s a mysterious person. He really knows everything. I believe without a doubt that his words will save us.]
…but the explorers, who had no other choice, followed his lead, trusting only the guarantee of a fairy who was supposedly his companion.
And…
‘Believe without a doubt my ass.’
They all died.
I heard that news later when I was curious, so I thought that was what happened.
Until I met that bastard today.
‘It seems like they survived on their own after leading over a hundred people to their deaths.’
Thinking about it that way, he’s quite an interesting character.
It wouldn’t have been possible for him to return alive just because of luck.
It’s more reasonable to assume that he’s skilled.
I thought he was just an idiot back then…
‘I can’t believe he took them there even though he knew it was a death trap.’
“No, now! Dodge!”
I narrow my eyes as I watch the man predicting the Death Knight’s patterns and giving instructions.
He has a total of four summoned creatures.
Although the synergy between them is good, the rank of the essences themselves is not high.
There’s one thing I can tell from this.
‘He’s probably around 7th grade on average.’
He’s a low-ranking explorer with nothing to his name.
If he were a rich kid, his equipment would at least look decent.
That’s why I’m even more curious.
Riakis’s patterns and the conditions for the Death Knight’s appearance…
An explorer with little experience and not from a good family knows this information?
‘…It’s more reasonable to assume that he’s a player.’
I reach a final judgment through logical reasoning.
That nameless summoner is a player.
I don’t know why someone like that would make the mistake of choosing a class like summoner as a human…
‘Tsk, this is a bit confusing.’
If it were a beastman, dragonkin, or dwarf, it might be different…
…but humans have no racial synergy with summoning.
Of course, it’s only a slight difference in the early stages, but it leads to a huge gap as you progress to the later stages.
In short, it’s very inefficient.
‘Maybe that wasn’t important to him…’
It’s a plausible story.
Regardless of the character’s build, most people would want to choose an easy-mode class.
After all, who would want to fight on the front lines?
Although I shouldn’t be saying that, since I chose a shield as soon as I found out I started as a barbarian.
「Killed Death Knight. EXP +4」
I open my eyes, feeling a sense of satisfaction flowing into my body.
The Death Knight turns into particles of light and scatters as the mage’s Fireball hits its core.
For reference, no essence drops.
“What a shame. I even bought a test tube at a high price just in case.”
“Pa, Partslan, be ca, careful…”
“Ah, right.”
The mage looks at me, his lips tightly shut.
‘Then it’s our turn now.’
After observing them with an expressionless face for a moment, I put on the mask of a naive barbarian once again.
“Ooh, that’s amazing! What kind of magic was that at the end?”
“……I don’t think we’re close enough to be having this kind of conversation.”
The fairy archer cuts me off coldly and stops me as I try to approach the mage in a friendly manner.
“What was that about earlier? If you can’t explain yourself properly, we’ll consider you as an enemy.”
Tsk, she seemed quite gentle in front of the others…
Was it all an act?
Ah, right, fairies and barbarians don’t get along.
“Like I said, I was just trying to help!”
“That’s strange. None of us asked for help.”
“Death Knights are strong! So I thought you were in danger!”
The fairy archer glares at me with suspicion.
To look at me like that even though I’m in Baby Barbarian mode… how bad is the image of barbarians among fairies?
“Is that really the only reason?”
“Then what else would there be?”
“The essence, for starters. You might not know, but it seems like it would have been a desirable essence for the beastman next to you.”
Misha is startled at the fairy’s sharp words and waves her hands frantically.
“Mi, misunderstanding! Although I use a sword, I already have all my essence slots filled, so I couldn’t have absorbed it anyway!”
“Is that true…?”
“You can check!”
What do you mean, check?
What are you going to do if it’s true?
Although it’s an absurd answer, the fairy just nods and moves on.
“If that’s the case, I’ll believe you.”
It seems like this fairy archer only acts prickly towards barbarians.
“But even so, it’s still suspicious that you intervened saying you wanted to help.”
“Those, pointy-eared bastards…”
“You! What did you just say?”
I ask back in annoyance at her sharp voice.
“Why are you so suspicious and assuming the worst from the start? Are you usually that devious?”
I’m not actually angry.
I know that it was wrong to interrupt their battle without permission.
But so what?
“Are you looking down on me because I’m a barbarian?”
To act self-righteously and aggressively even when it’s clearly my fault…
…that’s the true barbarian way.
“I won’t hold back if you insult me any further! Pointy-ear!”
I raise my shield as if I’m ready to fight, regardless of the 4-on-2 situation, and the fairy is flustered.
“No, that’s not it! I’m just asking you to explain because there are suspicious parts!”
“Suspicious parts?”
“I understand that the essence wasn’t your goal. But it’s hard to believe that you didn’t intend to freeload on our achievements.”
Hmm, she’s really sharp.
It’s practically like she’s reached the truth, but this also isn’t a problem.
“Why would I do something so troublesome? I’ve already defeated that guy before.”
“……Yes?”
The fairy looks at me with a blank expression at my words.
Well, it’s understandable that she wouldn’t believe me.
It’s a monster that’s difficult to even encounter before reaching the 6th floor.
I add a brief explanation.
“I visited the Crimson Fortress before. Does that explain it?”
Although a vampire appeared instead of a Death Knight because it was a variant rift…
Who cares?
It’s not like we’re going to investigate the truth here.
And it’s half true anyway.
“Bu, but! How can we believe that?”
“If you say that, then you can’t believe anything I say, right? If you want to fight, then come at me, pointy-ear.”
“Just because we’re being patient, do you think you can do whatever you want…!”
The man is startled and steps in as the fairy explodes in anger.
“Lady Meilin. St, stop it! I, I think he’s telling the tru, truth!”
“Yes? What do you mean…”
“I, I remember now! That barbarian… I sa, saw him back then! Bjorn, son of Yandel. The explorer who gained the title of Little Balkan!”
It seems like the summoner remembers my face despite our brief encounter.
The mage and warrior both exclaim at the same time.
“No wonder he was able to block the Death Knight’s sword so easily.”
“Hoo, that’s surprising. Miss Meilin, it seems like we were mistaken. There’s no way such a famous person would do something like that just to gain some achievement points.”
The fairy archer bites her lip, as if she’s sensing that the situation is turning strange.
“I understand how you feel, Miss Meilin. There are times when it’s most difficult to admit something. But sometimes, you have to let go of your stubbornness and accept things.”
“Whew, alright…”
The fairy archer doesn’t push any further now that all her companions have judged that I had no malicious intentions.
‘Phew, is this why reputation is important?’
I realize the importance of fame once again and look at the summoner who is approaching me.
“Ni, nice to meet you, Mr. Bjorn Yandel.”
Although he seems a bit pathetic because of his stuttering habit, this guy is no ordinary person.
After all, he has a history of leading hundreds of people to their deaths just to save his own life.
“Si, since we met like this, shall we ex, exchange names?”
He asks me cautiously.
He’s probably not curious about my name, so I interpret it as meaning that he wants to build a relationship with me.
“Alright.”
I nod without hesitation.
There’s no reason to refuse.
In the first place, I stayed here because I wanted to know this guy’s name.
“You already know, but I’m Bjorn, son of Yandel. What’s your name?”
Since he’s definitely a player, I’m planning to hear his name and then investigate him later.
There’s no big reason, I’m just a bit curious.
I thought that if I looked into his actions, he could serve as a reference sample for how typical players behave.
But…
“Hans Krisen.”
Damn it, I didn’t expect this.
A player possessing the body of a Hans.
What kind of bullshit setting is this?
“If you don’t mind, let’s be fr, friends—”
I step back as I see him smiling kindly and offering a handshake.
“Stop right there. I have something urgent to do, so I’ll be on my way!”
“…Yes? What do you mean—”
“Misha! What are you doing! Hurry up!”
“Uh! Okay… wait! Le, let’s go togeth…!”
Damn it, I should have brought some salt.
My heart is already pounding, wondering what’s going to happen.
__________________________
We fled the scene as if running away as soon as we found out about Hans G’s identity.
How much time has passed since then?
“What the hell are you doing! It’s okay to run, but please at least explain why—”
“…He was a Hans too.”
“Huh? What do you mean—”
“Nothing ever goes well when I meet a Hans.”
Although I said it with genuine concern, Misha looks relieved.
“Ugh, I was wondering what it was. I thought something serious happened!”
No, this is actually serious!
He’s a Hans, you know?
And a player I met in the labyrinth at that?
“You have a strange side to you. I thought you wouldn’t believe in superstitions like this.”
I feel a bit hurt when I see Misha not taking it seriously.
“Pfft! Bjorn, you… you seem kind of cute today?”
What is she talking about?
I decide to tell her about all the incidents involving Hans.
Starting from Hans A…
…to Hans C, who was Elisa’s follower…
…and Hans D, the leader of the marauder group we met in the Witch’s Forest.
“Co, come to think of it, you said you didn’t like the name Hans back then too…?”
“Yes. But back then, I just thought it was ominous.”
Misha’s expression changes as I also tell her about Hans B, who was nearby when Dwarkey was about to be taken away by the Moselan knights.
“What, what the hell! Those Hans bastards!!”
As expected of an explorer who’s susceptible to superstitions, Misha seems anxious now.
“Then what should we do? We’ve already met him… Don’t tell me something bad is going to happen again?!”
Well, I don’t know about that either.
I’m just thinking that I need to be more careful from now on.
“First, let’s get to the 3rd floor as soon as possible.”
“…Not the 1st floor?”
Misha, who has become even more serious than me, asks a question, but this is the most rational judgment for now.
First of all, we’re not even sure if this is a superstition or not…
…and even if it is, nothing changes.
If the curse of Hans is real, running away is pointless. Shitty things can happen even in the city.
Just doing what we need to do is the way to minimize losses.
“Ugh, if that’s the case, you should have just not told me. Now I feel uneasy too…”
Hmm, that’s true.
It seems like encountering a player named Hans has made it difficult for her to think rationally.
Or maybe she’s come to rely on me.
I’m not sure about the good things, but when we share hardships, they’re definitely halved, right?
“How can you say that! You crazy barbarian!!!”
“…I was just kidding.”
“Don’t lie! Your eyes were serious!”
Misha gets really angry when I tell her the truth.
Well, she seemed quite pleased that I relied on her, even though it was just a slip of the tongue.
“Phew! Anyway, it’s good that you told me honestly. If anything like that happens again, don’t just keep it to yourself and tell me. I’m older than you, you know?”
“Ah, right.”
Misha is five years older than me.
Of course, that’s according to Bjorn’s age.
“What’s with that reaction?”
“I meant that I feel even more reassured.”
“…I don’t think that’s what you meant?”
Anyway, we end the small talk and resume our journey. And after some time…
…I start to feel fatigue building up in my body.
It means it’s time to camp.
‘It’s been almost a day since then, so we should reach the 3rd floor tomorrow or the day after.’
Although I’m also quite tired, I put Misha to sleep first after setting up camp. And I sit still and keep watch, lost in thought.
How much time has passed?
[00:37]
I check the time, and it’s already past midnight.
Since it’s Day 7 today, the 1st-floor Crystal Cave has already closed and spit out the explorers back to the city.
Well, whether they left early or late, they would all be in the same time zone when they return to the city…
‘I hope that guy made it back safely.’
Karon, whom I dropped off on the 1st floor, suddenly comes to mind.
[I think it would also be a good idea to intentionally find a human as a night companion and then pretend to sleep. If they have ulterior motives, they’ll definitely reveal their true intentions!]
Is it because of what he said at the end?
I’m worried that he might have caused some kind of trouble.
‘Eh, there’s no way, right?’
It’s time to switch, so I wake Misha up and close my eyes for a while.
________________________
Blinding light.
The noise of the crowd.
And the humid air unique to the city that fills my lungs.
Karon can't help but shout.
He just feels like it.
It's refreshing, I guess?
He doesn't care about the gazes of the people around him, as if they're looking at a barbarian. There was a time when he felt intimidated by those gazes, but...
So what!
"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"
Karon has changed.
No, he's shed a layer.
Like a rhinoceros beetle breaking out of its shell to become an adult.
During this expedition, he grew into a true warrior.
That's why...
"Tsk, they always have to show off like that, those barbarians."
"Hey, listen. They're the type to charge in recklessly, so be careful."
...those condescending gazes feel like a pleasant stimulus.
It means they're letting their guard down.
Just like the two night companions he killed in the past few days.
'It was easy.'
Bjorn, son of Yandel.
Everything was just as he said.
The 1st floor was swarming with trashy bastards who hid their true intentions, and they jumped at the opportunity as soon as he showed vulnerability.
Without even realizing that it was a trap.
The expressions of those who looked down on him as prey, only to be defeated in turn, gave him a sense of exhilaration that he had never experienced before.
Clatter, clatter.
One on his back, one on his right arm, and one on his left arm.
He carries a total of three bags and heads towards the checkpoint with a dignified gait. As expected of a gate for 9th-grade explorers, the line is long.
As soon as he arrives, fellow tribesmen who know him spot him and approach.
"Karon, son of Tarson! What the hell are those bags?"
"Th, they're full of equipment! Don't tell me you looted them?"
Karon shakes his head firmly.
"Pfft, looting? No way."
This is not a disgusting act like looting.
No, it's a noble act of protecting his own kind.
As he draws a clear line, the barbarians' gazes change.
"To be able to get something like that without looting!"
"I'm, I'm envious! How many stone breads could you buy with all that?"
Although they were from the same group who went through the coming-of-age ceremony with him, they seem childish today.
That's why he gathers as many of his tribesmen as possible.
Although he once felt competitive towards them, the true enemy is someone else.
"Huhu, don't be envious. If you know the method, you can earn this much too. You'll never have to eat stone bread again."
"What!! Tell us quickly if there's such a method!"
"I'll tell you! But first! There's something I need to say."
Karon first tells them about what he experienced in the labyrinth this time.
How he was betrayed by his companions.
That the reason was his heart.
That they saw us as easy monsters with high rewards.
"We're not monsters!!"
"We're warriors!!"
As expected, his tribesmen are outraged.
And they praise 'Little Balkan' after hearing that he was the one who saved him.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel, Little Balkan!"
"To read the minds of those wicked marauders, he truly is a great and wise warrior!"
The atmosphere heats up in an instant.
And within it, Karon shouts proudly,
"He taught me. I was able to return with this much loot all thanks to his teachings!"
"Ooh! Is that true!!"
"It's true! I'll share those teachings with you now!"
Karon then shares everything he learned from Bjorn.
No, he even shares 'that method' he came up with himself, without hiding anything.
Of course, he gives all the credit to Bjorn.
"So all we have to do is find a human as a night companion and then pretend to sleep!!"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! Is he a genius?"
"It sounded a bit strange at first, but since it's something a great warrior like that said? I'll follow it!"
Karon looks at his tribesmen, who are excited, and is convinced.
"Tsk, those bastards are at it again."
"They always make so much noise, I don't understand why they're just left alone."
"Even if you rip out their hearts and sell them, their mouths will probably stay the same."
Until now, barbarians have been the lowest predators in the labyrinth.
He hates to admit it, but that's the reality he witnessed recently.
Although they might be strong in a head-on fight, they were helpless against their cunning tricks.
But…
“Bjorn, son of Yandel, said it! That this will be a noble first step for all of us!!”
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!”
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!”
From now on, things will be different.
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