Ghostbusters (1)
I stared at the unfamiliar ceiling and thought.
The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was the gloomy sky unique to this city...
'This must be a temporary tent set up for patients. There must have been many injured besides me.'
Indeed, when I looked to the side, I saw beds lined up close together.
I grasped the situation as naturally as breathing.
Silence fills the tent.
Most of the well-worn beds are empty.
That means...
'Quite some time must have passed.'Therefore, my task is clear.
First, confirm how much time has passed.
Just as I'm about to slowly raise my upper body so as not to shock my muscles, I feel a heavy, foreign sensation on my abdomen.
A chuckle escapes my lips as soon as I realize what it is.
'Where did she go, I wondered...'
Misha is sleeping on my stomach.
Even making her characteristic purring snores.
While I'm proud that she stayed by my side to nurse me, I wonder what the point of it is.
'Well, she must be tired too.'
The priestess of Karui, Elisa.
Being stranded in the Witch's Forest.
The chase with the Lord of Chaos, Riakis.
Thinking about what we've been through, I can't blame her.
But...
"Misha, wake up."
Right now, my curiosity takes priority, so I wake Misha up without hesitation.
"Hmm? Ugh... Bjo, Bjorn! You're awake! Your body? How's your body, are you okay?"
"As you can see, I'm fine."
My shattered left ankle moves well, and my arm that was ripped off has been restored to its original state.
So, the first question.
"Did you use a top-grade potion?"
"No, a priest came and healed me."
"How much was the treatment?"
"Do, don't worry. The, the guild provided disaster relief funds, so it wasn't much..."
No, that's why I'm worried.
"So how much was it?"
"...300,000 stones."
"I see."
Whew, at least it's much cheaper than a top-grade potion.
I was worried because she's a priestess, but it seems like the guild's relief funds were quite generous.
"Why are you making that face? You did well."
"But Bjorn likes money..."
Uh, that's true, but...
What kind of image do I have in her eyes?
"Even so, money can't be more important than your body."
It wasn't just healing some mashed-up flesh.
It wasn't reattaching a severed limb either.
It was the process of healing an arm that was ripped off, bone and all, and that we even left behind in the labyrinth.
'There's no way natural regeneration would have been enough.'
I let go of any lingering thoughts.
When we tested the limits of regeneration during the experiment with Raven the other day, it took an enormous amount of time even for a severed finger to grow back.
Anyway, onto the second question.
"So how much time has passed since we left the labyrinth?"
"About 6 hours."
Hmm, no wonder it's still bright outside the tent.
A whole day hasn't passed.
"What about the backpack?"
"It's fine. And so are the contents!"
"And the magic stones?"
"I exchanged them all for money, including yours."
"Did anyone come looking for me while I was unconscious?"
"Ah, Hikurod and his group came by!"
"...The dwarf?"
Misha slowly explains what happened as I tilt my head.
To summarize, she reunited with Hikurod and his party about 5 hours ago when they came to check on us...
"I'm glad all three of them are okay. So where did they go?"
"They said they were tired after confirming that you were alive, so they went to sleep."
"I see."
I don't feel any resentment.
It would have been the same if I were in their shoes.
After all, it's not like I would wake up any faster if they stayed here. We can catch up when we meet in two days.
"Then what else do I need to do to leave this place?"
"Just pack your things and leave. I've already taken care of the annoying stuff."
"I see."
Just as I'm about to get up and remove the blanket, Misha hurriedly stops me.
"Wait, don't get up!"
"......?"
"Fi, first, put this on..."
There's no need for further explanation.
"Ah..."
While Misha turns her back and looks away, I put on the new clothes that were neatly folded on the table.
But to even buy me clothes beforehand...
She's surprisingly considerate, unlike her usual clumsy appearance.
"Do the clothes fit?"
"They fit well."
To be honest, they're a bit too small...
But in the first place, finding clothes that fit in this city is difficult.
Anyway, when we step out of the tent, the sun is setting.
"Misha, where's your accommodation?"
"8th district."
"Then we can go together."
Since we're heading in the same direction, we walk back to our accommodations together, and the contrast between our surroundings and our appearance is striking.
People are walking around in clean everyday clothes, not heavy and rigid metal armor.
"Bjorn, what are you looking at? Let's go, I'm exhausted."
After walking along the clean street for about 30 minutes, we reach the inn.
For reference, Misha's accommodation is apparently about 10 minutes further from here.
"It's closer than I thought."
"I know, right? Why didn't we know this before?"
"Anyway, go now. You must be tired. Thanks for today."
"Wai, wait!"
Just as I'm saying a quick goodbye and about to enter the inn, Misha grabs my wrist.
"Is there something else I need to know right away?"
"No, it's not that..."
Then what is it?
As I look at her with an expression that says 'just tell me what you want', Misha chuckles and lets go of my wrist.
"Forget it, you'll just scold me for repeating the same thing over and over again."
"The same thing?"
"Then I'll be going, see you tomorrow!"
Misha runs away before I can ask anything else.
"Tomorrow?"
Wasn't it the day after tomorrow that we were supposed to meet?
Her last words are a bit confusing, but I don't want to think about it and just enter the inn. And after a quick wash, I have a simple meal on the 1st floor.
Only after lying down on the bed do I realize...
'I made it back alive again.'
I'm alive.
Damn it.
The next day at noon.
Knock, knock. I hear a knocking sound on the door and wake up. I was going to ignore it and keep sleeping, but they're persistent.
"...Misha?"
"As expected, you were sleeping."
"Why are you here? Wasn't the meeting time tomorrow night?"
Misha chuckles at my grumpy question and unfolds a bundle on the table.
I look, and it's food.
"Come sit down quickly. It's bad for your health to sleep without eating."
No, barbarians don't care about that kind of stuff.
As I stare at her with a dumbfounded expression, Misha grabs my arm and pulls me.
"Just come without complaining. You can sleep more after you eat, right?"
Although nothing would happen if I skipped a meal or two, I comply because of her sincerity.
The menu is stir-fried vegetables with eggs and grilled meat.
"How is it?"
"...It's delicious. Did you make this yourself?"
"Where else would they sell something like this?"
Geez, she could have just said yes.
Anyway, I really didn't expect it, but she's surprisingly good at cooking.
"At first, I cooked for myself to save some money, but it was kind of fun, so I'm still doing it."
"Hmm, but didn't you say you were staying at the inn?"
"Ah, that's true, but I became friends with the chef, and he lets me use it if I ask."
"I see."
"Bjorn, you should try it too if you get the chance. You can save a lot of money, and it's good."
Cooking?
She really has no qualms about saying anything to a barbarian. Or maybe she just doesn't know barbarians well?
"Cooking is a warrior's shame."
"Is, is that so?"
I nod firmly, and Misha makes an 'I see' expression and then cautiously makes a suggestion.
"If that's the case, I can cook for you..."
What is she talking about?
"No need, why go to such lengths? It's easier to just buy and eat."
"I, I guess so?"
"By the way, how did you know about the lake? I don't think I told you about that."
"Ah, that? When I asked the innkeeper where the barbarian was, he just told me."
"...I see."
We continue chatting and eating, and soon the plates are empty.
"So what are you going to do? Sleep more?"
I think for a moment and answer,
"Since things have turned out this way, I think I'll go to the commercial district for a bit."
I was originally planning to sleep until tomorrow night, but I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep even if I lie down again.
It's a kind of compulsion.
Unless I'm about to collapse from exhaustion, I can't stand putting off things that need to be done and just resting.
"That works out well. Misha, you come with me too."
"Huh? Me too? I was going to go back and sleep more..."
Misha trails off with a bewildered expression.
Based on experience, I need to be firm in situations like this.
"You're the one who woke me up. Take responsibility."
"Hmph, alright. I had to go drop off the equipment anyway..."
Where do you think you're going?
____________________________________________
First, we sell all the equipment we acquired.
Since we already paid the Dzarwi Clan about 2 million stones worth of equipment as a protection fee, it's not as profitable as I expected.
'Among these, the ones we got from Hans's group need to be divided into five...'
Still, after selling the equipment and various consumables of the three religious fanatics, we've gathered quite a bit of money.
The fact that one of the three had an expandable backpack was a big help.
Well, that also meant they had more to pay, but...
"...500,000 stones for repairs?"
"It's Laetium equipment. If it was just bent or warped, it would be different, but with this much corrosion, it can't be helped."
Even so, isn't that too much?
500,000 stones to repair equipment that cost a total of 4 million stones?
Is this guy trying to rip me off because I'm a barbarian—
"Bjorn, don't be so unreasonable. He's not wrong..."
Although it hurts my heart, seeing Misha, a 5-year veteran explorer, say that, it seems like it's a normal price.
So I just pay it.
'...Just how much of a loss is this?'
For an efficiency-obsessed gamer, what's scarier than muscle loss is gold loss.
I go over it one by one.
'I left the mace behind in the labyrinth with one of my arms, I used a high-grade potion on the way, 300,000 stones for treatment, 500,000 stones for repairs...'
The more I think about it, the more my stomach hurts.
If I hadn't handed over 2 million stones worth of equipment as a protection fee, I could have laughed it off...
"Bjorn, don't worry too much. I'll work hard and earn money in the future..."
Right, let's think positive.
Actually, the second biggest gain from this expedition is her, isn't it?
Ah, of course, the first one is the Orc Hero essence.
'We also got a lot of consumables like potions, so we saved a lot of money that we would have had to spend later...'
"Bjorn, what are you doing? Let's go in."
I finish my thoughts and enter the inn with Misha. It's not Misha's or my accommodation, but an inn located in Commelby, the commercial district.
"I can't believe the carriages at the platform stopped running."
"That's why I said we should move quickly, didn't I?"
"Alright, alright, stop nagging."
I enter the inn and ask for two rooms at the counter, and Misha hits me on the back.
"Are you crazy! Do you know how much it costs per day! Just get one."
"...Get one?"
But shouldn't it be the opposite?
"Do you think this is Ravigion! A place like this usually costs over 10,000 stones per night!"
"I see. One room should be enough."
Now that I think about it, I deserved that slap on the back.
I came here because it seemed relatively cheap, but 9,000 stones per night?
The prices are insane in the city center.
My total food expenses for the last month were a little less than 20,000 stones.
'There was a reason she wanted to move quickly...'
Still, the room itself is worth the expensive price.
It's not the studio apartment style I used to stay in, but a structure with a separate living room, bedroom, and bathroom.
There are windows, of course, and the living room even has a small terrace, and the room has a faint scent of flowers.
"Bjorn, look at this! It's soap from the Artian workshop! They even let us use this for free!!"
Misha, who was initially nagging me about wasting money unnecessarily, discovers something and disappears into the bathroom.
When she comes out, she has a very satisfied expression.
"Bjorn, let's really work hard and earn money from now on."
I think she's overreacting, but as I lie down on the spacious bed, I can't help but agree.
"Yeah... let's work hard."
Phew, a bed should be this soft.
'When will I be able to sleep in a bed like this every day...'
I realize once again that I have a long way to go.
A city where barbarity and civilization coexist.
To live more like a human being in this place, how many more marauders and monsters do I have to kill?
Snore!
My eyes close gently before I can even contemplate deeply.
______________________________________
At that time, when most people are asleep…
The bar where those who miss today have gathered is as noisy as usual, or perhaps even more so.
"Hey, did you hear about that?"
"You mean the Floor Master that appeared on the 3rd floor?"
"Yeah, I heard the Dzarwi Clan lost over thirty people because of that bastard."
"Thirty people is nothing. The guild will announce it tomorrow, but the total death toll is in the hundreds."
"So they still haven't caught the culprit who summoned the Floor Master?"
It's a topic that explorers can't help but be interested in.
However, besides the news that everyone knows, there's a story that's slowly spreading through word of mouth.
"Ah, do you guys know? I heard this from one of the survivors... it seems like one person played a big role in the Dzarwi Clan surviving that much?"
"One person? Are you talking about Vice-Leader McGrane, the Iron Lion?"
"No, from what I heard, it was a 3rd-floor explorer who happened to be there."
"Hmm, is there anyone among the 3rd-floor explorers who could do that? What's his name?"
"That's..."
Bjorn, son of Yandel.
A barbarian who reached the 3rd floor in just three months.
His unbelievable bravery, which saved countless people from danger, is spreading, sometimes word for word, sometimes with a bit of exaggeration.
However, the ending of each story always comes down to one thing.
"The mage who told me the story didn't hesitate to say this about the barbarian."
"What did he say?"
"Although he's still young and hasn't achieved the feats of a hero, he's definitely following in their footsteps. So, borrowing the name of a hero who was more courageous and greater than anyone else..."
A title.
Another name that only explorers with both skill and fame can obtain.
"He's nothing less than a Little Balkan."
That title is being mentioned everywhere.
____________________________________
「Character’s fame has increased by +1.」
「Character’s fame has increased by +1.」
「Character’s fame has increased by +1.」
「Character’s fame has increased by +1…….」
「…….」
「…….」
「Warning: The probability of special events occurring for the character has increased.」
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