C340, 341, 342
Chapter 340: Snowball (4)
The 7th floor of the labyrinth, the Dark Continent.
Five explorers were setting up camp in a deep mountainous area shrouded in black fog, indicating that it was part of the 7th floor.
"Hey, old man, how long until the blocking magic circle is done?"
"About 10 minutes."
"Still? Ugh, this is why we need a priest."
The old man's face twitched slightly at the blonde man's complaint.
It wasn't very noticeable, but it was clear that he was annoyed.
"If you're so unhappy, why don't you fill the last spot with a priest?"
The blonde man chuckled at the old man's words.
"Old man, do you think a priest would join our team?"
"There are priests of Karui."
"I'll pass on half-assed healers."
The blonde man muttered and then looked out into the fog.
He could see a monster approaching through the thick black fog.
A 5th-grade beast, the Devil Wolf.
They usually lived in packs, but this one was alone, perhaps having lost a fight for dominance. The blonde man then turned to a woman and spoke in his usual lighthearted tone.
"Hey, kitty cat, you take care of that."
"I told you not to call me that."
"You're so sensitive. So, what's your answer?"
The red-haired beastwoman, Misha Kaltstein, didn't answer.
She just stood up and drew her sword.
And...
"Woof, woof...!"
As soon as the monster emerged from the fog, she attacked.
Two strikes were enough.
Thud!
She pierced the monster's hide with the sword in her left hand, and a wave of frost froze the wounded beast solid.
And then...
Kaboom!
She shattered the frozen monster with the sword in her right hand.
"Oh, you can one-shot 5th-graders now?"
"..."
Misha didn't answer.
She just returned to her seat.
The blonde man muttered, as if he was feeling wronged.
"Hey, why are you always so cold to me?"
"You don't know?"
"Then do you know? I brought you here, fed you essences, trained you, and even told you how to bring your lover back to life. What are you so unhappy about—"
"Stop."
"Just your tone... It was cuter when you used to meow—"
"I said stop."
Misha glared at him, and the blonde man shrugged and sat down by the campfire.
"Ah, right, we're not supposed to talk about him? Sorry."
He apologized without a hint of sincerity and then started chatting with his other companions.
Misha quietly suppressed her boiling emotions.
'...Lee Baekho.'
That was the blonde man's name.
The only 'individual' the royal family was wary of, and a powerful figure even Noark had to be careful of.
Crackle, crackle.
Misha stared at the flickering flames and recalled her first meeting with him.
____________________
It was like a deal with the devil.
An offer she couldn't refuse.
"I'll tell you how to bring Bjorn Yandel back to life."
Lee Baekho had said that.
He told her about the 'Stone of Resurrection' on the 9th floor.
That it could bring back someone who had died.
Of course, it wasn't an act of kindness.
"But you have to do something for me."
He had two conditions.
"First, you have to testify that Bjorn Yandel was an evil spirit."
"...What?"
"You were practically lovers, right? If you say it, it won't just sound like a rumor."
The first condition was baffling.
"Don't be ridiculous! If I do that, Bjorn won't have a place to stay even if he comes back alive! I would never—!"
"So, you're not going to do it?"
Lee Baekho chuckled and cut her off.
Misha wanted to run away, but she clenched her teeth and endured.
She had a feeling that if she said another word, he would withdraw his offer and leave.
"Good."
Lee Baekho seemed pleased with her patience and continued in a gentler tone.
"Don't worry, I didn't make this offer without a plan. If it works out, we can crush the royal family."
"...Crush the royal family?"
"It seems like we have to take care of the royal family first if we want to get past the Gate of the Abyss. And revealing that Bjorn Yandel was an evil spirit is the first step."
This crazy bastard...
She wanted to say it, but she held back.
"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is... once the royal family is gone, it won't matter if he's an evil spirit or not. He'll be able to live safely."
"...What if your plan fails?"
"Then I'll personally escort you outside the walls. It seems like a decent place to live, based on what I've heard. Well, if you don't like that, we can create new identities and live in hiding in the city outskirts."
"..."
"It's a good deal, isn't it?"
Whether it was a good deal or not didn't matter.
If what he said was true, she had no choice.
Living without Bjorn was the same as being dead.
But Misha wasn't stupid enough to agree right away.
"...Tell me your second condition."
"Ah, that? It's simple. You have to help me."
"...?"
"I need a dual-wielding frost swordsman."
Misha flinched at his casual tone.
He was smiling, but his eyes were cold, as if he was looking at an object, not a person.
"...Why me?"
She felt a strange pressure and asked.
But...
"Just a whim."
His answer was unexpected.
"...A whim?"
"Yeah, it doesn't have to be you. I can spread the rumor about Bjorn Yandel without your help, and I have to get the Stone of Resurrection anyway, so it's just more work..."
He spoke as if she was a burden.
Misha felt humiliated, but then he continued.
"Ah, but there is one advantage."
Lee Baekho grinned and looked at her.
"You have a reason not to betray me."
That was why he had sought her out.
____________________
I felt like I was going crazy.
I had to prove my identity again?
But it wasn't that difficult to convince Erwen.
I just had to tell her the truth.
About the Fragment of Records activating on Parune Island.
About arriving in this city 20 years in the past.
And about the six months I spent struggling to return to my original time.
Of course, I left out the part about being an evil spirit.
[No matter what anyone says, you're Bjorn Yandel to me.]
It wasn't easy to lie to someone who had said that to me.
But I had no choice.
It was the best option for both of us.
[...You'll be able to live safely in this world.]
I had Auril Gabis' 'gift'.
If it worked, I could prove that I wasn't an evil spirit.
But what if Erwen tested me?
What if my secret was revealed?
'It would be a disaster.'
I didn't know what would happen.
So I had to be careful.
'Did Auril Gabis give me that gift with this in mind...?'
I couldn't help but be suspicious, but I couldn't be sure.
"Hmm... so you're saying you're not an evil spirit?"
Erwen didn't seem interested in the evil spirit issue.
But she was persistent about something else.
"By the way..."
"Yeah?"
"You spent over six months with Amelia Rainwales... that woman?"
"Y, yeah..."
"And she even said she would become your companion?"
"She didn't mean it romantically, it was just—"
"So you can just abandon her now?"
"...Huh?"
Abandon Amelia?
What was she talking about?
Erwen's conversation was difficult to follow.
I was trying to figure out what she meant when...
Erwen continued.
"You know she's a Noark looter, right? Can you really trust someone like that?"
"But Amelia is a valuable asset..."
I trailed off.
Erwen was smiling, her eyes filled with a strange meaning.
"Hehe, you're so cute..."
It was probably the first time I had been called cute since I was possessed by this body.
I stared at her, and Erwen seemed embarrassed. She covered her mouth with her hand.
But she had to say this.
"Mister, don't worry about that woman. I'm here for you. I've become very strong. I don't need someone like her anymore. I can earn a lot of money, and I even have subordinates who follow my orders."
"Oh, really..."
"Yes. Of course, I understand how you feel. You must have needed someone to rely on after what happened."
She spoke as if I couldn't live without a woman.
It was a bit offensive...
"Maybe she was reliable in that situation. Like when we first met..."
Erwen then said something strange and grabbed my hand.
"But don't worry. I'm here now."
"...?"
"I'll protect you from now on. So..."
"So...?"
I had a bad feeling about this.
"So... when we meet again, I'll kill her."
"Kill... who...?"
"Rainwales, that woman!"
____________________
Now I understood.
Why Amelia had said that.
[Yandel, that woman is not the Erwen you knew.]
The innocent 20-year-old fairy was gone.
Only a radical and slightly crazy fairy remained.
'I'm screwed if I let her lead me around.'
I instinctively knew that I couldn't just laugh this off.
So...
"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"
I shouted.
It always made me feel like I could do anything.
But Erwen, perhaps because of what she had experienced, didn't even flinch at my sudden outburst.
No, she actually clapped her hands and smiled.
"Wow! It's mister!"
...That's not helping.
I ignored her reaction and spoke firmly.
"Erwen, you're not going to kill Amelia."
"Huh? Why not?"
Erwen, as expected, wasn't easy to deal with.
"Secrets are better kept hidden, right? The Fragment of Records and all that. We have to keep it a secret that you're alive, and that means we can't let that woman live—"
"Stop."
I cut her off.
She looked at me, genuinely confused.
"Don't talk about Amelia like that again. I'll handle it. Do you understand?"
I spoke firmly and stared at her.
Erwen looked around nervously and then slumped her shoulders.
"...Okay, I won't."
Whew, it seemed like I could still control her.
I then discussed a few things with Erwen and headed to the surface through the secret passage.
And...
"Don't worry, no one will see you."
Once we were on the surface, we used the darkness spirit to hide ourselves and walked to the inn. It was nighttime, so there weren't many people on the streets, and there was no one strong enough to detect us.
"It's a bit small, but please stay here tonight. I'll find a better place by tomorrow..."
"A better place...?"
This was already the top floor with four rooms...
It was hard to believe that this was coming from Erwen, who used to walk an hour to eat a 1,000-stone meal because it was cheap and delicious.
But that's what time does.
I should adapt quickly—
"Come on, let's go inside!"
"...You too?"
"Of course? I paid for this room."
Uh, that's true.
I was speechless, and Erwen pushed me into the room.
And...
"Mister, do you remember this?"
Erwen suddenly took out a bottle of alcohol from her subspace pocket.
It felt like I was being tested again.
'Remember this...?'
...Ah, I remember.
"It's the Return Wine we drank together for the first time."
"That's right! I knew you would remember!"
Erwen smiled brightly, seemingly pleased that I had answered correctly.
But then she said something strange.
"It's so romantic, isn't it?"
"Romantic...?"
"I was saving this to drink alone after killing all those bastards we have to kill. Hehe, I never thought I would be drinking this with you..."
What the hell happened to her?
If she was this messed up, I was worried about the other companions...
"Okay, let's have a drink."
I was good at holding my liquor, so I accepted her offer.
And then, after some time...
'She still can't handle her alcohol.'
Erwen soon passed out and went to bed. She looked so vulnerable that I was worried she might get into trouble if she drank like this outside...
'No, why am I even worried?'
I chuckled and sat down by the window.
I finally understood why husbands wanted some alone time after getting married.
'It's peaceful...'
I sat by the moonlit window and enjoyed the silence.
But then I started thinking.
I had learned a lot from my drunken conversation with Erwen.
Raven was in the 3rd Magic Corps.
Avman had joined a clan to make a living.
She didn't know anything about Misha.
And Ainar...
'She'll be the easiest to bring back.'
I sighed and shook my head.
There was a bigger problem than reuniting with my scattered companions.
Quests have a certain order, right?
'The rumor that I was an evil spirit spread a few months later, and then the royal family officially announced it...'
I had to take care of that first.
-------------------------------------
Chapter 341: Snowball (5)
Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit.
It started as a rumor, but eventually, even the royal family acknowledged it.
Of course, it wouldn't be difficult to refute it.
I could just create an opportunity to prove myself and use Auril Gabis' gift. Then I could regain my noble title and my reputation.
But...
'Something feels off.'
The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.
The dead have immunity.
Not legally, but morally.
There's no point in accusing the dead, so people don't dig too deep, and they don't care much about it.
But this was different.
A dead man was being accused of being an evil spirit, and the royal family was acknowledging it.
It was an absurd situation.
'I need to lay low for a while...'
This wasn't natural.
It didn't seem like some divine intervention or a coincidence.
Someone was behind this rumor.
And the royal family had a reason for acknowledging it.
But the problem was...
'I don't know what that reason is.'
I didn't have enough information.
So it was too dangerous to just go to the royal family and say, "I'm alive."
Not everyone would be happy to see me alive.
Some might even want to make my survival disappear.
If that someone was the royal family, I would be as good as dead.
'...I'll prove myself after I figure out what's going on.'
I decided on my stance.
First, gather information without revealing that I'm alive.
I would clear my name and regain my title and reputation later.
"Phew..."
I sighed and lay down on the bed, looking at Erwen.
It seemed like I would have to rely on her for a while.
I didn't even have a place to stay, let alone money to buy clothes. And it would be impossible to gather information with this conspicuous body.
It was a bit embarrassing, showing up like this...
'But at least she passed out after just a few drinks. Maybe she's not completely gone...'
I was looking at Erwen, who was sleeping peacefully, when she suddenly spoke.
"How long are you going to stare out the window?"
Erwen's eyes were open.
"It's like you're waiting for someone."
Uh... she wasn't asleep?
_____________________
The peaceful night passed, and as soon as the sun rose, Erwen got dressed and prepared to leave.
And she warned me repeatedly, as if she was worried.
"You can't leave this room while I'm gone. Not even one step. I'll know if you do. Do you understand...?"
I was curious about what she meant, but I just nodded and asked where she was going.
"Are you going back to the sanctuary?"
"Yes, I have to."
Right, she had obtained the Pureblood and contracted the Spirit King.
She had her own duties and responsibilities—
"I need money."
"...Huh?"
"I'm going to sell everything I can and find a better place to stay. This place... it's not... you know?"
"...What's wrong with this place?"
"No, it's not that I don't like it... but it would be better to start fresh in a better place..."
...I didn't understand, but I decided to accept that this inn wasn't a good place to hide.
"Well... I'll be back later?"
"Ah, wait. Can I ask you a favor?"
"Yes? Do you want me to buy you some meat?"
"Not that... well, I'm not saying don't buy meat. But it's a different favor."
I asked Erwen to check the vault at the bank. And if there was anything inside, I told her to bring it to me without asking any questions.
"Okay, I'll see you later, mister!"
Erwen agreed and left.
She didn't seem very reliable.
'Will she really bring it back...?'
I felt uneasy, but I didn't have a choice.
If I went out, someone would definitely recognize me.
'At least Amelia came back first.'
I was shocked last night when I realized that 22 years, the vault's time limit, had already passed. But luckily, it seemed like Amelia had taken care of it.
She wouldn't have left that message otherwise.
[I'll take it...]
She must have extended the time limit.
She was truly reliable.
'And it seems like she's gotten stronger.'
The summon range of a clone made with [Self-Replication] is 5 meters.
And the clone's movement range is 100 meters.
But it didn't seem like Amelia's real body was nearby.
It meant she had obtained a new ability.
There were three synergy skills that fit those conditions, according to the database.
But considering how Amelia had listened to my advice in the past...
[Dual Control].
She probably absorbed the Twin Hydra's essence and granted her clone independence.
I had already explained the drawbacks of the other synergy skills.
'Okay, let's get some sleep...'
I was exhausted from staying up all night, so I went to bed.
And after some time...
"Mister, wake up."
"Ah... you're back..."
I opened my eyes and saw Erwen.
The sun was setting.
It seemed like about eight hours had passed.
"Did anything happen outside?"
"You... worried about me?"
No, I was sleeping.
"Of course."
"...Hehe, that feels nice."
"Ahem, so how did it go?"
"Ah, that? I found a good house! It wasn't perfect because I didn't have much time, but don't worry! I renovated it properly."
"Really? Good job."
I didn't care much about the house, so I quickly moved on to the most important question.
"But... what about the bank? How did that go?"
"Ah... the bank...?"
Her reaction was strange.
I felt uneasy.
Did she fail to open the vault?
I gave her the correct password.
No, wait... could it be that Amelia failed to extend the time limit?
As I was thinking about all the possibilities...
"Here."
Erwen handed me a crumpled piece of paper.
"Uh..."
I took it, but I didn't understand.
"What... what is this...?"
"The thing that was in the vault. You asked me to bring it, right?"
"Was there a hammer in there? About this big—"
"There wasn't anything like that. Just this letter."
"...Letter?"
I finally realized what it was and carefully unfolded it.
There was no sender, but I knew who wrote it.
Amelia Rainwales.
"...Can I read this?"
"Sure."
I asked Erwen for permission and quickly scanned the letter. It was crumpled, but I could still read it.
To summarize:
She had taken some measures, but just in case something went wrong and we couldn't meet, she was leaving this letter.
She had extended the vault's time limit.
So I should leave my current location, and she would come find me.
Ah, and lastly...
[Kraul's Demon Crusher is...]
That was the end of the letter.
It seemed like the last part was torn off.
'The most important part is missing!'
I asked Erwen if she knew what the missing part said, but she shook her head.
She said she didn't remember because she had only skimmed it.
'My hammer...!'
I felt a pang of anxiety.
What if something had happened to it while I was gone?
'No, that hasn't happened yet.'
I tried to think positively.
Maybe Amelia was just holding onto it.
And even if she wasn't, I could just send her a reply and find out what happened.
"Erwen..."
I burned the letter and called Erwen.
I was going to ask her to put my reply in the vault.
But...
"It's okay. It's not your fault that you received a love letter. It just means you're popular. What can you do about it?"
"Huh?"
"Ah, just in case, I closed the vault."
"Uh..."
I should be angry.
She had done something without my permission.
And I was usually the type to get angry when I had to.
But...
"Th, there's no way!"
I blurted out a denial.
It was an instinctive reaction.
Perhaps I was worried about ruining our relationship.
"Hehe, I knew you would say that."
Anyway, we ate the food Erwen had brought and then it was nighttime.
The best time to use the darkness spirit.
We used the darkness spirit to hide ourselves and walked to the house Erwen had found.
"You found this... in one day?"
It was a detached house with a high fence and a private garden.
"I told you, I have money."
Even if she had money, it was still unbelievable that she had found this place in one day. She must have bought it at full price without even negotiating...
'Maybe I should just buy a new Demon Crusher...'
I followed Erwen into the house.
And...
Thud.
The heavy iron gate closed behind us, and the lights turned on.
And then I realized...
"..."
There were no windows.
Or rather, all the windows were boarded up with thick planks. It had looked dark from the outside, so I thought they had just drawn the curtains...
"Erwen...?"
"Yes?"
"Why are the windows..."
"Ah, this? Well, it would be troublesome if someone saw us from the outside, and..."
Erwen smiled and continued.
"We don't have to go outside anymore, right?"
Gulp.
_____________________
"This... isn't this a bit much? Boarding up the windows? If you're worried about people seeing us, we have curtains, and the fence is really high..."
I felt uneasy and tried to find a reason, but Erwen wouldn't listen.
"No, mister, you don't understand how dangerous the situation is!"
"..."
"I'm not just talking about you. What if they find out that I'm hiding you?"
"...It would be a big problem."
She was right.
It wasn't just a problem, it could destroy everything I had built.
Erwen seemed emboldened by my agreement and raised her voice.
"Right? So this is necessary! You're a trouble magnet. I have to take care of you, you know?"
"..."
"Ah, what am I doing... look at you, all slumped over..."
Erwen seemed to feel sorry for me and offered a compromise.
"It will be tough, but cheer up... I'll let you walk in the garden at night. Okay?"
"Really...?"
"Yes! But only if I'm with you."
"..."
And so, my reclusive life began.
And time passed...
「The character's soul resonates and is drawn to a specific world.」
It was midnight on the 15th.
--------------------------------------
Chapter 342: Comeback (1)
Lee Hansu's room.
'It's been a while...'
I looked around and then immediately turned on the computer.
Whirrr!
My goal for today's community session was simple.
Gather information.
But unlike usual, there were two years and six months' worth of information to catch up on.
'Let's start with the forums.'
The main event, the Round Table, wouldn't open for another three hours, so I browsed the forums.
It was a tedious task.
I had to scroll through countless pages to get a sense of the atmosphere over time.
[Has anyone been to Bjorn Yandel's house?]
-I went with some people who were helped by him on the 1st floor. It felt strange seeing all the flowers piled up in front of his door.
-It finally hit me that he's really gone.
-His companions were completely devastated.
Okay, it seems like I should start reading from here.
[tetyys: What's the big deal about one NPC dying?]
[ㄴSogeking33: Well, no one would care if a nobody like you died, right?]
[ㄴSoDamnToxic: He was a candidate for barbarian chieftain, the first explorer to receive a noble title in 10 years, and even the royal family sent knights to his funeral procession... It's natural for people to feel jealous.]
[Ki11Humans77: It's a shame. I was curious to see how his new clan would turn out.]
I skimmed through the comments and then clicked the back button. And I continued browsing the forums, page by page.
One month, two months, three months...
Each month, the forums were filled with posts about the hottest topics of the time. My death was one of them.
After just one month, the number of posts about me had drastically decreased.
But then it started increasing again the next month.
Someone had added fuel to the fire.
[Is the rumor that Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit true?]
-It's all anyone's talking about these days. There must be some truth to it.
[Three reasons why Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit]
-Like and subscribe!
[Is he really an evil spirit?]
-If you disagree, you're a newbie who's never even seen him.
-If you agree, you have a beastwoman girlfriend.
[arolf5205: This guy is right. Only newbies would think he's an evil spirit.]
[1spring: Bjorn Yandel is not an evil spirit. So, can I be his beastwoman girlfriend now?]
[Bling0_0: Hmm, I still think he's an evil spirit...]
Two months after my death.
The forums were filled with debates about whether I was an evil spirit or not.
Most people still considered it a rumor.
Well, there was one comment that caught my eye.
[teckmonkey: It might not be just a rumor. I heard the rumor started with one of his closest companions.]
I ignored it because it didn't mention any names. It was common for attention seekers to post vague comments like that when a hot topic emerged.
Click, click.
Three months later, the topic had lost its momentum, and my name was rarely mentioned.
But...
Six months later.
My name, which had almost been forgotten, started appearing everywhere again.
The royal family had made an official announcement.
That Bjorn Yandel was an evil spirit.
[Is the royal announcement real?]
[Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit?]
[He was a candidate for chieftain, a noble, and everything... how can he be an evil spirit? Something's wrong, right?]
At first, everyone was confused, but then people started posting evidence, and the atmosphere shifted towards accepting it as truth.
There were many suspicious things about me, if you assumed I was an evil spirit.
[It was strange from the beginning.]
-How could he have gotten so strong in such a short time? It was too suspicious.
[ㄴtunaboot: Fact 1: It's still impossible, even if he was an evil spirit.]
[ㄴBrutalizerX: Fact 2: Bjorn Yandel was living with three women.]
[ㄴWingPizza: Fact 3: Bjorn Yandel was known to be over 2 meters tall. In height, of course.]
But the topic died down quickly.
It was shocking, but there wasn't enough fuel to keep it going.
Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit?
That's surprising.
But so what? Why are we still talking about someone who's dead?
That was the general sentiment.
Some people speculated that there was a hidden reason behind the rumor and the royal family's announcement, but...
That was all.
Those kinds of secrets wouldn't be revealed on a public forum.
Click, click.
I continued browsing, but there weren't any other major events for a few months.
It was just a typical forum, filled with random posts.
But...
One year after my death.
Something happened that set the community on fire.
[Did you guys hear about the Nartel Clan?]
The Nartel Clan.
The clan led by Melter Pend, the explorer I had met during the Noark War.
90% of their clan members had died in the labyrinth.
And the reason was already known.
[godFLEXyou: They were ambushed by Noark, and only a few survived, right?]
Noark, who were supposed to be outside the walls, had been spotted in the labyrinth.
This led to countless speculations.
That there was a portal outside the walls.
That they had somehow created a new portal.
Or that they were actually Noark members who had stayed in the city and were hiding their identities.
And...
One year and one month later.
A mid-sized clan was wiped out in the labyrinth.
They were exploring the Dark Continent, the same place where the Nartel Clan had been ambushed.
There were no survivors, so the cause of their deaths was unknown.
One year and three months later.
The number of clans disappearing without a trace on the 7th floor increased, and there were several reports of Noark sightings.
Most of the sightings were on the 7th floor.
One year and four months later.
The royal family, realizing the severity of the situation, started distributing new ID cards.
They even sent knights to patrol the lower floors.
But it didn't help.
They checked the explorers entering the labyrinth on the 1st floor, but there were no Noark members.
One year and six months later.
The royal family, noticing that Noark was only appearing on the 7th floor, formed an expedition team with a few large clans.
And they returned with heavy casualties.
But they had learned something.
[Breaking News: Latest Update on Noark]
-This is confirmed information obtained from a captured prisoner.
-Noark opened a portal outside the walls that leads directly to the 7th floor.
-No one knows how they did it, not even the prisoner or the royal family.
New information had been revealed.
One year and eight months later.
The royal family banned ordinary explorers from entering the Dark Continent and formed a second expedition team. They suffered heavy losses, but they managed to win a costly victory.
And...
[The real war has begun.]
A full-scale war began on the 7th floor.
The royal family had decided that Noark would become a major threat if they were allowed to stay on the 7th floor and grow stronger.
Countless explorers joined the war, lured by the huge rewards offered by the royal family, and new heroes emerged every day.
The Seven Strengths were one of them.
Seven young heroes who had gained fame during the war.
[Looking back, Bjorn Yandel's party had an insane talent pool. How did two of the Seven Strengths come from one team?]
I finished reading the latest post and took my hand off the mouse.
It had taken me over two hours to catch up on two years and six months' worth of information, even though I was skimming.
'Let's take a break and organize my thoughts...'
I got up from my chair and lay down on the bed.
I hadn't learned much from the community.
I had already heard about the major events from Erwen while I was stuck at home for over ten days.
'But it was nice to get a sense of the atmosphere...'
There were also a few details that Erwen hadn't mentioned.
For example, that the explorers who had been in a coma after the fire pillar incident had all recovered.
'Anyway, let's check the exchange forums next.'
I sat back down and continued browsing.
And then...
[03:09]
It was time to enter the Round Table.
___________________
Creak.
The Goblin mask entered the room and waved cheerfully.
"Oh, Fox! It's been a while!"
"Hello."
"It seems like we're the first two again today."
The woman wearing the Fox mask, Bersil Gowland, smiled awkwardly at Goblin's question.
She knew he wasn't just making small talk.
She didn't want to have a personal conversation with him.
"...Haha, it seems like you have something on your mind again today. I'll be quiet."
"Thank you."
A few minutes later, Stag Antlers and Crescent Moon arrived almost simultaneously.
It was 3:05.
Five minutes until the meeting began.
"It seems like the other two aren't coming again."
"...They'll be here soon."
Bersil smiled bitterly at Stag Antlers' question.
The two missing members were Clown and Queen.
They would probably show up.
But they would just check the members and leave before the meeting began.
Just like they had been doing for the past year.
"Well, at least we have four people, so we can actually have a meeting today."
"...Last time, Stag Antlers wasn't here, so we couldn't even start. Why didn't you come?"
"Goblin, do I have to explain myself to you?"
"Well... no. I was just curious."
They chatted idly as they waited, and then the door opened again.
This time, it was a woman.
"Oh, it's been a while, everyone."
Queen.
She wasn't as influential as Lion, but she had proven her worth in this gathering by outsmarting Clown.
"Are you going to leave again today?"
Crescent Moon asked politely, and Queen smiled awkwardly.
Her intentions were clear.
'She doesn't see the point in participating without Lion.'
Queen had continued to share information even after Lion disappeared.
But at some point, she started leaving before the meeting began, just like Clown.
"Pfft, is everyone here again?"
"Clown..."
Two minutes until the meeting began.
Everyone looked at Clown as he arrived.
Most of their gazes were hostile.
They had been clashing with Noark a lot recently.
Even though he wasn't as deeply involved as Crescent Moon, they couldn't be friendly with a member of Noark.
"What? Are you going to kill me with your eyes?"
Clown ignored their gazes and sat down. He stared at the clock on the wall, waiting for someone.
It was a familiar scene.
"Sigh... it seems like he's not coming again today."
"...I heard there have been sightings of Noark explorers trying to enter the 6th floor. What's going on?"
"Huh? The meeting hasn't even started. Why would I tell you?"
"Well, you're not participating..."
"Stag Antlers, really... You should have brought something interesting then. I keep leaving because it's so boring."
"...Do you think you're Lion?"
"Pfft, I didn't mean it like that."
Clown chuckled and stood up, and Queen followed suit.
"Well, it seems like he's not coming again, so I'll be going."
"Me too..."
Bersil sighed as they left.
She felt the need for Lion's presence.
'Where did he disappear to...?'
At first, Clown and Queen had speculated about Lion's disappearance.
That he had lost interest.
That he had been banned by the GM.
There were many theories, but the most memorable one was Goblin's.
That Lion and Bjorn Yandel were the same person.
The timing of their disappearances was too coincidental.
But...
[Pfft, Goblin, you should be a writer, not a paladin.]
Goblin was ridiculed for his theory.
The other members didn't take it seriously either.
Lion had first appeared when Bjorn Yandel was a rookie explorer.
It would be impossible for a low-level explorer to act like that.
But...
'Maybe... he was right...'
Bersil thought it was a possibility.
There were many contradictions, but if it was true, it would explain why Lion hadn't appeared for two years and six months—
Creak.
The door opened, and everyone flinched.
It was a simple reason.
Clown was about to leave, but the door opened before he could even reach it.
"...?"
There were no more visitors.
Or rather, there shouldn't be.
Except for one.
Thud.
A man stepped through the open door.
And...
"...!"
"...!"
The man, whose presence alone froze everyone in place, spoke.
As if he had just stopped by on a whim.
"It's been a while."
Lion had returned.