C349, 350, 351
Chapter 349: Seclusion (4)
Manticore.
It was indeed an essence I had planned to eventually remove.
That's why I had debated between removing Corpse Golem and Manticore when I bought the new essence.
But…
“Um, Amelia… if I remove this, my Magic Resistance will decrease, and I’ll be vulnerable to magic…”
At first, I was hesitant about losing [Leap], my only movement skill, but the real problem wasn’t that.
It was the lack of Magic Resistance.
The balance of my tanking abilities would be severely disrupted until I could obtain Bellarios’s essence.
‘And I can’t remove Stormgush either.’
Stormgush was a 3rd-grade essence.
Well, I would have to remove it eventually…
But at least I had to clear the Submerged Island event first. That essence practically guaranteed an easy win.
Ah, for reference, I could obtain my second core essence after [Gigantification] from that event.
‘…Damn it, what should I do?’
I was lost in thought.
It seemed like giving up on disguising my identity was an option, even if it meant giving up on an essence.
There were some suspicious aspects to the royal family’s actions, but it might not be that difficult to clear my name.
They wouldn’t execute me just because I’m an ev—
“Ah, and I didn’t tell you this because I thought you knew, but even if you’re proven to not be an evil spirit, the royal family won’t be happy about it.”
“…Huh?”
“Why are you looking at me like that? It would mean that the royal family’s announcement was flawed.”
Ugh… this is making it harder.
I couldn’t make a decision, so I asked Erwen and Amelia for their opinions.
“What do you guys think?”
“I… think it’s better to hide as much as possible.”
Erwen was in favor of absorbing the essence.
“Why?”
“…Intuition.”
Right, she was talking about her sixth sense.
And then Amelia also gave me her opinion as I looked at her.
“I agree with Tersia.”
“Why?”
“There’s no real benefit to clearing your name anyway.”
What do you mean no benefit?
I wouldn’t have to remove an essence.
I was about to say that when Amelia continued,
“You’re not expecting your former companions to come back to you after two years, are you?”
Erwen also agreed.
“You’re right, maybe Ainar, but it would be difficult for Arrua Raven to return, even if she heard that you’re alive. She’s in the royal army.”
Presumably, it would be similar for Avman.
He joined a clan, so it would be difficult for him to leave.
And I didn’t have much information about Misha, except for the fact that she had become Lee Baekho’s companion.
‘So they’re not wrong.’
I paused the conversation and weighed the pros and cons of both options.
It didn’t take that long.
‘Based on the information I got from the Round Table, the royal family is going to issue a conscription order to all nobles soon.’
Most of them would just send their private armies, but I, as an explorer, wouldn’t have that option.
I would have to participate in the war myself and follow the orders of my superiors.
I made a decision.
“I’ll… remove the essence.”
My jump key…
_____________________
Now that the plan was set, it was time to move on to the next agenda item.
Which essence should I absorb?
As we discussed it, I realized that these two had something in common.
“I think Imp essence would be good. It gives a bit of Magic Resistance.”
“But it’s a 7th-grade essence, so it’s hard to find on the exchange. Dwarf Fighter essence would be better. It increases Bone Density like Ainar, so it suits you well.”
“Do you have enough money to buy a 4th-grade essence? Altsmolar would be better. It’s 5th-grade.”
“Ah, Altsmolar? We can’t use that. It has a fatal side effect…”
“Side effect?”
Erwen glanced at me and then whispered to Amelia.
I couldn’t hear them, but Amelia glanced at me and said, “That’s possible,” and didn’t say anything more.
‘Why are they both so interested in my essences?’
I chuckled and cut them off.
“Enough. I’ve already made up my mind.”
I had chosen the essence with the best stats and skills among those that could shrink my body size, and I had two backups.
“Erwen, you go to the bank tomorrow and check how much we can borrow using the house as collateral. Amelia, you check the exchange for the essence I told you about.”
“Okay.”
“Then let’s eat. I’m starving.”
We ended the conversation and ate the food Erwen brought.
And…
“…You’re staying here from tonight?”
“There are plenty of empty rooms, is there a problem?”
“I prefer to separate work and personal life.”
“Sigh, both of you, stop it. I’m tired, so let’s just go to sleep. Amelia, you can use any of the empty rooms.”
There was a bit of a commotion when Amelia showed up in the middle of the night with her luggage, but it didn’t escalate into a big problem.
And so, another difficult day came to an end.
“Mister! I’ll be back later!”
Erwen and Amelia left for their respective tasks the next morning, and I spent my days in seclusion in the dark house.
In other words, I slept.
Fortunately, we were able to secure a loan after three days, and we used it to retrieve Kraul’s Demon Crusher from the bank.
“…Heh, you like it that much?”
Of course I do.
This is my number one treasure from now on.
「Character has equipped No. 87 Kraul's Demon Crusher.」
「Total item level increased by +4,800.」
Anyway, that wasn’t the only good news.
The essence I was looking for appeared on the exchange.
Well, it wasn’t my first choice, but my second…
But it wasn’t a significant difference, and I wasn’t planning to keep it for long anyway.
‘And the price is reasonable.’
I bought the essence with most of the money I had left after retrieving the Demon Crusher.
I had already placed an order for a shield through Erwen, and I was planning to get the rest of my equipment cheaply with 1st-tier materials, so I didn’t think I would need much money in the future.
…Well, there was one more thing.
‘Please, don’t let anyone recognize me.’
I went to the church the next day, now that I had bought the essence.
It was the Tovera Church, one of the Three Gods Church.
I was a bit uneasy about going to the Leathlas Church since I had been there so many times.
“It would be even more conspicuous if we went together.”
“Have a safe trip…”
“Don’t attract attention by making a mistake.”
It wasn’t a large church that was easily accessible, but a small one on the outskirts of the city, frequented by ordinary people.
But I still had to remove my helmet to remove the essence, so I was a bit worried…
“Haha, you have a good build for a human. You would have been a great knight.”
…but fortunately, the old priest in charge of essence removal didn’t recognize me.
「[Manticore Essence] removed from character's soul.」
「Some of the stats gained from [Inheritance] have been permanently acquired.」
The essence removal went smoothly.
I paid double the usual fee and hurriedly left the church and returned home.
And then I opened the test tube I had bought.
「[Gachabon Essence] absorbed into character's soul.」
It was the 6th-grade undead Gachabon’s essence.
The base stats were simple.
「Sixth Sense +40.」
「Physical Resistance +15.」
「Darkness Resistance +30.」
「Accuracy +45.」
Stats that were a bit ambiguous for certain classes.
And…
「Bone Density +110.」
…the Bone Density stat that would turn me into a human.
And lastly, the penalties.
「Luck -50.」
「Control -30.」
Luck was a stat that increased the probability of random events, like critical hits. And Control gave you resistance to mental magic and status effects like ‘Fear’.
Well, it would have the opposite effect now that it was decreased.
“Oh.”
“Wow…”
Erwen and Amelia exclaimed as I finished absorbing the essence.
Honestly, I was the most surprised.
Our heights were almost the same now.
Amelia was about 170 centimeters tall, so my height must have decreased to about 185 centimeters.
Erwen looked away as I was lost in thought.
“…Is it that weird?”
“Ah, no, it’s not that…”
“Then what?”
“It, it’s better if you… just see for yourself…”
Erwen pointed at the mirror, and I walked towards it, holding my loose pants.
But the sturdy barbarian warrior was no longer there.
Only a handsome human man remained.
“…This is me?”
Now I understood why Ainar was so depressed.
I looked so weak.
Like I would break a bone if I got hit.
_____________________
‘Should I… remove this essence?’
My reflection in the mirror was pitiful. Well, that’s probably why Erwen was avoiding eye contact and stuttering.
“Um… mister, what’s wrong? You look so sad…”
Erwen asked why I was depressed, and I answered honestly.
How can I go outside looking like this?
Even Erwen couldn’t look at me properly—
“Wha, what? It, it’s a misunderstanding! I wasn’t avoiding eye contact because of that!”
“Huh? You’re saying it wasn’t because you were trying to hold back your laughter at my pitiful appearance?”
“No way!!”
“Then why?”
Erwen answered in a small, embarrassed voice,
“Be, because you’re handsome…”
“What?”
She also has a very common taste.
Was she obsessed with me back then because she saw me as a guardian, not because she was romantically interested?
I asked Amelia to get a sample.
“Do you think so too?”
“Well…”
Amelia stared at me and then chuckled, turning her head away.
“At least I don’t have to crane my neck to look at you.”
Surprisingly, none of them seemed to have a negative opinion about my current appearance.
Had I become too accustomed to being a barbarian?
‘…Come to think of it, I do look handsome by modern standards.’
But I still didn’t want to stay like this.
[Gigantification] was based on my base physique.
This small body wasn’t efficient.
“Anyway, I’m going to test my abilities, can you help me?”
I couldn’t just stay depressed about my appearance, so I decided to focus on what I could do.
First, practice my skills.
‘It’s a bit awkward to go out to the garden in broad daylight, so I guess I’ll just do it in the living room.’
“Okay, I’ll help. What should I do?”
“Just hit me. With your spirits or abilities.”
“…What?”
Uh… doesn’t she know about this essence’s passive?
It seemed like she didn’t, so I briefly explained it to her.
(P) Retaliation — When receiving damage that consumes resources, there’s a chance to ignore and reflect the damage.
It was a passive skill that activated whenever the enemy used a skill that consumed resources, whether it was magic, divine power, or spirit power.
This skill was the biggest reason why I chose this essence.
Although it wouldn’t be enough to make up for my decreased Magic Resistance, it was the only essence that offered this kind of performance at this price.
My first choice was also another color of this essence.
‘Anyway, the probability was about 10%…’
For reference, this number included the Luck penalty.
Well, there might be a slight difference depending on my base Luck stat, but it wouldn’t be significant.
“Um… then I’ll go ahead?”
Erwen started attacking me with her spirits after I finished explaining.
And…
「Character received frost damage.」
「Character received frost damage.」
「Character received frost da… 」
「… 」
Huh?
“Erwen, try a different element.”
“Okay!”
「Character received fire damage.」
「Character received fire damage.」
「Character received fire da… 」
「… 」
What the…
“Wa, wait! Amelia, you try.”
“If you want. You’re the perfect height for this.”
「Character has been hit by [Asura’s Fury].」
「Character has been hit by [Asura’s Fury].」
「Character has been hit by [Asura’s Fur… 」
No, what the… What is going on?
“Aak!! St, stop!!”
Why isn’t it activating?
----------------------------------------
Chapter 350: Dark Continent (1)
The probability of [Probabilistic Retaliation] activating was around 10%.
And it wouldn’t increase even with [Transcendence]. The 1.5x multiplier only applied to the reflected damage…
But even so…
「Character has been hit by [Asura’s Fury].」
…the passive only activated when I was seriously starting to wonder if I had been scammed and absorbed a fake essence.
After being hit about a hundred times.
「The Luck dwelling in the character blocks the damage.」
[Probabilistic Retaliation] activated, and a transparent barrier appeared, protecting me.
And…
「Powerful Luck.」
「Reflects 150% of the received damage to the enemy.」
…a skeleton, summoned right next to me, copied Amelia’s kick and used [Asura’s Fury] on her.
The skeleton even let out a hearty shout, even though it didn’t have vocal cords.
[Gachaat—!!]
Uh, isn’t that the sound that plays when it’s a critical hit?
Wait a minute, isn’t this dangerous?
That thought flashed through my mind, but it was too late.
Thwack!
Amelia was caught off guard and took the hit with her shoulder, unable to dodge in time.
Swaaaaaaaaaa.
The skeleton disappeared into particles of light after a single hit.
“Ugh…”
“Are you okay?!”
I rushed over to Amelia, and she pushed me away as she took her hand off her shoulder.
“…Don’t fuss over me. I’m just a bit surprised.”
Surprised, my ass.
Her shoulder was practically crushed.
“Erwen, bring me a splint and bandages.”
“Ye, yes…!”
Potions wouldn’t work on Amelia because of [Fountain of Immortality], so I set her bones, splinted her arm, and wrapped it with bandages.
“Didn’t I tell you to dodge if you can use your abilities?”
“…….”
“If you can’t dodge, at least hit me lightly.”
“…I did hit you lightly.”
Lightly, my ass.
Even a ‘critical hit’ is only 100% of the original damage.
‘Ah… 150% because of Transcendence.’
For reference, the base reflection damage was only 10%.
Even with [Transcendence], it was only 15%.
And since the skeleton copied the attacker’s movements, it was possible to dodge, so the skill wasn’t that valuable.
“Anyway, Amelia, you rest for now.”
“Okay! Then I can help you! I can dodge well! And block!”
“…Alright.”
Amelia sat down on the sofa, looking a bit dejected, as Erwen summoned another spirit.
And…
「Character received fire damage.」
「Character received fire damage.」
「Character received fire da… 」
「… 」
…the skill activated after ten tries this time.
「The Luck dwelling in the character blocks the damage.」
「Normal Luck.」
「Reflects 15% of the received damage to the enemy.」
A small and cute skeleton appeared next to me and shot a fireball.
There was no special sound effect since it wasn’t a critical hit.
But…
Boom!
…Erwen dodged the fireball, and it hit the wall, scattering flames everywhere.
And…
“Oh, fire.”
“Er, Erwen! Water spirit!!”
“Ah, okay!!”
…we almost lost the house.
_______________________
After almost setting the house on fire, we went out to the garden at night to test the skill.
And we obtained some meaningful data.
‘The probability seems to be accurate…’
Unlike the first case, where it took 100 hits to activate, the skill activated after an average of 15 hits.
But the problem was that statistics were just statistics.
It would work normally, and then suddenly stop activating. And when that happened, it took forever to activate again.
I think the highest record was 198 hits.
‘Is this even possible…?’
It was an unbelievable number, even with a 1% probability.
And it wasn’t like it always resulted in a critical hit even after all those stacks.
‘Well, it does seem to activate more often…’
Anyway, we finished testing the passive and active skills, and then we spent our days planning our exploration route.
Our primary goal was money.
We had taken out a six-month short-term loan to cover the cost of the Vol-Herchan essence. The interest rate was high, and the house would be seized by the bank if we couldn’t repay it in time.
And that’s probably why…
“Mister, it’s okay… you don’t have to push yourself…”
…Erwen seemed to have given up on getting the house back ever since we took out the loan.
She probably thought it was impossible to raise that much money in six months.
But…
“I told you, didn’t I? I’ll do what I can.”
I was a man of my word.
I had to try and keep the house since Erwen liked it.
“But if you want to get that much money in a short period of time… there’s no other option but the war.”
“Rainwales is right. No one here has a boat. So we can’t even go to the 6th floor, and we’ll have to stay on the 5th floor at most…”
“There’s no need to think that way. I think it’s better for me to join the war too. I might stand out, but no one will recognize me in my current form if I don’t use [Gigantification].”
We decided to join the war without much discussion.
After all, if we joined the royal army, we could take a large ship and go straight to the 7th floor.
‘And 7th-floor monsters aren’t a big deal for the three of us.’
And we were all strong in PvP, so we could earn a lot of bounty money by participating in the war.
Wait, was bounty money even the problem?
The enemies would all be mid-level or higher explorers, so if we stripped them of their equipment and sold it, we would make a fortune.
And not only that…
‘I might even reach level 7 by hunting 7th-floor monsters.’
I could obtain the experience points that I would have had to get from clearing 60% of the 6th floor much more easily.
And…
‘I can absorb the Submerged Island essence once I reach level 7.’
And then I could decide whether to remove Gachabon’s essence and move on to Bellarios, depending on the situation.
‘I’ll remove Stormgush once I reach level 8 and absorb another essence. It’s easier to farm Floor Masters once I’m level 9.’
I felt a strange sensation as I organized my future plans.
It felt like we had already cleared the mid-game.
‘Time flies…’
That’s when, as I was lost in thought, Amelia asked Erwen,
“By the way, Tersia, are you okay? I thought you were working with the fairy tribe’s executive branch.”
“Ah, right. Are you okay?”
“It’s fine. I took a vacation.”
“Vacation?”
“Yes. I won’t be entering the labyrinth for a while, and even if I do, I’ll be moving separately. So you don’t have to worry about it.”
“…If you say so.”
I continued listening to Erwen and Amelia as they talked about the war and made plans.
And time passed…
「Entered the 1st-floor Crystal Cave.」
…and the day of the labyrinth expedition arrived.
______________________
A crystal cave bathed in a faint purple light.
Amelia took the lead and navigated as soon as I opened my eyes.
“This way.”
“Wait a minute, I’m better at—”
“Amelia is a Guide.”
“…She is?”
Erwen, who had received high-level training from her sister, didn’t argue any further after hearing that Amelia was a Guide.
She seemed a bit offended.
Honestly, I couldn’t understand her feelings.
I also had the navigation function, but I didn’t feel disappointed when I couldn’t use it.
‘It’s much more convenient to just follow her, why bother?’
Well, it was a bit fascinating.
We were a three-person team, and all three of us could navigate.
Is this what they call an elite squad?
Tadat, tadat.
Anyway, I just had to follow her, so I looked around as we ran. The atmosphere in the labyrinth was different from what I expected.
I thought I would see knights and clan explorers everywhere…
“There are a lot more low-level explorers than I expected.”
…but there were also many rookie explorers.
And they all seemed cheerful.
They were nervous, as expected of people in a labyrinth, but no one was trembling in fear.
“That’s because the royal family has implemented many policies to support low-level explorers. After all… many high-level explorers died that day…”
I heard more details, and there was a reason why there were so many people on the 1st floor compared to when I was a newbie.
The royal family’s policies were one thing, but the biggest factor was that most of the large clans had disbanded.
It was a land of opportunity, like planting a flag on unclaimed territory.
The 5th floor was a prime example.
“You’re saying no one is controlling the 5th floor…?”
“There are probably still some, but it’s not as bad as before.”
It used to be commonplace for clans to occupy and monopolize the monster spawn areas in the Great Magical Forest, but it was rare now.
They would rather participate in the war.
After all, the participation fee was generous, and the royal family even offered essences as rewards for achievements, so the trend was accelerating.
“I’m a step too late.”
Unfortunately, the 1st-floor portal was already open, even though we arrived early.
So the speedrun failed again?
「Entered the 2nd-floor Beast’s Lair.」
There was no way we could speedrun the 2nd floor when we failed on the 1st floor, so we took our time after entering the 2nd floor.
Our schedule was flexible anyway.
‘The deadline is Day 25, right?’
The way the royal family recruited soldiers was simple.
Arrive at Starting Island Laimia by Day 25.
It was a tight schedule for a team that had just reached the beginning of the 6th floor, but it was different for us, who could easily clear up to the 6th floor with just three people.
‘The pace is faster without a mage.’
We would have rested by now if we had our previous team… but no one suggested stopping.
And as a result…
‘We’re already on the 3rd floor?’
…we arrived on the 3rd floor by the end of Day 1.
Even though we hadn’t run as much as we did on the 1st floor.
“Mister, are you tired? Here, have a drink.”
Surprisingly, these two still seemed to have energy left, so it seemed like they could move even faster if they wanted to.
Well, they were agility characters.
“Erwen, didn’t I tell you not to call me ‘mister’ in the labyrinth?”
“Ah, right. I’ll be careful…”
Erwen nodded shyly, and we started preparing for camp.
We didn’t need a watch.
We were at the beginning of the 3rd floor, and besides…
“I’ll have my clone keep watch, so you can sleep peacefully.”
There was no need to waste a person thanks to Amelia’s [Self-Replication].
“Wow, Amelia. You’re really useful.”
“Don’t make a fuss. It’s nothing.”
Damn it, she’s prickly.
I was just thanking her because she was the one working hard, even if it was just a clone.
“You’re right, it’s nothing.”
“Huh?”
“I, I can do that too…?”
Erwen immediately summoned a spirit.
It wasn’t that difficult to summon spirits while sleeping, unlike before. And she said it didn’t consume that much spirit power.
“And we can use the darkness spirit to hide from monsters and other people. See? I’m much better, right? Huh?”
“Ye, yeah… you’re better.”
I nodded reluctantly, pressured by her strange gaze.
But was that the answer she wanted?
“Then… say it to me too.”
“…Huh? Say what?”
“That thing you said to her earlier…”
Erwen fidgeted.
“Th, that it’s convenient to have me… Th, that I’m the best… That, that you can’t live without me…”
Hey, I never said that.
--------------------------------------------
Chapter 351: Dark Continent (2)
The scorching sun and heated sand.
A cool but somewhat humid wind carried the salty scent of the sea.
Starting Island Laimia.
However, the vast ocean stretching along the horizon was nowhere to be seen.
「Entered the Great Ocean of the 6th floor.」
The first thing we saw as we crossed the portal was a line of over a hundred massive galleons along the coastline.
The ships were so large and numerous that the vast ocean felt cramped.
"Hey, hey! Move aside once you're through! The next group is coming!"
We were ushered away from the portal before we could even look around, following the directions of an explorer with the Explorer's Guild emblem.
His casual tone suggested he wasn't a regular guild employee.
I asked Erwen, and she confirmed he wasn't.
He was an explorer hired by the guild.
The royal family had requested assistance with managing explorers, but they lacked the manpower to send their own people, so they outsourced it.
'Well, a regular employee wouldn't be able to make it to the 6th floor.'
Anyway, the war had been going on for over a year, so the procedures were streamlined and flowed smoothly.
"Come this way! Register for the war effort, and we'll help you with your unit assignment!"
We waited in line along the eastern coastline and finally reached the registration desk. We handed over our ID cards and finished our registration, but there was a bit of a commotion.
Erwen was too famous.
"Erwen Fornachi di Tersia... Uh... uh, Bl, Blood Spirit Marquis...?"
"Is there a problem?"
"Oh, no... Nothing! I apologize for the commotion!"
The registrar seemed uncomfortable even talking to her, quickly finishing the process. It was understandable for him to be curious about Erwen registering alone.
"5th-grade explorer, Emily Raines. You've participated before. You're registered."
Next was Amelia's turn, and it took less than a second.
She had created the identity 'Emily Raines' two years ago, starting at 9th-grade and gradually leveling up while paying taxes. Her identity was perfectly clean.
As long as she didn't run into anyone who recognized her face, her ID would pass without a problem.
Unlike me, who received a few suspicious glances.
"5th-grade explorer, Lihen Schuitz. First time participating. Can you remove your helmet, please?"
Amelia had found me an ID card belonging to an explorer who had been active five years ago, 'Lihen Schuitz'. Of course, the broker had paid all the taxes diligently, so there was no problem with the paperwork.
"Hmm."
The registrar gave me a strange look. Maybe my face looked younger than my stated age of 29?
It felt like I was a minor trying to buy cigarettes.
But he let me through after I showed him my light brown hair, dyed according to the information on my ID card. I had chosen an ID with the same eye color as mine.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, I wish you good luck on your return."
"Thank you."
I had briefly lifted my helmet, but thankfully, there were no issues.
Just as Amelia predicted, many explorers had retired and returned after the war, so my registration passed without much suspicion.
Besides, two of the Seven Strengths were supposedly in the same situation.
"Then all that's left is the unit assignment."
We moved to a bulletin board after finishing registration.
The board listed the available ships and the number of explorers already on board. Choosing the right ship was crucial for the war.
Explorers who boarded the same ship would be assigned to the same unit upon arrival at the 7th floor.
"There's no need to think about it. You're a newbie, so you won't be able to board anything other than a 3rd-class ship."
"3rd-class ship?"
"Explorers who haven't achieved any significant feats or those without a large backing usually board those ships. Their combat power tends to be lower, so they're mainly assigned to support roles in the rear."
So newbies start at the bottom, huh?
Well, it made sense. Having newbies around would only hinder the main force on the battlefield.
"Let's board that one."
We chose a 3rd-class ship with the fewest explorers and boarded.
Having fewer passengers would give us more options for choosing a cabin.
"We managed to get a triple cabin."
"Why are triple cabins so hard to find?"
"They're not that rare, but they're the most popular."
I didn't even have to ask why.
'Ah, the Bonding spell was updated while I was gone.'
Six-person teams were now the standard.
Triple cabins were naturally the most popular since they could accommodate two teams perfectly.
"We set sail tomorrow, so everyone relax until then."
"Okay! Then what should we talk about now?"
"...Relax, she said."
"..."
I looked at Amelia for help, but she was already lying in bed, pretending to be asleep after finishing organizing her luggage.
'Seriously...'
"Then... should we talk about the war?"
"Okay! Do you have any questions?"
"I heard that 3rd-class ships are mainly assigned to support roles in the rear. What kind of tasks are there?"
"Uh... I'm always at the front lines, so I don't know much... I think they handle things like securing escape routes and escorting important personnel."
I wasn't tired yet, so I chatted with Erwen and learned more about the war.
And after some time...
Knock, knock.
We had a visitor.
It was someone we all knew.
"...I came to say hello since we're on the same ship. It's been a while, Tersia."
I couldn't believe we were meeting again so soon.
_____________________
"...Phew..."
The blonde woman adjusted her collar and sighed, standing in front of the closed cabin door.
'Why did she suddenly do this...?'
Blood Spirit Marquis, Erwen Fornachi di Tersia.
She was the reason Raven was standing here.
The 7th Strength had inexplicably boarded a 3rd-class ship instead of a 1st-class one.
'...Seriously, all the annoying tasks are mine.'
Her unit, the 3rd Magic Corps, was also scheduled to board a 3rd-class ship. Mages needed escorts, so it was inevitable.
But it wasn't supposed to be this ship.
She had been reassigned due to orders from her superiors.
'We're not even close anymore. We weren't that close before either.'
They had been in the same clan, but that was all.
Her superiors must have assigned her to this ship for that reason...
'But I don't know how to handle that crazy woman.'
Raven lacked confidence.
She had no idea what Erwen was planning or what kind of trouble she might cause.
'I guess I should at least try to talk to her... Find out what she's thinking...'
Raven sighed and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
About 10 seconds passed before the door opened.
Creak.
The rusty hinges groaned as the door swung open, revealing the interior of the cabin.
There were three people inside, just as she had heard.
'5th-grade explorer, Lihen Schuitz. And Emily Raines.'
One of them was wearing a helmet even inside the cabin, and the other had their eyes and ears covered with a black cloth mask.
Raven's curiosity intensified.
Who were these two, and what were they doing with Erwen?
"Stop staring and tell us why you're here."
Erwen's voice, laced with hostility, snapped Raven out of her thoughts. She forced a professional smile.
"...I came to say hello since we're on the same ship. It's been a while, Tersia."
"Yeah. Then you're done saying hello, so why don't you leave?"
Tsk, would she ever learn some manners?
Raven suppressed her frustration and spoke.
There were too many things she wanted to ask.
For example...
"By the way, you said 'mister', right?"
Why did Erwen call that man 'mister'?
Wasn't that a nickname she only used for him?
"..."
Erwen remained silent.
She just glared at Raven, as if asking what it had to do with her. But there was a hint of anxiety in her eyes.
It felt like she had accidentally revealed something she didn't want to show.
"Hmm."
Raven shifted her gaze to the man.
He was a complete stranger, his face hidden by a helmet...
But there was something strangely familiar about him.
It wasn't his physique or anything specific...
Still, he reminded her of someone.
"Could it be...!"
Raven's jaw dropped.
And she looked back and forth between Erwen and the man.
_____________________
"..."
The silence grew heavier. Raven's gaze lingered on me, making my heart race.
'Did she recognize me?'
What do I do now?
Can I convince her that I'm not an evil spirit?
If she doesn't believe me, the news will reach the royal family, and...
"..."
I glanced at Erwen. She was looking at me, her eyes pleading.
'Mister, what should we do?'
That's what her gaze was saying.
It was a bit ridiculous.
She made the mistake, now she's looking at me for help?
"Could it be..."
Raven finally broke the silence, her voice filled with sadness.
"You've been reduced to this."
"...Huh?"
Erwen and I exchanged confused glances.
What was she talking about?
Raven continued in a sorrowful tone.
"Tersia, or rather, Erwen. You can't find a replacement. You have to overcome this, it's hard, but..."
"...Ah...?"
It finally dawned on me.
Raven had misunderstood.
She thought Erwen was so heartbroken over my death that she was clinging to a similar man, pretending he was me.
"And you."
Petite Raven turned sharply and glared at me.
"I know what you're thinking."
"...?"
"So don't try to take advantage of Erwen. I won't let that happen. I'll be watching. And if you cross the line..."
Raven trailed off, her voice threatening.
I wanted to defend myself.
"Wait! I'm not trying to take advantage—!"
"Your voice..."
"Voice?"
I was confused, but Raven flinched and averted her gaze.
"Your voice... is similar..."
She seemed to have realized why Erwen had called me 'mister'.
"So that's why..."
Raven mumbled sadly, then turned to Erwen.
"You can't do this. He wouldn't want it. Right?"
She was practically begging Erwen.
But it wouldn't work.
Erwen was simply misundersood.
"What are you doing! Get out! Don't you dare come back!"
Erwen snapped out of her daze and yelled at Raven. And before Raven could even react, she slammed the door shut.
Bang!
_____________________
Time flew by after Raven's visit.
The day of departure arrived, and the warships anchored along the coastline set sail.
And...
"Escorting the Magic Corps, huh..."
The explorers on board were assigned to escort the 3rd Magic Corps upon arrival at the 7th floor.
Oh, by the way, we received training on formations and tactics during the voyage. They gathered everyone on the deck and gave us instructions.
'So that's why they group explorers by ship. They can train us during the journey.'
The voyage to the 7th floor was expected to take about 15 days.
Excluding training time, most of it was free time, which I mostly spent on the deck.
There was a simple reason.
Barbarians are weak to the sea.
"Ugh, bleeegh—!"
The ship was massive, but I couldn't stay in the cabin. My stomach churned with seasickness.
Well, at least I could throw up anywhere on the deck.
Anyway, I spent most of my time on the deck, which led to several encounters with Raven.
It was strangely frequent.
And it always happened when Erwen wasn't around.
"...Even your seasickness is the same. It's disgusting."
"...Bleeegh..."
"Why are you hiding your face? Did Erwen make you?"
"...Ugh..."
"His face isn't that similar anyway."
"..."
"Why are you doing this when you have a perfectly normal face? Don't you have any self-respect?"
"..."
"Just try something. You won't like what happens."
Ugh, this is killing me.
Why does she keep bothering me when I feel like I'm about to die?