C259, 260, 261
Chapter 259: Clan (3)
“…….”
“…….”
The silence continued even after the jewel’s light faded.
The weight of the incident hit them as the truth was confirmed through Clown’s words, while they were unsure whether that post was real.
‘Right, the outside world really was fine.’
What would happen to this city after the community session ended?
The rumor would surely spread like wildfire.
‘Those damn Noark bastards.’
Hearing the truth from Clown, Noark’s intentions became clear.
That post wasn’t a personal confession.
It was a planned scheme to spread this information within the city using the community.
‘That’s why that Clown bastard is telling us so easily.’
Although Clown always hid behind his frivolous mask and spoke in an emotional tone, he wasn’t an idiot.
For example, he had kept quiet about the previous incidents.
He couldn’t have not known, being a member of Orculus’s leadership, but he never used it as information.
[An assassin will be sent to Bjorn Yandel soon.]
The information he shared most recently was a similar case.
He spoke as if Noark was sending an assassin, but he was actually talking about a large clan’s assassination plot.
And the reward he obtained through this was simple.
“By the way, Mr. Antler is also working hard, isn’t he?”
Clown made Antler in reality take action.
“Pfft, I didn’t expect him to send away the knights like that.”
From his perspective, it was like he had found the first clue to track down Antler’s identity.
He probably judged it at that time.
That this was more important, even if the assassination attempt on Bjorn Yandel failed.
“That unlucky bastard.”
Maybe the reason Antler recalled the knights was because he belatedly realized Clown’s goal.
The longer the tail, the higher the chance of getting caught.
“It’s fun watching you two fight, but let’s do that later! Um, Mr. Clown, can I ask a question?”
SoulQueens skillfully changed the atmosphere and asked a question as the Clown and Antler showed signs of starting a battle of nerves.
“So who is that old man? The one who teleported over ten thousand people at once. I heard he even guided them to the outside world.”
“That’s…”
The Clown trailed off and then laughed awkwardly.
“Pfft, it’s a secret. It wouldn’t be fun if I just told you, right?”
He clearly didn’t know his identity.
Geez, that’s not how you pretend to know something.
I, a veteran Lion, sensed the opportunity and said,
“There’s no way that old man would have revealed his identity.”
I looked down at the Clown as if he was trying to pull a pathetic trick.
The Clown flinched as if he had been caught lying.
It seemed like he was thinking, ‘How does he even know that?’
On the other hand, SoulQueens turned her gaze towards me with a strange look in her eyes.
“Hmm, so you’re saying you know? Who that mysterious old man is.”
No, how would I know?
I didn’t answer, maintaining eye contact.
It was Lion’s signature gesture, that if you wanted to know something, you had to bring something interesting.
SoulQueens muttered grumpily,
“Geez, then can’t you at least tell me what you’re interested in?”
Ugh, that would decrease the diversity of information.
There was only one thing I could say.
The same line I had said in a similar situation before.
“I don’t know either.”
Lion didn’t even know himself.
“What I’m interested in.”
SoulQueens looked at me as if I was a strange person.
‘Okay, then I guess I’ve fulfilled today’s quota…’
I pretended to be uninterested and listened to the conversation behind me.
The meeting resumed.
“Then I’ll go next.”
Goblin took the second turn.
For reference, it was information related to religion again…
“Didn’t I say there was an oracle a few months ago? I finally found out who it was.”
What? Suddenly?
I tried to maintain my composure, as I didn’t expect it to come up here.
“It’s useful for once. Pfft, so who is it? What sacred relic did he receive?”
Clown, who had shown strong interest in the oracle and the sacred relic back then, adjusted his posture.
But could it be that this was his first time experiencing this?
Goblin puffed out his chest and said,
“Bjorn Yandel. The one who received the oracle is that barbarian who’s called ‘Giant’ in the city.”
The situation was getting interesting.
________________
“Bjorn Yandel.”
That name, which was the hottest topic these days.
“That bastard… received an oracle…?”
Clown, who had suffered a lot because of my main character, chuckled in disbelief.
“Hey, is this information even reliable? How can that guy receive an oracle when he’s not even human?”
“That’s… I also found it strange, so I looked into it, and it’s not entirely unheard of. There were a few other races who received oracles in the past.”
“Most of them left their names in history.”
Antler added as if to supplement Goblin’s explanation.
“So stop doubting Goblin just because you don’t know anything. And besides, the jewel emitted a green light, didn’t it?”
“That’s…”
Although he probably wanted to say that it wasn’t always accurate…
…Clown couldn’t finish his sentence.
Because he was a prime example.
“Everyone, please calm down. Mr. Clown too. You don’t have to worry, this information is 100% reliable, unlike Mr. Clown’s information back then. I saw and confirmed it myself.”
Huh? He saw and confirmed it?
This changes things.
At first, I thought Goblin had probably just heard the information that was spreading around.
But he saw it himself?
‘…Then he was there.’
There were five people around me when the third vine broke.
Three escort knights and Misha.
And…
‘Sven Parab.’
The vice-captain of the 2nd Paladin Order of the Leathlas Church.
The suspect was naturally narrowed down to one person.
It was practically a given that Goblin was a paladin.
‘This is amazing. I can’t believe it was him.’
The dissonance between Goblin’s image at the Round Table and that dignified paladin was significant.
Well, it wasn’t as bad as mine.
‘…Is this actually a good thing?’
I had figured out Goblin’s identity, on top of the Clown and SoulQueens. Maybe this information would be useful someday.
“Then what was the sacred relic? If it’s the Goddess of Stars, it must be a sacred relic related to fate?”
“Actually… I don’t know. I’m not in a position to ask around…”
Goblin then ended his turn, confessing that he didn’t know about the sacred relic’s ability.
SoulQueens was next.
“The royal palace sent a notice to the Magic Tower on the day they held the reward ceremony for the explorers who returned alive from the Palace of Glory.”
“Notice?”
“Yes. It was a request to repair the labyrinth portal. It was in a very unstable state.”
SoulQueens then shut her mouth, and the jewel soon emitted light.
It was a green light, signifying that she passed.
But the members weren’t satisfied.
“Even though it’s only your second time, aren’t you being too shameless? Pfft, who would share such trash information?”
“Well? It depends on your level, doesn’t it? A dimensional collapse could have occurred if the repairs were delayed.”
SoulQueens retorted, unfazed by Clown’s mockery.
But even Antler sided with the Clown this time.
“It’s not like a dimensional collapse is imminent, and the information that the repairs are complete is a bit…”
Well, they couldn’t really gain anything from this information.
I was a bit different.
‘…So the experience point duplication bug is patched since the repairs are complete.’
Tsk, then I would have to speedrun now to get portal opening experience points?
I decided to just confirm it next time I entered the labyrinth.
“I don’t have anything else to say. I genuinely believe that this information is as valuable as the other information we’ve heard today.”
SoulQueens remained firm despite the members’ objections and eventually passed.
“Oh, so you could do that…”
Goblin, who had been rejected many times, seemed impressed that this was possible.
But knowing and doing were two different things.
It wouldn’t work even if Goblin tried it. Barbarian-style stubbornness wasn’t something just anyone could pull off.
You had to have the confidence that you were the best.
‘This woman is truly unique.’
Anyway, Antler was next after SoulQueens.
He said that one of the royal family’s treasures was stolen when Karnon was engulfed in flames.
Although it was a name I had never heard before, it seemed like a pretty important item judging by their reactions.
So I decided to look into it later.
“It’s your turn now, Crescent Moon.”
It was finally Crescent Moon’s turn.
He had been unusually quiet throughout the gathering, so I was quite curious about what information he would share.
But it wasn’t anything special.
“The fairy tribe decided to replace their next pureblood candidate. They’re currently looking for a suitable candidate.”
It was the internal affairs of one of the six races, so it would be helpful in understanding the current situation…
But that was all.
But I couldn’t take my eyes off Crescent Moon.
Because he was staring at me.
“I’ll bring something more interesting next time.”
It meant that he hadn’t given up on the ‘Stone of Resurrection’, even though he didn’t have anything useful this time.
Not bad.
Honestly, even today’s information wasn’t that bad for me.
‘But if they’re choosing a new pureblood candidate, wouldn’t it be possible to give it to Erwen? It would be amazing if she could absorb it.’
That’s when, as I was organizing my thoughts…
…I felt gazes on me.
Ah, it was my turn now.
I shared something else instead of the information I had prepared.
“You can resurrect up to two people with the Stone of Resurrection.”
So keep working hard.
_____________________
The Stone of Resurrection.
It was an item that was only considered to exist in legends until I mentioned it, but now it had become reality.
Naturally, information about this item was valuable.
But I thought the members who weren’t interested in the Stone of Resurrection might be dissatisfied.
It wasn’t information about how to obtain it, but just a simple piece of information that you could resurrect up to two people.
And it was already my third time using it.
However…
“…….”
“…….”
…the members didn’t complain.
Because the atmosphere wasn’t right.
“Two people… right, I see…”
Crescent Moon, who seemed to have lost someone recently, muttered blankly at my words.
I could feel a strong desire in his voice.
A brief silence followed.
“Oh my, we wasted one chance because of Crescent Moon.”
The Clown, disappointed that my turn was wasted on the ‘Stone of Resurrection’, suggested we move on to the next round.
But…
“I don’t have anything else prepared. I’ll end it here. In the first place, I wouldn’t have even come if it weren’t for Lion.”
Crescent Moon asked the members for their understanding without even looking at the Clown and then left the Round Table.
It was the same for Goblin.
“Uh, I’ve also satisfied my curiosity… I don’t have anything else to share, so I’ll be going now.”
Antler also left after Goblin, saying it was a bit burdensome to continue with just four people.
Well, it was true that the gathering became more difficult with four people.
Two out of three people had to share information that the other two didn’t know to pass. But the amount of information you could obtain after sharing one piece of information decreased.
“So, how about it? Should we try with three people?”
“I don’t mind.”
The Clown and SoulQueens were willing to continue.
So the decision was up to me.
‘It seems like valuable information will pour out if we continue with just the three of us…’
Although I was tempted, I decided not to push it.
They might realize that I was all bark and no bite.
So the gathering ended after the first round.
“If there was anything interesting, it would have come out already.”
I said arrogantly, following the Lion persona, and returned to Lee Hansu’s room.
And after spending some time browsing the forums, I returned to my original body when it was time to log out.
“Ah, this isn’t my house.”
It was the inn room in the 7th district, where I was using Karon’s face and name.
As soon as I opened my eyes, the worries I had been putting aside came rushing back.
‘I wonder if Karon is doing okay?’
Karon was my alibi.
If the GM was really targeting today, he would be watching Karon from afar, trying to confirm if he was a player.
“Tsk.”
I wanted to check on him quickly.
But if I went to where Karon was now, I might ruin everything.
Therefore, I endured, using my patience.
And the next morning, after barely sleeping a wink…
“Bjorn!”
…I met Karon again at the sanctuary, as promised.
Since the duration of the appearance change was 30 days, we put on our masks and returned to our original appearances.
“Huhuhu, judging by your dark circles, it seems like you had a great night.”
Ah, right, I used that excuse.
“…Thanks to you.”
I brushed it off and asked Karon about everything that happened yesterday. I couldn’t afford to have any memory gaps.
…Actually, I was just curious.
I had been imagining all sorts of things last night, worried about what might have happened.
“Ah, yesterday?”
What happened yesterday?
------------------------------
Chapter 260: Clan (4)
The man sighed in relief as he saw the barbarian warrior, Bjorn Yandel, leaving the sanctuary.
“Fortunately, he came out right away.”
If he had planned to spend the night there, he would have had to wait until the 15th of next month.
After all, infiltrating the sanctuary in this body—
Slip.
The man, who was turning his body to follow Bjorn Yandel, lost his balance and stumbled. It was because he wasn’t used to controlling the golem, having just connected to it for the first time.
“Um, are you okay?”
People looked at him as his body froze in a strange posture, trying to regain his balance.
“I, I’m fine.”
The man felt a strange sense of shame and quickly left. And he followed Bjorn Yandel with a gait that sounded like creaking wood.
“Mommy, that mister is strange…!”
‘…If it weren’t for Lee Baekho…’
The reason he was currently linked to an unfamiliar golem, leaving his perfectly fine body behind, was all because of Lee Baekho.
Because he didn’t know when he might appear again.
He was a bit worried about leaving the Magic Tower in his real body.
‘So where is he going now?’
The man continued to follow Bjorn Yandel as the sky was still dark blue in the early morning.
And…
‘He’s drinking at this hour?’
…they arrived at a famous bar in the 7th district.
The bar that was open 24 hours a day, with employees working in three shifts.
“Is that… Bjorn, son of Yandel?”
“Hoo, that’s him?”
“We’re lucky. To see the man who’s been the talk of the town.”
Everyone’s attention was focused on Bjorn Yandel as soon as he entered the bar. He had become famous enough to be recognized wherever he went.
Smirk.
As if enjoying his fame, Bjorn Yandel couldn’t hide his smile and sat down alone at the table in the center.
And he started chugging alcohol.
“Um, sir, what would you like to order…?”
The man, who also entered the bar and took a table, casually ordered some food and observed Bjorn Yandel’s movements.
There wasn’t anything special.
“Keuuuuuh…!”
He just kept drinking.
The table, which was initially empty, was soon filled with drunkards who were drawn to the smell of alcohol.
“Haha! To down that strong alcohol in one gulp, he’s truly a giant!”
They had come to greet the celebrity, but they stayed because it was more entertaining than they expected.
Ah, and there were quite a few women among them.
“Um, can I touch your arm?”
“…Of, of course!”
“Wow, it’s really like steel! Ah, I’m Amy.”
The women, who were interested in the famous explorer, subtly seduced him.
It wouldn’t work.
After all, Bjorn Yandel already had three lovers, and he was known to be very devoted to them—
“I’m… Bjo, Bjorn, son of Yandel! It’s nice to meet you…!”
Huh?
“Ahem…!”
“Oh my, oh my, how manly.”
The barbarian warrior didn’t stop them as their touches became more intimate and bold.
“Can I touch your thigh too?”
“Ahem! If you want…”
Although he pretended to reluctantly agree, his slightly upturned lips showed that he was also enjoying it.
‘This is… a hero…?’
The man couldn’t believe it, but the people here didn’t seem to find it strange at all.
They didn’t think it was morally wrong.
Anyway, the drinking party continued until evening.
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa! More alcohol! Bring me more alcohol! I have plenty of money!!”
The man hoped that Bjorn Yandel wasn’t a player as it got closer to midnight.
It was only natural.
He suddenly started arm wrestling and broke the table, he resolved things with money, saying he had a lot of it, and he even intimidated a drunkard who glared at him for being too noisy.
It was far beyond just ‘perfectly’ ‘acting’ like a barbarian.
He was a mindless barbarian warrior.
‘This… this can’t be Elfnunna…’
The man waited until midnight, even though he thought that.
He couldn’t just leave without a final confirmation after spending the whole day here.
After some time…
[23:59]
…only 1 minute was left until the community opened.
The barbarian was still drinking with the others.
It was something a community user would never do.
Tick.
The minute hand moved, and it was midnight.
And since he had set it up beforehand to not enter the community this cycle, he could observe Bjorn Yandel without missing a single moment.
‘…He’s not.’
Bjorn Yandel was still laughing and chatting even though it was midnight. There would be at least a brief moment of stiffness even if you logged out quickly, but there was nothing.
It meant he wasn’t a community user.
‘He wasn’t a member even though I sent him that letter… then he’s probably not a player either. There’s no reason for him not to join if he could read the letter.’
The man got up from his seat, feeling relieved.
Bjorn Yandel wasn’t a player.
And…
‘Right, there’s no way this is a modern person.’
…he felt a sense of relief.
_______________________
Karon’s daily routine yesterday was simple.
He had just been drinking in the bar all day since morning.
‘No wonder the smell of alcohol was so strong.’
Of course, I wasn’t going to scold him for it.
After all, I was the one who told him to drink.
I judged that he wouldn’t be able to pull anything in a bar because of the people watching.
“So what happened while you were drinking?”
“Ah, that? It’s a long story… but it was fun!”
I quickly skipped the stories about the drunkards he befriended at the bar and the time he accidentally broke a table and had to pay for it.
I had expected that much.
I didn’t care about the cost of the table or the alcohol.
As long as the part I wanted was taken care of.
“You’re asking if there were any strange people in the bar? Hmm…”
Karon seemed to be searching his alcohol-soaked brain and then gave me the answer I wanted.
“Come to think of it, there was a strange skinny guy in the corner all day. He was a strange guy who kept ordering things but didn’t drink or eat.”
I knew it was him as soon as I heard it.
“So what did you do? Did you talk to him?”
“No, there’s no way. He seemed a bit mentally challenged, so I didn’t approach him.”
“How long was he in the bar?”
“I don’t know for sure… but I think it was until around midnight.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
He stayed in the bar all day and then left as soon as it was midnight?
It seemed like my plan had worked.
He must have dismissed his suspicion after seeing Karon drinking with the other drunkards.
Then this plan was successfully completed—
“Yeah, that’s right. It was midnight. I met that beastman woman around 1:00.”
Huh?
“…Beastman woman?”
I felt a sense of unease.
And as expected, my premonition didn’t fail.
“That Kaltstein’s daughter!”
Karon, who was disguised as me, met Misha.
“What happened?”
Karon explained what happened as I hurriedly asked.
To summarize:
“She’s a fierce woman, even though she’s a beastman. I can see why you like her.”
Misha grabbed Karon by the collar and dragged him outside.
And they had a brief conversation…
“I’m sorry. It didn’t work, no matter how I tried to make excuses.”
…and Karon’s identity was revealed.
Well, there’s no way he could have hidden it from her.
But the important thing was what happened next.
“She asked me what you were doing, so I just told her the truth.”
“…You told her the truth?”
Karon flinched as I gritted my teeth and asked back.
But did he really want to say this?
“Bjorn, you’re the hero of our tribe. Why should you hide something that’s just fulfilling your duty?”
“…….”
“So I told her honestly! I said you were currently fulfilling your duty with the female warriors of the tribe, so she shouldn’t even think of interrupting!”
“…….”
“Huhu, it seemed like she didn’t know what ‘duty’ meant, so I explained it to her in detail. And then she seemed to understand and left.”
“…….”
“You should thank me! Now you can fulfill your duty at the sanctuary whenever you want!”
“…….”
“But… why are you so quiet?”
Karon then asked cautiously, and I still answered with silence.
I didn’t know what to say.
Damn it, how did this happen?
It felt strange to be angry at Karon.
“Karon, son of Tarson, make a warrior’s oath. That you’ll keep everything that happened today a secret.”
“An oath? I’ll do it a hundred times if you want.”
Karon agreed without hesitation as I struggled inwardly and asked for an oath.
That was why I couldn’t be angry at him.
“Ah, but what does ‘keep a secret’ mean?”
“…It means don’t tell anyone.”
“That’s easy! I’m known for being tight-lipped even within the tribe!”
Right, what was the point of being angry at him?
It was better to just accept it as something I couldn’t do anything about, like a natural disaster. No one gets angry at clouds for raining, right?
Karon had already done his part.
And thanks to him, the GM was successfully deceived.
‘I have no choice but to deal with the aftermath myself.’
I then parted ways with Karon and headed home.
Thud, thud.
My steps towards home were unusually heavy.
____________________
Misha was on the sofa when I arrived.
She was sitting there in the dark living room, and I couldn’t read her expression.
Right, nothing at all.
“You’re back?”
Misha asked nonchalantly.
But her nails, which were usually neatly trimmed, were rough, and her eyes were bloodshot.
Don’t tell me, she stayed on the sofa all night?
“Uh, uh…”
My heart sank.
That’s when, as I stood there silently, unable to say anything…
“Then it’s fine. Go to sleep.”
…Misha, who had been watching me as if giving me time to speak, turned around and went back to her room.
I just watched her until then.
“…….”
What could I say?
That what Karon said wasn’t true?
I would have to tell her about the GM if I wanted to explain that.
Of course, I could make up another lie…
‘But it might make things worse.’
It would have been different in the past.
Misha was currently suspecting me of being an evil spirit. Therefore, it was better to be suspected of this than of that.
Because of fulfilling my duty to the tribe?
At least it didn’t sound like an evil spirit.
This was the best option.
‘…My ass.’
I quickly went upstairs and knocked on Misha’s door.
There was no answer.
Did she not want to talk to me?
“I’m coming in.”
I did what I wanted, ignoring her wishes, like a barbarian.
Kwagic!
Fortunately, the door wasn’t locked, so it easily opened.
I saw Misha lying on the bed, covered in blankets.
“…….”
Right, she didn’t even want to see my face.
It was a good thing I followed her.
There’s a time for everything.
A tank is a being who protects their companions, not someone who hurts them.
Therefore…
“Just listen if you don’t want to talk.”
…I said.
I still didn’t have the courage to reveal that I was an evil spirit.
So I just said it bluntly, using my barbarian body.
“Nothing happened at the sanctuary.”
Misha lowered her blanket a bit at my words.
And she asked,
“…Why are you telling me this?”
It meant there was no reason for me to make excuses, whether she believed me or not.
Actually, she wasn’t wrong.
We were just companions.
Although there was a chance for us to become closer, I was the one who rejected it. I judged that if our feelings were involved, it would be difficult to make rational decisions at a crossroads.
But…
“Bjorn, if you’re doing this because you’re worried about me, you don’t have to—”
“I’m not saying this for you, I’m saying it for myself. I’m selfish, unlike Dwarkey.”
I cut Misha off and said,
“Misha, nothing really happened at the sanctuary last night, and I don’t want you to misunderstand me because of that.”
“Why wouldn’t I misunderstand you…?”
Misha’s eyes, visible from beneath the blanket, were filled with a certain hope and longing.
It was something I couldn’t avoid forever.
I took a breath and continued.
Even though I was just an evil spirit residing in Bjorn Yandel’s body.
“Because you’re no longer just a companion to me.”
It was a truth I could no longer deny.
-------------------------------------
Chapter 261: Clan (5)
I told Misha before.
That I considered her a precious companion.
I drew a line with cowardly words.
I thought it was the right thing to do, and it was. Back then, I was still burning with the desire to ‘return’, and…
…I wasn’t worthy of crossing that line.
Because I was an ‘evil spirit’.
Even if I whispered words of affection in Bjorn Yandel’s body, it would only be deceiving her.
But…
“Wh, what do you mean? You don’t just consider me as a companion…?”
I answered Misha’s question without hesitation.
“You know what I’m saying.”
It was something I realized after visiting the community this time.
Compared to Lee Hansu’s dark and gloomy room…
…I felt like this place was my home.
“You didn’t tell me properly…”
Misha, who was avoiding my gaze and looking at the wall, slowly turned her head and looked at me.
“How would I know…?”
Maybe this was what Lee Baekho was wary of.
The desire to stay in this world grows stronger the moment you form a deep relationship with an NPC.
But so what?
“Misha Kaltstein, I like you.”
I didn’t care about ‘returning’ anymore.
That it would be difficult to make rational judgments in the labyrinth if we were in a romantic relationship?
It was the same.
It was already too late.
Even at this moment, I cherished my teammates, including Misha, and I couldn’t prioritize only myself anymore.
‘Dwarkey.’
It was the trace he left behind as his legacy.
What could I do after he acted like that and left?
I couldn’t just see them as NPCs.
“…….”
Then what about Misha’s answer?
Although I felt anxious for the first time in a while, I tried not to show it and affect the outcome.
A period of silence passed.
“Bjorn.”
Misha finally broke the long silence.
She was standing in front of me, having gotten out of the blanket that was covering her.
“…Let’s go out.”
Misha grabbed my hand.
And she led me outside.
I didn’t ask where we were going.
“…….”
It was early morning, and people were starting to wake up and go about their day. Misha and I, who had come out without even wearing coats, got a room at an inn about 30 meters away.
And we hugged each other tightly.
“Bjorn, gently…! It hurts if you hug me too tightly…”
I moved my rough barbarian body carefully, worried that she might get hurt.
“Are you sure about this…?”
“…Anything with you.”
Misha embraced me clumsily but warmly.
And so, the time we spent hugging each other, sharing our warmth, continued until evening.
‘…So that’s how her tail is.’
It was a day where I was able to confirm something I had always been curious about with my own eyes.
But happiness is like a fleeting illusion.
“Bjorn.”
“Why aren’t you sleeping? Don’t worry about Ainar and Erwen. They’ll be fine—”
“I have something to tell you.”
“…Huh?”
Just as I tilted my head in confusion…
…Misha sat up on the bed and looked at me.
And she said in a determined voice,
“I think… it’s better for us to just be companions.”
I was dumped.
____________________
It felt like a dream.
[Misha Kaltstein, I like you.]
Her heart started pounding like crazy when she heard those words, and the whole world seemed to shine brightly.
That’s why…
[…Let’s go out.]
…she led Bjorn outside as if running away.
Because she was anxious.
It felt like she would wake up from the dream if she looked away even for a moment.
[Bjorn, Bjorn, Bjorn…!]
[Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.]
And so, the dream-like time continued.
They shared their warmth with each other, and sometimes they rested and talked.
From the time they first met to now.
They talked about many moments and shared their feelings and thoughts.
It was a time for them to confirm and share each other.
But…
‘Wait, he’s asleep…’
A dream is a dream because you have to wake up someday.
Misha slowly opened her eyes.
She saw the darkened sky outside the window, and the man she longed for was lying next to her, dozing off.
Although she felt a deep sense of happiness…
‘…….’
…the world was painted in the colors of reality, and she came to her senses.
‘As expected, Bjorn is…’
…an evil spirit.
Misha couldn’t even say those hidden words in her mind.
Because it felt like her heart was breaking just by thinking about it.
“Heugh…”
She felt suffocated.
Although she had been suspicious, she was certain of his identity for the first time today.
Because she had asked Ainar about it after hearing from Karon what ‘duty’ was.
Only barbarians could give birth to barbarians.
She had known that from the beginning.
But…
[Can’t we date? Haha, what are you talking about! Of course we can. I know quite a few tribesmen who do that!]
Barbarians were also human.
As they lived in the city and spent more time with other explorers than their tribesmen in the sanctuary, their values gradually changed.
[The chieftain said that any warrior would change a little after living in the city for a few years. Ah, he also called it ‘urbanization’.]
Just because their hearts were kind.
Because their personalities matched.
Because they developed feelings after spending a long time together.
There were definitely barbarians in this city who didn’t care about the other person’s race and felt romantic attraction.
But they all had one thing in common.
[But I heard it’s hard to find a partner. Most people don’t understand ‘duty’.]
They also wanted to have children.
Ainar said it was a tribal mission engraved in their souls.
So Misha tried to understand.
That was why she didn’t say anything and just went back to her room, even though she waited until morning, unable to sleep because of her frustration.
But…
[Misha, nothing really happened at the sanctuary last night, and I don’t want you to misunderstand me because of that.]
…she heard him tell her not to misunderstand.
[Because you’re no longer just a companion to me.]
She also heard that.
Although she was blinded by happiness back then, she realized the contradictions after coming to her senses.
Of course, she believed him when he said nothing happened at the sanctuary.
But…
‘Then why did he lie to Karon?’
Why did Bjorn tell Karon that he was going to fulfill his ‘duty’?
The answer was simple now that she thought about it.
‘…Because he had to.’
The only barbarians who didn’t fulfill their ‘duty’ were the young warriors who hadn’t established themselves yet.
It would be strange for a warrior who had even earned the title of ‘Giant’ to neglect his duty.
So Bjorn used Karon.
What Karon said yesterday was proof.
[Bjorn is currently fulfilling his duty with the female warriors of the tribe, so don’t even think of interrupting!]
Karon had revealed everything without even being asked. It was something that wouldn’t have happened if Bjorn really wanted to keep it a secret.
He would have made him swear an oath.
Considering his usual meticulousness, it was more plausible that he intended it.
He wanted Karon to spread the rumor in barbarian society.
That Bjorn Yandel was fulfilling his ‘duty’.
‘And the reason why he had to go through the trouble of switching appearances…’
Misha lowered her head.
‘…Because he… likes me…’
Bjorn wanted…
…to be seen as a barbarian who fulfilled his duty to his tribesmen, but he didn’t want her to hear about it.
Indeed, if she hadn’t gone to the bar that night because of a bad feeling, she would still think that he just spent the night drinking.
And she would have heard the same if she asked anyone.
‘Now I…’
Her hands and feet trembled as she realized the truth.
Bjorn Yandel was an evil spirit.
But her feelings for him didn’t fade at all.
It was only natural.
After all, she fell for the man who resided in that body, the one who saved her and had been with her on countless journeys, not ‘Bjorn Yandel’.
‘Then… what should I do?’
It didn’t matter that he was an evil spirit.
She could just follow her heart, as he had taught her, even if everyone else pointed their fingers and said it was wrong.
But there was still a realistic problem.
‘This will be exposed someday…’
Love makes it difficult to make rational judgments.
Misha knew that better than anyone.
Indeed, Bjorn had made a wrong choice.
It would have been much better for him to actually fulfill his ‘duty’ than to pretend to.
But the only reason he didn’t do that…
…was her.
‘Right, because of me…’
Misha then made up her mind.
If this relationship continued, Bjorn would make an even bigger mistake someday.
So…
‘…I just have to endure…’
This was the best option.
Although her heart ached just by imagining it…
…she was confident that she could endure.
She had lived like that her entire life until she met Bjorn Yandel.
“Bjorn.”
She called her lover’s name and woke him up.
And…
“Why aren’t you sleeping? Don’t worry about Ainar and Erwen. They’ll be fine—”
“I have something to tell you.”
…she said with a forced smile.
Even if that path was filled with pain…
“I think… it’s better for us to just be companions.”
…she would definitely be able to do it.
If it was for him.
____________________
[You, you should come home later. I, I’ll take care of the ki, kids… okay?]
Misha left before my mind could even process what had happened.
And…
“…….”
…I froze.
It was the Barbarian Statue Mode.
“Dumped…?”
My head spun.
What did I do wrong?
Did I make a mistake today?
“…….”
Although I tried to recall, I could only come up with delusions, so I just checked out and left.
Right, what was the point of suffering in silence?
If I was curious, I could just ask.
And if I had done something wrong, I could just fix it.
“Ah, you’re back? Come eat.”
Misha greeted me as if nothing had happened when I returned home.
“You’re back, mister.”
“Bjorn, you’re only coming back now after staying out all night? Take me with you next time you drink!”
Erwen and Ainar thought I had just come home.
We first had dinner together.
Although I wanted to ask her about what she said earlier, I couldn’t do it here.
“Th, then I’m going to rest first since I’m tired!”
Misha ran away to her room as soon as the meal was over.
“Erwen, Misha is acting strange today. And her walking is weird.”
“Well, I don’t know why she’s acting like that either. I have a bad feeling about this…”
I also quickly followed them, saying I would check on Misha since she might be sick.
“Bjo, Bjorn…?!”
And so, we were finally alone again.
I asked her what I had done wrong and why she wanted to just be companions, and her answer was the same as before.
“Ju, just forget about today. I think that’s better.”
A stubborn refusal without a proper explanation.
I decided to wait for a better time, judging that it wasn’t the right time.
But…
“Ah, sorry! I have somewhere to go!”
“Ainar! Let’s go hang the laundry!”
“…I’m tired today.”
Misha desperately avoided being alone with me, and she always gave the same answer no matter how I tried to create an opportunity to ask her.
After a few days, I gave up.
“…I see. Then let’s just forget about that day.”
Even I couldn’t be stubborn when she was acting like that.
It would be forcing her.
Honestly, it was an unconscious defense mechanism.
‘Wow, I want to smoke.’
I couldn’t even remember the last time I was this mentally exhausted.
It wasn’t even this bad when I was crawling through the cave, stepping on goblin traps, or when the pillar of fire erupted in the plaza.
‘Right, let’s just do my work.’
I tried to forget about Misha and focus on work, as I couldn’t just stay depressed forever.
Fortunately, there were other things to worry about.
“Mister, did you hear the rumor?”
“You mean the one about the outside world being fine?”
“Yes. That’s all anyone is talking about these days.”
The information about the world beyond the walls, which was first revealed in the community, had started to spread throughout the city.
Well, it was still just a rumor…
…but it would definitely grow bigger as time passed.
‘How will the royal family react?’
Contrary to my expectations, the royal family hadn’t responded yet.
I needed to observe a bit more.
While doing my work.
“You know about today, right?”
“We’re meeting at the 7th district headquarters at 3:00 PM, right?”
“Right.”
I left for the Explorer’s Guild as soon as lunch was over.
And I prepared some documents beforehand.
They were the documents needed to form a clan.
Raven and the bear-like man, who said they would think about it, had finally made their decisions.
They said they would join the clan I was forming.
“Raven?”
Raven appeared before the appointed time, as if she was working on an important task.
“It’s an important matter, so I thought it would be better to help.”
She said it as if she didn’t trust me, but she actually came early to help.
“How far did you get? Let me see.”
Raven took a few documents and started writing quickly, filling in the necessary clauses.
She seemed to be three times faster than me.
And she seemed to make fewer mistakes.
“The rules are ambiguous. We have to define them clearly. The withdrawal clause too. We can have exceptions, but we have to specify who those exceptions are.”
“I, I see…?”
“Give me the ones you’ve already done. I have a feeling I’ll have to rewrite everything.”
“Here.”
Anyway, we almost finished writing the documents with Raven’s help, and then the rest of the members arrived.
“It’s my first time forming a clan, so it’s a bit strange. Raven, did you do all of this?”
“Yes. You just have to sign here. You can read the documents first if you want.”
“Haha, it’s fine. You must have done a good job.”
The other members, starting with the bear-like man, also signed the documents, and we handed them to the employee, completing the clan registration process.
It would probably be officially registered with the guild tomorrow.
‘Then that’s settled…’
The framework of a clan would not only unite us as a group, but it would also allow us to go further.
And in that sense…
“You all cleared your schedules, right?”
We left the guild and went to a bar.
It was our first clan meeting, although there were only six of us.
We ordered some drinks and snacks and then shared our future plans.
Well, to be precise, it was more like an announcement.
“We’re entering the labyrinth this time.”
It was time to get back on our feet now that we had formed a clan.