Chapter 2583 - SB 94

Sounds echoed.

Busy and chaotic sounds.

"…Confirmed fallen warrior Ritman Powell!"

"Confirmed fallen warrior Mildan Betimore of Squad 3!"

"Confirmed fallen warrior Garon Nilgrain of Squad 1!"

Grim voices burst out from all directions.

And then…

"Mister! Snap out of it! Hey?"

"Cleric, why isn't he waking up?"

"Well, um… maybe if we wait a bit longer, he'll come to soon…"

"He suffered a severe head injury. Is that why?"

"…"

Hearing the concern from my comrades right before me.

Through that, I caught Misha mumbling.

"…If things go wrong… we'll have to use it after all…"

What could she be talking about?

Maybe because I was just regaining consciousness, my ears were ringing.

I couldn't focus properly.

"Well then… Baron, since you seem to be recovering, I'll go tend to the others—"

"What are you talking about! He's not awake yet, where are you going!"

"Tersia, stop it."

"Stop it? You don't even care about him—"

"No need. Looks like he's waking up now."

"…Huh?"

Busted.

I was just about to gather my senses and open my eyes.

Well, it was about time to assess the situation.

"No, Chief!"

"B-Bjorn!! We were so worried!!"

"Hah…"

As I opened my eyes, my comrades beside me breathed sighs of relief with intense expressions.

But before saying I was fine, I had a question.

"Is anyone among us… hurt?"

Though I hedged my words unlike myself, the core question was whether there were any casualties.

Amelia understood perfectly and answered.

"Glow Ishius is dead."

Glow Ishius.

One of the three mages in the Armin expedition team.

A thirty-something young mage who always jokingly complained about time and budget whenever he saw me.

So that means he's dead.

"…And?"

"No other deaths. Several injured, but except for one, all had minor injuries."

"I see…"

I closed my eyes for a moment and exhaled deeply.

My comrades said nothing, allowing a brief silence.

Countless shards of thought swirled inside me, but I °• N v l i g h t •° focused on one.

'What must be done.'

…Let's do what needs to be done.

"I remember my head being bitten off entirely, but what happened next? Tell me everything, without missing a single detail, since I lost consciousness."

For some reason, Amelia seemed reluctant but started explaining.

"…As soon as you fell, Tersia shot an arrow."

By the way, at that time [Focused Shot] wasn't fully charged.

But…

"Kashan missed you because of the arrow, and Kalstein and I took that chance to rush and rescue you."

That arrow created a brief gap allowing me to survive dramatically.

But all the disasters started from there.

"…After that, everyone fought together against it, and many died. That's all. Oh, and unfortunately, no essences dropped—"

"More details."

Fought together and many died—that's not a story that ends in one line.

I had to know.

"Hah…"

Sensing my insistence, Amelia sighed and gave me the answer I requested.

"Yandel, with you gone, a huge gap opened on the frontline. Someone had to fill that gap. Dozens of knights rushed out."

"Jerome Saintred? Was he just watching from afar then?"

"Surprisingly no. They said he was preparing for disasters, but the moment you collapsed, he was the first to run out. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have been rescued."

"I see. Sorry to interrupt, go on."

"The commander intervened, but the situation wasn't good. Soon an order came: all troops in the rear were to join and attack it."

Troops assigned to protect fragile ranged units like mages, clerics, and psychics.

Even those troops were mobilized for the full assault.

I understood the judgment well.

The strategy was nearly at the endgame. They must have thought ending it quickly would reduce casualties.

"But that order had a fatal flaw."

The problem was there was no one in the expedition capable of managing the monster's aggro.

"Kashan prioritized threatening targets. Most attacks targeted the commander, but the situation was highly unstable."

Each time it lightly struck nearby knights like swatting flies, necks snapped.

When mages fired powerful shots, it ran at them crazily.

"Glow Ishius was taken down by it too."

Thus, the three mages became two.

'No wonder they didn't mention the cause earlier…'

Did they think if I hadn't fainted, he wouldn't have died?

…Well, that's probably true.

"After you passed out, for about three minutes we fought it, and finally the commander's sword pierced its forehead deeply, ending everything. The gate closed then reopened, shining light. It's been about ten minutes since then."

"…"

"Feel satisfied now?"

"For now."

When the conversation ended there, a familiar knight approached us.

"Baron! You're awake! The commander is calling!"

"…I'll be back soon."

"The wounded are well cared for, don't worry and go."

Following the knight, I found Jerome sitting, receiving healing from a cleric.

He had one arm missing and a hole in his abdomen.

That bastard took quite a hit.

"Glad you're safe, Baron."

"You look worse than I do."

Jerome only gave an awkward smile without answering.

"Now that you're here… Evost, begin the report!"

At the meeting with the leadership, the deputy commander announced the battle results.

"The First Expeditionary Force achieved a historic feat today by defeating the Prophesied Wolf, Kashan. Unfortunately, no essence was found to report to the royal family…"

The report reminded me again of the dangers of first-grade monsters.

"There were 27 lightly injured who have recovered, 4 moderately injured under treatment, and a total of 28 dead."

Twenty-eight dead.

Twenty-one died during the three minutes I was unconscious.

Only one member from our Squad 4 died among the 28 fallen.

A miraculous outcome no doubt, but actually, there was a decisive cause.

"I heard Baron Saintred ordered Squad 4 to the rear at the end."

When I passed out and Kashan became uncontrollable, the commander sent us relatively safely to the rear.

"Why that order?"

I had no complaint, actually grateful, but couldn't help but wonder why…

"Because if the Baron dies, one of our expedition's objectives fails. So I ordered all Squad 4 members to protect the Baron."

"…What?"

"Baron, we didn't come here just to hunt monsters. I've only ever failed a mission once."

It was an unfathomable mindset.

Was a mission really that important?

"No matter how many die, as long as we finish the expedition and bring back the Baron alive, the mission succeeds."

This guy's hard to figure out.

When we talked before, I thought we might be friends if not for the situations we were in.

"I see. That answers my question."

"Good. Shall we continue the meeting?"

Nodding, the deputy commander stepped back, and the meeting resumed.

"The damage report is done. Let's move on to the next topic."

The next topic was very simple.

Since Kashan was defeated and no essence found, there was no need to discuss ownership.

So…

"As soon as Kashan was defeated, the stone gate opened. Mages confirmed that the glowing light had properties similar to a portal… In short, going inside that light likely leads to a new area."

What lies beyond the wide-open gate?

When to start exploration?

The meeting had many opinions, but I mostly let it wash over me.

I already knew what was beyond.

'…Who would have thought the door would open like that.'

We'd already been there via Hamsik.

Sure, it could be a totally different place, but I doubted that.

'After killing the first-grade monster and finishing the library raid, the reward was probably inside.'

Various summon scrolls were decent rewards, and the main prize was likely a pen that guaranteed essence drops.

Hmm, or maybe the main prize was that golden book.

'Anyway… I guess we intercepted the reward along the way.'

If we hadn't met Hamsik first and taken the reward early, the pen would surely have gone to the royal family.

'The library has a hidden piece that lets you skip the raid and enter the main reward room.'

From a player's perspective, Hamsik's role seemed about that.

Though I suspect there are still more secrets.

'Maybe that's why they said I wasn't qualified? Because I didn't clear properly and enter the reward room officially.'

Just speculation, not confirmed.

So I'd have to meet Hamsik again to gauge the reaction…

"Well then, this meeting is adjourned. There will be no missions except patrols until 7 PM, so squad leaders, tend to your members. Also, personnel reorganization is planned, so be aware."

Afterward, free time was given.

'Until 7 PM…'

I thought they were truly tough bastards.

After such a battle, they could have let us rest all day, yet they gave us only a few hours before resuming missions.

I sighed but went back to share the news with my comrades.

"…Five hours is a bit short."

"Huh? Short? Isn't sleeping enough?"

"Fnelin was right today. I guess I just have to sleep."

"But I wonder if I can fall asleep. It still doesn't feel real… My heart's still pounding."

Most were relieved to have some rest despite the misfortune.

"Do as you please. But first, there's work to do."

"What work…?"

"We lost comrades."

"Ah… right…"

I then led all of Squad 4 to the place where our only fallen member, Glow Ishius, lay.

Charlotte Amblett, the only female mage among the three, was sitting dazed in front of the body.

"You okay?"

"…No. Not okay at all."

"Is this your first time?"

Her tightly clenched fists trembled, but she didn't answer.

After some time, her brother Brian Amblett took the body away and began a simple funeral.

As usual, it was done very quickly.

"We will take his remains and belongings back to the city for his family."

The funeral ended by removing belongings and applying distortion magic to the remains.

As I was about to leave, Charlotte approached.

"Baron… someday. Someday… will it get better? Like people say?"

That's the thought anyone has after a first loss.

Sigh. What should I say?

After collecting my thoughts, I spoke.

"The meaning of 'getting better' differs for everyone."

"Yeah… I guess so. Sorry for saying something useless—"

"But if, when you recall, happy memories come before sad ones, and you call that 'getting better'…"

I said firmly.

"Then someday, you will be okay. Even if you don't want that."

"…"

"Now rest."

After saying that, I turned and someone approached—the only current comrade who shared my half-brained days, Misha.

"That was about Dwalke, right…?"

"…To some extent."

After a cautious yes, Misha murmured softly.

"Those were… truly good times…"

Her voice held a distant longing.

Of course, I felt the same.

"Yeah… they were good."

Now I'm a baron, with many followers, called a hero whose name is on the Stone of Honor.

But still, sometimes I recall those days.

Worrying about survival day by day.

Fearful of raiders, stumbling around against fifth-grade monsters, looking up at the third floor's sky together.

[Only the earliest explorers get to see this view. Quite a sight, isn't it?]

I was okay.

At a rough camp with only a blanket to cover me, a surprise visitor came.

"Yandel, the expedition's chief mage is here."

"The chief mage…?"

"He wants to talk with you. What will you do?"

"…I can't sleep anyway, that's good. Bring him."

Getting up and tidying the blanket, Amelia returned with the old mage.

"Gahwyn Vesillus."

"Baron, sorry to disturb your rest. May I talk for a moment?"

The mage glanced at Amelia, who discreetly stepped aside.

"May I use voice-command magic?"

"Go ahead."

"…Thanks. I'm ready now."

"So what is it?"

Skipping the usual preamble, the old mage said something surprising.

"I came to apologize to the Baron."

"Hmm, an apology…?"

"Yes. I was wrong, and you were right. But because I couldn't admit it, I almost made a huge mistake."

More than the apology, I was curious about the change of heart.

"Why the sudden change?"

"Seeing what happened, it was inevitable. First-grade monsters are… truly monstrous. I had underestimated them. But the explorer Baron saw clearly, more than anyone."

"I see."

"To be honest… until you fainted, I didn't realize their terror. I was arrogant thinking that if we summoned Leviathan as I said, not even a few would have died. But…"

The old mage's voice sounded like he'd given up everything.

"None of that was thanks to me. My knowledge, my magic didn't affect anything. Even the hundred elite royal troops felt the same absence you felt in those three minutes."

"…"

It's hard to respond to such blunt truth.

So I remained silent.

There's always a chance to cut in later anyway…

"Ahem… I went on too long. Anyway, I have one thing to say."

"Go ahead."

"Our expedition needs your strength, knowledge, and judgment. From now on, I'll keep these old ears open, so speak freely."

Simply put, he was saying no more opposition and let's get along.

That was welcome news.

"Good. Thank you, Gahwyn."

"…Gahwyn?"

"Friends call each other by their first names."

"Oh, I see. Then… Bjor—"

"I'm fine with Baron. Nobility, you know."

"…Haha, that's fair. Thanks for making time to rest. I'll be off now."

Afterward, I gathered with comrades for a meal, the announced rest time ended, and the expedition assembled before the stone gate, entering the portal sequentially.

「Character has entered the First Record Archive.」

Though I wondered if it would be so, the place beyond the library turned out to be the Hamsik House I'd visited before.

"An eerie place."

"Like a typhoon passed through."

Not the clean mini-library I saw first time, but a ruined space.

However, neither Hamsik nor the golden book was here.

'Well, they were outside last time, so probably still hiding.'

Good that way.

If the golden book appeared here, ownership would have immediately transferred to the royal family.

"A strange place, isn't it, Baron?"

"Indeed. What on earth happened to make it such a mess… Tsk tsk."

"If you find anything, let me know."

"I will."

After confirming no threats, the expedition began a thorough search.

"There's nothing intact. Is searching even meaningful…?"

"What do you mean? This is the very first place we set foot on!"

"There's no way nothing is here. Search carefully!"

By the way, 'carefully' for royal soldiers differs from explorers.

They didn't break anything.

They simply took everything, using overwhelming inventory space.

"This book's completely blank…"

"Everything found here is royal property. Don't leave even a speck of dust behind!"

It didn't take long for the ruins to turn into a clearing.

"Search complete! No hidden items found!"

…Sorry, Hamsik.

-x-X-x-

After the raid on Hamsik's house was over, quite a lot of time became unoccupied.

Contrary to expectations, there was nothing worth spending time investigating beyond the stone gate…

"These are items found in the initial discovery site, but surely none of these are ordinary. Commander, please trust us. Through research, we will definitely uncover everything that's hidden."

"…We will leave this library tomorrow, so make sure to find clues before then."

"Yes…!"

While the others rested, all the mages belonging to the expedition gathered and kept investigating and re-investigating the items looted from Hamsik's house.

Well, it didn't seem like anything useful would come out of it.

'Even if something does come up, I can just ask Raven quietly.'

Among the mages who quickly set up a makeshift lab inside the library, Raven was seen conducting various experiments with a scholarly gaze.

He had quite a pleased expression.

'Does he really enjoy that much…?'

As a barbarian warrior, I couldn't understand that taste, but as a friend, I had to respect it. Besides, having one like that around isn't so bad.

'Versil is a player after all, so he's not particularly interested in the scholarship itself.'

Anyway, since free time was given until the next day, I just rested without a worry.

And how much time had passed?

"The reorganization of the squads is complete. All troops, check your new assignments on the posted notice!"

The personnel redistribution of the expedition was done.

During the library assault, seven died. Then, with 27 more casualties this time, it was necessary to rebalance the squads…

"Our Squad 4 hasn't changed."

Our squad was originally small, so there were no changes for us, only slight shifts in Squads 1, 2, and 3.

Squad 1: 49 members.

Squad 2: 49 members.

Squad 3: 48 members.

From 60 per squad, it had shrunk to this.

We now total 37, so there was only about a ten-person difference between squads.

"There will be a meeting! All squad leaders and commanders must attend!"

After the redistribution was over, yet another meeting was held.

Ha, these guys really hold meetings morning and evening.

After killing time, as I entered the barracks last, the meeting started immediately.

"Thanks to your hard work and loyalty, our expedition safely completed the assault on the library. Nia Lapdonia."

"Nia Lapdonia!"

Jerome, unusually not delegating to the deputy commander, was leading the meeting personally.

"The mages are researching diligently, but no clues about escape have yet been found. Therefore, this matter will be discussed again after all research concludes."

"So, today's agenda is…"

"I have gathered you today to discuss our future plans."

That was the topic of today's meeting.

Having finished the library assault, the question was: where to head next?

Naturally, the eyes of the leadership turned to me.

Since I had stayed here the longest and provided the maps, my opinion was considered important.

'…Where should we go?'

Three candidates came to mind.

Giant Island.

There, essence farming of Hiphramagent is possible, and a boss monster called the Ultra-Giant appears.

Also, a portal stele connects to the second basement floor.

Rainbow Island.

The island in the direction where the rainbow appeared at the end of the rainy season.

It's full of unknowns, but my gamer intuition says this island is the core of the first basement floor.

Chief Island.

No need to say more.

If my guess is right, there's a portal stele leading to the first floor, or at least the chief is hiding a huge secret.

If we could catch him and find out, it would be very helpful for the journey ahead.

'Hmph, what should I do?'

During the library assault, I confirmed the expedition's strength.

Honestly, there were some weaknesses, but overall it was an impressive force.

Also, considering that this group of knights, mages, and priests was more specialized in PvP than monster hunting…

I judged that we could basically burn down the chief's village overnight.

'But somehow, I feel uneasy…'

This time as well, I decided to follow my gut.

So I spread out the map obtained earlier from Hamsik's house and pointed at one place.

"…I think the next exploration target should be here."

Excluding Rainbow Island, it was the other unvisited island left.

"Let's first check out what this island is like. If there's nothing, or it seems it will take too long to conquer, we can go straight to Rainbow Island."

To summarize: explore the map first, then head directly to Rainbow Island.

After finishing the assault on Rainbow Island, we would decide the next destination based on what we obtained there.

However…

"I see. The baron's opinion is noted."

Jerome simply nodded as if listening carefully but gave no definite answer.

"What are you waiting for? I didn't gather you only to hear the baron's opinion. Speak freely."

After Jerome's words, the other leaders voiced their thoughts, and Jerome listened attentively to each one.

After some time passed, finally, the destination was decided by Jerome's mouth.

"Tomorrow morning, we will head to this island where the chief resides."

I wondered why they asked for my opinion if this was the plan, but I couldn't just blame them. They had followed my suggestion when we came to the library island.

'Hah, I guess the fact that nothing was obtained in the library had a big effect.'

We came here following my judgment, but ended up only losing manpower without gaining anything.

So Jerome must have made the decision.

First, catch the chief and get information, then act more efficiently afterward.

'So it ends up like this…'

Except for the uneasy feeling, I had no proper reason to object, so I quietly followed his decision.

Ah, of course, I did have some doubts.

Actually, I wanted to ask from before.

"…Tomorrow? It's the rainy season right now; where do you plan to go?"

It's not even near the end of the rainy season.

It's only the second day, so dangerous monsters must still be falling.

But Jerome dismissed my concern.

"Baron Yandel also experienced moving during the rainy season. There's no reason we can't."

"Uh… but back then, we moved near the end of the rainy season…"

"Investigating this layer is also part of the expedition's mission. We have to experience this rainy season properly at least once."

"..."

They were tougher than I imagined, every time.

Excluding the mages researching, everyone else was asleep, and only the sentries quietly patrolled, on alert for any unexpected event in the late night.

Right now, I was lying blankly wrapped in a blanket.

I had taken a nap right after the meeting and still couldn't sleep…

"..."

I forced myself to close my eyes, but sleep didn't come, so I just spent the time sorting my thoughts.

The first rank 1 monster kill.

Dozens of casualties.

Hamsik disappeared and the golden book.

The next destination decided in the ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) meeting.

So many things happened today, and there was a lot to think about.

'What Jerome Saintred said was also meaningful.'

The commander of the expedition said:

No matter how many die, if the expedition ends here and I return alive, the mission is a success.

Thanks to that, my unease that something like what happened in Ice Rock might repeat lessened.

'If he had intended to kill me, it would have been more beneficial for him if many in Squad 4 had died.'

But Jerome's behavior was the opposite.

If he had been plotting behind my back, he wouldn't have acted that way.

So I'm even more puzzled.

'Why would the royal family want to rescue me? Wouldn't it be better for them if I, a thorn in their side, just died here?'

…I don't know.

The more I think about it, the more contradictory it feels.

So to clear my head, I got up from the blanket and moved.

"Baron? Where are you going?"

"Can't sleep, so I'm going to stretch a bit."

"Oh, I see. Understood."

I told the sentry my reason and actually walked like I was strolling along the vast library edge.

I thought maybe by some luck I might meet Hamsik.

After about ten minutes, I heard a familiar sound in my ear.

[Beep…!]

"…Hamsik?"

[…This way! This way! Come up here…]

After quickly checking around to see if anyone was watching, I quietly climbed the stairs to the second-floor bookshelf.

Hamsik was hiding in the empty slot where a book was missing.

[Why did you come only now…!]

"Ah, I was waiting until night."

[Are you okay…? You looked badly hurt earlier…]

Uh… I didn't expect the first question to be that.

"…I'm fully healed, so don't worry."

[How can I not worry…! Finally, someone qualified has appeared…!]

At Hamsik's words, I couldn't help but tilt my head.

"Qualified? You mean the golden book?"

Hamsik told me before.

He said he would never give the golden book away. It was an item to be given only to someone qualified someday.

[Yes…! From the moment you defeated Kashan, you gained the qualification!]

…So the conquest was the condition for qualification.

I felt a thrill that my guess as a player was correct, but doubts also arose.

"Wait, then did everyone here get the qualification?"

[Huh? No way! Only you got the qualification!]

"Hmm, really?"

Then what's the condition?

Was I first in combat contribution? If so, it makes sense that I gained the qualification.

Ah, but that's not the important part…

"So? Now that I have the qualification, what happens?"

Showing my expectation for reward, I asked, and Hamsik bluntly said:

[Here, take it! It's yours now, this book.]

The golden book that ended abruptly in the story.

I hurriedly opened it, hoping that after gaining qualification, I could see the rest of the contents.

But…

"It's exactly the same as when I saw it before."

[Is that so?]

"Not 'is that so'… If I got the qualification, you should tell me how to use this book now. Are you just going to give me the book and leave it at that?"

[Uh… well?]

"Sigh..."

Looking at his expression, I really felt he didn't know how to use this book at all.

It wasn't unfamiliar.

Dungeon & Stone was originally an unfriendly game.

They never properly explained anything when giving items, so the user had to experiment themselves to figure out how to use them.

'...If I put this book back on the altar, something might happen.'

Several ideas came to mind, but I couldn't try it right now. If something happened, the reward would go straight to the royal family.

In the end, I had only one choice.

"Anyway, thanks, I'll take it."

I hid the golden book safely inside the pocket dimension.

"So, there's nothing else?"

[Huh?]

"Well, don't you usually give blessings or exclusive gear or something?"

[Already took them all. My pen, and the precious books I collected…!]

Ah, right.

"..."

[...]

An awkward silence passed between Hamsik and me, so I quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, I don't know if you know, but we'll leave tomorrow morning."

[Leave…?]

"We have things to do. I don't know when exactly, but we'll come back, so don't be too lonely."

[Who would be lonely! Don't misunderstand… I'm actually glad. Hmph! Finally I can rest properly at home!]

At Hamsik's words, I swallowed hard.

From what he said, it seemed he still had no idea what happened to his home…

"..."

[...Why did you suddenly go silent?]

"Ah, nothing. I'm going now. I'm hungry…!"

Giving a natural excuse, I hurried back to camp and lay down.

The next morning.

As all the expedition members packed up the camp and prepared to leave the library.

"Um… Baron…?"

Goblin paladin Sven Parab came running at dawn with shocking news.

"Last night… that person showed me the future again."

"What scene was it?"

"Well..."

Parab hesitated a long time, closed his eyes tightly, and explained the scene he saw in his dream last night.

"It was a scene where the baron was cruelly executed by the expedition surrounded on all sides…"

The goddess had given me a death sentence.

-x-X-x-

The goddess delivered the prophecy in the form of a precognitive dream.

It said I would die in the near future. And that it would be by the expedition force I had begun to somewhat trust.

Thump—!

My warrior's heart pounded violently at the sensed danger.

But calmly, I first confirmed one thing.

"Are you sure?"

"…Huh?"

"I mean, did you confirm for sure that I die? In that dream."

It's a cliché in modern media.

Why do such cases often happen?

They stage a scene where someone dies from a gunshot, turning it into melodrama, but then reveal it was a bulletproof vest and end happily.

"I'm not sure."

In a situation where certainty is more important than anything, he cautiously continued.

"No matter how many potions were poured on your closed eyes, Baron, the potions didn't react."

Potions didn't work…

Hmph, this is troublesome.

'Am I… really going to die…?'

To be honest, it didn't feel real at all.

My head was just full of confusion.

'What should I do?'

The first idea that came to mind was one.

What if I tricked him like I did Amelia's sister?

But even then, a doubt arose.

'If it's a prophecy you can dodge like that… would they have even shown it as a divine oracle?'

No, why did such a situation arise in the first place?

Wasn't the expedition's purpose to bring me back alive?

Ugh, what a nightmare first thing in the morning—

"…Baron!"

While I was racking my brain, he urgently shook me.

"Haven't you heard? This isn't the time to just stand here. You must run now."

"Run…?"

"The goddess said so too. This is not a recorded fate. What future we face depends on us."

In other words, it means the future can be avoided if we try…

"Why… are you telling me this only now…?"

"Uh…? Well, yeah…"

Hah, you should have said this sooner.

I was beginning to understand why he always gets scolded by others.

'Anyway, the recorded fate he means is probably the record stone…'

I quickly finished assessing the situation.

Leatlas is one of the three gods representing this world. If such a being said the future can be changed, it must be true.

That changes everything.

'What, it's not as serious as I thought.'

Maybe it's just a red alert on the "Fate Tracker"?

A negative event will happen, but if it's the kind you can change, I can get through it.

Yes, so…

"Thanks for the news. But I will stay here."

I politely refused Parab's advice to run immediately.

For a very simple reason.

"I'll handle this problem myself. You just tell me everything you saw in the dream. Don't leave anything out."

Running away never worked well for me before.

Returning to where my companions were, Amelia suddenly spoke up.

"You looked quite serious. Was it an important conversation?"

"Not really. Nothing special."

I gave a vague answer, and Amelia didn't press further.

She just pursed her lips, stared at me for a moment, then quickly turned her head away.

"..."

…Was she sulking?

I'd tried to be considerate not to worry her until I fully sorted out my thoughts.

But I had no choice but to mention it.

Unlike a barbarian, I was a bit indirect.

"Emily, what would you do if I were in danger of being executed by the commander?"

"...?"

At first, Amelia looked at me like I was saying something pointless, then suddenly clenched her teeth.

"They… were plotting something like that?"

"That's not confirmed yet. So, what's your answer?"

She replied as if I was asking something obvious.

"I'll definitely stop it. Even if it costs me everything."

"There are over a hundred of them."

"I told you. I'll risk everything to stop them."

Her voice carried such firm determination it was palpable.

'Yeah, I expected that kind of answer…'

Though grateful, a bitter taste lingered.

This problem isn't just about me dying.

If that happens, everyone around me gets dragged into it.

'…Maybe I should have run away?'

That thought crossed my mind, but I shook off the weak feeling.

Running away might have made things worse.

'Let's watch the situation a bit longer. There's still time before that happens.'

I had two reasons for thinking there was time.

Parab told me everything in detail about the dream.

The place was an island.

From the description, it seemed to be Chief Island.

We hadn't arrived yet, so it wouldn't happen yet.

It wasn't during the rainy season.

In short, the next few days were definitely safe.

For some reason, Elwen's hair was short.

So I could tell the deadline in advance.

Therefore, it wouldn't be too late to carefully consider fleeing.

"Board the ship!"

After that, we left the library island on schedule and boarded the ship.

By the way, our temporary Squad 4 didn't take our usual ship but divided among three warships.

That was better for enduring the peak of the rainy season.

'No wonder it's so intense on day three.'

Monsters literally rained from the sky.

Of course, with dozens of mages continuously infusing magic power into the protective runes inscribed on the ships, the ships took no damage.

Boom—! Crack—! Boom!

Monsters hit the barrier and fell into the sea, their blood flowing over the barrier.

"Not as troublesome as expected, Evost! Magic consumption per hour? As predicted?"

"Yes! No issues so far!"

The three ships began cutting through the silvery waves in earnest.

Most monsters were driven into the sea by the barriers, but not all.

Sea monsters stubbornly pursued us, and flying monsters disrupted navigation from above.

[Gwooooooooh!]

Hiphramagent even appeared underwater and grabbed the ship.

"It's Mobilaus!"

A huge Grade 2 sea monster appeared.

But none of it was a big problem.

The warships were built for combat.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

The dozens of magical cannons on the ships continuously fired thunderous blasts to clear the way.

Also, the military magitech propulsion devices, different in grade from ours, were running at full power, increasing speed.

"Imeiz Nula Kini Pitia!"

Mages unleashed attack magic using the runes inscribed on the ships themselves.

Meanwhile…

Clack! Clack! Kkakkkk!

The icebreaking device attached to the front lower hull rotated, grinding the small monsters blocking the way.

'…How much would a ship like this cost?'

It was on a different level than the warship I took on the Dark Continent expedition.

I guess the purpose of the ship itself was different.

Back then, it was for transporting as many people as possible, but this one was built strictly for naval combat.

6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours…

A bit over a day after leaving the library island.

"Commander! The destination is in sight!"

The destination appeared.

On the 118th day since entering the labyrinth,

We had really broken through the peak rainy season and arrived at Chief Island.

Without a single casualty.

So from now on, we had one concern.

"Count Saintred, what now? Will we disembark and enter the island?"

Three days left until the rainy season ends.

Well, the frequency of monsters seemed to be dropping as the rainy season peaked…

"No, we will wait here until just before the rainy season ends."

Jerome chose to stay on the ship.

Having experienced the rainy season directly, he judged it very dangerous to go ashore now.

Geez, never trust what a person says while they're talking.

"See, wouldn't it have been better if we had waited for the rainy season to end before coming out?"

"There's no guarantee how long this journey will continue. If someday we have to endure a rainy season, it's better to experience it when we are prepared."

Well, I had no argument.

Since he experienced it himself, he could make the most accurate decisions even in emergencies.

"Besides, one of our expedition's missions is to investigate this layer. We must gain as much experience as possible and bring these records back to the royal family. Including all the abnormal phenomena that occur after the rainy season."

No matter how much they said that, it seemed like unnecessary trouble from my viewpoint, but it was different for soldiers. There was even a knight assigned for filming during battles.

'So we'll stay on the ship until the rainy season ends…'

That made Elwen important.

If she kept her hair intact after the rainy season, the precognitive dream wouldn't come true.

"Elwen, do you plan to cut your hair short?"

"Huh? I like it like this now… but if you say that it's better…"

"What nonsense! I like your long hair! Don't ever think about cutting it, got it?"

"Y-Yes…? Ah… Yes! I absolutely won't cut it!!!"

Okay, so she wouldn't voluntarily cut it…

Even if all my hair burned off and I became bald, I would protect her hair no matter what.

While I was determined, Ainard shouted.

"Oh! Bjorn, you're over there!"

I laughed softly, not understanding why.

But Amelia gave me a meaningful look.

"Hmm, I didn't know you had that kind of taste, Yandel."

…Do I have to explain this?

I don't know, but Raven coughed awkwardly and started twirling the curly hair that reached his chest with his index finger.

"Ahem…!"

Ah, forget it.

Let them think whatever they want. It's not important.

I had enough things to worry about without wasting energy on this.

"I'm going to sleep for a while, so don't bother me until I'm ordered to switch."

So to avoid disturbance, I went into my cabin, lay down on the bed, closed my eyes, and sorted my thoughts.

'No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like they came with orders to kill me… suddenly an execution…'

How on earth did things come to this?

'I think the chief is involved…'

There was no solid evidence, but that was my first suspicion.

Because there was ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) suspicion about the chief.

There might be a way for him to possess others' bodies like an evil spirit.

'If he really has such an ability… this could very well happen.'

There were even two versions of this case.

Commander Jerome Saintred's body being possessed.

And…

'My body being possessed.'

Both could explain the scene of the expedition executing me.

So from now on, the important question is one.

'How do I prevent that situation?'

Assuming the hypothesis so far is correct, I seriously considered countermeasures.

'Since Elwen's hair was short…'

What if I shaved it off right now?

Then that scene wouldn't hold, right?

'…No way.'

After all, I heard from the goddess herself that the future can be changed. Whether or not I have hair wouldn't make a big difference.

Something.

Yeah, something…

A flash—!

Suddenly it felt like lightning struck inside my head.

Maybe I was overcomplicating things.

'Because the goblin saw me killed by Jerome Saintred in the precognitive dream…'

If I just get rid of him, won't everything be solved?

-x-X-x-

Jerome Saintred.

If I get rid of him, there's a high chance all the problems will be solved.

They say the flap of a butterfly's wings can create a distant typhoon. Since he is a key figure in the precognitive dream, removing him would cause a major change.

But…

'How do I get rid of him?'

That's the problem.

The plan to secretly take him somewhere isolated and quietly deal with him together with my comrades was close to impossible.

Not only would he never die so easily…

[He probably didn't actually die. He'll awaken in the royal palace.]

During my past journey, I saw it.

Jerome's body shattered into particles of light like a fly at Auril Gavis's hand.

I also had some guess about that power's nature.

'Eblus.'

A Grade 2 monster guarding one of the 8th floor's rifts.

And one of his active skills is…

'[Heretic Altar].'

When used, an 'altar' is created at the location, one of the few 'revival devices' in Dungeon & Stone.

If he dies, he always resurrects at the altar.

For reference, only one altar can be created, and it is destroyed after being used three times.

So, in other words…

'Even if I assassinate him, once he returns to the city, he'll be deemed a traitor and executed.'

The royal family likely entrusted Jerome Saintred with command of the expedition partly because of this skill.

In the worst case, he could survive alone and return to the city with information.

'Hah… Why does he have to have such a skill.'

This situation makes me think we're playing a game or something.

I continued to think about ways to get rid of Jerome Saintred, but no good method came to mind.

Rather, I only pictured the scene where the precognitive dream comes true after a failed attempt to kill him.

'Seriously… Is this how it's going to happen?'

Maybe nothing will happen if I just stay still.

Just when such thoughts began to arise—

Knock knock.

Two knocks and voices came from beyond the door.

"Come out, Yandel. It's time for your shift."

Right, for now, I'll just get on with my work.

One day, two days, three days…

Time flowed like a river and the rainy season finally ended.

As always, a brief rainbow appeared and vanished, and the expedition's recording crystal caught the scene perfectly.

After half a day's rest for the mages who had suffered greatly during the rainy season,

"From now on, we will enter the island!"

Having spent several days on the ship, we finally landed and began serious exploration.

Like how Jeju Island is called Samdado because of its wind, women, and stones, Chief Island just after the rainy season had two things in abundance.

"Monster group spotted ahead!"

"Mutated individuals!"

Monsters.

And tens of thousands of mana stones scattered all over the island.

"If this scene became known outside, there'd be an uproar."

"Shouldn't the royal family control this much mana stone? This means we could regularly obtain this much every month…"

"Haha. That's true from our perspective, but would the royal family be satisfied with just this? They probably earn way more from the checkpoints."

Even Jerome, who said he wasn't interested in mana stones despite the overwhelming wealth, frowned and warned.

"If anyone tries to steal secretly, they will be severely punished, so mages in charge of collection must be careful not to make mistakes!"

Geez, weren't they saying they weren't here to make money?

Still, the huge amount of mana stones boosted the expedition's morale.

Normally, when the royal family sends troops into the labyrinth, it's customary to distribute mana stone income as they see fit.

"We must make more achievements on this mission."

"The rewards might change accordingly. I already had a magic tool I wanted to buy, so this is perfect."

The members were happily dreaming of a bright future.

However, Jerome focused more on the mission, carefully collecting the scattered mana stones along the route but moving on the shortest path toward the goal…

"Baron, is this the right place?"

"Definitely."

Thus, we arrived at the entrance of Chief Village.

However, no matter how much we looked under the hidden trees at the entrance, we only saw blocked land.

"What's going on? Could they have noticed our presence?"

"I don't know yet. Usually, after the rainy season, when monsters decrease, they come ashore and roam the island collecting mana stones."

"Hmm, then we should wait for now."

"Besides, even if they noticed us, they will have to come up eventually. They rely on mana stones as staple food."

If they don't want to starve, they can't just hide under the village forever.

"Form a siege formation centered around this tree!"

Jerome then surrounded the village entrance and ordered indefinite standby. Meanwhile, he formed a special squad to collect the ownerless mana stones scattered around the island.

This special squad consisted of agile explorers with fast movement and mages who could swiftly gather mana stones…

"Sir… will you be alright until I return…?"

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of Tersia."

Amelia and Elwen were also drafted from our Squad 4.

I wanted to block it somehow but couldn't overrule the commander's authority.

They had the right to command.

"This is separate from accommodating the baron. Once affiliated with our expedition, even temporarily, no differentiation in duties can be made."

Every time Amelia and Elwen left for the special squad, my heart pounded, but nothing happened during the two days it took to gather all mana stones on the island.

'Tomorrow will be day three since the rainy season ended…'

Maybe because monsters decreased?

We surrounded the trees and waited for them to appear.

The expedition members enjoyed ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) peace after a long time, but to me, the time felt like the calm before the storm.

"Yandel, why are you staring so intently?"

"Can't you see? I'm on guard."

Fixing my gaze on the tree, I answered, and Raven chuckled.

Geez, I'm not joking.

"So why did you come here? The mages' place should be over there."

"There's nothing to do anyway. Research on materials obtained from the library is finished."

"Finished? Did you find anything?"

"No. The opposite. We finally admitted there's nothing to be gained from these materials and ended the research."

"I see."

Whether it was true or not, Raven came beside me and babbled about things he wanted to say.

"Maybe the best achievement from the library was that summoning book itself. Its name's origin, for example. It clearly described monster characteristics that no research had revealed before."

Yeah, I knew you'd love that the most.

"What's with that sulky expression? This is a huge achievement! The academic world will be in an uproar when it gets out!"

"…Why should I care if the academic world floods or riots?"

Answering indifferently, Raven sensed my boredom and changed the topic.

"By the way… you said those monsters are called humans, right?"

"Suddenly?"

"Not suddenly. I've been curious since I first heard about them. What kind of individuals could they be? Oh, I'm curious about the chief who claims to be a dragon knight. Is it really him? If so, I have a lot of questions. It's hard to find records from those days now…"

He thought he brought up a common topic, but I still found no fun in chatting with him.

Thinking about it, that's always been the case with him.

He tends to talk at length.

"Raven…! Behind, behind…!"

"…!"

Startled, Raven turned around late and clenched his fist in frustration.

Geez, what's he planning with those tiny hands?

"Ugh, annoying. Being a baron and all. Are you a kid?"

"The third magic corps deputy commander and acting like this? Aren't you too naive?"

"…I was a fool to worry about a human."

"I'm not human, I'm a barbarian. That's a sensitive subject for me, so please be careful—."

"Ah! Enough! I'm leaving now."

Raven huffed and returned to his spot, and I watched with a chuckle.

It was quite a productive conversation.

The tension was a bit eased, making it more pleasant.

He's always been quite fun to tease—

"Ma, master!!"

…Huh?

Turning my head toward the voice, I saw Auyen running, sweating profusely.

A thousand thoughts rushed through my head.

"Trouble! Big trouble!!"

What on earth happened?

Was there an accident?

But the village entrance is here.

Could there be another entrance?

While a storm of guesses ran through my mind, Auyen Rockrove delivered unexpected news.

"Lady Tersia! Lady Tersia is trying to kill a mage in the expedition! Please stop her!"

"…What?"

I rushed to where the incident occurred and saw.

"Don't stop me!! I'm going to kill her. Kill her. Kill her…!! I'm going to kill her…"

Elwen screamed as if losing her mind.

And Amelia tightly held Elwen, trying to calm her down.

"…Ugh!"

A mage cowered behind a knight, terrified.

And the knights drew their swords, aiming to protect the mage.

"..."

Frozen, I stared blankly at the scene.

Though I didn't know the details, somehow…

"Her hair…"

Elwen had short hair.

The incident's cause was simple.

Half of temporary Squad 4, including Elwen, was on perimeter guard duty.

During that time, a monster approached from a vague location, and we fought alongside Squad 1, who shared the boundary.

The problem was…

"I-it was a mistake! It was a mistake! No one got hurt, after all…!"

A mage in Squad 1 miscalculated a magical orbital trajectory, and the wind magic struck Elwen.

An unexpected attack from an ally.

Luckily, she ducked quickly and avoided it, but her flowing hair was cut off.

Really damn unlucky.

"Are you… okay…?"

"C-Calm down…! Do you not realize this harms the baron too?!"

"Yandel! Do something! Stop her now…!"

Amelia's words snapped me out of my daze.

Though Elwen changed to a short hairstyle, there was no immediate execution ceremony here.

First, calm the situation and think.

As I approached,

"You're… here…?"

Elwen looked around frantically, saw me, screamed, and covered her face, then collapsed.

"No! Don't, don't look!"

Uh… was calming her a success?

I thought so, turning my head away as she requested.

Rustle.

Something blue moved between the dense trees.

"Uh…?"

Was I seeing things?

The village entrance was that way.

Suddenly my mind blanked, but my mouth opened and shouted the only thing I could say.

"It's an ambush!!!"

They came out of the village.

-x-X-x-

A blue-skinned, big-eyed monster averaging three meters in height.

An unidentified species that calls itself "human."

They and the true humans were facing each other, separated by a thicket.

"So those are the ones the baron mentioned…"

"But why aren't they coming closer? Why just stand there like that?"

Because their numbers were no less than ours in the expedition team, the expressions of those clutching weapons tightly brimmed with tension.

And amidst this standoff—

"Long time no see. Bjorn, son of Yandel."

The chief appeared among the monsters.

Those who saw the chief for the first time showed genuine surprise that he could speak human language, and I walked past them and stepped forward.

"Yes, it has been a while."

"You've increased your companions since then?"

"Ah, it just happened that way."

Since he seemed willing to talk, I answered vaguely while scanning the surroundings.

The expedition forces, spread widely to encircle the village entrance, were converging here in real time.

Yet, despite knowing this perfectly well—

'Why is he so relaxed?'

His calm greeting without urgency only increased my unease.

Still, I concealed that feeling and spoke.

"But where did you all come from? You said there was only one village entrance."

"Don't be so disappointed. We cannot reveal everything about the village to outsiders, can we?"

"Like the corpses in the basement?"

The chief didn't respond to my probing question.

He just gave me a chilling glance, looking me up and down, then asked:

"Do you know? Truly perceptive people pretend not to notice."

"..."

"So, which side do you think you're on?"

Well, I wasn't sure, but as he said that, his eyes gleamed wildly and looked very frightening.

I almost swung my hammer without realizing it.

"Baron! Step back."

Just then, Commander Jerome Saintred arrived from the rear, and the chief shifted his gaze to him.

"Hmm… Who might you be?"

"I am Jerome Saintred, Count, First Royal Knight Commander. I have been appointed the commander of this expedition."

"The royal court… Yes, I expected you would arrive soon—"

"Now, it's your turn. I heard that Baron Yandel introduced himself as the Dragon Knight, Cornelius Brüngrid. Is that true?"

Jerome cut him off and asked in an overbearing tone, and the chief stared at him and answered.

"Does that matter?"

"It matters. Depending on that, we will decide whether to treat you as a communicable unidentified entity or as an ancient traitor to be executed immediately."

Ancient traitor?

What the hell was that about?

I tilted my head, and the chief's normally impassive eyes suddenly flashed fiercely.

As if I had struck a nerve.

"Execution, huh… amusing words."

"Is that so? Strange. My acquaintances always say I'm a boring person."

"Despite the long time passed, these friends of ours haven't changed. Very arrogant. As if they stand above this world…"

The chief continued coldly.

"Let's see. That execution of yours."

"Well. No matter how much you want it, the execution won't be carried out here."

"Why now suddenly scared—"

"There is much I need to hear from you. After extracting all the information through interrogation, I will personally finish the execution that couldn't be done then."

"..."

The discussion ended in an instant.

This was no lightning-fast deal, but watching it unfold left me bewildered.

'Still, it's not exactly friendly, so it's good it ended like this…'

When running the simulation in my head, I half-expected these two to team up and take me down, so for now this situation wasn't too bad.

But…

"Exterminate them! Everyone except the leader may be killed!"

"Nia Raphdonia!"

What now?

[Everyone scatter and descend into the village!]

As soon as the order for full attack was given, the monsters scattered and began to flee.

"Commander! The monsters are running!"

"Pursue and exterminate! Capture the leader at all costs. If necessary, shoot to kill!"

Wait, should we really chase them?

A sudden doubt crossed my mind, but it wasn't something I could stop by force.

Nor did I want to.

"Stay close to me. Don't ever leave my side!"

Forming a formation with the members of the 4th Squad, I hurried to join the pursuit line.

Of course, I only pretended to pursue seriously, not giving it my all.

Anyone could see this was suspicious.

"Yandel, this might be a trap."

"I know. It's definitely a lure."

Jerome surely knew that ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) too.

But he probably judged we couldn't just let them go.

Even if it was a trap, he must have had confidence we could overpower it.

So…

"What will you do?"

Without hesitation, I answered Amelia's question.

"I'll break away from the main force as naturally as possible."

A perfectly clear plan of action.

She seemed a bit confused, and after a few seconds' pause replied.

"…What do you mean? Break away?"

"Exactly. While the pursuit continues, I'll slip away naturally."

"And then?"

"I'll leave this island. Completely by accident and unintended during the chase."

"You really think that's possible?"

Though the subject was missing, I understood immediately she was not asking about the plan's success.

She was asking if I could handle the consequences after desertion.

But what can I do?

'…It's too risky to keep following them.'

Before taking Jerome out, Elwen lost her MP regeneration.

And with the chief showing up, it felt like something big was about to happen.

And here, I was supposed to quietly watch?

'Yeah, this is right.'

I shook off my last doubts and hardened my resolve.

This was something I would never have done before. That alone might twist fate enough to prevent the scene Parab saw that day.

Therefore…

"The chief! The chief! The chief is going there!! Squad 4, follow me!"

At the right moment, I led the 4th Squad out of the pursuit line.

"Huh? I clearly saw him go that way—"

"Don't you trust me? Follow me!!"

The 4th Squad members didn't know my plan and looked like they weren't sure if it was okay, but luckily they obeyed.

Tat-tat-tat—

Quickly increasing the distance from the main force.

"Uh? The baron is going that way…"

"But wasn't there nothing there?"

"Still, he saw something…"

The nearby 3rd Squad watched us with confused expressions but did not try to stop us.

Who would imagine I'd lead a desertion at this timing?

"You say he headed that way? Change the whole army's direction!"

…Huh?

"The entire army will follow Baron Yandel!"

What the hell?

Why are they following me?

Just when I thought I had escaped the main force successfully, they changed direction and came toward me.

Because of that, I inadvertently ended up in the lead.

"Yandel, what will you do now?"

"Just act naturally."

"…Got it."

Turning again would just make the main force continue to follow me.

While running, seriously wondering why this was happening, Jerome caught up to me alongside the 1st Squad.

"Baron! Though I followed your judgment, are you sure what you saw was correct?"

A dead end.

"Uh…"

What should I answer here?

Lost in thought, pretending not to hear, I kept running forward.

"The chief, that one was definitely heading in that direction—"

"Commander! That one! The one we lost is there!"

For some unknown reason, the chief was at the end of the direction I was going.

"Could it be… was the bait we followed?"

"..."

"Hah… If Baron Yandel hadn't been here, we might have lost him! I will never forget this merit of yours."

"…Thanks."

I wasn't sure whether to be glad I didn't have to make excuses or to admit I screwed up.

Soon, the chief stopped in front of a tree and entered a gap beneath it.

"There is a path leading downward!"

That must be another entrance to the village…

"Count Saintred, what will you do? There's a high chance of traps beyond."

"I know, but we can't let him get away here."

Phew, yeah… they really plan to go down.

Well, fine. If we let them go down here, maybe we'll spot an escape route—

"So, Baron Yandel."

"…?"

"Would you lead the way?"

"…I don't know what's down there."

"That's why we need your strength even more. You can hold your own against a first-grade monster, right? If you hold out just a little, our forces will enter soon and assist you."

Jerome's reasoning made sense.

Among all the expedition members, I was the toughest.

Sending me first into the most dangerous place was natural for a commander.

But…

Thump—

For some reason, hearing that proposal made my heart beat low and slow.

At the same time, my narrowed and confused view widened, and only then did I see Jerome's face clearly.

Just a usual soldier's expression.

Thump—

But why?

Suddenly, several scenes I saw during the day connected in my mind.

Each one was trivial alone but together…

'I have to check.'

I looked Jerome straight in the eyes and spoke.

"Fine. I'll lead the way."

"Oh ho, that's good! If you refuse, I was wondering who else to send—"

"First, let me confirm one thing."

I interrupted and added a condition, and Jerome pursed his lips for a moment, then stared at me.

Whatever it was, he seemed to say, 'Go ahead, say it.'

So I bluntly stated my demand.

"I heard among the supplies brought, there is something called 'Broken Trust.' Is that true?"

"…Yes."

"If I can use that to check a few things, I'll go in first immediately."

"I don't know what you want to check, but do it now? The one who fled down there might be plotting something—"

"Then that's the end. I won't go first."

"Even if I order it as commander?"

I shrugged and said nothing more.

"..."

"..."

A moment of silence followed.

"…Guys, the atmosphere between those two seems weird, am I the only one noticing?"

"Pnelin, Kalstein, Tersia. Prepare yourselves."

"P-prepare ourselves?"

"Whatever it is, just do it."

The heavy silence was felt by everyone watching.

In that silence, he finally made his choice.

"Good. Lord Evost! Bring the Broken Trust! Seems the baron wants to verify something!"

Once approved, the deputy commander quickly brought the item, and I took it and immediately activated it.

Click—

Phew, now everything within a 10-meter radius cannot lie.

Yeah, so…

"Your name is Jerome Saintred, right?"

"That's right."

Starting with a simple test question, then moving to the main topic.

"From now on, you only need to answer 'no' to my questions."

"Easy. Go ahead."

I looked into his unwavering eyes and slowly spoke.

"Not today."

"..."

"No, except for the one you met just a moment ago."

"..."

"Have you ever met that monster who claimed to be Cornelius Brüngrid?"

The answer I wanted was 'no.'

But no matter how long I waited, the awaited answer did not come.

Slide.

Just as I gently lifted my shield and hammer facing him, the long silence was broken by his deep voice.

Very quietly.

"How did you know?"

…Damn it.

Today wasn't the first time he met the chief.

-x-X-x-

The question of how I figured it out.

The answer is simple.

First, their relationship was established far too quickly.

["Let's see. That execution you spoke of."]

["Exterminate them! Everyone except the leader may be killed!"]

Less than five minutes after our encounter, battle broke out, and the chief led the monsters in retreat.

Then the ensuing pursuit.

Even there, something was strange.

["He headed that way? Change the entire army's direction!"]

The main force immediately gave chase as soon as I broke away.

It was as if they were watching only my movements.

Of course, this was just a feeling. Still, even if they happened to notice my sudden move by chance, it didn't make sense.

Jerome, the mission-obsessed one who showed hostility toward the chief calling him a 'traitor'…

Even in that situation, he wouldn't have stopped the pursuit until the mission was complete.

'…Well, up to this point, it was just a strange feeling.'

What sealed the matter was Jerome's one request.

["Baron, would you lead the way?"]

He asked me to be at the forefront.

The same guy who once guarded me first when I was knocked out fighting the prophetic wolf Kashan, obsessively committed to the mission.

And who looked down on the lives of his subordinates for the sake of the mission.

He wanted to throw me into a place where who knows what could happen?

Feeling intense unease, I racked my brain and came up with a possibility.

The problem was that hypothesis turned out to be true.

"Those connected to the baron didn't know this, but apparently there are more rats than just them."

Jerome cast a cold glance over his subordinates. He seemed to think someone must have helped me realize what was going on.

That explained my sneaky plan to slip away during the chase.

'Anyway, those connected to me and the baron would be Raven or Kaislan…'

My hypothesis was already proven correct.

So I thought about what conversation might have passed between the chief and Jerome.

The place: this island.

The time: definitely when we were asleep, only sentries standing watch.

Most likely, they met secretly then and talked. During which, the chief proposed something.

Something so important that Jerome Saintred judged it more important than the "mission."

"What on earth was it? What did the chief promise that made him turn overnight?"

I asked bluntly, but Jerome seemed unwilling to answer honestly.

"That's enough talk. Baron, since you've answered as requested, lead the way down."

It wasn't persuasion or advice.

"This is an order given as commander."

His tone was oppressive, as if there was no reason left to hide his true intent.

"What if I refuse?"

"I will consider it disobedience."

I was honestly a bit shocked.

There were nearly 200 witnesses here, yet he acted so openly.

'He must be confident he can shut me up…'

Well, there were many means.

Money, honor, fame, power, and so on.

The royal family's methods of persuasion are nearly infinite, and even if they fail to sway someone, there are other ways.

It's not always possible to silence by gentle means alone.

"..."

I bit my lip and glanced at my comrades.

Maybe they sensed my gaze?

"Yandel, don't entertain pointless thoughts. We're all ready."

Amelia pressed close beside me, speaking with firm resolve.

"No matter how much you hate fighting, when it's time to fight, you must fight. That was you who said that, Bjorn, wasn't it?"

Ainar, whose fighting spirit was greatly diminished, drew his weapon and stood behind me.

Versil also seemed ready for desperate battle no matter what happened.

What was a little surprising, though, was Muul Armin.

"We will fight alongside you, Baron. It's the least we can do to repay your kindness."

He dared to oppose the royal army without fear of treason charges.

Meanwhile, White Hext didn't seem inclined to show that kind of loyalty.

Well, that was the typical reaction.

Even their side began to waver as they took an opposing stance toward me.

"If what the baron says is true… does that mean the count has allied with that monster…?"

"Though there might be some reason… still, sending the baron to his death like this—is that really okay?"

"Isn't our mission to rescue the baron and return? Something's wrong here."

My achievements.

The fame of being a hero and the title of noble baron.

And all the favor I worked so hard to build.

Not enough to outright disobey orders yet, but these three things combined caused division.

Even if the order came to kill us right now, most would hesitate and not raise their weapons.

That was the loophole.

A tiny crack in the needle's eye, but it was there.

Whether it grows or shrinks now depends on me.

So…

"I, Bjorn Yandel, baron, declare!"

Lowering the shield that had guarded me cautiously, I shouted.

"I swear by the honor of being a proud noble and warrior supporting the Raphdonia royal family! For the sake of the royal cause, I fear nothing! Even if it costs me my life!"

In my hand as I spoke was 'Broken Trust,' tightly gripped.

Though it stopped working every time I spoke.

But if I covered it well, it wouldn't be visible from afar anyway.

"For ★ ★ the endless future of the royal family, I'm ready to run forward and burn myself out anytime!"

Displaying a thoroughly false nobility, I completed my argument.

"But! I don't know if this truly serves the royal family! Or whether you harbor different intentions and have made a mistaken judgment!"

It was a kind of poison.

A poison that slowly seeps inside unnoticed and leads to ruin.

"Do you dare doubt my loyalty to the royal family?"

"You can't expect me to accept that without explanation! Explain it so I can understand! Then I, Bjorn, son of Yandel, will go down there anytime! Even if it means being sacrificed!"

A strategy of clinging like a leech no matter what.

"..."

As Jerome Saintred's silence grew longer, suspicion within the expedition slowly sprouted.

I wondered if he was beginning to realize this.

"Speak, Jerome Saintred! What is down there, and what deal did you make with the chief?"

He finally answered my question.

"…I cannot reveal military secrets. But one thing I can say for certain is this: all of this is for the royal family!"

"I don't believe it!"

"…Why not? 'Broken Trust' is activated, isn't it? What I'm saying now is all undeniable truth—"

"Is it possible that your claim to serve the royal family is just your own delusion?"

"..."

Okay, judging by his expression, if I pressed further, he might spill something else…

If I could just refute him properly one more time, turning public opinion completely wouldn't seem impossible.

"Come on, explain! How is me going down there for the royal family's sake?"

At that moment, possessed by loyalist mode, I shouted proudly at the top of my lungs.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in my head.

[…You're wrong. Opposing him here will only lead to the worst outcome.]

A gentle voice, somehow mixed with a sigh.

[…Why don't you just run away now and stop making things so difficult…]

I wondered whose voice it was.

Suddenly—

A brilliant silver light burst somewhere, and my consciousness faded.

「The Observer of Fate intervenes.」

「Through the mark of Sven Parab, the character is granted the power of the stars.」

「The mark is deeply etched into the character's body.」

「The character's holy resistance permanently increases by +100.」

「All healing and beneficial effects granted by the Reatlas faith are reduced by half.」

「Warning. Should the character receive the divine power once more, the fragile mortal body will collapse…」

When I opened my eyes, I was there.

No, more precisely, I was watching from a slight distance.

"Come on, explain! How is me going down there for the royal family's sake?"

I shouted harshly.

And…

"..."

Jerome's face boiled red like a boiling kettle.

'What is this…?'

For some reason, I was watching that scene from afar, as a third party.

And just then, the voice I'd heard earlier echoed again in my mind.

[Watch closely. The answer lies at the end.]

My head was spinning as if drunk.

Maybe because of that?

My doubts vanished, replaced by the thought that I must follow that command.

"Why can't you tell me? Don't you know? That what you're trying to do isn't for the royal family at all!"

Watching, the situation grew even more dramatic.

I kept verbally pressing him, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore and shouted.

"How far do you intend to insult the royal family, you traitor!"

"Ha! Traitor? I'm not trying to disobey the king's order; I just doubt your judgment—"

"Ha! Did you really think I wouldn't know? That you're the traitor pretending to be Bjorn, son of Yandel?"

"…What?"

At that, the 'me' in my vision was noticeably shocked.

Since I was the target, it wasn't hard to guess what he thought.

He thought I was a demon.

But…

"From the start, I thought something was off, and now I'm sure. You're the one who operated in Noark decades ago under the name Iron Mask."

"Uh…"

"Surely, you received orders from Noark, became an agent, and have been acting as a barbarian who just reached adulthood ever since. Even during the two years and six months you disappeared for a special mission, you actually just returned home."

"Uh…"

"But how dare you lie about serving the royal family? I don't know how you neutralized 'Broken Trust' but—"

"Neutralized? I didn't do that—"

"Then put down your weapons and listen carefully! See? It stops whenever you speak!"

"..."

Game over right there.

"If turning over a traitor like you benefits the royal family, I'd do the same thing a hundred, a thousand times."

"..."

"Get moving! Capture that insolent traitor! If anyone tries to help him, consider them traitors and kill them! I, Jerome Saintred, take full responsibility!"

Jerome's exposure of the 'Broken Trust' scam and the 'justification' I failed to counter instantly triggered the full-scale attack.

And…

"Everyone, hide behind me!"

With the Hext Clan and Armin expedition out, the remaining members of Clan Anabada fought desperately, and then the world stopped.

"What happens next…?"

I muttered without realizing it, and something answered.

[Three of your precious comrades will die. And eventually, it will connect to the future I showed that child.]

Then I realized the owner of the voice.

The star goddess governing fate, Reatlas.

Though I was an atheist, I was speaking with a real god in a distant otherworld—but it didn't move me.

Only one thing was important.

"So what was I supposed to do? It was clear they were scheming. Should I have just gone down there?"

The answer.

Like a human driven into a dead end always looks to a god's name, I sought an answer from the divine.

But…

[I told you. Watch until the very end.]

With those words, the stopped world began to rewind, moving backward like time reversed.

-x-X-x-

The time that began to reverse slowly went back to a certain point in the past and then stopped.

The moment Jerome asked me, "Baron, would you lead the way?"

"All right, but for the second achievement gained, give me priority on up to four."

"Four, huh… understood. For the baron, that's not too much to ask."

After a brief negotiation, I started slipping under the tree where the chief had disappeared.

It was a scene I couldn't understand at all.

Going down there so thoughtlessly in this situation?

[That's the destiny I showed the child. In this timeline, there was no oracle. So you go down without any suspicion.]

'Ah…'

That explanation made sense.

The unease I felt from Jerome was mostly because of the presence or absence of an "oracle." Knowing something was about to happen, he had become hypersensitive to everything around him.

Whoosh!

Anyway, the moment I went down under the tree—

Suddenly, the world darkened, and as if blinking, the scene changed.

[There's no time, so I'll point out only what matters.]

The place: a cave.

At the center stood a portal stele, and I was unconscious, lying next to it. The chief approached me and began some unknown ritual.

[It's a hidden space beneath the basement you went to before. After you descended to the village, you fought hundreds of enemies for a long time, waiting for reinforcements that never came. Exhausted, you were finally captured and brought here.]

A hidden space beneath a basement full of corpses.

'…I never imagined such a place could be hidden.'

The situation had been so urgent at the time that there was no chance to look around.

'So what happens to me now?'

[Watch. It will be over soon.]

2x, 3x, 4x.

Time flowed rapidly like a sped-up video.

Soon, when time returned to normal speed, black smoke was billowing from the chief's body.

Ssshhh!

The smoke flowing from the chief seeped slowly into my body, and soon the chief collapsed.

Then…

Swish.

I awoke from unconsciousness and stood.

'Me' stood up, opened and closed my hand absently, then spoke in an unfamiliar voice.

"Finally…"

At that moment, the scene shifted once more.

The place was no longer the village but the island's center, darkened by the depths of the labyrinth. There, 'I' was talking with Jerome Saintred.

"Now, as promised, give me 'that.'"

"..."

"Have you developed regrets now? If so, I hope you abandon those thoughts quickly. If you don't give it up, you won't be able to live properly with that body outside."

"Surely… the royal family must have that kind of power."

"If you know that, then hurry—"

"Wouldn't it be better if you simply didn't know at all?"

"What? You don't mean…!"

"The dead don't speak."

The conversation ended there.

When the scene changed again, blood droplets splattered before my eyes.

"Aaaagh!"

The battlefield unfolded everywhere I looked.

Hundreds of monsters surrounded us, and the expedition fought hard but was gradually pushed back.

It was all because of the chief who had taken over my body.

"I-I didn't expect him to be this strong…"

"Baron…! Kill Baron Yandel!"

The chief who had taken my body had nothing to protect.

He didn't care if a few monsters died, and the barbarian character he had carefully raised to protect his comrades rampaged like a war machine.

And how long had that been?

By the time anyone could say the tide had completely turned…

"…Ugh!"

I suddenly stopped moving while slaughtering expedition members.

I was about to strike down a mage's head as I broke through the rear mage squad.

"Re-Even…"

A comrade who had barely escaped looked at me fearfully and scrambled away.

Seeing this,

Boom.

'Me' threw the hammer far away with jerky motions.

I discarded the shield and loosened the armor covering my upper body.

A nearby comrade watching this raised a weapon toward me with wary eyes.

"You're… back?"

Amelia, who had been imprisoned during the battle but had escaped with comrades, asked.

My answer was very short.

"Emily… kill me…"

The comrade who heard that couldn't answer or act. The blade that was usually steady trembled greatly today.

Then—

"If you can't do it, get out of the way!"

Jerome, realizing the situation, drew his sword and approached. I glared at him for a long time then smirked.

I had no idea what he was thinking.

'Me' closed my eyes and lowered my head.

And…

"No…!"

"…It's his will…!"

While Amelia bit her lip to restrain Elwen,

Shing!

An aura-enshrouded blade struck my neck.

However, it didn't pierce deeply at once, so it was repeated many times.

Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing!

A sword striking countless times as if chopping wood.

For some reason, a scream echoed across the suddenly silent clearing.

"No, no, no, no…"

Someone among my comrades shouted and ran over, pouring potions on me.

Of course, there was no response.

Potions don't revive dead characters, after all.

"You…! If only it weren't you…!"

"Calm down, Tersia."

"Y-You're just going to let this pass even after seeing this—!"

"Can you kill the enemy properly if you're that agitated?"

"..."

"Calm down and focus only on avenging Yandel."

Clan Anabada gathered and pointed weapons at the expedition, which had suffered fatal damage.

"Think rationally. Without us, do you think you could handle those monsters?"

Jerome tried hard to persuade, but it was futile.

Meanwhile, many within the expedition deserted their positions.

"The baron was… a hero. Even at the end, he tried to save us…!"

"To abandon such a person like garbage, and end up like this… how is this serving the royal family?"

"I, Meland Kaislan, draw my sword for the justice I believe in! Those who share my will, stand behind me!"

"Traitor! Kill the traitors…!"

At the climax of the situation,

[Not that way. Look over there.]

Following the goddess's guidance, I shifted my gaze.

There was a figure moving quietly alone, paying no attention to the chaotic scene.

'Misha…?'

Misha approached my corpse and pulled something from her bosom.

Swoosh!

It was the first time I'd seen the real thing, but as soon as she brought it to my body, the distinctive effect erupted, making it instantly recognizable.

Why it was in Misha's hands, I didn't know.

'That is…'

A Resurrection Stone.

Resurrection Stone.

An item with the fraudulent ability to revive the dead.

With absurdly strict acquisition conditions, even I had only ever used it once in nine years.

'Why… does she have it…?'

At first, I was dumbfounded, but the answer about its source came quickly.

'…Ibaekho.'

It's fairly well known that Ibaekho owned the Resurrection Stone.

I didn't know how he got it, though.

Anyway, in the frozen time as I was resurrected, I opened my mouth.

"So, I don't actually die."

[Yes, you do not.]

Why Ibaekho gave the Resurrection Stone to Misha…

There was some vague idea about its purpose.

But the goddess coiled in my mind was different.

"Reatlas… why do you want to help me?"

The goddess answered briefly.

[…Because that ending is not right.]

I wondered what ending this goddess, who sees fate, had seen to say such a thing.

Curious, but I left the question there.

This wasn't a situation where I could threaten to force answers, and many more problems awaited.

For example, like this very situation.

Suddenly—

The world blackened and brightened again.

And I was unconscious again inside that cave I saw earlier.

"What else do you want to show me?"

[It's not something to show. This is your present.]

…What?

Frowning as if to say "Explain quickly," a small voice replied in my mind.

[I… do not have the power to stop time…]

Ah, so that was it.

Even while watching like a video, real time had been steadily moving forward.

[But all your comrades are safe. Though detained…]

Still wanting to cover post-events, the goddess gave me a rough report.

It was a very simple situation.

After I fainted emitting light, my comrades were greatly panicked and were then ambushed and subdued.

Then I was led to the chief by Jerome.

"Then hurry and send me back! I have to escape before that ritual ends!"

[Sending you back is not difficult… but in this state, even if you open your eyes, all your abilities will be sealed.]

"…What?"

I was dumbfounded.

In other words, escape by force was impossible.

"What am I supposed to do in this state?"

Grateful for the goddess's help, I still thought this might be the worst possible.

Despite that, I dared to hope.

After all, she was a goddess.

Surely she had a plan.

"Tell me. What should I do from now on?"

Trying to keep my faith, I spoke politely.

But…

[…I can show you the way, but I cannot create the path.]

"So… you mean you have no advice to give me?"

The answer came after a long pause.

[…I've watched your journey all along. So I know. Your greatest asset is not your cold judgment, nor your knowledge, nor your courage facing any enemy.]

"..."

[Your true power is your 'words.']

As someone who woke in a barbarian's body and had more often solved problems with brute force than words, I had trouble accepting that analysis.

But apparently the goddess thought differently.

[A skilled explorer was destined to die with a noble mage in that labyrinth that day. But in the end, they survived. Because you bought time with your 'words.']

She seemed to refer to when I swallowed the 'Controlled Wish' in Larkaz's labyrinth and negotiated with the Dragon Slayer…

[Your words have power. You already slightly changed someone's fate once. So…]

The goddess ended her long preamble and gave me a tip.

[Why not try to resolve this well with words again?]

For some reason, it was phrased as a question.

Thump, thump—!

A resonance rising from within.

Feeling alive anew, I steadied my breathing.

"You're awake."

Damn, that eyesight is annoyingly sharp.

Well, I guess it makes sense with such big eyes.

I opened my eyes and sat up.

"It would have been better if I'd stayed unconscious. For both me and you."

"The least I can do is struggle."

The goddess irresponsibly told me to try resolving things with 'words.'

So what could I do?

I had to follow her advice and try to get through this somehow.

In fact, I had an idea the moment she said that.

"…You're remarkably calm. You don't even know what's going on."

"Well, it looks to me like you're the one completely lost here."

Thinking my actions and reactions were abnormal, the chief pursed his lips and stared at me.

He too, being sharp, realized something was amiss.

So, around this point, I played my trump card.

"Chief, stop now. Even if you take my body, returning to the city is impossible anyway."

"I thought you wanted to curse me, but—"

"It's not a curse, it's the truth. I actually saw that scene."

It was time to play my second card.

"Reatlas showed me the future."

The chief seemed to think about it for a moment, then surprisingly believed me.

"You passed out emitting light… so she intervened…"

Apparently, after various circumstances, he found this more convincing.

Okay, then less time wasted.

"Tell me. If you want to stop me, what did she show you?"

I revised my scenario slightly for better negotiation.

"You take my body and get attacked by Jerome. Then you lose."

"My calculations are ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) perfect. There's no way I lose."

"Then your calculation is wrong. Or you didn't expect to be ambushed by them."

"He ambushed us?"

The chief's eyes gleamed in the dark cave.

It seemed he had not accounted for the possibility of an ambush.

That was good news for me.

So I hurriedly continued.

"Chief, I understand why you want to take my body. But does it have to be mine?"

"That's the surest path. You will eventually succeed in escaping this layer and returning to the city."

"Have you seen a record stone about that?"

"…I didn't expect you to know about 'record stones.'"

An answer that practically meant yes.

The sudden bait gave me much to think about, but I decided to focus on resolving the present.

"If that's the case, it doesn't have to be me."

"But there's no reason to take the risk. Since you know the outcome is defeat, you can change the plan now—"

Change? What change?

Cutting him off, I got to the point.

"Jerome Saintred."

Commander of this expedition, nicknamed the Knight of Light.

"How's his body? He's a bit old, but a count, and can use aura well. You're a knight too, aren't you?"

But that's not all his strengths.

His greatest advantage is something else.

"Most of all, if you take his body, you can escape this damned place immediately."

The bait that was most tempting from the chief's perspective.

"Because he has the essence of 'Eblus.'"

My trump card.