It was day 103 in the labyrinth. The number of days we had spent here had already surpassed the three-digit mark, and it was time to end our cultivation session in the library. At this point, we needed to return to Stone Island to greet the newcomers.
I hope a few good ones come down so we can sign up for the books above.
Right now, every time we used a summon book, we had to fight four rank three monsters at once, and sometimes some rank two monsters would mix in as well. As long as we had a decent matchup, I thought we would be able to defeat them, but it was already impossible to continually crush the monsters like a well-oiled machine. I played my role as a tank to buy time from others during battle, but that meant I needed to rest for a while afterwards to regain energy.
Plus, we almost died in the last fight...
In any case, that is why reinforcing our troops was not only an option, but a necessity.
After clearing our camp and preparing to leave, I felt eyes on me. I turned to see who it was and realized that Hamsick was watching me from afar.
«(Are you leaving...?)», he asked, looking down as I approached. Although our first meeting was not particularly pleasant, in the end we ended up becoming friends and, after a few talks during our time hunting in the library, he seemed to have grown fond of me.
«Oh, don't worry. We will be back soon. And I'm also going to leave the golden book here)».
«(But you take my fountain pen...!)»
«(Haha, friends don't worry about those things. Okay?)» Since he didn't respond, I added: «(I'll be back soon anyway, so don't worry)».
«(Who is worried? Don't come back! Things are much better without you here. Much calmer!)»
Haha, look at this hamster. I ignored Hamsick's empty words like any barbarian would.
«Mr. Baron, everyone is ready to go!»
«¿Really? Understood.»
We were ready to leave, but for some reason, I didn't dare move. I turned to the now calm hamster and said: «(Hello, Hamsick)».
"(...¿Que?)"
«(Clean the books while I'm away. And even if you're not hungry, eat the jerky I've given you regularly. And if weird people show up, don't let them see you, and hide behind the shelves until they come back-)»
«(I'm not a child! You don't have to say all that, and if you're going to leave, go now!)».
No, but still...
I sighed. Why was I so worried? Was I really the one who had grown fond of him instead of the other way around? «(Well, then, I'm leaving. Hamsick...)»
«(Sí...?)»
«(Volveré ready.)»
«(...Sí.)»
With that, I turned my back on Hamsick and forced my legs to move, walking alongside the members of my group who had been watching us from a distance. They separated, moving away so I could get to the front. As I climbed the stairs, the other adventurers formed behind me as we left and boarded the ships we had summoned.
After a few hours of travel, we arrived at Isla de Piedra.
«There are no traces of any newcomers».
We arrived early just in case, but as expected, there were no adventurers on the island before our arrival. Only three days had passed since the labyrinth opened, and it would have been physically impossible for anyone to finish cultivating the third floor and go down to it at that time.
Noticing something in my expression, Erwen asked, «What are you thinking?».
«I'm just worried about Hamsick».
«I'm very curious about what I was seeing, sir... No matter how I looked at him, his appearance put me off when I approached him...».
«What did you say it looked like?»
«...A magician. He had a sunken face that seemed more fearsome than that of a lich, and a staff with a skull. It also made horrible noises».
Oh, it was true. I had heard it and let it go, but now I was thinking about it again.
An evil wizard with a skull staff... Wasn't that description a perfect mix of Corpse Collector and Fallen Scholar?
Needless to say, I didn't say it out loud.
«Um... Lord Baron. Could I take my clan members and go to the beach?»
«¿La playa?»
«There are quite a few things floating in the ocean... We thought maybe we could spend our free time picking up some things...»
«Do what you want. We won't do much more than wait a while».
A few adventurers who were bored of waiting stood up, and a handful of the other members joined them on the beach to collect debris. The fact that we had managed to pick up some equipment made from grade three material on the ship a while ago had become a great motivation. From that moment on, a certain feeling began to circulate through the group.
If we were lucky, we could hit the jackpot. We could even collect equipment used by the ancient heroes of yesteryear themselves if fate permitted.
Well, if we were very lucky, I guess those things could happen...
Although, to be honest, I was a little skeptical. We had explored quite a bit down here and yet the most expensive thing we had found was that grade three armor we picked up.
I bet that when Basement One Plant officially opens in the future, there will be people whose only job is to pick it up from the rubble.
That seemed too wasteful for my taste, but I could see those kinds of scavengers appear. Furthermore, Stone Island also had no monsters. If they managed to successfully weather the rainy season, agriculture on this island could become a stable source of income.
Anyway, time continues to pass very slowly...
It didn't take me long to get bored of sitting at the starting point doing nothing. I soon joined the other members on the beach to pick up debris with them.
One day, two days, three days...
The 107th arrived. There were only a few hours left until the first floor closed.
...It is impossible that there is no one yet. Did the palace really do anything? Do they have troops stopping people from coming down?
Anxiety began to take root in my heart. He had spread so much tempting and juicy information that he was looking forward to more experienced and powerful adventurers coming down.
But if they haven't arrived yet... then something must have gone wrong up there. Tsk, will I have to clean this area without new blood?
My stomach turned as I looked at the clock.
¡Vwoong!
«Portals! The portals opened!»
But then, as if nothing had happened, dozens of portals opened and let in a stream of newcomers.
How should I roast the newbies this time?
I didn't have to think about it much. I just had to take them around the basement one under the pretext of showing them how it worked, and after instilling in them that this place was quite dangerous, I could get them to give me their souls.
But a moment later, I sighed.
And I wondered why no one was there until the last day.
I had no choice but to accept that this plan of mine wouldn't work as soon as I saw the rookies.
«In training!»
«Training!»
I sighed as I watched the group take over the formation as soon as they arrived at Basement One Floor.
This is the worst case scenario.
Too many priests for a normal clan, a squad of uniformed wizards, and even an order of knights in shining chain mail. Their classes could be separated into three distinct categories, but they all had something in common.
«¡Nia Rafdonia...!»
They wore the palace mark on their chests.
After preparing their formations, the man who seemed to be their commander noticed me and came over to greet me. «It is a true honor to meet you like this, Baron Yandel! I would never have imagined that I would meet you so soon, but it is a real relief to see you alive!».
«Who... are you?»
«Ah, it seems I haven't introduced myself. I am a member of the First Royal Guard, Zylan Ebost».
«Any relationship with Baron Ebost?»
«He is my older brother.»
Well, so the only silver lining was that the commander wasn't too high status. He was not even a baron, but the younger brother of one. If I managed to do a good job taking advantage of my baron position, I could probably manipulate this guy as I pleased.
«Oh, and I'm the deputy commander of this expedition group».
My hope shattered the moment those words left his mouth. «Deputy Commander...?»
«Yeah. Could we back up a little? The second group is going to enter soon».
I took a stunned step back at his request.
¡Vwoong!
The sky lit up once again as dozens of portals opened and dozens of adventurers entered the basement. Afterwards, another round of portals opened.
As the portals opened three times, and sixty people entered each time...
That meant 180 people. Forget expedition group, expedition force was a much more accurate description based on number alone.
However, the real problem lay elsewhere.
«Nia Rafdonia! The 180 members ordained by the palace have arrived safely at our destination, Commander!»
The commander received a report as soon as he set foot on the island.
«We currently do not detect any dangerous entities in the vicinity, and our highest priority target, Baron Bjorn Yandel, has been found. It has a total of thirty-eight members, and excluding the seven of its Anabada Clan, the remaining members appear to be from the Hektz Clan and the Armin Adventurer Group, who entered during the first and second waves!»
«Ya veo».
The commander approached me, his silver hair swaying behind him. His face, almost ghostly pale, seemed all too familiar to me. Although I had aged about twenty years since I last saw him when I was young.
«I remember seeing you at your ceremony from afar», the man said, "but I didn't have the opportunity to talk to you".
The commander of the First Royal Guard, and the palace boss who held the title of Knight of Light.
«Nice to meet you officially, Baron Yandel. I'm Jerome Saintred.»
Also known as the same guy I met when I was active in Noark, twenty years ago, under the guise of an iron mask.
«Y-Yes», I stammered, »it's a pleasure to meet you for the first time! Hello! I am Bjorn, son of Baron Yandel».
He probably wouldn't recognize me. It is not true?
On an unrelated note, there was a phenomenon called the focus effect, where one person assumed they were being noticed more than they really were.
¡Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump!
So even though I was sure he wouldn't recognize me, my heart started racing.
«...Son of Baron Yandel? That's a bit of a peculiar presentation».
Okay, it seemed like he hadn't realized anything yet.
I snorted to myself. I ended up letting go of everything I could think of because I had been caught off guard. «They tell me this a lot», I responded with the calm and carefree tone that characterized the barbarians. Then I quickly got to work ordering this.
Jerome Saintred. About twenty years ago, he had gone down to Noark to take the Stone Fragment of Records, forcing me to fight him.
Even leaving aside the fact that I was nervous about being recognized, this was close to a worst-case scenario. This guy was an earl, which meant that my strategy of using my baron position to intimidate people was scrapped.
I didn't expect such a fat fish to be sent somewhere with no obvious escape route.
No matter how he looked at it, this was not typical of the palace. I expected them to stay out of it and be cautious, as usual.
Despite everything, I tried to laugh at my surprise. «Haha, anyway, it's great to find someone from home in a place like this! Is the city good?»
«The city? Naturally, the city is safe under the protection of the palace...»
«How good! Well, we're leaving now», I said nonchalantly as a farewell, already walking in the opposite direction. «Enjoy the adventure! Take care. What are you doing? Get ready to leave».
However, he suddenly appeared right in front of me as if he had teleported away. It was the Light Portal three rank movement ability, which I had seen him use before. «Your Honor, where are you going?»
«Oh... I'm a little hungry...»
«Please forgive my rudeness. Your rations must be exhausted. But don't worry anymore, we have plenty of supplies».
Okay, is this how you plan to chain me to you?
I left the friendly act and lowered my voice. «Count Saintred, get out of my way», I demanded, wearing a frigidity that drew a line in the sand.
However, this guy didn't seem to care about my obvious displeasure, as he continued without missing a beat. «That's not worth it. You were the first adventurer to enter this floor, and one of our squad's goals is to rescue you, Your Honor».
«You're acting like I asked for a ransom».
«You are a precious treasure for our kingdom, Your Honor. Please understand the great loss it would take to lose him.»
«So? What is your plan?» I asked bluntly. «I am currently the leader of a clan, but are you going to recruit me privately for your expedition group by force? With what authority?».
Despite the hint of contempt in my voice, Saintred didn't seem upset at all. Instead, he smiled. «Well, for starters, I have no authority to forcibly recruit you into the military. There is a law that allows us to recruit adventurers in times of disaster, of course, but that law does not apply to the nobles of our kingdom, like a baron like you. However...»
He took a scroll out of his pocket as if he had expected me to argue with him from the beginning. I realized what it was as soon as I saw it.
«This is a royal decree», he said.
In other words, if he didn't follow what was written on that roll of paper, he would be branded a traitor.
«Listen to this, Bjorn Yandel, Baron of Rafdonia.» He opened the parchment and read its contents with solemnity and gravity. «These are chaotic days where evil traitors act without abandonment. The light of the palace will always protect this beautiful city and its citizens without fail, but false rumors have inclined some adventurers to the side of temptation, and it would be a great loss to our beautiful city if these people disappeared.»
Since the palace established the rules of etiquette, the document was quite wordy.
«As such, I, as monarch, have come to the conclusion that these circumstances cannot be allowed to persist and have therefore sent this expedition group in my place...»
But if I had to sum it all up in one sentence, it would be:
«Baron Bjorn Yandel will join the First Expedition Group and act 'under the orders' of Commander Jerome Saintred to map all the unexplored territory and find a way to return to the city.»
Aha, wow. This is screwed.