episode_0047

Several months have passed since Hyunwoo left the party.

The party members who had been feeling depressed also gathered their courage and returned.

After a brief meeting, we formed a new party with Julia as the leader.

Party name .

The etymology is said to be the name of Julia’s favorite star.

The party consists of four people: Julia, Sion, and Krimhilt. Including me, who participated as a guest party member.

It seems that Julia expected me to join the regular party as a regular member on this occasion…

I declined, citing my contract with the clan.

Well, actually, that’s not the only thing to consider.

was initially given a B rank.

I guess this rating is a result of taking into account the fact that the main member of the original party, the warrior, left and the number of failed requests accumulated among the party members other than me.

Hunt monsters in the lower levels of the Eternal Labyrinth and gradually acquire points by solving small requests in nearby areas.

Our group began taking steps to return to work with a new four-member lineup.

Then one day.

Our party completed the quest to subdue the B-rank monster, Iron Tortoise, and returned to the Labyrinth City.

“Whoaaaa…. I’m tired, I’m tired. How can an arrow not stick to that guy….”

“Uuuuu… I’m tired of cream too….. I don’t think I can move anymore unless I eat the mango parfait at Silviana Restaurant….”

Sion and Krimhilt are openly grumbling about how tired they are.

Julia appears calm on the outside, but her unsteady gait and her constantly drooping eyes suggest that she is quite tired.

The target of this subjugation request, the , is a large turtle-type monster that lives near the Southern Road.

Originally, it was not a very dangerous monster, but recently, its population has increased to an unusual degree, and due to the resulting lack of food, it has begun to attack wild animals and even humans in the nearby area.

Because the danger of the monster itself is not high, it was given a B rank…

The number of Iron Tortoises that had multiplied had reached a level that covered the entire grassland, and perhaps due to hunger, their aggressiveness had increased to an incomparable degree compared to usual.

As a result.

Our party had to run around busy hunting Iron Tortoises to avoid being surrounded as much as possible, and it was only after four days and nights of running around without much sleep that the population finally stabilized.

— Squeak….

Carrying a heavy magic stone sack on his back.

Immediately after I walked with weary steps and entered the Adventurer’s Guild Office.

— Buzzing, rumbling…

“There’s been a sighting near Apete Village? Are you sure?”

“Contact the horseman’s union and gather some information! There’s no way they’d be traveling that far on foot! If you have any connections with horse farms, check with them too…”

“Denny, didn’t you work for the Templars before? If you still have contact, I can help you find a position….”

“Fuck, talk some sense! What the hell kind of raid are you talking about when you have such a great number of chances? Cancel all your schedules and gather all your clan members!!”

The Adventurer’s Guild is busier than usual.

In addition to that….

Unlike usual times when everyone is noisily divided into various topics, it feels like everyone is busy running around with a unified goal.

“What’s going on…?”

“Well, listening to the conversation going on, it seems like it’s something to do with the current criminal…..”

at that time.

“Huh? Hey, those guys over there….”

“Right, now that I think about it….”

For a moment, a slight murmur could be heard coming from our group.

A large man with a fierce expression approached and put a hand on Julia’s shoulder.

“Hey, you’re the , right?”

“Huh? Oh, no. We…..”

“Where the fuck did you get your duck feet? My friend was one of the raiders who got wiped out because of you!!”

“………!!”

I see.

Are you an acquaintance of someone who participated in the raid?

” Where is it right now?

— Dismissal….!! Clang….!!

“—–!!”

Paralyze the giant’s arm with light lightning magic.

Summon a chain of magic power and wrap it around the bastard’s neck, binding him.

I stood in front of Julia.

“I don’t know what the circumstances are, but… I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t put your disgusting hands on our party members.”

“Ugh…. Ugh…. Ugh, uh…. Ugh…..”

“This kid….!!”

“What good do those trash warrior’s comrades have to say….!!”

— Pot, papat…!!

— Ssrung…!! Chuck…!!

Adventurers, each holding a weapon or staff, aim at our party.

“Sigh….”

After letting out a languid sigh.

I lightly stamped my foot once.

— Kuuung….

A black magic circle covers the ground of the guild office, accompanied by a heavy noise.

and….

The wizards inside the office let out bewildered voices.

“Uh, uh…. Uh uh….? Why isn’t this working?”

“What, what is it? Mana…. Huh?”

A unique skill that only the can use, .

A skill that distorts the flow of magical power within an area, making it impossible for any magician to use magic.

Those with higher magical power than me may be able to resist the skill, but it seems that there are no such monsters among those gathered here.

“If you want to have a go, I’ll play with you. But….”

— Swish….

— Squeak….

“More than 80% of the people gathered here should be prepared to die.”

“Damn….!!”

“This…. crazy kid…..!!”

Zion and Krimhild also stepped forward with serious expressions.

The adventurers exchanged glances with a mixture of bewilderment and hostility as they stepped back.

“Huh…..!”

“Ughhhh……”

In a state of near-death tension, the standoff continued for about ten seconds.

— Swish….

Until then, one of them, Julia, had been observing the situation without drawing her sword, and she stepped forward.

“Just a moment.”

“……?”

“………..”

“If you are all hostile to our party, I will not refuse to engage you. But, can I ask you why you are doing this? ”

After that.

Although there were various twists and turns, the situation was somehow resolved through the mediation of the guild master and office workers.

We heard that warrior Choi Hyun-woo is wanted as the assassin of the Pope and is being pursued.

The guild master explained to the other guild members, “Warrior Choi Hyeon-woo transferred to the Adventurer’s Guild of the Goldbaul County, withdrew from his previous party, and is no longer related to them.”

We also revealed that we have not been in contact with Hyunwoo for a long time and that we have no idea about his current whereabouts.

Although not everyone was convinced, in that situation, there was probably no one brave enough to defy the guild master and continue the battle.

The adventurers resumed their meetings and information sharing to track down Hyunwoo, and after finishing our reports, we returned to our lodgings.

“………”

“………….”

Even though everyone is exhausted and sleep deprived and wants to lie down in bed and fall asleep right away.

Julia, Sion, and Krimhilt gathered in the living room of the inn as if they had made a promise, without exchanging a single word.

Silence continued for several minutes in the gloomy atmosphere.

Krimhild was the first to speak.

“Really…. Is that true? Really, Brother Yongsa…. His Holiness the Pope……”

“…. The wanted poster had the seal of the religious order on it. Since the religious order was involved, it is unlikely that there was a false accusation or that the witness gave false testimony. ”

“Damn…. That little bastard…. What the hell did he do…..”

“It must be the Count’s plan.”

In an instant.

The three people’s gazes were focused on me.

I paused to choose my words and then resumed my story.

“Even though warrior Choi Hyun-woo is a bit of an overly stupid guy, he probably knows that if he points a knife at the Pope, his life will be over. Besides, I can’t think of a reason why someone like that who hates trouble would go out of his way to kill someone as big as the Pope.”

“Then…..”

“Originally, Count Goldbaul was a strategist skilled in schemes and tricks. I don’t know what method he used, but… he must have used his tongue to lead the hero to the worst situation where he had no choice but to commit assassination.”

In the original, Countess Rosemary was a character who fought with a whip and used alchemy.

Although he wasn’t a highly recommended companion because he was difficult to operate, he was a strong all-rounder who could perform well in various fields if trained to the limit.

Perhaps her drug-induced hallucinations and brainwashing abilities also played a part in Hyunwoo’s assassination of the Pope…

If I reveal that, the conversation might turn into sympathy towards ‘the hero was used’, so I’ll leave that part out.

“………”

“…………”

“What should I do…?”

Looking straight at me with sunken eyes.

Julia came to me for answers.

“Hmm…..”

Well, I’ve been thinking about this and that, but…

What is the correct way to move here?

After gathering my thoughts for a while, I opened my mouth.

“There are three ways.”

“……..”

“The first is to just watch it happen.”

“Yes…? Uh, just watching?”

“Yes. There’s a bounty of 10,000 gold on him. It’s a sum comparable to the reward for clearing a top-tier dungeon. Most of the famous clans will move, and if you add in the adventurers and bounty hunters who move alone, you’ll be pursued by a military force that’s almost the size of a nation. ”

“…………”

“In addition, I heard that the two strongest knight orders in the sect, the Twilight Knights and the Dawn Knights, have already joined the pursuit. Unless there is a series of very lucky events, the warrior will lose his life within the next week. If they don’t interfere, there will be no sparks flying to us.”

“…..”

“The second method is to leave immediately and take care of warrior Choi Hyun-woo with our own hands.”

“——–!!”

“Ugh……”

The three people each expressed their shock in their own way, with reactions that were incomparably more pronounced than when the first method was mentioned.

“If we capture him or kill him and hand him over to the sect, it will be clear proof that this incident has nothing to do with us. Since it is a matter of punishing the Pope’s assassin, it will also help build connections with the sect… and we can even get a bounty of 10,000 gold. If we only consider the advantages, it is a profitable option that we cannot even consider other methods.”

“That’s….I see.”

Julia answers with a calm expression.

But the discomfort in those eyes seemed to subtly reveal that there was absolutely no chance of her accepting my offer.

“The last method is…. lending your strength to rescue the bastard and get him to safety.”

“………!!”

“Escape? Is, is that… possible?”

“The entire continent is not under the sect’s sphere of influence. If you arrange a ship yourself and send it to a place like the North of Land…. you should be able to somehow shake off the pursuers. ”

“………”

“However, in this case, if it is revealed that we cooperated with him, we will inevitably be treated as accomplices. In the worst case, we will have to leave this country with him. Of course, we will never be able to return to the sect’s sphere of influence again. Shouldn’t Krimhilt be prepared to be excommunicated?”

“Euuu…..”

I guess, unlike the other two, he feels a different sense of weight because he is a member of a religious group.

Krimhilt lowered her head with a very cowering expression.

and….

— Swish….

Julia sat up from her seat.

“First, let’s go.”

“Huh…?”

“Yes…? What… are you saying, Sister Julia?”

“No matter what you choose, you need to meet with the warrior first. You need to meet and talk and listen to the details. Can’t we decide on a definite plan after that?”

“……..”

I see.

Well, from my perspective… it would be easier if you gave me the worst possible outcome.

“I guess that’s okay. I agree with Julia’s opinion.”

“Cream too… I agree.”

“……….”

Zion also expressed his agreement with silence.

I nodded and decided on a course of action.

“Then, let’s leave in 4 hours. Everyone, go to your rooms and get some sleep. It’s going to be quite a forced march, so you’d better be prepared.”

Two days after that.

Our group arrived at a small village on the road connecting the Labyrinth City and the Royal Capital – Poromos Village.

Now that he has murdered the Pope and Count Goldbaul and lost all of his supporters, the only one Hyunwoo can rely on is the Royal Family of Rekaia.

He judged that there was a high possibility that he would use any means necessary to contact the king and cling to him in order to survive.

— Buzz, buzz…. Noisy….

It seems I wasn’t the only one who made that prediction, as there were quite a few adventurers wandering around Poromos Village.

If you’re going to the royal road, you’ll have to pass through this village no matter which route you take, so if you camp nearby, you’re likely to come into contact with Hyunwoo.

— Kkudangtang….!!

Around that time.

As I was crossing the village with all my thoughts, a heavy metallic sound echoed behind me.

“…….?”

Results directed towards the gaze.

Falling off the horse and rolling on the ground.

….no.

To be more precise, you could see Krimhild rolling around on the floor, snoring.

“Eung…. Hmm…. Huaaam…. Abbot….. Just 50 more minutes….. Hehehe….. Hehe…..”

After exchanging glances mixed with bitter smiles.

Julia got down from her horse and picked up Krimhilt, and Sion guided the two men’s horses to follow behind him.

“That’s not too much, is it? I ran here for two whole days without getting any proper sleep….”

“That’s right… Honestly, I think I could fall asleep right now if I lay down anywhere.”

“………”

After gathering my thoughts for a moment.

I said to Julia and Zion.

“It would be difficult to prepare for an emergency if we move while we are exhausted and sleep deprived like this. For now, let’s just rest for a night at the inn.”

“Would it be okay? If the warrior passes by in the meantime…..”

“If my guess is right, he’s moving on foot. He probably hasn’t gotten this far yet. I understand your impatience, but pushing yourself too hard isn’t the answer.”

“Yes…..”