episode_0047

Room 23, from which everyone had disappeared in an instant.

As if nothing had happened, the three of us stared blankly at the door.

“…Hmm.”

Noah awkwardly scratched her head and said.

“Since we’re here, want to check out the auction together?”

“Sure.”

Noah sat down, smiling broadly.

Grace and I also sat down beside her appropriately.

However, there was still some time left before the auction began.

I threw a question to our source of information, Grace.

“Do you know who that person was earlier?”

“Just a moment, let me recall. There are less than 100 deep explorers in the city right now. Among them, someone walking around with their upper body bare…”

Grace seemed to be thinking hard, unable to recall easily, before finally reaching a conclusion.

“Ah! [Rayze of Light Speed].”

“Seeing as the name didn’t come to you immediately, I guess he’s not a famous person among deep explorers?”

“Right. I heard he went to the deep layers recently.”

“Rayze of Light Speed, huh…”

Just like his epithet [Light Speed], I couldn’t see Rayze moving earlier.

I couldn’t even detect it within my expanded senses, so I have no idea what his speed must be.

I feel that the world is still vast.

“Would a deep explorer use 7 sky-blue cards?”

“Right? Even an explorer of levels 9-10 would need to possess that much power.”

“Are there any revealed cards?”

“Unfortunately, not many cards are known. There are hardly any opportunities to encounter them in the first place, and the higher up you go, the more they restrict information among themselves. However, some curse cards are known. One of them is [Upper Body Exhibitionism].”

“…What?”

Exhibitionism, you say. I thought it was just him showing off his trained muscles.

Suddenly, my enthusiasm significantly cooled.

To think that explorer was just an exhibitionist.

“Someone like Kailek-ssi, a barbarian, wouldn’t get arrested for exposing their upper body like that, but an ordinary person would. Of course, the law wouldn’t apply to a deep explorer.”

“But they must have a lot of money, why wouldn’t they remove the curse card?”

“It’s a feeling similar to my [Elf Transformation] card and Kailek-ssi’s [Bow Lover]. Gaining power in exchange for a powerful penalty. Deep explorers, once they fill all 7 slots with sky-blue cards, add curse cards here and there to become stronger. Though it might not be very efficient.”

I roughly understand the feeling.

The limit of an explorer’s power, unlike a mage, is 7 cards.

Even if they’ve combined 7 top-grade sky-blue cards well, they combine freely obtainable curse cards well to break through to a higher level.

“It must be tough being an explorer.”

“That’s why the number of explorers dramatically decreases the higher up you go.”

“Then, have you ever heard of something called [Divers]?”

“Of course. It’s a gathering of selected explorers, isn’t it? That’s what you got from Rayze of Light Speed earlier, right?”

“Yes.”

“As expected, I have a good eye for people.”

“Haha…”

It’s always awkward trying to figure out how to respond in times like these.

I just laughed it off.

As we chatted about this and that, the auction began before we knew it.

Upstairs, in the white auction house, completely rare and useful artifacts and equipment that were never seen appeared.

Of course, the stakes were too high for us to participate. It started from 10,000 gold.

‘At least I shouldn’t even think about coming here until I become a high-level explorer.’

Still, just watching was helpful. Should I say it broadened my perspective on the world?

The auction lasted about 2 hours.

Noah purchased what she wanted for 134,000 gold.

“Do you usually have that much money?”

“When I ran away from home this time, I put everything that looked expensive into my sub-space pocket and left.”

Seeing Noah’s very confident demeanor, I forced a smile.

I got to the main point.

“What are you going to do now? You asked for my help in the labyrinth.”

“Ah, right. Where do you live? I heard you even have a clan building.”

“How did you know that?”

“If you ask, everything comes out.”

“…I live in District 11.”

“The place where the Magic Tower is, I guess that’s not bad. Then, please take care of me.”

“But is it okay for you to stay at my place? There’s a high chance that the Black Mages or the Ariel Cult know that you and I met.”

“Anyway, as long as I’m in this world, escaping is impossible. We might as well combine our strength. So, are you going to do it or not?”

I’m conflicted.

Even if she is a foreigner from the same world, I don’t know if being together right now is a benefit or a poison.

“…Okay, I understand for now.”

Well, let’s figure things out one by one later.

I immediately used the card I held in my hand.

[Stealth]

Noah’s body disappeared.

“Oh, this is amazing no matter how many times I see it?”

“Anyway, more details later. See you at the guild in District 11.”

“What, aren’t you coming with me?”

“Chances are, the Ariel Cult is spread out all around this area.”

“Well, I guess so. I could just break through, though.”

“To do that…”

Didn’t she get subdued by the Holy Knights earlier?

Besides, I think I heard that she isn’t particularly strong against deep explorers.

“Right, we don’t know what those Holy Knight guys have hidden. Then, see you later.”

Noah’s voice disappeared.

Grace and I also left the auction house.

Sure enough, the Ariel Cult subtly surrounded the auction house.

The Holy Knight Commander I met earlier glared at me, but I deliberately ignored his gaze and left the place.

“Hold on.”

But a knight, Karin, blocked my path.

“I heard you went underground without permission?”

“Ah, well…”

“Follow me.”

“Yes.”

I had no choice but to spend that night at the guard station.

*

The next day.

Before going to the guild where I was supposed to meet Noah, I returned home.

“Hello?”

Noah was already on the 1st floor lobby, drinking with Kailek.

How on earth did she know how to get here?

The culprit was right next to her.

Lane was giving me an awkward smile.

“They said they were an acquaintance, so I brought them in. Is that right?”

“Yes. That’s right, an acquaintance. Thank you.”

Lane said a couple more words to me and then left.

“Noah, I think I told you to wait at the guild.”

“Ah! I went to the guild this morning and asked that unnie, and she told me everything?”

Noah smiled brightly.

I roughly sensed it from the beginning, but Noah is somewhat of an ‘insider’ type, I guess. Her sociability seems considerable.

“Haha!! Finally, I have someone I can compete with in drinking after a long time!!”

“Come on, a toast!!!”

“Cheers!!”

Kailek was already won over.

“Here you go!”

Hans brought food from the kitchen.

“Thanks.”

Noah immediately ate ravenously. Hans watched her with a slightly fatherly smile.

Perhaps it’s because Noah’s appearance is somewhat like a high school girl.

Anyway, Hans was also won over.

“…”

Luca just seemed completely indifferent.

It felt like everything was over before I even arrived.

My head started to pound.

It felt like I had gotten my hands on something uncontrollable.

Just when I thought I might have to refuse.

“Ah, but I can’t just stay for free.”

Then, Noah took something out of her subspace pocket.

“Here.”

A small box.

It was filled with gold coins.

“That much should cover the rent, right?”

“Of course.”

She wasn’t a troublesome person, but a benefactor!

Her sociability is amazing!

My evaluation of Noah, Han Yereum, in my head soared.

“A toast to our neighbor, Ms. Noah.”

“Cheers!!”

And so, Noah naturally joined our party.

That night.

After Noah fell asleep, Grace came to my room.

“What’s wrong?”

The room had only a single small candle.

Grace looked down at me, sitting, and said.

“Aren’t you going to tell me soon? An apostle of the evil god, what kind of relation do you have with someone like that?”

Indeed, it was about time she had questions.

Until now, she and our party members had firmly trusted and followed me, even though I displayed divine power and used cards to perform magic, which were abnormal phenomena.

That was only possible because I wasn’t an evil person.

Nothing strange had happened until today.

But Grace heard everything from yesterday to today.

I should have told her, at least.

But how much should I tell?

From the fact that I’m a foreigner, to being an apostle of the main god, a hero, and so on.

I had no idea where to start or where to end.

It’s not that I don’t trust her.

It’s just that if something happens, the party members might be harmed.

“You’re not doing this conditional on being rescued from that desert, are you?”

Grace, who is quite perceptive.

I nodded.

Silence flowed for a while.

Amidst the confusion of what to say.

Grace opened her mouth first.

“Should I assassinate them? We can solve the problem of being held at a disadvantage.”

As expected, she seems to think I’m being blackmailed by the apostle of the evil god.

And that’s a rational inference.

If I were an ordinary person.

“No, there’s no need for that.”

I sighed deeply, holding my throbbing head.

“Is there anyone listening nearby?”

“Yes.”

As soon as Grace finished speaking, the party members all opened the door and came in.

It seemed Grace had finished talking to everyone without my knowledge.

“This is the choice point.”

If this were a game, this situation would be a single point that rolls a massive snowball.

To tell the truth.

Or not to tell.

I feel a slight hostility and suspicion.

I understand. An apostle of the evil god, you say.

At least from the sensibility of people from this world, it must be someone you can never be with.

I could be sure that if I didn’t tell them in that moment, everyone would leave.

“…”

But if I reveal it, I don’t know what will happen.

There is no data on how to handle such a situation.

At best, in the novels or webtoons I occasionally read, revealing that one is an isekai’d person usually resulted in bad outcomes.

Is this world like that?

I still don’t know.

If there’s one thing I can be sure of.

It’s that my four companions here can be trusted.

Slowly, I opened my mouth.

“I…”

My mouth closed.

Is this choice really the right one?

The moment I say these words.

Everything will change.

But I had already decided.

I took a deep breath and said calmly.

“I am not a person of this world.”

A calm confession.

I continued my story.

And the story about Noah, Han Yereum, too.

Everyone’s reaction was, of course, disbelief.

But they all felt that my words were true.

Because that was the only way to explain all the situations.

“That’s it.”

I, who confessed everything calmly.

Now I await the verdict.

Win or lose.

Life or death.

It didn’t take long for the result to come out.

“T-That seems like too big of a matter!! I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it…”

“…A new soul dwelling in an empty body, should it be considered a resurrection?”

“What, anyway, you’ve been Ivan-ssi since we first met. Nothing’s changed in between. It’s no big deal. Besides, if you’re an apostle of the main god and a hero, aren’t we a hero’s party?!”

“Hmph! This much is required to be a comrade of this Kailek!”

“W-Would it be okay for me to be involved in this situation?!”

“…Hans, you’re scared.”

“Have confidence!!”

The atmosphere gradually brightens.

Grace approached with a broad smile.

“You’re not hiding anything else, are you? Like being the hidden son of an evil god, or an experimental subject created by a black mage.”

“As if something like that exists.”

“What, I thought it was something important since it was so serious. It was nothing, then.”

Passing the test.

For some reason, I felt like a lump in my heart had been cleared.

“Right, it’s nothing.”

It was the moment I became a resident of this world, not a foreigner.

*

Time flew by quickly.

Noah was quickly absorbed into our party.

Noah, who quickly became close with everyone thanks to her unique sociability, was living a happy life.

Her satisfaction level seemed very high.

Even Luca and Grace, who had kept some distance, quickly became friendly with Noah.

Of course, that was all because I had revealed everything.

“Right, THIS is the isekai life!!”

Noah enjoying her life.

According to her, when she was among the black mages, they treated her too formally, like a princess, so it wasn’t fun.

“Are you really not going into the labyrinth?”

“Of course not. Inside the labyrinth is the evil god’s space. If I go in, I’ll be dragged away, you know?”

“Then aren’t I in danger too?”

“It doesn’t matter. That evil god guy isn’t interested in any other humans besides me.”

“Still, what if you get caught while you’re alone at home?”

Right now, because I’m here, the Ariel Cult can’t easily enter, but the moment I go into the labyrinth, they’ll likely come to catch Noah anytime.

“Don’t worry about me, just go inside. That way you’ll get strong quickly and realize my plan.”

“Aren’t you going to tell me about that plan first?”

“No. It’s more exciting not knowing, isn’t it?”

Anyway, I never saw her lose a word in an argument.

“Ivan-ssi!!!”

Grace’s voice is heard.

Preparations are already complete.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“I’ll protect the house well!”

Leaving Noah behind, I went outside the clan building.

The party members had already finished all preparations.

It’s a party aiming for the 5th floor, but our luggage is much lighter than last time.

Partly because we don’t have to pack firewood.

Also because Luca bought a subspace bag with the money we earned last time.

We immediately headed to the guild and stood in front of the portal.

“Let’s go!!!”

Shouting with spirit, we charged into the portal at once.

Our goal this time is the 5th floor.

It’s a frigid zone.