episode_0222

“…”

The people sitting at the round table all widened their eyes and looked at Jeong Yushin.

Victor’s mouth dropped open.

How insolent.

He hadn’t heard such insults to his face in the past 10 years.

Especially from such a young punk.

There was no one younger than Jeong Yushin among the people sitting at the round table.

He thought that they would have some sense, having climbed all the way up here.

He had expected that with moderate pressure, the young half-blood barbarian would apologize and act submissive.

It was a miscalculation.

To have the nerve to throw insults so openly in this place.

“Wh…what did you say?”

Victor stammered and asked again.

“Uhh… Uhhh. You need to speak properly. Who is that elf that that idiot Meetz was with?”

“Terianndor.”

Nellia interjected and said the name.

“Right. Now I remember. Didn’t Meetz ignore Terry’s orders and go to the sewers with young kids and die? I knew that they didn’t go to play, and after work, they gathered in the lodgings and sang songs about how it was meaningless, boring, and a waste of time? Then he got an earful from Terry, and he pouted and dove headfirst into the sewers, and you’re blaming that on me? Is that even reasonable?”

Victor’s face turned red as if it would explode at any moment.

“You…you son of a…!”

Jeong Yushin sighed deeply and looked around at the people sitting at the round table.

“It’s obvious that Meetz was the instigator, so what are you trying to do by putting the blame entirely on me? What’s your real purpose?”

An old man with long white hair frowned.

“Victor’s words may be harsh, but they are not wrong. Conflicts and friction between party members are always happening during a request. The way to solve those problems depends on the party leader’s capabilities. In that sense, this sewer search request is a failure of the Explorer’s Guild’s personnel selection. Furthermore, it is also the fault of the experienced explorers who should have helped the incompetent leader.”

“Experienced? I don’t know when you started treating me like an experienced explorer.”

The old man rubbed his forehead at Jeong Yushin’s sarcasm.

“I don’t know what kind of life you have lived? A distinguished prosecutor coming to this city and starting as a novice explorer is worlds apart from a country bumpkin who came from plowing fields in the countryside and started as a novice explorer.”

Jeong Yushin got up from his seat and walked around with his hands behind his back.

He slowly circled the round table, looking at each of the clan leaders’ faces.

The clan leaders’ gazes were diverse.

A look as if they were looking at a madman.

An indifferent look.

A look stained with anger, etc.

Finally, even Nellia, who was making a troubled expression.

‘The Vice Guild Master is going through a lot.’

Beatrice muttered.

The clan leaders sitting around the round table focused their attention on Jeong Yushin’s walk.

Thud.

Thud.

An overwhelming presence was felt from the young man’s gait.

Jeong Yushin opened his mouth slowly, as if choosing what to say.

“In the sewer.”

“Ska, sit down.”

Victor stepped forward and interrupted Jeong Yushin’s words.

“Shut up!!!”

“…”

When Jeong Yushin shouted, not only Victor but also the clan leaders became as quiet as clams.

People looked at Nellia as if asking for help.

However.

Nellia kept her mouth shut and only looked at Jeong Yushin. A face as if telling him to continue talking.

Jeong Yushin started walking again slowly.

“You know that I met an apostle of the Outer God Changeling in the sewer. The pressure was enormous. He was using the imprint of the explorer he had devoured.”

“…”

“Rex and Gwyn faced the subordinate’s clone, and I took on the main body.”

“…”

“It wasn’t an easy fight. I passed the brink of death dozens of times. If I made one wrong move with my sword, my head would have flown off.”

It was different from the report that I saw in writing.

I clearly heard that he was easily subjugated under Vlad’s protection, but was that not the case?

A thick smell of blood emanated from the young man’s tone, as if lingering around my nose.

And those who were quick-witted felt the madness sleeping beneath this man.

Thud.

Thud.

“Stamina and mana are running low, blood is flowing from the wounds. Anyway, it’s not easy to swing a sword in a life-or-death situation.”

“So…”

“Listen to the end.”

Jeong Yushin, who had already approached Victor’s back, said quietly.

The low voice echoed around the quiet round table.

Jeong Yushin put his hand on Victor’s shoulder.

“I don’t know what’s written in the report, but there’s a high probability that I’m not the person you think I am. If you think that I’ll cower and show my belly like a dog because you’re gathered in a fancy room and staring at me, I want to tell you that you’re mistaken.”

The man who had been burying his head in the mud and twisting his body half a year ago had changed.

Through steel and blood.

Through madness and death.

Jeong Yushin tapped Victor’s shoulder lightly and continued speaking.

“Let me sum it up. Meetz is a garbage filled with arrogance, and he died because of carelessness. He incited young explorers and drove them to their deaths. And it’s your fault for educating Meetz in that way. Victor, you have to bear the burden of his death. I won’t accept any objections. Because I’m right anyway.”

Victor trembled.

Anger welled up in his throat.

“…”

The clan leaders were silent.

Because the half-blood barbarian’s words were true.

Instead of confronting each other, they tried to join hands and gain profits from the Explorer’s Guild, and ‘educate’ the new clan leader who had joined this time.

However.

They had misjudged the person.

They should have realized it sooner.

A man who didn’t even have a particularly good imprint, but quickly climbed up to the lower intermediate level in an instant.

A man who subdued the small and medium-sized clans scattered throughout the city and subjugated them under his feet.

There was no way that a man who had bought the favor of Ingrid and Astaroth, who belonged to the Labyrinth Committee, was an ordinary person.

At that moment.

Clap clap clap clap!!!

The sound of applause was heard from the corner.

“Ahahaha!!! Excellent!”

A young man was clapping and laughing.

Jeong Yushin raised his head and looked at the young man. He was a person who hadn’t been there until just now.

“Who are you?”

“Ah! I’m sorry for the late introduction. I am Malakai, a magician belonging to the Magic Tower.”

Magic Tower.

I’ve heard of it a lot. A group of magicians who want to uncover the mysteries of the labyrinth by joining forces with the Explorer’s Guild.

Even the Bracelet of Affinity was an item invented by the Magic Tower.

“Ska’s words are certainly correct. If they had done a good job of educating him in the first place, they would have been able to resolve the conflict smoothly, even if it had arisen. It is difficult to understand the idea that the fruits will be good when the roots are rotten.”

“Kuhk!!!”

Victor glared at the magician Malakai with a terribly distorted face.

Malakai didn’t even care and approached the round table with a light step.

“Let’s end the issue of responsibility here. That’s not what’s important.”

The clan leaders sitting at the round table quickly nodded their heads. Their faces looked as if they wanted to escape from Jeong Yushin’s grasp as soon as possible.

Malakai looked around the round table and opened his mouth.

“The Magic Tower has been watching the labyrinth for quite some time. So…the beginning is the Eldritch Wave. Now that it’s been confirmed, I’ll tell you. The current labyrinth is a place where the other world and reality meet. In other words, you can think of it as a passage through which beings from the other world can cross over without any restrictions.”

“…”

Heavy silence fell on the round table.

“Are you saying that we should close the labyrinth?”

One of the people sitting at the round table glanced at Jeong Yushin and said.

Malakai shook his head.

“No. We can’t do that.”

“Then, I don’t think there’s any other way than to increase the number of guards at the entrance of the labyrinth.”

“I see. I think this is a time when the dedication of the large clans is needed.”

The white-haired old man who had argued with Jeong Yushin cleared his throat.

“Ahem! But I’ve heard rumors that the Outer God’s subordinates are wandering around the labyrinth city, is that true?”

Malakai shrugged his shoulders.

“No one knows. In fact, it’s ambiguous how to find out. There are more than one or two people staying in the labyrinth city, so it’s impossible to investigate each and every one of them.”

“…”

The clan leaders sitting at the round table stared blankly at Malakai’s face.

Malkarai raised his index finger and flicked it.

“But it’s not like we don’t know anything at all. The Outer God’s subordinates have characteristics.”

“Characteristics?”

“Yes.”

“What are they?”

“The first characteristic is that their past is hidden or vague.”

“There must be more than one or two people like that.”

“That’s right. The second characteristic is overwhelming growth speed.”

“There are many people with rapid growth rates among those who hide their identities. This is the labyrinth city.”

“I’m not saying that we should suspect people who are growing rapidly through good imprints. I’m talking about the overall growth rate, including skills. Please listen to the end first. The third characteristic would be those who have received the divinity of the Outer Gods.”

Some tilted their heads.

“There are many mystics who have received the blessings of the Outer Gods. And even the priests of the Empire have the divinity of the Outer God Lux Aeterna? Of course, it’s only a tiny amount.”

“That’s right. But think about it this way. A person whose past is vague and has an overwhelming growth rate. And that person also has the divinity of the Outer Gods? How many people like that are there? Isn’t it worth suspecting at least once?”

“That’s…that’s right.”

The people sitting at the round table nodded.

“That’s where our Vice Guild Master comes in. She picks out the suspicious people and asks them. Did you come from another world? Or not? Then you’ll get the answer right away. Why? Because the Vice Guild Master has the imprint of ‘Eye of Truth’.”

“I think it will take longer than I thought.”

Someone muttered.

“Haha! I don’t think it will take as long as you think. Isn’t there a good example here?”

Malakai burst into a hearty laugh and said.

“Example?”

“Yes. Ska?”

Malakai’s arrow flew to Jeong Yushin.

“What is it?”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Sword Master Ashur contacted our Magic Tower because of Ska’s madness, and I was curious about what happened after that. How are you doing these days?”

“I’m doing okay.”

“Is that so?”

Malakai gave a deep smile.

“We are selecting and organizing people with outstanding talents in the labyrinth city, but there is one thing that is bothering us. We won’t arrest you and interrogate you, so please answer comfortably.”

“…”

People’s attention was focused on Jeong Yushin again.

“When I asked the barbarians living in the northern district of the city, I heard that they had never heard or seen anyone like Ska. Who his father is. Where he lived, etc.”

Malakai scratched his head and continued speaking.

“It’s really ambiguous. Ambiguous. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I don’t care at all.”

“…”

“Ska, where are you from?”

“…”

The eyes of the people sitting at the round table gradually narrowed.

Malakai gently put his hand on Nellia’s shoulder and asked again.

“Are you really a barbarian?”

‘Ska!’

Beatrice screamed.

“…”

The round table became quiet.

Malakai looked at Jeong Yushin with a deep smile on his face.