Chapter 864: Terrible News (7)
A booming shout echoed through the sleeping city.
Of course, a single shout wouldn't reach the ears of someone holed up in a corner room high up in that tower.
But…
If once isn't enough, then twice.
Three, four, five, six times.
The life of a Barbarian had taught me that even steel bends if you keep hammering it.
If I keep shouting, he's bound to come out eventually.
How could he not hear me when I'm making such a ruckus outside?
Just as I was gathering strength from my core to shout again.
"…What are you doing here?" (Urben Havelion)
Huh…?
Turning my head toward the voice behind me, I saw GM frowning.
I looked at him and asked, "What are you?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"Is that the right thing to say right now…?" (Urben Havelion)
Ah… right, I guess not.
I was flustered and misspoke.
"Why are you here?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"I was just on my way back from a short outing…?" (Urben Havelion)
"…An outing?" (Bjorn Yandel)
After a slight pause, I asked again, and GM fell silent.
It seemed like he had something to say, but was forcing himself to hold it back to avoid unnecessary stress.
"Hah… Why did you come looking for me?" (Urben Havelion)
"Hold on." (Bjorn Yandel)
I cut him off with a serious expression.
"How did you know I came to find you?" (Bjorn Yandel)
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"Answer me, Urben Havelion. Have you been tailing me all this time?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"…How could I not know when you were shouting like that?" (Urben Havelion)
"Oh, that's a good point." (Bjorn Yandel)
As he replied with a deep sigh, I nodded my head in silent agreement.
It was a sort of Barbarian-style small talk.
If you act dumb during a conversation, the other person tends to lower their guard a little.
Just like this.
"Hah… so why were you shouting like that?" (Urben Havelion)
"I came to see you, but they said uninvited people couldn't enter, so I was calling for you!" (Bjorn Yandel)
You know how it is.
Like when you were a kid, you'd just go to a friend's house and shout for them.
Everyone did that when there were no cell phones.
So, using that method in this fantasy world wasn't strange at all—
"If that's the case, you could have just told the guards…" (Urben Havelion)
Ah, so there was a way like that.
As I nodded my head in understanding again, he shook his head from side to side.
"…Let's move somewhere else first." (Urben Havelion)
"Oh, good idea." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Would a place a little farther away be all right? Since there was a bit of a commotion…?" (Urben Havelion)
Afterward, I followed GM to a tavern about five minutes away.
Perhaps because it was near the Mage Tower, the interior was luxurious, and there were even private rooms perfect for quiet conversation.
The real conversation began after our ordered drinks and snacks arrived, and surprisingly, it was GM who spoke first.
"As I thought… you came because of that, didn't you?" (Urben Havelion)
…Huh?
"You came because of the Underground First Floor, didn't you?" (Urben Havelion)
I was genuinely startled by his words.
How did he know that? The whole tailing thing earlier was a joke, but was he actually investigating me? No, even if he was, not many people know about the Underground First Floor.
However, I didn't deny it.
"That's right, Urben Havelion." (Bjorn Yandel)
My voice naturally lowered.
My gaze fixed on him, trying to catch every physical reaction, and my tensed body naturally stiffened.
"But how did you know?" (Bjorn Yandel)
Depending on his answer, my attitude toward him from now on would have to change.
"I obtained information that the Fairy Tribe is certain of the Blood Spirit Marquis's survival because the Pureblood has not yet regenerated. And not long after I got that information, you, Viscount, began your external activities." (Urben Havelion)
Huh?
"Thanks to that, my thoughts naturally led to the Underground First Floor. Obviously, you'd need trustworthy people to form an expedition, so I thought you might come looking for me as well…" (Urben Havelion)
I was momentarily stunned by GM's logical words.
All of his assumptions were correct.
Except for one thing.
"…Are you sure?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"Pardon?" (Urben Havelion)
"That the Fairy Tribe believes Erwen is alive. I asked if you're sure about that." (Bjorn Yandel)
At my question, GM frowned again and tilted his head.
His eyes seemed to ask what kind of strange joke this was.
But I was one hundred percent serious.
Did he think I hadn't considered the Pureblood?
In fact, when I was holed up in my room, Misha had brought up the Pureblood first.
She told me how the Fairy Tribe had been certain of Erwen's survival and tried to form a rescue team when she was trapped on the Underground First Floor, and said she would go check herself.
But…
"…You don't mean to say you didn't know?" (Urben Havelion)
I didn't.
"To be precise, I only knew that the Pureblood had not yet regenerated." (Bjorn Yandel)
That day, the entire conversation I had with Misha about her visit was this:
[Um… they said the Pureblood hasn't come back yet…!] (Misha Karlstein)
[…] (Bjorn Yandel)
[But… they said that when a Pureblood is lost during a Dimensional Collapse, it takes at least a year to return… S-So, they said they'd let me know if anything changes, so let's just wait for now…!] (Misha Karlstein)
Because of the special circumstance of a 'Dimensional Collapse', it was impossible to confirm her survival through the Pureblood this time.
Yes, that's definitely what the Fairy Tribe said.
But, what was this?
"Dimensional Collapse, you say…? Hmm…? Are you not mistaken about something? As far as I know, the Pureblood has no such special characteristic…?" (Urben Havelion)
"I heard it directly from the Fairy Tribe." (Bjorn Yandel)
"…That is very strange then. There should be a record of a new Pureblood being born the very next month, even when Fairy King Armela lost his life in a Dimensional Collapse." (Urben Havelion)
"What?" (Bjorn Yandel)
As I slammed the table without thinking, he flinched in surprise but still frowned, unable to understand.
"Was there not some miscommunication? It's not like the Fairy Tribe would have deliberately tried to trick you, Viscount…" (Urben Havelion)
"Ah." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Seeing your expression, it seems that possibility really does exist, doesn't it?" (Urben Havelion)
I couldn't deny it.
Because of all the karma I had accumulated.
The chief of the Fairy Tribe, who thought of Erwen as a daughter and had always viewed me unfavorably, was more than capable of it.
'Still, there's a line between a prank and… this…'
Upon learning the truth, anger flared up inside me.
But contrary to that, a mixture of elation and relief also surged in my chest.
Squeeze—
Forgetting my resentment toward the Fairy Tribe's chief, I clenched my fist tightly.
'She really was alive.'
I wasn't wrong.
—
A brief silence followed.
Amidst it, GM, who had been quietly sipping his beer, let out a chuckle of disbelief.
"You truly are something else, Viscount." (Urben Havelion)
"…?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"I was certain you'd regained your spirits because you heard that news… To think you were completely in the dark." (Urben Havelion)
Was that sarcasm, or a genuine compliment?
I couldn't tell.
Maybe it was both.
It didn't matter.
"Ahem…" (Bjorn Yandel)
I cleared my throat, changing the atmosphere.
The Pureblood.
And Erwen's survival.
In truth, just hearing this news made meeting GM worthwhile.
But, I still had to do what I came here to do.
My real purpose was something else.
"Anyway, I'm going back to the Underground First Floor." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Yes, please be safe." (Urben Havelion)
"With you." (Bjorn Yandel)
As I cut him off and rapidly got to the point, GM let out a deep sigh.
"What's with that look? You said you already expected this as soon as you saw me." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Expectation and reality are different, are they not?" (Urben Havelion)
Well, that's true.
I also came to my senses after hearing the story about the Pureblood today.
'She might be alive' and 'She is alive' are different things.
And now that the latter was confirmed, I could truly charge forward without any hesitation.
"So, your answer?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"For now, I refuse." (Urben Havelion)
"For now?" (Bjorn Yandel)
He didn't refuse flat out; there was a condition attached.
Simply put, it meant he wanted something.
When I gestured for him to speak, GM let out another long sigh.
"Just as I said, for now. It's not that I want something. If it's you, Viscount, you would surely try to take me with you one way or another even if I refuse. Just like that time we went outside the fortress wall." (Urben Havelion)
"Huh? Didn't you agree to it back then?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"W-what! When did I ever agree!" (Urben Havelion)
The guy reacted as if my words had struck a nerve.
Sheesh, if it's not true, he could just say so.
"Why are you getting so worked up? Calm down. It's bad for your lifespan." (Bjorn Yandel)
"No, someone who knows that…! Really, hah… Never mind. Yes." (Urben Havelion)
He seemed to have a lot he wanted to say, but in the end, he couldn't get it all out and shut his mouth.
It was the perfect time to offer a carrot.
Pfft.
I smiled and spoke in a soothing tone.
"Don't you worry. I have no intention of forcing you. It's an expedition where you have to risk your life, and there's no guarantee when you can return. Even I wouldn't do something like that." (Bjorn Yandel)
But what was this?
It was time for some kind of answer, but he just stared at me with a strange look in his eyes.
"Answer." (Bjorn Yandel)
After my short prompt, a resentful voice came out of his mouth.
"If you knew that, then why did you do it back then?" (Urben Havelion)
Uh…
Hmm…
"Ahem." (Bjorn Yandel)
Seeing no reason to make a statement that would put me at a disadvantage, I exercised my right to remain silent and moved on.
"Anyway, whether you believe me or not, what I just said was all sincere. I came looking for you because I need a skilled and trustworthy mage. I don't really need a mage who's been dragged along against his will and only thinks about escaping." (Bjorn Yandel)
"So this is just an offer. Magic Stones, Essences, research… if there's anything you want, I'll provide it as best I can. Well, if you don't particularly want anything and just want to stay cooped up in your room, there's nothing I can do." (Bjorn Yandel)
"I'll think about it for now." (Urben Havelion)
"For now…" (Bjorn Yandel)
That wording certainly gave me a lot to think about.
"Could it be that you have a taste for being dragged around by force?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"What… What are you…! It's not like that!" (Urben Havelion)
"If it's not, it's not. Why get so excited?" (Bjorn Yandel)
As I gave him a look that suggested he was looking even more suspicious, GM quickly added an explanation.
"I have my own various circumstances, so I was already in the middle of contemplating whether to resume Labyrinth expeditions or not." (Urben Havelion)
"Then that's great. Give it some serious thought." (Bjorn Yandel)
"…" (Urben Havelion)
And so, the matter of the recruitment offer was temporarily put on hold.
Afterward, I held back GM, who was about to leave, and we had a light conversation over beer.
It made sense, right?
Once he went back to his room, who knew when he'd come out again? I had to build up as much favorability as I could today.
'I'm also curious about what this guy has been up to.'
After finishing the expedition outside the fortress wall, I hadn't really run into him.
Well, it seemed like he had been hearing news about me behind the scenes…
Still, he didn't know much about the Dimensional Collapse or the Underground First Floor, so we spent time talking about those things.
And…
"Ah, since we're here, could you take a look at this?" (Bjorn Yandel)
I took out a piece of paper, and like a true mage, he immediately recognized what it was.
"Coordinates, I see…?" (Urben Havelion)
Yes, coordinates.
The ones I got from Arta last time.
[If you make it back to Rafdonia 'alive', please go to the spatial coordinates I'm about to give you.
I will hide something helpful there.] (Arta)
I am genuinely curious.
What could possibly be at those coordinates?
If there really is something there, then all the common sense I knew would be turned upside down.
A being I met inside the Labyrinth.
A being that could be considered an NPC, in a way.
It would mean such a being had actually exerted influence outside the Labyrinth.
"Can you tell where this is?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"Let me check first." (Urben Havelion)
Afterward, he took out a magical tool that looked like a calculator from his pocket dimension.
And after skillfully manipulating it here and there…
"Huh?" (Urben Havelion)
He tilted his head, then operated the calculator once more.
But perhaps the resulting value was still the same.
"Who did you get these coordinates from?" (Urben Havelion)
He soon put the calculator down with a tap and asked abruptly.
His question, in turn, piqued my interest.
"Where on earth is it to get a reaction like that?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"That is…" (Urben Havelion)
Soon, GM's mouth opened, and after hearing everything, I was lost in thought.
My curiosity had certainly grown…
But how was I supposed to find this place?
"Interesting." (Bjorn Yandel)
It wasn't a location I could just casually drop by to check out.
