Episode 146: The Great Legacy (3)
Pachi chit.
I picked up the sword I had put down for a moment and returned to where my companion was. Then I put the sword back in the bag I had put down.
No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary Arc-type longsword, but I’ll find out more about it later.
“I’m sorry. This time too… … .”
I just pat the dwarf on the shoulder as he lowers his head as if he has no face.
What should I say to him?
It’s not thanks to me that we all survived.
“Bjorn.”
Misha approached me with a sad gait and placed her hand on my chest.
“I’m so glad… to be alive. Really… .”
I feel something coming up.
Well, I know that.
Who is it that I can feel relief living like this? I’m sure he wanted to share this happy moment with me.
“Rotmiller.”
He carefully walked forward, wrapping his arms around Misha’s small hand and pushing it away. Then he approached Rotmiller, who had regained consciousness, and told him.
A few words of will left behind by Dwalki.
“I see. He… … .”
After hearing the whole story, Rotmiller knelt down in front of Dwalki’s body and made the sign of the cross. Then he scattered the farewell words he had been unable to convey to himself in front of him.
“I remember when you first entered the labyrinth. You said that you now understood what it meant to be a vast world.”
It happened on the 3rd floor of the Pilgrim’s Path.
Rotmiller led us up a high hill, saying that exploring wasn’t all hard and scary.
There we saw the vast nature bathed in silver together, and Dwalki was so excited and happy that he couldn’t sleep at night.
“I wish I could have shown you a wider world… … .”
Rotmiller finished his speech plainly.
There must have been a lot of things he still wanted to say to the remaining ones. Misha and the dwarf also knelt down and poured out the words they had in their hearts.
I stood a step back and watched the scene.
It’s not that I didn’t have anything to say.
but…….
“Aaaaah! It’s my, my fault! It’s my, my fault! If only I hadn’t chosen that door… …!”
“No. It’s my fault. I told you to trust me and that I would protect you no matter what happened, but I… … broke that promise.”
I would not be much different from these two.
No matter what I say, it will all end in self-reproach. If it were Dwalki, I’m sure she wouldn’t want to see me like this.
This is where we have to live.
Because this isn’t a world where you can just lie there forever.
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[Meeeeeeek-!]
I opened my mouth as I saw Baikundus appearing from the other side of the passage.
“Everyone stop it.”
“… … .”
“The enemy.”
Remember, you must rise above the sadness.
That’s probably all the people left behind can do.
“Behel—raaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
There’s no choice but to move forward.
***
The battle with Vaikundus was harder than expected.
The reason is simple.
Only four people are left in this vast maze, and not only have their abilities been greatly reduced, but their injuries have not yet fully healed.
In the first place, it was thanks to Dwalki that we were able to catch level 6 monsters so easily.
“Just pack the essentials and go back.”
After the battle was over, we started cleaning up.
Equipment scattered all over the floor after a fierce battle.
No, after collecting the remains of the equipment, I also took a good look through the priest’s belongings.
What was recovered was a necklace of unknown purpose.
It was unclear whether it was an artifact or something decorative.
Of course, Dwalki was the only one among us who could sense the magic in objects.
“It seems like there’s nothing special here either.”
A middle-aged explorer who died early in battle also tried looting, but found nothing of note.
Well, most things would have been in that kid’s subspace.
“… … I will deliver it to wherever you wish.”
A walking stick and the expandable backpack he carried. His boots and robe could have been taken off and sold for money, but they were left untouched.
“I will carry Dwalki.”
After that, we headed to the portal through the trap room and returned to the Sky Tower.
And each of them spread out and took a rest.
Someone sat in front of Dwalki and wiped the blood off his body, while someone leaned back against the wall and sobbed.
The peaceful time that came as a lie actually made me realize it.
That it is an absolute reality and not a dream.
“Bjorn, is there no way to get Dwalki to the city?”
“……does not exist.”
“Yeah, I see… … .”
Reality is this cruel.
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Even though he gave his precious life for us, we can’t even take him to the city and hold a funeral.
Because the dead one was a wizard.
Corpses found in the labyrinth are classified as objects and cannot be taken out without ‘Distortion’ magic.
That’s why the Bavarian heart is special.
You can take it back to the city without magic? The wizards must have noticed that and started researching it as a magical material.
“Misha, you too, get some rest.”
“I’ll stay here a little longer. After we leave… … I’ll be lonely.”
“……okay.”
I sat down in a corner, leaving the suffocating air behind.
And I checked the time.
[10:31]
There is one and a half day left until the labyrinth closes.
Somehow my mouth felt bitter.
‘… … Not even an hour has passed.’
I felt like such a worthless person.
I’ve been on the brink of death countless times.
It felt like I was fighting that guy for days and nights.
But even though I returned after completing all the training, not even an hour had passed.
‘Let’s do what we have to do… … .’
Take out the letter the priest left behind.
A single letter, wrinkled and stained here and there, that he had kept in his arms for a long time. The letter contained a detailed account of how the old man came to be in this situation.
As I was reading, I focused on one spot.
‘Underground City Noark.’
It was the name of the place where the old man and his young grandson were kidnapped by the dragon killer.
[A potion made by the alchemist of Noark. When taken, it completely erases one’s memories for one hour.]
It was the name of a city that had been mentioned by Psychopath Bitch before, and it was something that I couldn’t find no matter how much I searched for information in the library.
Yeah, there’s something like that under the sewer.
‘Could it be that that woman is also a member of Orcules?’
With that thought in mind, I read through the letter.
In addition to the fact that the underground city of Noark and Orcules were in a cooperative relationship, the letter left behind by the old man contained one surprising piece of information.
‘… … I thought there would be a portal there too.’
The foundation on which the city of Lapdonia can be maintained.
There was also a portal underground that connected to the labyrinth.
That’s why the underground explorers hid their identities and achieved the absurd feat of mining magic stones and building a city with them.
‘Noark.’
I engraved that name in my head.
I had a strong belief that I would be involved with this place in the future.
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‘Let’s investigate this place more when we go out.’
With that thought in mind, I put the letter back in my arms.
After looking over the contents, it seemed like there would be no harm done to me by forwarding the letter.
There’s also a saying that goes, “the enemy of my enemy is my comrade.”
Well anyway, this issue ends here.
“… … .”
Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
I desperately needed a break, but all sorts of distracting thoughts kept coming up and disappearing, tormenting me.
What should I do next?
With such a formidable enemy, the city cannot be guaranteed to be safe. He may try to harm me in the labyrinth with his companions.
‘Nimiral.’
Is that why?
It’s a shame that he came back alive. If only he had treated me, I could have finished him off myself.
‘… … What on earth am I thinking?’
I shook my head and shook off my regret.
The world doesn’t work the way you want it to.
He probably had no choice either.
That evil spirit was like that in the game too.
It grants wishes in return for a price, but never gives the best results. Like the monkey’s paw, which grants wishes but also brings misfortune.
A being that always gives hope and despair at the same time.
‘… … This kid also strangely keeps getting entangled with me.’
I shook off my distracting thoughts as I added the evil god Karui to the list of things to investigate.
It was time for me to take a break.
Not only is this place safer than the city, but there are plenty of things to do outside.
“… … .”
After drying my body with a wet towel, I spread out my sleeping bag and lay down inside.
It was really strange.
It must have been a fierce fight that lasted almost two nights.
I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.
***
“The labyrinth is closed.”
“The character moves to Lapdonia.”
***
Sunlight piercing through my eyelids.
Without even having time to enjoy the aftertaste, I passed the checkpoint and exchanged my magic stone for money.
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And we headed to the meeting place we had agreed to meet.
The Explorer’s Guild branch closest to the Dimensional Plaza. When I arrived there, I saw a bunch of people who looked similar to me.
“… … .”
A silence that seemed strange for a gathering of dozens of people.
Everyone waited with solemn expressions for their colleagues to arrive.
That’s only natural.
There’s only one reason to come back to the city and come here without washing.
Death of a colleague.
“If you’re all here, come in.”
Soon after all of our comrades arrived, we entered the guild. We reported the death and handed over all of Dwalki’s equipment and backpack.
“… … The deceased had good colleagues.”
The staff member looked at us with a strange look.
Well, it might not be common.
I don’t know about the city’s wealth, but I think it would be okay to swallow up this kind of thing.
Most of them will just report the death and that’s it.
but…….
“Royal 8th-grade wizard, Riolu Warb Dwalki. Death report has been received.”
I don’t feel any regret.
That’s understandable, because we know the contents of the will he wrote before he first entered the labyrinth.
[Haha, a will? It really feels like I’ve become an explorer.] [You can write whatever you want, but make sure to clearly state the inheritance of the property. Otherwise, it’ll all go to the Explorer’s Guild.] [Don’t worry about that. I’ve already decided.]
The boy wished to donate his fortune to an orphanage under a certain temple.
I only found out the details yesterday.
The dwarf said, “I was left there as a child and lived there for a while. His property should be used for whatever he wants.”
Because we have already been given something so great.
“It’s really over… … . Okay, then let’s go.”
Anyway, this concludes the first task we have to do upon returning to the city: reporting Dwalki’s death.
It was surprisingly simple.
It took one minute to fill out the paperwork, two minutes for the staff to review it, and three minutes to put an end to a man’s 25-year-long struggle.
‘That must mean that death is common in this world.’
I leave the guild, leaving the bitterness behind.
And then head to the main temple of the Church of Atlas.
Because that is the only way to repay the favor to the deceased who has already passed away.
“You can go back and rest.”
“How could that be? You are my savior.”
“Me too… … I’ll go with you. I’ve had enough rest inside… … .”
Misha, who had been crying all day and couldn’t rest, didn’t say much. It was clear that she wouldn’t be able to rest properly even after returning to her dorm.
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“… … .”
We all headed to our destination together.
Soon, a pure white building appeared, seemingly untouched by the world, and we stepped inside.
When asked if the apprentice priest was seeking treatment, he hesitated to answer, but said that he had come at the request of Archimandrite Ludwig.
“Lu, Archangel Ludwig… …?”
Didn’t he dare think that he would lie in the place where the gods reside? The young-faced priest’s eyes widened and he ran inside to deliver the news.
and…….
“It’s been a while.”
As I was waiting quietly in that spot, a familiar face came out to greet me.
Paal Krovitz, commander of the Third Knight Division.
“I heard you came here at the request of Archimandrite Ludwig, who went missing several years ago. Do you have any items that could be used as evidence?”
He asked politely.
He also said that this was a very sensitive issue for the school and asked for understanding.
How many incidents have there been where a city-wide bounty was posted and caused a huge stir?
“Bounty?”
“Yes. Since the amount is so large, there are some people who harbor evil intentions.”
I didn’t come here expecting a reward.
Having already defeated Elisha and received a large reward, I ended up asking without thinking.
“How much money is that?”
Misha poked me in the ribs at my vulgar question and gave me a hint. The dwarf is the same.
“Even for you, this is a bit much.”
Rotmiller, an explorer and a member of the Red Atlas movement, was not particularly pleased with the idea.
But Krovitz opened his mouth without showing any sign of expression.
and…….
“The amount may vary depending on the information provided and the presence or absence of the relics… … .”
“but?”
“I remember the Finance Ministry putting forward a maximum of 70 million stones.”
Everyone froze at his answer.
