Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Dark Cloud (4)

Dark Cloud (4)

Dark Cloud (4)

A heavy scent of wood filled the office.

Nile Urbans, the 7th Regional Manager of the Explorer's Guild, chuckled.

He remembered what his daughter had said a while back.

[I have no intention of living the rest of my life as your doll, Father.]

When the prison break incident first happened…

He noticed his daughter's suspicious movements.

Because there was no reason for her to have a private meeting with the branch manager back then.

He launched a full-scale investigation, discovering his daughter had been secretly building her influence within the guild.

'Even women have their own lives to live.'

It was quite a remarkable move for a rebellious act.

He felt troubled, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel proud, thinking, ‘as expected of my daughter’.

But…

‘I told him to be careful even when breathing.’

He could only look at that ambition with affection because it was his daughter.

‘So, Branch Manager, you chose my daughter in the end.’

Bjorn Yandel.

The barbarian who achieved tremendous growth in a short period of time.

The Branch Manager tried to make contact with him today.

He still didn’t know what his daughter was planning with that barbarian, but it became clear the Branch Manager had gone under his daughter's control.

That fact was very unpleasant.

‘He dared to rebel against me.’

He couldn't understand why the Branch Manager made that choice.

He was already out of favor, and he already decided on a replacement. Knowing that, he must have tried to grab onto a rotten rope.

But understanding and forgiveness are entirely different words.

‘I'll get rid of both of them this time.’

Nile Urbans' eyes gleamed as he sipped his tea.

He originally planned to leave the barbarian alone.

Although he felt disgusted every time he thought about that humiliation, the barbarian had already built his own standing.

There was no need to create another enemy unnecessarily.

But now it was different.

There had to be a reason his clever daughter tried to contact the barbarian.

‘…And besides, he’s been bothering me for some reason.’

Nile Urbans made a decision.

If something is bothering you, just remove it.

Before it becomes a bigger problem later.

____________________

Kwaaang!

How long has it been since I left the Explorer’s Guild?

As I’m walking back to the inn, thunder rumbles from the clear sky, and heavy rain pours down.

‘Damn it.’

Dark, ominous clouds cover the sky.

I considered just getting soaked and going, but I thought it might be a passing shower, so I entered a nearby restaurant.

Since it was time to eat anyway, I figured I’d have a meal and wait for a while.

“Here’s your order.”

Grilled meat, pumpkin stew, and rye bread.

Although my stomach is warm and full, it feels somewhat lacking.

It’s not like I’m at one of those cheap 300-stone restaurants like before.

‘Indeed… Misha is good at grilling meat.’

As I think about buying a few pounds of meat and having her grill them for me when I get back, I order another glass of rum.

Since I’m here, I’ll wait until the rain stops, or at least calms down a bit.

Misha wouldn’t be at the inn anyway.

‘Ah, I wonder if she’s still there because of the rain?’

As I’m drinking alone, the sound of rain serving as my companion, various thoughts flit through my mind.

It feels like just yesterday I was crawling on the ground, avoiding goblin traps, and eating stone bread, but half a year has already passed.

‘…Seafood pancake and makgeolli… they wouldn’t sell that here, right?’

My desire to return home has faded significantly.

Everything has just become familiar.

The creaky bed, the tiny studio apartment with a single bathroom, and the daily routine of laughing and chatting with my companions while drinking cheap beer.

‘I’ve changed a lot too.’

If you asked me to list the shitty things about this world, I could go on all day. But if you asked if there has never been a single happy moment…

Although survival was my initial goal, I gradually started to feel a gamer’s joy as I saw myself grow.

And it wasn’t bad to joke around and laugh with my companions.

It’s a strange feeling.

‘If I hadn’t been summoned here, I would probably still be playing games alone in my room.’

The 29-year-old office worker Lee Hansu had a very limited social circle. Of course, he wasn’t dissatisfied or inconvenienced by it.

He was diligently preparing for retirement, and he could live on his own without relying on others.

Unlike this world, where companions are mandatory.

‘These thoughts must mean… I’ve become attached to them.’

I take a sip of the rum, which has a strangely sweet aftertaste as if they added sugar.

Dwarkey, Rotmiller, and the dwarf.

Thinking about them makes my mouth feel bitter.

‘To go to the upper floors, I’ll have to form a new team, right?’

With the current members, we’re outmatched from the 5th floor onwards.

Their growth potential is limited, you know?

First of all, Dwarkey is not from the Magic Tower, and he has a serious problem of having low mana capacity.

‘He’s doing well now, learning new spells, but it’s safe to say that he can barely use 6th-grade spells.’

And Rotmiller is needless to say.

In the lower floors, he’s fine as long as he can find the way, but in the upper floors, even scouts need a high level of combat power.

After all, the maximum party size is five.

‘Unless that man awakens as a Guide… his limit would be the 4th floor.’

Of course, unlike those two, the dwarf would be able to perform well even in the upper floors if he just has good equipment.

But a team doesn’t need two tanks.

‘…Once Misha’s specs are a bit higher, I should form a new team.’

It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but I’ve finally made up my mind.

The troll battle we had this time played a big part in it.

I’m going to keep climbing the floors, and I can’t achieve that goal with them.

It might seem heartless, but it’s also a decision for their sake.

The upper floors are teeming with monsters even worse than trolls.

It’s better not to expect to survive just because we were lucky this time—

“Yandel?”

Uh, what the sudden—

I turn my head at the voice calling me, and a completely unexpected person is standing there.

It’s the bear-like man.

No, I mean…

“Beefcake?”

“…It’s Urikfrit. If it’s difficult to pronounce, you can just call me Avman.”

“Then I’ll do that.”

The macho-looking bear-like man, as if trying to live up to his appearance, sits down across from me without even asking for permission.

I don’t feel offended since I often do that too.

“I never expected to see you as a customer.”

“Customer?”

“Ah, I didn’t tell you, did I? This is the shop my wife runs.”

The owner…

It’s an unexpected piece of information, but it’s not something to be surprised about. 5th-grade explorers should have enough wealth to open a shop.

If I’m going to be surprised, I should be surprised about something else.

“You were entering the labyrinth alone even though you have a wife?”

“The shop hasn’t been doing well lately. I have to work hard and earn money, don’t I?”

Hmm, then I have nothing to say.

It’s not something I should interfere with.

“Anyway, it’s a strange coincidence that the owner of the place I came to avoid the rain is you.”

“It’s a coincidence beyond strange. It gave me certainty, Bjorn Yandel.”

“Certainty?”

The bear-like man answers nonchalantly,

“Let me join your team.”

Huh? What’s this again?

______________________

Join my team all of a sudden?

It’s an unexpected topic, but I understand after listening to the rest of his story. From the bear-like man’s perspective, I’m a verified explorer.

“If you saved a complete stranger in that situation, you wouldn’t backstab them, right?”

Although I asked for 5 million stones, he seems to have a good impression of me for saving his life with a top-grade potion in the rift, where we were cut off from the outside world.

‘…So it’s like this again.’

A tank-type summon and powerful ranged physical damage.

The bear-like man would definitely be able to pull his weight even on the 5th floor or higher.

But…

“It seems like there’s a misunderstanding. We just entered together this time, but I have a fixed team.”

I indirectly refuse his offer.

I’m planning to stay with Dwarkey’s party for a while, and I can’t just kick someone out to let this man in.

Unexpectedly, the bear-like man nods readily.

“If that’s the case. Let’s talk about it again when there’s an opening or if I leave the team.”

“An opening?”

“You know what I mean, right?”

The conversation about joining the team ends with the bear-like man’s meaningful look. Afterwards, we briefly discuss when he’ll pay back the 5 million stones.

“I’ve already listed some equipment I wasn’t using on the exchange, so I’ll be able to give you the money by the promised date.”

I feel a bit heavy-hearted, looking at the empty shop…

But we agree to meet again here in ten days and exchange the money for the collateral.

“See you then.”

“Here, take this and wear it. It’ll fit you.”

Since it doesn’t seem like the rain will stop anytime soon, I borrow a raincoat from the bear-like man and head to the inn.

Swaaaaaaaa-

Heavy rain pours down as if a typhoon has hit.

As I run through the unusually quiet street, I soon arrive at the inn.

But what is this again?

“Ah, Bjorn, you’re back? You have a visitor.”

“Uwaaaaaang! Mister…!!”

Just like the downpour on a sunny day, an unexpected encounter awaits me.

_____________________

Since that incident 10 years ago, I’ve lived a life of restraint.

So I thought I was good at holding back.

At least until today.

“If you coveted what belonged to someone else, you deserve to be punished, wouldn’t you say?”

Erwen freezes as her true feelings slip out.

“Hmm? You… you’re unexpectedly tough.”

Fortunately, it seems like she didn’t notice the meaning behind my words…

‘What, what did I just say…’

Strictly speaking, it’s not something that was taken from her.

Mister isn’t an object.

And she was the one who chose to leave his side and join her sister.

Then what is this feeling?

Crack.

She feels an unusual surge of hostility.

Could she win if they fought?

She finds herself observing the other woman with that thought.

“Come to think of it, we don’t even know each other’s names. I’m Misha Kaltstein.”

“…Erwen Fornachi di Tersia.”

“Wow, you have a pretty name too… Erwen, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Yes…”

She accepts the handshake, hiding her reluctance.

And she sits down and talks to her.

Although she has no intention of becoming friends with this woman, there’s one thing she wants to ask.

“Miss Kaltstein, do you happen to have a boyfriend?”

“Boy, boyfriend…? Don’t say weird things. Bjorn and I are just companions, companions!”

“Hmm, I see.”

For some reason, her anger seems to subside.

She doesn't understand why Bjorn's name came up immediately when she just asked if she had a boyfriend.

Still, she needs to confirm a few more things.

“I’m sorry. I mistook you for his girlfriend because you said you showered together earlier.”

“Sh, shower together? What are you talking about! I just borrowed the bathroom for a moment.”

“You borrowed the bathroom in a strange man’s room, is your accommodation far from here?”

“Uh, it’s not that far…”

“…You’re saying it’s not?”

Erwen raises an eyebrow at her words.

Even if he's not her boyfriend, this woman is definitely harboring lewd thoughts.

To the point where she's even using such a vulgar tactic.

“Ahem! So how do you know Bjorn?”

Did she want to change the subject?

This time, it's the other person's turn to ask a question.

Erwen answers honestly.

“I was mister’s companion.”

“Hmm? Mister…? Bjorn is only twenty years old…”

“Ah, it's just a nickname between us, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Nickname...?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

The beastwoman smiles awkwardly as Erwen tilts her head innocently.

“No, it’s not a problem. Why would there be? Nyaha!”

Although she’s smiling, her tail is swishing back and forth, hitting the bedsheets as if she’s annoyed.

Seeing that, Erwen feels a strange sense of victory.

Until the unexpected counterattack.

"Mister and I are a bit special, you see. We were first companions, and we even had our first return drinks together—"

"Hee, but that only means something to you, doesn't it?"

"...Yes?"

"Well, it's been months since I've been with Bjorn, and I've never heard him mention you. Nyaha!"

The beastwoman smiles brightly and stabs a dagger into her heart. Erwen is speechless at the sudden change in attitude.

But she instinctively knows one thing.

“Erwen, you said your name was? It’s, it’s cute, I guess. But… wouldn’t I get annoyed if you treated me like an idiot while showing this much hostility?”

Misha Kaltstein.

It’s only natural that she felt hostility towards this woman from the moment she saw her.

“Hmm, still, thank you for one thing. Thanks to you, I’m no longer confused.”

“Confused? What do you mean?”

“Well, don’t you already know?”

This woman is an enemy.

Someone who’s trying to take away what’s precious to her.