Chapter 306: Chapter 306: Rainwales (4)

Was my recruitment offer that unexpected?

Amelia looked at me as if trying to figure out my intentions. However, unable to find any other motive, she spoke in a somewhat bitter voice.

“I’m… a looter.”

“That’s only natural since you’re from Noark. But I know better than anyone that you’re different.”

Indeed, Amelia had let me and Ainar go back then when we first met.

It was the same when we met in the sewers.

The dwarf, Rotmiller, Misha, and even Dwarkey.

She had given everyone, not just me, the precious ‘Lethe’s Blessing’ and tried to find another way.

Therefore…

“My information is registered with the Explorer’s Guild. The royal family would also know—”

I firmly cut Amelia off.

“I can just create a new identity.”

“It’s not that easy. If you’re with me, people will definitely try to find out my identity—”

Ugh, she’s so talkative today.

“That’s why I said I would take care of all those restrictions. Then you can join my clan.”

“That’s… impossible, that’s why I’m saying this. It will be troublesome for both of us if you try to force it—”

“Geez, you’re hedging your bets.”

“Hedging…?”

“Whatever, I’ll take care of it, so you just have to answer.”

A binary choice of ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Amelia hesitated for a moment and then sighed as I simplified the situation.

“Ha… why do you always make things difficult for me…?”

“So, what’s your answer?”

“Okay. If it’s a situation where there’s no problem with me being by your side…”

Amelia trailed off and avoided my gaze.

But did she dislike her unconscious action?

Swoosh.

Amelia looked at me and said,

“Then I’ll become your companion.”

The quest was accepted.

_________________________

Quest Name: Save My Sister!

Objective: Sister’s Survival (0/1), Resolve Identity Issue (0/1)

Reward: Amelia Rainwales (SSR) Recruitment Ticket

Hmm, I guess that’s the gist of it.

As I was organizing the quest, Amelia took the bottle of alcohol from the table and chugged it.

“I thought you didn’t drink because you don’t get drunk?”

“I’m thirsty.”

Oh, I see.

But she sounded very macho, saying that while chugging alcohol.

Thud.

Amelia frowned as she put the bottle down.

I couldn’t help but ask,

“Do you not like alcohol?”

“How can this taste good?”

“No, I was just checking. I don’t like alcohol either.”

I heard that it tastes like a sweet drink if you’ve been through a lot of hardship, so I just asked, just in case. I’ve been through enough, but it still tastes the same.

“…Enough with the nonsense, let’s get to the point.”

Amelia sat down across from me.

“You said you wanted to hear about Nibels Enche? I’ll tell you. I might be able to think of another way after hearing your opinion.”

“Okay.”

“Ah, and one more thing. I’m telling you this beforehand, but I’ll only become your companion if you keep all the promises you made. Got it?”

“But I told you to join my clan, not become my companion.”

“Ah, uh…”

Amelia flinched at my words.

“That’s also… right, I see. I, I thought you meant the same thing. If they’re different, I’ll correct my answer—”

“It’s fine, ‘companion’ sounds better than ‘clan member’ anyway.”

“…Are you making fun of me?”

She’s perceptive.

“There’s no way.”

Amelia looked at me suspiciously, but she couldn’t say anything since she didn’t have any proof.

So it was time to change the subject.

“Just tell me. Everything I don’t know, including Nibels Enche.”

Amelia dismissed her playful attitude and started talking as we returned to the main topic.

“Nibels Enche was the name of the man who saved my life that day. ‘Iron Mask’ is his nickname in Noark.”

“As expected.”

At least one of my questions was answered.

I’m her lifesaver.

Huhu, no wonder she’s been so soft on me since we came to Noark.

“I’ve been debating whether to tell you this. I came here to change the past, but it feels like everything is happening as it’s supposed to, no matter how hard I struggle.”

“I see.”

I didn’t have to say much since I had already experienced it.

“But you said you weren’t giving up. Enough, tell me. When did we… no, when did you meet Nibels Enche again after that?”

“I don’t know the exact date. But if I remember correctly, it was about three weeks from now. The location was…”

I then had a long conversation with Amelia and learned everything I needed to know.

Amelia didn’t hold back or try to test me, she answered all my questions honestly.

It was our first real conversation.

Ah, of course, that didn’t mean I immediately found the answer.

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

“No, I think I’ve heard everything.”

“I see, then…”

“I’m sorry. Honestly, I don’t know yet. I need more time to think.”

“Is that so…”

Amelia seemed disappointed when I said I didn’t have any ideas either, but she didn’t say anything.

“Well, it’s not like you would have a solution right away.”

“That sounds like you weren’t expecting anything.”

“…Strange. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have even told you.”

“Hmm, so you trust me?”

“…To some extent.”

“To some extent.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

If it were anyone else, I would have thought it was a sly answer, but I felt a strange sense of accomplishment because it was Amelia.

You know how it is, right?

You just brush off your parents’ compliments, but when someone who’s usually prickly praises you, you feel acknowledged.

“Anyway, it’s my turn now since you don’t have any more questions.”

“Huh?”

“What are you surprised about? It’s only natural for me to… be curious about you.”

“Ah, right. Go ahead. What are you so curious about?”

I thought she would ask about my world, but she didn’t.

She really has no unnecessary curiosity.

Well, that’s convenient for me.

“Actually, everything you might be curious about is what I already told you. But since you’re curious, I’ll tell you from the beginning. When I opened my eyes, I was in a mansion that felt very familiar. Ah, it’s a long story to explain why it felt familiar…”

“It’s fine, tell me. We have plenty of time.”

“Uh… okay.”

I then told her everything that happened in the spiritual world I visited last month.

And I mentioned the names of the big shots.

The captain of Orculus.

The Ruin Scholar, Belvev Ruinjenes.

And the mysterious man called ‘Kagureas’.

“Kagureas? I’ve never heard of that name.”

Unfortunately, even Amelia didn’t know anything about him.

Well, the other two were a bit different.

“The captain of Orculus was there… There were rumors that he might be an evil spirit, but I can’t believe it’s true. Then you’re also from the same place as the captain?”

“No, that’s not it. Not all evil spirits come from the same dimension.”

“Is the Ruin Scholar the same?”

“Probably. People from our world started being summoned around this time.”

“I see… This is amazing. I’ve never even heard rumors about the Ruin Scholar being an evil spirit.”

“In that sense, can you tell me about them?”

“I don’t know much, but if that’s what you want.”

Amelia hedged her bets before sharing information again, but her stories were surprisingly useful.

After all, I didn’t know much about them.

There wasn’t much information about the captain or the Ruin Scholar.

There was a difference in our level of common sense since Amelia was a Noark native and had interacted with Orculus.

“So, you’re also summoned there every 15th?”

“Probably. He said he would resolve the fairness issue, so I’m a bit curious about what happened. Ah, do you have any questions for him? I can ask him when I go there.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

We disbanded and went to bed since we didn’t have anything else to talk about. It felt like a long day since I had stayed up all night.

But Amelia asked another question after we lay down.

“Bjorn, what was your world like?”

She was asking all sorts of questions, unlike usual, and I answered them diligently.

Democracy, science, cars and airplanes, missiles.

The conversation became longer since I had to explain everything, but it wasn’t boring or annoying.

After all, it was my first time.

Talking about these things in this body.

Unlike usual, when I had to think carefully about every word because I had to hide the fact that I was an evil spirit, I didn’t have to do that with Amelia.

After some time…

“That was an interesting story. Although I already knew most of it.”

“What? You knew? How?”

“There are many evil spirits in Noark who reveal their identities. You hear all sorts of stories if you live here.”

“I see… Wait a minute, then why did you even ask?”

“That’s…”

Amelia trailed off.

And a long silence followed.

“Don’t tell me, you fell asleep?”

“…….”

“Don’t pretend to be asleep. I know you only sleep half-way, like a dolphin.”

“…….”

Is this what they call ‘the student surpassing the master’?

I didn’t know she would use one of the two ways to piss someone off on me.

“…Are you really asleep?”

“…….”

Damn it, she’s even snoring.

This is ridiculous. Is she acting?

I didn’t know, but I closed my eyes without saying anything.

The reason was simple.

I didn’t want to disturb her if she was really sleeping soundly for the first time in a while.

“…Goodnight.”

I turned around and lay down, facing the wall, and soon fell asleep.

____________________

Time passed quickly after that day.

No, was it really fast?

Honestly, it was very boring.

I spent all my time in the inn, avoiding going out because I didn’t want to create any variables.

Ah, but that didn’t mean it was a meaningless time.

“Bjorn, go wash up.”

“Why? We’re not even going out.”

“…You smell.”

We talked all day.

About various things.

My world, Amelia and her sister’s memories, and episodes from the labyrinth.

Anyway, I learned more about Amelia as we talked.

Well, the biggest gain was finally hearing about her essences.

‘Did she not explore properly? I don’t understand how she only reached the 8th floor with those specs.’

Amelia’s specs were much better than I expected.

Honestly, she was probably even stronger than that Dragonslayer bastard if it weren’t for his Arc sword and ‘Dragon Speech’.

‘And she even has the Guide trait.’

She could navigate, and she was a powerful damage dealer who could use Aura to cut down even monsters with high Physical Resistance.

Her only weakness was her frail body…

But I could just tank for her.

“Ah, right. How did it go today?”

“They refused, as expected.”

Amelia, who had just come out of the shower, answered as she dried her hair with a towel.

Damn it, as expected.

“Hmm, maybe we offered too little…”

Our attempt to buy the Rainwales sisters from their team failed.

“What about them? Do you think they’ll change their minds if we offer more money?”

“Well, I don’t know. But it’s not a good idea to do that. If they realize we’re obsessed with them, they’ll try to use us.”

“That’s true. Everyone here is cunning.”

“But we succeeded in approaching them naturally. They were actually the ones who showed interest in us.”

“Interest?”

“They asked if we wanted to join their team.”

Although things were going according to plan…

…neither of us looked happy.

It was because all of this had already happened in the past.

“It’s so… predictable that it’s suffocating.”

We also joined that team in the original timeline.

And after experiencing various things, we faced that incident five months later.

“So what are you going to do?”

“…I’ll join the team as planned. It’s a bit frustrating, but it’s the best way to be near them when that incident happens.”

“Really? Then let’s do that.”

I didn’t object.

I didn’t think we could change the past like this, but I didn’t have any better ideas.

I decided to follow Amelia’s plan.

At least until I came up with a better one.

Right, so in that sense…

[23:55]

…I checked the time again.

Amelia spoke as she saw me.

“Ah, come to think of it, it’s today.”

“Yeah.”

I drank some water and lay down on the bed.

“Good luck.”

Geez, that’s awkward.

“It’s still five minutes until I have to go. And it’s just a brief moment here anyway.”

“Ah, right.”

We then chatted for a bit.

Could it be because the other person was Auril Gabis?

I was a bit nervous—

Click.

The second hand on the clock ticked, and my vision blurred.

‘That Sprite was delicious.’

I wonder if he’ll give me another one if I ask.