Chapter 323: Chapter 323: Role (3)

Long white hair.

Wrinkled skin.

A kind and gentle face.

A straight back that belied his age and blue eyes that seemed to pierce through you.

“Hmm, this place is always gloomy.”

My heart sank at the appearance of the old man, who looked exactly like the one I had seen in the community.

‘Auril Gabis…?’

Of course, I had considered the possibility of encountering him today.

Amelia had said…

…that he was there when her sister died.

But…

‘No, why is he here?’

There was only one reason why this old man would be here instead of at the center of the incident.

‘He came… looking for me.’

My heart started to race, and my mind went blank.

How did he find me?

Did he find out that I was Bjorn Yandel?

And why was the community closed for months?

No, most importantly…

What was he going to do to me?

I started to sweat as questions filled my mind.

That’s when…

“Ahem.”

…Auril Gabis cleared his throat, drawing my attention.

He didn’t seem to like the fact that I was just staring at him without saying anything…

I had to do something.

Damn it, what should I say?

Right, let’s start with a natural greeting—

“Well, then can you move aside?”

Huh?

“I can’t get past you if you’re blocking the way with that large body of yours.”

What?

‘…Don’t tell me, he doesn’t recognize me?’

My mind went blank at the unexpected turn of events.

But my mouth, which had lied countless times, instinctively did its job.

“Ah, yes… Please go ahead, sir.”

I used honorifics, something I had never done since being possessed by a barbarian’s body.

Auril Gabis smiled warmly.

“You’re a rare polite one. Or maybe you’re just quick-witted. You’ll live a long life.”

He chuckled and passed by as I moved aside.

Thud, thud.

His footsteps faded into the distance.

I suddenly had a thought.

I had instinctively avoided the situation, but was it the right decision to hide my identity?

But it was just a fleeting thought.

This wasn’t in the community, we were meeting in real life. I had to hide my identity if I could. If he found out that I was Bjorn Yandel, I would have to worry about too many things when I returned to the future.

‘Right, I did well…’

My stiff body relaxed as I reassured myself.

That’s when…

“Ah, I forgot to ask.”

…Auril Gabis, who had been walking away, turned around.

And he looked at me and asked,

“What happened today? Why is this place in such a state?”

“The Lord joined forces with the royal family and ambushed Orculus.”

“Oh, is that so…?”

His voice was devoid of interest, despite his seemingly intrigued tone.

So I thought I might have been mistaken at first…

…but the difference became clear after his second question.

“Ah, and one more thing. Didn’t a barbarian enter this city recently? About five or six months ago…”

It was the complete opposite of his first question.

Although his tone was casual, his voice was filled with interest.

‘Calm down, calm down…’

I suppressed my pounding heart and spoke calmly, searching for the most appropriate answer.

“Yes, there was.”

I couldn’t lie.

It was something he could easily find out by asking a few people in the city, so there was no reason to.

“Hoo, is that so? Do you happen to know where I can find him?”

“I believe he’s affiliated with the Lord’s faction. So he’s probably fighting in the eastern district right now.”

“Haha, you’re not just polite, you’re also very kind. What's the name?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, not you, the barbarian.”

“Bjorn. I heard his name is Bjorn, son of Thor.”

He nodded and then patted my arm, as if praising me.

“Thank you for answering. You seem busy, so go ahead.”

“Yes, I hope you achieve what you’re after.”

Damn it, why is it so cold?

I bowed slightly and entered the passage as soon as the conversation seemed to be ending.

Thud, thud.

I could hear the old man’s footsteps fading away, and when I could no longer hear them…

‘Damn, that was close.’

…I started running with all my might.

____________________

Meanwhile…

“What’s the current situation on the eastern front?”

“We’re stalling for time with minimal forces, as ordered, and we can retreat at any time.”

Jerome Saintred, the silver-haired knight, nodded in satisfaction at his mage adjutant’s report.

His first ‘special mission’ since becoming captain was progressing smoothly.

He had obtained the ‘Fragment of Records’, the first objective of the special mission.

And he had also achieved the secondary objective of instigating a civil war and weakening Noark’s forces.

“Send a message to the military mages. We’ll gather at the rendezvous point in ten minutes and return.”

“Yes.”

Once the troops stationed in the east withdrew, Orculus would direct their anger towards the dead Lord.

And a full-scale civil war would begin—

“Um…”

Jerome nodded at his adjutant’s voice.

It was a gesture that meant he could speak if he had something to say.

The adjutant then asked cautiously,

“Can I ask about the necklace you’re holding?”

“It’s classified information.”

Jerome answered firmly and put the necklace in a box, storing it in his subspace pocket.

The adjutant bowed, realizing his mistake.

“I apologize. I was just curious because you were holding a refined stone necklace… I swear I didn’t know it was related to the special mission.”

He was asking him to believe that he had asked out of pure curiosity.

Jerome flinched.

“Refined stone necklace…? What do you mean?”

“…Yes?”

“Explain. Are you saying this is a refined stone necklace?”

Jerome took out the necklace and showed it to his adjutant.

And he received the same answer.

“Yes, I’m sure. It’s a magic tool with a high-grade refined stone embedded in it. Ah, a refined stone is a rift stone that’s been specially processed to make magic casting smoother…”

The adjutant stopped mid-sentence.

Because he heard a chilling sound coming from Jerome’s jaw.

“So I was tricked…”

The adjutant couldn’t help but lower his head.

After all, Jerome was usually the type to laugh it off even if he bought a 10,000-stone item for 1,000,000 stones.

“…Adjutant Avex, take the troops and return to the city.”

“Yes? Then what about you, Captain Saintred…?”

“I have something to do.”

Jerome left without even listening to his answer, and the adjutant just watched him go, speechless.

It was his first time seeing the captain so angry.

___________________

The underground sewer that supported Lafdonia’s sewage system.

Everyone who came here thought the same thing.

First, that the smell was beyond just terrible…

…and second, that it was more complicated than a maze.

Like this.

‘This place is always unpleasant.’

I ran through a long, straight passage, climbed a ladder, and then came up through a sewer.

I removed a metal cover, similar to a manhole cover, and came out, and a four-way intersection greeted me.

But I had no problem navigating.

One of the paths was filled with footprints, as if dozens of people had already passed through.

I just had to follow them.

Well, there was a problem…

‘This damn sewer.’

…but unlike the other sewer sections I had been to, there were no side paths for humans. It was designed solely for water to flow through.

No, to be precise, there were probably side paths…

‘They’re even discriminating against barbarians in sewer design.’

…but they were too narrow for a barbarian like me, over two meters tall, to pass through.

Splash, splash.

I had no choice but to walk through the sewage, which was up to my shins.

After some time…

…I started to see traces of battle on the walls.

They were mostly sword marks.

Although their depths varied, they all had one thing in common. The cuts were clean, as if made by a precision machine.

I could roughly guess who made them.

The shallow ones were probably Amelia’s, and the deep ones were probably his.

The Captain of Orculus.

The Traitor, Ricardo Liuhen Praha.

“Tsk.”

I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

Our original plan was to somehow get rid of him and enter the sewers.

After all, Amelia was being chased by him when she met her younger self in the sewers in the original timeline.

But…

‘We couldn’t get rid of him.’

Judging by the situation, it seemed like we had failed.

Damn it, why did she do that?

You can’t change the future by doing that.

‘She’s strangely stubborn in these aspects.’

In a way, Amelia was similar to a barbarian.

She was stubborn, even though she was human.

And not only that…

She acted rational, but she was also very sentimental—

Kwaaang!

A loud explosion shook the sewer.

Tadat!

I increased my speed.

_____________________

The human body has limits.

No matter how much you exercise and build muscle, there’s a limit to how much strength you can exert.

That’s why essences are the foundation of explorers.

Thanks to their existence, explorers could surpass their limits and fight giant monsters.

But that was all in the past.

“So you’ve finally decided to fight.”

Amelia was filled with a sense of powerlessness.

Her physical abilities were still enhanced.

But all her abilities were sealed.

[Fountain of Immortality].

The ability that nullified all healing effects, including potions, but greatly increased natural regeneration.

[Self-Replication].

The ability that always gave her a numerical advantage in 1v1 situations.

[Abyssal Power], [Asura’s Fury], and all the other abilities that had been her wings were useless.

Because of this one man in front of her.

“…Why are you so obsessed with me?”

Amelia finally asked the question that had been on her mind.

She didn’t understand.

She had tried to shake him off for over two hours, but he persistently followed her.

Even to this smelly sewer.

“Was it unexpected?”

Amelia nodded at his question.

“Yes, I don’t understand. It would be much more important for you to go to the Lord, not follow me.”

The Lord and the royal family had formed an alliance to wipe out Orculus.

But the commander, the strongest fighter, suddenly left the front lines and followed a woman he had no connection with?

She couldn’t understand the process, even though she knew the outcome.

“That’s a funny question.”

He smiled coldly.

“Human woman. A red Aura shaped like a stiletto, specialized for daggers. They’re all characteristics of the Rose Knight Order.”

“…Rose Knight Order?”

“You’re still denying it?”

Amelia was truly surprised.

She knew what the Rose Knight Order was. The royal family’s secret unit in charge of special missions like assassinations, infiltration, and espionage.

There were rumors that it was an all-female unit, but it hadn’t been confirmed.

“You must be a newbie. Well, that’s why you asked me such a stupid question.”

“No, I’m not part of the Rose Knight Order—”

“Give up on living.”

Amelia tried to talk to him, but it didn’t work.

“I’m not interested in you.”

He charged towards her, his sword drawn.

Amelia quickly channeled Aura and blocked it.

No, she thought she blocked it.

Slash!

Her right wrist, which was holding the dagger, was severed and fell into the sewage.

And almost at the same time…

Whoosh!

…the sword came flying towards her again.

His target was her left wrist.

His cruel intent to sever everything that could be severed was clear.

Kwaaang!

Amelia deflected the sword with her Aura-infused dagger and retreated.

But had he anticipated that?

The sword that was aiming for her left wrist twisted like a snake and changed its trajectory towards her neck.

“Ugh…!”

When she came to her senses, Amelia was backed against the wall.

She could feel the cold blade on her neck.

Press.

He pushed the blade in, and she felt a sharp pain as blood trickled down her neck.

“You have a pretty face.”

Amelia couldn’t even breathe, let alone speak, as her windpipe was pressed against the blade.

“It suits you.”

Her vision blurred as she ran out of oxygen.

Was she really going to die?n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Then what would happen to her sister and her younger self?

She was supposed to meet them with only an injury…

“…….”

Amelia looked around.

As if searching for someone who could save her.

‘…Yandel.’

She realized who she was looking for and chuckled.

He wouldn’t be here.

She had personally drugged him with enough drugs to knock him out for at least six hours.

He would be waking up now and reading her note. He would be at the Lord’s Castle by now. Hmm, he might have even obtained the item and returned to his original time if he woke up early.

No, he had probably already returned.

It was the only explanation.

“Are you looking for a way out?”

There was no escape.

This long, drawn-out life would end the moment the blade went any deeper.

In other words…

“Phew…”

…history had changed.

She was going to die here today.

And the reason was probably…

‘Because Bjorn Yandel returned.’

She had excluded Yandel from this plan.

There were many reasons.

First, she didn’t want to be indebted to a barbarian.

And she thought that if he returned to his original world using the Fragment of Records, he might be able to break the predetermined causality.

The legend of changing history wasn’t just a story.

She thought the answer might lie in that item, which contained an unknown power.

No, she just hoped.

It was like a thirsty person drinking seawater while adrift at sea.

But surprisingly…

“Why are you laughing?”

…it worked.

Press.

The man pushed the blade in further, annoyed.

Death, which had always been by her side, was now even closer.

‘Right, so he really did return.’

Amelia closed her eyes.

And she thought.

“Suffer more.”

What would happen to her and her sister after she died?

Someone would definitely die if she wasn’t there…

‘No, maybe it will end peacefully because I’m not there.’

It was an ending she would never know.

But she felt both happy and sad.

Press.

The blade went deeper.

She couldn’t breathe, and her thoughts were muddled.

It didn’t matter anymore.

She had done her best.

So she could rest now.

That’s when…

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!”

…she heard a familiar voice from the other side of the passage.