Bjorn Yandel the Barbarian

Picking up the sword I had put down for a while, I returned to where my comrades were. Then, he put the sword into the bag he had put down.

Just looking at the arms, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary Akje longsword, but I’m going to look into this later.

“I’m sorry. I’m going to do this again…”

I just tapped on the shoulder at the words of the dwarf who lowered his head as if he had no face.

what would i say to him

It’s not because of me that we all survived.

“Bjorn.”

Misha came closer with a sad gait and put her hand on my chest.

“I’m alive… I’m glad. Really…”

It felt like something was creeping up.

Because you know.

Who is it that makes me feel safe living like this? He must have wanted to share this happy moment with him.

“Rotmiller.”

I wrapped my arms around Misha’s small hand and carefully pushed it away and moved on. Then, he approached Rotmiller, who had regained consciousness, and told him.

A few words of will from Dwalki.

“That’s right. He’s…”

After hearing all this, Rotmiller knelt in front of Dwalkie’s corpse and made the sign of the cross. And the words of farewell that only he could not convey were scattered in front of him.

“I remember when you first entered the labyrinth.

It happened on the 3rd floor of the pilgrim’s path.

Exploring isn’t all about the hard and terrifying things, said Rottmiller, leading us up the high hills.

There, we saw the vast nature colored in silver together, and Dwalki was so excited and happy that he couldn’t sleep at night.

“It would have been nice if I could have shown you a wider world…”

Rotmiller finished his words plainly.

I wonder if there were still many things I wanted to say to those who remained. Misha and the dwarf also knelt down and vomited the words inside.

I took a step away and watched it.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to say.

But…

“Ahhhh! It’s my fault! It’s my fault! Even if I didn’t pick that door…!”

“No. It’s my fault. I told you to trust me and promise to keep it no matter what, but I couldn’t keep that promise…”

I wouldn’t be much different from these two.

No matter what you say, the end will lead to self-reproach. It was clear that Dwalky would not want this.

This is where we have to live.

It’s not a kind world where you can stay down forever.

[Meeh!]

I opened my mouth as I saw Vaikundus appearing from the other side of the aisle.

“Everyone, stop.”

“…….”

“The enemy.”

Remember, you have to rise above the sadness.

Because that’s about all that those left behind can do.

“Behel—laaaaaaa!!”

I have no choice but to move on.

***

The battle with Baikundus was unexpectedly hard.

The reason is simple.

Now there are only four people left in this wide maze, and their abilities have drastically decreased, and their injuries have not yet healed.

It was also thanks to Dwalkie that he was able to catch level 6 monsters so easily in the first place.

“I’ll just pack the things I need and go back.”

After the battle was over, I started cleaning up.

Equipment fell all over the floor due to desperate struggle.

No, after collecting the remnants of the equipment, I looked into the arms of the priest properly.

What was recovered was a necklace of unknown use.

I couldn’t tell if it was an artifact or decorative.

After all, Dwalkie is the only one among us who has been able to sense the magic in things.

“Looks like nothing’s wrong here.”

A middle-aged explorer who died early in a battle also tried rooting, but there was nothing to say.

Well, tolerable things must have been in that bastard’s subspace.

“…Everyone will deliver it to where you wish.”

A cane and an expandable backpack he was carrying. Even boots and robes could be sold for money, but they were left untouched.

“I will carry Dwalkie.”

Afterwards, we headed to the portal through the trap room and returned to the Tower of the Sky.

And each of them spread out and took a break.

Some sat in front of Dwalki, wiping the blood from their bodies, while others leaned against the wall and sobbed.

The peaceful time that came like a lie made me realize.

It’s unmistakably real, and it’s not like a dream.

“Isn’t there a way to get Bjorn Dwalki to the city?”

“……does not exist.”

“Yes, that’s right…”

The reality is so cruel.

He sacrificed his precious life for us, but we can’t even take him to the city and hold a funeral.

Because the one who died was a wizard.

Bodies generated in the labyrinth are classified as objects, and it is impossible to take them outside unless there is ‘distortion’ magic.

That’s why the heart of a barbarian was special.

Can you bring it back to the city without magic? Wizards must have paid attention to that part and started researching it as a magical material.

“Misha, get some rest too.”

“I’ll stay here a little longer. After we leave… I’m sure I won’t be alone.”

“……okay.”

With the suffocating air behind me, I sat down in a corner.

And I checked the time.

[10:31]

A day and a half left until the labyrinth closes.

Somehow the taste was bitter.

‘…… Less than an hour has passed.’

I felt like I was really insignificant.

He passed the death penalty countless times.

I feel like I’ve been fighting him for days and nights.

However, less than an hour had passed since he returned from training.

‘Let’s do what we have to do…….’

He takes out the letter the priest left behind.

A letter with stains and wrinkles here and there that must have been carried only in the bosom for a long time. In the letter, in tight handwriting, it was written how the old man had been placed in this situation.

As I read all the way, I focused on one place.

‘The underground city of Noark.’

It was the name of a place where an old man and his young grandson were kidnapped by a dragon slayer.

[It is a medicine made by an alchemist in Noark. If you take it, it erases your entire memory for an hour.] It is

a place name of a city that has been mentioned by a psychopath in the past, and it is a name that could not be found no matter how much information was searched in the library.

Yeah, there’s something like that down the sewer.

‘Could that woman be a member of Orculis?’

With that in mind, I read through the letter.

In the letter left by the old man, there was one surprising piece of information written besides that the underground city of Noark and Orcules had a cooperative relationship.

‘……I thought the portal was there too.’

The basis for maintaining the city of Lapdonia.

A portal connected to the labyrinth also existed underground.

So underground explorers made a ridiculous achievement of hiding their identities and digging up magic stones to build cities with them.

‘Noark.’

I etched that name into my head.

I had a strong conviction that there would be something to do with this place in the future.

‘Let’s investigate this place more when we get out.’

With that thought in mind, I put the letter back into my pocket.

Looking at the contents, it seemed that there would be no harm to me by delivering the letter.

Isn’t there a saying that the enemy of an enemy is a friend?

So anyway, this problem ends here.

“…….”

He let out a long breath and closed his eyes.

I was desperate for a break, but all sorts of distracting thoughts came up and erased repeatedly, bothering me.

What should I do next?

As long as there are absurdly strong enemies, the safety of the city cannot be guaranteed. You could try to harm me in the labyrinth with your colleagues.

‘Nimiral.’

Is it because of that?

It’s a pity that he returned alive. If only he had healed me, I could have ended him myself.

‘……What the hell am I thinking?’

I shook my head and brushed off my lingering feelings.

The world doesn’t move the way you want it to.

He probably didn’t have a choice either.

The evil god did that in the game too.

I received a price and made my wish come true, but never gave the best result. Like a monkey’s hand that gives misfortune instead of granting wishes.

An existence that always gives hope and despair at the same time.

‘……This bastard also strangely keeps getting entangled with me.’

Adding the Evil God Karui to the investigation list, I brushed off my thoughts.

It was time for me to rest.

Not only is this place safer than the city, but there are many things to do when you go outside.

“…….”

After wiping his body with a wet towel, he unfolded the sleeping bag and lay down inside.

It was a very strange thing.

Had they fought so desperately for almost two nights.

I couldn’t fall asleep for a while.

***

「The labyrinth is closed.」

「The character moves to Lapdonia.」

***

Sunlight stings the eyelids.

Without time to enjoy the afterglow, he passed the checkpoint and exchanged magic stones.

Then, we headed to the meeting place.

The branch of the Explorers Guild located closest to the Dimension Square. When I arrived in front of it, there were a bunch of people who looked like me.

“…….”

A silence that was alien to dozens of people gathered.

Everyone waited for their colleagues to arrive with solemn expressions.

That’s natural.

There is only one reason to return to the city and start here without washing up.

death of a colleague.

“Come in when you’re all here.”

Soon after all our colleagues arrived, we entered the guild. And he left all of Dwalki’s equipment and backpack, which he had collected while reporting his death.

“…The deceased had good companions.”

The staff looked at us and gave us strange eyes.

It won’t be that common.

I don’t know about the wealth of the city, but there’s nothing wrong with swallowing this part.

Most of them just report death and that’s it.

But…

“Royal Certified 8th Class Magician Liol Warb Dwalki. The death report has been received.”

There is no feeling of waste.

Of course, we know the contents of the will he wrote before he first entered the labyrinth.

[Haha, a will. I can really feel that I have become an explorer.]

[It doesn’t matter what you say, but please specify property inheritance properly. Otherwise, everything will go to the Explorers Guild.]

[Don’t worry about that part. It has already been decided.]

The guy wanted to donate his fortune to an orphanage under a certain temple.

I only found out the details yesterday.

Says the dwarf Have you ever lived there for a while as a child? The guy’s wealth must be spent where he wants it.

Because we’ve already received something bigger.

“It’s really over… Now then, let’s go.”

At any rate, this completes the first thing to do after returning to the city, reporting Dwalkie’s death.

It was amazingly simple.

1 minute to fill out paperwork. 2 minutes to review by staff. It only took 3 minutes to put an end to the 25 years of life that a man had been carrying.

‘It’s probably a world where death is so common.’

Leave the bitterness behind and leave the guild.

Then, head to the Great Temple of the Church of Leatlas.

Because that is the only way to repay the favor to the dead who have already left.

“You can go back and rest.”

“How could that be? You’re a life saver.”

“Me too… I’ll follow you. I rested enough inside…”

Misha, who couldn’t take a break from crying all day, didn’t say much. It’s clear that I won’t be able to rest properly even if I go back to the dorm anyway.

“…….”

Everyone headed to their destination together.

Before long, a pure white building appeared that seemed untouched by the dirt of the world, and we entered it.

When asked if the apprentice priest wanted treatment, he thought about how to answer, and said that he had visited at the request of High Priest Ludwig.

“Is it Minister Lou Ludwig…?”

Wouldn’t he have thought that he would dare to lie in the place where God dwells? The priest with a youthful face widened his eyes and ran straight inside to deliver the news.

And…

“It’s been a while.”

As I waited there, a familiar face came out to greet me.

Paal Krobitz, leader of the 3rd Holy Knights.

“I heard that you came at the request of High Priestess Ludwig, who disappeared a few years ago. Do you have any items that can be used as evidence?”

he asked politely.

He also said that it is a very sensitive issue for the school and asks for your understanding.

How many times have you heard how many times you’ve been stunned by bounties placed across the city?

“A bounty?”

“Yes. Since the amount is so large, there are people who harbor evil thoughts.”

I didn’t come here hoping for a bounty.

However, I, who had a record of killing four years old Eli and receiving a large amount of money, inadvertently asked.

“How much money is that?”

At the snobbish question, Misha poked me in the side and gave me a hint. The same goes for the dwarf.

“No matter how you are, this is a bit like that.”

Rottmiller, an explorer and also a member of Leatlas, wasn’t too happy about it either.

However, Crovitz opened his mouth without showing any sign.

And…

“Although the amount varies depending on the presence or absence of the information artifacts provided…”

“But?”

“I remember that the Treasury Office put up to 70 million stones.”

All of his answers stood firm.