“You mean they’re those pillagers from back then?”
Rotmiller nodded at the dwarf’s question. And this made the situation crystal clear.
There couldn’t be such a coincidence that the guys who’d been proudly pillaging on the third floor just happened to chance upon us here after being chased by monsters.
“I don’t know who they are, but they’re definitely aiming at us.”
“I don’t know why they’d do this, but I agree. Maybe they’re pretending to be chased and trying to mix within our ranks.”
Rotmiller not only affirmed my words, he also added his own opinion.
I had the same idea.
“S-, so, what do we do now!”
What to do? How to do it? Those were the questions.
Luckily, thanks to Rotmiller, we managed to find out about their scheme early in the game.
“We should take advantage of this opportunity.”
“Take advantage? How do you mean?”
Misha tilted her head.
There was was no time to explain in detail.
Because the other party had already arrived.
“L-, light! There’s a light!”
In tandem with the male voice shouting, three men and women soaked in blood and sweat rushed into the radius of our torchlight.
“If you aren’t confident in your acting, just stay still and watch.”
Whispering that, I made eye contact with Rotmiller. He gave a slight nod.
There was a reason why I got along well with this guy.
Even the dwarf who was worried to the bones seemed to understand exactly what I meant.
Now, let’s start, slowly.
“Don’t come any closer.”
Seeing them rush in, I immediately grabbed my shield and went forward to block their way.
“H-, hey, look! Our party got annihilated. Help! We’ll definitely pay…!”
A desperate yet urgent expression.
This guy was good at acting, too.
Or was it a standard skillset for pillagers?
“Put down your weapons.”
“Uh, but there’re monsters right behind us!”
A human uncle in his early thirties pointed back to their trail.
A horde of orcs that’d come chasing them could be seen, staring at us from beyond the torchlight’s range.
“Chwi, chwiik!”
Since the total number of targets increased, they were hesitating to approach, but we couldn’t be sure how long that’d last.
So come on, let us in.
That was evidently what the old man was going for, but so what?
“It’s your choice. Either put down your weapons or get out.”
I stubbornly repeated myself, but they couldn’t answer easily.
It was a troublesome demand, after all.
“…”
Because in the labyrinth, your weapon is the same as your life.
Perhaps they were even suspicious whether we’d picked up on their acting.
But it didn’t matter.
No matter what choice they made, we had nothing to lose.
“… Let’s put them down.”
As soon as the decision was made, the man with the moustache dropped his weapon on the floor, and the other two also followed and threw theirs away.
‘Aren’t they being too greedy?’
While I was satisfied with their choice, I was also a little worried. They were taking such a big risk, what about us was worth that?
There was no point in even trying to guess.
“Okay then, slowly come forward. Stay apart from each other, as far as possible.”
“Hey, there’s no need to be like this, right? We just wanted some help…”
“If you want help, do as you’re told.”
“I understand.”
Then, as they arrived one by one as instructed, Rotmiller approached and checked them for hidden weapons.
“… There doesn’t seem to be any threat.”
“Right. Murad, you keep watch on them.”
“Ah, got it!”
The dwarf stiffened and nodded his head, then marched forward at attention with jerking limbs like a North Korean soldier on parade.
For some reason, a sigh escaped me…
Fortunately, from their expressions, they didn’t seem to sense anything awkward in our actions.
“Chwi, chwiik…”
“Chwiik, chwiik, chwiik–!”
Leaving the dwarf with the trio of pillagers, we stepped forward to stare back at the orcs, and they soon turned around and left.
Even the orcs considered it a great risk to fight a group this large.
‘As usual, all these monster bastards are clever.”
But, well, compared to the adventurer bastards, they were nothing to write home about.
In any case, avoiding a useless battle was good news for us.
Since we were already facing a new problem, having to focus on the battle with the orcs would’ve been quite tiring.
“Whoo, I really thought I was going to die…”
As soon as the group of orcs disappeared, the woman of the trio plopped down on the floor, with a loud sigh as if all the wind in her lungs was leaving in a rush.
And then, did she come to her senses?
She got up from the floor with an apologetic look on her face and bowed politely to us.
“Ah! My name is Elisa. Thank you for saving us!”
Perhaps because of the exposed portion of her chest that peeked out through the torn top?
“Oh, khm. I am Hikurod Murad.”
The dwarf coughed and turned his head away.
It didn’t seem like he was being shy.
His head was turned, but his eyes were still stuck at one place.
“So it was Mr. Murad! And what’s your name?”
“I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.”
“Oh, I see!”
The woman who’d introduced herself as Elisa came up to me and grabbed my hand.
And she bowed her head again, same as before.
Of course, this time, her breasts were further emphasized.
“Hah, I really survived this time thanks to you! What would’ve happened if I hadn’t met you…”
As a bonus she squeezed out her panting breath and talked in a mellifluous voice that seemed to tickle my ear canals.
Now that I looked at her again, this was probably why only she among the three had her top shredded to bits like this…
“Bjorn! Your eyes are glazing over!”
Misha misunderstood the reason behind my focus and muttered.
However, this wasn’t the time to resolve the misunderstanding.
There’d be a chance soon.
“Name yourselves one by one.”
To clear their suspicions, I started with a simple and brainless perfunctory investigation.
The first person to introduce himself was the moustached uncle who was presumably the leader.
“Hans Argoda.”
What?
“… Hans?”
“It’s a common name. Do you know others with the same name as mine, perhaps?”
“Ah, um, well… Yeah, that’s it.”
I nodded awkwardly.
Hans A had been smashed in the head by my shield, and died.
I hadn’t seen Hans B since I accidentally got advice from him at a drinking party.
And I met Hans C today, so this moustached uncle here seemed to be following the same steps as A.
Anyway, he was done and it was the next one’s turn.
“My name is Irita Tason.”
Tason, a blond spearman with a tall physique.
I estimated his age to be in the mid-twenties, and I couldn’t find any special features.
If I had to mention one thing, maybe his politeness?
“It was a situation where I had to wonder if I’d survive, but I managed to avoid my death thanks to you. Thank you again.”
While the spearman, Tason, bowed ninety degrees to show his respect and humility, Elisa also started making a fuss in her characteristic, natural tone.
“Really! Who knows what would’ve happened to us if it weren’t for you? Lord Reatlas must’ve guided us to your side!”
“Reatlas?”
Rotmiller stiffened at that word.
Then he carefully spoke to Elisha.
“Perhaps… you, Miss Elisha—”
“Oh, I haven’t told you my last name yet. My name is Elisa Behenk. And as you can see…”
Elisha shuffled her feet, checked her clothes, and cried.
It was originally a white outfit, but now it was torn here and there and covered in sweat and grime.
“… I guess you can’t see? But, indeed, I serve Lord Reatlas!”
“Ooh!”
“You really were a priest.”
While the dwarf just let out a brief exclamation, Rotmiller closed his eyes and drew a brief sign of the God in front of Elisha.
Wow, this guy was a hell of an actor.
“May the stars of the twilight guide us…”
“Yes, the stars of the twilight shall guide us.”
Did she think herself successful at her ruse?
Elisha also smiled brightly and drew a sign. And the vigilant atmosphere surrounding us faded in an instant.
Well, at least that was how it looked like to them.
‘We all know she can’t be a real priest, so –’
Wait, what?!
“Sorry! I should’ve helped you with your wounds first…”
She wasn’t an impersonator? An actual priest?
While I flinched at the unexpected development, Hans C pulled up his shirt to show a stab wound.
Elisa chanted a prayer, and brought her white, glowing hand to the wounded area.
But… how?
Sssshhhh–
As a point of fact, the wound healed really quickly.
It was true divine power. No matter how suspiciously I watched, I couldn’t refute that.
How could I be so sure if I’d never seen it before?
First of all, from the sound was different from potions, and also just by looking at the expression on that Hans C over there.
Didn’t he look calm and gentle as if there was no pain at all?
“May the stars of the twilight guide us…”
What an unexpected development.
Rotmiller, who’d also gotten flustered for a moment, soon regained his senses and kept drawing the God’s sign.
Like a man witnessing a divine miracle right before his eyes.
It seemed a bit exaggerated to my eyes, but in fact, this was probably the normal reaction given how this world was structured.
Just as demihumans grow up in their holy places, most human children learn to read and accumulate knowledge in the temples from an early age.
The weight behind the title of priest, is different.
“Ah! So can we get our weapons back now, please?”
Elisha asked naturally.
She spoke as if she’d realized only now that she didn’t have a weapon at hand. Perhaps showing her divine power had been to lead to this.
It must’ve been this trust in herself that had let her make the bold decision to throw away their weapons earlier.
But so what?
“You can’t.”
“Eh? Yes?”
As she stared with a puzzled expression, I also responded naturally. Well, there was no need to reveal just yet that we already know their identity.
“I know that you’re a real priest. But so what?”
I was a barbarian who believed in the ancestors!
I’d never received anything from the priests, so it wasn’t strange for me to react like this.
Elisa smiled awkwardly and looked at Rotmiller and Dwalky, the two humans in the party.
Like she was trying to get some help…
I continued in the same stubborn tone.
“The weapons can be returned when you leave after giving us the reward.”
“Re-, reward?”
“Why’re you so surprised? Whether you’re a priest or whatever, as long as you’ve entered the labyrinth, you’re an adventurer. You have to follow the convention.”
“Ah, yes… I’ve heard of such a custom. Then… how much should I give you?”
I pretended to think for a moment.
“About two million stones would work.”
“… Wh-, what?”
Elisa asked as if she’d heard it wrong.
But I was aloof.
“Isn’t that an unreasonable request?”
Um, no, this was reasonable enough.
Some villains even rob people of their equipment in return for their lives.
“Don’t think of it as a waste, think of it as the price of your life.”
“But… we don’t have that much money, you know?”
I already knew that.
Who would carry cash with them when they entered the labyrinth?
Now that we got the expected answer, it was time for the next move.
“I’m not asking you to lower the price. At least wait till we go outside—”
“No way. I don’t believe in the promises of people other than my kin. If you don’t have the money, pay in kind.”
“… In kind?”
“Well, I think that man’s armour should be enough.”
When I pointed to Hans C with my index finger, he frowned. But after a short and silent exchange of glances with Elisa, he sighed deeply.
“Huh, yes, it’s npt a bad trade to save our lives with just this much. But instead, there are conditions. We will stay with you tonight until our fatigue is relieved.”
“Sure.”
I nodded willingly.
Their intentions were obvious, but what was the problem? It wasn’t like we were ever going to reach the point where this promise would have to be fulfilled.
“Irita, can you help me, please?”
“Of course.”
Hans C, who took off his heavy armour with the help of the spearman next to him, handed the equipment to Rotmiller.
Alright, one bastard’s armour had been stripped off.
‘For now, I think I’ll start by taking everything I can grab…’
“Well, now that the price has been paid, could you please return our weapons to us?”
I couldn’t take it any longer and smiled brightly.
To be honest, I never thought things would turn out so well…
“… Why are you laughing?”
Hans C looked at me and asked with a firm face.
Very rudely, I didn’t respond.
Come to think of it, I never solved Misha’s misunderstanding that my eyes were glued to Elisa’s form, hm? She was so sullen about it.
Because even if I didn’t tell her why out loud, she was going to find out soon enough.
“You over there, Yandel, right? If you keep asking for more here, we’ll be in trouble—”
“Oh, no, that’s not it.”
Along with my answer, my mace rose up and struck Elisa in the head, thud–!
“L-, Lady Elisa!!!”
Doesn’t matter which game it is, crushing the enemy healer’s skull first is common sense.
“You mean they’re those pillagers from back then?”
Rotmiller nodded at the dwarf’s question. And this made the situation crystal clear.
There couldn’t be such a coincidence that the guys who’d been proudly pillaging on the third floor just happened to chance upon us here after being chased by monsters.
“I don’t know who they are, but they’re definitely aiming at us.”
“I don’t know why they’d do this, but I agree. Maybe they’re pretending to be chased and trying to mix within our ranks.”
Rotmiller not only affirmed my words, he also added his own opinion.
I had the same idea.
“S-, so, what do we do now!”
What to do? How to do it? Those were the questions.
Luckily, thanks to Rotmiller, we managed to find out about their scheme early in the game.
“We should take advantage of this opportunity.”
“Take advantage? How do you mean?”
Misha tilted her head.
There was was no time to explain in detail.
Because the other party had already arrived.
“L-, light! There’s a light!”
In tandem with the male voice shouting, three men and women soaked in blood and sweat rushed into the radius of our torchlight.
“If you aren’t confident in your acting, just stay still and watch.”
Whispering that, I made eye contact with Rotmiller. He gave a slight nod.
There was a reason why I got along well with this guy.
Even the dwarf who was worried to the bones seemed to understand exactly what I meant.
Now, let’s start, slowly.
“Don’t come any closer.”
Seeing them rush in, I immediately grabbed my shield and went forward to block their way.
“H-, hey, look! Our party got annihilated. Help! We’ll definitely pay…!”
A desperate yet urgent expression.
This guy was good at acting, too.
Or was it a standard skillset for pillagers?
“Put down your weapons.”
“Uh, but there’re monsters right behind us!”
A human uncle in his early thirties pointed back to their trail.
A horde of orcs that’d come chasing them could be seen, staring at us from beyond the torchlight’s range.
“Chwi, chwiik!”
Since the total number of targets increased, they were hesitating to approach, but we couldn’t be sure how long that’d last.
So come on, let us in.
That was evidently what the old man was going for, but so what?
“It’s your choice. Either put down your weapons or get out.”
I stubbornly repeated myself, but they couldn’t answer easily.
It was a troublesome demand, after all.
“…”
Because in the labyrinth, your weapon is the same as your life.
Perhaps they were even suspicious whether we’d picked up on their acting.
But it didn’t matter.
No matter what choice they made, we had nothing to lose.
“… Let’s put them down.”
As soon as the decision was made, the man with the moustache dropped his weapon on the floor, and the other two also followed and threw theirs away.
‘Aren’t they being too greedy?’
While I was satisfied with their choice, I was also a little worried. They were taking such a big risk, what about us was worth that?
There was no point in even trying to guess.
“Okay then, slowly come forward. Stay apart from each other, as far as possible.”
“Hey, there’s no need to be like this, right? We just wanted some help…”
“If you want help, do as you’re told.”
“I understand.”
Then, as they arrived one by one as instructed, Rotmiller approached and checked them for hidden weapons.
“… There doesn’t seem to be any threat.”
“Right. Murad, you keep watch on them.”
“Ah, got it!”
The dwarf stiffened and nodded his head, then marched forward at attention with jerking limbs like a North Korean soldier on parade.
For some reason, a sigh escaped me…
Fortunately, from their expressions, they didn’t seem to sense anything awkward in our actions.
“Chwi, chwiik…”
“Chwiik, chwiik, chwiik–!”
Leaving the dwarf with the trio of pillagers, we stepped forward to stare back at the orcs, and they soon turned around and left.
Even the orcs considered it a great risk to fight a group this large.
‘As usual, all these monster bastards are clever.”
But, well, compared to the adventurer bastards, they were nothing to write home about.
In any case, avoiding a useless battle was good news for us.
Since we were already facing a new problem, having to focus on the battle with the orcs would’ve been quite tiring.
“Whoo, I really thought I was going to die…”
As soon as the group of orcs disappeared, the woman of the trio plopped down on the floor, with a loud sigh as if all the wind in her lungs was leaving in a rush.
And then, did she come to her senses?
She got up from the floor with an apologetic look on her face and bowed politely to us.
“Ah! My name is Elisa. Thank you for saving us!”
Perhaps because of the exposed portion of her chest that peeked out through the torn top?
“Oh, khm. I am Hikurod Murad.”
The dwarf coughed and turned his head away.
It didn’t seem like he was being shy.
His head was turned, but his eyes were still stuck at one place.
“So it was Mr. Murad! And what’s your name?”
“I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.”
“Oh, I see!”
The woman who’d introduced herself as Elisa came up to me and grabbed my hand.
And she bowed her head again, same as before.
Of course, this time, her breasts were further emphasized.
“Hah, I really survived this time thanks to you! What would’ve happened if I hadn’t met you…”
As a bonus she squeezed out her panting breath and talked in a mellifluous voice that seemed to tickle my ear canals.
Now that I looked at her again, this was probably why only she among the three had her top shredded to bits like this…
“Bjorn! Your eyes are glazing over!”
Misha misunderstood the reason behind my focus and muttered.
However, this wasn’t the time to resolve the misunderstanding.
There’d be a chance soon.
“Name yourselves one by one.”
To clear their suspicions, I started with a simple and brainless perfunctory investigation.
The first person to introduce himself was the moustached uncle who was presumably the leader.
“Hans Argoda.”
What?
“… Hans?”
“It’s a common name. Do you know others with the same name as mine, perhaps?”
“Ah, um, well… Yeah, that’s it.”
I nodded awkwardly.
Hans A had been smashed in the head by my shield, and died.
I hadn’t seen Hans B since I accidentally got advice from him at a drinking party.
And I met Hans C today, so this moustached uncle here seemed to be following the same steps as A.
Anyway, he was done and it was the next one’s turn.
“My name is Irita Tason.”
Tason, a blond spearman with a tall physique.
I estimated his age to be in the mid-twenties, and I couldn’t find any special features.
If I had to mention one thing, maybe his politeness?
“It was a situation where I had to wonder if I’d survive, but I managed to avoid my death thanks to you. Thank you again.”
While the spearman, Tason, bowed ninety degrees to show his respect and humility, Elisa also started making a fuss in her characteristic, natural tone.
“Really! Who knows what would’ve happened to us if it weren’t for you? Lord Reatlas must’ve guided us to your side!”
“Reatlas?”
Rotmiller stiffened at that word.
Then he carefully spoke to Elisha.
“Perhaps… you, Miss Elisha—”
“Oh, I haven’t told you my last name yet. My name is Elisa Behenk. And as you can see…”
Elisha shuffled her feet, checked her clothes, and cried.
It was originally a white outfit, but now it was torn here and there and covered in sweat and grime.
“… I guess you can’t see? But, indeed, I serve Lord Reatlas!”
“Ooh!”
“You really were a priest.”
While the dwarf just let out a brief exclamation, Rotmiller closed his eyes and drew a brief sign of the God in front of Elisha.
Wow, this guy was a hell of an actor.
“May the stars of the twilight guide us…”
“Yes, the stars of the twilight shall guide us.”
Did she think herself successful at her ruse?
Elisha also smiled brightly and drew a sign. And the vigilant atmosphere surrounding us faded in an instant.
Well, at least that was how it looked like to them.
‘We all know she can’t be a real priest, so –’
Wait, what?!
“Sorry! I should’ve helped you with your wounds first…”
She wasn’t an impersonator? An actual priest?
While I flinched at the unexpected development, Hans C pulled up his shirt to show a stab wound.
Elisa chanted a prayer, and brought her white, glowing hand to the wounded area.
But… how?
Sssshhhh–
As a point of fact, the wound healed really quickly.
It was true divine power. No matter how suspiciously I watched, I couldn’t refute that.
How could I be so sure if I’d never seen it before?
First of all, from the sound was different from potions, and also just by looking at the expression on that Hans C over there.
Didn’t he look calm and gentle as if there was no pain at all?
“May the stars of the twilight guide us…”
What an unexpected development.
Rotmiller, who’d also gotten flustered for a moment, soon regained his senses and kept drawing the God’s sign.
Like a man witnessing a divine miracle right before his eyes.
It seemed a bit exaggerated to my eyes, but in fact, this was probably the normal reaction given how this world was structured.
Just as demihumans grow up in their holy places, most human children learn to read and accumulate knowledge in the temples from an early age.
The weight behind the title of priest, is different.
“Ah! So can we get our weapons back now, please?”
Elisha asked naturally.
She spoke as if she’d realized only now that she didn’t have a weapon at hand. Perhaps showing her divine power had been to lead to this.
It must’ve been this trust in herself that had let her make the bold decision to throw away their weapons earlier.
But so what?
“You can’t.”
“Eh? Yes?”
As she stared with a puzzled expression, I also responded naturally. Well, there was no need to reveal just yet that we already know their identity.
“I know that you’re a real priest. But so what?”
I was a barbarian who believed in the ancestors!
I’d never received anything from the priests, so it wasn’t strange for me to react like this.
Elisa smiled awkwardly and looked at Rotmiller and Dwalky, the two humans in the party.
Like she was trying to get some help…
I continued in the same stubborn tone.
“The weapons can be returned when you leave after giving us the reward.”
“Re-, reward?”
“Why’re you so surprised? Whether you’re a priest or whatever, as long as you’ve entered the labyrinth, you’re an adventurer. You have to follow the convention.”
“Ah, yes… I’ve heard of such a custom. Then… how much should I give you?”
I pretended to think for a moment.
“About two million stones would work.”
“… Wh-, what?”
Elisa asked as if she’d heard it wrong.
But I was aloof.
“Isn’t that an unreasonable request?”
Um, no, this was reasonable enough.
Some villains even rob people of their equipment in return for their lives.
“Don’t think of it as a waste, think of it as the price of your life.”
“But… we don’t have that much money, you know?”
I already knew that.
Who would carry cash with them when they entered the labyrinth?
Now that we got the expected answer, it was time for the next move.
“I’m not asking you to lower the price. At least wait till we go outside—”
“No way. I don’t believe in the promises of people other than my kin. If you don’t have the money, pay in kind.”
“… In kind?”
“Well, I think that man’s armour should be enough.”
When I pointed to Hans C with my index finger, he frowned. But after a short and silent exchange of glances with Elisa, he sighed deeply.
“Huh, yes, it’s npt a bad trade to save our lives with just this much. But instead, there are conditions. We will stay with you tonight until our fatigue is relieved.”
“Sure.”
I nodded willingly.
Their intentions were obvious, but what was the problem? It wasn’t like we were ever going to reach the point where this promise would have to be fulfilled.
“Irita, can you help me, please?”
“Of course.”
Hans C, who took off his heavy armour with the help of the spearman next to him, handed the equipment to Rotmiller.
Alright, one bastard’s armour had been stripped off.
‘For now, I think I’ll start by taking everything I can grab…’
“Well, now that the price has been paid, could you please return our weapons to us?”
I couldn’t take it any longer and smiled brightly.
To be honest, I never thought things would turn out so well…
“… Why are you laughing?”
Hans C looked at me and asked with a firm face.
Very rudely, I didn’t respond.
Come to think of it, I never solved Misha’s misunderstanding that my eyes were glued to Elisa’s form, hm? She was so sullen about it.
Because even if I didn’t tell her why out loud, she was going to find out soon enough.
“You over there, Yandel, right? If you keep asking for more here, we’ll be in trouble—”
“Oh, no, that’s not it.”
Along with my answer, my mace rose up and struck Elisa in the head, thud–!
“L-, Lady Elisa!!!”
Doesn’t matter which game it is, crushing the enemy healer’s skull first is common sense.
