What kind of mistake did I make for Missha to act like this? These thoughts didn't even occur to me. That was because Missha had been by my side longer. A barbarian who read books, a barbarian who knew how to act as an explorer, a barbarian who pretended to be ignorant, but was actually intelligent, a barbarian who always knew something that others didn't know as if it were obvious; There must have been a lot of suspicious things about me. Until now he would have overlooked them by saying that he was simply the kind of person he was, but the events of that day would have made him fully realize it. After all, she knew me better than anyone.
«Why should I do what the enemy wants?».
He could have avoided responding with barbaric reasons, but that would have seemed strange to Missha. At least, she knew I always had a reason to be stubborn.
«If you don't answer, I'll kill that red cat».
When I heard that from Baekho, I felt deep despair. Maybe Missha also felt like she was leading me down a dead end and was desperately holding back an answer.
«...Disappear? What do you mean?» In the middle of the night, when everyone was sleeping, seeing Missha approach me cautiously and express her anxiety, I pretended as if I didn't know anything. «Why would it disappear suddenly?»
«B-well, I just had a nightmare... Yes.» Missha made up an excuse about a dream. It seemed like he believed that revealing his inner anxiety could make it happen.
«Dream? If you're so scared, you can sleep next to me!»
«I'm not that scared! Hmph, good! If you're just going to make jokes, go to sleep, you stupid barbarian!» Missha left frustrated and I let out a sigh in the silent room. I felt tightness in my chest.
Suddenly disappear...
I knew why he was asking that, because yesterday I snuck into his room and saw the book on his desk. It was a book I had read before in the library that listed some patterns and habits of evil spirits.
Evil spirits are cunning and know how to act. Plus, they don't get attached to people. In the event of a crisis in which their identity may be exposed, they choose to cut all ties and hide.
It was a phrase with which I identified quite a bit. After all, I was destined for destruction if my identity was exposed. At first I would try to distance myself from the people around me as much as I could, and if that didn't work, I would end up changing my identity. If only that option didn't work...
I'd probably go to Noark.
In fact, Noark was a city made up of people like that. Criminals who could no longer remain in Rafdonia and evil spirits hid in the sewers and Noark took them in.
Even clown is famous for joining Orcules as soon as he was exposed as an evil spirit.
I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. His head was in a mess.
If they find out I'm an evil spirit...
How would the boys react? Would they feel betrayed and angry for having been deceived? Well, I wasn't sure. At least Missha was more anxious for me to disappear from her side, even if I was an evil spirit.
Damn seas, Baekho.
I admitted it. I was afraid that my true identity would be revealed to them. More than the guillotine I could be dragged to, I feared that everything I built would collapse, even if it was a sand castle.
Voom.
I took out of subspace a magical device that allowed me to secretly converse with others.
«Well, if you wish, I will exile you myself. Hans Chrisen is an evil spirit! I have proof of this in my backpack».
For reference, it came with a recording feature. The dwarf I met in the Doppelganger Forest used this to lead Hans G to a dead end.
Clic.
When I pressed the slot on the bottom of the device, the conversation they were both having at that moment was vividly reproduced.
«What is there to think? Anyway, they are NPCs».
«But they are comrades who have been with...».
«What a joke. Do you think those guys will think that when they find out your identity?».
Hans G couldn't reply, because he knew it.
«The person your comrades considered a friend was the real Hans. And as you know, the real Hans is no longer in this world».
We were evil spirits. No matter what kind of relationships we built here, they could only be precarious relationships built on lies.
«But... I consider them my true comrades».
Hans G responded like this that day, but how did he really act?
«How...?»
«Sorry».
When the dwarf went into crisis and forcibly exposed his identity, Hans G threw flames on the warrior's body and stood next to the dwarf. The truth was that he knew that they could no longer return to their old relationship. Comrades who were once precious to him now considered him the enemy.
Clic.
I pressed the button again to turn off the sound. Suddenly, Takelan's words came to mind.
«There will come a day when you feel the same as me».
He was wrong. If that moment of despair came to me, it would be a much more terrible and miserable end.
***
Another two days passed. Meanwhile, nothing significant happened. There were no further clues about the large clan suspected of being behind the murder and the events of that day were cut short and buried in oblivion. There was nothing more to investigate. Thanks to that, however, the number of escort knights over me increased. Once it was proven that there was a faction targeting me with bad intentions towards the palace, it gained more momentum. A little too much momentum.
Ha, I can't go anywhere for this.
There were already three bodyguards near me. Of course, that was only inside the house, because there were more than thirty knights standing guard outside. If I went out, all those people followed me. They even got someone to try my food.
«I'll try it first, in case it's poisoned». With each meal, a professionally poison-tolerant gentleman tried it first.
«No need! Why would he hurt Bjorrrn...?»
«It's better to be sure. Mmm, it's delicious. You are a good cook, Lady Karlstein».
«T-that's no consolation!» Missha wasn't in a good mood as the tester was like that for every meal, but it still felt more trustworthy to see them being so inflexible.
Even if Noark sends an assassin, I won't have to worry about this part.
Once breakfast was over, Ainar went to the holy land, and Erwen went to join her younger sister. The same thing happened with me.
«...Are you going out?»
«I should start working». Now that he had gotten enough rest, it was time to get back to working hard and doing the things he had been putting off.
«Are you going to buy something again?»
«No, this is a different business».
« ¿Hmm? »
I normally spent my maintenance time shopping, but today's purpose was different.
Even though I made a lot of money this time, the value will go up even if I don't do anything. No need to go shopping now.
For starters, the cost of equipment had already started to plummet. It was the result of the death of the explorers' main customer base, leading to a decline in demand. Meanwhile, food prices rose. Concern that the supply of mana stones would decrease the following month had led to hoarding.
You should try not to use cash as much as possible.
The currency here was not a simple piece of paper made by social consensus. It had real value. This world was powered by mana stones that alchemists could convert into iron or wheat. There was no depreciation of the currency, unlike the value of labor.
I wonder if Hikurod will be okay...
Suddenly, the dwarf came to my mind. It seemed like business at his blacksmith shop was going well these days, but he was sure there would only be flies at a time like this. I felt bad for him. He opened that store with all his money for something like this to happen.
I should go see him later when I have time.
I dressed simply and went out with Missha. Outside there was a carriage prepared by the knights. I really thought it was an undeserved deal.
«Por favor, sube».
By now, I had gotten used to it and got into the carriage. It didn't cost any money anyway, and they said it was much easier to escort me like that, so what could I do?
«Where am I taking you?»
«To the Great Temple of Reatlas». As soon as I told the driver the destination, the carriage started moving.
«...Reatlas? Why are you going there suddenly?» Missha's eyes seemed somewhat restless. I could understand his feeling. The religious factions here were natural enemies of evil spirits.
Wow, it seems like you haven't completely cleared up your doubts yet.
For a day or two, Missha read books about evil spirits and sent me peculiar words, but all that disappeared soon after. At first I thought I was thinking about it too much and had come to the conclusion that I couldn't be an evil spirit.
At times like this, it's probably best not to encourage her and leave her alone.
And so I continued the conversation casually. «I'm thinking about asking you about the remaining priests».
«...The remaining priests? Are you thinking about leaving the team?»
«What are you talking about?»
«But even if there is one priest, there are already five of u-ah! Are you thinking about retiring one...?».
Honestly, what was he saying? I sighed and interrupted her. «I am not going to leave the team, nor is anyone going to leave the team».
«That? So what about the priest ...?» Missha interrupted herself, seemingly confused.
I told him my future plans. «Because now we have to prepare to go up to the sixth floor».
«Hey, the sixth floor? Ah, I see. But what does it have to do with this?».
«I'm going to make a clan».
It was time for the five-person team to graduate. Although small, a team with more than five people was classified as a clan. That was because it had to be divided into two or more teams.
»Clan»? So, from now on, we are going to work with ten people?»
Well, it seemed like it would be that way over time, but not right now.
Since Erwen can work as an explorer we only need a priest for now.
From the sixth floor onwards, we also needed another scout with a special position. That made a total of eight for now.
With our level, we will have no problems reaching the fifth floor, even if we are divided into four.
Well, I didn't really care about this part. If it didn't work, meeting on the second floor was also a method. Depending on the starting location it would take time to meet and slow down once again on the fourth floor with the maximum penalty of members.
But it's not that we are a big clan.
Unless our purpose was to control hunting grounds, a difference of one or two days was not significant for a small clan. Rather, the problem lay elsewhere.
When will the maze return to normal?
If there was no sign of it returning to normal, I planned to wait a few more months. Anyway, it would take that long to finish preparing to go to the sixth floor.
«We have arrived». While I was organizing my thoughts, the carriage stopped in front of the Great Temple. Most of the knights were waiting by the carriage. I entered with only three escorts nearby and Missha.
«Captain Krovitz is away on business». Another paladin instead of Paal Krovitz, whom I already knew, greeted me. His name was Sven Parav, the deputy commander of the Second Order of Paladins of Reatlas. «It is an honor to meet you, Baron Yandel. Why have you visited our church today?».
I briefly told him my plans for the future, that I planned to form a clan and that, if possible, I wanted to take a priest with me. Going straight to the results, I was rejected outright.
«Hmm, even for a Baron that will be difficult».
My newly acquired reputation as a Giant and my noble status as Baron had no effect on the Church. Those were just the basic conditions. To recruit a priest, achievement points were required.
Wow, why are they so inflexible like in the game?
Since this was within the expected results, I asked for ways to increase my achievement points and heard a detailed response.
Except for some things, everything is like in the game.
In the end, the answer was in childbirth. Wow, I should have done it in advance.
«Was it Parav? Thanks for today. I'll come back next time».
«Yes, we always wait for a hero to visit».
After finishing my brief business here, I said goodbye to Parav and turned around. The moment I was about to leave the common area, the last vine that prevented my evil fate with the dragon slayer was cut.
[The conditions for activating the Blessing of the Stars have been met].
Damn sea.
The problems had no end.