His body froze as if he had just come face to face with his natural predator. His heart was beating like it wasn't working properly. Despite wanting to die every day, Missha suddenly longed to live.
Almost as if he could read her mind, Baekho's smile grew bigger. «You know Bjorn Yandel was a player, right?»
«I don't know. I have no idea what...»
Although Missha immediately denied it, Baekho did not listen to her until the end. «Oh, so you really knew that?» It didn't sound like he was groping her, it sounded like he was already sure. Missha looked Baekho in the eyes, trying to gauge his ulterior motives.
He shuddered.
Without realizing it, his breathing stopped. Eyes so empty that they had practically no bottom turned towards her. It felt like he could see through her insides.
Seeing that Missha was unable to utter a word, the man opened his mouth. «Bjorn Yandel. How did he die?»
His tone was calm and he asked nothing more than to verify the facts, but Missha detected a strange undercurrent of anger beneath the surface. I did not know why. Could it be that he and Bjorn were close? No, that didn't make sense. So why was he venting his anger on her?
«It is said by the city that he died while you had time to escape...» At that moment, the air in the kitchen became heavy. «Did you kill him?» The feeling of oppression was so intense that it was difficult for him to breathe. At the same time, the anger seeping into Baekho's voice became clearer. «It makes sense, since you knew it was an evil spirit. Did you stab him in the back to steal his fortune? I heard he even left his estate in your name. That's more than enough reason to kill him».
«What kind of nonsense...?»
«What nonsense? You don't even see us as real people». His tone was mocking yet cynical.
At those words, Missha realized that this man had had a similar experience in the past. Was that why? He suddenly felt like a blade was stabbing into his heart, and not just because he was afraid of the man in front of him. Could it be that Bjorn thought the same when he looked at her? Was he anxious and hurt, fearing that she would look at him in disgust if his identity was revealed? Had he been building a wall himself to protect himself?
In your last moments alone, what thoughts were running through your head?
Just thinking about it made his lungs tense. Even he would have been anxious and scared. That's probably why he didn't leave any words for them in his will. Although he always smiled in front of them, a deep loneliness would have been hidden behind that smile.
«Answer me. Have you done it?».
But one thing was certain: despite everything, he loved them more than anyone. That's why Missha met the man's eyes without flinching. «There's no way we would do that». Although she knew that this man would never really listen to her, she said: «Don't you see him as a person... Bjorn...? How could that be possible?»
She, at least, could never see it as anything less. He regretted not telling her sooner. Then Bjorn wouldn't have been anxious around him. Missha closed her eyes, no longer afraid of that strange man. She waited for the waves of emotions to flood her.
«He had a good comrade, then», Baekho said. «Not like me».
Contrary to his tyrannical personality, his voice now sounded strangely sad. Missha opened her eyes again. A moment later, the pressure that pressed on his skin to the point of pain disappeared without a trace.
«¿Era Missha Karlstein?»
«Y-Yes...?» Missha responded confused at the drastic change in attitude.
Baekho smiled. «What if I told you there was a way to resurrect Bjorn Yandel?». And this time, when he did, his eyes wrinkled too.
***
It had been two weeks since we first joined Felic Barker's clan.
Whoosh.
I sat in front of a burning bonfire in the Rock Desert on the second floor. Behind me, four men and women were busy preparing camp. As a reference, they did it following my orders. If all the work was left to the pastor, as usual, because they couldn't be bothered to help, it would end up taking much longer.
«Ugh, why do we have to do this?»
«Shut up, he'll hear you there.»
I heard it, hooligan.
I smiled satisfied and looked at the four people preparing the camp. When I did, I made eye contact with a lump of muscles.
To demonstrate my abilities to Felic Barker so I could join his clan, my first bloody battle to rise through the ranks - no, what they called a duel - had been against this guy. He was a rank six adventurer by world standards. After his head was split in the first three seconds of our skillless match, he narrowly escaped alive thanks to the potions. His name was...
«Dumbo».
«...Es Durbon, no Dumbo.»
Oh, right.
I may have been wrong, but seeing his arrogant poker face pissed me off a little. Durbon had to be a pseudonym, anyway. I didn't see how important it was.
«You haven't come to your senses, have you?». I jumped up from my seat and headed towards Dumbo. Then, as if the memory of the beating he had been given had finally returned to his memory, he began to tremble.
Damn, if you're going to end up like this just because I'm in front of you, why are you acting tough?
«Dumbo». I put my hand on his shoulder and spoke with all my authority as the third team leader of the Barker Clan. «Do I sound like a joke to you?». My grip tightened. «Now your name is Dumbo. It's easier to pronounce. Understood?»
Silence.
«Contest.»
«...Of course.»
Tsk, I should have said it from the beginning.
I patted Dumbo on the shoulder and praised him for accepting the name change, then sent him to finish setting up our camp. I, for my part, returned to the bonfire and took out some jerky.
Masticar.
Having fought in three separate duels on my first day as a clan member, I became one of the three clan team leaders with the approval of the clan chief. Since Noark was a faction of real men, the team leader's authority was absolute, especially within the labyrinth.
Ugh, is this the taste of power?
While I was fooling around while everyone was working, one of the weaklings approached to let me know that the preparations were over. «Please rest. We will stand guard...»
This skinny guy's name is... What was he like?
Anyway, he was our team guide, not an explorer, and his navigation skills were slightly below Rotmiller's. But maybe because he had been looting for so long, he knew all the good places to loot.
«I'm not tired now. See you later. That boy is on the first watch, right? If I'm tired, I leave it to him and go to sleep. You rest first».
«Oh, sure...» When I gave them permission to sleep, Scrawny relayed the news to his friends and got into his sleeping bag.
«Can I sit down?»
«Of course».
A red-haired woman sat in the chair in front of me. Although she gave off a mature air despite her age, the young woman was the pastor of our team, Amelia's older sister.
«What did you say your name was?»
«Laura Rainwales». Laura responded obediently, her broken tone implying that she distrusted me, the newly appointed team leader. Which seemed strange to me.
They looked so similar... How could they convey such different sensations?
Her facial features were generally similar, but the sister had a much kinder air, even knowing that she once killed a famous adventurer to save her younger brother at the age of twelve, and even though she was speaking in a tone rigid.
«Is there a problem?»
«No, I just imagined you'd be having a hard time too».
«Ah...» Laura's lips parted a little in surprise. I figured he never thought someone who harassed his subordinates as much as I would say something like that.
«Your sister is also a pastor, right?».
«Yes, he works under the command of team leader Martis».
«Are you not worried?»
Laura fell silent in response to my question and looked at me. He seemed wary of my intentions, but it seemed like he had decided it was unwise to ignore a question from the new team leader. «I'm not worried at all. I think crew chief Martis will take good care of my little sister, so I'm not worried». Laura gave me a false answer.
Yikes, this makes me feel like a snake or something.
«You can tell me the truth, okay. You are sisters. It's normal that you are worried».
When I pressed, Laura couldn't help but confess some of her feelings. «I'm worried, but I don't think Team Leader Martis will maliciously harass my sister or send her to her death.».
«Your reasoning?»
«...Because I'm worth so much».
«Hey? Explain that in more detail. I am the leader of this team, after all. You should know the situation».
Laura seemed to weigh whether to tell me or not before opening her mouth. «I may be a shepherdess, but after many years of expeditions, I have become strong enough to pull my weight».
This was a fact. Although low-ranking, I heard that she also had four essences. But Laura was still a shepherdess. Although the team treated her well, no matter how hard she worked, she was nothing more than a slave to the clan and couldn't even claim her share of the loot.
«In exchange for giving up your share, you asked him to take good care of your sister.».
«Just because I earned it doesn't mean I can have it. To be honest, when my father tried to sell my sister as a pastor, I was the one who brought her here.»
«Your reason?»
«At least in this clan... she won't have to go through the things that most others go through.»
«You are kind.»
Laura did not respond to that, and there was a brief silence. It wasn't particularly uncomfortable. I sat staring at the fire to organize my thoughts, and when I got tired enough, I got up from my seat.
«Now I'm going to sleep».
«Clear.»
«That should have been an hour of your guard. After another hour, change shifts».
«Excuse me? But my turn is...»
«If you double shift, how are you going to fight tomorrow? You just said before that you can pull a person's weight. So, after an hour, pass it on to the next person and go to sleep. If they argue, tell them I asked for it».
After that, I went straight to my sleeping bag. Laura seemed uneasy and tried to say something, but when she heard my snoring, she fell silent.
Laura Rainwales, do you?
I had only one thought in my head until I fell asleep.
How can I save this girl?
***
After our first day of camping in the Rock Desert, we hurriedly resumed our trip the next morning. On the second day, we were able to reach the Pilgrim's Path on the third floor. Passing the Twilight Slope on the Desert of Rocks route, we continue traveling towards the clan's meeting place, the Thorny Reed Field. It was a hunting reserve that extended from the Witch's Forest, located in the center of the third floor, to parts of the western countryside.
By the time we got there on the fourth day, the rest of the teams had already arrived. After briefly waving at Amelia, I turned to the clan leader.
«Any problems along the way?»
«None. They are all skilled».
«Haha, they may not be as good at fighting as you, but everyone can pull their own weight».
Was this bastard having trouble distinguishing empty words from real compliments? I smiled satisfied and sat in the empty chair next to him.
«Now, it would be best to stop by as we are all here, but since some of our friends are here for the first time, I will explain how this works again».
Clan leader Felic Barker gently informed us of our plans, but there was no real strategy to speak of. The only plan was to divide us and plunder the people, using this reed forest as our base.
«I'll say it in advance, but if you encounter an enemy that seems like it's going to give you the slightest problem, contact the other teams through your guide. They will leave everything and run to help right away». The clan leader ended the briefing as fast as lightning and asked if there were any final questions, to which I immediately raised my hand.
«But isn't it a very inefficient method?».
«...Ineffective?» The clan leader looked at me as if I were a strange creature. I assumed that word sounded out of place coming out of a barbarian's mouth, but that was a little unfair. What other race valued efficiency as much as barbarians? «If you want to say something, say it».
As soon as they gave me permission, I opened my mouth with confidence. «The first problem is using the shepherds. Why do such a thing?»
«As I said before, planting an ally inside is a big advantage in an ambush. It can also reduce the need to use consumables».
«What are you saying? I'm not talking about that».
«Hey?», asked the clan leader, his eyes half-closed.
I spoke slowly, as if trying to explain something to someone especially thick. «If you do that, you will only kill adventurers who are kind enough to let the shepherds into their group. And those kind adventurers are usually poor».
«...What the hell are you trying to say?»
«We should hunt down those who loot, like us. This way we can take over all the equipment they have looted».
When I explained my plan seriously, there was momentary silence. Then, shortly after, laughter broke out.
«¡Jajaja!»
«Why are you laughing?»
«Ah, sorry if I offended you. I've been living in Noark for over ten years, but I've never heard such an idea».
«So, your answer?»
«At first glance, your idea has merit, but your suggestion does not take into account a key factor. We are not omniscient. How can we identify looters?»
Haha, I thought you'd say that.
I smiled. «Okay, listen to me. I have a way».