SGB: Episode 186
Episode 186: Item Power (1)
The dwarf said that they would have a much bigger advantage if I weren't there.
Now that I see it, he wasn't entirely wrong.
Whoosh!
My body shoots through the air like a cannonball, resisting air resistance.
I can see the entire battlefield at a glance from up high.
"Just hold on until Mr. Yandel gets here!!"
Although no one is seriously injured or dead, my companions are struggling.
The burden on them has increased several times over since I, the wall, am gone.
Woongie has been unsummoned, while the undead summoned by the priest of Karui are swarming from all directions.
"Huh?"
That's when I make eye contact with Misha.
"Uh, uh?"
"Miss Kaltstein! Where are you looking... Huh?"
I also make eye contact with Raven.
Although we're quite far apart, I can tell from her gaping mouth that she's thinking,
Why is the barbarian flying?
To be precise, I'm not flying.
It's more accurate to say that I'm falling.
It's the Barbarian Meteor.
Kwaaang!
I land on both feet, tightening my core muscles to maintain balance, and a footprint that's more like a crater is carved deep into the ground.
And...
Crackle.
...I feel a tingling sensation in my legs.
If I hadn't invested in Bone Density, my bones might have shattered.
I check the surroundings with that thought.
Whoosh!
A ring of dust spreads out from the landing point.
It's an additional effect of Leap, which is used as a movement skill.
「Jumping Power is temporarily increased by 10 times, and a powerful shockwave is released upon landing.」
AoE damage to the surroundings.
Of course, the damage itself is negligible.
Why else would I classify it as a movement skill?
Except for the small area I crushed, it's safe to say that there's no widespread damage.
Swaaaaaaaa!
The undead army is blown away by the wind pressure.
The dwarf bastards are just flustered by the sudden intrusion, standing still despite being hit by the strong wind.
But...
「Character's total weight is over 500 kg.」
「The special terrain effect [Recoil] is additionally applied to the damage radius.」
Sorry, but I'm in [Gigantification] state.
Thud!
Just like how you hear thunder after seeing lightning...
...the ground shakes as soon as the wind pressure disappears, throwing everything that was standing on it into the air.
"Kyaak!"
"What the...!"
Hundreds of undead and the dwarf bastards are floating in the air.
The corners of my mouth curl up into a wide smile at the overwhelming sight.
'Fortunately, my weight worked.'
I was secretly worried.
Although my equipment is also affected by [Gigantification] thanks to [Unification], there are still many parts that I haven't equipped yet.
Well, even if that weren't the case, the biggest advantage of the [Leap] skill is something else.
「Threat level is temporarily greatly increased.」
The threat level bonus that's applied for a short time after landing.
This is significant for me.
It means I have another skill that can increase the fixed value of my threat level, on top of [Gigantification].
"Th, the fact that he's here means..."
"Ba, bald bastard! That guy... is he dead?!"
"You said you could hold out!!"
I shout, looking at the dwarf bastards whose morale seems to have already been broken by my appearance,
"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"
Because it's also the activation condition for [Wild Release].
「Character's threat level is temporarily tripled, and physical stats increase proportionally.」
Physical bonuses proportional to the threat level increase.
Right, this is it.
It feels like I've really become an ogre.
[Grrr!]
The summoned creatures, which are classified as monsters, start swarming towards me like crazy.
However, the intelligent ones are different.
"Re, retreat! Retreat!"
"Ru, run away!"
They abandon their formation and run away as if they've been afflicted with the 'Fear' status effect.
Hmm, is this just a rational judgment, not threat level?
Kwaaang! Kwaang! Whoosh! Thwack!
Giant mace and shield.
And my two legs, which have already become weapons, crush and deflect the undead summons as I chase after the dwarf bastards.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
I hear the footsteps of a giant monster with every step I take.
"Block him! Block him! You're the warrior!!"
"Crazy, how can I possibly block—"
The fairy archer, who was running away, stabs the beastman swordsman in the thigh with her dagger.
"Aak! You bitch...!"
The beastman swordsman rolls on the ground from the momentum.
"Uh, uh...?"
And then he ends up in my grasp.
My hand is big enough to hold a human head with room to spare.
"...Su, surrender. I surren—"
I slowly increase my grip.
But is it because of [Wild Release]?
He must have invested in Physical Resistance and such.
Kwagic!
It feels softer than a watermelon.
'Next.'
Although the insane vitality I felt from [Wild Release] disappears, it doesn't hinder my pursuit.
After all, the third chapter hasn't even ended yet.
We're trapped within a 500-meter radius barrier.
And I even have a movement skill now.
Kwaaang!
I use [Leap] to block their path, and the dwarf bastards throw down their weapons and surrender without hesitation.
They judged that it's better to just beg for mercy.
Well, they have a reason.
"Pl, please spare us. We'll do anything. You'll ne, need us to defeat the gu, guardian. Right?"
I'll have to think about this.
Anyway, I disarm them with the help of my companions who arrived later.
Then I guess I can deactivate [Gigantification] now.
"Bjorn! What the hell was that?! Me too! I want to do that too!!!"
Is it a barbarian's instinct?
Ainar's eyes are filled with greed after witnessing [Leap]. It's an incomparable greed compared to when she sees cotton candy.
I hide my smugness and promise,
"Huhu, I'll find something similar for you later."
"Really!! You promise!!"
"Yeah, I promise."
There's a skill similar to [Leap] in Ainar's build tree. It's a 3rd-grade essence, though, so it will take a few years to obtain.
Damn right, if you're a barbarian, you should at least be able to jump.
"Um, he, help me!"
Huh?
I hear those words while stripping the dwarf bastards of their equipment.
I turn my head and see a woman.
'Ah, she was alive too...'
The newbie Guide from Hans G's team.
So, her name was...
I'm too lazy to ask, so let's just call her Guide Girl.
"Potion! Please, lend me a potion. I already gave him what I had..."
I follow Guide Girl's gaze and see the mace warrior collapsed on the ground.
"Is he alive?"
"Ye, yes!"
Guide Girl nods enthusiastically, as if seeing a glimmer of hope.
I hesitate for a moment.
It's only natural to save him, but using a potion might be a waste.
In the end, I grab the priest of Karui.
"Hi, eek!"
Geez, he's easily scared.
Who said I was going to kill him?
I carry the priest to the mace warrior and put him down.
"Heal him."
"Ye, yes!"
Although he serves the evil god, a priest of Karui can also use ordinary divine power.
Well, if he couldn't, it would be impossible for him to maintain his disguise.
Swaaa.
The mace warrior's burns slowly disappear as divine power is imbued into his body.
His breathing has stabilized considerably.
"Thank you. Thank you. Truly..."
"More importantly, what happened to the mage?"
"He, he's dead."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. When I, I checked, his heart had already..."
"I see. We'll take care of him, so stay by his side until he wakes up. He must be confused."
"Okay, okay! Thank you...!"
When I return to where my companions are, the process of taking the dwarf bastards prisoner is complete, and they're all practically naked.
"...Where did you get the gags?"
"I brought them."
What? Why gags?
I ask out of pure curiosity, and I get an unexpected answer.
"I'm also interested in this field."
"Uh... I, I see?"
I'm genuinely flustered.
But this kind of reaction might hurt Raven's feelings.
"Right, that's also... not, not bad?"
I express my lack of objection to avoid any misunderstandings.
But what's this again?
"Not bad? Mr. Yandel, are you also interested in monster studies?"
"Monster studies?"
Raven also tilts her head as I tilt my head in confusion.
A hypothesis suddenly comes to mind.
"Don't tell me... those gags are for monsters?"
"Yes, but...? I was thinking of capturing one and studying it later when I had the chance. Wait, then who were you planning to use those on...?"
Raven trails off, her face turning red in an instant.
"...Don't come near me."
"How far?"
"1 meter."
"...Alright."
And so, our half-joking agreement to maintain distance is made, and I approach the prisoners.
And I remove Hans G's gag.
Because I have a question.
"I have something to ask."
"Yes? Ah, yes! An, anything!"
"How did the dwarf find out that you're an evil spirit?"
"...Yes?"
Hans G looks at me as if I asked a strange question. But he obediently answers without offending me.
And the truth is completely unexpected.
"Th, that guy is also a pl, player... No, I, I mean, an evil spirit."
The dwarf was also from Earth.
That's why he was able to figure out Hans G's identity just by his behavior.
"Tell me exactly what happened between you two."
I listen to the details of the situation.
It's not a long story, except for the fact that he keeps stuttering.
The dwarf used a magic tool to talk to Hans G during their watch. And he came out, talking about things that only someone from Earth would know.
Hans G, happy to meet a fellow countryman, admitted it.
But it was a trap.
The magic tool the dwarf used recorded their conversation.
Hans G, caught by his weakness, accepted the dwarf's threatening proposal to pull off a big heist after defeating the guardian.
For reference, there was also a carrot along with the stick.
He promised to split the loot fairly and even take him to Noark if things went wrong.
"I, I re, refused. Bu, but... Ugh, ugghh!"
I end the conversation and put the gag back in his mouth, as if expecting him to make pathetic excuses.
I've already found out everything I needed to know.
'What the hell, there are four players out of fifteen?'
The fairy archer, Hans G, the dwarf, and me.
Although it's ridiculous, I'm the final winner.
...Well, there's still the final battle left.
In that sense, I move on to the next topic.
I activate team voice magic and then...
"I want to hear your opinions."
"On what to do with these people?"
"Yeah."
It's not that I'm going to decide by majority vote.
If I make a decision, my teammates will all follow my lead.
But I want to hear their opinions first.
"They attacked us! We have to kill them!"
"Hmm, I don't know. If we can clear the rift on our own, then of course we should kill them... but..."
"Do you think they'll actually cooperate?"
Most of the opinions are similar.
That they're not trustworthy.
"There's a saying, 'An untrustworthy ally is more dangerous than an ogre'."
Even if we fight together, if we can't fight properly because we're worried about them betraying us, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
"Still, the Noark side is a bit better."
"Better?"
"As soon as we leave the rift, we won't see them again, right? If we promise to spare their lives, there's a chance they might try to side with us."
Raven's gaze turns towards the fairy archer and Hans G.
"But those two are different."
Evil spirits.
They're beings that feel even more sinister and unsettling than explorers from the underground city.
"That's right! The chieftain said so too! That we have to kill evil spirits on sight!"
"Yeah... I didn't know before, but after experiencing this today, I understand. Why people told us not to trust evil spirits..."
"They'll do anything to hide their identity. It's wise to eliminate them when we have the chance. The result of trusting an evil spirit is right there."
Every word feels like a dagger piercing my heart.
What if my teammates found out about my identity?
Would they look at me like that too?
"So, Mr. Yandel, what do you think?"
I dismiss the meaningless thought and tell them my conclusion.
"I think it's better to kill them now."
I never intended to spare them in the first place.
It was just a matter of whether to kill them now or after defeating the guardian.
I've already adapted to this world.
"Can we defeat the guardian with just the five of us?"
"We'll have to try."
Although it sounds reckless, it's not entirely without basis.
First of all, the mace warrior survived.
Our strength has increased to six people.
And there are other useful items among the loot, like the Guardian Corps Insignia I obtained this time.
And most importantly, if my prediction is correct, we'll have one more mage.
"Then we just have to find the Doppelganger."
"Yes. It will take a while for the Stone of Truth to appear, and we agreed not to cooperate, so I think we can just kill them all. They'll be released once they're offered to the altar, right?"
"Deactivate the Voice Control spell."
I have Raven deactivate the team voice magic and then approach the prisoners.
A silence filled with a strange mix of hope and anxiety.
"......"
Their questioning gazes, filled with both hope and fear, are focused on me.
Well, they should know, right?
That the meeting is over and a decision has been made.
There's no need for long words.
"It won't hurt."
Probably.
"Ugh, ugghh! Ugghh!!"
The prisoners, who were waiting for me to open my mouth, start struggling and shouting.
Like flickering candles longing for life.
I swing my mace without hesitation.
First, the priest of Karui at the very end.
Kwagic!
Then the sorcerer.
Kwagic!
Hans G.
Kwagic!
And lastly, the fairy archer.
I smash their heads with enough force to kill them instantly, even if they're possessed by a Doppelganger.
Kwagic.
The whole process takes less than 5 seconds.
These people, who were struggling more fiercely than anyone else just a moment ago, are now silent.
Four corpses with their heads crushed, lying on the ground.
I only have one thought as I look at them.
It's a good thing I gagged them.
"Mr. Yandel! How could you just smash them like that?!"
Huh?
"Even if they're for monsters, they could break! What if they're damaged?!"
Ah...
But that's not what's important right now, is it?
"You're calm."
"Yes? What do you mean..."
"You're the only Doppelganger candidate left."
Nine people were immune to the verification magic.
And only Raven and I are still standing.
But I'm excluded since I used the Stone of Truth.
Did she finally realize the situation?
"Ah...!"
Raven shouts with wide eyes.
"It's not me! Why would I be a Doppelganger! No, this can't be...? There's some kind of mistake..."
Right, that's how it is.
"Raven is the Doppelganger. Everyone, step back!"
The three flinch and retreat at my shout.
"So, so you were the Doppelganger... I never even dreamed of it."
"Give me back Aruru!! She's human and a mage, but! She's still my precious companion!!"
The melee damage dealer duo is shocked.
And...
"I, I'm not... Believe me. I'll use the Stone of Truth tomorrow to prove it! Okay?"
"To make us waste the Stone of Truth even after everything is over, you're a cunning monster."
The bear-like man raises his crossbow and enters a wary state. Raven's expression turns into one that's about to cry.
"N, no..."
I can't believe she can make that kind of face.
"I, I'm really not!!!"
Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen her shout this loudly.
'This is... precious.'
It's not a common sight, so I feel a bit greedy...
...but if I push it any further, she might actually cry.
So I end the prank here.
"You're the only one left. But if it's not you, then who is it?"
"Th, that's...!"
"You were the one who said that the Doppelganger is released when the host dies, even if they're not offered to the altar, right?"
I subtly give her a hint while cornering her.
I judge that our mage will be able to figure out one possibility just from this.
"Ma, maybe!! Someone might still be alive!! Doppelgangers are good at pretending to be dead!"
It's the line I've been waiting for.
"Someone is alive..."
"Wh, where are you going?"
Raven shouts in confusion as I start walking.
Thud.
I stop.
It's the spot where Parteian, the mage who lost his shoulder to the dwarf, is lying.
I bend down and check his pulse.
"...Is, is he alive?"
"Be quiet."
His heart isn't beating.
And he's not breathing either.
Thump, thump.
I get up and kick the wound with my foot.
"......"
There's no reaction.
Hmm, is he enduring this much?
I take out a potion and pour it on him.
Sizzle.
The wound bubbles and heals.
"Kyaaaaaaaaak—!!"
Right, even you can't endure a potion.
The dwarf said that they would have a much bigger advantage if I weren't there.
Now that I see it, he wasn't entirely wrong.
Whoosh!
My body shoots through the air like a cannonball, resisting air resistance.
I can see the entire battlefield at a glance from up high.
"Just hold on until Mr. Yandel gets here!!"
Although no one is seriously injured or dead, my companions are struggling.
The burden on them has increased several times over since I, the wall, am gone.
Woongie has been unsummoned, while the undead summoned by the priest of Karui are swarming from all directions.
"Huh?"
That's when I make eye contact with Misha.
"Uh, uh?"
"Miss Kaltstein! Where are you looking... Huh?"
I also make eye contact with Raven.
Although we're quite far apart, I can tell from her gaping mouth that she's thinking,
Why is the barbarian flying?
To be precise, I'm not flying.
It's more accurate to say that I'm falling.
It's the Barbarian Meteor.
Kwaaang!
I land on both feet, tightening my core muscles to maintain balance, and a footprint that's more like a crater is carved deep into the ground.
And...
Crackle.
...I feel a tingling sensation in my legs.
If I hadn't invested in Bone Density, my bones might have shattered.
I check the surroundings with that thought.
Whoosh!
A ring of dust spreads out from the landing point.
It's an additional effect of Leap, which is used as a movement skill.
「Jumping Power is temporarily increased by 10 times, and a powerful shockwave is released upon landing.」
AoE damage to the surroundings.
Of course, the damage itself is negligible.
Why else would I classify it as a movement skill?
Except for the small area I crushed, it's safe to say that there's no widespread damage.
Swaaaaaaaa!
The undead army is blown away by the wind pressure.
The dwarf bastards are just flustered by the sudden intrusion, standing still despite being hit by the strong wind.
But...
「Character's total weight is over 500 kg.」
「The special terrain effect [Recoil] is additionally applied to the damage radius.」
Sorry, but I'm in [Gigantification] state.
Thud!
Just like how you hear thunder after seeing lightning...
...the ground shakes as soon as the wind pressure disappears, throwing everything that was standing on it into the air.
"Kyaak!"
"What the...!"
Hundreds of undead and the dwarf bastards are floating in the air.
The corners of my mouth curl up into a wide smile at the overwhelming sight.
'Fortunately, my weight worked.'
I was secretly worried.
Although my equipment is also affected by [Gigantification] thanks to [Unification], there are still many parts that I haven't equipped yet.
Well, even if that weren't the case, the biggest advantage of the [Leap] skill is something else.
「Threat level is temporarily greatly increased.」
The threat level bonus that's applied for a short time after landing.
This is significant for me.
It means I have another skill that can increase the fixed value of my threat level, on top of [Gigantification].
"Th, the fact that he's here means..."
"Ba, bald bastard! That guy... is he dead?!"
"You said you could hold out!!"
I shout, looking at the dwarf bastards whose morale seems to have already been broken by my appearance,
"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"
Because it's also the activation condition for [Wild Release].
「Character's threat level is temporarily tripled, and physical stats increase proportionally.」
Physical bonuses proportional to the threat level increase.
Right, this is it.
It feels like I've really become an ogre.
[Grrr!]
The summoned creatures, which are classified as monsters, start swarming towards me like crazy.
However, the intelligent ones are different.
"Re, retreat! Retreat!"
"Ru, run away!"
They abandon their formation and run away as if they've been afflicted with the 'Fear' status effect.
Hmm, is this just a rational judgment, not threat level?
Kwaaang! Kwaang! Whoosh! Thwack!
Giant mace and shield.
And my two legs, which have already become weapons, crush and deflect the undead summons as I chase after the dwarf bastards.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
I hear the footsteps of a giant monster with every step I take.
"Block him! Block him! You're the warrior!!"
"Crazy, how can I possibly block—"
The fairy archer, who was running away, stabs the beastman swordsman in the thigh with her dagger.
"Aak! You bitch...!"
The beastman swordsman rolls on the ground from the momentum.
"Uh, uh...?"
And then he ends up in my grasp.
My hand is big enough to hold a human head with room to spare.
"...Su, surrender. I surren—"
I slowly increase my grip.
But is it because of [Wild Release]?
He must have invested in Physical Resistance and such.
Kwagic!
It feels softer than a watermelon.
'Next.'
Although the insane vitality I felt from [Wild Release] disappears, it doesn't hinder my pursuit.
After all, the third chapter hasn't even ended yet.
We're trapped within a 500-meter radius barrier.
And I even have a movement skill now.
Kwaaang!
I use [Leap] to block their path, and the dwarf bastards throw down their weapons and surrender without hesitation.
They judged that it's better to just beg for mercy.
Well, they have a reason.
"Pl, please spare us. We'll do anything. You'll ne, need us to defeat the gu, guardian. Right?"
I'll have to think about this.
Anyway, I disarm them with the help of my companions who arrived later.
Then I guess I can deactivate [Gigantification] now.
"Bjorn! What the hell was that?! Me too! I want to do that too!!!"
Is it a barbarian's instinct?
Ainar's eyes are filled with greed after witnessing [Leap]. It's an incomparable greed compared to when she sees cotton candy.
I hide my smugness and promise,
"Huhu, I'll find something similar for you later."
"Really!! You promise!!"
"Yeah, I promise."
There's a skill similar to [Leap] in Ainar's build tree. It's a 3rd-grade essence, though, so it will take a few years to obtain.
Damn right, if you're a barbarian, you should at least be able to jump.
"Um, he, help me!"
Huh?
I hear those words while stripping the dwarf bastards of their equipment.
I turn my head and see a woman.
'Ah, she was alive too...'
The newbie Guide from Hans G's team.
So, her name was...
I'm too lazy to ask, so let's just call her Guide Girl.
"Potion! Please, lend me a potion. I already gave him what I had..."
I follow Guide Girl's gaze and see the mace warrior collapsed on the ground.
"Is he alive?"
"Ye, yes!"
Guide Girl nods enthusiastically, as if seeing a glimmer of hope.
I hesitate for a moment.
It's only natural to save him, but using a potion might be a waste.
In the end, I grab the priest of Karui.
"Hi, eek!"
Geez, he's easily scared.
Who said I was going to kill him?
I carry the priest to the mace warrior and put him down.
"Heal him."
"Ye, yes!"
Although he serves the evil god, a priest of Karui can also use ordinary divine power.
Well, if he couldn't, it would be impossible for him to maintain his disguise.
Swaaa.
The mace warrior's burns slowly disappear as divine power is imbued into his body.
His breathing has stabilized considerably.
"Thank you. Thank you. Truly..."
"More importantly, what happened to the mage?"
"He, he's dead."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. When I, I checked, his heart had already..."
"I see. We'll take care of him, so stay by his side until he wakes up. He must be confused."
"Okay, okay! Thank you...!"
When I return to where my companions are, the process of taking the dwarf bastards prisoner is complete, and they're all practically naked.
"...Where did you get the gags?"
"I brought them."
What? Why gags?
I ask out of pure curiosity, and I get an unexpected answer.
"I'm also interested in this field."
"Uh... I, I see?"
I'm genuinely flustered.
But this kind of reaction might hurt Raven's feelings.
"Right, that's also... not, not bad?"
I express my lack of objection to avoid any misunderstandings.
But what's this again?
"Not bad? Mr. Yandel, are you also interested in monster studies?"
"Monster studies?"
Raven also tilts her head as I tilt my head in confusion.
A hypothesis suddenly comes to mind.
"Don't tell me... those gags are for monsters?"
"Yes, but...? I was thinking of capturing one and studying it later when I had the chance. Wait, then who were you planning to use those on...?"
Raven trails off, her face turning red in an instant.
"...Don't come near me."
"How far?"
"1 meter."
"...Alright."
And so, our half-joking agreement to maintain distance is made, and I approach the prisoners.
And I remove Hans G's gag.
Because I have a question.
"I have something to ask."
"Yes? Ah, yes! An, anything!"
"How did the dwarf find out that you're an evil spirit?"
"...Yes?"
Hans G looks at me as if I asked a strange question. But he obediently answers without offending me.
And the truth is completely unexpected.
"Th, that guy is also a pl, player... No, I, I mean, an evil spirit."
The dwarf was also from Earth.
That's why he was able to figure out Hans G's identity just by his behavior.
"Tell me exactly what happened between you two."
I listen to the details of the situation.
It's not a long story, except for the fact that he keeps stuttering.
The dwarf used a magic tool to talk to Hans G during their watch. And he came out, talking about things that only someone from Earth would know.
Hans G, happy to meet a fellow countryman, admitted it.
But it was a trap.
The magic tool the dwarf used recorded their conversation.
Hans G, caught by his weakness, accepted the dwarf's threatening proposal to pull off a big heist after defeating the guardian.
For reference, there was also a carrot along with the stick.
He promised to split the loot fairly and even take him to Noark if things went wrong.
"I, I re, refused. Bu, but... Ugh, ugghh!"
I end the conversation and put the gag back in his mouth, as if expecting him to make pathetic excuses.
I've already found out everything I needed to know.
'What the hell, there are four players out of fifteen?'
The fairy archer, Hans G, the dwarf, and me.
Although it's ridiculous, I'm the final winner.
...Well, there's still the final battle left.
In that sense, I move on to the next topic.
I activate team voice magic and then...
"I want to hear your opinions."
"On what to do with these people?"
"Yeah."
It's not that I'm going to decide by majority vote.
If I make a decision, my teammates will all follow my lead.
But I want to hear their opinions first.
"They attacked us! We have to kill them!"
"Hmm, I don't know. If we can clear the rift on our own, then of course we should kill them... but..."
"Do you think they'll actually cooperate?"
Most of the opinions are similar.
That they're not trustworthy.
"There's a saying, 'An untrustworthy ally is more dangerous than an ogre'."
Even if we fight together, if we can't fight properly because we're worried about them betraying us, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
"Still, the Noark side is a bit better."
"Better?"
"As soon as we leave the rift, we won't see them again, right? If we promise to spare their lives, there's a chance they might try to side with us."
Raven's gaze turns towards the fairy archer and Hans G.
"But those two are different."
Evil spirits.
They're beings that feel even more sinister and unsettling than explorers from the underground city.
"That's right! The chieftain said so too! That we have to kill evil spirits on sight!"
"Yeah... I didn't know before, but after experiencing this today, I understand. Why people told us not to trust evil spirits..."
"They'll do anything to hide their identity. It's wise to eliminate them when we have the chance. The result of trusting an evil spirit is right there."
Every word feels like a dagger piercing my heart.
What if my teammates found out about my identity?
Would they look at me like that too?
"So, Mr. Yandel, what do you think?"
I dismiss the meaningless thought and tell them my conclusion.
"I think it's better to kill them now."
I never intended to spare them in the first place.
It was just a matter of whether to kill them now or after defeating the guardian.
I've already adapted to this world.
"Can we defeat the guardian with just the five of us?"
"We'll have to try."
Although it sounds reckless, it's not entirely without basis.
First of all, the mace warrior survived.
Our strength has increased to six people.
And there are other useful items among the loot, like the Guardian Corps Insignia I obtained this time.
And most importantly, if my prediction is correct, we'll have one more mage.
"Then we just have to find the Doppelganger."
"Yes. It will take a while for the Stone of Truth to appear, and we agreed not to cooperate, so I think we can just kill them all. They'll be released once they're offered to the altar, right?"
"Deactivate the Voice Control spell."
I have Raven deactivate the team voice magic and then approach the prisoners.
A silence filled with a strange mix of hope and anxiety.
"......"
Their questioning gazes, filled with both hope and fear, are focused on me.
Well, they should know, right?
That the meeting is over and a decision has been made.
There's no need for long words.
"It won't hurt."
Probably.
"Ugh, ugghh! Ugghh!!"
The prisoners, who were waiting for me to open my mouth, start struggling and shouting.
Like flickering candles longing for life.
I swing my mace without hesitation.
First, the priest of Karui at the very end.
Kwagic!
Then the sorcerer.
Kwagic!
Hans G.
Kwagic!
And lastly, the fairy archer.
I smash their heads with enough force to kill them instantly, even if they're possessed by a Doppelganger.
Kwagic.
The whole process takes less than 5 seconds.
These people, who were struggling more fiercely than anyone else just a moment ago, are now silent.
Four corpses with their heads crushed, lying on the ground.
I only have one thought as I look at them.
It's a good thing I gagged them.
"Mr. Yandel! How could you just smash them like that?!"
Huh?
"Even if they're for monsters, they could break! What if they're damaged?!"
Ah...
But that's not what's important right now, is it?
"You're calm."
"Yes? What do you mean..."
"You're the only Doppelganger candidate left."
Nine people were immune to the verification magic.
And only Raven and I are still standing.
But I'm excluded since I used the Stone of Truth.
Did she finally realize the situation?
"Ah...!"
Raven shouts with wide eyes.
"It's not me! Why would I be a Doppelganger! No, this can't be...? There's some kind of mistake..."
Right, that's how it is.
"Raven is the Doppelganger. Everyone, step back!"
The three flinch and retreat at my shout.
"So, so you were the Doppelganger... I never even dreamed of it."
"Give me back Aruru!! She's human and a mage, but! She's still my precious companion!!"
The melee damage dealer duo is shocked.
And...
"I, I'm not... Believe me. I'll use the Stone of Truth tomorrow to prove it! Okay?"
"To make us waste the Stone of Truth even after everything is over, you're a cunning monster."
The bear-like man raises his crossbow and enters a wary state. Raven's expression turns into one that's about to cry.
"N, no..."
I can't believe she can make that kind of face.
"I, I'm really not!!!"
Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen her shout this loudly.
'This is... precious.'
It's not a common sight, so I feel a bit greedy...
...but if I push it any further, she might actually cry.
So I end the prank here.
"You're the only one left. But if it's not you, then who is it?"
"Th, that's...!"
"You were the one who said that the Doppelganger is released when the host dies, even if they're not offered to the altar, right?"
I subtly give her a hint while cornering her.
I judge that our mage will be able to figure out one possibility just from this.
"Ma, maybe!! Someone might still be alive!! Doppelgangers are good at pretending to be dead!"
It's the line I've been waiting for.
"Someone is alive..."
"Wh, where are you going?"
Raven shouts in confusion as I start walking.
Thud.
I stop.
It's the spot where Parteian, the mage who lost his shoulder to the dwarf, is lying.
I bend down and check his pulse.
"...Is, is he alive?"
"Be quiet."
His heart isn't beating.
And he's not breathing either.
Thump, thump.
I get up and kick the wound with my foot.
"......"
There's no reaction.
Hmm, is he enduring this much?
I take out a potion and pour it on him.
Sizzle.
The wound bubbles and heals.
"Kyaaaaaaaaak—!!"
Right, even you can't endure a potion.
Thanks for the chapter
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