SGB: Episode 39
Episode 39: Guild (4)
“Master, what do you mean? You want me to go to the guild all of a sudden?”
“Didn’t I tell you that I have someone to find and I need to go there?”
“That’s true, but…”
Arrua Raven, a 6th-grade mage belonging to the Magic Tower, makes a sullen expression and trails off.
She does have business at the guild, but…
She was planning to rest for a while and then do some preliminary research on ‘that thing’ she acquired.
“The branch manager made an official request for assistance. I heard there was some kind of major incident there, so it should be a decent way to earn some pocket money, wouldn’t you say?”
“…Alright, I’ll go.”
Raven reluctantly agrees.
The guild is a place she had to visit eventually anyway.
And if she goes now, she can even get some monetary compensation, so there’s no reason to put it off just because she’s feeling lazy.
‘I also spent a lot of money in the labyrinth this time…’
Besides, it wouldn’t be bad to meet that barbarian a bit earlier.
The unprecedented variant rift.
He was the one who absorbed the essence of the guardian that appeared there.
He’s a specimen as interesting as ‘that thing’.
“Then I’ll be off.”
“Ah, take Tarjin with you.”
“No need. That guy is useless.”
Raven uses the warp gate on the 1st floor of the Magic Tower to move to the closest location to the branch.
It’s about a 10-minute walk to her destination.
As she steps out onto the main street, she frowns.
“Why are there so many people?”
There seem to be several times more people than usual.
And the closer she gets to her destination, the more crowded it becomes, making it difficult to even take a step.
It’s as if some major incident has happened here.
‘Come to think of it, the branch manager said he made an official request for assistance, right?’
Raven lets out a long sigh.
She was just planning to earn some pocket money, but she has a feeling that she might have to work just as hard.
“Excuse me, could I ask you something? What exactly is going on here?”
Raven grabs a male onlooker who seems easygoing and asks.
And she hears something that makes her doubt her ears.
“There was a mass escape of marauders who were imprisoned at the branch.”
It’s an unprecedented incident.
Not only did a prison break occur, but some of them even managed to escape into the city…
And one of the ringleaders has taken the regional manager’s daughter, who happened to be visiting the branch, hostage.
“He must be brainless. It’s not like the guild will negotiate with him.”
Negotiation or whatever, the guild doesn’t even have the authority.
Although the Lafdonia royal family delegated a significant portion of labyrinth-related authority to the guild, they strictly maintained the principle of executing marauders.
If he had just escaped like the other prisoners, he might have had a slightly higher chance of survival.
“But things have taken an interesting turn.”
“What do you mean?”
“The guy who’s causing the hostage situation is claiming that he was falsely accused.”
“Falsely accused?”
“That’s right. He says all he wants is to gather those involved in the incident, reveal the truth fairly in front of everyone using magic, and clear his name.”
It’s not like he’s asking for immunity or anything.
The hostage-taker is only demanding ‘truth and justice’.
Because of this, suspicions are even spreading among the onlookers that his claims might be true.
‘What kind of crazy bastard is this?’
Of course, if that story is true, the root cause would lie with the investigator who mishandled the case.
But even so, causing a mass escape and taking the regional manager’s daughter hostage in the process?
It’s definitely something no sane person would do.
“Anyway, that’s why everyone is waiting. The branch manager requested assistance from the Magic Tower, but geez, I wonder when they’ll arrive, tsk.”
Raven smiles awkwardly at the onlooker who clicks his tongue.
Now she understands for sure.
That mage is her.
Raven lets out a big sigh and chants a spell.
“Batuna Kor Vier.”
A blue light emanates from beneath her feet, and her body starts to float into the air.
“Ah, miss! Are you a mage?”
Raven lands on the 3rd-floor terrace of the Explorer’s Guild branch, passing over the crowd.
And she freezes as she spots a man.
“Bjorn… Yandel?”
Why is this man here?
_______________________________________
Perhaps because the regional manager’s daughter is being held hostage?
Everything is being handled swiftly.
“This is Koldo Bierman, whom you requested. He was unconscious downstairs, just as you said.”
“Thank you. You may go.”
The first to arrive is the interrogator bastard.
For your information, he’s still unconscious.
It’s not aesthetically pleasing, so I shove him into the closet.
After a short wait, the second delivery arrives.
“Wai, wait! Even if you’re the guild, can you really be this forceful?”
This man in his twenties, walking with an awkward gait, is the explorer ‘Hatsu Young’.
The idiot who tried to do something to Erwen and ended up losing his manhood.
“Thank you for handling it quietly. You may leave now.”
“Yes.”
“Br, Branch Manager? Wh, why am I…”
As soon as the employee’s footsteps fade as he descends the stairs…
I jump out from behind the door and punch the bastard in the face.
Thwack-!
One punch isn’t enough to satisfy my anger.
If the investigator is the number one contributor to this mess, this guy is the second.
If it weren’t for this bastard’s false testimony, the investigator wouldn’t have had any grounds to sentence me to death.
“Aak! Wh, what are you doing! Who are you—!”
“Shut up and take it.”
One, two, three…
As I land punches on his face one after another, Hatsu Young soon faints, foaming at the mouth.
Once again, it’s not aesthetically pleasing, so I shove him into the closet.
It’s a bit cramped thanks to the fatass investigator, but it should be fine.
They look good together.
As I’m admiring the sight, the branch manager cautiously speaks up.
“…What exactly do you want?”
Ah, I haven’t told him yet.
But there’s no need to say it twice.
He’ll find out whether he likes it or not once the next ingredients arrive.
With that thought in mind, I stay silent.
However…
“Branch Manager! I’m afraid it will be difficult to bring a priest.”
The priest, the key card in this whole thing, is missing.
The reason is that the official priest assigned to this branch is currently absent.
Calling another priest is also impossible.
Even though this is the Explorer’s Guild, they can’t just summon a priest who serves a god like a neighborhood friend.
‘Even with the branch manager’s request, it will take at least a day.’
In this world, priests are like nobles.
Not in terms of status, but in terms of their behavior.
My mouth suddenly feels bitter.
‘Nothing is going smoothly.’
I wanted to handle things quietly if possible.
If the branch manager heard that, he would have shouted, ‘What the hell are you talking about after causing this mess?’, but…
The prison break can be explained away as an ‘accident’.
But what about the guild sentencing an innocent 9th-grade explorer to death?
If this gets out, the Explorer’s Guild’s reputation will be dragged through the mud.
‘After all, they claim to be an organization that protects explorers.’
That’s why I requested a priest.
If I can prove my innocence in front of a priest, I can handle things relatively quietly.
And the Explorer’s Guild wouldn’t dare to cover it up either.
But there’s a snag in the plan right from the start.
“Thank you for letting me know. You may leave.”
“Yes! Have a good day, Branch Manager!”
I listen to the employee’s footsteps fading away and make a quick decision.
‘If I can’t get a priest to notarize it…’
…I have no choice but to make things even bigger.
That’s the only way to prevent the Explorer’s Guild from killing me to silence me.
Among the various methods that come to mind, I choose the most drastic and effective one.
“Kyaaaak!”
“Wh, what are you doing!”
I hold the regional manager’s daughter hostage with a sword to her neck and step out onto the terrace. I see people gathered on the main street.
They seem to be onlookers who have gathered because of the prison break incident earlier.
“Up there! There’s a suspicious person up there!!”
One of them spots me and shouts.
All eyes are on me in an instant.
“Ahem.”
I clear my throat once and shout using my natural barbarian voice.
“My name is Bjorn Yandel! I’m a 9th-grade explorer who was falsely accused and sentenced to death by the guild! I swear to God, I’m innocent!”
The reaction is immediate.
“Who the hell is that guy?”
“Is he an escapee?”
It doesn’t matter whether they believe me or not.
I’ve thrown the bait, so more people will gather out of curiosity.
Even the Explorer’s Guild can’t just bury an incident that’s being watched in real-time by so many people.
Now all I have to do is hold out until the mage arrives.
Instead of a shield, which has turned into scrap metal and disappeared…
“Eugh, eugh!”
…I’ll make good use of the regional manager’s daughter shield.
____________________________________________
The prison break incident happened some time ago.
“What? Why is Mr. Yandel here?”
“I can’t believe the mage sent from the Magic Tower is you.”
Koldo Bierman opens his eyes, hearing the conversation between two unidentified people.
The surroundings are dark, and his body won’t move.
‘What is this? Am I trapped? Why?’
Pushing aside the throbbing headache, he retraces his memories. Several scenes come to mind.
The prisoners escaping from the prison and running amok.
Himself fleeing and locking the door of the interrogation room.
And that barbarian who smashed through the door and punched him in the face!
‘Uh, but what happened after that?’
He doesn’t know.
He has no clue.
So he focuses on his hearing.
“Since you heard about the situation outside, I guess we can skip the explanations.”
“Skip the explanations my ass! What the hell were you thinking! Do you think Mr. Yandel has nine lives?”
“If he did, he wouldn’t be doing this.”
Mr. Yandel?
What? Is that barbarian outside?
“Anyway, just cast the spell.”
“Only if you promise to do me a favor later.”
“Whatever it is, as long as it’s within my capabilities.”
“Alright, you promised. Dertei Narbas! Uh, uh…? Why isn’t it working? Mr. Yandel, do you have any magic tools that block mental magic?”
“Don’t you think you would know just by looking at my state that I don’t have anything like that? Whew, I guess we have no choice but to wake these guys up. Can you also use the ‘Memory Projection’ spell?”
“Yes. I just need to record everything from now on, right?”
His confusion only grows as he listens to their conversation.
“Ack! Aaaak!”
Suddenly, the space expands, and his center of gravity shifts downwards. As he falls with a thud, he hurriedly raises his head.
He’s in the 3rd-floor branch manager’s office, a place he hasn’t visited often.
“What the, you were already awake?”
Four people are looking at him.
The barbarian and the branch manager.
A woman who seems to be a mage, and a woman of seemingly noble status.
He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he shouts anyway.
“Br, Branch Manager! It’s him! He’s the one who led the prison break!”
“I already know that.”
“Ye, yes…?”
His mind goes blank for a moment.
He doesn’t understand at all.
If they know this guy committed such an outrageous crime, why are they just watching?
“I heard you were in charge of this man’s investigation. Is that true?”
“Th, that’s right, but…?”
Only then does he feel the heavy atmosphere in the room.
He’s learned to be perceptive from his work as an investigator, so he can tell.
The atmosphere in this place is not favorable towards him.
“This barbarian… no, Mr. Yandel here claims that you labeled him as a marauder based on unreliable information. What do you think about that?”
“That’s preposterous!”
“Make sure those words are true. It won’t end with just you getting fired.”
“Wh, what do you mean! He’s just a 9th-grade explorer!”
“Watch your mouth! How can an employee working for the guild say such a thing, regardless of his rank!!”
“Ye, yes?”
Bierman is completely dumbfounded by the thunderous reprimand.
Why is the person who used to look down on low-ranking explorers the most suddenly acting like this?
As if he’s conscious of public perception or something.
‘Ah! Come to think of it, they mentioned the ‘Memory Projection’ spell earlier!’
It seems like the conversation we’re having is being recorded on the crystal ball held by the mage.
“Ahem! As we are judging right from wrong, the guild’s actions must be prudent and flawless. Tell me the basis for your judgment.”
His mind becomes clear, and he recites the details of the investigation as instructed by the branch manager.
He has a feeling that this is the only way to survive.
“Fi, firstly, it was the magic stones. He presented an amount of magic stones far exceeding the average income of a 9th-grade explorer at the checkpoint, and when we checked his backpack out of suspicion, we found equipment that seemed to have been stolen.”
“And then?”
“We were unable to confirm the truth of this matter. Because magic didn’t work on him.”
“Then what was the basis for your final judgment that Mr. Yandel is a marauder?”
“It was because of a separate incident. We found a message stone among his belongings. By tracking the original owner’s whereabouts, we were able to obtain testimony from a member of the same clan that Bjorn Yandel murdered an innocent person and stole their belongings.”
As he explains the details of the investigation, his voice gradually gains confidence.
He doesn’t understand why the branch manager is reprimanding him, but there must be some kind of mistake.
“Branch Manager, there’s nothing wrong with my judgment. If you doubt that I’m telling the truth, you can verify it with magic.”
“I’m already doing that. Everything you’ve said so far is true.”
The mage, who had been watching silently, nods.
But at that moment, the barbarian scoffs as if he doesn’t know his place.
“It was just the testimony of a member of the same clan. It’s useless since it wasn’t verified with magic.”
“Is what Mr. Yandel said true?”
“Th, th, that’s true, but…”
“Why didn’t you confirm that part?”
The branch manager’s voice, which had become cold again at some point.
He does have something to say.
“First of all, this barbarian’s constitution is the problem! As if he knew that magic wouldn’t work on him, he kept making uncooperative and false statements!”
“False statements? What do you mean?”
Bierman answers confidently.
“He once said he survived after getting stabbed in the neck. But there were no traces, so when I questioned him, you know what he said? Oh my, what a joke! He said the scar disappeared because he absorbed the essence of a vampire in a rift?”
“He absorbed the essence of a vampire?”
“Yes! Branch Manager! Does that even make sense? A vampire appearing in a 1st-floor rift?”
From start to finish, this barbarian has been talking nonsense.
“Making up new lies to cover up previous lies. It’s the most common pattern of statements from criminals. How can we make the esteemed mages go through unnecessary trouble just by listening to this guy’s words?”
Of course, there were times when he had doubts, wondering if his claims might be true after his repeated assertions of innocence.
But he thought it wouldn’t matter much.
After all, what would happen even if an innocent barbarian who just became an adult were to die unjustly?
‘…And besides, if I call a mage, the amount of money I can pocket will decrease.’
But it’s a blessing in disguise.
A vampire on the 1st floor, of all things?
Once it’s confirmed that he made such an absurd statement, he’ll be able to convince everyone of his judgment.
‘He should have come up with a better lie if he was going to lie!’
He looks at the barbarian with a triumphant expression.
But it’s only for a moment.
“That’s true, though?”
His thoughts stop at the words the mage casually throws out.
“…Yes?”
“Ha, I was there… What should I do? I can’t even use magic on myself.”
What the hell is this mage talking about?
“Master, what do you mean? You want me to go to the guild all of a sudden?”
“Didn’t I tell you that I have someone to find and I need to go there?”
“That’s true, but…”
Arrua Raven, a 6th-grade mage belonging to the Magic Tower, makes a sullen expression and trails off.
She does have business at the guild, but…
She was planning to rest for a while and then do some preliminary research on ‘that thing’ she acquired.
“The branch manager made an official request for assistance. I heard there was some kind of major incident there, so it should be a decent way to earn some pocket money, wouldn’t you say?”
“…Alright, I’ll go.”
Raven reluctantly agrees.
The guild is a place she had to visit eventually anyway.
And if she goes now, she can even get some monetary compensation, so there’s no reason to put it off just because she’s feeling lazy.
‘I also spent a lot of money in the labyrinth this time…’
Besides, it wouldn’t be bad to meet that barbarian a bit earlier.
The unprecedented variant rift.
He was the one who absorbed the essence of the guardian that appeared there.
He’s a specimen as interesting as ‘that thing’.
“Then I’ll be off.”
“Ah, take Tarjin with you.”
“No need. That guy is useless.”
Raven uses the warp gate on the 1st floor of the Magic Tower to move to the closest location to the branch.
It’s about a 10-minute walk to her destination.
As she steps out onto the main street, she frowns.
“Why are there so many people?”
There seem to be several times more people than usual.
And the closer she gets to her destination, the more crowded it becomes, making it difficult to even take a step.
It’s as if some major incident has happened here.
‘Come to think of it, the branch manager said he made an official request for assistance, right?’
Raven lets out a long sigh.
She was just planning to earn some pocket money, but she has a feeling that she might have to work just as hard.
“Excuse me, could I ask you something? What exactly is going on here?”
Raven grabs a male onlooker who seems easygoing and asks.
And she hears something that makes her doubt her ears.
“There was a mass escape of marauders who were imprisoned at the branch.”
It’s an unprecedented incident.
Not only did a prison break occur, but some of them even managed to escape into the city…
And one of the ringleaders has taken the regional manager’s daughter, who happened to be visiting the branch, hostage.
“He must be brainless. It’s not like the guild will negotiate with him.”
Negotiation or whatever, the guild doesn’t even have the authority.
Although the Lafdonia royal family delegated a significant portion of labyrinth-related authority to the guild, they strictly maintained the principle of executing marauders.
If he had just escaped like the other prisoners, he might have had a slightly higher chance of survival.
“But things have taken an interesting turn.”
“What do you mean?”
“The guy who’s causing the hostage situation is claiming that he was falsely accused.”
“Falsely accused?”
“That’s right. He says all he wants is to gather those involved in the incident, reveal the truth fairly in front of everyone using magic, and clear his name.”
It’s not like he’s asking for immunity or anything.
The hostage-taker is only demanding ‘truth and justice’.
Because of this, suspicions are even spreading among the onlookers that his claims might be true.
‘What kind of crazy bastard is this?’
Of course, if that story is true, the root cause would lie with the investigator who mishandled the case.
But even so, causing a mass escape and taking the regional manager’s daughter hostage in the process?
It’s definitely something no sane person would do.
“Anyway, that’s why everyone is waiting. The branch manager requested assistance from the Magic Tower, but geez, I wonder when they’ll arrive, tsk.”
Raven smiles awkwardly at the onlooker who clicks his tongue.
Now she understands for sure.
That mage is her.
Raven lets out a big sigh and chants a spell.
“Batuna Kor Vier.”
A blue light emanates from beneath her feet, and her body starts to float into the air.
“Ah, miss! Are you a mage?”
Raven lands on the 3rd-floor terrace of the Explorer’s Guild branch, passing over the crowd.
And she freezes as she spots a man.
“Bjorn… Yandel?”
Why is this man here?
_______________________________________
Perhaps because the regional manager’s daughter is being held hostage?
Everything is being handled swiftly.
“This is Koldo Bierman, whom you requested. He was unconscious downstairs, just as you said.”
“Thank you. You may go.”
The first to arrive is the interrogator bastard.
For your information, he’s still unconscious.
It’s not aesthetically pleasing, so I shove him into the closet.
After a short wait, the second delivery arrives.
“Wai, wait! Even if you’re the guild, can you really be this forceful?”
This man in his twenties, walking with an awkward gait, is the explorer ‘Hatsu Young’.
The idiot who tried to do something to Erwen and ended up losing his manhood.
“Thank you for handling it quietly. You may leave now.”
“Yes.”
“Br, Branch Manager? Wh, why am I…”
As soon as the employee’s footsteps fade as he descends the stairs…
I jump out from behind the door and punch the bastard in the face.
Thwack-!
One punch isn’t enough to satisfy my anger.
If the investigator is the number one contributor to this mess, this guy is the second.
If it weren’t for this bastard’s false testimony, the investigator wouldn’t have had any grounds to sentence me to death.
“Aak! Wh, what are you doing! Who are you—!”
“Shut up and take it.”
One, two, three…
As I land punches on his face one after another, Hatsu Young soon faints, foaming at the mouth.
Once again, it’s not aesthetically pleasing, so I shove him into the closet.
It’s a bit cramped thanks to the fatass investigator, but it should be fine.
They look good together.
As I’m admiring the sight, the branch manager cautiously speaks up.
“…What exactly do you want?”
Ah, I haven’t told him yet.
But there’s no need to say it twice.
He’ll find out whether he likes it or not once the next ingredients arrive.
With that thought in mind, I stay silent.
However…
“Branch Manager! I’m afraid it will be difficult to bring a priest.”
The priest, the key card in this whole thing, is missing.
The reason is that the official priest assigned to this branch is currently absent.
Calling another priest is also impossible.
Even though this is the Explorer’s Guild, they can’t just summon a priest who serves a god like a neighborhood friend.
‘Even with the branch manager’s request, it will take at least a day.’
In this world, priests are like nobles.
Not in terms of status, but in terms of their behavior.
My mouth suddenly feels bitter.
‘Nothing is going smoothly.’
I wanted to handle things quietly if possible.
If the branch manager heard that, he would have shouted, ‘What the hell are you talking about after causing this mess?’, but…
The prison break can be explained away as an ‘accident’.
But what about the guild sentencing an innocent 9th-grade explorer to death?
If this gets out, the Explorer’s Guild’s reputation will be dragged through the mud.
‘After all, they claim to be an organization that protects explorers.’
That’s why I requested a priest.
If I can prove my innocence in front of a priest, I can handle things relatively quietly.
And the Explorer’s Guild wouldn’t dare to cover it up either.
But there’s a snag in the plan right from the start.
“Thank you for letting me know. You may leave.”
“Yes! Have a good day, Branch Manager!”
I listen to the employee’s footsteps fading away and make a quick decision.
‘If I can’t get a priest to notarize it…’
…I have no choice but to make things even bigger.
That’s the only way to prevent the Explorer’s Guild from killing me to silence me.
Among the various methods that come to mind, I choose the most drastic and effective one.
“Kyaaaak!”
“Wh, what are you doing!”
I hold the regional manager’s daughter hostage with a sword to her neck and step out onto the terrace. I see people gathered on the main street.
They seem to be onlookers who have gathered because of the prison break incident earlier.
“Up there! There’s a suspicious person up there!!”
One of them spots me and shouts.
All eyes are on me in an instant.
“Ahem.”
I clear my throat once and shout using my natural barbarian voice.
“My name is Bjorn Yandel! I’m a 9th-grade explorer who was falsely accused and sentenced to death by the guild! I swear to God, I’m innocent!”
The reaction is immediate.
“Who the hell is that guy?”
“Is he an escapee?”
It doesn’t matter whether they believe me or not.
I’ve thrown the bait, so more people will gather out of curiosity.
Even the Explorer’s Guild can’t just bury an incident that’s being watched in real-time by so many people.
Now all I have to do is hold out until the mage arrives.
Instead of a shield, which has turned into scrap metal and disappeared…
“Eugh, eugh!”
…I’ll make good use of the regional manager’s daughter shield.
____________________________________________
The prison break incident happened some time ago.
“What? Why is Mr. Yandel here?”
“I can’t believe the mage sent from the Magic Tower is you.”
Koldo Bierman opens his eyes, hearing the conversation between two unidentified people.
The surroundings are dark, and his body won’t move.
‘What is this? Am I trapped? Why?’
Pushing aside the throbbing headache, he retraces his memories. Several scenes come to mind.
The prisoners escaping from the prison and running amok.
Himself fleeing and locking the door of the interrogation room.
And that barbarian who smashed through the door and punched him in the face!
‘Uh, but what happened after that?’
He doesn’t know.
He has no clue.
So he focuses on his hearing.
“Since you heard about the situation outside, I guess we can skip the explanations.”
“Skip the explanations my ass! What the hell were you thinking! Do you think Mr. Yandel has nine lives?”
“If he did, he wouldn’t be doing this.”
Mr. Yandel?
What? Is that barbarian outside?
“Anyway, just cast the spell.”
“Only if you promise to do me a favor later.”
“Whatever it is, as long as it’s within my capabilities.”
“Alright, you promised. Dertei Narbas! Uh, uh…? Why isn’t it working? Mr. Yandel, do you have any magic tools that block mental magic?”
“Don’t you think you would know just by looking at my state that I don’t have anything like that? Whew, I guess we have no choice but to wake these guys up. Can you also use the ‘Memory Projection’ spell?”
“Yes. I just need to record everything from now on, right?”
His confusion only grows as he listens to their conversation.
“Ack! Aaaak!”
Suddenly, the space expands, and his center of gravity shifts downwards. As he falls with a thud, he hurriedly raises his head.
He’s in the 3rd-floor branch manager’s office, a place he hasn’t visited often.
“What the, you were already awake?”
Four people are looking at him.
The barbarian and the branch manager.
A woman who seems to be a mage, and a woman of seemingly noble status.
He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he shouts anyway.
“Br, Branch Manager! It’s him! He’s the one who led the prison break!”
“I already know that.”
“Ye, yes…?”
His mind goes blank for a moment.
He doesn’t understand at all.
If they know this guy committed such an outrageous crime, why are they just watching?
“I heard you were in charge of this man’s investigation. Is that true?”
“Th, that’s right, but…?”
Only then does he feel the heavy atmosphere in the room.
He’s learned to be perceptive from his work as an investigator, so he can tell.
The atmosphere in this place is not favorable towards him.
“This barbarian… no, Mr. Yandel here claims that you labeled him as a marauder based on unreliable information. What do you think about that?”
“That’s preposterous!”
“Make sure those words are true. It won’t end with just you getting fired.”
“Wh, what do you mean! He’s just a 9th-grade explorer!”
“Watch your mouth! How can an employee working for the guild say such a thing, regardless of his rank!!”
“Ye, yes?”
Bierman is completely dumbfounded by the thunderous reprimand.
Why is the person who used to look down on low-ranking explorers the most suddenly acting like this?
As if he’s conscious of public perception or something.
‘Ah! Come to think of it, they mentioned the ‘Memory Projection’ spell earlier!’
It seems like the conversation we’re having is being recorded on the crystal ball held by the mage.
“Ahem! As we are judging right from wrong, the guild’s actions must be prudent and flawless. Tell me the basis for your judgment.”
His mind becomes clear, and he recites the details of the investigation as instructed by the branch manager.
He has a feeling that this is the only way to survive.
“Fi, firstly, it was the magic stones. He presented an amount of magic stones far exceeding the average income of a 9th-grade explorer at the checkpoint, and when we checked his backpack out of suspicion, we found equipment that seemed to have been stolen.”
“And then?”
“We were unable to confirm the truth of this matter. Because magic didn’t work on him.”
“Then what was the basis for your final judgment that Mr. Yandel is a marauder?”
“It was because of a separate incident. We found a message stone among his belongings. By tracking the original owner’s whereabouts, we were able to obtain testimony from a member of the same clan that Bjorn Yandel murdered an innocent person and stole their belongings.”
As he explains the details of the investigation, his voice gradually gains confidence.
He doesn’t understand why the branch manager is reprimanding him, but there must be some kind of mistake.
“Branch Manager, there’s nothing wrong with my judgment. If you doubt that I’m telling the truth, you can verify it with magic.”
“I’m already doing that. Everything you’ve said so far is true.”
The mage, who had been watching silently, nods.
But at that moment, the barbarian scoffs as if he doesn’t know his place.
“It was just the testimony of a member of the same clan. It’s useless since it wasn’t verified with magic.”
“Is what Mr. Yandel said true?”
“Th, th, that’s true, but…”
“Why didn’t you confirm that part?”
The branch manager’s voice, which had become cold again at some point.
He does have something to say.
“First of all, this barbarian’s constitution is the problem! As if he knew that magic wouldn’t work on him, he kept making uncooperative and false statements!”
“False statements? What do you mean?”
Bierman answers confidently.
“He once said he survived after getting stabbed in the neck. But there were no traces, so when I questioned him, you know what he said? Oh my, what a joke! He said the scar disappeared because he absorbed the essence of a vampire in a rift?”
“He absorbed the essence of a vampire?”
“Yes! Branch Manager! Does that even make sense? A vampire appearing in a 1st-floor rift?”
From start to finish, this barbarian has been talking nonsense.
“Making up new lies to cover up previous lies. It’s the most common pattern of statements from criminals. How can we make the esteemed mages go through unnecessary trouble just by listening to this guy’s words?”
Of course, there were times when he had doubts, wondering if his claims might be true after his repeated assertions of innocence.
But he thought it wouldn’t matter much.
After all, what would happen even if an innocent barbarian who just became an adult were to die unjustly?
‘…And besides, if I call a mage, the amount of money I can pocket will decrease.’
But it’s a blessing in disguise.
A vampire on the 1st floor, of all things?
Once it’s confirmed that he made such an absurd statement, he’ll be able to convince everyone of his judgment.
‘He should have come up with a better lie if he was going to lie!’
He looks at the barbarian with a triumphant expression.
But it’s only for a moment.
“That’s true, though?”
His thoughts stop at the words the mage casually throws out.
“…Yes?”
“Ha, I was there… What should I do? I can’t even use magic on myself.”
What the hell is this mage talking about?
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