SGB: Episode 49
Episode 49: Companions (3)
A shiny appearance and beautiful blonde hair.
A height of around 165 centimeters and a skinny physique.
An 8th-grade mage who can handle daily life and administrative magic, a few curse-type spells, and ice magic.
Liol Wobu Dwarkey.
The more I talk to him, the more he reeks of being a fraud.
‘Damn, is he not even a real mage?’
I suddenly have that suspicion and check a few things, but surprisingly, he really is a mage.
And come to think of it, he didn’t lie either.
He only said that his uncle-in-law is the third younger brother of the baroness, he didn’t say he was a noble.
Well, he knows where the line is.
Impersonating a noble is a serious crime that warrants immediate execution without any excuses.
“So how is it? Did I pass?”
After much deliberation, I decide to add him to the team.
“…You’re our companion from now on.”
“Haha! That’s great, since it’s my first time, I wanted to join a team with as many warriors as possible.”
His personality is full of bravado and boasting.
And he has no experience with labyrinth exploration yet.
These two aspects are downsides, but…
He’s still a mage, isn’t he?
He doesn’t ask for a bigger share of the loot, and he says he’ll follow orders in the labyrinth, so I think I can control him well enough.
‘There’s always a reason why cheap things are cheap.’
Besides, once it becomes known that there’s a mage in the team, the specs of the applicants will surely improve even further.
After all, the application forms don’t reveal things like the mage’s personality, right?
“I’ll contact you again once we find the rest of our companions.”
“Alright, see you then.”
After Dwarkey leaves, the dwarf, who had been frozen stiff throughout the conversation, lets out a long sigh.
“Isn’t he amazing? To be so humble even though he’s a mage, and a noble at that…”
I answer with sincerity,
“Hikurod, the one who’s truly amazing is you.”
It’s 100% sincere.
A shiny appearance and beautiful blonde hair.
A height of around 165 centimeters and a skinny physique.
An 8th-grade mage who can handle daily life and administrative magic, a few curse-type spells, and ice magic.
Liol Wobu Dwarkey.
The more I talk to him, the more he reeks of being a fraud.
‘Damn, is he not even a real mage?’
I suddenly have that suspicion and check a few things, but surprisingly, he really is a mage.
And come to think of it, he didn’t lie either.
He only said that his uncle-in-law is the third younger brother of the baroness, he didn’t say he was a noble.
Well, he knows where the line is.
Impersonating a noble is a serious crime that warrants immediate execution without any excuses.
“So how is it? Did I pass?”
After much deliberation, I decide to add him to the team.
“…You’re our companion from now on.”
“Haha! That’s great, since it’s my first time, I wanted to join a team with as many warriors as possible.”
His personality is full of bravado and boasting.
And he has no experience with labyrinth exploration yet.
These two aspects are downsides, but…
He’s still a mage, isn’t he?
He doesn’t ask for a bigger share of the loot, and he says he’ll follow orders in the labyrinth, so I think I can control him well enough.
‘There’s always a reason why cheap things are cheap.’
Besides, once it becomes known that there’s a mage in the team, the specs of the applicants will surely improve even further.
After all, the application forms don’t reveal things like the mage’s personality, right?
“I’ll contact you again once we find the rest of our companions.”
“Alright, see you then.”
After Dwarkey leaves, the dwarf, who had been frozen stiff throughout the conversation, lets out a long sigh.
“Isn’t he amazing? To be so humble even though he’s a mage, and a noble at that…”
I answer with sincerity,
“Hikurod, the one who’s truly amazing is you.”
It’s 100% sincere.
_____________________________________
My daily routine in the city afterwards is simple.
Except for visiting Raven’s research lab once a week, I wake up at 7:00 AM, grab a quick bite, and head straight to the library.
“Parsityev.”
“Then good luck.”
“…….”
It’s been almost two months since I started coming here every day, but I still haven’t had a proper conversation with this librarian.
Grrrumble!
I usually eat every 4 hours while reading, and by then, it’s closing time.
But today, I have an appointment, so I’ll pass.
Just as I’m about to leave a little earlier than closing time, the librarian unexpectedly speaks to me first.
“I have a question.”
“…What is it?”
“Why do you always wear armor when you come to the library?”
Ah, that’s what she was curious about.
I answer honestly.
“What if someone steals it while I leave it at the inn?”
“…If that’s the reason, then alright.”
As soon as I finish answering, the librarian closes her eyes as if our business is concluded.
“I thought she was completely indifferent to other people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case?”
When I add that, feeling a bit defeated, the librarian shows a faint hint of displeasure on her face.
“I’ve been receiving complaints from other users. They say they can’t focus on reading because of you.”
“…Is, is that so?”
“Yes. If you’re done here, would you please leave without causing any further disturbance?”
Disturbance?
It’s not like she’s not going to immediately fall asleep as soon as I leave.
I want to say something, but I don’t want to cause trouble and get banned from the library.
I leave the library as if fleeing and head to the meeting place.
It’s a little past 9:00 PM.
“Here! Bjorn! Why are you so late today!”
“Sorry, I couldn’t find you because you’re so small.”
“Hahaha! Your jokes have improved! Come sit down!”
I’ve been meeting the dwarf in the evenings for drinks more often.
About three or four times a week.
Of course, it’s not just for socializing, we always discuss the team when we meet.
“So how was the person you met this time?”
“He seems like a serious and reliable guy.”
No, not that.
I’m asking about his skills.
“Ah! Contrary to my worries, he wasn’t bad. He has a long history as an explorer, and I think he can definitely pull his weight in any situation.”
“I see.”
“…So, what do you think?”
I contemplate for a moment and nod, and the dwarf’s expression brightens up.
“Whew, that’s a relief. I was worried you might say no again. We don’t have much time left.”
I can feel the hardship of the dwarf, who has practically been a figurehead leader, in that sigh.
Well, he’s the one who’s been working the hardest.
Let’s praise him, praise him.
It doesn’t cost anything, right?
“You’ve worked hard, Hikurod. You’re a great leader. I made the right choice choosing you.”
“Hahaha! Is that so?”
“Of course. Where else can you find a leader who respects his team members’ opinions like you? Don’t lose your beginner’s spirit and keep doing what you’re doing. Then, unlike that idiot who kicked you out, you’ll become a great leader.”
“Haha! This friend, you’re really good at flattery? I was worried because it’s my first time in this role, but I’m glad you’re here!”
Suddenly, I feel my chest swell with emotion.
This dwarf once complained about my frequent interference. But he’s become such a great leader?
“In that sense, you’re buying the drinks today!”
“…Again? Didn’t I buy them last time?!”
“I repeat, a great leader shouldn’t be stingy in these matters!”
“Th, this isn’t about me being stingy…!”
It’s exactly one week until the labyrinth opens.
“Fine, I’ll buy them today! We finally have all our team members, what’s the big deal about some drinks?”
The team is finally complete.
My daily routine in the city afterwards is simple.
Except for visiting Raven’s research lab once a week, I wake up at 7:00 AM, grab a quick bite, and head straight to the library.
“Parsityev.”
“Then good luck.”
“…….”
It’s been almost two months since I started coming here every day, but I still haven’t had a proper conversation with this librarian.
Grrrumble!
I usually eat every 4 hours while reading, and by then, it’s closing time.
But today, I have an appointment, so I’ll pass.
Just as I’m about to leave a little earlier than closing time, the librarian unexpectedly speaks to me first.
“I have a question.”
“…What is it?”
“Why do you always wear armor when you come to the library?”
Ah, that’s what she was curious about.
I answer honestly.
“What if someone steals it while I leave it at the inn?”
“…If that’s the reason, then alright.”
As soon as I finish answering, the librarian closes her eyes as if our business is concluded.
“I thought she was completely indifferent to other people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case?”
When I add that, feeling a bit defeated, the librarian shows a faint hint of displeasure on her face.
“I’ve been receiving complaints from other users. They say they can’t focus on reading because of you.”
“…Is, is that so?”
“Yes. If you’re done here, would you please leave without causing any further disturbance?”
Disturbance?
It’s not like she’s not going to immediately fall asleep as soon as I leave.
I want to say something, but I don’t want to cause trouble and get banned from the library.
I leave the library as if fleeing and head to the meeting place.
It’s a little past 9:00 PM.
“Here! Bjorn! Why are you so late today!”
“Sorry, I couldn’t find you because you’re so small.”
“Hahaha! Your jokes have improved! Come sit down!”
I’ve been meeting the dwarf in the evenings for drinks more often.
About three or four times a week.
Of course, it’s not just for socializing, we always discuss the team when we meet.
“So how was the person you met this time?”
“He seems like a serious and reliable guy.”
No, not that.
I’m asking about his skills.
“Ah! Contrary to my worries, he wasn’t bad. He has a long history as an explorer, and I think he can definitely pull his weight in any situation.”
“I see.”
“…So, what do you think?”
I contemplate for a moment and nod, and the dwarf’s expression brightens up.
“Whew, that’s a relief. I was worried you might say no again. We don’t have much time left.”
I can feel the hardship of the dwarf, who has practically been a figurehead leader, in that sigh.
Well, he’s the one who’s been working the hardest.
Let’s praise him, praise him.
It doesn’t cost anything, right?
“You’ve worked hard, Hikurod. You’re a great leader. I made the right choice choosing you.”
“Hahaha! Is that so?”
“Of course. Where else can you find a leader who respects his team members’ opinions like you? Don’t lose your beginner’s spirit and keep doing what you’re doing. Then, unlike that idiot who kicked you out, you’ll become a great leader.”
“Haha! This friend, you’re really good at flattery? I was worried because it’s my first time in this role, but I’m glad you’re here!”
Suddenly, I feel my chest swell with emotion.
This dwarf once complained about my frequent interference. But he’s become such a great leader?
“In that sense, you’re buying the drinks today!”
“…Again? Didn’t I buy them last time?!”
“I repeat, a great leader shouldn’t be stingy in these matters!”
“Th, this isn’t about me being stingy…!”
It’s exactly one week until the labyrinth opens.
“Fine, I’ll buy them today! We finally have all our team members, what’s the big deal about some drinks?”
The team is finally complete.
___________________________________
The game and reality are different.
Just because the team is complete doesn’t mean we can just enter the labyrinth. There are separate things we need to take care of.
First, all the team members gather to get to know each other.
And like explorers who are obsessed with money, we have a round of debate about which floor we should go to, where the best hunting grounds are, and whether the loot distribution is fair.
And even after that, if there are no problems, we register as an official team with the guild, and finally, we practice our coordination every day and finalize our exploration plan.
‘It went by so quickly.’
The busiest week since I woke up in Bjorn Yandel’s body has passed.
And the long-awaited moment has arrived.
「Entered 1st Floor Crystal Cave.」
The 1st-floor Crystal Cave of the labyrinth, enveloped in a soft light of brilliant colors.
“Oh! So this is the labyrinth!”
Unlike the past when I was alone or with only one other person, there are now five people around me, including myself.
They are the new teammates who will be joining me on this journey.
Let me introduce them one by one…
“Rieit!”
“Ack! Fuck! My eyes!”
This blonde weakling who cast a blinding spell before my eyes could even adjust is Liol Wobu Dwarkey.
Dwarkey, for short.
“This bastard is crazy—”
Just as I’m about to say something in annoyance, the dwarf intervenes.
“Dwarkey, please conserve your mana.”
“Hmm, but it’s so dark?”
“This is considered quite bright for the labyrinth. If it’s too dark, just light a torch.”
“If that’s the case, then alright.”
It’s a change that has occurred over time.
The dwarf has also realized that Dwarkey is not a noble and has started to treat him casually.
And for some reason, they’ve become quite close.
Although the dwarf pretends otherwise, he tsunderely takes care of Dwarkey whenever he does something stupid.
“Why did you bring so much stuff when coming to the labyrinth? As expected of a newbie, give it to me, I’ll put it in my bag.”
“I won’t refuse your kind consideration.”
As the dwarf takes care of Dwarkey as usual, checking various things…
I hear a cheerful voice in a high-pitched tone.
“Leader, shouldn’t we get moving soon?”
Misha Kaltstein.
As you can see from the triangular ears on top of her head, she’s a beastman explorer.
She’s 25 years old, and this is her 5th year as an explorer.
With a height of around 170 centimeters, a slim and tall build, and a haughty expression, she gives off a cold aura, but…
“Stop messing around and let’s go. I want to smash some monster heads soon.”
She has a strange habit of slurring the endings of her words when she speaks.
She claims it’s a pronunciation issue that can’t be helped due to the beastman’s physical structure, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone with such poor pronunciation.
Ah, and there’s one more thing to mention about her.
“Haha! How can I refuse the princess’s orders!”
“Eek! I told you not to call me princess!”
“But you’re the daughter of the Red Cat tribe chieftain, how can I—”
“I’ll kill you! Dwarf!”
Misha Kaltstein is the princess of the Red Cat tribe, one of the five major tribes.
Was she the thirteenth or fifteenth child?
I don’t remember the exact order she was born in.
Anyway, there’s no need to give her special treatment or anything.
In the first place, she’s only a princess in comparison to human society, she’s not a real princess.
There’s someone else we should be more careful of.
“Murad, stop it. Even if it’s a joke, she clearly doesn’t like it.”
Braun Rotmiller.
He’s a human, 34 years old.
Although he’s 7th grade, he has a whopping 8 years of experience.
Even in the explorer industry where strength reigns supreme, he’s the most experienced among us.
That’s probably why the dwarf always backs down when he speaks.
“Ahem, I was a bit harsh, wasn’t I? I’ll be more careful from now on.”
“Serves you right, dwarf—”
“Miss Kaltstein, the same goes for you. No matter how angry you are, is it appropriate to call the leader names and threaten to kill him?”
“…I was wrong.”
Personally, I like him the most among the team members.
He’s practically the only normal one on this team.
Well, the downside is that it’s hard to treat him carelessly, unlike the other members.
“Murad, shall we set off before it gets any later?”
“Ah, please do.”
“From now on, everyone follow me closely.”
Just as we’re about to depart, Dwarkey speaks up.
“Wait, wouldn’t it be better for Bjorn or Hikurod to take the lead? They’re warriors, after all…”
“We’ll need their help from the 3rd floor onwards, but I’m fine on my own until then.”
Honestly, I don’t understand what he’s worried about.
Rotmiller is a professional scout.
And he has survived in the labyrinth for 8 years.
‘Although his explorer rank is low considering his experience…’
I actually value that aspect more.
He must have experienced almost everything in 8 years, and he’s still alive and well.
He did it not with brute strength, but by using his other strengths.
‘His serious and inflexible personality must be a result of that.’
Afterwards, under Rotmiller’s guidance, we smash the occasional monsters that appear and finally reach our destination.
The outermost part of the 1st floor, commonly known as the dark zone.
Despite running at full speed without getting lost, the portal has already been opened by another explorer.
“As expected, there was someone here first.”
“Don’t blame yourself. You did your best.”
“Murad, that’s no reason not to try harder. If you can’t feel frustration at your own shortcomings, then your life as an explorer is over.”
“Is, is that so?”
For reference, it took about 10 hours to get here.
Although I couldn’t say it in front of the enthusiastic Rotmiller, this is a very decent record for a regular exploration team. We’re not a running team that focuses on portal opening experience points.
Honestly, even I didn’t expect him to find the portal this easily.
‘His pathfinding is this good even though he’s not a guide…’
While I’m starting to think that it’s worth looking forward to his other abilities that I haven’t seen yet…
There’s also a slight feeling of regret.
‘If it were Ainar or Erwen, we could have gotten the opening experience points.’
The dimensional instability phenomenon.
The method that I called a ‘bug’ in short. It allows you to reliably gain experience points from opening portals.
However, it’s a method that can only be used if secrecy can be ensured through ‘promises’ or ‘oaths’.
‘Let’s save it for later… until I can form a truly reliable team. It’s not like I’m desperate for experience points right now.’
As I take a deep breath and shake off the remaining regret…
The dwarf shouts in a booming voice,
“Alright, then let’s go in!”
The dwarf steps into the portal first, and I follow right behind him.
‘I hope nothing happens this time…’
As expected, that’s too much to ask for, isn’t it?
「Entered 2nd Floor Beast’s Lair.」
The real journey begins.
The game and reality are different.
Just because the team is complete doesn’t mean we can just enter the labyrinth. There are separate things we need to take care of.
First, all the team members gather to get to know each other.
And like explorers who are obsessed with money, we have a round of debate about which floor we should go to, where the best hunting grounds are, and whether the loot distribution is fair.
And even after that, if there are no problems, we register as an official team with the guild, and finally, we practice our coordination every day and finalize our exploration plan.
‘It went by so quickly.’
The busiest week since I woke up in Bjorn Yandel’s body has passed.
And the long-awaited moment has arrived.
「Entered 1st Floor Crystal Cave.」
The 1st-floor Crystal Cave of the labyrinth, enveloped in a soft light of brilliant colors.
“Oh! So this is the labyrinth!”
Unlike the past when I was alone or with only one other person, there are now five people around me, including myself.
They are the new teammates who will be joining me on this journey.
Let me introduce them one by one…
“Rieit!”
“Ack! Fuck! My eyes!”
This blonde weakling who cast a blinding spell before my eyes could even adjust is Liol Wobu Dwarkey.
Dwarkey, for short.
“This bastard is crazy—”
Just as I’m about to say something in annoyance, the dwarf intervenes.
“Dwarkey, please conserve your mana.”
“Hmm, but it’s so dark?”
“This is considered quite bright for the labyrinth. If it’s too dark, just light a torch.”
“If that’s the case, then alright.”
It’s a change that has occurred over time.
The dwarf has also realized that Dwarkey is not a noble and has started to treat him casually.
And for some reason, they’ve become quite close.
Although the dwarf pretends otherwise, he tsunderely takes care of Dwarkey whenever he does something stupid.
“Why did you bring so much stuff when coming to the labyrinth? As expected of a newbie, give it to me, I’ll put it in my bag.”
“I won’t refuse your kind consideration.”
As the dwarf takes care of Dwarkey as usual, checking various things…
I hear a cheerful voice in a high-pitched tone.
“Leader, shouldn’t we get moving soon?”
Misha Kaltstein.
As you can see from the triangular ears on top of her head, she’s a beastman explorer.
She’s 25 years old, and this is her 5th year as an explorer.
With a height of around 170 centimeters, a slim and tall build, and a haughty expression, she gives off a cold aura, but…
“Stop messing around and let’s go. I want to smash some monster heads soon.”
She has a strange habit of slurring the endings of her words when she speaks.
She claims it’s a pronunciation issue that can’t be helped due to the beastman’s physical structure, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone with such poor pronunciation.
Ah, and there’s one more thing to mention about her.
“Haha! How can I refuse the princess’s orders!”
“Eek! I told you not to call me princess!”
“But you’re the daughter of the Red Cat tribe chieftain, how can I—”
“I’ll kill you! Dwarf!”
Misha Kaltstein is the princess of the Red Cat tribe, one of the five major tribes.
Was she the thirteenth or fifteenth child?
I don’t remember the exact order she was born in.
Anyway, there’s no need to give her special treatment or anything.
In the first place, she’s only a princess in comparison to human society, she’s not a real princess.
There’s someone else we should be more careful of.
“Murad, stop it. Even if it’s a joke, she clearly doesn’t like it.”
Braun Rotmiller.
He’s a human, 34 years old.
Although he’s 7th grade, he has a whopping 8 years of experience.
Even in the explorer industry where strength reigns supreme, he’s the most experienced among us.
That’s probably why the dwarf always backs down when he speaks.
“Ahem, I was a bit harsh, wasn’t I? I’ll be more careful from now on.”
“Serves you right, dwarf—”
“Miss Kaltstein, the same goes for you. No matter how angry you are, is it appropriate to call the leader names and threaten to kill him?”
“…I was wrong.”
Personally, I like him the most among the team members.
He’s practically the only normal one on this team.
Well, the downside is that it’s hard to treat him carelessly, unlike the other members.
“Murad, shall we set off before it gets any later?”
“Ah, please do.”
“From now on, everyone follow me closely.”
Just as we’re about to depart, Dwarkey speaks up.
“Wait, wouldn’t it be better for Bjorn or Hikurod to take the lead? They’re warriors, after all…”
“We’ll need their help from the 3rd floor onwards, but I’m fine on my own until then.”
Honestly, I don’t understand what he’s worried about.
Rotmiller is a professional scout.
And he has survived in the labyrinth for 8 years.
‘Although his explorer rank is low considering his experience…’
I actually value that aspect more.
He must have experienced almost everything in 8 years, and he’s still alive and well.
He did it not with brute strength, but by using his other strengths.
‘His serious and inflexible personality must be a result of that.’
Afterwards, under Rotmiller’s guidance, we smash the occasional monsters that appear and finally reach our destination.
The outermost part of the 1st floor, commonly known as the dark zone.
Despite running at full speed without getting lost, the portal has already been opened by another explorer.
“As expected, there was someone here first.”
“Don’t blame yourself. You did your best.”
“Murad, that’s no reason not to try harder. If you can’t feel frustration at your own shortcomings, then your life as an explorer is over.”
“Is, is that so?”
For reference, it took about 10 hours to get here.
Although I couldn’t say it in front of the enthusiastic Rotmiller, this is a very decent record for a regular exploration team. We’re not a running team that focuses on portal opening experience points.
Honestly, even I didn’t expect him to find the portal this easily.
‘His pathfinding is this good even though he’s not a guide…’
While I’m starting to think that it’s worth looking forward to his other abilities that I haven’t seen yet…
There’s also a slight feeling of regret.
‘If it were Ainar or Erwen, we could have gotten the opening experience points.’
The dimensional instability phenomenon.
The method that I called a ‘bug’ in short. It allows you to reliably gain experience points from opening portals.
However, it’s a method that can only be used if secrecy can be ensured through ‘promises’ or ‘oaths’.
‘Let’s save it for later… until I can form a truly reliable team. It’s not like I’m desperate for experience points right now.’
As I take a deep breath and shake off the remaining regret…
The dwarf shouts in a booming voice,
“Alright, then let’s go in!”
The dwarf steps into the portal first, and I follow right behind him.
‘I hope nothing happens this time…’
As expected, that’s too much to ask for, isn’t it?
「Entered 2nd Floor Beast’s Lair.」
The real journey begins.
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