Chapter 274: The Ex-convict
A Demon Beast appeared. Dinoss took it down in one strike.
A Demon Beast appeared. Karn dispatched it in one blow.
A Demon Beast appeared. Dean’s double slash! Followed by the Butler’s feint! Chris’s thrust! Ash’s diagonal slash! And me? I had no part to play!
Once we reached the fortieth floor, it seemed like a few Demon Beasts had either migrated from the lower levels or spawned here. Along the way, we encountered about three of them. But I was feeling a bit bored.
“Retze should join in too,” I said to Retze, who also looked bored—though for some reason, he didn’t seem as uninterested as I was.
“That would just be a nuisance. Besides, I have no intention of becoming Gold Rank,” he waved his hand dismissively, showing no interest.
Thanks to a sudden request from the Vice Guild Master, Dean and Chris were almost guaranteed to achieve Gold Rank, but it felt like we should clear the initial conditions as well. Ash was also participating for experience and evaluation.
Watching Dinoss and Karn, I realized just how strong they were. I had no intention of leveling up; it seemed like a hassle.
“I thought Dean had extraordinary strength, but Dinoss and Karn easily surpass that. Dinoss looks like he’s slashing carelessly, but he’s definitely targeting weak points.”
Retze seemed impressed, but I had no idea what the weak points of a Demon Beast that looked like a red-faced creature with two bat heads were! Karn didn’t seem to care about the shape of his target at all. I remembered they both had an air of annoyance about them.
On the twenty-seventh floor, I hadn’t seen any humans, but when we descended to the fortieth floor, I found a single White Pebble lying there. At least it confirmed that I had stepped into this layer, and my anxiety about having crossed paths with that party was alleviated.
The White Pebble is quite handy. Stones are generally found everywhere, but white ones are rare in this Labyrinth or the Forest. Do they use black stones in places where there are only white ones? Should I make Go stones? Oh, but white Go stones are made from shells. Huh? Are they stones because they’re half fossilized?
“What’s with that serious face?”
“I’m thinking about stones,” I replied.
Retze silently tugged at my left cheek. Terrible. It didn’t really hurt, though.
“I thought you were pondering which of the two is stronger…” the Butler said with a gentle smile.
“I was worried about whether the party you led made it back safely,” Retze shot back with an exasperated look.
“Dinoss and the others aren’t in a hurry, so they should be fine,” he added, since the Butler’s Spirit wasn’t around.
“What’s with that mysterious trust?” Dinoss made a slightly displeased face.
“I initially thought it was just the foolishness of overconfident Adventurers, but they didn’t seem to be in a rush even after knowing the Guardian was in danger,” I said, and Dinoss stopped, staring intently at my face.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because it doesn’t seem like there’s anything that would endanger our lives if they hurried a bit. Besides, they have a history of quietly going down the Mine Shaft.”
Also, even though they were hiding, I hadn’t seen the Butler’s Spirit even once, despite having passed through both narrow and wide spaces. Maybe they were just really good at hiding and weren’t in sight.
I didn’t know why they were fine, but they probably were. My reasoning? Dinoss’s past!
“…Hah. Why are you so sharp about these things? And stop calling it a past!” Dinoss sighed heavily, while the Butler subtly averted his gaze.
He’s still holding a grudge about being left behind!
“Is it that you don’t learn from immediately helping others?”
“That’s part of it, but I don’t want you to jump in to help people without thinking ahead!” This time, Dinoss pinched my right cheek. My cheek’s dignity…!
Well, it’s true that after talking with the unpossessed Adventurers we met along the way, I thought I should be a bit more cautious…! Even if I hadn’t faced any pain, I would probably repeat the same mistakes. Each time I helped, it felt like I was just throwing stones into a river without any joy or sense of accomplishment.
“I’m not so naive as to rush off to help strangers just because I overheard something!”
I didn’t say it out loud, but I wouldn’t help unless it was in front of me or part of a request. I decided to ignore the expectations of those around me, and they underestimated my dislike for people. Oh, but I do want to help the Guardian.
“…”
Wait! From both sides!
“You’re kind and naive. No one helps the Black Spirit from pain. I don’t want you to be used by Authorities or those who don’t know gratitude,” Dinoss and Retze tugged at my cheeks.
As I rubbed my cheeks, Ash spoke up.
“You got the order wrong, King Wolf! First, we need to make Gene aware of his naivety!” Chris chimed in with a lively voice. His tone was bright and pleasant. The theatrical way he spoke wasn’t annoying, probably because of his nice voice.
They teased me about the Mine Shaft incident and poked at Dinoss. I could take all the teasing they wanted about my cheeks!
“I hear something,” Karn said as the teasing of Dinoss began to die down.
“You have good ears,” Retze remarked, pressing his ear against the wall.
“Is it a human voice?” I focused, and I could hear voices from quite a distance.
“It seems we might finally meet the person we’ve been looking for,” Dinoss said, placing his sword and scabbard against the ground and listening closely.