He was sitting in a chair. Strangely, the iron shackles on his arms and legs were an added feature of the chair, which was fixed to the floor with nails
Don't I deserve some time to rest?
To summarize the situation further, I found myself in the interrogation room located in the basement of the Explorers' Guild.
The researcher stood before me. He was around thirty years old, and his main characteristic was that he was a very obese man who spoke in an overbearing tone.
"I am Koldo Biermann, in charge of the investigation of this case. I will now ask you some questions, so I hope you will cooperate with the investigation."
"Investigation? Shouldn't you tell me first why I'm being detained?" I asked, not backing down.
I didn't even want the principle of presumption of innocence, but it was a reasonable right for an accused person even in this era.
A secret!
The investigator kicked me in the shin. Looking at his face, he smiled as if asking what had happened
"Rule number one, you only answer what I ask you. Understood?"
"...Good."
"Follow the rules and you won't get hurt. You can rest easy."
Hurt, my ass
After what had happened in the maze, getting kicked in the shin was like being tickled. This bastard must have some fantasies about his profession.
"Anyway, to answer your question... Bjorn Yandel. You have been arrested on charges of looting inside the labyrinth."
"...Charges of looting?"
What kind of nonsense is this?
The bastard investigator picked up my backpack upside down and spilled its contents on the floor. He whistled sarcastically.
"That's a lot."
Exploration items such as torches and a sleeping bag and
a special item obtained in the Bloody Citadel. Among the food items and other miscellaneous items, the researcher took out only the equipment and placed it on the table
Most of it was stuff from the group of four who stabbed us in the back in the Land of the Dead.
"If you hadn't looted, where would these have come from? A barbarian wouldn't use a bow."
"That... belonged to the group that tried to kill me first."
"And your proof?"
Proof? I had no such thing, but I didn't have to be submissive because of it
I asked again,
"So, do you have any proof that what I'm saying isn't true?"
"Well, I'll have to look into it from now on."
"Are you going to arrest and investigate someone for this one thing?"
This was the part I didn't understand the most.
This was different from the usual procedure of the Explorers' Guild. The unwritten rule of this city was not to ask explorers anything without proof, no matter what they unearthed from the labyrinth.
Therefore, the guild never took the initiative to search for the looters themselves until reports or testimonies arrived.
However…
«The union's internal rules changed a few days ago».
Well, that left me with nothing to say. This was not simply a game, but a world in which many people lived.
«The official guidelines were to enforce the rules first on rank 9 scouts to deter acts of looting».
Simply put, it meant that the little ones would become the test rats. Wherever you go, having a low status means suffering.
He could roughly guess his standard for the purpose of these investigations as well. Or someone who had collected many mana stones, or someone with equipment that seemed to belong to someone else in their backpack. Something like that.
So it was a double attack from the beginning.
«Well then, tell me. Where did you get this object from?».
Anyway, that first attitude must have been just to kill my spirit, because after that, the bastard investigator continued the investigation normally. Therefore, I also explained what happened at that moment in the most cooperative way possible. Oh, and of course, leaving out the psycho bitch.
To talk to him about it, he would also have to talk to him about the oath, but a barbarian who breaks his oath would seem strange wherever he went. It was much more dangerous to be accused of evil spirit than to be accused of murder. Especially in the part where I wouldn't have a chance to explain myself.
«Reporting that woman could get me murdered in the middle of the night».
Therefore, I only briefly related that I encountered a group of four looters, fell into a state of «containment», and then miraculously killed them. However, the fucking investigator was blasé about it.
«That? Did you survive a stab wound to the neck? You tell lies that not even a child would believe».
«I'm just telling the truth».
«So where is the scar on your neck? If it's in your words, it should have left a mark, right?».
Without realizing it I touched my neck. It was smooth and without lumps.
The reason was obvious.
By consuming the Vampire Essence, my natural regeneration rate had increased so much that even the scar had healed.
... Why do things go wrong like this?
Reluctantly, I also explained to him about the Rift. The only problem was that this investigative bastard didn't hear a word I said.
«Hahaha! A crack? A vampire? Your barbaric words have no logic».
«I swear that everything I say is true».
Perhaps he had toughened his accusation against me, because a warrior's oath, which used to always work, was useless this time.
«What honor does a looter have?»
By then, I was angry too.
«Then, call a magician! You can verify my words with magic!»
In fact, there has never been a need for such a long conversation. A single magic spell would determine the truth. However, the fucking investigator just smiled like I wasn't worth it.
«It is only possible to make a formal verification request to the guild from rank 7».
Damn, when had this changed? A rank 9 scout was not even treated like a human being.
«Even if I pay the fee?»
«It is money that will be returned to the state when you die. You can't waste it on useless things».
Nonsense. I knew it was only because they would have less money to steal from me.
«Now, just admit the crime.»
It seemed like it would take some time to prove my innocence.
***
As if announcing the end of the 15 days of life in the labyrinth, the dazzling light of the midday sun enveloped his body. Erwen stopped for a moment to enjoy the heat. Fragments of memories intermingled in his head, perhaps due to the contrasting environments.
I didn't know the third floor would be so difficult...
Erwen had entered the third floor with her sister. There, he had experienced the strength of rank 7 monsters for the first time. Although his sister had practically fought them alone, even against the rank 6 monsters they had encountered by chance at the end...
Truly, it had been a trip that felt like a real expedition for the first time. The first labyrinth expedition he had made with Mr. Barbarian hadn't been bad either... But at that moment, he had been in such a hurry to get out alive that he hadn't realized it.
You will be very surprised when I tell you.
I wanted to find him right away and tell him what he had experienced in the labyrinth. And also ask him about his experience. Just thinking about it refreshed his tired body.
If I tell you that I have obtained a new essence, will it be like last time...?
That's a little worrying...
For some reason, his steps were lighter than usual. Erwen quickly headed to the rank 9 scout money bag.
Maybe this time we got lost. I don't see him around here...
«184,100 stones.»
«Woah. »
«That's quite a bit of money for a rank 9 scout.»
«Because I went with my sister!»
«What's his name?»
«Daria Wittemberg in Tersia.»
«Very good, it is confirmed. You can go.»
After exchanging the mana stones, meeting his sister outside, unpacking at the inn, washing for three hours, and changing clothes, he headed straight to Bjorn's inn.
But how had it happened?
«You are that fairy girl who came every day. But... Room 302 is not back yet».
«¿In series?»
Bjorn was not at the inn. What could have happened? His room had already been paid for in advance, and there was other luggage left in it as well...
«Are you going to wait next?»
«Yes! I'm sure he'll be back soon!»
«Tut.»
The owner of the inn, who was normally friendly, clicked his tongue as if to show that he was upset. How long had it been since then?
The sun had set. And it had been a few hours.
«Excuse me, why are you taking Mr. Barbarian's things out of his room?».
«Hey, move. Hey miss, do you have papers?»
«Papers?»
«You know. A certificate saying that you are associated with that barbarian, or that he has agreed to hand over his memories, or something like that.»
«Not me, but... Wait! What do you mean by 'memories'?»
«The maze closed a long time ago, but he has not returned. Why else would I be here? He died in the labyrinth».
Finally, the innkeeper threw her out onto the street at half strength.
Erwen squatted in front of the inn.
Dead? That is not possible...
That didn't make sense. As common as it was for explorers to die in the labyrinth, it was impossible for her to imagine their death.
So he sat and waited, until it became day, then night, and then day again.
«I was looking for you».
Her sister came to look for her. He didn't scold her for not coming home in two days, nor did he ask her any other questions.
He just extended his hand to her.
«...Let's go eat something first».
Erwen took his hand and stood up. Then, she thought to herself.
I didn't know the exact reason, and I knew it had nothing to do with this, but...
«I want to be strong».
For some reason, she had this thought.
More intensely than ever.
***
She was trapped in a thick iron cage. They had taken all my things and I was only carrying a piece of cloth rolled up and tied below my waist.
He was standing, slumped against the wall...
For the second day.
«Fuck my life...
After the first day, the situation had only gotten worse. In response to my repeated requests for denial and verification, the investigator had no choice but to summon a mage, but...
[The character's spiritual stats are greater than 90.]
[There is resistance against the spirit magic of the magic resistance correction.]
The magic of a rank 9 mage working in the guild didn't work on me.
«The mental barrier is too thick. Looks like we need to call a wizard from the magic tower».
The situation was becoming a headache. Even from the guild's point of view, the help of a high-ranking mage was inevitable to close my case.
«There's no point in calling them here for a case about a rank 9 scout».
Since then, the investigator had told me all kinds of lies to get my confession. He probably thought this was the easiest way.
But there was no way I was going to make a false confession because I was afraid of this bastard.
I even named the rank 6 wizard, Arua Raven, and the dwarf, but this frustrating investigative bastard hadn't even listened to me.
It was starting to become a long case when,
«Hahaha! Bjorn Yandel, apparently this is not the first time you have committed an act of looting».
I was charged with a completely new charge, unrelated to previous investigations.
«What are you talking about?»
«It was discovered while your case was being investigated».
It was none other than the stone with a message that the researcher showed with triumphant eyes.
«Message stones have a unique serial number, so it registers the owner. So I looked up the number of the stone in your backpack, and lo and behold, it belongs to a dead explorer. It belongs to a dead explorer».
By the way, the owner's name was Artoa Serdin.
«Since they were registered under a clan, I asked about it, and they told me everything you did. It wasn't enough to run away after hurting a person named Harts Young, but you also killed the person chasing you, right?»
This bastard seemed to think he was the protagonist of a crime novel, so his words dragged on unnecessarily.
«So what's going to happen to me?»
I cut him off and asked him only the main point.
Whatever I say here, this bastard who was desperate to get my case over with wouldn't even bother listening.
«Since the circumstances, testimonies and evidence have been presented, the union has decided to reject your request for verification and execute a sentence».
Yes of course.
He probably had just rejected my request himself.
«...So how much time will they give me?»
«What strange words you say. Rafdonia's royal law has never been tolerant of looters. Oh, is that too hard for a barbarian to understand?»
The research bastard smiled and continued.
«That means it's a death penalty».
And that's it for what happened last night.
Furthermore, this morning the jailer had come and told me the date of my execution and asked me if I wanted to eat something. moment, I realized what a mess I was in.
«...»
If I didn't do anything, I was really going to bite the dust.
So I had to do something.
The time had passed to resolve the matter in words. But if I left the cell and left, I would only become a looter who had escaped from prison.
I could escape to the city, but I would quickly become a wanted criminal.
I thought about it for a while, but in the end there was only one way to survive this.
I had to prove my innocence somehow.
Of course it wouldn't be easy. You can judge a forest by its trees. If a simple investigative bastard is so uncommunicative, how could he expect others to be different?
Whether guilty or not, the Scout Guild will judge that it is easier and calmer for me to disappear.
With that premise established, I made a plan, and the path began to appear to a certain extent.
First of all, the key was to create a situation where the Scout Guild couldn't silence me. I also came up with something about that method.
Of course, he would have to go through a lot of annoying things in return...
¡Crunch!
Remembering the researcher's face, I became even more motivated. Since I was little, I was a precocious child who knew how to take revenge with words.
No matter how much I think about it, saving my ass isn't going to be enough.
I would probably make them pay for this...
[The character has released [Flesh Burst].]
The full price!