"Master, what do you mean? Go to the guild? So suddenly?"
"You said you needed to visit him to look for someone, right?"
"Yes, but..."
Arua Raven, a rank 6 mage associated with the magic tower, had a sharp expression on her face as she interrupted him. It was true that she had matters to attend to at the guild, but…
First, he had planned to take a good rest for the time being, and carry out a rough study of the "thing" he had obtained on his expedition after that.
"The branch manager made an official request for support. From what I've heard, something big has happened in the trade. Wouldn't a little pocket money be enough?"
"Okay. I'll go."
Raven reluctantly agreed.
Anyway, he had to go to the guild soon. If he went now, he could get a monetary reward, so there was no reason to postpone it.
I also spent a lot of money in the maze this time…
Besides, he didn't mind possibly encountering that barbarian a little sooner than he had planned. After all, it had been an unprecedented variant Rift, and he was the one who absorbed the essence of that Guardian.
It was a specimen as interesting as that "thing".
"Then I will return."
"Oh, take Tarzine with you."
"That's fine. It's pretty useless anyway."
Raven headed to the nearest branch using the warp door on the first floor of the tower.
It would take her about ten minutes to reach her destination on foot. As soon as she stepped outside, she frowned.
"Why are there so many people?"
There seemed to be far more people than usual. And the closer she got to her destination, the more people there were, making it difficult to even take a step forward.
It was as if something really big had happened.
He said the branch manager had officially requested support.
Raven took a deep breath.
This was a way to earn some pocket money, but for some reason, she had a feeling she would have to work just as hard for it.
"Excuse me, can I ask something? What's going on here?"
Raven grabbed the male spectator who seemed the easiest to approach and asked.
Then she heard something that made her doubt her ears.
"A large number of raiders locked in the branch dungeon have escaped."
It was truly an unprecedented event.
It wasn't enough that there had been a breakout from the jail; some of them had also managed to escape to the city center. It is said that one of the instigators took the district chief's daughter hostage; she had just visited the branch office.
"I guess that person has no brain. There's no way the union is negotiating on that."
Negotiation or not, the guild had no authority in the first place. The Rafdonian royal family provided the guild with much authority in matters related to the labyrinth, but they strictly adhered to the principle to punish looters.
If they had fled like the other prisoners instead, they would have had a small chance of living.
«But you see, the situation has become interesting».
«What do you mean?»
«The person responsible for the hostage situation claims that they have set a trap for him».
«¿Incriminated?»
«That's right. All he asks is to bring in the parties involved and use magic to reveal the truth cleanly in front of everyone.»
They did not ask to be exonerated.
The culprit only demanded «clarification of the truth». Therefore, suspicion spread among the gathered crowd that he was telling the truth.
What kind of crazy bastard does that?
Of course, if the story he had heard was true, the first culprit was the investigator who had handled the case poorly.
But causing a large-scale dungeon escape and, in the meantime, taking the district chief's daughter hostage? It was definitely not something a sane person would ever do.
«Anyway, that's why everyone is waiting. The branch director asked the tower for support, but, tsk. Who knows when they will arrive».
Raven smiled awkwardly as she watched onlookers click their tongues.
Now he knew for sure...
Name era ella misma.
Raven took a deep breath and recited a spell.
«Batuna Cor Vier ».
His body began to rise into the air with a blue light blooming beneath his feet.
«Miss! Are you a magician?»
Raven stepped over the crowd and landed on the third-floor terrace of the Scout Guild branch.
And there, she saw a man who stunned her.
«Bjorn... ¿Yandel?»
Why was that man here?
***
Because it was the district chief's daughter who was kidnapped, the matter was being dealt with promptly.
«This is Koldo Biermann. The man he asked about. Like you said, I was unconscious downstairs.»
«Thank you. Can go».
The first to arrive was the pussy investigator.
For reference, he was still unconscious. This wouldn't look very good to viewers, so I put it in a closet for now.
After a short wait, the second installment arrived.
«Wait! Guild or not, you can't force me like that!»
The name of this scout man in his twenties who entered with a slumped posture was «Harts Young»...
The jerk who had lost his masculinity trying to mess with Erwen.
«Thanks for taking care of it without asking questions. Can go down».
«Yes sir».
«E-Are you the branch director? Me, why am I...»
Simultaneously with the sound of the employee coming down the stairs, I jumped out from behind the door and pushed my fist into this idiot's face.
Hit!
A punch couldn't ease my anger.
If the investigator was primarily responsible for the situation getting to this point, the second person responsible was this bastard. If it had not been for this man's false testimony, there would have been no basis for the investigator to sentence me to death.
«Ahh! What-what are you doing! Who are you...!»
«Shut up. I'm not done.»
One, two, three punches...
As I continued to punch my fist in his face one after another, Harts Young passed out as bubbles of blood foamed in his mouth.
This didn't look very good either, so I put it in the closet too. Although it was a little tight thanks to a researcher's plump dough, it wouldn't be a problem.
The more I looked at them, the better they looked together. While appreciating this, the branch manager spoke to me cautiously.
«... What do you want?»
I hadn't told him yet.
But I guess there was no need to tell him twice.
After all, when the next installment arrived, I would learn it naturally. With that in mind, I refrained from speaking.
However...
«Lord! It's going to be difficult to get a priest here.»
The key card of this plan, the priest, had disappeared. The reason was that the official priest associated with this branch was currently absent. It was impossible to call another priest as well.
It could be the Explorers Guild, but you couldn't call a priest a servant of God as if he were a friend from the neighborhood.
Even at the request of the branch manager, it would take at least a day.
In this universe, priests were noble. Not because of their identity, but because of how they acted. Suddenly, he had a bitter taste in his mouth.
How is it possible that not a single thing turns out well?
I had wanted to handle this matter as discreetly as possible. If the branch director had found out, he would have taken it for granted because of the mess he had made until then.
I could package the prison break as an accident somehow. But what about the fact that the guild had sentenced an innocent rank 9 scout to death? The moment this was known to the outside world, the prestige of the Scout Guild would go to shit.
First, because they claim to be an organization that protects explorers.
That's why he had asked for a priest.
If I could prove my innocence in front of a priest, I could do things relatively calmly. And that way, the Scout Guild wouldn't have dared to cover this up.
But from the beginning, the plan had been hampered.
«Thanks for letting me know. Head down.»
«Yes sir! Please let me know if you need anything else!»
As I listened to the guild employee's footsteps walk away, I finished my brief deliberation.
If it was impossible to entrust the notary to the priest...
I had no choice but to expand the playing field even further. Only then would the Scout Guild be unable to silence and kill me.
Of all the methods I could think of, I chose the most radical and effective.
«Ahhhhh!»
«W-What are you doing!»
When I went out to the terrace with the sword pointed at the district chief's daughter, I saw that people had gathered in the street. They looked like spectators who had gathered over the dungeon escape incident.
«Look! The culprit is up there!!»
One of them noticed me and screamed. Attention was focused in an instant.
«Ejem ».
After clearing my throat once, I screamed using the talented muscle of a barbarian's throat.
«My name is Bjorn Yandel! A rank 9 scout the guild has tried to frame and kill! I swear to the gods I'm innocent».
The reactions followed one another immediately.
«Who is that guy?»
«Has he escaped from jail?»
It didn't matter if they believed me or not. Since I had thrown the bait, more people would be curious and would gather.
They could be from the Explorers Guild, but they wouldn't be able to bury the events everyone had seen in real time.
Now, I just have to wait for the wizard to arrive.
Instead of a shield that has become a piece of scrap metal...
«!!!»
He would make good use of the district chief's daughter as a shield.
***
How long had it been since the escape?
«That? Why are you here, Mr. Yandel?»
«I didn't know the tower would send him».
Hearing the conversation between two strangers, Koldo Biermann opened his eyes. Everything was dark and his body did not move.
What is this? I'm locked up? Because?
Leaving the blossoming headache behind, he recalled his memories. Some scenes immediately came to mind.
The prisoners had run amok and escaped from their cells. He had fled from them and locked himself in the interrogation room.
And the barbarian who had walked through the door and punched him in the face.
But what had happened next?
I did not know.
No sense at all.
So he focused on his ear.
«If you heard what happened from outside, the news travels fast».
«Fast or not! What are you thinking about?! Mr. Yandel, do you think you have more than one life or something?»
«If I had some, I wouldn't have done this.»
¿Sr. Candle?
What was that? Was that the barbarian out there?
«Enough. Cast your magic quickly.»
«If you promise to grant me a request later.»
«I don't know which one it is, but it's within my means...»
«Good. You promised. Dertei Narvas! Hey.....? Why does it not work? Mr. Yandel, do you have a psychological barrier tool?»
«Can't you say I have no such thing just by looking at me? So I have no choice but to wake up these guys. Do you know how to use 'video memory' magic?».
«Yeah. You want me to record everything from now on, right?».
The more she listened to the conversation, the more confused she became. Just then,
«¡Ah! ¡Arghh!»
Suddenly, space widened and its center of gravity shifted downward. He fell suddenly and hurried to raise his head. It was the branch director's office on the 3rd floor, which not even he had been to more than a couple of times.
«That? Have you woken up yet?»
A total of four people were looking at him.
The barbarian and the branch manager, a woman he assumed was a magician, and a woman who seemed quite aristocratic.
He didn't know what was happening, but he decided to start with this.
«branch manager! It's this guy! This guy led the escape!»
«Fruit breaks.»
«¿Sí... to?»
His head went numb for a moment. I did not understand.
If he knew that this man had committed a scandalous crime, why did he just watch?
«I heard you were in charge of this man's investigation. It's true?»
«Yes, yes, it's true».
That's when he felt the heavy air surrounding the room. He realized this because his job as a researcher was to read the room. He knew that the air in this place was definitely not favorable for him.
«This barbarian – No, Mr. Yandel here – claims that you have identified him as a looter with undetermined information. What do you think of this?»
«That's ridiculous!»
«Those words better be true. Otherwise, this won't just end with you losing your job».
«QQ-What do you mean! It's just a rank 9 scout!»
«Take care of your words! How can a guild employee judge someone by their rank!»
«P-Sorry?»
Biermann froze completely at the thunderous howl. Why was the man who had always been the first to despise low-ranking scouts suddenly acting like this?
...As if you were being aware of the external eyes.
Oh! Looking back, they said something about the «video memory»!
Apparently, the conversation they were having now was being etched into the crystal ball the magician was holding.
«Ahem! As one who judges good and evil, all guild activities must be carried out with care and perfection. Tell me the reasons for your judgment».
Coming to, he recited the content of the investigation as directed by the branch director. He began to think that this was the only way to live.
«E-First of all, it was the mana stones. At the checkpoint, he presented a number of mana stones that far exceeded the average income of a rank 9 scout. Suspecting this, he checked his backpack and it appeared to contain stolen equipment».
«¿Y?»
«As a result of the investigation, the truth of this matter could not be confirmed. Because no magic would work on him».
«So what did you base on making the final decision that Mr. Yandel was a looter?»
«Due to another incident. A stone with a message was found among his belongings. Based on it, we located the original owner, and were able to obtain testimony from the owner's clan member that Bjorn Yandel had murdered an innocent person and stolen his property.»
The more he talked about the content of the investigation, the more his voice filled with confidence. He didn't know why the branch manager treated him as if he were reprimanding him, but there must have been a misunderstanding.
«Sir, there is nothing wrong with my judgment. If you suspect I've lied, you can use magic to prove it».
«I'm already on it. Everything he has said so far is true».
The magician, who was watching in silence, nodded.
However, at that moment, the barbarian ignorantly made a sarcastic comment.
«All you have is a testimony from a member of the same clan. It was not confirmed by magic or cash».
«Is what Yandel says true?».
«Eso-eso-eso es cierto, pero...»
«Why didn't you check that part?».
The branch manager's voice suddenly cooled again. He had something to say about it too.
«First, this barbarian's physiology is a problem! Knowing that magic doesn't work, he just made false statements without cooperating!»
«False statements? What exactly do you mean?»
Biermann responded confidently.
«He once said he had survived a stab wound to the neck. But there was no trace, so I asked him about it, and do you know what he told me? Let them scare me! That the scar had disappeared from eating the Essence of a Vampire in the Rift?».
«Did he eat the Essence of a Vampire?».
«Yes sir! Sir! How absurd! A vampire? In a Crack on the first floor?»
From start to finish, this barbarian had said nonsense.
«Spit out a new lie to hide a previous one; This is the most common statement pattern of criminals. But how could he listen to this man and let the precious magicians work in vain?».
Of course, among his repeated claims of innocence, there were moments when he had wondered if there really was any truth to it. But he had decided it didn't matter.
After all, what was the worst that could happen if an innocent, newly adult barbarian died unjustly?
Besides, if he had called a wizard, he would have less money to take.
Still, it was fortune in the midst of misfortune.
A vampire on the first floor? If this absurd statement came to light, everyone would be convinced of his judgment.
I should have made a more credible lie!
Soon, he looked at the barbarian with triumphant eyes.
But that didn't last long.
«But, it's true», Raven said bluntly.
His gears stopped at the magician's words.
«... Sorry?»
«Well, I was there, but... I mean, it's not like I can cast a spell on myself».
What the hell is this wizard talking about?!