The elders first: one of the three fundamental principles and five moral disciplines of Confucianism that expressed an existing order between children and adults. But when you are in Rome, do like the Romans.
Age has no meaning in this world.
In Rafdonia, order was determined based on individual strength. Order existed between the weak and the strong. Under that law, he had zero reason to put up with this man.
«...It seems that the chick does not know its place.»
«Do you want to be hit by a chick?» When I got up, the atmosphere became instantly murderous.
«What?» The tanned blonde was startled, as if no one had come out like that before.
Mr. Bear calmly put his hand on my arm, a gesture to stop this here. «Yandel».
At this, the chicken regained a triumphant smile. «Why don't you listen to your partner? If you apologize on your knees, I'll let it go».
What was this asshole talking about? I challenged him to a fight. «Shut up and let's fight».
This was the only means of personal dispute permitted by the city. If an agreement was reached for a duel and fought cleanly in the presence of a notary, it was not classified as assault. Although if he died, it would be a headache. For that, I just had to control my strength.
«...Do you realize what grief means?»
«I don't care. I just want to crush your head».
«Crazy bastard...» I guess I've never met such a wild explorer because Rubio's face seemed completely lost. Well, coming to a meeting to play hard to get, he was sure he didn't know he was going to be challenged to a duel.
«What are you thinking so much about? Are you afraid that this girl will beat you up?»
«...I have no reason to deal with a madman». The blonde snorted and stood up.
So you're going to use that tactic.
The mental victory of not wanting to face a madman; the destruction method for that was simple. «Chicken».
With a single word, blood vessels crawled on Blondie's forehead. I guess he didn't want to talk to me, since he took out his anger with Derves by his side. «Pepe, you should be more demanding with who you invite. Dating a barbarian like that will lower your level too».
Derves did not respond. To be exact, he didn't have a chance to do it. The tanned blonde turned around and headed for the exit after saying that.
Walk walk.
He had a straight back and a bold walk, but I noticed that the blonde was experiencing humiliation and contempt for this situation.
«Abman, have you seen? He has a red face».
«Yeah, I guess you know shame». Even Mr. Bear, who stopped me at first, did not hesitate to attack him with me. If you can't help it, enjoy it - a very desirable mindset for my teammate. However, I guess this insult was hard to bear.
Step.
Soon, Blondie's feet stopped in front of the door.
«Oh, it stopped. I wonder if he will accept my grief».
«Of course it won't. It is obvious that this hooligan is nothing without the clan».
Blondie turned her head and looked at me. When I looked at him mockingly, he spoke with clenched teeth. «Barbarian, don't think you can act like that just to earn a petty reputation».
«Yes so what?»
«With that attitude, you can't go higher than the fifth floor».
I laughed accidentally. Who did he think he was? «It's funny», I said, walking slowly forward. «I don't know how long you've been an explorer, but you're the idiot who cowered at a rookie like me. You are the one who cannot hunt on the fifth floor without a clan, and who will spend the rest of his life collecting breadcrumbs on the fifth floor. I'm the one who made it to the fifth floor in just eight months. I'm the one with a nickname, unlike you, and I formed my own team to climb higher. I am the one who is already recognized for my potential and who is spoken of as the successor of the barbarian tribe». Standing in front of him, I tapped him on the shoulder. «Now, which of us will be up in a few years?».
The blonde couldn't say anything. Like a human man with his average height of 1.70 meters, he just looked at me.
I kindly lowered my face and whispered in his ear: «Now, get out. If you want to go tell your clan, that's up to you».
When I opened the door, the blonde left stunned.
A portazo.
I closed it immediately. When I turned around, everyone was looking at me. I went back to my seat and sat down. «Problem solved. Let's keep drinking».
Strangely, no one responded.
Geez, what a shame. Have you never seen a barbarian solve things with words?
The silence was short-lived. The surprise at the sudden incident dissipated and we chatted while toasting. The main subject, of course, was Jack Johnsonville, that weakling coward.
«Hahaha, did you see his face when you challenged him to a duel? I will never forget it as long as I live».
To my surprise, no one scolded me. Well, if it was aggravating for someone who had just met him, for them it would have been even worse. «But why did you keep inviting him?».
«He may be condescending, but he told us information that only a member of the clan could know».
Hmm, I guess the loose mouth was helpful in a way. If so, I felt a little bad.
«Don't worry too much. We haven't accepted him much lately, so he's come less. Soon he would have gone somewhere else».
«If you say so».
«Oh, and one more thing. You won't have to worry about him. He is at the bottom of his clan, so it won't occur to him to retaliate against you.»
«Haha, Pepe. That's not the problem. With his personality, he will be too mortified to say anything and will keep it to himself.»
«Hmm, maybe. Well, saying it will only get you treated like an idiot in the clan».
Nice and clean. Impatience was the right answer.
Even if the clan retaliates, what are they going to do? Ambush us in the labyrinth?
If a large clan were ever caught doing that they would be severely punished. They would never cross the line for a man below.
All they can do is control experience points at best.
They could abuse their power to prevent us from earning experience points in a certain area. I didn't know anything about a specific area, but the clans on the fifth floor had close relations with each other. Therefore, getting on their blacklist would carry enormous restrictions when it comes to leveling up. However, this did not apply to me. For starters, I had no intention of paying for experience points. Why would I pay if I could hunt in the mirror?
«Come on, let's drink!»
As the drinking party continued, the talk about Blondie faded away. What replaced it was the theme of the conquest of Noark.
«Bjorn, won't your team participate?»
«Yes, I have a bad feeling. Derves, what are you going to do?»
«We have already decided to set foot inside. The maze is just as dangerous».
«Ya veo.»
«Most of us here will probably do the same. The rewards are tempting. If you convert it, it's money you could only earn after more than a year of exploring».
«I wish you a good return.»
«Haha thanks.»
I didn't bother to say anything about that decision. There was no one here with less exploring experience than me. They weren't going to change their minds on the advice of a stranger, and it was also against etiquette. Even a barbarian must stay in his lane for some things.
«It's getting late. Let's start going home. Abman, you're going to have problems with your wife.»
«...I told him I'm with Yandel, so it's okay.»
«Oh? Does your wife seem to have a very good opinion of this guy?»
The meeting ended after two in the morning. Actually, one or two people left early for their own reasons, but I stayed until the end.
«Will you come next time?»
«If you invite ».
«It's worth knowing about Abman».
I couldn't get any useful information right away. All I managed to do was take a look at the mentality and logic of regular explorers. But I was also planning to participate next time, assuming they came back alive. I was curious to know how the conquest would go.
«Thanks to you, I drank well!»
When we went outside, the cold night air embraced my skin. When I got here it was early spring. Now, autumn was coming to an end. «Let's go.»
«Haha! Yes, come on!»
Mr. Bear was much more hyperactive than usual, probably because he had swallowed all that alcohol. In fact, he had drunk so much that it was strange that he could stand, but his mind seemed sober. But that didn't mean he could find his way home.
I feel like I've gotten closer to him tonight.
The carriages were closed at that time, so I walked to District 7 to drop off Mr. Bear.
Mrs. Bear was infinitely kind to me, perhaps because of all the money her husband made from this exploration. «Thanks for bringing him. Do you want to stay and rest for a while? I have something perfect for a hangover». After being treated with hot honey water, I headed home.
A casa, ¿eh?
The word stuck to my mouth now.
Clic.
When I opened the door, the one behind me opened at the same time: Room 207, Missha's room. «Mmm, are you here now?»
«Oh, were you awake?»
«Why did you arrive so late? What is that smell of alcohol?»
I stayed in the hallway for a while to tell him about the meeting I attended with Mr. Bear.
«Oh, sure... You must be tired. Now you are like a true leader». Exchanges like this were part of the explorers' work. Missha patted me on the shoulder for my hard work. «But what is that papereel bag you have in your hand?».
«Oh, I bought some apple skewers at the night market on the way».
«Hey? But if you don't like them».
«¿No axis thick?»
Missha chuckled. «Nyaha, you are like a father». Missha took a skewer out of the bag and returned to her room with it in her mouth. Tomorrow I would give the rest to Ainar.
Clic.
I left the bag on the table and washed quickly. My head was moderately sober and fresh night air came in through the window.
It wasn't bad.
It was one of those days when I started thinking this more often.
***
After the meeting, somewhat busier days followed. Now that we had money, it was time for an improvement.
«Ainar, go find a footprint in the holy land.»
«I don't have money.»
«I'll lend you some.»
«T-that's it...!» When I first lent him money, Ainar acted like he was getting free money, but as the number increased, he realized the weight of the debt. «How much longer will I be broke?»
Well, maybe a year or so? He wanted to say that after that, he was still planning to tell her what to spend the big money on, one by one. Anyway, it took three days to get the impression of the third stage.
«You look better than I thought. Didn't it hurt you?»
«It hurt!»
«But?»
«But pain is natural for growth!»
Oh right... that's what it was. After all, the barbarians had a different mentality than ordinary people. Ainar's imprint was Huntress, a typical imprint for warriors that corrected various battle statistics. For the imprint of the third phase, he chose Predation, a well-performing passive ability that restored a certain amount of soul power upon killing.
For now, let's get to the third phase and raise it to the sixth when we earn more.
Missha also improved in the meantime. Ainar's terrifying growth probably made her impatient. Missha spent most of the money she earned this time on Beastblood.
«Bjorn! I finally did it!» Finally, the first awakening of his Spiritual Beast was achieved. His newly obtained power was Glacier Blessing, a top-notch tricky ability that halved the consumption of cold attribute abilities and items.
I didn't expect this to come out before the sword...
Was it compensation for past hardships? From the moment we arrived at the fifth floor, everything went smoothly.
«But are you still going to use that equipment?»
«This is fine on the fifth floor».
It's not like I didn't spend money either. I sold the extendable backpack I had been using until now and spent almost all of my money on purchasing a subspace ring. A person's heart could be so cunning. Even the extendable backpack was starting to feel uncomfortable.
If I'm going to change it later, it's better to buy it sooner.
Personal storage was a necessity in the maze. You never knew if you would be separated from your team. More importantly, it was also possible to store divine objects in subspace.
There is nothing that cannot be done with money in this world.
Determined to continue making more money, I prepared to leave. I had a meeting with Rotmiller.
«Fortunately, you arrived on time today».
«Now I am also a guide».
«Haha, I like your attitude».
For a few days now, I had met with Rotmiller every day for guide training. Of course, not free. As with blacksmiths and other skilled professionals in the Middle Ages, asking for free classes was straight up a steal. Every day he paid a considerable fee.
«I haven't been to the fifth floor myself, so I can't show you. But I've studied a lot about it, so I can give you some advice. Learning how to make a map would be of great help».
I learned the basic knowledge needed for an explorer and some tricks and practical knowledge that only professionals could tell me. Additionally, we had special training to develop a better sense of direction. Little by little, I learned everything Rotmiller worked hard for years to establish.
«...Teaching yourself like this, it may not be a bad idea to set up a training center».
«Good idea. It's obvious that everyone will want to learn from you».
«Haha, your compliments...»
After class with Rotmiller, I headed to the inn to have dinner together. Erwen joined us today.
«How come you always come looking for me here? It may have come out».
«Mm... I just know. It's a fairy's instinct, I guess».
«You would like it. Keep coming until you find it».
«Missha is right! Liar!»
«...You two, stop.»
Every time Erwen approached, these two became abrupt. It wasn't that I didn't understand it. The barbarians hated fairies and Missha just didn't like them.
I wish they would get along, since one day they could be teammates... Am I asking too much? You may have to reconsider adding Erwen to the team.
While we were eating, we learned of Erwen's recent whereabouts. Apparently, her sister had decided to join a clan as a mercenary for a few months. Later, he said he would hunt on the fifth floor. The life of a rich family, I guess.
«I'm leaving! See you next week!»
After dinner, I went up to my room, washed and dedicated myself to resting. It was late, but I didn't bother sleeping.
[Your soul has resonated and is drawn to a specific world.]
Today was that day.