Once we left the cage, we moved to the weapons room located in the center of the ship because the talk we were going to have had to remain secret.
«Here you can speak freely. This place is designed for private conversations».
Oh, in that case.
«I want to hear about the current state of affairs. What happened to the ambush?»
This was what had made me most curious while I was locked in the cage, so I decided to catch up on the information I had been completely isolated from. What was the Orcules ambush like?
«Count Ramleonde died in combat. He was attacked by the Traitor, Ricardo Lüchenprague, during his retreat».
My heart sank when I heard that the commander of our corps had been killed, but upon closer examination, it seemed that the war situation was not as serious as I thought. Apparently, as soon as the dozens of ships on the lake became fortresses, the attacks ceased. They had already been in neutral for two hours.
«The command assumes that the objective of this ambush was to take advantage of the confusion and assassinate key figures.»
Kill key figures, huh?
«That's very plausible.» After all, that was what the Blood Knight had said as soon as he saw us.
«The Golden Sorcerer, Arua Raven. One of the targets to kill».
Raven must have been one of the key figures on the list. I could reconstruct his strategy for this attack in my head without any problem.
The Corpse Collector scattered his undead over a wide area and used them to locate the targets of the murder.
The undead number grew dramatically over the course of the battle with the Blood Knight, and before long, a three-person team arrived to provide reinforcements.
«Anyway, the situation is not that serious right now, so let's talk about you first. What is your plan going forward, Mr. Yandel?»
Hmm, a plan, huh? I have to start thinking about that now... I never expected the old man's gift to work that way, either. Thanks to that, my head is-
«Um, and....» Just then, Raven spoke again, interrupting. «I'm going to warn you beforehand. I may have helped you this time because I had no choice, but I can't go on like this».
Hey? Will we not be comrades again...?
When I gave him a treacherous look, Raven avoided my eyes. «It's useless for you to look at me like that. I think I've taken enough risks just by not reporting this incident. I have done my part».
That was disappointing, but nothing I couldn't understand. He may not have reported it because he didn't dare let me die like that, but he was sure he wasn't willing to throw himself into the pit with me. That was what it meant to help evil spirits in this world. The moment you were caught, execution was guaranteed.
«Raven, I don't blame you, so don't make that face. I appreciate you helping me this time. If something goes wrong in the future, I will do everything I can to keep you from getting dragged into it». I laughed like a barbarian and patted Raven on the shoulder.
Hit! A slap! Hit!
What was this about? Normally he would have screamed in pain and glared at me, but this time Raven didn't. He simply pursed his lips and looked at the ground. «Mr. Yandel... How can it be like this even in a situation like this?».
Ugh, is that what's bothering you? You are unnecessarily emotional. I told you, I understand where you come from.
«The fact that you tried to help me despite knowing the truth... that's enough for me». I didn't blame her, on the contrary, I felt sorry. After all, this girl who was doing well and had a stable life ahead of her was risking everything because of me.
There was an awkward silence. Once Raven regained some sanity, she returned to the original topic of conversation with a shy look. «Anyway... what are you going to do now?».
«Well, I don't think you should hear it. If you listen to my plan and become more involved with me, it will be difficult for you to distance yourself from our actions later. You said this would be the last time you'd help me anyway, right?».
Raven shuddered when I tried to set boundaries, but I figured she had an opinion on that. «Mr. Yandel, you said you will do everything possible to keep me out of it, but you never know what can happen».
«That's true.»
«For now, not getting caught is our best bet. And to do that...»
«To do that...?»
«I am willing to help. To some extent».
I knew that in the end I was going to get ahead. When I smiled, Raven looked at me, somewhat annoyed.
«It doesn't matter, so tell me what you plan to do now. I'm sure you had a plan, that's why you went out onto the battlefield with your identity hidden. You would know you would attract attention».
I responded after thinking about it a little, honestly, like the barbarian I was. «I don't have any. For now».
«...Sorry?»
Even if you look at me like that, the plan still doesn't exist.
I never really imagined that Auril's gift would turn out like this. I came to the maze because I needed money, but I hadn't planned to do anything that would attract attention.
I assumed that answer had not been expected at all. «...With none, you mean... So you don't have any plans?».
Raven confirmed it with a stutter and I reaffirmed it as a man. «Yeah.»
«Really? If people find out that I helped you, they could dishonorably discharge me from the army and even throw me out of the Magic Tower.»
Wow, could they kick you out of the Magic Tower too? Was he really risking all that for me?
Once again grateful for Raven's decision to help, I changed the subject. «Anyway, I'm hungry after being locked up for so long. Can I get some beef jerky...?»
«Don't change the subject!»
«I don't, I'm just very hungry-»
«What are you saying?! You're not even a real barbarian!»
Huh, come to think of it, that approach wouldn't work for her anymore. The thought was a little bittersweet.
Sigh ...
A sigh echoed in the silent room. While an uncomfortable tension settled between us, I surreptitiously took out some jerky and gnawed it.
«What... are you eating now?».
He wasn't lying when he said he was hungry. My body was that of a barbarian, after all. I needed nutrients at all times.
«...Do you want some?»
«No... Ha, how could I realize you were an evil spirit if you're like this all the time?». Raven sighed again, but I decided to take it as a compliment about how thorough it was.
Chew, chew.
Ugh, I feel more energetic now that I've eaten something.
«Raven, did you already know that?»
«Know what?»
«It seemed like you had another reason to suspect me other than the actual announcement».
«Oh, that...» Raven's expression instantly darkened, but it seemed like she had decided that what made her react like that wasn't something she had to hide. «The magical device that contained the conversation between Hans Chrisen and Noark's dwarf».
Oh, so that tape recorder killed her. But what about her?
When I gave him a questioning look, Raven slowly continued with her explanation. «Maybe it was because it used a cheap core, but that recorder had a maximum number of times the recordings could be heard on it».
«¿Y?»
«The limit was one hundred, but there were only two reproductions left. I started to wonder why you would have heard that over and over again».
«...I see.» And to think that ended up being a clue. I would never have imagined it.
«To be honest... there was something much more decisive than that, however. Miss Missha came to see me at the laboratory about fifty days after her death, Mr. Yandel».
«... What did he tell you?»
«He said rumors were going to circulate that you were an evil spirit».
Was it because the topic of conversation was Missha? I felt my heart freeze. «AND?»
«Because of the recorder thing, I had the feeling that something was wrong. I asked him if it wasn't just a rumor».
At that moment, Missha had avoided answering, but ironically, that served as a clearer answer than anything else.
Erwen intervened. «Was it that bea-no, that woman who started the rumor?».
Raven looked slightly uncomfortable and lowered her head. «Probably. Although I don't know under what circumstances».
Erwen gritted her teeth when Raven confirmed her suspicions. «What circumstances? That woman... I knew she would do something like that one day...».
«Calm down, Erwen. Nobody yet knows what happened to Missha».
«But...! No matter what his circumstances were, he would never have done something like that to you! Aren't you angry, sir? You were betrayed!»
«I'm telling you, we don't know yet».
To be honest, I was more worried than angry. After all, there was the matter of the information he had received at the Round Table. Missha was with Baekho.
«Baekho Lee has the Renaissance Stone».
She could have made some kind of deal with him to revive me. Well, that was just a theory on my part. Whether true or not, his decision was ultimately detrimental to me.
God, what is that girl doing now?
«Honestly! Sir, why are you so ridiculously kind?!»
What was he saying? «Anyway, Raven... You also don't know why the palace acknowledged the rumor and made it public?»
«No. But... I heard something from Commander Pevrosk».
«Oír algo?»
«As soon as the announcement was made, he came to see me and told me that no one can know the truth about a man who is already dead. Of course, I thought he was saying it just to console me, but... Now that I remember, there seemed to be a strange meaning hidden behind his words, almost as if the commander knew the truth... You might find something there».
«Can you look into it when you get back to town?»
«Sure, I can do that...». Despite my concern, Raven nodded. Fortunately, it seemed like this kind of favor was included in «to some extent».
After that, we all talked and made plans for the future, and soon came to a conclusion.
«Then it would be better to hide your identity for the moment». Now that we knew how verification through Wrong Trust worked, we decided more care needed to be taken when revealing my identity. «But... why did it only work badly for you, Mr. Yandel?».
I glossed the gift that Auril Gavis had given me. «I don't know. Maybe it's because of the Records Stone Fragment».
This was yet another lie, but it couldn't be helped. I was the only one immune to Wrong Trust. This may not have mattered considering that she already knew that I was an evil spirit and agreed to it, but who knew what would happen in the future? That was also the reason why he hadn't told Amelia yet.
Also, if I told Raven, I would have to mention Auril Gavis.
Auril Gavis was an enemy of the palace. If it were known that, in addition to being an evil spirit, he had received a gift from him, he would be in even greater trouble. There would not even be room to negotiate.
«Still... I'm glad. If it is not an isolated phenomenon, it means that you are now a little safer.»
«Yes, I think so too.»
«But... Sir, do you really have to recover your identity? I like the way you look even now...» Erwen offered her two cents, but my ultimate goal of clearing up the rumor didn't change.
«If I don't, I will never be able to receive another Spiritual Impression».
Do you know why I cultivated a barbarian? If I want to create more synergy with the essences I have consumed so far, the Spiritual Footprint is essential.
But I figured Erwen couldn't empathize with that logic. «But... you can live without it». It sounded a little sad. «Sir... why are you so determined to become stronger...?».
At that question, everyone turned to me.
«Come to think of it, Mr. Yandel, you were like that in the past too... You were only interested in climbing the floors of the maze». Raven's eyes contained some unease.
«I had already heard rumors that evil spirits could return to their original world after reaching the end of the labyrinth». Amelia calmly summed up my situation, but I wasn't particularly grateful to her for doing so.
Don't say it like that. That will surely create a misunderstanding.
«No way, sir, is that why...?».
«I guess Mr. Yandel has a reason for going to those extremes to come back, then. Well, it's his house, after all...»
«Sir... Can't you just live here...? I will do better... and not cause trouble...»
Ugh, what were they saying? «Erwen, calm down. I think there has been a misunderstanding».
Go back? Returning had not been my main goal in the past, and neither was it now. My number one goal had always been survival. But after meeting people, exploring and experiencing so many things, that number one goal had changed a bit. It was still about surviving, but not alone. With everyone together.
«Why do I try so hard to get stronger...?». I continued without hesitation. «To be able to protect you».
I no longer just protect myself with this shield.