I had only said as many words as I needed to reveal my name, but the impact each of them had was not small at all.
«Holy...!», someone shouted, stunned.
Some immediately accepted it as fact. «No wonder you could do all those things as easily as breathing».
Others seemed suspicious. «But wait, isn't it that big of a deal? If it's Baronet Bjorn Yandel...»
I continued quickly before this conversation could stumble further. «Don't worry, the rumors that I am an evil spirit are not true. I can't give you all the details, but the palace arranged for me to fake my death so I could go undercover.» Of course, that was a total lie. But it seemed believable enough because the team took it in more calmly than I expected.
«Now everything makes sense. There is no way for the position of expedition leader to be entrusted to an unnamed adventurer...»
«Is that why Blood Spirit has been following him all this time?»
«It didn't sit well with me that someone like him died randomly in the maze either».
«But what reason could they have for spreading false information like that...?»
It was in the nature of an adventurer to be curious, but I didn't have time to sit here and patiently answer all his questions.
«I'll explain it to you later, when I have the chance. That's not important now».
Once I dispelled the murmurs, James Calla, who was there with his mouth open, came to and stammered: «Schuitz-no, Bjorn Yandel... no, Baronet Bjorn Yandel!».
It's nice that he has no idea what to do with himself.
«I do not understand. Why would the palace throw you out?».
I chuckled at his question. «Well...» I had a lot of guesses. «Someone considered a hero by adventurers and the first adventurer in decades to obtain a noble title in exchange for saving countless lives...». It felt like I was praising my own horn, but it was an accurate description. «For them, it would be much better if I disappeared silently, especially if the alternative is that they would have to publicly retract the announcement that I am an evil spirit.»
«Ah...» Calla seemed to willingly accept that explanation, but in reality there was something more.
However, I couldn't tell these people my true suspicion: that it was very likely that the marquis had called me an evil spirit a long time ago. No, actually, he definitely did. Sending his son to my room in the middle of the night to check whether or not he was an evil spirit was nothing more than a ploy to lull me into a false sense of security. After all, it was hard to realize that someone was cheating on you when you were convinced that you were the one doing it.
«Anyway, that's the end of my story». I looked around at the rest of the unit, with a question in my eyes. And you?
Ravien got us going. «The marquis promised me something in exchange for this job, but I guess... he never intended to keep that promise».
Versyl Gowland. «I... was in a coma for a long time and finally regained consciousness thanks to the Representative of the Church of Tovera. In return, I ended up tied to church service. If they were looking for a wizard they were willing to discard on this mission, there would have been no better option than me».
Old Didi, the healer of our team. «My granddaughter was murdered last year. There was no evidence, but he was a gentleman who worked for the marquis. I've been looking for that gentleman. Perhaps the marquis was aware of this when he approached me».
«It turns out that I discovered that the lord of the Magic Tower is in collusion with the palace. To make it public, I needed power. That's why I participated in this search for money. But it seems he realized what he was doing», said magician Riard Ashed of the Lengman School, whose teacher was the lord of the entire Magic Tower.
«Wait! I can't really think of anything. My motto in life is to live without ties», shouted Sven Parav.
Yes, okay, both heaven and I know that you are an evil spirit.
Surely his secret ended up coming to light somehow. I ignored Goblin's whining and looked around at the rest of the group.
Most of them shared their personal experiences as soon as my eyes met theirs. Of course, some preferred to remain silent. But I realized that they did it so as not to reveal their secrets, not because they didn't have them. They also sensed why they had been placed in that unit.
Our untimely confession session was interrupted by a sudden cry of protest.
«Wait! I... have no reason to be abandoned by the church!» She was a priestess of Kaislan's team named Periton Eriabosti. «T-There has to be some error. I-I only applied for this position because I thought I could help people...» He didn't seem to be lying. No, it probably wasn't a lie.
«I'm sorry to hear that», I said, really sorry. «It was probably bad luck that you got involved in this».
«Wait! Bad luck...»
«There are others on a similar ship».
For example, there were Erwen and Amelia, along with the gentleman who had served as Kaislan's subordinate for almost ten years, Percival Eric Coulson. Not to mention Calla's old friend Rick Jugusta. Well, since these people's crime was to befriend the wrong people and follow them into a bind, probably not even they felt as cheated as this down-on-his-luck woman.
«That's right...» The priestess, who seemed genuinely innocent, lowered her head. She wasn't the only one, either. As expected, the atmosphere of the expedition team was getting closer and closer to that of a funeral home.
«Did they really abandon us?...?».
«How can we deny it now...?»
«So even if we manage to get back alive, will the palace try to kill us somehow?»
«¡Maldite sea!»
Like a kite with a broken rope, his eyes began to waver in panic.
«We are going to die? Really? Here, like this...?» Some were desperate.
«I... still have things to do!». Some were angry.
«...There is something about all this that doesn't make logical sense. If all this is true, what was Pyke Neldine for?» Some expressed doubt and clung to any glimmer of hope they could find.
«Yes! If they were thinking of abandoning us all, why would they try to sabotage the mission by bringing in a traitor?»
Oh, eso.
That was something I had been wondering too. As far as I knew, there were two possible explanations. The first was that the Guild Master simply did not want to let the marchioness take all the glory for this mission. Since I was the leader of this squad, once the Eye of Heaven was destroyed and all of us massacred, most of the credit for our achievements would go to the marchioness. What if someone wanted to prevent that from happening?
It's quite plausible. If we had lost all our food on the Ice Rock, we would have died before we even reached this place, let alone the Eye of Heaven. It is a certain possibility. But...
Tap, tap.
It was probably best not to mention my other suspicion. I soon made a decision. We just needed one person worrying about the worst-case scenario, and I could be that person.
«Why did someone send a spy?» Only the team leaders knew that the Guild Master was behind Neldine's actions, so for now, I decided to tell the team only what they needed to hear right now. «Isn't it obvious?» And this was probably what everyone wanted to hear. «There's someone in town!» I said enthusiastically. «Someone who doesn't want us to die senseless here! As long as we get back alive, there's someone out there who can help us take on the palace!».
Even if that hope was useless, we had to use it to move forward. That's what it meant to be alive.
Right now, we are in a closed mansion with all the windows boarded up, not letting in the light. That was the current situation of our squad, and it was half intentional on my part.
«What difference will it make if we somehow miraculously get rid of those bastards? What, are you imagining a future of laughter and jokes in the city? Do you really think there is such a future for us?».
When that guy said that to the rest of the squad, I didn't stop him.
«...I'm Bjorn Yandel.»
I even pronounced my real name, which would have sounded like a death sentence for these people.
«Did they really abandon us?..?»
«How can we deny it now...?»
He had manipulated the situation to erase all traces of hope from the crew's heads, closing the windows of the already dark room one by one. My reason for doing so was simple. Those who dreamed of a bright future were easy to break.
But now he had purposely opened a window for a faint ray of light to enter. For now, it would have to be enough. With this, he could make everyone focus on the same goal as they moved forward.
«Can we come back...?»
«But... we don't even know who they are. How do we know if whoever it is really has that kind of power?»
These people could see the light. Even if they were questioning whether it was an illusion, that, at least, was indisputable.
«Listen, everyone!» I had no choice but to encourage them to move together towards the light, even if it meant crawling through the darkness. Although we weren't sure if an even darker chasm lay on the other side of her, we at least had to see for ourselves. «I'm Bjorn Yandel! Have you heard of me?»
«How can we not know that name?», the crew responded.
«The first adventurer in decades to become a nobleman...»
«There was little commotion when his death became known».
Their voices were weak and lacked fervor. In response, I raised my energy levels even further.
«I'm glad you found out! I won't talk for a long time! Right now, we are in the worst possible situation! We have some annoying, strong sons of bitches hot on our heels and a pack of wolves waiting for us in town! However! I've never given up in my life, and that includes now!» I screamed. «So I, Bjorn Yandel, promise you this with the heart and honor of a warrior». I didn't dare swear I would keep everyone alive, but... «I will take on the hardest work. I will do the dirty work that no one else wants to do. I will be the first to immerse myself in the bloodbath, and if anyone has to get hurt, I will be that person. So...». I turned down the volume and made a sincere request. «Follow me».
Although I didn't scream that time, I knew they had heard me. However, there was no response. Everyone was busy looking at each other despite my sincere plea.
God, this is pissing me off.
«If they're going to throw their lives in the trash anyway, I tell them to throw them at me instead!».
So I have to scream to be heard, huh?
«Anyway, if anyone is with me, get ready. We're leaving in a minute». With that, I turned around.
Someone joined me immediately. «Lord, take me with you!» It was Erwen.
«Okay. I was thinking of leaving alone if we stayed here longer», Amelia said. These were my precious comrades who would follow me into the fire.
«Jun, you were right in the end». Next was Kaislan. «You said that when everyone else was willing to give up, this man would stand his ground. I don't know what's at the end of this tunnel, but I'll follow you through it». He fell into place behind me.
Next was Akurava. «I never thought I would give up here from the beginning. I have faced worse situations than this. If I gave up every time I did, I wouldn't even be standing here».
After Akurava stood up, Jun, and once Calla joined, the rest of the squad followed one by one.
«Bjorn Yandel... is even more airheaded than the rumors say».
«Hehe, I thought he was going to say something cool, but in the end he just yelled».
«We have already rested enough. Let's move again.»
«You said you'll do all the dangerous work, right? No self-respecting adventurer would be left behind after obtaining a guarantee like that.»
«Well, we can't let ourselves die here, so...»
«Wait! Don't stay where you want, let's get in formation! Training! Hey?»
Before the minute I mentioned ended, the entire crew was behind me. It wasn't a particularly moving scene, however. Humans tended to change their minds on the precipice of death. Even if I had started to leave here completely alone, everyone would have followed me.
«Yandel! When we leave?»
«Hey, you... don't talk to the commander like that!»
«Jeez, who cares? We're all going to die if something goes wrong, anyway».
That's why you had to dot the I's. Life began to stir in the eyes of people who had previously seemed unable to cut even an orc. Either they were terrified of being left alone or they didn't want to be abandoned a second time. This change would not have happened if they had only reluctantly chosen to follow me.
«Great, so we just have to take care of one more thing before we leave».
«Take care of something?» Parav tilted his head next to me, looking anxious. I ignored him completely and headed towards the sleds.
A warrior ran towards me. «Wait! You've been dragging it all by yourself until now. From now on we will help you».
That says? Who said I'm going to keep dragging him?
«Wait... why are you taking the food off the sleigh?»
«I think we can put this amount in our stomachs.»
«...Hey? Put it in our stomachs? And the rest...?»
What else? Throw it away.
¡Whoom!
With that, I pushed the two sleds that I was barely able to pull off the cliff. We were so high up that the impact took more than ten seconds to resonate. Even then, the sound was weak.
«...W-What the hell?!»
«What did you just do?!»
What do you think? Why do you think the enemy moves faster than us?
«They will catch up with us in a short time if we drag a sled».
«Y-Yes, but... still, the food...»
«What is the problem? The food in our backpacks will be enough until we leave the Glacier Eye».
«Q-But what are you going to do after that?»
It was a legitimate question and concern. Even if we managed to cross the Glacier Eye in two days thanks to our lighter load, we would have to endure eight more until the maze closed.
Wow, what a bad mood. Do you think I did it without thinking?
Before a riot started, I quickly shared my plan. «There will be monsters after Glacier's Eye».
«¿Monster...?»
«No way, are you...?»
I didn't deny it. «Yes, from there, we will use distortion magic to get meat».
That seemed to cause even more concern.
«It sounds like you're serious...»
«This is scandalous.»
«Um... I... think I'd rather die here then.»
But this was our best chance.