Once our discussion was over, I borrowed a dagger from Amelia to open the Dragon Slayer's abdomen.
Slip.
The dagger pierced his skin like a surgical scalpel. Once the laparotomy was over, I calmly removed his heart. Since it was so cold here, it was still cool.
The heart of a dragonian is different from that of a normal person.
It almost looked like a tropical fruit with a bumpy exterior. For some reason, it also had chain marks.
As he examined it curiously, Ravien said: «The chain marks are probably traces of Pen's curse».
Hmm, really? So it's always been bumpy?
«Gowland, please cast preservation and distortion magic on this.»
After casting Distortion on the extracted heart, I stored it in a suitable container. Ravien seemed to want to put the box away herself, but I stopped her before she could pick it up. «I'll keep this for a while».
«...Why?»
«It will be useful for negotiations».
«No... Are you going to give it to him right away?».
«Exactly. After things calm down, I plan to reunite myself with the old dragon and give it to him in exchange for keeping it a secret. It will be a headache if the news spreads that we beat that guy and took his heart».
I was a little worried about how this would suit him, but Ravien gladly accepted my logic. «Okay. You will get much more out of it than me. Of course, I feel bad for Pen, but since she won't have to wait that long...»
«Thanks for understanding.»
Well, that matter is resolved.
Once we had our hands on his heart, we held a funeral. There were no priests left to preside over it, but we cremated our dead comrades like last time.
Rattle.
Once finished, we keep the ashes and bone fragments in a box. After that, we began looting the elites of Noark and the Order of the Rose, and collecting equipment from our dead comrades.
«Grab all the squad's equipment. Since we can't use the subspace, put everything you can in your bags».
We collected all the equipment from our comrades, which would serve as a souvenir to remember them.
«Since we don't have room, make sure you only take the valuables of the people of Noark».
We decided to take a decent amount of the Noark team. We had killed many Noark soldiers before returning to Glacier Eye, and their loot was currently lying dormant in our subspaces. This meant that even if someone asked us where we had gotten that loot from, there would be no way for them to know when we had gotten it or exactly from whom. Unlike the Order of the Rose.
«Collect the objects of the Roses separately. You have to handle them carefully».
Their equipment and consumables were mostly military supplies, so our options for selling and using them were limited. The moment these items were put on the market, word would spread in the palace.
Not to mention, if they suddenly decided they wanted to share the loot in our name and rummaged through our belongings when we returned, our plan to keep things a secret would go to waste.
It wasn't certain, but the risk of that happening existed.
We've already made quite a bit of money from the military so far...
Kaislan, a former soldier, seemed quite pleased with the increase in our budget. However, it was alarming to see him cry for his dead comrades a second later. Was it good or...?
«Yandel, don't feel too guilty. We will make your last wishes come true».
«What are you saying? I only get a runny nose from the cold».
Ugh, think about other things... about other things...
I headed towards the area where the bodies of the Roses and their team were kidnapped. I wasn't going to take anything, of course.
But at least I can take a look...
I searched them thoroughly, thinking that one of them might carry something that would reveal some of the palace's weak points, or contain other important information. The more I looked, the more my stomach turned.
Wow, all these daggers are mystium. Leather is all Ogre... Do we have to leave all this behind? Can't we figure out how to hide it so we can melt it or cut it into new equipment?
Greed took hold of me, but...
«We have to give this up».
Even a 1% risk of exposure was unacceptable. I could always make up an excuse and claim that we got the Dragon Slayer's heart while she was chasing us, but there was no way I could think of a credible story for these.
«...Eh?» As I searched through the corpses of the Roses, I found myself confused.
What are these rings?
All the knights wore identical rings on their middle fingers.
Did those guys... always wear rings?
I searched my memory, but that didn't seem to be the case. While fighting the woman named Six, she was not wearing a ring.
What is this?
As soon as the question occurred to me, I immediately took out the rings from all the corpses and examined them more closely. They were not Numerical Objects. So they were magic items?
«Brown, Gowland». Feeling the need to check it out, I asked magic users to rate them. His evaluation did not take long to arrive.
«These are binding type magic devices. As soon as you put one on, it disappears and becomes part of your soul».
«Binding magic devices?»
«You know. Like the summoning footprints used to summon ships in the Great Sea on the sixth floor. That's a good example of a binding object».
«So... this ring...»
«Yeah. It is a subspace ring. And it's also several times the quality of most similar magic products on the market.» No wonder none of them wore subspace rings or bracelets. «Binding type magic devices usually leave some type of imprint such as a tattoo on the person's body, but these do not seem to have anything similar. It appears to also have a detection override circuit recorded».
«Does that mean even the palace has no way of knowing if anyone has one of these?»
«Yeah. I think so.»
I didn't know what was inside these binding subspaces, but I was sure of one thing: we had won the lottery. With these rings, we wouldn't have to throw away the entire Roses team.
«¡Cogedlo todo!»
We picked up all the Roses equipment and put it in our backpacks. We could take it like this for now and then put it in our new subspaces as soon as we got to town. Those bastards wouldn't notice.
The problem is that there are only seven of us...
Currently, we had ten people. Three people would not receive a ring. But surprisingly, the distribution of the rings ended in the blink of an eye without any dispute.
«...This is much more than I deserve when I did nothing in this battle». James Calla, who had been unable to participate in the battle due to being temporarily blind, gracefully abstained.
«I will also renounce my right. I already have a binding type subspace».
«Me too».
Akurava and Ravien, who already had similar objects, also relented, thus completely settling the property issue.
[You've put on a Liar's Rose Ring. The Liar's Pink Ring now belongs to you].
The rings began to glow and disappeared in flashes of light as soon as we put them on.
«How do we open the subspace?»
«Brain wave recognition. If you think about opening the subspace, it will open».
Wow, is this the latest real technology? This will be really useful in the future.
«It seems we are ready.» With that, the process of collecting souvenirs and loot alike was over.
[The ice wall has melted.]
A day later, when the secret room was open, we all left the battlefield together. Although there was food in the Roses' backpacks, it was not enough to feed ten people.
[Versyl Gowland has cast the rank six High Level Distortion space-time spell.]
[Lilith Marrone has cast the rank six High Level Distortion space-time spell.]
We got all the monster meat we could and headed back towards Glacier Eye.
«It's a shame. If we could somehow take everything down there too, we could buy mansions in the royal capital».
However, with the Cariathea Glacier Wizard waiting for us, we had no chance of re-entering. It was unknown how much equipment he had buried down there. The moment the maze closed, everything would vanish into thin air.
«Now, let's call him one day and rest here. »
Getting meat was important, but we didn't rush and took breaks as often as possible. Even if we were hungry for the remaining days, it wouldn't kill us, and the squad wasn't exactly in combat form right now.
«Kaislan, are you okay?»
«I'm fine, don't worry. I can hold on until we get out».
There were no priests left and only four bottles of potion. All had survived, but for those who suffered serious injuries, there were obvious lingering consequences. Erwen, for example, had run out of MP or Natural Power, so she couldn't use a single skill. Only a few could fight at their usual level.
«Still... maybe it's because we went through all that, but this doesn't really feel that difficult at all...»
«Ha, I agree».
«I thought I had already experienced almost everything there is to experience in life, but I didn't realize how lucky I was».
We chat like this during breaks, but above all we talk about the future.
«The clan... Will you form it right away?». Marrone asked quietly.
«Probably. But most people will have to join later».
«True... Sir Kaislan is a soldier. It will surely be difficult for him to leave».
«Not just Kaislan. It would seem strange if we suddenly got together. We'll have to let some time pass. If we wait long enough, we will all end up being kicked out or fired from our respective positions, anyway. It won't be too late to join in a year».
«...I have some ideas for the clan emblem».
«Wow, you're very talented, Miss Marrone».
Reviewing the beginning of the expedition so far, we made a cover according to the chronology of events and put our stories in order. If there was any inconsistency or doubt, we would discuss it together and iron it out.
«Yandel, there is one thing that worries me».
«Hit me.»
«Even if we have our stories straight, will the palace really believe what we say? We have established that we are all resistant to lie detection spells, but that is not the only way to find out the truth».
I had also been thinking about that a lot: a scenario in which the powers that be did not believe us. If they had the slightest suspicion and wanted to verify the facts, what would we do then?
«As I said before, the palace has no reason to do so. They won't want to dig into this and leave us a trail to follow».
«True... that would normally be the case. If we were really strangers, asking those questions would give us reason to suspect them... But what if they still take risks?»
«If they do... it doesn't matter. The goal of this plan is not to deceive the palace». Plan A was ideal, of course, but having to switch to plan B wouldn't necessarily mean all was lost either.
«Excuse me? What do you mean?»
«For them, the fact that we have clarified ourselves and opted for silence will be a message in itself. A sign that we will stay silent, so there is no need to mess with us from now on. A kind of call from the weak to the strong».
The duke, the marquis, an alliance of minor nobles, the Alminus Company and even the Adventurer's Guild were involved in this incident. Even if they suspected that something had happened in the maze, they would not try to confirm it. And even if they did, it was highly unlikely that they would do something so daring again. It was going to cause quite a stir before they had a chance. When there were more eyes on you, you had to be more careful. A good example of this was the way they gave me a title without officially confirming that I was not an evil spirit. That was the real way to deal with things.
«We will have to increase our influence in that time so that turning a blind eye seems like a much better option than messing with us».
«But isn't that more dangerous? The more we grow, the more afraid we will be».
«I don't think so.
«And why is that?»
«No matter how big we are, we are a drop in the ocean compared to the palace. »
The influence of the palace was enormous. No sane person would consider taking up arms against Rafdonia's royal family.
«They'll assume we band together because it's our best chance of survival. They won't realize we're getting ready to stick a knife in their backs».
The members of this squad had never met before our only trip to the maze. Who knew we were planning to unite against the palace for revenge? After all, sadness and anger were passing emotions. Normally, people were just grateful for having survived horrible situations and made smart decisions afterwards.
«But just in case...» Akurava seemed somewhat convinced by my logic, but she still posed the worst case scenario. «In case they decide we're a nuisance and try to get rid of us... then what?».
The answer was simple.
What can be done? You just have to go to Plan C.
***
It was our seventy-fifth day in the maze, about four hours before the long-awaited closing.
«What's happening?»
Versyl Gowland suddenly sat next to me during one of our breaks and asked me something. «Hey, Mr. Yandel, Miss Naria was probably an evil spirit, right?».
«Probably?»
«Right... probably...?». Versyl murmured. I remained silent because I had nothing more to say on the subject. After a moment of silence, Versyl spoke again. «Um... So what do you think of Miss Naria?». His question was full of caution.
«I think of her as a comrade who had an unfortunate end. But... what are you really trying to ask me?»
«I will rephrase the question. If Mrs. Naria were still alive, would you still consider her a comrade?».
I could vaguely see where I wanted to go, but I answered honestly anyway. «Of course.
«...Even if it is an evil spirit?».
«We are all enemies of the palace now, what does that matter? Evil spirit or not, I don't care. The only thing I care about is whether someone is trustworthy.»
«...I see». Versyl nodded, a strange look on her face, and left after a little more idle conversation.
I wonder what his goal was. I was curious to know what kind of person I am? Has he realized that this thug elf is an evil spirit? And you wonder what I would do to him?
It seemed like a pretty plausible hypothesis to me, at least until Amelia took me aside two hours later.
«Yandel, I want to talk to you for a moment».
«Has something happened?»
«It has to do with what you asked me to do».
I blinked in confusion. «Did I ask you to do something?».
«You told me to investigate Sven Parav».
Ah, #eso?
I definitely asked him to do that. Considering his habit of carelessly opening his mouth at the Round Table, I couldn't get the worry out of my head that he would end up releasing our squad's secrets there. I was thinking of watching him and having him well controlled.
«But I meant you did it outside...». I didn't even use the term «research» myself. It had just been a kind request for me to keep a close eye on him.
Amelia shrugged with a giggle. «Then you should be grateful that I misunderstood you». His attitude suggested that he had something useful for me.
I sat up instantly. «I assume you've found something?».
«If you're curious, see for yourself». Amelia suddenly unbuckled her belt. I blinked in alarm, but all he did was fiddle with a hidden bag and pull out a small crystal ball.
«This is…»
«It's a recording crystal».
Do you think I don't know? I'm just surprised she managed to hide something like that in a belt she always wears... I'd probably beat myself up if she joked that she's a voyeur, right?
I resisted the urge and activated the crystal ball that Amelia had given me, thinking that the first thing I had to do was check it.
...Masticar, masticar, masticar.
The beginning of the video showed Sven Parav secretly gnawing on jerky that he had hidden in his jacket, away from the group. I was immediately filled with betrayal.
«That son of a bitch told me to my face that I hadn't stolen jerky...».
«Shut up and just look. It's coming».
As soon as Amelia scolded me, something changed in the video.
«Mr. Sven Parav.» A woman approached Sven, who turned around.
«Eek!» He was clearly surprised to be caught red-handed with jerky.
«Can we talk for a moment?» To my surprise, the woman who approached him was Versyl. Sven looked around uncomfortably and didn't respond. «Ah, I'm not going to tell the others about the jerky. Don't worry. I just want to have a quick conversation».
«...Can't we talk later?»
«Does that mean you don't want to talk to me?»
«N-No, it's not that... S-I just feel like something is wrong...»
«What you say doesn't make sense».
Versyl tilted her head as if she had no idea what she was talking about, but I was impressed.
Had he instinctively realized that Amelia was watching him?
I wasn't sure, but the video kept playing.
«Anyway, I'll abbreviate and get to the point».
«Excuse me? Ah, okay... go ahead. I'll listen to you».
What followed was a single sentence. «I know you are an evil spirit».
«.Uh.»
«…¿Eh?»
In response, both Sven and I adopted the same expressionless look on our faces.
…¡Tos! ¡Tos!
«Don't make noise. They will hear you».
«W-But what are you talking about?! I, an evil eee-spirit-!»
The bombs didn't stop there.
«Don't bother planning your getaway. I am also an evil spirit».
Damn bitch, a coming out?
«...Hey? What... Mrs. Gowland... an evil spirit...?» Sven was completely beside himself.
Versyl, on the other hand, was completely calm. «The reason I raise this is simple. With your personality, I figured you might have a slip in the community».
«U-Uh-»
«So don't even think about saying a word about this squad. I'll be watching. Either on the community bulletin board, or on the Round Table».
¡Play-sweet!
There was no sound effect, but both Sven and I thought we heard it in our heads anyway.
«The Round Table? How...?»
«Because I am one of its members. How else would I know that you are an evil spirit?».
«E-Wait... if you are a woman... R-Queen? No, that's not your vibe...» Sven rambled in an obvious attempt to calm his mind. Then he raised a trembling finger to point at her. «N-It can't be... you are... Fox?».
With that, I put the video on pause.
Versyl Gowland es Fox, ¿eh?
This search had borne some more fruit.
***
[The maze is closed. You are being transported to Rafdonia.]
***
The marquis was at his desk working when he paused to put down his pen and grab a hot cup of tea. He took a sip and looked at the time.
It was almost time for the portal to open.
It was five minutes before noon. The labyrinth would soon close and the empty Dimensional Squares would be filled with adventurers who had completed their arduous quests. Although it was an event that took place every month, even he found it special today.
«I hope the mission has been a success».
The Eye of Heaven was the central device of Noark's strategy, and his greatest weapon against Rafdonia. A squad of thirty people had hurriedly gathered to destroy it.
«Well, it doesn't matter if they fail».
The marquis had prepared official documents and statements for two scenarios. The first was whether the mission was successful but the expeditionary team did not survive. The other was if the mission was unsuccessful and the team did not survive either. There was no file prepared thinking about his survival. The marquis may have been a meticulous man, but he was not in the habit of doing useless work.
«It seems that that thorn that we had stuck in us has finally gone away».
The marquis giggled and placed the cup of tea on the desk. Then he picked up the pen again and began to review the piles of work in front of him. A little more than ten minutes passed.
¡Pum!
The message stone in the office vibrated. The call came from a checkpoint near the marquis' house.
A frown appeared on the marquis' face. «What's happening?»
«...I'm sorry to bother you. Some adventurers claiming to be a team of special forces working for the royal family have arrived at the door.»
«...Special forces?»
«Oh yeah... You don't know them, then? I'm sorry. They are quite extraordinary people, so I hesitate to accuse them of lying...»
«Ya veo... »
«Yeah. And the man who appears to be your spokesperson keeps demanding that we contact you... What should we do?»
«Is that so? Okay. I'll send someone there soon. Let them stay there. Oh... how many people were there?»
«Ten people... exactly ten people».
«I see. Very good», said the marquis, with a calm and serene tone. Having said that, the call ended.
Riiiiiip.
As soon as he finished, he tore up the two documents on the table and burned them.
«Ten people, huh? Things are getting interesting».
He didn't know what kind of tricks they used, but it seemed like the dead had somehow come back to life.