Tarikan Riyen. Of course, this wouldn't be his real name, but anyway.
I think it would be better to put something in his mouth before he speaks.
Since the inn wasn't far, I took him to my room and bought him a meal from the first floor. The menu was a 300-stone weekly meal. Although it was just chicken stew, some pieces of bread, and a few roasted vegetables, he was delighted with that alone. However, there was one thing that bothered me.
"I will not forget this favor!"
Ugh, what's with this barbaric clumsiness? I'm glad you've come to your senses, but if you're going to talk like a barbarian, you should at least do it better.
He lacked confidence, and his voice was too calm. We barbarians were happiest when someone bought us food.
He's still eating well. Perhaps because he's very hungry?
Watching him hurriedly gobble down his food, I smiled bitterly at the only thing I learned after finishing the meal.
And to think he's not a rookie…
Surprisingly, this man was older than me, albeit only slightly. He was called into this world a month before I opened my eyes in Bjorn's body. There was one more surprising fact.
"Coming-of-age ceremony"? Oh, that was quite a surprise. W-Who would have known there was an e-evil spirit among us?"
An evil spirit, huh?
Coincidentally, this man and I had similar beginnings. An evil spirit had appeared at his coming-of-age ceremony, too. In other words, there was an incident in which he was executed by the chief. At that moment, a question arose.
How did he survive?
At the coming-of-age ceremony, his name was called. However, an evil spirit had no awareness of his body when he opened his eyes, so he had to count inwardly in the suffocating tension each time the chief pronounced a name.
But even without that, perhaps there was nothing to suspect. Hmm, that could be the case. Or perhaps he was using a strategy similar to mine to avoid suspicion.
Curious, I asked a little about this, but what I got was a useless answer.
"Where was I during the ceremony? I don't know why you ask, but... I was the last one!"
I see. His was the last name called. Then I wouldn't have needed to know his name because there wouldn't have been any other warriors left to call. All I could think was that I'd been lucky, but he didn't seem to realize that, which annoyed me a little.
"And what happened after that?"
"What do you mean? Why are you asking?"
What do you mean by why? Because I'm an evil spirit too. It's called data research. "If I feel bad about what I hear, I might even help you." I deliberately answered as vaguely as possible.
However, in his head, he had already recorded my help as a fait accompli. «I see! Then I'll tell you». He did not hide his anxious eyes, and slowly began to tell his story, from the day he woke up in Tarikan Riyen's body until today.
As I listened, I didn't exactly feel bad for him. In reality, he asked for everything.
«... Didn't you enter the maze after the ceremony?»
«I had no choice! I got lost along the way...»
First, he did not enter the maze. He made the excuse that he got lost, but...
That should probably be leaked on my part.
His real reason was probably that fighting monsters was inconceivable to him. On the other hand, it would have been very easy to escape the horde of overexcited barbarians. The problem would have been what happened next. Abandoned in the city, he survived a week on stone bread, wandering to find a job, but no one would hire him because he was a barbarian.
Actually, that's the biggest disadvantage of being a barbarian.
Other breeds could have multiple jobs. For example, if you walked into any tavern, there were beastmen serving you, and occasionally you might find dwarves working as blacksmiths. They dug for mana stones on the days the maze opened and worked in the city the rest of the month to earn money, unlike the barbarians, who had no choice but to fight.
«But you didn't know that? You would have learned it in the holy land, right?».
«That, that... For a while, I forgot! And hadn't I told you before? I got lost so I had no choice...»
I say this because I know you are lying.
I expressed it as if it were something the barbarians learned in the holy land, but I was actually saying that it was a setting of the game that he should have known about if he had played it sooner.
But is this your answer?
Little by little I began to suspect. Could it be true that the evil spirits were the beings who opened the Gate of the Abyss on the top floor? To be so skilled, they had to know how barbarians were established, right?
«...So can I continue?»
«Oh, sorry. Forward.»
Anyway, back to the main point of the story. After several days of starvation, he sold his initial weapon for 50,000 stones. He didn't know who the buyer was, but he was really fooled. An initial barbarian weapon was worth 150,000 stones on average.
Well, that's not the important thing.
He spent a month with that small amount of money, and then came across another maze opening. That was the day I woke up in this body and decided to enter myself.
«Ha! Didn't you enter the maze then either? You're crazy?»
«But how can I fight a monster without a gun!»
That's why you should have entered from the beginning. You must have been a player to reach the Gate of the Abyss too, right? But you can't even make that judgment?
«Also I ate something bad that day and had a stomach ache!»
Now I was speechless. My head was swimming. Not that I can openly ask him if he's ever played that game...
Now that I thought about it, I didn't even know if all the evil spirits, including this man, were from the same Earth as me. Wasn't this a world where monsters and magic existed? It could also be possible that there were some evil spirits that had been summoned from another alien dimension.
«Anyway, keep going.» There didn't seem to be anything special to listen to, but I listened patiently to the rest. Of course, it didn't deviate much from my expectations.
He ran out of money, was kicked out of the inn, and days of hunger, cold, and fighting illness ensued. One day, when he found out about the existence of the dormitory where the barbarians were staying, he went to see if he could get help, but for some reason he was rejected.
«That's what makes you so different! Everyone else looked at me strangely».
To be honest, he was more peculiar to me. How did you manage to survive three months living so half-heartedly?
Should I praise him for at least realizing that he had to act like a barbarian?
Although I couldn't understand each of his decisions, on the one hand, I was relieved. If he had made a different decision then, perhaps he would have ended up in a similar place that day, if he had fled for fear of fighting.
«...But how much does this place cost per day?».
Then I would have ended up on the street instead of in an inn with a window and a private bathroom. Without soup to eat and without being able to eat the stone bread, I would be rummaging through the trash, and I may have had to express my misfortunes and have the sympathy of a stranger.
«Oh! How was my story? Do you feel bad for me?».
I reflected once more before responding and made a decision.
«It was definitely a sad story».
«So, will you help me?». His face regained color in an instant. «Of course, I'll give it back to you. You may not believe it, but I know a lot about the maze! If you take me with you, I will be of great help to you».
Help? Me? Judging by those words, he seems to know something about this world...
He could even feel what kind of hopeful future he was imagining in his head. I was probably imagining entering the maze with me as a team. Maybe he also said it to reward me, because he didn't know who I really was. But I drew the line from the beginning.
«No entry is into the labyrinth with you».
There is no such future. I have bigger fish to fry. I can't carry luggage to the maze just because it's in a similar situation to mine. Why would he do such madness?
«But you said you would surely help me!»
Hearing the voice tinged with a little anger, I forcibly swallowed a bitter smile again. «I will help you in another way».
«Otherwise?»
«Take. There are 150,000 stones. Buy a weapon with this and enter the maze».
When I took out three 50,000 stone coins and put them in his hand, his face lit up again. «Are you really giving me this? I appreciate it. I'll return the favor».
I really didn't expect him to give it back to me. Even with that money, with that mentality, it wouldn't last long. The maze I personally experienced was not a place I could easily navigate with just the knowledge of the game. But I gave him 150,000 stones. I handed him the money, knowing that the act would not do me any favors.
«I'm tired. Do you want to leave now?»
«Ah, I see! Alright. I'll come back another one...»
«Don't come.» To make sure I understood it perfectly, I lowered my voice and repeated it. «Tarikan, son of Riyen, whether you lose that money or survive the maze and earn much more, or even if things go well for you to pay me...». When I approached him and grabbed his shoulder, he shuddered. I could tell his perplexity through touch, but I continued. «...It's the same for any other reason. Once you leave this room today, don't come looking for me. If you understand, answer me. You understand?»
"...Okay.»
After hearing that, I forced him out of the room. Then I stretched out on the bed and reflected on what I had just done. I smiled satisfied.
What, did it remind me of the past?
Maybe it reminded me of a time when I desperately needed someone's help. But even considering that...
I have done something abominable even in my own eyes.
A calculating person would surely find me stupid. An emotional person would find me intriguing and wonder how this could be helpful. They were not wrong. I had neither the coldness to move away from the line nor the recklessness to cross it, so I stood high right above it.
Surely this is what they call hypocrisy.
I closed my eyes and thought again. Even if my actions today were nothing more than hypocrisy, this was the best thing I could do, something I would never have been able to do if I didn't have money.
«Tarikan, live as long as you can.»
***
The next morning, I visited the Explorers Guild branch once again. Unfortunately, the staff member who helped me today was someone else.
«Five stars...?» The employee who checked my ID card changed her expression in an instant, like yesterday, and responded kindly.
What the hell was this? Had the district chief done something to my ID? I was curious, but couldn't get a definitive answer from the employee.
»Stars»? Have I said such a thing?».
Come on, don't pretend you don't know.
I didn't investigate further. It must have been something like a code used only by the guild, something linked to a VIP or a nuisance. I suddenly wondered which side I was on.
Either way, it's better for me.
Who cared if it was good or bad? The friendly service as a result was the same.
«This is a list of equipment that meets the criteria you mentioned. Would you like to read it, sir?»
I checked today's recruit openings under the same conditions as yesterday. Aside from the addition of some new equipment, the content was virtually the same.
Will I be able to find a suitable team today?
While reviewing the documents, focusing on the new equipment, my eyes stopped at one section. A familiar name stood out.
[Exploration of the 3rd floor – Hikurod Murad]
Preferred areas of exploration: None, this will be decided at a later meeting
Midrange: Undefined
Current member: 1 Dwarf melee warrior (Rank 7)
Recruitment: 4 people (regardless of role, may vary depending on team composition)
*Fair distribution
Is the team leader named Hikurod Murad? And he's a dwarf. It doesn't seem like it's anyone else with that name… Did his previous team disband?
Whatever the reason, it wasn't a bad option. It was a little odd that there weren't any members yet, but at least the team leader was quite trustworthy. I was also curious to know what numbered item he'd gotten in the Bloody Citadel.
At least I should meet with him.
After that, I filled out a short application form and handed it to the administrative officer, then left the building and headed straight to the business district. The meeting would be arranged perhaps tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after at the latest.
So, let's spend some money in the meantime.
He was sure this was going to be the most enjoyable moment he had experienced in a long time.
Uh… but has there ever been a pleasant moment?
I decided not to worry about minor issues.