Ten days had passed since my visit to the Karlstein family home. The first day I was worried that Missha had told her father everything.
«That? You're crazy? Stupid barbarian! How can you say something like that?»
«So what did you do there?»
«That is...! You don't need to know!»
It was unnecessary anxiety. She didn't know why she was keeping it a secret, but she could be sure that something like that hadn't happened. I decided to focus on the issues that needed to be addressed immediately. Weren't there already two time bombs on the team?
«Dwalkie, let's talk».
The day after returning from the Karlsteins' house, I had a meeting with Dwalkie immediately. With a drink, I went around the bush.
«That? It's true? Does Miss Karlstein like fat people?»
«Yeah, he definitely said that last time».
«Yes, I see. Thanks for telling me. I was almost wrong with the rush».
After that conversation, Dwalkie ordered a bunch of plates and gorged himself until his stomach became convex. This was a solution.
He won't confess until he gains a little weight.
It was safe to say he earned at least a month or two. With Dwalkie's personality, he wouldn't be able to muster up the courage unless he gained considerable weight. And by the time I did, Missha and I would be off the team.
This makes me feel like total trash...
But I had no choice. Maybe if this guy was mentally strong, but what if he confessed to Missha and was rejected? He wouldn't be able to come to his senses even in the maze. This was an act that could endanger the team.
But why am I so sure he will be rejected?
Suddenly that question arose, but I didn't think deeply about it. The data accumulated in the unconscious sometimes made more accurate predictions than anything else.
Anyway, next was Rotmiller.
«Be careful. My father would have played tricks on that Rotmiller guy».
If (as the district chief's daughter Julianna had said) Rotmiller had contacted the chief, there was a good chance that a disturbing conversation had taken place. The district chief and I had a pretty bad relationship. Although it was questionable why he was making a move only now, months later.
Anyway, I can't show my suspicion.
In the case of Rotmiller, unlike Dwalkie, I approached the matter with caution and time. This guy was scary. I hadn't seen him get angry yet, but that only made it even scarier. Normally, this type of person had to see the end when something went wrong.
«So, for the first floor, I will make the destination closest to the starting point...Haha, marriage? You ask a strange question. I won't start a family until I can actually take care of one person. Sit inside. Since you are big, you will continue to bump into people in the hallway».
I continued to observe Rotmiller both at regular gatherings and at social drinks. It was still the same. As usual, he was quiet and serious, and continued to be considerate of others in most situations.
Ha, this is a big headache.
Even after hearing Julianna's warning, it was hard for me to imagine Rotmiller stabbing me in the back. No, on the contrary, doubting him made me feel even more guilty. We had shared joys and sorrows for several months together. Let myself be carried away by a stranger's word and not be able to believe him?
There can be no greater contradiction.
The more I thought about it, the more ironic the situation became. However, I decided it was fair to make it clear. What did Rotmiller talk to the district chief about that day?
If he had asked me first, I would have erased my doubts without any remorse.
Rotmiller didn't comment on it, so I called him and struck up a conversation. Actually, I didn't have much time. The maze would open the next day. That's why I put the contents of the glass in my mouth at once and got straight to the point.
«Rotmiller. What was the reason you went to the Scout Guild?».
Rotmiller was slightly surprised by my direct question, but I guess something occurred to him. «No wonder you come to see me more than usual. How did you find out what happened in the guild?».
So something happened there. «I know someone in the guild». After a brief answer, I asked for an answer to my first question.
Rotmiller responded with a sigh. «...When I responded to the invitation, the head of the seventh district was waiting for me. He offered me a reward for betraying you».
«¿Y?»
«I told him I would pretend I had never heard that offer and left. Is that enough answer for you?». Although he tried not to show it, Rotmiller seemed very uncomfortable with my question.
I endured all that and asked again: «So why didn't you tell me until now?».
«I told you. I said I'd pretend I hadn't heard. Besides, I thought if I told you, it would only make things weird».
«I see. Thanks for answering».
With this, the conversation came to an end. If he insisted more, he would only be telling him that he didn't believe him. Whatever Rotmiller's intentions were, I judged that it was not a wise move.
Anyway, nothing would change.
You couldn't enter the maze without an explorer. Find someone new? That was risky anyway. It would be difficult to find a skilled scout unless it was through a guild. In short, it was a perfect opportunity for the district chief to introduce a weirdo to the team. It was questionable whether Hikurod or Dwalkie would agree in the first place.
Most of all, I don't think Rotmiller was lying when he said he rejected the offer.
Soon, I made my final judgment. «Sorry to bother you so late. Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow at the meeting place».
This didn't change anything. Rotmiller would join the expedition.
***
The next afternoon, seven hours until the maze opened.
«Lord, I will come look for you when I return! You must come back healthy!»
«Yes, you work hard too».
Erwen, who had been hanging around my accommodation since she released the binding magic with her sister in the morning, left. Just in time, Missha arrived.
«What the hell, why does it come from Herré?»
«She stopped by to say hello. Apparently, she had nothing to do after receiving the binding magic«.
«Mm ... »
«Anyway, it arrived on time. Let's go get some sleep». I put a timer on the alarm clock I bought a while ago and slept with Missha to bring our condition to the best state. How long did it take after that?
«Bjorrrn, wake up.»
We ate a simple meal and left with the luggage we had prepared beforehand. Since we arrived a little early, no one was at the meeting place yet.
As always, Rotmiller arrived just in time. «Um, haven't you both arrived yet?».
«Yeah. Dwalkie and Hikurod must be a little late», Missha replied.
«...It's nothing new».
Those two always arrived early or late, so we waited.
«¡Oh, Bjorrrn! ¡Mira allí!»
When I checked where Missha was pointing, I saw a group of young warriors who had just finished their coming-of-age ceremony moving in groups. I approached quickly. At this point, I'd be sad if I didn't meet these guys before we left.
«You're lost? Then you can follow those who look like explorers around», I offered.
«Who are you to say such obvious things?».
Hey? What was this reaction about? «...I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.»
«That! Little Balkan! It's an honor to meet you!»
Once I gave my name, I asked: «But why is it so obvious? What do you mean by that? Could it be that you are not lost?».
«Of course! We just have to follow the explorers as we learned in the holy land. Why would we be lost?»
«Did you say that was taught in the holy land? Didn't they show you a strange map and tell you to memorize it?».
«Map? We don't know how to read maps».
The young warrior's response left me stunned. What was that? Had the teaching method changed? It didn't hurt me at all. It was a much more reasonable method than memorizing a map.
«There's still time, so listen to me», I said.
«What is it about?»
«It will be useful to you». I told the same stories I had told the former leaders.
«Take care of humans? Well, that's obvious. Shouldn't we protect our own hearts?»
This group of barbarian babies was clearly different. Every time he said something, the reaction was as if he said something obvious.
Missha commented: «Wow... the barbarians have evolved».
It seemed like I wasn't the only one who felt this was strange. So why did this change occur?
«Who was it that told you about it in the holy land?». I asked just in case, and I was shocked.
«Kharon, son of Tarson!»
Unbeknownst to me, the winds of change were blowing from below.
«Then we're leaving now! Bjorn, son of Yandel, it was an honor to meet you!»
I wanted to ask more, but the barbarian babies left, saying they wanted to enter the maze. As soon as they disappeared, the two people we had been waiting for arrived at the meeting place.
«Oh, sorry for being late! Have you waited long?»
«Hahaha! Forgive us. Dwalkie had a stomach ache».
"¡¿P-Por qué les dices eso?! ⁇
«Ah, gosh. What is there to be ashamed of? It's between us».
«Okay, let's go too».
As the duo was delayed a whopping 20 minutes, we hurried to Dimension Square. The portal was already open.
«Okay then, come on!»
After completing the binding magic through Dwalkie, we entered the maze.
***
[You have entered the Crystal Cave on the first floor].
The crystal cave was filled with bright light. Last month we skipped this with the bug, so we hadn't seen this show in a while, but there wasn't time to take a leisurely look. This time we decided to do a quick race at Rotmiller's request.
«If you allow me, I want to try properly. It will probably be difficult to achieve an achievement, but I'm curious to see how much I can achieve».
Since he was not someone to express his opinions out loud in the exploration plans, everyone unanimously agreed.
«We will leave immediately».
As soon as he opened his eyes, Rotmiller felt the wall, grasped our current location, and immediately began to find his way. He began to run like a galloping horse.
The truth is that it is quite fun to do.
Rotmiller took the lead, looking for the way. Right behind him, Missha was cleaning the mobs of garbage. My role and Hikurod's was to take turns taking Dwalkie and following those two. Not only was the lineup just for motion novels, but as we ran from the start, we saw sights we hadn't seen before.
«Wow, they're running too!»
The explorers ran through the cave to find portals, just like us. It was a difficult sight to see when we were going slow.
I see why it's hard to shorten time on the first floor.
I also noticed new things. The cave on the first floor had many sharp curves, making it difficult to run at full strength. In other words, from a certain level onwards, all explorers had the same movement speed. The scout's skill became even more important. Well, that and the resistance of the team members.
Huff, puff…
Although our physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, sweat flowed like rain as we jogged for several hours straight. Was that why? The conversation disappeared naturally between the parties.
«Hikurod, are you okay?»
«I'm fine». The dwarf, who lacked agility and stamina, seemed almost on edge, but did not let out a faint sound. How was I going to do it, in front of Rotmiller like that?
«Over here».
I guess it was true that he wanted to test his limits because Rotmiller stayed focused and led the way for several hours. To put it bluntly, it was passion. To put it wrong, it was to the point of madness.
Was this man always so passionate?
I admired this new facet of him and continued moving my feet.
It took me six hours to get to the portal. Unfortunately, someone else had already opened it.
«Wow, so it's possible to get there so fast!». Missha exclaimed, but Hikurod and I looked at Rotmiller's face first.
«Damn! Why am I...»
It was the first time he made that face.