38 – Subjugation #3
The [Totem Necklace of Euma] is not an artifact that anyone can make. It has strict production conditions.
Proof was required for these conditions. Proof of being a member of Euma.
Only those who have received the blessing of Euma can create the [Totem Necklace].
So just having a totem becomes a factor that arouses suspicion. It means being associated with the devil’s kin or such a group.
From the perspective of an adventurer, it is only natural to be suspicious.
Fortunately, misunderstandings about Loren were quickly cleared up. The Guildmaster of the “Heart of Steel” vouched for us.
However, we had to extract information.
The events that took place on the first floor. The origin of the totem.
In the process, we learned that the “Heart of Steel” had killed seven of our comrades.
“So there are five remaining on the upper floor?”
“There may be even fewer than that.”
“The bandits planning to ambush us should be waiting similarly.”
The “Heart of Steel” continued the conversation efficiently. The atmosphere seemed to be forming as if planning a mission.
The Guildmaster, an older woman, looked at Loren and asked.
“Didn’t you manage to assess their numbers while escaping?”
“…I didn’t see it exactly. I think there were roughly eight.”
“It’s a number similar to the ones that have gone up.”
The members of the “Heart of Steel” guild were filled with excitement. It could be described as anticipation.
“If we catch the outlaws this time…”
“We can definitely be promoted to Grade C. It’s not a close call, it’s 100% confirmed.”
Greed sparkled in their eyes. It was a desire of a different texture from the outlaws.
The desire for advancement is not wrong. It is a greed that can be understood well enough.
“Summon the adventurers for now. Let’s hear their opinions.”
The members of the “Heart of Steel” guild scattered throughout the village, gathering the adventurers who were resting.
Guild Master Ajumma stepped forward as the representative and spoke.
“We have obtained information. It’s related to the outlaws outside the village.”
She explained briefly.
Some of the outlaws who went up through the portals of other villages have died. We have the totems they had.
“The outlaws in hiding are waiting for this.”
She shook the totem necklace. Perhaps because it was a necklace that visualized an unpleasant shape, even the shaking seemed uncomfortable.
“We are considering dealing with the outlaws outside.”
“….”
They would attack first. The “Heart of Steel” felt confident in their chances of winning and threw down the gauntlet.
The listening adventurers expressed their unease.
“Do we really have a reason to do that? There’s nothing good about provoking the outlaws.”
They couldn’t put the party leader in danger. That was the consensus.
“I understand.”
Guildmaster of the “Heart of Steel” nodded as if sympathizing with those words. Then, he turned his head and looked to the side.
Her gaze fell upon a young boy. He seemed to be the boyfriend of the girl in their party.
He claimed to resemble her son. But the party leader looked completely different from me.
“But it’s something we have to do. If we leave them alone, it will only become more dangerous.”
Appealing to emotions is meaningless. Showing possibilities is much more effective.
The Guildmaster of the “Heart of Steel” held up a totem necklace.
“You said you killed the bandits who went down to the first floor earlier, right? Luckily, I was able to pick up this totem necklace. You can use it.”
“That’s…”
“Using the bandits’ artifacts can reduce the burden on the party leader. I will lend this to those parties who are afraid of bandit extermination operations. Please lend us your strength.”
Even so, there was no sign of the public opinion improving. Everyone seemed reluctant to engage in direct combat with the bandits.
Do I have to? It feels the same.
“To the participating adventurers, the Guild of the ‘Heart of Steel’ will provide Grade D mana stones that they have collected.”
The Guildmaster lady had no intention of giving up. She offered a big deal to the hesitant adventurers.
“Go to the warehouse and bring them.”
When the Guildmaster gestured, the guild members headed towards the warehouse building. They came out with a bundle of mana stones.
Equivalent to ten backpacks that I’m carrying. It was quite a lot.
“He collected mana stones diligently even while performing garrison missions.”
When the physical goods were presented in front of them, the adventurers finally reacted. They didn’t seem displeased, and their eyes had the same glimmer.
Of course, their inner thoughts were meaningless. The decision to participate in the battle was solely the authority of the boy.
From Noble mtl dot com
Our party wasn’t any different. Swoo, who was standing behind me, gently embraced me and asked,
“Do you plan to participate?”
“They say they’ll give a magic stone, so it’s a bit tempting not to go….”
Since there was some basis for “Heart of Steel,” it seemed like this was a setup.
I didn’t completely trust the people I was meeting for the first time today, but I still thought it was worth a gamble. I couldn’t ignore the fact that it was a D-rank magic stone package.
“What does Lauren think?”
“It’s not bad.”
Lauren was looking at the situation positively.
“I looked around earlier. I think I saw a D-rank guy with three others.”
“D-rank?”
“Do you see that guy with three people over there?”
It wasn’t easy for three people to cover Nuna. But the boy Lauren was pointing at was managing it.
“Adventurers may not have great skills, but if they have the D-rank ‘Soul Protection,’ they’ll fight better than the 3rd-floor brigands.”
“So there’s a possibility?”
“Brigands have intelligence, unlike monsters. They’re humans, just like us. That’s why there are too many variables.”
Adventurers hate variables the most. In the labyrinth, unpredictable variables can take lives.
It wasn’t for no reason that they were reluctant to fight the brigands.
“But there are also humans who are eager for it. Like guilds such as ‘Heart of Steel.'”
Monsters hold one magic stone each. To collect 100 magic stones, you have to hunt 100 monsters.
Brigands aren’t monsters. No one knows how many they have inside them until they open them.
“The compensation you propose will naturally be taken care of. Each person will handle the bounty hunters they’ve killed separately, right?”
There were adventurers who had developed a taste for hunting down bounty hunters. They were different from the others, even in their gaze.
They accepted this proposal as if they had been waiting for it.
“Naturally, it’s each person’s share. You can loot the bounty hunters on your own. I have no intention of controlling that. After all, I’m a labyrinth explorer too.”
“The Heart of Steel” welcomed them. As a few parties joined hands with “The Heart of Steel,” the atmosphere took a strange turn.
The parties that had been watching from the sidelines gradually got drawn in.
Most of the decision-makers were young boys. The boys couldn’t resist the flow created by the majority.
It felt like I was the only one at a disadvantage. The psychology of the crowd was so frightening.
“It won’t be dangerous. The bounty hunters outside the village are at most a dozen or so.”
“The Heart of Steel” was confident. They didn’t show any signs of thinking that they would lose.
The other adventurers felt the same way.
“No one plans a strategy with defeat in mind.”
In the labyrinth, defeat meant death. It was only natural to react like they did.
“We’ll participate too.”
“…You have no intention of revealing it yet, right?”
“That’s right.”
Stay in the back and strike down the bounty hunters from there. That’s the plan.
Lauren checked my stance once again and nodded.
“Got it. Then I’ll adjust my strength accordingly.”
“…If it seems dangerous, I’ll make a quick escape.”
“Do you think I should help people in a state of chaos?”
“…There’s nothing more precious than my life. If it’s really dangerous, I’ll tell Su-won to back off first.”
I’ve helped others while keeping my own insurance intact. With just my remaining hand.
Surviving myself was the top priority.
Lauren let out a sigh of relief.
“Oh, really? Well, that’s fortunate.”
We also expressed our intention to participate. The guildmaster of the “Heart of Steel” welcomed us.
“I’ll use this totem well and return it. Is that alright?”
“Do we have to go through all the trouble of obtaining permission?”
Lauren retorted to the guildmaster lady with a sarcastic tone. The lady smiled gracefully.
“I didn’t have time to ask first. Quick decision, you know what I mean?”
“……”
“But I’ll make sure to compensate you generously. You just need to assist us safely and take the magic stones. It’s a win-win situation.”
Is raising guild rank such an important task? Important enough to prepare for a dangerous mission against bandits?
Or is the difficulty of the mission easier than I thought?
“Judging by the number of people… It doesn’t seem like we’ll fail.”
When we were caught by the bandits and tried to escape, I vaguely remember that there were less than 10 of them. But now there are more than 20 people to face just 10.
It wasn’t so strange to have confidence.
“A package of D-grade magic stones. How much would that be worth?”
“D-grade magic stones are roughly three times the value of F-grade ones, right? So it would be around 5 silver for one.”
“5 Silver!”
From the first floor, they had been rolling and receiving 4 Silver throughout the week. But because they divided it among themselves, it decreased to 1 Silver.
But with one operation, they could earn 5 Silver.
“The important thing is not the amount. It’s that we can fulfill our quota with that.”
“…Ah.”
“Don’t you have a quota? Maybe it hasn’t been a month yet, so you don’t have one?”
“I don’t have one. They didn’t tell me separately.”
“After registering as an explorer, they’ll contact you after a month. They’ll say you have to fulfill your quota.”
The boys had a reason to participate in the danger.
“Now that it’s decided, let’s depart immediately.”
The Guildmaster of the “Heart of Steel” guild led the way.