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Why was it here?

As soon as I had that question in mind, a possibility naturally crossed my thoughts.

[If we’re talking about the Lion Clan, it hasn’t been long since you left the island. And you haven’t returned yet.]

The village chief’s words from last time may have been false.

Perhaps… the Lion Clan didn’t simply fail to return; maybe they crossed an impassable river.

Perhaps by someone’s hands.

“……”

“……”

Looking at their expressions, it seemed like Amellia was thinking along the same lines as me…

“Did you find anything other than the dagger?”

“That’s all. As far as I’ve checked.”

“I see…”

It’s hard to come to a conclusion right away.

It’s possible that it was just a mistake leaving behind one dagger, and the monsters secretly took it. Or perhaps, they sold the daggers to the monsters.

In other words, if we want to spin the hope circuit, we can spin it as much as we want.

But…

“This is troublesome.”

Whenever variables arise, one must always assume the worst.

“You saw it too, but he’s dangerous.”

The village chief’s power is beyond what can be described as a monster.

With a swift swing of his sword, he instantly killed a Hipporamant, a creature known for its agility. If that sword were to come at me, would I be able to survive unscathed?

Because we couldn’t know for sure, we had to start by confirming this.

“…… Does anyone else know about this dagger?”

“Nobody knows yet. Maybe Fenelin went to investigate the accident and discovered it.”

“Is it possible to return it without getting caught?”

No need for long explanations.

“Right now, it is.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“I understand.”

Amellia, who accepted my request, carefully concealed the dagger within her bosom.

She already knew everything.

Confronting the village chief at this time would be too risky.

“We have a secret from the village chief.”

That much is clear.

At least one thing, we are not yet prepared to face.

***

The day after Amellia safely returned the dagger to the blacksmith’s shop.

“Starting today, investigate the whereabouts of the Lion Clan. As discreetly as possible. Don’t tell Ainar, of course, and don’t tell Versil or Eruwen either.”

“And what about you, Yandel?”

“I’m going to meet the village chief once.”

After giving Amellia a new quest, I headed towards the chief’s mansion.

“You came earlier than I expected.”

“I didn’t have anything else to do except rest.”

“I wish I could offer you something, but we don’t have such things in this village. Please have a seat.”

Did he notice because of the Lion Clan dagger?

We were just having a normal conversation like before, but unknowingly, tension built up in my muscles.

Thump-!

It felt as if I were facing a psychopath killer. However, I behaved naturally, trying not to show any signs of nervousness.

After all, this kind of acting is my specialty.

“So, what do you want to talk about? If you called me separately, it can’t be just idle chitchat.”

“Hmm, it’s somewhat ambiguous. If I say it’s a matter, then it’s a matter.”

The village chief soon spoke, with his characteristic deadpan voice.

“Byoren Yandel, I’m curious about you.”

“What?”

“Is that strange? Perhaps someone who might be sent away from here as an adventurer might have an interest?”

“That’s not it…”

It was a slightly embarrassing topic, but I quickly assessed the situation.

A lion is a lion, and a leopard is a leopard.

“Do I need a reason to tell you if you’re curious about me?”

I tweaked my answer, adding my own touch to the response I heard yesterday.

“You told me not to be curious about things in important places and to focus only on my tasks, didn’t you?”

I purposely spoke rudely, but the village chief didn’t seem to show any signs of being offended.

“Well, I suppose you have a point.”

No, it made me even more uneasy because he accepted it too easily.

“Then, how about we answer each other’s questions? You must have a lot of questions about me as well.”

Hmmm…

One-on-One Truth Game…

“Fine.”

There wasn’t much hesitation.

This world isn’t designed to grant what you want without any risk.

“I’m getting used to situations like this.”

I quickly took the initiative.

“Can I ask the first question?”

“Go ahead.”

“By any chance, do you still possess the essences you had during your human days?”

It was the most important question in the current state.

Brungrid’s essences, which she owned in her lifetime, were quite famous.

Like other renowned heroes, her combination of essences was passed down to future generations under the name of Vision.

Well, not all of her known essences were revealed.

But knowing just this would give a rough idea of how powerful she is.

“Not exactly.”

Hmm, not?

“Then, what was that shining sword yesterday?”

“Now it’s my turn.”

“…Go ahead.”

By asking the opponent’s question, I could also gain something, so I passed the turn without forcing it.

What question would the village chief throw as the first one?

It was a type that I never expected.

“How old are you?”

That was completely unexpected.

“My age…?”

“Was it a difficult question, by any chance?”

“…I’m twenty-four.”

I answered honestly, feeling a bit dazed.

“Why did he ask about my age? Is he trying to lower my guard before asking an important question later?”

It felt a bit suspicious, but still, passing the turn with information like age wasn’t bad.

“You’re much younger than I thought. To achieve such skill and establish a noble lineage at your age… Truly remarkable.”

Ignoring the flattering compliment, I began my turn.

“If it’s not the essences from your human days, did you acquire your abilities on this island?”

These individuals who refer to themselves as “human” are quite peculiar.

They have both innate passive and active abilities.

This is the same characteristic shared by other monsters.

However…

“That’s right. I was only given time, and as you saw, this island is full of monsters.”

They can absorb essences related to such subjects.

However, leveling up is impossible, and the number of essence slots varies from a minimum of three to a maximum of seven, depending on each individual’s innate characteristics.

“…It’s quite ambiguous whether to consider them as monsters or not.”

To be honest, it’s not unreasonable to simply see them as a single race, like fairies, dwarves, barbarians, and beastmen.

The races of Lafdonia also have their own characteristics.

Fairies can command spirits, barbarians grow stronger through the power of spirit possession, dwarves receive equipment bonuses, and beastmen enhance themselves using soul counts.

And from that perspective…

“At birth, they have a predetermined level and start with one race-specific essence.”

From certain perspectives, it’s possible to distinguish this as a “race-specific trait.”

However…

“They mentioned magic stones.”

I witnessed the bodies of the slain monster warriors turning into light and disappearing in the recent battle.

And seeing that… although they are hit by monsters…

“What’s important is something else.”

I quickly concluded my biological contemplation on whether they can be defined as monsters.

It was soon the village chief’s turn.

“Tell me about your first adventure in the Labyrinth.”

“…Why are you curious about that?”

“To understand who you are.”

“Explaining it all will take a long time.”

“If it’s the most I possess, it’s time. Besides, I don’t have much time to spare.”

“Hmm… It’s too broad, I don’t know where to start. The Hero was a very lucky person.”

“…Luck?”

“Yes. The Hero was an ordinary person. However, she had the most capable magician in this world as her friend.”

“You mean the Archmage.”

The village chief nodded and continued.

“The Archmage had foreseen the end a long time ago and made preparations. She convinced the Hero, emptied the family’s assets, and prepared for that day. The foolish Hero did something foolish. Laughing at him, people from all over the continent ridiculed him.”

However, the story completely changed after the end came.

“The neighboring country’s king, the continent’s greatest swordsman, and Inkarun’s magician… They all rushed to claim everything they could without hesitation. They kneeled, begging to be allowed in.”

The Hero and the Archmage strictly selected such refugees based on strict criteria.

And…

“And thus, Lafdonia was born.”

“Wait, then what about Noark?”

“…?”

“The city underground. There was a portal leading to the Labyrinth there too.”

“Ah, you mean the underground refuge. I’ve heard of its existence, although I’ve never been there.”

Hmm… a refuge…

“Sorry for interrupting. Please continue.”

“…Anyway, as many people were trapped in the city, resources were quickly consumed. And at that time, the Archmage finally created a portal connecting to another dimension.”

That place was the Labyrinth.

An unknown land filled with monsters.

Initially, the plan was for the entire city to migrate to the new land.

“To realize the migration plan, the Archmage formed an exploration team, and I was fortunate enough to join that team.”

The exploration team ventured into the Labyrinth in earnest.

And through the research of the mages, they realized the value of magic stones, and the migration plan was reset.

Magic stones.

A versatile substance that can become food, water, and even iron.

“And so, the city stabilized, laying the foundation for everlasting existence. The city grew larger, and the portals, which were once scarce, increased in number. However, if you ask what the ruler did during this process, I have nothing particular to say.”

All the achievements belonged to the Archmage, and the ruler was merely the luckiest person in the world, according to the village chief’s evaluation.

“But there are so many suspicious things about that…”

I wanted to ask a new question, but unfortunately, the turn had now passed to the other side.

“How was your second expedition?”

The village chief asked about my expedition episodes again, and while being cautious about his intentions, I recounted the stories.

“The Crimson Fortress… a nostalgic name. It was an interesting story, well told.”

“Now it’s my turn.”

Huh, what should I ask this time?

After a moment of contemplation, I decided to ask a somewhat sensitive question.

“How did the Immortal King attain immortality?”

It was a question related to the power of the royal family and could shed light on Cornelius Brungrid.

I wondered what kind of answer the village chief would provide.

I eagerly pricked up my ears, waiting.

Tap, tap.

The sound of knocking echoed from the entrance, followed by an ancient language.

“Village chief, I have something urgent to discuss.”

“I’m sorry. Let’s continue the conversation another time.”

The village chief made an excuse and I had no choice but to leave his house. As I opened the door, I saw a monster with a face standing there.

“It’s Marufipichi’s father.”

He played a role similar to the village chief’s right-hand man, being a respected warrior in the village.

“…”

[…]
Awkwardly exchanging glances, I passed by him and headed to my dwelling.

In the meantime, I pondered.

“It must be something important for them to come looking for me like this…”

What could it be?

***

The conversation with the village chief was suspicious in many ways.

“…Asking about my age.”

Should I say it was utterly incomprehensible?

If he was genuinely interested in me to that extent, he could have interrogated the Eunsaja Clan and listened to their stories.

“Could it be that I completely missed the mark?”

Suddenly, I thought that the dagger I found in the blacksmith’s shop wasn’t anything special, and they simply couldn’t return from their trip outside the village.

But…

Crack!

Thinking such thoughts was truly dangerous.

Therefore, I changed the direction of my thoughts and replayed today’s conversation in my mind.

“The village chief asked about my age.”

What could be the reason for that?

Was he genuinely curious about my age?

“That’s unlikely.”

Even if he hadn’t interrogated the Eunsaja Clan, he could have heard about it at any time.

And by extension…

“Everything he said about being curious about me was a lie.”

Then why did the village chief propose this truth game?

It was as if buying a loaf of bread for a gold piece…

“Just a moment.”

When my thoughts reached that point, thunder roared in my mind.

“Perhaps… that was the purpose.”

Handing me a “gold piece.”

In other words, naturally providing “information” under the pretense of a truth game.

If that was the intention, it made sense in various ways.

“That shining sword… now that I think about it, there was no need to show it.”

I didn’t know the extent of the village chief’s power.

In simple terms, if the village chief wanted to hide his abilities, he could have easily done so.

Yet, in front of me, the village chief effortlessly defeated the giant with a single blow.

“In other words, all of it was intentional…”

I still don’t know what the purpose is.

Without engaging in further conversations with the village chief due to the lack of information, it seemed difficult to progress towards the truth.

However…

One day, two days, three days…

I visited the village chief’s house every day in search of clues, but his house was empty the entire time. When I asked the village monsters about the chief, all I received was the response that he was busy.

“Is he avoiding me? Or is there something urgent?”

As the days passed, the questions only grew.

“Yandel…”

“What’s the matter?”

“I can’t find Mr. Rainz. He usually returns by this time, but I wondered if he might be here.”

There was a report from Versil that Amellia’s guardian didn’t return on time, and I anxiously waited until the next morning, trying to dispel the unease.

However…

“He hasn’t returned.”

I had no intention of wasting golden time, spinning hope circuits.

“Everyone, prepare for an extended stay.”

Amellia, who had been meticulously searching the village every day, had gone missing.