There was a tavern in District Seven that was always packed with adventurers. It was the kind of place where there were always empty bottles rolling on the floor because they were sold cheap, and drunks got into fights with each other whenever they had the chance.
¡How!
The doors of the tavern burst open. No matter what world you were in, there were people who liked to talk, especially if it meant money.
«Extra! Extra!
«What...? A newspaper delivery man?» Upon the boy's arrival, the rude owner rolled up his sleeves and walked out from behind the bar. «Hey, random applicants aren't welcome in our tavern.»
«I said it's an extra! Breaking news».
«What breaking news? It's just news about the ceremony».
A close customer laughed. «Ha ha! Do you think the drunks who have been drinking here since dawn are going to care about something like that?».
His neighbor mocked. «But you've been grumbling since before! That the whole city is in an uproar over nothing».
«Now, now, come back when you're older, kid». The owner lifted the boy over his shoulder and walked towards the door.
«Imbeciles!», the boy shouted, much to the amusement of the waiters.
«¡Jajaja!»
«Bjorn Yandel is alive!»
«¿And... and...?»
For a moment, there was silence in the tavern. Of course, not for long.
«Don't go around making up nonsense, kid.»
«How can someone come back from the dead after two years?».
«Besides, he was an evil spirit anyway».
«I'm saying he's alive, and he's not an evil spirit! While you were here busy drinking until you died, the city has been in an uproar over this!». The boy's sincere screams made the innkeeper stop.
«Wait, I want to hear more about that». One of the adventurers expressed interest, and the owner let the boy down.
«Ugh, you reek of alcohol...», the boy grumbled, taking off his wrinkled clothes and heading to the table where the adventurer was.
The man tossed him a coin as prepaid. «Tell me. Is it true that Bjorn Yandel is back?».
«Of course. Iron Prime Minister Tercerion himself said this during a meeting of thousands of nobles».
«The Iron Prime Minister?»
«So what happened is...»
The boy interrupted himself and looked at all the nearby adventurers who were pretending not to listen. The adventurers sighed and threw additional coins at him, and he finally launched into his story. If the boy's dressings were removed, the story could be summed up in a few sentences.
«So... Bjorn Yandel played dead to carry out a mission for the royal family, and declaring him an evil spirit was necessary for his success?».
«But Riehen Schuitz? Is he not the man of the Spirit of blood? He was the leader of this mission!»
«I was wondering why any guy was put in charge of a group of big names like that».
This was the return of a hero who had left a big mark on people's hearts even after all this time. Enraptured, the adventurers paid more to find out what had happened at the ceremony.
¡Kwa claim!
Then suddenly, a loud rattling noise sounded on a corner table and the adventurers turned to look.
Step step.
A burly woman, whose eyes were clear despite the stench of alcohol sticking to her, walked towards them.
«Um... W-What happens suddenly...?» The nearby adventurers fell silent at the intensity radiated by the burly woman, and only the little boy asked what he wanted.
The woman parted her lips. «Boy, I heard your stories from there».
«...Is that so?»
«It's true? That Bjorn Yandel was alive all this time? That he was Riehen Schuitz?» His voice and the look in his eyes seemed almost desperate.
The boy was confused by this, but obediently replied. «...Yes! Correct».
«So... I see... That's what happened...». The woman murmured, almost as if possessed, and then handed the boy money before leaving the tavern.
The boy's eyes widened when he saw the amount she was giving him. «Ten thousand stones...?» It was the largest sum he had ever received as a storyteller in taverns. This piqued the curiosity of other customers.
«Pay so much for a story?»
«To think that someone so rich was in such a cheap bar».
«Who is she?»
«Hey, why don't you say anything?»
While everyone was curious about the identity of the woman who passed by her tavern, a man stared at her and exclaimed: «Holy...»
«Do you know who that woman was?»
«How many barbaric blondes can there be? And how many of them carry such enormous swords on their backs?»
«So who is it?»
«The Wild Sword, Ainar Fenelin». When the man revealed his identity, the eyes of everyone around him widened.
«What, that woman was one of the Powerful Seven?»
«Wait, Wild Sword is... She's one of Bjorn Yandel's former teammates!».
«It can't be... Is that why I was so curious?»
«Now it makes sense!»
«What, so not even his former teammate knew he was alive?»
The tavern went into another frenzy as customers eagerly shared their opinions on this exciting new twist. The innkeeper, however, was on the verge of tears.
«That woman... didn't pay for her drinks...»
***
After that whirlwind of ceremony, we all dispersed and returned to our respective homes. I was worried they might stop us there, but it seemed like the marquis had no intention of going that far.
I guess things have worked out up to this point...
We returned to our mansion for the first time in a long time. I headed to my room on the second floor and thought about the ceremony as I unpacked my things.
First of all, it was calmer than I expected.
Just after I walked out in front of thousands of nobles, the marquis gently took the reins and set things right. He explained that my death had been faked, that everything had been done to carry out a secret royal mission, and that even the announcement that I was an evil spirit was false. Although he was originally going to make this statement in two months, when he had finished building a credible paper trail, today he made it in front of everyone. The marquis had had no choice.
If I denied my claim, the palace's prestige would have gone down the toilet.
That was my goal. After all, what else was this whole grand ceremony for? It would be talked about for a month and then gradually forgotten. I decided it was the best way to make a splash and get as many people as possible to see us. He didn't know why, but the palace was sensitive to public opinion.
Okay, then they won't be able to charge me with non-existent crimes for at least a few months...
In any case, he had gotten off to a good start. The next step was to expand my influence as much as possible within the given time frame, so that even if they managed to discover what really happened in the maze, eliminating us would be seen as a bad political move.
There is a lot of work to do in the future.
With that in mind, I changed and went down to the first floor to see that the living room was now a complete mess. «Emily, what's going on?»
«There was an intruder while we were outside».
«¿Eh?»
«The hair I put on the doorknob the day we went to the maze wasn't there. I searched everywhere except your room just in case, but couldn't find any listening devices.»
«Wait, if there was an intruder, can't you check the recording on the crystal ball?». Erwen's surveillance cameras were installed in our living room and at the entrance.
«Ah, I have already destroyed them. The recordings only last one day and are also not difficult to manipulate. Someone could have interfered in the magic circuits. I couldn't leave them like this».
«...Ya veo.»
«Whoever it was, however, they are amateurs. They entered an empty house and didn't even touch the basement».
«The basement? Ah, the browser!» That's when I remembered someone: the plundering sailor we acquired during our last trip to the labyrinth.
I heard Amelia left him a lot of food while we trained, but...
Several days had already passed since the labyrinth closed. Had he been hungry all this time?
«Okay?»
«It was fine when I checked it. A little skinny, though. But I like him skinnier».
No, I don't think that's the problem here...
«Also, it was unintentional, but he has become much more obedient. Although he discovered that we lied about the fact that he had to take an antidote every day, he is now even more dependent on us.»
«Uh. »
«Do you want to go see it? He asked us to praise him for holding his breath and staying silent even when he heard noise upstairs.»
«N-No... I'm fine.»
«Hmm, I think you should pay some attention to him too, instead of leaving it all to me».
«...Later.»
Anyway, since she said it was fine, I decided not to touch any thoughts about Auyen with a three-meter stick. After that, Amelia came up to search my room. Once this was done, the three of us met in the living room.
«Is the house safe now?»
«For today.»
That was enough for Erwen. She collapsed on the couch, tension disappearing from her. «Coming home makes everything seem like a dream».
«Yandel, can't we open them now that it's safe?»
«Ah, the subspaces?».
«Yeah.» Amelia looked like a girl at Christmas. I must have looked the same. I wondered what objects were kept in a subspace owned by the Order of the Rose.
«Okay, let's open it to three». I started counting quietly, but just when I got to two...
Toc, toc.
There was a visitor. We left the subspace trip for later and checked who it was. I was suspicious as soon as I heard him call, but fortunately he was a friendly face.
«Raven.»
«I'm sorry, I know you must be busy. But I couldn't sit still after hearing the news».
«Pass.»
Raven walked into the living room and peppered me with questions as soon as she sat down. «Was claiming your identity planned today? Have you thought about what you are going to do from now on?». Y: «I'm glad you're okay, really...».
Soon, the topic of the expedition also came to the fore.
«Mr. Yandel... Are you okay?»
«Well how?»
«Many people died. I was also at the Palace of Glory for the ceremony. I saw him apologizing in front of the grieving families and heard him call each person by name.»
«...¿In series?»
«I'm just worried. Mr. Yandel... Is it really okay?»
Really? What should I say to that?
I paused for a moment before giving a wide smile and stroking Raven's thin shoulder. «Why wouldn't it be okay? I'm alive, right?».
«...What happened in there?»
Only ten people survived the expedition. The things that happened there could not be summed up in a few words. «Nothing. It is exactly as the marquis said.»
It would be better not to tell Raven. She already felt so guilty for helping me as a member of the military. She wasn't even part of this squad. I couldn't burden her with our plan to oppose the palace. That was our cross.
«You feel somewhat more distant today, Mr. Yandel. For a long time».
«I'm sure you're just imagining things.»
«Yeah. I guess so.»
Discomfort settled between us. Raven took a sip of her tea before getting up. Or, rather, he was about to.
¡Bang! ¡Pum! ¡Pum!
A noise too loud to call «hit» came from the door.
Who were they? The thieves of before?
As I stood up with that question in mind, I heard a familiar voice. «Bjorrrn! Bjorn! Get out right now! Are you really alive?» It was the long-awaited visit from an old teammate. A truly magical feeling invaded me. «Bjorrrrrrn!» Despite my solemn mood a second ago, my lips immediately curled into a smile as soon as I heard that voice... and that name.
Smile.
Yes, I have already recovered my name. In my opinion, we have been apart too long. Now only Missha and Mr. Bear remain.
It was time for us to meet again.
***
Rattle, rattle.
At a dining table filled only with the sound of dull cutlery, Baekho, who was nibbling on the end of his spoon, spoke carefully. «Hello, Kitty».
«...I told you not to call me that».
«Well, you don't like being called by your last name, and you don't like being called by your first name either».
«You do not understand? Just don't call me».
«Oops, how cold...». Baekho pouted and looked to the side, although soon his eyes returned to her. It was an ordinary meal like any other, but while everyone else clumsily picked up their food, one person didn't. «Kitty. Aren't you going out? Not that you were a real cat. Why don't you ever leave the house except to go to the maze? Look, your skin is so pale...»
Hit!
The Red Cat Tribe woman hit the table with the spoon, irritated. «I'm done eating». After putting away the dishes, she furiously went up to her room on the second floor.
Rattle.
When the sound of a slam of the door rang in the distance, Baekho let out a long sigh and asked the other diners' opinions. «She... doesn't seem to know yet, does she?».
The first to respond was Fallen Scholar. «You can't hide it forever».
«I know... but I want everyone to watch their tongues until then. Okay?»
The explorer nodded. «I'll do it for now.»
«Okay, so dinner is over for today. Everyone, do your part». Baekho smiled and stood up, leaving the plates on the table.
Rattle.
The moment he returned to his room, his expression hardened as he lost the composure he had managed to maintain in front of his comrades. It was natural.
«Bjorn Yandel is alive, huh?»
To be honest, his feelings towards Bjorn Yandel were not particularly negative. After all, he was also an evil spirit. Seeing him was like watching a promising young man become himself. It reminded Baekho of himself in the old days. That's why he took in Missha, who had been abandoned like a cat in the rain. A part of him was fascinated by her continued affection for Bjorn despite knowing that he was an evil spirit. I sincerely regretted having separated them.
But...
«Interesting.»
It was too late. Now, Baekho could no longer celebrate his triumphant return. If he wasn't careful, the ice swordswoman he had worked so hard to cultivate for the past two years might end up returning to the wrong guy.
Ah, well, strictly speaking, technically it's going to return to its original owner... But then you should have returned a long time ago. Now you're just a nuisance.
Baekho genuinely thought so. «Should I... just kill him?»
Eliminating anything that got in the way of his goals without letting emotions stop him was one of Baekho's oldest ground rules.