My skin was still hot from the battle, but the cold air refreshed it when I met the hostile gazes around me.
I never imagined they would jump on us so blatantly.
The atmosphere was so ripe for a fight that I wouldn't be surprised if a battle broke out here and now, but I tried to stay cool while I took stock of the situation. The worst was over. Since they were threatening us, that meant they wanted something.
If they were really going to kill us, they would have pretended to let us go and attacked us when we let our guard down.
So why were they bluffing? That's what I had to find out. Not that I didn't have a guess or two, but I still couldn't be sure.
«A looter...» As soon as I finished thinking, I laughed. «So let me ask you this. What do you base on believing I stole from you? Riakis was wandering alone when we saw him. Isn't that right, Erwen?»
«Hey? Oh it's true! There were no other adventurers within a thousand meters radius. Following precedent, that alone would be reason enough to void any claim to Riakis». Erwen testified kindly on my behalf, firing off facts.
Daggers, however, was not the type of person to back down from logic. «That could be the case against a normal monster, but we are talking about the Soil Lord».
«So what are you trying to say?»
«That our clan broke up while we were fighting Riakis was inevitable and is no indication that we intended to give up our right».
Judging by the equipment he was wearing, he had the feeling that he knew exactly what had happened. After all, how else could his entire team be perfectly fine even after the third phase?
They left to switch to the new equipment they had saved in their subspaces.
They should have sent a team as bait to buy time and put on the new team. His plan was for that team to stay long enough for the main team to change their team and meet with them. However, they were not so blind that they did not realize that not a single member of the decoy team was here right now.
At some point they must have realized that they were all dead. Once they found out, they ran back here, but by then it was too late.
I assumed that was roughly what had happened, although it was impossible to know for sure. However, I couldn't imagine it any other way.
«They purposely interfered in our raid against the Lord of the Soil. We were the ones who managed to inflict all that damage on him and reduce him to that state».
«How were we to know what had happened to you?».
«Regardless of that fact, you still ignored my attempts at conversation and took the essence for yourselves».
«And what's wrong with that? We kill the monster, so we keep the loot».
«But we were the ones who managed to reduce his health to that point. Without us, you would never have been able to kill that beast».
Well, not even I could deny that. But given the context clues, wasn't it obvious that those bastards were the ones who invoked the Soil Lord in the first place without permission? Since they had failed to kill him, it was my right to get ahead and finish him off before other innocent adventurers were injured. All those things were obvious.
«So what do you want?» I got straight to the point. No matter how long we were debating this, neither side was going to budge. This was not a matter of mere logic, after all.
«Make a promise here and now, on behalf of the glorious royal family of Rafdonia. Acknowledge your mistakes and promise to pay the price for the Soil Essence you stole when you return to town».
Whether in the labyrinth, in the city or in any other inhabited place, it was always the force that decided the winner.
«If you promise us that, we will stop considering your actions here today as looting».
Simply put, if I didn't make them that promise, they would call me a looter and start PKearnos. Things would undoubtedly escalate quickly now that he had gotten to the point. We now had three options to choose from.
One: make the promise and pay them back. Even with my savings, it would take years to pay off the debt. Still, we had the essence, so it wouldn't be a total loss.
Two: make the promise but break it later. However, there was a recording crystal filming us right now, so I couldn't just break the oath without facing future punishment. They would definitely also strip me of my noble title for tarnishing the name of the royal family.
So, I only had one option left?
Three: prove that my logic was correct.
There was no need to doubt. The answer was obvious.
«So what do you say?»
What other option did you have?
«No matter how I look at it...» I said, picking up my hammer and putting it on my shoulder. «I don't remember making any mistakes».
«...So you choose to drink the poisoned wine?».
«What difference does it make as long as it's alcohol? Alcohol is never sweet anyway».
«Your Honor... Do you seem to think that we won't really attack you?»
Well, no, that wasn't true. After all, clan wars were a natural part of the game.
«Ainar! Emily! Erwen!» I quickly shouted the names of my comrades, only a moment later I realized that I had forgotten to call our navigator, Auyen. But it was too late. Not that it would be much help in this situation. «Everyone, prepare for battle!»
As soon as I gave the order, my entire team grabbed their weapons in unison as they prepared. We all turned our backs on each other. Even Auyen quickly approached and joined us after Amelia gave him a look.
«If someone approaches you, kill them», I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear me, my eyes fixed on Dagger's. «I take full responsibility».
Now, what happened here was in his hands.
***
There was a tense silence as we pointed our weapons at each other. It went on for quite some time.
Sigh for my entrances.
I wish he would hurry up and decide. How long do we have to be like this?
Although I was getting frustrated, I didn't make any moves to provoke them. At best, there would be no fight. Although the individuals in our clan were much more skilled than theirs, they outnumbered us by a landslide. There was a good chance that one of us would be injured if a battle broke out. However, I decided to face them for one simple reason.
That bastard plays as much as we do.
If a Land Treasure had fallen, they would have been guaranteed to take something after defeating us. But now? They wouldn't gain anything by fighting us. Even if they opened us, the essence would not reappear. At best, they would take our equipment, but the consequences they would face for killing a nobleman when they returned to the city would not be worth it.
But it must be eating away at him having to back out.
In short, this was a game of chickens. The first one to stop running towards the cliff at full speed was the loser, but if no one stopped, we would all fall off the cliff together.
«Half...» That's when Daggers opened his closed jaw. «I will ask for only half the value of the essence».
A decent compromise was proposed just as we were both approaching the edge of the cliff.
«Half, hm...»
«Wouldn't you agree that we were the ones who ended up taking the most damage by reducing the Soil Lord to that state?».
That was true. They had suffered at least fourteen deaths on their part, and it would take them years and a ridiculous amount of money and effort to fill those vacancies. However, half the cost of the essence would be just enough to cover the cost of your damaged equipment and consumables.
Daggers continued trying to convince me. «Of course, the price of the essence will be based on a fair appraisal by the guild committee-«.
«Thanks for the offer, but I refuse», I said, as I saw no reason to let him continue.
«Do you... deny?», he repeated, stupefied.
Why did he seem so surprised? He who cowered first was always left with nothing. Adventurers did not risk their lives and pride for no reason. As soon as he stepped back a millimeter, it became clear to me that he had no guts to go all the way.
So why would I give up anything for him?
At this point, I would have had to have been born yesterday not to admit that I was bluffing.
«I tell you in advance. Even if you cut the price in half again, I'm not going to change my answer», I declared as if I already knew what I was going to say next. «So stop talking and come get me».
However, even after my provocation, he did not rush to take out his weapon and attack me. Instead, all he could do was keep moving those lips of his like before. «...Calm down and think about this rationally.»
«I'm being more rational than ever».
«...You really are a reckless man, Baron Yandel.»
«Well, I don't think that's something a man who called a baron in the royal family a looter should say.»
«So... are you completely sure that you can bear the consequences?»
What the hell was he saying now? «Do you think I'd be standing here if I was afraid of things like that?»
I'm not all barking and no biting like you.
«I'll give you up to the count of three. If you don't get close to me first, I will treat you like a murderer who has come to kill me».
«That's ridiculous...»
«Uno.»
As soon as I started counting, Daggers froze. I was completely terrified, unsure how to deal with the turn this situation had taken. What am I supposed to do, back off? his face screamed. No, I don't think they will attack us, especially when we have so many people on our side... But maybe they will. Barbarians are not known for their common sense.
«Of the.»
Despite the million thoughts running through his mind, he was still unable to come up with an answer. Well, I could understand why. It hadn't been long since he became vice captain, so he must have been feeling a lot of pressure to make the right decision.
«And there are already three». I took a step forward, intending to push him onto his back. If I hit him with my hammer, I could hit him in the head.
«Vice Captain!»
However, the archer who was to the right of Daggers suddenly stepped forward and muttered something in his ear. I couldn't hear what they were saying, so they must have turned on Voice Control. He was curious to know what had caused his goalkeeper's interruption.
«Sir, other adventurers are coming».
"...¿Which?"
«It seems like hundreds of them are...»
Hundreds? Where the hell did all these adventurers come from?
«I think they are the ones who were with us before.»
Ah... them.
I never expected our friends to come to the rescue.
Well... Doesn't that work in our favor?
Dagas looked at me again with clenched teeth and furrowed eyebrows. It appeared he had received a similar report. Since there was no way to handle this silently anymore, he only had one option left.
«...Everyone, put down your weapons».
Yes that's right.
As soon as he gave the order, everyone lowered their weapons and prepared to retreat. Perhaps because he was upset about leaving things at that, Dagas fired one last farewell shot as he turned around. «...See you in the city, Baron Yandel».
I sighed. It seemed like even more work awaited me when we got back.
***
After the Sawtooth Clan left, we waited for the few hundred low-ranking adventurers to arrive.
«Ohhh! Chieftain! Congratulations on your incredible achievement!»
«Hahaha! As expected of our boss! Of course he could do it!»
The barbarian warriors shouted in celebration as they ran towards us in the distance. Since they were blocking the way, I had to launch gigantization to take a look at the rest of the crowd and find the only person who could tell me what was going on.
«Lewis Seyur! What's going on here?»
«Well... as soon as we realized that the Lord of the Soil had been defeated, everyone present wanted to come and thank you...».
So they ran recklessly in the direction we had disappeared before, huh? That didn't mean I didn't appreciate it, of course.
Well, putting aside your goodwill, shouldn't I be the one to thank you for helping us solve that mess?
Thanks to them, we had managed to overcome our encounter with the Sawtooth Clan without bloodshed.
Come to think of it, when we get back to town, I might need your testimony.
With that in mind, I began to approach the other adventurers present, exchanging brief conversations with them while memorizing their names.
«Bent Mahaylo, right? I remember you».
« ...¡Es un honor!»
The more he talked to the low-ranking adventurers, the stranger the look in his eyes became.
«How can he be as nice to people like us...?».
«Although he is a barbarian, he really is an incredibly respectful man».
«He is someone who deserves the title of hero.»
Um ...
I was just doing this so I could take advantage of them later, but I didn't bother trying to change their minds.
[Your Reputation has increased by +1.]
[Your Reputation has increased by +1.]
[Your reputation has increased by +1.]
[Your reputation has increased by +1.]
[Your reputation has...]
Well, I need to increase my Reputation whenever I can, I guess.
«We're leaving now!»
After memorizing their names and where they lived, I quickly prepared to leave.
«Do you go...? Oh, did you arrive?»
«No. I have to do something else».
There was no point in going to the fourth floor now. It was already the fifteenth day, so by the time we reached the fifth floor, the maze would be closing. Also, I sincerely wanted to take a break after so much work.
«Sir, where are we going now?» erwen asked me as she continued packing our belongings.
«To the witch's cabin», I responded.
«That? The cabin...»
«Do you mean that shelter in the forest? Why do you want to go there?».
Why wouldn't we want to? Tsk, that was the problem with these three. They didn't know anything. Now that we had defeated the Lord of Chaos...
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: Defeat Chaos Lord Riakis.]
[Reward: ???]
It was time to go take our interrogation reward.