NOVEL NEXT Chapter 83
The Guild Leader Sena of the Swordsmanship Guild and the Captain Ivelyn of the Silver Cross Knights.
They seemed to be close enough to party together after discovering Sena’s true identity, but judging by the atmosphere, it didn’t seem that way.
“What’s this? Last time you casually mentioned a new disciple, but seeing such a handsome guy, you could’ve bragged a bit and brought him to the guild!”
“Hmph. You’ve been boasting about your disciple for ages.”
Ivelyn chuckled mockingly at Sena’s wry smile.
“Fine. You’re right; he’s handsome, talented, and has a good character to boot. I was planning to keep him hidden until Aren grew up a bit and then tease him! Why?”
“Seriously, my dear sister is way too rigid, so I was just playing around a bit to lighten her up. You think I meant it seriously?”
“You told me to call you by your name!”
Now it was clear. They were not merely good friends. I had been holding back, thinking they might clash, but it was an unfounded worry.
With the tension eased, I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
“…Ah. That mischievous personality is quite hard to deal with.”
“Enough with that! By the way, your name is Aren?”
Ivelyn shook her head, disapprovingly.
Seeing that, Sena moved closer, draping an arm over her shoulder, and looking at me with an exaggerated pout.
“This is disappointing. I was hoping to charm you as a potential second disciple. Well, let’s focus on healing first and save the deep talk for later.”
Clang.
“Excuse me for a moment!”
“Hmm?”
A soldier clad in full armor approached us.
The peculiar thing about him was that he looked barely twenty, yet his face was full of confidence.
But hey, working in a public position at Labyrinth City, teeming with newbie adventurers, wasn’t completely unfounded, right?
“Is this Aren I see? If possible, can I ask you to give a statement right now? Some other adventurers suggested it’d be best to hear from you!”
“…?”
‘Why me when there are strong adventurers like Verdolf and Georg running around?’
“The others are in too bad a shape, so we really have to follow procedures first. If you could spare just an hour, I’d really appreciate it!”
As if I had extra time to give? I have to rush to get treated and meet Lumia!
Just hearing about procedures is a hassle. Who knows if they’ll drag it out for half a day?
“All I know is that an Apostle of the Evil God possessed a member and caused a ruckus during the performance, and the god’s name tied to that was Tehelum.”
I was already declining due to time constraints, but the soldier held onto me.
“Ah, come on, just go along with us! It’ll only be for a moment! We’ll provide potions and let you sit comfortably to talk!”
‘Ugh, why is this brat bothering me? Has he lost his mind over performance?’
I wasn’t even wearing my helmet as I was only out for some healing.
And my armor was so rusted, I might as well have thrown it away; plus, my hair had turned into a sad, burnt mess.
Thankfully, thanks to the Blessing of Water, my internal wounds healed, but given my outward appearance, I looked like a total disaster… did he not see my horrendous state?
Whoosh.
“Hear this, you’re quite cocky. What’s the matter with you?”
“Hmm? I’m curious who you consider your superior.”
To the left, Ivelyn. To the right, Sena.
Before I could show my annoyance, the chilling pressure that erupted from either side subdued him instantly.
“Gah!”
With a thud, the soldier fell back.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Appearing cautious of the atmosphere, a man who looked like a superior rushed over.
Within seconds, it seemed he grasped the situation and promptly bowed.
“My sincere apologies! This young fool only just joined us! I’ll make sure to correct his behavior, so please let this slide!”
Having a fool like that means I’m likely to be in tears.
“Investigate after treatment is complete, and after the others have gone. We’ll request further procedures if needed.”
Shink.
“Get it? If you dare to hold my disciple any longer without cause, be ready; next time I won’t hesitate to swing my sword.”
“Y-yes! I won’t let it happen again!”
I was a bit surprised by Ivelyn’s overwhelming demeanor, so different from her usual self when dealing with Yeriell.
“Geez, this is really the end times. The education level of soldiers stationed in this city is abysmal these days.”
Following Ivelyn’s warning, Sena shrugged.
“Those guards have no idea where a single mudfish manages to sneak in from; it’s absurd for a mere soldier to disrupt senior adventurers without any justification. Tsk tsk.”
“I have nothing to say. …Follow me!”
The soldier, stripped of any confidence, was dragged away, bordering on peeing himself.
Oh boy, he’s gonna get a serious scolding. Totally asking for it.
While watching their retreating figures, Ivelyn pointed at Shurika.
“I was curious earlier; who’s that woman leaning against you?”
“Well, she was possessed by the Evil God and fought me, but after the battle, she came to her senses, only to find she couldn’t stand.”
“Is that so? Hmm… I don’t feel anything unusual, but I suppose we’ll let it slide for now. I’ll carry her, pass here.”
Crack.
“…”
Though Shurika had been silent from earlier, I could feel her strength waiving, but I had no choice but to hand her over. My teacher’s expression was serious.
“Okay, enough of this. We don’t need to linger here; let’s get moving! Your comrades are probably waiting outside.”
“Yes. Let’s go. I’m done with this place.”
As I nodded weakly, Sena called over to the adventurers.
“The Warp Gate isn’t far from here, so we’ll walk. Don’t fall behind, especially keep an eye on those struggling!”
We reached the exit gate without any issues, passing by the soldiers as we stepped outside.
“Finally out!”
“Whew… Once we get to the inn, I’m just going to sleep the whole day.”
Looking up at the dark dawn sky, not even having risen with the sun, I felt a sense of enormity from the events that transpired just within those few hours.
“Aren!”
“Daddyyy─!”
“Riena!”
As everyone successfully escaped from the Coliseum, friends and family, including Lumia, rushed over shouting names.
Middle-aged instructors’ families. The lover of Yadojek. The mother of the archer. Friends of the mage, and so on.
Thud!
Lumia jumped up, wrapping her arms and legs around me.
I watched her nuzzle against my chest without a word before patting her trembling back.
“Sorry for making you worry. It’s all over now.”
“…Yup.”
Looking serious, she unwrapped herself and scrutinized my appearance.
I probably looked rough because my exterior was burned up.
“I’m fine. I’ll just change the armor anyway, so it’s no big deal, and I have no internal injuries. Just need treatment for the scalded and peeled skin.”
“Are you really? You’re not hurt anywhere?”
“Of course! I promise.”
By the way, seeing Lumia jump up and hug me brought back memories of our first meeting.
I had felt only confusion then, never expecting we’d grow this close; life really is unpredictable.
“Okay, everyone. Enough chatting, let’s go! We need to return to our normal selves!”
At Sena’s words, the other adventurers began to ease their worries and resumed their steps.
*
Vroom─
“Wow, wow. After four years in the labyrinth, I’ve finally ridden the Warp Gate. So this is what it feels like.”
“Right? The feeling is different from the Labyrinth portal.”
A massive magic circle formed through advanced sorcery.
The Warp Gate was vigilantly managed by employees draped in blue uniforms and guards.
‘How did Irmela manage to sneak beyond such a tight setup without notice?’
Spatial movement within the city via Warp Gates was as exclusive to the wealthy elite and high-ranking adventurers, simply because the fee required per person was exorbitantly high.
Though I was uncertain about the exact amount, seeing the faces of Yadojek who overheard the employee’s conversation dropped jaws said it all.
Maybe that’s why? After sending everyone back home, including Lumia and other companions, only those needing treatment were allowed to use the Warp under Sena’s burden.
Arriving at Zone Three with a strange buoyant feeling.
“Aren, should we head straight to the Knights?”
“Well, can I go with you to get treated?”
I slowly spoke while rubbing my neck.
“Sure, heading directly to the Knights would be convenient, but since we risked our lives together, I thought it’d be better to see everyone treated before saying goodbye.”
Ivelyn seemed happy and waved her finger thoughtfully, then nodded.
“If that makes you feel better, I won’t force you to stop.”
As we headed toward the treatment center, Sena, who reached us, crossed her arms and chuckled.
“If we’re going to get treated elsewhere, there’s no need to go to the Knights, right? Why not drop by our guild this time?”
“What’s the catch? You’re saying the master and disciple might enjoy their time together?”
“Is this really just a master-disciple relationship?”
“What are you talking about?!”
Once she seemed to feel enough pranks were played, Sena shook her head and whispered secretly, channeling her powers.
“Before anything, Aren and I have something to discuss just the two of us. The term, ‘transmigration’ should suffice, right?”
Ugh. She must’ve caught on to my unique characteristic of being a transmigrator.
After all, a nameless low-tier adventurer being the disciple of a high-tier adventurer like Ivelyn outright voided any chance of hiding it smoothly; not to mention my own unique characteristics had neutralized mutually as well.
From her perspective as also a transmigrator, she must’ve been certain I fit the bill too.
“Alright. I’ll tag along, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s go with that.”
From there to our arrival at the treatment center, conversations wrapped up without any uproar.
*
In the treatment center, resembling a hospital-like facility, I underwent my examination in order.
“─Wrap our weary bodies with warmth, dear goddess.”
[Grace of High Healing]
[Wounded areas recover significantly, and life restoration increases dramatically for a short time.]
Hmm. This refreshing sensation felt like I had tossed off all the weights attached to my body.
“All treatments are complete. Ah, there’s no internal injuries or serious side effects, so you don’t need to be hospitalized. Just remember to take care for a day to avoid intense activities.”
“Thank you. I truly feel like I could fly now.”
“You’re most welcome. Take care.”
As I turned to glance around, everyone appeared healthy after treatment.
“Ugh.”
To be precise, everyone but one person.
“It’s pretty serious, you know? As a high-ranking priest, I’d say it’ll be difficult to fix quickly.”
“S-so I’ll be hospitalized long-term? Even if it takes some time, is there a guarantee that I’ll definitely heal?”
“Uh, to put it simply, your magical circuits, or the pathways through which your magical power operates, have all been torn apart and aren’t functioning.”
Just overhearing that from a distance sounded dreadful. I could only imagine Shurika’s face crumbling apart.
“A lingering, unpleasant aura suggests you’ve been afflicted by a severe curse or something related to the Evil God. I’ll have to check further, but it looks like you’ll need focused treatment for at least two to three months.”
“Such…”
“In such unique cases, there tend to be individuals unable to pay large amounts upfront, so you can put it on credit with the Adventurers’ Guild and repay it in installments as necessary. Let’s start the process.”
“W-what would be the estimated cost?”
The gentle priest awkwardly gestured with his hands.
“I can’t tell you the exact sum until we process the application, but it’s somewhere around this.”
“Ugh. Hah, that’s a bit of a hit, but it seems manageable. I’ll pay for the treatment of the others as well.”
“Understood. We’ll proceed accordingly.”
When the priest left, Shurika, lying on the bed, sighed with exhaustion.
The healed adventurers offered her various parting messages like “You’ll be okay! Thanks for the trouble. We’ll visit again.”
However, they didn’t leave directly and all gathered towards me.
Some expressed gratitude, while others caught the attention of the high-level adventurers, irritating them with unnecessary antics.
“So, what’s your name?”
“I’m Aren. And you?”
“I’m Verdolf of the Barbarian tribe. Remember that name, Aren, I owe you several apologies.”
“Why would you apologize? It might have been a bit too extreme, but you were absolutely right about everything from the start of the performance to the end.”
“Haha! If that’s what you think, I’m grateful. Let’s meet again!”
When we meet later, let’s greet each other without turning red in the face, and leave with cheerful goodbyes—the barbarian Verdolf left heartily.
“Thanks to you, we were able to prevent vast casualties early on. I must express my gratitude for your courage and resolve.”
“No, I should be thanking you for defending the front lines, persuading Verdolf at a vital moment, and saving Shurika.”
“Hmhm. If you need assistance later on, mention Georg when you visit the Second Paladin Order. Though I’m merely an ordinary Paladin, I can help as long as it’s not anything unjust. Well then, I must take my leave.”
The genuinely upright paladin, Georg, left last.
After sending them all off, I approached Shurika.
She was grim as she lay down, but brightened upon seeing me.
“Um, uh. Thank you. I have so much to say, but…”
And again. The tears fell.
Under the domination of the Evil God… from a promising adventurer to a broken being unable even to walk, her emotions must’ve overwhelmed her.
Or perhaps it was her gratitude towards me for saving her while her whole body was burning up. Might also be a mix of everything causing that breakdown.
Only she would know the reason.
“Well, I’ll leave for today, but when I have time, I’ll drop by again. I’ll also convey my regards to the circus members you’re bound with, so you should be able to see them.”
“W-wait, can you not simply call me by that title? Can you please call me by my name?”
That much was fine.
“Shurika, we’ll take our leave now, so take care and recover soon. Don’t despair because your legs aren’t working—stay strong. Well then.”
“D-don’t just be polite; you really must come to see me again! Promise!!!”
She startled me. I thought my eardrums would burst.
I absentmindedly rubbed my ears while nodding.
“Is everything done? Let’s head to Zone Four. I wonder if those brats are still sulking around all alone.”
With a sly grin from Sena, we headed towards the Swordsmanship Guild.