Chapter 74 – Ghostbusters (Part 3)

 

Sitting by the fountain, I ate from my lunch box. The menu included stewed potatoes, bread and vegetable salad with beef. Misha was sitting next to me.

"Bjorn, eat some of this."

"Are you giving me meat?"

"I ate a lot while I was cooking.

In this case, I chewed and swallowed the meat that Misha gave me. How long has it been since I ate beef? It melted in my mouth. However, the only downside was that it was difficult to fully enjoy the taste due to the stares falling from all directions.

"Did she just call him Bjorn?"

"Then this man must be the Little Balkan.

"Hmph, he doesn't seem that special on the outside..."

At some point, everywhere I went, people started recognizing me from time to time. Invitations to join the clan, offers to join the team - these things I could not pay attention to, but...

"Hey there, are you really Little Balkan?"

There were also those who came up to me just to fight or to disturb me so that I could recount the incident.

Hey, don't you see what I'm eating? Maybe I've just finished, but still.

" Misha, gustai.

"Huh?"

"Since we're done eating, let's go."

We hurriedly cleaned ourselves up and left the fountain. There was some murmuring behind us, but they did not cross the line, following us.

Mike looked around and muttered:

— It's even cool. I thought that people would only recognize very famous people.

What is this? Are you running into a bet?

But I understood what she meant. It must be embarrassing when someone next to you suddenly becomes famous.

Little Balkans, huh?

There was nothing to lose in the game by increasing the level of reputation.

You may have unexpectedly received previously unavailable quests or high-paying tasks. In addition, with a low reputation level, it was impossible to get into Sector 1, the royal capital of Carnon, so it was necessary to continue playing.

But I don't know if it's good or not.

Now I wasn't just inside the game. In a world where players were treated like evil spirits and sent to the guillotine as soon as they were discovered, it was clear that the more my name became known, the more it would attract unwanted attention. But I had no other choice if I wanted to live. To get something, you had to give something. I've obtained the essence of the Orc Hero, saved lives, and gained a few other benefits, so I'll have to endure a lot.

"Then I think we're done with today's assignments.

After receiving the gear we had handed over for repairs, buying various necessary items, and visiting the auction house while we were in the area to see if there were any items worth buying, the sun began to set.

I need to go back to the inn and come up with a training plan.

"I'm coming back, what are you going to do?" I asked. Translation: "Let's go back now."

But for some reason Mike began to stammer.

"Oh, well...

What was that?

This made me worried. While I was silently trying to persuade her, Misha carefully opened her mouth.

— ... I'm going to visit my family for a while.

"Family?"

— Yes. Perhaps I will stay there until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

- I see.

Why do you talk like that, as if you are doing something wrong? If you have plans, then so be it. It's a family affair, so it's not for me to interfere.

I was a little worried, but I was sure that she would be able to take care of it herself.

"Don't be sour.

However, I decided to offer a few words of encouragement because I also knew what family meant to her.

Mike laughed.

"That cheers me up a little...

Really? Because your voice still lacks power.

Looks like I'm going to have to push her in the back. Of course, in a barbaric way.

*Smack!*

"Agh!" You are an ignorant barbarian! Mike cried out in surprise, but it didn't matter.

— Much better.

"I'll be back in two days, so try to eat well until then, okay?"

I grinned and answered:

"Good.

It was a change that happened after returning to the city. She said that she would treat me as a benefactor.

Perhaps this is what she meant. But these days she behaved like my mother.

***

Misha and I parted on the carriage platform. She headed to her family's home, and I got into the carriage, heading to Sector 8, where my inn was located. My body shuddered at every creak of the carriage. There was nothing to do, so I closed my eyes and began to think, as if entrusting myself to the waves.

For now, it will be a good idea to stay with this team.

When I ate the essence of the Orc Hero, my stats jumped a lot. In fact, if I had applied for promotion to a rank 6 researcher, I would have been accepted right away. I even had the reputation of a Little Balkan, so I could move up to the 5th rank. In other words, I could have found a better team if I had wanted to.

But it will be difficult to take Misha with you.

Misha's combat power was no more and no less than that of a rank 7 researcher. Of course, she had a lot of potential to advance to higher ranks.

Now, not only does she have a Spirit Beast, but also a [Enhancement], her transforming superpower, and the decisive reason why I decided to take her as a companion.

So, in this sense, the first task is to raise its level.

I made the final decision. It would be more effective to focus on Misha's growth for some time.

One must first increase the contract level of her Spirit Creature and if possible, do so on the next expedition. Thus, the essence can appear.

Oh, I think it would be better to change her main weapon as well, if possible...

While I was planning in detail the process of training Misha, the carriage arrived at its destination.

Phew, next time I need to find an inn closer to the platform or something.

This was the advantage of living near the station. Although the price would be just as expensive.

*Step*

I got out of the carriage, deftly found the way and headed home. Go straight and turn left at the pastry shop. Then, at the statue of the Immortal King, turn right at the fork. In another 5 minutes I should come across the central square...

"We will begin the execution!"

Damn it, no wonder it was quiet for a few days.

I saw crowds of people gathered in the normally empty square. Everyone raised their heads high to look at the guillotine.

*Colic!*

The sight no longer looked so terrifying, but I had no desire to pay attention to it. Ignoring the chilling sounds, I quickened my steps, but even so, my subconscious sensed a strangeness based on visual information.

... Why are there so few people today?

I was not thinking of the crowd gathered under the guillotine, but of those sentenced to death. Usually, the sentences were carried out several dozen at a time, but today there were only four.

For some reason, I don't see people waiting for blood today.

At the very time I began to ask this question, the murmur, which was blurred like background sound, became more distinct.

"I expected something different from an evil spirit, but there is nothing special.

"You're right. Their blood is also red.

"Isn't it disgusting that these evil spirits are among us, pretending to be human?"

A what? Evil spirits?

My legs stopped on their own. As I turned my head to look at the guillotine, I saw the prisoners on death row trembling and waiting for their turn.

"I... It's not me! I'm not one of them!

"What are you doing?" Bandage it.

There were three left: a young elf, a male dwarf who seemed to be the same age as Hikuroda, and a barbarian with a familiar face.

*Colic!*

The elf's head rolled down and fell into the prepared barrel, and the dwarf was pushed in front of the guillotine. However, my eyes were riveted on only one place.

Tarican, son Riena.

Yes, that was the name of that barbarian over there, trembling with terror.

Damn, I knew that his behavior was risky.

Awkward speech of a barbarian and timidity, weakness and a desire to rely on someone. There were too many things that could give it away, and I couldn't even pinpoint exactly what went wrong. But for some reason, I had such a feeling.

I think he didn't use the money I gave him to buy weapons.

I had no basis for such a claim, since his weapon would have been taken away from him before he was on death row. But for some reason, it always seemed to me that this time he could not enter the labyrinth.

But why?

I was seriously thinking about what could be the source of my baseless intuition when a man who was quietly trembling suddenly began to writhe. His gagged mouth kept moving, as if trying to say something, and his wide-open eyes stared in my direction. Probably, this was not a coincidence.

"Mmm!" Mmmmmm!

Did he recognize me from such a distance? Well, I was the only barbarian among the crowd, so I must have stood out from afar.

"What are you doing?" Bring him to his knees!

In the end, having overpowered, his neck was put under the blade of the guillotine. Meanwhile, he kept trying to say something, looking at me, mingling with the crowd.

"Mmm, hm!"

I could not understand what this strangled hum could mean. Did he ask for help? Hmph, but his gaze looked too intense for that.

"Mmm!

Although my heart sank hard at the sight of him not even having the last word, I felt relieved.

It's good that I kept my distance.

If I hadn't ended our meeting by giving him 150,000 stones, if I had made a different judgment and shown that I was in the same situation, if we had depended on each other...

"Yandel!"

... I could be there with him.

*Colic!*

Eventually, the gag broke and he shouted something, but the cold blade fell and drowned out his voice. I immediately turned away and headed in the direction where I was going. However, the lesson was carved into my heart.

Next time, I have to remember not to do that.

I had to be more careful. In this filthy world, my life was hunted not only by marauders and explorers. Who could truly sympathize with whom? I just had to take care of myself and proceed carefully in the future.

"Bjorn, son of Yandel, right?" Someone called out to me from behind.

When I turned around, a man with a neat appearance was looking at me.

"Don't disturb me and get out."

I've been approached a lot by strangers lately, so I've ignored them and moved on. But...

"Don't be so vigilant. Because I'm in a similar situation.

The nuance of his speech was very strange. I stopped involuntarily and turned to look at the man.

"America? Taiwan? Europe? Where are you from?

What was it just now?

***

After gaining fame, I thought that something similar could happen.

But I didn't expect it to happen so soon.

My head cooled down like an ice cube. Of course, my further actions were already decided. Whether this guy was a real gambler or someone pretending to be one, nothing changed. I just had to do what I cooked. I already knew that evil spirits existed besides me as soon as I woke up in this body.

The other day I asked myself: Do I need to make contact with them, even if I take the risk?

My conclusion then was simple. There was absolutely no benefit in this. What was I going to do with this player? Share information?

Maybe to some extent, but in the end it will only be a confirmation that I am not alone in this unfamiliar world. It was foolish to take such a risk just to feel comfortable.

Whoever it is, I don't have to show him my cards.

In my old world, there was such a thing as a "poker face." It used to be used to wage psychological warfare, but in the end it meant essentially a face without expression. Thus, the face was the part of the body that best reflected the human mind. However, I decided that what I should do now is not show an emotionless expression on my face.

As soon as he finished asking, I answered:

"What are you talking about?"

Of course, this was not ideal either. So, responding in a barbaric tone, I thought: If it were Einar, how would she react to it?

Since the time we spent together was quite long, the answer came easily:

"Don't say complicated words and speak directly.

Yes, it was. The barbarians did not know much and were not ashamed of what they did not know. Also, if the stranger was human, they showed some wariness and aggression.

*Step*

So I stepped forward with a slightly menacing look.

In addition, they snorted as if they were ready to break your head if you said something wrong.

Despite my actions, the man only spat out a strange exclamation.

"Wow, you almost fooled me. You're really good at playing. Aren't you in the 3rd month?

"Playing?" I asked you not to use difficult words, didn't I?

"Oh, you don't have to be on your guard. I am from America. I wasn't supposed to even touch that damn game.

There was regret and sadness in his voice, as well as information that could not be known to anyone but the player. This gave me some confidence.

"Anyway, you're amazing. You earned a nickname in 3 months. It took me 3 years. I had to play as a person...

That bastard wasn't a gambler.