The content of the baron's request was simple. After 2 months, a certain count was arranging a large banquet. All I had to do was follow him there.

"Is that all...?"

"Hmph, I also want you to show some tricks in front of the people. Something like bending became with bare hands.

In a nutshell, he was going to use me as a trophy that would make him stand out at the banquet.

"Can you do it?"

Do I need to play the role of a barbarian?

"No problem," I agreed.

"That's great.

The reward was 1 million stones and the release of Dvalka from the ban.

Wow, so what were the nobles like?

To think he'd spend so much money just to show me to people.

Well, I can only take it, since they give it.

Even if it wasn't for Dvalka's predicament, it was good money. 1 million stones for pampering him for one day? For the stinking sewers, I only received 150,000 stones.

"Hmm, okay. Then I'll deal with your friend's problem at once. Consider this my service to you.

The baron even showed mercy by solving the problem of Dvalka first. I wondered what he would do if I didn't keep my promise.

Nobles are the kind of creatures that don't need to worry about anything like this.

Again, I felt that I had a long way to go. I have created a number of weapons for myself and have even earned a decent reputation.

But soon I'll have to come up with a plan for them too.

I needed strength, just like in the game. Ever since I woke up in this place, the life-threatening events weren't just happening in the labyrinth.

Best Game Consoles

 

The next morning, we gathered again at the meeting point to check if Dvalki had received permission to enter the labyrinth.

— How did it go? Did the baron keep his promise?

"When I checked today, they said there was no problem," Dvalki replied.

"But why don't you look happy?"

"Haha, it's okay...

Nothing, damn it.

Was it because his half-brother, Baron Martoan, could not even remember him properly, let alone fear him? After yesterday, Dvalki was completely out of his mind, although he tried not to show it.

"Phew...

He was immersed in thought several times a day, and all the time he took a deep breath. I hoped that he would come to his senses before the labyrinth opened again.

"Oh, before I forget, take this." This is the reward I promised.

Hikurod gave us 300,000 stones each.

"A reward?"

"You have come with us to meet the Baron.

"It's okay, we're one team.

Rothmiller added:

"I didn't go there for a reward. In addition, the meeting with the baron was made for the crew.

I decided not to take it. The other two shrugged off the money, so it would be embarrassing to accept it.

It's not like I need 300,000 stones right now.

It is better to leave this as a debt for later. If we continued to walk the labyrinth together, there would be more occasions when we would have to give and take, as well as make concessions.

"Anyway, thank you," Hikurod said. "It must have been difficult to humble the pride of a warrior.

Well... To be honest, when I heard this, I only turned pale.

1 million stones is too much money to care about self-esteem.

"I'll never forget it, and I'll give you everything back," Dvalki swore.

"Why would you pay it back?" Bjorn, I'll definitely repay this debt tenfold," Hikurod interrupted.

"Whatever you want, so you guys can figure it out for yourself," I said.

"Hehe, Bjorn is shy!" Mike laughed.

Actually, I'm serious.

***

There were 8 days left before the opening of the labyrinth. Everything I've done so far has been simple. In addition to daily chores like helping Misha with his workouts and reading hidden books in the library, I figured out the year of release of [The Complete Book of Rifts II].

"The paper was made 150 years ago.

It was ordinary paper that was distributed as a standard at that time.

Ha, what the hell happened 150 years ago?

It was the year of the beginning of the game, the death of the first king of the dynasty, and even when this book was made. Many questions resonated with this period all the time.

I'm sure it's not a coincidence.

The events described above were somehow related. That's all I've learned so far, but it was still enough motivation to move on.

I will have to study the historical events of 150 years ago.

Who brought the players here? What was their goal, and who the hell was Auril Gevis? If I keep collecting clues, maybe one day I'll be able to find out the secret. In any case, let's move on to the next one.

"Uh... Do you want to do it? No! It's not that I don't want to, it's just a little unexpected...

I opened an account with Alminus Bank together with Misha, and we appointed each other as heirs to the property after death. In the future, I planned to put some of the money we had earned together into this account and use it as a joint fund.

"In that case, I'm going to put all the 2 million stones we've earned here this time."

"Uh?" All this?

"It's useless now, is it?"

"Are you sure you're not trying to use it for something strange without my knowledge?"

"Who do you think I am?"

I decided to put 2 million stones in the account, and leave the remaining 900,000 stones in cash. I had nowhere to use them now, and gone were the days when I could barely make ends meet every month. It was time to start saving money.

"Hey... Björn, son of Yandel?!

Oh, and it happened. While walking down the street, I happened to meet one of my fellow barbarians. His name was Karak, the 3rd son of Phanun. We didn't do anything, we just asked each other how things were going and went our separate ways. It turned out that he had become a researcher of the 8th rank and worked as a tank in a group of people.

"What are the other guys doing?" Most are dead. Except for you, Einar and me, there are few people left. As you know, a labyrinth is not a playground.

After he teamed up with humans, his personality changed a lot. I was sure that he had been more simple-minded before.

"If they had told us more about that place instead of sticking to the old traditions, we wouldn't have lost so much...

Seeing how he expressed bitterness towards the ways of our race, I even wondered if he was really a barbarian warrior. To be honest, I was saddened to hear all this. A lot must have happened for a guy who used to be a warrior to the core of his bones to change so much.

I don't think all barbarians are the same.

Thanks to this, I learned something new: barbarians can grow psychologically. They may be weak in words and numbers, but with a change in the environment, they can gain wisdom.

... Perhaps there are even some elders whose personalities are almost like those of humans.

"Bjorn, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing.

I ended my thoughts on Misha's voice. All the time she was busy at the stove, preparing food for me, I sat and thoughtlessly.

"Hey, Bjorn... Do I think you're taller?"

"What?"

"Maybe I'm mistaken. Get up here for a second!

... I'm lazy.

But I still stopped in the middle of the meal and measured my height. Mike ran his hand from the top of his head to my chest and nodded.

"I was right, you've grown up!" For that much?

"Are you sure you were not mistaken?"

To be honest, it was hard to believe. Aside from the fact that I could grow taller here, the difference was less than half an inch, so how could she know that?

"Hmm, I have a good eye for such things. You can trust me.

— ... Well, since you say so.

Instead of arguing, I just nodded. Perhaps I have really become taller. Lately I have eaten a lot of meat dishes.

... If that's really the case, does that mean I should eat more meat in the future?

If this is true, then it was worth it. I was inherently above average height, and that was the decisive reason why I used the barbarian as a tank instead of a dwarf.

The very mechanism of [Gigantization] multiplied the base height.

To be precise, it was something like 1,771 times.

That was another reason to eat meat.

— ... Eat not only meat, eat the rest! Hey!

After eating, I inspected my backpack to make sure I hadn't missed anything, as I was about to enter the labyrinth.

"Let's go, the others will be waiting."

As we made our way to the promised meeting point, I saw that the rest of the team was dressed differently than usual. Hikuroda was not wearing a shirt, but heavy armor, and Dvalki was holding a long two-handed staff.

"Oh, Rothmiller! Why don't you have a weapon?

"Don't worry. I put it in the [Treasure Vault]. Now that I'm used to it, it's more convenient to get things out from time to time instead of carrying them around.

"Oh, I see.

Mimic's ability, [Treasure Vault]; I used to think of it as a skill that replaced subspace, but perhaps it was a convenient essence in many ways for Rothmiller, who handled a variety of equipment such as crossbows, shields, and swords.

Dvalki asked:

"Then, can you gather around me?" I want to start with [Binding].

When Dvalki cast the spell, the green light spread and seeped into all of our bodies. It was something like a group formation. With this magic, multiple people could enter the maze and start from the same place.

Previously, Einar and I had to wait at the entrance to the Guild since dawn...

I realized that it was not for nothing that the researchers insisted that there be a magician in the team. With him, there was no need to stand in line in front of the Guild since the morning. It also provided significant monetary advantages. In order for 5 researchers with an average of rank 5 and 6 to form a [Binding], we would have to pay 100,000 stones as a contribution.

"Then let's go."

As we all walked towards the Dimension Square, there were more and more explorers outside. Such a sight could only be seen on the last night of each month, because on the way back everyone looked like beggars.

"Stop!" It seems that we have lost our way.

"Unbelievable!" We have to get to the labyrinth in the set time!

Coincidentally, this time I also encountered barbarians. These young warriors, who had just finished their coming-of-age ceremony, were heading towards the labyrinth, full of anticipation and excitement.

— ... Follow us.

With the consent of my teammates, I helped them. I just felt like I had to.

"Really?" Thank you. If you tell me your own to them-... A what?! Björn, son of Yandel?! Are you a little Balkan!? I respect you!

Ignoring the overreaction of the young warriors, I gave them all kinds of advice on their way to the Dimension Square. I told them that the barbarian's heart was selling for a high price, so they should be wary of other researchers, especially humans. If possible, they should take representatives of otherworldly races as night companions. Beware of traps, walk the bright path, and so on; the knowledge I wish I had when I first entered the labyrinth.

"If I do that, can I become a famous warrior like you?" Their leader asked.

Well, I don't know about that.

"That's right," I lied.

"Oooh!" Really? Ok! I will definitely do as you said!

It will be better for them. They could only understand when they were spoken to clearly.

The dwarf spoke quietly as he watched the young warriors head for the portal with my advice in their heads.

"You... It is very kind to its relatives.

"I just did what I could. Isn't it harsh to learn only from experience?

"Hmph, that's true. Hahaha!

After such chatter, we also headed to the center, where the portal opened.

*Shaaaa!*

My vision darkened, and a bright light of five colors shone above it. Suddenly, the events of the past unfolded like a panorama.

Is this really the 4th time?

The 1st time, I made it to the 2nd floor, killing countless bastards.

In the 2nd one, I entered the Chasm with the determination to become stronger, but it turned out to be a variable Chasm.

And the next time it was even worse. A team was formed, but along the way it split. In the end, the Lord of the Floor appeared and began to rampage, and I was able to return only after I had crossed the threshold of the other world.

*Flash!*

I hoped that this time nothing happened. What can happen? I discarded these thoughts before they even arose.

I wonder what kind of son of a bitch is going to show up this time?

I'm sure something will happen this time too, so we'll have to be prepared.

***

[You entered the Crystal Cavern on the 1st floor].

[HINT: Essence capacity limit has been reached. Hunt new monsters to level up!]