Bjorn Yandel the Barbarian

Episode 611: Mystery (4)

A large ship lying in the middle of the jungle.

First, everyone got off the boat and the summons were lifted. Because my stomach was quite heavy, it was difficult to stay there…

Well, even if that wasn’t the case, I had to get off quickly.

Well, you can’t move in a boat in the jungle.

“Demon monster…?”

“what? “It’s a monster!!”

Hamsik had no choice but to show up, causing an uproar.

It was something I had to go through at least once.

It was only during the rainy season that I put it in my armor and moved it when I moved to a ship, but I couldn’t keep it hidden forever…

However, the reaction was completely different from what I expected.

“What is that monster…!”

“For a monster… he’s cute?”

“This is my first time seeing this object.”

It’s different from the time when I looked at Ham Sik in the library and reacted by saying it was terrible.

All of the crew members were seeing Hamsik’s true face.

“…It looked like this.”

Amelia, who got off the boat first and was in charge of patrolling the surrounding area, came back and stood next to me.

And his eyes shine as he looks at Ham Sik.

“…Can I touch it?”

“Ask directly… Rather, organize the situation first.”

I quickly intervened in the situation and had Hamsik lower his weapon.

“This guy is something we encountered in the library and is not hostile to us.”

“Does this mean it’s not a demon?”

“Well, I don’t know about that, but I believe that this guy will help us escape from the first basement level.”

“Ah… It was because of that monster. “I stopped by that island at that time.”

“So when are you going to unload your weapons? Should I give the order again?”

“iced coffee! “I’m sorry!”

The military is a group where it is fundamental to criticize others.

In response to my words as the commander-in-chief, the members only gave a wary look and widened the distance, but did not take any unexpected action.

[…What is the situation now? I can’t understand what they’re saying, but I think the way they look at me is a little different than usual.]

“Ah, you mean that? “It seems like everyone can see you right here.”

[…what? But despite that, they are still wary of me…]

“Of course. “Even if it’s your true self, isn’t it the same as being unfamiliar to us?”

[Ah… I guess that’s true too…?]

Hamsik looked so embarrassed that he couldn’t even think about this obvious thing.

And perhaps because he had no one to rely on, he came close to me and grabbed my collar.

“Don’t stay there, stay here.”

While I was throwing him away, I grabbed Hamsik and put him on my shoulder.

At first, I thought he was startled and struggling, but he quickly regained his balance and crouched down, apparently liking the position on my shoulder.

‘It’s like raising an animal.’

Anyway, the ham diet issue is over for now.

“Search leader.”

After briefly reciting the name of the position, Amelia finally took her eyes off Hamsik.

“What were the results of the search?”

“There is nothing around right now. “It was the same with the flying object you said you saw, and the magician on the search party couldn’t find anything special.”

“Right.”

Okay, if you say this, it means there is no immediate danger…

Tuk-tuk.

After thinking about it for a while, I first instructed my deputy commander to pack up the camp site. Exploration is exploration, but rest and reorganization are much more urgent right now.

Since each member was an expert, the construction of the camp was completed quickly.

But…

“Everyone gather together for a moment before taking a break.”

I gathered the crew members who had finished raining rain.

The crew members showed signs of exhaustion on their faces, but there was no particular complaint. In a world where breakups are especially common, everyone already knew.

What are you going to do now?

“Deputy Commander, I’ll leave it to you from now on.”

Soon, he passed the baton to the second-in-command, who skillfully added rhetoric and told the names of the dead, their identities, and what they died for.

And…

“I would like to ask Archbishop Altwehemen.”

The funeral ended with the priest wishing them good luck and the wizard handing over the cremated remains to the people closest to them, like roasting beans over lightning.

“Those who are not on guard duty, go back and rest quickly! Today could be the last time I get to rest like this! Oh, never forget your shift turn!”

Despite the deputy commander’s encouragement, the members, who were extremely tired, hurriedly headed to their assigned sleeping quarters.

Oh, of course, there were exceptions among them.

“Armin.”

Mul Armin, leader of the Armin Exploration Team.

The guy who would be assigned to guard duty a long time later was standing still in front of the place where the body was cremated.

“What about Wight Hetz?”

“…It looked like he was going to close his eyes right away.”

“Well… I’m probably tired. But what about you?”

“…I should go back soon and get some rest.”

Even though he said that, it seemed like it would be a while before he returned to the barracks.

Unlike the Hetz Clan, which had a corporate feel even though it was small in size, the Armin Exploration Team had all been close together for a long time.

“Okay, go first. “You too, get some rest.”

“yes.”

Soon, we patrolled all the way around the campsite.

Amelia Erwen Misha Goblin Versil… Everyone must have already closed their eyes because they were tired, and I slowly moved to my barracks.

My private one-person barracks located in the heart of the camp.

In response to the deputy commander’s plea that members of other groups might feel uncomfortable if I stay only with group 4, which is where my closest associates are gathered, I decided to sleep separately like this…

‘They even made a makeshift bed.’

I chuckled and laid Hamsik down on the small cot.

“Good night.”

One blanket is enough for a barbarian.

***

The day after the entire exploration force spent the entire day resting, taking turns on guard duty.

We resumed exploration in earnest.

Of course, since there were over a hundred people, we couldn’t just start moving.

“Investigation leader.”

“yes?”

“…know?”

“…yes. “I’ll be back.”

The leader of the investigation team, who had excellent skills as a magician, was assigned the position of leader of the search team, so he scouted farther and held an executive meeting based on the results of the reconnaissance.

“We conducted a search with a greatly expanded radius, but we were unable to discover the existence of the monster.”

“What about the temple seen in the distance? “Did you check that too?”

“yes. “I didn’t check inside the temple, but no monsters were found nearby.”

“Why didn’t you check inside?”

“The entrance was blocked by something magical.”

“Something magical?”

It was hard to believe that this was coming from a wizard of a high enough level to join the exploration force, but the leader of the investigation team answered confidently.

“I looked into it, but I couldn’t figure out the principle. I’m just guessing. “I think it might be similar to the dimensional disconnection phenomenon commonly found in cracks.”

“It’s a dimensional disconnection phenomenon… Oh, there’s no need to explain, there’s no way the explorer wouldn’t know that.”

The phenomenon of dimensional disconnection can be viewed as a ‘barrier’.

Same in the Witch’s Hut and Blood Castle.

The place you enter through the portal seems like a world, but there is a barrier around it and you can’t break it no matter what you do.

“Anyway, if that’s the case, it would be impossible to force open the door and enter.”

“yes. “We cannot rule out the possibility that it is terrain that cannot be entered in the first place.”

“No, that won’t happen.”

“yes…?”

“…I feel like that for some reason.”

Although I thought it was too late and passed it off like a barbarian, I had reason to be confident.

Strictly speaking, it is not evidence, but statistics.

‘There were times when you couldn’t go beyond a certain area, but there was no structure that blocked you from entering.’

It is correct to see that achieving certain conditions and entering into something is a normal process.

“…Then is it okay if I continue to report to you?”

“Ah, continue.”

Afterwards, the leader of the investigation team searched the surrounding area and talked about what he saw or found one by one.

There is not a single bug to be seen in the jungle.

Plants mainly found in the Dark Continent are growing there.

I found a few rusty pieces of iron on the ground.

Although it seemed trivial, the information that might be helpful someday continued for a long time, and I recorded it in my head as best as I could without missing it.

The judgment was made after all reports were completed.

“When the meeting is over, prepare to go.”

“Are you going to the temple?”

“okay.”

Since it was the only place I could find nearby, I planned to go there and check it out with my own eyes.

And if there is nothing particularly dangerous, you can continue the search by increasing the radius from there.

‘No matter what you do, it’s best to make a map first.’

That’s how the exploration began.

More than a hundred people traversed the jungle while maintaining formation at each location and eventually arrived at the temple.

A structure with dozens of stone buildings and a huge temple at its center.

“Hmm… does it look familiar somehow?

“That’s how I see it, too. “It feels like a familiar place.”

“When have I been to a place like this?”

Just by looking at the crew’s reactions, I could tell that I was not mistaken.

“…Pantelion Ruins.”

“huh?”

“Didn’t the wreckage you saw there look exactly like this?”

“oh! “I’m sure if the wreckage was in good condition, it would feel like this!”

According to my thoughts, this place where we are now is the Pantelion Ruins on the 7th floor of the Dark Continent. No, it is highly likely that it is the original location of that place.

“Then let’s check the temple first.”

So, as soon as we arrived, we headed to the temple.

The stairs in the center were not very high, and the entrance was located on the third floor.

It was a stone gate that looked like it would open sideways or up or down.

“Investigation leader, is there any other way to get inside?”

“yes. Apparently, the dimensional disruption phenomenon is not limited to one stone gate, but covers the entire temple…”

“I understand. “Then you don’t have to participate in the exploration, so just keep focusing on investigating the temple.”

“Baron… Where are you going, Commander?”

“I’m not leaving right now, but I’m planning to expand the search radius around here for a few days. “It’s convenient to have a map.”

In fact, after leaving the research to them, I devoted myself to making maps.

A few people were selected from each group to expand the search radius and prioritize map production.

After a search that lasted a week, not much was found.

‘It’s incredibly spacious.’

Unlike the crack where you can see the dimensional disconnection even if you go just a little bit to the outskirts, this place is incredibly wide.

And….

‘River.’

A river flows in the far eastern direction of the temple.

Assuming that this is the Pantelion ruins, it is highly likely that it is the Aribeona estuary due to its location….

‘It was quite different.’

I’m still confused because it’s very different from the Aribeona estuary I know.

‘We can decide little by little whether to search after passing the river…’

Although the search and investigation were struggling, the research department, where Raven was the director, made an unexpected discovery.

“These pieces of iron I picked up in the forest. “It’s not just regular iron.”

“Is this a new metal?”

“yes. I don’t know if this can really be called metal. “There is no metal in this world that rots rather than rusts, right?”

The metal sample shown was indeed stained black like rotten flesh and even gave off a foul odor.

“As you can see, the decay is progressing and the size has decreased.”

“…It’s a fascinating metal.”

At first, I just reacted this way, but I changed my perspective when Raven continued.

“But… something came to mind when I saw this?”

“what?”

“The study of alchemy. In fact, in the old days, it was a study that started to create ‘humans.’”

It’s a story I’ve heard before.

Well, current alchemy is just a technology that creates resources using the energy of magic stones.

“so?”

“I used to study because I was interested. But do you know why ancient alchemy failed to create ‘humans’? “They said they couldn’t make flesh.”

“fat?”

“yes. Flesh, skin, muscles… things like that. So no matter what you put your soul into and did, it couldn’t become a human. It might be a magic golem with intelligence. You know Mr. Yandel, right? “The story of the Melteye statue.”

“Are you talking about the steel golem that protected the palace during the Iron Wall Rebellion and was destroyed?”

“yes. that’s right. Melteye is a representative example of a golem created by inserting a human soul. Of course, making golems using souls is now illegal, so no one can dare to study it.”

Oh I didn’t know that.

“…Okay, so what do you want to say?”

When asked directly, Raven looked embarrassed and summarized her words in one sentence.

“Just like that. “I wonder if the things I just mentioned would have actually been possible if such metals had existed back then.”

It’s a story that’s very unpleasant, yet sticks to my mind and keeps coming back to me.

However, perhaps we have discovered a new material that may be useful in the future.

“Study Raven well. Think about where and how you can use it.”

“yes.”

The conversation with Raven ended there, and as time went by, the story naturally became less and less interested in the new material in my head.

But…

“Commander!”

How many days have passed since that story began?

When I woke up and heard the emergency report, I could only freeze in a daze.

“I’m human!”

“…?”

“A group of unidentified humans were discovered near the mouth of the river!”

Why was the story I shared with Raven at that time the first thing that came to mind?