Chapter 63

Chapter 63 \n \n

“Shaft-san, welcome back. I’m sorry to ask, but could I have my goods now?” 

Malta-san asked me after I returned from my trip with the girls. I summoned the Gift Box, and its inventory screen was filled with lines labeled as “UNKNOWN”. Since none of it was my personal stuff, I hadn’t bothered to label any of them, but the goods were sorted within the hour. 

The next morning, I gave my farewell to everyone at Marida’s Company and left for Barga. Marida-san and Minea insisted that I should pay them a visit should I ever return to the Capital again. Amy and Priscilla thanked me as well. We only had one wagon, but since I was the one carrying all the goods, it was fine. Malta-san and I had sat on the coachmen’s bench. The returning staff sat in the back. 

Accompanying the wagon was five people on horses that acted as escorts. Of the five, two of them were Alm and Silvara. Both the girls would move to Barga to become Malta-san’s exclusive escort. It would be difficult for me to go to Marida’s Company as Schwarz, so I hoped they would forgive me. It’s not like I could ask him to replace his personal guard. The trip to Barga had been uneventful, and we reached Barga within three days. 

I’d been away from here for around a week, but I felt nostalgic the moment I saw the city-scape of Barga. When we arrived at the Barga branch of the company, I returned all the goods I had carried. It was faster for them to take it out than it had been when I stored it. The last thing to do now was…

“Malta-san, this should be all of it.”

 “Thank you very much, Shaft-san.”

“If I head out now, I should still be able to head out from Barga. Let me confirm this first though. Everything is done?” 

“Yeah. Our company’s escort request is completed. You really helped us a lot.” 

“Eh? Shaft-san, you won’t stay in Barga?” \n

“Aren’t you also Malta-san’s exclusive guard?” 

It looked like Alma and Silvara, who waited with the other escorts, had listened to our conversation.

“That’s right. I have another job, so I’ll leave Barga now.”

With that said, it was just a fat lie, but I had left Barga as Schwartz on the way to the capital. If I don’t check back into the city as Schwartz, some trouble might come my way. Also, if I didn’t check out of the city as Shaft, then both my aliases would technically “Exist” in the city at the same time. 

I gave Alm and Silvara a farewell. I also signaled with my eyes to Malta-san that I’d come back later. Before the gate closed at dusk. I left Barga as Shaft, changed out loadout, and returned as Schwartz. Since there wasn’t any need to fight, I only came back with my Five-seveN at my side. 

With this done, I returned to the Fort City of Barga for real. 

 

◆◆◇◆◆◇◆◆

The next morning, I was in a private room of the White Flower Pavillion. My plan was to resume my conquest on the Wolf Labyrinth. I also needed to get that dagger I found in the labyrinth appraised. I intended to get it done at the Capital, but I had completely forgotten about it. I also might have to give an answer about that matter with the General guild soon.

I left for the guild and headed toward’s the guild’s annex first after I entered its grounds.\n“Welcome, I am Lesmond. The Appraiser.” 

“Good Afternoon, Lesmond-san.” 

Lesmond-san, one of the staff in the annex, was an old gentleman with a small mustache and he possessed the [Apprasial] skill. He only needed to touch the item with his hand, then the skill would tell him the details of it.  

“I wanted to ask Lesmond-san

“I want to ask Lesmond-san to appraise an item today.”

“Certainly. That’ll be 1,000 OL per item. Could I receive the payment with a silver coin?” (Last version of the chapter it said 1,000 OL.  This one says 

“Sure, I want you to see this dagger. “

I handed him a silver coin together with the dagger I had found in the Wolf Labyrinth. Lesmond-san took it in his hand. 

“Thank you very much. I have finished appraising the item.” 

The act only took a moment. I don’t know what he saw when he did it, but I guessed it gave him the information instantly. 

“The dagger is called Rot Poison Dagger. It’s a magical weapon that, once activated, will turn it poisonous like this. Once it touches the skin, it will begin to infect the target and their skin will begin to rot. \n\nThe person I called for was Remi-san, the Guild Investigator. After the Green Demon Labyrinth subjugation, Remi-san had invited me to join the guild. I had not given her a reply at that time, but after the uproar in the capital; I had decided on my purpose. 

“Remi-san, I’m sorry to say this, but I’ll have to decline.”

“I see. What a shame.”

“But I’ll provide you with the labyrinth map. It will only be within the range I can explore, though. 

“I see… That’ll be a great help. Just bring the map directly to me. You won’t be able to hide your name if you go through the Librarian.” 

“Thank you very much.” 

Our talk ended. I had refused Rafflesia’s invitation, and now, I had refused the guild as well. With this, I had lost my backing as Schwartz. I don’t want to have a position in this world, nor do I want to dominate it. If there was a purpose or a meaning in my current life, it’s to defeat the labyrinth.

Someone had thrown me into this world with the intention to make me the Labyrinth Master and to try and harm this world. I planned to go against it. If this world will accept me, I will smash the one who wants to harm this world. If someone will try and hinder me, I will gun down those nuisances as Shaft. No matter how powerful and prestigious they are, Rafflesia or General Guild.  

[E/N: Say that as you drive into the sunset, you’d seem less school shooter and more 80’s protag.]