Episode 491

Declaration of War(3)

The Stone of Honor.

A massive monument located at the center of Hero’s Square in the Imperial City of Carnon.

It is said to have been created when the first dimensional square was established, and it is densely inscribed with the feats of heroes who have appeared and disappeared over the ages.

‘The last one was 600 years ago, right?’

By the way, these achievements weren’t written by people.

The monument, crafted with forgotten ancient magic, is closely tied to the labyrinth. When a remarkable feat is achieved within the Labyrinth, it inscribes the record in the empty spaces.

‘…That was the setting, right?’

It felt somewhat surreal.

In truth, the Stone of Honor was just a common decoration in the game. After all, in the ten years I played, it never activated even once. I just thought of it as a piece of worldbuilding flavor.

But…

“Who would’ve guessed it actually worked?”

Under the knights’ escort, I arrived at the square and looked around blankly, tilting my head.

Around the square, which the knights were controlling, crowds of onlookers had gathered. As this was the Imperial City of Carnon, there were many nobles among them, and most people were dressed quite neatly.

“Björn Jandel! It’s Baron Björn Jandel…!”

“Wowwwwww!”

I felt like a monkey in a cage.

However, I quietly looked up at the monument.

[The last great sage Diphlun Graundel Gavrilius and his comrades defeated all the monsters in the Crystal Cave and opened a hidden area.]

According to history books, starting from that very moment, four portals leading to the second floor appeared in the Labyrinth.

After that, the entries were similar.

[The brave warrior of the Beast Tribe, Emon Mulmarin, and his comrades defeated the sea dragon and discovered a new island.]

After that, the entries were somewhat similar.

When an explorer defeated his first boss mob, a new island emerged where none had existed before.

[The great navigator Ordel Pikma and his companions cleared all the monsters in the Great Sea and opened a hidden area.]

When someone completely conquered the sixth floor, two pathways leading to the seventh floor appeared.

[Human explorer Rudel Rimenin and his companions reached the Abyss, awakening the souls of all the Lords.]

The Floor Lords began to be summoned after the first person reached the tenth floor. And after one was defeated, Rifts started appearing on that floor.

Iron Hero, Juggernaut.

He was supposed to be the first to defeat a Floor Lord, right?

Anyway, that’s not the crucial point here.

From my gamer’s perspective, the Stone of Honor is like a patch note.

Every Labyrinth update was immortalized here. Which meant:

[Bjorn Jandel, the great warrior of the Barbarians, and his companions defeated the Lord of Dread, Dreadfear, and opened a hidden area.]

-This definitely means that a new area has been unlocked.

Is this a good thing? Or maybe not?

I couldn’t decide and just stared at the monument blankly. When

 “Baron Jandel! Could you look this way?”

A man who seemed to be a government official asked me

A flash popped out of the magical recording device in his hand.

“Please smile! This is a moment that will be eternally recorded in history books!”

A history book…

‘Well, I guess this isn’t so bad.’

From the perspective of someone trying to gain as much support as possible, this kind of event was definitely beneficial.

After finishing calculating the pros and cons, I flexed my [Gigantification]-enhanced arms and roared:

“BETHEL—RAAAAAAAH!!”

Sure enough, another flash went off.

Click!

That should be a good A-cut, right?

***

[Character’s Fame has increased by +10.]
[Character’s Fame has increased by +10.]
[Character’s Fame has increased by +10…]
[…]
[…]

***

Getting your name inscribed on the Stone of Honor.

It turned out to be a much bigger deal than I’d expected.

When I learned that the photographer worked directly under the royal family, I had to pose countless times in front of the monument until he got the A-cut.

After the photos were taken, I was summoned by the royal scribe for what felt like an interrogation.

If I hadn’t been a noble, it definitely would’ve been an interrogation.

[Ah, yes… You can’t speak about it. I see.]

[An explorer’s experience and knowledge are their assets. Why should I give that away for free?]

[…W-well, according to labyrinth laws, we can’t force you, Baron. But for the sake of the kingdom, and our descendants, could you reconsider?]

[Hmm, it seems like none of the other senior explorers before me gave detailed answers either, right?]

[W-well, that’s…]

[I’m hungry. I’ll be going now!]

By the time I stepped out in the evening,  the world around me felt changed.

When I first gained fame and was given the nickname “Little Balkan.”

When I achieved great merit in the Noark War.

When I was promoted from minor baron to full baron.

Those times also felt like the world  hadchanged overnight, but none of it compared to now.

It’s not like this hasn’t happened before, but it was completely different now.

This was the imperial capital, Carnon.

The upper class who held citizenship in the imperial capital used to watch me with interest but not admiration, not to mention the nobility.

But now?

“Giant! He’s a giant!”

“The great giant who will lead us into a new era…!”

“Glory forever to Raphdonia!”

People from the highest ranks of society are shouting and cheering like crazed fans.

Thinking about it, it made some sense.

There’s a difference between someone with the potential to be a hero and an actual hero.

“To think that such a hero would be born in my lifetime…”

The Great Sage Gabrielius.

The Abyss Seeker Rudel Rimenin.

The Great Navigator Pikma.

The Iron Hero Juggernaut, and so on.

It was as if I had joined the ranks of those legendary figures whose names were recorded on the Stone of Honor. I’ve been placed on the same level as them—and I’m alive in this era, right here among them?

Just being in the same space with me makes people feel as if they’re a part of some historic moment.

So, I gave fan service wherever I could.

“Honey! The Baron called out our child’s name…!”

“This child will grow up to be great! I’m sure of it!”

The Barbarian Pope Mode

This continued until I reached the station, and even after boarding the carriage, people followed, shouting and making it impossible to rest.

And then, arriving at the mansion.

“Waaaaaah!!”

Somehow, word had spread here as well.

A huge crowd had gathered outside my house, cheering like it was some kind of festival. And it wasn’t until nightfall, when knights from Mozlan arrived to control the crowd, that things finally quieted down.

“Phew… It’s finally quiet.”

I sighed and collapsed onto the sofa. And Erwin, who had been peering out through the curtains, approached.

“Looks like everyone’s gone”

“This is insane. If today was this bad, I can’t imagine tomorrow.”

“But I think it’ll calm down faster than you expect. People tend to… forget quickly.”

“Like when they thought I was dead?”

“……Yes.”

As Erwin sat across from me, Auyen brought out tea as if he had been waiting.

“Ah, thank you.”

“Not at all, Master.”

Auyen’s voice and expression were different from usual.

He was always polite, but today there was an unmistakable sense of respect radiating from him.

“To think that I would meet you, repent for my sins, and follow you… It must be fate. I will do my best to support you on your path, even from the lowest position.”

He was acting as if he were a porter for some heroic party.

It was a little amusing, but I said nothing.

“Then, have a good night.”

After Auyen left, Vercil and Amelia entered the room together.

“I am sorry” I told Vercil “Because of me, you can’t even relax at home.”

“No, it’s good I didn’t leave. Given the circumstances, coming back tomorrow would have been difficult. I am tired anyway.”

“That’s… true.”

Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real.

Everyone’s talking about achievements and heroes, but is this really something worthy of being recorded on the Stone of Honor?

It all started because the hidden piece activated, and I happened to succeed on my first try. Plain Luck

If we’re talking about difficulty, the Ice Rock expedition was several times harder.

Back then, countless people died.

‘If we’re talking about difficulty, that was much harder…’

“Anyway, did you manage to get some sleep?”

“No… I couldn’t sleep. Don’t worry about it. This trip was only seven days, right? And if you exclude the last day,  they were all pretty easy”

Hmm, that’s true.

Usually, after returning from the labyrinth, I’d be so exhausted that I’d pass out, but I’m still relatively fine.

Actually, Aynar is the only one knocked out cold right now.

“By the way, I spent the extra time carefully examining this…”

Vercil began, placing the “No. 12 Trust” on the table. It was the item I had handed over before following the knights to Carnon.

“First, it’s soul-bound.”

“Soul-bound?”

“Yes. But it’s a bit unique—it’s multi-bound. It seems like only me, Pheneline, Tersia, and Mr. Jandel can use it.”

Vercil demonstrated by trying to attach the bracelet to Amelia’s wrist, but it fell off without locking into place.

“So only those who underwent the trial can use it.”

“Yes. That seems to be the case.”

“Hmm…”

While I was thinking it over, Vercil carefully asked,

“So… one of us four has to use it, but what do you think?”

‘Trust’ is a versatile item.

It’s so versatile that it’s pointless to consider job classes—it benefits tanks, dealers, mages, and priests equally.

There are three ways to use it:

1. Immunity to damage dealt by bound allies.

If you’re a tank, this means that your allies can deal AoE damage and you won’t get hurt.

 

1. Damage increases depending on the number of bound allies.

If a DPS equips this, their damage output skyrockets.

Immunity to damage inflicted by bound allies.

1. All beneficial effects granted to bound allies are doubled.

If a priest or support-type explorer wears it, their abilities are doubled.

‘In our case, we can exclude the third option…’

So, there are only two uses left.

I can either give it to Erwin, who is now of a higher rank, to increase her damage output.

Or, I can equip it myself to boost the party’s stability.

‘Come to think of it, there’s no need to overthink this.’

If there are two types of food on the table, grabbing both with both hands is the barbarian way.

Soon, I made my decision.

“I’ll wear it normally, but when more damage is needed, I’ll pass it to Erwin.”

“Depending on the situation, I might also pass it to Versil or Aynar.”

Everyone in the team seemed to agree with my decision.

Amelia, however, didn’t look happy.

Her usual lack of expression made even the slightest change more noticeable.

“Alright, now that we’ve settled that, everyone go and rest. We’ll talk more tomorrow. Oh, and Emily, stay behind for a moment.”

Versil and Erwin, having noticed Amelia’s expression, left the room without a word.

Now, only the two of us remained in the room.

Amelia, who had been standing beside me the whole time, sat down on the sofa.

“……If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have gone through with the interrogation.”

Well, from her perspective, it must be a bit disappointing.

She couldn’t even use the spoils we gained, and she wasn’t included among “his companions” recorded on the Stone of Honor.

Instead of offering empty comfort, I decided to be practical.

“Try to think positively. If your name had been recorded there, it would’ve caused problems.”

When I checked earlier, the names of the team members who had been omitted under the term ‘companions’ were written in small letters at the end of the record, like an appendix.

In other words, if she hadn’t left midway, her real name, “Amelia Rainweilz,” would’ve been exposed.

“I… know that.”

“Do you?”

“It’s just… a bit bittersweet.”

“…Huh?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, Amelia stared straight at me and said,

“It means I can’t stand by your side with my real name.”

“Ah……”

Uh, well……

I fumbled for words, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. Amelia, as if she had only been venting for a moment, calmly changed the subject.

“Jandel, there’s something you need to know.”

“Is it what you said you’d tell me later?”

“Yes.”

In truth, I had asked her to stay so I could hear this, but seeing the seriousness on her face made me uneasy again.

“Okay. Let’s hear it.”

“There’s something wrong with my memory.”

“……Huh?”

At first, it sounded like nonsense, but as I listened further, it turned out to be a rather serious issue.

“After the interrogation, there was a moment when I felt unconscious. When I came to, the video recording device was destroyed. I’m certain I didn’t lose consciousness.”

“And?”

“I compared the flow of time in my memory with the actual time. There was a slight discrepancy.”

About a 10-minute difference.

For example, in my memory, the interrogation lasted 35 minutes, but in reality, 45 minutes had passed.

“Could it be a mistake?”

“No.”

Sigh. If she’s this certain, there must really be something wrong.

“Moreover, when I looked back, there were some strange inconsistencies in my memory. There were parts where, if it had been the real me, I would’ve been more thorough, but the me in my memory just brushed past them.”

“…….”

“So, I considered the possibility of hallucination magic. Maybe someone manipulated and filled in my memories.”

“And?”

“I’m still not sure about this part. I had Gowland examine me, but she said she couldn’t find any traces of that.”

Memory manipulation……

Who could be behind this?

Does Count Alminas have a mage of that level?

Or is it a third party?

As I pondered this, Amelia cautiously added one more thing.

“And one more thing. When I came to and checked everything again, all the weapons were clean.”

“…Weapons?”

“Yes, even the blade that stabbed you. It was as clean as if it had been wiped down.”

This is really suspicious.

What on earth happened?

I felt relieved that Amelia got out unharmed, but it also meant I had more work to do.

“Those guys… they said they took the job from the black market. They didn’t know who the client was.”

Let’s start there.

It’s a place notorious for its tight security and the fact that no one who’s crossed it has ever come out alive.

But, well, it’s still a place run by people, right?

“I’ll have to go there.”

If I smash everything, someone will talk eventually.