STGB Episode 433

The Return of the Lion (4)

A certain pub in District 7, always bustling with explorers.

A place that sells cheap alcohol,  leaving empty bottles rolling around the floor, and whenever there’s a spare moment, drunks start brawling. 

Bang—!

Suddenly, the door to that pub swung open with a crash.

In every world, there are always people who like to talk.

Especially if it makes them money.

“Extra! Extra!”

“Huh, a newspaper kid?”

At the sight of the boy who walked in, the burly, rough-looking pub owner rolled up his sleeves.

“Listen, kid, peddlers aren’t allowed in here.”

“No, I’m telling you, this is extra news!”

“Extra news, my foot. Let me guess—it’s about the triumph ceremony, right?”

“Heh, do you think we, who sit here in broad daylight getting hammered, care about that?”

“Are you sure you’re not interested? You were just grumbling about how the city’s in an uproar over nothing big”.

“All right, kid, come back when you’re taller.”

Before long, the pub owner picked the boy up by his shoulders and carried him toward the door.

And at that very moment—

“You ignorant fools!”

“Hahaha!”

“Bjorn Jandel is back—alive…!”

“Haha, ha… huh?”

A sudden hush settled over the pub.

Though that silence lasted only for a moment.

“Kid must’ve heard some strange rumor and gone nuts.”

“How can someone who died more than two years ago come back?”

“Wasn’t that guy an evil spirit or something?”

“I’m telling you, he came back alive, and he’s no evil spirit! While you idiots were rotting away in this pub, the whole city’s gone wild over this!”

The boy’s protest, so earnest and wounded, made the pub owner pause.

And then—

“Hold on. I do want to hear more about this.”

One of the explorers showed interest, and the pub owner put the boy down.

“Ugh, you guys reek of alcohol…”

Brushing off his crumpled collar, the boy walked over to the explorer’s table. As if paying for the tale, the explorer tossed some coins onto the table.

“All right, start from there. You’re certain Bjorn Jandel came back alive?”

“Of course, it’s certain. The Iron Chancellor himself acknowledged it in front of thousands of nobles!”

“…The Iron Chancellor, you say?”

“Yes, well, this is how it all went down…”

The boy trailed off and glanced at the nearby explorers, who pricked up their ears as if they weren’t listening. With a sigh, they tossed him a few coins as well.

And so the real story began.

Once you stripped away the boy’s flair for dramatic storytelling, it was a shorter story than expected.

“So… the word that Bjorn Jandel had died was actually because he was carrying out a covert mission for the royal family, and declaring him an evil spirit was part of that operation?”

“Wait, Rihen Schuiz – wasn’t he called the Man of the Blood Spirit Queen? I heard he led the expedition!”

“Right, that explains it. I’ve always wondered why someone whose name was not widely known was leading such a formidable group.

Bjorn Jandel was a hero, etched in people’s memories even after all this time. 

Excitedly, the pub’s explorers paid to hear what had happened at the ceremony.

And as time passed.

Crash!

The sound of something breaking came from a table in the far corner of the room, and the explorers turned to look.

Thud, thud.

A burly woman with a massive build stumbled forward, reeking of alcohol, but her gaze was unclouded and sharp.

“What… what’s going on?”

The explorers held their words in front of the imposing woman, and the boy cautiously asked her intentions.

She parted her lips to speak.

“Boy, I was listening over there.”

“…Is that so?”

“Is it true? That Bjorn Jandel is alive. That he was Rihen Schuiz.”

Her voice and expression carried a sort of urgency. The boy, puzzled by her intensity, answered dutifully.

“…Yes! It’s all true!”

“I see… so that’s how it was… I never knew…”

The woman, as if entranced, murmured to herself and pulled out some money, pressed it into the boy’s hands, and left the pub.

The boy checked the sum and gasped.

“Ten thousand stones…?”

An enormous amount he’d never before earned as a wandering storyteller. The others in the pub stirred as well.

“She gave that much just for telling a story?”

“…I never thought there’d be such a wealthy person in this cheap pub.”

“Who is she…?”

“Hey, why have you been so quiet?”

As everyone speculated about the woman’s identity, one man quietly muttered.

“Insane…”

“Do you know who she is?”

“How many blonde female barbarians do you think there are? And how many of them carry a giant greatsword on their back?”

“So… who is she?”

“The Explosive Blade—Aynar Pheneline.”

As the man spoke her identity, the eyes of those around him widened once more.

“What? You’re saying that woman is one of the Seven Strongest?”

“Forget that—‘Explosive Blade’ was Bjorn Jandel’s old companion!”

“No wonder she was so interested!”

“Now it all makes sense!”

“So even his old companions didn’t know Bjorn Jandel was still alive?”

The pub flared back to life, each patron offering their own guess about the woman’s identity. Only the pub owner looked close to tears.

“That lady… She just left without paying for her drinks…”

***

Like a passing storm, the triumph ceremony ended. And we each returned home.

I worried the Marquis might keep us around longer, but it seemed he had no intention of overstepping.

“Did everything work out for the best, then…?”

We returned to our mansion after a long time.

I went upstairs to my room to unpack and reminisced about yesterday’s ceremony.

‘He accepted things more calmly than I expected.’

Right after I revealed myself  in front of thousands of nobles—without prior agreement—the Marquis continued the ceremony smoothly and cleaned up the situation.

He announced that my supposed death had been a ruse so I could undertake a secret mission for the royal family, and that the claim of me being an evil spirit was also untrue.

They originally planned to release the official documents two months from now, but the Marquis had no choice but to proclaim it early and publicly before the crowd.

Because he had no other option.

“To deny my words would have ruined the royal family’s prestige.”

That was exactly the trap I’d laid for him.

Sure, they could throw a grand victory celebration for me. Normally, people would talk about it for a month or so, then gradually forget. If I wanted to remain firmly in people’s minds—and ensure I kept the public spotlight—this was the best way to do it.

For some reason, the royal family cares a lot about public opinion.

Well, for the next few months at least, they can’t try anything underhanded, like framing me for a fake crime…

All in all, the first step had gone well.

Now the next step was to build up as much influence as possible in the time we had. That way, even if they find out what really happened in the Labyrinth, they’ll think twice about getting rid of us.

‘We have a lot to do…’

With those thoughts, I finished changing and went downstairs, only to find the living room in chaos.

“…Emily, what happened here?”

“While we were away, there was an intruder.”

“…What?”

“I had tied one of my hairs to the doorknob before leaving. When we got back, it was gone. I searched everywhere except your room, but thankfully I didn’t find any listening devices.”

“Wait, if there was an intruder, can’t we just check the recording crystal?”

We had something akin to CCTV in our home, which Erwin had installed in the living room and near the entrance.

“But…”

“That’s already been smashed. The record only lasts a day, and it’s not hard to tamper with. They might have already interfered with the magic circuit, so we couldn’t just leave it.”

“…I see.”

“Whoever they were, they were amateurs. They entered an empty house and didn’t even touch the basement.”

“The basement…? Ah, the sailor!”

I finally remembered someone I’d forgotten—Auyen Roklov, the plunderer-cum-sailor we’d captured on our previous Labyrinth expedition.

I remember Amelia saying she’d stocked enough food for him before we left…

It had been several days since the Labyrinth has closed.

“Is he all right?”

“He’s fine, a bit thinner though. I prefer him that way.”

That doesn’t seem right…

“And unintentionally, his loyalty to us seems to have risen. Though he realized the daily antidote requirement is a lie, he’s grown more dependent on us after this close call.”

“Oh…”

“If you want to see him, go ahead. He said that when he heard footsteps upstairs, he kept perfectly quiet and wanted praise for that.”

“N-No… I’m good…”

“Hmm. Don’t leave it all to me, though. You should take an interest in him too.”

“…Later.”

At least he was fine, so for now I pushed Auyen out of my mind. After Amelia searched my room as well, the three of us regrouped in the living room.

“So… is our house safe now?”

“For today, at least.”

“Phew… coming home makes it all feel like a dream.”

Erwin, relieved, slumped onto the sofa.

“Jandel, now that everything’s settled for the moment, isn’t it time we open it up?”

“Oh, the subspace item.”

“Yeah…”

Amelia’s eyes gleamed with anticipation—like a child on Christmas morning. I guess I felt the same way.

The subspace ring that the Rose Knight had carried—what treasures might be inside?

“All right. Let’s do it. I’ll count to three, and we all open it at once.”

I began counting quietly. Then, as I reached ‘two’—

Knock, knock.

Visitors.

I sighed and decided to postpone opening the subspace. We went to see who it was. The knock was loud enough to put me on guard, but fortunately it was a welcome face.

“Raven.”

“I’m sorry if you were busy. I just… I heard the news, and I couldn’t stand by without checking on you.”

“Come in.”

Raven followed me into the living room, sat down on the couch, and asked me a barrage of questions.

Was regaining my name and status part of the plan?

What are my thoughts on the future?

“And… I’m glad you’re safe, really…”

Then the topic of the expedition came up.

“Mr. Jandel, are you alright?”

“Alright?”

“So many died… I was there at the Hall of Honor for the victory ceremony… I saw you apologizing to the families of the fallen, reading out every single name…”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m worried about you. Are you really OK?”

Am I OK? Hard to say.

I hesitated for a moment, then forced a bright smile and patted Raven’s delicate shoulder.

“Why wouldn’t I be alright? I made it back alive.”

“…What really happened out there?”

Only ten returned alive from the expedition.

There was too much that happened to explain in a few words.

“Nothing. It’s exactly as the marquis explained.”

It was better not to tell Raven.

 She was already conflicted enough with her position in the military while still helping me. 

Especially now, when she wasn’t even involved.

I couldn’t burden her with fighting the royal family.

That was a burden for us alone.

“Somehow… you feel more distant than ever. Then again, you always kind of did…”

“It’s just your imagination.”

“Yeah. Must be.”

The air grew a bit awkward after that.

In that atmosphere, Raven sipped her tea quietly, then stood up.

Or to be exact, she was about to stand up when—

Bang, bang, bang!

A thunderous pounding echoed from the direction of the door. That was no polite knock. Maybe bandits?

As soon as I stood up—

“Bjorn!”

A familiar voice.

“Bjorn! Get out here! Are you really alive?!”

It was the colleague I had been waiting for.

There was something magical in that moment.

“Bjooooorn!”

All the heaviness I’d felt lifted away the instant I heard that voice. I found myself smiling before I knew it.

Grin.

Yes, I’ve regained my name now.

The time of separation has been long enough.

So…

‘Now it’s just Misha Mr. Bear remaining.’

It’s about time we are all together again.

***

Clang, clang.

Only the dry sound of utensils echoed across the dining table.

Biting down on the tip of his spoon, Lee Baek-ho spoke cautiously.

“Hey, cat.”

“…Don’t call me that.”

“But you hate it when I call you by your surname, or even your first name?”

“Is it that hard to understand? Just don’t call me anything.”

“C’mon, you’re so cold…”

Lee Baek-ho muttered and cast a sideways glance.

As usual, it was just an ordinary meal, but everyone else around the table was eating silently, watching him out of the corner of their eyes.

Except for one person.

“Hey, cat.”

“……”

“You never go outside?”

“……”

“I mean, not counting Labyrinth runs, you basically never step outside. Look at your skin, you’re pale—”

Clack—!

The cat-tribe woman slammed her spoon down on the table in irritation.

And then…

“I’m done.”

She cleared only her own dishes and headed upstairs to her second-floor room.

Click.

When the sound of her door closing faded into the distance, Lee Baek-ho let out a long sigh.

Then, looking at the others at the table, he sought their opinions.

“She still doesn’t know, does she?”

The first to answer was the Ruin Scholar.

“We can’t hide it forever.”

“Yeah, I know… But until then, everyone be careful with your words, okay?”

The Scout nodded.

“…Fine.”

“All right. Dinner’s done. Everyone’s free to go.”

With a relaxed smile, Lee Baek-ho left his plate on the table and got up first.

Then—

Thud.

The moment he returned to his room…

“……”

The expression he maintained in front of his colleagues turned cold.

It couldn’t be helped.

“Bjorn Jandel is alive…”

Actually, his feelings towards Bjorn Jandel weren’t bad.

They were both ‘evil spirits,’ after all.

It was like seeing a promising junior.

He had even taken in Misha when she was like a wet cat because it was fascinating how she remained devoted despite knowing he was an evil spirit.

His regret over the two being torn apart was definitely sincere.

But…

“This is interesting.”

It’s too late, far too late.

Now, he couldn’t purely celebrate Bjorn Jandel’s survival.

He would lose Misha, the Ice Swordswoman he’d worked so hard to raise to an unworthy person.

Ah, of course, technically she would return to her original owner…

“If that’s the case, you should have come back sooner. Doing this now will only cause trouble”.

Lee Baek-ho seriously considered it.

“Maybe… should I just kill him?”

If something obstructed his goals, he wouldn’t let emotions sway him and would eliminate it.

That had been Lee Baek-ho’s longstanding principle.