STGB Episode 446

Party (3)

The banquet began a little after noon and was over before the sun even set.

Well, this banquet was exclusively for the heads of noble families representing each household. Unlike the carefree nobles busy with merrymaking, they had real work piling up.

‘Come to think of it, after about two hours, people started to leave en masse.’

Most of them, compelled by tradition to attend, stayed at the banquet just long enough to avoid being labelled, and then left the palace.

Of course, as this was a rare gathering of so many family heads, many took the opportunity to actively socialise. Still, by sunset, they were all gone, claiming they were exhausted.

“Is that why they say you turn back into a child when you get old?”

They’re not little kids with curfews in a new country or anything.

Clatter, clatter.

Sitting in the carriage, watching the royal palace fade from view, various thoughts cross my mind.

Useless stuff like, “Maybe I should get a house in the capital,” all the way up to more serious concerns about my future.

‘In the end, I couldn’t have a proper talk with the marquis.’

Unfortunately, the “Testing the Marquis” quest I had in mind for this banquet ended in failure.

I had approached and sat at his table with a greeting, but there were too many people around. And it seemed like he didn’t really want to push people away either.

In the end, I could only exchange pleasantries before returning.

It’s a bit of a shame.

‘But honestly, now that I think about it, what the Marquis thinks of me isn’t all that crucial anymore…’

What matters from here on out is balance.

Whatever the Marquis’s intentions might be, if I grow large enough in influence, he can’t easily make a move against me.

Therefore, I have to walk the line carefully—big enough that he can’t touch me on a whim, but not so big that he feels compelled to draw his sword.

“Anyway, joining Melbes went well…”

Although the official membership would be on another day when everyone gathered, there was no issue for now.

The only question is what will happen with Ragna, who contacted me via the letter.

If everything goes smoothly, she could end up being a wild card in my future conflict with the Marquis…

“Ah…”

It’s a bit sad that I have to think about such things.

If I had remained a simple reader in the Library, it would have just been a happy reunion.

“Why did it have to be the Marquis’s daughter…”

Moreover, the situation now involves Hyun-byeol, making it even more complicated.

“Well, I’ll know when I meet her.”

After musing for a while, I soon arrived at the military air station and teleported to Ravigion, then changed carriages and headed home.

“You’re home early?”

“It ended sooner than expected. Where’s Erwin?”

“She just came in and is washing up now.”

Oh, then I might see her after a long time.

After showering and changing upstairs, I came down to the living room to find Amelia and Erwin chatting cozily on the sofa.

It seems they’ve grown closer than expected, perhaps thanks to their shared hardships in Ice Rock…

“Mister!!”

Erwin sprang up and rushed toward me, and I had to hold her back.

“Erwin, I’m not your mister.”

“…Eh?”

Her face fell like a deflated doll as I corrected him.

“I am Baron Bjorn Jandel”

As I continued, Erwin let out an awkward sound.

“Ah…”

“Ah…”

Tsk, embarrassing a Barbarian like this.

She’s not playing along. If it were Aynar, she’d be cheering in delight with me.

“Bjorn, cut the crap and sit down.”

“…Got it.”

Looking dejected, I took a seat on the couch. Immediately, the family meeting began. Since it had been a while, there were plenty of items on the agenda, but first and foremost was, of course, Erwin.

“…I managed to wrap things up. I’ve already returned the Divine Tree Bow, and the money I borrowed to buy this house… I promised to pay it back within a month.”

Erwin sounded like someone confessing a sin. When I asked why, she said she felt guilty for failing to keep a home full of precious memories.

“It’s fine. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty.”

Honestly, I’m more puzzled at the fairies for letting her go with just that.

Since she’s a pure-blood, of which there’s only ever one in a generation, I thought they might even demand her life in the worst-case scenario.

‘This is pretty much the best outcome…’

Still, it went so well that I found it suspicious. I questioned her further, and Erwin explained the reason.

“When I was butting heads with the elders, my uncle stepped in to help. I think that made a huge difference.”

Her uncle, huh.

Come to think of it, he’s supposed to be something like a legendary hero among the fairies. I’d like to meet the man one day.

***

“By the way, a month is a pretty tight timeframe.”

After Erwin’s update, Amelia brought up a practical issue.

“We can sell this house to raise the money, but we’ll still need a new place to live.”

“…We could buy it back ourselves. We might be able to afford it if we sell some of the spoils we got recently…”

“Hmm. Bjorn, what do you think?”

After thinking for a moment, I gave my opinion.

“It might be better to live in an inn for a while, or rent somewhere. Of course, it would be much smaller than this mansion.”

“…So, that’s it. I suppose…”

Erwin seemed reluctant to sell the house but didn’t argue against my suggestion.

She’s probably a bit sad to see it go, but she’s also being considerate of our situation.

“Don’t worry too much about it. The house we have now, and any future house we buy—they’re just temporary places anyway.”

When I mentioned that Melbes will help cover the cost of land and building a new estate, Erwin’s face visibly lit up.

 

“Then we’re really going to have a ‘House Jandel’— right…?!”

“Yeah. So when we draw up the design later, let me know if you want anything. We’ll include it all.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s going to be your house, too.”

“…!!!”

Judging by Erwin’s expression, all her regrets about selling this house disappeared in a flash.

“Of course, Amelia, you too.”

I mentioned Amelia as well, just in case she felt left out, and for some reason she looked at me and sighed deeply.

Oh, and while sighing, she did mention what she wanted.

“I’d like the sailor’s room to be a bit larger, with a window that lets in sunlight.”

The navigator had been feeling a bit down lately.

Maybe some sea breeze would help?

***

“That settles the housing issue… What about the Labyrinth exploration?”

With the housing issue resolved, Amelia brought up the next topic.

Our party is still incomplete.

Aynar, Erwin, Amelia, me, and our sailor.

We need one more member to complete the six member team.

The problem is, there’s no obvious candidate at the moment.

I plan to eventually have all my expedition comrades join my clan, but moving too fast could cause issues.

The only viable recruits at the moment might be Ravien or the mage Vercil Gowland, but…

“Vercil said it would take a month to fully settle her affairs with the order, and Ravien said she’d take a break from exploration for a while…”

Which means one slot remains empty.

Taking a whole month off feels like a waste, so I made a decision.

“This time, let’s go in with just us.”

“All five of us?”

“It’s not that unusual, is it? Until a few years ago, five-person parties were the norm.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“We won’t go up to the 7th floor, just stick to the 6th. I don’t think it’ll be too dangerous.”

“Alright, the 6th floor… Got it. I’ll tell Roklov that, too.”

And with that, the matter of labyrinth exploration was settled.

We then had a casual dinner and chatted before going to bed.

The next morning, we all went to the guild branch to complete our clan registrations.

“Heh… Thank you. Mister.”

I wish she’d thanked Amelia instead…

Seeing her carefully store the extra copy of the document, I felt a twinge of guilt.

“Phew, now to fill the deputy leader position.”

I had hinted at Amelia being suitable when forming the clan, but she flatly refused.

She didn’t want to attract people’s attention.

Well, the name ‘Emily Raines’ she uses is an alias after all.

“So, who should be the vice captain…”

I sank into thought.

The vice-captain position is the one that absolutely must be filled.

Moreover, by registering the letter of delegation in advance, whoever held the position could carry out the administrative tasks that required the captain’s authority.

‘…Raven would’ve been the perfect vice-captain. She was meticulous about taking care of the tedious duties.’

After registering the clan members, we settled for a quick meal at a nearby restaurant.

“Bjorn, so are we heading to Commelby now?”

“No. First, to the temple.”

“…The temple?”

Amelia tilted her head for a moment, then quickly realized what I meant.

“You want to remove the Essence of Gachabon, right?”

“Now there’s no need to hide my appearance.”

I had been contemplating this issue even today. The Essence of Gachabon was quite beneficial, so I wondered if it might be better to keep it until I farmed the next essence.

However…

“There’s another reason, isn’t there?”

“Well, I did get my old equipment back from Aynar and Abman, and it’s a waste not to use it when I can—provided I go back to my old body. Plus, we might find a better Essence on the 6th floor. And I plan to visit the tribe eventually, so it’d be weird to show up with this body.”

“Hmm…?”

Amelia let out a curious little hum in response. Erwin, on the other hand, looked disappointed.

“Oh… So you’re going back to how you were before…?”

“Yeah.”

“I kinda liked how you look now…”

I’ll never understand that sense of aesthetics. What’s so great about this skinny body?

“Then I’ll be back.”

After arriving at the temple, I went in alone and underwent the process to remove the essence.

「The [Essence of Gatchabon] infused in the character’s soul has been removed.」

[Your Sixth Sense decreases by -40.]

[Your Physical Resistance decreases by -15.]

[Your Dark Resistance decreases by -30.]

[Your Accuracy decreases by -45…]

[Your Bone Density decreases by -110.]

My stats plummeted—

「Bone density decreases by -110.」

「Increased height.」

「Control increases by +30」

Anyway, it seems like my mind has also cleared up a bit.

「Luck +50 increase.」

At least my most important stat—luck—also improved a little.

Swish.

I took a moment to adjust to my changed eye level, then pulled out the clothes I’d brought and put them on. Finally, I looked in the mirror to confirm my reflection.

‘Phew, I’m finally back to my original body.’

It really hits me again how big I am.

I felt like calling upon the name of our ancestral gods, but with my superhuman willpower, I held back.

After all, this is a temple.

***

「Bjorn Jandel」

• Rank: 7
• Physical: 1,390.55 (New -54.5) / Mental: 521.3 / Special Abilities: 2,197.65
• Item Level: 6,285 (New -2,020)
• Total Combat Index: 5,680.75 (New -575.58)
• Essences Acquired: Orc Hero (Rank 5) / Ogre (Rank 3) / Bayon (Rank 3) / Stormgush (Rank 3) / Bol-Herchan (Rank 3) / Deepsea Giant (Rank 3)

***

When I left the temple, the reactions of my two companions were poles apart.

“Hey, Mister! You look cool this way too! Just like when we first met!”

Erwin, who had shown regret earlier, now complimented me.

“…Well, it’s definitely better than before.”

Meanwhile, Amelia, who had no particular comment up to now, drove a nail right into my warrior’s heart.

She muttered something under her breath.

“But… in some ways, this might actually be an improvement.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean you’re better off looking ugly.”

“I’m not ugly. I look manly.”

“Pfft…”

“…Did you just laugh at me?”

‘Home training.’

The phrase came to mind, but I held back.

After all, she’s a precious comrade.

And she really didn’t receive proper home training.

Ah, I should let it slide as the clan leader.

‘…If it weren’t for my restored control, that might’ve gotten dicey.’

Anyway, we headed to Commelby as originally planned.

Not all of our expedition members live in Zone 7.

We agreed to meet in Commelby

As soon as we entered the building Vercil had rented out for the day,  familiar faces gradually appeared.

“Haha, finally, you’ve arrived. Jandel Baron… or should I say Baron now?”

Melend Kaislan.

“…Oh my, your appearance has changed?”

Lyris Marone, James Carla, Sven Parab, and others

The members of my unit who had survived the cold and hunger of the Ice Rock gathered around me, wondering at my transformation.

“Vercil. Where are Akuraba and Ravien?”

“They both said they couldn’t make it, due to personal reasons.”

“At least everyone else is here.”

“Well, I suppose everyone was curious.”

Well, I was curious myself, so imagine how they must feel.

“What about the surroundings?”

“No need to worry about surveillance. I deliberately picked a place with no windows, we’ve got voice-dampening magic active, and I’m also doing real-time mana detection just in case.”

…She really is a proper mage. Makes me think I should subtly ask her later if she’s interested in becoming the vice-captain of our clan.

“Baron Jandel!”

“‘Baron Jandel’? Just call me Chief.”

Reuniting after so long, we spent some relaxed time catching up on recent news. After a while, the conversation naturally turned to what everyone was really waiting for.

“By the way… when are we going to do that?”

They were talking about opening that subspace pouch we looted from the Rose Knights.

“When we first opened it, all we found was the backpack we’d stuffed in there ourselves, so we just assumed that was it.”

I thought so too—until I realized that wasn’t the case.
There was some hidden item in there, and if you want to retrieve it, you have to alter the subspace’s binding formula or whatever.

Well, at least according to what the mage Vercil had discovered and told me.

“All right, everyone come this way. I’ve prepared plenty of neutralizing spells.”

Even I was a little nervous about opening them.

“Really… what’s inside?”

“I was a bit disappointed at first, but now I’m actually looking forward to it.”

“Heh… I guess all of you have also been waiting to open yours? I didn’t even consider opening mine because I was worried about being watched.”

What were the Rose Knights trying to hide by going to such lengths for their security?

I have no idea what it might be, which is exactly why I removed the Essence of the Gachabon ahead of time.

“So… now that it’s over…?”

“Let’s open it!”

Here’s hoping we’re lucky today.