The private eting with the chief continued for so ti afterward.
I kept asking what it was about this floor that I didn’t know, what had to be done to open the portal stele.
I pressed persistently, but the chief dodged the answers with vague words.
“You’ll naturally co to know when the ti cos. And what reason is there to worry already? Sooner or later, you’ll leave this place and return to the city anyway.”
“Why won’t you just speak plainly? Could it be—”
“It’s not because I have so other thoughts in mind. I’ve only been considering what might help you.”
“What do you an by that?”
“You never know. There might be sothing about this floor that even I haven’t discovered yet. If I were to advise you, it would surely erase the chance to find those things on your own. After all, you’d just follow my advice.”
Is this like the saying that lions push their cubs off cliffs?
If so, I understand it even less.
The chief and I aren’t bound by any close parent-child ties.
I find it hard to trust that he “wants to help” at all.
But...
“Heh, don’t look at it that way.”
The chief gave his characteristic smile and continued.
“Given how things have turned out, you and I are in the sa boat now. I’m sure you’ve thought about what benefits I could provide you going forward. Isn’t that so?”
“Well... it’s not like I haven’t thought about that.”
“Sa here. If my ally grows, so will what I’m capable of.”
All talk and no substance, really.
“So I’ll think about it so more and tell you later. It’s not like I’m leaving right this mont.”
Hearing that kind of soothing tone like consoling a sulking child, I just nodded. No matter how much I insisted, it didn’t seem like the situation would change.
Better to use the ti for sothing productive.
“So what will you do now?”
This was the question I’d been asked several tis today.
But this ti, it was different.
Earlier questions referred to the chief personally or to us, but this one ant the entire exploration party.
“Will we stay on this island?”
What were the plans going forward?
The chief answered straightforwardly.
“We’ll probably stay until today. We still haven’t officially discovered the dinsional stele, right? We must find that first and give the mages ti to study it.”
“If it were Jero Saintred, he would do just that?”
“Indeed.”
“Then what after that?”
“Still undecided. But I’ll finish thinking it through and let you know by tomorrow.”
“...Understood.”
That ended today’s conversation.
After the private talk, I returned to where the others were, killing ti until orders ca through the deputy commander.
They planned to search the whole village again, telling each squad to roam freely and find anything suspicious...
“Basically a rest order. Then let’s find sowhere suitable and rest.”
Our temporary 4th squad, under my command, entered an empty house and started chatting.
Was our goofing off a problem?
“We’ll go check around a bit. Staying here like this feels off...”
“Concerned about the commander’s gaze?”
“More that sothing hidden might be overlooked.”
Muul Armin said this and led exploration party mbers out, and so did White Hext, leader of the Hext clan.
“...If we find sothing, it might be recognized as an achievent.”
If Armin’s group focused on “exploration,” those guys seed more interested in the loot.
Either way, it wasn’t my concern.
Eventually, word would co that the dinsional stele’s cave was found, and I’d just casually show up and react a bit.
‘Looks like it’s just us left again.’
With the Hext clan and Armin’s team gone, only Clan Anabada mbers remained to chat.
“Ah! D-Don’t look!”
Elwen suddenly covered her face, startled as our eyes t.
Sigh, she still does this.
Watching her run off to a corner, I sighed inwardly. Then Versil approached.
“Don’t worry. There’s a potion that makes hair grow fast. When we return to the city, I’ll make it for you.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
“Wow... your tastes really are steadfast.”
“...Huh?”
Why ntion tastes all of a sudden?
Seeing my confused look, Versil averted his gaze.
“Well... I thought Tersia really suits short hair...”
I felt the sa.
But she freaks out whenever we make eye contact.
Saying anything now would probably sound like empty comfort, so I didn’t.
‘We’ll be here for a while longer anyway...’
Worried about the future, but with no solution, I cleared my mind.
Just then—
“There you are. I’ve been looking for you a while.”
A man entered the house where we were slacking off.
“Kaislan? What brings you here?”
“I heard Armin’s team was wandering alone, so I stopped by when I heard you were resting here.”
“Good to see you. Don’t work too hard; you need to rest too.”
“That’s the plan. After this expedition, I’m done with this damn soldier life.”
Was the Ice Rock incident fueling his resentnt against the royal family?
Planning to slack off on salary—Kaislan would never have done that before.
Well, not my problem.
Anyway, Kaislan wasn’t the only unexpected visitor.
“Is anyone here...?”
Soon after, soone cautiously entered the building.
“Sven Parab? What brings you?”
“I t the Hext clan on my way by... If it’s alright, could we talk for a bit? Just the two of us.”
“Of course.”
At the goblin’s request, I stepped outside alone and talked with him in a nearby empty house.
He seed curious about many things.
“So... what’s going on?”
A vague question with no subject.
From his perspective, it was natural to wonder.
Our people had gotten explanations, but he hadn’t.
I briefly summarized.
“It’s hard to explain in detail, but it ended well.”
“Eh?”
“It ans the scene from your prophecy was avoided safely.”
“Ah... that’s a relief, but...”
His eyes clearly wanted the omitted details, but he swallowed the questions.
Guess he’s sowhat socially skilled.
I patted his shoulder in encouragent.
“Sven Parab. I realize I never thanked you before. Thank you.”
“Huh?”
“I can’t say much because of circumstances, but if it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”
“Ah...”
“I’ll be counting on you from now on. If any problems arise, co to right away. I’ll help with all my might.”
My thanks must have surprised him, as he looked stunned a mont. Then, modestly saying it was nothing, he left.
If he stayed away too long, the archbishop would make a fuss?
“You’ve worked hard too. Take care. See you later.”
After ending the talk and returning inside, Ainard ran up shouting,
“Bjorn!!”
Hmm, that tone usually ans he has sothing to brag about.
Scanning around, I noticed sothing imdiately.
For so reason...
“Raven?”
Raven was here.
And...
“Forget Aruru! Look at this!”
Elwen wore a dark iron helt.
“...What is that?”
Not asking Ainard but Raven, who sighed deeply and explained.
“Tersia looked gloomy, so Pnellen ca up with this plan.”
Yeah, judging by that proud smile, it made sense.
“Ha ha ha! ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) What a genius idea! This hides that embarrassing short hair. Not only that, wearing this safely protects the head!”
Ainard proudly offered this barbarian-style solution.
“Enough, since you saw it, stop it already.”
Raven whispered hurriedly.
I delayed answering and instead t Elwen’s eyes.
“How do you... uh, like it?”
Surprisingly, Elwen no longer avoided my gaze even wearing the helt.
I’d worried that hair bothering her in battle might restrict her movents, but that concern was solved by one helt.
“...Not bad.”
Though the delicate outfit she wears as an explorer looked a bit unbalanced with the helt.
But who cares?
“Good thinking, Ainard.”
“Heh, it wasn’t easy. But Elwen’s my friend!”
The problem was solved.
“Are you really going to let Tersia wander around like that? She’ll be a laughingstock. Hey, Raines? Shouldn’t you say sothing—”
“Leave her be. If she’s fine with it, what can we do?”
“Tersia! Are you really okay with this?”
“Yes? Yes... wearing this definitely makes less embarrassed...”
Raven’s disbelief ended the subject with a shocked open mouth.
Elwen would wear the helt from now on.
“Oh my... how did it co to this?”
What is she saying?
“Anyway, Raven, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, that? I was just wondering what Yandel was up to.”
“Huh?”
“There was the free search order, and I thought Yandel might find sothing...”
Ah, in other words, ca to slack off.
If sothing was found, being nearby could an first dibs on the research.
“Too bad. As you see, we’re just resting.”
“...Yeah. Didn’t expect that.”
After talking with Raven, Alia interrupted.
“By the way, Yandel, are you done talking?”
“Finished well, Sven Parab left.”
“I see... Can you spare a mont too?”
Seems like a lot of people want to see today.
“Excuse for a mont. This might take a while, so Raven, you can hang around and go when you like.”
“Do I look that idle? Never mind. I was just about to leave anyway.”
“Alright, take care.”
After seeing Raven off, I went outside with Alia.
Honestly, I was curious.
What on earth did she want with ?
I soon found out.
“I was going to ignore it, but seeing you sulking alone in a corner, I couldn’t just watch.”
Ah...
So this is coming.
“What happened with Misha Kalstein yesterday?”
Honestly, there was no reason not to tell.
Ibaekho, the Resurrection Stone, the two-and-a-half-year gap, the cracks of distrust...
But sohow, the words wouldn’t co out.
So I just answered,
“Nothing happened.”
A lie that even a three-year-old wouldn’t believe.
But Alia just quietly nodded.
“Yeah, I see.”
“...”
“If you want to talk later, tell . I’ll be waiting.”
Talking to like I’m a child.
I smirked and replied,
“Got it.”
Still, sohow, it felt a little better.
Our stay on Chief’s Island grew unexpectedly long.
The reason was simple.
Originally, after discovering the dinsional stele, we were to head to the next destination the next day, but...
“The magical energy flow from the dinsional stele recently shows a pattern similar to the bidirectional transmission device described in a recent paper!”
“If this is so... maybe we can forcibly activate the stele!”
The mages studying the dinsional stele had discovered sothing unusual, spouting incomprehensible words and begging to stay longer on the island.
And...
“I’ll grant you ten days. You must accomplish it by then.”
The chief accepted their request.
He had no choice.
If it were Jero Saintred, he would have made the sa call.
Of course, he might have held onto hope.
If the mages really succeeded in activating the stele, we could return to the city imdiately.
‘In the first place... the chief isn’t interested in exploration.’
Since he planned only to “adapt” and return, whether staying in the village or exploring outside wouldn’t make much difference...
One day, two days, three days...
Ti passed endlessly.
The mages spent all day trying various experints in front of the dinsional stele, while the rest rested in the village or climbed the island to hunt monsters.
And how many days passed like that?
「The character’s soul resonates and is drawn to a certain world.」
Before long, the day of the community opening arrived.
A place to communicate with the outside world, and the only space to et that bastard Ibaekho.
‘Finally, I can question him.’
As I had awaited this mont, I woke up and imdiately turned on the computer, moving the mouse.
Click, click.
But then, what was this?
As soon as I opened the community, a popup filled more than half the screen.
[Notice to all Ghost Busters players.]
“...A notice?”
I don’t think they’d ever put up such a big poster before.
Did sothing happen outside?
I hurried to read to the bottom, then froze like stone.
[Hello, this is the GM.]
The usual opening contained when the community started, the reason it was made, and how much effort the staff put into maintaining it.
Anyone who has played a minor ga would imdiately sense sothing ominous.
Because when these ssages appear, the conclusion is always the sa.
‘Damn it.’
Still hoping it wasn’t true.
There was nothing more to see.
[We deeply thank all players who have used Ghost Busters and sincerely apologize for this announcent.]
[Due to personal circumstances of the staff, the service of Ghost Busters will end today.]
[For inquiries about refunds for GP purchased with real money, please use the newly created refund inquiry tab...]
The server was shutting down.
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