I’m once again walking through the ruins of District 7.
Wearing the slightly “special” outfit that Alia gave .
Trudge, trudge.
As I walk down this uneven path that can hardly even be called a street, I spot soldiers busily moving about, but none of them show any particular interest in .
No—more accurately, they glance over once with a look like, “Did I see that wrong?” and go right back to what they were doing.
All thanks to what I’m wearing today.
“Crimson Formalwear.”
An equipnt-type item you can get from within a rift, like the “Golden Mask” I once obtained from the Blood Fortress.
It has no bonus stats or combat effects.
Its only function is to let the wearer alter their body shape however they want.
Even so, this formalwear is extrely rare.
It’s only obtainable from the 9th-floor rift.
“And the hidden piece condition was so bizarre, it’s not sothing you can just go out and farm.”
Thinking it might co in handy soday, I kept checking the auction house regularly and asked around, but ever since I woke up in this body, not once has this item ever appeared on the market.
And then Alia shows up out of nowhere, tosses it to , and walks off—how could I not be shocked?
"Seriously, where did you even get this?"
I couldn’t contain my curiosity and kept asking the sa question over and over. Alia’s facial muscles twitched slightly.
At first, I wondered if she was annoyed by the repetition, but I quickly realized it was the opposite.
"Hmm..."
She just wanted to keep watching my fascinated reaction a bit longer.
"It’s nothing that important. Why are you so curious?"
"You show up with sothing I’ve spent forever trying to find, and you think I wouldn’t be curious?"
Apparently satisfied with my reaction, Alia finally told where the Crimson Formalwear ca from.
"I asked Astarotta Berun. Asked if I could borrow it for a while if she had it."
"Ah..."
Well, I guess if it’s the royal family, they might have one lying around.
The answer was more anticlimactic than I expected, but my chest still felt a little warm inside.
She went out of her way to et with that girl just for .
"Thanks."
"...Don’t ntion it."
"But, uh... if I lost it and said ‘too bad,’ that wouldn’t fly, right?"
As soon as she ntioned it was borrowed, I felt a bit disappointed and tried hinting. Alia gave a look like I was pathetic.
"Do you think soone like her would let that slide?"
Hmm. Well... she does give off pushover vibes sotis...
Still, you never know.
"...Fine. I’ll make sure to return it properly later."
"Good. Better not give her an excuse. The royal family’s way is: you give one thing, they take two."
After that, we crossed through District 7 while chatting about this and that.
That alone was enough to lift my spirits.
Just being reduced to average height was enough that no one recognized .
‘Nice...’
At the sa ti, I felt a strange sense of liberation—but also a slight heaviness in my chest as I looked around.
District 7, which now feels like ho, has been smashed to pieces once again.
Even worse than during the first invasion.
The eastern region was completely burned to ash, and two strikes of Urae hit the center of the district.
‘Still... I guess it’s better off than District 8, which was completely incinerated...?’
Anyway, several districts were devastated by this war, and District 4 even fell into the enemy’s hands, so this already cramped city beca even tighter.
In fact, the remaining districts alone aren’t enough to house all the displaced residents, so apparently the royal family is even considering temporarily opening up Gnomtree.
‘And in the middle of all that... a festival, huh.’
I can’t help but wonder.
Just what exactly is this festival supposed to celebrate?
The refugees who lost their hos surely aren’t in any position to enjoy it.
The ones who didn’t lose anything... no, the ones who lost less—is it a festival for them?
I don’t know.
Honestly, screw the festival—I’d rather get back to doing what needs to be done.
But well... there’s soone who said ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) she’d leave the clan if I didn’t go with her.
‘...Can’t be helped, I guess.’
That’s what I was thinking as I crossed this city now reduced to ashes and rubble.
Trudge, trudge...
Even if it all seems destroyed, eventually, it will be filled again.
"......"
Just like it always has been.
***
District 5 was just as festive as I expected.
To be honest, I thought there’d be so lingering gloom from the war, but sure enough, the streets were packed, and the voices of rchants and passersby were full of energy.
And that sight felt a little out of place.
District 5, aside from District 4, was the only area that actually turned into a battlefield.
Naturally, the restoration work wasn’t even close to finished.
"Watch your step! There’s a big hole up ahead!"
On the outskirts of District 5, broken roads and collapsed buildings were still easy to spot, yet for so reason this festival had people out smiling since morning.
Still, I chose to think of it as positively as possible.
‘It’s not like they’re truly happy either.’
These people probably just ca out to forget reality for a little while.
Or maybe they’re here to fill their stomachs with the free booze and food the royal family is handing out in bulk.
"Yandel, what are you doing? Hurry up and follow ."
"Ah... yeah, I’m coming."
Even after entering District 5, I let Alia take the lead. Knowing her, she probably had the day’s itinerary already—
‘...Huh?’
Suddenly, I felt a firm tug on my arm, freezing my body in place.
"Don’t pull back. Just co along. If we get separated, it’ll be hard to find you in this crowd. You’re short now, rember..."
"Ah... uh... r-right."
It made perfect sense—if we got separated, I’d be hard to spot at this size. Convinced by the logic, I gave up resisting and let Alia pull through the crowd.
And then—
"Alia... where exactly are we going right now?"
"Just wherever our feet take us."
"Wait... don’t tell you don’t actually have a plan?"
"...Sotis that’s fine too, isn’t it?"
Seriously? I thought she had sothing in mind.
That’s why I cleared out my usual schedule to co along...
‘Well... it’s not bad, I guess...’
It was a little anticlimactic, but wandering around without a plan wasn’t the worst thing.
We strolled, watched people, ate anything that looked tasty, popped into weapon shops just to window-shop, and even got shocked at how much prices had inflated...
"...A transforming doll with three forms? It goes from goblin to orc to ogre?"
We stopped by Alminus Central Exchange and joined a limited-ti auction event for the festival. I ended up getting smacked in the back by Alia for wasting money on sothing stupid.
Even without a plan, we kept finding little things to do, and ti passed quickly.
Lastly, we stopped by a pub to fill our stomachs...
"You fool, of course it’s Bjorn Yandel!!"
No sooner had we entered than I saw a drunk shouting my na while arguing with his group.
Coincidentally, their table was nearby, and since they were literally saying my na, I couldn’t help but overhear. The content was actually kind of interesting.
"Tell , which explorer out there has accomplished more than Bjorn Yandel? The only reason we’re even able to laugh and drink right now is because he cut off that damned traitor’s head!"
"I’ll admit his achievents are great. But even so, I find it hard to believe Bjorn Yandel is the strongest. Take the great navigator Peakma—he left behind incredible feats, but his actual combat ability was said to be lacking."
"...Peakma? You’re seriously comparing Bjorn Yandel to so navigator?"
"I didn’t an it that way, I was just saying—"
The drunks were arguing about who the strongest person was.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a ‘Greatest of All Ti’ debate that compared people from all eras, just a talk about who’s currently the best—‘Strongest Under Heaven.’
"Co on, Bjorn Yandel is more than qualified to be called the strongest."
"Right? We all thought he was only good at group fights before, but this proved otherwise."
"He took down that Evil Eye guy in one blow, didn’t he?"
"I heard he even took out the Corpse Collector..."
"And survived multiple strikes from Urae..."
Other drunkards nearby started chiming in, and the debate ended quickly.
"You were really focused on eavesdropping, huh?"
"Ah, sorry. It was just kind of fascinating."
Hearing them talk made it hit ho—public opinion had shifted.
Before, people praised my leadership, my courage, my spirit of sacrifice, and my achievents as an explorer. Now, they were acknowledging my raw combat power too.
‘Well, I guess I haven’t really had a one-on-one match like that with soone of such renown until now.’
The Goblin Forest battle that made famous, the Ice Rock expedition—none of that was anything close to a one-on-one fight.
But this ti, I beat soone as well-known as the Evil Eye—and I did it in front of everyone. The proof was undeniable.
"This topic’s actually pretty interesting. So, what do you think?"
"Hm?"
"Do you agree with their assessnt?"
Tch. Why’s she asking sothing like that out of nowhere?
I gave a short laugh and replied casually.
"Well... they’re not wrong."
At this point, I can’t think of anyone I’d lose to.
***
The outing with Alia started in the morning and wrapped up around early evening. Well, it was late evening by the ti we returned to the Sanctuary.
Trudge, trudge.
After coming back, I quickly washed up and changed clothes, then stepped out for a walk. I didn’t have a destination in mind.
I just wandered around, letting the wind hit my face—and before I knew it, I arrived sowhere.
Coincidentally, soone else had gotten there first.
"Hikurod?"
"...Ah, Yandel. It’s you?"
"You said you were going out today too. When did you get back?"
"Just a little while ago. Thought I’d try to clear my head, but it didn’t work as well as I hoped. How about you?"
"...I think it helped, in its own way."
"Haha, that’s good to hear."
For so reason, the dwarf’s back looked even smaller than usual today. I sighed deeply and sat beside him.
"You’ve got another bottle, right? Hand it over."
"A cup?"
"You actually carry cups around with you?"
"Haha, you really are sothing else..."
He passed a bottle, and we drank quietly together for a while—until the dwarf opened his mouth again.
"Do you rember? That day on the third floor, the first ti we all saw that sight together..."
"You an the day Dwalke got scared out of his mind?"
"He was a pure soul. That was the first ti he got attacked by raiders and realized how different ideals and reality really are."
"Every explorer has to face that at so point... anyway, wasn’t that the night Rotmiller woke everyone up trying to comfort him?"
"I think he just wanted us to know—there are sad and painful things in the Labyrinth, yes, but there are also good things."
"......"
"I still can’t believe how many years have passed since then."
"... neither."
The conversation trailed off, and for a long while we just drank in silence.
Then, once again, the dwarf spoke first.
"I’m getting a bit chilly with the buzz. I’ll head in first."
He stumbled off unsteadily. I stood there for a mont longer before returning to my quarters in the Sanctuary.
But for so reason, there was soone waiting out front.
"Misha? What brings you here this late?"
Misha Kalstein.
One of the three remaining original Team Half-and-Half mbers—and my first love that never ca to be...
‘Well, strictly speaking, maybe not really my first love?’
Sigh. Is it because I had a drink late at night?
Getting all sentintal and—
"Make ti for tomorrow... there’s sowhere I want to go too..."
"...Huh?"
"If you don’t co, I—I’ll leave the clan too!!"
...What kind of situation is this now?
Stunned, I stood there in disbelief, and Misha vanished before I could even reply.
"Haa..."
Seriously, what are these people even doing, taking turns like this...
Do they have so kind of secret group chat?
"At least tell what ti to et..."
Well, I’ll just wake up early. That should do it.
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