The intertwined paths of the figures from the Demihaad Kingdom were pulled taut upon entering this dungeon. When a tangled thread is pulled from both ends, it either breaks entirely or forms a tight knot.
And then, the parties involved finally realize just how badly the strings have been twisted.
"Look who we have here."
Bard and Calain crossed paths. They had been heading in the same direction, but Calain's swift pace had allowed him to catch up with the relatively slower Bard.
"...It seems I've been caught acting as a Hunter. And by a knight of the Demihaad Kingdom's Munce Knights, no less."
Bard stopped in his tracks and murmured quietly. While Hunters could operate freely in the Caseria Kingdom, the Demihaad Kingdom's policies strictly restricted them.
"Are you going to arrest me?"
Knowing full well that Calain wouldn't do such a thing, Bard spoke boldly, as if teasing him.
"I merely received orders to clear this dungeon. I haven't been granted the authority to police Hunters from other nations."
Calain lied, claiming he was acting on royal orders, even though he had been dragged here not because he was a knight, but because he was a Hunter.
Bard played dumb. Even if this was someone else's character, he couldn't just say whatever he wanted; he had to handle things carefully. That is, unless he wanted to leak dangerous information, get disqualified from the first-place decider match, and be immediately kicked back to his original world.
"Thank you very much for escorting our troupe the other day. Thanks to you, we didn't have to deal with any criminals trying to peek into our lodgings or rob us."
"The female singer from your troupe requested it."
Bard stopped walking. He must have been quite surprised, as a crease formed next to the bridge of his nose.
"Are you, by any chance, talking about Persephone?"
From the tangled skein, one twisted knot had just loosened.
However, the knot tangled at the very center was pulled even tighter, reaching the breaking point.
Suddenly, Calain sensed approaching footsteps from the front and gripped the hilt of his sword.
The presence he felt from the opposite side subsided for a moment, as if it had vanished entirely. Then, riding an explosively fierce momentum, it surged straight toward them.
Calain found himself face-to-face with his nemesis, Belsus, inside a labyrinth with only one path.
The only options were to turn back and run, or to crash straight into him.
Belsus chose to charge straight ahead.
Then, brushing past Calain as if he weren't even there, he lunged at Bard.
"...!"
Bard was sent tumbling without a moment to react. It felt as if he had been hit by a truck. After bouncing off the ground and rolling across the floor, he was gasping for air when a gag was suddenly shoved into his mouth.
It happened so fast, in a mere flash, that Bard couldn't even follow it with his eyes.
Above all, the psychological damage was massive, it was utterly shocking to see that normally docile character pouncing like a rabid dog.
"Lift the curse you placed on me."
Belsus had gagged him to prevent him from singing, but the problem was that Bard couldn't answer his question either. Belsus pulled out a notebook and pen he had prepared in advance to force a written conversation.
Slash—!
That very notebook was sliced in half by a sharp blade.
Shreds of paper fluttered in all directions. Inside the windless room, the knight and the mercenary clashed.
"Am I completely invisible to you now?" Calain asked with a self-deprecating scoff, pouring strength into his sword.
Only then did Belsus tear his gaze away from Bard and look at Calain. His pitch-black pupils rolled over to meet him. Calain thought he looked like a beast he had never seen before.
Adorned with steel guards on his forearms, thighs, and the sides of his calves, this 'unfamiliar enemy' threw his entire body into an attack against Calain.
Clang! Claaang!
The piercing screech of metal rang out in rapid succession as the sword collided with blunt steel.
Calain scattered sword strikes, then hastily gathered his defenses, exchanging a grueling flurry of blows.
'He's fast. I can't keep up.'
He and Belsus had clashed multiple times over a not-insignificant period. Yet, up until now, Belsus had never displayed such a hostile intent to completely crush his opponent. To Calain, he had been a docile herbivore, the type to just run away like a deer.
Was that why he let his guard down?
Just as no one would ever imagine a deer kicking a person to death with its hind legs.
"Ugh...!"
The sharp spikes protruding from Belsus's knuckles grazed Calain's cheek. Blood spurted out, as if he had been slashed by a beast's claws.
Right at that moment, an arrow flew in like lightning.
It was aimed at Belsus. Thwack! It struck the wall right next to Belsus's head and ricocheted off.
Realizing there was a sniper, Belsus leaped backward, putting his back against the wall. He hauled Bard's body up and used him as a human shield.
'Belsus is using a person as a shield...?'
Bard, in profound shock, remained hoisted in the air, unable to even move his eyes.
There was no terrain here for a sniper to hide. Even though it was a wide-open area, up until this very moment, his exact location couldn't be pinpointed.
That meant the arrow must have flown from a distance too far to be seen.
Recognizing that an extraordinary adversary had appeared, Belsus raised his guard to the absolute limit. He snatched Bard and slung him over his shoulder like a piece of luggage. Stomping heavily on the ground, he leaped, instantly putting a massive distance between them.
For a moment, he thought Belsus was going to kill Calain.
He had been following behind Bard and Calain from a distance when Belsus suddenly appeared and a fierce battle broke out.
Archer had definitely only intended to watch. He had tried hard to turn his head away, telling himself that this was no longer his business, that it had absolutely nothing to do with him.
But by the time he came to his senses... he had already fired a warning shot at Belsus.
Archer opened his eyes wide, his vision blurred from the shock of his own actions.
Against the backdrop of a corridor flickering with torchlight, a man with pale, wood-like hair and piercing yellow eyes like a bird of prey was looking down at him.
"How did a guy who was under arrest manage to get into this dungeon?"
Following the man's face, neck, and armor-clad chest down with his eyes, Archer saw the sword held in his hand pressed right against his throat.
"No, that's not it. You... why do you keep hovering around me?"
Calain, seemingly unable to process things even after asking, shook his head slightly and repeatedly corrected himself.
What on earth was this kid, and why had he acted so chummy at first? And why did he keep showing up around him ever since?
"Depending on your answer, I might actually kill you this time. I don't see any reason to let a bug like you live any longer."
And why did you just try to save me? I don't need the help of a bug.
Looking up at the man who looked like he wouldn't bleed a drop even if stabbed, Archer slowly breathed in.
Why was he hovering around him? Obviously, because he was the character he had chosen. So... why did he choose him?
'Because he's strong and cool.'
And... because he's a flawed and clumsy character.
All the times he had rolled in the dirt, starved, and been despised up until now flooded his mind all at once, welling up in his chest like a bursting dam. Archer, engulfed in a feeling akin to drowning, hurled it all straight at Calain.
"Because you're cool! Because you're badass! Because we're around the same age! Because we have a lot in common!"
He felt Calain flinch in bewilderment. Archer screamed until he exhausted himself, his voice cracking.
"I thought we could make a good team..."
I thought we'd be perfect if I was the arrow and you were the sword.
"Damn it... Is everything so easy for you?! Is killing people easy? Is everything just easy?!"
"..."
"Everything was hard for me...! Making a living. Not shrinking back in front of others. Getting bullied for being an orphan..."
I studied so hard... figuring out how we should coordinate to become the ultimate duo. I was so excited at the prospect of finally having a friend...
"I forgot that your personality was absolute trash!"
Ah, damn it, why am I crying again? Did my tear ducts burst open after I got transmigrated into this game?
Archer raised his free left arm and roughly rubbed his eyes.
Calain was staring at him with an overly blank expression. It was the look of someone who had just seen an alien.
Archer limped to his feet. He stumbled once more from the shock of being overpowered, but as he began to run, he regained his original agility.
Calain stared blankly until the very end, unable to even stop Archer from running away.
Soon, a rather dumbfounded mutter spilled from his lips.
"What the hell is with that guy...?"
---
Even while carrying the weight of a middle-aged man, the massive figure sprinted at a terrifying speed.
And then, he ran into a group of people.
Hearing the tremendous rumble, a Paladin, a Fighter, a Thief, and a Puppeteer had braced themselves for combat, thinking a monster was approaching. However, seeing what was actually coming toward them, they were utterly bewildered.
"Bels—"
The Thief clamped a hand over the Fighter's mouth. Fortunately, the charging man, Belsus, wasn't in any state of mind to hear them anyway.
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