I brought Maria home and came to the tavern.
It was my first day back after a break, but nothing had changed. After greeting the manager and Lynn, I started my work.
As usual, I mainly bused tables and washed dishes. However, after working for the first time in a while, my unusually high stats made my dishwashing speed abnormal. I had to be careful to slow down my hand speed so as not to arouse suspicion.
Of course, I didn’t neglect information gathering during that time. If there were any customers I could talk to, I would subtly bring up topics. Just listening with the magic “Dimension” wasn’t enough to gather information up to the 20th floor.
Today, I was extracting information from a familiar warrior, Crow.
“—Oh really? So there are few monsters on the 14th floor?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Unlike the marshland of the 13th floor, the 14th floor is barren. A vast desert stretches out, with no moisture at all. The number of monsters is low, and so is the number of area bosses. Very few people explore or hunt monsters there. Normally, everyone just goes straight to the 15th floor via the ‘main path’.”
“I see. Deserts must be hot, too.”
“That’s the biggest reason. At the temperature on the 14th floor, your body loses moisture. So, there are many unexplored areas on that floor.”
“Heh…”
Crow and I have a long-standing connection since he got involved with me on my first day of work. When I’m working, he’s usually drinking.
This is how I find opportunities amidst my work to gather information from experienced explorers like him. However, if I talk to Crow for too long, the manager will notice. I had gathered enough information about the labyrinth today, so I decided to wrap up the conversation early.
“Thank you, Crow. That’s all for today—”
It was then.
An unusual group entered the establishment.
All the faces were unfamiliar.
Their attire wasn’t the rough kind Valt usually wore, but rather finely crafted, beautiful, and clean. My first impression was that they looked quite wealthy.
The woman leading the seemingly wealthy group was a beastkin. I felt something unique to a strong individual from her and “gazed” at her.
**[Status]**
Name: Sera Radiant HP 256/256 MP 101/101 Class: Knight
Level 21
Strength 6.22 Stamina 7.91 Dexterity 8.89 Speed 10.02 Intelligence 5.60 Magic 7.77 Aptitude 1.57
Innate Skill: Intuition 1.77
Acquired Skill: Swordsmanship 2.12 Divine Magic 0.89
A level 20-something. A customer who was one of the top fighters in the Allied Nations had arrived.
She was a young beastkin woman with bluish-silver hair. She tied a lock of her bangs on the left side, letting it hang down, and her back hair reached her waist. Her beast ears and wolf-like tail confirmed she was a beastkin. She wore practical clothing, minimal silver armor, and a sword at her waist.
And most of all, her eyes were remarkable. Her sharp, slanted eyes conveyed her sternness.
The woman who entered scanned the entire tavern. She seemed to be looking for something. The other customers also started paying attention to the group, wondering what was happening.
As if she had lost her patience, the woman spoke loud enough for the people around her to hear.
“…A man named Christ should be working here.”
“—?!”
My heart leaped.
I was being named directly.
At the woman’s voice, the gaze of quite a few customers turned towards me. Since the regulars knew my name, it was unavoidable. Guided by their gazes, the woman also looked at me and spoke.
“Are you Christ Eurasia?”
The woman’s eyes narrowed further, and she glared at me.
I was at a loss for an answer. The problem was that I couldn’t discern her intentions. The atmosphere was far from ordinary, and her companions in armor accompanying her looked dangerous. I wanted to play dumb if at all possible.
However, if I lied now and someone verified it, it would be over. I had no choice but to introduce myself.
“…Yes. I am Christ, a staff member.”
“I see.”
After confirming me, the woman let out a breath and continued her solemn words.
“My name is Sera Radiant. I am one of the ‘Seven Knights of Heaven’ belonging to Fuziaze. I have only one reason for coming. I have come to challenge you to a duel.”
As she said this, she raised her sheathed sword, indicating her intent to fight.
The tavern buzzed. It wasn’t just the sudden challenge to a duel, but many were astonished by Sera Radiant herself.
“I don’t understand. Why do you want to duel me?”
I managed to remain calm and asked for her true intentions. I remembered receiving a warning from a knight named Palinkron before, but I still didn’t understand why this situation had arisen.
“Why…? With what right do you utter such nonsense?!”
Perhaps she didn’t like my response, and Radiant’s anger flared. At that moment, Crow, who had been talking to me just a moment ago, stepped in to defend me.
“Hey, wait a minute. I don’t know if you’re a knight of Fuziaze or whatever, but that attitude is unacceptable. This is a tavern, you know? Don’t pick a fight with the staff.”
Other customers who had interacted with me also stood up.
It seemed like things were about to get serious. Customers who looked like they could handle themselves started chiming in one after another.
“I was watching out of curiosity, but if you’re talking about something as serious as a duel, then that’s another story.”
“Hey, don’t underestimate Valt.”
“Although our acquaintance is shallow, I’m not unfamiliar with this kid, Christ.”
Many voices began to criticize Radiant.
It warmed my heart that some people were stepping up for me. It seemed I had become somewhat accepted.
“Hey, Manager!”
One of them shouted, as if to conclude the matter.
The Manager, who had emerged from the kitchen at some point, stood resolutely behind me. The Manager spoke over my head.
“You’re all too agitated. I doubt Miss Fuziaze here is about to go on a rampage… However, Miss Fuziaze, this is a tavern, a business. If you’re going to disturb our operations, it will be troublesome for both of us.”
The Manager, also a man close to level 20, didn’t back down an inch against this dangerous group.
“My apologies. It seems I got a little hot-headed. If I was disturbing your business, I apologize. However, we have a mission that we absolutely must fulfill. That is to duel the man over there and retrieve our lady.”
Radiant bowed slightly and spoke calmly with the Manager. Although she was enraged earlier, she seemed to be a rational person at heart. After hearing what Radiant said, the Manager grinned and asked me.
“Oh, how interesting… Hey, Christ. Did you make some noble lady fall for you?”
“Uh… Does it look like I did?”
“No, a gentle man like you might, you know…”
“What do you mean, ‘you know.’ I didn’t!”
The atmosphere, which had initially been tense, quickly shifted to a lighter tone when it seemed like it might be a matter of lovers’ quarrel.
“Hey, Miss Radiant, or whatever your name is. My Christ here says he didn’t do anything. But, given the situation, you probably want to talk calmly. Would you be willing to wait until his break for the duel?”
“…Hmm. I didn’t come here to cause trouble for the shop either. Alright, I’ll rest until his break time. Of course, we’ll place an order too.”
Saying so, Radiant and her party took a large table.
“So that’s how it is. These knights from Fuziaze are just here to eat. Don’t worry about it, everyone, and continue eating.”
“Whoa, is that okay, Manager?”
“What do you mean, okay? It has nothing to do with the shop, right? This is Christ’s problem. It doesn’t seem like an unjust grievance, so we can only watch.”
“Well, it seems that way…”
The Manager gradually appeased the customers. However, this was inconvenient for me. I wanted everyone to help me more.
“No, Manager. This is an unjust grievance. I have no recollection of anything.”
“You…! Are you still going to play dumb…!”
Upon my remark, Radiant glared at me with a terrifying expression.
“See, the knight says so too… Talk later, Christ.”
The Manager ended the conversation as if it were my own fault and returned to the kitchen.
“Heehee, your life ends when your break time does. Be prepared.”
Radiant muttered within my hearing.
The thought of having to work while enduring such murderous glares until my break time made me heave a big sigh.
“Sigh, what is this…”
Still, I had no choice but to work as usual, and my part-time job hours passed—
◆◆◆◆◆
“—So, who is this ‘lady’ you’re referring to? Is it Dia?”
After enduring a work period that felt like sitting on needles, I reached my break time and sat at the same table as Radiant. Behind me, Radiant’s knight companions blocked my escape route.
I had already confirmed with Palinkron that it wasn’t Franryure, so I decided to try Dia first. After all, I didn’t quite believe her gender, and if she were called a “lady,” it would be understandable.
“Who is Dia? Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about our Lady Rustiara.”
When Radiant mentioned the name “Rustiara,” her voice became softer. It seemed she didn’t want the name to spread.
“Rustiara…? Oh, that troublesome girl.”
After spending several dense days, it took me some time to recall the girl from the first day. Although her impression had faded with the appearance of Arti and Franryure, she was still a dangerous individual high on my list. It seemed this situation was her fault.
“Troublesome…!? After kidnapping our Lady, to insult her like this—!”
“Wait. You’re saying I kidnapped Rustiara?”
“That’s right. Our Lady disappeared, and left a note stating that she was eloping with you… with you!”
“Hah, eloping?”
There was no way I was eloping. I, the person in question, hadn’t even met Rustiara again. It was a clear false accusation. And the one who framed me was Rustiara herself.
When I meet her next, I’ll beat her up. I thought. With my current level, I should be able to fight her.
Radiant’s speech was slurred with excitement, but she continued to scold me.
“Our Lady, Our Lady, Our Lady! That kind and gentle Lady! At the Cathedral, she talked about you all the time! She happily told us, the Seven Knights, every day about how she met you by chance in the labyrinth and what kind of man you were and what you did for her… What kind of feelings we had listening to it… You, you wouldn’t understand!!”
“Please calm down. Here’s some water.”
“Water at a time like this! Now, speak! Where did you hide our Lady?!”
“I told you, I don’t know. I haven’t seen her since the labyrinth. What she’s saying is a lie. Knowing her, isn’t she just running away from home for fun?”
I couldn’t help but think that Rustiara was simply a playful troublemaker. I felt sorry for Radiant, but yelling at me wouldn’t achieve anything.
“H-Heehee… That Lady, running away from home for fun? As a prank? She is so modest and considerate, she would never do such a thing. She wouldn’t! Ah, I knew it. I knew you would play dumb like this. That’s why! That’s precisely why this duel is necessary. I will dispose of you through this duel. We can search for our Lady leisurely after you’re gone…!”
“There’s no reason for me to accept a duel…”
“If you don’t accept the duel, there’s no way you and our Lady will end up together. You’ll be pursued by all Seven Knights for the rest of your life.”
“Even if you pursue me, Rustiara isn’t here. You can even come to my home to check. She’s really not here.”
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re trying to confuse us with false information, aren’t you? I won’t be fooled. No matter what happens, I will catch you.”
“Hmmm.”
There was no point in talking. I didn’t understand what had happened, but Radiant firmly believed I was the culprit.
While I could continue to assert my innocence, being pestered constantly was also troublesome. I wanted to hide my own information as much as possible. Maria’s leveling up was a prime example. The way things were going, they might follow me around constantly, even during labyrinth explorations.
I did a quick cost-benefit analysis in my mind.
The result of that calculation: my increased tolerance for risk due to my level up meant that dueling wasn’t necessarily a bad idea.
“Understood. Shall we duel? If I lose, I will tell you anything. I may not know Rustiara’s whereabouts, but I vow to cooperate fully.”
“Oh… Finally resigned yourself? Or perhaps, realizing your crime, you’ve decided to offer your neck.”
“No, please don’t kill me. I accept the duel, but on one condition. No serious injuries. If you kill me, you lose. If my opponent says ‘surrender,’ I win. Peace is the most important thing, after all.”
“…Hmm. Very well. Frankly, I don’t favor rough play either. Alright, first I will torment you until you lose the desire to commit evil.”
Even though Radiant claimed not to favor rough play, she declared she would torment me. I found it hard to believe she didn’t favor rough play.
I wished I could avoid contact with her. I presented my reward for winning the duel.
“If I win, you will never show your face to me again.”
“Agreed. However, the duel will naturally be a one-on-one match.”
“Yes, that’s what I was thinking too.”
“A good resolve. Hoohoo, step outside.”
With those words, the knights lined up behind me made way. I stood up and prepared to walk through the cleared path. Concerned gazes flew from the surroundings. Lynn, who had been eavesdropping while working as a waitress, tried to call out to me. But I stopped her first.
“Ch-Christ, dear—”
“It’s alright, Lynn. As we just decided, at worst, I won’t be killed.”
I replied to Lynn with a smile, making sure the Manager and other customers could hear.
“Th-That may be so… But be careful, Christ, dear…”
Even though Lynn was worried, I didn’t let my smile falter. After all, this wasn’t a bad thing. It was, in fact, a good thing.
This was something I had been wondering about for a long time. I had defeated Teeda, whom humanity had failed to deal with. Where did I stand among humanity now? A level 20-something appeared conveniently. Although currently enraged, her character, who seemed to value courtesy and humanitarianism, was a valuable asset. And she accepted a duel under the lenient rules I proposed. It was far too perfect an opportunity to ascertain my current standing.
My level was about half of Radiant’s. However, my stats were not inferior. The magic “Dimension” would likely compensate for the slight numerical difference, and I could infer her tactics from her stats. I also had new magic to try out. I was interested in a proper player-versus-player battle.
Let’s think positively. They came all the way to the tavern. There was no reason not to take advantage of it. With that rational conclusion, I walked away with a faint smile.
