Novel Full Chapter 787: Upgrade (5)
I didn’t particularly doubt my ears. I mean, come on. Isn’t it more likely that this bastard here is throwing out blank checks than that one of my sensory organs is failing? Yeah, so in other words…
“You’ve lived long enough to know the weight of words, haven’t you?” I lowered my voice and spoke with a cold sneer. That’s how little sense it made. A Dragon Heart—one of the rarest treasures there is—how could some guildmaster possibly have that—
“I’m well aware of the weight of my words.”
“…You’re saying you really have a Dragon Heart?”
“Strictly speaking, it belongs to the Guild.”
What the hell? Is he screwing with me right now? When I gave him a baffled laugh without meaning to, the Guildmaster shamelessly shrugged.
“It’s been sitting in storage for hundreds of years anyway. Who’s going to notice if it disappears? Besides, only the Guildmaster has direct access to those kinds of treasures.”
I couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Wow…”
I could already tell what he was trying to say. As long as he could keep the position of Guildmaster for life, there’d be no problem giving away a Dragon Heart that was just collecting dust in some vault. And that only made it more impressive.
“How exactly are you planning to deal with the consequences…?”
Is this guy planning to live only a few more years or something? The position of Guildmaster isn’t forever. Even if he gets away with it now, someday he’ll have to hand the title over to someone else.
“The moment they find out you stole the Dragon Heart, you’ll be shouldering the guilt, sure—but so will your entire family.”
“No need to worry about that. My wife and children have already reaped plenty of benefits thanks to me. It’s only fair they share in the cost of failure too.”
“Wow…”
That was the second time I found myself involuntarily impressed during this short conversation. Is this guy actually insane?
“There’s a saying among gamblers. Ever heard it?”
“What?”
“Just win and pay it back.”
“……”
“No matter how long it takes, I just need to find a new Dragon Heart and put it back before I step down, right?”
Wow…
I barely held back a third round of applause and asked one final question.
“…Any chance you’ve got some barbarian blood in your lineage?”
“None at all.”
Right… didn’t think so.
***
The Guildmaster’s offer to join us was accepted. After checking through Amelia, we confirmed that the Guild really did possess a Dragon Heart. I still wasn’t thrilled about taking some guy I barely know into the labyrinth with us, but…
‘It’s not something I can afford to turn down. Who knows when or how I’ll ever get my hands on one again.’
Of course, there’s still something fishy about it. The math doesn’t add up. No matter how important the Guildmaster position might be, handing over a Dragon Heart just to fill a vacant spot in our clan? That doesn’t sit right. Sure, it’s technically Guild property, not his personal stash, but from what I heard, the guy’s planning to replace it with his own funds eventually.
“Feels like I’m missing something here…”
“His footing within the Guild seems shaky. Lots of enemies. Probably making one last gamble.”
“Hmm…”
“If it still bothers you, I’ll dig a little deeper.”
“Please do.”
For now, I decided to wait for Amelia’s investigation into the Guildmaster.
“Let’s go. Everyone’s waiting.”
“Right.”
When Amelia and I arrived at the meeting spot, the rest of the clan members gathered in the clearing greeted us. It had been a while since I summoned the entire Anabada Clan to the Sanctuary.
“Ah, you’re here?”
“Long time no see, Kaislan. Been resting well?”
“Well, no one called for me, so I’ve been resting just fine… but who are those three?”
“Two are new members. One’s a guest who’ll be entering the labyrinth with us.”
“A guest…?”
“I’ll explain everything. Just listen up.”
Kaislan’s eyes were full of questions, but he held back and stepped back when I told him I’d explain.
“Sorry for disturbing your break, but there are a few things I need to talk about today. First and foremost, the labyrinth is about to open.”
“Oh… is that true?”
“Been a while since I smelled dungeon air.”
At the mention of the labyrinth, the group stirred with excitement. Naturally, no one doubted the information’s validity. I’m a baron, a chieftain, and a well-known explorer. When I say something, people assume I’ve got solid intel from somewhere.
“The second reason I called you all here is because we’ve got new recruits.”
I called them out one by one and introduced them. Arua Raven, former vice commander of the Mage Corps. Beleg Shusia di Tersia, hero of the fairies. Surprisingly, neither name caused much of a stir. Everyone already knew about my history with Raven, and Beleg had connections to Elwen.
“So the mage and archer slots are filled again.”
“A golden mage and a fairy hero… this clan never gets any ordinary recruits.”
They were surprised by the names, but it didn’t go beyond that. Everything was fine—until Raven stepped forward and pointed at someone.
“But what’s the Guildmaster doing here? Don’t tell me he’s a new recruit too?”
Raven looked completely baffled, and the other members didn’t look much different.
“I heard his position’s unstable lately…”
“Did he resign and join us?”
Before the murmuring spread too far, I jumped in with a quick explanation.
“Ilia Adnus hasn’t joined officially. He’ll be accompanying us as a guest a few times in the labyrinth. Don’t ask why—it’s a pain.”
Plenty of skeptical looks flew my way, but I brushed them off like a proper tank. I did, however, decide to change the subject.
“Anyway, the third reason I called you here is to announce the new team assignments. We’ll be splitting into two teams of six to enter the labyrinth.”
As soon as I mentioned team assignments, attention shifted away from the Guildmaster and back to me. Even if we were reuniting on the sixth floor, which team you ended up in was a big deal for explorers. We often formed one large unit of twelve, but depending on the situation, we operated as separate squads.
“The teams have already been decided. If you have any objections, I’ll hear them—but whether I accept them will be decided by a vote.”
I said that to sound like a democratic leader of the new age, but the response was oddly cold.
“…Hah!”
“Uh, Miss ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Raven? Why are they all reacting like that?”
“Mr. Adnus, you didn’t read the clan bylaws, did you?”
“Ahem…”
“It says there: the Clan Leader’s vote counts as the total number of clan members. In other words, even if someone objects, it’s never accepted.”
“Ah… I see…”
Ahem… then if it bothers you, become the Clan Leader yourself. Honestly, if the leader and a regular member had equal votes, that’d be even more unfair.
“Anyway, let’s start with Team 1.”
Ignoring the grumbling, I confidently announced the squads I’d put together.
[Anabada Clan – Team 1]
Frontline: Me
Melee DPS 1: Misha Kalstein
Melee DPS 2: Kaislan
Ranged DPS: Beleg Shusia di Tersia (Guide)
Mage: Arua Raven
Non-combatant: Ilia Adnus
[Anabada Clan – Team 2]
Frontline: Sven Parab
Melee DPS 1: Ainard Prnelin
Melee DPS 2: Emily Raines (Guide)
Ranged DPS: Elwen Fornaci di Tersia
Mage: Riris Marone
Non-combatant: Auyen Rockrove
This was, in my mind, the optimal formation. Of course, not everyone was thrilled. Just as I expected, Elwen was the loudest voice of protest.
“Huh? Isn’t this a mistake? Why am I in Team 2 instead of Team 1? What the hell!”
“…Try to understand.”
Honestly, I didn’t want to assign Elwen to Team 2 either. But there was no way around it.
“You’re the one who said you didn’t want to be on the same team as your uncle.”
“W-Well, yeah, but… What about the fusion?! If I’m not there, who are you going to fuse with?!”
“Fusion…? Yandel… you fused with my niece…?”
Ah, my head…
“It’s not what you think, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
The “fusion” Elwen referred to meant entering Elibaba Mode via [Spiritification]. I agonized over this too, but realistically, we wouldn’t need that combo before the sixth floor anyway, so this setup was fine.
“At least tell me why! Why am I on Team 2?!”
I cut her off more firmly than usual.
“Enough.”
“…What?”
“If you want a vote, demand one. Otherwise, stay quiet.”
“……”
She looked heartbroken, and that hurt me too—but I couldn’t give in. Letting Elwen throw tantrums like that in front of the group wasn’t good, and indulging them as the leader was worse.
And besides…
“That’s unexpected. I thought I’d end up on Team 2, but… so they came here instead.”
It also wasn’t healthy for members to start viewing Team 1 as the “main squad” and Team 2 as the “backup.” They’re all my clan members. All comrades.
“Ms. Raines is likely leading Team 2. I think he put the Bloodshade archer there to keep an eye on the new recruits. As for Prnelin… probably because she listens to Ms. Raines.”
“Ah, is that it, Ms. Marone?”
“Just a guess! Hehe, but I’m glad we’re on the same team.”
“Must’ve looked like a good pairing to the commander.”
“Ah, maybe so. Let’s keep working well together.”
Come to think of it, those two… seem to be getting awfully close lately.
***
After announcing the teams, we all stayed together for a meal. I figured it’d be good for everyone to bond a bit before heading into the labyrinth. Surprisingly, the Guildmaster stuck around for it too.
“Ahaha… why I’m entering the labyrinth with you? Sorry. There’s a story there… I’ll explain everything someday when I get the chance.”
Maybe it’s because you have to be politically savvy to become a Guildmaster, but the guy had solid social skills. He wasn’t afraid to strike up conversations with strangers.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder—should a Guildmaster really be doing this right now?
‘Whatever. Maybe he used his vacation days or something. Not my problem.’
“Hah! You went through something like that in Branch 17? I’ll check into that personally once I’m back at the Guild. I truly apologize for the unfair treatment.”
“Ah, no… that’s not necessary… but, um, thank you.”
While watching the Guildmaster get friendly with the others, I shifted my gaze to Raven. As expected, Raven—who now had both explorer experience and a military background—was blending in without issue. He already knew people like Misha and Ainard, and we’d explored the first floor together even if we were in different units.
‘The real problem… is this guy.’
Elwen’s uncle was still an outsider. He wouldn’t drink when offered. He responded kindly when spoken to, but he didn’t make any effort to keep the conversation going. It was like he didn’t want to form any new bonds.
‘…It’ll improve with time.’
For now, I figured forcing anything would just be premature. So I decided to wait and see. Then I mingled with the others and spent time with the group.
And finally…
“Baron Yandel is entering!”
The day of the investiture had come.