Chapter 32

I left Maria at home and headed for the tavern.

I was returning to work after a break, but little had changed. I gave a quick greeting to the owner and Lynn before starting my shift. As usual, I focused primarily on clearing tables and washing dishes.

However, since it had been a while, my unnecessarily inflated stats made my dishwashing speed freakishly fast. I had to be careful to throttle my hand speed so as not to look suspicious.

Naturally, I didn’t neglect my information gathering. If there was a customer who seemed approachable, I’d casually strike up a conversation. Using Dimension magic to eavesdrop wasn’t enough; I needed more detailed information to reach the 20th floor.

Today, I was extracting info from a familiar warrior—an older guy named Crow.

“—I see. So, there aren’t many monsters on the 14th floor then?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Unlike the wetlands of the 13th, the 14th is barren. It’s a vast desert with absolutely no moisture. The monster count is low, and consequently, there aren’t many Area Bosses. Almost nobody bothers exploring or hunting there. Usually, you just stick to the ‘Main Path’ and head straight for the 15th.”

“Makes sense. Deserts sound hot.”

“That’s the main reason. The temperature on the 14th just sucks the moisture right out of your body. Apparently, that’s why there are still a lot of unexplored areas on that floor.”

“Heh…”

Crow is someone I’ve been close with since he looked out for me on my first day. Whenever I’m working, he’s usually there drinking. I find gaps in my work to go around and ask veteran explorers about things like this.

However, if I talk to Crow for too long, the owner starts watching me. Having gathered enough Labyrinth info for the day, I decided to wrap it up early.

“Thanks, Crow. I think that’s enough for to—”

It was then.

A rare sort of group entered the establishment. They were all faces I didn’t recognize. Their attire wasn’t the coarse stuff common in Wald; it was beautiful, clean, and meticulously crafted.

Rich. That was my first impression.

Walking at the head of this wealthy-looking group was a demi-human woman. I felt that specific aura of the “strong” from her, so I used Focus.

Level 20s.

A powerhouse of the highest class in the Allied Nations had just walked into the shop.

She was a young demi-human woman with bluish-silver hair. She had a single lock of bangs tied off on the left side, while the rest of her hair reached down to her waist. Her ears were animalistic and she had a wolf-like tail. She wore clothes that looked easy to move in, supplemented by minimal silver armor and a sword at her hip.

Above all, her eyes were striking. You could see her strict nature reflected in those sharp, slanted eyes.

Upon entering, she scanned the entire tavern. She was clearly looking for someone. Other customers began to take notice of the group, wondering what was going on.

Perhaps losing her patience, the woman spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“…A man named Christ is supposed to be working here.”

“—!?”

My heart gave a heavy thud. A direct call-out.

With that one sentence, several customers shifted their gaze toward me. The regulars knew my name, so it was unavoidable. Guided by their eyes, the woman turned her gaze on me and spoke.

“Are you Christ Eurasia?”

Her eyes grew even sharper as she glared at me.

I was at a loss for an answer. The problem was that I couldn’t see her objective. Her aura was no joke, and the armored companions following her looked dangerous. If possible, I wanted to play dumb.

But even if I lied here, it would be over the moment she confirmed it with someone else. I had no choice but to identify myself.

“…Yes. I am Christ, a staff member here.”

“I see.”

Having confirmed my identity, the woman took a breath and continued solemnly.

“My name is Sera Radiant. I am one of the Celestial Knights of Huzya. I have but one piece of business: I have come to challenge you to a duel.”

With those words, she raised her sheathed sword to signal her intent to fight.

The tavern erupted into whispers. People were shocked by the sudden challenge, but some were reeling specifically at the name “Sera Radiant.”

“I don’t understand. Why would you want to duel me?”

I asked as calmly as possible, trying to discern her true intentions.

I remembered the warning I had received from a knight named Palinchron before. Even so, I still didn’t understand why things had escalated to this point.

“Why, you ask…?! With what mouth do you utter such nonsense…!!”

My response clearly didn’t sit well with her; Radiant let her anger flare openly. At that moment, Crow, who I had been talking to just moments ago, stepped in to shield me.

“Hey, hold on now. I don’t care if you’re a knight from Huzya or whatever, but barging in here with that attitude isn’t right. This is a tavern, see? Stop picking fights with the staff.”

Other customers I was acquainted with began to stand up as well. There was a growing sense that this was going to turn into a major incident. Men who looked like they knew how to handle themselves started chiming in one after another.

“I was watching because it looked interesting, but if you’re talking dangerous stuff like duels, that’s a different story.”

“Hey, don’t go lookin’ down on Wald.”

“We haven’t known him long, but Christ isn’t a stranger to us.”

A chorus of voices rose to condemn Radiant. Seeing people fire up on my behalf made my chest feel warm. It seemed that, without realizing it, I had gained a fair amount of respect here.

“Right, Boss?!” one of them shouted, looking for a conclusion.

The owner, who had emerged from the kitchen at some point, was standing like a guardian deity behind me. He spoke over my head.

“You lot are getting way too bloodthirsty. I doubt this little miss from Huzya is looking to start a riot right this second… But listen, missy. This is a tavern, a place of business. If you interfere with my trade, it’s going to get messy for everyone.”

The owner was a man whose level was close to 20 himself. Facing this dangerous group, he didn’t back down an inch.

“My apologies. It seems my blood had rushed to my head a bit. If I have interfered with your business, I offer my sincerity. However, we have a mission we absolutely must fulfill. That is to duel the man there and take back our Lady.”

Radiant gave a polite bow and spoke to the owner calmly. Though she had been furious a moment ago, she seemed to be a rational person at heart. Upon hearing her explanation, the owner smirked and turned to me.

“Ho, interesting… Hey, Christ. Did you go and seduce some noble lady somewhere?”

“Uh… do I look like the type who would?”

“Well, a pretty boy like you might surprisingly… right?”

“What do you mean ‘right’? I haven’t done anything.”

The atmosphere had been murderous at first, but once it seemed like the cause might be a messy romantic entanglement, the owner’s tone lightened immediately.

“Listen, Radiant or whatever your name was. Our Christ here says he didn’t do it. But well, given the nature of the talk, I’m sure you want to discuss this properly. Even if you’re going to duel, could you wait until his break?”

“…Hmph. I didn’t come here to cause trouble for the establishment either. Fine, I shall wait until the man’s break time. Naturally, we shall place an order as well.”

With that, the Radiant party sat down at a large table.

“There you have it. These knights from Huzya are just here for a meal. The rest of you, don’t worry about it and get back to your food.”

“Hey, hey. Is this really okay, Boss?”

“Whether it’s okay or not, it’s got nothing to do with the shop, right? This is Christ’s problem. It doesn’t seem like an unjust grudge, so we’ll just have to watch and see.”

“Well, if you say so…”

The owner calmed the customers down one by one. But for me, this was far from ideal. I had been hoping everyone would keep helping me.

“Wait, Boss. This is an unjust grudge. I have absolutely no idea what she’s talking about!”

“You…! You still intend to play innocent…!?” Radiant glared at me with a terrifying expression the moment I spoke.

“See? The Knight says so too… Talk it out later, Christ.”

The owner ended the conversation as if it were all my own fault and headed back to the kitchen.

“Hehe. Your life lasts only until your break begins. Prepare yourself.”

Radiant muttered loud enough for me to hear. Thinking that I had to work until my break while enduring that murderous gaze, I let out a long sigh.

“Sigh, what is this…”

Still, I had no choice but to work as usual, and my shift ticked away—

“—So, who is this ‘Lady’ you’re talking about? Is it Dia?”

Having endured a shift that felt like sitting on a bed of nails, I reached my break and sat at the same table as Radiant. Behind me, the other knights—her companions—blocked my escape route. I had already confirmed with Palinchron that it wasn’t Franleure, so I tried Dia first. I still didn’t quite believe that person’s gender, and if someone told me they were a high-born lady, I’d actually find it believable.

“Who is Dia? Stop feigning ignorance. I am talking about Lady Lastiara.”

Radiant lowered her voice to a whisper when she spoke the name “Lastiara.” It seemed she didn’t want the name to spread.

“Lastiara…? Ah, that nuisance.”

Because I had been through such a dense few days, it took me a moment to remember the girl from the first day. Her impression had faded due to the appearance of Alti and Franleure, but she was still a girl who sat high on my “Dangerous Persons” list. Apparently, this situation was her fault.

“A nuisance…?! You kidnap the Lady and then utter such insults—!”

“Wait. You’re saying I kidnapped Lastiara?”

“Yes. The Lady has disappeared, and in her farewell note, she stated that she was… that she was! R-r-r-running away to be with you!!”

“Sigh. Running away together, huh?”

There was no way we were eloping. I, the supposed partner, hadn’t even seen Lastiara again. It was a blatant false accusation. And the one who framed me was that girl, Lastiara.

Next time I see her, I’m going to knock her flying. That’s what I thought. Given my level, I should be able to fight her now.

Radiant was so worked up she was tripping over her words, but she kept berating me regardless.

“The Lady, the Lady, the Lady—! That lovely, kind-hearted Lady!! In the Cathedral, she talked of nothing but you! She told us every single day, every single day, about the man she happened to meet in the Labyrinth, what kind of man he was, and what he did for her. She spoke so happily to us, the Seven Knights… and you… you have no idea how we felt listening to that!!”

“Please, calm down. Have some water.”

“Is this a time for drinking water?! Now, speak! Where have you hidden the 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, didn’t she just run away for fun because she thought it would be interesting?”

I truly believed Lastiara was just a thrill-seeker. I felt bad for Radiant, but shouting at me was pointless.

“He… hehehe… That Lady, doing it for fun? Running away? There is no way that modest, considerate Lady would do such a thing. It’s impossible. Ah, I knew it. I knew you would play dumb like that. That is exactly why… exactly why we must duel! I shall finish you in a duel. We can look for the Lady at our leisure once you are gone…!”

“I don’t see any reason for me to accept a duel…”

“If you don’t accept, you and the Lady will never be together anyway. Unless you defeat all of the Seven Knights, you will be pursued by us for the rest of your life.”

“Even if you pursue me, Lastiara isn’t here. If you want, come to my house and look. She really isn’t there.”

“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, I will catch you out.”

“Hmm.”

We were getting nowhere. I didn’t know how it happened, but Radiant was absolutely convinced I was the culprit. I could keep pleading my innocence, but having them shadow me forever was a problem. I wanted to keep my information hidden as much as possible—Maria’s leveling being the prime example. At this rate, they’d chase me around 24/7 and even follow me into the Labyrinth.

I ran a cost-benefit analysis in the corner of my mind. The result? Since my level had gone up and my risk tolerance had expanded, I figured a duel might not be a bad idea.

“Alright. Let’s duel. If I lose, I’ll tell you everything. I don’t know where Lastiara is, but I’ll swear to cooperate fully in the search.”

“Ho… you finally gave up. No, did you finally realize the gravity of your crime and decide to offer your head?”

“No, please don’t kill me. I’ll accept the duel, but in exchange, I want to set one rule. No serious injuries. If you kill the opponent, you lose. If you make them surrender, you win. Peace is best, after all.”

“…Hmph. Fine, I suppose. I don’t particularly enjoy violence myself. Very well, I shall merely toy with you until you lose the will to commit further evil.”

Radiant said she didn’t enjoy violence, yet she talked about “toying” with me. I didn’t believe the “didn’t enjoy violence” part for a second. She was definitely someone I wanted to avoid contact with if possible.

I presented my reward for winning.

“If I win, you are never to show your face to me again.”

“Fine. But naturally, the duel will be a one-on-one match.”

“Yeah, that’s what I intended.”

“Good resolve. Hehe, come outside.”

With that, the knights lined up behind me cleared a path. I stood up and prepared to head out. Worried glances followed me from all around. Lynn, who had been eavesdropping while waitressing, tried to call out to me, but I cut her off first.

“Ch-Christ—”

“It’s okay, Lynn. As we just decided, at worst, I won’t be killed.”

I answered Lynn with a smile, loud enough for the owner and the surrounding customers to hear.

“I… I suppose so, but… be careful, Christ…”

Even as Lynn worried, I kept my smile. After all, this wasn’t a bad event. Rather, it was a good one. It was something that had been on my mind for a while.

I had defeated Teida, whom humanity had been unable to handle. Where did that place me among humans now?

And here, conveniently, was a person in their 20s. Though she was furious now, her personality seemed to value etiquette and humanity—which was a bonus. To top it off, she accepted the soft rules I proposed. This was the perfect opportunity to gauge my current standing.

My level was about half of Radiant’s. However, I wasn’t inferior in terms of stats. Dimension magic would bridge any small numerical gaps, and I could read her tactics from her status. I also had new magic I wanted to test. And honestly, I was interested in a proper PvP match.

Let’s think positively. She came all the way to the tavern for me. It would be a waste not to use this. Reaching that rational conclusion, I walked out with a faint smile on my lips.