Episode 261

In the past, I told Misha.

I consider you a precious comrade.

I drew the line with those cowardly words.

I believed it was the right thing to do, and it actually was. At that time, I was still burning with the will to ‘return’…

I wasn’t qualified to cross that line.

Because I am an ‘evil spirit.’

Whispering affection while in the body of Bjorn Jandel would only be deceitful to the other person.

However…

“What do you mean? Not just a comrade…?”

Misha asked back, her eyes wide open, and without a moment’s hesitation, I replied.

“You know what I mean. You know what I am saying now.”

I realized something clearly after returning from the community.

More than Han Soo’s dark, gloomy room.

I feel much more at home where I am now.

“You didn’t explain it properly…”

Misha, avoiding my eyes and looking at the wall, slowly turned her head to stare at me.

Perhaps this is what Lee Baek-ho was wary of.

The moment you deeply connect with an NPC, the desire to stay here grows stronger.

But so what?

“Misha Karlstein, I like you.”

‘Return’ doesn’t matter anymore.

Becoming involved in a romantic relationship makes it difficult to make rational decisions in the labyrinth?

That’s also the same.

It’s already too late.

Even at this moment, I cherish Misha and my team members, and I can no longer prioritize only myself.

‘Dwalki.’

It was the trace he left me as a legacy.

If he showed such a face and left, what could I do?

I can’t regard them as NPCs.

“…”

So, what would Misha’s answer be?

I felt anxious for the first time in a long while, but I made sure not to show it and affect the outcome.

Time flowed in silence.

“Bjorn.”

Finally, Misha broke the long silence and spoke.

She had come out from under the blanket and was standing in front of me.

“Let’s go outside.”

Misha held my hand.

And led me outside the house.

I didn’t ask where we were going.

“…”

Early in the morning, when people were just waking up and starting their activities. Without even putting on a coat, Misha and I rented a room in an inn 30 meters away.

We hugged each other tightly.

“Bjorn, gently…! It hurts if you hold too tightly…”

Afraid of hurting her, I moved my ragged barbarian body carefully and delicately.

“Are you sure it’s okay……?”

“… If it’s with you.”

Misha clumsily but warmly embraced me.

We held each other tightly, sharing our warmth until evening.

‘…So this is how her tail looks.’

I confirmed something I had always been curious about that day.

However, happiness is said to be a fleeting illusion.

“Bjorn.”

“Why aren’t you sleeping more? Don’t worry about Aynar and Erwin. They’ll be fine—”

“It’s not that, there’s something I need to say.”

“…Hmm?”

I tilted my head in confusion, and Misha, who had adjusted her position on the bed, looked at me.

And with a determined voice, she said.

“After all… I think it’s better if we just remain comrades.”

I had been rejected.

****

It felt like a dream.

[Misha Kalstein, I like you.]

From the moment she heard those words, her heart began to beat like crazy and the whole world shone brilliantly.

So…

[…Let’s go outside.]

Misha led Bjorn out of the house as if running away.

Because she was anxious.

She felt like she would wake up from the dream if she lost focus even for a moment.

[Bjorn, Bjorn, Bjorn…!]

[Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.]

The dreamlike time continued.

The two of them transmitted their warmth to each other, sometimes stopping to rest and chat when they were exhausted.

From the first time they met until now.

They shared many moments, pouring out their emotions and thoughts.

It was a time of confirming and sharing each other’s feelings.

But…

‘Wait, I’m asleep…’

A dream is a dream because it must eventually end.

Misha slowly opened her eyes.

Outside the window, the sky was dark, and next to her, the man she wanted so much, was dozing off.

For a moment, she felt a deep sense of happiness.

‘…’

But the world turned to the colors of reality, and she came to her senses.

‘After all, Bjorn is…’

An evil spirit.

Misha couldn’t even utter the hidden words in her mind.

Just thinking about it made her heart feel like it was being torn apart.

“Huff…”

She felt suffocated.

She had always suspected it, but today she confirmed his identity.

After hearing about the ‘duty’ from Caron and checking various things with Aynar.

Only Barbarians can bear Barbarian children.

This was a fact she had known from the beginning.

But…

[ Can barbarians date? Haha, what a question! Of course they can. From what I know, there are quite a few like that! ]

Barbarians are human too, after all.

As they spend more time in the city and with other explorers rather than their own kin, their values gradually change.

[According to the tribe chief, even the most hardened warriors change a bit after living in the city for a few years. He calls it ‘urbanization.’]

Just because they find someone pretty.

Because their personalities match well.

Because they have spent a long time together and grown attached.

Barbarians in the city fall in love regardless of the other person’s race.

However, they share a common trait.

[ But I hear it’s hard to find a partner who understands our ‘duty.’ ]

Even those barbarians want to have children.

Aynar called it an innate racial duty engraved in their souls.

So, Misha tried to understand.

Even though she couldn’t sleep and waited until morning with a heavy heart, she went up to the room without saying much.

However…

[Misha, nothing happened last night at the sanctuary. I don’t want you to misunderstand.]

She heard that he didn’t want her to misunderstand.

[I no longer see you as just a comrade.]

She also heard that.

At that time, she was too happy to think, but after coming to her senses, it was full of contradictions.

Of course, she believed that nothing happened at the sanctuary.

But…

‘Then why did he lie to Caron?’

Why did Bjorn tell Caron he was going for ‘duty’?

Thinking about it now, the answer was simple.

‘Because he had to.’

Only rookie warriors who haven’t established themselves yet skip their duty.

It would be strange for a warrior known as the ‘Giant’ to neglect his duty.

So Bjorn used Caron.

The words Caron spoke yesterday were the evidence.

[Bjorn is fulfilling his duty with the female warriors at the sanctuary, so don’t even think about disturbing him!]

Caron spilled the beans without being pressed. It was impossible if Bjorn truly wanted it to remain a secret.

He would have made Caron swear an oath.

Given his usual meticulous nature, it made more sense that it was intentional.

Bjorn Jandel wanted Caron to spread the rumor in the Barbarian society.

That Bjorn Jandel was fulfilling his ‘duty.’

‘Despite this, the reason they had to go through the trouble of changing appearances was…’

Misha soon lowered her head deeply.

‘Because he likes me…’

Bjorn wanted to be seen by his kin as a Barbarian fulfilling his duty, but he didn’t want such stories to reach her.

In fact, if she hadn’t gotten a strange feeling that night and dropped by the pub, she would still think Bjorn had just been drinking all night.

That’s what she would have heard if she had asked around.

‘Now I…’

Knowing the whole truth, she trembled.

Bjorn Jandel is an evil spirit.

But her feelings for him hadn’t cooled at all.

Of course, it was natural.

She didn’t fall for ‘Bjorn Jandel,’ but for the man who inhabited his body, saved her, and shared many journeys with her.

‘So now… what should I do?’

The fact that he’s an evil spirit doesn’t matter.

Even if the world points fingers at him for being wrong, she only needs to follow her heart as she was taught.

However, a practical problem remained.

‘If things continue like this, it will be revealed eventually…’

Love makes rational judgment difficult.

Misha knew this better than anyone.

In fact, Bjorn made the wrong choice.

Pretending to fulfill his ‘duty’ rather than actually doing it would have been more advantageous for hiding his identity.

There was only one reason he didn’t do so.

It was because of her.

‘Yes, it’s because of me…’

Misha soon made up her mind.

If this relationship continues, Bjorn will eventually make an even bigger mistake.

So…

‘I just have to endure it…’

This was indeed the best solution.

Even just imagining it made her heart ache.

But she was confident she could endure it.

She had lived her whole life that way before meeting Bjorn Jandel.

“Bjorn.”

She called out to her sleeping lover.

And…

“Why aren’t you sleeping more? Don’t worry about Aynar and Erwin. They’ll be fine—”

“That’s not it. I have something to say.”

She forced a smile, awkwardly.

Even if the path ahead was filled with pain.

“After all… I think it’s better if we remain just comrades.”

She could surely manage it.

If it was for this man.

***

[You, you come home a bit later. I’ll take care of the kids… got it?]

Before I could fully understand what had happened to me, Misha left.

And…

“…”

I stood there, frozen like a stone.

Enter Barbarian Stone Mode.

“Did I get dumped…?”

My head was spinning.

What did I do wrong?

Did I make a mistake today?

“…”

I retraced my steps for a long time, but only random thoughts came to mind, so I just checked out and left.

Why think about it?

If you’re curious, just ask.

If there’s a mistake, fix it.

“Ah, you’re back? Come eat.”

When I got home, Misha greeted me as if nothing had happened.

“You’re back, Mister.”

“Bjorn, you stayed out all night drinking? Take me next time!”

Erwin and Aynar seemed to think I had just come back from being out all night.

We all sat down for dinner.

I wanted to ask about what she said earlier, but I couldn’t do it here.

“Well, I’m tired, so I’ll go rest first!”

After dinner, Misha quickly retreated to her room.

“Erwin, Misha is acting strange today. And her walking is awkward.”

“Not sure. I don’t know why either. I have a bad feeling about it…”

I told the two who were wondering about Misha’s behavior that maybe she wasn’t feeling well and that I would go and check on her, then quickly followed her.

“B-Bjorn…?!”

Finally, we were alone again.

I asked her to tell me if I had done something wrong and why she wanted us to remain comrades, but her answer was the same as before.

“Let’s just forget what happened today. It’s better that way.”

It was a firm rejection without a clear reason.

I decided it wasn’t the right time and took a step back.

But…

“Sorry! I have somewhere to go now!”

“Aynar! Let’s go hang the laundry!”

“…I’m tired today.”

Misha continued to avoid situations where we could be alone, and even when I managed to create an opportunity, she only gave the same answer.

After several days, I gave up.

“…Alright. Let’s forget what happened that day.”

Even I couldn’t stubbornly insist when she was acting like this.

That would be coercion.

To be honest, it was an unconscious defense mechanism.

‘Wow, I really want a cigarette right now.’

I can’t even remember the last time I felt this mentally exhausted—not even when I stepped on a goblin trap and crawled through the cave, or when the pillar of fire erupted in the plaza.

‘Yeah, let’s just focus on my work.’

I couldn’t remain dazed forever, so I tried to forget about Misha and concentrate on my tasks.

Fortunately, there were plenty of other things to worry about.

“Hey, have you heard that rumor?”

“About the outside world being intact?”

“Yeah. That’s all anyone talks about these days.”

The information about beyond the city walls, first revealed in the community, started spreading throughout the entire city.

It was still just a rumor for now…

But it was sure to grow as days passed.

‘I wonder how the royal family will react.’

Contrary to expectations, the royal family had yet to respond. We need to keep watching.

Of course, while doing my work.

“By the way, you remember today, right?”

“We’re meeting at 3 PM in the main guild building in Sector 7, right?”

“Right.”

As soon as lunch was over, I went out and headed to the Explorer’s Guild.

I started filling out various forms needed to create a clan.

Raven and Mr. Bear, who had been considering it, had finally made their decision.

They decided to join the clan I was forming.

“Raven?”

While I was working on the paperwork, Raven showed up before the appointed time.

“It’s an important task, so I didn’t want to leave it all to you”

She spoke as if she didn’t trust me, but in reality, she had come early to help.

“How far did you get? Let me see.”

Raven took a few forms and quickly filled out the necessary sections with her pen.

She was three times faster than me and made far fewer mistakes.

“The internal rules are tricky. We need to be clear about these. The same goes for withdrawal clauses. We need to specify exceptions properly.”

“I see…”

“Give me what you’ve done so far. I feel like I need to redo it all.”

“Here it is.”

Thanks to Raven’s help, we were nearly done with the paperwork by the time the others arrived.

“It feels a bit strange to be creating a clan. Did you do all this, Raven?”

“Yes. You guys just need to sign here. You can read through the documents first if you want.”

“Haha, no need. I trust you did it right.”

Led by Mr. Bear, the others signed the documents, and we handed them over to the staff to complete the clan registration process.

It should be officially registered with the guild by tomorrow.

‘Well, that takes care of that…’

The clan will not only unite us as a group but also take us further than before.

In that spirit…

“Everyone cleared their schedules, right?”

We left the guild and moved to a pub.

Though there were only six of us, it was our first meeting as a clan rather than a team.

We ordered some simple drinks and snacks and shared our future plans.

Well, it was more of a briefing than a discussion.

“We’re entering the labyrinth again.”

With our newly formed clan, it was time to push forward once more.

See you on Monday! By the way, you can join here and binge-read all my advanced chapters, with new updates every day. Your support is the only way to keep the website running, so please consider supporting if you can. Thank you! 🙂