His name… was Joseph, right.
He was said to be the squad leader in charge of the team that included Luke and Lucy.
Wasn’t he originally a soldier? Luke mentioned he was level 5.
Just like Luke had said, Joseph’s stance was so solid that even Jun found it difficult to spot any openings.
Meanwhile, when Joseph asked Aiden if he was new to the mercenary business, Aiden nodded innocently and admitted it.
“How did you know?”
“Because saying a mission is easy without hesitation is basically a taboo among mercenaries.”
That was true.
Jun simply didn’t care much about things like that, so he had left it alone.
“Ah, I see. I’ll be careful about that from now on.”
Though Aiden was smiling as he said that, at some point, his hand had moved toward his waist.
Joseph noticed Aiden’s action but merely let out a brief chuckle.
“But, it doesn’t seem like you came all this way just to chat. I’m guessing you have another reason?”
“Yeah. I have a proposal.”
Oh? A criminal coming to make a proposal, huh.
“For the record, if this is anything shady, I’m fully prepared to report you to the expedition leader, who’s just dying to find an excuse to torment these prisoners.”
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing like that.”
“Yeah? Then let’s hear it. There’s no crime in listening.”
“Have you ever thought about running your own mercenary ‘guild’ someday?”
Jun’s eyes twitched at the unexpected proposal.
“If you ever plan to lead a mercenary guild, I came here to ask you to consider giving me a chance when that time comes.”
“So… you’re asking me to take in a retired soldier under my command?”
“That’s what I mean.”
At Joseph’s words, Jun’s gaze naturally shifted toward Aiden.
An abandoned prince and a retired soldier combo? This is just…
Wasn’t this the perfect combination to get stabbed while walking down the street?
***
In response to Joseph’s proposal, Jun told him he would think about it for the time being.
It was practically a polite way of declining, but Jun still made sure to remember the name of this man, Joseph.
“Uh, senior… but why would Mr. Joseph make such a proposal? He’s a level 5, after all. Wouldn’t he be more than capable of founding his own mercenary guild?”
“It’s exactly because he’s level 5 that he made that proposal.”
Having been marked for insubordination, his life as a soldier had likely come to an end.
Instead, he was planning to survive in Blackout as part of a mercenary guild.
“It would feel like a waste of time for him to start from the very bottom.”
“Ah… so he’s looking for a power base to support him.”
“Exactly. And from his perspective, we must have looked like a perfect option.”
A mercenary guild supported by the Gillen Merchant Guild, which had no ties to politics.
On top of that, the Gillen Merchant Guild had recently risen in power under the backing of the count.
“And since our mercenary group is still small, he was probably aiming for a founding member position.”
Still, given his background, it was something Jun had to think carefully about.
It’s not like gathering a few retired soldiers is going to cause an uproar, but still…
It was best not to create unnecessary problems.
Even so, he would eventually have to expand his forces anyway.
And to do that, he would definitely have to resolve Aiden’s situation as well.
Even if they’re not retired soldiers, there’s no way people will sit back and watch the power of an abandoned prince grow unchecked.
For now, the emperor’s permission allowed them to be left alone… but the emperor’s life wasn’t going to last much longer.
Now I’ve got a lot more to think about.
Not that he particularly disliked it.
There really wasn’t anything better than this to pass the time.
As he gazed up at the sky, where the full moon was slowly drawing near, Jun quietly sank into thought.
***
The exploration, which he thought would end quickly, ended up dragging on for two more days.
To be honest, at this point, the mission was practically over.
There hadn’t been any particular hidden pieces in the Temple after all.
Well, there was one. But it wasn’t the kind that could be triggered right away.
When the time comes, I should probably think about getting Aiden a new sword too.
Jun looked over at Aiden who was busy oiling his sword.
It was an exceptionally sturdy blade, so its edge rarely dulled. But even so, Aiden showed real affection for his weapon, tending to it like this.
Just then—
– Glance.
Aiden’s gaze briefly shifted to Maya’s Acanthus’s Fang.
Then, as if catching himself in the middle of some thought, he hurriedly shook his head.
And with even more tender eyes, he went back to oiling his beloved sword.
That’s obviously a look of envy.
The Meteorite Sword was still a perfectly usable weapon.
In fact, it could easily be considered high-performance gear, suitable for use even up to the level 5 field.
But… it simply couldn’t compare to Acanthus’s Fangs.
The Meteorite Sword was level 6, while Acanthus’s Fangs was all the way up at level 3.
I did get it earlier than expected. Originally, getting that weapon wasn’t supposed to happen until much later.
Because of that, it was only natural that Aiden would unconsciously compare his weapon during battles.
If the opportunity arises, I should try to get Aiden a weapon here.
Unfortunately, the time wasn’t right just yet.
It was around that afternoon.
Right about when he returned after going out to gather food for the prisoners.
A commotion had broken out among the scholars. Shneider who spotted Jun returning from among the prisoners came running over in a fluster.
“H-Hey! Jun! Could you come over here quickly?”
“What’s going on?”
“We’ve discovered a giant stone tablet inside the temple. But the thing is, it appeared completely out of nowhere!”
“…Out of nowhere?”
Why?
A creeping sense of unease began to rise within him.
“I’m telling you, that room was completely empty just last night, but suddenly this stone tablet showed up! As if it just dropped from the sky!”
“……”
“And to top it all off, it’s written in Ancient Script! Come quickly! Since it showed up out of nowhere, there’s no telling when it might disappear just as suddenly!”
Led by Shneider, Jun headed for the stone chamber he had mentioned.
The place had an open ceiling, and if the moon happened to rise at night, it would be a perfect space for moonlight to pour in.
“Quick, translate it for us!”
At those words, Jun silently began to read the Ancient Script inscribed in the stone chamber.
And the more he read, the more he felt cold sweat trickling down his back.
Goddamn.
This was… a hidden piece that had never even been revealed in the game.
****
[In honor of the sacrifice of the great hero, Hargon.]
[Hargon, how are you faring over there?]
[Simply leaving these words behind fills me with guilt toward you.]
[Even so, the reason I leave this message is to prepare for the day you may someday return.]
[After your sacrifice, our people lost their honor.]
[The calamity of the Outer God descended upon us, and blaming one another, we waged war.]
[In the process, most of the history you built was lost.]
[But someday, we know that you will return. Not even the tricks of the Outer God can break the spirit of the warrior within you.]
[I have taken measures so that your soul may dwell here. It was only possible because of Barbata’s sacrifice.]
[Barbata faded away, lamenting his own sins.]
[He said that on the night of the full moon, with blue flames, the gate to the underworld where you are imprisoned would open.]
[I can feel my body gradually reaching its limits as well. Hargon, my friend, I will wait for the day you return.]
[In honor of the great Conqueror King’s closest friend, Bortan.]
****
“This is… the key to unlocking a hidden stage.”
“A h-hidden stage, you say? Is that true?!”
“Yes, it is…”
Jun, who had read the inscription, forced himself to appear calm, but inwardly, he was extremely shocked.
That event… it could still be triggered even now?
In this Orcutas Temple, the soul of Hargon, the hero of the orcs and the first Orc Lord, lies dormant.
In the future, the Orc Lord Hargon would be resurrected by the Heavenly Church, an organization that sought chaos across the continent.
At least, that’s how it happened a few years later.
But now, even in the present, if certain conditions were met, the Orc Lord Hargon could awaken.
The problem was that once the Orc Lord awakened and certain conditions were fulfilled, a phenomenon called Dimension Reverse would occur.
Damn it.
And yet, the scholars here had no idea about any of this.
If they jumped to conclusions here, Jun and his mercenary group would end up gaining a notorious reputation for contributing to the occurrence of a Dimension Reverse.
No, forget the notoriety…. would we even be able to make it out of here alive?
Fortunately, even if the worst-case scenario came to pass, there was still a way to survive.
But ideally, I should stop these scholars from going any further.
High risk, high return?
This was ultra-high risk, ultra-low return.
Even if they succeeded, the losses would far outweigh any gains, and if they failed, those losses would multiply exponentially.
Not good.
Jun carefully turned his gaze toward Schneider.
If there was any small relief to be found—
“A hidden stage… sounds like something we wouldn’t be able to handle.”
Schneider might have been a fanatic scholar, but he was still capable of rational judgment.
But ironically, there was someone who reacted to Schneider’s words.
“Huh? P-Professor, what do you mean by that?”
It was Braight, his assistant and the very person who had uncovered the clue for this expedition.
“Just what I said, Braight. Isn’t this what they call the activation condition for a hidden stage? It’s not something we can handle.”
“But isn’t that why we brought the mercenaries and the other unit with us?”
“They’re here to guide us along the way, not to clear the hidden stage for us. It would be better to report this to the academy and organize a proper raid party. You know as well as I do just how dangerous a hidden stage is.”
Hearing that, the other two assistants also began trying to persuade Braight.
“The professor is right, Braight. We need to think rationally here.”
“You haven’t forgotten what happened on the level 6 field, have you? They forcefully activated a hidden stage back then too, and it ended in a Dimension Reverse.”
Fortunately, these people had a good understanding of the phenomenon known as Dimension Reverse.
Even among the scholars of Blackout, who were often obsessed to the point of madness, they were extremely wary when it came to a Dimension Reverse.
It wasn’t simply a matter of them dying. The lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians could also be lost.
“But, but…”
Braight still hadn’t achieved any real results from this temple.
Most of what they’d found here had already been discovered in other fields, leaving nothing particularly new.
If there was anything of value, it would be the existence of this stone tablet…
The real problem, however, was that Jun hadn’t immediately shared his translation of the ancient text.
If I translate that and they act on their own, then what?
Even Schneider had to admit this point.
The curiosity of scholars was not something to be taken lightly.
“Braight. Calm down. From the looks of it, this stone tablet only appears when there’s a full moon. Today isn’t our only chance. Hearing the contents of the tablet after we return won’t be too late.”
They had discovered the activation condition for a new hidden stage.
Even this alone was an incredible achievement. If they reported this to the academic society, they would surely receive tremendous praise.
“But, well, that’s something I… ah… no, never mind. I’m sorry, Professor. I was too impatient.”
“Good, I’m glad you thought it over. Don’t be in such a hurry. Unlike me, you’re still young, aren’t you? There will be plenty of opportunities ahead. Don’t you realize how great a discovery this is, even by itself? I’m honestly envious of you!”
“…Thank you, Professor.”
Schneider secretly cast a glance at Jun.
And Jun caught that look.
“In any case, I have no interest in the academic society. Once this mission is over, I’ll hand over the translated copy of that stone tablet. So, you don’t need to worry about that part.”
“…Understood.”
Looking utterly crushed, Braight hung his head low.
He left the stone chamber staggering, and the other two assistants followed him out to comfort him.
Schneider looked at Jun and spoke.
“Phew. I’m sorry… and thank you. Judging by Braight’s reaction alone, I’d say it was more than enough to trigger a hidden stage. As expected, you’re wise.”
“…The thing mercenaries hate most is uncertainty. I just cut off that possibility in advance.”
“Haha, I wish all mages were like you. There are far too many who are obsessed with fame.”
It was only natural. After all, the more famous one became, the more sponsorships would follow.
“Braight is smart and diligent, but his excessive desire for honor is a problem. He’s from a fallen noble family, you see. I just hope that ambition doesn’t end up choking him…”
Only then did Jun realize the true meaning behind the looks Braight occasionally sent his way.
Did he think I stole all the credit for myself?
It wasn’t entirely wrong.
It had been Jun who led them safely along the easiest route to this place, Jun who got them inside the temple without incident, and finally, it was Jun who had deciphered the stone tablet, which was the highlight of the entire expedition.
If a paper is published, it’ll probably be covered in my name.
Even so, that didn’t mean Braight’s contributions would disappear.
That was Schneider’s assessment, and upon hearing it, Jun gave a small nod in agreement.
Until late in the evening, Schneider and the other scholars took turns trying to comfort Braight.
The mission was slowly approaching its end, but the problem arose that very evening.
“Hey. Where’s Braight?”
“He went outside a while ago, saying he needed to take care of something…”
“When was that?”
“Huh? Now that you mention it… it’s been quite a while…”
Around the time conversations like that were starting to spread among the scholars—
“What? The guy with the mustache is gone? Where’d he go?”
Leon’s voice rang out from among the group of prisoners.
Just as the party began to realize that two people had suddenly vanished—
Whooooooom――!!
From inside the temple, a blue light, reminiscent of moonlight, burst forth.
At the same time, blue flames began to flicker in a brazier that no one had ever touched.
Seeing that scene, Jun’s face twisted into a terrifying grimace.
“Fu*k.”
The hidden stage had been activated.
Jun wasn’t the only one who had the ancient language skill.
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