Old People Don’t Hold Hands - Chapter 123



Only Krnovel

Episode 123, Dragon’s Nest (3)

After hunting Troman, we just deal with some trash mobs.

We set up base camp right away.

Since I had already cleared out some of the mobs, I had no need to worry about penalties.

Plus… … .

“Hehehe! How much is all this?”

Upon reaching the third floor, Biella was busy looking at her magic stone pockets all day long, as her income had increased more than before.

“By the way, it’s really strange here. Not even the usual cataclysmic events occur.”

“… … Well, I guess that’s because this is the only world line on the third floor.”

Cataclysms were a phenomenon that occurred when world lines existing on the same level collided.

So, the more worldlines there are on a single level, the more frequent cataclysms occur.

In short, that was also the reason why the turbulent cycle of the first floor was shorter than that of the second floor.

Because the world lines on the first floor were much larger, almost twice as many as on the second floor.

Diana nodded silently at my words and looked up at the sky.

All that remained was a pitch-black landscape without a single star.

“… … Still, it’s amazing. If there’s no cataclysm, I wonder what’s different about this place from the city.”

… … Well, you could think of it that way.

The difference between a labyrinth and a city is that a cataclysm occurs there.

But if there is a world line where such upheaval does not occur… … .

“It almost seems like an ordinary place where monsters live. This place.”

“……yes.”

An ordinary world where monsters, not humans, live.

It must have looked like that.

And that might have been true to some extent.

In reality, places that fail to clear until the end and are eroded are swallowed up by the labyrinth and become a part of it.

In short, it is one of the many world lines that exist within the labyrinth.

Actually, I also failed to clear the dungeon while playing EndWorld… … .

There was once a world line that was a ‘city’ outside the labyrinth, like the current Kargon, but was subordinated to the labyrinth.

That’s it… … .

“By the way, you’re talking about the frozen fortress.”

“……yes.”

I stopped thinking and raised my head at Nowen’s voice.

“I’ve never even been to the 7th floor, so how do you, DeKlen, know that information?”

“……iced coffee.”

Well, since he is a 5th-level adventurer, he probably hasn’t been to Nowen yet.

Even if a team of 5-level adventurers forms a team with similar levels, it won’t be easy to clear the 6th floor.

In addition, it is known that at least 6 adventurers have climbed the 7th floor.

There were only those who were called legends.

Even that wasn’t properly recorded, so information about the 7th floor is actually only sketchy…

I guess you were curious since I knew so much detailed information.

“I know the adventurer of the 5th Count. I heard that information from him too.”

“… … 5th coefficient? Aren’t they the same rank as me?”

“Yes. But I heard that he has heard a lot of things from God.”

When I said this, Nowen nodded as if he finally understood.

“Well, I guess that’s possible since there are many successors who hear various information from the god they serve.”

“It’s rare, but it does happen. It’s something that can only happen if you are loved by God that much.”

… … Of course, I don’t know if you can call that love.

In the end, it’s just a process to use it for your own benefit.

“Um, that’s true… … .”

Nowen smiled a little bitterly and just scratched his cheek.

And there, in the shape of a cross, was a deep, fanned scar.

“… … How did that scar come about?”

“… … Oh, is this what you mean?”

Nowen smiled awkwardly and covered one cheek with her hand, as if trying to hide her scar.

“It’s a scar I got when I first inherited the power.”

“When will you inherit?”

“Yeah, Lord Zenrir said he would give me power if I damaged my own face.”

“……ah.”

I was momentarily speechless by the unexpected story.

Nowen just smiled brightly as usual, as if nothing had happened.

“At that time, I was a young vagrant with nothing. I desperately wanted to gain some strength, so in the end, it turned out well.”

“… … .”

I didn’t hastily add anything else to Nowen’s words.

Even when I played EndWorld, Zenrir had that same cruel side.

From the beginning, he said he would accomplish his mission and scattered his power here and there.

I’ve said enough to make those with that power fight each other.

And Zenrir, known as an ugly man in the setting, had one more bad taste… … .

That was the act of deliberately disfiguring a handsome man’s face.

As with Nowen, the most common repertoire was to use power as an excuse to harm oneself.

Nowendo looked closely and saw that, apart from the scar, he had a rather handsome face.

After countless fights, he had a muscular body like he does now, but his face still had a lot of boyish charm.

In fact, Zenrir gives much less power to successors with outstanding appearances than other successors.

As a result, only the face is disfigured, and it would be normal for the person to die shortly after… … .

However, the cases of Nowen surviving until now were considered extremely rare.

Not only did he survive, he also became a 5th-level adventurer.

I don’t know what happened during that time, but it must have been quite difficult.

After hearing his story, I can understand why Nowen is so obsessed with power…

I think I know to some extent.

As we remained silent over Nowen’s somewhat heavy story, another voice suddenly intervened.

“… … Is there such a thing as a god?”

“Uh, huh?”

It was Biella.

Biella, who had been quietly listening to Nowen’s story, said this as if she was very angry.

“Well, if you think about it, that’s true. Who would make their successor do something like that?”

“Well, well… … . I guess he has his own agenda. This kind of face is actually detrimental to a fight… … .”

“Loss? What do you mean? It would be more damaging to have a blemish on this face… …!”

After that, Biella seemed to realize what I was trying to say.

He blushed bright red and just coughed.

… … Oh my?

I guess it wasn’t just that he didn’t like Nowen.

Well, I’ve been thinking about it for a while.

Biella seemed particularly drawn to flashy and beautiful things.

Materialistic thinking may have played a part in this, but… … it would be correct to say that they were weak in that regard from the beginning.

As Biella was just coughing, Nowen looked at her for a moment with a blank expression.

He spoke with tears in his eyes as if he was deeply moved.

“Joe, thank you for the good story… … !”

“Oh, no. What are you talking about? It’s annoying! Go to sleep now!”

“… … Ugh!”

… … Well, let’s go back to Biella and start ticking like nothing happened.

The expression soon changed to a sad one… … .

After finishing our story and having a quick meal, we decided to keep watch.

Since it was the third floor and there were a lot of mobs, we decided to take turns standing guard twice.

3 hours for two people each.

The night watch was split into me, Diana, Nowen, and Biella.

Of course, this arrangement of the group did not seem to suit the discontented souls… … .

I was able to stand guard without any problems.

While Biella and Nowen were sleeping, Diana and I, who had been taking turns with them, quietly kept our place by the fire.

After a long silence, it was Diana who spoke first.

Of course, with the power of transmission activated.

― … … We’re already on the third floor.

– That’s right.

– Mr. Declen.

– yes.

― … … Do you remember what we promised last time? The promise we made when we first met.

… … Oh, by the way.

When I first met Diana in the winter forest, I promised to become her host.

There’s a way to bypass the penalty on the third floor, so let’s just stay together until then.

And on our way here, Diana said she wanted to stay together forever.

So we could have the same relationship now.

― If we go to the place Mr. DeClen mentioned this time, that condition will disappear, right?

– Yes, that will be the case. But the host status will still be valid.

In short, if Diana dies, only the penalty of having to die in her place disappears.

Things like transitions and transitions can still be used.

Diana nodded at my answer.

– ……thank god.

… … Thank goodness?

― … … Actually, I was worried that even those abilities might disappear.

– ……why?

― Without that, I would be useless to Mr. Declen.

I was about to deny that, but decided to just hold back my words.

From the first time I met Diana until now, she has always been a smart and perceptive person.

I’m sure you all know what role Diana plays between us.

― … … I want to be a more helpful person than I am now. To everyone, including Mr. Declen.

– That’s probably the case.

― … … Even though I am a manifestor? I cannot receive power or anything from God.

I nodded to Diana’s words, keeping in mind that further growth was impossible.

The words that came out were different.

What I said was.

– Still, there will surely come a time when that happens.

Diana remained silent for a moment as if she didn’t understand what I was saying.

I turned my head.

At the end of her gaze, there were two people who had fallen asleep at the camp.

― … … Mr. Dickenson, would you like to recruit Mr. Nowen as a colleague?

– I think he is someone who will be helpful in the future.

– okay.

― Of course, since I am the successor… … .

Just when I was about to say that it seemed realistically impossible.

Diana opened her eyes wide and said.

– No? I agree. And I think it’s possible.

– ……yes?

― While Mr. Declen was away, Mr. Nowen spoke about the Apparitionists.

– About the manifestor?

– Yes. He said that if you gain power through evil and don’t use it for evil, you can be a good adventurer. He was actually the second successor to think that way. The first was…

I already knew what Diana was going to say.

You’re probably talking about Homer.

Homer also sincerely accepted us as adventurers and companions.

The manifester may become a good adventurer… … .

It was an extremely dangerous statement, so dangerous that if said in the city, one could be executed for blasphemy.

Nevertheless, the fact that he said that meant that he himself thought so, and at the same time.

… … I guess that also means that they trust us deeply.

― So I think it’s okay for us to tell him the truth about our identity. Of course, if we think we can become colleagues.

– ……okay.

It was certainly not a bad sign.

In addition, there is almost no rejection of the expresser.

There can’t be another person who is Zenrir’s successor.

After hearing Diana’s words, I turned my head and looked at Nowen.

… … That’s right.

Of course, even if I said it like this, it wouldn’t be easy to explain.

Didn’t he even say this?

[If you gain power through evil and don’t use it for evil… … .]

… …power gained through evil.

I looked down at my clean hands, not a drop of blood on them, as if nothing had happened.

Even if it was self-defense, killing someone and taking away their power.

Can we really say that it is not evil?

I looked up at the sky again, not at my hands.

And the view there.

… … A dark appearance without a single ray of light.

It didn’t seem that different from me.