It’s a Bit Different Than I Thought

Serena stopped in front of Odheim’s Adventurer’s Guild.

She hadn’t fully found the “adventurer with the scent of roses” yet, but her heart was brimming with excitement.

The only blood relative who left her at the orphanage and disappeared. She couldn’t quite think of what to say once they finally met, yet for some strange reason, her heart was pounding wildly.

Because of that, Serena felt grateful to her companions.

Like she was praying, she quietly brought her hands together.

“Liberas, thank you.”

Thank you for opening the path for me like this.

Thank you for letting me meet precious comrades to walk it with.

She recalled the faces of the Dungeon God adventurer party members who had accompanied her this far.

Barkal, reckless and bold, but possessing strength fitting for it. His raw power overwhelmed enemies even if he was a bit lacking in technique, and his pure personality was an inspiration to her.

And Dmihtan, the wisest barbarian she had ever seen.

Together, they had faced many crises while exploring dungeons. There had been plenty of dangers that couldn’t have been overcome without him.

Compared to other barbarians he was small and more materialistic than most, but Dmihtan possessed the wisdom and judgment fitting of the leader of the party.

With him, surely any crisis could be overcome.

No.

With that remarkable wisdom, he would never create a crisis with his own hands.

“Thank you for sending me these companions, Liberas!”

* * *

“Stop! If you move, I’ll take it as permission to harm this man’s body!”

I grabbed one of the Odheim guards who had burst in and pressed the Blood-Colored Awl to the back of his neck.

“C-calm down, barbarian!”

“We’re not here to hurt you! If you just cooperate, we can move past this!”

As soon as I took a hostage, the Odheim guards broke a sweat and answered nervously.

Move past it if I cooperate? So would you have shown up so heavily armed if that were the case?

“Marcus!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs, loud enough to echo throughout the mansion.

Meanwhile, one of the guards tried to approach.

“Do you want to be split in two!?”

Before the gap could close, Barkal swung Erindal and blocked the approach.

“Lendorn!”

I called out the names of the two who had come here with me.

I saved your lives and this is how you repay me? You said you’d repay me, and then you stab me in the back like this?

It’s not about the money.

Leaving trash like you in the world goes against my morals.

Really, it’s not about the money.

“Brother, what shall we do? If you say the word, I’ll send them straight to Thrag!”

Barkal boasted, gripping Erindal tightly.

Through the skull helmet, Barkal’s piercing glare flashed. The guards, meeting that gaze, gulped nervously.

They must have sensed that it was no empty threat—that he really could wipe them all out by himself.

“Is this how you repay a favor!?”

Saved from drowning and this is the thanks I get? I was trembling with rage.

Marcus and Lendorn both appeared in my line of sight.

They stuck their heads between the Odheim guards. I expected them to wear sneering grins at me, but both instead looked flustered.

“D-do you even know where you are barging in!?”

Marcus shouted at the Odheim guards, almost as if rebuking them.

So he wasn’t the one who called the guards after all.

“Golden Chain merchant guild, please cooperate.”

“These individuals have violated Odheim’s security law and were reported!”

Hearing the guards’ words to Marcus, my suspicions seemed confirmed.

This guard detail wasn’t called by Marcus or Lendorn. So why were they here?

There’s no end to my questions.

How did they know we’d come here?

What is their true purpose in trying to capture us?

“I want to talk.”

Fearing further misunderstanding, I spoke up first. The oldest-looking guard stepped forward.

“We can talk after you come with us! So let our man go, barbarian.”

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We’re not criminals.”

Violated a security law? It’s my first time here—what security law have I broken?

“So you’re intent on not listening.”

Apparently sure we’re criminals already, they began to prepare for battle.

They acted aggressively first, so why say we’re the ones not listening?

“Is that the end of the conversation?”

Barkal asked. I drew blood from the Blood-Colored Awl and began to sketch a tattoo on my body.

Barkal seemed to notice the meaning of this. He grinned.

“In that case, it’s time for a different conversation!”

Barkal gripped his axe, Erindal, and roared,

“It’s time for a conversation of iron!”

At his thunderous bellow, so loud it shook the mansion, the guards faltered—and at that same instant, Barkal’s axe lunged at them.

*【Summoning a warrior skeleton.】*

I also activated the skeleton exoskeleton, knocked out the guard I had pinned.

Meanwhile, Barkal’s relentless axe exploded among the guards.

“Krraaaaaagh!”

The guards tried desperately to stop Barkal’s axe, but they were no match for an unleashed barbarian.

“What the…?”

“H-his strength is monstrous, sir Kalec!”

“Khahahahaha!”

Every time Barkal swung his axe, the guards’ shields shattered, their armor dented. Watching Barkal fling guards around like toys, I thought,

Our Rkal has grown.

Not just physically.

Mentally, too.

If he’d just come out of the Red Wolf Tribe, those guards would be corpses by now, not just groaning on the floor.

He’s learned a bit of restraint.

– “Master, to your right.”

Lost in thought, a voice suddenly echoed in my head—as I turned, I saw a veteran guard’s sword swinging close.

“Uwaaah!”

I dodged by bending my body, but was so startled that a strange scream burst out.

“Tsk.”

A sneak attack struck while my attention wandered. As I dodged, the guard clicked his tongue.

“I’ll take care of him and join you there. Buy some time!”

“U-understood, sir Kalec!”

“Block this monster, as Sir Kalec commands!”

Seems like my attacker is named Kalec. Probably their captain.

I started to carefully analyze Kalec’s stance.

A sword in one hand.

A small shield called a buckler in the other.

He wore metal armor, but earlier, his speed was impressive.

Definitely an ordinary “fighter” class, but with quite a bit of experience, he didn’t leave me any easy openings.

A tough opponent for sure.

– “Master, may I dare to help you?”

At that moment, chunsik chimed in.

His voice kept echoing in my head—where on earth was he? I hadn’t summoned him, nor sensed any presence.

– “I told you, our souls are linked, remember?”

So we’re linked, but enough for telepathy too?

To be sure, I tried thinking to myself.

Our opponent is skilled. Even if you’re a Dullahan, he’ll be hard to beat.

– “You’re right, master. He is an experienced fighter.”

After a moment’s silence, chunsik’s voice returned.

– “However, compared to me, he’s nothing.”

Confident, aren’t you?

Fine, then you give it a try.

*【Summoning Dullahan Chunsik.】*

I sprayed the blood stored in the Blood-Colored Awl into the air, activating “Dullahan Summon.”

The scattered blood formed a magic array on the ground, from which a chilling aura began to exude.

Ssss…

From the blood-soaked earth, pitch-black darkness welled up. The darkness writhed like a living thing, then began to take shape.

Crrrack.

With a sound like splintering bones, the first thing to appear was a wolf’s head.

Dullahan Chunsik.

Red gleams flickered ominously in his eyes.

– “Responding to my master’s summons, I, chunsik, have transcended death to arrive here.”

What an overwhelming presence. Even though only the head had emerged, I felt a pressure from Chunsik’s head I’d never felt before.

“Chunsik, subdue my enemy.”

Don’t kill—just subdue. Got it?

– “Understood.”

Chunsik nodded.

Alright, now make your full appearance and subdue the enemy before me.

But contrary to my expectations, chunsik was silent. Or more precisely, only his “head” appeared; nothing else.

“Chunsik, don’t be shy—come out completely.”

Seriously.

Do I really have to say this kind of thing?

But no matter what I said, chunsik made no effort to reveal his whole body.

– “S-something’s wrong, master!”

So you notice it’s weird too.

– “My body… My body isn’t coming out!”

“Is it because you got fat!?”

Don’t panic.

While I was saying this,

*〈Thrag shakes his head.〉*

Thrag?

What is it?

*〈Thrag tells you to remember your pact.〉*

A pact? Did we ever make a promise or anything like that?

Ah.

The way he said it made me remember.

I had promised, as long as I believed in Thrag, never to use any other summons.

– “My body! My beautiful body…!”

Chunsik’s head rolled about, his anguished cries stinging my ears, but my resentment toward Thrag was stronger.

Seriously, you jerk.

I worship two gods now, are you really going to be this petty?

Mortis, say something! Your follower can’t even use necromancy properly here!

I called out to Mortis in my mind, but once again, she remained silent.

– “Master”!

A voice rang out from below.

– “I don’t know why it’s like this, but my body won’t come out! But it’s not hopeless—we do have a way to get through this!”

What do you mean?

– “Master, pick up my head!”

What?

– “Fusion!”

What!?

***

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