Chapter 15: The Price of Ignorance (1)

Chapter 15: The Price of Ignorance (1)

Considering there were multiple inns in this town, it would be good to check if the same was true for general stores.

There were quite a few, each with a different price for the same product.

“...”

Bargaining for everything separately or constantly comparing prices didn't fit my character setting.

So, I decided to pick one of the stores where I wouldn't be ripped off too much in the future. Even in real life, I never succeed in these kinds of things.

“Hey, Sir Archmage. Sir Demon Knight doesn't seem to be in a very good mood."

“As we kind of forced him to join our journey, that isn’t too surprising."

“...?! W-we forced him to join? D-did I unknowingly coerce him into this...?!"

“No, that's not what I meant..."

However, these two NPCs constantly speculated what my stiff expression might mean.

It honestly felt like a scene out of Dumb and Dumber. Just watching them was funny enough.

“We're departing!"

During all that, the caravan leader announced our departure. The wagon the two NPCs and I were sitting in slowly started moving.

They said they would let us ride on it out of consideration, as we wouldn't receive any pay... Every time my body went up and down, I would feel extremely nauseous. At this point, I couldn't see this as an act of consideration at all.

Eventually, I ended up closing my eyes. I managed to endure last time, but did I have to do so again?

Roleplaying was supposed to be fun, not painful. I could tolerate some things in anticipation of more fun, but this wasn't one of those times. In situations like this, it would be better to just break character.

“Are you going to sleep?"

Instead of answering her, I was reminded of the sleep system. A Window appeared before my eyes even while they were closed. Even if I didn't touch the arrows on the Windows, I could change the time just by thinking about it.

I set the timer to three hours for now. It would be nice if I could set it to our arrival time, but I didn't know when exactly we would reach our destination. If it wasn't enough, I could just reset it later.

“May God grant you a peaceful rest..."

Hearing the Inquisitor's blessing, my vision faded to black. The darkness, which consumed even the tiniest speck of light that might leak through my eyelids, seemed like thick, black paint.

* * *

I was a fool for expecting the journey to take only three hours after taking ten to reach the Northwestern Forest.

It took us three days to arrive at the next town. Right. A full day in real-time.

Even after finishing the escort mission and riding on horses as fast as we could, it still ended up like that.

We didn't encounter any other events or Quests, though we did defeat some bandits and lesser beasts while traveling. Still, I couldn't help but feel incredibly bored.

One day of my three-day Full Dive, which cost me 300,000 won, evaporated into nothingness. I now had less than eight hours, or one in-game day, remaining.

“There's something I want to ask you."

Most of the time, I was just riding about on a horse with my face crumpled... which seemed to have puzzled the Archmage.

So when we arrived in the next town, he asked me something.

“You haven't asked us a single thing. Don't you wonder whether we really received that revelation? Or where we're going, and why?"

That was a strange question. Well, the biggest reason I rarely talked to them first was because of my character setting.

Besides, I was a player. There was no reason for me to doubt them as the appearance of the Main Quest was proof enough.

Also, unless I had a deep knowledge of this game world's geography, I wouldn't know where we were going even if they told me. I did play the original, but my memory wasn't good enough to remember every town's name.

I was curious about why we were traveling to a different town... but not to the point that I would break character.

Furthermore, the reason for their initial journey was to search for Companions, including the 'player'.

If it were an essential Quest, they would just explain it on their own. Well, it was common for people to be recruited and mobilized without any explanation, only to get killed off like dogs.

“If you lied about the Revelation, I just have to kill you, and if it’s a place I knew or have to know about, those snouts of yours would have already announced it loud and clear. That is, if those brains of yours haven’t already melted to slime.”

After translating my feelings into words, I took a deep breath. The last line was the most important.

“Lastly, whatever you two do or don’t do, so long as you don’t disturb me, I won’t care.”

Kuuh, that was perfect, and it conveyed how I just saw them as companions in my hunt for Demons with no interest in them as people. There wasn’t anything strange about drawing lines between us like that.

“Is that so?”

Having potentially been convinced, the Archmage stroked his chin. He didn’t seem offended, but I wasn’t too sure. My favorability level with him might have fallen.

“Then, have you ever been involved with the Magic Tower or the Temple—”

“I sold the horses! That’s the money I got... Oh, were you talking about something?”

Then, before the Archmage even finished his sentence, the Inquisitor, whom we had sent out to sell the horses, returned from the stables.

The Archmage had decided she should do it, saying she had to get more used to society. I agreed that she had to experience these things.

I wasn’t actually sure if NPCs learned from repeated actions, though.

“I interrupted you...”

“Haha, not at all. We only chatted for a bit. Alright, let us go. There is a Temple here, so we won’t need to look for an inn.”

I was a little curious about what he’d been about to say, but the opportunity to ask further had already passed. I also couldn’t exactly ask him about it with my character settings as they were.

「❖ The Evil Lurking in the TownBut why wasn't this treated as part of the Main Quest? Was it actually not that important of an issue?

When I tried to take a step forward, the Archmage blocked me. A hand half the size of mine pressed down on the hand holding the hilt of my sword.

“They didn't have any bad intentions."

I was just going to hold the hilt, but I did like their reaction.

“If they had ill intentions, I would have already cut them down."

I headed inside, a dirty look on my face. The two people standing nearby glanced my way. I felt rather happy as I felt their stares on me.

I should leave immediately after receiving information about the Quest, though.

* * *

The meeting regarding their request was held in quite the bloody atmosphere. The reason for that was quite simple. While the Hero and the sage received the highest forms of hospitality, I did not.

The subtle war of nerves between me and the Temple’s people continued—being able to roleplay so freely filled me with overflowing happiness—and didn’t stop even after the meeting.

“Your room has been prepared. Or would you prefer to eat first? If you feel uncomfortable in the dining room, we can also deliver it to your room.”

Those last words were said while looking toward me. The NPC’s intentions obviously weren’t pure at all.

“I refuse.”

However, that much was already offensive enough. I’d never agree to that!

In the end, the priests, using fatigue from our journey as an excuse, asked us to commence our search for the Demon tomorrow, which would keep us stuck in the Temple.

How could I ignore it when the game gave me such an obvious hint? They were giving me an excuse to head out while still staying in character, right?

“Sleeping on the forest floor would be closer to God’s arms than sleeping in this house of hypocrites.”

“What...?!”

I couldn’t stand getting spoon-fed like that. I didn’t have that much time left until I had to log out! I wouldn’t even get to search around!

I turned around with my luggage.

It did kind of seem like I was getting kicked out, but that was fine. The priests seemed to notice it as well, but I had chosen to leave first. And above all, I had no intention of sleeping in the first place!

Anyway, I didn't like playing games at too slow a pace. I even did a Full Dive, so I was playing with the mindset of getting my money’s worth here.

As such, this kind of development was more than welcome.

Of course, I had to act like I was in an incredibly bad mood. Keke. I was a pro roleplayer, after all.

“Demon Knight!”

Furthermore, the Quest information was updated during our previous conversation. I wouldn’t have any problems finding the Demon. I was wholly confident that even if those two didn’t come along, I could find it by myself.

“Wait a moment...!”

Leaving behind the Inquisitor trying to stop me, I glanced at my Quest Window.

「❖ The Evil Lurking in the Town

∎ Pursue the Demon hiding in the Town

∎ Optional: Ask the residents

∎ Optional: Find the Demon’s Traces」

The Quest hinted that I could track the Demon by asking the residents or finding its traces.

However, that was completely unnecessary for me. I had already figured out the answer to the Quest with the information received from the people of the Temple.

While the type of Demon was unknown, it seemed to appear during both day and night. Its targets were usually sleeping people, and it killed its victims in various ways: crushing them, draining their blood, eating them, and so on.

As someone who had done a lot of data research, I found that information quite familiar. Not to mention, I played the original game quite fervently as well.

While they might have added new mobs, I was extremely familiar with this one. I was sure of what it was.

It was a ‘Draugr.’

“Please, wait a second!”

Tak.

While I wasn’t paying attention, my right arm was grasped. The arm containing the Demon, according to the official setting.

“...!”

I reflexively shook it off. Considering my character settings, he wasn’t someone who liked sudden bodily contact to begin with.

However, she had touched my right hand, yeah? That was where the Demon was, you know? No way.

“Don’t.”

Looking into the Inquisitor’s pale face, I reacted harshly. While my expression contained contempt, the self-loathing in it was even stronger. I blended fear into the anger I showed toward the person before me.

“Don’t touch me so carelessly.”

Amazing. That was perfect. Shouldn’t I just become an actor? Oh, right, my face didn’t look that good.

“I-I’m sorry.”

As she let go of the arm she was holding, I turned around, clenching my fists.

“Where are you going?”

This time, it was the Archmage who held me back. However, that question was very easy to answer.

“To kill the Demon.”

This night would be a very long one.