Chapter 109

“Somewhere quiet…?” Siegfried asked.

“Yes,” Gosran replied.

“Why…?”

“I want to speak comfortably with Siegfried-nim, but there are too many eyes and ears here, like you said, right?”

“That’s true…”

“Then, let’s go,” Gosran said and grabbed Siegfried’s wrist.

“

Huh?

” Siegfried was taken aback as he thought, ‘

What’s with her speed?’

Gosran’s hand moved so fast that she caught him without Siegfried realizing it.

‘

What’s up with those movements? She could become an excellent pickpocket or gambler with that speed. Was it because I let my guard down? Ah… forget about it…’?

Siegfried could not figure out the secret behind Gosran’s insanely quick movement.

***

Gosran brought Siegfried behind the bushes, not too far away from the medical tent.

“This looks like a good place,” Gosran said.

Siegfried looked around and agreed, “It does look very secluded and quiet.”

“We will be able to comfortably talk here, right? I do not think anyone will be coming here.”

“Definitely.”

“But it is a bit cramped…”

“

Huh…?

”

“Can you scoot over a little bit?” Gosran lightly pushed Siegfried. She sat down on the floor and said, “Why don’t you sit as well, Siegfried-nim?”

“

Ah,

well… okay… but do we really have to talk here? It’s a bit cramped…”

The space behind the bushes was indeed small, and it had just enough space for two grown adults to crouch down and hide behind it.

“Does it bother you? Don’t worry, you will not die just because of some skin-to-skin contact,” Gosran teased.

“That is not what I meant…”

“How have you been doing? Have you been well?”

“Yeah, kind of… I guess I could say that I have been doing quite fine. I made some money and raised my level quite a lot.”

“You earned a lot?”

“Yes…” said Siegfried.

“Then, you must have moved to a nice house, bought a nice car, and dressed up to go to a club, too.”

“

Huh…?

”

“You must have spent the night with a woman you met for the first time at the club like a degenerate, too, right?”

“N-No way!” Siegfried retorted in denial while seemingly taken aback, but he was thinking at the back of his mind, ‘

W-Well… something like that did happen…’

He

did

spend the night with a stranger because he got too drunk… Of course, nothing really happened, and he passed out from being too drunk that night.

“

Hmm?

What’s with your reaction? Did you really do that?”

“N-No…”

“

Hmm?

”

“Something similar happened, but nothing happened. I was too drunk, so I did not even see that woman’s face.”

“Liar!”

“But it’s true…”

“I knew it. All men are the same.”

“

Huh?

”

“You are all animals.”

“No, wait a minute…!”

“Just kidding.

Pfft!”?

Gosran cheekily laughed before saying, “Anyone can end up in that situation, and besides, Siegfried-nim is already an adult. You are young as well, so you should enjoy life to the fullest.”

“But I don’t really want to…?”

“C’mon~”

“I’m telling the truth. I do not wish to enjoy life by mingling with strangers.”

“

Hooo?

Then I guess something like that won’t be happening ever again?”

“Of course! I was just too drunk that night.”

“Then, that is a relief...”

“What about you? How have you been?”

“I have been doing well. Nothing really interesting happened recently.

Hmm…

if I have to choose one, then… maybe the fact that Siegfried-nim did not respond to a single one of my letters?”

“T-That is… I don’t really have the time to open my mailbox nowadays…”

“Don’t mind it. I’m sure you were busy, but let us keep in touch at least from now on.”

“Sure, I’m sorry.”

“Anyway, what do you plan to do from now on? I heard from the medic that you wanted that NPC to be alive, but how are you going to treat him?”

“I will bring him to Mount Kunlun.”

“Mount Kunlun?”

“My master is there. I’m sure that my master can save him.”

“

Hmm?

Then, I can get to meet Siegfried-nim’s master?”

“

Huh?

You want to meet my master? Why do you want to meet my master…?”

“Because you will need me to keep that NPC alive?”

“…!”

“I have to infuse mana and freeze his organs once every four hours, or his organs will start rotting. That is why Siegfried-nim has to let me tag along to Mount Kunlun since you will need me.”

“I-I see… Then, I apologize for bothering you, but… would you kindly accompany me to Mount Kunlun?”

“Of course, Siegfried-nim is my friend, after all~”

“Thank you. I will make sure to compensate you for the experience points and gold you would lose from wasting your time…”

“Forget about that. What are friends for if we do not help each other?”

“But—”

“Instead, would you buy me lunch or dinner sometime? I live in Seoul. Where do you live, Siegfried-nim?”

“I live in Seoul, too.”

“Then, let’s have a meal. I want something expensive.”

“Will you be fine with just that?”

“Yes, but I want something delicious and expensive~”

“Deal!”

That was how Siegfried and Gosran ended up going to Mount Kunlun together.

***

“Take care,” Lieutenant General Overlock wished Siegfried well before sending him off. However, before Siegfried could leave, he made sure to ask, “Will you be coming back?”

“I’m not sure what’s going to happen,” Siegfried replied.

“I see… Well, I did not expect you to stay in this place for a long time,” Lieutenant General Overlock said. However, he continued holding onto Siegfried’s hands as if he didn’t want to let him go before saying, “But it is truly a shame… I’m sorry that I couldn’t even host a proper farewell to a war hero like you…”

“There is no helping it since the situation is urgent. It is not your fault, Corps Commander-nim.”

“But I still can’t help but feel bitter about it, Lieutenant Colonel Siegfried. I hope that you will come to visit us again since that is the only way that our kingdom can bestow you with a medal and reward you for the achievements you garnered, right?”

“I will try my best when I have the time.”

“Alright, I sincerely hope to see you again. I will be waiting.”

“Yes, Corps Commander-nim.”

“Hurry up and go on!”

Siegfried left the Arachnid Temporary Outpost and made his way toward the warp gate to Mount Kunlun.

“

Ugh…?

I hate work trips…”

“Let’s go, Siegfried-nim.”

He was accompanied by Carell on the stretcher, Gosran, and the medic, Captain Aaron.

***

The journey toward Mount Kunlun was difficult.

“

Ah,?

how many more warp gates do we have to go through?” Siegfried grumbled.

He could not help but grumble as five hours had already passed, and they had already used twelve warp gates since they left the Arachnid Temporary Outpost.

“My head hurts,” Gosran complained.

It seemed that even Gosran was having a headache from the many warp gates they had to use.

“

Euuurk! Bleck!”?

Meanwhile, Captain Aaron was in pretty bad shape.

It was all thanks to the side effects of warp gates.

Unfortunately, they had no other choice. The Arachnid Temporary Outpost and Mount Kunlun were simply too far from each other, and there were no warp gates that directly connected the two places.

In fact, the only reason they managed to come so far so quickly was that Lieutenant General Overlock used many of his connections and sent written requests to various countries to allow them to have free access to warp gates. Otherwise, the entire journey to Mount Kunlun would take an entire week if they went about it in a roundabout way.

This was a unique trait of BNW that made it impossible for the players to traverse across the vast continent in a single day, even with the help of the magical structures known as warp gates.

“Just hang on Siegfried-nim. We only have two more warp gates to cross,” Gosran said.

“Yeah, I should,” Siegfried replied.

They crossed a warp gate followed by another warp gate. They had to cross a total of fourteen warp gates to be able to reach the warp gate closest to Mount Kunlun.

“Is that Mount Kunlun? It looks pretty tall…” Gosran muttered while looking up at the imposing mountain in front of them. She then looked at Siegfried and asked, “Will we be able to climb it?”

“We cannot climb it on foot,” Siegfried replied.

“Then what should we do?”

“I heard that an airship has been prepared—

ah,

it’s over there,” Siegfried said while pointing at the sky.

A large airship had crossed over the warp gate, and it was now descending to land in front of them.

Thud!

The airship landed.

“I came just in time! Are you Adventurer Sieg?”

However…

“Yes, but…” Siegfried muttered in response as his eyes started quivering.

‘

What the hell? Is it that old man? He looks exactly like him?’

He was startled because the pilot of the airship looked familiar.

“

Uhmm...?

excuse me, but…” Siegfried said carefully.

“

Hmm?

” the pilot muttered in response.

“Do you remember me?”

“

Hmm?

Why would I remember you?”

“I met you at the Southern Seas…”

The pilot looked exactly like the pilot of the airship that crash-landed on the island where the World’s Greatest Survival Tournament was being hosted. In fact, they looked so similar that he had to be the doppelganger of that pilot, or he was that pilot.

“Southern Seas? You think you met me at the Southern Seas?”

“Yes.”

“If it’s the Southern Seas, then… Did you meet my brother by any chance?”

“Your brother?”

“My younger brother operates a small airship around the Southern Seas. We are identical twins, you see. He served in the air force just like me when he was younger.”

“

Oh…

”

“Is he doing well? Is he still drinking at every chance he gets?”

“Well… I’m sure he’s doing fine…” Siegfried replied. However, he didn’t voice out his thoughts,

?‘He’s probably doing fine in hell?’

He had no idea whether that damned old man was alive or not, but there was a huge chance that he was dead.

“Hmm… It’s such a shame that the bastard is still alive… he should just go ahead and die in a ditch or something.”

“

Huh…?

”

“It’s a shame to hear that he is still alive and well.”

“I thought you said he was your younger brother…?”

“He is, but you know what? How would you feel if your brother ran away from home with the deed to your house? That would feel quite shitty, right?”

“…”

“I would love nothing more than to kill him with my own hands, but I had to hold back since he is my brother, after all. However, I just wish that bastard would hurry up and die already.”

It was often said that those who often caused trouble at home would often cause trouble outside their homes as well. It seemed that the pilot who almost ruined Siegfried’s life was a troublemaker back in his home, too.

“Anyway, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Sebastian, the pilot that will bring you to the top of Mount Kunlun. My brother that you met before is called Alfred.”

“

Ah,?

yes…”

“Hop on aboard. It will take us quite a while to reach all the way up there.”

Siegfried and his party hopped on board the airship of the damned pilot’s twin brother, Captain Sebastian, and they made their way to the top of Mount Kunlun.

It was right after the airship took off…

“

Uhmm…

Sieg-nim?” Gosran called out.

“Yes?” Siegfried responded.

“Are you unwell? You do not look so good,” she asked, seemingly worried about him.

He was looking nervous for some reason, which made her worry about him. No, it was more accurate to say that he seemed to be afraid of something.

“It’s nothing, please do not mind me.”

“You can log out and get some rest if you feel tired. I will look after Carell.”

“I am fine,” he replied before he thought, ‘

There’s no way both brothers are messed up in the head, right…?’

Siegfried could not help but be worried as Captain Sebastian looked exactly like that damned old man whi almost ruined his life.

***

In the evening two days later, Siegfried and his party finally reached their destination after a tiresome and grueling journey. The reason was that Mount Kunlun was a very tall mountain that was impossible to climb all the way to the top, even with an airship.

“Is that the hut?” Gosran asked while pointing at a hut in the distance.

“Yes, that is the place,” Siegfried said with a smile.

It was a small hut filled with memories of the time he had spent with his master, Deus, and it was now right in front of him.

‘

Master, your disciple has returned,’?

Siegfried thought as he walked toward the hut filled with excitement and anticipation.

“Is he Sieg-nim’s master?” Gosran asked while pointing at a large man chopping firewood.

“No?”

“

Huh?

He is not your master?”

“My master is not that big, you see…”

“Then, who is he…?”

“I have no idea… it’s my first time seeing him…”

It was then…

“

Hmm?

Who would come to a place like this…?” the large man chopping firewood muttered and turned around when he noticed the presence of a group of people.

Then, his eyes met with Siegfried’s eyes…

“What?! You are...!” The large man screamed in surprise the moment he recognized Siegfried. It seemed that the man possessed the same ability as Gosran because he saw right through Siegfried’s Metamorphosis Mask.

“W-Why are you here…?” Siegfried asked, seemingly stupefied.

The large muscular man who seemed to be more than two meters tall and weighed more than a hundred and twenty kilograms was none other than Betelgeuse. Yes, it was that same Betelgeuse who begged Siegfried to become his disciple back at the Biermann Territory.