# Chapter 26: Rookie Adventurer Bern (24) – Two Connections
The location of Richi’s lair was situated in the northern region when the Virka Kingdom was divided into nine parts.
During the time the northern branch adventurers acted as a reconnaissance team to investigate the surroundings, carriages loaded with adventurers from the western, northwestern, central, northeastern, and eastern branches had already departed.
The three branches in the south did not participate in this operation because the reason was, if they waited until they joined, it would give Richi too much preparation time. They were instead assigned to fill in the gaps resulting from the many skilled members missing from the other branches.
The procession departing from the eastern branch included a total of five parties—two of 4th Tier and three of 3rd Tier.
Among them were faces familiar to Bern’s group.
“Hahaha! Sorry about last time, we parted ways without a proper greeting. It was quite unfortunate!”
Alseus Bretrea.
A rare 4th Tier adventurer, and one with whom Frencia had previously made acquaintance, approached Bern with a familiar attitude.
“I apologize. At the time, the situation was quite urgent, leaving no room for proper introductions.”
To Bern’s apology, Alseus shrugged.
“Nah, nothing to apologize for. It was a bit baffling that we didn’t manage to do much before the whole thing wrapped up too quickly, but regardless, the case was resolved, and the victims returned, right? That’s enough in my book.”
“Not quite. We still need to rescue the remaining victims before we can properly consider this over.”
“Hmm, you’re right.”
Alseus stroked his chin habitually before quietly inquiring,
“By the way, did that kidnapper reveal anything extra—weaknesses of Richi, or information about the magic he uses?”
Bern stared silently at Alseus.
Depending on how Alseus interpreted his gaze, he whispered while glancing around as if being mindful of others,
“To be honest, I feel a bit awkward saying this, but your group resolved things too quickly last time, which left my team in a little bit of a bind. People keep comparing us now, and it’s really causing dissatisfaction among my team members.”
Bern turned his head to glance at a group resting near a bonfire, a fair distance from Bern’s group.
At first glance, it seemed like ordinary conversation between peers, but upon closer inspection, one could feel hostile glances flickering in Bern’s direction.
Alseus pleaded earnestly and bowed his head,
“This is a Guild-wide assignment that’s drawing a lot of attention. If we perform well on this, it’ll silence those who doubted and mocked us. I’ll definitely reward you, so isn’t there anything you could share?”
After a brief silence, Bern chuckled and responded,
“How much are you willing to offer?”
Alseus’ eyes gleamed.
“So, you do have some useful information?”
“That depends on the price.”
“Ha! You’re more interested in money than I thought!”
“Are there even adventurers who dislike money?”
“Well, they do exist, but judging by your appearance and attitude, I somehow felt you were indifferent to money.”
“That’s a misconception. I like money.”
“Hmm.”
After some hesitation, Alseus reached into his belt pouch, pulling out a moneybag and offering it whole.
Feeling the weight and catching a glimpse of the glittering gold inside, Bern commented,
“You’re quite generous.”
“Reputation attracts wealth, but it vanishes just as quickly if status falls. Being an adventurer is like that. Consider this as an investment.”
Taking the moneybag, Bern lowered his voice,
“If you happen to encounter Richi’s disciples in the dungeon, be cautious of the black spheres they carry.”
“Spheres?”
“Roughly this size, and their color is like a pool of oil.”
As Bern mimicked the size with his hands and described the sphere, Alseus’ eyes lit up.
“Keep going.”
“While interrogating the culprit, his black sphere suddenly transformed into a blade and pierced him. We managed to get a few words out with healing magic before it was too late, but complex information was beyond reach. We might not have even known Richi was behind it.”
“So the guy’s dead? Then what about the prisoner executed by the domain?”
“We made a contract with the Lord. In exchange for an extra reward, the perpetrators wanted the official punishment. They probably substituted a suitable prisoner.”
“Hmm, that makes sense. Definitely the kind of move that Lord would pull. Any other information?”
“Only the location of the culprit’s temporary hideout, which has already been cleared so it’s not useful anymore.”
Alseus nodded.
“Understood. I’ll be careful with those spheres. Is this information known to others?”
“Unfortunately, clients with as generous a gesture as you are still rare.”
“Hahaha! I see. You’re a born negotiator! Alright, I trust you.”
Alseus laughed heartily as he returned to his companions.
Bern took a final glance at Alseus’ retreating back before heading back to his carriage.
A demonic voice from the shadows questioned,
“What are you scheming?”
Bern shrugged off the voice,
“People always fall for their own deceptions the easiest. I should be cautious too.”
Meanwhile,
Blanca thought,
This is really uncomfortable.
“Uh, s-sorry about last time. I may have gone too far…”
The former teammate’s voice trailed off almost inaudibly, as they mumbled their apologies.
“Karina, stop doing things that don’t suit you.”
Blanca’s cold tone made Karina flinch noticeably.
Even so, she did not leave. Instead, she fidgeted and looked around nervously, which was far from the confident and haughty mage Blanca remembered.
Blanca sighed.
She was aware why Karina had suddenly changed her behavior.
‘You mentioned the situation has been bad recently, didn’t you?’
Karina’s party consisted of two warriors, one thief, two mages, and five members total.
However, Blanca had heard that two of them, who clashed with Bern and suffered a devastating defeat, had retired from the party.
Adventurers spend a significant amount of time and effort aligning their party mechanics. If some party members leave, the overall strength diminishes considerably.
Especially in Karina’s case, the remaining members include a bearded warrior who is better suited for tanking due to his slow movement, and a healer with barely enough skill to cover 3rd Tier levels, only recruited to replace Blanca due to her healing spell affinity.
No matter how talented Karina may be, the party cannot function properly under these circumstances.
If they were recruiting new members, the situation would be tolerable. However, the reputation of Karina’s party has plummeted critically after five members were overwhelmed and defeated by a single 2nd Tier adventurer.
Blanca knows it’s only because Bern is extraordinary, but people unfamiliar with the circumstances might easily suspect ‘Perhaps this party isn’t that great after all.’
For aspiring members aiming for at least 3rd Tier, this perception makes Karina’s party unappealing.
Weakened party strength, harsh glances from all sides, and no foreseeable improvement.
Even worse, someone she once incurred animosity with is now achieving success at a higher rank in seemingly no time.
If, in this situation, Blanca were to retaliate, what would happen?
Even if Blanca did not act directly, and skilled adventurers opted to ostracize Karina’s party to avoid association with Blanca, what then?
“Hmm.”
Crossing her arms and staring at Karina, Blanca’s gaze then shifted to the uncomfortable-looking bearded warrior and healer behind her.
The healer flinched visibly and looked away, while the bearded warrior bowed his head in embarrassment.
Nearby, Renya shouted furiously,
“Unbelievable, how audacious can people get! Miss Senior, there’s no point listening to her anymore!”
“I-I’ll never do it again, please, just once, forgive me!”
“To apologize, it should have been done sooner, not when you come crawling back when it’s convenient!”
“That’s…”
As Renya’s accusations continued, Karina struggled to respond, her face turning red.
Blanca couldn’t help but chuckle internally.
A 4th Tier mage, frankly speaking, could become a specialized mage in any domain and receive treatment better than an ordinary knight.
Would someone with that level of power frequently endure such disrespect?
Maybe the person had doubts about starting fresh elsewhere after long association within the adventurer guild? Or perhaps they were so desperate they didn’t have time to consider alternatives? Or, albeit unlikely, maybe they felt a responsibility as a leader not to abandon their teammates?
What would Bern say in such a situation?
Blanca thought for a while, then smiled.
-Blanca-sama, you can do whatever you want. Isn’t that what being an adventurer is all about?
Though she hadn’t heard it directly, the vivid sound echoed in Blanca’s mind as she replied.
“Karina, I have one question for you, and I want an honest answer. If you evade or lie, be aware there’ll be real consequences.”
“What?”
“Why did you treat me as such a thorn in your side?”
Karina hesitated to answer, but after being pressured, she closed her eyes and muttered.
“Because I envied you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Because I envied you!! How can someone who once nearly died in a brothel because they were sold for a few coins for their whole life manage to barely scrape by learning a low-level spell from a mage customer through servility and then become a mage, while you… you had your mother teaching you step by step and even wielded a staff that even some nobles can’t easily acquire, and used magic as if it was nothing!”
Blanca quickly checked her surroundings, relieved that no one else was listening.
If such a sensitive story had spread due to her pressure, it would undoubtedly have caused unnecessary trouble.
“Uh…”
If Karina had explained her situation earlier, Blanca felt it could have resolved matters sooner, but stopped herself. This wasn’t a situation where someone in a tight spot would easily reveal such a story, and Blanca herself had never been particularly interested in her former party members’ personal lives.
At that time, her party members had only been necessary forces for rescuing her mother.
After a moment of complicated expression, Blanca spoke up straightforwardly.
“That’s enough.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve accepted your apology and will not hold former incidents against you. I won’t seek revenge, so stop sulking so much.”
The somber expression on Karina’s face brightened slightly.
She alternated between looking at Blanca and her other teammates before bowing repeatedly and then leaving.
“To think our Senior has such great tolerance. Even while knowing your situation trying to save your mother, she acted spitefully due to jealousy.”
“Hmm.”
When Karina mentioned being sold for a few coins, Blanca couldn’t help but imagine what she might think upon hearing about a mother who sacrificed everything to protect her child.
She didn’t even want to imagine it, as comparing who endured more hardship was pointless.
“Anyway, it’s better to see her bouncing back instead of sulking uselessly. That will make her more effective against Richi. That’s enough.”
Though the party balance is unstable, Karina’s cold magic itself is quite useful in group battles.
Even with members leaving, they could minimize the void in this collaborative operation with other parties.
Calling it all an effort to strengthen their forces, Blanca mumbled several times as if to justify.
And after some time,
At the entrance to Richi’s dungeon,
An old man emanating a terrifying aura solemnly announced,
“—Since everyone is gathered, let’s begin the operation.”
