Haroon Volume 3 Chapter 5

《Revival》

 On the next day, Haroon woke up early and nervously waited for his suspension to finish. Fortunately, the place where he revived was the Viscounty of Paros, near the river bank. The first thing he could see upon his revival was the yellow Sorbon river and the long, narrow wooden bridge. There were still some foot-soldiers and knights remaining.

 'They are the Silver Moon Knights. Then where am I?'

 He quickly looked around and gave a sigh of relief.

 "I'm on the viscounty side. What a relief."

 He set his default revival location as the safe place near the location of death. If he revived on the opposite side of the river, it would have complicated matters.

 As it had gone 3 days of in-game time already, most of the soldiers gathered around the river had retreated, but the bridge was still in a tense situation. It wasn't as intense as before, but still, a few hundred members of each side were a.s.sembled on the opposite sides of the bridge.

 Now that he learned about the Golden Battle, he could understand the situation of with Briella. The only thing he couldn't understand was why an imperial successor that has Sun Guards and Silver Moons on his or her back would even bother to eliminate a weak force like Briella.

 'Well, I don't know how big Briella's force is.'

 Seeing how two strong knightages won't dare to cross the river, Viscount Paros must have sufficient forces to keep them away. And considering how Viscount Paros was supporting Briella, he thought that Briella might be a bigger force than what he'd seen so far.

 'Well, there's only one way to find out.'

 Haroon looked at the imposing castle gate. He couldn't find any soldiers causing disorder at the gate nor at the bridge. They must be elites, not mere guards.

 He had to check something before entering the gate. It was his status. He was concerned about it since he heard that the death penalty of Beyond was quite severe.

Name: Haroon
Race: Human
Cla.s.s: Swordsman
Level: 10
t.i.tle: Mercenary guild leader (and 4 others)
H.P.: 1,210
M.P.: 1,240
E.F.P.: 450
Strength: 45(+15)     Stamina: 36
Intellect: 20               Wisdom: 38
Luck: 25                     Agility: 32(+12)
Sustenance: 12         E.S.P.: 9
Focus: 16                    S.P.: 3
Fame: 540                  Leadership: 315
Fire Resistance: +10%
Magic Resistance: +10%

'That ain't so bad! I guess my penalty wasn't so severe since my level is low.'

 Haroon felt relieved by seeing the status. Fortunately, he didn't get any penalty on his level as he died right after he got a cla.s.s advancement. There were only a 10% decrement to his stats. Moreover, he gained some E.F.P as he overdid it when summoning Brat prior to his death.

 But that only lasted for a moment. He was frustrated from the fact that he lost the stats that he had trained so hard to get. He was slow on levelling up and getting a cla.s.s as his playthrough was abnormal compared to others. The only thing that he thought he was ahead in was his high stats, which was way over the average, but now he lost that.

 He checked his skills as well, as he was worried about the level decrement on his skills.

Pa.s.sive Skill
Sense Sword – Basic : Lv.1(92.00%)/Lv.10
Messenger Walking – Basic: Lv.2(0.6%)/Lv.5

Active Skill
Spirit-guided throwing knives – Basic: Lv.1(7.23%)/Lv.5
Spirit-integrated throwing knives – Advanced : Lv.1(51.02%)/Lv.5
Emergency Treatment – Basic: Lv.1(2.50%)/Lv.3
Compound cure – Basic: Lv.1(12.30%)/Lv.5
Trap placement and removal: Lv.1(3.00%)/Lv.3
Ma.s.sage – Basic: Lv.1(6%)/Lv.3

 There was no penalty on his skills. Haroon was relieved by that.

 'So NPCs thinks that outlanders teleport back to their world on the moment of death? Then people wouldn't be so surprised to see me alive.'

 There was no problem with pa.s.sing through the gate. When they saw Haroon, the guards crossed their spears and stopped Haroon. Haroon showed them the bracelet which was the symbol of a mercenary guild leader, and they retracted their spears and moved aside, allowing him to pa.s.s.

 The size of the Viscounty castle couldn't be compared to the Baron castle. He wasn't sure if that was just because Viscount Paros had a greater force than his t.i.tle, but their residential area was big enough to easily hold hundreds of thousands of people; commercial streets were well developed, and roads were well paved.

 He pa.s.sed the square that every castle has, and headed to the inner castle. The guards checked his ident.i.ty once again, then he could enter the area where the n.o.bles and lord lived.

 'Devron and Doran must be related to Viscount Paros. Then I guess I should go to the viscount's mansion.'

 He was right about that. When the knight who was guarding the viscount's mansion confirmed his ident.i.ty by his bracelet, he politely welcomed him to the mansion. The scale of it resembled a giant university campus. It was quite a distance from the gate to the building.

 "Please wait here for a moment."

 So Haroon wandered in the garden for a while. It seemed the Viscount has hired an expert who maintains the garden. The flowers and trees were well trimmed and were creating a beautiful scene.

 "Hahaha! Haroon, It's good to see you back! Welcome, welcome! I thought you were dead at first, but then I was so relieved to hear from your members that you are an outlander, as I heard that the outlanders automatically teleport to a safe area right before their death.

 It was Devron. He ran out with bare feet and hugged him. He witnessed Haroon's last moment, shot by arrows and magical bolts and sinking to the bottom of the river, and always felt very distressed to even think about what he witnessed.

 Though he may be an outlander who can revive, or who was working as a mercenary, it was very touching to see a man sacrificing his life to save him and others.

 "It's great to see that you are well, Devron."

 "Are you alright? Is all well?"

 Devron held Haroon with his hands and checked here and there as if a father was checking his son who just came back from a war. Haroon was moved by Devron's kindness with all his heart. Although he may be an NPC, his sincere care for Haroon came to him like a reward for his death.

 "Yes, all is well."

 "Haha! Let's get in then. What great timing, I came to the main building to discuss with Viscount Paros. Our party has been staying in that building. That's the guest house."

 Devron was pointing at an antique three-story building.

 "Viscount Paros would surely like to meet you, if he finds out that you are here, but go to your members and tell them that you are back. I think that's the correct order."

 "Absolutely."

 He really wanted to meet the Quad w.a.n.kers. He found it odd as he once hated them with his heart. He thought he must have gotten friendly with them as they went through various trialss together.

 They went through the beautiful garden of daliah and entered the guesthouse. The first thing that welcomed Haroon was Gitan's loud voice.

 "Boss! Boss is alive! And he is back!"

 Gitan was sitting in the living room and was eating something piled up on the dish. He was the first one who saw Haroon.

 "Have you been well?" Said Haroon.

 "Ye-yes. Yo-you came so late, and I-I thought you were d-dead."

 Gitan said between his tears, and that voice made Haroon all choked up. Emotions are quite strange things, and it can make people act differently from how they think, and over time, changes how they think. Haroon only thought of using the Quad w.a.n.kers, but they were showing affection towards hi-

 "How are we supposed to live on if you die before you cure us. I don't want to die from getting my b.u.t.tcrack burst!" Gitan added, cutting Haroon's stream of thoughts.

 "Ha, I should have guessed."

 "Ugh!"

 All emotions built up by Haroon during this reunion got demolished by Gitan. It was just all Haroon's misunderstanding. Haroon got very embarra.s.sed and irritated, so he punched Gitan's head as hard as he could. Screw fellowship, he thought. In the Quad w.a.n.ker's perspective, they were just being squeezed out under the threat of sickness. That wasn't some kind of relationship that would build a strong fellowship.

 "I'm glad you are alive."

 It was Briella.

 She seemed really glad to see Haroon return. He wasn't sure why she would be in the guest house, but she had changed.

 She was wearing a dress, not a common cloth. She had some makeup on too. She was no longer a sick girl, but a beautiful and elegant lady.

 "It was all thanks to your concern."

 He now knew her real ident.i.ty, so he couldn't treat her like a little girl. From Haroon's polite reply, Briella realized how she carelessly acted and blushed. She smiled back and hid behind Hall. Hall was looking at Haroon, but she wasn't as cold as before. At least Haroon could see some thankfulness shining from her eyes. She had some bandage wrapped around her shoulder. Haroon was worried about her as she bled so much, but now it was a relief that she looked fine.

 "I was relieved when your members told me that you are an outlander, but it is great to see you with my own eyes!"

 Doran came with his kids and held Haroon's hands.

 "I am just glad to see that your kids are safe."

 "It's all thanks to you, Haroon! If it wasn't you and your spirits, we wouldn't have made it here."

 Without a reply, Haroon smiled and stroke the two kids' heads.

 "I thought you were dead!"

 "I cried a lot because I was so sad!"

 Haroon hugged them.

 "Thanks. I didn't want to see you shedding tears for me, so that's why I forced my body back to life."

 "Really?"

 "Mmhm."

 Then Haroon could see Philip, Serinn, and Ritrina coming towards him.

 "Boss!" said Philip, brightly smiling

 "Hohoho, see what I mean? See what I mean by our boss is not kind of person who would die that easily?"

 It was Serinn. Her face was bright too, probably because she hasn't been doing any work for last 3 days of his absence. That face resembled those of n.o.bles', so Haroon got annoyed a little bit.

 "I'm so relieved. I was not willing to live anymore if you were dead, Boss. In fact, I thought of killing myself after you," said Ritrina.

 Again, Haroon was so moved by people caring, and Ritrina's loya-

 "I don't want to die with such a disgusting look. I'd better die after you."

 'Screw loyalty.'

 Those words from the Quad w.a.n.kers were not for him. It was for the weird sickness they believed that they've got..

 Devron came back from the main building. He brought the party to the big meeting room. NPCs were simply happy to see their savior. They took some time for Haroon to catch up. After a while, Devron changed the subject.

 "The request we made to the Gusts of Wind was successfully accomplished."

 It was at that moment a window popped up in front of Haroon's eyes.

[Quest Accomplished!]

It was the quest of Escorting Briella. Soon, he could hear a joyful message.

[The leader's level is increased by 3]
[The member's level is increased by 2]
[You have gained 200 fame.]

 Considering how low Haroon's level was, the quest was almost impossible for him to accomplish. In fact, it seemed 3 level up wasn't much considering the difficulty. Haroon checked the Quad w.a.n.kers' faces. Seeing how they were not showing any expression, he could see that NPCs are not aware of their level.

 "And this is the 100 gold we promised you as a reward," said Devron. "It is not much considering how well you've done, but her highness once mentioned rewarding you something by herself," he added, whispering only to Haroon.

 It seems like the Quad w.a.n.kers are not aware of Briella's ident.i.ty.

 "You've done a lot for us. Especially if it wasn't for Haroon, we would have died by the enemies' arrows and magical attacks. I really appreciate your help," said Briella.

 Haroon knew it was his time to say something, but he couldn't think of one, and missed the chance.

 "This is one of the few things my father left for me. I was once warned that this should not leave the imperial family's hands, but I'd like to repay you for saving my life, and it is my belief that this would be worthwhile in your hands. So please, make good use of this."

 What she handed him was a small marble. It was well-polished, but it wasn't any kind of jewelry. Haroon was disappointed by its looks, but never hinted it to her.

 "Thank you. I'll make sure to make good use of it."

 He checked the item info right in front of the NPCs. He couldn't bear not checking it out of curiosity. And now that the whole party knew that he was an outlander, he thought it wouldn't matter if he acted differently. He heard from Jinsoo that NPCs know that outlanders have a strange habit of speaking with air.

Mysterious Summoning Marble
Cla.s.s : Mystery

An unidentified being is sealed inside this marble. The being may or may not be summoned by the caster.

 'Wha-what? What is this?'

 Whoever made this, they named this perfectly. It reminded him of the first time meeting Brat, and it made him shudder without knowing. Of course, thanks to that, he was able to come this far, but he didn't want another pet like Brat.

 'What's more is that I don't have control of the summoned being. What kind of item is this?' he thought.

 Then he could see another window that was only visible to his eyes.

[You have completed the D-cla.s.s story quest!]
[Your level is increased by 4]
[Luck is increased by 5 points]
[You have gained 300 fame]
[You have gained 30 Soul Points]

 That was total of 7 level-ups! Considering the bonus stats he gains by levelling up, it would probably cover some of the death penalty. He wanted to enjoy the sensation of getting multiple rewards, but he couldn't as he had too many eyes watching on him.

 "Well then, take some rest. Briella and I have some affairs to discuss with Viscount Paros, so we have to go. Viscount Paros is willing to see you as well, so he'll probably contact you tomorrow or so. Then we'll talk about the latest when we come back," said Devron.

 "Alright."

 Devron went to the Viscount's office with Briella and Hall.

 "Boss, since we successfully completed the first request our guild ever got, why don't we party to celebrate it ? We've got tons for our reward, so let's get h.e.l.la lotta drunken!"

 "Geez, You giant bear. Is everything inside your brain about foods and rinks, you coward?"

 Gitan suggested to have a party, and Ritrina rebuked him, but they were both smiling. Anyways, Haroon was glad as the quest was completed, and the Quad w.a.n.kers were welcoming his return for whatever reason. He decided not to care if that was for the fellowship that were built up so far, or just them thinking only about curing their sickness.

 "I don't see why not." said Haroon.

 "YES!" Philip shouted.

 Philip shot his fist high up in the air. He was not saying anything to look cool, but it seemed he wanted to enjoy the partying spirit as well, celebrating the success on the first quest the guild made. Serinn was already heading to her room to change her clothes.

 Haroon and the quad w.a.n.kers persuaded Teeno who kept refusing to come with them, but then Teeno lead them to a tavern that is popular for mercenaries, saying that the beer they brew and yeanling steak they make is the best in the castle. It was Haroon's first time having alcoholic drinks in Beyond.

 'd.a.m.n, this feels great!' He thought.

 The taste of beer in Beyond was simply great. The beer in real life was no match to it. He once heard that the taste of beer comes from water. Since the water of Beyond was not polluted at all, the beer of Beyond was on another level. With the fellowship he felt from his guild members, or maybe the joy of completing the quest, he enjoyed the mood and getting drunk.

 He remembered the time he when was wandering the streets after quitting school, and drinking some bottles of beer he bought from the random closest grocery stores. That cold, thick beer could never be compared to this refreshing and tasty beer. He thanked Bell to be able to fully taste the beer.

 What he didn't know was that the others could taste the beer as well. But they couldn't get the proper taste, nor could they get drunk as regular capsules are not able to stimulate alcoholic sensation to the users.

 The inside of the tavern was noisy, but the mercenaries didn't bother about it and kept on chatting and drinking, building up their deep relationship. They chatted about the battle, and the memories they built up.

 Haroon started to get drunk as well, thanks to Bell who were able to put alcohols in the drinks he got. It was his first, and happiest moment of chatting and tilting the gla.s.ses of beer with people he likes. His voice got louder and he started to talk a lot, but n.o.body thought it strange. They were all like Haroon, even Teeno.

 Teeno was usually quiet, and only talked when he needed to. But as soon as some gla.s.ses of beers went down his throat, he simply changed to someone else. He was no longer a person who had lived most of his life being a slave. The slave-mind that was deep-rooted in his mind was simply gone, and now he became an old mercenary, and lead the mood of the table.

 Teeno started talking about the experience he had in the world. As the spice of his experience and wits were added to the table, the taste of the drink was added with flavor, and it helped the red sunset to float on people's faces.

 Serinn was the first one who noticed Teeno's change, and started to flirt with Teeno with her characteristic charm and talk only to lift the spirit, and the others enjoyed the aroused mood. Serinn was the one who got the most care of Teeno, and this was the way she thanked him.

 'And I thought she was useless. Welp, I never knew how the stat Coquetry works anyways,' Haroon thought.

 Haroon began to think of Serinn in a positive way. Her stat 'Coquetry' turned out to be useful in a situation like this, as she was becoming a light of the party, and was making Teeno one as well. To Teeno who was living apart from his family without even knowing if they're alive or not, Serinn came as an affectionate, nice person. Of course, considering his age or the way his life had been, it wasn't about romantic love, but like a family member he would love to spend time with.

 When the night deepened and the mercenaries were leaving the tavern, Teeno was being treated like a vice-leader of the group in a humoristic way, and Teeno himself acted like one to help the others have a great time.

 They drank quite a lot of beer, but they didn't get too drunk to not be able to move. Haroon, too, wasn't so drunk. Maybe it was a good chat that woke him up, or maybe it was his improved body that forced his body to move. It was just that……

 "Ey, ya think Ah'm that eze to get?!"

 Whoever she was talking to, Ritrina was so drunk that Gitan had to carry her back to the guest house.

 When Haroon got back to his room in the guest house, even before he got to wash his body, the butler of Viscount came to his room and secretly handed him a note that the viscount has got something to talk about, and wants to meet him as soon as possible.

 'What is it that he's got to talk about on a late night like this?'

 Whatever the affair was, it was clear that he wants to avoid the attention of others, which meant it was an important matter. For some reason, that made him feel nervous, and it sobered him up. Just in case, Haroon took a light shower and changed to clean, formal clothing, and went to meet the Viscount with the butler as guide.

Translated by Channy_
Edited by Tom, and Kmatt

Footnotes

Editor's notes:

Kmatt: Only 9-10% stat drop from death isn't to bad.

Channy_: The thing is that, I've never been to such a party with alcoholic drinks. Now I am so interested about it. To bad there was no toast held.

FYI, that marble he just received will never be mentioned again. It seems the author simply forgot about it.

Tom: I hope Teeno joins the Gusts of Wind. He seems like a nice guy.