I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 56

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[056] Belmont’s Commission
Five days had passed since the battle with the demon.
I walked through the corridors of an upscale hotel clutching a paper bag of medicine, finally stopping before a suite door.
Knock, knock.
“It’s me, Doran. I’m coming in.”
As I opened the door, a cozy room bathed in soft lighting revealed itself atop plush carpeting.
It was always an elegant space, but the haphazardly scattered wet towels and medicine bottles on the nightstand beside the grand mahogany bed painted a melancholy picture.
Radi, locked in a grueling struggle beneath white blankets pulled up to her neck, looked up at me with half-lidded eyes.
“What time is it…?”
“It’s been quite a while since the Holy Tower’s afternoon bells rang. The sun’s already high in the sky.”
“Ugh… I’ve been unconscious for a whole day again.”
Radi gripped the edge of the bed and struggled to sit up.
“Can you move? You shouldn’t push yourself…”
“I’m much better now. This much is easy…”
Snap!
「Radi’s wrist ligament has been severed!」
“Aaaah!”
“I told you not to push yourself.”
I cleared away the clutter on the nightstand and set down the contents of the paper bag.
“I bought congee from Market Street. There’s also recovery medicine and painkillers—I’ll leave them within reach.”
“Ugh… it tastes bland, so plain…”
“Just eat it. That’s how you’ll get better.”
After spooning congee into Radi’s mouth, I stood to leave when she pulled the blanket toward her and asked.
“Are you going out again?”
“Yeah, I need to go out today too. There’s still a lot to take care of.”
“Then I’ll need to wash up with a damp cloth, so lock the door when you leave.”
“Got it.”
I closed the door behind me and set off immediately.
As I stepped out of the hotel, the vibrant landscape of a great city unfolded before me.
A place more bustling than Verastin itself.
‘This place really does have that Renaissance atmosphere…’
After the battle with the demon, all the Adventurers who had been in the Plaza were transported here.
It was the closest location among cities with portals installed.
Though five days had passed, the scorching heat of battle showed no signs of cooling.
“I’m telling you, he actually hurled a bone spear and pierced a mid-tier demon in one shot!!”
“You’re exaggerating! Do you know how strong a mid-tier demon is? Besides, if that necromancer was really that impressive, why hasn’t his name become known yet?”
“Ha! This is maddening! This is why I can’t have a conversation with someone who didn’t see it themselves!”
“Wait, that knight… could he be the Death Knight that appeared in Dungeon Layer 1? I’m pretty sure his name was Orgillian or something like that?”
“….”
As I tried to pass quietly with my hood pulled low, an Adventurer grabbed my arm.
“Ah, Captain Doran! You saw it too, didn’t you? Some knight throwing bone spears and utterly crushing the intermediate demons!”
“Hmm… I’m not sure what you mean.”
I quickened my pace and slipped out of the Tavern District, arriving at the grand mansion that loomed before me.
The guards automatically cleared a path at the sight of me, and I nodded in acknowledgment before reaching the study—a place now as familiar as my own home. The Old Man adjusted his glasses and spoke.
“You’re a bit late, Doran.”
“I arrived precisely on time.”
“Next time, be here early.”
Belmont grumbled with his typical pickiness, but coming from this old codger now that his mask was off, this level of treatment was actually quite favorable.
As I sat across from him, his eyes gleamed with anticipation.
“So, where did we leave off yesterday?”
“I told you about burning to death.”
“Ah yes, that’s right. …But surely you could have controlled the flames with fire magic, couldn’t you? It would have been simple for someone of your caliber.”
“No, that’s exactly what I’ve been telling you—there was no magic in my world. How many times do I have to explain this?”
“Hmm… no matter how many times I hear it, I can’t comprehend it. No magic, and yet you moved all things with this unstable and reckless lightning magic?”
Belmont generated an electric sphere above his palm with a sharp crackle.
Having been shocked by it several times already, I quickly ducked under the desk in panic.
Belmont laughed heartily at my reaction, then dissipated the magic and spoke.
“You know, no matter how I look at it, you seem to have considerable talent. Why not learn proper magic for once? That method of yours—moving the entire Gate structure underground and replacing it with a decoy….”
“No. I know exactly what you’re planning—confining me to the Magic Tower for life under the guise of teaching me, then squeezing out all my knowledge.”
I refused flatly.
Receiving instruction from a Grand Mage of Belmont’s caliber would be a rare opportunity, but the acquisition process takes far too long.
Some mages have spent entire centuries studying a single discipline.
Moreover, with my current limitation of being unable to equip any magical rune besides Antagon’s Rune, the efficiency would be abysmal.
‘It would be better to simply hire a mage for my party.’
“Ah, speaking of which, I have a mage I’d like to introduce to you.”
“…A mage? Are you trying to bring them into my party?”
“That’s right.”
He’s offering to introduce a mage for free?
Mages are treated as high-level personnel with steep price tags, and if Belmont is personally recommending someone, they certainly wouldn’t be mediocre….
‘That’s an incredible deal.’
“I’ll write you an introduction letter later. But… have you perhaps done something wrong?”
“Why? There are too many suspicious things about this.”
“…A foolish question. An S-rank Adventurer is looking for you.”
“S-rank? Why would someone so distinguished be looking for someone like me….”
‘Is it that high-ranker who participated in the Demon Defense War?’
That very adventurer who fired the final arrow that forced Andras to retreat.
From what I heard later, they apparently performed brilliantly on the opposite side of where I was stationed.
They said they perfectly defended an entire sector by themselves.
“But this high-ranker is looking for me? My disguise as a knight back then should have been unknown to all but a select few—you, the Guard Captain, my comrades, and….”
“He claims not to know your real identity either. He simply dislikes the idea of having less time to converse with you.”
“You have to keep it secret! If an S-rank Adventurer finds out I’m a reincarnator, they might figure it out right away!”
“Don’t worry. Any other evil spirit would have extracted the knowledge from your brain and burned you long ago, but you seem worth keeping alive.”
He chuckled and gestured dismissively.
I exhaled in relief and leaned back against the chair.
This level of relationship with Belmont was sufficient.
I would use him.
And he would use me.
“…So, you wanted me to introduce you to a worthwhile commission.”
“Yes, I need to grow stronger quickly.”
I’d overcome a major crisis, but now that I was marked, the demons would come for me again.
This time I’d managed because the matchup was favorable and circumstances were unique, but there was no guarantee I’d be so fortunate next time.
A god like Vulcanus might impose another trial.
Since the Dungeon was sealed due to the demon outbreak, I had to grow elsewhere until access restrictions were lifted.
I still needed to deliver Orgillian’s letter eventually, but it was an A-rank Quest with no time limit, so it was wiser to challenge it after growing stronger.
“Understood. As it happens, I have just the job for you. Ah, and you’ll need this if you’re traveling far.”
Belmont pulled a golden card from his drawer and waved it.
As I examined my name engraved on the card with a puzzled expression, he grinned and spoke.
“Unlimited Portal Usage Rights. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“I-I’ll serve you like a grandfather, Belmont!!”
* * *
A week later.
I visited the Adventurer’s Guild with Radi, who could now walk without crutches.
“Yes, Doran, your status has been confirmed! Here is your new E-rank Adventurer identification badge.”
I’d hidden the fact that I’d disguised myself as a Knight and slaughtered demons, but I was promoted to E-rank in recognition of my achievements leading an Adventurer party and eliminating monsters.
Walking down the Main Street with fresh emotions, examining my newly issued badge, Radi chimed in with a smile.
“Now you and I have the same rank, Doran. In truth, based on ability alone, you should have been promoted higher….”
“Never mind that. I’m already drawing enough attention as it is. That’s why I deliberately didn’t accept the demon subjugation medal either.”
My current level was 38.
Hunting new monsters in Layer 2 and killing demons had accelerated my growth significantly in a short time.
Over the past few days, I’d also ventured outside the city to hunt monsters and gain one more level.
Since the battle with the demon, my Main Quest hadn’t updated, so I’d been enjoying quite comfortable and fulfilling days.
And besides….
‘Looking back, it feels like I’ve done something absurd….’
Belheim was a world where numerous catastrophes had foretold its doom in the not-distant future.
And the origin of that destruction was the demonic beasts crawling up from the Medaolinum Dungeon.
But in the process of evading the demons’ pursuit, I’d collapsed the Dungeon’s passages and escaped, so at least the overflow of beasts from Layer 2 and below wouldn’t occur in the future.
‘Does this mean… Belheim’s destruction has been postponed…?’
I’d simply struggled desperately to survive alone, but inadvertently saved countless lives.
Of course, the disasters awaiting Belheim in the future weren’t limited to the Dungeon overflow….
“Doran, shall we try that restaurant today?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
I entered a nearby restaurant and sat with Radi at a sun-drenched terrace table, then asked.
“So… how are things progressing lately? Are you adapting well?”
“Yes, as long as I don’t move too violently, I think I could return to the front lines soon. However… using Darkness Leap consecutively seems to strain my body. Unless I’m constantly chugging potions to recover….”
“That’s unavoidable. As you grow more accustomed, gradually increase the frequency. Going forward, it would be good to carry even low-grade potions with you. Anything else?”
“It seems I’ve become able to handle some of the darkness that the Night Stalker wielded. I can’t control it directly myself, but it often seeps out when my emotions intensify.”
“…Really? That’s quite surprising.”
This was the first time I’d encountered someone who survived using the Night Stalker’s Rune, so it was an unfamiliar symptom to me.
‘Carrying lethal darkness around….’
Isn’t this essentially a venomous rat?
Emerging from unexpected places to assassinate, striking silently from the shadows.
Combined with the exceptional tracking ability and stealth inherent to a sable rat humanoid, a truly perfect assassin had been born.
‘It feels like I’ve created something truly extraordinary….’
As I recalled just how rare the [Night Stalker’s Rune] was as an item, the waiter brought out the plates of food.
“Wait… didn’t you order too much?”
“What does it matter? If there’s leftovers, we’ll take them back and eat them together at the hotel. …The Mage Card is nice, isn’t it?”
A Mage Card. What they call Belmont’s Card.
Since I’d made contributions through combat, I’d been granted permission to run up as much of a tab as I wanted while in this city.
But Radi was sitting with her chin resting on her hand, smiling and staring directly at me despite the food right in front of her.
“…?”
“My arm hurts too much to hold a knife.”
“…Understood, just wait.”
There was a hint of childish whining in her tone, but this was something I could easily accommodate.
Given what I’ve done, this is nothing.
It seems Radi lost her parents when she was young and grew up in an orphanage, so she’d never had anyone reliable to depend on until now.
And….
“The darkness harbored by the Night Stalker is not something humans can easily overcome.”
“For a while, symptoms such as lethargy and
mental instability
may appear!”
‘What does mental instability mean exactly?’
It didn’t seem like they’d classify simple whining as a side effect.
Once I placed a piece of cut meat into her mouth, Radi finally began eating with her own hands and spoke.
“But I’ve realized something from this incident too.”
“What is it?”
“I need to become stronger. Much stronger than I am now.”
“It’s good that you’ve resolved yourself… but why so suddenly?”
“Because if I keep traveling with you, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough.”
I fell silent, unable to refute her. In truth, without potions, I would have died over ten times.
During combat, I’d fallen into a comatose state multiple times before regaining consciousness.
‘The demons will keep coming at us again and again in the days ahead….’
Despite enduring such trials, the fact that he continues to stand beside me is truly a decision I’m grateful for.
With his current strength, he could have easily joined a far more prestigious party.
“…As it happens, things worked out perfectly. Belmont mentioned he has some excellent work lined up for us. Once we complete the mission, we’ll become considerably stronger.”
“You two have been coming and going so often, it seems you’ve grown quite close. Well, since Malton will be arriving soon anyway, the timing is ideal. Now that I’ve become a Rune user myself, I’m eager to test just how much stronger I’ve become in actual combat.”
“Indeed.”
I smiled with confidence and bit into the meat.
It was time to return to the front lines once more.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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