Chapter 12

# Episode 12 – Newcomer Adventurer Bern (10) – Etiquette Depends on the Person

Bern’s face turned cold.

Normally, when talking to Lucidra, one is strongly aware that they are addressing someone and that alone is enough to bring something to mind, but this time it slipped out aloud.

“Perhaps you should think before you act.”

Lucidra responded, sounding aggrieved.

“Why? What, why? Do you think it’s all for nothing that demon worshippers or witches practice what they do? There’s hardly a better way to gather and amplify magical power so easily, quickly, and efficiently. If someone like that woman, who naturally has a low magical capacity, uses it, she could inflate her magical power several times over in an instant!”

“The method is the problem, isn’t it?”

Should Bern really be teaching Blanka about power enhancement under the guise of ‘energy absorption’? That would be borderline sexual harassment with no excuse.

While gossip might be common in the adventurer community, targeting a colleague is a different story.

“Tch. Anyway, not all methods of ‘absorption’ involve sexual activities. Drawing power through direct skin contact or even absorbing life force and magic from fallen enemies also counts.”

“Hmm. It seems that would be quite satisfactory at 70%.”

“Ah, this is one of the key reasons I’ve earned the title of ‘Great Demon,’ but that’s far from enough. It should be 100%, plus extra compensation!”

“Upon reflection, 65% should be sufficient.”

“No way, you’re taking someone’s life essence and leaving scraps for them! And why does the percentage keep dropping!”

“First off, this is being done purely for Miss Blanka’s power enhancement. If you drain it all, it would be as if she hadn’t learned the method at all. 60%, then.”

“That’s ridiculous! Frankly, even if you took 100%, it would still be worth the knowledge!”

“Knowledge or methods themselves aren’t necessary. It might be better to have a tool-type person you can use like a device. That way there’s less risk of the secret leaking. 55%.”

“Hey, that sounds easy, but it’s not so simple to create something like that!”

“Alright then, 50%.”

“Stop! Fine, I’ll do it!”

“This seems like a mutually satisfying deal.”

“Such a demon-like kid…”

Bern smirked.

To compare someone to a different race as such! Was it truly an insult?

Approximately ten minutes later, a small ring emerged from Bern’s shadow.

Though Lucidra had stated it wasn’t something easily made, the time taken was impressively short.

“I solidified part of my essence. While wearing this, if you defeat monsters or humans, part of their essence will be absorbed and transferred to the wearer. If you touch the opponent with the hand wearing the ring, the absorption will speed up.”

Creating the ring wasn’t easy, and Lucidra’s tone betrayed her exhaustion.

“Will it boost the current magical reservoir, or increase the total capacity?”

“Both. If the user’s capacity is empty, it’ll fill it. If it’s full, it’ll expand the capacity.”

“Ho.”

Bern was genuinely impressed.

Essentially, it enabled something akin to how an RPG character levels up after defeating monsters, but limited to mana enhancement.

For ordinary adventurers, slaughtering a hundred goblins might yield negligible meaningful stat boosts, but this would be nearly game-breaking performance.

“Are there any side effects or precautions?”

“Only Miss Blanka can use it. The terms of the deal are for it to serve as a means to help her.”

Bern nodded.

Lucidra likely views spreading her power around as not just unpleasant but threatening, so the restriction was understandable.

“By the way, why are you so obsessed with her?”

“Obsessed? Am I the one saying that?”

“She’s not that remarkable when it comes to pure talent or potential. Wouldn’t it be better to grow alone, and then mingle with peers at your level later?”

Lucidra didn’t understand Bern’s motives.

While he’s now seen as a ‘promising newcomer,’ after the goblin incident, his reputation will skyrocket. Many offers with better conditions will surely come his way.

So, why this fixation on helping Blanka? How much of ‘fit’ is it?

She asked, and Bern replied matter-of-factly.

“It’s precisely because that’s something a Crown Prince cannot do.”

“Huh?”

Unexpectedly, Lucidra’s question trailed off in confusion.

A Crown Prince, standing at the center of immense power and influence, paradoxically has many constraints.

He can’t wander freely outside the palace, it’s hard to extend favors casually, and the mere fact of the Crown Prince favoring or being close to specific individuals could create political issues.

But not an adventurer.

If there’s something one wants to do, one simply does it. If there’s someone one wants to help, one can help them.

That was the dream of the Crown Prince, and the reality of the adventurer, Bern.

“Hmph, what do you mean-?”

Bern tilted his head.

His heightened senses detected someone rushing toward his room.

“Master! Are you here? Master!”

The voice frantically hammering on the door was familiar.

When Bern opened the door, Renya, drenched in sweat, spoke up.

“Miss Blanka is in danger, Master!”

Bern’s eyes narrowed.

***

“Blanca, don’t you think you’re taking things too far?”

There’s a saying in the adventurer community.

The moment luck seems to arrive is the most dangerous.

Though often dismissed as mere cautionary advice, it’s based on numerous real cases.

Luck inflates one’s ego, and an inflated ego is deadly for adventurers who live dangerously.

Still, isn’t this too soon?

Blanca sighed deeply.

“You’ll have to clarify what you’re trying to say, Karina.”

Blanca, with her sky-blue hair and mostly covered outfit, contrasted sharply with Karina, whose shoulder and upper chest were openly exposed. Karina smirked.

“At first, when I heard you were hired as a guild receptionist, I was kind of impressed. At least you found stability, which is better than wandering around complaining all the time.”

But then, Karina continued,

“When an opportunity like this arises—such a coveted receptionist position—and you throw it away, only to hook up with an inexperienced rookie and fabricate fake reports of fictitious achievements, it makes us look bad too. Blanca, why have you become so… distasteful?”

Karina’s tone was filled with undisguised disdain and contempt.

While Blanca found it disheartening, she looked at the other members surrounding Karina.

Two warriors. One thief. And a magic user who could cast healing spells.

Everyone was someone she recognized.

Oddly, only one seemed awkward and avoided eye contact. The rest all stared at Blanca with varying degrees of resentment and agreement.

“You’re right, Karina. Anyone desperate enough shouldn’t resort to such unbelievable exaggerations. It damages our reputation too.”

“I haven’t exaggerated anything!”

“Ha! Then you want us to believe that you and one other wiped out hundreds of goblins?”

“The guild sent an investigative team who verified it.”

“And you were once part of the guild, weren’t you? How do we know you didn’t manipulate things behind the scenes?”

Blanca frowned deeply.

Their claims were unfounded. The adventurer guild wasn’t an organization that could be easily fooled, and such statements could misrepresent the guild’s fairness.

If a regular adventurer made such remarks in the streets, the guild could easily impose penalties without question.

But these people weren’t just any adventurers.

They were among the rare few high-level 3rd Tier adventurer parties in the eastern branch, soon to ascend to the 4th Tier almost certainly.

Unless they openly opposed the guild, it wasn’t feasible to punish them lightly for street talk.

Especially since this was a quarrel among old comrades.

“You can believe or disbelieve me, it’s your choice. I’ll take my leave.”

“Hold on, we’re not finished yet.”

Thinking further discussion would only tire her, Blanca turned to go but was forced to stop.

Several icicles had suddenly formed in the air, blocking her path.

Blanca’s gaze turned icy.

Turning around, she looked straight at the red-haired magician.

“Don’t push your boundaries, Karina.”

“You crossed the line first. Why keep sullying the reputation of the party you were dismissed from?”

Blanca gritted her teeth.

If she were the old Blanca, she could’ve easily melted such trivial obstacles with flames.

Back in the day, they often competed between ice and fire, and party members would joke that their contrasting magic might stem from their hair colors.

But the current Blanca had to treat even this small provocation as a serious threat.

She could probably melt these icicles, but Karina would likely counter with stronger spells. In the end, Blanca would likely lose.

“What do you want?”

“Good, we’re getting somewhere.”

Karina’s smirk widened.

There was a visible air of satisfaction from watching Blanca swallow her pride.

“Well, discussing this here would be a bit awkward. Let’s go somewhere else and catch up. Hmm?”

While Blanca hesitated to agree, an unexpected voice interrupted.

“Over here! Over here, Sir!”

A man appeared, the epitome of a third-rate lackey. With every step, his lack of dignity was evident, and he clumsily pointed towards where Blanca and Karina stood.

At that moment, Blanca felt a sudden sensation of floating.

“Huh?”

Her view spun in a dizzying way.

The firm grasp of arms holding her.

Realizing she was being carried princess-style, Blanca looked up in confusion and murmured,

“Bern?”

“Miss Blanka, are you alright?”

“Why are you…?”

Why was he here? Why did he interfere? Why did he look so resolute?

Her “why” carried many meanings, but no reply came.

After silently checking her over and finding no harm done, Bern gently set her down.

“What is that?”

Witnessing this, Karina found her sight doubting.

The icicles that were blocking Blanca moments ago still hovered in the air.

Yet, this young man, Bern, had effortlessly extracted Blanca from them. The process was completely invisible to Karina’s eyes.

She turned to her companions, assuming their warrior abilities, enhanced by magic, would have caught what Bern did.

But they couldn’t provide answers either.

None of them had seen what exactly Bern had done.

They tensed and silently informed Karina of the anomaly, and she grew perplexed.

She had heard Bern was reasonably competent, but even he couldn’t be faster than her or her 3rd Tier companions who were among the best?

But Karina, being an experienced adventurer, quickly regained her composure and dissolved the icicles.

She judged that negotiation was better than confrontation against an opponent who might be far more skilled than expected.

“Bern, was it? I think there’s been some misunderstanding. Those icicles weren’t meant to harm. Just a way to start a conversation.”

To which Bern responded,

“Can’t you distinguish between conversation and threats, you imbecile?”

Such uncharacteristic vulgarity from the usually composed Bern left the surroundings in a stiff silence.