A simple declaration, revealing my true identity.
But the impact was significant.
"Holy shit...!"
Some were shocked.
"So that's why he was acting so naturally."
Some were convinced.
"Wait, but isn't this a big deal? Viscount Bjorn Yandel is..."
And some were wary.
I quickly intervened before the rumors could spread.
It was a lie.
But it was a plausible explanation, and the explorers seemed to accept it.
"That makes sense. Why would they appoint an unknown explorer as the expedition leader?"
"So that's why the Blood Spirit Marquis is following him."
"I never believed he was actually dead."
"But what was the reason for spreading that false information about him being an evil spirit...?"
Their curiosity was piqued, but it wasn't the time for explanations.
"I'll tell you all about it later. It's not important right now."
I silenced them, and James Kala, who had been speechless, finally spoke.
"Schuitz... No, Bjorn Yandel... No, Viscount Bjorn Yandel!"
He was struggling to address me properly.
"I... I don't understand. Why would the royal family use you as a pawn?"
I chuckled at his question.
"Well..."
There were many possibilities.
"He's a hero who saved countless lives and earned a noble title after decades of service."
I was a symbol of hope.
"They wouldn't want him to just disappear, especially if they had to retract their announcement about him being an evil spirit."
"Ah..."
James Kala nodded.
But that wasn't the whole story.
I couldn't tell them about my suspicions...
'The Marquis might have known all along.'
He probably did.
He sent his son to confirm whether I was an evil spirit...
'It was all an act.'
He wanted to deceive me.
"Anyway, that's all from me."
I looked at the explorers.
It was time for them to make their choices.
"I made a deal with the Marquis. But it seems like he wasn't planning to keep his promise."
Raviyen was the first to speak.
"I was in a coma for over a year after the explosion. The 'Agent' saved me, and I've been indebted to the Tovera Church ever since."
Bersil Gowland.
"My granddaughter died last year. I suspect a knight from the Marquis's family was involved. I've been investigating him."
Didi, the ability user.
"I found out that the Mage Tower Master is colluding with the royal family. I needed a powerful backer to expose them, so I joined the expedition. But it seems like he already knew about me."
Liard Ashid, the mage.
"Wait! I'm not like them! I just want to live a long and peaceful life!"
Sven Parab, the Goblin Mask, protested.
I ignored him.
He was the only one who didn't seem to have a hidden agenda.
He must have been caught up in something.
The explorers continued to confess their secrets.
"..."
Some remained silent.
But even they seemed to understand.
That they had been abandoned.
"..."
The atmosphere was heavy with despair.
"Is it true... that we've been abandoned?"
"But how could they... We're all elites..."
"Damn it!"
Their eyes were filled with fear and anger.
"Are we going to die? Here? Like this...?"
Some were consumed by despair.
"I... I still have things to do!"
Some were filled with rage.
"...There's something that doesn't make sense! What about Pike Neldain?"
Some clung to a shred of hope, seeking answers.
"If they were planning to abandon us, why would they send a saboteur to ruin the mission?!"
Ah, that.
I had been wondering the same thing.
There were two possibilities.
First, the Guild Master wanted to prevent the Marquis from taking credit for the mission's success.
I was the expedition leader, after all.
If we had lost all our supplies in Ice Rock, we would have died there.
The Marquis would have lost his chance to claim the victory.
'It's plausible. They're rivals.'
But...
Thump, thump.
I decided not to tell them.
It wasn't the time for that.
I had to focus on the present.
"Why did they send a saboteur?"
It was a question everyone wanted answered.
"It's simple, isn't it?"
Maybe they needed to hear this.
Even if it was just a lie.
"There's someone out there!"
I shouted, my voice filled with conviction.
"Someone who doesn't want us to die here!"
"Someone who will help us fight the royal family!"
Even if it was just a glimmer of hope.
We had to move forward.
We were still alive.
____________________
The windows are all boarded up, blocking the sunlight.
Our current situation is no different.
[What difference does it make if we escape?! We're all going to die anyway! Do you think we'll be able to live happily ever after once we get back to the city?]
I didn't stop him when he said that.
[...I'm Bjorn Yandel.]
I revealed my identity.
[Is it true... that we've been abandoned?]
[This can't be happening...]
I crushed their hope.
It was like closing the windows, one by one.
I did it because...
Those who dream of a bright future are easily broken.
So...
A faint glimmer of light shining through a crack in the window.
That's all they needed.
"Will we survive if we get back to the city...?"
"But we don't even know who that person is... Can he really help us...?"
They had seen the light.
Even if they doubted its existence.
So...
"Listen up!"
It was time to motivate them.
To crawl towards the light, even if it meant going through darkness.
Even if they didn't know what awaited them at the end.
"I'm Bjorn Yandel!"
I declared my name.
And then I asked,
"Do you know who I am?"
"Of course we do."
"He's the explorer who became a noble."
"He was a hero."
Their voices were weak and lifeless.
So I shouted.
"Good! I'm glad you know! I'll be blunt! We're in deep shit!"
"We have those bastards on our tail, and the city is filled with wolves waiting to devour us!"
"But...!"
"I've never given up, and I'm not starting now!"
I looked at them and made a promise.
I couldn't promise to save them all...
"I'll take on the most dangerous tasks!"
"I'll do the dirty work!"
"I'll be the first to face the enemy, and I'll be the one who gets hurt!"
"So...!"
I pleaded with them.
"Follow me."
My voice was soft, but it reached them.
"..."
"..."
Silence.
They were still hesitant.
They had heard my promises, but they were still afraid.
Damn it, they're making me angry.
"If you're going to die anyway, might as well die with me!"
I finally snapped.
____________________
"Alright, those who are ready, get ready. We'll be leaving in one minute."
I turned around.
And someone immediately stepped forward.
"Let's go, sir!"
Erwen.
"I'm coming too."
Amelia.
My precious companions, who would follow me even into fire.
"Jun, you were right."
Next was Kaislan.
"He'll be the one standing strong when everyone else falls. I'll follow him, no matter what lies ahead."
He stood behind me.
Then Akuraba.
"I never planned to give up. I've been through worse. I wouldn't be here if I had given up every time."
After Akuraba, Jun joined us. And then James Kala followed suit, and one by one, the other explorers started to rise.
"Bjorn Yandel... he's more barbaric than I thought."
"Heh, I thought he would give us some inspiring speech, but he just ended up yelling."
"We've rested enough. Let's go."
"He said he would take care of the dangerous tasks, didn't he? We can't just sit here and watch."
"We can't die here..."
"Wait! Don't just stand there! Get into formation! Formation! Please!"
Before the minute was up, everyone was behind me.
It wasn't a heartwarming scene.
Even those who stood on the edge of despair clung to a shred of hope until the very end.
They were just afraid to be left behind.
But...
"Yandel! When are we leaving?!"
"Hey, you... show some respect to the leader..."
"Respect? What's the point of respect when we're all going to die?"
Words have power.
Their eyes, once dull and lifeless, were now filled with a spark of life.
"Okay, there's one more thing we have to do before we leave."
"What is it?"
Sven Parab looked at me with an uneasy expression.
I ignored him and walked towards the sleds.
And...
"Wait! What are you doing? You're not going to carry them all by yourself, are you?"
A warrior rushed forward, offering to help.
What is he talking about?
"Wait... why are you taking the supplies off the sleds?"
"We can carry this much in our backpacks."
"...? In our backpacks? Then what about the rest...?"
What about the rest?
I threw the two remaining sleds over the cliff.
Whoosh!
Ten seconds later, a faint thud echoed from below.
"...He's crazy!"
"What have you done?!"
I had expected them to be shocked, but I didn't back down.
"If we travel with the sleds, they'll catch up to us soon."
"I-I understand, but... the supplies..."
"What's the problem? We have enough food in our backpacks to last until we reach the end of Ice Rock."
"B-but what about after that?! What are we going to do then?!"
It was a valid question.
Even if we lighten our load and reach the end of Ice Rock in two days, we still have eight more days to survive until the labyrinth closes.
But...
'Don't worry.'
I had a plan.
"Don't panic. We'll figure it out."
I shared my plan with them before the panic could spread.
"There are monsters in Ice Rock, aren't there?"
"Monsters...?"
"Wait, are you saying...!"
I didn't deny it.
"Yes, we'll hunt them and use Distortion magic to preserve their meat."
They looked even more shocked than before.
"He's serious..."
"This is insane..."
"I... I think I'd rather die here..."
It was the best option.