Artemia: Journey To The Thirtieth Floor

27. Ranked First

"What are we going to do now?" Freya asked as she sat in the dining room chair, her voice full of curiosity.

"Let's take it easy for a time," I replied.

She blinked twice as she looked at me, surprised at my response. "But why?"

"The others are on the watch for us because of what transpired during the journey. It seems like another group of assassins has been recruited to assassinate us."

Blake's brows were wrinkled as he looked at me. "What do you mean? And how the hell did you find out? Don't tell me you've met them outside, hmm?"

I averted my gaze. "I didn't."

He let out a sigh. "Where? And what did they do to you?"

"Nothing much. Uhm, they just tried to trap me in some type of seal..." I trailed off as my words began to turn into whispers. "But Shiro quickly saved me, so it's not a big deal."

"Ivory, I caught the animal that you said you liked."

"Oh, speak of the devil."

"The what? I am no devil," Shiro replied, which made me chuckle.

My attention was drawn to Shiro's, who was gently carrying an adorable small rabbit. He caressed it as if it were a baby in need of tender loving care. I couldn't keep a lovely grin off my face when I saw how adorable he looked. I got to my feet and asked him to pass the rabbit into my arms, delighted by how cute the two of them were. After all that has transpired, all I want to do is rest for a while. And since Shiro is basically a carbon copy of myself, I'd like to speak with him.

To be honest, now that everyone is trying to get us, there are plenty of activities to keep us occupied. We'll have to find a new hiding place since the inn isn't going to cut it much longer. Our death is a distinct possibility if we do not find another place to take refuge. So far, none of them has been able to even scratch us...but it's still a potentially deadly situation.

"Why are we out in the open?" Shiro asked, sounding so puzzled.

I smiled at him, but he just tilted his head at me. "We are here to have fun."

He blinked three times. "Play? So, you want to do the thing children like to do? Are you not aware that you are being targeted right now?"

"I am aware of it, but you're here to protect me, so I'm not going to worry about it."

"You are right. That's my duty, after all. But...why?"

"I really need to unwind for a while. You know, just so I could get my thoughts straight," I replied as I started to play with the rabbit.

Shiro set up a protective barrier around us since I had let my guard down. I'm well aware that I can't depend on him all of the time, but I'm in desperate need of a break. Even if it's just for a short period of time, this means a great deal to me. Because there were so many people in the area, he didn't make the barrier big. If they happen to run across it, it will be a major nuisance for them. Although it doesn't really matter to me whether they are inconvenienced or not, I can't cause a scandal. The last thing I want right now is to get targeted again.

"Hey," I called Shiro as I chased after the rabbit. I knew Shiro wouldn't be able to take his gaze away from me, so I went ahead asked him what I had been curious about since earlier. "How did you know that I was interested in playing with the rabbit?"

"You said that you want it."

I drew a brow upward. "When?"

"I really don't know. I merely heard you saying that you wanted to toy with it from the back of your mind. You had pushed such ideas to the side since you wanted to concentrate on the task at hand. But I knew you really wanted it."

I sighed as I stared at him with the rabbit in my hands. "You know that you didn't have to go on your way to catch it. So, why? You're also well aware that we can't afford to waste our time like this."

He had a lovely grin on his face. "If I hadn't intervened, you would have drowned in your own frustrations. After all...nobody knows you better than I do."

"Right..."

I snickered as I stared down at my feet, unable to respond to what he had said. He's right, but I wish he'd quit reading my thoughts in my head. It may be unavoidable, especially given the nature of our relationship. But I really don't want someone hearing my chain of thoughts. Well, I would still want him to be aware of how I am feeling from time to time so that he can assist me, but it is pretty humiliating for me. I'm embarrassed that he knows all of the little details about me that not even Freya is aware of.

"Okay, I will refrain from doing so unless you ask me to."

I looked at Shiro, mouth agape. "Are you f*****g serious...?"

He nodded as he sat beside me. "Forgive me for doing things that upset you. I promise to refrain from doing such things anymore. Of course, unless it is necessary."

"Thank you," I replied as I smiled.

Afterward, we continued to play in that limited area before allowing the rabbit to return to its original home. We came back to the inn and saw Freya, Blake, and Dylan having some sort of discussion. We sat next to them since the other three seemed to have finished talking over something. It's likely that they discussed taking easy commissions in the surrounding town. We already said that we will not be accepting advanced quests. But we still need development so, small-scale commissions will have to suffice.

When we sat with them, they told us of a mission that required us to fight some ogres who seemed to be plotting to attack a town full of female residents. Even though we assume they are capable of dealing with themselves, given how they pummel the guys around them, things will be different if the ogres have leveled up with us. I sure hope that that's not the case, given that the monsters don't level up like the players. But of course, it's not entirely impossible.

"So, are we going to that tone?" Freya asked in hushed tones.

"Aren't we putting the residents of the town in danger if we do?" I worriedly asked.

Blake shook his head at me. "Assassins are not permitted to hurt the citizens of the town in any way. If they do, the system will take care of executing them on its own."

"How many times that has happened so far?" I asked with furrowed brows.

"Who knows..."

After more discussion, we concluded that we should go through with it. We're just getting rid of ogres from the game quest, which is one of the easiest commissions available. Following that, we'll seek other activities to participate in. Farming insignificant mobs aren't going to cut it anymore, but we'll give it our best shot. As long as we can keep ourselves occupied while we're still considered high-value targets. Ah, what the hell. Why are we put under a difficult situation all of a sudden...? Although we would like to be out in the open so that we may undertake larger missions and continue with the investigation, our present circumstances will not allow it!

In any case, we've made it to town after half a day. Damn, we had no clue it was so far away! When we arrived, we were completely fatigued. We carried our belongings and walked towards the inn with heavy footsteps. It was fortunate that the town residents extended us a warm welcome. After seeing how exhausted we seemed, they offered to assist us in transporting our belongings to an inn.

"We will prepare dinner for you. Just take it easy," the ladies said as they walked away from us.

"Hold on a minute! We haven't made a payment-"

"Adios!"

My mouth dropped as I glanced at the door, unable to understand what had just happened. I was aware that the hospitality in this town was exceptional, but isn't this a little too much? I still think that we must pay the inn since it is in desperate need of money. I mean, there's no reason for them to let us in without letting us pay for the expenses, right? And on top of it all, they are also preparing meals for us!

I took a few steps back, my suspicions about their treatment becoming stronger. I'm not sure whether it's because I have trust issues, but I can't just brush off this strange behavior. As far as I know, they are rude to visitors, particularly when they are gentlemen. In fact, such ladies overwork their own clients! I swear, this place used to be a f*****g savage hellhole! And those women are also hella barbaric! That's why the entire situation is confusing to me...

"No matter what happens, don't let your guard down..." I whispered.

They nodded. "After this, we'll take turns in standing guard tonight."

I heard Shiro sighing heavily. "They are doing your team a favor after recognizing you, Ivory. You are well known to the ordinary people as the most humane player to ever survive until now. In my opinion, their present position with the ogres is quite precarious, which is why they are trying to win your trust."

"How did you find out?" I asked.

"I have the ability to discern the intents of other people. Please believe me and put your trust in me. Those individuals are merely attempting to gain your approval for you to assist them."

I nodded as I passed the word to the three, who were watching me intently. We felt guilty for having a hunch about the women's true intentions. It's not like we're the ones to blame, is it? After all, we're the ones who are being targeted. It doesn't matter how excellent someone's intentions are because I'm still not convinced that we should blindly put our faith in them. Who knows, they could be hatching a scheme of some sort, right? But I'm going to believe what Shiro said.

The folks came back with the food and left us alone to finish our meal in quiet contemplation. I think they'll return later on. Everyone was pretty lifeless while they were eating, and I could feel that they wanted to say something. I couldn't figure out what was going on since I wasn't with them this morning. The atmosphere feels stifling, which is something I'm not used to. There is no fighting between the two boys, which should normally happen whenever we're together...

The stress was too much for me to handle. I'm not sure how to approach the three of them about it without coming off as overly inquisitive, but I really want to! What the hell, it's fine. If they're going to do it, I'm sure they'll inform me about it. But if they'd want to keep it to themselves, that's perfectly okay to me as well...

Shiro immediately leaped into my lap, most likely to take a nap. Before continuing to eat, I gave him a pat on the back of the head. After seeing Shiro, I saw the three of them looking at me several times, but they didn't say anything. I'm starting to wonder whether the problem has anything to do with the two of us. I grimaced because I needed to put an end to this. But how am I going to do that if they're not looking at me?!

"We'll discuss after we've spoken to the citizens of the town," I told them in a firm tone.

They nodded, realizing that I was not going to let them off the hook. While I was gone, I'm very sure they were talking about something else. Oh, what a source of frustration. As a leader, it is my responsibility to learn what my colleagues are thinking, particularly when we are in a difficult position. I could just ask Shiro about it if I wanted to, but I do not want to intrude on their personal time.

As I expected, the women returned when we were cleaning up after our mess. I assume they've been anticipating this moment since they seemed to be on the verge of losing their cool. We sat on our seats as we watched them fidget around before us. Maybe they're trying to lessen their pride, given how often they boast about not requiring adventurers or players since they are capable of defending themselves on their own.

"This commission consists of more than a few of basic ogres," the village's head began. "We attempted to drive them out of town when they first arrived, but it appears that those monsters have advanced to a new level. They've grown significantly in size, and it seems that their strength has increased as well."

"According to a report, the system needed them to be strengthened in order to keep up with the players' pace. However, this is unjust to the communities that are close to their nests!"

Everyone, including us, agreed on it. The mobs are not permitted to harm the villagers unless they are participating in a quest, which is very inconvenient. These humans are from Earth, not toys controlled by the kings. The fact that they are not trained players means that they would have no chance against those ferocious creatures. Ah, those kings will never be able to be more shameless in their lives.

"Several ladies were taken prisoner by the insurgents when they launched an assault the day before. They are currently confined inside the cave."

"We tried to fight back, but they just tossed us about like we were nothing more than bugs. Some have suffered serious injuries and are presently undergoing treatment."

I smiled and nodded. "I see what you're saying. Then I suppose it's about time for us to put an end to the ogres' reign of terror. It would be tough if they re-spawned here so, we'd have to destroy a portion of the system to prevent this."

The chief let out a gasp. "Isn't it going to get you into trouble? Even if you're at the top of the ranks, it doesn't mean that you'd be safe from the punishment, will you...?"

"It doesn't make a difference..." I trailed off as I processed what she said. "What? Are you at the top of the rankings? Isn't it true that we're rated third?"

"Oh, you weren't aware of it?"

While looking at the other three, my brows furrowed, and they all glanced away. "Know what? Is there something I should know?"

"Your team is currently ranked first."

Eh...?