The Extra's Return



We were taking a break on the way. We chose a place that felt safe enough.

We sat down to rest like people who are camping. However, unlike people who are camping and have to light a campfire, here we don't have to light a campfire. There was already enough light in here. The temperature here wasn't too cold either. Of course, not all dungeons had these characteristics, but the average was like this.

The problem in exploring the dungeon, apart from the food factor, was also the time factor.

We couldn't tell how long we had been in here. We could only use our bodies as a guide to time. When our stomachs started to let out desperate groans indicating that we were hungry, we took a break and ate. I guessed it was already the time when we should have lunch.

Although I was here still wearing a handcuff as a sign that I was a slave, I also ate Claude's party food supplies.

'I know, I know. You guys don't have to look at me strangely like that.'

I wish Claude and Raiz could stop asking questions using their eye gaze. Just from the look in their eyes, it was clear they were wondering why I could still act like a normal person even though I still had the status of a slave and was wearing handcuffs.

'I can't tell you the reason. So, can you just eat your food?'

We then opened the dried meat wrapped in a leaf after Raiz shared it with us. Hmm. This dried meat turned out to have a good flavor. Who would have thought that dried meat could have such a wet texture when it entered the mouth? Even the flavor itself was quite strange as there was a sweetness to it.

I was convinced that this was not just ordinary animal meat. This was probably the meat of a magical monster that had Mana.

While eating our food, I broke the dark atmosphere around us by asking Sharon, who was sitting right next to me.

"By the way, what is the rank adventure of all of you?"

I asked Sharon just to make small talk, but she seemed reluctant to answer.

"Mmm. B."

She answered briefly.

"So, you guys have the same adventure rank?"

"Yes. Is there anything strange about it? Maybe you don't know, but in order to advance to a higher rank, one must fulfill some conditions such as successfully completing quests that have high difficulty."

"But, wasn't Claude able to release Aura attacks before? Indeed, one does not only need strength to increase their adventure rank, but, wouldn't a warrior who has reached the grandmaster stage need to be at least A rank? Moreover, ...."

"Stop! Stop! Can you ask slowly?"

She suddenly waved both of her hands in front of her body while twisting her head.

After that, she tried to explain to me as best she could. Not to forget, she also lowered the volume of her voice so that her answer could not be heard by Claude. It was likely that what she was about to tell me had already entered Claude's realm of privacy. A secret known only to members of the same party, I guess.

Her voice was so small, it was almost as if she was blowing the wind instead of speaking. Her voice was hard to hear, so I accidentally brought my ear closer to the source of the sound, which was her mouth, so that I could hear her voice.

From her answer, I learned that Claude's overall strength was still at rank B for an Adventurer. And apparently, he wasn't a Grandmaster rank Warrior like I initially thought either.

I widened my eyes slightly and stared at Sharon as if it was hard to believe.

As I continued to stare at her with the eyes of a child who was already curious, she immediately gave an additional explanation.

She told me with a face that was starting to turn bright that Claude could only unleash attacks full of Aura thanks to a Skill Book that he found by chance in a Dungeon. After learning that skill, he was immediately able to release powerful Aura attacks.

Was she referring to the Mountain Splitting Sword skill?

How powerful was that skill for a B-rank adventurer and Warrior who wasn't Grandmaster rank to be able to unleash that kind of Aura attack? I so wanted to snatch it.

I didn't want to let my desire surface. If I didn't restrain myself, I might start drooling. So, I unintentionally covered my mouth with the back of my hand while staring at Claude with hungry eyes.

Claude was still focused on eating dried meat without realizing the bad intentions in my heart.

Well, he most likely destroyed the Skill Book after he mastered it. Most people would do that because they knew that it would be very dangerous if they dared to keep such a valuable item. Unless that person has a strong background.

So, I abandoned the idea of directly laying my hands on Claude.

"That ability was Claude's only advantage," Sharon whispered in my ear. Was it okay for her to gossip about her captain? Nevertheless, she said to me that Claude was not a bad person.

"Why would you tell me all that?"

It was strange when I thought back on it. Wasn't I someone she had just met from her point of view? Was there something wrong with her head to tell me the secrets of her party members? Moreover, she was previously willing to persuade Claude not to fight with me.

Many questions arose in my head. My doubts were very reasonable considering Sharon's attitude towards me which was obviously very suspicious. She seemed to have known me for a long time.

With a shy face, she tried to answer my questions.

"Before I answer your question, can you tell me your name?"

"...Mesties."

"Your unique name is hard to forget. Then, your surname is Warwick, right?"

"Hmm? How do you know?"

I couldn't help but be surprised by Sharon's guess.

Meanwhile, the moment after I nodded and confirmed that her guess was correct, the short hair on her head suddenly expanded along with her already widened eyeballs.

I knew it. She smacked her own palm as she said so.

"I didn't realize it at first, but when I saw you up close, I became aware of who you are. Mmm, although it did take a lot of time. P-please, don't misunderstand. It's all because we haven't seen each other for so long. So I have a hard time remembering you. Moreover, you've changed a lot too... more than I expected."

"Can you explain in more detail to me?"

"...."

She suddenly fell silent.

Blink, blink.

Her eyelids blinked several times.

She looked puzzled at my equally puzzled reaction.

"...Looking at your reaction, I can confirm that you don't remember me..."

First, she mumbled mysteriously. Then she explained to me.

For starters, she introduced herself that she was Count McBride's daughter. Although I already knew, I pretended to be surprised. Unexpectedly, it turned out that Sharon had known me before—more precisely the owner of my body.

According to Sharon's story, although we were not very close, we used to go to the Royal Capital together. Either to attend tea parties, dance parties, birthday parties of young nobles, or other nobles' parties.

Given our similar ages and our close proximity, it was, of course, natural.

"Why do you seem to have forgotten all that?"

Sharon began to get suspicious as I continued to stare at her with my head slightly tilted.

How was I supposed to react? I was really very surprised. I had not expected that I would meet the acquaintance of my previous body owner. Even more so in a place like this.

"I had actually forgotten all about my past when I fell into depression."

I finally came up with a classic excuse, amnesia.

Please don't complain too much. After all, wasn't the previous owner of my body a depressed person for several years? As far as I know, severe depression could also cause depression, you know.

"Ah!"

The instant I replied, Sharon closed her small mouth and widened her eyes. The look in her eyes clearly indicated that she was feeling sorry for me. There was even a small tear under her eyelid.

Judging from her reaction, she seemed to already know that the previous owner of my body was someone who had long fallen into a pit of depression.

"If you two have had your fill of questions, let's continue our journey. We're close."

The awkward moment that surrounded the two of us ended when Claude suddenly stood up and told us to continue our journey.

"Do I need to tell him? ...Ugh! I don't think so. It's better that he doesn't remember it." Before we actually finished resting and continued on our way, Sharon suddenly mumbled. She mumbled something that actually intrigued me, but I didn't really want to dig deeper.