"Who are you folks? Are you residents of this place?"
The snowstorm raged on.
Count Jorge, as he called himself, was not dressed for this bitter winter. His clothes were slightly worn out, a bit flamboyant, and above all, thin.
"We... It's complicated to explain fully, but we just need to survive for five days. We will compensate you in some way, so please..."
However, Count Jorge appeared unaffected. Or at least, he tried to appear that way.
His fingertips quickly turned red from the cold. His nose was as red as a strawberry, and the sudden cold caused his wrinkled face to spasm uncontrollably.
Yet, his voice didn't waver, and his gaze was firm. It was hard to believe he was just summoned here.
But even if he asked for help, what could we do? We had just been summoned ourselves and knew next to nothing. Need help? If anything, we needed help ourselves.
"Ugh, it's... cold."
"Freezing..."
However, it felt wrong to just leave the hundreds of people behind, shivering in the cold. Unlike Count Jorge, they were dressed in thin clothing and lacked the mental fortitude to withstand the snowstorm.
"Let's... go inside for now."
"Let's... go inside for now."
Our voices overlapped, and my gaze met with that of the older Caucasian man. It was simply too cold outside, and with so many people, the decision was to head inside the castle.
"Thank you, I'm truly grateful. I promise to repay this kindness."
Count Jorge may not have fully grasped the situation, but he seemed to realize we were trying to help. He nodded at me and the older man, then turned to address the hundreds behind him.
"Follow me! We will survive this! Understand?"
"Yes, Count!"
"We will follow!"
Despite the dire situation, hope shone in the eyes of the crowd. Their determination burned brightly, cutting through the cold winter wind.
Trust. That was trust. A belief that if it was Count Jorge, he would find a way. A kind of trust that only influential and capable individuals can earn.
"Let's move on."
Silently, hundreds followed, with ten players leading the way, heading towards the castle to escape the biting wind.
-119:50:12
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sound of hundreds of footsteps echoed on the dried earth.
The journey to the castle was short, but many thoughts swirled in our minds.
Who were these people? Why did they suddenly appear? There was no mention of them in the message that appeared earlier.
The harsh winter, the old castle, the five-day survival challenge, and now the sudden appearance of hundreds from another world – and without proper winter clothing.
Would we get a special reward for saving them? Or were they disguised monsters that would grant massive experience points when defeated?
...Or could they be... food? The possibility was genuinely concerning.
As mentioned before, the castle wasn't far away. We reached the entrance of the old castle, leaving my morbid thoughts behind.
"...The door seems a bit small."
When one thinks of a 'castle,' they'd probably picture a grand, pointed fortress from a fantasy world. Those interested in history might think of the real stone castles found in Europe.
But the castle before us was far more disappointing.
From the large drawbridge attached to the castle wall, the path led to what was supposedly the main entrance. But the door was so narrow that it seemed only three adult men could pass through at once. How were hundreds supposed to enter through such a small entrance?
"...Let's go in anyway."
And so, I quickened my pace. At some point, I had taken the lead – perhaps due to the experiences from the third floor.
Thud. Thud. Thud. I walked straight down a corridor. The stone floor echoed with every step. The only sources of light were torches hung sporadically along the walls.
Whooosh.
The wind, coming from the entrance, made a chilling sound as it brushed past my ears.
The atmosphere reminded me of the cavern from the third floor: narrow, damp, and dark. After enduring so long to escape that cave, it was disheartening to find myself in a similar place.
"Are you all following closely?"
Due to the narrowness of the corridor, visibility was limited. The ceiling was so low that even turning around to check was futile. It felt like being trapped in a tight tomb.
Usually, castles serve as strategic strongholds and living spaces for the lords, equipped with various facilities.
There would typically be windows for light and decoration, reception rooms to greet guests, large halls for feasts, and dining rooms to eat together.
But here, there was nothing. No windows, meaning the only light came from torches, and instead of a dining room, there was just this long corridor.
After about three minutes of walking, we reached a dead end with pathways branching to the left and right: a crossroad.
"Shhh."
This isn't a maze, is it? Aren't we just going to be jumped by something? Is this all a big joke?
Despite the ominous thoughts, the decision was clear.
"... Let's go to the right."
Splitting up here would be suicidal. Leading the group, I headed right, and once again, the corridor stretched ahead.
"Oh?"
This time, I noticed a wooden door on the right.
Creak.
I tried the doorknob, but the door wouldn't budge.
"... Let's open it."
It wasn't just locked; it felt like something was barricading it from the inside.
"Hey, we got here first."
A trembling voice came from behind the door.
"We can probably break down this door easily... but if you start a fight, we'll resist to the death. Just go away."
Such a cute threat. I glanced behind and saw a man rolling his eyes and gesturing as if to say, 'Is he serious?'. If we really wanted to break in, those inside wouldn't stand a chance.
"... Can you tell us what's inside?"
"If you don't tell us, we'll break the door..."
"Food... winter clothes... torches... that's it. I swear."
"... Alright."
Hearing the reply, I moved on without hesitation. The room seemed small, and it wouldn't accommodate the hundreds following us. It was best to leave them be.
We continued past the locked door and walked a bit further.
"Oh..."
The path ended again, only showing a way to the left. However, this time, there were stairs leading up and down on the right, and straight ahead was a wooden door, similar to the one we saw earlier.
Interestingly, this door was ajar.
Peeking inside, I saw food, winter clothes, and torches scattered on the floor, with torches being the only light source.
What puzzled me was why the food was still here. There were no people, only food left behind. As I was inspecting the room,
Thud. Thud.
"Damn, it's so humid in here."
"Idiot, it's better than the third floor. But this place is so... Oh!"
Two men, swearing as they descended the stairs, suddenly saw us.
First, they looked at me inspecting the room, then at the hundreds of people behind us.
"... What's all this?"
A man asked nervously.
"That's what I'd like to know."
I pointed to the room and asked them,
"Did you know... that there's food and winter clothing in here?"
"Yeah, so?"
The man scratched the back of his head, replying nonchalantly. It was clear they knew about the supplies.
"... But why did you leave it?"
"What do you mean?"
"The food."
The initial rush into the castle was primarily to monopolize the food. Yet, upon entering, why leave a room full of food untouched? It made no sense. "Ah, so you've just arrived."
"It seems so."
However, the two men reacted as if understanding something from my words.
"Well, at first, it was chaos. Many were using their skills to rush in, and there were even moments that almost erupted into a brawl..."
"... And then?"
"There are so many rooms like this one."
The man clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"The corridors are super narrow, and the rooms are too small to accommodate many people... but there are a lot of such rooms scattered around."
"There aren't many on the first floor... but the second floor and basement are filled with rooms. Right now, everyone is scattering around, guessing there might be hidden items or secrets in them."
The man continued to explain, but I wasn't really listening.
There are many rooms. And those rooms are filled with winter clothes and food.
In dire situations, people can become selfish and violent. But when circumstances are peaceful, they tend to become more generous.
The reason others weren't fighting was simple. There was enough food to last and even exceed the five days.
And the abundance of resources means...
"... This is serious."
The situation seemed more severe than I initially thought.