Things That Must Not Be Forgotten
The tent's fabric rustled softly in the night breeze. A single lantern cast a warm, flickering glow across the pages of an open diary. The handwriting was neat and rounded, each character filled with quiet devotion.
Hello, it's Rachel!
It's already been four days since Young Master left the dormitory for the school trip. Isn't that strange? It feels like four years have passed. Life without Young Master is just too boring... I really wish he'd come back soon!
Today I went to the shopping district inside the academy. You know the one, right? The marketplace just a short walk from the school buildings! Every step brought something new and fascinating to see. My eyes were delighted the whole time. I looked around and bought everything we needed.
First, I picked up some of the tea leaves Young Master likes. Then a necktie and an outer coat for him. I also ordered a few fish so I could serve them at the table the moment he returns. And the two wooden training swords he asked for before leaving, and also...
Oh no! I completely forgot about tonight's dinner! I was so focused on choosing things for Young Master that I must have lost track. There's nothing to be done about it... I'll just have to go hungry tonight. Besides, meals aren't any fun without Young Master anyway.
Hmm... I'm supposed to be writing in my diary, but it looks like I've filled it with nothing but stories about Young Master again. I suppose I'm pretty hopeless, aren't I?
Now that I mention it, I wonder how Young Master is doing? He's not having trouble sleeping because I'm not there, is he? Hehe...
......I'm actually worried that might be true. Will he feel lonely in a strange place? How is he sleeping? What if something happens and he gets hurt? My head is so full of worries about Young Master that I can't think about anything else...
Of course, I don't mind at all! I like Young Master so, so much!
Ahem. Still, I'm sure Young Master is doing well. That's what I'll choose to believe. Because I trust him! No matter where or when, Young Master will always face things bravely and come through.
......Probably.
Please, come back safely. Without anything happening to you.
The wind whispered through the trees. Saaaaah... A chill breeze stirred the air. The maples, dressed in autumn's fiery colors, swayed gracefully and shed their leaves one by one. Beneath the gently falling foliage, someone sat slumped against a trunk.
"Haa... haa..."
A black-haired boy was breathing hard, his face exhausted. His name was Raiden Lisite.
It was me.
"......It's finally over."
I muttered as I shook off the dark, sticky blood coating my hands. My numb arms moved to retrieve Bitan, which lay on the ground, and I slid it back into its sheath.
Click.
The moment Bitan was sealed, the blue haze flickering around my body scattered into the air. I stared at the fading afterimages for a moment before lifting my head to survey the surroundings.
At my feet lay the mangled corpses of black knights, torn to pieces. Only then did I truly register that the battle was over.
My body, now released from tension, slumped back against the tree.
"That was dangerous. Really dangerous..."
I had finished the fight with barely any time left on Super Sensory. If those things had dragged the battle out even a little longer to buy time, it would have been my body rolling on the ground instead.
A violent shiver ran through me at the gruesome thought. I let out a small sigh and thumped the back of my head against the tree trunk.
"I survived this time too, huh."
I'd stayed up for two straight nights. Pushed my mind and body to their absolute limits, then spent hours dancing with corpses. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest. And that wasn't all—my entire being was in shambles.
"Ugh..."
I groaned sharply as I forced myself to my feet. A pain like every muscle being wrung out shot down my spine. The urge to collapse right there was overwhelming, but I couldn't give in.
It wasn't over yet.
I'd confirmed there were twenty undead knights earlier. I'd just taken down thirteen, which meant seven were still out there.
"The rest of them are most likely..."
Chasing after Gold Tae-yang and Violet. Damn it. I hope those two managed to get away properly.
I staggered forward, limping on legs that burned with every step. Part of me wondered what I could even do in this state... but I couldn't just sit here and do nothing.
"Hoo..."
I took a shallow breath and began walking slowly.
That was when it happened.
Neighhhh!
The sound of powerful hooves came from behind me.
"......?"
I tilted my head at the sound of horses and turned around. Horses? Out of nowhere? Undead wouldn't be riding them, and Gold Tae-yang's group should have headed back toward camp... Reinforcements? But they were too fast for that.
If one of our team members had returned to camp and called for help, it should have taken at least another hour to get here. This was the complete opposite edge of the camp's perimeter. Unless the professors had noticed the anomaly first, reinforcements shouldn't have arrived this quickly...
I narrowed my eyes at the several horses galloping toward me. At the front, holding the reins, were two girls. With every stride of the horses, their platinum and silver hair whipped wildly in the wind. Thanks to those distinctive colors, I recognized them instantly.
"Lucy and Margaret? And behind them... Aaron and the escort knights...?"
I stared in disbelief as they drew closer. How were they already here? Reinforcements this fast? I was bewildered, but I let out a breath of relief anyway.
"At least I can breathe a little easier now..."
With that kind of firepower, the remaining undead would be crushed in seconds.
"Raiden...!!"
Lucy, who had been charging through the underbrush without hesitation, shouted at me with all her might. Her blue eyes trembled, stained with thick tear tracks.
What the—? Who made our liege cry? Just let me catch them. I'll tie them up and beat the shit out of them.
I muttered the ridiculous thought to myself and waved at the three people rushing toward me.
That was when it happened.
Shweeeeeeeeek!!
A sharp sound sliced through the air from behind me.
"......!!!"
I reacted too late and whipped my head around. What filled my vision was a spear hurtling toward me at terrifying speed. Because Super Sensory was deactivated, I hadn't noticed the ambush until it was nearly upon me.
"You son of a—!"
Thud!
The spear that had closed in like lightning pierced straight through my abdomen before I could do anything. A burning pain erupted in my gut, and a rush of blood forced its way up my throat.
"Cough...!"
Suddenly? From where?
In my panic, I rolled my eyes and traced the spear's path backward. Through my wavering vision, I saw an undead knight barely standing, swaying on its feet. As if that had been its final act of defiance, it crumbled apart.
'I definitely smashed its head open...!'
Wait... I can't get hurt right now. The duration of 'Steel Body' is probably about to—
Special Effect: Steel Body — Duration Expired
Calculating accumulated penalty.
※Penalty will be applied immediately.※
All damage accumulated during the effect duration will be returned at triple the amount.
Applying penalty.
Ah. Fuck. Seriously.
Stab! Slice!! Shrrrrk!!!
The last sounds that reached my ears were the sickening noise of two more holes being punched through my abdomen and the gruesome sound of countless cuts being carved across my entire body.
"Raiden!!!!"
And then Lucy's piercing scream.
My vision went black before I could even react.
. . .
It was hazy. My consciousness felt faint. Like eyes that couldn't quite focus.
'Where... am I...'
Through blurred vision, the ceiling of a tent wavered above me. The base camp, maybe... Several people were moving frantically around my collapsed form. Their hands were all focused on my abdomen.
Pour another bottle of potion into the hole!
The wound is opening! Hold it shut!
Figures in surgical gowns rushed about in a frenzy. I forced my eyes downward with great effort and saw my body leaking blood and viscera.
Start suturing for now! We'll restore the internals with divine power!
There's not enough blood...! Someone bring all the regeneration potions we have! Every last one!!
Over here, Professor Levena! Hurry with the divine power...!
So noisy...
I frowned at the incessant buzzing. Then a wave of drowsiness crashed over me like a tide, dragging my consciousness back into the depths. My vision melted away, sinking into darkness.
Deeper.
Deeper still.
Until no sound could reach me anymore.
. . .
When I came to again, I was standing in the middle of a pitch-black sea. At the very bottom—the abyssal floor. I stood alone on what felt like solid ground in the pitch-dark space.
'......'
At my feet was sand heavy with water. It gently slipped between my toes and wrapped around them. It was a strange sensation. Even though I was clearly submerged in the deep sea, I could breathe without issue. With every shallow exhale, bubbles rose from my lips.
Where... is this place?
I muttered blankly. Or maybe I only thought it. I wasn't sure.
My last clear memory was being ambushed by the undead. After that, I vaguely remembered being carried to the base camp... but the details wouldn't come.
I stared at the impossible scenery before me and fell into thought, trying to find an answer to this absurd situation.
That was when it happened.
......Don't forget.
A single voice reached my ear in the silence. I flinched in surprise. The voice that had suddenly shattered the quiet felt strangely familiar.
Don't forget.
It repeated the whisper without any further explanation.
Don't forget what? I furrowed my brow at the incomprehensible words. Then, far ahead, something appeared.
Two figures. Two boys who were clearly different yet somehow eerily similar in aura.
Don't forget.
Their black hair drifted along with the current. I stared into their black eyes and murmured softly.
'Raiden...? And... me...?'
As I tilted my head at the strange combination, the two figures with hollow eyes opened their mouths.
Don't forget.
That we are not different.
The two boys offered faint smiles. Then they vanished back into the darkness. I tried to approach them, questions rising too late, but they simply scattered like smoke. All that remained in the empty space was a lonely echo.
Tap...
My vision cut out once more.
. . .
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a large bed.
"......"
My mind felt foggy, perhaps because consciousness had returned so suddenly. I blinked silently and looked around. I soon realized I was in the temporary infirmary at the base camp.
"......So I'm alive."
I muttered blankly and felt around my abdomen. Instead of three massive holes, thick bandages were wrapped tightly around it. It seemed they'd managed to treat me in time.
I let out a sigh of relief and was about to bury my head back into the pillow when familiar voices came from beside the bed.
"R-Raiden...!?"
"You...?"
I turned my head to see Lucy and Margaret, both looking utterly haggard. Their eyes were fixed on me. Soon, tears began to well up in both pairs of eyes.
Why are they acting like this...?
I was flustered by their reaction but still managed to offer an awkward greeting to the two girls who were sniffling.
"Good... morning?"
At that, Lucy, who had been biting her lip hard, finally burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.
"Raiden...!!"
"Ugh?! Y-Your Highness! The injured area stings!!"
"I really... I really thought you were going to die...!"
"I am dying! I'm dying right now!"
Even at my screams, our liege showed no sign of letting go. Margaret, standing behind her, didn't seem inclined to stop her either; she simply watched in silence. In the end, I had to soothe Lucy until my wounds were on the verge of reopening.
"Aaaaaaaaagh!!"
Fuck. School trips really aren't easy.