Chapter 59
Chapter 59
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: High Blood
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning.
Heading to the training grounds at Alicia's summons, an unexpected sight met my eyes.
"Can't you at least try to make an excuse if you've got a mouth on you? Saintess."
It was a freckled girl with brown twintails in gym clothes cornering Mine.
For some reason, Mine was panicking in front of this commoner-looking girl, unable to utter a peep.
'A classic event.'
The appearance of a third-rate villainess bullying a seemingly weak student.
In the original story, Richard had played that role.
'I didn't expect her to pick on Mine, though.'
Mine was a saintess, after all.
She might lack special authority, but with the highest holy power in the Church of the Lord God, most of the empire held her in special regard.
At the same time, Mine was my follower.
I could tolerate finger-pointing at the saintess, but not at my healer.
To pick a fight with her of all people—either she'd eaten something bad, or she was an idiot who'd misjudged her opponent. One or the other.
Just as I stepped forward, someone yanked my arm from behind a pillar.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just observing the situation for a bit."
It was Alicia.
"Facts first, always."
"Is that so?"
She was crouched behind the pillar, suppressing her presence.
Her legs were trembling faintly—she'd clearly been in that position for a while.
"...Truth is, I missed my timing to step out."
"Ah, I see."
'Yeah, that can happen.'
I nodded and turned back toward Mine, but she grabbed my arm again.
"Were you thinking of helping?"
"Yes. The situation doesn't look great."
"Which side?"
Mine's side, obviously.
But Alicia added more.
"For your information, that student's name is Pasha Innis."
"I know the name. Does she have some issue?"
"She's the daughter of a soldier who entered a dungeon with Mine in the past and lost his life."
I immediately pulled my foot back into place.
My hand naturally rose to my chin.
'That tracks... entirely plausible.'
In the original story, the tales of soldiers who met their end because of Mine weren't delved into deeply. A tragic accident. That was it.
I recalled only a brief epilogue mention that Mine later apologized at their graves.
The reason their stories weren't explored was purely to avoid dragging out the plot.
The boss room opening wasn't Mine's fault to begin with, so turning it into a full storyline would likely just create a frustrating arc, they probably thought.
But this was reality.
If the soldier's bereaved family was alive and breathing, it wasn't strange at all for them to harbor ill will toward Mine.
Moreover, Mine's position was quite precarious now.
The biggest reason she'd been chosen as saintess was her ability to open the dungeon's boss room.
But I'd conquered the abysses without her, sharply diminishing her value.
Worse, it looked like she'd overcome her dungeon phobia too, so from the family's perspective, views of Mine hitting rock bottom made perfect sense.
To them, Mine was...
Someone who'd led their loved ones to death, yet held the empty title of saintess while doing nothing.
Just that sort of person.
"You killed my dad because of you. And here you are, living it up as 'Saintess.' Am I wrong?"
"......Ah."
"And not content with that, you're a follower of the Dirge Sword now? Planning to drag him to his death too?"
Even amid the barrage of abuse, Mine couldn't respond.
"If you have any conscience, go tell the instructors right now that you're quitting the practical. Better yet, never set foot in the academy again."
She probably thought the same herself.
"What now, junior?"
I thought for a moment.
Weighing which side to take.
Then I reached a decision and walked past Alicia.
'Better this way. Mine has to enter the dungeon no matter what.'
She must have realized my resolve, because this time she didn't stop me.
Step. Step.
My shoes echoed on the ground, and Mine and Pasha's heads turned toward me in unison.
"H-Haribal... you're here?"
"You're... the Dirge Sword. Surely the empire's hero hasn't come all this way to take that woman's side?"
While Pasha eyed me with open wariness, Mine mumbled with hunched shoulders.
"Pasha's right... I can't do it. I'll tell them myself to pull me from this practical..."
I spoke calmly to her.
"...Why aren't you saying anything?"
"......Pardon?"
"You told me last time. You want to perform the dirge rite in the Undead Dungeon."
Silence fell over the training grounds at my words.
And Mine and Pasha both blurted out dazed expressions.
"......Pardon?"
"......What?"
"Th-that's... what do you even...!!"
I cut off Mine's attempt to retort and pressed Pasha without pause.
"Pasha Innis, right? Do you know what happened in Erandar recently?"
"...Something about trouble at the Church of the Lord God."
"Then do you know Mine came to me first and asked for help? She wanted to use this chance to atone for her mistakes."
Of course, Mine had never said that.
It was something I just made up on the spot.
"She wants to enter the dungeon with me and comfort the souls who lost their lives there, in the saintess's name."
But from now on, it would be words Mine had spoken.
Because they'd come from the Dirge Sword's mouth.
"Haribal! What on earth are you saying?! I never said any of that!"
Mine screamed for the first time, loud enough to burst eardrums.
But I had no intention of backing down.
"No need to play innocent anymore. It's clear enough you've felt guilt toward that girl."
Seeing Mine's shock reminded me of Cecilia in the Doll Dungeon.
She'd overcome her trauma on her own without Aren and even awakened Kalligo, which she wasn't supposed to until much later.
My relationship with her had been the key factor.
Meaning, I no longer needed to just stand by in the background.
By intervening actively, I could accelerate others' growth and bolster our forces.
Mine only awakens after watching students die one by one?
Because that's how it was in the original?
'Why the hell should it be that way?'
Pasha's eyes shook like aspen leaves.
"...I can't believe it. I know better than anyone she's not the type!"
"Then why is Mine, with her dungeon phobia and no intention of entering one, out here on the training grounds at dawn?"
"......No way."
"If you've got it, go tell everyone. Before break ends, Mine will conquer the Evil God's Abyss with me."
Pasha glanced at Mine with wavering eyes.
"...Fine. I'll be watching to see if it's true or not, Mine Rose."
With that, she hurried out of the training grounds.
Mine turned to me with a face full of resentment.
"...How could you tell such a lie?"
"What lie?"
"It was all lies from start to finish! I can't enter a dungeon!"
"You did just recently."
"Not the Evil God's Abyss!"
She sank to the ground, hugging her trembling shoulders.
"Even now, when I close my eyes, I hear the soldiers' voices so clearly. I see them collapsing in pools of blood! How can someone like me conquer a dungeon?!"
Then she pulled a jaunch'o herb from her pocket and put it in her mouth.
I snatched it away and continued.
"You entered the beast dungeon. To heal me. Was it the same then?"
"......That was."
As I extended my hand, Mine stared blankly at it.
"All lies from start to finish? Then make it not a lie."
"That's impossible... How can you say that so easily...!"
"It won't be easy. But things are different now from back then."
"What's different...?"
People said it.
My sword was one that soothed the departed.
"I'm here now."
So it would be fine.
If past ghosts grabbed at her, I could sever them all with my blade.
"So get up already, Mine."
My hand remained extended toward her.
"Time to move toward atonement."
Mine's trembling eyes flicked between my hand and face.
Meanwhile, Alicia, who'd been timing her entrance from behind the pillar, stepped out.
"Pr-Princess...?"
"Don't worry. You're a precious junior to me too. As princess, I'll gladly help turn that lie into truth."
Mine's eyes calmed as she watched the confident, arms-crossed Alicia.
"No way... Bringing Pasha here, making Haribal say those things to me... It was all your doing, Princess...?"
"......?"
Mine had held affection for me since our army days.
The problem was it felt less like romantic interest and more like gazing at a savior or saint.
Combined with her belief I wouldn't harm her and Alicia's infamous reputation, it birthed this absurd delusion.
"I never..."
'Better than her resenting me, at least.'
I cut in before Alicia could retort.
"You caught on, huh."
"Yes...? Then... it really...?"
I immediately bowed toward Alicia.
"I'm sorry, senior. My acting was poor, and it disrupted the plan."
"......?"
Alicia's eyes went wide.
But grasping the situation, she cleared her throat and recrossed her arms.
"...W-Well, can't be helped. Your insight exceeded my expectations, that's all."
With Alicia's reply, Mine sighed and took my hand.
I pulled her up with force, and her body followed limply.
"At least that's sorted."
Alicia turned to us and said.
"Do you know why I called you three to the training grounds this morning?"
"To gauge our combined strength for the upcoming practical?"
"Correct. As expected of the man I chose."
Then she boldly pulled an Abyss Core from her pocket and set it on the ground.
As we stood still, she added.
"What are you waiting for? Everyone, pull out your cores."
"Yes."
"......Yes."
And so our three cores—mine, Mine's, and Alicia's—lined up on the ground.
Alicia was always like this, and Mine, who would've normally been embarrassed, seemed to have resigned herself after what happened.
After all the twists, we'd succeeded in getting Mine's core out.
'Now just do like with Cecilia.'
Slowly clear dungeons to raise her specs and rebuild her confidence.
That should help her overcome her trauma too.
"Let's start with Mine's core."
Click.
When the slot opened and I checked Mine's shard slots, this thought hit me first.
╔═════════╗
◈Abyss Core - Raphael◈
╠═════════╣
▸ Equipped Shards: 0/16
○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○
╠═════════╣
Looks like I'm in for a hell of a grind ahead.