Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Hedi (2)
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While traveling with Zeke after he joined us.
In the cave passage, corpses of Big Spiders began to appear one by one.
…Did a battle break out here?
Blood was splattered everywhere, suggesting whoever fought them had struggled fiercely.
From that point on, Hedi seemed even more vigilant, scanning our surroundings.
We kept walking like that.
Then I spotted a massive figure collapsed on the ground.
A giant clutching a long greatsword, lying there.
He had apparently died in battle, sprawled amid the Big Spiders.
The familiar silhouette and greatsword.
I knew who that giant was.
*
I spoke to Zeke warily.
"…What the hell happened here?"
"……."
A brief silence.
Zeke stared intently at what had become of Victor's corpse.
And then….
"W-what is this…."
His voice trembled as if in shock, and he staggered toward Victor's body.
"What happened…?! V-Victor! Open your eyes, damn it!"
"……?"
What was that…? Wasn't he just a beat too late there?
Zeke kept shaking Victor, who was already long dead.
Did he really not know? I thought he did, since he'd led us this way….
"You didn't… know?"
"How could I?! This is the first I'm seeing this!"
Zeke snapped irritably.
"This is the only path from where we came— you're saying you didn't see this?"
"It wasn't there! When I first got lost in here, Victor wasn't sprawled out like this!"
"……."
Something was off.
A battle in that short time leading to this kind of disaster?
I glanced sidelong at Victor and the Big Spider corpses.
…The blood had a slight blackish tinge.
If it were fully blackened, I'd have pressed harder, but this was ambiguous.
Was he really completely uninvolved in this mess?
"Victor… I won't let your death be in vain…. I'll report this labyrinth to the Adventurer's Guild and uncover the truth! Urgh…!"
Zeke hoisted Victor's corpse onto his back.
"Let's go! Kid! Keep heading this way— there's a teleportation mana stone! We gotta move before it's too late!"
"…We still haven't found Monaka."
"We need the Guild's help for a safe search! If we die in here too, who'll warn them about this place?! You wanna rack up more victims?!"
"……."
It was a valid point, but hearing it after seeing this scene only fueled my suspicions.
…If only I had solid proof, I'd grill him more.
I glanced briefly at Hedi.
"……."
She was filthy, like she'd been through a coal mine. Her clothes were a total mess.
And she was trembling hard from exhaustion.
Starting an argument with Zeke in her state might put Hedi in real danger.
…No choice, then.
"What're you waiting for?! Let's go, kid!"
Zeke yelled irritably—he was already quite a ways ahead.
"…Let's go."
Hedi placed a hand on my shoulder, urging me on.
I nodded once.
Then Hedi and I followed after Zeke.
But I couldn't shake the gnawing doubts about him the whole way.
*
"Here it is! The mana stone was embedded in this wall!"
We soon reached the spot Zeke had mentioned.
This narrow area was shrouded in thicker darkness than anywhere else— it was even harder to make out the path ahead or the terrain around us.
"Gotta be around here…!"
Zeke groped along the wall as he advanced.
A moment later.
"…! Here! Just infuse it with mana! Kid!"
Zeke had found the teleportation mana stone and was practically jumping for joy as he called out to me.
Sure enough, there was a mana stone embedded in the wall right where he was pointing.
'Hmm….'
No mistaking it— a genuine teleportation mana stone.
Hedi was on guard, wary of any traps or monsters nearby.
I approached the stone.
'…Doesn't seem rigged with trap magic. If it were enchanted, it'd have a faint glow, so maybe I can just activate it like this…?'
The moment I reached out toward the apparently safe mana stone.
'…….'
Suddenly, Zeke's words made something nag at me.
Activating it right away on his say-so felt… off.
Growing impatient with my hesitation, Zeke shouted.
"Hurry up and pour in your mana, kid! We gotta get the hell outta this damn place, right?!"
"……."
Ah,
it really felt wrong.
I had to activate it eventually, but his desperate tone bothered me even more.
Anyone trapped in a labyrinth like this would be desperate to escape, sure.
But after witnessing that earlier disaster….
"What're you doing?! Keep stalling and a monster shows up— we're done! Pour in the mana already! Don't tell me… you can't even handle mana, kid?!"
"Hey, old man."
"……?"
As Zeke kept fuming, Hedi—who'd been waiting behind— scowled and walked up to him.
Then she spoke.
"Without him, you wouldn't have escaped alone. Why are you losing it like this?"
"No… I mean, just pour in the mana so we can get out quick…!"
"He probably has his reasons. You think he's dragging this out 'cause he doesn't wanna escape? Just wait."
"…Tch."
Wow.
Zeke ground his teeth in frustration, falling silent.
Feels kinda good.
The story's designated refresh button heroine, huh. Most reliable when she's on my side….
Only now do I get why people go for the heroine route with charm like this.
Didn't notice back when I was just playing the game, but living it makes her appeal crystal clear.
Well, not that it matters— I'm not the protagonist Cain anymore anyway.
"Alright, old man. I'm activating the mana stone now, so step back. And keep watch on the surroundings with her."
"…Fine."
Zeke retreated.
Everything seemed fine for now, so I'd activate it and figure things out after.
He had a point, even if it felt off. Lingering longer in an uncharted labyrinth was risky.
I placed my hand on the mana stone.
-Whumm….
The mana stone reacted.
As expected, it only responds to those with mana.
I immediately channeled mana through my fingertips.
That was when it happened.
"“……!”"
A massive magic circle erupted suddenly beneath our feet.
An ominously vivid crimson, etched with complex geometric runes— a gigantic formation.
It was just like the one that had appeared when we first teleported here.
The moment it activated, the ground began to quake violently.
-Rumble rumble rumble….
The surroundings filled with that blood-red glow. One wrong glance, and it might've looked like we'd been drenched in gore.
The entire labyrinth shuddered like there was an earthquake.
"Haha, it's working! We're getting out! Finally escaping this godforsaken place…!"
Zeke shouted with manic glee, eyes wild.
Way too early to let our guards down.
Last time, rocks fell and killed Andrei.
"Watch out for falling rocks! Keep your balance so you can dodge anytime!"
They both nodded at my words.
-Whumm!
The magic circle flared with an intense burst of light.
The glow engulfed all three of us and the entire space.
By the time the vibrations ceased, our surroundings had completely changed.
"Success…?"
Warm sunlight bathed my body.
The sudden brightness stung my eyes; I squinted to take in the world around me.
There was sky overhead.
No more ceiling of jagged rocks and stalactites.
No darkness.
It was the clear, sunlit outside world.
"We teleported safely."
I spotted Hedi running toward me from a distance.
Had we materialized a bit apart?
Relief washed over me. She was fine too.
"Yeah…?"
But something felt wrong.
Hedi's expression as she ran wasn't right.
Like she was warning me to be careful of something….
"…!"
She was shouting something while sprinting.
"“…Behind you!"
……!
Metal crashed against metal, sparks flying toward my face.
"Ngh… damn it!"
…If not for Hedi, I would've been done for.
Zeke had ambushed me from behind.
He'd tried to run me through with his sword.
"You goddamn little brat!!"
His botched ambush left him wide open, but he swung wildly again.
I parried once more.
Then countered a beat faster, before he could react.
-Slash!
"Gaaahhh!"
Zeke's arm sailed through the air.
I'd severed it clean off.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
To make sure, I closed in fast on him as he crumpled to his knees.
"W-wait…!"
He thrust out his remaining palm desperately.
"S-sorry…! I lost my mind for a second! Just spare me this once!"
Bullshit.
Trying to stab someone because you "lost your mind"?
Gonna claim temporary insanity?
That was when.
Hedi, who'd been running up, suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder right behind me.
She glanced between Zeke and me, then said,
"Let's report him to the knights. He can't even hold a sword now— won't do anything more."
"…Hmm."
Too uneasy for that.
I hesitated.
Letting a would-be murderer walk free….
Right then.
"“……?!”"
Sudden, searing agony erupted from my back, like it was burning alive.
It felt like an explosion had gone off point-blank. Unbearable pain.
My ears rang with a piercing eee, vertigo hitting hard.
"Damn brat… Andrei's getting his revenge from the grave…!"
Before blacking out, I saw Zeke gripping something in his one good arm.
A magic scroll.
Never expected him to have something like that hidden.
Saved it for when his life was on the line…?
"You're… unforgivable…!"
Instant rage surged, adrenaline flooding out— pain vanished.
I steadied my battered body and staggered toward Zeke again.
"W-what the…? You survived that…."
-Slash!
"Gaaaahhh—!"
I cleaved off his remaining arm too.
I could've taken his head, but with blood loss already critical, another sever would make him bleed out slowly and painfully.
No mercy for him.
"Urgh…."
That was it.
My mind had held together by a thread until then.
But my own bleeding was severe.
Vision blurred and shook; I could barely see.
Pent-up fatigue crashed over me all at once.
My body tilted backward, and I collapsed.
"Gasp! …Hey! …Snap out of it…!"
Hedi rushed to my side.
Her face filled my fading vision.
Hedi's face…?
Not quite.
It overlapped with something else.
…….
Little sister…?
They say your life flashes before your eyes at death.
Never thought it'd be my sister first.
I reached out and touched her cheek.
My beloved little sister.
She flinched in response.
Cute….
How long had it been since I'd seen her face?
I strained my throat desperately.
"…Hemi-ya."
"……?!"
Her bewildered expression was my last memory.
It was a hospital room.
I jolted awake in shock and sat up— only to find myself surrounded by the sterile sight of a hospital room.
Nothing else around.
Just the soft bedsheets draped over me; no other furnishings or decorations.
How the hell did I end up here?
My memories were patchy.
'Damn brat….'
"……."
I remembered.
Right— I'd been hit by a flame-enchanted magic scroll.
That was when I heard the door creak open and someone enter.
"……?!"
It was Hedi.
"What?! You're awake?!!"
"Uh, yeah…."
She set a tray with something on the bedside table and rushed over in a frenzy.
"Your body?! How's your body?!"
"……."
I flailed my bandaged arms and legs experimentally. No issues.
Someone must've used healing magic on me.
"Seems fine."
"……."
Hedi stared at me with a sorrowful expression.
Why that look?
Ah.
The magic blast must've gotten to her.
"I'm really okay."
I flashed her a reassuring smile.
I survived in the end, didn't I?
Looks like she covered the hospital bills too….
That was enough.
Hedi forced a faint smile reluctantly.
Then she asked,
"…Want some fruit?"
"Sure. Was getting hungry anyway… How long was I out?"
"Two days."
"Wow."
She pulled something out from the tray she'd brought in earlier.
Brought it right up to me….
Everything was fine up to this point.
Exactly here.
Then came her baffling next move, and I couldn't hide my confusion.
"……?"
"……."
Her silence plunged my thoughts into deeper confusion.
What kind of situation was this?
Was she always this type of character?
Confusion mixed with a strange sense of disconnect.
"…Not gonna eat?"
"Uh, uh…."
Her trembling hand.
I just stared at it.
…She was trying to feed me the fruit.