107. Finals Are... Out of Service (9)
107. Finals Are... Out of Service (9)
"...Has there always been a well here?"
"I just dug it."
"You're joking, right?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
With a face like mine, were you really asking that?
"No matter what, there's no way you made a well like this in such a short time!"
I scratched my chin at Laperinne's protest. Well, sure, no one could believe it until they saw it for themselves. I started digging a little ways from the well. Once I had gone about my own height deep, I climbed out of the hole and brushed off the dirt as I spoke.
"Still don't believe me?"
"Uh, you're absurdly fast."
This young lady really didn't trust people. Having to explain myself every single time was a complete pain in the ass. Maybe I should build enough of a reputation that I wouldn't need to explain myself anymore. That wouldn't be easy, though...
"Here's the bucket. Fill it up fast. We're outside the camp, so we could get attacked."
"Ah, okay..."
They could fill the canteens themselves. I decided to rest for a moment, sat against the well, and stared blankly up at the sky.
Clear. Annoyingly so.
The sky was that clear and spotless, and the ground was hell. What a shitty world...
"Yohan?"
"All filled up?"
"Yeah. Let's head up quick."
I stood at Sif's words. The sun had begun scattering crimson light. Was this what they called the hour between dog and wolf? The pointless thought made me chuckle as I turned.
"Let's head back and discuss what comes next."
"Okay!"
The answer spoken aloud came only from the pretty-faced protagonist.
---------------
"How's Viola?"
"Sh-she has a high fever, and she's sweating a lot..."
At Shuri's words, I pressed my palm to Viola's forehead. As she'd said, the forehead was as hot as a fireball. She'd nearly been infected by some unknown virus and even had her arm severed—naturally, her physical condition was the absolute worst.
"Will Viola... make it?"
A voice thick with gloom bored into my ears. Depressive thinking was one of the ultimate taboos you should never indulge in during a survival situation, but there was no helping it right this moment. In the gentlest voice I could manage, I offered Shuri some words of comfort.
"She'll make it."
"Don't worry too much. If it's Viola, she'll pull through."
Lewis rested a hand on Shuri's shoulder and added his own reassurance, as if eager to demonstrate that he was the protagonist. Seeing him fire up his optimism engine made him seem every bit the protagonist. Optimism wasn't entirely useless here, but someone still had to face reality. Intending to shatter the mood, I stated it plainly.
"Four days."
"Huh?"
"If she isn't treated within four days, I can't guarantee she'll survive. No, even three days may be too long."
Not only was the blood loss too massive to overlook, but the risk of pathogen infection in a wilderness setting was also a major problem. On top of that, something like a virus transmitted by those creatures might already be spreading through her body.
Perhaps it had entered an incubation period, but that was only wishful thinking.
"But four days is way too soon...!"
A trembling voice. I listened to Lewis's agitated voice and scratched my chin. Maybe I had been scratching too much. In any case, what I'd said was just conjecture based on experience, so I could be wrong. But if we left Viola as she was, they'd try to stay here until she recovered. I didn't want that.
At the very least, I needed to return before my vacation ended. That would make cleaning up the incident easier.
"Can we get out within four days...?"
I shrugged at Shuri's question.
"I don't know."
We could probably get back if we tore through the entire cave, but we couldn't just rush in blindly without knowing what was in there. No matter how urgent the timetable, reconnaissance was essential.
And to escape, we needed a clear commander.
"Dammit..."
I heard Lewis curse. I glanced sideways at the campfire and saw Laperinne's face, tinted yellow by the light. Her face was pale, completely drained of color. Was she gripped by the fear that we wouldn't make it back?
"Isn't there another way? Some way to save Viola..."
"The only way is to clear the rift as fast as possible."
"I-I'm fine..."
She'd been awake. I didn't know how much she'd heard, but Viola forced her eyes open with visible effort. Her unfocused gaze fixed on the empty air as her lips moved faintly.
"I... don't want... to be left behind... as a burden..."
"Viola! Don't say things like that!"
"That's right! What happened to your usual feisty self?"
"Shut... up... Don't bring that up... even here... you obnoxious jerk..."
Listening to these lines reeking of youthful drama gave me goosebumps all over. I spent ten years alone pulling that exact kind of crap with imaginary friends. Was I supposed to be feeling sympathy here? It just left a bitter taste in my mouth. It wasn't like I was a twisted bastard or something, but something in the corner of my heart felt... uncomfortable.
Still, I had the sense to keep my mouth shut and just watch. Across from me, Sif, who must have read my expression, gave me a look of sheer disbelief—but so what.
As long as I achieved my own objective, that was all that mattered.
I pulled jerky from my pocket and chewed it slowly. The salty taste forcibly lifted my eyelids, which were growing heavy with the darkening night. It was about time to sleep, but not just yet. I had to get a definitive answer before the day was truly over.
I clapped my hands toward Lewis's group, who were lost in their own little world.
Their eyes all swiveled to me at the sound. Ignoring the looks that basically asked what the hell I was doing, I began to speak.
"Four days is not long. So... we'll reach the bottom of that cave within two days."
"Two... days?"
Lewis echoed back at me in a voice full of disbelief. I nodded at his words and continued.
"In return, follow my orders whether you live or die. Do that, and I'll get you to the academy quickly and safely."
"Does that even make sense?"
"I'll make it make sense."
"You mean the rift? No matter what, breaking through a rift in two days is..."
"If you can't believe it, stay here. We'll be going down into the cave."
"Me too?"
At Sif's shocked voice, I couldn't believe her. I asked back curtly.
"What, were you planning to send me alone?"
I played hardball.
Anyone who didn't listen to me got left behind without mercy.
If they weren't going to follow orders, they'd just be a hindrance anyway. It would be a hell of a lot easier if Sif and I just went down there, blasted through everything, and brought them back after.
"What'll it be."
"...Can you take responsibility for that statement?"
"Of course."
Was that what made him the protagonist? I readily answered Lewis, who had stepped forward as the group's representative.
"I will follow your orders."
"Do the two of you agree?"
Were they just following their leader's decision? Shuri and Laperinne meekly nodded.
"We turn in for the night. Now. Execute."
No one protested my announcement.
------------------
A morning where seagulls cried instead of larks. I cut down a nearby tree and made a carrying frame. The kind of carrying frame you'd only see in old folk tales—I built it relying on vague memories, but it ought to serve its purpose. I debated whom to entrust with the completed elderly-abandonment prototype.
Ideally, someone with decent strength who was useless in a fight would carry it.
Thinking that way, there was only one person I could hand it to.
"Sif. Strap this on."
"What about my stuff?"
"Someone else can carry that."
"And why do I have to put the frame on?"
"You're carrying Viola."
"What? Me?"
"You're the only one here who's useless in a fight."
"Well, that's true, but... ugh, fine. I'm getting extra pay, right?"
"I'll throw in one more gold coin."
"Three."
"Two."
"Okay."
I watched Sif lift Viola onto the frame and secure her with rope, then turned my gaze to Lewis's group, who had finished prepping and were looking extremely tense.
Being too tense wasn't good either.
"Lewis. You handle anything that gets close to Shuri and Laperinne."
"Yes."
"Shuri. Maintain a light spell at all times and focus on keeping our visibility clear. No offensive magic—conserve your mana."
"Yes!"
"Laperinne. Conserve your mana as much as possible and only engage enemies that get close. Make every shot count."
"Leave it to me."
"Sif. You... just transport Viola safely."
"Leave it to me!"
It was time to head out. With my shovel over my shoulder, I looked at the sky. The newly risen sun pierced beneath my brow and clawed at my retinas. A truly fine morning to set out on an adventure.
"We depart for the cave without delay. Once we go in, there may be no coming back out. Double-check that you haven't forgotten anything."
Whether we lived or died, emerging from that cave again wouldn't be easy. I watched my group check their gear, then stared hard at the distant cave entrance.
What was waiting inside?
Grotesque creatures?
Or...
Something beyond even them?
"Ready?"
"Yes."
Everyone's answer merged into one.
"Then we're moving out."
Time limit: four days. Target arrival time: two days.
The hopeless time attack inside the rift had begun.