Do You Think That's Possible?
“Ah!”
The archer, who had been staring blankly, suddenly snapped to attention and lunged forward.
“J-just ignore that bitch!”
She shouted urgently, kicking at the warrior sprawled on the ground. As if brushing away roadside trash.
“It's because of the negative boon!”
The archer desperately reached out, trying to block Ian's view.
“Normally... it wasn't this bad...”
“...And 'normal' is what we're dealing with right now?”
Ian muttered lowly, turning his head away.
“...Probably because there's a man around.”
At those words, Ian's eyebrow twitched.
“...Why me, of all people.”
He grumbled softly.
He'd thought he'd gotten somewhat used to this world—
...but something even worse had popped up.
Ian swallowed a heavy sigh and decided to hear her out first.
“I'm Aymdel. That one's... Lidoem.”
...Her name's literally 'Lidoem'?
Ian's eyes flickered briefly.
“We're not suspicious at all! Really, it's all because of the boon...!”
Aymdel cried out, nearly in tears. She flailed her hands frantically, desperate to clear up the misunderstanding.
“We're victims too...!”
At that, Ian glanced sideways.
...Toward the 'perpetrator' lying on the ground.
“......Yeah, you look it.”
Aymdel poured out her words without catching her breath.
“That boon... it drags out your true nature!”
“...”
Ian turned his head away, saying nothing.
“Suppressed desires and all that... they all come bursting out!”
Aymdel waved her hands wildly, explaining desperately.
“Even a little emotional agitation makes it impossible to control! Especially with any kind of stimulation, it gets way worse!”
“...So that's why she's like that.”
Ian muttered softly.
“Yes! Yes! Exactly!”
Aymdel nodded like a maniac.
“But the ability itself isn't bad! It can even detect lies right aw—”
Slither—
“...?”
Something touched his ankle.
Ian looked down.
“......Heh.”
It was Lidoem. Somehow she'd crawled over, clutching his ankle tightly with both hands.
“Even now... it's not a lie...”
Her voice was slightly breathless. Her grip tightened.
“I... really do... want to be stepped on...”
“Hey, let go!”
Aymdel shrieked in horror.
But Lidoem didn't release him. Instead—
“Especially... when you used that spell earlier...”
She pressed her body closer, rubbing her face against his leg.
“You were so cool... I want you to step on me even more...”
“Why say that out loud!”
Aymdel clutched her head.
Ian was speechless for a moment.
...He slowly shook his foot.
“......Let's pry this off first.”
He said sincerely.
At that instant—
Step.
Shiro quietly stepped forward.
“Don't touch Ian.”
Short, low voice.
Crack.
She grabbed Lidoem's wrist and yanked it away roughly.
“Ah, aaah—!”
A strange moan escaped—pain or regret, unclear.
Shiro's face was expressionless as she flung her back to the ground.
“Be grateful I didn't cut your wrist off.”
Cold tone.
Her ears were perked straight up.
“...Sorry...”
Lidoem muttered from the floor.
But her eyes were still fixed on Ian.
Ian let out a short sigh at the sight.
...He got the gist.
Ian knew what that boon was.
Truth is Always One!
Effect: Forces the true nature of the boon holder to surface. Suppressed desires and impulses emerge unhidden. Self-control weakens dramatically as emotions intensify.
Trait: Detects lies from others. Intuitively senses subtle changes in expression or speech inconsistencies, creating strong discomfort with any falsehoods.
That wasn't the boon's fault.
That was her true self.
“...On ability alone, it's not bad.”
Ian muttered shortly, eyeing her.
“Please! Please step on me!!”
“...”
If he weren't seeing this firsthand, it would've seemed fine.
“Haha... it's really true...”
The archer gave a troubled laugh.
Ian decided not to think about it anymore.
“...Right.”
He'd planned to squeeze some reward out of his rescuers, but he couldn't stomach watching this any longer.
Ian wanted to leave, fast.
“Then we'll be going.”
“W-wait a sec!”
As Ian turned to leave, Aymdel called out desperately.
The moment she reached for him—
Thud.
Shiro stepped forward, blocking the way.
“...What?”
Short, icy voice.
Her pure, shy demeanor was gone.
Aymdel flinched.
“...How far down are you going?”
She asked cautiously.
Shiro's eyes narrowed.
“Why do you ask?”
Her tone remained cold. Ears perked, alert.
Ready to pounce at the slightest suspicion.
“W-well...”
Aymdel hesitated, fingers twitching.
“If it's okay... could we join you?”
Cautious words.
But—
“Do you think that's possible?”
Shiro's reply was firm.
Coldly curt.
It wasn't wrong. Partying with strangers met in the Labyrinth was near suicide.
Even outside, you'd need familiarity; they were total unknowns.
“Our comrade... is trapped on 4F. Please, help us!”
Aymdel's voice trembled with desperation.
No lie there.
Shiro glanced briefly at Ian.
“...Ask her.”
Ian jerked his chin toward the floor.
Where Lidoem still lay sprawled.
“Me?!”
Lidoem's head snapped up. Eyes wide.
“Th-thank you...! Haah... looking at me like that...”
She shuddered, catching her breath. Glancing up at Ian, face flushed.
Her mouth oddly slack.
Ian sighed inwardly.
“Tell me. Your comrade's on 4F?”
He forced down boiling disgust, asking calmly.
“Yes, yes! That's right!”
Lidoem nodded vigorously, nearly bouncing.
“We were on 4F... got ambushed... so we came up here for help...!”
Her voice trailed off. She glanced nervously between Shiro and Ian.
“She's... still alive. Definitely...”
Her added whisper carried anxiety.
Suspicious behavior—but
Lidoem's words rang mostly true.
“Ambushed how?”
Ian asked lowly.
“W-well...”
Lidoem flinched, shoulders hunching. Fingertips trembling faintly.
She hesitated, glancing at Aymdel for permission.
“...Go ahead.”
Aymdel nodded shortly.
Only then did Lidoem speak.
“We... found a dimensional gate...”
Her voice dropped lower. Heavy atmosphere.
Dimensional gate.
A special portal spawning on Labyrinth reset. Like a floor portal, but leading to 'some other dimension.'
No one knew where. Adventurers entered hoping for treasures from beyond this world.
“We found stuff inside and were coming out when...”
She paused. Face hardening.
“A crazy bitch in black armor... ambushed us...”
“...Black armor?”
Ian's eyes narrowed.
A memory flashed.
The looter leader. Woman in black armor.
Definitely dead. Arcia had beheaded her clean.
No way she survived. Must be someone else...
“That bitch...”
Lidoem's voice shook. Hands trembling faintly.
“Ambushed us... two comrades gone in an instant...”
Her words faded.
Silence settled.
A brief hush.
“So...”
Lidoem bit her lip.
“One had to bait... and we escaped.”
She couldn't continue.
Quiet moment.
Aymdel filled the gap.
“But with her boon, she won't die easily.”
Firm, concise.
“She's... definitely alive.”
Ian pondered their words.
This wasn't just about helping.
The black-armored woman. No guarantee she'd stay on 4F.
If she'd climbed to 3F, Ian and Shiro weren't safe.
Safest was to bail now, retreat to 1F.
“Th-this!”
Aymdel, sensing his hesitation, blurted desperately.
“Take it all! Everything we got from the dimensional gate!”
Before finishing, she upended her bag.
Clatter—
Miscellaneous items spilled out.
“Anything... please...”
Nearly pleading.
Ian looked down silently.
Then slowly picked one up.
“...This.”
A small device of familiar material.
“From the dimensional gate, right?”
“Yes! All from there! Everything!”
Aymdel nodded frantically, breathless.
Ian turned to Shiro.
Brief silence.
Shiro nodded quietly.
Leave it to you.
“...Alright.”
Decision made.
“We'll go together.”
Aymdel's face lit up.
“Thank...”
“But.”
Ian cut her off.
“Even if we find your party member midway, we go to the dimensional gate.”