Chapter 429: Like Ice (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 429: Like Ice (4)
Immediately after Elementalization was activated, a translucent wind began to swirl around my skin.
[The Spirit of the Wind now dwells within your body.]
I couldn't exchange a glance with Erwen, much less a conversation, but I could tell what she was aiming for.
[All damage you take will be adjusted for with improved dodging.]
With the Spirit of the Wind, dodging adjustments had a certain probability of activating. This probability was maxed out for attacks classified as magic, which was why the following condition was attached to Spirit of the Wind as well:
[Damage received from magic is doubled.]
This was the reason that Erwen didn't usually turn on Wind Mode when dealing with wizards or special ability users—because she judged the risk to be greater than the potential reward. A dodging ability that had a 50 percent probability of working may sound nice, but if you took double the damage on hits, you could be putting yourself more at risk due to the nature of the gamble.
Whippp!
The coin had already been tossed, so there was only one thing I could do.
Thump.
Wait for the results.
Whiiip!
After a split second where everyone's fate was on the line, the results were immediately apparent.
[You have succeeded in dodging.]
The Land's End Thorn flying at me to skewer me only grazed my skin as if blown away by a gust of wind at the last second.
Kabooom!
The black thorn embedded itself in the ceiling with a thunderous rumble. The strength seemed to leave my body a moment later, and the wind enveloping my form died down.
[All of Erwen Fornacci di Tersia's Natural Power has been consumed. Elementalization has been deactivated.]
So, this was all you had left in you... No, think about that later.
I rolled through the dirt and got up, still holding Erwen in my arms.
"Bjorn..."
Huh? Not Mister?
The sudden change in nicknames felt strange but I didn't examine it too closely. Checking on her came first. "I know you're tired, but can you deal with the special ability user on their side? You just have to hold him off."
"...I can do it."
Okay, the baton had been passed.
"You...!" As soon as I took my stance and turned around, a shock rattled my shield.
Khak!
Regal Vagos, the Dragon Slayer, was the person who first taught me what it meant to lose a comrade.
Khak!
I blocked each vigorous swing of his sword, though I noted they seemed somewhat haphazard.
I thought that when I saw him again, I would be so happy I could cry.
That wasn't exactly the case. Well, I guessed that was to be expected. Though I'd been desperately waiting for this moment, I'd had to sacrifice many things to get here.
"You—you... how are you so stubborn?"
"I don't think the bastard who came all this way to hunt me down has any right to ask that."
"I'll end you!"
Vagos's sword was powerful. He seemed to be wringing every last bit of strength he had left into every fiery swing. The driving force behind each thrust was obvious. Wanting vengeance against me was one thing, but he also seemed to be aware that his only hope of getting out of this fight alive was killing me before I could kill him.
Khak!
The current lay of the land was simple. Erwen, who'd had a recent brush with death, used the last of her strength to mark the special ability user in the distance.
"Emily! I don't have to worry about that guy, right?"
"...Don't state the obvious." Amelia, meanwhile, was engaged in battle with Baldy Repeles.
The rest of our enemies had fallen. Of course, there were some still alive among them, but they were hanging on by a thread. They had no energy to fight.
Khak!
The winner of this long battle would be decided now.
Khak!
I threw my weight behind my shield to push the sword away. Even though my Resistance stats had been wrecked by Recoil, I still had my Strength. I shoved my opponent back three steps with that slight movement alone. Now that I'd deflected his sword and gauged the shape he was in, it was my turn.
"Behel—aaaaaah!" I cried out to my ancestral gods and ran forward.
Even though Wild Outburst won't activate no matter how hard I shout... It really isn't the same running in without it. I don't get as pumped.
Whooom!
I brought my hammer down with the power of my ancestral gods behind it.
Dash.
Vagos dodged it by taking two steps back, then thrust his sword into the slight gap that appeared as I swung the hammer. He had a lot of combat experience.
Which means his instincts are extremely sharp.
Soon, his sword was embedded deep in my side. If I couldn't feel the negative effect Recoil had had on my Resistances before, I could definitely feel it now.
Stab!
It wasn't that I couldn't have avoided or blocked the stab. However, if I had done that, it would have only served to draw out this fight.
Whip.
Immediately after the sword struck, my arm shot forward right on cue. My target was his neck. Since the difference in our Strength stats was clear, I figured if I could get a hold of him, there would be no way for him to escape. But it seemed he was also well aware of this.
Dash.
Vagos quickly backpedaled. He was in such a hurry that he didn't even take his stuff with him.
"Are you leaving this behind?" I pulled the sword out from my side with gritted teeth and smiled with a mouth full of blood. "I don't need any more swords. Seriously, what kind of swordsman keeps losing his sword?"
I tutted like this was pathetic, and my opponent's face hardened. His eyes were so full of hatred that it seemed they were liable to shoot daggers at any moment. But his actions told a different story than his eyes. Vagos looked panicked, clearly unsure what to do without his sword.
Leap.
Then, he ran, not toward me but to the side. Once again, his thought process was incredibly obvious.
"I'll end you!"
Vagos's sword was powerful. He seemed to be wringing every last bit of strength he had left into every fiery swing. The driving force behind each thrust was obvious. Wanting vengeance against me was one thing, but he also seemed to be aware that his only hope of getting out of this fight alive was killing me before I could kill him.
Khak!
The current lay of the land was simple. Erwen, who'd had a recent brush with death, used the last of her strength to mark the special ability user in the distance.
"Emily! I don't have to worry about that guy, right?"
"...Don't state the obvious." Amelia, meanwhile, was engaged in battle with Baldy Repeles.
The rest of our enemies had fallen. Of course, there were some still alive among them, but they were hanging on by a thread. They had no energy to fight.
Khak!
The winner of this long battle would be decided now.
Khak!
I threw my weight behind my shield to push the sword away. Even though my Resistance stats had been wrecked by Recoil, I still had my Strength. I shoved my opponent back three steps with that slight movement alone. Now that I'd deflected his sword and gauged the shape he was in, it was my turn.
"Behel—aaaaaah!" I cried out to my ancestral gods and ran forward.
Even though Wild Outburst won't activate no matter how hard I shout... It really isn't the same running in without it. I don't get as pumped.
Whooom!
I brought my hammer down with the power of my ancestral gods behind it.
Dash.
Vagos dodged it by taking two steps back, then thrust his sword into the slight gap that appeared as I swung the hammer. He had a lot of combat experience.
Which means his instincts are extremely sharp.
Soon, his sword was embedded deep in my side. If I couldn't feel the negative effect Recoil had had on my Resistances before, I could definitely feel it now.
Stab!
It wasn't that I couldn't have avoided or blocked the stab. However, if I had done that, it would have only served to draw out this fight.
Whip.
Immediately after the sword struck, my arm shot forward right on cue. My target was his neck. Since the difference in our Strength stats was clear, I figured if I could get a hold of him, there would be no way for him to escape. But it seemed he was also well aware of this.
Dash.
Vagos quickly backpedaled. He was in such a hurry that he didn't even take his stuff with him.
"Are you leaving this behind?" I pulled the sword out from my side with gritted teeth and smiled with a mouth full of blood. "I don't need any more swords. Seriously, what kind of swordsman keeps losing his sword?"
I tutted like this was pathetic, and my opponent's face hardened. His eyes were so full of hatred that it seemed they were liable to shoot daggers at any moment. But his actions told a different story than his eyes. Vagos looked panicked, clearly unsure what to do without his sword.
Leap.
Then, he ran, not toward me but to the side. Once again, his thought process was incredibly obvious.
Is he going to use that sword on the ground nearby?
Come to think of it, the same thing happened in the maze. Once he was unable to use his sword, he ran up to Missha and stole hers. Until Rotmiller took that sword with his own body, proclaimed it his, and put it in the Treasure Vault, I could only watch helplessly as the Dragon Slayer rampaged.
It's different this time.
Back then, he gave me two options—the worst evil and a lesser one—and I'd had to choose one. But now, the situation was completely different. I wasn't the one choosing—this guy was.
Dash.
As soon as Vagos took his feet off the ground, I ran forward too. The distance was narrowed in a second, and his eyes went wide. He seemed to be weighing whether it was a good idea to still go for the sword or not.
Whooom!
The choice he ended up making as he watched the hammer swing toward his head was pathetic.
Dash.
Vagos gave up on the sword on the ground and went into a roll.
I didn't even need to worry about a fake-out.
If it were me, I would've pretended to pick up the sword and instead caught him off guard.
Well, I guess he's not willing to do something like that since he's a swordsman. Hmm, but if swords are really that important to him, he should've been willing to sacrifice a shoulder to get his hands on that one... Maybe he's after something else.
I would be lying if I said I didn't find his decision pitiful but I armed my mind with caution instead of carelessness. That was much smarter than underestimating the enemy and getting screwed as a result.
Whooom!
I swung my hammer again, careful to avoid getting too close.
Dash!
Vagos shuffled back again.
Tap.
We repeated this process several times, and his back finally touched the wall. At that moment, his slitted dragon pupils widened. It was then that I realized.
This bastard... he wasn't even thinking about the wall.
The secret move I thought he was aiming for? It never existed. He was just running around like a headless chicken to avoid my hammer and ended up getting driven into this corner. That was all.
Crack!
As if to prove this, the hammer struck his left shoulder as it came down.
"Ugh!" Vagos threw himself to the side, groaning with bloodshot eyes. It felt like a weird move. More accurately, it felt futile.
"If you've given me your shoulder, you should at least take something in return."
If you were going to end up letting me break your shoulder anyway, you could've risked it to take the sword earlier.
Instead of being happy with my enemy's bad judgment, I felt angry.
Squeeze.
I dragged him in by the nape of the neck as he tried to escape like an eel and threw him against the wall.
Bang!
His mouth fell open and he coughed up blood.
Choke!
Is he going to use that sword on the ground nearby?
Come to think of it, the same thing happened in the maze. Once he was unable to use his sword, he ran up to Missha and stole hers. Until Rotmiller took that sword with his own body, proclaimed it his, and put it in the Treasure Vault, I could only watch helplessly as the Dragon Slayer rampaged.
It's different this time.
Back then, he gave me two options—the worst evil and a lesser one—and I'd had to choose one. But now, the situation was completely different. I wasn't the one choosing—this guy was.
Dash.
As soon as Vagos took his feet off the ground, I ran forward too. The distance was narrowed in a second, and his eyes went wide. He seemed to be weighing whether it was a good idea to still go for the sword or not.
Whooom!
The choice he ended up making as he watched the hammer swing toward his head was pathetic.
Dash.
Vagos gave up on the sword on the ground and went into a roll.
I didn't even need to worry about a fake-out.
If it were me, I would've pretended to pick up the sword and instead caught him off guard.
Well, I guess he's not willing to do something like that since he's a swordsman. Hmm, but if swords are really that important to him, he should've been willing to sacrifice a shoulder to get his hands on that one... Maybe he's after something else.
I would be lying if I said I didn't find his decision pitiful but I armed my mind with caution instead of carelessness. That was much smarter than underestimating the enemy and getting screwed as a result.
Whooom!
I swung my hammer again, careful to avoid getting too close.
Dash!
Vagos shuffled back again.
Tap.
We repeated this process several times, and his back finally touched the wall. At that moment, his slitted dragon pupils widened. It was then that I realized.
This bastard... he wasn't even thinking about the wall.
The secret move I thought he was aiming for? It never existed. He was just running around like a headless chicken to avoid my hammer and ended up getting driven into this corner. That was all.
Crack!
As if to prove this, the hammer struck his left shoulder as it came down.
"Ugh!" Vagos threw himself to the side, groaning with bloodshot eyes. It felt like a weird move. More accurately, it felt futile.
"If you've given me your shoulder, you should at least take something in return."
If you were going to end up letting me break your shoulder anyway, you could've risked it to take the sword earlier.
Instead of being happy with my enemy's bad judgment, I felt angry.
Squeeze.
I dragged him in by the nape of the neck as he tried to escape like an eel and threw him against the wall.
Bang!
His mouth fell open and he coughed up blood.
Choke!
I swung my hammer once more. The target was the top of his head but he managed to fling himself to the side again and avoid it.
Crack!
Thanks to that, his left leg was completely crushed.
"Aaaaaagh!" He screamed. It didn't feel satisfying at all. The woman I killed earlier, Six, didn't lose her composure even as her head was pounded in.
This is one childish son of a bitch.
"Just... because of someone like you..."
But his desire to survive, at least, was formidable.
Drag.
Vagos tried to get away, crawling on the ground with his crushed leg. I looked to see where he was headed. It was where Amelia was engaged in a fierce battle with Baldy. Was he planning on relying on him for help?
Press.
I stepped on his back to stop him. I guessed that finally forced him to face the facts.
"...K-Kill me," he said through gritted teeth. This was a very fortunate thing. Although he stuttered a little, he didn't beg for his life. If he had, that would've put me in a really bad mood.
Kwaaang!
I quickly glanced at Amelia. She was still engaged in fierce combat as we spoke. I made a decision. Without delaying any longer, I was going to say what I wanted to say and then end it.
"Do you remember Riol Warb Dwalkie?"
"Heh, hehehe..." About to die, he sneered as he discovered my Achilles' heel. Not that it would particularly make a difference at this point. "You're not talking about that half-wizard from back then?"
That day, I hadn't even been able to bring his body out of the labyrinth, so we had to hold a funeral with a few of his keepsakes and nothing more. That day, I had decided that someday, when this moment came, I would say this.
"You sit there and listen." I broke his remaining shoulder with my hammer and said, "Riol Warb Dwalkie. That half-wizard who saved us all in the maze that day..." Though it took a long, long time—almost three years—"He did not lose. Because thanks to him, I get to kill you now. He won, you got it?"
He didn't answer this time, either. Was it his last bit of pride making him hold his tongue? I flipped him around and grabbed his chin, forcing him to nod.
Hah, then is it all over now?
It didn't feel real, but it seemed so.
Crack!
Now die, you son of a bitch.
***
Crack!
After dealing with the Dragon Slayer, I joined forces with Amelia to pound the bald boxer into dust too.
[Manua Repeles has been defeated.]
Next was the special ability user who was making a whole production of trying to evade Erwen. She persistently chased him around.
[Kayle Elbad Zenegger has been defeated.]
With that, all enemy skulls were crushed. The moment my brain recognized that fact, the heat of the arduous battle escaped my body in a rush and cold air enveloped me.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
Without the enemy around, this place was as quiet as the moment after a storm's end. Was that why? It finally felt real.
I swung my hammer once more. The target was the top of his head but he managed to fling himself to the side again and avoid it.
Crack!
Thanks to that, his left leg was completely crushed.
"Aaaaaagh!" He screamed. It didn't feel satisfying at all. The woman I killed earlier, Six, didn't lose her composure even as her head was pounded in.
This is one childish son of a bitch.
"Just... because of someone like you..."
But his desire to survive, at least, was formidable.
Drag.
Vagos tried to get away, crawling on the ground with his crushed leg. I looked to see where he was headed. It was where Amelia was engaged in a fierce battle with Baldy. Was he planning on relying on him for help?
Press.
I stepped on his back to stop him. I guessed that finally forced him to face the facts.
"...K-Kill me," he said through gritted teeth. This was a very fortunate thing. Although he stuttered a little, he didn't beg for his life. If he had, that would've put me in a really bad mood.
Kwaaang!
I quickly glanced at Amelia. She was still engaged in fierce combat as we spoke. I made a decision. Without delaying any longer, I was going to say what I wanted to say and then end it.
"Do you remember Riol Warb Dwalkie?"
"Heh, hehehe..." About to die, he sneered as he discovered my Achilles' heel. Not that it would particularly make a difference at this point. "You're not talking about that half-wizard from back then?"
That day, I hadn't even been able to bring his body out of the labyrinth, so we had to hold a funeral with a few of his keepsakes and nothing more. That day, I had decided that someday, when this moment came, I would say this.
"You sit there and listen." I broke his remaining shoulder with my hammer and said, "Riol Warb Dwalkie. That half-wizard who saved us all in the maze that day..." Though it took a long, long time—almost three years—"He did not lose. Because thanks to him, I get to kill you now. He won, you got it?"
He didn't answer this time, either. Was it his last bit of pride making him hold his tongue? I flipped him around and grabbed his chin, forcing him to nod.
Hah, then is it all over now?
It didn't feel real, but it seemed so.
Crack!
Now die, you son of a bitch.
***
Crack!
After dealing with the Dragon Slayer, I joined forces with Amelia to pound the bald boxer into dust too.
[Manua Repeles has been defeated.]
Next was the special ability user who was making a whole production of trying to evade Erwen. She persistently chased him around.
[Kayle Elbad Zenegger has been defeated.]
With that, all enemy skulls were crushed. The moment my brain recognized that fact, the heat of the arduous battle escaped my body in a rush and cold air enveloped me.
Shaaaaaaaaa!
Without the enemy around, this place was as quiet as the moment after a storm's end. Was that why? It finally felt real.
"It's over..."
Finally, the battle was over, but there was no time to rest.
"Amelia, you check and see if any of our enemies are still alive."
"I-I'll help too!" said Erwen.
"No. Resting is the most helpful thing you can do right now."
I left the confirmation process to Amelia and forced Erwen to rest as she had exhausted her energy to the limit.
Grit.
I picked up the members of our squadron lying on the cold ground. I checked the extent of the injuries on the ones still breathing and closed the eyes of those who had lost their warmth. Horrible wasn't a strong enough word to describe this situation.
Sven Parav, Melend Kaislan, Lilith Marrone, Titana Akurava, Ravien, James Calla, Versyl Gowland, Erwen, Amelia, and me.
"Ten people..." That was the number of team members who had survived this expedition. Everyone else was dead.
"Yandel... I found four potions."
After searching the Order of the Rose and Noark, Amelia found some potions that were promptly divided and distributed between us based on the severity of our injuries.
"I'll see if there are any more potions."
"Thanks, Emily..."
The potions were nowhere near enough to grant all of the injured a full recovery. But thanks to the fact that we administered them in order of urgency, those who were at the crossroads of life and death were able to heal a little and came to their senses one by one.
"So... we're really the only ones who survived."
Darkness fell in the eyes of the squad members as they learned of the extent of the damages we'd suffered over the course of this expedition. The reason for that was simple. We knew too much about each other now to feel happy to have survived while the others died. Anger surged forward before relief ever got the chance.
Wail!
Though the rest of us didn't burst into tears like the wizard Marrone, we weathered our sadness with clenched fists.
"Mr. Ashed... said his wife was waiting for him. Priestess Eriabosti... had a child."
"Ventis Gerod dreamed of reaching the Abyss one day."
"Mr. Iriban said he wanted to open up a shop after this quest was over."
"None of them... should have died in a place like this. They shouldn't have... but... but why...?!"
It didn't take long for sadness to bleed into our anger.
"Lord Yandel... tell me. What... what did we... do so wrong? Why did everyone have to die here like this?"
After a long detour, we reached the question at the heart of all this.
"Did we... do something that bad? Bad enough... to be punished like this?"
"...The first thing I'm going to do is kill the commander of my clan. Even if I die in the process."
"That won't work. We have to get word about this out there and protest. Tell people what we had to go through!"
"It won't be easy with the palace involved but... It might be possible. Ravien is a dragonian. And Akurava, you have quite a bit of sway with the dwarves."
"Lord Yandel, you were a candidate for chieftain, right? And Miss Erwen holds a very important position with the elves."
"Yes, if the four races come together and join forces...!"
"It's over..."
Finally, the battle was over, but there was no time to rest.
"Amelia, you check and see if any of our enemies are still alive."
"I-I'll help too!" said Erwen.
"No. Resting is the most helpful thing you can do right now."
I left the confirmation process to Amelia and forced Erwen to rest as she had exhausted her energy to the limit.
Grit.
I picked up the members of our squadron lying on the cold ground. I checked the extent of the injuries on the ones still breathing and closed the eyes of those who had lost their warmth. Horrible wasn't a strong enough word to describe this situation.
Sven Parav, Melend Kaislan, Lilith Marrone, Titana Akurava, Ravien, James Calla, Versyl Gowland, Erwen, Amelia, and me.
"Ten people..." That was the number of team members who had survived this expedition. Everyone else was dead.
"Yandel... I found four potions."
After searching the Order of the Rose and Noark, Amelia found some potions that were promptly divided and distributed between us based on the severity of our injuries.
"I'll see if there are any more potions."
"Thanks, Emily..."
The potions were nowhere near enough to grant all of the injured a full recovery. But thanks to the fact that we administered them in order of urgency, those who were at the crossroads of life and death were able to heal a little and came to their senses one by one.
"So... we're really the only ones who survived."
Darkness fell in the eyes of the squad members as they learned of the extent of the damages we'd suffered over the course of this expedition. The reason for that was simple. We knew too much about each other now to feel happy to have survived while the others died. Anger surged forward before relief ever got the chance.
Wail!
Though the rest of us didn't burst into tears like the wizard Marrone, we weathered our sadness with clenched fists.
"Mr. Ashed... said his wife was waiting for him. Priestess Eriabosti... had a child."
"Ventis Gerod dreamed of reaching the Abyss one day."
"Mr. Iriban said he wanted to open up a shop after this quest was over."
"None of them... should have died in a place like this. They shouldn't have... but... but why...?!"
It didn't take long for sadness to bleed into our anger.
"Lord Yandel... tell me. What... what did we... do so wrong? Why did everyone have to die here like this?"
After a long detour, we reached the question at the heart of all this.
"Did we... do something that bad? Bad enough... to be punished like this?"
"...The first thing I'm going to do is kill the commander of my clan. Even if I die in the process."
"That won't work. We have to get word about this out there and protest. Tell people what we had to go through!"
"It won't be easy with the palace involved but... It might be possible. Ravien is a dragonian. And Akurava, you have quite a bit of sway with the dwarves."
"Lord Yandel, you were a candidate for chieftain, right? And Miss Erwen holds a very important position with the elves."
"Yes, if the four races come together and join forces...!"
The more they vented their emotions, the cooler my head and heart became. I wanted to unleash my anger like them, too, but I couldn't.
"You... will definitely... become the... Giant..."
To become the kind of person Old Didi wanted me to be, I couldn't act like that.
Squeeze.
"Lord Yandel! What do you think, Lord Yandel? You're not going to stay quiet, right?"
I stared at all of them as they trembled with hot anger. Then I spoke. "I... no, we will, actually."
"...Excuse me?"
"Because that's the only way we'll be able to survive. Kaislan, you're a knight, so you would know. Even if the four races band together and barge into the palace, we'll all die."
Even Kaislan, who always swayed public opinion in my favor, didn't respond this time.
So, you don't want to answer.
I continued on regardless. "It's impossible for the four races to join forces in the first place. If we ask them all for help, do you really think they'd risk their lives to fight alongside us? With the fate of their entire races on the line?"
I didn't think so. This wasn't a fairytale. The people who lived here made calculations and decisions on cold, hard grounds, not gardens of flowers.
"Still...! We have to do something!"
"Even if we all die as a result?"
"That'd still be better than not doing anything!"
"Marrone, do you really think that? Do you think the dead will be pleased if you waste your hard-won life like that?"
"Then... then what do you want me to do?!" It was strange seeing this wizard, who never seemed to lose the laugh in her voice no matter how difficult the situation was, scream at me like this.
I wasn't cowed. "As I said before, we have to stay quiet. We can't say anything, much less protest. We'll have to pretend to believe there was some other reason why the main unit didn't come. We'll also have to act like we didn't kill Noark's secret eighth-floor trainees."
It'd be considered a great military achievement if it became public knowledge, but we wouldn't be able to reveal it to anyone.
"And the legendary Order of the Rose?" This was more of the same. Though confronting them was an achievement worthy of bragging about at drinking parties for the rest of our lives, this was how it had to be. "We never met them."
We were the only ones who knew what transpired here. So, if we lied about what happened, the people who sent us here would piece the facts together on their own in a way that was palatable for them. Perhaps something went wrong. Perhaps the Order clashed with the enemies chasing after us, and we were lucky enough to survive as a result.
"Then... what about the people who died...?" Marrone asked through tears. "Those guys..."
I bit down on my lip before blurting, "Those guys were killed by monsters after escaping Glacier Eye."
"Monsters...?"
"Yes, they were exhausted from the journey out of Glacier Eye. And with our equipment gone and our lack of food... It's not totally unrealistic—"
"That's a lie! They didn't die like that! We fought powerful enemies! And it was so tiring that... I thought so many times that maybe... Maybe I should let myself die instead of fighting... But we still fought... until the bitter end, without anyone giving up. We fought and won... but... but—! Monsters? They were killed by monsters?"
"Stop it, Ms. Marrone..."
"Wahhh!" Kaislan held Marrone and soothed her as she cried.
This time, Sven Parav stepped forward. "Then... what happened next?"
"We hid like cowards until closing day and held out until we were the only ones who survived. That will be the ending we tell to the world."
"I see. That certainly seems like the way most likely to secure our survival. But..." His eyes bored into mine. "I don't like it at all." His voice was firm in a way I'd never heard from him before, but there was no hostility in his gaze. Why was that? "But I will do as you say."
"Why?"
"Because I can tell by the look in your eyes that you're the one who likes this option the least."
I was left speechless, and Akurava took the opportunity to come forward. "You're not... planning on staying quiet forever... right?"
"Of course not."
"Then I'll wait." Akurava stepped back.
Next was Calla. "I... will try too. Though I'll have to face the clan leader and act like nothing happened... At least that'll be better than today, when I couldn't even watch my comrades die..."
I could feel his burning fervor even through his closed eyes. I went up to the rest of the crew and secured their support one by one. Once I'd spoken to all of them, I finally turned to the wizard slumped on the ground.
"Lilith Marrone."
When our eyes met, she looked up at me and asked, "How long... How long do we have to wait?"
Well, I don't know. But if I were to give an honest answer...
"A very long time." It'd be more than a few years until we could draw our swords, but one thing was clear.
"...I see."
It was the seventy-first day of our expedition inside an ice cave in Ice Rock on the seventh floor. A chill rose from the ice around us, but there was a wave of anger burning inside each of us.
"If I wait... if waiting will make it possible...! I... will wait."
The chill ensured that anger was cold—the type of rage that wouldn't burn out no matter how much time passed. We each kindled a cold flame in our hearts, where they would remain for a long time.
The more they vented their emotions, the cooler my head and heart became. I wanted to unleash my anger like them, too, but I couldn't.
"You... will definitely... become the... Giant..."
To become the kind of person Old Didi wanted me to be, I couldn't act like that.
Squeeze.
"Lord Yandel! What do you think, Lord Yandel? You're not going to stay quiet, right?"
I stared at all of them as they trembled with hot anger. Then I spoke. "I... no, we will, actually."
"...Excuse me?"
"Because that's the only way we'll be able to survive. Kaislan, you're a knight, so you would know. Even if the four races band together and barge into the palace, we'll all die."
Even Kaislan, who always swayed public opinion in my favor, didn't respond this time.
So, you don't want to answer.
I continued on regardless. "It's impossible for the four races to join forces in the first place. If we ask them all for help, do you really think they'd risk their lives to fight alongside us? With the fate of their entire races on the line?"
I didn't think so. This wasn't a fairytale. The people who lived here made calculations and decisions on cold, hard grounds, not gardens of flowers.
"Still...! We have to do something!"
"Even if we all die as a result?"
"That'd still be better than not doing anything!"
"Marrone, do you really think that? Do you think the dead will be pleased if you waste your hard-won life like that?"
"Then... then what do you want me to do?!" It was strange seeing this wizard, who never seemed to lose the laugh in her voice no matter how difficult the situation was, scream at me like this.
I wasn't cowed. "As I said before, we have to stay quiet. We can't say anything, much less protest. We'll have to pretend to believe there was some other reason why the main unit didn't come. We'll also have to act like we didn't kill Noark's secret eighth-floor trainees."
It'd be considered a great military achievement if it became public knowledge, but we wouldn't be able to reveal it to anyone.
"And the legendary Order of the Rose?" This was more of the same. Though confronting them was an achievement worthy of bragging about at drinking parties for the rest of our lives, this was how it had to be. "We never met them."
We were the only ones who knew what transpired here. So, if we lied about what happened, the people who sent us here would piece the facts together on their own in a way that was palatable for them. Perhaps something went wrong. Perhaps the Order clashed with the enemies chasing after us, and we were lucky enough to survive as a result.
"Then... what about the people who died...?" Marrone asked through tears. "Those guys..."
I bit down on my lip before blurting, "Those guys were killed by monsters after escaping Glacier Eye."
"Monsters...?"
"Yes, they were exhausted from the journey out of Glacier Eye. And with our equipment gone and our lack of food... It's not totally unrealistic—"
"That's a lie! They didn't die like that! We fought powerful enemies! And it was so tiring that... I thought so many times that maybe... Maybe I should let myself die instead of fighting... But we still fought... until the bitter end, without anyone giving up. We fought and won... but... but—! Monsters? They were killed by monsters?"
"Stop it, Ms. Marrone..."
"Wahhh!" Kaislan held Marrone and soothed her as she cried.
This time, Sven Parav stepped forward. "Then... what happened next?"
"We hid like cowards until closing day and held out until we were the only ones who survived. That will be the ending we tell to the world."
"I see. That certainly seems like the way most likely to secure our survival. But..." His eyes bored into mine. "I don't like it at all." His voice was firm in a way I'd never heard from him before, but there was no hostility in his gaze. Why was that? "But I will do as you say."
"Why?"
"Because I can tell by the look in your eyes that you're the one who likes this option the least."
I was left speechless, and Akurava took the opportunity to come forward. "You're not... planning on staying quiet forever... right?"
"Of course not."
"Then I'll wait." Akurava stepped back.
Next was Calla. "I... will try too. Though I'll have to face the clan leader and act like nothing happened... At least that'll be better than today, when I couldn't even watch my comrades die..."
I could feel his burning fervor even through his closed eyes. I went up to the rest of the crew and secured their support one by one. Once I'd spoken to all of them, I finally turned to the wizard slumped on the ground.
"Lilith Marrone."
When our eyes met, she looked up at me and asked, "How long... How long do we have to wait?"
Well, I don't know. But if I were to give an honest answer...
"A very long time." It'd be more than a few years until we could draw our swords, but one thing was clear.
"...I see."
It was the seventy-first day of our expedition inside an ice cave in Ice Rock on the seventh floor. A chill rose from the ice around us, but there was a wave of anger burning inside each of us.
"If I wait... if waiting will make it possible...! I... will wait."
The chill ensured that anger was cold—the type of rage that wouldn't burn out no matter how much time passed. We each kindled a cold flame in our hearts, where they would remain for a long time.