Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Sealed Room #1
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[Chapter 104] Sealed Room #1
105 ? Sealed Room #1
"Is the commoner actually trying?"
At Mirna Draco's question, I rummaged through the wall even more vigorously with my palms.
I had no idea exactly how much time had passed since we got trapped in the boss room, but despite putting in quite a bit of effort to escape, there was zero progress.
"Ughhh."
Mirna tried pushing the sealed door forward, then pulling it upward from below. The thick stone slab of a door showed no intention of budging an inch.
"Getting frustrating, isn't it?"
She kicked the door a few times without any grace, then turned to me.
"Commoner, let's try opening the door together one last time."
It seemed like a waste of energy to me, but Mirna still clung to the hope of forcing the door open. With no choice, I joined her and yanked upward with all my might.
"Ughhhh—."
"Ughh, commoner! Put your back into it!"
"I'm already doing that!"
"A man this weak...!"
"......"
Of course, it was just a waste of strength, as I'd expected.
Unless it was someone with brute strength like Elga, there was no way a half-fairy like me and a frail necromancer like Mirna could lift this rock-like door.
—Paimon—!
Paang!
Even blasting magic at the firmly shut door did nothing.
That was when both Mirna and I had to admit we were hopelessly trapped here.
Normally, in a sealed boss room, the door opens after defeating the boss, right? That's how it worked in games, but this place was apparently a bit different.
Who the hell designs a room like this?
Solomon must have been an idiot.
No wonder he got taken down.
Drip, drip, drip.
Mirna, leaning against the wall, slid down and plopped onto the floor. She'd been pondering escape for a while, but now she looked exhausted.
Then, as if struck by a sudden idea, she crawled over to me and grabbed my shoulder.
"You said you found the hidden room with your fairy senses, right? Can't you use them to find a gap or secret mechanism to escape from here?"
Mirna's face lit up with hope, like someone spotting a lighter on a deserted island. But unlike her optimism, my conscience grew darker with guilt.
Because that whole "fairy senses" thing had been a lie to get out of the previous situation! I never imagined that fib would come back to bite me like this.
"Come on, start looking, commoner!"
"......"
"You're not planning to make me, Mirna Draco, sleep on this cold stone floor tonight, are you? I can't sleep anywhere but my own bed."
"...I'll give it a try."
In a way, it was my fault Mirna was trapped here. We wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't found that hidden boss room.
Rustle.
I stood up and pressed my ear to the wall, tapping it, then pushed on each brick one by one, hoping for some hidden mechanism.
Tap, tap.
But as expected, no secret switches or anything like that.
Maybe there's a recognition device that activates with Solomon's blood, I thought.
Since I shared the blood of Angmar, what if sprinkling some of mine made it seep somewhere and open the door?
I pulled out a dagger and lightly nicked my finger.
Slice.
"Hiek...!"
It hurt more than I expected, and my yelp made Mirna, who was resting against the floor, jolt upright in surprise.
"What happened? What's going on?"
"No, it's nothing."
I let blood droplets fall to the floor or smeared my bloody finger on the walls and door.
But contrary to my optimistic train of thought, the room remained stubbornly silent and sealed tight like an unbreakable lock.
Exhausted in the end, I leaned against the wall to rest and gather my thoughts calmly.
The fatigue and tension from fighting the boss hit me all at once, leaving my throat parched. Good thing I had that full waterskin from the rest area earlier.
Gulp, gulp.
A few sips of cool water revived me a bit. But Mirna, watching, furrowed her brow at me.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Drinking water."
"You're going to waste precious resources like that? Who knows when the door will open—you can't just guzzle water recklessly!"
"Would Mirna like some?"
"......"
Mirna looked like she had a lot to say but swallowed it with a sigh. She took the leather waterskin from my hand and took a few gulps herself.
For a fleeting moment, I thought something stupid like, *indirect kiss—*. Then she capped it and said,
"I'll hold onto this. If I leave it with you, commoner, it'll be gone in no time!"
And just like that, Mirna snatched my waterskin.
She was going to manage the remaining water herself. Taking it further, she ordered me to empty my pockets.
"Take out all the food you have left, commoner!"
"Understood, miss."
I dumped everything from my pockets onto the floor. One, two, three— as the pile grew, Mirna stuck out her tongue in disbelief.
"Why do you have so many candies?"
"They make me feel better."
Mirna Draco clicked her tongue, clearly unimpressed by my straightforward answer.
"Tsk, fairies—."
"But candies have lots of sugar, so high calories. We don't know how long we'll be stuck here, but better than nothing."
There were eight candies. If Mirna and I split them four each, they'd provide energy for quite a while.
"...You're right. I wasn't trying to belittle you, Theo Gospel."
In the end, Mirna Draco accepted my point without argument. I figured she'd keep nitpicking, but surprisingly, she acknowledged what was valid.
Seizing the moment while her momentum softened and she calmed down, I asked,
"Is there anyone outside who might come rescue us?"
"No."
Mirna Draco stated flatly. Probably because the Draco family lived so isolated from society, no one would come for her.
But I had people.
If I didn't show up for a while, wouldn't Elga or Aira come looking?
Elga knew I came to the demon cave today, so if I didn't appear for Monday morning lecture, she'd definitely come hunting for me, fuming something like, "What the hell is this guy doing with Mirna?"
That would take Elga about two days to get here.
Three at the most.
Never thought I'd end up in a situation like this again in my life.
* * *
"Didn't you hear something from outside?"
We'd been silently fighting off drowsiness when Mirna stood and paced around, snapping me awake.
"I hear a sound! Someone's coming to rescue us!"
At her fuss, I strained my ears. But my sensitive fairy hearing picked up nothing. She was probably hearing things.
"Calm down. You're wasting energy."
"Energy...."
How many hours had passed since the door sealed? Mirna's condition was deteriorating.
It was natural to panic when trapped in an enclosed space, but hers seemed to escalate quickly.
"Hoo—."
Trying to compose herself, Mirna uncapped the waterskin and chugged it down.
She shook it— it had been full, but now barely a few sips remained.
"The water's almost gone! It's dwindling away!"
*That's because you drank most of it.* Why get mad at herself for drinking it?
But I didn't want to bicker and waste energy. And anyway, no water didn't mean instant death.
The rule of 333: 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. We could hold out until Monday's rescue without water.
Even so, Mirna Draco's state was getting serious.
Crunch, crunch.
She was already on her third candy.
That left her with one. In just hours, she'd used up her entire share. Wasn't this a bit too panicked?
"Miss Mirna, calm down."
I grabbed Mirna Draco's hand.
Human warmth was surprisingly effective at soothing people. Sure enough, with my hand in hers, she stopped panicking and breathed slowly.
"I showed some unsightly behavior, commoner."
"It's fine."
I recalled Mirna during the confrontation with Professor Valan.
Her family on the brink of destruction— yet she'd maintained composure and rationality with impressive endurance and mental fortitude.
So why was she losing it so easily now?
There had to be a reason.
Claustrophobia, maybe?
Should I ask?
As I pondered, I noticed Mirna's face twisting in extreme restlessness.
"Are you hurt somewhere?"
"......"
No answer from Mirna.
But her twitching thighs and knees as she sat on the floor gave it away. She was desperate to pee and holding it in.
「Calm Situation Judgment!
You gain experience from the talent 《Calm Thinking》.
All job experience +5」
As expected. No wonder she was so fidgety. *Who told you to chug all that water?* Of course, I kept that to myself.
I glanced around. Any chance of a chamber pot? As if a boss room would have one.
This was a headache.
Tell her to go anywhere? She'd snap, "Do you think I, Mirna, could do something so vulgar?!"
So I stayed silent, unsure. Time passed, and soon Mirna was groaning beside me like someone in agony.
"Mmm, nghh...."
Her voice carried not just pain, but a hint of tears.
"Ugh, hnnng...."
I'd held it in on a bus once, so I knew. The world turning yellow, spinning—that kind of torture.
"Hnnghh...."
She bit her lower lip hard and clutched her skirt hem. She looked urgent enough to make me anxious too.
So I spoke up first.
"Do you need to use the bathroom?"
"Wh-who said that? Absolutely not! Mind your own business and figure out how to escape!"
Mirna yelled, trying to deflect. But her face was on the verge of tears.
Rustle.
Finally, she shot to her feet.
"Why are you standing?"
"Commoner! As head of the Draco family, I command you! Face the wall and cover your ears! Until I say otherwise!"
"......"
"Now!"