Side Story: Helena, Yuta, and Ispa
For adventurers, nothing is more desperate and despairing—yet more commonplace—than death. And sacrifice. In a place where two should have died, one survived. The other saved someone else. Every adventurer carries their own tragedy within.
"An adventurer's life is, in itself, a tragedy."
Still early morning, before the sun had even peeked over the horizon. But for adventurers who hated moving under the scorching sun, this was the prime time to be active.
".....Too many. Way too damn many."
The mountain of paperwork piled up before me. As our achievements grew day by day, so did the stack of reports I had to write. Should I be happy about this or not? When we finally carved out our own territory in the capital, I was thrilled enough to raise a toast. If I'd known it would come to this, I would've just settled in some quiet countryside village.
My mouth was itching with curses at the endless sea of paper that showed no sign of shrinking no matter how long I worked, but I swallowed them down with black tea. Bitter. Maybe from fatigue, but I couldn't taste the flavor of my favorite black tea. It was just bitter and hot. As I stuck out my tongue to cool it, I sensed an intruder.
Thud thud thud thud.
"....What now... This is driving me insane."
Loud footsteps echoed from beyond the firmly shut door. What news had she brought this time? In the past, that sound made my heart sink with anxiety, but now it just pissed me off. Bang! Whether she didn't know manners or just didn't care, the door flew open with brute force, slamming into the wall. I could see the dent in the expensive red wallpaper I'd had installed.
A dent in the wall. Ah.
"Captain Heleeeena!! Breaking news, breaking neeeeews!!?"
"Your last words, huh."
What a shame. Shing. I swung my sword straight at my vice captain's neck. She reacted fast, dropping to her knees, so it only sliced off a few strands of hair. The culprit strode in with her chest puffed out and a confident gait, then dramatically fell backward, pointing at me as if showing off those massive breasts. They jiggled every time her trembling finger moved. Rude. Should I just slice them off? Yeah, let's.
I swung again.
"Y-You, you, you were gonna kill me just now!?"
"Yeah."
"Such an instant answer!?"
"Can't I just take one side?"
"What!?"
What do you think? Your tits, obviously. They grew that big, so maybe they'd grow back even if I cut them. I raised my sword high, but she knelt and slammed her head to the floor, so I lowered it. I love you! Get lost. I kicked off my clinging vice captain, who was slobbering all over me. I had tons of work, I was sleepy, I wanted to slice those off, and above all, it was annoying—but I decided to hear her out first. Her huge tits were utterly distasteful, but she was damn good at her job.
Bisa. Outwardly ditzy inside and out, but for some reason, she was my vice captain. Should I really cut them off? She stood there blankly for a moment, then got to the point.
"Ugh... seriously!? Oh! Right, right! A 'ruins' has been discovered!"
"....'Ruins'? Not some scam artists faking reports for reward money again?"
"No way—! This was confirmed directly by our scouting team! The place you sent them to, you know!"
"Oh?"
Ruins. Among dungeons, what adventurers prized above all else. Criteria varied wildly between mercenary bands—had to be a natural dungeon, a virgin one untouched by humans for ages—but one thing everyone agreed on: it had to be loaded with valuable artifacts. The difference between ordinary honey and deep-mountain quartz crystal. Of course, the crystal was the ruins. That's why many bands offered rewards for tips, but most were bullshit or idiots mistaking caves for ruins. Well, this time it was found by our reliable scouting team.
Nice. Distribution of local flora and fauna, ecosystem, geological structure, and circulating rumors in the area. I'd picked three suspicious spots as a test and sent out the scouts—and they hit a jackpot right off the bat. Really—
"Not bad."
"—Then, shall I get things ready right away?"
"Yeah. Tell Yuta the vice captain too—she's coming with."
"Got it!"
Bisa dashed out, closing the door properly for once. Seeing the clear mark where the knob had hit the wall, I wondered if I should've broken one or two of her fingers after all, but let it go. Time to gear up.
I always wore minimal armor, so full kit took barely ten minutes. Inspecting my gear, helmet in hand, I tasted a faint bitterness. Now it was like slipping on clothes, but the first time I'd fumbled for over an hour. No clue where straps went, order all mixed up. Took it on and off endlessly until the leather straps tangled like ropes, leaving me immobile. That's how I remembered it.
Helena really can't help it, can she?
Ispa!
Stay still now.
Ispa had seen me like that, smiling as she helped one piece at a time.
"Am I... doing well, Ispa?"
Heading out on expeditions, her ever-smiling face was always so charming. Now, as a seasoned adult adventurer, I realized no child was as enigmatic as Ispa. A mature kid, or a childlike adult—that was her. Even at the orphanage, she drew everyone's eyes. Kind to all, helping with troubles but waiting patiently until we solved them ourselves. Yuta and I weren't drawn to her light by chance. She had no idea how wildly Yuta celebrated recruiting her. A distant memory, one we could never return to.
After Ispa's death, Yuta and I wandered a lot, but we settled into one mercenary band and kept adventuring. Quitting was tempting, but we couldn't—not after her sacrifice for us. Yuta especially suffered severe claustrophobia from sealed spaces and dungeons, barely able to function, but her resilient spirit pulled her through. Ispa would've loved seeing that.
Afterward, her physical prowess and skill earned her the vice captain spot. I handled planning as staff officer, but somehow ended up captain. Why am I here? If not for that old fox, I wouldn't be. The members said I fit best, but honestly, it didn't feel real. Someone else suited it more. If she'd been here instead of me. If I'd stopped Yuta from charging ahead then. If I'd been the one caught in the trap—
"........"
Everything I did was imitating her. Like kids trailing their parents, Yuta and I just followed the footsteps of a gone Ispa. Yuta might hate it, but to me, she was like our parent. Scolding harshly for mistakes. Praising warmly more than anyone for good deeds. Rushing to shield us first from danger—
"—Ispa."
Shing. The small dagger slid out with a sharp sound. The sword Ispa gave me on our first dungeon dive. The one that ended her final breath. As a kid, it was too big and heavy for one hand. But now... I'd grown this much. Yuta too—we'd all become adults. Taller, stronger. Earning money others envied. Old enough for nagging about marriage. The orphanage we grew up in had transformed into a grand building with our donations.
Everything changed, Ispa. But you're still the same. Left alone at the end of the path everyone else treads, forever a child. Her sky-blue eyes that seemed to embrace us all, her charming smile. She stayed unchanging, eternally a girl in our memories. That hurt so much.
"Yeah, time to go. Let's head out."
The girl I killed with this blade. I couldn't let her death be in vain. We've worked hard. So cheer for us, Ispa. This path we're walking ahead. Us, who have no choice but to leave you behind.
"Let's go."
I opened the door.
Helena's grown up so well. She's got a bit of an S streak. Wonder who she learned that from... (gazing into the distance)
Anyway, she was meant to be a minor side character, but look at her now—climbed all the way to captain. Aris up in heaven must be smiling. Right?
"I love it so much." She says it's great.