Adaptation (7)
The passage of time was impossible to track. Had it been a day? Two days? Perhaps an entire week. In this forest where not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate, everything felt oppressively silent, as if the seasons and time itself had been swallowed whole. I pulled out the glowing compass I had grabbed from the room, but for some reason it had lost its light and showed no reaction at all. I wasn't even sure if it was pointing the right way to begin with.
Anyway, right now... it felt like all hope had vanished. Like I had been sentenced to my day of doom and was simply wasting away. More than anything, what tormented me was the constant anxiety of not knowing when or where a monster might spring out. That fear gnawed at me so deeply that even the slightest rustle of wind could make my breath catch in my throat.
“Haa... haa...”
“Just a little longer. Hold on just a little longer, Saren.”
To make matters worse, the sound of Saren's ragged breathing from behind only made my heart race with greater urgency. I had been giving her the medicine at regular intervals, so why was her condition only getting worse? Was it because I had made her take it without water? Or had I missed the proper timing? No matter how much I fed her, Saren's suffering showed no sign of easing.
“Brother... Brother... that water...”
“Yeah, I'll find some for you somehow.”
“......”
Why did Saren have to take this medicine every single day? What exactly was wrong with her? I knew absolutely nothing. I had asked her, but even she didn't understand why she had been born with this body. Still, I managed to learn something unexpected. Countless renowned physicians from many kingdoms had examined her, yet none could reach a conclusion. The priests had only spouted nonsense about it being divine punishment or the Demon King's curse.
Then one day, an unidentified saintess appeared and offered her some medicine. A single dose of the decoction she prepared completely calmed Saren's symptoms. The family was utterly shocked by this seemingly miraculous sight. But the saintess refused to reveal the ingredients of the medicine. She would only say that it could not be obtained anywhere except from her.
So my father, Daness, ended up paying her an enormous sum every year to trade for the medicine. Ten years later, at some point, that saintess simply vanished. This story was incredibly important to me. Because the quest to obtain the final title, Saren's Savior, was precisely about uncovering the ingredients of that medicine. Finding that saintess was the path I had to walk.
But what the hell was her name? Damn it, this is bad. I had skipped through the story too quickly, and now I couldn't remember her name.
While I was lost deep in those thoughts...
Shaaaaaa—
“......?”
The unmistakable roar of a massive waterfall echoed clearly through the dense forest, and my head snapped up. My heart pounded wildly. The sound was enough to fill my chest with overwhelming hope.
“Hiyah! Hiyaaht!!”
Without hesitation, I grabbed the horse's reins and turned us straight toward the direction of the water.
“......Ha! Haha!”
A sigh mixed with admiration escaped me at the sight that unfolded before my eyes. At the edge of the thick forest lay a colossal waterfall cascading from a great height, with pure white, crystal-clear water flowing across the ground below.
“Saren, w-water...”
That wasn't all. When I lifted my head, I saw a night sky brimming with stars, completely free of clouds. How long had it been since I last saw the sky? It was the moment hope bloomed in what had been a pitch-black existence.
I quickly gathered dry branches near where the stream flowed and lit a fire. Then I pulled some clothes from the bag, spread them on the ground, and gently laid Saren down.
“Lie down here. Good girl.”
“Brother...”
Saren's face as she looked up at me with difficulty was drenched in cold sweat.
“Why are you like this even after taking the medicine? Is it because there was no water?”
Saren barely managed to open her eyes halfway and whispered.
“I drank some water... so I'll be fine after I sleep...”
“Yeah. Get some deep rest now.”
“I'm sorry for worrying you, Brother...”
“It's okay. Don't worry about me—just take care of yourself first.”
“Hehe, how kind you are...”
Saren smiled and closed her eyes. Once she had fallen asleep, I filled the water bottle I had brought to the brim. Then, while scrubbing my sweat-soaked body clean, I washed our clothes by beating them with a thick wooden stick. My heart felt much lighter.
I had never particularly liked baths, let alone saunas, but who knew bathing could feel this good? With my body now refreshed, I gathered the laundry and spread it out around the campfire. Then I sat beside her and gazed down at Saren's sleeping face.
“......”
Her snow-white hair. Skin even paler than that. And lips that looked all the redder because of it. The Saren who had always smiled brightly at me and called me “Brother”—why had she shown that side of herself in the stable? That moment still lingered vividly before my eyes. It wasn't something that could be easily forgotten.
“Huu...”
I let out a long sigh and lay back. The rough, uneven ground sent pain shooting through my back, but right now this place felt more comfortable than a five-star hotel suite. Yet my mind refused to let me enjoy even a moment of peace.
How long would we have to keep running like this? Vivian wasn't with us—would everything really be okay? More importantly, what kind of power did I even possess in this world? It didn't seem like I could use magic. And with this body that couldn't even swing a sword properly, how was I supposed to save Saren?
This place was a game world before it was reality. That meant there had to be levels and stats. The title First Step that I was currently equipped with was even supposed to raise all my stats by 1. But had they actually increased? I couldn't feel any difference at all, which only made it more frustrating.
“Ugh, I don't know!”
I hated overcomplicating things. With the thought that I'd figure it out someday, I stared up at the star-filled sky and slowly closed my eyes.
“Hmm, you slept for quite a while.”
My eyes flew open at the sudden sound of an unfamiliar voice. The first thing I saw was a brilliant blue sky accompanied by intense sunlight.
“Oh! He's awake!”
Another unfamiliar voice rang out. I bolted upright and quickly drew the dagger from my chest, aiming it in the direction of the sound. The source was right beside the horse we had been riding.
“Oh my? What an unusual greeting.”
Standing there was a woman with pink hair and pink eyes, dressed in nun's robes. She was gently stroking the horse's muzzle, facing me with a bright smile. Instinctively, I glanced sideways to check on Saren. Her complexion had returned; it seemed the medicine had taken effect overnight. That was a relief.
“Are you worried about your sister?”
My brow twitched for a moment. How did she know Saren was my sister?
“Who are you?”
“Ah, I'm Saintess Chloe. Nice to meet you.”
“......Saintess?”
I reacted involuntarily to the word. But that wasn't the name I remembered. More importantly, why was a saintess alone in the depths of this forest? No matter how I thought about it, the situation felt entirely out of place.
“You look surprised. Don't think too strangely of it. I simply ran into you on my way back to the church.”
“......”
I couldn't trust her so easily. She might be an imperial spy sent to capture us. Soon, she approached me slowly, still smiling.
“You two are children of the Elcia family, aren't you?”
At those words, my grip on the dagger tightened fiercely. How did she know we were from the Elcia family? She really was an imperial informant. If that was the case, I had no choice but to fight. This was truly the moment I would have to fight someone to survive.
The moment I realized that, my hands began to tremble uncontrollably and my heart pounded as if it would burst. In my twenty-three years of life, I had never once been in a fight. Not in school, not in the military—never.
“Huk, huu...”
Stay calm. This wasn't some situation where we'd throw punches and then make up. This was a place where I had to risk my life and take someone else's. That's what this world was.
“Is that stance because you want to fight? With your hands shaking like that?”
“......Shut up.”
Chloe kept grinning as if something was amusing.
“I told you, I'm not here to capture you.”
“Then how did you know who we are?”
She let out a deep sigh and pointed at the horse we had been riding.
“Because the Elcia family crest is right there on the saddle, obviously. I was surprised too, you know? Running into wanted fugitives made my hands and feet shake.”
She's lying. My instincts were screaming at me. I absolutely could not trust this woman.
“Still, I can't just let you go like this.”
“Oh my, are you going to kill me then?”
I wasn't sure if I had the guts for that. This wasn't some game PvP—this was real murder. How could a person kill another person?
“......If you come along quietly, I'll spare you.”
This was the best I could do. In a life-or-death situation, some might call it merciful, but anyone in my position would hesitate just like this. Still, I couldn't show weakness now. There was no telling when this woman might stab me in the back.
“Mm, sure!”
She obediently raised both arms in a gesture of surrender. It had only been a bluff, but it actually worked?
“......What?”
“I'll come with you. I don't want to die either.”
“......”
What was this woman's real intention? Anyway, it was fortunate that we could avoid a fight. The moment I thought that, the tension drained from my body and blood rushed through me all at once. At the same time, my hands shook even more violently.
“P-put your hands behind your back.”
“Yes.”
I tied Chloe's wrists tightly with rope. I didn't know how to make a proper knot, so I simply wrapped it around and around as securely as I could.
“Ouch! That hurts!!”
“Did you think I'd tie it nicely while comforting you?”
“Hehe, of course not. But...”
Chloe tilted her upper body back and buried her face in the nape of my neck. I could feel her hot breath against my skin.
“What the—?!”
Startled, I instinctively stepped back. But she didn't seem to care, flashing a sinister smile as she spoke in a low voice.
“They say the eldest son of the Elcia family is quite handsome. So the rumors were true?”
“What?”
Was that something to say in this situation? Especially coming from a saintess? At that moment, someone snatched the dagger from my hand and—
Thud—
Without the slightest hesitation, drove it straight into Chloe's shoulder.
“Kyaaaaaack!!”
“S-Saren...”
It was Saren, of course. As she looked down at Chloe, her face held no emotion whatsoever—only cold, icy eyes.