51. Myths and the Connected World
A soft sensation touched my lips.
I knew it without opening my eyes. It was Fam's lips. Liquid flowed into my mouth from her mouth-to-mouth transfer. A mana recovery potion.
As I swallowed it, my consciousness sharpened.
I pulled her into a hug. I wanted to savor the feel of Fam's lips more.
"Nguh, nngh... Master... I love you..."
Fam hugged me back.
"Hey!"
When I opened my eyes, Mizuki and Cecily had me surrounded. They pried us apart.
"Where are we?"
The rocky space was illuminated by torches.
"The thieves' hideout cave."
Cecily answered. Looking around, we were enclosed by rock. It seemed like a natural cave, furnished with desks and chairs, set up as a living space.
"Now that you're awake, get over there and sit seiza-style."
Where she pointed, Riley was already kneeling seiza. Next to her knelt an unfamiliar woman, covered in mud. Her hands were bound behind her back. She had permed chestnut short hair and sharp, intense eyes.
"Who are you?"
Not knowing her, I spoke politely.
"She's the one you fought, right?!"
Cecily shot back.
So this was Ito. The one who'd buried herself up to her waist in the ground had looked dead, but she'd survived after all.
"Myra... Ira..."
"Yeah, hurry up."
I tried thanking Myra and Ira, but Cecily urged me to sit quickly.
"Like yesterday, we just did basic first aid. Beastkin races are said to have high recovery rates, but she's something special..."
Myra said. They'd treated her without me asking. Thanks.
I didn't want to kneel next to Ito, so I took the spot by Riley. It ended up me, Riley, Ito in a row.
Fam, Mizuki, Myra, Cecily, and Ira surrounded us.
"What about the other thieves?"
"Didn't you take them out? No one else was around."
Cecily answered.
"The tall black-robe guy too?"
"Yeah."
Cecily nodded. So I'd killed him. I thought it'd hit me harder, but with no real sense of it, I felt nothing.
"Auss is probably alive. When I tried to fight you, he ran off."
Ito chimed in.
"...Who's Auss?"
"The tall black-robe you mentioned. He's the thief leader. The goddess was only after me, and he wasted time charging magic into that spear. He used the opening to let his buddies escape."
"Good."
"Hm? Good?"
Cecily jumped in.
"Oh, uh, so no one was after me?"
"You were protected by the goddess's barrier. In that situation, they couldn't touch you with their power. I couldn't do anything either."
She gave a wry smile.
"Right... Wait, you're not the leader?!"
"Afraid not."
Ito shrugged.
"So, where's the master?"
Riley asked Ito.
"Emma's... in the back room."
Ito indicated with her chin. Riley started to stand.
"Kidnapper! Don't move, or you want me to burn you alive?"
Cecily raised her staff.
"Kuh..."
Riley bit her lip.
"Cecily, let her see Emma."
"You say that like it's easy... Fine, got it."
Cecily lowered her staff. Riley bolted up and dashed off. Soon, her anguished scream echoed.
"...You hear that and feel nothing? Why'd you kill Emma?"
I asked.
"I know how insane your Special Skill is. We sicced the Hecatoncheires on you to force your Special Skill, then planned to finish you off after. Active Special Skills have cooldowns after activation. But you beat them without using yours. We realized we couldn't win."
So Special Skills couldn't be spammed—that was the common rule.
"Didn't know? We had three members who'd beaten Hecatoncheires before."
"Didn't think you'd take down two without a Special Skill. We had no chance. But since we'd started the fight, we needed some kind of closure."
So they used Emma as a sacrificial lizard tail. They were more scared of us than we were of them.
At that point, three of theirs were down, Mizuki was battered. Could they have won? They'd probably used their Special Skills too. Yeah, Mizuki's and mine would've clinched it. I'd planned to trigger Goddess Summon the moment we spotted them.
"We killed Emma in the highway fight. Ideally, we'd leave the body for you all to find later as closure. ...But I couldn't, so I recovered it."
Her own clone body? What kind of sentiment was that?
"...You thought you couldn't win, so why attack today?"
"Even I didn't think one guy could beat twenty-plus."
Ito smiled bitterly.
"Emma and I transferred here two years ago. Half a year later, a transferee named Yuuki killed us both. The clone I'd prepped with my skill became Emma, and the one she made became me—Ito."
"...My head's spinning. So there's an original Ito, a different person."
Ito nodded.
"Yuuki..."
Mizuki murmured the name.
"Ring any bells?"
"Huh? No, just matches an acquaintance..."
"Plenty of Yuukis out there anyway."
"Yeah."
Mizuki nodded.
"Yuuki was alone?"
"Just one. But strong. Same body-enhancement skill, but we couldn't match him."
Ito answered. Body enhancement stronger than a dragon?
"Can't make infinite clones?"
Tens of thousands of Emmas summoning tens of thousands of Hecatoncheires. World ender.
"Only one active clone at a time."
"Figured."
"My wish is to revive Ito. Gotta use the ark for that."
"Big wish. Guess that makes killing people and having slaves like Riley no big deal."
Ridiculous.
"You're no saint either. Why'd you get kidnapped? Think how worried we were!"
Cecily said.
"...I hated being alone. Tried going to Fam's room. But Mizuki glared at me."
"Huh?!"
Mizuki blinked in surprise.
"Single room means one person! And you totally planned something naughty!"
"Are you seriously that pure?!"
"Wha, what?" Mizuki glared.
"...Nothing."
I backed down and straightened up.
"Mizuki, that's why Master ended up sleeping with Riley. She got cocky and got kidnapped. Should've stopped her."
Fam spoke like she'd seen it all.
"Wait, Fam, don't say it here!"
"Wha—why not me?!"
Myra got mad too, for some reason.
"Please. Later. Ito's here."
"..."
Everyone went quiet.
"What’s this ark Ito mentioned?"
Myra smoothed things over.
"Apparently in the imperial capital's dungeon. Defeat all the Goddess Five Pillars' transferees, and it grants a wish—somehow."
"First I've heard of wish-granting, but I know the ark. A holy relic from the gods' war. It held the Holy Oil Jar. Lady Rishar broke it, mana filled the world, and we gained magic."
Myra explained. Rishar was one of the Goddess Five Pillars who sided with Rakushel in the gods' war.
"Rakushel brought it?"
"No, not the Goddess Five Pillars."
Myra shook her head. So one of the 50 Gods then.
"Anything else in the ark? Like a staff or stone tablets?"
Id heard of the Holy Oil Jar back home—god gave food to a prophet, stored in a jar. Same thing?
"Staff and mirror. Legends say both lost. But the emperor's scepter is said to be the staff, inherited from the old empire—decent credibility."
"Myra, the ark might be from our world. Called the Ark of the Covenant there. Exact date unknown, but ancient—prophet made it on divine revelation, housed in a kingdom guided by prophets. Lost when the kingdom split and fell."
"Really?"
Myra looked shocked.
"Yeah. If it's from our world, the wish-granting bit's suspect."
I told Ito.
"...Seems so."
She nodded. What was she thinking? Unreadable.
"Myra, can you revive the dead?"
Unlikely, but worth asking.
"No one can revive the dead, no matter who."
Myra shook her head.
"How long ago was the gods' war?"
"Can't sync timelines between worlds."
Mizuki anticipated, handing me her phone from Storage. Charged.
"Emma's phone. Check the photo dates from her world."
Unlocked. Album top: selfie of Emma and Riley. Heartbreaking. Battery was dead before; she turned it on just for pics. Riley was a slave, but Emma cherished her.
Swiping: college campus shots. College student? But this Emma wasn't the Emma. Weird feeling.
Date: June 13. Same year as mine. We transferred last month; they two years ago. Checked random others—all same year. Sorted by date, obviously.
"Our world and this one's timelines aren't synced."
"Looks like."
Mizuki nodded.
"So, what to do with Ito."
Mizuki said.
"Remove Riley's slave crest. Then free her..."
She trailed off.
"Hand her to the garrison. Spill everything on the thief business. Noble connections too. Let them decide punishment."
"Harsh as ever. I got saved that way too."
Ira said.
"Honestly, whatever calms Riley."
"You're too invested. She showed hostility toward Mash at least."
Myra said.
"Slave life. Emma's fault, but she's dead. Judge her post-freedom actions."
"Fine. Still bugs me..."
Mizuki said.
"Ito, cool?"
"...No choice for me."
"Have Ito clone herself. One to garrison. Other frees Riley."
"After?"
"Do what you want. Riley might kill you. Just one thing: stop attacking us. It's depressing."
"You'll help...? Fine. Won't attack again. Promise."
Ito answered. True? How many target Goddess Five Pillars' transferees for wishes? Many quit. Should hear descendants of transfers from 100+ years ago.
Was Ito hiding motives? Or did they have reasons to fight us?
"Alright then."
I'd worried about Riley. Stood to check.
"Hey, where you going?"
Mizuki stopped me.
"Where? You're not forgiven."
Unfair—Ito was up already.
"Sorry. Forgive me."
I bowed.
"I forgive you."
Fam said.
"««««Eh?!»»»»"
The other women gawked at Fam.
"Fam, you're with me today."
"Yes."
Fam nodded.
"Wait, that's cheating!"
"Traitor!"
"You were the maddest!"
"..."
Amid four unique protests, my numb legs failed, but Fam helped me up.
Under their glares, I headed to Riley. Thought Fam'd follow—nope.
Deep into the cave. Didn't know what to say—heavy heart.
Passed a loot pile. Tempting, but nah. Hated enough already.
Returned Riley's stolen sword too.
Ahead: wooden door.
Inside: woman on wooden table. Emma. Clone, so obvious—but identical to Ito.
Riley gazed silently.
"Raised your hopes. Couldn't keep promise. Sorry."
Wondered her expression. Couldn't look.
"...It's fine. When we came to save, she was gone. Fate sealed. I knew, deep down. But you lived. So I hoped."
"Think how I felt, dragged here on that gamble."
"Heh, yeah. Gotta work off that night you had me."
She laughed. Sounded lonely.
"I'll have Ito free you. Live free."
"Got it. You saved me. No suicide."
"...Good. Let's bury her."
"Yeah. Shame it's this lonely spot."
Seemed okay alone. Turned to leave.
"Sorry for messing with you. Forgive me."
She apologized.
"Yeah. Apologize to the others. Especially Cecily, Ira. Fam too."
Riley nodded.
"Won't bother you anymore. Cry if you want."
As I exited, hugged from behind.
"Just a bit longer."
Riley was crying.
We buried Emma. Myra officiated.
"We are born of people, return to earth. Some stray from this, but the dead live on in our hearts."
Explained for me and Mizuki.
"Got it."
I nodded.
We headed back to the settlement.
Ito couldn't clone till tomorrow—Special Skill cooldown.
She'd turn herself in, so left at hideout. Said bye to Riley there.
Rain stopped.
Caravan could leave tomorrow.
Thank you for reading.
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