“Well then…”
Gametz, clutching his broken arm and sweating profusely, looked up at me. I pondered what to do, knowing I couldn’t kill him.
“Hey, don’t get too cocky!”
[Gametz unleashed Gold Shower!]
He hurled countless gold coins at me. I was a bit surprised at the close range, but I swatted them away with one hand.
“Ugh! You…!”
[Gametz Lv: 21 Class: Merchant Rank: None]
“They say merchants are not suited for combat, but depending on how they maneuver…”
I struck him lightly on the head to silence him. I almost panicked, fearing I might decapitate him, but somehow, Gametz fell unconscious. It seemed he had trained a little, but it was truly a close call.
“Rua… did you come to help me?”
“Yeah, let’s go home.”
“How can I ever thank you enough for everything…?”
“I just want the three of you to be happy. I don’t want to see anyone die anymore.”
Ai clung to me. She must have been terrified, as she cried uncontrollably, repeatedly expressing her gratitude.
Behind us, a man stood up unsteadily. When I turned around, Zangiri was bleeding from his head, gripping his weapon tightly.
“Are you still going to fight?”
“If you want to defeat me, you’ll have to tear off my limbs and behead me.”
“You’ll die if you fight in that condition.”
“That was my intention from the start.”
His words reminded me of the sensation from earlier—the feeling of slamming him to the ground. I recalled a similar incident from the past.
“Uncle, are you dead?”
“Oh? How did you figure that out?”
My bad feeling was confirmed. It was just like when I fought in the Haunted Mansion. This man was already dead, a vengeful spirit, if you will.
“You died seventy years ago, didn’t you?”
“The swordsman Zangiri… or rather, Zangiri the Manslayer is more famous. It’s just a lingering attachment. In life, I never encountered anyone stronger than me. But now, you are here.”
“For something like that…?”
“Is that all you think it is? I thought you would understand.”
“Don’t compare me to you.”
“Void Crescent Moon…”
The vacuum blades that appeared to surround me aimed to slice me apart without hesitation. But to me, they were no threat, akin to being surrounded by blades that weren’t even there. I spun around, using the wind pressure to dispel them all.
“Scattered Cherry Blossoms.”
I pressed my fingers against the blade that aimed to gouge my center and broke it. However, the broken part began to materialize slowly. Was it because he was a vengeful spirit that anything was possible? I found myself at a loss for what to do.
“I told you, kill me again.”
“Why are you so fixated on such a strong opponent?”
“My life began with killing. I saw my parents murdered before my eyes, and to survive, I had to kill and take from others. Kill, kill, kill, kill, grow stronger, and finally take revenge. But even after fulfilling my purpose, I found myself unfulfilled. Before I knew it, fighting had become my reason for living.”
Zangiri spoke quietly, his wavering body suddenly still.
“How many decades have I fought? At some point, I was ambushed and killed when I was exhausted.”
I said nothing, merely listening to Zangiri’s words. It wasn’t that his story was interesting; there was something about it that I couldn’t afford to miss. He too had lost his parents, and that phrase stuck with me.
“And then I resurrected. I killed the one who ambushed me. I cannot die. The only time I will die is when someone stronger than me kills me.”
Having finished speaking, Zangiri readied his weapon once more.
“But no matter how long I wander this world, I have not found such a person. I have long since given up and have become a mere bodyguard for that old man over there… Little girl, no… I want to know your name.”
“Rua.”
“Rua… all you need to do is deliver that one blow to me. Kill me.”
“And then you will be gone?”
“If it is fitting for me to go.”
“…Understood.”
I drew my sword. Zangiri responded in kind.
I stepped forward with all my might.
Just like before, Zangiri was unable to react at all. I swung with all my strength, slicing through the body of the dead man. His torso was cleanly cut diagonally, along with the hand that held the sword.
“Y-you have… that much strength… Can you… truly… handle it…?”
Before his severed body hit the floor, it glowed faintly and gradually began to disappear.
“…I’m fine.”
“Is that so…?”
With that final word, Zangiri completely vanished.
“I…”
Regret from the Bees Forest flooded back. For a brief moment, I had sought power, and I was indeed there at that time. Perhaps, even if just for that moment, Zangiri and I were the same. No, it had been the same since I conquered the Abyss Cave to gain the strength to avenge my enemies ten years ago.
Was that really it?
To defeat the One-Winged Demon?
My memories were once again hazy.
“Rua-san… are you alright?”
Ai, who had been watching the entire scene, asked cautiously.
“Y-yeah, let’s go home.”
Ai took my outstretched hand after a slight hesitation. I couldn’t tell if it was fear of me or something else. Regardless, I wanted to get Ai back to those two as soon as possible. I wanted to see all three of them smile again.
But first, I needed to tie up the unconscious Gametz and hand him over to the Kingdom’s Guard. I wasn’t sure what would happen afterward, so I decided to leave it to them.
///
“Sister!”
The three of them embraced each other in joy. Roel had apparently been encouraging them the whole time they waited.
“You idiot, sister! It’s pointless if only the two of us survive!”
“…I don’t want you to go again.”
“I’m so sorry, both of you. But I had no choice.”
That scene was beautiful and dazzling. Ten years ago, I could only run away, but now I had saved someone. Just as Zangiri said, seeking power might lead to ruin. Yet, at this moment, I had been saved by that very power.
“Rua-chan, you really are strong.”
Zangiri, who had gained power, likely had no one he could trust in this world. He had been consumed by that power.
“I may have lost it once, but I’m not alone.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
I deliberately turned away and watched the three of them joyfully share their happiness. They were all grinning widely. Ai noticed my gaze and bowed deeply once more.
“I can never thank you enough, Rua-san. There’s little I can do, but if you ever find yourself in trouble, I will surely help you then!”
“Me too, me too!”
Mai chimed in, and Mi nodded silently. However, I had something on my mind.
“Are you three going to continue being Adventurers?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, Rua-san, we’ve managed to grasp the basics. Oh, you don’t have to worry anymore.”
Ai smiled, and I could no longer sense the despair she once carried. I was a bit worried, but it seemed their levels had risen significantly, so they should manage.
“If anything happens, we’ll help you again. So don’t push yourselves too hard, okay?”
“Not a chance! We owe you so much, Rua-san, and to ask for help again at this point would be too much! My archery skills have improved tremendously, so I’m fine now!”
“Even if your level goes up, that doesn’t change things. I think Ord-san said…”
“Ord asked Seigel-san, right? Oh, by the way, I wonder if he’s still unconscious.”
“Shall we go check on him on our way back?”
After bidding farewell to the three of them, we headed toward the Heal Center.
“Let’s visit Dad and Mom’s graves for the first time in a while.”
As we were leaving, Ai’s gentle voice reached us from behind. I wondered if she would tell the truth to the two of them. No, somehow, I felt that Ai wouldn’t say anything. I thought that almost immediately.
///
Just like when we first arrived, Seigel lay with tubes and bandages, his eyes closed.
“Looks like he still hasn’t come to…”
“Hey, Roel, can’t we use Heal on him?”
“I think we’ve done that several times already. The head priest here is famous, and if even he can’t handle it, what can I do…?”
“Even if it’s a long shot, we should at least try.”
“Okay, then…”
Roel cast Heal on Seigel more gently than usual. However, Seigel’s eyes remained closed, and there was no change.
“Looks like it’s no good.”
Just as I was about to give up, I noticed Seigel’s fingers twitching slightly.
“Did… did he just move?”
“What? That can’t be…”
“Try Heal one more time.”
Roel cast Heal on Seigel again. This time, his eyelids fluttered slightly.
“…Ah.”
His lips moved just a little. A faint voice escaped from deep within his throat.
“Seigel-san?”
“…I’m here.”
“Could it be you’ve regained consciousness?!”
“…Where is this…?”
With his eyes still closed, only Seigel’s mouth moved. Incredibly, Seigel had revived thanks to Roel’s Heal. Eventually, Seigel’s eyelids opened, and he gazed up at the ceiling, squinting against the light.
“…Am I alive?”
“Yes!”
“I see…”
“Um, I’ll go get the staff now.”
“No, it’s fine… More importantly, listen to me. It’s about the Gametz Trading Company.”
“I’ll handle it somehow.”
Seigel was momentarily at a loss for words. I thought he might respond with his usual playful tone, just like when we first met, but he seemed too drained for that. While I recounted everything that had happened, he didn’t ask a single question.
“If that’s true, I guess I’m off the hook. Ha ha…”
“That’s not true at all!”
“Just kidding. But I really couldn’t do anything against that sword-wielding bastard. Hey, Rua, what’s the source of your strength?”
“Source?”
“I mean, why are you so strong?”
“That’s because I fought in the Abyss Cave…”
I regretted saying that halfway through. I figured it would be pointless since he wouldn’t believe me anyway.
“The Abyss Cave…?”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”
“No, it just sounds familiar.”
Seigel flashed a bright smile, as if to say it didn’t matter, and changed the subject.
“If you handed Gametz over to the Kingdom’s Guard, he’s done for. The merchant guild’s building will be thoroughly searched, and all evidence of wrongdoing will be confiscated. He’ll never return to the surface again.”
“That means no one else will have to suffer anymore.”
“Yeah, that family will probably get their smiles back… I feel sorry for them. I couldn’t do anything to help.”
“Ah! Are you awake?!”
A boy stood at the entrance of the hospital room, his parents behind him.
“Uncle! You’re doing better now!”
“Well, ha ha… I still need more time to recover.”
“Seigel-san, you got hurt so badly for our sake…”
“Save your thanks for that tomboyish girl over there. I was shamefully taken down.”
As Seigel explained the situation to the family, they seemed to understand and expressed their gratitude in unison. Still, the boy seemed particularly fond of Seigel and clung to him. The center staff, noticing Seigel was awake and chatting, hurried over.
“Se-Seigel-san?”
“Yeah, looks like I made it through.”
Seigel laughed loudly, perhaps too loudly. Soon, other staff members gathered, and there was a flurry of excitement. They began to discuss this and that, but Seigel’s natural resilience calmed the situation.
The Abyss Cave. It was a fact that I had fought there, yet even Seigel didn’t know about it.
Why was that? What was the Danger Level there? What about my own Level?
Seigel’s words about the source of my strength lingered in my mind, and suddenly, a multitude of questions began to swirl within me.
In a dark, stone-walled basement, a single candle flickered, illuminating a figure seated quietly. On a decaying wooden table lay a skull, which a cloaked individual caressed with great care.
“Ah, he’s gone to heaven.”
The boy muttered in the empty basement. Beneath the robe was a youthful face, pale skin adorned with black hieroglyphic-like paint.
“Zangiri the Manslayer of Azuma. I went through the trouble of resurrecting him, and in the end, he hasn’t done a thing.”
“Then why not keep him around and make him one of your subordinates?”
A middle-aged man wearing a cap had somehow leaned against the wall, despite the basement being empty.
“Knock next time.”
“I did that last time, and when I knocked, no one was inside.”
“Are you scared?”
The cloaked boy teased the cap-wearing man. In response, the man conjured a large cobra from his palm.
“Oh, I was super scared.”
“Then don’t come here. Do you need something?”
“At least be a little scared.”
The man clenched his hand, making the cobra vanish.
“Well, I was just wondering if preparations for the festival attack were ready.”
“If that’s all you want, then get lost. I’m on edge here. There aren’t many quality pawns around. If we’re going to hold a festival, I want it to be spectacular…”
“Weren’t you saying there was a girl who hanged herself in the mansion? She’d be perfect.”
“She disappeared before I knew it. I don’t know if it was an Exorcist or something, but there are surprisingly troublesome folks lurking around.”
“What a coincidence. I recently sent someone after her, and they got taken out in an instant.”
The man conjured the cobra again from his palm.
“Anyone that weak deserves it.”
“No, I was seriously scared. I thought they’d be fine since they were wandering around that dungeon.”
“Seriously, don’t play around in places like that.”
“You’re going to eliminate anyone who might be a nuisance, especially Adventurers, right? But keep it under the radar. That’s what the boss said.”
“If you’re going to eliminate them, do it with stronger monsters… Ugh, I’m tired. I don’t have time to joke around with you. Get out of here already.”
“Don’t get too caught up and miss the festival.”
The cap-wearing man cheerfully opened the basement door and left.
“Hmph, noisy fool… I’ll show you a feat that a barbaric Beast Master like you could never replicate. At the festival.”
The boy smiled as he resumed caressing the skull.
“Yes, death.”
With an ecstatic expression, the boy gazed at the stains spreading across the basement ceiling.
“Ah… how wonderful… the dead are so beautiful… Death is the ultimate beauty, the pinnacle of existence… I wonder if there’s a cute girl somewhere who has died in agony? Mufufu… Muhihi…”
The boy embraced the skull, continuing to stroke it endlessly.