Chapter 5: Laser Beam
We three continued to hunt the Fog, gradually deepening our bonds with one another. The results were quite satisfactory.
However, there was something that weighed on my mind. We had finally encountered the manifestations of the Fog, such as Bone Warriors and Corpse Persons, and the frequency of our encounters with the Fog had noticeably increased.
Still, we went about our daily tasks, living in a whirlwind of activity.
Amidst all this, I often recalled Pulmy-san’s dream. Each time, I made an effort to convince myself that it was just a dream.
No, to be accurate, it was more like I had no choice but to think that way… Above all, this “dream” was quite troublesome.
If I casually told someone, “I had a nightmare,” they would likely respond with indifference. After all, what does it matter to others that I had a dream?
Even if I expressed, “I have a bad feeling about this,” the truth of whether it was a prophetic dream would only be revealed after everything had transpired.
If nothing happened, I would simply be seen as an inconsiderate occult enthusiast.
That’s right. In the first place, the likelihood of a dream being anything more than just a dream is quite high.
The question of how much significance a dream holds for future events swirled endlessly in my mind, leaving me with no answers.
However, the stagnant situation began to shift one fateful night.
To cut to the chase, I had another nightmare.
The content was, of course, the same as the previous one.
Pulmy-san fought valiantly to maintain the front lines, serving as the rear guard during the retreat, striving to protect everyone.
Yet, ultimately, it was in vain—she vanished in a flash of blue light, taking her opponent with her.
Having dreamt of Pulmy-san’s tragic end twice, I finally decided to consult Sensei.
“Sensei, do you have a moment?”
After ten days of battling the Fog, I was relieved that that day was a rest day. Sensei, not being part of the active combat team, had been stationed at Ashley’s mansion, focusing on detecting the presence of the Fog from a distance.
“Hmm? What’s up, Son-in-law?” Sensei replied.
With her in front of me, I steeled myself.
There was something I couldn’t discuss openly, so I led Sensei into my room.
“Sensei… what I’m about to say might just be my nonsense.”
Was this what they called a precautionary measure? I hated feeling so pathetic.
Sensei plopped down on my bed, finding it more comfortable than the chair, and listened silently as I spoke.
I recounted the tale of the nightmare I had experienced twice—the story of Pulmy-san falling to some formidable foe.
Sensei pondered for a moment, “Hmm…”
“I have something I must tell you first, Son-in-law.”
With a serious expression, she began to speak.
“When I saw Pulmy at the meeting, I sensed something was off; she seemed a bit down. So, when I spoke with her that night, I quickly wrapped up the usual updates and asked her about the reason behind her gloomy expression.”
“Yes.”
“At first, she was tight-lipped… but I could see the conflict in her face. So, I kept asking her until she finally opened up.”
If it was something I needed to know, it must be related to me. I trusted Sensei not to bring up anything strange…
“Son-in-law, something strange is happening.”
Sensei frowned.
“It seems that your achievements—the successful conquest of the Labyrinth—have somehow been attributed to the Hero.”
I already knew that.
After conquering the Blade Labyrinth and leaving the party, Ryuguin had conducted a propaganda campaign, announcing to the public that seven of the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinths had been conquered by the Hero.
At the same time, the Holy Knight, who had previously been a burden, was now whispered about among the people as a coward who abandoned his comrades and fled before the enemy.
If one were to visit a slightly larger tavern, they would hear bards singing the story as reported by Ryuguin, with the crowd cheering in response.
Additionally, if one attended a grand theater, they could watch several plays presented by the Hero.
Among them were multiple performances, including one that I had seen with Milan, each portraying Ryuguin as a thoughtful, compassionate, and talented young man, while the Holy Knight was depicted as a lazy, wasteful, and cowardly scoundrel.
It was frustrating to admit, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“That’s not it… that’s not how it is.”
In response to my thoughts, Sensei shook her head.
“Not how it is?”
“Indeed. To be honest, I don’t understand it at all.
According to Pulmy, all of Ichiro’s achievements have been attributed to the Hero, while the Hero’s misdeeds have been attributed to you.”
So, that means—
“You want to say you know, right? But that’s not it; this is an even more absurd story.
If it weren’t for Pulmy, I wouldn’t believe it myself.”
Sensei continued, “What Pulmy said was…”
“The fact that your achievements have been stolen by the Hero means that it’s not just a superficial tale of the Hero deceiving the people.
All memories and perceptions of everyone connected to you, including the king, the princess, and Madison, have been rewritten, even down to documents.”
“Huh?”
I struggled to comprehend—
“And Pulmy possesses two memories.”
—It was incomprehensible.
“The one who guided the Saintess, Mage, and Sword Saint to conquer seven unexplored Labyrinths is the Hero Ryuguin—this is one memory, and—”
Sensei’s words overwhelmed me like an avalanche.
“The other memory is that it was Holy Knight Ichiro who accomplished those feats.”
As she had said earlier, her words were nothing short of absurd.
“To be honest, I’ve never heard anything like this before.
Moreover, there’s too little information and time for me to understand anything.
But with your dream and Pulmy’s demeanor, I can tell that this situation cannot be left as it is.”
Sensei bowed her head to me.
“Please, I ask you to meet with Pulmy.”
There were many things I needed to consider.
I was being treated as a fugitive, and of course, there was a risk in appearing before Pulmy-san.
However… with Sensei bowing her head, there was no way I could refuse.
So, I nodded in agreement.
“I never thought I would get to see you.”
That night, after my discussion with Sensei, I borrowed a magical imaging device to speak with her.
“It’s been since the day you and Ange set out to explore the Light Labyrinth, leaving Green Eyes behind.”
“Long time no see. How have you been?”
And before me appeared the beautiful elf—Pulmy-san.
It struck me then that she had noticeable dark circles under her eyes. She certainly didn’t look well.
“Ichiro-kun, it’s been a while. I’m doing… well enough, I suppose.”
She forced a weak smile.
Seeing that expression, I wanted to say something, but she continued,
“I never expected you to be with Lady Omi. Should I say that’s typical of her…?
Before we dive into all the things we need to catch up on, there’s something I must ask you.”
With that, I sensed her taking a deep breath, as if steeling herself, even through the image.
Then, with unwavering eyes, she asked—
“Is it true that all the achievements attributed to Hero Ryuguin in this world were actually accomplished by you, Holy Knight Yamada Ichiro?”
—She pierced right through me.