Chapter 24: I’m Sorry
Eris was crying, her body pressed against mine, much like a lost child who has finally found their parent.
“Eris, welcome back.”
The words I needed to say slipped out effortlessly.
“W-welcome back…”
Her inability to articulate it properly was rather endearing.
“Stop crying already. Your face is a mess. If you keep this up, your eyes will swell.”
I hesitated to wipe her tear-streaked face with my dirtied shirt or sleeves, so I pulled out a cloth from my Magic Bag and gently cleaned her face. My movements may have been a bit rough, but I hoped she would find it charming.
Despite everything that had happened, we were finally reunited here and now. I could feel her weight and warmth, and it made the reality of our reunion sink in.
“I’ve been searching for you… for so long.”
She nestled into my chest, wrapping her arms around my back.
“I couldn’t find you anywhere—”
Her voice was still drenched in tears.
“I’ve been longing for you all this time.”
As she sniffled, Eris spoke as if she were confirming something.
“It feels like the fog has lifted before my eyes.”
She bit her lip.
“I was trapped in a nightmare, whether asleep or awake. No matter how much I searched for your back, you were never there.”
She continued, her words flowing like a river.
“Your sword, your figure, your voice, your warmth—”
She shook her head and pressed her tear-stained face against my chest.
“No, that’s not right—”
As soon as she said that, she flustered, “What I mean is, it’s not that—”
“It’s okay. I’ll listen to everything, so take your time.”
At my words, Eris buried her face deeper into my chest. A few seconds later, she lifted her head.
“The sword, the figure, the voice, the warmth are just parts of you…”
With her face smeared with sweat and tears, she pierced my gaze.
“I’ve been yearning for you.”
She was the same Eris from that day. Her grip around me tightened.
We had to descend further into the depths. There were many things I needed to discuss with her along the way.
—Just as I was thinking that.
She pressed her head down as if trying to hold something back.
“I want to be by your side… forever.”
But from her expression—
“I wanted to be by your side forever.”
Color drained from her face—
“Yet, how did it come to this?”
“Eris?”
She looked as if she were trembling with fear.
“I’m sorry.”
Eris uttered those words of apology.
“I left you alone…”
Though her eyes were directed at me, it felt like she was looking somewhere far away.
“I’m so sorry… I’m sorry, Master.”
Eris repeated it over and over again. Again and again. Suddenly, I felt her entire body go limp, like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Eris…!!”
Upon hearing my voice, she cried even harder.
“What’s wrong, Eris…? I’m okay!!”
Yet, Eris continued to repeat her apologies. To calm her down, I gently patted her back, again and again.
I felt a lightness that struck me as odd. At one moment, Eris had gone completely still. She had lost consciousness. Her pulse and breathing seemed normal, so I believed she was alright, but I decided to carry her on my back and move forward. After all, we were in the midst of conquering the Sealed Labyrinth, and if I could reach Sensei and Mika, they could check on Eris’s condition.
That said, I could hear her soft breathing from my back. Was it possible she was just sleeping?
“I’m not okay at all.”
The weight I felt from her was far too light, even considering her small stature and the gear she wore. The Eris who had once been with me was a picture of health. But the girl on my back now was anything but.
The image of her eating the meal I had prepared earlier flashed in my mind.
Until Ash took the plate away, she had barely touched the food we brought along.
Her pale skin, with veins visible, and her lightness were all so uncharacteristic of her. No matter what had happened in the past, I didn’t want to see her like this.
“You idiot…”
Was this the fault of Ryuguin?
“I can’t forgive that.”
Even setting aside the memories related to me, Ryuguin had allowed a companion to become this exhausted without any intervention. That made it all the more—
“I won’t let this slide.”
I would make sure he faced the consequences for everything.
With Eris on my back, I searched the barren floor for about ten minutes before finally finding the stairs leading down.
“Here goes nothing!”
With a feeling akin to diving, I descended the stairs, but visibility was extremely poor.
“Please don’t let any enemies show up while I’m going down… seriously.”
I continued down, silently wishing for that. Fortunately, my worries did not come true, and after a while, my surroundings finally opened up.
Then, I realized—
“Huh?”
The place I arrived at was the entrance to the Sealed Labyrinth, right in front of the Sealed Shrine.
“Wait! Why!? What’s going on!?”
I was in a state of utter confusion. And rightly so. After defeating several bosses and walking a considerable distance, it all felt like a waste, as I had returned to square one. Having traversed difficult labyrinths before, I could sense it.
The Sealed Labyrinth was still very much intact.
So, does that mean I have to start over?!
In my flustered state, I looked down and spotted Sensei sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.
“Sensei—!? Then where are the other three?!”
◇◇◇
A little earlier, it was just around the time Ichiro Yamada found himself in a separate space, acting alongside Eris Gladius.
Saintess Mika recognized the scenery. The moon and starry sky illuminated the surroundings brightly. This was supposed to be the wasteland at the very end of the Blade Labyrinth.
“I knew it, this place is…”
Angelica, who stood beside her, murmured. Saintess Mika felt a moment of relief that her prediction was correct, quickly followed by despair over their dire situation.
“What do you mean by ‘this place’?”
It was Holy Knight Ashley Noble who asked her.
“This is the boss floor of the Blade Labyrinth—wait, you’re Holy Knight Ashley!”
Naturally, like Angelica, Saintess Mika was surprised to see Ashley right next to her. She immediately began to look around, as if realizing something, searching for the other members. She was looking for her companion Eris, as well as the woman referred to as Holy Knight Ichiro and Sensei.
Given the battle records of those two since they had entered the Sealed Labyrinth, there was no doubt they would be an extraordinary force.
“Holy Knight Ashley, let’s put aside our differences for a moment and form an alliance.”
It was Saintess Mika who proposed this. Sweat, like beads, formed on her forehead, driven by urgency.
“Hmm, I never expected you to be the one to propose that.”
“That means your answer is a yes, right?”
Angelica asked Ashley, somewhat impatiently.
“Of course. I’ve always believed that we should work together until we regroup. But still, what are you all so—”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
“Can’t you hear that sound?!”
Before Ashley could finish her question, Angelica interrupted, nearly screaming.
—Boooon, boooon, boooon.
The sound of the Treasure Sword, a symbol of terror, reverberated through the air.