episode_0126

“Then let’s go.”

As time passed, morning came again to the magical forest, and we decided to pack up the camp and set out again.

Perhaps due to the small number of people, it didn’t take long to clear things up, and we immediately started heading through the forest again.

How long has it been since they resumed walking with Johanna taking the lead and Fana following behind?

“It looks like we had something interesting to talk about yesterday.”

Fana spoke in a passing tone.

I knew it right then and there.

That she was listening to my conversation with Johanna yesterday.

“… Eavesdropping is not a very good hobby.”

“I didn’t really have any intention of eavesdropping. I just heard it.”

“… … .”

I was speechless as Fana continued her words with an indifferent expression.

Probably because Fana really didn’t have such intentions.

She was probably in a semi-conscious state even while she was sleeping.

So that you can react immediately when something happens.

It would have been natural for Fana in that state to hear the conversation between me and Johanna.

Because her senses are far beyond the normal level.

“This tomb may not have been made by Berhaville… Did you say that?”

It seemed like what she heard was only the beginning of the conversation.

It was natural.

From the middle, Johanna completely blocked the sound.

“What do you think, Mr. Pana?”

It’s not a story that needs to be overly concealed anyway.

Therefore, I decided to go out with confidence.

“Hmm… To be honest, it’s suspicious.”

Fana lightly touched her chin and answered.

“The fact that the hero’s tomb is here, and the fact that it was discovered only now, is also the case with the inside of this hero’s tomb that Berhaville built.”

Judging from her reaction, it seemed like she was one of those people who knew from the start that the tomb was suspicious.

Well, considering the rumors surrounding her and the way she has appeared since coming here, it is rather strange that she does not have any suspicions.

“And yet you came in.”

“My brother said he wanted to go in. and… There were also statements from Alundel scholars.”

A calm voice continued.

“… I guess you care about your brother a lot?”

I came to this place on my own because my brother wanted it.

That feeling felt quite extraordinary, so I blurted out those words without thinking.

However, Fana’s reaction after hearing what I said was unusual.

Fana glared at me with a frown that I had never seen since I met her.

“Don’t say anything creepy. I just had no choice but to follow because it was obvious that they would attack me without thinking even if I objected.”

“… I’m sorry.”

The reaction was so sharp that I was apologizing to her before I could even think about it.

“You just need to know.”

Fortunately, Pana immediately calmed down and accepted my apology.

At that, I quietly sighed in my heart.

“But… What on earth were we talking about that made you even block the sound?”

“… … .”

I was momentarily worried about Pana’s next question.

It is natural that she noticed that the sound was blocked.

From Fana’s perspective, the conversation that was normally heard was not just reduced in volume, but completely cut off.

If you think about it a little, it wouldn’t be difficult to come to the conclusion that we blocked out the sound.

However, of course it was impossible to tell her the contents of the conversation with Johanna.

That’s why I’m worried.

“Did you have some kind of intimate chat? Can’t you tell it to others?”

Pana asked with a coy look in her eyes.

“… That’s absolutely not the case.”

“Hmm… So what on earth did you talk about? Is there anything else for a man and a woman to do at such a late hour, blocking out the sound?”

He denied it right away, but looking at Fana’s reaction, it seemed like he didn’t believe it easily.

… If you think about it, yes.

As she said, if a man and a woman block out sound in the middle of the night, it is not strange to have a misunderstanding in that direction.

Of course, the truth is quite different.

“What… I won’t ask any more questions about what happened.”

However, Fana retreated more cleanly than expected.

So I looked at her with surprising eyes.

“When I see that expression, it makes me want to ask more questions.”

At those words, I immediately took my gaze away from her.

Then, a quiet laughing sound was heard from her direction.

“It’s not polite to ask about that in the first place. It’s not like we’re close.”

It’s not wrong, but it was something that would make you feel anxious if you were accompanying him like this.

Moreover, among these three, Fana is the only one who has no close relationship.

However, Fana showed that she really didn’t care.

So much so that no mention was made of him since then.

To be honest, I was quite surprised.

I haven’t seen her for a long time, but given what she’s shown so far, I didn’t expect her to back down so easily.

… Well, anyway, it wasn’t a bad thing for me, so I decided not to think about it any more.

Anyway, the group was moving smoothly through the forest.

“… Wait.”

Johanna stopped walking.

Pana and I also stopped walking at the same time.

There was no need to wonder why Johanna stopped walking.

Because the corpse in front clearly explained the reason.

***

“… It’s terrible.”

Fana visibly frowned upon seeing the state of the corpse.

Johanna’s expression was no different.

The condition of the corpse was so serious that the two women, who normally did not show much change in their expressions, showed a clear change in their expressions.

To the point where the expression “meat pieces” is more appropriate than the expression “corpse.”

Every part of his body was a mess except his head.

It was torn off here and there as if someone had ripped it off, and the other parts were torn to shreds.

For some reason, the face that remained intact was stained with fear and pain, like that of a person who had encountered an evil spirit.

It was such a bizarre and terrible tragedy that if it was discovered outside, the local lord would be immediately notified.

On the contrary, I am amazed at their courage to put an end to this sight by just frowning.

“This face… I’ve seen it before.”

While I was examining the condition of the body, Fana suddenly said something like that.

“I’ve met him a few times at camp. I think it was said that he was a well-known warrior… … .”

“… I see.”

I nodded heavily.

If Fana can remember that face, it would mean that his skills were quite outstanding among the warriors gathered at the tomb.

That person was murdered in such a gruesome manner.

“… I don’t think that slime monster did anything.”

That was Johanna’s opinion.

I also agreed.

It’s not that his fighting power is weak, but it’s not at a level where he can do something like this.

It is not impossible that he was attacked by multiple slime monsters, but if that were the case, traces of them would have been left behind.

However, there was no trace of the slime monster nearby.

then.

“I guess it means I was bullied by someone else.”

“… I guess so.”

This means that a monster other than the slime monster caused this person to become like this.

Is it possible that a person did it? That was ruled out for now.

The traces left on the body were too many conditions for a person to make them up.

“Is this the threat that Verhaville warned about, or…? I wonder if it was planned by someone other than Verhaville… .”

I thought as I quietly listened to Fana’s words, which were almost like talking to herself.

Perhaps, their plan may have begun in earnest.

***

Despite encountering such tragedy, our progress did not stop.

This was because there was a clear goal to reach the end of the grave.

Fortunately, we didn’t encounter the monster that caused the devastation.

Instead, I ran into something else.

“This is… It’s a door.”

We faced the door.

A door large enough for three adults to pass through side by side.

“There is no leading path… I think it means go in here.”

As Fana said, the trail we had followed so far was cut off.

No, not just the trail, but the forest itself was coming to an end.

Aside from the door in front, there was nothing behind it except the wall.

“… Well, I guess there’s nothing to worry about at this level.”

At this level, the test taker’s intentions seem very transparent.

It probably means go in here.

To be honest, I felt uncomfortable.

In this strange space, you have to enter through a very suspicious door.

However, after coming this far, I couldn’t go back simply because I felt uncomfortable.

In the end, we decided to go through the door.

I was the first to take the lead.

It wasn’t just an idea to show off some form, it was for a reasonable reason.

Because you never know what might be waiting inside this door.

It was not a judgment that was particularly dismissive of Panana Johanna.

Although they are strong warriors, even they have the potential to become dangerous if faced with an unexpected situation.

On the other hand, I can somehow solve it even if there is a trap waiting for me.

Because of that judgment, I decided to take the lead.

When I announced my intention to take the lead, Fana looked at me with a bit of surprise, but did not object.

Johanna just nodded with a silent expression as usual.

Anyway, the opinions were settled, and I finally stepped through the door.

The strange sensation I felt when entering the tomb passed through my body again, and the next moment I was standing in a different space.

The first thing I noticed there was… … .

“Hmm?”

It was a man with his eyes wide open looking at me.

The man, whose appearance was as handsome as if it had been painted, soon got over his surprise and spoke with a smile like a painting on his face.

“Nice to meet you. It is called Varan Bellort.”