Ch.134Chapter 134. Face Your Sins

# A White Space

It was a pure white space.

Lin’s mind had a pure white background.

In the center of that mind floated a large, dark sphere.

“Where is this place?”

“I’m sure I was swallowed by that black thing earlier…”

Airan could only look around, unable to define where they were.

“Magician, where are we?”

Before Airan could finish asking, Tigria had already searched through centuries of accumulated knowledge, but even she couldn’t figure it out.

As she grew anxious from the ominous feeling the black sphere gave off, a voice echoed in Tigria’s mind.

[Doll, can you hear me?]

‘Who is it?’

[It’s the Dual Swordsman of the Dragon Knight!]

‘How is this telepathy even possible…?’

[I don’t care about the mechanics! There’s no time. You’ve been pulled into Lin’s mental world. Do you see a black sphere nearby?]

‘It’s right in front of me.’

[Can you see the chains wrapping around that sphere?]

“Chains?”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Tigria focused her eyes and examined the sphere again.

As Denaruuna had said, it wasn’t black but colorless chains densely wrapping around something.

“What is that?”

To the others, it looked like she was talking to herself, but everyone was focused on her.

Even Lusi was watching the magician’s lips intently.

[Those chains are sealing Lin’s suppressed emotions. You must release all those chains!]

“We need to release all those chains,” Tigria relayed.

Arsil made a disgusted face.

“There are so many… When can we possibly…? And how…?”

“Dual Swordsman, how do we release them?”

[You must never force the chains open! And you need to release them within the time we’re holding off the Shield Knight… Salamei!!!!!]

“Dual Swordsman? Denaruuna! What’s happening?!”

Tigria called out several times, but the telepathic connection with Denaruuna was cut off.

From the final scream, it was clear that the Dragon Knight’s side was also in a dire situation.

Trying to understand the situation, Airan asked the magician as their representative.

“Dual Swordsman means they’re with the Dragon Knight, right?”

“For some reason, they seem to be confronting Rainpold. They said they’ll hold them off while we release these chains.”

“Did you hear how to release them?”

“The communication was cut off abruptly, so I couldn’t hear.”

“Is there any other way besides the chains?”

Tigria shook her head glumly.

“There’s no other way. We have to somehow release the chains and break this mental world.”

But how?

While everyone shared the same question, Ravin noticed something crackling and forming from the black sphere.

“What’s that?”

Following Ravin’s finger toward the sphere, they saw images being projected from its massive, dark body.

“That’s…!”

The background was some indoor location in a city.

And sitting in a chair was Lin.

Lin without his mask.

The Hero recognized him faster than anyone else but opened her mouth in denial.

“No, it can’t be…”

As Ravin, sensing something was wrong, tried to approach Lusi, Lin suddenly moved, and what had been a still image became a video.

“Phew…”

The porter was nervously wiping his sweat-soaked hands on his pants.

Lin’s lips were pursed, showing signs of excitement.

Even seeing his innocent face, Lusi couldn’t smile.

Bang!

As the door opened, the one who entered was none other than the Hero.

The Lusi in the video immediately spotted Lin and frowned.

“What? It’s a man?”

“Pleased to meet you! I’m newly joining the Hero’s party as a porter…”

“Enough, you’re noisy.”

But Lusi cut off Lin’s self-introduction before he could finish.

Without even looking at him standing there awkwardly, Lusi cracked her neck and said bluntly:

“You’re ugly and unpleasant to look at, so wear a mask from now on.”

“Me? You mean me?”

“Who else is here besides you? I don’t want to see any male faces in the party except Rainpold’s. I’ll tell the others, so put on a mask right away.”

Hearing Lusi’s arrogant attitude and the name of his enemy Rainpold, Lin froze for a moment.

But soon, Lin smiled.

“I understand.”

That smile was trembling.

The video went dark.

“…That was the reason for wearing the mask? Just that?”

Arsil couldn’t believe it.

In retrospect, it was fortunate that it allowed him to hide his face from Rainpold, but that was merely the result.

This was the first meeting between Lusi and Lin.

Lusi was literally dying of shame, trembling and unable to swallow.

Ravin was glaring at her murderously.

But before he could say anything, a new video appeared.

This video contained content that Ravin had heard when tracking Lin’s movements.

“Huff… huff!”

It was the Hero party’s first battle against demonic beasts on the demon front.

Lin, wearing his mask and holding only a small shield, was tensing his body and watching his surroundings vigilantly.

“Hero! Going that way!”

“Need to prepare something big, Rainpold!”

“Leave it to me!”

The Hero party was responding somewhat organically, but only within their limited area.

The situation had devolved into chaos, with even commanders drawing their swords to fight the demonic beasts.

Incomprehensible shouts and roars were shaking Lin’s mind.

A long-armed demonic beast appeared and struck at Lin.

The porter barely blocked it with his shield but was sent flying. As he tried to stand up, he clutched his shoulder and fell to his knees.

“Sa-save me… save me…”

A soldier with his lower body blown off was begging him for help from where he had landed.

“Ju-just a moment… Saint! Saint!”

Despite his desperate search for the Saint, the soldier’s breath was cut short.

The porter reached out sorrowfully and closed his eyes.

He didn’t know when the battle ended.

Confirming through the gap in his small shield that allies were walking slowly, Lin set up camp right there.

Suppressing the shock from the first local battle, he barely managed to make soup while holding his trembling, injured arm with his other arm.

“What kind of person are you! A member of the Hero party who can’t save people and just trembles in fear!”

Arsil led the condemnation.

Until then, the party members had treated him somewhat like a person.

“We can’t expect much from a porter, Saint.”

“Shield Knight, there’s still a limit. Among these scattered flesh pieces are not just demonic beasts but our comrades too!”

“Rainpold is right, Saint. Don’t waste your energy. We’re already tired and hungry.”

“I completely agree with the Shield Knight.”

“Well… it must be an unavoidable limitation.”

All he could do was bow his head in shame.

The party members who looked at him with contempt left the campsite one by one.

“Um, Saint, I was injured in the arm…”

“Do you have a conscience or not? Can’t you see those half-crippled people over there?”

“…I’m sorry.”

After Arsil, the last to leave, departed, Lin finally completed the cooking, but no one returned until late at night.

Lin just kept stirring the soup with his trembling arm for a long time.

The video went dark.

And a new one began.

This time, Lin was holding up two rabbits caught in a trap.

Naidrian remembered.

It was a time when food was somewhat scarce.

“Ah~ I want to eat meat!”

“Lusi, we have jerky.”

“Arsil, that’s not meat but the sad end of something that used to be meat.”

“I’m full. This is quite edible.”

“This is why country people just don’t get it.”

“You’re from a rural noble family too!”

By then, the Hero party had become quite close, calling each other by name rather than their code names or professions.

Lin, returning to the campsite following the voices, suddenly encountered Lusi coming out of the camp.

“Ah, Miss Lusi. I was lucky enough to catch rabbits today. Would you prefer them grilled or boiled…”

“What did you call me?”

“Pardon?”

“What did you just call me?”

Quick-witted, Lin realized what he had done wrong before repeating the same mistake.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t call me by my name as you please. Understand?”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hah, I was already hungry, and now my mood is ruined.”

Lusi returned to the campsite in irritation.

Thanks to Tigria’s barrier magic, the Hero party continued their lively conversation.

Lin was alone, preparing the rabbit meat.

One alone, many together.

Yet all were part of the same Hero party.

Darkness.

Once again, it was the middle of a battlefield.

Lin was carefully walking when he saw an approaching soldier deliberately jutting out his shoulder, but he didn’t react and was hit hard.

As Lin rolled on the ground, the soldier glared at him and spat out curses.

“A useless guy living under the protection of the Hero party. How unfair.”

Only after the soldier passed did he get up.

Tigria approached him.

“Are you okay?”

“…Thank you for always protecting me.”

“Even a porter’s death affects morale if they’re part of the Hero party. It’s only natural.”

The magician was one of the few who would talk to him.

Perhaps that’s why Lin gathered courage to ask something he had always wondered about.

“If… if I weren’t a member of the Hero party, what would have happened to me in this war?”

“Then there would be no reason for me or the other party members to protect you carefully, so you would likely have died with high probability.”

“…I see.”

“I didn’t hear the answer to my first question. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Even after Tigria left, Lin stood alone in that spot for a long time.

Darkness.

This start was different.

Several days of daily life at the campsite were played at several times the normal speed.

Lin was alone guarding the campsite; the other party members didn’t stay except when sleeping.

As evening approached, the video returned to normal speed.

Lin, who had prepared dishes the party members liked, felt a sting in his foot while setting out bowls.

He tried to ignore it, but the pain grew worse, so he put down the dishes and went behind a tree.

When he took off his shoe, there was a broken sword fragment stuck in his sole.

As he struggled to remove it by scratching with his hand, he heard conversation from the campsite.

“Isn’t today’s menu too much?”

“You complain too much, Hero.”

“You came here too, even as you say that.”

Peeking, he saw the party members gathered, eating.

Lin focused again on removing the sword fragment.

By the time he had finally removed it and limped back, they had already dispersed.

Only empty dishes and a pot remained at the campsite.

Lin silently collected the dishes to wash them.

“Haha.”

A choked laugh escaped from behind his mask.

“Archer, may I ask if this mushroom is edible? I’ve never seen it before.”

“……”

“Archer?”

“It’s edible. Tastes good too.”

“That’s a relief. Shall I grill it for dinner?”

“I’ll skip dinner tonight.”

“……”

“Porter, hey porter!”

“Ah….”

“Why are you sleeping here? What about dinner?”

“Well… I wasn’t feeling well and fell asleep… I’m sorry, Saint.”

“Sigh… The porter says he couldn’t prepare dinner because he was tired!”

“What? Tired from what?”

“Lusi, don’t be so harsh. The porter is a civilian. We’ve been pushing too hard lately.”

“But Rainpold, we’re the Hero party. We can’t schedule around civilian standards!”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Numerous videos played.

Sometimes one or all of the Hero party.

And sometimes other soldiers or people who weren’t part of the Hero party despised and criticized him.

Everyone couldn’t take their eyes off the videos.

None could look away from the wrongs they had committed against Lin.

Suddenly, light descended upon the black sphere.

They automatically looked up.

A goddess with six wings spread was descending.

“Goddess?”

But seeing Lin standing on the sphere, Arsil realized this too was an illusion.

“When is this from?”

To Ravin’s question, Arsil hesitantly answered:

“Probably… right after our first battle with the demon race. The Goddess descended in person to tell us about exclusive items and immediately bestowed one on the porter.”

After the Goddess and Lin exchanged words, the porter’s pouch was given to him.

With trembling hands, Lin received it, and the Goddess asked:

[What is your wish?]

At those words, Lin slowly removed his mask.

The Goddess inhaled sharply at his face—sweaty, grimy, with lifeless eyes.

“I don’t want to be hurt anymore.”

The Goddess shed tears and reached out to him.

“Only true repentance and affection will save you and grant forgiveness.”

As the Goddess finished speaking, the black sphere was extracted from Lin’s chest.

Chains wrapped in light flew to embrace his dark and massive mental world.

And the chains that densely surrounded his heart gradually absorbed that darkness, losing their light to a colorless hue.

Darkness.

No new videos appeared.

Everyone was speechless.

The Hero party in particular couldn’t even open their mouths, only shedding tears.

A heavy, gloomy silence descended.

Clap, clap, clap.

“Bravo! Wow, it’s been so long since I watched it all. The more I see it, the more amazing and admirable Lin is for enduring this.”

Dry applause tore through the silence.

It was Lin, turned black from head to toe.

But Lusi immediately realized that it was something taking Lin’s form.

“Hello, Lusi. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Who are you.”

Her voice was full of fear, not anger.

“It’s truly regrettable. I had hoped you could become a better person, but due to choosing the wrong battle partner at your waist, you’ve stopped at below-expectation growth.”

“Who are you?!”

“Hmm, that’s a bit disappointing.”

The entity sighed and snapped its fingers.

Its form spread like paint, and a red X appeared across its face.

“Have you forgotten already?”

“You’re… Elixir…?”

Epalterre’s crystallization of the vision seen in the Goddess’s sanctuary.

When Lin awoke from his admonishment, he was dying at the hands of a succubus.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Elixir, in Lin’s form, smiled bitterly.

“Severed limbs can be easily fixed, but a dead heart cannot be restored.”