Ch.25Chapter 25 – The Mine (2)

For a week, I continued the life of hunting monsters while keeping my body tense due to an unknown gaze watching me. Fortunately, nothing serious happened. Still, as the days of constant tension continued, I gradually became irritated.

Dawn arrived without fail, and my body, already accustomed to waking at daybreak, was alert on its own.

‘…Maybe I’ll go for a walk.’

Since everyone was still asleep, I quietly armed myself, put on my helmet, and slipped outside, avoiding the others who were still sleeping. I planned to just take a simple stroll around the area.

“Ugh… uuuugh…”

If I hadn’t heard that strange groaning sound from behind, I would have continued with my walk.

‘What’s that noise?’

Moving toward the back of the lodging to identify the source of the sound, I found a woman with long black hair.

She was bracing herself against the wall with one hand, her hair swept back to keep it from falling forward, and she was wearing comfortable-looking leather clothes.

And in that position, bent over…

“Uweeeeek…”

…she was vomiting.

What a scene to witness first thing in the morning.

Sensing trouble, I turned around, pretending not to have seen anything.

“Hey, come here for a sec—urrrp!!”

Someone seemed to be calling me, but I ignored it.

That’s just the typical babbling of someone who’s been consumed by alcohol.

‘I should escape.’

I put a little strength into my legs, intending to walk away quickly.

-Thump

“Hey, won’t you at least pat the back of a beautiful woman who’s throwing up?”

Up close, she did have a face that could be called beautiful.

She seemed confident about it too, boldly declaring herself beautiful.

However, her face showing signs of imminent vomiting completely undermined her credibility.

‘Today’s not my lucky day.’

I shook my arm to break free from the woman’s grip.

Her arm soon went limp, and I was about to turn around and leave when—

This time, both her arms wrapped around my waist.

Something soft pressed against my waist.

“Look, let’s stop this.”

Despite being startled, I spoke firmly.

I prayed she would come to her senses and let go.

But the woman just giggled as if she was enjoying herself.

“Come ooooon~ At least pat my back or something~”

“Look, do you even know who I am?”

“Nope.”

Her answer came without a moment’s hesitation.

‘This is maddening.’

Just as I was about to forcibly remove her arms—

The woman tightened her grip.

“If you won’t pat my back, I’ll throw up on you instead.”

‘I’m really going to lose it.’

When I finally lowered my arms in surrender, she seemed to take it as a sign of capitulation and released her embrace, dragging me toward the wall.

“So pat my back…”

“…Shit.”

I finally cursed, but the woman ignored me and started emptying her stomach.

As I half-heartedly patted her back, I was thinking about making a quick escape at the first opportunity.

“Urgh… blech… ack…”

She seemed to have emptied everything; nothing more was coming out.

“*Sob*… *sniff*…”

But now the woman started crying.

First vomiting, then making a scene, and now crying.

‘Damn it, I’m really going to lose my mind.’

I felt like crying myself, wondering why my luck was so terrible today.

“Hey, why are you crying?”

I tried asking.

The woman slumped down.

“Because it’s hard. Just… it’s hard.”

The alcohol-laden voice from earlier was gone.

“It’s too haaaaard…”

Now the woman began wailing loudly.

I wouldn’t mind if she just cried.

“Excuse me, could you please let go of my—hey?”

I don’t know why she had to grab my leg tightly while crying.

She was clinging so strongly that I couldn’t just shake her off.

“Please, someone help meeeee…”

“Oh, for real…”

Maybe I should pat her back to calm her down.

In the end, I had to stand in an awkward position for a good 20 minutes, patting the back of the woman who was clinging to my leg like a cicada.

After a while, she seemed to calm down and got up.

“…Well, I’ll be going now, big brother~”

She still seemed drunk.

The woman staggered away from me.

“See you agaaaain~”

“Sigh…”

I could only sigh.

After dealing with such a nuisance, I had no desire to see her again.

“Ahhh~ That’s riiiight~”

‘What now, seriously?’

I stepped back slightly, ready to run if necessary.

Fortunately, the woman didn’t seem interested in clinging to me again; instead, she leaned backward where she stood.

She tilted her head back so far I wondered if her neck was okay, and looked at me.

“You’d better be careful, Mr. Helmet.”

“About what?”

The woman laughed while still bent backward.

Like a ghost from a horror movie.

“A hunting dog is on your trail, so try to avoid it well~ I’m too busy to help you~”

Leaving behind these enigmatic words, the woman disappeared, her long black hair fluttering.

Watching her unsteady, staggering figure disappear, I muttered quietly:

“…What a bitch…”

After hurling that insult into the void, I turned around and went back to the lodging.

My only thought was to lie down on the bed and rest a bit more if possible.

“…Ah, damn.”

Then I realized I was already fully armed, making it difficult to lie down.

I’d have to sit leaning against a corner of the room.

‘…What a way to start the morning.’

Hunting monsters would be better than this.

I felt more exhausted dealing with this strange person than I would fighting monsters.

+

Shortly after, everyone in the group woke up and we set out for the hunt.

Contrary to the woman’s warning, we spent time hunting monsters without incident.

“It’s been about a week since we came here.”

At Ravi’s words, Haven spoke up.

“I’m thinking we should head back tomorrow or the day after. What do you all think?”

“Is it okay to return in the middle of the mission?”

Haven thought for a moment before answering my question.

“I feel like we’ve been encountering fewer monsters since the day before yesterday.”

Thinking back, that was indeed true.

“The major extermination is coming to an end, so it should be fine to leave now.”

“It feels a bit disappointing…”

“Staying longer won’t even cover our costs. We should leave while we’re ahead.”

Just as he said that—

We encountered another group of adventurers.

“……”

“……”

‘Not again.’

My body tensed strangely.

I kept my eyes on them, ready to draw my mace at any moment.

The atmosphere on their side seemed similar.

A searching atmosphere swept through the place.

First, I examined their composition.

A four-person group, excluding two porters.

Our side was a five-person group, excluding Seraphina.

In terms of numbers, we clearly had the advantage.

Perhaps that’s why the other side seemed more tense.

Or maybe they were just sizing us up.

Still, I prepared to jump in if necessary as they continued to glance at us.

Fortunately, we passed by each other quietly, just watching cautiously.

“Phew! I really hate this kind of tension.”

Ravi sighed heavily.

Seraphina asked her a question.

“The atmosphere was quite bad. What exactly was happening?”

“Oh, they were probably considering whether to target us.”

“They were targeting us?”

“Of course. The atmosphere wasn’t like we were targeting them, right? So they must have been considering targeting us.”

That seemed both right and wrong somehow.

Or maybe she was just trying to ease the tension with her own kind of consideration.

“What about the possibility that they were tense because they were wary of us?”

“That’s plausible, but then wouldn’t they have tried to leave more quickly to avoid provoking us? Instead of constantly glancing at us.”

Haven also spoke up.

“Well, it’s mostly intuition. Can’t help it. If your body doesn’t react before your mind processes that they’re licking their lips, ready to pounce, you might find yourself ambushed by fellow adventurers.”

True enough. If the body doesn’t react first, the next thing would be getting ambushed.

“But Kei, you seemed tense too?”

“I’ve encountered bandits a few times on my travels, so that might be why.”

“I see. Speaking of bandits, I saw some strange corpses in the New Kingdom…”

As I listened to Haven talk about corpses where the money was gone but the equipment remained, I kept my guard up.

‘Something feels off.’

The feeling was strange.

Even now, it felt like someone was watching us.

But I couldn’t stop the group based on just a feeling, so the extermination continued.

As we proceeded with the hunt, Haven gave a stop signal.

“Beyond this point is where monsters like centipedes have been spotted.”

Haven spoke.

“Let’s head back for now.”

Those monsters definitely had poison.

Although Haven had brought antidotes, there was no reason to risk getting poisoned.

No need to push ourselves unnecessarily. Better to safely hunt a few more monsters.

Soon, following Haven’s lead, we turned around and headed toward the mine entrance.

And again, that strange feeling came over me.

As if something was about to pounce…

No.

We were surrounded.

“…What’s going on?”

“Kei?”

As Seraphina approached, I waved her back.

“Come out.”

Everyone was wondering what I was talking about.

But soon, people who looked like adventurers appeared from the front and back.

“Kei, you really have sharp instincts.”

I noticed Haven’s party had already placed their hands on their weapons.

I checked the faces of our opponents.

‘I’ve seen these guys before.’

They were the adventurers we’d seen yesterday and earlier today.

Thirteen in total.

‘Were they working together?’

Thinking this, I placed my hand on my mace.

Looking at the other side, they were already holding swords and spears.

‘Speak of the devil.’

I remembered what Haven had told me.

That in a major extermination, you need to be wary of more than just monsters.

“If you just go on your way, no one will get hurt.”

Haven spoke quietly.

But the other side didn’t seem interested in that option.

In terms of numbers, they had the advantage.

We were quietly facing off against each other.

“The target?”

“Over there.”

Hearing two of them quietly talking, I immediately prepared.

“…Attack!”

One of the men who had been talking earlier shouted.

The adventurers who had been facing us charged.

“Ravi, protect Miss Seraphina!”

Haven shouted as he started running.

Our side also drew weapons and charged.

The first adventurer to approach swung his sword.

I easily blocked it with my mace and punched him.

As I saw that one fall, I glanced to the side and saw Haven taking on two, while the others were each handling one.

And I saw about four adventurers heading toward Seraphina and Ravi at the back.

‘How predictable.’

They were probably targeting Seraphina, who appeared weaker.

“You’re distracted during a fight, you lack basic—”

“You be quiet.”

I had already noticed him, so I struck the head of the guy who had jumped at me thinking he could surprise me.

What’s the point of a surprise attack if you talk?

“…Hah, really.”

Three more adventurers were rushing toward me.

“Do I look that easy to take down?”

I quickly bent down to pick up a sword that had fallen to the ground.

I threw it at one of them and then lowered my body to approach another who was charging.

“Take this!”

An opponent with a mace just like mine swung his weapon.

I turned slightly, grabbed his arm to immobilize it, and then kicked him.

Then I caught another mace that was falling from the air and held one in each hand.

As I dodged an attack from the remaining adventurer who was trying to stab me with a spear from behind, I asked:

“Ever heard of a percussion performance?”

“What?”

Since he didn’t seem to know, I repeatedly struck his arms and legs with the maces in both hands.

“Arghh!!”

Naturally, with the sound of something breaking, the opponent fell.

I immediately threw the mace I had taken.

Two more were running toward me from behind, and one of them was hit by the mace and flew back.

“This wasn’t part of the—!”

The other one, seeming to have lost his will to fight, stopped and shouted.

When I charged at him, he finally came to his senses and yelled:

“Wait, please spare me, please!”

“Sure, I’ll spare you.”

I swung my mace anyway.

I never said I’d leave you unharmed.

“Didn’t you just say you’d spare me?”

Ignoring the adventurer who collapsed with a betrayed expression, I checked the situation around me.

Haven had already dealt with the two who had charged at him and was now running toward Ravi.

“Magic Missile!”

And I saw Seraphina shoot a glowing orb, taking down one of them.

Three remained.

‘Look at that.’

Seeing no chance of winning, one adventurer bypassed Ravi and Haven, heading toward Seraphina.

I quickly threw my mace to intercept him.

“…Damn it!”

The man cursed and continued charging toward Seraphina.

But I hadn’t just thrown my mace and stood still.

I rushed at him, grabbed his waist, forcibly knocked him down, and took a mount position.

“You damn bastard, get off—”

I brought my fist down on his face.

+

The adventurer I was punching fell silent.

He wasn’t moving.

Just like a corpse…

“He’s still breathing, so not quite a corpse.”

As I got up from on top of him, Seraphina ran over.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No.”

I wasn’t the type to get hurt by something like this.

Looking at the calm Seraphina, I said:

“Aren’t you thinking about how you were almost in danger earlier?”

“I was too happy about taking one down…”

Oh boy.

“Who told you to get distracted?”

“I’m sorry!”

“Are you hurt?”

“No!”

Nodding at Seraphina’s spirited answer, I stomped on the adventurer I had earlier mounted and beaten.

“Argh!”

“Who told you to take hostages?”

I kicked him away.

-Ting!

“Huh, what’s that?”

Something fell when I kicked him.

It was a purple glowing jewel.

Seraphina, without any caution, picked up the jewel.

“…This is a gem I’ve never seen before. It feels ominous, but the energy is unfamiliar…”

“Do you know what it is?”

Seraphina shook her head.

“Not right now.”

Haven’s side seemed to have finished as well, as I could see him walking toward us.

The area was filled with fallen or dead adventurers.

“It’s all over… What’s that?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll need to examine it.”

Seraphina’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“May I take a look at this?”

“We agreed to sell rare items and split the profits fairly, so hand it over for now.”

“If I could just research it a bit first…”

“Aaaaah!”

As they were arguing, suddenly someone charged at us.

An adventurer who I thought had fainted was running toward us with foam in his mouth.

“He’s gone mad!”

I quickly swung my mace.

But the man seemed not to care if parts of his body broke.

Using his arm as a shield against my mace, he laughed.

“Even if I fail to take her, I’ll complete the other mission!!”

As if talking to himself, the man shouted while drooling.

Then he put his other hand inside his clothes.

“My life, for HIM!!!!”

He took out something made of paper, and immediately tore it using his mouth and hands.

The man’s body began to glow.

With an ominous feeling, I picked up Seraphina and jumped backward.

“Ah!”

The jewel fell to the ground.

Unfortunately, there was no time to retrieve it.

“Over there!”

Haven pointed to a fork in the path ahead while raising his shield, and I ran there with Seraphina in my arms.

A moment later, an explosion occurred at that spot with a thunderous roar.