Ch.6060. A Lie for the Greater Good

Shiro’s goal was to destroy that organization herself.

“…”

After reaching the end of the story, I felt a chill run down my spine.

The one pursuing us wasn’t simply driven by malice.

They were slowly tightening the noose around us, investigating us to completely eliminate the survivors they had missed in the past.

‘There’s no choice.’

Thinking this, I turned my head to the side.

Shiro was lying next to me with her eyes open.

Not knowing what that person might do if they found us while we were asleep, I kept my ears alert to the sounds around us.

Of course, with so many people awake nearby, it probably didn’t matter much.

“Adel…”

…That didn’t seem to be her only purpose.

“Yes, Shiro.”

Feeling my gaze, she looked back at me.

We were holding hands to keep ourselves from falling asleep.

Our fingers twitched slightly, feeling each other’s warmth.

“…”

In the quiet air, her violet eyes stared at me.

Time passed, and no wind blew.

Dawn simply passed by, and silence flowed.

“…It’s nothing. I just wanted to call your name.”

That alone was enough conversation, so there was no need to say anything more.

“I wanted to hear your voice too, Shiro.”

“I see.”

-Rustle, rustle.

Shiro moved closer.

“Haa…”

With a warm breath, her hand caressed the back of my neck.

“Adel.”

Her expression, which usually appeared faint due to the distance between us, was now clearly visible.

At less than a hand’s width apart, her expression was incredibly clear.

“…Yes.”

She was always smiling.

That smile was no longer faint. It wasn’t the slightly awkward expression that had been there before.

“Thank you, truly.”

But.

“…Shiro.”

Unlike her expression, her eyes always held something inside.

It wasn’t visible on the surface.

So, only now could I notice that emotion.

“You’ve always been like this, haven’t you?”

“…”

She was crying.

Always, constantly, every time, every day, forever.

Curled up alone in a corner, holding her sorrow all by herself.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Don’t be sorry.”

Shiro replied with a trembling voice.

In an instant, she had lost her childhood memories, the place that had been everything to her.

She had gone to a city where she knew no one, spending lonely times unable to do anything.

“…”

I embraced her.

And.

Instead of saying sorry, I whispered something else to her.

“You’ve done well.”

“A…del.”

How painful it must have been.

How lonely it must have been.

Difficult, painful, feeling powerless.

Even when she realized the truth, she felt desperate because she couldn’t do anything, and then she met me.

“I like you, Shiro. This feeling I have now… I’ll never forget it, and I’ll carry it with me for the rest of my life.”

At first, our relationship began with different purposes, following different paths.

I stayed with her to climb the Labyrinth.

Shiro wanted to be with me for her growth, for her revenge.

However,

Our different starting points led to the same destination.

-Squeeze.

We held hands more tightly.

“…”

I couldn’t put the overwhelming emotions into words.

If I spoke more specifically, information would surely leak to the person outside.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

It was fine.

Surely, Shiro and I were sharing the same thoughts.

***

I stayed awake all night.

I couldn’t let my guard down throughout the dawn, in case that person tried to harm our party members.

“Phew…”

Fortunately, morning came without incident.

The sun in the sky once again illuminated the world.

‘It’s going to be tough from now on.’

There was much to do now.

Deal with whoever was following us,

Overcome the massive criminal organization pursuing Shiro, whose exact background we still didn’t know,

Then climb the Labyrinth,

Reach the final floor,

…If we do that.

Then.

Perhaps I could truly overcome the various distracting thoughts lurking deep in my heart, rather than just ignoring them.

‘I don’t know.’

It all seemed so distant.

And although the trials awaiting me were frightening,

“Adel.”

For now, at this moment, I was okay.

“Yes, Shiro.”

Because she was by my side.

-Squeeze.

“…?”

She closed her eyes and nestled into my arms.

We had been close all dawn, but that wasn’t enough?

As I was wondering,

“Stay like this for a moment.”

I hadn’t put on my armor yet. Shiro buried her head against my chest.

A subtle fragrance rose from her hair. The familiar scent of lavender.

That brief fragrance alone was enough to keep my mind at peace.

‘Today’s hunt is an important turning point.’

We couldn’t skip hunting just because we were afraid of a stalker.

We could stay in this common area for a maximum of 48 hours.

Whatever happened, we had to leave this place, and if we were going to leave anyway, it was better not to arouse unnecessary suspicion.

Usually, people only stayed here for one night before departing.

‘Should we get moving now?’

Despite the early morning, explorers were already preparing to go hunting.

If we kept embracing like this, it wouldn’t look good.

Of course, more than that, I didn’t want to show Shiro to them at all.

What if they noticed her and fell for her?

“Shiro.”

“…Yes.”

“People are starting to gather, so I think we should separate now.”

I unwrapped my arms from around her back.

“…I see.”

She nodded while keeping her cheek pressed against my chest.

It was about time for Ainer and Airi to come out of the tent, but she still showed no sign of moving.

“Um… Shiro?”

-Slide.

When I called her name once more, she lifted her head and met my eyes.

Her violet eyes gazed up at me.

“…”

Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to stay like this a little longer.

***

We went hunting.

-Slash!

The monsters were easily cut down.

To be precise, “crushed” might be a more accurate description than “cut down.”

Anyway.

[The tenth trial of Taurus begins.]

[A field boss will appear in this trial.]

After careful hunting, we were once again able to defeat a boss and enter a common area.

However,

“How about we extend our hunting a bit longer this time? It’s still daytime anyway.”

I said to my party members.

This was something Shiro and I had discussed at dawn yesterday.

‘The hidden person still hasn’t revealed themselves, but they’ll eventually become a threat.’

If we had to stay together, it was better to confront them quickly rather than avoid them.

And rather than simply confronting them, killing them quickly would be better for our mental health.

So, we kill them.

‘How?’

By using the Lesser Griffin that appears in the fifteenth trial when entering in a specific order.

For that, we needed to proceed further now.

“What do you think?”

When I asked, Shiro, who had coordinated with me at dawn, spoke first.

“I think you’re right. The rewards get better the further we go.”

Ainer and Airi had only cast a few simple prayers, so there was no reason for their condition to deteriorate.

If the combat members were in good condition, they’d probably want to continue.

“Well… if you two say so, I agree too. Airi, what about you?”

“I agree as well. With Adel, Shiro, and Lady Ainer together, we could probably reach the twentieth trial with ease.”

So we moved forward.

‘I’m afraid that person might do something unpredictable.’

The eleventh trial.

The twelfth trial.

We ignored the common area entrance portals that kept appearing and diligently followed the hidden room entry route.

Originally there were three doors. One was the common area portal, and the other two…

‘Even if that person knows about the hidden room, it would be hard for them to be suspicious.’

It’s not impossible to get through a 50-50 chance five times in a row, so they probably wouldn’t be too suspicious.

[The fourteenth trial of Taurus begins.]

Without any issues, we reached the room just before the Griffin.

A total of 43 monsters. The trials had accumulated, and since we followed the hidden room route, the mobs were stronger.

“Trrrr-!”

A Grade 3 lowest-tier monster, Lakirion.

It was similar to a scorpion, but instead of poison, it had a shell like rock.

Its size was about Grade 4 highest-tier.

However, its unique shell and high magic resistance made it difficult to defeat.

A hammer would make it easier to deal with.

“Shiro, please assist me.”

“Okay.”

I raised my fist with Instantaneous Hardening.

This much was manageable.

***

After easily clearing the fourteenth trial, our party waited briefly.

Since bosses appeared every five trials after the tenth, we used the excuse of replenishing our health before the fifteenth.

‘Though the reality is a bit different.’

A Grade 3 mid-tier monster, Lesser Griffin.

And we were preparing for a battle with the pursuer who was still following us.

‘The plan is going smoothly.’

We all sat on the ground to rest, and I was feeling satisfied when,

“I was surprised that the Lakirion was that strong.”

Airi said,

“Yeah. I thought Adel would win instantly, but I was surprised to see him struggling for quite a while.”

Ainer agreed.

The actual battle time was much longer, and I used about twice as much holy power as usual.

From their perspective, it must have seemed like a difficult fight.

“…Indeed, fighting continuously for so long is starting to drain my energy. How about you, Shiro?”

“I’m fine. I have enough mana left to defeat the boss. I think I can use it about five or six more times.”

“I see…”

Ainer showed an apologetic expression at our words.

“I wish I could get stronger and be more helpful. I’m sorry.”

She spoke with a serious expression.

While her thinking about romance was slightly, no, quite abnormal, her personality itself was good.

“No, you’ve been plenty helpful, Lady Ainer. Without your prayers, my stamina would have been depleted long ago.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, really.”

That was a lie.