Ch.83Mask (2)

I was walking through the forest wearing a mask.

I couldn’t get used to the view through the mask at all.

Because of that, even though I hadn’t ventured far, the sun was already setting between the trees.

Regrettably, it seemed I would have to head back for today, so I slowly turned around toward the direction I had come from.

The mask rattled once again.

It might sound obvious, but wearing a mask was far more uncomfortable than I had imagined.

I had anticipated it would be stuffy, so I made it a bit roomier, but with every step it rattled loudly, and the eye holes kept shifting out of place. Despite making it spacious, breathing was still surprisingly uncomfortable.

My face stung from the hard wood, and having to breathe back in my own exhaled breath was more unpleasant than I had expected.

I could now truly appreciate how much discomfort Silvia must have endured when she first met me.

Perhaps her rush to send me away wasn’t just out of concern that the curse might spread, but also because wearing a mask was terribly uncomfortable?

Still, I had no intention of throwing the mask away.

After all, I hadn’t made this mask because I thought I should.

Whether it was a divine revelation, the will of the Green Lady, or perhaps the whispers of various spirits blended into nature.

I couldn’t know for certain, but since I had made the mask due to some sudden revelation that came to me, I was convinced there must be a reason why I needed to wear it.

For example, adventurers might come to investigate the magical energy that suddenly surrounded this forest, or perhaps someone fearless but slow to receive news might try to pass through.

I adjusted my rattling mask and slowly caught my breath.

Since it would be trouble if it got dark on my way back, I summoned Pia in advance.

As always, she popped up from my palm, spun around in the air, and slowly landed on the ground.

“Remember the way home?”

Pia wagged her tail and slowly walked forward.

Just like the day she led me to the spirit realm, I often wandered through the forest with Pia’s guidance.

Although Pia was my guardian spirit, she seemed to have become familiar with the forest and found her way much better than I did.

It was quite cute watching her bottom, flickering with burning flames, wiggle as she walked.

The tail that swayed left and right with each step was even more adorable.

I slowly followed my cute guardian spirit.

Though it felt like I had been wandering for hours, following Pia’s path brought us to the lake in just an hour.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I have a poor sense of direction.

From the beginning, my purpose wasn’t to reach a specific destination, but to use my body, damaged by magical energy, like a detector to find places where the magical energy was thinner.

But whether she understood my intentions or not, Pia looked at the large tree standing in the middle of the lake and turned around, lifting her chin.

I knelt on one knee and gently scratched under her chin.

She shivered with pleasure, scattering sparks in all directions.

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, Pia’s body stiffened, and like a startled cat raising its fur, the flames all over her body shot upward.

I could feel it too.

Someone was at the lakeside.

“Could it be Silvia?”

Hoping against hope, I lifted my head.

*

Though invisible to the eye, I could clearly sense a presence.

It seemed the other person wasn’t particularly trying to hide.

The clanking sound of footsteps came from somewhere along the lakeside.

It was unmistakably the sound of someone wearing armor.

As far as I knew, Silvia’s armor had melted when I burned down the cabin.

So, was it not Silvia?

I quietly extinguished Pia’s flame and lowered my posture.

Afraid the mask might fall off, I pressed it firmly against my face once more and slowly took one step forward at a time.

If I were to face someone other than Silvia…

Perhaps thanks to the mask, the other person would be fine, but I would surely go mad.

Yet, I couldn’t just stay away.

Even if I could function at a basic level, I didn’t want to sleep breathing in the magical energy that permeated outside the lake.

Having nearly died doing that before, I had no choice.

“Please, let it be Silvia…”

I muttered quietly, keeping my gaze fixed on the ground.

As long as my face wasn’t visible, it didn’t matter if the other person spotted me.

The problem was if the other person entered my field of vision.

Even if I encountered someone, and even if I had a brief conversation with them, as long as I didn’t look at them, the worst-case scenario could be avoided.

The sky had already darkened, Pia had extinguished her flame, and with my head bowed to the ground, my vision was practically useless.

Although I couldn’t see, the lakeside terrain where I had lived alone for a month was clear in my mind, so I moved quietly toward the cabin.

“…!”

The clanking metallic footsteps in the distance suddenly stopped.

I also halted my steps and lowered my head even further.

What? What happened?

“Who goes there!”

“Oh no,”

A low, firm woman’s voice.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t Silvia’s voice.

“Damn,”

The halted footsteps began again.

They were approaching quickly, running toward me.

“Answer me, who are you?”

The clear, sharp sound of metal sliding against metal,

The sound of a sword being drawn.

An adventurer? Or perhaps a knight.

I spoke with my eyes tightly shut.

“I… I live here.”

“You live in this forest? Don’t lie.”

Well, if she knew what kind of place this forest was, her suspicion was understandable.

I pointed toward my cabin and bowed my head even lower.

To a third party, I might have looked like I was begging for my life, such was my submissive posture.

“It’s true. I stay in that cabin over there.”

“Cabin? You mean that collapsing wooden house?”

“…”

Though it wasn’t built with much skill, it was still relatively new,

The direct assessment of it as “collapsing” stung my heart.

A small surge of indignation rose in my chest, but I nodded and continued speaking slowly.

“Yes, that’s where I stay.”

“Huh, I thought it was just an abandoned barn that had turned to ruins.”

“…”

I closed my mouth, having nothing to say.

When I fell silent, the woman also became quiet.

Though we both said nothing for a few seconds, I could clearly sense from that brief silence.

Her suspicion and hostility toward me remained unresolved, and she was ready to swing her sword at me at any moment.

The woman kept her sword drawn and spoke again.

“You must know what kind of place this forest is, so why do you live here?”

“…That’s,”

“I’m waiting. Speak.”

“…I have my reasons.”

“I’m sure you do, because no one would live in a place like this otherwise.”

She pressed me harshly.

Her growling voice proved that her suspicion was growing.

If I couldn’t dispel her doubts, my head might roll with a single stroke.

Well, what problem would arise if I died…

At that moment, my mask wobbled as if about to fall off, and I quickly grabbed it and pressed it against my face.

“Don’t move!”

“…Yes,”

I caressed the wooden texture of the mask and slowly calmed my excited mind.

No.

It was foolish to think about dying here.

If I had known I would die like this, I wouldn’t have sacrificed the Green Lady in the first place.

The reason my fragmented soul clung to this world after enduring countless sacrifices and incidents was only one.

I wanted to meet Silvia again.

Until then, I absolutely could not die.

I gathered my courage and spoke.

“And… who are you? Seeing that you’ve entered this forest, you don’t seem like an ordinary person.”

“Inquisitor directly under the Pope of the Goddess Church.”

“…”

The Goddess Church? Inquisitor?

A holy knight?

That would explain how she could navigate through this forest filled with magical energy.

Of course, even a holy knight couldn’t stay in magical energy for long periods, so she must have found this lake while looking for a place to rest.

But, an inquisitor directly under the Pope?

Weren’t all inquisitors in the Goddess Church part of the Inquisition?

This woman might be lying to deceive me.

“I’ve never heard of an inquisitor position directly under the Pope.”

“It’s recent, exactly one week ago.”

The woman answered my question immediately.

There was no hesitation.

Either she had prepared a lie in advance, or it was the truth.

I could feel cold sweat gathering inside my mask.

“Why would someone of your stature be here…”

“I came to investigate the magical energy that occurred in the Fallen Tree Forest. I was also looking for someone while I was at it.”

“…”

Looking for someone?

Who could a high-ranking person from the Goddess Church be looking for here?

Ah, could she be looking for Silvia?

Knowing that the hero hadn’t died?

I clenched my fist and asked with a trembling voice.

“Who… did you come looking for?”

“Two missing persons. And five of my subordinates who were searching for them.”

“…”

Oh, she’s not looking for Silvia?

Wait, five?

That number that reached my ears felt like it was being driven into the folds of my brain.

Ah,

Ah, damn it.

Five people.

I didn’t know about the first two missing persons, but five men reminded me of something.

Come to think of it, the last person who died by my hand that day struggled until the end, manifesting holy power even with a knife in his throat.

Holy power.

Ah…

“I didn’t expect them to be alive, so I was hoping to at least recover their bodies, but to think I’d meet a living person in this hell filled with magical energy.”

“…”

“I can’t help but be suspicious.”

I could feel the tip of her sword pointing at my trembling body.