Ch.85Return to the Beginning (10)

I returned to the shop to gather my things.

My “things” consisted only of potions and some simple dried food rations.

According to a returned adventurer, they had traveled for about three days before starting to wander in circles, and then discovered the subway station about two days after that.

So supplies for just over a week should be sufficient.

“Brother. Where are you going?”

As I was about to leave with my bag on my shoulder, Mirella called out to me from behind.

“I’m heading out somewhere.”

“You’re going south, aren’t you? Because of Alreina.”

How does she know that?

Well, Mirella has always been quite perceptive, so I guess she could figure it out.

“Yes, that’s right. Alreina is in danger.”

“You could die if you go there.”

“I could also live. But if we leave Alreina alone, everyone will definitely die.”

Mirella closed her mouth and stared at me.

I held her gaze for a moment before turning away.

“Brother.”

Mirella called out to me again.

“I’ll go with you.”

“No. It’s too dangerous. I’m going alone.”

“Don’t go alone. If you die, I can’t live.”

Mirella approached and embraced me from behind.

“You might die or live going south, but if you die, I will definitely die.”

“Mirella…”

“Let’s go together. I won’t get in your way. I won’t be jealous of Alreina either. I’ll just quietly stay behind you. So please take me with you.”

I considered it. But I can’t.

I don’t know what situation Alreina is in right now, and the risk of bringing Mirella is too great.

“Mirella. I’ll come back alive. Stay and watch over the shop.”

As I removed Mirella’s hands from around my waist, she began to sob.

As I left the shop and closed the door, I could hear Mirella wailing inside.

It hurts my heart… but I can’t take Mirella to such a dangerous place.

I’m sorry, Mirella. But I have no choice.

* * * * *

When I arrived at the northern gate, Adelheid and Liberone on horseback were waiting for me.

All the guards had gone to the southern gate, so none were visible here.

Brasya, after hearing the situation, had deliberately made her pigs act as if they’d discovered something to create a disturbance.

Adelheid used that as an excuse to mobilize all guards to the south, leaving only us here.

“Welcome, Jack. The mayor is at the southern gate now.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“Repay me by returning alive.”

“Let’s go then.”

I took Liberone’s outstretched hand and mounted the horse.

Only Liberone and I are going on this adventure.

Mirella and Adelheid are ordinary people who cannot transcend the boundaries of humanity.

In our city, only Liberone has the strength to venture south, where we don’t know what awaits us.

Adelheid personally turned the pulley to open the gate.

Liberone galloped the horse through the opening.

We’ll ride north, cut through the forest, and then head south again.

That’s the only way to avoid being spotted by Bellamy, who’s keeping a sharp eye on the southern gate.

Adelheid isn’t worried.

She’ll cover for us by saying the Holy Knight suddenly forced me onto a horse and fled north.

The Holy Knight belongs to the Church’s Holy Knight Order, completely separate from civil servant Bellamy’s jurisdiction.

No matter how much Bellamy threatens with disciplinary action or imprisonment, it’s just meaningless noise to Liberone.

* * * * *

“The surrounding landscape is changing.”

As we rode south after making a wide detour through the northern forest, Liberone spoke up.

The rising sun from the east chased away the darkness, revealing an extremely desolate landscape.

It resembled what comes to mind when thinking of ‘Africa,’ or more precisely, ‘the Middle East.’

A barren wasteland stretched endlessly without a single blade of grass.

Though hazy mountains were visible in the distance, considering the flat terrain, they must be hundreds of kilometers away.

A distance impossible to reach even riding horseback for a week.

So that subway station must be somewhere in this wasteland.

That’s what the surviving adventurer had testified too.

Looking back, our city was barely visible, obscured by dust.

Considering the distance we’d traveled, the city disappeared from view too quickly, suggesting that this southern region was definitely not normal land.

Perhaps there’s some kind of spatial distortion.

But how can there be such an empty land?

I wonder if this was the original concept or if they just created the land without implementing detailed textures.

We continued riding. We stopped briefly for meals.

By the time the sun was setting in the west, there was nothing but wasteland all around us, let alone the city.

Did Beona’s adventure party really wander around a place like this for a whole week?

If it were me, I would have returned immediately after determining there was nothing here.

What was that urgent mission of theirs?

“Liberone. Let’s make camp.”

We set up a tent in a suitable spot, though everywhere looked the same so it didn’t really matter.

According to the survivor, it gets extremely cold here at night.

Indeed, as soon as the sun set, an intense chill began to sweep in.

We quickly finished setting up camp, hammering stakes into the ground to tie up the horse and lighting a fire with the firewood we brought.

Liberone cast a holy barrier to prepare for any surprise attacks.

Inside the holy barrier, whether it was my imagination or not, it seemed to block the cold as well.

Perhaps it works by keeping the warmth of the fire from escaping, heating the air inside.

“Did Mirella say nothing else?” Liberone asked while chewing on jerky.

“She asked me to take her along.”

“Why didn’t you bring her?”

“It’s too dangerous. Mirella shouldn’t come here.”

“I see.”

After quietly chewing on jerky for a while, Liberone spoke again.

“Mirella loves you.”

“I know, I do too.”

“There’s also the option of marrying Mirella and living happily.”

“Well…”

“Mirella may be young, but the age gap between you isn’t that great. And in just a few years, Mirella will be an adult.”

“That’s true.”

Mirella has already grown incredibly fast over the past six months.

She looks like an adult to anyone who doesn’t know better.

Perhaps her growth, which had been suppressed according to her preset appearance, accelerated rapidly after I possessed this body.

“You need to make a decision.”

“A decision?”

“Yes. How long do you plan to leave things as they are? Get married. Mirella may not have much, but she’s smart and diligent. She also has a bright personality. It’s not easy to find a woman like that.”

“Hmm…”

“Mirella has been helpful since the early development of the village. She even saved your life. If you have absolutely no romantic feelings for her, at least make that clear to her.”

“Okay. I’ll think about it.”

Marriage, so suddenly. It’s something I’ve never thought about before.

But I agree that I can’t keep Mirella in this ambiguous state.

Let’s find Alreina first, then give it serious thought.

* * * * *

The next day dawned, and we rode again.

We rode all day, gauging time by the sun’s position, eating meals, and making camp.

We didn’t encounter anything during our ride.

We didn’t even see small rodents or scorpions that might live in such a place. This is truly a crazy place.

By the way, shouldn’t we be starting to wander in circles by now?

“Liberone. Are we passing through somewhere we’ve already—AHHH!”

The horse suddenly jerked violently, and I nearly fell off.

If Liberone hadn’t grabbed my collar in time, I would have fallen to the ground and scraped my face.

“What the—?!”

“Duck!”

As I lowered my body, Liberone’s greatsword cut through the air in a magnificent arc.

[KIEEEEEK!]

With a bone-chilling screech, something pitch-black was cut in half and flew rapidly behind us.

Turning my head, I saw the carcass of something strange—neither human nor animal—rolling on the ground.

That thing looks familiar, what was it again…?

Squinting at it, I muttered a curse under my breath.

That’s…

“Ahead!”

Dozens of creatures appeared in our path, drooling and charging toward us.

“Hold the reins tight!”

Liberone handed me the reins and jumped sideways off the running horse.

With dust billowing violently, Liberone surged forward and swung the greatsword.

With a deadly ripping sound cutting through the air, the monsters’ bodies were sliced apart like boiled radishes.

“Behind you, Liberone!”

I threw an explosive potion from my waist at a monster entering my blind spot.

The potion broke on the monster’s back, exploding and tearing its body apart in all directions.

Meanwhile, Liberone calmly defeated all the swarming monsters and retrieved the greatsword.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But I’m not sure what these creatures are.”

Liberone expressed confusion while looking at the corpses that were gradually dissipating, emitting black smoke.

“Judging by their strong reaction to holy power, they seem to be some kind of evil entities.”

I know what these are.

These are creatures from one of the game’s many routes—specifically, the Alreina corruption route.

These are the creatures Alreina controls after she fully turns to darkness.

So Alreina has fallen after all.