Chapter 76 – Extinction, The Coming (6)

“May I come in for a moment?”

Nights in this otherworld were always dull. No smartphones, no computers, and I hadn’t even brought along any DIY kits to occupy my time.

So, despite the unexpected visit, I gladly let Liv inside. She was wearing just a thin tank top.

“Please, come in.”

Calling it a tent was an overstatement—it was little more than a couple of sticks propping up a piece of cloth smaller than a blanket. When I lay down, my feet stuck out the end, and in the morning, dew would form on my head.

With two people sitting inside, our shoulders naturally touched. Outside, the sound of people laughing while drinking echoed through the night.

“What brings you here?”

“I had a strange experience today.”

“A strange experience?”

“Yes.”

Liv began to tell me about a green-haired girl she’d encountered. Of course, I had no idea what she was talking about.

In most fantasy worlds, one might think of elves living in forests or dwarves digging underground, but such fantastical races didn’t exist here. There were fairies, perhaps, but even they were more like familiars summoned through magic.

“That’s unusual. There aren’t any villages around here. Did you catch her name?”

“I didn’t. She disappeared before I could.”

“Hmm…”

Who could it have been? This was precisely why I worked Lehel hard as a <Gate Master>. After all, there weren’t many mages who could freely use high-tier spatial magic.

I reached out and wrapped an arm around Liv’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing. Maybe you were just tired and imagined it.”

“Do you think so?”

“Most likely… Anyway, it’s a relief you weren’t hurt.”

“Yes…”

Was that all she came for? I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.

But she showed no intention of leaving. Instead, she clung to me even closer and said:

“Um, I don’t have anywhere to sleep tonight.”

“You were just at the tent next door, weren’t you?”

“Some strangers took it.”

“…”

“It’s true.”

“Should I go fetch another one for you?”

“It’s late. Let’s ask tomorrow.”

Even though Paris wasn’t the type to get angry over being woken up, I couldn’t shake off my doubts. Still, the anxious look in Liv’s eyes under the darkness struck a chord with me.

“Are you scared of ghosts?”

“What?”

“That ghost you said you saw earlier.”

Her pupils wavered briefly before she nodded vehemently.

“Yes, I’m scared.”

“You don’t look that scared…”

“I’m so terrified I wouldn’t even be able to go outside. If I slept alone, I’d probably scream at the sound of the wind.”

“Well… I suppose there’s no other choice. Come on, lie down here.”

One night wouldn’t hurt. I moved Liv to the inner side of the tent and lay down next to her.

We ended up curled like two snugly nestled shrimp. Sharing the blanket, the combined warmth made it surprisingly cozy. The fragrance from her hair tickled my nose.

Then, Liv’s hand grabbed my arm and pulled it toward her body.

“If… if this is uncomfortable…”

She guided my arm to wrap around her waist.

“You can hold me here.”

Into a position where I was hugging her from behind.

***

Liv hesitated—no, she wavered.

The reason was simple: the Louis she had been watching all this time felt different from the Louis before her now.

In truth, apart from the fact that they were at war, life in the Greenwood Forest hadn’t been so bad for Liv. That was largely because of Louis—the one who hadn’t yet tied himself to the half-wit Rochear woman her father, Paris, had warned her about.

Yet, at the same time, a new thought emerged.

If I come to like Louis now, would it still be the same as liking the Louis from before?

It was a complicated dilemma. No matter how similar they seemed, the Louis she met in this forest wasn’t the same as the one who had run the convenience store.

He wasn’t the man who had told her she was precious.

“Ugh…?”

While agonizing over her thoughts, Liv suddenly felt something strange.

Thinking back, this Louis had never been so persistent. And yet, his touch felt all too familiar.

Is this an illusion? No, then could it be…?

It was a ridiculous hypothesis. The real Louis should still be back at Farencia Academy with Adela. Logical reasoning led to a clear conclusion, but her foolish heart betrayed her, brimming with joy.

After much hesitation, Liv finally opened her mouth quietly.

“…Louis.”

“Yes? You’re still awake?”

“I… I have something to say.”

If he was truly the same, his reaction would prove it.

“I’m joining the Skirmishers.”

“What?”

“When Kundra brought me here, he said I could join anytime if I wanted.”

“…”

Of course, it was a lie. He had never said anything like that.

“No.”

“Kyah—!!”

Louis’s touch elicited a mixture of sensations that caught Liv off guard.

Caught by surprise, Liv let out a faint sound and quickly covered her mouth, her eyes wide as she turned to glare at Louis.

“Boss!? I-it’s really you…! How are you here in Batudis!?”

“Well, obviously, I came because I was worried about you. Why did you recklessly enter the nightmare on your own?”

“I didn’t do anything! I got pulled into a gate out of nowhere and ended up here…!”

Her head spun with confusion. She was overwhelmed. Yet, at the same time, the faint anger and concern in Louis’s actions made her feel something strange.

“Aah… Why didn’t you tell me earlier…!”

“Because your stupid, reckless behavior was too funny not to watch.”

“D-don’t call it a stupid name!”

“What’s with ‘Rev Lavrie’? You could’ve put more thought into it. And shouldn’t you apologize for wrecking my shop?”

“T-that… I already explained before…”

“I-I’m sorry…! I was wrong, so please, stop…!”

Liv twisted away in resistance, but there was no escape. She was terrified that the people outside might hear.

Yet, at the same time, an indescribable sense of relief washed over her, and the tension in her body began to fade. In this illusion, she wasn’t alone.

“Haa… haa…”

As the heated air inside the blanket began to cool, Liv looked up at Louis again.

His hair was shorter than before, but the blend of sternness and concern in his gaze remained unchanged.

“There’s a lot we need to talk about.”

“You’re right… But, Boss.”

“Yes?”

“Are you really in a relationship with that girl?”

She felt like she needed to hear his answer, no matter what. After a brief hesitation, he nodded heavily.

“Yes.”

The cold reality finally confronted her. Her chest sank with a crushing weight as she forced out her words.

“Why…?”

“Because Adela accepted me.”

Accepted him? Liv couldn’t understand.

“If I could accept you as well, what would you do then?”

Liv didn’t believe she could understand Louis less than Adela did. She was confident in her ability to win him over, too.

But his response was devastating.

“It would be too hard for you.”

“What?”

“You might even come to resent me.”

“What do you mean?”

Louis’s hand moved to gently caress her cheek.

“Your father, Paris Greenwood…”

At the same time:

“…died because of me.”

Liv saw unfathomable sorrow reflected in Louis’s eyes.

***

The quiet mist of dawn hung low. A shepherd boy, leaning against a tree, slid down in exhaustion, unable to resist his drowsiness. His staff, with a battered brass bell, had been replaced by a spear.

Nearby, stray shoes and scraps of food left in tin cans became fodder for field rats. Those left behind in the mountains were slowly losing strength.

Paris, patrolling with his comrades, once again glared sharply at the distant demonic skies from the forest’s edge.

“Paris, let’s call it a day already. We haven’t even seen a rat, let alone a monster.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve slept soundly. I wouldn’t mind if those demon bastards stayed gone forever.”

“Come to think of it, nothing’s really happened lately… Could the war be ending?”

Ignoring their idle chatter, Paris kept his gaze fixed on the horizon and noticed something floating in the sky.

“Paris?”

“Hold on.”

He immediately drew an arrow and aimed upward. After a moment, he released the string, and with a sharp thwack, a small flying object fell to the ground.

“What’s that?”

“I’ll check it out. You all stay here.”

Since it came from enemy territory, it might pose a danger. Leaving his comrades behind, Paris hurriedly pushed through the underbrush to where the object had fallen. He found it tangled in a tree.

Climbing up carefully to examine it, Paris was startled.

“This is… a message balloon?”

It was a small hot-air balloon designed to transmit messages where communication magic couldn’t reach. Though its success rate varied with distance, it was still uncommon to see one.

Inside was a hastily scrawled note written in blood. As Paris opened it, his bow slipped from his hands.

[We’re navigating the canal to breach the siege and head to the Demon King’s castle.]

[If the magic cancels en route, our lives will be at risk.]

[Requesting all possible delays to buy time.]

Paris let a strand of his long hair blow in the wind as he reoriented himself.

The message balloon had come from the deepest part of Heljeb, where he had been gazing earlier.