episode_0021

“Please drop me off around here.”

“Well…is that okay..? But still in the valley of death…”

“It’s okay. Isn’t it right in front anyway? Let’s go back quickly.”

The boring time of traveling in a carriage, finding a suitable place and camping out over and over again passed by. Of course, there were attacks by monsters in the meantime… but they were at a level that did not even warrant a warm-up.

“Everyone, get off! Let’s stay in this town one last time!”

As I pounded on the carriage and shouted loudly, the mercenaries who seemed fine, those who looked disheveled as if they had fallen asleep, and those who looked bad due to motion sickness all got out of the carriage.

“I hope there are good results..! Goodbye!”

After confirming that the carriage was empty, the drivers quickly waved goodbye and hurriedly disappeared along the way they had come.

“Queunnn… Have we arrived..?”

-Oh my… my waist…

-Woof..!

-Hey, go over there and vomit!

The mercenary members, who were stretching their stiff bodies, approached me.

“……..”

Ceris, still with a cold expression, stood quietly between them and looked at me.

“It can be said with certainty that it is a village right in front of the destination. The day is coming to an end.. Don’t you need a little rest?”

“You are correct, Captain!”

“You can see it right in front of you. Let’s go quickly and find a place to rest.”

So we looked at the village in the desert right in front of us, like something out of a Western movie.

‘…Death Rest? Death’s resting place?’

I came up with a very rough name. Was it called Death Rest because it was right in front of Death Canyon?

The letters on the signboard at the entrance to the village were somewhat erased, and there was no light except for the small light shining in the lantern.

It was a village that gave off a gloomy atmosphere, like a ghost town, as there were not even people walking around.

But we didn’t even think about such things due to the carriage and camping that followed. If only I had a bed to lie down in and decent food to eat!

“Let’s look around that building first. Follow me.”

So we started looking around the buildings one by one.

smart-

“Are you there? ”

I knocked on the building right in front of the village entrance, but there was no sign of presence.

It seemed like it was an uninhabited building.

Knock-knock-

Afterwards, the mercenaries and I dispersed and knocked on the door, but we couldn’t see anyone anywhere.

‘hmm. Then, is that the only building left?’

In contrast to other buildings that did not even have lights on, that large three-story building was the only place where light was coming out.

“Captain! No one found it on the other side either!”

Hans, who was looking around the building on the other side, also joined the group again.

So, my companions and I walked towards the large building with earnest hearts, as if we were longing for the last trace.

Squeak-squeak…

As I approach the building, every time I step on the wooden stairs, an eerie sound echoes.

…Did trees originally make this much noise? When I first went to the mercenary base, the rotted wooden floor was quieter than this.

‘….death?’

That was clearly written on the sign on the door of the building with the light coming out of it.

Death? Is this a building I shouldn’t enter?

….ah. Upon closer inspection, the word ‘Rest’ was erased from the bottom, leaving only a faint trace.

If so, this building would be the largest inn. Because it was common knowledge that the inn named after the village was the largest in this world.

Sigh…

Perhaps because of the cool atmosphere, the bright light seemed to feel somewhat unpleasant, but… what can I do?

I opened the door that made an equally loud noise and entered the building.

“Phew.”

The warmth I felt as soon as I entered the building made me sigh in relief.

I wondered what would happen if the lights were on and no one was there… Fortunately, the heating was working properly, and there were people sitting at the reception desk.

“…Welcome.”

A man with a bald head and dark circles quietly greeted me.

He was a man with such a vicious appearance that one would believe he killed several people just by looking at his face.

“Is there a room for all of our group to stay?”

“…Yes. Yes.”

“Thank goodness. How much does it cost for room and board?”

“…Please wait a moment.”

The man who appeared to be the owner of this inn got up and went into the room in the back.

After a while, the man who took out some paper wrote something while looking at the mercenaries standing behind me, and then opened his mouth.

“…including meals and a room. It’s 15 gold.”

“Wait a minute, 15 gold! Isn’t it too expensive?”

Hans, who was standing next to me, lost his temper when he saw the man offering an amount that I thought was too much.

“Please don’t get angry and just listen to me for a moment.”

“No! No matter what..!”

“Hans. Let’s listen first.”

“….Yes.”

Looking at the man’s grave expression, he seemed to have a story, so I decided to listen first.

“…Do you know the characteristics of this area…”

“No, I don’t know.”

How do I know that? It was my first time coming to this place, and I had no information other than that there was a desert and a canyon.

“This place where the Canyon of Death exists is also called the ‘Desert of Death.’ And there are only two reasons for that nickname:”

“Which one is it?”

“Monsters and sandstorms. The Desert of Death is home to incredibly strong and unique monsters. Additionally, huge sandstorms are generated at regular intervals.”

Huh-

The man cleared his throat, drank water from the cup next to him, and continued talking again.

“… And that sandstorm… You really can’t see an inch ahead, and it’s so strong that any weak person will be swept away by the wind at any moment. You must have come to this place… Death Canyon. It will probably be a huge obstacle.”

“……”

I haven’t even heard of such a thing. We came here to defeat a 5-star monster, but if there was a sandstorm that made it difficult to even open our eyes, there was a high chance of failure.

“…So. The price including accommodation and meals until 4 days after the sandstorm ends is 15 gold.”

“Hmm. I understand. It’s a reasonable price.”

“…Thank you. He probably looks like a mercenary… There is a large training ground in the basement of this building, so it would be good to use it.”

What if they even provide a training ground? It must be an extremely reasonable price.

At this level… of course I have to pay the price.

“There’s 20 gold here. The rest… think of it as a tip.”

“…Thank you! You can go into any room and use it. As you can see… it’s a place where no one comes.”

A man with a sharp expression and a wide smile. As expected, it was clear that impressions were not connected to human nature.

“Everyone, please come here.”

I gathered the mercenaries and explained our current situation.

They were confused at first when they were told that they would have to stay for about 4 more days, but when I told them about the sandstorm, they all nodded and went to their respective rooms.

“Cough…cough.”

…I guess I should go in now and get some rest. In order to fight to the best of my ability, or rather, my life, I probably needed to rest, except for a little warm-up.

***

“…sigh!”

Liquid-!

To shake off the disturbing thoughts floating around in her head, Seris swung her sword at the training ground.

Soak-ae-!

“Phew..”

No matter how much you swing the sword, stab it, or cut it, the thoughts that come into your head will never disappear.

‘Captain…’

As I look down at the sword the leader gave me, I think about him again.

I have to apologize… I’m so scared that I can’t do it.

I decided to apologize every day, every moment, but now even going to the leader’s side was difficult.

…Every time that happens, it feels like the leader is moving away from me. It feels like I’m leaving at any moment.

no no..!

Soak-ae-! Suddenly! Liquid!

He starts swinging his sword in the air like a crazy person. Swordsmanship becomes more sophisticated and stronger day by day.

But unlike him, my heart seemed to be breaking and becoming more and more devastated day by day.

“Chief. You didn’t come out of your room again today.”

It had been three days since we arrived in this village. Just as the leader said, there was a really strong sandstorm blowing outside, so we couldn’t go out.

Everyone seemed to have succeeded in getting rid of their fears by training, eating, and talking.

My body, which had been a little tired due to the carriage life that felt like my whole body was stiff and the baby, seemed to be regaining stability.

When everyone was regaining their energy, the leader did not show his face.

He was a person who never missed a meal or drink as usual, but he also never missed training.

I don’t know why, but he won’t leave the room. I just ask the owner or Hans to eat in my room.

“I wonder if something happened..”

Seris was worried because she looked different from usual. Also, even when mercenary members approached the leader’s room and asked questions, the answer was always that it was okay.

“…………”

suddenly. Cerise recalled the time she had a conversation with Hans, who happened to be sitting next to her, while eating last night.

“Has something happened these days, vice-captain?”

“….Huh?”

As I was slurping down the food that did not go down my throat like usual, Hans suddenly spoke to me.

At that question that hit the nail on the head, Seris was taken aback and didn’t say anything.

“Ah… well… not that! My friend… has some work to do.”

“Oh, is that so? If so, that’s a relief.”

“Haha…”

…I’m not stupid either. What happened to my friend? Seris once again felt like a nail was being driven into her heart and a dagger was being stabbed directly at the leader.

“Then can I ask what happened to that friend?”

“….Huh?”

asked Hans, who was chewing the bread provided by the innkeeper. Normally I wouldn’t have answered, but…

“That…that’s what…”

I don’t know why, but I became more eloquent than usual. In this way, Seris compared her actions and words to a ‘known friend’.

One that refused to be touched. He said harsh words. I ignored everything that was coming.

I want to apologize, but I can’t approach him because of my fear of the future.

Nevertheless, I love him and hope for him more passionately than anyone else.

“………….”

Hans, who had heard about all those events, sat quietly for a few tens of seconds as if thinking a little.

“Haha.. It wasn’t a big deal..?”

“…Isn’t that crazy?”

“….Huh?”

Seris thought she heard wrong and saw wrong. This was because I saw Hans’s expression, who usually never got angry, distorted and he started swearing.

“No. The person called that friend. Doesn’t it seem like ridiculous trash?”

“…….”

“Isn’t that just playing with one person… that man? If it were me, I would have given up immediately. People like that!”

-Playing with one person.

-A person who only thinks about his own safety and does not think about others.

-Fear means not apologizing for fear of harm coming to oneself.

-I don’t know if it’s the push and pull that I did in the past, but it’s nonsense and trash behavior.

For tens of minutes, I listened to Hans swearing and criticizing my actions right in front of my eyes.

Thinking of each and every curse and criticism piling up in his heart, or rather, of the hurt the leader must have suffered.

“….Huh?”

Cerise realized something was very wrong.