episode_0031

I slowly opened my eyes.

“…”

Dmitri’s face was right in front of me.

He was staring down at me, his face covered in sweat.

No, upon closer look, he was actually propping up a knee pillow for me.

Wearing a helmet made it hard to feel the texture against my knee, so I didn’t realize it immediately.

“You’re up…”

I sat up.

How long was I sleeping for?

What happened?

This place… this is a labyrinth…

“Gah!”

Is this the 50th floor of the labyrinth?!

I jolted up in surprise.

“Why… ugh…”

My head hurts.

I tried to shake off the daze and gather my thoughts.

Slowly, memories started flooding back.

“…Pratia?”

“I don’t know…”

Dmitri said.

Before losing consciousness, I… got overly excited.

Completely losing my composure, I must have flailed around without knowing what to do.

Fortunately, it seems Dmitri wasn’t hurt…

“Really? Then…”

I looked around.

There was nothing.

Just Dmitri and me.

Did we get blocked or turned around on our way to Specter?

Then where could they be…

…Nowhere to be found.

“We need to find Pratia.”

“…What?”

Dmitri, still kneeling like a lost soul, looked up at me.

“We have to find Pratia. We won’t get another chance.”

“W-wait a minute… What are you talking about…!”

Dmitri tried to stand up but faltered before fully straightening his knees.

I quickly grabbed her to prevent a fall.

“Ugh…!?”

Dmitri shuddered as if electricity ran through her legs.

I carefully helped her sit back down.

“Be careful. How long have you been like this?”

“What?”

“The knee pillow.”

It was a knee pillow provided by an adult man wearing a helmet with such a small, fragile body.

It’s no wonder she got cramps.

“I don’t really kno… Ahh?!”

I lifted her skirt and took off her shoes.

“W-wait, why…?!”

“You might feel a bit of pain.”

I massaged the cramped area on her leg.

“Eek!?!?”

“Endure it. This is what you do when you have a cramp.”

“Ugh…!”

She grabbed my arm, tears welling up in her eyes.

But I continued massaging, ignoring her.

“Are you trying to punish me…?”

“What?”

“It’s… It’s okay. It’s my… fault… Oh…”

“Punish you for what? I’m just trying to relieve your cramp.”

“But, that’s…”

“Let’s see. How does it feel now?”

“How does it feel? Well, it’s sti… Huh?”

Dmitri looked surprised as she touched various parts of her leg.

“It doesn’t… hurt anymore?”

“If you stay in the same position for too long, your body can ache. So, you should massage and stretch like this. It’ll ease soon.”

“Okay…”

“Now, stand up again. We have things to do.”

“Things to do… We’re not going back, are we?”

“No. We’re going to find Pratia.”

“…Why?”

Dmitri put her shoes back on and stood up.

“Mr. Lashwood… the doll…”

“…”

“That was undoubtedly my fault. I should have considered that you might have those memories…”

“If we fell victim to the doll, then the Law Country and the Empire must have kept it a secret.”

The management of the Ebony Tribe is typically handled by the Law Country, which serves the goddess.

However, due to political reasons, it was decided that the Batori family, diplomats who were shuttling between the Law Country and the Empire at the time, would take charge.

Anyway, the Batori family had managed the Ebony Tribe well for 100 years after the war ended.

Life here is harsh and uncomfortable compared to Earth, but by then, after 100 years of war followed by peace, we had adapted quite well to this world.

100 years of war.

And 100 years of peace.

During that time of peace, we lived relatively well.

The goddess took away the cheat-like things she had given us, but since we no longer had any reason to fight, they weren’t necessary anyway.

So, none of us suspected Batori.

Even when we received the doll, our only impression was that it was cute.

When all the facts were revealed, both the Republic and the Empire made tremendous efforts to cover up their flaws.

They gave us a huge sum of money and rights, silencing us with the excuse that such a thing should not happen again.

Looking back now, it seems like it would have been right for us to come together to prevent such political schemes… but perhaps it was impossible.

At that time, we were so exhausted, in pain, just wanting to forget everything.

Yes.

I wanted to forget.

“I, I don’t exactly know either. But still… because I’ve already committed…”

“Just so you know, I don’t blame you.”

“…What?”

“Actually, I’m grateful. This might be the only chance.”

“S-So, you’re not… trying to kill Pratia… are you?”

“No. That’s impossible.”

“Then what exactly are you planning? Rasiud, you’ve suffered enough already.”

“I have. Enough to drive me momentarily insane.”

“Indeed…”

“But, there are things that still need to be done.”

“What things? What for?”

“Well, well. It’s about that doll.”

“The doll…?”

“If that doll was made from the bodies of the Retributors, we must retrieve it no matter what.”

“…?”

“Don’t you understand? Now is the perfect time to properly bring back their remains. Last time, we couldn’t even get the adventurer’s token. The tomb was just an empty grave.”

“What does that… mean? That was 20 years ago…”

“Only 20 years ago.”

“Oh…”

“We’ll bring back their bodies. As an adventurer, it’s our duty to return with the remains of an adventurer. Even if they’ve become dolls. So, let’s go.”

I reached out my hand to Dmitri.

“You’re my companion now. A fellow adventurer.”

“…!”

Dmitri opened her mouth, her expression stunned.

“Me, an adventurer…? Companion…?”

“I told you that before we came here. Have you forgotten?”

I moved closer to her.

“Let’s go.”

“Uh, um, I…”

“…Are you scared?”

“No! I-I’m definitely not… It’s just… that…”

“That?”

“…Is it really okay? Me, doing something like this to you…”

“Something like this? You’re already a great adventurer. One of the top adventurers in this Labyrinth City.”

“No way! I don’t even know how to fight…!”

“Where are we?”

“What?”

“We’re on the 50th underground floor. Kidding? We’re the only ones who have made it this far among all the adventurers in this city. Just you and me. Only us.”

“W-We… Only us…”

Dmitri reached out her hand towards mine as if entranced.

“Yes. Just the two of us.”

“The two of us.”

And she held my hand.

“Let’s go. To find something precious.”

“…Yes!”

***

We wandered around the 50th floor in search of the missing Pratia.

There were no significant changes in the scenery or the paths I remembered.

“You didn’t see where Pratia disappeared to earlier, did you?”

“No… I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. You tried to calm me down.”

“Ah…”

Dmitri blushed and bowed her head.

She seems weak to compliments.

Of course, it’s not just empty words.

Although I can’t remember clearly, I know she tried to calm me down.

Considering the difference between her and me, risking her life was not an exaggeration.

“Anyway, we need to find Pratia… Where could she be? She seemed to communicate with you a bit. What do you think Pratia might be doing right now?”

“Excuse me? Um, perhaps you should go back to your room and be alone?”

“My room…”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You don’t know where your room is… After all, this whole place belongs to Fratia…”

“I have a guess.”

“What?”

Twenty years ago, that room where we played pretend with the Retributors’ bodies.

If it’s there, I remember.

I took Dimitri and delved into my memories to go there.

And soon enough, I found Fratia.

“…”

I swallowed hard.

Fratia was playing as if it were a game, just like back then.

In the dark room, she knelt on the floor with a small table in front of her.

And where the Retributors’ bodies had been… there were their dolls…

“…Mr. Rashwood.”

Dimitri quietly held my hand.

“Oh, um…”

Thanks to him, my composure returned.

We watched Fratia for a moment to see what she was doing.

Since the room was open without a door, it was easy to see what was going on.

…But she didn’t seem to care about us.

Strange.

“Are you…?”

Fratia seemed to be saying something.

I leaned in to listen more closely.

“But everyone hates me… because I’m a fool…”

She poured tea from a teapot into a cup in front of the Retributors’ doll.

Of course, nothing came out.

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m really a fool… I don’t even know what I did wrong… that’s why everyone hates me…”

“…”

“But back then, that’s all I knew…”

“…”

“Yeah… since only bones are left, I don’t know anything except dolls…”

“…”

“I’m just too much of a fool…”

Her self-deprecation continued in that manner.

“…”

I turned to Dimitri.

Coincidentally, she looked up at me at that moment.

Our eyes met.

We were thinking the same thing.

Without needing to say who would go first, we both entered the room where Fratia was.

“…!”

As we entered the room, Fratia jumped in surprise and stared at us.

“R-Rashwood… Dimitri…!”

Fratia sat still, slowly backing away.

“Oh, um, I, I mean, I, well… um…”

Before she knew it, she was pressed against the wall.

I came right up to her, squatting down to meet her eye level.

Dimitri knelt beside me.

“I-I’m sorry! I, I… I upset Rashwood and Dimitri because I’m a fool… I don’t know what I did wrong but… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

I sighed and reached out my hand to her.

“Sob…!”

Fratia shrank back, covering her face with her arms.

I placed my hand on her trembling head.

“I’m sorry.”

And I apologized.

“…Huh?”

Fratia slowly lowered her arms and looked at me with bewildered eyes.

Eyes full of confusion.

“I was a bit strange earlier.”

“I also… was quite rude to you earlier, Fratia. I’m truly sorry.”

Dimitri also apologized.

“Huh? Huh?”

Fratia still looked perplexed.

It seems like she doesn’t understand this situation at all.

Pitiful…

What have I been doing with someone like her?

“Fratia.”

Dimitri took her hand.

“Would you… tell us your story?”