episode_0185

The Being That Lives Inside the Box

“Ugh, oh man… lately, I’ve been thinking the Camilla Cult might have failed, Aria.”

“Why is that? Is it because we haven’t seen any statues around?”

“That’s right… We’ve been walking for three more days now, and we haven’t even seen a single statue, let alone encountered the Camilla Cult.”

We, who were walking towards the Criton region, felt perplexed that we hadn’t encountered the Camilla Cult or even a statue of the goddess Camilla so far, and began to speculate that the Camilla Cult might have failed. However, judging by the statues Esti-nim showed us, the Camilla Cult has definitely been active for the past five years… The reason we haven’t seen any statues so far… What if they were destroyed by those hostile to outside forces, like Esti-nim? No, even so, the fact that we haven’t encountered the Camilla Cult again is really bothering me…

“Even so, isn’t it a relief that we can continue our journey without any problems? Of course, I will protect Zeke-nim, but… Still, if we can reach the Criton region safely and without any issues, this Aria would consider it a great stroke of luck.”

“Hmm… you’re right. It would really be great if we could reach the Criton region without any issues and know that everyone is safe… But because nothing is happening, I feel uneasy for no reason…”

“Ah, come on~! Don’t be like that, just let all your worries disappear in my embrace~! Zeke-nim has no need to worry about anything~!”

“Ugh!?”

As I felt greatly uneasy about nothing happening, Aria suddenly embraced me and began shaking me back and forth, making me greatly flustered. Aaaaargh!! Her strength is too much, I feel like I’m suffocating!! Right… this is more terrifying…!! Because I could die right now…!! As Aria held me in her arms and shook me back and forth, I realized what true terror was, and after Aria let me go, I gasped for breath and spoke to her.

“Gasp… gasp… Right… this definitely makes my unease disappear… Ugh… But I almost suffocated…”

“It’s proof of how much I love Zeke-nim! Hehehe… Besides, we often hug like this when we sleep, don’t we?”

“…Hearing that, I’m starting to wonder how I’ve survived so far… Oh, whatever… It’s true that my unease disappeared thanks to it, so… Thanks, Aria…”

“Hehe~! I only did what was natural!”

Although I was confused, when I thanked her for making my unease completely disappear, Aria put her hands on her hips and replied that she had only done what was natural. Seeing her proud expression, Aria doesn’t seem scary at all… does she? Phew… The words Krischa said at the Revarud facility keep coming back to me, and it’s bothering me…

‘*You and the Black Saintess were moving according to our plans, she said?*’

“…That we were moving according to their plans… What on earth does that mean…?”

“Huh? What are you suddenly talking about, Zeke-nim?”

As I recalled Krischa’s words and began muttering about their meaning, Aria, hearing my mumbling, asked me what I was talking about. Ah… Aria would definitely forget something like that… Because those were Krischa’s words, the one who greatly humiliated her, of all people… She had no interest in Krischa, so she must have forgotten those words…

“The words Krischa said at the Revarud facility keep coming back to me. The words about us moving according to their plans…”

“Ugh… I’ve already forgotten everything about that woman, so I don’t even remember…? Wait… Zeke-nim… were you thinking about another saintess in front of me just now…?”

“Uh… just remembering… Ah.”

The moment I answered that I was thinking about Krischa, I belatedly sensed Aria’s aura behind me and froze, startled. Ah… that’s right. Aria still hates it when I think about other women…!! No… surely not… With an ominous feeling, I slowly turned around, and there, as I expected, Aria was toying with her staff, wearing a chilling smile.

“Hehehehe… Zeke-nimmm…? So, you were thinking about another woman right in front of me, weren’t you…? Not about me… but about another womanmmmmm… I guess I’ve been too tolerant lately… For Zeke-nim to even think about cheating on me like this, right in front of me…!!”

“How is that related to cheating… No, you and I aren’t even…”

“No excuses are needed, Zeke-nim…!! You’d better be prepared tonight as well…!!”

“Aaaaaaaah! Please spare me from sticking together again!!!”

As Aria grinned and told me to be prepared again tonight, I screamed, anticipating that Aria would forcefully hold me in her arms until morning again. And so, the next day… I, who had been held by Aria all day, was sprawled weakly on the tent floor as if all my energy had been drained, while Aria was stretching contentedly, basking in the morning sunlight.

“Oof, what a stretch~! Perhaps because I absorbed Zeke-nim’s energy all day yesterday, this morning feels truly refreshing~!”

“…Did you really have to go that far, Aria…? I think it was too much…”

“Hmmmm? Are you asking me to do that again today, Zeke-nim?”

“No, I’m not…”

When I complained about being held all day, Aria again wore a chilling smile and said frighteningly that she’d do it again, so I decided not to complain anymore and sighed while still sprawled on the floor. Damn it… So this is what happens when Aria’s dissatisfaction builds up… I’ll have to be careful next time… Otherwise, she’ll clearly do something even scarier next time… After that, thanks to the breakfast Aria made, I was forcefully re-energized and rotated my shoulders as I spoke to Aria.

“Ugh… By the way, how much further do we have to walk to get to the Criton region?”

“Hmm… to get to Probelitu… I think we’ll have to walk for about a week. But that’s if we’re fast, usually… I think it might take about two weeks.”

“Haaaaaah… I guess so… We’re going straight from Kartoon to Probelitu, and we even met Esti-nim along the way… So, walking for a long time was inevitable, I suppose…”

As Aria explained that it was still a long way to Probelitu, I let out a deep sigh at the news. Well… I had expected it to be like this, but… Unlike my expectation that it would be relatively quick since Kartoon’s location wasn’t surprisingly far from the Criton region, the fact that it would take two weeks left me with no choice but to lament how much further we still had to go. Because the Camilla Cult is pressing down on the world… Due to the anxiety of not being able to be late, I felt a desire to head to Probelitu even faster. Then Aria, as if she had read my thoughts, grinned and spoke.

“Hmm~. You seem tired, Zeke-nim? In that case, how about riding on this Aria’s back? If it’s me, I could carry Zeke-nim to Probelitu in a week… no, four days…!!”

“I can’t do it because I’m afraid you might overexert yourself… It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I’m scared you’ll overdo it.”

“…!! Zeke-nim’s concern for me…!! As expected, I can’t live in this world without those words from you…!! Lately, strange women keep lingering around Zeke-nim, so Zeke-nim hasn’t said such things to me…”

“…? Uh… now that you mention it…”

Now that I think about it, she’s right…? Lately, there have been many new acquaintances or people I’ve reunited with after a long time, so I haven’t been able to say much to Aria… Aria lives and dies by my words, after all… Realizing that I had been neglecting Aria more than before by focusing on other things, just as she said, I let out a chuckle and came to understand Aria’s actions from the previous day.

“Then next time, how about we truly do what you want?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Honestly, you’ve been satisfied lately that we’re going to Probelitu through deserted places, haven’t you? Because we get to be alone, right?”

“Uh… yes. Right?”

“So, after all this is over, how about we try to only go to deserted places if possible…? What do you think?”

Knowing that Aria was truly happy to be alone with me by passing through deserted places, when I asked if we should continue visiting deserted places even afterwards, Aria smiled brightly and began shaking her head wildly. To be honest, I didn’t mind being alone with Aria either. And…

“Oh! Zeke-nim! I see a cave over there! How about we rest there for a bit before continuing?”

“A cave? Let’s see… Ah. It’s that cave, isn’t it? We found glowing herbs there before… We can also get drinking water there, so let’s rest for a bit.”

As Aria pointed to a certain cave, I recalled the memory of getting drinking water there with Aria before, and decided to rest as Aria suggested. It was fortunate, as our water bottle was almost empty. So, I entered the cave with Aria, and after going not too deep, I found a clean water puddle and quickly began filling my water bottle. The water here, unlike that in other caves, is truly clean and clear, so there’s no problem drinking it. This is because the water here is continuously purified by the glowing herbs that inhabit this place.

“These glowing herbs are still here, huh… You revealed what these glowing herbs were before, didn’t you?”

“Ah… the glowing herbs I saw back then were these ones here. It was almost a month ago, so I’d forgotten… But now that you mention it, I definitely remember. A herb imbued with healing energy… I couldn’t have imagined it back then. That such a plant existed. Oh. How about we pick a few more?”

“No… let’s not do that this time. It looks like there aren’t that many glowing herbs. If we pick a few more, these glowing herbs might disappear from the cave. Besides, I have you, don’t I…?”

“Ah… ahahaha…!! Ye-yes, you do have me… Hmm!!”

“…..?”

When I said that I didn’t need to pick more glowing herbs because I had her, Aria flinched and replied in a flustered voice, and seeing her reaction, I couldn’t understand why Aria was so flustered. Then, recalling how Aria had intentionally not used her divine power when my back was out before, I realized what Aria had been thinking. This girl… she was planning to not use her divine power and just nurse me again if I got hurt…!!!

“…Who could stop you… More importantly, Aria. I have a question…”

“Yes, Zeke-nim…”

“When did that box get there…?”

We, who had been trying to ignore the strange wooden box that had suddenly appeared behind us a while ago, finally turned our attention to the box once we had finished filling our water bottle, and since neither Aria nor I knew when the box, which hadn’t been there when we entered, had suddenly appeared behind us, we examined the box in a bewildered state. Hmm… it just so happens to have a similar appearance to a treasure chest… But when did this box get here…?

“Didn’t you feel it with your divine power? What this box is.”

“Not at all. Could it be that there’s something like a Thousand-Weight Orb inside, which is why I can’t detect it with my divine power?”

“If so, could this be Camilla Cult supplies…?!”

As Aria said that she couldn’t detect the box’s presence with her divine power either, and speculated that there might be a Thousand-Weight Orb inside, I became convinced that this box was Camilla Cult supplies and immediately tried to open it. But… what was this sensation…? The moment I touched the box, I felt a sensation more like touching skin than wood on my hand, and startled, I quickly withdrew my hand from the box, and Aria, bewildered by my sudden panic, asked me.

“Zeke-nim? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“No… how should I put it… It felt like touching a living creature’s skin, not wood… How to describe it… like soft human skin, not rough wood…”

“Human skin? Hmmmm…”

As I explained that the moment I touched the box, I felt the sensation of human skin, not wood, Aria began staring intently at the box, and I too stared intently at the box, full of questions about the sensation I had just felt. What is it…? Its appearance is clearly that of a wooden box, but… Why did I feel such a strange sensation…? Just as I couldn’t resolve my questions about the sensation, the box suddenly opened on its own, and from inside…?

“Woooooah?! What is this!!”

“Ack?! Zeke-nim?!”

Suddenly, four purple tentacles shot out from inside the box and grabbed me, making me greatly flustered, and Aria was also greatly flustered. Wait… I’ve heard about this creature somewhere before…? The inside of the box is fleshy like a living creature’s body, and it grabs the person who opened it with tentacles…!! Ah, that’s what it is!!

“Th-this… this is a mid-level monster, a Mimic… No, a box with tentacles is a high-level monster, a Trap Mimic!!! Why is this thing here?!”

“A mo-monster…!! Ah, it’s a Mimic, isn’t it!!”

“Don’t realize it belatedly, just save me!! Otherwise, I’ll become this Mimic’s lunch!!”

“Ah… understood, Zeke… Oh.”

“…..?”

As I desperately called for help, Aria immediately tried to save me. But suddenly, Aria saw something and flinched in surprise, then turned her head away, blushing, and I, unable to understand why Aria was suddenly blushing, began to be slowly dragged away by the Mimic’s tentacles in a bewildered state.

“Hey, Aria. What’s wrong all of a sudden?!”

“Th-the tentacles are wrapped around Zeke-nim…! How should I put it… I feel somewhat envious and jealous… Ahem… I also feel like watching more before helping…”

“What strange things are you suddenly saying?! What will you do if I get eaten by this Mimic while you’re taking your sweet time?! Mimics mince their prey with their teeth before swallowing them!!!”

“…!! That absolutely cannot happen!! Hwaaaaaah!!”

As Aria made a truly incomprehensible statement, saying that watching me wrapped in tentacles like this wasn’t bad, I screamed for her to save me quickly, saying I would be minced to death by the Mimic’s teeth at this rate. Only then did Aria realize the reality of the situation and hastily struck the Mimic’s tentacles with her staff, and thanks to that, when the Mimic’s tentacles let me go, I quickly grabbed Aria and retreated. Then, as the Mimic retracted its tentacles and closed its lid, I let out a sigh of relief and yelled at Aria.

“What strange thoughts are you suddenly having, Aria?! What on earth did you want?!”

“Uwaaaaah… Well, you see… Uh… how should I put it… Should I say I envied the Mimic’s tentacles… Ah… ahahahaha…!! Since it was a feeling I’d never experienced myself, I don’t think I can explain it properly…”

“Please don’t turn your attention to strange things again, please…!! Every time you do that, I truly suffer…!!”

As Aria said she couldn’t properly explain why she had hesitated just now, due to experiencing a new sensation, I, who had almost died just moments ago, pleaded with tears for her to please not do that. What was so good about me being wrapped in tentacles that made her hesitate all of a sudden…? Haaaaah… I’m going crazy… By the way, a Trap Mimic… Why is such a high-level monster in a place like this…? No, more importantly…

“I’ve been curious about this for a while, but… How on earth do Mimics move?”

“Hmm… there are a few theories. That Mimics have two legs underneath them and can walk… And that they can pull their bodies along by extending tentacles or a tongue from their mouths, just like before. But considering we didn’t sense any presence before… It’s highly likely neither is the case.”

“Hmm… Then if we investigate that Mimic… We could make a new discovery about Mimics that the world has never seen before…!!”

“Or how about dissecting it? It just tried to kill Zeke-nim moments ago… Oh? The lid…”

Curious about how Mimics move, we discussed various possibilities. Then, as Aria suggested dissecting the Mimic, the Mimic’s lid suddenly opened, and from inside…? When the upper body of a woman with long purple hair appeared from within, we were so flustered by the sight that we froze. And the woman, whose upper body was visible from the Mimic’s mouth, opened her eyes and yelled at us.

“What?! Dissect me?! What kind of crazy talk is that?!”

“Me…? No… surely not, the Mimic’s true form…?!”

“…A woman…!!”

“Oh…”

As the purple-haired woman expressed great shock at Aria’s words, I realized that the woman who had emerged from the mouth was the Mimic’s true form and was greatly astonished. Then, when Aria muttered ‘A woman…’ in a serious tone beside me, I realized what state Aria was in and discreetly moved away, and the Mimic, unfortunately failing to grasp the atmosphere, cried out to Aria, who was glaring at it.

“You!! You’re going to dissect me?! That’s going too far…”

“A woman….. another woman…!!”

“…Huh?”

“Why… why…!! Why do women keep appearing next to Zeke-nimmmm!!!”

“Ugh…?! Aaaaaaaah?!”

At the fact that another woman had appeared next to me again, Aria, thoroughly sick and annoyed by this situation, charged at the Mimic with her staff, and the Mimic, unable to understand why Aria was suddenly getting angry at it instead, began to be unilaterally beaten by Aria. Then, I, who had given up on trying to stop Aria, stared blankly at the water puddle visible through the glowing herbs and stopped thinking. Haa… The water puddle visible by the glowing herbs… it’s really beautiful…