Chapter 230 - Reversal (6)

"Are you awake?"

Misha Karlstein opened her eyes, the distinctive aftertaste of a potion lingering on her tongue. The first person she saw was Avman.

"... W-what happened, nyah? Did we win, nyah?"

The moment she opened her eyes, Misha asked those questions and searched her memory. It was incomplete, broken into scattered fragments.

["Protect Raven!!"]

The Corpse Collector charging at them in skeletal form. Being knocked away, unable to withstand even a single blow from him. And then...

BOOM! BOOM!

She had opened her eyes at the thunderous sounds to find Bjorn lying facedown on the ground, desperately struggling to protect them. That was her last memory.

"I don't know if we won, but we're safe for now, at least. The enemies have all withdrawn."

"Really? That's a relief, nyah. But did... did anyone die, nyah?"

"..."

Avman frowned, as if someone had died. But perhaps the look in her eyes made him realize his mistake, because he quickly continued.

"Ah, don't get the wrong idea. Everyone on our team survived. It was one of the elves who died."

"An elf... nyah?"

Her heart lurched at those words.

"Don't tell me it was Erwin, nyah?"

Erwin Fornacci de Tersia. No matter how generously she described their relationship, she couldn't call it a good one, yet sorrow welled up from deep within her heart.

"No, it was her older sister. At the last moment, she threw her arms around her little sister and shielded her from the explosion."

"... Then what about Erwin, nyah?"

"They said she'd have died too if they'd been a little later. I don't know if you can call it fortunate, but she's unconscious now. I'm worried whether she'll be able to stay sane when she wakes up."

"I see... nyah."

Misha heard about the others as well. Raven was also unconscious, and apparently Aynar, who had woken up a little earlier, had gone to see Bjorn.

"Don't go there. I tried to stay beside him too, but the priestess drove me out, saying I was in the way—You're not going to listen no matter what I say, are you? He's over there."

After asking Avman for directions, Misha headed that way. With the battle over, Goblin Forest was brightly lit by fires burning here and there.

With heavy footsteps, Misha walked on and on through the explorers.

Some sat resting on the bare ground. Others were crying. Some drank joyfully with blood-soaked hands, while others busied themselves hauling the motionless corpse legion into the flames.

"Oh! The cat girl from Jandel's team!"

As she quietly walked along, explorers called out to her.

"Going to see Jandel? He should be over there."

"Hmm. I think you'd be better off not going."

"Of course you're worried. He's your companion."

Their words all seemed laden with meaning. Others, however, spoke with utter lightheartedness.

"Ah, don't worry. That fellow isn't going to die, is he?"

"Bjorn, son of Jandel, is immortal!!"

"I heard he half killed the Corpse Collector this time, too! They say he'd have won if it hadn't been for the Scholar of Destruction. He's going to be incredibly famous when we get out."

The explorers acknowledged how extraordinary Bjorn was. The more they did, the faster Misha walked.

Before long, a tent came into view. A number of explorers had gathered outside it as well.

"Ah, you're here too, Miss Karlstein."

The first person she saw was Aynar, arguing with Kyle Pevrosk.

"Please forgive me for greeting you seated. In truth, even staying awake is a strain."

"Why won't you let me in?!"

"I told you. The priestess is risking her own life to save him. So lower your voice, if you truly want to help him."

"But...!"

"Aynar, stop it, nyah!"

Misha hurried over to restrain Aynar. Whatever was happening, she was certain this wasn't helping.

"M-Misha! You're awake!"

Aynar greeted her gladly, but Misha asked Kyle about Bjorn's condition. Just hearing about it was horrific. Poison had splashed over his entire face, melting his eyes and everything else.

"It seems the poison melted through the bone and some reached his brain."

She couldn't breathe. Dizziness swept over her, and the world swayed as though she were drunk. Just then...

"... You can come in now."

The priestess emerged from the tent, her face deathly pale. Misha went inside without even managing to thank her.

"Bjorn..."

He lay asleep on a makeshift bed of several layered sleeping bags. Outwardly, he looked fine. Burnlike scars remained on his face, but at least nothing looked seriously wrong.

"The scars will gradually heal with time. I didn't have the strength to take care of those too..."

"Thank you... so much, nyah..."

"Not at all. Compared with what he's done, what have I really accomplished? Anyway, I need to rest too, so I'll leave you now..."

After the priestess left, Misha knelt beside Bjorn and stroked his face.

For some reason, she remembered when the Floor Lord had chased them on the third floor. But this was distinctly different. Back then, he had slept peacefully, as if he'd done everything he needed to do. Watching him, she had thought he looked like a hero.

It had been the same afterward. Bjorn had accomplished so much, earning recognition from more and more people. There had been times when that secretly filled her with pride. But...

"Why do you look so..."

What did his face look like now? He looked sad and tormented. As if he were blaming himself.

Unable to finish her words, Misha clenched her fists tightly.

She thought she knew why he wore that expression. No, she couldn't possibly not know. She had watched this man from his side for so long.

'Erwin...'

He must have thought it was his fault.

Misha gently withdrew her hand from Bjorn. Though he hadn't regained consciousness, his body twitched as if convulsing whenever her hand touched his skin.

How much must he have suffered for this man of steel to end up like this?

"From now on..."

Misha closed her eyes and prayed desperately. Though not once had a god answered her prayers, she still clasped her hands and begged, over and over. Please, let this man never earn recognition again.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, the whole team was there. We had barely exchanged greetings when the priestess came in and checked my condition.

I could see clearly. My sense of smell was normal too. But my body wouldn't move properly. I could still feel everything, but I couldn't put much strength into my arms and legs. When I forced them, they trembled.

"That's common with brain injuries. You should be fine after about a month of rest."

"I see. Thank you."

"Not at all. Now that you're awake, I'll fetch Master Pevrosk."

While the priestess went to get Kyle, my companions told me what had happened after I collapsed. Apparently, less than an hour remained until the end of the seventh day.

"Were there any attacks?"

"None."

Apparently, neither the Scholar of Destruction nor the Clown, who had escaped alive, had returned while I was unconscious. Well, what could those two do on their own? Recovering would take time, and since we'd burned the entire corpse legion the Clown left behind, they were outnumbered too.

Calling for reinforcements would also be difficult. It took a day just to reach the third floor from here. Going up and coming back would take two days.

'Knowing that bastard the Scholar of Destruction, he'd refuse to come even if the Clown insisted. He's not the type to act out of revenge.'

No, wait. As I talked with my companions, something I'd forgotten came back to me. Why hadn't I remembered until now?

"Ah! Erwin! What happened to Erwin?"

My urgent question brought a moment of silence. My companions stared at me with stiff expressions.

"I see. She's dead."

"No, it was her older sister who died."

"Her older sister?"

Mister Bear explained the details. It was a short story: just before the explosion, she had used a short-range teleportation skill and sacrificed herself to save her little sister.

The weight of death struck me anew. This was a world where life weighed so very little.

"..."

It had truly happened in the blink of an eye. No one could stop it, and Daria hadn't even been able to leave any last words as she died. Good thing I'd heard them beforehand.

"Where's Erwin now?"

"... Still there."

"There?"

"Yes. Right there."

I felt I ought to go see her. But just as I tried to get up, my body tilted sideways.

"Give me your arm."

In the end, I barely made it out of the tent with Mister Bear's help. Kyle had arrived just then.

"You're up."

I slowly made my way toward the site of the battle, talking with Kyle.

"There are a lot of people here. What happened?"

"They came up after the battle ended. Four groups, totaling about a thousand people."

"A thousand...?"

"Remember the markers we left along the way? As soon as they'd gathered enough people, they followed us east and then followed those markers all the way here."

So that was it. If only they'd come a little sooner. Then...

'What are you thinking?'

I shook off my regret and resentment and kept walking. What good would it do to blame what had already happened?

"Oh, it's Bjorn, son of Jandel!!"

As I walked with Kyle, explorers who recognized me came over to talk. Some suggested we have a drink once we got out. Others introduced themselves as leaders of this or that clan and promised to repay their debt. Someone thanked me, saying they'd be the first to come running if I ever found myself in trouble.

But none of them offered any comfort.

"... Don't think too badly of them. Isn't there a saying that heroes receive no consolation?"

I didn't know whether this world had such a saying. But I didn't think badly of them. They'd sacrificed a great deal too. It was because they were hurting that they talked about things they could smile about.

"Mister..."

When we reached our destination, I saw Erwin. She sat on the ground, clutching her sister's body, burned in places and hardened stiff. Streaks ran through the blood and grime covering her face.

"Come here."

Erwin shook her head.

"It'll be time to go down soon. Are you going to stay here alone?"

"I'm not... alone."

I took my arm off Avman and staggered over to Erwin. Then I gave her back a light pat.

"Listen to me. I'm your guardian now."

"... What?"

I told her the last wishes I'd heard from Daria. It wasn't a long story. The woman had asked me to look after her little sister if she died.

She'd said that before the royal family even fled through the dimensional gates. Perhaps she'd sensed that something like this could happen.

"Mister... My sister, my sister...! She won't move anymore. She can't speak. She's cold and stiff. And I... I still haven't done anything for her..."

Then Erwin threw her arms tightly around me.

"What do I tell my little sister? How do I tell that little girl? That after Mom, our sister is dead too? A-and that it was because of me?"

I stood still and listened as the words poured out. I didn't offer comforting words about how it wasn't her fault or how it had been her sister's choice. I simply waited until she was finished.

How much time passed after that?

"Jandel, we have to go now."

It was time to descend to the first floor. I helped Erwin gather her sister's remains.

It was better than when Dwalki died. At least this time, we had a mage who could use Spellbend. We'd be able to hold a funeral in the city.

"Let's go home."

I led Erwin back to the team. Even Misha and Aynar, who hadn't gotten along with her, said nothing. No, they looked as though they wanted to comfort her but couldn't approach for fear of hurting her instead.

'I've never seen Aynar act like that before.'

Soon, we stood before the portal in the very center of Goblin Forest.

[23 : 50]

The clock marked the end of our long, long journey.

"All right, let's head back!!"

"Wooooo!!"

Starting with the teams standing in the center, people descended to the first floor one after another. Verzak was frightening, but surely it wouldn't show up within ten minutes.

"Jandel! See you in the city!"

"You remember my name, don't you? I'll be sure to visit you again."

The explorers ahead of me entered the portal, and then it was our turn.

「You have entered the first floor, Crystal Cave.」

The cave felt even more ominous than before. As we moved forward to make room for the explorers coming down after us, I kept checking the time.

[23 : 59]

Only one minute remained until the Labyrinth closed. It didn't feel real. Was it really over?

THUMP!

Yes, it had to be over. With only a minute left, what could Verzak do even if it appeared?

"Those fucking royal bastards."

"When I get back, I won't even piss in their direction."

Now certain they'd survive, the explorers vented their rage at the royal family. Still, they'd be better off watching their mouths.

"Don't say anything stupid when we get back, either."

I warned my teammates, just in case, not to bad-mouth the royal family in public. That was when it happened.

「The Labyrinth has closed.」

「Your character is being transported to Raphdonia.」

Pure white light began seeping through my eyelids. The light of the outside world I'd longed for so desperately.

THUMP!

At last, the light faded, revealing a clear sky. I blankly scanned my surroundings.

'They really did all die.'

The normally bustling Dimensional Plaza was emptier than I'd ever seen it. God, just how many people had died?

"Woooooooo!!"

As cheers erupted all around me, my gaze naturally settled on one spot.

"Dimensional gates!"

"Those fucking bastards!"

The center of the plaza, where the dimensional gates opened. Hundreds of gates appeared there, and the people who had abandoned us emerged one after another.

They all looked exactly as they had back then. Of course, even when you escaped through a dimensional gate, your time of arrival was synchronized with everyone else's.

'Those bastards couldn't even imagine what we went through.'

Seeing them so completely unscathed, I couldn't help that bitter complaint rising within me. That was when it happened.

WHOOOOOSH!

A gigantic magic circle blossomed in the center of the plaza where the dimensional gates had opened.

"H-huh?"

For a moment, time slowed. Even so, it happened in an instant.

THUMP!

Bewildered knights and clan elites. An explorer sensing something amiss and swiftly putting distance between himself and the others. And then...

BOOOOOOOOM!!!!

An explosion.

WHOOOOOOSH!

Windborne flames swept outward and hurled me back. From the ground, I quickly raised my head to see a crimson pillar of fire soaring into the sky. It was like watching the end of the world.

Suddenly, a voice replayed in my head.

["Congratulations on becoming the sole victor."]

The Scholar of Destruction's last words to me.