Chapter 268 - Parune Island (2)

Lairin Ersina, an ordained priestess of the Order of Tobera.

This was her account of what had happened.

“While we were exploring the center of the island, an unidentified team suddenly attacked us.”

An ambush.

The attacking team consisted of five people, each strong enough for at least the seventh floor. Ersina's team had faced annihilation before they could even put up a proper fight.

Losing their mage at the outset had been the biggest factor.

Well, from the sound of it, they had fought hard despite those terrible odds...

“The situation kept getting worse, and in the end, Master Draus could bear it no longer and made a decision.”

Eventually, one of their teammates had made a choice: to sacrifice himself to save the others.

But this felt distinctly different from what had happened with Dwalki.

“... So you ran away while your companion bought you time?”

At my incredulous question, the priestess flushed and made excuses.

“I was against it. I told them over and over that we couldn't possibly leave him alone—”

What was this woman talking about?

If she had truly been against it from the bottom of her heart, she wouldn't be here talking to me.

“Enough. I've heard enough explanations. Just get to the point. What happened next?”

“... I don't know what happened to Master Draus, but before long, we had pursuers on our trail. In the process, I became separated from my other companions.”

So that was why she'd been running frantically through the forest without her companions.

I understood the broad strokes now. It was time to focus on the details.

Right, first things first.

“By the way, who is this Draus you're talking about?”

“Gardweaver Draus. The blond swordsman who saved you and gave you a potion that day.”

Oh, so his name was Draus.

I'd finally learned the blond man's name after more than a year, but there was no time to dwell on it.

“What were the people who attacked you like? Tell me in detail.”

I questioned her about the unidentified team of five, and she told me everything she could remember: the abilities they'd displayed in combat, their appearances, even what they'd called one another.

Knowing this information might save my life, I listened carefully so I wouldn't miss a thing—until one detail made me freeze.

“Wait. A red-haired woman?”

One of the descriptions sounded like someone I knew.

“Yes. That woman appeared to be their leader. Is something wrong...?”

Fuck, of course something was wrong.

How many red-haired human women in this city fought with daggers and used Aura?

When I asked for more details, even the locations of her tattoos and her half-severed right ear matched.

There wasn't even a chance it was just someone who looked like her.

'... Amelia Reinweils. This woman again?'

A suffocating feeling welled up from deep in my chest.

Amelia was from Noark. The other four people with her were likely from there as well.

In short...

'This isn't just a simple case of plundering.'

Tch. I had a feeling I'd gotten tangled up in something seriously troublesome.

As I let out an involuntary sigh, the priestess watched my reaction and cautiously asked,

“... Do you happen to know that woman?”

“Maybe.”

I gave her a vague answer I didn't mean, then asked a few more questions.

“Enough about that. Let's get back to your story. Ersina, did you notice anything unusual about them?”

“Unusual in what sense...?”

“Anything that seemed strange. Do you have any idea at all why they ambushed you?”

“Well...”

She trailed off, then continued after a moment's thought.

“I was too overwhelmed to give it much thought at the time, but looking back, there was something strange.”

“Stop dragging it out and get to the point.”

“It was what Master Draus said when he stepped forward to buy us time. He said it was his responsibility, that there was no reason for us to get caught up in it, and told us to hurry away. At the time, I thought he was simply speaking as our leader...”

“That does sound strange.”

“Yes. He also seemed to know the people who attacked us. When they first ambushed us, they called Master Draus a traitor and said some things I didn't understand about handing something over...”

What?

“Why are you only telling me that now?”

Wasn't that obviously the reason they'd been attacked?

At my incredulous stare, her voice dwindled to a whisper.

“I-I was so overwhelmed at the time...”

Frustrating as the priestess was, a picture was starting to form in my head.

[“Just before the lockdown, Noark sent a few people to the surface. Apparently, their objective is to kill a single explorer! Surprising, isn't it?”]

According to what Clown had said at the Round Table, Amelia and a handful of other infiltrators had been assigned an assassination mission.

Of course, until now, I hadn't known who their target was.

But...

'Maybe this guy was the target.'

If so, just who the hell was this Draus?

As I was pondering that question, she spoke.

“By the way, Mr. Jandel...”

“Baronet.”

“Ah, yes... In any case, Baronet Jandel, why were you alone in a place like this?”

After doing nothing but answer my questions, the priestess finally asked one of her own. Apparently, she'd belatedly started wondering about my situation.

“Our boat sank while we were trying to leave the island, and I got separated from my companions.”

“What?”

What did she mean, “What?”

It meant the two of us would have to work together for a while.

* * *

“Let's talk while we move.”

“What? What do you mean...? Surely you're not going farther inland?”

“Just before we got separated, I told my companions to meet at the center if we were split up.”

“I-I see. But over there...”

Her eyes filled with reluctance at my words.

It was obvious what she was thinking. She must have felt as though we were walking into a tiger's den.

But hadn't she gotten separated from her companions too?

'Some priestess. All she cares about is herself.'

“If you don't want to, don't. I'll go alone.”

Instead of politely trying to persuade her, I took a hard line, leaving her no choice but to follow my lead.

After all, what could a priestess do on her own? She didn't have a boat, and even if she did, the sea was in that state.

“... Do you know why it's so windy, though? It's as if a storm suddenly rolled in.”

Well, that was what I wanted to ask her.

“I don't know, but monsters are gathering from the coast.”

“... I see.”

That puzzled me just as much as the question of who the fuck Draus was.

I understood that there had been an ambush. But who had triggered the island's event, and why?

Anyone who knew the conditions for triggering it should have known how dangerous it was.

'Well, I'll find out eventually.'

Like it or not, I was trapped on this island. I'd run into Amelia or her companions sooner or later.

'For now, let's just focus on finding the others.'

Shaking off my dark thoughts as best I could, I headed inland with the priestess.

At first, I led the way while she followed behind...

“At this rate, it'll take hours. Come here.”

But we were moving far too slowly, so partway through, I put her on my back and ran.

The monsters we encountered along the way weren't a problem. On my own, I could have passed through unharmed even without any equipment...

And the priestess had this skill.

「Lairin Ersina has cast [Inviolability].」

A divine buff spell that prevented monsters of rank seven or lower from attacking first.

It was a little funny.

The Order of Tobera, one of the three religious orders based in Raphdonia, had a peculiar rule.

Namely, the bullshit rule that they weren't allowed to use Divine Power on barbarians.

'What a petty god.'

Hadn't some barbarian gotten drunk and pissed on a statue of Tobera thousands of years ago?

As far as I knew, that incident had given rise to the rule.

It was probably also why she hadn't healed me back when I'd been crawling through that cave on three limbs.

“I suppose even the Sun God understands breaking the rules at a time like this?”

“I understand how you feel, Mr. Jandel, but would you please refrain from insulting Him?”

The priestess responded to my sarcasm with a slightly sharp tone of her own.

“... The decision to break the rule is mine alone. If you need someone to blame, blame me instead.”

Well, wasn't she serious.

“You misunderstand. I wasn't blaming you.”

Of course she had to use it to survive.

However much she loved her god, she couldn't want to meet him this early, could she?

“If what happened back then hurt you... I apologize. But I only insisted on following the rule that day because a potion could resolve the situation. I never intended to simply turn a blind eye.”

Hmm. Hearing that did make me feel a little better.

“It's fine. I understand your position too.”

With that brief reply, I let go of what little resentment remained.

What could one individual do about a rule set by an entire organization?

“Anyway, let's leave it at that. It's not what's important right now.”

“Yes.”

We stopped chatting and focused on making our way forward.

How much time passed?

“H-here. This is where those plunderers attacked us...”

“... Be quiet.”

At last, we reached our destination at the center of the island.

There was nothing around us. All that remained were signs of a battle that had ended a little while ago.

“... You can stop using your Divine Power for now.”

First, I had the priestess end her divine spell. Then I slowly searched the area.

I must have been the first to arrive. None of my companions were here yet.

“There really is no one here...”

There was no sign of Draus, the team leader who had chosen to sacrifice himself, nor even the body of the mage who had supposedly fallen at the start of the ambush.

Just what had happened here?

“What will you do now, then?”

I answered her question without hesitation.

“Wait. Until someone comes here, whether it's an enemy or a companion.”

“Yes, I see. Understood.”

Contrary to my expectations, she accepted my decision without argument. When I asked why, this was her answer.

“I need to find my companions too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Leaving the island is impossible anyway, isn't it? If my companions ran into yours on the coast after escaping, they're likely on their way here by now.”

Right. So she'd thought that far ahead when she decided to follow me.

“Ersina, aren't you afraid all your companions might be dead?”

The question slipped out, and she answered.

“Of course I'm afraid. But that only makes it all the more important to have faith.”

Oh, right. She was a priestess.

For a moment, I thought I'd asked a pointless question, but...

“That is all we are permitted to do.”

She wasn't exactly wrong.

'Please, let everyone be safe...'

For now, this was all I could do.

* * *

CRAAASH!

The roar of rough waves filled her ears.

“Blech, uuurgh...!”

Misha Karlstein opened her eyes as she vomited up the seawater filling her stomach.

She hurriedly checked her surroundings.

“A-Aynar, nyah!”

Her heart sank.

Aynar had been beside her until the very end after the boat wrecked. Determined to look after Aynar, who couldn't swim, she'd somehow kept a tight hold on her through the raging waves.

“I lost her, nyah.”

All sorts of anxious thoughts began crowding her mind.

Was Aynar all right?

What would she tell Bjorn when she saw him?

No, was Bjorn even...

SLAP!

Misha smacked both her cheeks with her hands.

It snapped her back to her senses.

“Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, nyah...”

Hadn't she herself woken up safe on the shore, despite losing consciousness?

Everyone would be all right.

Yes, so...

[“If we get separated, come to the center of the island!!”]

Recalling Bjorn's final shout, Misha brushed the dirt from her hands and face.

Then she slowly walked toward the forest.

That was when it happened.

TAP.

She heard someone off to the side.

“... Aynar? Is that you, Aynar, nyah?”

Calling out as loudly as her barely functioning voice allowed, Misha ran toward the sound—and came face-to-face with a stranger.

“You.”

“Y-yes, nyah?”

“You're one of Bjorn Jandel's companions.”

It was a red-haired human woman with a scar where half the upper part of her right ear had been cut away.