Chapter 25
Cruel World
“So, you’re not a hero summoned from another world, are you?”
“… !!”
I was caught.
Or rather, had I been found out from the very beginning?
Without any forewarning, my identity was laid bare, leaving me at a sudden loss for words. It was essentially an admission of guilt. By the time I realized it, Halsenberg was already nodding as if he had expected as much.
“This is the magical nation of Mittelrand, governed by the Seven Great Magic Lords. I too am a mage. Your life-force magic is fundamentally different from those of this world’s humans.”
“… T, that’s right.”
“Leira was fortunate not to have reached that level. Hohoho.”
Damn. That’s true.
But it’s too early to give up. If this man truly intended to kill me, I would’ve died without even realizing it.
The fact that we’re still having this conversation indicates that there’s still a chance for negotiation. That’s what I convinced myself of.
“Yes. Actually, there’s something I would like your help with regarding the Leira situation.”
Deciding to take the bold route, I added,
“Fuck it, I’ll just lay it all out. There’s no other way.”
“Hmm. Very well. Proceed.”
Halsenberg, narrowing his eyes, quietly stared at me, trying to gauge my intentions.
I looked back at him with as earnest a face as possible.
“To be honest, I took this job with the sole purpose of surviving at first. I might’ve exaggerated a bit to get it.”
“Oh ho.”
“Could you please play along and say that I’ve been hired under special orders from you since today? Otherwise, I might really die. I beg you.”
Halsenberg, having heard my plea to the end, bowed his head deeply.
What’s the matter? Is he angry? Should I offer a bow just in case?
“Hohoho! You’re an amusing fellow! Truly amusing!”
Halsenberg burst into hearty laughter.
Leira, who was seated nearby, was startled by the sudden sound and flinched. I felt the same.
“What’s so funny?”
This is serious!
I’ve died and come back to life a staggering twenty-one times now. All because you didn’t properly manage your servants!
Whether aware of my inner turmoil or not, Halsenberg nodded casually.
“Very well. I’ll say that I’ve hired you.”
“Oh! Thank you so much, Lord Halsenberg!”
“However.”
I flinched.
“However?” Clearly, he was about to set a condition.
Anxiously waiting for Halsenberg to speak, his excited face revealed something suspicious.
“I must switch the work you’ll be assigned.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’re practically a hero. It wouldn’t befit you to be cleaning out the sewers!”
“What… do you mean?”
My internal danger alarms screamed in full panic mode. His expression had reminded me of someone. It was the same face a captain might make when about to conscript random workers.
The moment that thought hit me,
“I would like you to help me defend against the northern demonic beings.”
It felt like hearing a thunderclap.
I was convinced that I had misheard. But as I glanced at Halsenberg’s unyielding expression, I realized I hadn’t. This was serious.
As if to punctuate the moment, a soft “Ding” sounded, and a panel materialized in front of me.
[Quest Branch Point Reached!]
[The direction of your quest – Escape from the Ruined Castle – will depend on your choice.]
[Option 1: Assist Lord Halsenberg in defeating the demons of the North.]
[Option 2: Continue aiding Leira in clearing out the goblins in the sewers.]
A moment of decision was upon me.
“What will you do? The choice is yours.”
Halsenberg gently prodded me.
Only then did it hit me that I should start deliberating.
I glanced at Halsenberg briefly, then thought about Leira.
This decision is critical. There’s no turning back. I tried my best to calculate the benefits and losses before making the call.
I’ve decided.
Lifting my head, I spoke.
“I will…”
*
I walked back to my room in a daze.
Creak, thud. As the door’s noise startled Leira who was dozing off on the bedside, she perked up instantly. Her half-drowsy eyes focused on me.
“Ah… You’ve arrived. Did the talk go well?”
“I guess… for now.”
“That’s good… Zzzz.”
Leira rubbed her eyes while yawning.
“Well, I’m going to sleep. See you tomorrow, Young Master.”
Stretching and rising, Leira started to waddle towards the door. As she did, I casually informed her,
“I’ll be leaving tomorrow with Lord Halsenberg to hunt ancient demons.”
“… Wh-what?!”
Leira froze by the door, her eyes wide with surprise.
My announcement struck her with great impact.
“After today’s hunting session, we decided to go straight after the demons. So, I agreed.”
“No way… Lord Guin simply wouldn’t make such a decision about demon hunting so effortlessly…”
Leira clutched her forehead, clearly perplexed. After muttering incoherently for a while, she looked sharply at me.
“Young Master… Are you hiding something from me?”
“… No. I’m not hiding anything.”
Despite saying that, I unconsciously averted my eyes due to her intense stance. And though I denied her accusation, her voice already carried an air of certainty.
“To think you’ve worked at this castle for so long! Your decision seems odd. Unless you’re hiding something, there’s no reason Lord Guin would take you along for demon hunting.”
Damn, she’s perceptive.
But I had anticipated such a line of questioning. Quickly shaking off the tension, I shrugged nonchalantly.
“He himself mentioned that he’s getting old and finds it increasingly hard to manage the undead curse in this land. Apparently, he’s been needing someone to take over the hunting duties.”
“… What?”
“Didn’t you say the 100-member elite squad had been wiped out a long time ago? Essentially, it’s only Lord Halsenberg who’s still alive and protecting this place.”
“……”
“It just felt like there were too few people around.”
“Well, in short, it wasn’t just you who needed a successor.”
By the way, everything I said was true.
Halsenberg had indeed spoken to me in those terms. Once I had accepted his proposal, he told me many facts about this castle:
“I was once called a mage rivaling the seven great magic lords… but now I’m old. It’s exhausting carrying the weight of all these curses.”
One fact he shared was that Halsenberg didn’t gather corpses in the audience room just to create an eerie atmosphere.
Each night, he suppressed an unending outbreak of undead that would otherwise roam the streets. To control this, he amassed the corpses and restrained them with his magic while holding his undead wife’s hand, trying to neutralize the curse.
“…… Tch.”
Clearly believing there was something more to the story, Leira bit her lips in frustration. Unable to find fault with my explanation, she was left with her current expression.
At the moment I agreed with Halsenberg’s proposal, he also sighed, mentioning this:
“Keep your true identity from Leira. If she finds out, it will incite uncontrollable hostility within her.”
And he added:
“Don’t hold it against her too much. For her to survive, she needs to harbor hatred towards heroes.”
Why does she hate heroes so much?
When I asked, he pondered for a while before saying:
“Guin. Try mentioning that name. Perhaps that might reveal more.”
Yes, that name – Guin. I seemed to recall that one of Leira’s epithets was “Guin’s lover.”
“Lord Halsenberg mentioned that your strong mistrust of outsiders stems from a person named ‘Guin.’”
“…!?”
Leira’s eyes widened in shock. Her trembling voice and quivering gaze gave away the depth of her reaction.
“You… you heard that? Did Lord Guin…?”
“Nothing more than the name for now. He suggested asking you for more details.”
“……”
“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it. Just don’t interfere with my plan to leave.”
I finished my statement and flopped onto the bed, fixing my gaze on Leira.
The die has been cast. If she reveals her secrets, we can devise a safer escape plan. Even if not, I’ll aid Halsenberg and find an opportunity to escape later.
After all, Leira is technically a maid and won’t openly defy the Lord. Once I join him as a hunting companion, it’s likely she won’t try anything harmful.
That’s the main reason I readily accepted Halsenberg’s offer.
Because I’ve had enough of nearly getting decapitated by that woman.
“……”
“……”
How long had we stared each other down?
After staring at the floor for a good while, Leira exhaled a heavy sigh and, opening the door, cast a fleeting glance back at me.
“… Please follow me.”
For a brief moment, I stared blankly at her back. Spurred on by her urgent expression, I got up quickly and followed her.
“I’ll show you how cruel this world can be and what it did to the person I loved.”
She snapped her finger, lighting up the hand-held lantern. Leading the way deeper into the increasingly dark outskirts of the castle, she descended the stairs to the underground without hesitation.
I briefly hesitated at the suffocating darkness that led underground. The flickering light of the lantern seemed to rush me. Leira turned, catching me standing still.
“Are you scared now?”
Leira’s grin mocked my pride. My pride wounded, I rushed to catch up to her.
Down we went, deeper into the bowels of the castle.
