Chapter 80

**Episode 80: Collapsed Paradise**

“Arrived.”

Triche’s voice came from outside the carriage.

“Did you hear that, Irlya? It’s time to wake up.”

“Ugh…! Hmph, have we arrived already?”

Irlya, who had been dozing on my shoulder, wiped her mouth and sat up.

“Yes, get down quickly. It’s uncomfortable in the carriage.”

【That’s right, hurry up and get off.】

“Yawn… Just a moment… Let me get ready to get down…”

How can one sleep so comfortably when they are about to commit something heinous?

“Still, we arrived quicker than I thought. It only took five days to come back from another country by carriage, right?”

It took a total of five days to get the poison from Hebrond and return to Violet’s domain.

Honestly, I thought it would take at least a month.

I figured a lot of time would be consumed getting the poison.

– Rumble!

“Get down.”

Triche roughly opened the carriage door.

“Ugh… Can’t we rest just a little more…?”

Irlya seemed to collapse like a blob of liquid.

Maybe it’s because she’s a vampire who sleeps at night.

“… Foreigner, I would like you to accompany Lady Irlya into the mansion.”

“Foreigner? Are you talking about me?”

As I stepped out of the carriage, I looked around.

“There’s no one around here who could be called a foreigner besides you… And why are you suddenly saying that? You always called me that.”

【That’s not wrong.】

Chaewon agreed with Triche’s statement.

This is oddly irritating.

“Well, ‘foreigner’ feels a bit distant. We’ve spent time together.”

“Hah, then… traveler.”

It seemed she temporarily forgot Irlya’s presence as her tone shifted back to her usual self.

“That’s much better. I would prefer if you called me by my name though.”

‘It seems “traveler” is better than the emotionless “foreigner.”‘

【Both are not great…】

“Shut up, you don’t deserve to be called by name… No, never mind.”

Triche almost slipped back into her original tone but noticed Irlya’s presence again and finished her sentence.

“I have somewhere to go back to work. So please.”

Seeing Triche being so shameless left me dumbfounded.

**********

Triche confirmed that Irlya and I had gotten down and drove the carriage toward the back of the mansion.

We entered the mansion with a solemn heart.

To lighten the heavy atmosphere, I said something random.

“Did you wake up fully?”

Irlya gripped her parasol tightly.

“… I simply lost my focus for a moment. Don’t worry too much… Huh?”

Irlya’s expression turned serious.

“What’s wrong? You’re scaring me…”

“Something feels off. Our mansion shouldn’t be this quiet at this hour.”

【Right, the mansion that used to be noisy in the morning… is quiet even though it’s past evening? Something must have happened!】

Chaewon also seemed to sense something strange.

“Indeed… Where did all the servants we usually see go?”

“We need to quickly figure out what’s going on.”

“Should we check the servants’ break room?”

Irlya shook her head at my suggestion.

“There’s no need for that. The faint magical signatures of the human servants that were always sensed inside the mansion have all but vanished now. Even my father’s strong magic… and Alunus’s magic…”

“T-Then, does that mean the only remaining servant is Triche?”

“No… that’s probably not the case. Sorry, but I can’t sense her magic either… It’s probably because her power is too weak.”

– Bang!

A sound came from the upper floor.

We stopped our conversation and ran toward the stairs to go up.

“Huh? Lady Irlya?”

Just as we reached the stairs, a familiar voice from a servant called out from above.

“Alukid?”

Irlya seemed to recognize the servant’s name immediately.

“Was the sound earlier from you?”

I asked Alukid.

“Yes, I’m a bit busy right now. As a commoner stuck working as a servant, this situation is quite troublesome for me.”

“Explain everything that happened right now. Hurry.”

Irlya spoke in a commanding tone.

She seemed like she had already inherited the throne.

“Ah… The situation is quite serious. If you don’t escape now, you’ll get caught up in it.”

Alukid spoke with a troubled expression.

“Escape… What do you mean? Hurry up and explain. Are you disobeying my orders right now?”

“Hmm… It seems that informing you, Lady, is the final task I have to fulfill as a servant.”

Alukid spoke with a mysterious tone.

“Your father, the Duke Verdium, has taken down a servant and is now addressing all the other servants of the mansion, stating: ‘A revolutionary moment that will change the course of history is about to begin. Those who wish to live are free to leave this place immediately. If you don’t leave, you may very well die.'”

He didn’t refer to Verdium as ‘That Person’, implying he was truly considering leaving after finishing his business here.

“… My dad?”

“Yes, so I’ll be taking my leave now. To be honest, I’ve earned enough. I have no lingering attachments. I’ve earned enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life.”

Irlya lowered her head.

“… Where did my father… no, Duke Verdium go?”

“To the cave in the west.”

“That place is…”

Another cave.

Since the System was established, every time the Black Gate was involved, it either began or ended in a cave.

What does it want to convey to me?

I can’t think of anything associated with the cave.

“Oh dear, if I delay any longer, we may be in real danger. I hope to see you again, Lady Irlya.”

With that, Alukid hurriedly left the mansion.

So, is it true that there are no people from my world?

Are the places drawn into the event where the Black Gate was struck by lightning and turned into a crimson gate all different?

What about the missing people who disappeared every year due to the crimson gates?

My head hurts.

“Phew… Irlya, where is the cave in the west?”

“That place… is where my mom, whose face I don’t even remember, lies asleep. I don’t even know her name… But every time I think of that cave… it pains my heart so much… Why has my father gone to such a place… something I’ve now forgotten…”

Her red eyes were gradually losing their vitality.

“Irlya, snap out of it. Irlya?”

I stroked Irlya’s black hair.

Maybe it’s because she’s grown a bit, but I can pet her without bending down now.

“Siwoo… No, you.”

“Why the sudden call?”

“What if… if Verdium’s taken someone unconscious, and that someone is your companion…”

“Stay calm, Irlya. My companions are not servants. Surely they mentioned taking a servant unconscious. She should be in this mansion now, having been confined.”

As soon as Irlya started talking about her mother, she began to act like someone mentally disturbed, but soon fell into negative thoughts.

‘So, it seems I need to provide her a bit of reassurance.’

【No, what kind of household did that mosquito woman grow up in? Just mentioning her mom, and her mental state shattered like glass.】

Irlya seemed somewhat reassured upon hearing my answer.

“Then… that’s a relief. I also didn’t wish for that child to be offered as a sacrifice.”

【To begin with, is it something rational beings do to offer a living person as a sacrifice?】

Chaewon’s words were right.

‘Probably… it won’t be Harin.’

It had to be that way.

“Oh, Irlya. That means the security here is practically nonexistent, right? How about we take the chance and go rescue my companion?”

“… You remember what I said before, right?”

Irlya stood on her tiptoes and grabbed the collar of my shirt.

“What do you mean—”

Then she leaned closer and whispered into my ear.

“It seems that one of us will be offered as a sacrifice… either me or your white companion.”

The heavy and ticklish words being delivered as a whisper.

“S-So?”

“The odds of her being here are slim. The chance of it turning into a waste of time is very high. However, if your companion is truly trapped here, it will be too late. I cannot forgive a third party being offered as a sacrifice. All the servants in my mansion are precious to me. So… I think it would be better to rescue your companion later and first go meet my father… What do you think?”

【It’s a choice to make. Which one will you pick? By the way, was it necessary to whisper when there’s no one around? This girl is totally overthinking things.】

Chaewon also leaned in closer, eavesdropping on Irlya’s whisper to me.

I was faced with a heavy decision.

“Either search the mansion top to bottom to rescue your companion right now.”

Adding more options is not allowed.

“Or head straight to Verdium to grasp any chance, no matter how slim.”

Just two options.

“You must…”

I must choose one.

“No. Siwoo, which will you choose?”

In terms of betting, the straight bet is going directly to Verdium.

The reverse bet would be searching for Harin who may or may not be in the mansion.

The straight bet is the right choice, whether Harin becomes a sacrifice or not.