Chapter : 145

My body wouldn't move properly.

The first person to raise their creaking body was Lilia-sunbae.

"A basilisk in a small dungeon like this, truly... I wonder what kind of anomaly this is."

At the same time, I felt a slightly suspicious gaze.

Having a history of causing various incidents, I could only offer an awkward smile toward my senior.

However, I was genuinely innocent this time!

The dungeon appeared about two months ago, so the probability of it being related to me was low. Probably…

Honestly, even I couldn't fathom what kind of butterfly effect the things I've changed so far might have had on the future.

'Could I see the future with the Writer skill?'

It seemed possible, but I didn't dare to try.

I was afraid I might end up vomiting blood from all over my body again, like last time.

"Old man, you didn't get bitten anywhere, did you?"

To Laurel's question, the mercenary captain, still dazed and groggy, answered with difficulty.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I'm okay."

The mercenary captain had a strangely relieved expression on his face.

It was only natural for him to feel a sense of accomplishment, having successfully evacuated all his members and even succeeded in taking down the basilisk.

My own body went completely limp, and I leaned comfortably against Lilia-sunbae.

"By the way, about your new bird, junior."

"Khk."

Right, it wouldn't be easy to just let it slide.

Light-using magic seemed deceptively simple, but in reality, it was neither simple nor common.

The only thing related to light was holy magic, and even to illuminate the darkness, one used a circle of fire.

So, a mere bird emitting light from its whole body was a clear anomaly.

Enough to be branded a heretic again if things went wrong.

"Sunbae, about that."

I had been suspected of heresy before and proven innocent, but the probability of not being safe was still higher.

After all, a light spirit was a being deeply connected to the hero's holy sword.

"He's the benefactor who saved our lives, so doesn't he have any favorite food?"

Lilia-sunbae laughed breezily.

I had been completely on edge, and at the unexpected words, the strength in my legs almost gave out, nearly making me fall. Does this mean she's letting it go?

"He likes dried sweet potato strips."

"Peep, pyak!"

At the sight of Lou dancing, wiggling his rump, Lilia-sunbae chuckled for a moment.

"I'll pack some for him before I leave too."

"Me too!"

Starting with Lilia-sunbae, the mercenary captain and Laurel-sunbae chimed in as if they had been waiting.

Though she didn't say anything, it was clear that Cecilia-sunbae wanted to give something too.

It seemed like a good idea for the basilisk hunters to spend some time together.

"For now, let's hurry back to the fief."

Everyone agreed with my words.

My whole body was really aching. I wanted to get some good rest in bed as soon as possible.

* * *

Unfortunately, however, my wish could not be granted.

It was because of the mercenaries we encountered on the way down.

It didn't seem like they had gone down earlier to call Viscount Loren to help us.

They looked much more disheveled, and above all—

"Belle, Belle!!"

Someone's wail was all too clear.

The mercenary captain broke free from Laurel-sunbae's support and rushed to his comrades.

"What is going on!"

As if he couldn't believe that the members he thought he'd sent down safely were stranded here, the old man stumbled several times but still managed to reach his comrades.

"Sunbae, hurry over there."

When I rushed over to the mercenaries... Belle was there, limp like the basilisk, foaming at the mouth.

Why? What happened? I gripped my necklace tightly and asked urgently.

"How long has she been like this?"

"I-I don't know. She suddenly collapsed, and then, like this..."

His voice trembled as if he were in a panic.

It seemed hopeless to get a proper answer.

One of the party members answered in a calm voice.

"It's been about 8 minutes."

8 minutes ago... that overlaps with when we defeated the basilisk.

And, even if I turned back time with the necklace my father gave me, I couldn't fix this.

"Why..."

The old man's voice trembled endlessly.

He seemed to be despairing at the fact that what he thought was everyone's safety was all an illusion.

"Old man. We can't just stay like this."

Laurel, surprisingly calm in this situation, patted the old man's shoulder.

"Captain."

Everyone looked at the old man.

Their eyes demanded an answer on what to do.

The old man was the captain of the mercenary corps, and the only person who could make a decision in this messy situation.

Knowing that, the old man's lips moved several times as if he couldn't answer easily.

After standing like a statue for a long time, the old man finally spoke in a deeply sunken voice.

"We take Belle's body and return to the fief. We need to hold a funeral."

If we had arrived here just 3 minutes earlier, would I have been able to use the time magic artifact and save Belle?

Although I had been suspicious, my heart grew heavy at the unexpected death.

* * *

The fief was in an excited mood over the fact that a basilisk had appeared and that just five people had defeated it without any casualties.

But with Belle's sudden death, we, who couldn't be sure if it was truly a subjugation without sacrifice, couldn't be happy, nor did we particularly want to be.

The fact that the manner of the basilisk's death and Belle's death matched, and even the time of death coincided perfectly, made it even more so.

"Tell me everything you know about this incident."

Just subjugating a basilisk would have required all sorts of investigations, but someone who seemed completely unrelated had met a sudden death.

Faced with this clear anomaly, my father was officially dispatched from the Academy, and the investigation began.

I hesitated for a long time, unsure if I should explain that Iris Viden had been there, and decided to resolve what I was curious about first.

"No person was found inside the basilisk's stomach, right?"

"That's right. We prepared the basilisk's carcass for sale, but no human body was found there.

The only casualty in this incident is a mercenary named 'Belle'."

The dazed mercenary captain had come to me last night and told me not to worry about Belle's death.

Since Belle had almost died once before and had her life extended by a miracle drug, it seemed the mercenaries were accepting it as Belle's life simply being prolonged a little longer.

However, it wasn't easy for me to accept it that way. It was simply impossible.

A person who was perfectly fine had died.

There was no way I could just let it go as if it were nothing.

"The mercenary who went missing, Ray, was Iris Viden."

"...Iris Viden?"

"I don't know why she appeared, but she suddenly showed up and tried to grab me, and then she was eaten by the basilisk."

"Then it must be one of two things. Either her body dissolved quickly in the stomach without leaving a trace, or she somehow survived."

The fact that the opponent was Iris Viden made things complicated.

Confirming the whereabouts of the Master of Gold was difficult even for my father, and thanks to the stand-in, the Gold would function just fine even without its master.

In the end, I couldn't find out what Iris was after, and now I couldn't even know if she was alive or dead.

A sense of futility made my body go limp.

"I will handle the matter related to Iris."

"Yes."

"Is there anything else you're curious about?"

"...Can we find out Belle's cause of death?"

"It hasn't been determined yet, but we can surmise that it has some connection to the basilisk's death."

Well, the timing was too coincidental.

If we hadn't subjugated the basilisk, not only the people who were there, but also Viscount Loren's fief, and perhaps even other fiefs beyond it, could have been in danger.

The life of one person, Belle, versus the lives of many others. If you were to weigh them on a scale, it was only right that the scale would tip toward the many lives—

"......"

Weighing people's lives on a scale and simply making a choice based on comparison reminded me of someone.

Lucian, whom I met in the trial room, who deserved to be called a hero, but could never be one.

"It is not your fault."

"I know, but..."

I did my best.

While subjugating the basilisk, no one who was with me died.

I knew that was enough, but my heart was not at ease. Because in the end, someone had died.

"Theo."

"Yes, Father."

"There is no clever way to save everyone."

"Still..."

The thought that maybe things would have been different if the protagonist had been there lingered in my mind.

As if understanding my worries, my father patted my shoulder.

"You are still young. Yet you are trying to shoulder an immense responsibility that even this father of yours cannot properly bear."

"......"

Is that so? I feel like it's just because I'm nosy.

I tried to laugh it off awkwardly, but my father looked at me with a stern expression.

"Or do I seem like an unreliable father in your eyes?"

"That's not it—"

"There is an adult here. And, this matter is an adult's problem, so you should get some rest."

"I'm still in the middle of my practical training."

"I've already spoken to Viscount Loren. Considering the many things that have happened, wouldn't it be fine to end the evaluation of the practical training as it is?"

"Will Yuno agree?"

"He said the administrator's office actually suggested it."

Yuno did? Well, he did keep his promise to count this week as all outside duty…

Still, there's a big difference between being out on duty and being completely off work.

"He said you had already finished a month's worth of work on the first day, so there's no need to spend more time for an accurate evaluation."

"Yuno really said that?"

"Yes, he said since you must have gone through a lot, you should at least get some rest from work."

This is really unexpected. Am I allowed to be a little moved?

I guess so, right? The corners of my lips twitched.

"It's good to have a strong sense of responsibility, but you also need to know how to rest when it's time to rest."

"Is this... nagging?"

"Yes, it is a father's nagging."

My father roughly messed up my hair.

For some reason, at the word 'nagging,' I felt like tears were about to well up.

Really, have I gotten old? No, well, my body is still young.

"Don't think about anything, and just get some rest."

At my father's repeated words, I had no choice but to wave the white flag.

"Yes, I understand."

With my father's comfort and encouragement, I was finally able to laugh with a lighter heart.