“Do you still want to continue this — after Will recovers, you will lose most of your value in his hands.”
“Or, you can choose… to fail once, and he will remain like this, forever.”
Since yesterday, Iaar had been repeatedly contemplating the choice Liya presented her. Even after a whole night, sitting in the carriage heading to Montdor Town, she hadn’t found the answer to this problem. Liya wasn’t offering a “suggestion”; she was more like she had revealed a Crossroads that would have happened anyway to Iaar.
“It’s strange…”
“I should be thinking this way, I’ve repeatedly emphasized to myself over and over again, I shouldn’t hurt the Young Master anymore, I shouldn’t think about making him weaker so he can’t be without me…”
But…
In the end, what she feared was — when Will no longer needed her, where would her existence in this world hold any value?
Anxiety.
Anxiety, anxiety, anxiety, anxiety.
This was a kind of insecurity that arose from the idea of “loss” only when one possessed something. She was like a stray dog that, having experienced hunger, would fiercely guard the food in its bowl, refusing to let anyone take it away. Her initially “reassured” mindset, having mastered the magic within
If… if this dungeon clear also failed…
She raised her head, looking at the two people opposite her in the carriage bound for the city. Will remained silent, while Liya was looking down at a book on Ancient Magic. According to the intelligence Liya brought last night, others were clearing The End Ash, and it was a White Castle clearing team led by Carver. Iaar didn’t know much about that Grace.
But she knew White Castle. Having previously been a member of White Castle’s rescue team, directly under the Adventurer’s Guild, she understood that with their strength, breaking through The End Ash was merely a matter of time. — Even time wasn’t an issue, as the entire clearing team had been granted approximately seven days. This was more than enough.
She glanced at the Young Master, who was wearing sunglasses. She had somehow gotten used to the Young Master like this, even forgetting what his deep blue eyes looked like when they gazed at her. Him sitting like this, waiting for her care, had also become a habit, evolving into new “memories he liked to recall.”
If they failed to clear it… then, the Young Master would forever be in his current state. He would always be dependent on… dependent on Iaar… Forever by Iaar’s side… After all, that witch wasn’t good at taking care of people, something only Iaar could do well… Thinking carefully, a few months ago, wasn’t this her consistent thought?
What did she truly want…
“… Iaar, Iaar?”
Her thoughts were interrupted by Will’s voice. Will leaned forward halfway, reaching out a hand towards Iaar, but instead of directly touching her face, his hand brushed past the side of her left cheek and slid off her shoulder.
“S-Sorry, Young Master, what is it?”
She quickly grabbed Will’s hand as it slid past her shoulder, afraid Will’s hand would slip away from her. But it seemed she applied too much force, and Will winced in pain.
“Hiss…”
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry! It seems Iaar was too forceful.”
“It’s alright. I just wanted to tell you, the carriage seems to have stopped. We can get off now.”
“…Mm. Huh!? We’re already here!? Iaar thought this carriage would take until evening…”
“What are you talking about?”
Liya asked, looking confused, pointing at the setting sun outside the window. The sky was dyed in a golden hue. “It is indeed evening. Mmm… I’m so hungry, I want something quick to eat. How about I take you to a roadside stall for some pizza?”
“…It’s already dusk?!”
Iaar looked out the window of the stopped carriage. As she was lost in thought, time on the road had flowed by at a rapid pace. She hadn’t even realized what had happened before it became afternoon. Will silently watched Iaar, who seemed troubled by something. He let out a soft chuckle.
“Let’s go, Iaar. Mmm… the task of helping me down is yours.”
“N-No problem!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Montdor Town was a little more lively than when Iaar had last visited. Perhaps because White Castle had arrived, many adventurers, inspired by this top-tier Adventurer’s Guild team, were following their every move and watching their battles. Iaar actually saw quite a few familiar faces from White Castle, but to conceal Will’s condition, she avoided their gazes as much as possible.
However, some people were too ostentatious to avoid —
“In short, we will conquer The End Ash. Although this initial attempt failed, we have accumulated considerable experience.”
“Don’t worry, everyone. It should be resolved in about a week. After this dungeon is dealt with, a safer and more stable dungeon will appear here!”
Grace, the elf, spoke with great fanfare on the Adventurer’s Guild’s speaking platform.
“Liya, according to your investigation, is the dungeon The End Ash really that bad?”
Will sighed and spoke to Liya, who was standing beside him, about as tall as his wheelchair.
“Uh-huh, of course.”
“Isn’t the death rate in this dungeon zero? It’s very low, right?”
“Although Al, as an Emperor, doesn’t like people dying, no one wants to enter a dungeon only to be humiliated by strange traps specifically designed for adventurers.”
“Uh… that’s true.”
As they discussed dungeon-related technicalities, Iaar, who had actually cleared it, also chimed in with her assessment.
“In the first few floors of that dungeon, there are many traps designed to work against the adventurer’s natural instincts. For example, there’s a path with stone steps to cross the river, but if you step on it, arrows will shoot out. Only by crossing through the water is safe… But if you walk up from the water, electric gates that shock you are waiting.”
“Uh… this sounds like a level design filled with malicious intent from the planner… but I feel like I’ve done something similar before…”
Just hearing Iaar’s description, Will recalled many similar games. He mused that it wasn’t that it “couldn’t be cleared,” but it would certainly make you incredibly frustrated after succeeding.
“Fortunately, Iaar went to the BOSS floor, so we can go straight to the end.”
“It wasn’t solely Iaar’s achievement, but if it makes it more convenient for the Young Master, then that’s for the best.”
“The current Adventurer’s Guild is also terrifying. Before, if someone wanted to quickly clear a dungeon in a certain area, they would probably be showered with shoes by the public… especially by merchants.”
Liya listened intently to the discussions in Montdor Town. Even she, who didn’t pay much attention to the Adventurer’s Guild or the current state of adventurers, sensed something was amiss.
“That’s good. The Guild has finally got some competent people.”
“With the Guild involved, there’s hope.”
“As expected, we have to rely on the Guild.”
Even the adventurers were secondary. The residents here also seemed unusually unified, unconditionally supporting the Guild’s decisions. In their eyes, the Adventurer’s Guild had transformed into a savior who controlled the entire world. Will also noticed that, although the Entak Royal Family hadn’t been overthrown yet, Carver’s influence within the Guild was still extremely rampant.
“It’s because dungeons are appearing more frequently. Who wouldn’t want to clear a mine that’s difficult to extract from and will never produce gold? If removing this mine can lead to a new one, they’d be very willing.”
“Though the example is a bit strange, dungeons seem to have become an inexhaustible source of riches for the Hysterm Family…”
“Moreover, the development of a city now depends entirely on dungeon exploitation, not on its traditional agriculture.”
This problem was never “solved.” It was like this in the Original Work; even though much of history had been changed, it would eventually trend in this direction. This was inevitable for a world where almost all resources could be obtained from dungeons, even resources far beyond the technological and magical development level of this world.
“…”
As the three fell silent, Grace’s speech seemed to have concluded. This speech felt like an urging, prodding the three to make a move soon.
“Iaar, no need to go closer to the crowd. Hearing this much is enough. I don’t want to be recognized by Carver’s subordinates over there.”
“Okay. Where do we go next?”
“Mmm, didn’t Liya say there was good food?”
“Not exactly *good* food, but more like… ‘cheap eats’.”
As Will said this, he felt a cold gaze from the direction of the speaking platform. — No way? I’m dressed like this, and someone can still recognize me as Will Hysterm?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a very simple dinner (meaning a whole twelve-inch pizza), the inn the three chose was almost the worst and most secluded one in town. As Will put it—
“I don’t want Carver to know about the comeback match, so we have to avoid places where he might have ears. But… well, with the Adventurer’s Guild having such long arms, most of the inns on the street are his property.”
In the gentle spring breeze, Iaar pushed Will’s wheelchair, lifting him up the stairs where no accessible ramps were provided, and brought him to the room. She was still somewhat unsettled; from yesterday until now, she had been constantly contemplating this problem. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. If she continues like this… will she be alright for tomorrow’s battle?
“Iaar, as we discussed before, we will attempt the clear tomorrow — and we’ll likely only have one chance.”
Author’s Note: Sigh, I originally planned to finish the entire month’s writing and conclude next month, but I had to return to my hometown due to some matters and can barely finish it now. I’ll write more next month.
