Book 3: Chapter 33

We all sat around, gloomy air surrounding us.

Dante-san and Mimino-san were particularly depressed. I didn’t know what to say to them.

“There was nothing else we could do. We did our best” – they know that without needing me to say it out.

Non-san was silently cleaning up the remaining tableware.

The fog had now completely cleared up, so Zerry-san was going around and examining the hall we were in.

「I always thought that Leon tried to be the hero… but from his point of view, I was the one always acting heroic, huh.」Dante-san muttered, heaving a sigh.「Even though we saved him, he stabbed me with his sword. But if he had apologized, if he had apologized in all sincerity, I would have forgiven him. Last night, Leon once again asked me to return to the Golden Brigade.」

I see… I was almost sure that Leon asked to join Silver Balance instead, but… he was prideful to the end, huh.

「I strongly refused him, but I noticed that he was acting strange since then. Leon said he had abandoned his companion, but I wonder if he had actually killed his companion instead…」

「Killed?」I asked.

「For example, that fear attack which attacks emotionally, perhaps it caused him to slash out at his companions out of overwhelming fear… or something like that.」

Can’t say it isn’t likely.

In fact, I thought that too.

「That is why, when Leon saw the faces of Justin, Cynthia, and Murphy on this wall… he panicked. Perhaps he thought that his wrongdoing was revealed to all.」Dante-san said.

Non-san poured water into a cup and gave it to Dante-san. He silently drank it down.

「I… I can’t… can’t forgive Leon!」Mimino-san exclaimed.「Even if he apologized, I would never ever forgive him! But I don’t know why, the t-tears… won’t stop…」

Sniveling, Mimino-san burst into tears. Even as she wiped it away with the back of her hand, the overflowing tears won’t stop.

Non-san looked at me and nodded—Is she telling me to comfort Mimino-san? What should I do in situations like this?

I went next to Mimino-san and nervously patted her head. It didn’t seem like an appropriate thing to do to an older woman, but that was all I could think of.

「…Uuh, uh, don’t treat me like a child!」

I was about to say sorry, but before I could do that, Mimino-san hugged my body.

「Wowahhhhhhh… ahhhhhhh…」

Mimino-san cried, as if pouring her heart out. Watching her, even Dante-san’s nose grew red.

For both of them, Leon was their former companion. Though an enemy in present, they have been through countless life-and-death situations together as a party. Since they were with him from the start of his adventurer life, his death naturally must have upset them.

At least, Leon meant enough to them that they didn’t wish for him to die in this place.

I stroked Mimino-san’s head for a while. Until she settled down.

「…You saw an embarrassing side of me.」

Mimino-san said, as she produced water with【Convenience】, and washed her face. Her eyes were red and somewhat swollen, but she seemed to be alright for now.

Dante-san had already collected himself and was doing some warm-up exercise.

「Not at all… Well, then. What should we do now?」

「Bocchan.」

Zerry-san returned and pointed at the wall of the “faces” – a new “face” had emerged there. We didn’t even need to go closer and confirm it. It was Leon’s “face” .

「…………」

Everyone looked up at it in silence.

「I definitely want to capture the Labyrinth of Fear. I want to overcome this bad taste of a dungeon.」I said.

「How unexpected. Me too.」

Dante-san’s voice was calm, but I sensed a fighting spirit.

And, as if it had been waiting for us to get back up, the wall of “faces” opened to the left and right – the passage, the one where Leon was sandwiched between, reappeared.

「Is it challenging us to come in?」Dante-san asked.

「This is just my guess, but this might not be the last trap.」I said.

Leon seemed to think that the Juggernaut was the last hurdle.

「Maybe, maybe not.」Dante-san said.

「Yeah, there might be still more to come.」I said.

「Let’s go find out.」

Dante-san headed there first, and we followed suit.

The passage was narrow, so we had to enter one by one. To examine it first, I, who have a small body and agile movement, was most suitable.

An ivy rope was wrapped around my body.

「If something seems wrong, I’ll just pull you out right away.」

Dante-san said, sounding full of caution.

He seemed like, even if I said「Ah!」jokingly, he would pull me out like a rocket.

…Anyway, let’s go inside.

The inside was too clean, to the point that it was creepy. There were no traces left. Traces that someone was there. Or traces of someone dying. Not one trace was left behind.

I guess it’s the same as the slime that was in the disposal chute… It’s role is to clean the people trapped in here.

It is too short a time to completely melt all the metal and clothing fibers. Rather than melting it in here, I think it was carried away somewhere else. There is a wall at the back. So, above?

「What’s wrong, Reiji?」Dante-san asked.

「There is a hole at the top. I think Leon was pulled up there.」

「…………」

It was about 10 meters high up.

「If there is anything left, then…」Dante-san started, but stopped.「No, nevermind. It would be a lot of work to get up there. Let’s concentrate on getting through the passage.」

「Understood.」

I carefully proceeded to the back. I passed by without touching the lever. I was startled when a small noise resounded at my feet, but nothing happened.

Phew… What was that?

And I came before the text written on the wall.

『Pull the lever behind and overcome the fear to reach the abyss of the labyrinth alone.』

It was exactly what Leon said. I went back and told everyone what was written. And also about the passage that appeared in the wall at the back after pulling the lever

In other words, pulling the lever to activate the trap and making the hidden passage appear comes in a set.

The only way we could move forward was to pull the lever.

That, or to turn back… But we have already checked all the passages up to this point. If we turn back, we would have to go all the way back to the room with the three faces where we found Leon.

「I think I should go.」I said.

「No, it’s dangerous.」

「I think it’s too dangerous, too.」

Mimino-san and Non-san opposed.

「…………」

Dante-san was still thinking.

「Let’s go back and choose the route to get the treasure!」

Zerry-san, whose eyes had turned into gold coins, suggested.

Opinions were divided.

「What do you think, Dante? If you choose to go here, it will have to be Reiji-kun since he’s light.」

When Mimino-san asked so, Dante-san finally opened his mouth.

「…We can’t put Reiji in danger.」