CH 20

20 千変万化② Infinite Variety 2

Run while squeezing out every last ounce of strength. While frantically breathing, just keep moving your legs.

On the gloomy narrow path, just single-mindedly advance. Cool air brushed against my face.

Greg-sama, the boy Gilbert, Ruda and then Tino were running directly in front of me.

Even though I’m exerting all my energy the distance between us didn’t shrink. I made a realisation.

Hm? Are they perhaps making adjustments so they don’t leave me behind?

The boy Gilbert was running calmly with his large sword in hand, and looked back at me and frowned.

Despite the crisis he was in before I came, he still had room to make such an expression. He couldn’t have recovered while he was running right?

“At this speed they’re gonna catch up. We should go faster-“

“Idiot! Cry is thinking of Tino!”

“!! O-Oh, that’s right…. sorry.”

To Ruda pointing out angrily, Gilbert made an apology in surprise.

Eh? She was injured? And my speed using all my power was the same as Tino when she’s injured? Eh? It’s not that I’m slow right? Isn’t it just that Tino is that fast?

Did I maybe subconsciously take her into consideration?

My feelings were a little hurt, but that thought made me feel a little better. Making sure there was no strange sounds coming from behind us I came to a stop. I didn’t have the skills of a thief, but if we had any pursuers Tino would be able to tell us. It looks like we lost them.

When I came to a stop, the others looked at me and also stopped. During an exploration our relationships had become better, they were extremely obedient.

“?? Is this enough?”

“Seems like we lost them. That was dangerous. You really saved us.”

Greg-sama gave his thanks, but really it should be that’s giving an apology.

But the first thing was to get everything in order. Enduring the feeling of throwing up, and regaining my lightly worn out breath, I then looked towards Tino.

To my gaze, she hugged her own shoulders as if she was frightened.

“M-Master…”

“Cry. Tino also – She truly did do her best.”

Ruda, for some reason spoke with the tone of giving an excuse.

“Uh-huh. Seems so. Sorry. How good would it be if everything could be settled with just one word?”

“!?”

It didn’t need to be said. You could tell just by looking at her.

From intense movements, her hair that was always prettily arranged was disordered, and her complexion was poor.

Maybe she’d gotten caught on something, her shorts were torn in the area of her right thigh and you could see her white skin. The contrast attracts the eye.

Perhaps noticing my line of sight, Tino unexpectedly grabbed the hem and exposed a large amount of bare thigh.

…..Hey you, what are you doing in this kind of place? Even under normal circumstances they are already short… I can see your panties.

Tino looked away in embarrassment. She pursed her lips as I scrutinised her, and Gilbert spoke in a shocked voice.

“Infinite Variety, You, can also cure people?”

………Ah-, you were wounded there. You should’ve said so. I didn’t realise. I thought it was just another one of your usual pranks.

No, well the reason I stopped was to give treatment though.

As if flaunting, she presented her developed white thigh. Some faint blood vessels showed through, but I couldn’t see any wounds.

But well, I guess there was damage there that couldn’t be seen. It seems like she could only run at the same speed as me at my best because of that.

Of course I also carried a Relic that could be used for restoration. Or rather, there’s no way I wouldn’t have one.

I removed my hanging silver cross necklace – 『Healing Hope』, and held it against Tino’s thigh. Blue light was emitted from the cross and vanished after permeating her thigh. For a moment her expression relaxed. I’m sorry, I didn’t notice.

“Thank you. Master. It’s not painful anymore.”

Well, I still need Tino to work hard.

Seeing the scene of treatment, the boy Gilbert spoke somewhat relieved.

“Aah… as expected it’s a treatment Relic.”

All of it, anything and everything is a Relic but so what?? Hmm? Got a problem? If I wasn’t inside a Shrine, I would get offended and return to the Clan House.

“Cry. Those Wolf Knights… did you defeat them?”

Greg asked while watching the road we came down cautiously.

If you ask whether they were defeated or not, then without a doubt they weren’t defeated.

Wolves have effective noses. The Wolf Knights from earlier? They were afraid of the smell sticking to the capsule from the slime. I’m not sure whether the Slime smells, but I couldn’t think of another reason.

They would probably be in a rage by now. They were tricked by an empty metal capsule and missed out on their prey.

The only thing we should think about now is escape. They were scary, but once we left the Shrine, the Phantoms wouldn’t follow.

At any rate the rescue target must be dead.

I breathed out a sigh, and stretched out widely. It’s too bad about the sword, but life is more important.

“You don’t need to think about that now. Lets just start walking.”

“O-Oh”

Now, the question is… where is this, and where is the exit?

§

With me in the lead we walked in silence. Probably due to fatigue, there was no conversation.

I had seen the map of the White Wolves Den beforehand, it had thin pathways that diverged off like an ants nest. Similar sights repeated themselves and I didn’t know where to go.

It wasn’t a very large Shrine, so maybe we were walking on the same roads.

Anyway, why am I the one in the lead? I’m not a thief though? This is the role of a thief isn’t it? And in this party there are two of them.

Earlier I stopped to let them go first, but when I stopped they did too. And no matter how much time passed I remained in the lead.

What happened to your usual assertiveness Tino?

Looking in her direction, our eyes met, and she immediately glanced away. It looked just like a rejection. She didn’t want to talk, it was like being told to go and die.

Hmm? Would it be better to quickly kneel down in front of her? Inside this dangerous Shrine? Am I in a jam?

There was nothing I could do, so I kept moving forward without knowing the reason. Sometimes I entered a side path depending on how I felt.

My sole relief was that this seemed to be a Shrine without many Phantoms, and we didn’t encounter even one. Maybe Tino was guiding me indirectly on a direction without Phantoms.

Occasionally you could hear howls echoing, but they still seemed far away. I thought they were far away. They were far away weren’t they? If they were far away that’d be nice.

However, after walking quite a bit we didn’t reach the exit. I thought our direction was probably right, but this was why I hated cave type Shrines.

It was about time I knelt down and apologised to Tino. When I started thinking in that direction, the boy Gilbert raised his voice as if unable to endure anymore.

“Say… If this is on purpose I’m sorry but… like, where are we headed towards? The exit?”

He had become awfully meek… but I’m sorry to say that I also didn’t know. Well the objective was to get to the exit though.

When I went to say that, Tino hurriedly cut in.

“Gilbert, reading Masters intentions is also part of training. He isn’t headed towards the exit. The road to the right of the boss room doesn’t lead that way.

“S-So thats how it was…”

S-So thats how it was… I had the same thought as the boy Gilbert.

The exit. I was definitely headed for the exit you know. But I see, the right side didn’t lead back… Rather, so that was the boss room was it?

So now what? Do we have to turn back?

And also, what was that? Tino, were you training in this situation? With the exception of the exit, was there anywhere else I would go? What else is there?

“But, hey Cry. Could you say where you’re heading soon-“

“………”

Ruda gingerly asked a question. I became miserable from that voice.

Where am I headed to? I’ve always been a lost child in life. There aren’t any signposts. Rather, I don’t get why but, i’ve become the signpost.

For the time being, lets make a u-turn. It’s been quite a while, so those guys are probably gone by now.

Ah, I feel like my life needs to make a u-turn. I wanted to cry, but at most my expression stiffened.

I chose a curved path. Two turns in the same direction was the same thing as a U-turn.

After several minutes going by feeling in the new direction, Greg suddenly let out a dry voice.

I turned my head to look at him, and he was looking at me as if I was a monster.

“Impossible… there were… no traces. You didn’t even examine anything – how?”

“…That’s why I said. Master doesn’t do anything carelessly.”

“This isn’t the time to talk about that! W-We need to help!”

Ruda started off running. And then, I finally noticed a number of figures lying further up the path.

The size wasn’t like that of a Phantom. If I strained my eyes, I could see a slight movement.

What was that? Did Greg-sama say he noticed that just now?

You guys, you truly have some good eyesight. If I was careless, I would have taken the fork on the way there without noticing them.

But, no doubt these were the rescue targets from the request? No way, they were still alive… how lucky. I want them to share their good luck with me.

Tino puffed up her chest proudly, and looked at me with dazzling eyes.

“I said so. Master had predicted everything.”

“No no, if you think about it sensibly, no matter how you look at it this is a coincidence don’t you think?”

Something like predicting the future is impossible even with Relics.

“…Why is the person that lead us here saying that?”

Saying something that was a matter of course, Gilbert was shocked.

§

The rescue target was a man even larger than Greg-sama.

Shining dark grey armour and a large shield painted green. Flat by his side so it could be grabbed at any time was a conical shape spear, not a kind that would be used by infantry for war.

Rodolph Davie. I hadn’t heard of him before, and right now he was lying limp. That the huge bodied Hunter was acknowledged as a Level 5 Hunter was convincing from his appearance.

It seems like he had broken a bone.

With a smooth motion, his armour which I had no idea where it connected up was stripped, and a potion was applied to him. Tino and the others did so.

The other members were collapsed nearby, battered with severe wounds. Somehow they all seemed to be clinging to life. To fall in such a place and not be finished off by now, was something close to a miracle.

“Are you hurt?”

To Tino’s words, Rodolph thanked her in a hoarse voice.

“Ha…Haa, Haa, T-Thanks. W-We’re saved.”

“You should thank Master.”

“No, I didn’t do anything…”

I was genuinely unable to do anything and was useless. All I did was send in Tino. Hm? Maybe I should be thanked?

Roldolph looked at me with hazy eyes.

He had been in a cave for three days. Even if his pain was erased, the exhaustion of his stamina would be extreme. I felt a little sorry at least, so from my pocket I handed over the chocolate bar that I always carried around as a snack in-between meals.

Rodolph crunched on it insatiably, devouring it. I waited for him to calm down before asking questions.

“Your food?”

“…ooh…t-that was it.”

“Master, we’re also out. We planned to camp outside.”

“Ah-, is that right? We were always camping inside.”

My childhood friends thought it was a convenient spot since a dangerous Shrine let you train at any time.

The survivors were all gathered together. Some were unconscious, but after giving them potions there was no longer any danger of death.

But now that everyone was alive, new problems came forth.

It was good news for the Explorers that made the request, but it’s more trouble for the side that’s helping them.

Firstly, carrying out five injured people was a lot of work. Even more so when such frightening Phantoms can appear.

We can’t afford to either. Rodolph can be relied on as a Level 5 Hunter, but after practically not eating or drinking for three days and ending in a disastrous state, it wouldn’t be possible for him to take on those Phantoms.

In the first place, it’s because they were defeated that we’re in this situation.

Rather can you move? With such big armour. I wouldn’t be able to carry it. Maybe I wouldn’t even be able to lift the spear. It’s a different matter if there were Relics though. If worst comes to worse I’d undress you to receive them.

While reprimanding Rodolph who’s consciousness was stabilising, Tino began to check on our circumstances.

If you had remained fallen in this place, there would be no telling when the Phantoms might have come. Rodolf might be lucky, but I had terribly bad luck.

Rodolf is a veteran. With five people he probably wouldn’t be defeated by the silver Wolf Knights.

In response to Tino’s question, Rodolph pursed his lips and then raised a quivering voice.

His wide open green eyes told of the magnitude of dread he was struck by.

“Haa, Haa, I-It was terrible. This isn’t Level 3… there’s something, crazy here. We weren’t, careless. But – it wasn’t enough. My spear, that guy, his attacks-“

“Oh, I know. Something like a Wolf Knight with bones covering half their face right? We also fought them.”

At Rodolph’s trembling voice, Gilbert made a show of shrugging his shoulders. This boy can’t read the atmosphere.

But, at those words, Rodolph’s eyes went wide open and gave a large shake of his head.

“Ha…Half? N-No. The one that did it, that injured us – was a Phantom, with it’s whole face, hidden by bones. Escape quickly-“

A pale expression. His wide eyes shook with fear as if envisioning the ‘enemy’.

I feel like I should claim compensation. There were even stronger ones? …What’s going on with this Shrine?

…No matter how much bad luck I say I have, t-there’s no way we’d meet them right?

I wanted to laugh it off, but I completely wasn’t in the mood to.

§　§　§

The small shadow suddenly came in without the sound of a single footstep. Slowly the Silver Wolf Knight raised it’s head.

Underneath it’s foot was a crushed piece of metal. Without even needing to sniff at it, it was strongly steeped in the scent of death.

But it was safe, and he had been tricked, he was a specimen that held intelligence equal or greater to the once existing Silver Moon so he understood it.

The next time they met, he would break them apart.

He raised the great sword that was as large as his body, and looking somewhat annoyed he turned to face the shadow slowly. The crimson eyes showing through the bones that concealed the right half of his face contained greater resentment than before.

The other two that had gathered in the room to lie in wait – the bow and club wielding Wolf Knights of the same rank, similarly raised their heads.

Beyond their lines of sight – was a small figure with a delighted smile, it’s whole face hidden by a skull.

It wasn’t even one third of the size of the Wolf Knights who’s size reached to the heavens. But it’s body was cloaked in death in a way far beyond those Wolf Knights.

In it’s hand was a mid-size sword. Unlike the weapons of the Wolf Knights, it was a transparent seeming clear blade.

『Silent Air』

Obviously a Relic with it’s distinct shine, it was casually swung.

That was once on the back of a Level 8 Hunter. The Wolf Knights didn’t know it was something that was thrown away on the way here.

It wasn’t wearing plate mail, but it was outfitted to emphasise lightness, quite similar to a human. However the boots that went up to the knees were reminiscent of the shining iron of the Wolf Knights armour.

The Shrine of the 『White Wolves Den』 had a history of being trampled down, and this was the curse of the Silver Moon beasts itself.

The deeply ingrained resentment had a strong influence on the accumulated Mana Material in the burrow.

There was a deep hatred of people, but at the same time a strong yearning. A yearning for power. A yearning for a form. A yearning for intelligence.

Yearning and loathing were two sides of the same coin. The Silver Wolf Knights stood on two feet, and using tools was also a manifestation of this. The skull that covered half their heads was another imitation.

And in the case of the individual with it’s whole face covered in bones?

Due to a lack of Mana Material, the full strength of the curse could not be implemented. Now, the Shrine had transformed into a haunt that could drive back Level 5 Hunters.

In front of the three silver Wolf Knights, the shadow with the front of it’s face covered by a grinning skull uninterestedly continued walking forward.

With all the hatred they contained, the Wolf Knights howled.