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166
To eliminate the executive hiding somewhere in the Land of Wraiths, they had to find them. Therefore, tracking the traces they left behind was inevitable.
It wasn’t difficult to find these traces in the decaying land. Although someone might complain about the dull pain in their eyes from constantly looking around and concentrating, the morale of those following Rohan was high after successfully eliminating one executive. While no one was loudly expressing this, it was easy to see from their flushed faces and sparkling eyes. Rohan, leading them from the front…
<Are you still worried?>
“Yes, a little.”
He was still mulling over the strange uneasiness he felt when he defeated the executive with his own hands. The sword at his waist vibrated. It was due to Arpel occasionally speaking to him, trying to keep Rohan from becoming too serious.
The unfamiliar divine presence felt from the red-eyed executive. In the past, Rohan had been ignorant of this, but after visiting the temple and conversing with the Demon Sword, he knew this phenomenon stemmed from another ‘divine arrangement’.
Those controlled in this way seemed to have decreased cognitive abilities and stronger instincts. They would charge in recklessly, as if unable to even consider strategy. Naturally, this greatly reduced the fighting power of the executives.
Compared to the executive he had encountered in Bemos Village in the past, it was a world of difference. That one had tried to use everything at its disposal – the village’s unique culture, its isolated location, civilian lives…
But even considering that, recent battles had been too easy.
He couldn’t shake the thought that if this was intentional, what were they aiming for? He couldn’t even begin to guess.
Arpel couldn’t help but sense Rohan’s anxiety. After a moment of silence, he tried to comfort Rohan.
<Don’t worry. I don’t sense anything special yet… It’ll be fine.>
“Do you know something?”
<I’m not certain, but I know they’ve hidden something here.>
Though his voice was calm, Arpel’s mind was in turmoil.
He knew the Salvation Church had hidden ‘something’ here. It was written in the novel he had read. Until they arrived at the Land of Wraiths, Arpel had been certain of this and planned to organize and tell Rohan if he found any meaningful clues.
But things had gone wrong. Was it due to the Emperor’s active intervention? Unfamiliar events kept occurring, and unknown things kept popping up. Now, even he couldn’t be certain of anything.
Even as they remained silent, the group moved forward. Rohan didn’t ask anything more, as if waiting for a time when Arpel could explain things step by step.
“…Rohan? Why are you here?”
“Leriana? Why are you there…”
Then they encountered unexpected people. Those who had been tense from sensing an approaching presence all widened their eyes. Rohan was no exception.
It seemed this encounter was surprising not just for Rohan’s side. The priests following Leriana also appeared taken aback by this sudden meeting. Their hesitant movements and murmuring noises clearly showed their confusion.
They had been tracking the remaining executive, but the other group appeared from the opposite direction. If they continued following these traces, they would never encounter the ‘executive’.
“Where did you come from?”
“From the third sector.”
“That’s the opposite side… You eliminated one, right? Haven’t seen the other executive?”
“No. What about your side…”
“Us neither. That’s why we’ve been following traces with our eyes peeled, trying to catch the remaining one.”
Naturally, the tracking was halted. Leaving the others scattered and resting, Rohan and Leriana gathered as if by agreement and began to summarize the situation.
Their starting positions were at opposite ends. They had each eliminated one executive and were searching the surroundings for the remaining one when they found traces and followed them… that was the process so far.
“…It’s too similar.”
Their stories were eerily alike. The moment they realized this, the uneasiness lingering in their chests grew considerably.
“Lady Leriana.”
It was Casia’s cautious approach and words that fanned the flames of this anxiety.
“The traces have disappeared.”
“…Disappeared? Here?”
“Yes. Except for the route Lord Rohan came through. It seems the executive we’re looking for was never in this area to begin with.”
“Wait, that means…”
Leriana’s face quickly turned pale as she heard the calmly delivered explanation. Arpel, who had been silently maintaining his sword form, muttered.
<Were we lured here?>
At this point, there was only one hypothesis they could consider. Deliberately leaving traces to lure the expedition to one place.
“…But there’s nothing…”
“Yeah, there’s nothing particularly noticeable here. Let’s say we were lured. But for what purpose?”
Leriana added to Rohan’s quiet muttering. Even Casia could only look puzzled at this question. Her face clearly showed she was caught in the same dilemma.
“Arpel. Can you sense anything?”
<…Give me a moment.>
Perhaps recalling their earlier conversation, Rohan carefully grasped Arpel and asked if there was anything ‘special’. After a brief pause, Arpel responded by immediately spreading his senses. A faint magical power spread widely, probing the stretched land and the rotten soil buried beneath it.
Then, at a certain point, Arpel unconsciously withdrew the magical power he had been spreading. It was a noticeable change that Rohan, who was carrying the sword, and Leriana and Casia, who were watching from the side, all noticed.
“Didn’t the magical power just suddenly retract? Arpel, is there something strange?”
“Go away. You can’t even hear him.”
“I can still talk to him! You can answer for him.”
“Lady Leriana. Wait a moment. Something’s strange.”
The silent sword blade trembled. Rohan immediately turned his attention from Leriana to check on Arpel’s condition. Cracks appeared in his relaxed expression, and anxiety was painted over it.
“Arpel.”
<…>
“…Arpel? Answer me. Arpel!”
“What’s wrong! Is Arpel not answering? Did something go wrong?”
The gentle voice suddenly became urgent. Leriana’s voice following suit was the same. Although she couldn’t hear Arpel’s words in sword form, she could instinctively tell something had gone wrong just from Rohan’s distorted face.
<…It’s strange.>
Fortunately, Arpel’s voice soon rang in their minds. Just with that, the tightly constricted heart seemed to loosen, and the rapid breathing seemed to calm down. Using Rohan’s expression as an indicator, Leriana could relax seeing his face quickly soften.
<No. Rohan, don’t get any closer. I don’t think we should get closer. My head… my head hurts. I feel… strange. Uncomfortable.>
But that was only for a moment. Rohan’s expression crumpled like paper upon hearing Arpel’s next words.
Rohan stood up silently and turned his back. Although he didn’t understand why Arpel was reacting this way, they needed to get away from here for now. It wasn’t the first time Arpel had spoken like this…
Rohan squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to shake off a memory that reflexively surfaced. Now wasn’t the time to think about that. They needed to leave this place immediately.
“Rohan, what’s wrong? Where are you going!”
If it weren’t for Leriana grabbing him from behind, he would have immediately started walking. He saw her delicate face filled with impatience, anxiety, fear… all those emotions.
Only then did he realize. He wasn’t the only one worried about Arpel.
“…Arpel is in pain. He says this place is strange. I’m going first, so you take the others and retreat too. Priest Casia, you as well.”
“Wait, what do you mean…!”
But that was all he could say. After hurriedly spitting out these words, Rohan quickly turned his body away from the two as if being chased. More precisely, it was to get away from the ‘strange place’ Arpel was talking about.
He heard voices shouting something from behind, but Rohan didn’t stop his advancing steps. One step, two steps. The slow steps forward suddenly quickened in the blink of an eye.
“Arpel.”
<…>
“Answer me, Arpel.”
<Okay.>
“Just hold on a little longer, I’ll… I’ll do something, okay?”
<…Okay. Thank you.>
This short conversation repeated several times. It was mostly Rohan initiating. Like someone afraid that Arpel might lose consciousness again, afraid that those nightmarish days might repeat, he was extremely anxious.
Arpel would respond to Rohan’s words each time, even if with a small voice. When he did, the constantly rising fear seemed to diminish slightly.
So naturally, the tension eased. Yes. They just needed to get out of here. If they could do that, Arpel wouldn’t show any more abnormal symptoms.
“No.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I… can’t leave here.”
But that hope was soon shattered.
Arpel, who had been obediently hanging at Rohan’s waist, suddenly changed his form. Just as Rohan was startled by Arpel suddenly taking human form and tried to lead him again, Arpel gently pushed away Rohan’s outstretched hand.
“Something is holding me here.”
At those words, Rohan realized. Ah, things had already gone wrong beyond repair. We shouldn’t have set foot on this land from the beginning.
All that remained was despair.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
