Episode 41 – Dispel (4)

Dispel (4)

A world where sound has disappeared.

Thump, thump, only my rapid heartbeat echoes in the silence.

In it, I am cautiously digging the ground. My body is drenched in sweat, and my hand clutching the shovel trembles like mad.

A moment far more tense than when I was facing the monster…

Due to the slowly creeping side effects of Perion, my body feels like it’s about to shatter, but I can’t give up on this guy, even if it kills me.

I must not give up.

“……Done.”

Finally.

If there’s the ugliest newborn in the world, would it be like this? An ugly child, but you can’t say it’s ugly because you’re conscious of the parents’ eyes.

“Because of you, it feels like I’ve been through hell.”

I grabbed the creature’s side and hoisted it up. Its grotesquely distorted face glowed and screamed.

Joohhhhh- Kwaaaaaaaak-

Something like that, I guess.

Of course, I can’t hear it. I’m wearing earplugs upgraded with Perion.

“Thank you.”

I carefully put the mandrake into a triple vacuum box.

Thud-

After completely sealing it, I slowly removed the earplugs, and the sound was definitely blocked.

Now, if I take this to get appraised and sell it, I can afford medical treatment.

Of course, at the best medical facility on the continent.

—Ah, ah. This is Asillen. Seniors, can you hear me?

A loudspeaker echoed above my head. I looked up. Paper birds were flying in the night sky.

—This is Asillen in charge. Due to the unexpected natural magic phenomenon ‘Dispel’, the college board assignment will be terminated early.

The current time is 9:21.

The effect of Dispel just disappeared. The duration was exactly 20 minutes, as per Memory.

—Everyone, please follow the paper bird down. I repeat, due to the unexpected natural magic phenomenon ‘Dispel’…

I put the triple vacuum box into the duffle bag.

______________________________________________________________________

The 5th grade magic phenomenon ‘Dispel’ naturally disappeared after 20 minutes, but the university association decided to terminate the college board early because the environment before and after was too different.

Of course, not only this Fog Mountain, but all other exploration areas also at exactly 9:20.

“Okay~ You only need to submit the report by 1:00 AM today~ I’ll be waiting, so take your time~”

At the entrance of Parascale Fog Mountain, right next to the city, Asillen in charge sat down with a desk spread out.

“Let’s submit our report as it is. It’s okay, right?”

While other teams seemed a bit confused by the sudden Dispel, Soliette’s team had nothing special to add or modify in the report.

Mana of the spirit attribute caused by mushrooms, or fungi.

The information that Shion Ascal generously shared, would be a high-level answer known to only a few teams at most. The team members were already excited at the thought of getting good scores.

“Let’s do that.”

Soliette also nodded, and then.

“Excuse me……”

Someone quietly approached.

It was Kielli.

He, with his annoyingly good recovery, seemed to have already healed as he scratched the back of his neck and spoke.

“Team leader. Want to go together? My car is still parked.”

“……”

Soliette stared at him without a word.

“S-sorry.”

“I’m fine. Go with your team members.”

Despite this, Kielli seemed awkward. Soliette, furrowing her brows, asked.

“Do you have something left to say?”

“Ah, that is……”

He spoke in a creeping voice.

“I wish you’d keep that incident a secret……”

A secret. A guy who still cares about his face even after being pushed to that extent.

Soliette unknowingly let out a sigh.

“……Understood.”

“Phew. Thanks, really. I’ll definitely repay-”

“Get lost.”

“……Yeah.”

Kielli, who responded gloomily, disappeared. He, standing in front of his team members, pretended to be tough and got in the car.

Anyway, the group assignment was finally over.

Soliette brushed her chest as she watched the departing van. Even the mere word ‘team’ was too burdensome for her now.

“……”

The now alone girl looked somewhere. There was someone walking down the street alone.

Shion Ascal, who seemed tired and was limping.

He was alone like her, and unlike her, he had been alone from the start.

His destination was……

Soliette raised her head and looked at the signboard letters in the distance.

[Parascale Station]

______________________________________________________________________

Creak—

A discordant sound as if gears were misaligned echoed inside my body.

Creak—

The pain, as if my organs, muscles, and bones were all twisted together, spread throughout my body.

Creak—

It’s so painful that I can’t even make a sound.

In the face of this unreal pain, it seems like my sanity has flown somewhere. Like falling from a cliff into a deep pit, falling, and falling again……

The pain in my knees and pelvis must be growing pains, but the much more severe abdominal pain is probably Cancer of the Magic’s Core.

I suffered for a while and then opened my eyes. My whole body was soaked in sweat.

——Clatter, clatter.

Still, the mana liner moving along the rail.

In that train, I absentmindedly looked at the seat in front of me.

“……”

I was startled for a moment. My heart skipped a beat. It felt like a dream.

There was an unreal person in front of me.

She was sitting upright, looking at me, with no slouch or hunch.

Blue eyes, a prominent nose, and a large square bandage on the cheek.

Soliette Arkne.

She seemed to have been waiting for me to wake up and handed me a flyer with her bandaged hand.

[At Your Service] it said.

I gave a small smile.

“What can I do for you?”

The lingering pain churned like an aftereffect, but I forced myself to endure.

Soliette asked.

“Do you know anything about him?”

“Who is he? The monster just now?”

I deliberately asked back.

“……From the mine.”

“Tell me who he is.”

Soliette kept her mouth shut, as if she didn’t even want to utter that word.

“Can’t you say it?”

But, she can’t win this way. She can’t do anything.

If she can’t face it directly, it’s not hatred, but fear.

“……Haah.”

Soliette sighed. Perhaps it was a deep breath.

Eventually, she spoke her revulsion.

“Do you know anything about Knightmare?”

Do I know.

I do.

“Well.”

Before regression, Soliette had chased him all her life. In the process, I was a very small helper.

I was just a ‘very small’ helper.

She eventually found the answer herself. She completed her revenge with her own hands. She chose emptiness in the end.

I don’t want such an ending.

There must have been a better choice for her back then.

“The one thing I know is.”

Therefore, the only thing I, who have returned to the past, can say to her now is.

“That Knightmare.”

I looked into her eyes. They weren’t very hopeful. As always, they were half-rotten like a fish.

“Is alive.”

Knightmare, whom almost everyone on the continent thinks is dead. I know of his survival, which even Soliette may not yet be sure of.

He is definitely alive and breathing. He is hiding somewhere on the continent, watching us.

“……”

For a moment, her eyes slowly widen. Like a child facing the world for the first time, various colors of emotions spread and mix. Her bandaged hands clenched tightly.

“That……”

She tried to say something, swallowed it, took a deep breath and swallowed again, just swallowing the words swirling in her mouth……

“Excuse me, sir.”

Someone interrupted. We all looked up there.

It was a crew member.

“I will check the ticket.”

“Oh yes.”

I fumbled in my pocket.

“No, not you.”

The crew member with his head down gestured to the person opposite me. It was Soliette. I also pointed at her and asked.

“……This person?”

“Yes. She is sitting in an empty seat. I will check the ticket.”

I looked at Soliette.

“……”

She was speechless. She swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

The train attendant spoke again.

“Ma’am. Let me check your ticket.”

“…….”

“Ma’am. It’s the early morning train, so you’re free to board and then-”

Bam!” Soliette jumped out of her seat.

“Ma, ‘am!” (attendant)

“Who are you?”

The attendant tried to grab her, but she shook him off.

“No, not ‘who are you,’ but ‘wait a moment.'” (attendant)

“I don’t understand.”

“Just a moment—” (attendant)

(Soliette is purposely being confusing here, so if your confused, that’s okay)

Soliette fled with alarming speed. She disappeared from the seat to the end of the hallway in a flash.

“Ah, guest!”

I grinned and looked out the window. The view of Edsilla’s capital was becoming familiar.

It would be here soon, but before it did, I picked up my smartphone. I turned on the Dark Web app.

Dark WEB

[Lv.3 EasyCash]

[Recipient / Orderer]

…….

[Auction House]

The auction house.

It’s still level 3, so the fee is 30%, but the level of the dark web will rise as well.

[Request to register an item for auction].

– Mandrake 500g

– Best condition

I’ve included a picture of the mandrake I took in the mountains.

I’m bragging a little bit, but it’s not even the slightest scratch. Mandrakes are very vulnerable to impact, and when they are cut from the ground, they tend to break off limbs and even fingernails and toenails, but not me.

Everything is perfect.

It’s a ‘pristine’ plant in the truest sense of the word.

[acknowledging a request to register ‘mandrake’].

“I’ll leave you with …….”

I’m a little disappointed. It’s not like I’m cutting off a leg, it’s just a root, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the status.

You never know, it might come in handy later.

I opened the seal on the triple vacuum box I’d kept beside me, and clicked.

Crack, crack, crack, crack.

I snapped it shut.

“Okay.”

I tapped the box.

If we open it here, it’ll be a disaster, so let’s just leave it and go home. Go home.