Chapter 50

At the same time Hein vanished, Lastiara regained consciousness and let out a cry.

“Ugh… Christ! Christ, are you okay!?”

Clutching one arm, Lastiara staggered toward me.

“I’m fine. Just stay calm.”

It was painful just looking at her arm, which was bent in a direction it definitely wasn’t supposed to go. I held out a hand to stop her from forcing herself to walk.

“Ow…! It’s completely snapped, this…! Anyway, where’s Hein?”

“I managed to drive him off.”

Upon hearing that Hein had been repelled, a look of relief washed over Lastiara’s face. She immediately began chanting healing magic to repair the fracture in her arm.

“I see, that’s good… Ugh, seriously, why did he…?”

Lastiara seemed relieved now that she understood the immediate danger had passed. However, she quickly began to grow irritated at the sheer mess of the situation.

“I don’t really get it either… Hein kept saying things that didn’t make sense, and then he just ran away…”

“Things that didn’t make sense? Like what?”

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer.

However, based on our relationship so far, I decided there was no harm in telling her and relayed what he had said.

“First, he told me that if he won, I had to leave the Allied Nations.”

“The reward for the duel was for you to leave the country…?”

Lastiara knitted her brows at the terms of the wager.

“After that, he said that you were a ‘fake’…”

“…Me, a ‘fake’? Well, that’s obvious. It’s so old news I don’t even get why he’d bring it up!!”

Having finished healing her arm with magic, Lastiara used her restored limb to scratch at her head in frustration. It was rare to see her show such blatant irritation.

“Do you actually admit to being a ‘fake’ then?”

Lastiara didn’t seem to find being called a ‘fake’ offensive. Curious about her reaction, I sought clarification.

“I told you before, didn’t I? This body was created to be Saint Tiara Huzya herself. So, of course I’m a ‘fake’. I’m not going to deny that.”

Lastiara claimed she was a ‘fake.’

However, I felt like the nuance behind Hein’s use of the word was different.

“No, I don’t think Hein meant it in that way. It wasn’t about your physical body, but something more internal. He said your thoughts and emotions were ‘fakes’—artificial.”

“My spirit…? My thoughts and emotions are ‘fakes’? I mean, sure, I’m influenced by those around me to some extent, but isn’t everyone? I am me.”

“I suppose, but…”

Watching Lastiara assert herself with such a firm tone, I couldn’t bring myself to believe her spirit was something artificial.

Yet, I couldn’t ignore Hein’s words either, considering how desperately he had pleaded his case. An unidentifiable anxiety began to pool at the bottom of my thoughts.

Then, I told her the one sentence that had stirred my unease the most.

“He also said that at this rate, you’re going to die…”

“I’m going to die…?”

Hearing the word “die,” Lastiara wore a face that suggested she didn’t even understand the meaning of the concept.

“He definitely said it.”

“Die…?”

Repeating the word twice, Lastiara lowered her gaze to the ground. She then murmured as if confirming it to herself.

“I see… So Hein… said that…?”

Lastiara slowly turned her face back toward me.

I could do nothing but give a short nod.

Upon seeing that nod, the dark depth in Lastiara’s eyes intensified. The madness that had been lying dormant recently began to leak out once more.

Lastiara whispered.

“Why now, of all times… When there’s only a little bit left… Though I guess it’s just like Hein to do this…”

Muttering to herself, she pressed a hand to her forehead and fell into deep thought.

Something was wrong.

It was strange enough to remain so composed after being told you were going to die, but Lastiara’s reaction went beyond that. To think this deeply after being told something so groundless—it was as if she actually had an idea of what that “reason” was.

I stepped closer to Lastiara, intending to ask what she meant.

However, before I could close the distance, Lastiara hurriedly began to speak.

“A-ah. Sorry, Christ… I was just a little surprised. It’s nothing. I mean, it’s just because Hein suddenly started saying such weird things.”

When she spoke, Lastiara’s face had returned to normal.

Her agitation had vanished, and she was clearly trying to act as if that long silence had never happened.

I was torn on how to proceed.

Should I pry into the circumstances between Hein and Lastiara? Or should I respect Lastiara’s wishes and pretend I hadn’t seen that side of her just now?

Precisely because I knew this was a vital decision, I hesitated on which path to choose.

As I struggled to find an answer, Lastiara continued speaking in a bright, cheerful tone.

“Anyway, the real problem is that idiot Hein didn’t care what methods he used. I need to head back to Huzya for a bit and settle things regarding his little rampage…”

As she spoke, Lastiara approached the door created by the magic ‘Connection.’ From the looks of it, she had given up on today’s exploration.

“Should I come with you to Huzya?”

“No, it’s fine, really. It’s a family matter. More importantly, I’m sorry. The duel… I meant for it to just be ‘entertainment’…”

Lastiara declined my offer to go along, citing it as a private issue.

However, I felt uneasy about us splitting up here. If Hein were to attack her again while we were apart, I didn’t know what would happen. I had my doubts about whether Lastiara could actually handle another ambush from him.

I would probably be fine. Due to the nature of my magic, it was difficult to catch me by surprise. Even earlier, if Lastiara hadn’t been there, I could have escaped on my own. The only reason I had stood my ground was because I couldn’t bring myself to abandon an unconscious Lastiara.

I couldn’t forget the sheer intensity in Hein’s eyes when he said, “Even if I have to cut off her legs—”

No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t help but worry about her.

“Lastiara. It’s dangerous if Hein shows up again. We should stick together—”

“No, earlier I just let my guard down because I thought he was family. Normally, I’d win by a landslide. It’s obvious if you just look at my Status, right?”

Lastiara insisted she was fine and had me check her Status.

Certainly, looking at the numbers alone, it was an overwhelming victory. Almost all her stats were higher, and there was a massive gap in skills. The only area where she lagged behind was in Skill. If they fought normally, Lastiara would undoubtedly win.

But the reality was that they hadn’t fought normally just now, and Lastiara had lost. It was a fact that as long as Hein had the means to make her drop her guard, he had the power to shut her down completely.

As I struggled to wipe away my anxiety, Lastiara added more words with a serious expression.

“It’s okay. Next time, I definitely won’t be careless. So, just wait for me.”

With that, Lastiara stepped through the magical door. I followed after her and returned to the house.

Maria was surprised by our sudden return. And rightfully so—it hadn’t even been an hour since we entered the Labyrinth.

“Wh-what’s the matter? Aren’t you back a bit early?”

Maria stopped the dishes she was washing in the kitchen and walked over to us, looking startled. Lastiara answered her as if nothing had happened.

“I just remembered some business I had back home. I’m heading back to Huzya for the day. So, you two have fun today. You can go monster hunting together, or maybe go shopping.”

While answering, Lastiara moved toward the window. Then, she gave one final wave.

“See ya.”

Waving her hand, Lastiara hurriedly took off through the window. I didn’t even have time to call out to her.

Maria sensed something suspicious about Lastiara’s behavior and asked me if something had happened. I gave a vague answer, brushing it off as nothing major.

I didn’t want Maria to worry. My honest feelings were that I wanted to keep her as far away from violent trouble as possible.

With Lastiara gone, Maria tried to confirm our plans.

“I’ve been called by Alti, but what will you do, Master?”

“Called? Did Alti come here?”

“While I was cooking this morning, the fire I lit started talking to me… It’s almost time for our meeting.”

“That girl is everywhere… I’ll pass. Go on without me.”

Apparently, Alti had been contacting Maria through the kitchen fire. While being reminded of Alti’s unfair abilities, I declined Maria’s invitation. The business was likely teaching her magic. There was nothing for me to do there.

“Yes, I understand. Then, I’ll be heading out first.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

Maria left the house, and the interior grew quiet. I sat alone at the living room table, trying to calm my mind. My heart was in turmoil from the unexpected attack. I had to settle that first.

I took a long, slow breath.

Come to think of it, it had been a while since I acted alone. Recently, there had always been someone by my side. When I first arrived in this other world, I was tormented by loneliness, but now, ironically, it felt like solitude was a comfort. I was exasperated by my own selfishness, but I suppose that’s just what it means to be human.

You crave what you don’t have, and find what you do have to be a nuisance. I felt the sting of my own immaturity.

In short, I was a child. I was a child who had his hands full just dealing with himself.

If I were an adult with the appropriate composure, I wouldn’t have let Maria keep her feelings hidden for so long. Even now, I wouldn’t have let Lastiara head to Huzya alone. There would be no rift between me and Alti, I would be able to understand Hein’s desperate plea, and Dia wouldn’t have been seriously injured.

But everything had already passed. I couldn’t possibly believe I had made the best choices.

Even now, I regretted not forcing myself to go with Lastiara. At the same time, it was true that I worried whether a stranger like me should be prying so deeply into her family circumstances.

It was simple. I just didn’t have the mental capacity or the power to make the right call.

—I have to get stronger.

Reaching that conclusion, I shook off my regrets about the past and roused myself to grow, even if only a little.

I passed through ‘Connection’ and stepped into the 20th floor alone.

Naturally, I didn’t intend to explore the deeper floors by myself. It wasn’t that I felt my strength was lacking, but there was no doubt the danger increased compared to when there were two of us. Above all, I knew that if I progressed through the exploration while Lastiara was gone, she’d complain about it later.

I decided to focus on hunting monsters.

Mental immaturity wouldn’t be fixed overnight. However, in this other world, physical strength could be resolved overnight. If so, it was a natural train of thought to try and cover for my weaknesses with physical growth.

For the sake of making the best choices. To ensure I wouldn’t have regrets, getting stronger wouldn’t go to waste.

I began selecting a hunting ground.

The strongest monster I could hunt alone without issue was the Fury on the 21st floor. However, the Fury wasn’t exactly the most efficient opponent. They gave high experience, but they also had high durability. When calculating the time spent per kill versus the experience gained, the efficiency wasn’t great.

I searched for the optimal solution using the gaming experience I had cultivated in my old world.

The ideal monster would be an opponent that died instantly from exactly one swing of my sword. Furthermore, the speed of finding enemies and their density were important factors. Beyond that, the lower the chance of irregular encounters, the better.

Recalling the monsters I had fought so far, I narrowed down the floors that fit those conditions. Though, I wouldn’t know the actual efficiency until I tried it.

For now, I headed toward the 15th floor area, where there were many candidate monsters. I began hunting various monsters around there, steadily accumulating experience points and magic stones.

There was no time limit on today’s hunt. Since I could take down enemies with a single swing, my MP consumption remained low. Moreover, as my maximum MP increased with level-ups, my natural MP recovery rate had also improved. I could stay here semi-permanently, searching for monsters and cutting them down one after another.

I continued grinding levels in silence.

Relishing the game-like sensation I hadn’t felt in a while, I kept hunting until the sun went down.

As if running away from the mounting pile of problems, I stayed alone—