21 – It’s Not That
“Drop me off around here.”
“But… is that alright..? We are still before the Valley of Death…”
“It’s fine. We’re almost there anyway. You should head back now.”
The tedious time of travelling in the carriage, finding a suitable place to camp, and repeating the process had passed. Of course, there were occasional attacks by monsters, but… they were not even enough to count as a warm-up exercise.
“Everyone, disembark! It shall be our last stop in this town!”
As I pounded on the carriage and shouted loudly, following the well-rested mercenaries and those who seemed groggy, presumably from sleeping, all the mercenaries, regardless of their condition, descended from the carriage.
“We hope for a favorable outcome…! Farewell!”
The stable hands, realizing the carriage was now empty, quickly bid their farewells and vanished along the path they had come.
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“Ugh… Have we arrived…?”
-Oh my… my back…
-Ugh..!
-Hey kid, go over there and throw up!
Mercenaries, who had stiff bodies from stretching, approached me.
“……..”
Even Seris, with her perpetually cold demeanor, stood quietly among them, observing me.
“It seems we’ve reached the village right in front of our destination. The day is turning to dusk… A little rest would be necessary.”
“You speak true, Commander!”
“It’s right there in front. Let’s go and find a place to rest.”
And so, we gazed at the village on the desert like one you’d see in a western movie, just ahead of us.
‘Death Rest? A resting place for death?’
They named it quite casually. Is it because it’s right in front of the Death Canyon that they called it Death Rest?
The sign at the village entrance had some faded letters, and except for the small lights shining from lanterns, there was no other source of light.
Moreover, there wasn’t even a soul in sight, creating an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of a ghost town.
But we paid no mind, with the continued carriage and the prospect of a comfortable bed and decent food awaiting us!
“Let’s start by looking around that building. Follow me.”
And so, we began to inspect each building one by one.
Knock-knock-
“Is anyone there?”
We knocked on a building right at the entrance of the village, but there was no sign of anyone inside.
It seemed to be a building that no one lived in.
Knock-knock- Knock-knock-
Afterward, the mercenaries and I scattered, knocking on doors, but we couldn’t find a single person anywhere.
‘Hmm. Does that mean only that building is left?’
Unlike the other buildings, where not even a light was on, from that large three-story building alone, light was pouring out.
“Leader! We haven’t found anyone on this side either!”
Just then, Hans, who had been looking around another building, rejoined the group.
Thus, with a sense of desperate longing, my companions and I walked toward the large building.
Creak- Creeeak…
As we approached the building and stepped on the wooden stairs, a spooky sound echoed with each step.
…Did wood always make this much noise? Even the rotten wooden floors at the mercenary base were quieter than this when I first went there.
‘…Death?’
On the sign of the building from which the light was emanating, it was clearly written.
‘Death’? Is this a building we shouldn’t enter?
…Ah. On closer inspection, the word ‘Rest’ was faintly visible below, having been erased.
Then, this building must be the largest inn. In this world, it was common knowledge that the biggest inn was named after the town.
Creak…
The bright light streaming out seemed somehow unpleasant due to this chilly atmosphere… but what can be done.
I, too, making a loud noise, opened the door and entered the building.
“Sigh.”
As soon as I stepped inside, a wave of warm air greeted me, and I let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.
I was worried that the lights might be on with no one around… Fortunately, the heating was working fine, and there was someone sitting at the reception desk.
“…Welcome.”
The greeting came quietly from a bald man with heavy dark circles under his eyes.
Just by his looks, one could believe he had killed several people – such was his menacing appearance.
“Do you have rooms available for all of our group?”
“…Yes, we do.”
“That’s a relief. How much for the rooms and meals?”
“…Please wait a moment.”
The man, who seemed to be the owner of the inn, got up and went into a room at the back.
Shortly after, he came out with some papers, looked at the mercenaries standing behind me, wrote something down, and then spoke.
“…For meals and rooms. 15 gold.”
“Wait, 15 gold! Isn’t that too expensive!”
Hans, standing next to me, burst out in anger at the man’s exorbitant price, which even I thought was too much.
“Don’t get angry, just listen to me for a moment.”
“No! Even so..!”
“Hans. Just listen for a moment.”
“….Yes.”
Seeing the man’s solemn expression, I decided to listen first, as his face seemed to carry a story.
“…Do you know the characteristics of this area?”
“No, I don’t.”
How would I know? It was my first time here, and I had no information other than the existence of deserts and canyons.
“This place, where the ‘Canyon of Death’ lies, is also known as the ‘Desert of Death’. And there are only two reasons for such a nickname.”
“What are they?”
“Monsters, and sandstorms. The Desert of Death is home to monstrously powerful and unique monsters. Also, tremendous sandstorms occur here at regular intervals.”
Ahem-
Clearing his throat and taking a sip of water from the cup beside him, the man continued his story.
“…And those sandstorms… are so blinding that you can’t see an inch in front of you, and strong enough to sweep away a frail person instantly. You must have come here for the Canyon of Death. It will likely be a significant obstacle.”
“…..”
I hadn’t heard about that. We came here to subdue a 5-star monster, but if there were sandstorms that made it hard to even open our eyes, the likelihood of failure was very high.
“…So. The cost, including lodging and meals for 4 days until the sandstorm ends, is 15 gold.”
“Hmm. I understand. It’s a reasonable price.”
“…Thank you. You seem like mercenaries… There’s also a large training ground in the basement of this building, which you may find useful.”
If a training ground is included, then indeed, it’s a very reasonable price.
At this rate… it’s only natural to pay the price.
“I have 20 gold here. The rest… let’s consider it as a tip.”
“…Thank you! You can go into any room and use it. As you can see… no one ever comes here.”
A man with a bright smile, avoiding a sharp impression. Indeed, it was clear that appearance was not connected to a person’s true nature.
“Everyone, come here and take a look.”
I gathered the mercenaries and explained the current situation we were in.
At first, they were confused when I mentioned that we would have to stay for another four days. But as I talked about the sandstorms, they all nodded and went to find their own rooms.
“Cough… cough.”
…I should go in and rest now. I realized that, apart from some warm-up exercises, I probably needed some rest in order to give my all, or rather risk my life, in the upcoming battle.
***
“…Haa!”
Exhale-!
Trying to shake off the impure thoughts swirling in her mind, Ceris swung her sword in the training grounds.
Exhale-!
“Hoo…”
No matter how much she swung, thrust, or slashed with her sword, the thoughts that arose in her mind wouldn’t disappear.
‘Commander…’
Looking down at the sword given to her by the commander, she once again thought about him.
She had to apologize… but she was too scared and couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Every day, every moment, she had resolved to apologize, but now even going near the commander seemed unbearable.
…Every time, it felt like the commander was moving away from her. Like he could leave at any moment.
No… No…!
Swinging the sword through the air with a clang! A whoosh! Clang!
He started wielding the sword in the air like a madman. The swordsmanship becoming more intricate and powerful as the days passed.
However, unlike the growing sophistication of his swordsmanship, his heart seemed to be breaking and deteriorating day by day.
“Commander. Once again today, you didn’t… come out of your room.”
It had been around three days since arriving in this village. Just as the commander had mentioned, it was indeed impossible to go outside due to the harsh sandstorm.
Everyone seemed to have successfully overcome their fears by training, eating, and engaging in conversations.
While the physically demanding life on the carriage and a bit of fatigue from Ayoung were gradually being restored.
When everyone was regaining their vitality, the commander was the only one who didn’t reveal his face.
He used to never miss meals or drinking sessions, and he never skipped training. But for some reason, he wouldn’t step out of his room. He only ate in his room, either alone or with a request to Hans.
“I wonder if something happened…”
Seris was concerned about this unusual behavior. When the mercenaries, who were also curious, approached the commander’s room and inquired, they always received the same answer, “It’s fine.”
“…………”
Suddenly, Seris remembered the conversation with Hans last night during dinner.
“Is something bothering you lately, Vice Commander?”
“….Huh?”
When Hans suddenly spoke while struggling to swallow food that usually went down smoothly, Seris blurted out anything in surprise.
“Oh… no, it’s nothing! Just a little trouble my friend is going through.”
“Ah, is that so? Well, that’s a relief.”
“hahahaha…”
…Not even a fool. To have something like this happen to a friend. Ceris felt once again as if a nail was being driven into her own heart, or as if she was personally stabbing the dagger into the leader.
“Well then, can I ask what happened to that friend?”
“….Huh?”
Hans, chewing on the bread provided by the innkeeper, asked. Normally, Ceris wouldn’t have answered.
“Well… it’s just that…”
For some reason, her words came out differently than usual. Ceris told the story, referring to her actions and words as if they were about the ‘acquainted friend’.
Rejecting his touch. Spewing harsh words. Ignoring his advances completely.
Wanting to apologize, but unable to approach due to fear of the future.
And yet, loving him and wanting him more fervently than anyone else.
“………..”
Hans, who had heard about all of these incidents, sat quietly for several seconds, seemingly lost in thought.
“hahahaha… It was nothing, really, right?”
“…Are you insane?”
“….Huh?”
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Ceris thought she had misheard or misseen. It was because Hans, who had never shown any signs of anger before, had a distorted expression and was spewing curses.
“No. That friend of yours. Isn’t he just trash that doesn’t make any sense?”
“………”
“Well, I mean… You were just…playing around with that man, right? If it were me, I would have immediately cut off all affection. People like that!”
-It was a discussion about a single person.
-A person who only thinks of their own well-being, never considering others.
-What fear? They don’t apologize because they’re worried about harm coming to themselves.
-Whatever that push-and-pull was in the past, it’s just nonsensical, garbage behavior.
Spewing curses for tens of minutes, listening to Hans condemn her actions right in front of her.
Each curse and condemnation seemed to pile up in her heart, or rather, she thought about how they must have pierced the wounds of the captain.
“….Huh?”
Seris realized something had gone terribly wrong.