TEOCH 77

“To get… to the next area.”

Throwing out that obvious answer, I stepped back as much as he had approached. Even though I wasn’t bound by my arms and legs like before, my legs felt strangely heavy. It was probably because I was tired.

I didn’t want to answer any further, but unfortunately, Charon didn’t seem the least bit convinced. He took another step toward me.

—What will you do when you get to the next area?

“Move on to the area after that.”

—What will you do when you get to the area after that?

“Go to the Demon King’s castle.”

—What will you do when you get to the Demon King’s castle?

“Kill the Demon King and get back the woman he kidnapped.”

A meaningless conversation, like a game of word chain, was exchanged in a short time. Charon was persistent, as if he was asking questions not to get an answer, but to continue the conversation. I answered without hesitation, as if I were explaining it not to him, but to myself.

On the surface, it was a smooth conversation, but it seemed Charon wasn’t very satisfied. He frowned slightly and asked again.

—She was kidnapped? Who?

“The human queen.”

—Why?

“You should ask the Demon King that, not me. Why he went and kidnapped another man’s wife.”

—That’s certainly a question you can’t answer. I’m curious too, why His Majesty took the human queen. Humans are too weak to bear healthy children.

“What a way of thinking.”

—In any case, I take that question back. I should ask a question you can answer.

“I think I’ve already given all the answers I can.”

How long was he going to keep asking questions? Was he planning to continue this word chain until his petty curiosity was satisfied? I suppressed my churning stomach and stared silently at Charon, but I didn’t complain further. Whining now would only drain my energy.

Alright, let’s see what kind of question he asks. I just folded my arms and looked at the harpy in front of me, thinking I would answer any question he threw at me. But…

—After you get the human queen back, what will you do?

It was difficult.

“What?”

—You’re going to retrieve the king’s property right now, aren’t you? As far as I know, the queen belongs to the king.

“Humans are not property.”

—In any case, she’s not yours. Right?

“Right. She’s not mine.”

I only said that one phrase, but the end of my voice cracked. Not mine, the queen. And the king, too. An unpleasant heat welled up behind my eyeballs.

—Then you’re not going to the Demon King’s castle to get the queen back. You’re going to get the queen back to exchange her for something.

“For what?”

—That’s what I’m asking. What do you want to exchange her for?

“For what? …Ah.”

I felt dizzy for a brief moment and ended up asking him the very question I was supposed to answer. It seemed my mental state was shaken because my physical condition was so poor. I answered after catching my breath.

“My original world.”

—Your original world?

“Yes. I am a hero from another world. When this is over, I can return to my original world.”

—What kind of place is your original world?

“What?”

—What kind of place is it?

“I don’t remember.”

Charon tilted his head. For some reason, it felt like an absurd answer, but I couldn’t remember exactly why. Strange, if it was just a matter of going back, I should have had plenty of chances before. Of course, I didn’t need to worry about such problems now. All that mattered was making that monster understand.

—Are you okay?

“What?”

—I asked if you are okay.

“Why should I be the subject of your concern?”

—Because you seem strange right now.

“If I seem that strange, you’d be better off attacking me before I return to normal.”

—Why would I do that? Everything goes back to the beginning if you die anyway, right?

“Don’t mock me.”

—Why do you think I’m mocking you?

Frustration rose to my throat. What the hell was his intention in constantly asking questions? Was he trying to confuse me like this and then launch a surprise attack? Of course, with his mouth he was spouting nonsense about having no intention of killing me, but I didn’t plan on taking his words at face value for a second. He was the enemy, after all. He would attack me the moment I showed even the slightest opening, just as he always had.

So I have to think. What his intention is, and how he plans to catch me off guard and attack. If I don’t think, I’ll lose. If I lose, I die, and after I die, the next thing is…

So.

What’s next?

—Are you really okay?

It’s just a matter of fulfilling the king’s request, which isn’t even mine to begin with, a little late.

—You know, can I ask one thing? Though you seem to dislike my questions.

It’s just that I can’t return to a world I don’t even want to go back to anyway. Though I’m not even sure if there was an original world to begin with.

—Are you perhaps, changing the subject and hesitating like this because you don’t want to answer that question I asked?

It’s just that my companions, who have already died countless times, will die a few more times. I feel very sorry for Damian, who has died the most, moderately sorry for Rikiel, who has only died a few hundred times, and just a little sorry for Rehas, who has not died even once yet.

As for Tristan, well, uh. Don’t die.

—Or is it that you can’t answer? Please tell me, Rohan.

My mind was in such a tangled mess that I couldn’t think any further. Why? It’s because that damn birdbrain asked a strange question. If you’re a monster, act like a monster and pick a fight. Why do you keep spouting impertinent things like asking why I’m doing this or what I’m going to do next?

Why isn’t he fighting? Is it because the situation is still disadvantageous for him? Isn’t my delaying things by trying to answer actually giving him an advantage? I didn’t want to listen to Charon’s talk anymore. I was tired of the questions and the answers to them. I, just, simply, I.

—Once you rescue the queen, do you lose your reason for existence?

“…!”

Once you rescue the queen, do you lose your reason for existence ‘to that person’? The moment an auditory hallucination I didn’t even hear echoed in my ears, the indescribable emotion that had been simmering deep inside my gut took the form of rage.

The instant my body instinctively lunged forward to smash that damn mouth.

—Charon unnie!

CRASH, a tremendous roar tore through my eardrums as my body was sent flying backward. As soon as I instinctively pushed my body, which had been thrown into the bushes, back up, a massive impact struck my stomach, and I had no choice but to roll on the ground again, all my effort to stand wasted. Even in the midst of the mind-numbing shock, I scrambled to my feet to avoid the next attack, and a pair of brown wings covering the sky came into view. That one is…!

—Hezel?

—So that human was attacking you after all? I told you to come with us…!

—I told you to wait on the south side of the island. Why did you come?

Dammit, don’t tell me he brought his sisters along?! Then again, it would be weirder if he came alone…! Coming to my senses, I barely realized that attacking him just now had been a miscalculation. But I wasn’t even given a moment to reflect on my mistake. A bigger problem was waiting.

—I was waiting quietly just like you said, unnie! But then a bunch of humans riding birds suddenly rushed at us, demanding we give something back! Lethe is holding them off right now!

“…Humans?!”

That one sudden word snapped me to attention. Wait, humans?! But my companions should have already gone to the ‘Tree Island.’ They can’t even breathe properly once they leave the temporary shelter there, so they have no choice but to wait for my return.

So it was ridiculous, there was no way those people could have come this far, I thought, yet a corner of my mind entertained a sliver of doubt, ‘what if.’

‘When you think about it, it’s not entirely impossible!’

A few dozen minutes ago, that is, before I met Charon, I was passed out, barely conscious due to the dryad’s sap. Meaning, I was in an ‘incapacitated’ state. And Tristan has a skill that purifies the demonic energy of the demon world on my behalf when I’m incapacitated. Theoretically, that means they can move outside the temporary shelter.

Before I could get angry at my companions’ irresponsibility and selfish behavior, anxiety washed over me first. If I had been unconscious for three days, and my worried companions came back to this island to find me when I didn’t return, and I woke up around the time they left the island and were on the back of the giant bird…

Wait, how long has it been since I woke up? Has it already been over 20 minutes?! If I don’t go now, those people might die…!

—Where do you think you’re going!

CRACK, the harpy’s kick, flying with tremendous force, barely grazed past my head. Hezel’s physical attacks were incredibly powerful, but his movements themselves were very straightforward, so dodging them wasn’t difficult in itself.

That is, when I was in peak condition.

“Keuk…!”

—Damn humans, you go around destroying other people’s islands, and now you even launch surprise attacks?! You truly are a shameless bunch!

My body, which had already taken several hits, wouldn’t move as I willed it to, and in the end, I couldn’t dodge the blow that struck my back and collapsed to the ground. The armor on my back was already shattered to pieces. The pain from that last blow felt like my lungs would burst, making it hard to even breathe properly. But I had to get up. If I didn’t get up somehow, my companions…!

‘Dammit, if only I hadn’t shown myself attacking, I could have at least tried to explain it was a misunderstanding!’

Now that I had barely come to my senses, I couldn’t regret more my act of trying to attack Charon, blinded by rage. My head must have really been messed up at that moment. Even though I had noticed that Charon actually held no ill will, even though I had realized he was just pitying me, and yet.

‘Why on earth did I do that.’

Even though I knew it was a trivial question, it just irritated me. Even though I knew Charon was interested in me, and that if I humored the monster, I could somehow escape the situation, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. It was foolish. A stupid and incredibly dull-witted act. But, why on earth did I…

Of course, the reason was obvious. So obvious that I didn’t want to admit it.

“Let… go. Let me go, Charon.”

—Are you going to save your companions?

“Yes. They’ll die without me. Please, I was wrong earlier. I was just angry for a moment… Please let me go.”

—You were angry at my question? Why?

“Because answering your question would be admitting that it’s true… Anyway, please let me go. I won’t ask you to spare my life. Just let me get to my companions.”

Panting with difficulty, I desperately pleaded with Charon, the one most likely to listen to my appeal right now. I just begged and begged, not even knowing what I was babbling about. It was the only way for me to get out of this situation. It was a rather pathetic sight, but this was no time to care about such things.

—Hmm, human emotions are difficult, so I don’t really understand. In any case, it seems I asked you a rude question.

“So please just let me go.”

—Charon unnie, you’re not seriously going to listen to such a rude person, are you?!

—Well, what should I do?

Fortunately, Charon didn’t seem that angry, so I looked at him with a sliver of hope. If he didn’t cut me some slack now, my companions might suffocate and die without being able to do anything. Damian, Rikiel, Rehas, and Tristan too…!

But my desperate plea became useless in a slightly different sense. As the loud sound of flapping wings came from the south, Hezel clicked his tongue in annoyance. I immediately stood up and looked up at the distant southern sky. The moment I saw the silhouette flying unsteadily with several people dangling from it like a tail, my eyes widened.

“Rohan, where are you! Are you… cough! Are you even alive?!”

“He’s definitely alive! Cough, keuk! I can feel Mr. Rohan’s magic power around here…!”

“Rohan! If you can hear our voices, at least answer! Where are you!”

Those people who never listen, even as I inwardly seethed, my body immediately started running in their direction. My body, which had already taken several blows, creaked and screamed, but I didn’t care.

Just hearing Tristan’s voice, shouting with all his might, alive, was reason enough to move.