Chapter 41
"This is terrible..."
He had deep burns across his face and right side. But his petrified left side seemed to have suffered no damage at all. It wasn't completely petrified, but perhaps that made it resistant to burns.
The fact that his left side was exposed worked in my favor.
"...Mm, Reiji...?"
Dantes-san's eyes wandered as though he were seeing an apparition.
"Yes. I made a medicine that works against petrification, so let me apply some."
"...Sorry, I can't hear you well. What did you say...? My head feels foggy..."
"It's all right. Go back to sleep. Sleep is best."
I'm sorry, Dantes-san. I can't really tell you what this medicine contains... You're kindhearted, so I think you'd accept it, but there are quite a few things in life that are better left unknown if you can avoid knowing them... right?
Dantes-san must have wanted to sleep as well, because before long he began breathing softly again. I climbed onto the bed and rubbed the discolored mithril onto his skin.
"!"
A black streak appeared on his grayish skin and gave off a faint glow. It looked pitch-black, but through 【All Creation】, I could tell the petrification had been cured.
Dantes-san and the others had called the petrification a "curse," but it really was "poison." That was why Dantes-san had been able to withstand it with his Talent 【Immunity Enhancement】.
As long as I could remove the poison, Dantes-san's petrification would be cured.
"Thank goodness..."
I felt a prick in the back of my nose.
I knew Dantes-san was an unfailingly good man. Though he never showed it, having his path as an adventurer cut off had left him searching for somewhere to die.
I knew that his daughter, Non-san, had desperately searched for a way to go on living even while knowing what her father felt——.
(A world where these two aren't rewarded is just wrong.)
I frantically slathered on the medicine. It took less than ten minutes to cover every last petrified part.
I checked again and again with 【All Creation】—no problems. All the petrification poison was gone. Dantes-san's breathing was stable, and as long as he held out against the burns, he should continue to recover. No, since the poison had been draining his vitality, even the burns should heal quickly.
Leaving this mithril behind would be extremely dangerous, so I wanted to take it with me.
I returned to the adjoining room and gathered my belongings. All I had was whatever fit into my small tool pouch, plus the remaining spending money Dantes-san had given me and what I'd earned selling Ukonmodoki.
"Let's go."
If I stayed here any longer, I'd only cause trouble for everyone.
So I had to go.
I had to.
I had to keep moving forward——.
"I don't want to go."
There was no way I could feel positive about it. I wanted to see Dantes-san fight in earnest now that his petrification was cured. Dantes-san might have to return to the church once he recovered, but I wanted to see Non-san's happy face, too. And besides——I didn't want to leave Mimino-san behind while she was still grieving Rikila-san's death.
"Reiji-kun?"
I had been too distracted to notice. Mimino-san had returned and was standing in the doorway.
"I wondered where you'd gone. You weren't in bed, so I panicked and ran outside to look for you, but..."
Whether it was because she saw my terrible expression or because she saw how I was dressed, Mimino-san suddenly looked startled.
"...I just got a really bad feeling... That can't be it, can it? Reiji-kun isn't leaving, is he...?"
I was seized by the urge to tell her everything right then and there.
But I couldn't. Mimino-san would surely say she'd protect me. But that could only lead to ruin.
"Silver Balance" had only taken me in without knowing anything about me. And today, I was simply going to disappear on my own.
"I'm sorry, Mimino-san. I'm leaving now."
"......!"
Mimino-san tried to say something, then closed her mouth. She clamped it shut with all her strength, swallowing every word she wanted to say.
"——But someday, I'll come back."
I felt this was the one thing I had to say.
"Because I'm a member of 'Silver Balance.'"
"!!"
I walked past Mimino-san. Though she kept her mouth closed and tears welled in her eyes, she held them back with all her might.
"...You promise, right...?"
I heard Mimino-san's voice behind me as I left the room.
"I promise... I'll definitely come back. So—"
I declared it with all my resolve, almost shouting.
"I'm leaving now!"
I ran. As I left the inn, I heard Mimino-san crying. But I thought I mustn't turn back anymore, and ran on, believing.
That's right. This wasn't a farewell forever. I was only leaving the party temporarily.
I'll come back someday.
I'll definitely return.
By then, I would surely be stronger.
To repay the kindness I'd received and all the warmth they'd shown me, I would absolutely return to "Silver Balance"——.
The sun had already risen, and the domain capital was beginning its day.
I had to leave the domain capital immediately. It was the Talent 【Shadow King★★★★★★】 that Old Man Hinga had called "worthless." They would do anything to capture Lark alive and rip out the Talent Gem.
There were almost no clues leading to Lark, and I was the strongest lead of all. So leaving the domain capital was my top priority for now.
Fortunately, I had money. Were there shared carriages or something...?
"Oh!"
After asking several people for directions, I reached a carriage stop. It was a large circular lot, with several carriages parked beside signs labeled with their destinations.
What should I do? Where should I go? Was crossing the national border difficult? If so, maybe I should head to a neighboring town for now...?
"Hey."
"Eek!?"
A strange sound escaped me when someone grabbed me by the scruff of my neck.
Standing there was someone I never would have expected—the leader of "Eternal First Star," Oscar.
He wasn't wearing his usual shifty smile today; instead, he was scowling.
"Um...? Is there something you need?"
"You're the kid from 'Hard Silver Greatshield,' right?"
"Huh?"
"Come here."
"What!?"
He pulled me by the scruff of my neck and dragged me into the shadow of a building.
"W-what's this all of a sudden!? I'll call someone!"
"Don't. Besides, you'd be the one in trouble."
"...W-what do you mean?"
Could it be...? Had they found out I'd stolen the mithril? And the evidence was in my tool pouch... even if it had become the world's least appetizing sushi roll.
"First thing this morning, the domain soldiers rushed to the Adventurers Guild. They said they were looking for a black-haired, black-eyed kid traveling with an adventurer party."
"..."
"It's you, isn't it?"
Too fast. Their movements were far too fast. Cold sweat poured down my face.
"W-what are you talking about...?"
"You idiot. Don't go suspecting me too. If I meant to turn you over to the domain soldiers, you'd already be bound with rope."
Indeed.
"So that means, Oscar-san..."
"Since you're here, you want to leave the domain capital, right? So I'll help you escape."
An unexpected ally!?
"B-but why...?"
"One of my party members nearly got caught in the explosion from that damn 【Fire Magic】, and 'Hard Silver Greatshield' saved their life. I couldn't call myself a man if I didn't at least repay the favor."
"I was really only planning to notify the inn, though," he muttered, then said,
"All the gates out of the domain capital are being watched by domain soldiers. They've already considered that your hair might not be black and are checking only for black eyes."
"Yikes!?"
This is bad, this is bad! What is with this country's information network!? If they can move that quickly, they should have been more useful when we fought the dragon!
"...Judging by that look, you hadn't thought that far ahead, had you? Try taking a carriage. You'd have nowhere to escape in that cramped passenger compartment."
"I-I almost made a terrible mistake... But if I can't use the entrances and exits, does that mean I have no choice but to stay here?"
"No. I'll at least get you outside the domain capital."
"How...?"
Oscar—Oscar-san, that is—smiled.
"Follow me. 'Set a thief to catch a thief,' as they say."
It was the same shifty smile as always.