Chapter 9
(Three mine guards farther inside. Five slaves on the right—they're about to clash.)
I used 【World Ruler】 with all my might to avoid trouble. I went behind the buildings that were on the verge of collapsing and passed by the mine guards and slaves fighting there. Our only hope was that no one was paying attention to an old man and a child.
There was only one entrance to the mine. It narrowed at the mouth, and naturally—many mine guards had crowded there. They had even set up a wooden barricade.
More than fifty slaves were clashing with a mixed force of over a hundred mine guards and adventurers.
"A-amazing..."
Magic flew through the air, and swords clashed, sending sparks flying.
There were many powerful slaves, but the defensive force had the advantage thanks to its superior numbers and knowledge of the terrain.
For a while, I stared blankly at the dull sounds of people colliding, the screams, and the blood spraying through the air. But I soon came to my senses and realized this was no time for that.
(Can we slip through amid the confusion?—No, it's a defensive line that wouldn't let even a single mouse through. Then can we attack wherever their defenses are thin?—No, with my physical abilities, I'd lose even against the weakest adult here. Can I jump across from somewhere high up?—No, I can't carry Old Man Hinga over.)
My mind calculated rapidly. That was only possible because I had 【World Ruler】. Information flowed into me as easily as breathing, and settled smoothly into my mind.
"...Kid—no, Reiji-kun. It looks like this is the end."
"It isn't over yet. I haven't shown you the sun yet."
To my dismay, the Great Cavern's exit faced west. A forest lay beyond the defensive force, and the dense trees obscured my view, but fiery orange light was reflected from the treetops. It was sunlight.
We were almost there. Just a little farther and we could escape.
Wasn't there any other way? 【World Ruler】, tell me...!
But the Skill remained silent.
I had learned something during the brief time I had used the Skill. It wasn't a responsive Skill; it simply told me every bit of information within the range of what I could see, hear, and smell. If I couldn't see something, I didn't know it. If I couldn't hear it, I didn't know it. And if there was nothing to smell, I couldn't obtain any information about it.
What I did with the information was my responsibility. It could tell me whether my ideas would succeed or fail, but coming up with those ideas was my job.
"You should give up now... If it were just you, you might be able to manage somehow. Even if you were captured, I'd put in a good word for you, so they wouldn't treat you too badly."
"...Old Man Hinga. When you're shown a tepid illusion and deprived even of the ability to think in a false peace... How can you say that isn't being treated badly?"
"!"
Old Man Hinga, whom I was supporting, twitched.
The arms with which I supported him trembled. My stamina was gradually reaching its limit too.
"You've... really changed. You're like a completely different person."
Rather than changing, I suppose an entirely new personality had been added.
"Then I suppose I'll see this through to the end—but I don't know whether you'll be able to pull it off. I'll give you an idea."
"An idea?"
"Look at the upper part of the Great Cavern's entrance. You see the place covered with cloth?"
The entrance was built from stones cut into square shapes like bricks, but the rock face was exposed above it. Sure enough, an unusually large piece of cloth had been fastened there.
"That spot developed a hole once, several years ago. I made a temporary repair, but that's all."
"...So if we prod it, it might collapse?"
"Precisely."
"..."
If there was any way to punch a hole through that place hidden by the cloth, wasn't it worth taking a chance?
【World Ruler】 gave me no answer. Perhaps it was because the spot was hidden from view by the cloth.
"Old Man Hinga, wait here for a moment."
"...All right."
When I lowered Old Man Hinga in the shadow of a building, he grimaced, perhaps because his wound hurt. How serious was that wound, and how much longer could he endure? His face had gone beyond pale—it was nearly white.
【World Ruler】 knew the answer. The old man wouldn't last another thirty minutes. His wound was deep, but more than that, he had lost too much blood, and his body temperature was dropping rapidly.
I ran through as many people's blind spots as possible, then pulled a sword from the waist of a mine guard lying dead. It was heavy. Adults swung these things around...?!
There was one target.
It was someone I knew, clinging to the rear of the fighting group—the cafeteria lady.
"Tch, what the hell? Getting held up here of all places... Just beat down those mine guards already! These slaves aren't anything special—huh!?"
"Don't move."
From behind the woman, I slowly pressed the sword right beside her neck.
Although the cafeteria lady had acquired magic, she apparently hadn't been able to escape and was still dawdling here.
Lark had been out of sight for some time, so she must have gone ahead.
"If you move, I'll swing it. A cut on your face would be the least of your worries, but if your throat is cut, you'll die."
"Y-you... creepy black-haired brat..."
"I have one demand."
I pointed toward the cloth above the entrance.
"Blast any kind of magic at that spot."
"I've only got a little magic power left. I don't have time to indulge this kind of madness..."
"I see. That's too bad."
I moved the sword until it touched the cafeteria lady's neck.
"O-okay! Okay, I get it! I just have to shoot it, right? Shoot it!?"
The cafeteria lady raised both hands toward the cloth above the entrance. With a roar that drew in the surrounding air, she fired a basketball-sized ball of flame. It lit up the slaves' backs, reflected off the mine guards' pointed helmets, and illuminated the adventurers' puzzled faces before striking the cloth dead-on. The impact blew the flames apart, and the burning cloth fell in tatters. At the same time, enormous rocks came crashing down with a thunderous rumble, opening a clear view of the western sky.
Several mine guards were crushed by the rocks that suddenly fell, and the adventurers fled. The slaves surged forward at the perfect moment, and the defensive line finally collapsed.
"Huh? No way! I did that! Isn't it amazing!? Hey, isn't it amazing!?"
The cafeteria lady was shouting, but I had already returned to Old Man Hinga.
"...You pulled it off."
"Yes..."
His wound had worsened terribly. Even though I had been away for only a short time, the old man's face was turning the color of earth.
"Let's go. It's right there now."
I lent him my shoulder and started walking, trying my best not to think about the death approaching him. I could barely feel any warmth through the hand I had placed against his back. His body trembled, and his breathing was ragged.
Was I doing the wrong thing? If I hadn't taken the old man out, would he have been healed after the disturbance was suppressed? Or should I have searched for someone who could use healing magic?
The information 【World Ruler】 gave me said that his time limit for living was almost up. ...What good were ten stars? What good was an Overlimit Skill Orb if I couldn't even save Old Man Hinga?
...I knew that.
It was my fault. I was the one who couldn't master this Skill. I couldn't shake the feeling that there must have been a better solution, because I hadn't made effective use of the information I obtained through 【World Ruler】.
"...You know, one of my back teeth is a false tooth."
"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden...?"
The defensive line had already been breached, so the mine guards and adventurers were chasing the fleeing slaves. I could tell that several mine guards had taken the bodies of their comrades, as well as those who were barely alive, into the Great Cavern, but there was no one near the entrance—apart from the bodies of the fallen slaves.
"There's a rare ore called Rinkei Magic Stone embedded in it. When I die, take it with you... You might get a little money if you sell it."
"...So this is a keepsake?"
"It's nothing so grand."
We made our way past the fallen barricade, taking care not to step on the corpses.
The wind blowing through the opening felt dry and crisp, and I raised my head.
"Ah..."
There was a tree just ahead. When I looked up, I saw a pale blue sky.
At last... I had escaped from the mine.
"Mine guards use this path often. Let's go that way."
When I looked back, I saw a sheer cliff rising straight up. The old man pointed to a narrow path running north along it, and I walked north with him.
"If you happen to meet my grandchild, could you tell them that I died without holding a grudge against anyone to the very end...?"
"...Your grandchild?"
"Her name is Rurusha. Unlike me, she was a clever, adorable girl..."
The old man's voice grew quieter and quieter. How much strength remained in his dragging feet?
We slowly climbed the slope at an unbelievably slow pace. A large boulder stood a little farther ahead, and beyond it was a small clearing—with a reflection of the morning sun so bright it hurt my eyes.
No matter how slowly we moved, we were drawing steadily closer.
Since the contract magic had worn off, far too many things had assailed me, and to be honest, my mind was in utter confusion. But now I stopped thinking about everything. I focused only on moving forward with Old Man Hinga, taking the utmost care not to stumble even once.
"Oh..."
Old Man Hinga's toes touched the sunlight. Then his white hair, his face, his upper body, and finally his entire body were covered by the morning sun as he leaned forward.
I, too, had not seen the sunrise since coming to this mine. We were higher than the trees because of the slope. Beyond the vast forest, like an ocean of trees, the burning red sun was slowly rising. It dyed the drifting clouds red, brought its life-giving light to the forest, and warmed us where we stood on the ground.
"This body exists to receive punishment, for I committed a sin that cannot be atoned for even by death. Yet I have been granted the great fortune of bathing in sunlight at the end of my life. O omnipotent god who rules over heaven and earth, I pray that you bless this accursed child..."
When I raised my head at those words, which were almost like a prayer and carried a melody, I saw Old Man Hinga smiling at me through his tears. His wrinkled hand rested on my head and gently stroked my hair.
"Reiji, I pray that your life will be filled with happiness."
"...Thank you."
Ah, he was going to die. This man was going to die now.
And yet he had wished for my happiness.
My nose prickled, and warmth welled up behind my eyes, but I clenched my back teeth and forced my emotions down.
The strength left Old Man Hinga's body. Unable to support him, I fell onto my backside. Old Man Hinga collapsed beside me with a heavy thud—he had breathed his last.
I put my hand into the old man's mouth and searched for his back tooth. When I pinched and pulled out the one with a distinctly different texture, a faint blue light leaked from the yellowed false tooth. This must have been the Rinkei Magic Stone Old Man Hinga had mentioned.
I put the false tooth into the leather pouch at my waist. Then I turned the old man's body onto its back and folded his hands over his stomach. I lightly brushed the dirt from his clothes and moved the white hair away from his eyes.
"You may not have thought of yourself that way, but to me, you were without a doubt the teacher of my life in this world. I swear that I will live this life in a way that won't bring shame to you."
I offered a silent prayer.
A bird flew high overhead, and I could hear its call. My body, warmed by the sun, felt pleasantly warm.
——There's a trail of blood. It looks like some slaves escaped uphill.
I heard voices and sensed several people approaching.
I opened my eyes and, rather than retracing my path, slid down the gravel slope. The forest ahead looked as though it would swallow someone like me whole, but I had no intention of ever returning to the mine.