Chapter 23. No One Is Born a Hero (9)
“Yes.”
I let Ethan lead and shone the light ahead of him.
On the wall of beasts, slimy organic matter clung to every crevice, wriggling with a foul, damp stench.
Some monsters, crushed beneath the collapsing fragments of the mimic, still twitched and flailed.
They were all a bit larger than ordinary monsters.
‘Still, it seems only a few real Gigantics have crossed over.’
The true ones that would appear later were far larger—massive beyond comparison, like this cave itself.
‘…Would Ethan Behemoth be able to handle them?’
Trying to keep pace with his stride, I took a ragged breath and glanced at Ethan. Despite the horrific scene before him, likely his first, he marched forward unfazed with confident steps.
Thanks to him paving a clear path ahead, following him wasn’t too difficult. But the real struggle lay elsewhere.
‘…Ugh.’
Sweat soaked my back so thoroughly my clothes clung to me.
My hands trembled uncontrollably.
Returning to this place, my mind vividly recalled everything that would happen next. My body reacted violently to the memories.
This was why I wanted to finish this quickly and leave.
Though memories from around my first regression had mostly faded over time, there was one that remained crystal clear, like a flash of lightning.
The moment I was hurled by the shockwave of a thrashing monster and crashed into some cave in the canyon.
It felt like my body had shattered. I couldn’t even open my eyes properly, caked in blood.
Despite how hazy the memory was, it lingered not just because of the pain.
That exact moment was the last when my life had still truly belonged to me.
Yes. I was cursed—here, in a cave just like this—stripped of my life’s meaning.
No way to know how the curse happened or who cast it.
Even before the event unfolded, my body trembled in anticipation of trauma.
My previously injured spine and ankle throbbed with phantom pain.
‘Why now…?’
Mimics, once they’ve absorbed enough nutrients, tend to spit out large indigestible objects first.
‘I had planned to dump all the elixir I got from Ethan Behemoth into the mimic’s mouth.’
Who would’ve known that Limos Therion would shatter the mimic right then? And that I’d get trapped inside with Ethan?
‘…Haa.’
Now my condition was impossible to hide.
Even though Ethan was clearly trying to be considerate, I found it harder and harder to breathe after a few steps, my body growing heavier with fatigue.
That’s what trauma does—it keeps dragging you back to what you want to forget.
I thought I’d had enough time to move past this weakness, but…
“Edith Crowell.”
It seemed Ethan had finally noticed my labored breathing. He stopped in his tracks and turned around.
Startled by his sudden movement, I instinctively stepped back.
But the more I backed away, the closer he stepped forward.
“Are you hurt?”
“…No.”
He reached out silently and touched my forehead. I closed my eyes tightly as his fingers brushed away my sweat-dampened bangs.
‘He figured it out.’
There was only so much I could hide in the darkness.
Would he leave me behind? Tell me to catch up later?
Considering Ethan Behemoth’s personality and how urgent the situation was, that wouldn’t be surprising.
‘Even I would leave me behind.’
So even after he withdrew his hand, I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes.
I kept them tightly shut, swallowing my nausea, when he said something unexpected.
“Get on.”
I opened my eyes.
Ethan Behemoth was crouched in front of me, offering his back.
“…What?”
“I’m not the kind of person to abandon someone just because they’re a burden.”
“Are you saying I’m a burden, then?”
“A little.”
…Normally, people deny it out of politeness.
But oddly, his bluntness made it easier to lean on him.
“Come on. No one leaves their comrade behind.”
…Yeah. I couldn’t keep pushing myself any longer.
The mixture of blood, stone, and that sweet stench in the air was making me dizzy.
“Hurry.”
At his urging, I bit my lip and cautiously climbed onto his back.
Even through several layers of cloth, I could feel his tense, battle-ready muscles.
The heat radiating from his body quickly enveloped mine.
“Wrap your arms around my neck. I’m going to move fast.”
“Yes… Thank you.”
I gathered what little focus I had left to light the path with magic, and rested my forehead on his back.
The dizziness was getting worse.
He must’ve been running fast—my damp hair flew up with the wind, cooling the back of my neck.
‘…So solid…’
As I clung to Ethan Behemoth’s back, that thought slipped through my mind.
He had a wider chest and thicker neck than others his age, so I had to hold on tight to wrap my arms around him.
Even though our bodies were pressed together, I still felt emotionally distant from him. It was a strange feeling.
He, not knowing what I was thinking, murmured softly.
“Lack of honesty always causes problems.”
“…True.”
He didn’t seem to be talking to me, but it still pricked my conscience.
Growl.
Then came a sound I wished hadn’t.
Growl.
It happened twice.
“Got anything to eat?”
There was a brief silence from Ethan before he asked, completely unaware of the awkwardness.
…Should I pretend not to notice?
“Are you hungry?”
“No. Not me. You, Edith.”
Yeah, he definitely lacked tact.
Come to think of it, we hadn’t had a proper meal all this time. I hadn’t eaten since that night when we were preparing camp before everything went to hell.
Still swaying on his back, I carefully opened the pouch on my belt.
‘Ugh.’
The next part was the issue—I couldn’t rummage inside the pouch.
I didn’t dare let go of him while he was sprinting through a cave like this.
If I fell now, he really might leave me behind.
So I unfastened the pouch entirely and handed it to him.
“Can you please pull out anything edible from in there?”
“You really get your mileage out of me, huh.”
“You looked hungry. Take some for yourself, then give me some too.”
“I said I’m not the hungry one, you are.”
“Must you always have the last word?”
“So do you.”
I glared holes into the back of his head.
Ugh, he never lets anything slide.
Eventually, he pulled something from the pouch, took a bite himself, and handed one to me.
“Here.”
“Thanks.”
I squinted through my hazy vision at the item he gave me. A… cookie?
Did I pack cookies?
I was too tired to think straight. I took the cookie and bit into it without hesitation.
Then I realized my huge mistake.
‘…Oh no, this is—’
My brow furrowed.
‘The Headmaster’s Confession Cookie.’
The fog in my mind turned bright red with alarm.
Ethan Behemoth—of all the things in that pouch full of jerky, why did you give me this?
I’d buried that cursed cookie at the very bottom on purpose, just so I wouldn’t accidentally eat it.
Suddenly, I was very, very awake. A different kind of cold sweat ran down my spine.
“…Um.”
“What is it?”
“…Did you eat the cookie?”
‘…He did, right?’
“Was I not supposed to?”
“…No, it’s fine.”
I denied it quickly.
Who knows how he’d react if he found out the cookie had a mind-control spell on it?
He didn’t seem to know—he was chewing it calmly, not spitting it out…
“……”
My hair stood on end.
Suppressing the magic like a bitter taste on my tongue, I shut my eyes tight.
Why hadn’t I remembered?
Was I completely out of my mind?
I wanted to punch the mimic in the face—if it had one—for messing with my head.
‘…I just won’t say anything.’
As long as I kept my mouth shut, everything would be fine.
Even if Ethan was under a truth-compulsion spell, it would be okay as long as I didn’t ask him anything.
He was always dangerously honest anyway—a walking truth bomb.
Besides, I didn’t want to know any of Ethan Behemoth’s weaknesses.
If I heard them, I’d be responsible!
But life never goes the way I want it to.
“Edith.”
‘Damn it!’
Ethan Behemoth finally spoke.
