LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 69
Chapter 69
“Neil! Respond! What you witnessed…”
The plea echoes, but silence follows.
“Enough! Please, stop, Lord Scala! The investigator is in critical condition.”
A voice of reason amidst the chaos, yet the tension remains.
“This… this…”
The one-eyed wolf, Scala, paces with fury, his presence as commanding as ever.
In a makeshift berth, Neil lies motionless.
“How does it look?”
The question hangs in the air, unanswered.
“It’s… well…”
The cleric speaks, concern lacing his words.
“We’re focusing our healing powers, but something’s off.”
“…What do you mean ‘off’?”
A frown forms, seeking clarity.
“The healing won’t penetrate. Despite the grievous wounds that should render him immobile, he’s rejecting the healing…”
“Why would that be?”
Questions swirl, seeking the elusive truth.
“I’m not sure… It could be a less severe injury than it appears, though that seems unlikely… Or perhaps, the mysterious force that struck the investigator is hindering the healing.”
Scala nods, considering the cleric’s analysis.
“I’ve never heard of the former… The latter seems more plausible. Neil, are you conscious?”
A groan is the only reply.
“…It’s fine, as long as he’s alive.”
Scala had dispatched Neil and his team to pursue a horde of unidentified beasts during the Urea subjugation.
Among the beasts, humans were discovered, some of whom had infiltrated their ranks.
“…You must be heartbroken. I understand.”
Scala trusted Neil and his team.
Neil, his seasoned disciple, whose skills earned Scala’s rare praise, was a natural choice to lead the pursuit.
In a moment of crisis, Scala believed it was the best decision.
But…
“To think everyone else would be annihilated…”
The remaining team was split; half to deal with the aftermath of the fallen Urea, the other to support the pursuers.
– Lord Scala! Over here…!
Hell had descended upon that place.
The great forest was ablaze, bodies strewn about, bleeding out.
– Ugh… What in the… What the hell…!
The sight forced many to expel the contents of their stomachs, so gruesome was the scene.
– Their skins… They’ve been flayed.
– It’s the investigation team! The flayed ones are ours! Look for the insignia!
Scala, driven by raw emotion, rushed to the site.
“Is Neil… Is Neil there too?”
– Found him! Over here…
– Ugh…
“You…”
– Master…
With a thud, Neil collapsed, but he was alive.
“…Neil!”
For Scala, Neil’s survival was a small mercy. Losing his disciple to a misjudgment would have shattered him.
And so, the situation had come to this.
The pursuit was halted.
“Heave… Heave…”
“How do you fare?”
“Master…”
“…What of the fiends’ identity?”
“…”
“You couldn’t find out.”
Scala closed his eyes.
“Ha… The association will have my head for this, won’t they?”
“…No one will blame you, Master.”
“The elders may think differently. What could have led to this disaster?”
“Do not pursue them, Master.”
“…Why do you say that?”
“There’s been… too much death.”
“We haven’t even a trace of those responsible. Now that I know you’re safe, we’ll resume the chase soon.”
“Master…”
Time was already slipping away.
With Neil’s safety confirmed, they should have resumed the pursuit immediately, but Neil’s grave injuries held them back.
“Lord Scala!”
A call for Scala came from outside the tent.
“…Focus on your recovery.”
With those words, Scala left Neil’s side.
Rumble…
Scala looked to the sky, murmuring,
“Looks like rain is coming.”
A scout approached.
“What’s the matter?”
“We’ve found another survivor.”
“…What? Is that true? One of ours?”
“An investigator found near the cliff. But… the injuries are severe.”
Scala clenched his teeth.
“…Flayed?”
“Part of the face…”
“Can they speak?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll see them myself. Lead the way.”
“Right.”
Scala entered a newly erected tent. Inside, a woman, her face half-wrapped in bandages, cried out in agony.
“Ahhhh… It hurts…!”
“Calm down, just for a moment…”
“It hurts! Damn it all… I’ll kill them all!”
Scala listened to her screams.
“Haa… Haa…”
“Have you calmed down?”
“Scala… please… Kill the one who did this to me…”
“…”
“Please…”
“You were with Neil. I have questions. Can you tell me what happened there?”
The woman clutched her head, tormented by the memories, the pain on her face intensifying with each recollection.
“Masked ones… They blocked the investigation team and the pursuers. A leader appeared, and then… the investigation team…”
“That’s something Neil didn’t mention.”
“…Neil?”
A whisper in the dark, a name called out in hope.
“Yes. The only survivors of the ordeal are you and him.”
A statement heavy with the weight of unsaid truths.
“What are you talking about? What in the world…?”
Dread begins to seep in, an ominous premonition.
“Neil is dead.”
A declaration, and with it, a heart sinks.
Boom!
The sky roars in agreement, lightning cleaves the heavens.
“You must be mistaken…”
Denial in the face of an unbearable reality.
“The one named Balphus, hidden among the punitive force… The one Neil loathed… I saw with my own eyes, he killed Neil!”
A thunderous claim, disbelief meets truth.
“Lies!”
Scala, driven by urgency, races to the tent where the injured Neil was last seen.
Drip… Drip…
The makeshift bed is empty, and the cleric who tended to Neil lies slain, a silent victim of a sudden attack.
Traces…
A clue is found.
Flash!
Scala follows the trail, desperate for answers.
“I need to hear it from Neil himself, revived from death’s grasp. Only then can this burning heart find solace.”
The storm outside mirrors the turmoil within.
Crack… Drip… Drop…
Rain falls, as if the heavens weep.
The trail leads to a cliffside, skirting a ravine. No soldiers were stationed there, a potential threat overlooked.
And there, Neil stands, turning to face Scala.
Scala, drenched by the rain, asks,
“Who are you?”
“Your question is flawed. I am no one.”
“…A doppelgänger?”
Neil smiles.
“Correct.”
“Do you serve them? Why would a monster…?”
“I served them once. Perhaps not anymore.”
The tables turn, and the doppelgänger poses a question.
“But isn’t there something else you’re more curious about?”
“…Is Neil dead?”
The wounds on Neil’s face heal seamlessly.
“I don’t know, but… he’s probably dead.”
Scala feels his heart sinking into the mud, hardening, perhaps never to beat again.
Yet, amidst the despair, a realization dawns.
“I see… You came here to hold me back.”
“…”
“To buy time for a retreat… Bold move.”
Even enemies can earn respect.
“I must go now.”
“Today…”
Thunder!
The rain pours…
“I will never forget today. Please, be alive.”
The figure with Neil’s face spreads his arms and falls backward into the ravine.
“If fortune favors.”
Splash!
Scala’s halberd delivers a parting gift, piercing Mori’s chest. In this downpour, chasing down the swollen ravine would invite another disaster.
He stands there for a while, motionless.
Until his frozen heart begins to beat once more.
“Lord Scala! You’re here!”
“…”
“Scala… Lord?”
“Listen, from now on, wait here for the association’s support in analyzing Urea. Do nothing, and let no one die.”
“And you, Lord Scala?”
Thunder!
“I will pursue them.”
* * *
The rain lashes down, relentless, as the sound of crackling firewood fills the air.
Bill, leaning heavily against me, has been my crutch for what feels like an eternity.
‘Have I lost consciousness again…?’
It wasn’t sleep that claimed me, but a faint from exhaustion.
“Heave… Heave…”
As awareness returns, I realize this isn’t the rhythmic rocking of rest. There’s a murky heaviness to Bill’s breaths.
He’s injured.
“Bill.”
“I’m sorry… There’s a problem… Ugh…”
“Get down.”
“But…”
“You’ve done enough. I can move now. It’s okay, get down.”
It’s partly bravado.
Combat is out of the question; I can barely move as it is.
The ground feels damp, cool, and heavy under my feet as I dismount.
“Bill, your injury?”
“I apologize…”
“I’m not scolding you. I just want to know the situation.”
“…It’s the investigation team. They’re approaching.”
“I see.”
The bridge is still far off.
Hope for rescue is slim. If Amon were able to send help, he would have done so by now. He did send Mori and Bill, after all.
The lack of further assistance likely means they have their own troubles to deal with.
“Here, blood! They’re nearby!”
Flash!
These aren’t the foes we’ve faced before.
Likely the ones who pursued us after Urea fell.
Even in peak condition, victory wasn’t assured; now, we’re at our worst.
“How close are we?”
“We’re nearing the abandoned ruins by the bridge.”
That’s somewhat encouraging.
The rain continues to pour…
If it keeps up, any traces of us will be washed away.
“Haah… Haah…”
“…We’re here.”
The ruins of a village, now one with the forest, come into view.
‘This is my limit.’
Bill seems to agree, nodding as our eyes meet.
We must take refuge in the ruins to recover, even if only for an hour. That should be enough to make it to the bridge.
Creak…
“Haah… Haah…”
“Ugh…”
“Stop the bleeding, Bill.”
Fortunately, among the supplies we carried were items to aid in clotting.
“Thank you.”
“Do you think we can escape?”
“…It seems difficult at the moment.”
The rain continues to fall…
We sit in the dilapidated house, listening idly to the rain.
Crack!
A distant sound of destruction reaches us.
“The investigators have arrived.”
“They seem intent on searching every inch of the ruins.”
“At least the rain is on our side.”
“Lighting a fire would be futile now.”
…Is this the end?
Both Bill and I know.
If we encounter the investigation team in this state, our long escape will come to an abrupt end.
It feels like we’ve tried everything. Crawling, being carried, we’ve come a long way.
My hand rests on the hilt at my waist.
‘If I swing with all my might one last time… I might take down at least one…’
Then,
Thunder!
…Click.
A sound almost masked by the thunder.
‘Investigators!’
If the door opens, I’ll draw my sword.
If luck is on my side and there’s only one near the door, I’ll cut them down and escape…
Creak…
“Hello?”
“…You.”
“The rain’s heavy, huh. Mind if I come in?”
“Pio?”
Encountering a ghost in these ruins wouldn’t have been as surprising. The man trudges in and sits on a crumbling chair.
It’s Pio.
“Are you here to kill me?”
“Huh? Why would I?”
He pulls out a small statue from his belongings.
“Look at this, a fire spirit statue that lessens the cold. Isn’t it fascinating?”
“…”
“Want to buy it?”
I have no need for such a thing.
As I shake my head, he pulls out another item.
“How about this? A firework that shoots into the sky and explodes loudly, can be used as a flare. Though it often… well, frequently fails to ignite.”
Why is he showing me these things? Why has he appeared here? It’s all a mystery.
A mystery without a clue…
“Tell me what you want, I sell everything you could desire.”
“…What?”
“Just say it. Whatever you want, I’ll sell it.”
For the first time, a clue to the mystery is offered. A decisive, shocking… clue.
Tell me what you want, I sell everything you could desire.
“You’re not Pio, are you?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Your name.”
“Ah! You mean my name? Isn’t it the same for you?”
“…I’m Faust.”
“That’s a good name. To finally hear a friend’s real name, I’m glad I came here.”
Pio… no, the one who has baffled me, his real name is…
“My real name is Memphir.”
The final boss of Episode 4, the dark merchant Memphir.
“I’ll buy.”
“Good, what shall I sell you?”
What I need most right now.
“Tomorrow.”
“What? Hahahahaha!”
Memphir laughs maniacally.
“Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
The investigators seem to be gathering, drawn by the sound.
“Over there!”
“I heard it too!”
Memphir’s expression fades.
“It’ll be expensive, won’t it?”
Thud…
I hand him a pouch brimming with gold coins.
“It’s not enough. You’re short.”
That can’t be.
“You said you’d give me a discount.”
It’s a deal, I’ll give you a discount on anything you buy from me in the future!
Thump!
Memphir slaps his forehead with his palm.
“I forgot!”