Whoosh—!
Thwack!
"Kieeeek—!!"
The grey rat monster, the size of a retriever, was split in half by the swung sword.
Its insides spilled out, bleeding profusely. Soon, it turned to dust and vanished, leaving only a magic stone behind.
"Hoo… I'll end up gathering a ton of magic stones like this."
I had currently searched the entire central part of the dungeon and was now checking the side paths that branched off like roots from the center.
And the path I was currently checking soon reached a dead end.
'Not here either….'
Based on my experience from the 4th run and my knowledge of the original story, Chris was probably still in place. Since she wasn't moving, there was no chance of us missing each other just because I was wandering around.
But it was a notoriously large beginner dungeon.
'Even finding her is a chore.'
It wasn't easy to search for her while defeating monsters in this vast place, which was already wide enough just for walking around.
After wandering around for a long time, checking yet another dead-end side path, I returned to the central area.
"Uwaaaah—!! Scary scary scary—!!"
In the distance, I saw a student, startled, rushing out from a side path.
"...What is it?"
It was a rather chubby, bespectacled student who looked quite timid.
He frantically ran towards the exit, and sensing something unusual, I rushed to him and called out.
"Hey!"
"Uh, huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"Th-there's a gh-ghost inside!"
"...A ghost?"
"I hate undead—!!"
The student, having briefly explained, then ran towards the exit without looking back.
'A ghost….'
I watched the fearful student's retreating back intently, then a thought suddenly struck me, and I looked towards the path he had come from.
'This is it…!'
It seemed I had found Chris after all.
…
She hated dark places. She hated dark, enclosed spaces even more.
That's why Chris had always avoided such places.
Being in such a place brought back the memory of the closet from her childhood.
Before sleeping, she always lit a candle and never drew the curtains.
And so, she hugged her knees and wept.
"U-ugh…, h-huh…, Mom…"
She mumbled the name of the person she longed to see.
It was the year she turned ten. Born the daughter of an ordinary farmer, she was helping her parents finish work that day too.
Rumble rumble rumble—!
Then, the ground began to rumble.
'Oh, is it an earthquake…?'
She remembered her mother, who was beside her, murmuring that as she held Chris close in her skirt.
But it wasn't. It wasn't an earthquake, but vibrations created by humans. It was an earthquake-like tremor caused by countless humans rushing towards the city where she was.
'Kyaaaaah—!!'
A moment later, as the truth became clear, faint screams could be heard all around.
And Chris's parents, who were by her side, threw down the loads they were carrying and scooped her up.
'Honey—!'
'Get Chris to a safe place—! Quickly—!!'
Other people were no different from her parents. Everyone ran to their homes and began to look after their families.
The mothers hugged their children close. The fathers picked up anything that could be used as a weapon.
'Mom….'
'Stay here. Don't ever come out.'
'Mooom….'
'You must never come out until Mom comes back!'
Her mother hid Chris in the closet in her room, and then.
'Honey—!!'
She ran to her husband.
'...'
And so, Chris was left alone in the closet, beginning to tremble with fear.
Even ten-year-old Chris realized that what was happening now was dangerous.
This was war. A matter of people dying and killing.
'Hng, ugh…. Mom…'
She hid in the darkness of the closet as her mother had instructed, keeping her voice low and just waiting.
Tears flowed down, and a desire to rush out welled up, but she tried her best to hold it back.
She waited for her parents. Just endlessly.
And then.
'Kyaaaaaaah—!!' 'Hiiik—!'
Outside, countless screams began to be heard.
Thud! Crash! Bang!
'Waaah—.'
The sound of things breaking and a child's cry.
'Please…! Just one more time…!'
And the sound of someone begging for mercy reached even inside the closet where Chris was.
She hated dark places.
But in that moment, she instinctively realized that this place, where at least the hell outside was not visible, was safe.
'Mom….'
So she listened to the screams, smelled the blood, and waited, holding her breath.
The screams that seemed like they would last forever gradually faded, and it became quiet outside, as if everyone had fallen asleep.
However, her mother did not come for her. Because she had clearly told her not to come out until she returned.
'Hng, ugh, huh…'
Chris waited for her mother inside the closet, holding back her ceaseless tears.
Thump, thump…. Creak….
'Survivors?'
'…It seems there are none.'
'Rescue is the priority. Search thoroughly.'
Then, voices of people were heard inside her house, which had been so quiet.
Unfamiliar voices she had never heard before.
'...'
Then Chris covered her mouth with her slender hands, struggling to suppress any sound.
'...'
Just for them to pass quickly. To pass, and for her to somehow meet her mother.
She prayed and prayed, enduring in the darkness.
And then.
Creak….
The closet door, which she had been told never to open, opened.
'...Hng.'
'It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you.'
That was the moment Chris met her second mother.
She had never seen this woman before, but she looked kindly at Chris and carefully picked her up.
Afterward, Chris confirmed her parents' bodies.
Her father's throat had been slit while he held a farm tool. Her mother had died with arrows piercing her, embracing her father like that.
'Want to come with me?'
'...'
Chris, who now had nowhere to go. The woman who found her ended up taking her.
Ironically. That woman was a mercenary.
"Mom…"
The dungeon forcibly dragged out Chris's old memories. It threw her back into that closet from that time.
Once inside the closet, her courageous self vanished, and she reverted to the weak, insignificant ten-year-old girl.
And so, Chris hugged her knees and simply sobbed, shedding tears.
Again, just like back then. Waiting for the mother who had told her never to come out.
And then.
"Haa… I found you…"
"...."
That day. Just like her adoptive mother who had taken her out of that closet. Someone reached out a hand to her from the darkness.
"...."
"Are you okay?"
Calluses that had formed not long ago. Some parts were cracked and wounded, showing how roughly they had been used.
The girl remembered whose hand this was.
"...E-Emil."
Only then did Chris lift her head and look at him, who was, for some reason, in front of her.
Emil Tier. The male student who had recently asked her to teach him swordsmanship, even taking blows from her.
He took a deep, tired breath.
Then he smiled faintly and arbitrarily grabbed her arm, pulling her up.
Just like the new mother who had taken her out of the closet.
"Let's go back."
At that, Chris's surroundings returned to the original dungeon scenery.
…
I walked through the dungeon, holding Chris's hand.
The reason I had to hold her hand was simple. Because she wouldn't let go.
"W-wait…, a little slower…"
"Ah, okay."
As I had felt in the 4th run, Chris was incredibly helpless inside the dungeon.
Whoosh—! "Screech—!"
"It's over, Chris."
"...."
If a monster appeared halfway, she would sink down again, squeezing her eyes shut. And when the battle ended, she would grasp my hand tightly again and cling to my arm.
'Even after clearing this once, I just can't get used to it.'
Chris's trembling, conveyed through my arm, showed me how terrified she was.
As much as she was usually fierce and confident.
"D-don't let go…"
Her clinging figure looked even more fragile.
'War must be something like this.'
Feeling the warmth of Chris clinging to my side, I recalled her background.
Chris Belmore. She lost her parents in a war and became the adopted daughter of a mercenary group leader who participated in that war.
Fortunately, the mercenary who adopted her was not an enemy soldier who attacked her city, but an ally who sided with the city.
Therefore, Chris's background was that she had been part of the mercenary group since childhood and grew up on the battlefield.
For reference, it was originally the role of her fiancé, Edric, to save her when she fell into a panic during this dungeon event.
And slowly, as feelings began to develop for Edric, who saved her, it became the catalyst for Chris to become Sierra's rival.
I utilized that setting for my plan. It was the same with Mari; I intervened at the timing when they were realizing their love.
Of course, I felt no guilt. They were heroines who would be abandoned anyway.
If they were going to be abandoned, I wanted to step in and make them happy.
'Though I didn't expect to be betrayed later.'
I glanced.
I looked at Chris, who was clinging to my side, walking precariously.
Unlike her usual courageous self, she was a cowering, shriveled figure.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and her face was ghastly pale, making her look like a child who had just watched a horror movie.
As I walked for a while with her clinging to my arm.
"Oh, you're out. I was worried since you hadn't come out for so long."
We were able to exit through the dungeon's entrance. Unlike the dark dungeon, bright sunlight shone on me as I stepped outside.
And a professor, waiting at the exit, greeted us.
"Huh…? Is that child hurt anywhere?"
He expressed his confusion upon seeing Chris clinging to my side.
And Chris, receiving my gaze and the professor's, then.
"Eh, …ah, ah! No! …I'm fine."
As she came into the bright light, she seemed to come to her senses, blushing as she detached herself from my arm.
Afterward, as we moved together to the waiting area, I chuckled.
"What is it…? Why are you laughing…."
"No, it's just funny. …You have a cute side, Chris."
"Kuhhh—!"
At my teasing, Chris blushed and bowed her head, then quickly walked past me.
Just when I thought she was leaving without a word.
She stopped dead.
Stopping in front of me, she remained still with her head bowed for a moment, then.
"...E-Emil."
"Hm?"
Chris, with a deeply flushed face, slowly turned her head. She glanced at me, then.
"...Thank you."
"...."
Leaving just that one word of thanks, she scurried away.