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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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My words seemed to startle the Hero’s Party, but they said nothing more.
“General Leoden, what lies in that direction?”
“That way… hmm. A monster habitat.”
“Then we’ll have to clear a path. Can I leave that to you?”
Surely, he wouldn’t refuse to do anything, right?
General Leoden gave a slight nod.
“It is our duty to apprehend these traitors, and to eliminate the monsters. And,”
He looked directly at the fidgeting Claire.
“The Hero will assist.”
He was basically saying he would keep them off my back. Claire and the others, understanding the implication, looked crestfallen, but…
That wasn’t my problem.
With the tasks assigned, all that remained was to act. I returned to my tent and packed my equipment.
“Ugh, so much stuff.”
I hauled the massive backpack, weapons, armor, and other gear out of the tent. Veronica was waiting for me, leaning against a post, her gaze fixed on the crimson moon. The sight of the silver-haired beauty, bathed in moonlight, was as breathtaking as I remembered from the game.
“What are you doing?”
“Just looking at the moon. By the way, what was that all about earlier?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, don’t you?”
“I do. But it’s a long story.”
“Is that so… Then give me the short version. The Pale Moon hasn’t been summoned yet, has it?”
“Hmm? No. The Pale Moon has probably already been summoned in the Moon Temple, considering the white moon we saw earlier.”
Veronica’s relieved expression hardened. I smiled and patted her on the shoulder.
“…What happens if the Pale Moon is fully summoned?”
“A brief appearance is fine, but if it lingers, the monsters will transform into White Beasts.”
If the White Beasts, already far more powerful than regular monsters, were to continuously multiply under the moonlight,
The danger would be immense. Veronica’s face paled, whiter than the pale moonlight itself.
“W- Wait. What if the moonlight continues to shine? The moon we saw earlier…”
“It’s fine for a short period of time.”
“…What if the Pale Moon remains in the sky for more than a day?”
What would happen?
Game over.
I didn’t answer. Veronica’s expression grew even more grim.
“…We should have finished them off back then.”
Veronica gritted her teeth, clearly recalling the incident in Silver Village.
The reason we couldn’t eliminate all the cultists back then was a lack of manpower. She probably thought we could have succeeded if the Hero’s Party had been there.
“Don’t dwell on it. Defeating the Demon King’s subordinate was the priority at the time.”
“They’re a wicked bunch.”
“No one’s arguing with that.”
Everything in its own time. I tried to calm Veronica down. She sighed, then tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face.
“That’s unexpected. I thought you would blame them too.”
“What’s the point in blaming them? It’s in the past. Let it go.”
I meant it.
My relationship with the Hero’s Party was over. I had no desire to get entangled with them again over old grudges.
I knew they wanted to apologize, to seek my forgiveness.
But why should I accept it?
I just wanted to do what I had to do, complete the achievements, and return to my own world.
“Sometimes, I think you’re a strange person.”
“Wow, only sometimes? I’m so touched, I could cry.”
As I walked towards the edge of the encampment, I spotted a new recruit on the verge of a mental breakdown. He was scratching his arms, on the verge of self-harm. I strummed my lute, playing a calming melody to lower his stress. I felt Veronica’s sharp gaze on me.
“What are you looking at?”
“…Nothing.”
So anticlimactic.
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I wasn’t one to dismiss the adventurers’ abilities, but I had heard that the Moon Temple was a dangerous dungeon.
Considering the Sage’s words had rarely been wrong, this was likely true as well.
So, Leventia left the dejected Claire and cautiously approached him.
To tell him directly.
That if he was going to a dangerous dungeon, she would protect him, just like before.
Of course, he would likely refuse. Hyun-woo only ever deigned to speak with Claire.
But still, Leventia felt she had to try.
Not to earn his forgiveness, but to protect him.
Not to prove her remorse, but out of a genuine desire to help.
As she headed towards Hyun-woo’s tent, a voice, carried on the wind, stopped her in her tracks.
“…We should have finished them off back then.”
It was Veronica’s voice.
Her voice was filled with a clear, unmistakable hostility.
Leventia, recognizing the animosity, bit her lip.
This woman was deeply connected to the reason she felt so intimidated by the Sage.
Veronica, who had stayed behind with the Sage in Silver Village to fight the White Moon Cult, harbored a considerable amount of animosity towards the Hero’s Party.
It was understandable.
To an inquisitor like Veronica, the White Moon Cult, a heretical group that defied the light, was a more important enemy than the Demon King.
So, it was natural for her to resent the Hero’s Party for leaving instead of fighting them.
And…
It was also natural for her to feel a sense of camaraderie with the Sage, who had stayed behind to help the Church, rather than support the Hero’s Party.
Leventia couldn’t bring herself to step out from the shadows.
She couldn’t offer any excuse, any defense, against Veronica’s implied criticism.
This, too, was a consequence of their sins.
Leventia slowly lowered her head.
If only they had been with him back then.
If only they had fought the White Moon Cult instead of chasing after the Demon King’s subordinate.
If only she had felt only admiration for him, like Veronica, instead of jealousy and inadequacy.
It was in the past. Irreversible.
The sharp blade of regret, forged since the Sage’s departure, twisted in Leventia’s heart.
As she clutched her chest, about to turn away,
“Don’t dwell on it. Defeating the Demon King’s subordinate was the priority at the time.”
Hyun-woo’s voice stopped the blade from twisting deeper. Leventia, surprised, looked at him.
‘Why…?’
The fact that Hyun-woo was defending them… Leventia lowered her hand from her chest.
Silently, from the darkness, she watched the Sage, illuminated by the light.
‘Why are you…?’
You should be blaming us.
You should be attacking us.
You’re the one who suffered the most because of our mistakes.
And yet, you’re still…
Leventia, hidden in the shadows, could only watch, like a creature of darkness yearning for the light, as the Sage walked away.
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Wilkers and Lark were already fully armed.
Wilkers, the werewolf shaman boy, wore light armor and a cloak, holding a staff.
Lark, with his ebony lute and a microphone-like device, a bard-specific piece of equipment, hanging at his side.
A special unit had been formed to clear a path to the Moon Temple.
“I’ll join the Church’s forces.”
“Hmm…”
“Why?”
As Veronica was about to leave, I stared at her. She looked slightly uncomfortable under my gaze, then tilted her head.
The night wind rustled her delicate silver hair, revealing her pale face.
“Don’t get hurt.”
“…Hah. Who are you saying that to?”
Veronica turned away abruptly and walked towards her paladins. As she pulled her hood over her head and gripped her mace, three figures approached from the encampment.
“The Hero’s Party is here, so let’s move out. Adjutant, I’m leaving the encampment in your hands.”
“Yes, sir!”
So many preparations. And I had to account for things that weren’t in the game, which was a huge waste of time.
Sigh. If I were going alone, I could just teleport, but I couldn’t with this many people.
“…If I had been there, I could have used Warp.”
Claire muttered regretfully. I shook my head. She looked at me, puzzled.
“There’s no need to blame yourself.”
Even in the game, you couldn’t use Warp to get to the Moon Temple. So, there was no need for Claire to blame herself for something that wasn’t her fault.
At my words, she looked flustered, then lowered her head slightly.
“Th- Thank you.”
“I only ever speak the truth.”
“…You always did…”
“Alright, let’s move out.”
As Claire was about to continue, Veronica called out, her voice slightly louder than usual. I nodded and headed towards the adventurers.
“Wow, this is a little scary.”
“What, are you afraid of monsters? You coward. Don’t you dare sing about death and destruction anymore.”
At my taunt, he narrowed his sharp lizard eyes, then shook his head.
“You really only know what you know, don’t you?”
What was that supposed to mean?
The special unit clearing a path to the Moon Temple encountered no major issues. We were occasionally attacked by monsters, White Beasts, and cultists, but with the unit’s overwhelming strength, their resistance was easily crushed.
“We could have defeated them faster if I played and sang!”
Lark, whom I was in charge of, cried out in frustration. I broke out in a cold sweat.
We were about to reach the Moon Temple. I couldn’t let him demoralize the unit that was supposed to guard the entrance while we were inside.
“Whoa, whoa, maestro. You should rest your voice. The main performance is later.”
“Tsk. A shame.”
He fiddled with his microphone-like device, then lowered his head and muttered,
“Fighting monsters is boring. I wanted to let them hear my song.”
If you sang, I doubt there would be much fighting. Everyone would be trying to kill you.
I just smiled at his overconfidence.
There was no need to crush his morale with a reality check.
I patted his back and headed towards the front of the unit.
“The scouts reported a strange building just over that hill.”
As expected of General Leoden. He had already prepared.
I ran up the hill and saw it.
A white building, guarded by dozens of beasts and cultists.
A grotesque structure, emitting a soft glow, like the moon from my world.
The Moon Temple, the final stage of the “Pale Moon” event.
Once we cleared that, another major task would be complete!
I ran back down the hill. Claire, who had been waiting for me, hesitated, then forced a smile and asked,
“Something good happened? You look happy…”
Good?
Yes.
My escape from this world was proceeding smoothly.
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