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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“…Master, Master!!”
Eilly’s desperate cry echoed through the dungeon’s depths. Her eyes had lost their focus, her mind consumed by a single thought.
‘I have to follow him.’
She gasped for breath and, without a second thought, tried to throw herself into the chasm. It wasn’t just worry or anxiety; her actions held no hesitation, only a grim resolve to face the abyss.
“Wait, no!”
Elisha instinctively reached out, grabbing Eilly’s arm and pulling her back from the edge.
“Let go of me! My Master just fell!”
Eilly’s voice was frantic, her movements wild. Her pupils were dilated, and her breathing was ragged. Like a moth drawn to a flame, she stared only into the chasm below.
“I know, I saw! But if you jump down like this, you’ll—”
“Then why are you stopping me?! We have to save him!”
She struggled desperately, but Elisha held on tight. If she let go, Eilly would surely jump.
Just then, Melina also moved swiftly, grabbing Eilly’s shoulder to restrain her.
“Eilly! Get a hold of yourself!”
But Eilly seemed to have lost her reason, her eyes vacant, filled only with despair and madness, her face a mask of anxiety and desperation.
“How can I be calm?! How can I just stand here when my Master is down there?!”
Her words were like daggers, her desperate cry filled with anguish and anger, and Elisha gritted her teeth.
“Didn’t you hear Melina? Jumping down now is suicide!”
Eilly’s face contorted at those words, her lips trembling, and she finally screamed, unable to contain her emotions.
“Then I’ll die with him…! I’d rather sleep with him in this tomb forever!!”
She thrashed and struggled, trying to break free from Elisha’s grip, but when she couldn’t, she finally burst into tears, her ragged sobs echoing through the dungeon, her frail shoulders shaking violently, tears streaming down her face.
“Eilly…!”
Elisha held her firmly, forcing her to face her. Her own eyes were filled with anxiety, her hands trembling slightly, but she was desperately trying to maintain her composure.
“You can’t go!”
Elisha shouted, her voice filled with a mix of anger and concern. But Eilly, unfazed, glared back, her eyes flashing.
“Why are you stopping me?! I swore to devote my life to my Master!”
“You wouldn’t understand! My desperation! Because you, Lady Elisha, don’t truly love him!”
“Do you think your fake love, a mere act of atonement, can even begin to comprehend my feelings?!!”
Her words were like venom, piercing Elisha’s heart. But Elisha’s wavering resolve quickly hardened.
And then,
Slap—!!
A sharp crack echoed through the air.
“Huh—?”
Eilly stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek, a look of stunned disbelief on her face.
A heavy silence filled the dungeon, the only sound the faint ringing in her ears. A stinging sensation spread across her cheek.
“Ugh… what was that—”
Eilly’s hand trembled as she touched her cheek, and she slowly looked up at Elisha, her eyes filled with confusion and anger.
“Huh……?”
But then, she froze, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
“Ugh.”
Elisha’s face was filled with despair, her eyes, usually so proud and unwavering, now brimming with tears.
“Don’t… speak so carelessly.”
Elisha’s voice was firm, though she was clearly struggling to contain her emotions.
“No matter how loyal you are to your master, no matter how insolent you may be to others… this is wrong.”
She took a deep breath, biting her lip, as if trying to hold back a wave of emotion.
“Fake love?”
Elisha let out a hollow laugh. Her red-rimmed eyes trembled, but her gaze was sharp, piercing through Eilly.
“Nonsense.”
Her voice was low and firm.
“I have also sworn to myself, countless times, to devote my heart to Arnold.”
Eilly flinched, but she continued to glare at Elisha, her emotions still in turmoil.
“And you said not to stop you?”
Elisha smiled bitterly and shook her head, her eyes filled with a mix of pity and sadness.
“To go with him, to die with him…”
She looked at Eilly again, her gaze a mix of anger, disappointment, and a desperate plea.
“Do you think that’s what Arnold would want?”
Eilly was speechless.
“Let’s say you go down there. What then?”
Elisha stepped closer, her voice a low whisper.
“There’s no guarantee you’ll survive. And even if you do, do you really think you’ll be in any condition to fight?”
Eilly couldn’t say a word. Elisha’s words were like daggers, piercing her heart.
“What if Arnold is alive?”
Elisha’s voice was firm.
“Then you’ll be a burden, not a help.”
Eilly’s eyes wavered.
“Do you want to get in his way, driven by your emotions?”
She took a step back and looked at Eilly.
“Then go. Jump! I won’t stop you anymore. Do as you please!”
But this time, Eilly hesitated, her hands trembling, her fists clenched.
“I know how you feel.”
Elisha’s voice softened, her tone heavy with emotion.
“I’m also… terrified at the thought of losing Arnold.”
Her body trembled slightly, but she gritted her teeth, as if trying to hold herself together.
“Melina and Varis feel the same way. But we have to stay calm, now more than ever.”
Elisha looked around and continued,
“Arnold fell deep into the dungeon. We don’t know where he is… but we will find him.”
She clenched her fists, her voice filled with determination.
“We have to find him. We can’t stop here.”
A silence followed. No one spoke.
But then, Eilly covered her face with trembling hands and nodded slowly.
“…Alright. I’ll do that.”
Her voice still trembled, but she was no longer consumed by her emotions.
Elisha nodded slowly.
“Good. And Arnold is not someone who would die so easily.”
Melina also forced a smile and added,
“That’s right. Arnold will survive somehow. He might even conquer the entire dungeon by himself.”
She tried to joke, but her voice was filled with a genuine belief in him.
They were all anxious, but they knew they had to move forward. And they had to find Arnold.
“Yes, let’s go find Master…”
Eilly’s voice still trembled, but there was a new resolve in her eyes. She clenched her hands and took a deep breath, composing herself.
“Alright, since my armor is the thickest, I’ll take the lead.”
Varis said, lightly tapping his armor, his tone heavier and more serious than usual.
The tense atmosphere finally began to ease. They all took a deep breath and were about to move forward to find Arnold when—
“Lady Elisha.”
Eilly suddenly called out to her.
“Yes?”
Elisha stopped and turned around, her expression a mix of exhaustion and tension, but her eyes still held a fierce determination.
“This time… I’ll acknowledge your words.”
Eilly bowed her head. It was an apology, as sincere as her pride would allow.
“And… I’m sorry. I… spoke harshly.”
She added quietly, her demeanor different from before. The usually assertive Eilly was now admitting her mistake.
Elisha watched her silently, a hint of surprise in her eyes. She had only ever seen Eilly as a rival.
“Haa…”
Elisha sighed and looked down for a moment, as if contemplating. Normally, she would have dismissed Eilly’s apology, using it as an opportunity to eliminate a rival.
“…….”
But this was different. There was no reason to bicker now, and perhaps… she understood Eilly. She couldn’t imagine a life without Arnold either.
“Normally, I wouldn’t let an opportunity like this pass by…”
Elisha said with a faint smile.
“But I’ll accept it this time.”
With those words, she turned and followed Varis.
“…Yes.”
Eilly was surprised by her reaction. And she realized her own shortcomings.
She had been too emotional, and Elisha was far more rational than she had thought.
She clenched and unclenched her fists, accepting her weakness and vowing to become stronger.
“Alright, since Arnold and our mentor are gone… let’s be extra careful.”
Varis said, as if to end the dispute.
And so, they began their descent into the darkness, searching for Arnold.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
