Chapter 35
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Chapter 35
If she came after me alone, I might let it slide. But if she threatened those around me, I would never forgive it.
'If necessary, I'll draw my blade as many times as it takes. Losing people around me once was enough. I won't lose anyone again.'
Echinacea stared at Ian Peletro's corpse with cold eyes before turning away. No regret. No pity. This wasn't catharsis—it was a judgment that I could no longer leave him be. I hadn't been swayed by the Demonic Sword's bloodlust.
The desire to keep my hands clean in this new life paled in comparison to my resolve to protect those precious to me. The years I'd spent to save them had been anything but gentle, and I had only one chance.
As I turned to leave, there was no hesitation in my stride.
I retrieved the sword I'd thrown aside earlier and picked up the lantern beside me. Next, I pulled out flint and a bottle of lamp oil. Since this had been my own tent, I knew its layout well. I poured the oil throughout the interior, then lit the candle inside the lantern.
I then pushed back the tent flap and surveyed the outside. The number of shadow soldiers had decreased significantly. The monsters had grown so massive that I now had to crane my neck to look up at them. Baraha Islaf remained in that same spot.
I steadied my breathing and moved my mana core. My body slipped silently from the tent. In that same instant, I hurled the lantern toward the structure. Glass shattered loudly, and the flames inside spread to the tent in moments.
Kiiiiiii!
The nearby monsters turned their attention to the loud sound and roaring fire. Emitting cries like nails scraping metal, they moved toward the blaze. While the creatures were distracted by the burning tent, I crossed the swamp undetected.
Baraha Islaf's tent wasn't far. The moment I arrived, I entered without hesitation. As I stepped inside, a massive hand suddenly seized my collar and slammed me against a tent pole. A blade descended toward my neck before jerking away in shock.
"...Echinacea Loaz?"
His yellow eyes widened in recognition. I could have dodged, but I'd let myself be caught deliberately. I greeted him calmly.
"Hello, Baraha Islaf."
"What are you doing here...?"
"Could you let me go first?"
"Oh, ah, sorry."
Baraha Islaf, muttering in a daze, suddenly realized and removed his arm that had been pinning me down. I straightened my wrinkled collar and examined him.
"Are you hurt?"
"That's just a scratch. Wait, how did you know?"
"I saw it happen right in front of me."
"Right... But why are you in here?"
"I ended up getting swallowed. Ian Peletro came in with me, but I'm not sure where he is now."
I lied without hesitation. At the mention of Ian Peletro, Baraha Islaf laughed wickedly, baring his teeth.
"That bastard can die for all I care... No, forget it. Don't worry about him, Echinacea. He'll manage on his own. We don't have time to search for him anyway."
"Understood."
Baraha Islaf was no saint, and he had no reason to search for the man who'd stabbed him and pushed him into the Nodule. I nodded obediently. Baraha Islaf touched his lips thoughtfully, then spoke slowly.
"Anyway... you stay hidden here for now. From what I've observed, it shouldn't be too dangerous until all the shadow soldiers are consumed."
"What about you?"
"There's no food in this tent. I'm going to check the other tents. We'll need supplies if we're going to last long."
"Have you ever been inside the Nodule before?"
"No. But I know that if we just endure inside here until the Nodule disappears, we can get out."
Baraha Islaf spoke gruffly while looking outside, then suddenly turned back to me. He took a breath and spoke with firm resolve.
"Don't worry. We'll make it out of here alive."
Tension was evident on his face as he said this. He didn't reveal that fear. Instead, wanting to reassure me, he offered a slight smile. I looked up at him quietly and asked softly.
"Can we really survive in here?"
"Of course. If you're anxious, trust me. I can look after a small junior like you."
Baraha Islaf spoke in a cheerful tone and gently patted my head. His hand was very large and warm.
[I wonder if he realizes who'll end up protecting whom. He's quite something too.]
The Demonic Sword grumbled, but I allowed myself a faint smile. I was grateful for his concern.
"Thank you, Senior."
"Don't mention it. Just rest easy and wait. I'll be back in no time."
Baraha Islaf nodded with a smile, then began searching through the Tent Camp for a sack to carry provisions. I watched him and considered my options.
'So, what should I do?'
Before, I had swept through the interior of the Nodule and waited for it to naturally dissipate before escaping. Afterward, while investigating the Nodule, I had uncovered clues about how to escape it. Of course, that had been merely theoretical—I had no certainty it would actually work.
'Come to think of it, I remember those materials also contained speculations about the conditions that create a Nodule. Well, I'll think about that later.'
"Senior."
"Hmm?"
I called out to Baraha Islaf, who was preparing to leave the Tent Camp. I spoke with visible hesitation.
"The truth is, I've always been quite interested in Nodules. So I read some related books before."
"Really? Do you know something?"
Baraha Islaf's eyes brightened. I nodded.
"It was presented only as a hypothesis, but apparently Nodules have a starting point—the point where the wound began when Rakia Giosha carved through space."
"I see."
"The book argued that the Nodule's starting point would be the location still connected to the world. Nodules are separated from the world, but they're not completely severed, are they? They return to normal after a certain time passes."
"That's certainly true."
"If we consider the Nodule's return as the wound carved by Rakia Giosha healing, then wouldn't the starting point heal last? Therefore, the starting point would be closest to the original world."
"...That makes sense. If it heals last, that means it touches the world first, and if that's the case...."
"Yes. If we find the starting point, couldn't we escape the Nodule through it?"
"That's a good idea. I'm not sure if the starting point will be passable, but it's worth investigating. Even if we just endure, the Nodule should open from that point...."
Baraha Islaf rubbed his chin thoughtfully. I prayed that the book's speculation was correct. Otherwise, I would have no choice but to sweep away the monsters and then endure, which would require me to expend mana. With his abilities, surviving in this Nodule would be impossible.
"The problem is how to find that starting point."
"Did you happen to see the Nodule forming?"
"No, by the time I heard the emergency bell and came out, it had already swollen. But it seemed to start from the empty space at the center of the Camp. So...."
"Then there's a high probability the starting point is nearby."
I picked up the thread of conversation. Life returned to Baraha Islaf's eyes.
"Right. Echinacea, if we escape from here, it'll be all thanks to you."
He gave my back a light pat. In his excitement, he hadn't controlled his strength well, and I stumbled forward slightly. I could have dodged it, but I took the hit—and it actually hurt. When I shot him a reproachful look, Baraha Islaf awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"Ah, sorry about that. I got a bit carried away."
"It's fine. Let's just find that starting point."
I rubbed my back and headed toward the entrance of the Tent Camp. Baraha Islaf alternated his gaze between my retreating figure and his own hand. My back was remarkably narrow. The rain-soaked dress clinging to me made me appear even more delicate. Yet when he had touched me just now, I was not trembling. Baraha Islaf couldn't suppress the sudden surge of emotion and called out to me.
"Echinacea."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you afraid?"
I turned to face him. I sensed the anxiety weighing on him. I wanted to reassure him, just as he had tried to reassure me. I smiled softly.
"You said you'd protect me, didn't you?"
My voice was steady, my expression gentle. For a moment, Baraha Islaf's composure wavered. I stepped closer to him and grasped his collar. My gloved hand was so small compared to his. Without hesitation, I pulled him forward.
"I'll trust you and feel at ease, so please trust me too. Let's get out of here together."
Baraha Islaf was drawn along by me toward the entrance. He stared blankly at the pale pink crown of her head, far below his own. And he answered quietly.
"...Yes. Let's go together, Echinacea."
They slipped through the canvas flap of the tent together.
The shadow soldiers had dwindled to the point of being nearly impossible to spot. Colossal monsters prowled across the ground, which was saturated with crimson liquid. Each time their massive feet shifted, ripples spread across the viscous pool beneath them. Guttural growls, sounds like metal scraping against steel, and piercing shrieks echoed from every direction.
Among those monsters, I recognized not a single one by name. There were no creatures that appeared to be of the same species. Each was grotesquely unique in its own way. After all, these weren't truly monsters in the conventional sense—they were anomalies born from within the Nodule itself, so it was only natural.
Yet these strange things shared a common trait: even the smallest of them towered to the height of a two-story building, and it seemed unlikely that two Squires without access to mana could overcome any of them.
"It doesn't look like we'll be able to pass through easily. There aren't many shadow soldiers left."
I whispered. Baraha Islaf, whose expression had been somewhat vacant, snapped to attention at my words. He surveyed the outside, then furrowed his brow.
"True enough. Plenty of them wandering about with no prey to hunt."
"Wait a moment."
I turned back and rummaged through the tent. Regardless of whose tent it was, flint and lamp oil were essentials—they had to be here somewhere. I quickly located an oil bottle and a container of flint.
"What are you planning?"
"Most monsters show interest when they see fire. They know humans gather around flames."
I answered Baraha Islaf's question while grabbing a bedsheet. I drew my sword and sliced it into long strips.
"Senior, could you bundle these up and soak them in the oil?"
"So you're using them as bait."
"Yes."
Baraha Islaf began bundling the cloth scraps I cut and soaking them in oil. He added miscellaneous items like coins and buttons for weight. As he stuffed the cloth bundles into a sack he'd brought for carrying provisions, he asked me a question.
"Where did you learn something like this?"
"The knights of my house used to do this during their travels."
"Surprising. It's the kind of improvisation mercenaries typically employ."
"Is that so? I wouldn't know much about that."
I felt a twinge of guilt. The truth was, I'd learned this technique by watching mercenaries employ it. Baraha Islaf didn't press the matter further.
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