∼ Day 17 ∼

‹ Elias ›

Walking out of the guild master's tent, we all share the same despondent and tired look on our faces.

After searching through most of the glades for multiple days, we haven't found a single trace of the sanguinite hive or queen. This makes no sense as there should be positively swarming with the little buggers by now.

"Seriously, this is sooo exhausting! We've already wasted so many days being "guides", and there's no sign of these stupid fucking bugs..." - Me

"Urgh, shut it, Elias." - Darshan

I simply slouch in despondence at everything we're being put through.

"Cheer up kiddo' it shouldn't take much longer." -Yrmel

Hearing the words from Yrmel, I couldn't help but perk up with a bit of a more cheerful expression on my sour face.

While it's already bad that this wonderful girl is my friend's woman, it doesn't help the fact that I'm madly in love with her... I can't help but feel like a puppy around her...

While Darshan doesn't realize this since he's literally as dense as a brick, I had already revealed how I feel to directly her. But I was only shot down in a rather depressing matter...

She said only saw me like the goofy little brother, which only stung my heart even more than her initial rejection. I've thought about leaving the group, but I'm too pathetic to leave as I'm still head over heels for her...

I shake the thoughts about our sad party dynamics by leaving the party to discuss with each other as I walk over to the campfire for some grub. Sitting down heavily on one of the wooden makeshift benches and call out for Henry.

"Yo Henry! Can a weary fella get something in his stomach?" - Me

A long moment passes with no response. Looking up and around, I fail to spot Henry anywhere in the camp. Spotting the apparently unattended cauldron of stew over the campfire, I wonder where the hell he could've gone.

I go over the boiling cauldron and move the lid. But I only curse as most of the food had been overcooked. Seriously where the hell had he gone?

Henry was one of the strongest members of the extermination squad and he was also a killer cook, so he stood for feeding everyone.

But what was really weird here was the fact that Henry treated cooking even more important than he did his own life when fighting. So how the hell could've he had let this food spoil, just like that.

A thing like wasting good cooking or spoiling it was basically like sacrilege to that old geezer, which is something I had found out the hard way.

While I doubted that anything other than the monster, Lily the guild master, could defeat that man one on one, there must be something wrong.

As I was about to go over and tell Lily about the missing Henry, I heard a noise over by the foliage of the treeline. Against all better judgment, I decide to go over and check.

But as soon as I part the bushes I meet gazes with a pair of eery blood-red eyes. Before I could scream for help, I felt a slight sting on my neck that made sure I couldn't.

Before I can even make a sound, my entire body lost mobility and I'm was now being dragged into the foliage without even being able to resist.

I try with my entire being to move my body or produce a sound. But it's to no avail. No matter how much I struggled, I simply couldn't get my body to listen to my brain.

Feeling my skin chafe under the dirt and gravel as I'm dragged across the earth, I wince internally.

I try to get a better look at my assailant. But I could only catch small glances of what seemingly was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy dragging me by my ankle.

But those deep crimson eyes and odd features led me to believe that definitely was no child. This was a monster. I've never ever seen anything like those creatures before, not even in the guild's bestiary for the common adventures. In the surroundings, there should be no such creature.

Once I started to regain my ability to command my body I became immensely happy but that lasted only a few seconds as the monster-boy-thing nicked my skin once again. Immediately making my body tensed up as I once again lost all control.

I screamed internally in both panic and despair. I did not want to die here, I was too young, I've yet to accomplish anything, I'm even still a virgin for fuck's sake!

Before whatever had paralyzed me started wearing off once again, we had already traveled quite far from the camp so screaming wouldn't even help.

Despair consuming my mind, I begin to sob with what little facial movement I've regained.

"(Sob) P-plesh, d-d-don't (Sob) ki- meh..." - Me

I only managed to get out a few broken words as I've yet to gain back full control of both my mouth and vocal cords. But the creature definitely heard me as it looked back at me with it's cold and red eyes.

His gaze seemed to pierce my soul which made every single hair on my body stand on end. Hearing his voice did not help in any sort of way. It was eery and it an uncanny feeling of not being entirely human. It was only successful in making my skin crawl.

"Shut up. Die you might not" - ???

While I had begged through my sobs for it not to kill me, I had not expected it to be either able to talk or even talk in Mordrian. Although a little broken in structure and pronunciation, the intent was easily conveyed.

But something weird happened when it spoke. Some of the creatures killing intent leaked into its voice, and that distinct aura he released somehow gave me deja vu... but I simply couldn't put my finger on why though.

Cresting a large tree, my eyes caught the unconscious form of Henry slumped against that tree.

"H-Henry!" - Me

I blurted out his name. But that was obviously a bad move as the creature hauling me along shot me a deadly glare. I didn't need any more prompting as the cold sweat glistening on my body was more than enough to wisely help me shut my stupid mouth.

Propping me against the tree next to the unconscious Henry, the boy-monster-thing crouched in front of us both. Suddenly the monster slapped the face of Henry quite hard which made him promptly wake up.

He takes a few moments to wake up from his sudden daze, and clear the pain from his face from the obvious injured riddling his body. But when he finally focused on the form of the monster and me, panic and dread filled his eyes.

"Ah, shit. Elia-" - Henry

He was suddenly cut-off as the monster was now clutching his neck. Meet my gaze with the monster, it spoke.

"Only you talk. He dies if not." - ???

Nodding vigorously, I could only stare with horror at the monster before me.

"Humans, what you do here?" - ???

"Uhm- w-we're here to exterminate a-a-a sanguinite n-nest." - Me

With a thoughtful expression on the creature's face, it suddenly asked another question.

"Where do you humans come from?" - ???

Although the monster's pronunciation was still quite off, his speech kept improving at a rapid rate that really surprised me. But his questions confused me. What the hell did this intelligent monster care for where we came and why we are here?

But just as I was about to answer, I see the struggling Henry off to the side. He shot me a look that told me to not say anything at all.

Seeing this the monster actually sighed. Suddenly it pulled forth it's index finger which ended in a pointy claw and pointed it directly at Henry's heart.

"Answer human." - ???

Not wanting Henry to die, I quickly blurt out my answer.

"Y-yes. We're from the country Mordria. And we've departed from the frontier city of Saphren." - Me

Disappointment filled Henry's eyes as he sagged in defeat.

"So... where's this city, Saphren?" - ???

Hearing this, Henry suddenly struggled even more fiercely as panic filled his eyes.

"D-don't Eli- URGH." - Henry

Henry's horse voice barely managed to escape his clutched throat. But was suddenly cut off as the monster tightened its grip.

"Answer the question." - ???

Now with a war warring inside my mind, I can't figure out if to answer the question or not. While I did not care for answering such questions, Henry was a very patriotic man.

He had always distrusted monsters, as they have caused him a lot of pain in his life. Henry was head of the Saphren guards and currently, his only living family lives in Saphren. He would rather die before potentially putting them in danger by giving off their location to a sketchy monster.

While we had no idea what this monster wanted with this information, he simply didn't want to risk it even slightly. Protecting his family and country was one of the reasons why he joined the extermination squad for this excursion.

Seeing the obvious struggle on my face, the monster didn't wait any longer for my reply has he slowly began penetrating the skin of Henry's chest.

Hastily, I spit out my reply, feeling very defeated.

"Stop! Saphren is directly east from the Glades of Mordria..." - Me

I catch Henry's gaze.

"I-I'm sorry Henry..." - Me

But in his eyes, I only see disappointment and rage.

Satisfied with my answer, the monster simply nods. I feel relief flooding my heart as this was seemingly over.

But that lasts only a moment, as my heart is shattered. Before getting up, the monster plunges the entire length of his finger into Henry's heart.

Hoarsely screaming in pain, Henry's mouth starts to leak blood.

"Henry!" - Me

I move towards him but I'm once again paralyzed as I fall to the ground on my side. Laying on my side, I meet gazes with the now dying Henry who had just also slumped to the ground.

With the seconds ticking by, each one slower than the last, I watch his body convulse as the life in Henry's eyes seep out.

With the now blank stare of Henry's corpse, I barely hear the words of the monster off to the side.

"You've done well. I have no wish to kill you, so you're free to go." - ???

The words barely get through the haze that was currently my mind.

I've never felt such utter defeat and despair before this very moment.

"H... Henry....." - Me