novelraw Chapter 27 : The Forest of No Return (7)
Chapter 27 : The Forest of No Return (7)
Chapter 27: The Forest of No Return (7)
He opened his eyes to a familiar darkness.
He couldn't breathe. Dirt thick with demonic energy was pressing into every opening in his face. He couldn't move his limbs either. On top of binding spells strong enough to restrain a golem wrapped around his entire body, they had also wrapped him up in magically reinforced chains.
Anyone else in this situation would've fallen into terrible panic.
But for Kadim, this was routine. He actually felt a strange sense of relief. At least, he hadn't managed to break free from these restraints today.
'......'
Still, he couldn't just stay like this forever. Kadim stretched out his fingers and applied force.
Grrrrrumble......
A tremor spread from his fingertips. The power grew steadily, measured and controlled. Soon, the shaking was so powerful that the ground itself was humming with it. Even the formless magic couldn't withstand the force and began to crack.
He clenched his fist, and something shattered.
CRACK, SHATTER!!
The thick membrane gripping his flesh vanished. The binding spell had been dispelled in one go. Any mage who'd spent ages carefully preparing that spell would've been devastated to see this.
Next, Kadim lightly flicked his finger. The force condensed in his middle finger exploded with a loud sound.
————POW!
Dirt flew as a small hole opened up to the surface. The stale breath that had been sealed inside escaped, and outside air seeped in.
He could have easily snapped the chains by flexing, but he chose not to. He'd already busted three sets, and they were fresh out of extras. Besides, he knew someone was coming to get him, so why bother?
'......'
'......lord. ............'
"......my lord! Are you alright? I'm so sorry, it must have been so hard for you. Just, just wait a little longer! I'll get you out......"
A voice drifted faintly to him. Light trickled in, making him squint and look up at the ground above. The Shrine Maiden with a ragged blindfold was tearing at the dirt with her bare hands, not even noticing her own bloody and broken nails.
“Let me handle it, Big Sis Cyril. I'll take it from here......"
The Mage with deeply sunken cheeks stepped forward. As she chanted a spell and waved her staff, Kadim's body was pulled from the dirt. The chains that had been wrapped around him came undone and clattered to the ground.
Kadim spat out a mouthful of dirt and a pale clump of it hit the ground. He shook his head to clear his ears before he finally spoke.
“Thanks, Melissa.”
“Huu, don’t be a stranger…”
“What happened with that demon yesterday?”
"...What's there to say? You tore it apart and turned it into ground meat."
“Good. Anything else happen?”
"......"
The Mage's gaze dropped to the ground. The Shrine Maiden also fidgeted nervously with her fingers. Even without them saying it, he could roughly guess what had happened.
“…Sorry. I don't want to hurt you guys, but… this Madness is getting harder to control.”
The Shrine Maiden gasped and waved her hands frantically.
"N-no, Sir Kadim! Don't say such things! If it weren't for you yesterday, one of us would have gotten seriously hurt! Because of you, we were…”
"......"
"...I'll find a solution for the side effect of the demon's blood, so please don't worry about anything and stay with us…”
She went on about how much they needed him, trying to make him feel better instead. She might have lost her sight, but she could still cry, and her blindfold was quickly getting soaked with tears.
Kadim gave a bitter smile. She was always like this. He appreciated the thought, he really did, but his Madness wasn't something you could just 'fix.' And he was pretty sure she knew that as well.
But she wasn't the type to quit just because you told her to. Kadim quietly looked away from the Shrine Maiden and toward the Mage, who was just staring off into space. He asked her where their other companion was.
“Where’s Gordon?”
"He went east again today. Something about how the sun is Elga's eye watching over the world, so he absolutely has to offer morning prayers in front of it... This place is cloudy year-round and you can't even see the sun, so I don't know what kind of pointless ritual that is..."
"I see. Then what about Gale?"
"Gale? Why are you asking about him? Our dear Hero obviously went to revive the dead demons."
A chilling sense of incongruity seeped into his spine.
Kadim's eyes widened.
The Mage's mouth had torn open to her ears, forming a grotesque smile. Her skin rippled and was instantly covered in olive-green scales. The Mage, now with the head of a giant snake, flicked her forked tongue and hissed.
—Why...? Can't believe it? Hsssss, but... what I say is true. Even if you don't believe it now... you'll find out eventually...
Kadim raised his axe. But what he'd thought was an axe turned out to be his own severed arm. The pale earth beneath his feet had transformed into a dark swamp, and countless snakes wrapped around his ankles, making it impossible to escape.
His body slowly sank into the mire. Disgusting mud blocked his throat before a deep, thick void consumed his five senses.
Kadim gasped as he woke from the dream.
***
It was evening.
The sun was setting, and the forest was getting dark.
Kadim pressed his forehead and squeezed his temples with his ring finger and thumb.
"..."
What a childish thing. He wasn't a five-year-old to wake up startled by a nightmare like this, yet he was. He'd thought his mental state was at least better than in the first playthrough, but that wasn't entirely true apparently.
There was a faint presence five or six steps away. When he looked over, the guy practically jumped out of his skin and scrambled backward.
Duncan asked cautiously from behind a tree.
"H-have you regained your senses, my lord? Is there anywhere you still feel unwell…?”
Kadim looked at his left arm.
There was no longer any serpent's form there. No dull ringing in his ears, and the colors in his vision were ordinary hues. He couldn't find any signs of Madness anywhere.
But he couldn't feel relieved.
The scariest thing about the Madness was that it was extremely difficult to realize you'd gone mad. He'd once attacked one of his own friends with an axe while completely sure at the time that he was in his right mind.
Still, he probably wasn't that far gone right now. It had shown up sooner than he'd have liked, but that was bound to happen after absorbing a High-Rank Demon’s blood.
He pulled himself together and waved a hand.
"I'm fine now. Sorry you had to see that."
"......"
"Think of it as a chronic disease. It won't last long, so don't worry."
"......"
“But if you ever see me acting like that again, you stay far away. Understood?”
Duncan nodded hesitantly and came out from behind the tree. He still felt weird about it, but what choice did he have? He'd never survive out here on his own.
Kadim’s voice was flat as he spoke.
"By the way, merchant. I'm in your debt this time."
“…Excuse me?”
“Thanks. If you hadn't shown up, I definitely would've drowned in there.”
"......!"
Duncan's eyes went wide as saucers and he doubted his own ears.
Kadim meant every word.
It wasn't that he was scared of dying. But he had no intention to die before he’d finished what he set out to do, not after hearing that story from the demon. He'd almost drowned without getting any of his questions answered, so of course he was grateful.
When Kadim thanked him a second time, a huge, goofy smile broke out on Duncan’s face. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "N-no my lord, I just, well... hehe... I-I only did what needed to be done. You've saved my life more times than I can count, my lord. Hehehehe......"
Never mind that he wouldn’t have needed saving if he hadn’t been kidnapped to be a guide, but Duncan had no time to think about that.
Overwhelming power begets admiration. People who submit to that kind of authority start seeing the bad stuff as just something they have to put up with, and they focus only on the good. It’s like when a hostage starts siding with their kidnapper.
That was Duncan in a nutshell. He was scared to death of this barbarian, but he also deeply respected the barbarian. Over the past month, his desire to be recognized by this man had grown as much as his desire to survive.
Too bad the barbarian was stingy with praises. Even after all that suffering in Molden, he'd been treated as an afterthought. But now that he was recognized somewhat, an indescribable sense of accomplishment and joy couldn't help but fill him.
Kadim had little interest in the merchant’s inner thoughts. He just thought the guy was simple-minded and figured he should give him some reward.
“Merchant, didn't I say I’d let you live as payment for being my guide?”
"Yes, yes! That's right, my lord!"
"You've proven your worth, so I'll add one more reward on top of that."
"......?"
“I’ll kill exactly one person for you. Anyone you want. Whether it's someone who insulted and disrespected you, some enemy you've got a grudge against, or a business rival who got in your way, it doesn't matter who. Just say the word and I'll handle it right away."
Duncan was so floored by this offer that he couldn't think straight. He fumbled with his words for a second before finally managing to talk.
“Th-That is… I am grateful for the offer, but perhaps… would something ordinary like… money… be out of the question, my lord?”
“No reason why not. If we find any.”
"Th-then just give me whatever money we collect along the way......"
Killing someone would be more convenient, but if that’s what he wants.
Kadim nodded quietly. Duncan wiped away nervous sweat and secretly sighed in relief.
"Oh, right! Please wait just a moment, my lord. I have something to bring you."
Duncan scurried off.
Kadim took the opportunity to lean his back against a tree stump.
As he sat there, his mind started to drift. He couldn't stop thinking about what that demon had told him.
‘One of my old friends is bringing demons back from the dead, unleashing them on the world…’
He couldn't believe it. But it was likely the truth.
Before dying, the Hydra had clearly been genuinely mocking the irony of such a fate.
He just couldn't wrap his head around it. The Hero's party gone through absolute hell to wipe out the demons. Who in their right mind would throw all that suffering away, and why? He had no clue.
Melissa? She hated demons more than anything. Gordon? No priest of Elga would revive demons unless they'd gone insane. Cyril? The Shrine Maiden who'd been blinded by a demon? Not a chance.
...Gale?
"......"
The words from his dream came back to him, and they left a bad taste in his mouth.
In fact, Gale was the least likely candidate. He was the one who'd received the divine revelation to slay the Archdemon. He was a genuinely good hero who always wanted to save people.
…But that was 300 years ago.
Even ten years is enough time to overturn a person's values completely. Not to mention thirty times that amount. It would be stranger if things stayed the same. In the end, he was left with the frustrating conclusion that his old memories were completely useless.
"...Phew."
After all that, he was back at square one.
He had no clues about his companions' whereabouts anyway. His goal was still to visit the Mage Tower and locate Melissa's records. That was his only option right now. All he could do was hope the answers were there.
Having organized his thoughts, Kadim checked his equipment.
Mosquito and the dwarven axe are both safely beside him. His clothes, on the other hand, were shredded. He’d need to get new ones.
As he got to his feet and hung the weapons from his waist, Duncan returned while dragging a sack with a grunt.
Inside were olive-green scales and a full leather water pouch.
“One of the demon’s heads washed up on shore, my lord. I thought it might be useful, so I peeled off the scales and collected the blood. Since your injuries regenerated so quickly thanks to this demon's blood..."
"......"
Kadim sent him a peculiar look that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Duncan felt his stomach drop to his feet. Wondering if he'd done something unnecessary, he quickly spoke first.
“I-If that was a stupid thing to do, just tell me! I’ll get rid of it right now, I’ll just…”
Kadim shook his head. Just because the Madness had flared up didn't mean he could give up such a powerful demon's blood. The merchant's clever judgment deserved to be rewarded.
"Merchant, what was your name again?"
"Yes, yes sir! Duncan, Duncan Wheelred!"
“Alright, Duncan. Right here and now, I swear on the name of Atala.”
"......"
“When this journey is over, you’ll get so much gold and treasure you won't be able to spend it all in your entire life.”
The merchant's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Even though he wasn't an Atalan, the merchant knew that when these people swore on their god's name, they meant it. And besides, a guy with Kadim's skills could probably make a fortune doing just about anything.
One minute he was a hostage, the next he was a guide with a guaranteed golden spoon. Duncan couldn't hide his grin spreading from ear to ear.
"Th-thank you, my lord! Thank you so much! But if I may ask... c-could you tell me the exact amount of that gold and treasure? I-I'm a merchant, you see, so having a concrete promise actually motivates me more..."
Kadim frowned a little. He’d forgotten all about 300 years of inflation and currency devaluation and answered without thinking.
"...10,000 ruden?"
"......"
That was enough to buy maybe three ponies.