HEO 46

“He must be a stranger staying at the village inn. If we hear his account, we might learn the details…”

“Be cautious. He could be a demon.”

The priest intervened.

“There was no typhoon or fire, yet an entire village vanished in half a day. If it wasn’t the work of a demon, there’s no explanation.”

The cavalrymen’s faces turned rigid. A heavy silence fell.

In the stillness, the man remained motionless, like a figure in a painting. His vacant gaze never left the blue sky. He looked more like a gambler who had lost his entire fortune than a demon. Suddenly, a bluebird fluttered down from the sky and perched on the man’s shoulder.

The man didn’t react. His half-open eyes were still fixed on the sky.

“…Looks like a survivor.”

A cavalryman said hesitantly. The priest turned his eyes away and cleared his throat.

The cavalry captain raised his hand.

“Approach cautiously.”

The cavalry advanced slowly. Finally, as they approached the man, the captain nodded. One cavalryman dismounted and approached the man.

“State your identity and name. If you are a survivor…”

The soldier couldn’t finish his sentence. The man looked at him. His brown eyes avoided nothing.

The bluebird flapped its wings. The soaring small bird transformed into a giant gate in an instant. The wide-open entrance materialized in the void.

The cavalry was sucked into the gate. The priest’s white robe fluttered amidst screams. Armor and banners, men and horses, all become entangled. Even the dust floating in the sunlight was pulled in entirely. Silence descended.

Blue sky. Ruins. The cavalry was gone.

The man rose and entered the gate. The gate closed.

The blue sky gradually turned crimson. The surroundings darkened, and birds scattered. In complete darkness, the gate opened.

The man emerged from the gate. He was dressed in cavalry uniform and mounted on a horse. The door transformed into a bluebird and landed on the man’s shoulder.

The man rode his horse, all the while muttering.

“You… you… you… your… your… your identity…”

His soliloquy continued.

“State… state name… if you are… a survivor…” “

Hooves thudded on the ground. Darkness pursued the man.

***

〔You’ve shown a stable reaction exceeding the expected range.〕

〔This subject group’s results can be classified as a success case. You’ve truly worked hard!〕

Silver was stunned. For a while, no one spoke.

Suddenly, Black Weasel raised both arms up and shouted.

“We won!”

Once more in Atanian.

[We won!]

“What did you win, you shameless bastard? What did you even do?!”

Silver sheathed his blade and kicked Black Weasel in the rear. He belatedly got angry. First, he’d made a grand fuss about surviving, then the moment he saw the finger monster, he’d lost all motivation, creating a scary atmosphere while guzzling booze. If you’re going to act like that, don’t even bother putting on a show, you idiot!

Red Eagle threw his arms around Wolf.

[Wolf! You’re a hero! You performed a miracle!]

[Your Highness, I only did what had to be done.]

Wolf, patting Red Eagle, also seemed to be holding back his own excitement. The woman with the eye patch stirred the water with her crutch.

“Damn it, I wanted this over quickly. That brat will do something he’ll regret later on and pound the ground…”

“Don’t jump to conclusions. I saw someone come out of here alive.”

Black Weasel retorted as he slung his axe over one shoulder.

“She was a perfectly sane blacksmith originally, but she must have suffered so much here she went completely mad. But we’re madmen to begin with. Even if we go back to the human world, it’ll be just like before. As for the prince and his servant? Who cares about them.”

“You’re surprisingly optimistic.”

The woman with the eye patch snorted and waved her hand dismissively.

“Not me. That skeleton killed innocent people just for its own amusement. It’s untrustworthy.”

“That… is it?”

“Do we even need it? Look, they said rescuing the fairy would send us back to the human world, but we’re still trapped under this dome. The water keeps rising too. Hmm, we’ll drown together nicely… Huh?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

[Huh?]

[Huh?]

Following the woman, Silver, Black Weasel, Wolf, and Red Eagle all exclaimed “Huh?” Suddenly, their surroundings had transformed into a cavern. Moving to the dome had involved noise and vibration. This time, however, it had switched over without a sound. Like the blink of an eye, insignificant and trivial.

Silver raised his gaze into the void. The skeleton evil spirit was nowhere to be seen. Where had it gone? Was there a separate place for ‘observation’?

[Wh-wh-what… what…?]

Red Eagle stuttered as he hugged himself tightly with both arms. His face was as pale as a statue.

[Your Highness, calm down. You mustn’t take everything happening here seriously. You must try to think of it as nothing.]

Wolf held Red Eagle’s shoulders and tried to reassure him. The woman with the eye patch crossed her arms and raised her voice.

“This isn’t the human world! Their scheme is to give us another task here…!”

The moment she finished speaking, the voice rang out.

〔This is a waiting area.〕

〔You will wait here until the other test subjects complete their task.〕

〔When the others return, we will send you all back to the human world together.〕

Complete silence fell. Even the woman stopped complaining. They looked like they didn’t believe it but also wanted to believe it.

Silver suddenly frowned. The sudden quiet brought a wave of exhaustion. Ever since waking here, he’d kept his nerves on edge. Even his brain, usually neglected like farm tools left out all winter, had been working like a madman.

How long had he been trapped here? Not long. About the time it takes to flip an hourglass once?

Hmm… But this savory smell… Am I imagining it?……

It must be my imagination…

Just as he tried to convince himself of that, Wolf shouted.

[Meat!]

At that single word, everyone’s eyes lit up. With faces twisted like they’d run into bandits right in front of them, fists clenched, Wolf shouted again.

[Meat! I smell meat and bread! Fruit and milk too! Left, left! That wall corner over there!]

Black Weasel and the woman were already racing each other. The three boys scrambled after them.

“Whoa..Ahh……! Ah……!”

The moment they rounded the corner, they all screamed. A boy and girl in cute outfits beamed at them. Over their shoulders, a long wooden table piled high with food like a mountain came into view.

〔Welcome! We’re the guides of this dining hall!〕

〔We’ll serve your meal!〕

The boy and girl guides said brightly. They had the cheerful, eager expressions that would get them hired at any high-end restaurant in Atania. Though holding their own heads in both hands while separated from their bodies was a bit outside standard hiring criteria.

[Ugh…….]

Red Eagle covered his mouth with one hand. He looked like he was about to retch. Even those who weren’t well-bred princes had turned pale as pale as corpses.

〔Come on in! Come on in!〕

〔We worked hard to prepare this! Please eat!〕

The fairy guides behind the boy and girl called out. They were fist-sized mantis fairies. They flitted around, wearing white bonnets on their heads and white aprons around their waists. Silver’s heart skipped a beat. What… They’re cute!

They’d probably fit right into my belt pouch. Yeah, let’s steal one! How long do those mantis fairies live? If it’s about as long as a ladybug, that’d be perfect…

“Damn it, let’s eat first!”

“Let’s eat!”

Black Weasel and the woman bellowed. Thanks to them, the fairy kidnapping plan raging in Silver’s head fizzled out. Following Black Weasel and the woman, the three boys walked hesitantly. Red Eagle whispered to Wolf.

[I bet they only have eye stew or roasted human hearts…]

[Just eat bread with me. That’s the safest option, Your Highness.]

[Hmph, it’ll probably be bread made from human hair. No doubt about it.]

The boys’ predictions completely missed the mark. The bread piled on the wooden table was blackened rye bread. Crisp-baked salmon, lamb legs, and cheese were also stacked there. Several wooden barrels filled with thick honey water, wine, and rich milk stood before the table. Fruit was carried to the table in a jumble by fairies.