HEO 45

“Wolf…?”

Red Eagle flinched. Silver, who had been yawning, frowned.

“Is that intuition? Or do you have some basis for it?”

“The latter. I’ll explain the details to you later.”

Silver fell silent. Alice Blue eyes stared at Wolf. Suddenly, the surroundings felt like they’d transformed into a winter sea.

After a moment, Silver whispered.

“If your conclusion is wrong, she dies. Can you handle that?”

Wolf hadn’t considered that. Silver swept his hair back with one hand and added.

“If you want to take proper responsibility, you open the chest instead of her. She won’t just stand by, though. She’s the one who told us all to die together.”

After hesitating, Wolf turned around. He walked toward the woman with the eye patch and Black Weasel.

“I don’t have the confidence to bear the guilt. But number 2 is right.”

“Tch, just die together. What’s with all this pointless nonsense?”

Silver flicked water with his toes.

“Hey, let’s hear this great deduction of yours. What’s got you so cocky?”

“I said I’d explain it in detail.”

“So you can’t answer. Tucking your tail between your legs?”

‎

‎

Even Silver, who had been mocking him, changed his expression when he actually heard Wolf’s explanation. Wolf felt an urge to straighten his back under Silver’s curious gaze. How about it, Silver? Wasn’t I pretty good?

“Hmm, open chest number 2? Is there a big-butted woman hiding in there? Not only do we have enough alcohol, but they’re throwing in a woman too? That’s awesome! Is this heaven?”

Meanwhile, Black Weasel, now completely drunk, rambled incoherently. The woman, with her arm draped over his shoulder, pointed an accusing finger at Wolf.

“Dammit! I said let’s commit suicide together, but this brat just stubbornly refuses! Ugh! Those Atanian bastards are just cowards!”

“Um, but what if we change the order of opening the chests? I could go instead of you…”

Wolf stammered. The woman’s eyes instantly burned.

“Who does this little brat think he is, trying to cut in line! I’m the first one to open the chest, me! You lot can suffer the mental anguish! I’m going to die with peace of mind!”

The woman lashed out at Wolf with her crutch. Just as she was about to grab his hair, Silver grabbed Wolf’s arm and pulled him away.

“See? I told you so.”

Silver stopped in front of the chest and said curtly. Wolf placed his hands on his knees while gasping for breath. Just as he caught his breath and began to rise, the voice sounded again.

〔The clown’s sixth rotation has ended.〕

〔The clown begins its seventh rotation.〕

“Wolf, let’s wait until the ninth rotation ends. It might be the old lady’s last drinking session.”

Silver looked at Wolf.

“If it isn’t number 2, promise you’ll die with me. The blacksmith woman that Bingapsu met was said to be a lunatic. The longer we hold out here, the worse it’ll get. The prince bastard is already acting strange. Look.”

Wolf abruptly turned around. Far off in the distance, Red Eagle was groping the air with both hands while muttering to himself.

“Princess… Charlotte…”

The sight made Wolf so distressed it hurt to breathe. Silver grabbed Wolf’s shoulder.

“It’s not your fault. Keep looking forward.”

“Yes… I’ll bring His Highness.”

Wolf rubbed the corner of his eye with his fingertips. The rising water had already submerged more than half the chests.

〔The clown’s seventh rotation has ended.〕

〔The clown begins its eighth rotation.〕

The eighth rotation ended in about the time it took to drink five sips of tea.

The ninth rotation.

Red Eagle managed to keep his wits about him as long as Wolf stayed by his side. He clung to Wolf and refused to let go, but he stopped muttering to himself. The adults ignored the boys, instead making a racket as they got drunk.

At some point, Silver looked at Wolf.

“Bring her over.”

The moment the words left his mouth…

[The clown’s ninth rotation has ended.]

…The voice announced. Wolf suppressed his tension and walked toward the woman with the eye patch.

“Huh? Where are you taking me? Are you my lover?”

“Dammit, Prince! Why are you stealing my woman! Woman! Why are you following him so easily! Do you like young men that much?”

The woman and Black Weasel babbled nonsense in unison. Wolf silently placed the woman in front of the second chest. He’d come this far. It felt like a leather strap was tightening around his neck.

He might be making an irreversible mistake. The fairy might be in the third chest.

“Dammit! Why did you put her in front of number two? Weren’t we supposed to open number three first? …Or was it number two?”

Black Weasel followed while scratching his beard. The woman turned her head to look at Wolf. Her eyes asked, ‘Why number two?’ He could have nodded vigorously to show he trusted himself, but Wolf couldn’t do it. He quickly lost his nerve, and lowered gaze.

“Ah, whatever.”

The woman with the eye patch spat.

“I’ve drunk my fill! That’s enough! You guys tremble among yourselves! I’m going—!”

Wolf raised his head. He couldn’t even blink, staring at the woman. Every movement seemed impossibly slow. She grabbed the chest lid. Without hesitation, she flipped it back. And then…

“Aaah!”

Red Eagle screamed. The chest bulged and swelled. Eyes opened from the lid, and arms stretched out from the sides. Wolf recoiled in terror. Silver crouched down and unsheathed his blade. Black Weasel, seemingly sobered, raised his axe.

The chest transformed into a monster in an instant. But it wasn’t a finger monster. Its legs were short like shrimp tails, disproportionate to its long arms that reached the floor. Its head was much larger than its torso, and its features were grotesque. Even the the cloven hoof deer with eggplant hooves, a hideously ugly creature frequently mocked in Atanian fairy tales, seemed more beautiful than this monster.

〔Waaah!〕

The monster thrust its face toward the woman. Inside its gaping mouth lay nothing but festering, crimson masses of gum, devoid of a single tooth. Its breath wafted out like a searing flame. The woman’s hair fluttered. Wolf stretched out an arm and shouted.

“Ma’am!”

The woman fainted and fell backward. Splash! Her body submerged in the water.

“Wolf!”

Red Eagle grabbed Wolf’s hem tightly. Wolf stared straight ahead, unable to breathe. The monster… was gone. Vanished without a trace! Instead, a small wood fairy fluttered transparent wings as she traced spirals in the air.

It was the second chest after all!

〔How mean! Sister, what was that about?〕

〔I wanted a memorable entrance! Did I scare you? Was it too much?〕

〔It was too much! You were so ugly!〕

The two fairies chattered among themselves and flew off somewhere. Wolf and Red Eagle stared at each other. The woman spat water as she raised her upper body, and looked around in shock. Black Weasel and Silver could only blink, still in their weapon-ready stances.

〔Rescue successful!〕

The voice announced.

〔You completed it in the fastest time among the observation subjects deployed! Bonus points will be awarded according to regulations!〕

***

The midday sunlight is shining.

There are no clouds. Birds are flying.

Only traces remain of the forest. Uprooted trees, broken branches, clumps of earth, and rocks lie scattered like debris. Thin wisps of smoke rise from tree stumps.

The village is gone without a trace. Where houses, barns, and temples once stood, only a deep pit remains, resembling a giant spoon scooping up the village.

In the center of that pit, a man sits naked, staring up at the sky. His mouth hangs open. His eyes are unfocused.

From a distance, a heavily armed cavalry watches the man. A priest clad in white robes stands guard to the left of the cavalry captain leading the charge. To the right, a ragged boy sniffles on horseback.

“Is that him?”

The cavalry captain asks. The boy wipes his eyes.

“Yes… I went on an errand to the neighboring village and returned after half a day… Only that old man was there. I’ve never seen him before.”