Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?

Chapter 113: To a Distant Land (7)

A day had passed since they’d started chasing after the spawned Demon.

Almost implicitly deciding who would take the first night watch shift, they had taken a rest. The Archmage tried taking the second shift as soon as he woke up.

Things would have gone smoothly had the Demon Knight not tried setting off immediately after confirming he was awake.

“Please, just get some sleep!”

Chasing after the Demon was an urgent matter. However, having almost caught up with the Demon, rest had become the priority. It wasn’t wise to face the Demon with an exhausted body.

So the Archmage pleaded with him, almost begged him, to take a rest, and finally succeeded in getting the Demon Knight to get some shut-eye. It took a five-minute battle of nerves to achieve that.

“Tsk.”

How could someone be so stubborn?

He rubbed his temples and checked over the insect-repellent herbs and the campfire. While the campfire appeared to have been carefully maintained, there were signs of some clumsy mistakes.

On the other hand, it didn’t seem too odd to see him sleeping without a blanket. It was as if he could endure even the coldest winter night without the warmth of a campfire.

“…”

Whether that was normal, well, it probably wasn’t.

Living by disregarding one’s safety and clinging solely to a single purpose wasn’t normal behavior.

That meant both this guy, who knowingly walked into peril that would only lead to self-destruction, and he, who had been observing this guy all along, weren’t entirely sane.

“Hatred… is it?”

Almost for the first time, he looked closely at the young man’s face.

It was certainly the first time he’d looked at the Demon Knight not to confirm whether he was a danger but to understand him as a person.

Then, something he couldn’t see before finally became clear to him.

From the dark circles under his eyes indicative of deep fatigue to the unusually dry lips, from his thoroughly concealing clothes that didn’t show a single bit of bare skin to his sleeping face that still looked so very young.

And he recalled how the Demon Knight had been consumed by a Great Demon not too long ago and then had to face another Great Demon before even having the time to recover properly.

『…That Demon can read one’s past. Probably memories that could be called nightmares. Take note of that.』

The Archmage remembered the Demon Knight’s words regarding the Great Demon of Sloth.

At that time, he hadn’t thought too deeply about the meaning of those words, focusing more on whether the seal had weakened or if Sloth would attack again.

However… thinking on it a bit more, those words held another meaning beyond the mere conveyance of information. How could the Demon Knight have known this information that couldn’t even be found in literature?

In the end, the Demon Knight had probably experienced his own deepest nightmares at that time…

“Haah.”

His calm demeanor wasn’t proof that he hadn’t been hurt. Physical strength didn’t mean one was just as mentally and emotionally resilient.

Yet, why had he turned a blind eye to that until now? That realization let a sigh slip from his mouth.

“You, too, are an innocent victim.”

Looking back, he hadn’t treated the Demon Knight like a person quite often.

He had merely been regarded as the vessel of a Great Demon who could be a useful party member if managed well and, after his rampage, as a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.

That was a separate matter from considering his personality, whether he possessed an underlying kind nature or whether he really was simply rude or just very clumsy in expressing himself.

Had he truly regarded the Demon Knight as a person, he’d have taken action the moment he realized the latter saw himself as disposable.

After his rampage, instead of worrying about the same thing happening again, the Archmage should have first considered his mental and physical state.

He should have first considered how the Demon Knight felt after facing the Great Demon…

“…I need to thank White Wind.”

Perhaps he’d also adopted this mindset that ‘it would be okay if the Demon Knight died’.

If he died, the Great Demon within him would also perish, which might be more efficient in urgent moments. Since the Demon Knight himself was acting quite self-destructively, the Archmage assumed he wouldn’t mind even if he weren’t treated all too humanely.

Just as he’d come to despise himself because of his research results, he believed it would be acceptable to scorn someone who carried a Demon within their body.

“How could I hold the title of Great Sage when, even at this advanced age, I still haven’t found righteousness in my heart…”

It was a truly foolish conclusion he had come to. The Demon Knight was already suppressing and disposing himself enough, so what right did he have to burden the man even further?

Despite having lived so much longer than this young man, how could he…

“…How should I apologize?”

Could it be called fortunate that he’d realized this sooner rather than later? Could he even use the word ‘sooner’ in this case?

With a sigh, he poked the fire. Given that he’d recognized his mistake, it was now time to correct it. Even if the Demon Knight might not accept his apology, he still had to try.

Suddenly, the sleeping Demon Knight’s eyelids fluttered open. Perhaps due to his pale skin, it looked as if a dead man had just opened his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

As the Demon Knight abruptly rose to his feet, the Archmage followed suit.

Slash!

Before he could get an answer, a dark slash cut through the quiet forest.

“Why did you—?”

There hadn’t been any reactions from his {Alarm} spell, so why? Even if the Demon Knight was highly sensitive, his barrier wasn’t that small in radius, either.

“Scum.”

Regardless of his mistakes, it was clear that the Demon Knight’s temperament was far from good.

The Archmage was exasperated as he watched the man rush out without giving him even a single word of explanation. He wished the Demon Knight would at least give him a hint.

* * *

* * *

Was it because of the Archmage’s persistent persuasion or my encroaching fatigue?

Instinctively, I had sensed a presence, subtle and somewhat long.

Though I really wanted to wake up from my slumber, I simply couldn’t. I tried my hardest to force my eyes open.

“What’s wrong?”

I didn’t know, either. What should I do when something just bothers me?

I held my aching head and grasped my sword. Swish. I detected that faint presence again.

Slash!

Half-awake, I swung my sword, sending out a [Slash].

“Why did you—?”

I couldn’t feel anything through a [Slash], but judging by the presence or absence thereof, I could tell whether my target was dead or alive…

“Scum.”

Haah. I could tell it wasn’t dead yet as it kept moving.

I stepped forward, sensing that unsettling presence still lingering around us.

Even then, I constantly felt a need to just lie down. I had to press my palm hard against my forehead to even stay alert.

Honestly, I felt so, so, so tired. I might have been in a better state had I not slept at all, but having woken up after a simple, short nap, I felt even more exhausted.

Rustle.

I stomped my feet heavily and forced my eyes open to shake off the drowsiness. Though my peripheral vision remained fairly useless, it was still better than having my eyes completely closed.

“What exactly is over there…?”

So, what bastard dared disturb my sleep? I followed the clear slash marks on the ground.

The twisted presence seemed to be retreating as if running away, but it was slower than my walking speed.

It was even moving in a winding S-shape.

Thrust!

Gotcha, you damn snake.

I stabbed down with my blade after advancing about seven meters. The snake, blending into the foliage rather well with its mottled pattern, could only wriggle.

It looked like an insect specimen pinned into place, except it was still alive.

“What... in the world…?”

The Archmage, who had followed after me, was shocked.

“…Haah.”

The snake wasn’t dead yet, but we didn’t have to worry about it escaping.

I turned and lightly stepped on the snake’s head, which tried to bite at me, while I pressed down on my temples. It was hissing from beneath the boot crushing it.

I didn’t care at all.

What concerned me more was what the Archmage had said about setting up a barrier with a 20-meter radius before we slept.

Did I not hear the alarm because I was asleep? If that were the case, the Archmage would have noticed something, right?

“H-How did it break through my Arcane barrier…? No, is this thing even a Demon? Why can’t I sense any Demonic Energy from it…?”

Right. Seeing him panicking like that, I could tell that his spell hadn’t activated to begin with. Fine.

I suppressed the growing irritation stemming from my severe sleep deprivation.

Objectively, I knew this wasn’t the Archmage’s fault—of course, if this hadn’t been a mistake, it must have been intentional, but getting mad about it now would get us nowhere—but most importantly, if I got angry, [Rage] might activate.

“Could it be disguising its Demonic Energy by converting it into Arcane Power…?”

And more than anything, I didn’t even have the energy to get mad right now. I was so tired. Could I go back to sleep now?

“Wait, wait. Absolutely do not kill it. If we want to verify this hypothesis, we need to take it back alive to test it.”

Ah, I even forgot to kill it. Judging by the Archmage’s reaction, it seemed better to keep it alive, so it didn’t really matter.

I rubbed my neck as I watched the Archmage restrain the snake with chains. A familiar feeling of frustration seemed to brush over my skin.

“Thanks. Just keep pressing it down for a bit longer.”

Anyway, this was the Quest to begin with. Uhm, this was a Quest, right?

The Quest Log still wasn’t working properly, so I felt a bit confused. Was this creature actually a Quest Target?

“…There’s a hole in the barrier. That’s why it didn't activate. But how? How could a hole…?”

In the meantime, the Archmage successfully restrained the snake and inspected the barrier. His tone contained a mix of guilt and astonishment.

“My goodness. Not only can it disguise its Demonic Energy, but it also seems to have even developed the ability to absorb Arcane Power…”

That one sentence managed to snap me wide awake like a splash of cold water.

Absorbing… Arcane Power? Wasn’t that a bit, well, dangerous?? Usually, such abilities were reserved for final bosses or the like, right??

Was a common mob supposed to have such an ability??

“…Absorb Arcane Power?”

I reflexively repeated part of what the Archmage said. I was a bit worried this might appear out of character, but the Archmage seemed too preoccupied to notice.

“It sounds absurd, I know. But if that isn’t the case, then… breaching the barrier like this would be impossible.”

He even kindly explained to me what he meant. As someone not well versed in the Arcane, I didn’t fully understand what he meant by ‘breaching the barrier like this’, but I grasped that this was unprecedented.

“W-We must return immediately. This isn’t something that should be covered up to avoid discord between the Magic Tower and the Temple. If this spreads, then…”

Yeeeah. That’s how it should be. I stepped in front of the Archmage, who was about to secure the snake, and picked up the tightly bound creature.

Although the Archmage was tall enough that, when looking straight ahead, I could only see his chin… But as I’d said repeatedly, I was the only one with a warrior class here, and I was also a lot younger.

It would be better for me to carry it than the Archmage. Probably.

“Thank you.”

“Not needed.”

This was slightly off-topic, but why couldn’t I put living things in my inventory? If I could do that, I would have just put it in either my bag inventory or my new inventory necklace. That would have made things easier.

───!!

Then suddenly…

As I was about to move ahead of the Archmage, a sound hit my ears. Something was clearly causing a commotion within my earshot, even though I couldn’t see exactly where.

“What’s wrong?”

The problem was that human screams were mixed into that noise.

“…”

Ah, I was tired. Really tired.

But could I just ignore that?

Thud.

I tossed the restrained snake aside and ran toward where I heard the screams. The Archmage let out another groan, but I hoped he would be understanding since lives were at stake here.

【—Stop it!】

【Adisa, dodge!】

【Rather, you should run…!】

With each step, the noise grew closer and the shouts became clearer. Though I couldn’t quite understand the language, the urgency in their voices was unmistakable.

【Nooo!】

When I reached the origin of the commotion, a giant snake was currently attempting to swallow a person.

It was happening right in front of me.

“Move.”

【…What?】

Sorry, but I didn’t have the energy to shout.

I pushed aside the person aiming their bow at the snake and stepped before them. The person about to be swallowed also fell to the side as I pushed them away.

Stab!

At that moment, I stabbed my sword into the snake’s lower jaw to hold it in place, using my other hand to keep its upper jaw from closing. I couldn’t risk sending out a [Slash] since someone was behind the snake.

Squelch!

However, I was so tired that I somewhat misjudged the angle. The snake’s fang pierced my right shoulder. Only about 5-8 cm of the 30 cm-long fang managed to get me, but still.

【Y-You’re…】

I felt dizzy. Still, saving a life at the cost of a small hole in my shoulder could be considered a good trade.

I pressed harder on the snake’s upper jaw to prevent the fang from sinking further into me.

Then, using the longsword at my waist instead of my Zweihänder, which was pinning down the lower jaw, I slashed its upper jaw horizontally.

Thanks to the snake’s anatomy, with its head close to its mouth, that one strike was enough to kill it instantly. Additionally, I was also able to pull the fang out of my shoulder.

【Th-Thank you!】

【He killed the snake in an instant…】

【So strong…】

Wow, I thought the snake I’d subdued earlier was big, but this one was on another level. It seemed like it could swallow an elephant whole.

I couldn’t help but be impressed as I further examined the body of the snake I’d slain. Seeing a snake this truly massive made me feel more astonished than disgusted.

【Ah!】

One of the people I’d saved came running toward me, looking frantic. I noticed they had four eyes and three pairs of arms. All the people here shared these features, suggesting they were of the same species.

【V-Venom!】

“…?”

I didn’t understand what they were saying. Were they speaking a different language?

【You need to get the venom out immediately! You’ll die if you don’t!】

…They seemed to be talking about something urgent. One pointed at me, and the others were pointing at my shoulder. Ah, they were probably talking about my wound. It was fine…

【Damn, he’s a foreigner, so he can’t understand us!】

Wait a second: could it be that this snake had venomous fangs?

【Quickly, remove your clothes. We need to extract the venom!】

Judging by their gestures telling me to take off my clothes, I figured out the situation. That snake was really venomous.

Damn it.

“…!”

That had to be one fast-acting venom. Before I could even react, my head started spinning and blood erupted from my nose. Damn it.

【Ah, nooo—!】

The last thing I saw was my vision tilting to one side before everything went black.