51 - Feeling Like a Hero Despite Not Being One
Ray walked through the pitch-black cave, where not even an inch ahead was visible, without making a sound. The cave was dark even during the day, but knowing the current darkness, he realized that some light from the outside had been filtering in.
Ray proceeded, cautiously searching for any presence. However, there was no way the Heroes were moving around in this darkness.
The Heroes, who had finally reached the cave, were so exhausted they didn't even have the energy to complain to Ray. They obediently took the food Ray had prepared, refreshed their dirty bodies at the water source, and then entered their rooms and didn't come out again.
Ray wasn't keen on letting the three of them use the water source or letting them use Kamiira and Rui's rooms, but as a result, things were proceeding exactly as Ray wanted.
There was no reaction from the magic tool barrier he had deployed under the pretext of warding off Magic Beasts. Even though it was now midnight, it seemed the people from the intelligence department wouldn't enter the cave.
It was the perfect situation to make a move.
He reached the water source. In the silent cave, the sound of the trickling stream echoed loudly.
He slowly stepped into the flow of water. Continuing until he reached the wall where the water flowed in, Ray crouched down, not caring that his clothes were getting wet.
He looked toward where the water was coming from, but even with Ray's night vision, he couldn't see what was there at all.
Suppressing the fear welling up in his heart, Ray slowly paddled and began to swim forward.
This was the escape method Ray had devised. If anyone could track Ray in the forest, it would only be the spies. To shake those spies off, the easiest way was to make sure they didn't realize he had fled. The spies, who were operating stealthily, would not enter the cave as long as other people were present. This was exactly as Ray had predicted.
As for how to exit the cave without being noticed, there were only two ways.
One was to leave through the secret passage Shiro had been using. However, it was narrow, and Ray couldn't pass through as he was, so he would need to widen the hole. This would take time and there was a high possibility of being noticed midway, so he couldn't choose it.
That left only this method. It wasn't something just anyone could carry out.
Ray swam slowly through the darkness. The first obstacle arrived quickly. The ceiling protruded, leaving no gap with the water.
He had no choice but to dive and proceed. Through the underwater depths, where he didn't know how far it continued.
Somehow killing the fear that surged again, he calmed his mind. After taking two or three deep breaths, Ray slowly dove.
Visibility was non-existent underwater. His heart trembled at the fear of the unknown. Ray gave up on trying to force the fear down and instead focused only on moving forward slowly, slowly, making sure his heartbeat didn't become erratic.
(I might drown like this)
(I intended to die in the first place)
(Then, it doesn't really matter, does it?)
Instead of their usual conversation, words meant only to convince himself flowed through his head. If he gave up on living, the fear of death would not arise.
Ray simply continued to move forward.
◇◇◇
He saw light ahead as he drifted forward. Even so, he didn't rush. He couldn't rush. Ray didn't know how many hours he had been swimming. There were a few places along the way where he could touch bottom and take breaks, but keeping his body immersed in water for so long was more of a physical burden than he had imagined.
Above all, despite having done a considerable amount of exercise, his entire body was chilled through, and he was losing sensation. He was approaching his limit.
The light he saw was a salvation for Ray, but he didn't have the energy to be happy about it. In a sense different from his body, his mind was also completely paralyzed.
As the light drew closer, the water became shallower. Once it was no longer deep enough to swim, he moved forward on all fours.
Finally, the ceiling rose sharply, and he reached an open space.
"Eh?"
Surprise shot through his paralyzed heart. That served to activate Ray's emotions.
"...Ah, no. Thank goodness."
The space he saw was, by any look, a water source. He was momentarily aghast, thinking he had returned to the original location, but looking closely, the structure was subtly different. It was another water source, just like the previous one.
For now, he got out of the water and lay his body on the floor. However, that alone didn't change the sensation in his body. Left with no choice, he forced his exhausted body to move and stood up.
"I'll keep this, just in case."
After thinking for a moment, Ray took a sword out of Shadow Storage. This place was likely the home of another member of the Demon Race, and Ray was a trespasser. If there were residents, there was a possibility of a conflict. It would undoubtedly lead to a conflict. From the perspective of the Demon Race, Ray was of the Human Race.
He wondered if holding the sword would provoke their vigilance, but since he was hated regardless, he decided it didn't matter and held the sword.
He had feelings of both wanting the Demon Race to be there and not wanting them to be. Ray's emotions were complex.
Steeling himself, he expanded his Presence Detection to the surroundings. No reaction. However, if the opponent was a member of the Demon Race, there was a good chance they wouldn't be caught by Ray's detection. And if such a member existed, Ray's presence should have been known by expanding his Presence Detection.
Being even more cautious, Ray left the water source and proceeded into the cave.
As it turned out, there was no one in this cave.
He borrowed the kitchen, boiled water, and boiled potatoes. This time, he indulged and added meat. He intended to make a soup rather than just boiled potatoes. By using fire to boil the water, his body warmed up a bit. Ray felt like he could finally breathe.
(This isn't a temporary absence)
(I guess not. There's no sign of anyone living here)
(Does that mean they fled back then?)
(Probably. If a human army arrived, they'd think this forest is dangerous now)
(True)
In fact, although the purpose was the search for the Holy Sword, the Royal Knights had invaded the forest again. If they stayed, there was a good chance they would be found.
The choice to flee from the Forest of Bewilderment was not a mistake.
(I want to know how much time has passed and how far I've moved)
(It couldn't have been two full days, right? Judge the distance by looking at the stars)
(Can I read the stars that well? Based on the height of the sun, it's just past noon, so a day and a half. Since I swam, I haven't moved much distance)
(That's not great)
(Yeah. Should I give it one more push?)
(Is there a need to try hard?)
(...Not interested?)
(It's not that I'm not. To be honest, I'm quite interested)
(See)
(But look. There's no point if I die searching for the Holy Sword, right?)
If the only goal was to escape, he could just push through the forest in one go. However, Ray intended to search for the Holy Sword not as a mission, but out of his own interest.
(But I think the probability is quite high)
(I agree—well, obviously. We share the same thinking brain)
He had the intelligence department investigate various things, but in truth, there was something Ray had been thinking from the start. The clear stream flowing into the cave. The idea that the Holy Sword might be upstream.
Not only was it the only place in the forest not contaminated by miasma, but the water, which felt refreshing and even seemed to give vitality when drunk, probably wasn't just water.
He also had the thought that perhaps the reason he could survive despite eating almost nothing but poison was thanks to the water flowing through the cave.
If his theory was correct, the water flowing in the cave had a special power, and it was natural to link that to the Holy Sword.
If he headed upstream, the Holy Sword would surely be there. That's what Ray believed.
He hadn't thought about what he would do after finding it. He just wanted to see what the Holy Sword was like. Since he was willing to bet his life on it, it was only natural that even the other Ray was appalled.
Still, in the end, things would go as the primary personality, Ray, wanted.
For Ray, this was the first time since coming to this world that he had gained freedom of action. If that was the case, it would be interesting to spend all his effort on something completely pointless. He couldn't deny this feeling.
First, in preparation for the next move, Ray decided to rest slowly.
◇◇◇
"I found it!"
Akemi, who had been staring intently at a panel that looked like a magic tool, shouted loudly.
"Where!?"
The one who reacted to that voice was Fumiya. Approaching Akemi's side, Fumiya also began to look at the panel.
"...The direction is southeast, no, south."
"How far is the distance?"
"I don't know the details. But it's about halfway, so slightly closer than twenty-five ri."
"How far is twenty-five ri?"
"Fifty kilometers."
"...Closer than I thought. We can definitely track him at this rate."
"Right."
The Chief stared intently at the two of them. Ray, who had suddenly vanished from the cave. He had heard beforehand that Ray would shake off the Heroes, but the Chief was not so foolish as to take everything Ray said at face value. To doubt things thoroughly and never trust until the very end—this was the way of the head of the intelligence department.
Moreover, the way Ray vanished was abnormal. He had disappeared suddenly without the spies guarding the cave exit noticing at all.
The Chief, who thought about sending out a search party immediately, was stopped by the Heroes' actions.
Not entirely, but the Heroes didn't seem that panicked. On the contrary, as if they had expected it, they took out the magic tool they were currently looking at and stared at its reaction.
The panic started from there. They grew irritated by the magic tool that showed no reaction, panicked over losing sight of him, and took their frustration out on the Royal Knights who had turned back.
It felt like that for a while, but that didn't change anything, and they began to discuss what to do next.
That was when the Chief decided to show himself. His face was already known. As long as they didn't pry into what he was doing, there was no problem.
As a result, far from prying, the Hero relied on the Chief, asking if he could somehow contact the main camp.
Accepting that, and actually sending people to the main camp, the Chief remained in the cave. It was to determine what the Heroes were plotting.
Just by watching, he could tell that what the Heroes were using was a magic tool for detecting a specific person. The Chief knew such magic tools well. In fact, they were often used in the intelligence department.
The Chief's question was why the Heroes had this magic tool. Magic tools owned by the country were not things that could be taken out freely. Then he wondered if they bought it, but the Chief knew the Heroes had no money. Everything was covered by the Kingdom's expenses. There was no need for the Heroes to spend money, and the Kingdom had no intention of letting the Heroes have money.
Who gave the magic tool to the Heroes? The Chief intuitively felt that this would lead to the current objective. That the person had something that would make them pursue Ray to this extent.
"Let's hurry."
"I know. Before that, help me with the preparations."
"What preparations?"
"We don't know how many days we'll be tracking him, you know? Not just food, but we need to take a fair amount of water too."
"If it's about fifty kilometers, we don't need to prepare that much."
"The opponent isn't going to stay in that place forever, right?"
"...That's true."
In the end, it seemed the Heroes wouldn't be able to pursue Ray immediately. Once that was clear, the Chief gave a signal to his subordinates. Twenty-five ri to the south. Receiving that signal, several spies began to move all at once.
Here, the Chief made a mistake. He should have advised Fumiya and the others to take the same action. Even without Fumiya and the others, he should have at least let them have the magic tool and sent them toward the destination.
At the point twenty-five ri to the south, the spies searched the surroundings and found a new cave. However, although there was certainly a sign that someone had been in the cave, by the time the spies arrived, it was an empty shell.
By a slight margin, the Chief let Ray escape.
After this, while being toyed with by the traces of Ray who appeared and disappeared, the Heroes and spies continued to chase Ray, but Ray, who was being chased, continued his search for the Holy Sword without knowing that such things were happening.
Following several caves, the water finally began to flow on the surface. For Ray, this was a stroke of luck. If the water source had been deep underground, he would have had to give up the search. Moreover, he only had to move on the surface. Not only did he not have to worry about drowning, but his movement speed also accelerated instantly.
Of course, coming to the surface brought other hardships. That was the existence of Magic Beasts.
Ray was proceeding along the flow of the river. As long as Magic Beasts were living creatures, they needed water. This river flowing on the surface was a water source for the Magic Beasts.
The herds of Magic Beasts loitering at the water source were quite a threat to Ray. He tried to slip through by killing his presence so as not to be noticed, but there was no way he could escape successfully every single time, and he ended up repeating death matches with the herds of Magic Beasts many times.
The stronger the Magic Beast, the worse it was, as they would see through Ray's concealment and attack.
Somehow defeating the Magic Beasts, and sometimes fleeing, Ray's eyes fell upon a hole in the mountainside that was incomparably larger than the cave entrances he had seen so far.
The water was flowing from deep inside it.
Standing at that entrance, Ray felt a premonition of the goal.
(This is finally it, right?)
(Yeah. The size is one thing, but the atmosphere is no ordinary matter)
(As I thought...)
If Ray had any anxiety, it was that for the location of the Holy Sword, the drifting presence was suspiciously ominous. He even wondered if what was waiting wasn't the Holy Sword, but the Demon King.
Even so, Ray had no intention of turning back and proceeded into the depths of the cave.
(Seriously, he's probably not here, right?)
The presence, which had become even denser, was clearly unsettling. Ray knew this feeling well. It was the same kind of thing mixed with madness as the presence of the Magic Beasts he had absorbed into himself.
(That's it. My hypothesis that the location of the Holy Sword is also a place where miasma erupts was correct)
(I wish it hadn't been)
The Holy Sword is sealing the place where miasma wells up. It's a common story in legends.
(Then it should have sealed it properly)
(Exactly)
The reason they were joking was because the atmosphere made it impossible not to. It was exactly the feeling of a Hero proceeding through the Demon King's castle. The fortunate part was that monsters didn't attack.
As he went deeper, he began to worry if that was actually the case. This cave was also a home. The many doors lined up on the cave walls made that clear. Considering the scale, 'castle' was more appropriate than 'home'.
(What do we do?)
(Are there any traps?)
(...You're completely in a game mood, aren't you?)
(If it were a game, I'd be grateful)
Every time he saw a door, he was driven by the impulse to open it. However, there was also the fear of opening them. Unable to decide, Ray continued to move deeper and deeper.
As he went deep, he stopped worrying about the doors. More than that, he couldn't help but be concerned about the miasma that he could clearly feel coming from ahead.
(...It really is finally it)
(Yeah, it's close now)
(That's it)
On the cave wall, there was a door several times the size of Ray's height. A door that looked exactly like it should. There was no doubt that something was beyond that door.
The Holy Sword he was searching for, or the throne where the Demon King sat.
As he continued to push one side of the door with all his might, it began to move slowly with a dull sound. Once a gap wide enough for one person to pass was created, he slid between the doors.
(...The Holy Sword?)
There was no throne of the Demon King beyond the door. What there was was a single sword stuck in the ground, scattering a sinister atmosphere that didn't seem like a Holy Sword at all.
Feeling resistance, Ray approached the sword. Looking closely, the place where the sword was stuck was surrounded by a small moat, and he couldn't reach it without walking through it. It wasn't that he hesitated to get wet, but Ray stopped his feet in front of it.
(This is the Holy Sword?)
(Stop asking. I wouldn't know even if you asked)
(But this is what they told us to search for, right?)
(Given how imposing it is, yes)
(...For the record, there are some rolling around at the bottom too?)
Coming to the front, he realized further that many swords were sunken in the moat.
(The ones thrown away and the one thrust in the center. Which one looks more impressive?)
(The one in the center)
(Then don't say it)
(No, it is, but. Is this water okay?)
(Don't ask things you already know. This is the source of the water flowing in the cave)
It wasn't just miasma welling up. He could see water springing up from several places in the moat. It was a form where a clear stream surrounded the place where miasma welled up.
Somehow, Ray was convinced of his own theory. Once that happened, the resistance to entering the moat disappeared. On the contrary, intending to purify his body, he sank his body into the water and then headed toward the sword.
Standing before it, he steeled himself.
All that was left was to pull the sword out in one go. He placed his hand on the hilt and put in his strength... no, it was no longer a matter of putting in strength.
(Let go of your hand! Hurry!)
(I can't! It won't let go!)
(What do you mean!?)
(You know! It's coming!)
The hand gripping the sword was dyed pitch black. That black was gradually trying to spread to the entire arm.
Along with that, an intense will attacked Ray's mind. An overwhelming power, incomparable to when he absorbed the magical power of a Magic Beast, was trying to crush Ray's spirit.
(This is bad! Endure it!)
(I-I can't!)
(Don't give up! This thing is dangerous! You'll be taken over!)
(I know! But the pressure!)
Unlike the madness of the Magic Beasts, which was just rampaging, this will truly possessed a will. With a clear will, it was attacking Ray's mind.
Ray was entirely on the defensive. He desperately protected his heart, which was being pushed in and almost absorbed.
(...Strong! What is this thing!)
(Just protect yourself! Give it your all! Concentrate on protecting yourself!)
(Damn it!)
Ray and his other self struggled desperately. However, the opponent's power was overwhelming, and Ray's spirit was gradually being dyed pitch black. A desperate battle was unfolding within Ray.