Hero's Coffin Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Their eyes met directly. The sky-blue beautiful eyes no longer held any uncomfortable energy, making it feel as if not just their hands but their gazes were firmly intertwined too.

Sometimes he felt powerless whenever he met these eyes. Was it the hero's pressure, or was it because he ended up just staring regardless of his will? Something in his chest tickled. His whole body was about to tilt again.

Thinking this was just because he had staggered and sat down earlier, he quickly pulled his hand away. The sudden mention of Beatrice was so absurd he almost burst into a dry laugh.

"You sometimes say I'm strange, but I think you're stranger. No, you're definitely strange."

Back then Beatrice had rambled about decorating his collar beautifully, did he really think he had been tempted? Moreover, did he not even remember how he had rejected her with a triple combo and even struck away the imperial princess's hand?

Was this perhaps saying he would put him under protective observation? House arrest? Did it mean he would provide good conditions but keep him under constant surveillance to prevent any mischief? After going on about an uninhabited island for so long, had he now changed course to protective custody?

However, Haren spoke while maintaining direct eye contact despite his sarcasm. Like someone who had judged this was the way to eliminate the discomfort troubling him, he proposed again.

"I can give you a place more comfortable than the imperial palace, and where you'll be safe."

"Haah..."

"Why aren't you answering..."

"Hey, shouldn't we get out of this Encroachment Zone first? You're talking like this while we're trapped here."

Just minutes ago he had been staggering from excessive blood loss, but now he was talking about what would happen after leaving the Encroachment Zone when all problems were resolved. Usually imagining the future in such a dangerous situation was an ominous flag, but he was imagining such an absurd future that even the flag would probably back away thinking 'this is too much.'

Moreover, it seemed like he had even specifically pictured a place for protective custody in the holy city in his head. Had he perhaps hit his head while the terrain was changing?

…I might log out and leave this place entirely.

Suddenly his chest felt cold. Though it was the logout he had desperately wished for, why did he feel a moment of regret? Was he perhaps drawn to the form of what appeared to be a relatively pleasant ending that had finally appeared?

"Then will you accept my proposal after we leave here?"

However, at Haren's question that poured out as if cutting off his thoughts, he looked at him with disgusted eyes. He was quite similar to Beatrice in how strangely persistent he was once he fixated on something. This was how he came to understand why they were close.

He let out a dry laugh and shook his head.

"That means we should resolve the immediate problem before talking about later or not, I never said I'd accept..."

"Why are you trying to slip away like that again..."

"Wait."

In the middle of shaking his head, he was startled by something that came into his view and firmly covered Haren's mouth with his hand to stop him. Though it was an impulsive action, surprisingly he stayed still.

This cave was a mine cave with transparent crystals embedded throughout. Though crystals were rarer than where he had fallen, he saw something very strange. The tip of a crystal embedded in the black wall... held a pale green light.

"...There's color?"

Though an Encroachment Zone was clearly a space faded to colorless, there was 'color' here. Moreover, though he had always had to fight against the feeling of being contaminated, that is, losing life force while walking through Encroachment Zones, now it wasn't like that at all and breathing was easy.

As if it wasn't land occupied by Dium.

"...It really isn't contaminated at all."

Haren too looked around with surprised eyes as if he had just realized. They hadn't properly examined the space, dazed from their injury pain. It was one thing for him, but even Haren had only noticed belatedly.

Come to think of it, though Encroachment Zones naturally shouldn't have color, he had seen minerals of various colors while the terrain changed multiple times. It couldn't be that inorganic materials didn't lose their color, since the rocks and canyons in previous Encroachment Zones had all faded to colorless.

"Ha, at least that's fortunate..."

He had been worried when the map rotated randomly, but thanks to this they didn't have to worry about contamination. They had always had to move quickly in Encroachment Zones as if doing a time attack, so just having that burden reduced brought relief.

By the way, if this wasn't an Encroachment Zone, where was this place?

"First we should find and regroup with our companions. Then we can assess the situation."

Finally Haren had returned to his normal commander mindset. It was truly welcome news. He quickly stood up, thinking if they stayed here any longer, a new song about house arrest would be released following the uninhabited island song.

He said the communication artifacts that holy knights usually had for emergencies had broken during the terrain changes. As he started walking quickly at the words that they would have to move and search directly, he turned back. For some reason, Haren wasn't following.

Behind him, Haren was slightly furrowing his brow while leaning against the wall. The cold sweat beading on his forehead caught his eye.

"...Is it hard to walk?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need time to adjust..."

"Doesn't that mean you're not fine..."

Though it had healed a lot after treatment, it was natural that walking was difficult after receiving a fatal wound that had pierced through his stomach. Still, he looked with subtle eyes at Haren who said he would adjust after just a brief wait. He was probably at least revealing this much since he knew he couldn't hide it from him.

He shook his head. A solution had occurred to him, and he felt they had been about to struggle needlessly when there was an easier way.

"Forget it. There's no need to move. I can summon undead to find and call our companions."

"No. Since it might be dangerous to rashly summon undead in an unexamined space, we should be as careful as possible..."

"That's an uncertain future, but your pain right now is certain. And if we're wary of this space, isn't walking around directly more dangerous?"

He hadn't expected words to flow so smoothly. Following only the thought that he shouldn't let Haren move right now, words he had never even consciously considered poured out naturally, and Haren closed his mouth as if unable to refute. But since he still seemed to be worrying, he suddenly summoned undead.

Swoosh–

Three undead rose from the floor. Regardless of whether Haren let out a dry laugh behind him, he briefly explained their companions' appearances to them and ordered them to find and bring them back. It was extremely convenient being able to summon just a few and give specific orders.

His necromancy proficiency had definitely increased... As he was looking down at his palm with a newly strange feeling, Haren suddenly spoke.

"...You."

"What, why. This is the most efficient method–"

"Your soul is strange. It's like... something very strange is inside that body."

His words cut off abruptly. Suddenly he felt the blood drain from his face. He was too shocked to give any answer, and couldn't even breathe.

...How?

How did Haren know the state of his soul? Though their souls being connected meant sharing conditions, that had been a one-sided form where only he felt Haren's pain. The status window had informed him that because Haren's soul was much purer, his condition would rarely affect him.

Though it had said Haren could sense his condition if he concentrated very hard, he had assumed he couldn't since sensing souls itself was related to necromancy. But could he sense it if he wanted to know about him even without knowing necromancy? But why was he suddenly focusing on him?

His heart churned slightly, but right now the shock was greater. Did soul connection and sensing conditions mean feeling not just physical condition but the soul itself? Though it seemed plausible, it was extremely confusing.

Could his possession be discovered like this?

Would he find out that 'he' was actually a being from another dimension who had entered Isaph's body? But wasn't it an implicit rule in possession stories that people didn't notice such things?

As various thoughts whirled like a typhoon, Haren spoke again. He had narrowed his eyes as if concentrating on the sensation. He was so tense that Haren's lip movements registered very slowly.

"It feels like there are two souls..."

What? Could it be that this body's original soul was also sleeping...?!

"No, maybe three?"

"...Huh?"

He became bewildered at the nonsensical number that came out in the middle of things getting serious. Was there an Isaph One, Two, and Three in this body or something?

"It's strange. I'm not sure if I'm sensing the soul as broken into pieces, or if something else is mixed in. At least it's definitely not a normal state..."