Hero's Coffin Chapter 8

Chapter 8

He suddenly understood why the prison guard had been so hostile towards him. While the guard's nasty personality might have played a part in venting his anger, he deserved to be a scapegoat.

Meanwhile, Noi continued his tirade.

"He's the one who tortured and killed villagers painfully, saying that the more terrified they were when they died, the more aggressive undead he could obtain! No, we can't even call him human!"

That's right.

"I agree that necromancy could be helpful in searching the Encroachment Zone. But no matter what, he doesn't seem like an appropriate person to be involved in this! How could we spend at least a few months with someone like that?!"

What? It was a long-term quest that required spending months together? He felt like cheering on Noi's opposition. If Noi could persuade Harenir, would the quest be automatically canceled?

Noi for Congress.

As he quietly stood there, agreeing like a fervent supporter with a red band around his head and a picket sign around his neck, our Noi shouted vigorously. Despite having to look up at the much taller knights, his spirit wasn't dampened at all.

"We finally caught him at the scene after he had been evading arrest with his wicked abilities, and now you're taking Isaph out of prison...!"

"Noi."

"..."

But Noi's mouth clamped shut at a single call from Harenir. Though he had only called his name softly, Noi's momentum deflated as if all his right to speak had been revoked.

No, don't give up. Noi! You can do it! Here's someone on your side...

"Haren..."

"Speak."

"...I understand."

What? The conversation ended just by locking eyes? Even though Harenir gave him permission to speak again, why did it end? Why did he agree so quickly? Get angrier, say you can't go along with trash like me!

But his inner cries didn't reach Noi. When Harenir gently smiled and patted Noi's shoulder a couple of times, a smile spread across Noi's previously sulky face. It seemed he didn't mind at all that his long tirade had been cut short by just two words, as long as he received the hero's kind touch.

While he was feeling dejected, Noi suddenly glared at him again.

"Remember this. I'll go along with you only because of Haren, but I will never acknowledge you! I'll be watching you every hour!"

His expectations were crushed. They fought among themselves and made up, but in the end, he was the only one who got scolded. Of course, their criticism was directed at 'Isaph', but it was extremely tiring.

When he didn't say anything, Kalterik's eyebrows shot up. Thinking he was ignoring the small and seemingly gentle Noi, his expression quickly turned fierce.

"Hey, you. Keep ignoring us and..."

"Do as you please. I'm not here to seek your approval anyway."

A dry voice popped out. It wasn't even worth grumbling about irritably. After all, the evil deeds Isaph had committed weren't done by him, and their criticism wasn't directed at him.

Still, those unpleasant gazes were exhausting him.

He had received similar looks in his previous life on Earth, which had now become his past life, and even after possessing a game character, he couldn't escape those gazes.

"There's already a leash around my neck, so if anything seems off, that hero will blow my head off. No need for unnecessary effort."

"..."

"So I'd appreciate it if you'd focus on the task and quickly search the Encroachment Zone or whatever and get this over with..."

He meant it sincerely. Now that it was clear that none of the companions could go against Harenir's decision, it seemed unlikely that the quest would be canceled due to external factors. So all he could do now was hope for the quest to end quickly.

After speaking in a voice drained of energy, he stared at the empty space. He hadn't looked at any of his companions from the start, afraid that if he looked at Noi while speaking, it might seem like he was picking a fight. The fatigue had intensified due to the side effects of using the skill earlier.

And right then, he felt nauseous again.

"Urgh."

Along with the sudden dizziness, damn, his paper-doll-like knees buckled. It wasn't a graceful collapse like a pitiful protagonist in a drama, but literally a flop- forward like a piece of paper. The thud was even small and pathetic.

Chir... chirp...

The sound of insects in the silence made him feel even more ashamed. What was wrong with this body?! Why?! He had been weak in his life on Earth too, but not to this extent! As he trembled, trying to prop himself up with both arms, Harenir approached him with a soft sigh.

Meanwhile, Noi spoke in a dazed voice.

"...He really has become weak, hasn't he?"

A rather surprised voice quickly followed.

"Even when I heard the news of his arrest at the scene, I secretly thought it was impossible to catch 'that' Isaph, but the rumors of him becoming weak were true..."

"Noi. We need to move now. We can't stay here like this."

Sensing that the conversation was about to get longer again, Harenir cut it off. Only then did Noi exclaim "Ah!" and nod.

Then Harenir bent down, and remembering how he had carried him like this when leaving the main hall, he quickly tried to refuse. Seeing his face up close was still uncomfortable.

"I can walk..."

"Don't waste more time by falling again."

"Then, I won't retch, so can't you just carry me like a shopping basket?"

"You sure talk a lot of nonsense."

Harenir cut him off sharply, as if it wasn't even worth reconsidering. Since he obviously couldn't push Harenir away with this body, he had no choice but to be picked up. It was more like carrying luggage than holding someone close, but hearing Noi shout "Eek?!" from behind, he finally closed his eyes.

He desperately wished for a logout function, or at least a sound-off option, right now.

***

Unexpectedly, the group headed to Noi's office within the temple.

Noi said they should stop by his office briefly to submit his resignation and gather more supplies, anticipating a long journey. He seemed to have prepared to some extent before coming to the main hall, but upon confirming that an escaped prisoner was part of the group, he apparently thought of more things to pack.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter anyone on the way, perhaps because the strategy of hiding in plain sight worked. As he was looking around the unfamiliar, warm office, Noi suddenly approached him.

"Here. Drink this!"

What Noi handed him was a finger-length transparent bottle containing a softly shimmering golden liquid. What's this? As he just stared at it silently, Noi grumbled and explained.

"It'll restore your strength to some extent. I'm only giving it to you because if you keep falling, it'll slow us down, so don't misunderstand! Hmph, and don't get in Haren's way!"

"I won't misunderstand."

He cut off the rambling explanations. Although Noi had openly hurled insults at him, this was the first person to provide him with a health potion, so his likability increased. Surprisingly, this was the first food he was consuming in this dimension. Though he wasn't sure if this could be considered food...

As he drank the tasteless liquid, he looked around the office. The bookshelves lining the walls were packed with books, and various decorations caught his eye. A huge carpet with a green background embroidered with gold, plush sofas, and even pillows. It was fascinating to see a space imbued with someone's life in this world for the first time.

As he kept looking around, his gaze fell on a mirror. Oh, come to think of it, he didn't even know what this body looked like. Curiosity welled up, and he immediately approached the mirror, but.

"Hmm."

Only a disappointed sigh escaped. Given that the state of the possessed body and its environment were all terrible, he had hoped that at least the face might be decent, but...

The jet-black hair had grown messily, almost reaching the shoulders, and the skin was so pale it seemed to have never seen sunlight, with veins visible beneath. The straight, protruding eye line was deep, and the corners of the eyes were sharp, giving a cold impression at first glance, but with dark circles under the eyes, the overall impression was just tired and gloomy.

It was the kind of face that looked like it might be plotting something suspicious. A weirdo who might giggle to himself while conducting experiments. Ah, no. Cancel that last part. It wasn't really a face that looked like it would smile. The dark, gloomy impression that seemed to have never smiled even once fit Isaph perfectly. An aura of living alone in the world.

Wearing a loose black robe only intensified the eerie atmosphere. The hood attached at the back seemed slightly worn, suggesting that Isaph might have always covered his face with the hood in daily life. That's how the image of Isaph as a being in a black robe, accompanied by a black cat, must have been established.

Lost in idle thoughts, he absently played with his bangs. In his previous life, he had grown his hair long to cover his face as much as possible, but never as long as Isaph's. No wonder his bangs had been poking his eyes all this time.

He brushed his hair to the side and looked more closely in the mirror. His gaze was caught by the purple eyes. They hadn't been distinguishable earlier due to the shadows, but now they were clear. Mysterious purple eyes.

The more he looked, the more vivid the purple seemed to become. Was it becoming more noticeable now that he was aware of it? Fascinated by the way the light seemed to spread, he leaned closer to the mirror.

"I'm ready!"

Noi's clear shout stopped him in his tracks. Ah, he had almost bumped into the mirror. Though no one was probably looking at him, he awkwardly rubbed his forehead and turned away.