Chapter 77, No Lies

Translator: Barnnn

 

Roughly an hour after receiving the Treant branches, Ize detected a group of Gold Jackets rapidly approaching within her Perception range.

 

“About twenty of them, coming from the front,” she reported.

“…That’s more than we’ve faced so far,” Fieda muttered, narrowing his eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’ll blast them with wind as Ize works on her magic,” Hal reassured, flashing a confident grin.

“Thanks, Hal. They’ll be on us in fifteen… ten…” Ize’s voice remained steady despite the tightening tension.

“Spread out!” Fieda barked.

 

Right on cue, the Gold Jackets burst into view, a gleaming swarm that filled the air with the beating of countless wings.

 

“Three, two… Now!” Fieda’s shout rang out.

“Got it!”

 

Ize’s voice was clear and firm as she unleashed a dense, unyielding gravity cage around the swarm.

 

–BOOM!

 

A violent sound ripped through the clearing as the Gold Jackets slammed into one another, their wings tangling midair. Nearly half of them plummeted in a chaotic spiral, flailing helplessly. The ones that remained airborne struggled to maintain their flight, wings trembling under the heavy force.

 

“All right! Finish them off!” Fieda yelled, charging forward without hesitation.

“Right behind you!” Hal called, falling in step with him.

 

Without missing a beat, Fieda cleaved through the faltering swarm, dispatching the Gold Jackets mid-flight and turning them into loot. Hal followed suit, striking down the fallen creatures near his feet with pinpoint bursts of magic.

In less than a minute, the fight was over. Not a single Gold Jacket remained.

Breathing heavily, Hal turned back toward Ize, exhilaration lighting his face.

 

“That was insane, Ize! You were amazing!”

“You had them completely locked down with that gravity cage… Hey, Ize?”

“…Glad that worked,” she murmured softly.

 

Something about her tone made Hal’s brow furrow.

 

“Ize? You okay? You’re acting kinda… off.”

“Hal…” she mumbled. She swayed slightly, eyes half-lidded. “Eyes… heavy…”

 

Then, without warning, her legs buckled, and she slumped forward into Hal’s arms.

 

“Ize? Ize!”

 

Panicked, Hal caught her and shook her gently, but she didn’t respond. With shaky hands, he lowered her to the ground and immediately activated his Eye of Appraisal.

 

Condition: Involuntary Sleep (Magical Energy Depletion)

 

Seeing the result, Hal let out a relieved breath. It wasn’t life-threatening.

 

“She’s just passed out from magical depletion,” he told Fieda.

Fieda exhaled in relief, then proceeded to scan their surroundings. “She’ll be out for a while,” he remarked.

“How long are we talking?”

“Well… maybe for a whole day, if it’s bad. We shouldn’t stay here — no telling what’ll come before she wakes up. Let’s keep moving.”

“Fair enough. It took us by surprise, but it’s not the first time, you know. Remember the Blood Bear fight we told you about? We both passed out cold after that one.”

“On the horsebus trip, right? Passing out mid-fight is a lot riskier, though. You need to be careful too, Hal.”

“I know. So, do we hunt the Mandragoras by ourselves? They’re not supposed to be far from the stairs anyway.”

“…Actually, we’ll hold off. Fighting down on the fiftieth floor would be too chaotic while Ize’s out.”

“Right. Makes sense.” Hal knelt down and shifted Ize carefully onto his back. “I’ll carry her. Might need you to take over if I… well, run out of energy, though.”

“Deal. I’ll use Overview to scout ahead and pick the clearest path.”

“Got it.”

 

After gathering the dropped loot, they pressed on. The trek to the next set of stairs would take roughly an hour and a half. With each step, Hal silently prayed that Ize would wake up before his stamina gave out. It was a pitiful wish, he knew — but he made it all the same.

 

◆

 

Somewhere, not so far off, a gale roared.

Wind lashed against the earth, scattering debris and pounding the soil.

But… I wasn’t afraid.

Not of the wind, nor the rain.

Because by his side, everything was always calm — like the eye of a storm.

 

◆

 

“Hal! Two more from deeper in!” Fieda’s voice cut through the chaos.

“Ora!” Hal roared, blasting a Gold Jacket with his magic.

“Right flank — three left!” Fieda called out.

“Got ’em… Just one more!”

 

–SWISH!

 

The last Gold Jacket hit the ground with a heavy thud. The moment the battle ended, Ize’s body stirred slightly.

Her back pressed against rough bark. Somehow, at some point, she’d ended up dozing against a tree — or so she thought.

When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw Hal sprawled out on the ground a short distance away, limbs splayed in utter exhaustion.

 

“Hal! Are you all right?” Fieda asked.

“Ah… wiped out…” he groaned.

“…Rest a bit.”

“…Aye…”

 

Without lifting his head, he lazily waved a hand in Fieda’s direction. Nearby, Fieda was already gathering the loot.

Ize frowned faintly, still foggy from sleep.

 

[Why was I sleeping during a fight?] “…Hal?” she called weakly.

“…!? Ize!” At the sound of her voice, Hal shot up, the fatigue vanishing from his face in an instant. He sprinted over to her and knelt down. “You’re awake! Are you okay? Feel weird anywhere? Dizzy? Headache?”

 

His rapid-fire questions made her blink in surprise.

 

“…I’m fine, Hal. I’m fine. Calm down.”

“…Really?”

Ize smiled faintly and nodded. “Yeah. Just a little sluggish. But nothing serious.” She tilted her head slightly. “Why did I fall asleep like that, anyway?”

“Magical energy depletion,” he explained with a relieved grin. “Gravity-manipulating magic must’ve been a huge drain.”

“Ah… I see.” She lowered her eyes, guilt flashing across her face. “Sorry…”

“Hey, cut that out.” Hal laughed it off. “You just overdid it with a high-level spell. You’ll control it better next time, right?”

“Yeah… I’ve got the hang of it now.”

“See? You’re fine.”

 

Hal ruffled Ize’s hair with a grin before flopping down on his back once more.

Ize blinked at him in mild confusion, only to hear Fieda’s voice approaching.

 

“…You’re up. Feeling all right?”

“Yes. I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you,” she replied, bowing her head slightly.

“Don’t be. Every mage does it once.”

“Really? …Oh, um… What about Hal?”

“Just out of stamina,” Fieda said matter-of-factly.

“Huh?”

“He carried you around… then we got into a fight with barely a breather.”

“Carry…?”

“Yeah, for about an hour.”

“Wait… Hal?”

“Mmhm…” Hal mumbled weakly, giving her a halfhearted wave.

“Hal, are you sure you’re okay? Should I cast a healing spell?”

“You idiot,” he muttered, peeking at her with a lazy smirk. “You’re the one who passed out from energy depletion. Don’t go wasting more magic.”

“But…”

“Just let him rest,” Fieda cut in. “We’ll reach the stairs in about thirty minutes. We’ll probably make camp there for the night. You don’t push yourself either, Ize.”

“…Got it.”

 

With a weary groan, Hal pushed himself to his feet and brushed the dirt from his clothes. Ize followed suit, testing her legs. She still felt heavy, but it wasn’t unmanageable.

 

“You all right?” Fieda asked, glancing at her. “How’s your MP looking?”

 

Ize checked her status screen, and saw that her MP was a third full — perhaps it had recovered naturally while she was unconscious.

Still, her condition stated ‘Magical Power Low (Stamina Decreasing).’

She relayed the information to Fieda, who gave a small nod before making the call.

 

“Okay, we’re definitely camping on this floor, then. We’ll need you at full strength for the fiftieth floor.”

“…Right. Sorry about that,” Ize murmured, lowering her gaze.

“C’mon, don’t worry about it.”

“Exactly,” Hal added. “Besides, I’m all for calling it a day. My legs are still sore from yesterday — pushed it a little too hard.”

 

He stretched dramatically, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

Seeing the two of them so willing to stop without complaint, Ize swallowed her lingering guilt. Instead of offering another apology, she met their kindness with a nod of gratitude.

 

◆

 

After confirming the entrance to the staircase leading down to the fiftieth floor, the trio set up camp a short distance away.

They’d been active for barely five hours today — and even less for Ize, considering she had spent about an hour asleep. And yet, despite her status indicating draining stamina, she felt oddly energetic.

Unable to sit still, she hovered around Fieda, fidgeting and eager to be useful.

 

“Anything I can do?” she asked, leaning in expectantly.

“Yeah. Sit still,” Fieda replied flatly.

“Should I give you a shoulder rub?”

“Sit. Still.”

 

Fieda clamped a hand down on Ize’s head, gripping her hair like a vice. He bent slightly, lowering his face to hers, and grinned — a slow, twisted smile that would’ve fit right in with a horror movie villain.

 

[Why do horror characters always have such deranged smiles?] Ize wondered absently, her mind wandering even as she peeked up at him through the gaps in his fingers.

 

Seeing her undeterred expression, Fieda let out a small sigh and, with a shake of his head, relented.

 

“…Go make some tea,” he muttered, releasing her.

“Yes, sir!” she chirped, undaunted.

 

Nearby, Hal had already pitched the tent and promptly flopped inside for a nap. He had no plans of waking up until dinner.

Borrowing Fieda’s camping stove, Ize slowly heated water. She wasn’t masking her and Hal’s presence and appearance with Stealth and Camouflage at the moment — better to let her MP recover as quickly as possible. Hal was safe inside his tent, while Ize pulled a hat low over her head to cover her hair, just in case.

Fieda, watching her from where he sat, suddenly spoke.

 

“You know, it might be difficult to show your hair in this kingdom.”

“Because of that old Hero?” she asked without looking up.

“You’ve heard, huh?”

“Just that there was a Hero who caused some kind of resource depletion. I don’t know much about how it affected people, though.”

Fieda nodded. “According to the Guild, there are still Dungeons impacted by it. The regions around them tend to avoid anyone with black hair. That Hero was black-haired, you see.”

“Ah…” Ize paused for a moment, then shrugged with a small smile. “Well, too bad I don’t have time travel powers, huh?”

“Really? That’s your only reaction?” Fieda’s eyes narrowed. “They made it so you can’t show your true self in this kingdom — and you’re just going to accept that?”

 

His hands curled into fists, knuckles whitening with restrained frustration.

But Ize, as if deliberately brushing aside the weight of his words, responded with an airy, cheerful tone.

 

“Thanks, Fieda. But, you know, back in Japan, people could dye their hair however they liked. I mean, no one around me did, because we’re all kids in school — but I’m sure Hal had coworkers who did. So, I’m actually enjoying having brown hair here. No need to worry about me.”

“…If that’s how you feel, fine. But don’t ever forget your real color. Your real self. No matter how many people you fool with Camouflage, don’t lie to yourself. You hear me?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Fieda. But don’t worry — I’m always the real Ize when I’m with you and Hal.”

“…Sure hope so,” he murmured.

“Mm-hmm.”

 

Fieda averted his eyes and stared into his teacup, rolling it idly between his hands.

Ize glanced down as well, and on the surface of her own tea, she caught a faint reflection of her face — smiling wider than she realized.

 

◆

 

After an hour of napping at Fieda’s insistence, Ize awoke to the aroma of their dinner. Hal was already up, busy preparing the meal.

 

“Hey, Ize. Good morning!” he called, waving.

“I know it’s evening, Hal,” she replied with a sleepy smile, stretching her arms. “How are you feeling?”

“Still a little tired, but I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep. You?”

“About eighty percent recovered, I think. Sleeping helped a lot.”

“Man, you recover way too fast,” Hal muttered, shaking his head.

“Huh? Do I?”

“Yeah. You’ve probably got a naturally high MP capacity, but you’re recovering from a full depletion in less than a day — that’s not normal. For most people, it takes at least a day just to get halfway back.”

“Ah… I’ll keep that in mind,” she said with a thoughtful nod.

 

As she glanced around the camp, she noticed something unfamiliar — a few small, cube-shaped objects placed near the perimeter.

 

“Hey, what are those incense-looking things?” she asked, pointing.

“Those are Mystic Beast repellents,” Fieda explained. “You didn’t see any during horsebus rides?”

“Ize, they come in boxes,” Hal reminded. “The shape was different, but I’m sure you saw them.”

“Oh, THOSE… I didn’t know what they were for.”

“And we usually wouldn’t need them — but since you’re not using Stealth tonight, I’m putting them out just in case,” Fieda added.

“Feels like we’re real adventurers, huh?” Hal grinned.

“…Yeah, you need to learn to be at least a little normal,” Fieda muttered dryly.

“”Yes, sir!”” Ize and Hal chimed in unison, earning a slight smirk from him.

 

The three of them ate a simple meal of soup and bread — light fare, less out of concern for Stealth and more to avoid straining their recovering bodies.

 

“Tomorrow’s the Cockatrice fight,” Fieda reminded them as they finished. “Ize, get some rest early.”

“Got it. Oh, and Hal, I’m gonna heal you a little.”

“Huh? No, I’m fine,” he protested weakly, waving her off.

“Ize, are you fully recovered?” Fieda interjected.

“Almost. I’ll be at full strength once I sleep.”

“Then do it. Heal him.”

“Hey! I said I’m fine!” Hal objected.

Fieda’s eyes narrowed in irritation. “Hal. You’re walking like a ninety-year-old granny crossed with a Goblin. Let her heal you.”

“Ugh,” Hal groaned, defeated.

 

The day’s battles, plus carrying Ize for an hour, had left him stiff and sore. His legs wobbled with every step, and his bent posture made him look more like a zombie than a man.

 

“Okay, just a little then,” Ize said playfully.

 

She cast a mild healing spell, and the tension in Hal’s muscles eased almost immediately. The nagging pain melted away, and he straightened with a relieved sigh.

 

“Ahh, that’s better. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep with how sore I was.”

“If you were in that much pain, you should’ve said something sooner,” Ize scolded lightly. “Good night, then.”

“Yeah, thanks. Good night,” Hal called after her, stifling a yawn. “…? Hey, Fieda. Something wrong?”

“…I thought I sensed something,” Fieda murmured, scanning the shadows with a faint frown. “But it’s probably nothing.”

“Should I use Perception?” Ize asked.

Fieda shook his head. “No need. We’ve got the repellents out. We’re fine. Go to sleep.”

“”Okay,”” Ize and Hal said, ducking into their respective tents.

 

Fieda lingered a moment longer, scanning the edges of the camp. Then, with a final glance around, he followed.

None of them noticed the faint glimmer of eyes watching from the low brush, just beyond the repellents’ reach.

 

“…Kekyo!” A raspy, throaty sound drifted on the night air.