Chapter 78, Guilt

Translator: Barnnn

 

When Ize woke the next morning and stepped outside, something felt… off. She squinted at the clearing, her eyes flicking from tree to tree, searching for the source of her unease.

Hal and Fieda, already awake and seated at the table, noticed her strange behavior.

 

“What’s up?” Hal called out.

“…Something’s different,” Ize muttered, still scanning the area.

“Different how?” Fieda asked, brow furrowed.

“Give me a second. There’s something on my map…”

 

With that, she strolled over to where Fieda sat, then crouched behind his chair. She squinted at the ground, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

 

“…I knew it.” She knelt down and pointed at a single blade of grass. “Hal, can you appraise this for me?” she asked.

“Huh? Uh, sure… Wait, what the…?”

 

The moment Hal activated his Eye of Appraisal, his jaw practically hit the floor.

Ize let out a small, dry smile, then turned to the two men.

 

“Don’t worry. My Perception skill marks it as blue — it’s harmless,” she explained.

“Blue? That’s for living things,” Fieda muttered, confused.

“Yeah. It should be a Mandragora, right, Hal?”

“Uh-huh, a Sugar Mandragora, to be exact… but this is weird.”

“Weird how?” Fieda asked.

“Besides the usual stuff about its weaknesses and attack patterns… there’s this part about its preferences. It says: ‘Loves healing magic ♥.'”

“Loves healing magic…” Ize parroted.

“…With a heart,” Fieda added flatly.

 

As the three of them stared down at the blade of grass, a faint, muffled noise rose from the soil.

 

“Gehgyo!”

 

The startled trio took a reflexive step back. But after only a moment’s hesitation, Ize walked right up to the curious sprout and knelt beside it.

 

“You sure about that?” Fieda asked, his voice low with caution.

“My detection spell still shows blue,” she reassured them. “I don’t think it’s hostile.”

 

Ignoring the wary looks from Hal and Fieda, Ize leaned closer and spoke directly to the creature.

 

“Hey, there’s someone who really wants a Sugar Mandragora. If I give you some healing magic… would you come with us?”

“Gehgyo!”

“Oh! That sounded like a yes!” she beamed. “All right then, just a little bit!”

 

She held her hand over the Mandragora’s leafy crown and cast a gentle healing spell.

At once, the little plant began wriggling excitedly, its leaves quivering like a dog’s tail at dinner time.

 

“Gehgyo! Gehgyo!”

 

“Ooh… It’s happy,” Ize giggled.

“…Is it?” Hal asked, still unsure.

“Looks that way, doesn’t it?” she grinned.

“I… guess…?”

Fieda gave a low grunt of disbelief. “Yesterday it was a Treant, and now you’re sweet-talking a Mandragora… Let’s just eat breakfast and clean up before you start taming the whole forest.”

“Okay!”

 

Throughout their meal, the Sugar Mandragora remained half-buried near Fieda’s feet, occasionally letting out a muffled “Gehgyo!” and startling him.

Once they finished packing up, the three returned to the Mandragora, who was still eagerly waiting.

 

“So… We’re not supposed to pull it out of the ground, right?” Ize asked.

“Yeah. Apparently, they shatter on the spot if you do,” Fieda warned.

“Yeesh… scary,” Hal grimaced.

“Okay, let me try asking it.”

“Ask? What do you mean–”

Ize crouched beside the creature again. “Hey, if you really want to come with us… would you mind coming out on your own?”

“Gehgyo!”

“Ooh! I think it’s coming!”

 

The plant’s leaves slowly drooped toward the soil, then braced against the surface like tiny arms. With surprising strength, it pushed itself upward, inch by inch.

 

“Whoa…” Ize whispered, eyes wide.

“…It’s actually coming out,” Hal murmured.

“Unbelievable…”

 

With a faint scraping sound, the Mandragora gradually freed itself from the earth. Its body was rounder and paler than they had expected — plump and beet-like.

 

“Huh. It looks more like a turnip than a Mandragora,” Ize mused.

“Come to think of it… with ‘Sugar’ in its name, maybe it’s like a sugar beet or something,” Hal suggested.

“Do you think this little thing can make sugar too?”

“Focus. It’s almost out,” Fieda interrupted.

“”Ohh!””

 

With a final heave, the Mandragora rolled free, plopping onto the ground with a soft thud.

 

“Koronnn…”

 

The plump little creature clumsily patted itself down with its leafy limbs, knocking off bits of dirt. With every tap, it made a noise like a squeaky toy.

 

“Keekyo! Keekyo!”

 

Ize clapped her hands together, beaming.

 

“Oh my Goddess… It’s adorable!”

“Adorable?” Fieda blinked.

“Seriously?” Hal asked, clearly not seeing it.

 

The two men exchanged a skeptical glance but said nothing more, watching as the Mandragora suddenly extended one of its leafy limbs and pointed deeper into the forest.

 

“Is it… telling us to follow?” Hal asked.

“Should we?” Ize glanced at Fieda.

“…Why not?” he shrugged.

 

The Mandragora rolled ahead — much faster than they had expected, leading them into a thicket. To their surprise, they found themselves standing in a patch filled with identical leafy sprouts.

 

“Are… all of these Mandragoras?” Hal muttered, narrowing his eyes and appraising the area. “Actually, no — some of them are fakes. What the hell?”

 

As it turned out, Mandragora mimicry plants grew alongside the real ones — no wonder these things were hard to obtain.

Their little guide eventually stopped in front of a particular patch and pointed at it with one of its leafy limbs.

 

“Oh, that one?” Ize asked.

“That patch looks legit,” Hal confirmed.

“Perception still shows yellow, though.”

“It’s pointing right at it,” Fieda noted.

Ize tilted her head in thought. “Hey, Hal… Can you check if the others love healing magic too?”

“Yeah… Yep. All of them.” He turned to her. “With hearts.”

“Then… let’s try this,” Ize said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

 

Carefully stepping between the mimic plants, she cast a wide-range healing spell over the entire patch.

Suddenly–

 

“Kyokyokyokyo!”

“Kekekekeke!”

“Kekkyokekkyo!”

“Kakyo? Kakyo!”

 

The ground burst with sound as three more Sugar Mandragoras sprang from the soil, their leafy limbs flapping and clapping in celebration.

 

“Holy crap, that’s loud!” Hal yelped, covering his ears.

“Hahaha! They’re so excited!” Ize laughed.

“…I didn’t know they could make that much noise,” Fieda muttered, impressed despite himself.

 

The four Mandragoras waddled over, their leafy arms pumping like athletes celebrating a game-winning play.

 

“…They look like they’re doing post-home-run high-fives,” Ize grinned.

“Wouldn’t basketball be a better comparison?” Hal teased.

“Ahh! You’re right!”

“You two, focus,” Fieda warned.

 

The Mandragoras toddled right up to the group, their leaves standing proud, as if showing off an accomplishment.

 

“So… what now?”

“Maybe ask if we can take them?”

“Ah, right…”

 

Ize knelt before them with a warm smile.

 

“There are people out there who really need you. Would you be willing to come with us?”

 

“Kyokyo!”

“Keke!”

“Kyokekyo!”

“Kakyokyo!”

 

The Sugar Mandragoras nodded enthusiastically.

 

“All right, everyone. You’ll fit in here, okay?” Ize activated her Magic Bag, revealing a wide, swirling black portal.

 

One by one, the Mandragoras lined up, waved their leafy arms like performers bowing at curtain call, then cheerfully tumbled into the portal.

For a moment, the three of them simply stared in silence at the spot where the Mandragora had vanished.

 

“…We did it,” Ize finally murmured.

“Yeah… we did,” Fieda nodded.

“…Right. That’s good,” Hal added, though his voice was oddly flat.

 

With a heavy sigh, Ize closed the entrance and returned the Magic Bag to its original form — a small, nondescript ring on her finger. She stared down at it for a moment, frowning.

 

“…I feel like we just kidnapped a group of kids,” she muttered under her breath.

“Like a clown in a drain pipe, handing out balloons and telling kids they’d float,” Hal deadpanned.

“…That makes it even worse,” Ize groaned, her shoulders slumping.

Fieda gave her a weary look. “For what it’s worth, Ivern only asked for one. You didn’t have to take the others.”

Ize shook her head. “They were its friends. I… uh, couldn’t just leave them behind.”

“…Yeah, fair enough,” Hal relented with a sigh.

“Mm-hmm.”

 

The heavy silence stretched on once again, and this time, all three of them exhaled at once.

 

◆

 

Pushing aside their lingering guilt, they turned back toward the staircase leading to the fiftieth floor.

At the exit, Fieda paused to review their strategy.

 

“Okay, this is it — the last floor for this run. Ize, you’re in charge of handling the venom. I’ll focus on blocking tail attacks. Hal, you handle the torso. If you get hit with venom, don’t hesitate — use a Detoxify Potion. Got it?”

“”Got it,”” Ize and Hal responded in unison.

 

With a firm nod, Fieda took the lead. Hal and Ize followed close behind.

 

“The exit is in the back-left,” Fieda noted. “Should take about three hours to reach if we keep up the pace.”

“There’ll be one enemy at the thirty-minute mark,” Ize added, “and another around the one-hour point.”

“Got it. Let’s move.”

 

Their boots fell into a rhythm as they advanced, their movements swift but deliberate.

The fiftieth floor was unpopular among adventurers, making it likely they’d encounter more Mystic Beasts.

Mindful of their stamina, Ize paced herself carefully, determined not to repeat yesterday’s mistakes.

Before long, they spotted movement ahead — a foe entering their range faster than expected.

 

“Enemy, left-hand side. In the trees,” Fieda instructed. “Hal, lure it out. Don’t look it in the eyes until Ize nullifies the venom.”

 

Both Hal and Ize gave brief nods, silently taking their positions behind Fieda.

On Fieda’s three-count, Hal extended his hand, aiming through the gaps in the forest.

 

“Haah!”

 

–FWIP!

 

A sharp gust of magic shot forward, slicing through the foliage.

 

“GYAAAAA!!”

“…That’s no chicken,” Hal muttered.

“Nope. Definitely a Mystic Beast,” Ize confirmed grimly. “Once it shows itself, I’ll use Detoxify. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try gravity, and then Cleanse!”

“All right — we’re counting on you!”

 

The branches snapped violently as the Mystic Beast burst into view — a creature the size of a small pony with a rooster’s head, dragon-like wings, and a serpent’s tail. A Cockatrice.

 

“Detoxify!” Ize called out, casting the spell.

“Venom nullified! Stamina at seventy percent!” Hal reported.

“Cleanse!” Ize followed up without hesitation.

“Good work,” Fieda said. “I’m cutting off its tail! Hal, aim for the chest!”

“On it!”

“Shadow Bind!”

“Nice one, Ize!”

 

Ize’s spell snapped around the creature’s feet and neck, holding it in place. Fieda lunged, slicing through its writhing tail in a single, clean stroke. The severed tail writhed on the ground, its serpentine head hissing in fury. With a decisive strike, Fieda brought his sword down upon the fallen head, sending a sickening crunch of bone echoing through the air.

Hal followed up with a barrage of wind magic, striking the Cockatrice’s throat with precision. It screeched and stumbled, but still managed to thrash wildly with its wings, sending razor-sharp feathers flying in all directions.

 

“Watch the feathers!” Fieda warned. “Don’t get close!”

 

Ize, about to join in close combat, halted mid-step, scanning for an opening.

 

“Hal! Can you cut its wings!?” Fieda barked.

“Sorry, no!” Hal shouted back. “They’re harder than I thought!”

“Then slow it down with ice!”

“On it!”

 

The Cockatrice’s wings began to frost over but shattered free moments later.

 

“Welp, that’s a no, too!” Hal cursed.

“It’s okay — that’s long enough. We can make it work. Ize, can you circle around and rush in from the opposite side?”

“Yes. I’m good to go.”

“I’ll take the right, you hit the left. Hal, freeze it on my signal.”

“Got it,” Hal said with a sharp nod.

“Understood,” Ize echoed.

 

Fieda ducked and weaved through the shower of feathers, closing in on the frenzied Cockatrice. On the far side, Ize sprinted into position, locking her eyes on the creature’s left wing.

She gripped her dagger tight in her right hand, fingers flexing against the hilt as she waited for Fieda’s cue.

 

“–Now!”

“Haah!”

 

At the shout, Hal’s spell snapped into place. Ice surged over the base of the Cockatrice’s wings, freezing them solid. The creature let out a strangled screech, its movements slowing.

 

[This is it!]

 

Ize kicked off the ground, vanishing in a burst of speed. A brief shockwave rippled behind her, scattering dust and loose stones.

In the blink of an eye, the Cockatrice’s left wing hit the earth with a heavy thud.

As the cloud of dust billowed around her, Ize glanced back. On the other side, Fieda stood with the severed right wing gripped in his hand.

The Cockatrice flailed weakly for a few seconds, its wingless form convulsing. Then, with a final shudder, its body flickered and dissolved into nothing.

 

“Nice work, Hal,” Ize called out, brushing dust from her cheek.

“You two were the ones who did the hard part,” Hal said, flashing a grin. “You handled it perfectly, even with the short window.”

Fieda exhaled through his nose and shrugged. “More than enough time.”

 

The three of them strutted toward the scattered loot, bumping their fists together.

They were glad to know that even Cockatrices wouldn’t pose a significant threat — and that just a while longer, and the fiftieth floor would be behind them.