Chapter 155

✠

“Is that so?”

Thesilid somehow attempted to avoid the topic.

“If it’s a common interest between us, there is also ‘Strict Order and Goodwill’.”

The converted Saint looked uncomfortable.

“It is.”

“Yes.”

I kept a close eye on Agnes and Thesilid to see if they were saying anything outlandish to each other. Fortunately, the subject matter was mundane.

After a long time while the three of them talked and two worked together, the harvest of herbs was finally over.

It was a satisfying feeling to have ravaged the cave’s floor, which seemed to have been covered with an emerald carpet.

Thesilid and I sat side by side on a rock, quenching our thirst with a juice-flavored potion.

“You worked hard, Terry.”

“Eli, too.”

It was good to enjoy a break after work was over. But the problem was that there was no longer anything to do together and the sweet break quickly turned into a boring time.

“It doesn’t look like the exit gate is going to happen. This is a special place, so it might happen periodically.”

“It will be faster if the mermaids come back to pick us up.”

“Right, when are they coming? Grandpa will be worried.”

Agnes interrupted.

“Oh, my god.”

I hurriedly checked the clock in the system window.

The dungeon here seemed to have less than twice the difference between reality, and time flow in the real world was just before midnight.

“Oh, it’s ruined.”

It’s a legit night out. The thought of being roasted by Rex made my bones ache.

Thesilid smiled at me.

“I will speak to him.”

“Yes, your words will be more trustworthy than mine. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

I sighed and added.

“And sorry.”

“For what?”

“To celebrate your birthday in a place like this.”

“……”

There was a slight gap before the conversation continued. It must have taken him a few seconds to comprehend because he asked back with a puzzled look on his face.

“Birthday……?”

“Oh, the reaction is exactly as expected.”

I pulled out a velvet gift box from my inventory. Speaking of birthday, I might as well give it to him now.

“Happy birthday, this is an early birthday present.”

“……”

At that moment, his sea blue eyes which dilated slightly in surprise and then slowly regained their original size, were very pretty. So much so, that I felt like creating a drawer in my memory if I could, to carefully store the look he’d just given me in it and to sneak it out whenever I was depressed or sad.

I didn’t mean to stare, but I didn’t notice when I had caught him in my eyes like this.

I pulled myself together and opened my mouth. A little smugly.

“You didn’t expect it, did you?”

“Honestly, yes.”

“Right, I mean, who else would take care of this if it wasn’t me.”

The gift itself is really something else, too. It’s an artifact as expensive as the Holy Grail of Rites, and I risked my life to get it because it’s perfect for regressors.

I’m sure he’ll be very happy. Just thinking about it makes me proud.

Thesilid looked down at the wrapped velvet box for a long time, basking in excitement, then asked.

“Can I open it?”

“Wait, I need to talk to you before you reveal what it is because I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

“Okay.”

As I cleared my throat a little, Terry smiled wide enough to narrow even his eyes. He looked happy to even wait.

His wrinkle-free appearance was like Thesilid Argent of a time before he went through the regression.

I opened my mouth.

“You know, Terry. I hope this will be your last episode.”

“……”

“Sincerely.”

“……What the hell is the gift for you to say this? I’m starting to dread it a little.”

Right after he said it like a joke, his sea-blue eyes inspected the gift box as if analyzing it.

Of course, that alone could not give him the answer, so I continued.

“I’m giving you this gift just in case, not because you have to use it, please keep that in mind, okay?”

“All right. I’m very curious, can I open it?”

I thought this would be enough of a safety measure in case of misunderstandings.

“Yes. Go ahead.”

Thesilid’s fingers opened the velvet box.

Until he found a White Asphodel, which was packed by the grandmother of all things, Thesilid was smiling in anticipation. However, the moment when he removed the flowers to reveal a square, flat, mass-produced artifact.

“……This.”

The smile sank from his face.

[ ‘Save Point’

A ‘life-saving’ artifact created for infinite regressors suffering from burnout. If you use it, the next time you die, you will return to the time of using the artifact.

Remaining uses: 14/30]

“……”

He had a cold face I’d never seen before. It seemed that even his breath would be frozen like the air in the Arctic Ocean.

“Terry?”

“……”

There was no answer to my call.

I had a hunch that he immediately recognized the artifact’s purpose. In fact, I had in mind the idea that he might not be thrilled after receiving the gift.

Because it can be regarded as a gift given under the premise that this episode will fail. Nevertheless, his reaction now far exceeded my expectations.

Why on earth?

Why are you staring at the floppy disk with eyes that could break at any moment, unable to even breathe properly?

At last, he spoke.

It was a small voice, barely audible, that he struggled to let out after clapping his lips several times.

“Where did you get this?”

Suddenly I felt my wrist surrounded by a hot energy. He was holding me with a terrible desperate grip.

✠

It was a woefully trembling voice, barely audible even to himself.

Normally, he would never let her hear it. But.

“Please. Answer me honestly.”

“……Terry?”

Her fresh green eyes widened. In their reflection, he was begging in an awkward and ugly manner.

“Please.”

Unlike the continent’s only God, who always turned his back on him, she was merciful.

“Uh, hm, so, I mean……I got it for a price.”

“…… From whom? How? Where?”

“That……”

“Be honest, please.”

“…… ”

Her mouth opened and closed in a small gesture.

After a while of choosing words, as if she was even cautious of breathing, Ellet began her explanation.

“I made a deal with God. There were things I had that were quite valuable.”

“……”

“I don’t know where it was but, God sent me to an unknown dungeon and told me to take it myself.”

“……What place was it?”

“There was a huge hole in a rocky wasteland where lightning strikes constantly. It was like……”

“Like the abyss.”

“Ah, yes, like the abyss.”

While she opened her eyes slightly wide she cleared her throat.

“Go on, tell me.”

“Well……In the middle of that abyss, there was this artifact. I don’t know in detail because I didn’t look down. At that time, it seemed that the owner of the dungeon was searching for me… … I was busy trying to quickly get out of there with just the artifact.”

She finished her words by saying that was the end.

“……Aah.”

A raspy bass-like sigh shook the air.

Soon, my grip on Ellet’s wrist loosened and I moved my hand to my eyelids. A hot, dry palm sweeps across my face.

Soon, the expression I was making became ambiguous, as I couldn’t tell if I was laughing bitterly or crying sweetly.

When my sea-blue eyes harbored a strange color.

“Eli.”

“Yes?”

“Ellet Rodellaine.”

“……”

“It was you.”

A voice that exudes liberation.

“It was you.”

Right after I heard a voice I couldn’t recognize as mine, saying unexpected things.

“……Terry?”

I reached out to Ellet without hesitation and pulled her in a hug.

“Te, Te, Terry?!”

“……”

“A-A-Are you crazy? You want to die?!”

Panicked, she threateningly screamed at me.

Agnes also raised her voice, but I paid no mind. Instead, I wrapped one hand around the back of Ellet’s head and buried her deeply into my arms.

“The, Thesilid!”

“…… ”

I was clearly aware.

It was not at all like me to hug like this without permission. In the first place, the attempt itself was an impulse that was not like him.

But he was still human. What man would not covet salvation that came true after thousands of years when it was so close at hand?

He was also a human being.

“Ah! I’m going crazy, really! If you do this, you will move on to the next episode!”

The situation came to an end after Ellet, who had regained her senses, violently pushed me away. Breathing heavily, she grabbed both of my arms and said.

“Pl-Please, let’s keep a safe distance for God’s sake. If you keep doing this, the cave will suddenly collapse and we will both die!”

“……”

“Ah, no, now that I think about it, I don’t think there’s any need to go that far. We could just scream and die of a heart attack. Yes, that’s right. I have been feeling palpitations since before, I almost had a heart attack. If you kept at it a little bit longer, you and I might have really died.”

“……”

“Sigh, I’m glad I survived this time, but be careful from now on. Do you understand what I mean?”

“……”

“What’s the matter, you haven’t spoken since earlier, say something.”

By this time, the precarious appearance had been completely erased and the usually gentle and calm paladin let out a throat rumbling laughter.

“Thank you.”

A smile and a word were enough to lighten the mood.

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