Chapter 515: I Tried to Leave, But Found the End of What Was Once Was

I Tried to Leave, But Found the End of What Was Once Was

* * *

『The ones you’ll likely fight near this gate are the two gatekeepers… ‘Ozekumuto’ and ‘Gyahalsu’. Their weakness is fire magic.』

The information the phantom princess is giving me is completely useless.

What am I supposed to do with the weaknesses of enemies I’ve already defeated?

The princess’s appearance trigger points are definitely wrong…

I listened to the princess’s repeated messages, feeling empty, while taking a break.

And then, the princess’s figure suddenly disappeared… and then, a little behind where she was standing, two illusions of the princess appeared… at the same time.

『Congratulations on defeating Ozekumuto and Gyahalsu. But don’t let your guard down… There are still many soldiers of the Superbad Empire. May the righteous power you wield illuminate the world…』

“…………”

When I approached the princess on the right… she said that.

『You were defeated, brave one… But that’s okay. As long as you’re alive, there’s still a chance. Review your equipment, and try again.』

“…………!?”

And the princess on the left… said that!

Th-This is…!!

The one on the right is the ‘Victory Princess’, and the one on the left is the ‘Defeat Princess’!!

Haaa… This is exhausting…

Maybe I should just go back…

I grumbled, looking back at the gate.

…Just by turning around… in a straight line towards the gate—po-po-po-po-po-pon—a large number of phantom princesses appeared.

『Eh, you’re running away after coming this far?』

『No way, no way… that’s impossible, right?』

『Please, help me…!』

『Hey, are you really a weakling—even lower than a worm? No, you’re not! Show me your guts!』

And then, various messages, trying to keep me here, were displayed!

Ahh, geez…!

Shut uuuup!!

I stuck my fingers in my ears, ignoring the large number of princesses trying to keep me here, and started walking towards the gate!

No, it’s fine to go back.

I was provoked by the princess earlier, but… if there are more enemies like that, it’s a different story.

Even if I fight them with all my might, and win against all of them…

What will I get?

A reward from the princess?

…I don’t need it.

I don’t need a reward that much, not even at the cost of my life.

Is there even a reward in the first place?

That’s not even remotely a reward for meーーー!!

I’m leaving this fort!

I’m definitely leaving!

* * *

So, that’s why.

Extra-sama and I, who shared the decision to ‘retreat’, were walking straight towards the gate, through the grounds surrounded by the fort’s outer wall.

I got closer to the fort’s building while fighting the two skeletons, so the gate is a bit far.

“…Hmm?”

But… as I was about to leave through the gate… I found something strange.

It was a ‘wall’, made of piled up sandbags and rubble.

A wall, standing alone in the corner of the fort’s grounds.

It’s about two meters wide.

And tall enough to completely hide an adult.

It’s out of the way from the path leading from the gate to the entrance of the fort, so I didn’t even notice it earlier…

What’s with this wall?

“…………”

I couldn’t help myself.

Just a quick glance, I thought.

I walked towards the mysterious wall.

Clank, clank…

And then, how about this?

From the direction of the wall… I heard the sound of armor clanking!

Bad feeling.

…Haaa… I know, right?

Besides, there’s no hostility or killing intent.

The atmosphere is different from those skeletons earlier.

There’s something… behind that wall.

What is it?

I went to check on the being making the clanking sound behind the mysterious wall, going around it while keeping my distance.

“…!!”

And what I found there… was another moving skeleton.

But as I mentioned before, I don’t sense any hostility from it.

And what it’s wearing isn’t the jet-black armor the previous two were wearing, but a silver armor with beautiful decorations.

That skeleton, clad in such beautiful armor, is endlessly, endlessly… ramming its body into the wall made of sandbags and rubble.

Or rather… to be precise… I don’t think it’s ‘ramming’ its body into the wall.

It seems like that skeleton is just trying to walk, as if there’s no wall there.

It wants to walk straight, but because there’s a wall there, it’s bumping into it.

It’s like… ‘it’s stuck, and can’t move’.

Yeah, I think that’s what’s happening to that skeleton.

But in the end, what I’m trying to say is…

What’s with this skeleton?

But my question was answered in a few seconds.

Extra-sama apparently knows what this skeleton is.

…The end of what was once was… what?

Extra-sama said that clearly, with conviction.