Chapter 162 : Chapter 162

Chapter 162: Peering In

They ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍said that in the face of the fear of death, people sometimes displayed superhuman strength.

Ria ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍desperately wished such a miracle would come to her too, but the world was not easy enough for prayers and momentum to solve everything.

Ria’s ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍full-powered strike ultimately failed to cut off the orc’s neck.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍orc, whose movements were fast for its size, was not foolish enough to simply watch Ria fall.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍orc twisted its body and easily dodged Ria’s strike, then swung its hand as if to slap her away.

Horrified, ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Ria barely raised her sword and blocked the orc’s hand.

That small movement saved her life.

Ria was certain that if she had taken the blow cleanly, her neck bone would have broken.

Even though the attack had come in imperfectly, it had enough power to send her entire body flying.

Ria rolled helplessly across the ground several times.

The sword slipped from Ria’s hand, which was not skilled at handling it, and fell to the ground with her.

“Ugh......”

Fortunately, because her bag hit the ground first, the impact was reduced by half, but that did nothing about the pain in the area that had already been struck.

Ria curled up and exhaled, trying to swallow the bone-ringing pain.

Though she had to stop even that when a massive shadow fell over her body.

Even without raising her head, she could feel the opponent’s gaze fixed on the back of her head.

Should she get up and run right now?

No, if she did, this time her body would surely be torn apart.

Ria’s instincts told her that.

Showing her back now would be nothing but inviting death.

If Ria had learned one thing from her limited experience, it was how to deal with an enemy stronger than herself.

Make the opponent lower its guard and aim for a vital point.

She would probably have only one chance to attack.

She had to use it wisely.

Ria slowly relaxed the strength in the hand that had been tightly clutching the bag in her arms.

Then, like an injured animal, she loosened her body and quietly watched the orc approach.

Her heart pounded so violently it felt as if it might leap out of her mouth at any moment, so Ria had to grit her teeth.

The monster reached toward the injured human without hesitation.

At the shadow approaching at high speed, Ria squeezed her eyes shut.

The moment the orc’s hand tried to grab Ria by the shoulder and lift her, Ria hurriedly and quietly groped along the ground.

The moment she barely grabbed the sword, her body was forcibly lifted.

The orc opened its mouth as if it would swallow Ria’s head whole at any moment.

Ria quickly shoved the bag she had been holding in her left hand into the orc’s mouth.

Perhaps something inside the bag burst, because white powder flowed out through the opening and floated between the orc and Ria.

At the terrible smell, Ria realized one step later that it was Oaks grass.

“Kkwek!!”

And that it was rather effective at numbing the opponent’s nose.

While the orc staggered, shaking its head this way and that, Ria raised the sword in her other hand high.

Then she stabbed it into the orc’s neck without hesitation.

“Kkweeeek!!!”

Along with a scream filled with pain, the orc hurled Ria away.

Thanks to her tenacity in not relaxing her grip until the end, the sword that had been lodged in the orc’s neck was pulled out and stuck into the ground along with Ria.

The pain of having a sword lodged in its neck yanked out raw must not have been light either, because the orc screamed again.

She had no leisure to savor her small victory.

Ria quickly rose to her feet.

Her spine, which had been slammed into the ground twice, screamed, but this was her final chance to escape from the orc.

Ria dragged her legs, which would not move as she wished, and ran.

Behind her, the heavy footsteps of the orc, which had belatedly come back to its senses and was chasing after her, rang out, but if she looked back, it felt as if her body would freeze with fear.

If there was one thing Ria missed while running frantically with her aching legs, it was the existence of the sword clenched in her hand.

To be precise, she did not notice the heat and light emitted by Sierra’s holy object.

She merely dismissed it as the pain from the wound cut by the sword blade.

She did not have enough attention to notice subtle changes when she was already occupied with the orc closing the distance behind her.

At last, the orc closed the distance Ria had barely opened, and its hand was about to touch Ria’s head.

ROAAAAAAAR-----

For a moment, Ria thought her ears had briefly stopped working because of fear.

Or else her eardrums had gone bad from the shock of being struck by the orc.

But soon, she realized that what had made her ears ring was none other than a roar shaking the entire island.

“K-kwek......!”

The orc, just as flustered as Ria, seemed to forget her existence for a moment and looked around in every direction.

The source of the roar was soon revealed.

Ria stared blankly at the river water in the distance as it swelled in size like a living creature.

All the river water surrounding the island showed the same movement.

As if it intended not to leave even a single corner to escape to.

Overwhelmed by a scale dozens, hundreds of times greater than the water spray that had been created to swallow the boat, Ria could only stand in place, not daring to move her feet.

The river water flooded the island in an instant.

“Kkweeeek!!!”

The terrified orc abandoned Ria and began running away, but Ria knew that was a meaningless struggle.

Unless one changed the watercourse like the someone who had lured the river water, escape was impossible.

And there was no one here who could create such a miracle.

Without realizing it, Ria gripped the sword in her hand tightly.

As the water swallowed the island at a frightening speed, laughably enough, the only thing she had to rely on was this monster-like sword.

At any rate, it was the last item that still held traces of Jing.

Hugging the sword tightly, Ria squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the coming impact.

Without knowing that the holy object in her arms was the beginning of all this, the source of the disaster.

The river water swallowed the ignorant Ria whole.

Ria was swept away and carried off by the river.

Toward the center, to set right the distorted promise.

***

My expectation that the half-wit would eat the leader was once again beautifully wrong.

I looked down at the half-wit, who had chosen to fall with me while desperately hugging my torso.

Not bad.

The half-wit had beautifully screwed over Ratel, not only in the novel, but this time too.

Not that I had any right to talk.

Even though I had already known the half-wit’s method, I had still been caught so blatantly, so I had nothing to say either.

There was also no room to blame myself.

Since two orcs were tangled together, our plunging speed was also fast.

All I could do was prepare to fall into the river water, which was now boasting a much higher water level.

Unlike me, who was weighing this and that, the half-wit was still simply clinging to me with all his strength.

Why is this bastard so desperate again?

There is nothing more I can do now.

Thanks to the clinging half-wit and the water that was rapidly raising its level, the fall happened faster than expected.

The only measure I could take, in other words, the only thing I could do, was inhale as much air as possible.

At the same time I drew in breath until my lungs hurt, I collided with the surface of the water.

SPLASH.

The sound of air bubbles escaping brushed past my ears, and I finally felt the half-wit fall away from me.

No matter how far he went, he probably had not resolved himself to drown together with me.

Unfortunately, I could not follow the bastard upward.

I looked down at the vortex coiling around my ankle.

Why are there so many bastards who want to sink me today, of all days?

Struggling would only waste stamina and would not mean much.

Promising escape to myself for later, I meekly entrusted my body to the force pulling me downward.

***

I was certain that the number of times I had been dunked in river water over the past few days was greater than the number of times I had swum in the real world over twenty-nine years.

On top of that, I was also certain that the owner of the power remaining in the river water had a shitty personality too.

Judging by how even the remaining power was this willful, the actual first Abalan probably had a nasty personality as well.

If there was one fortunate thing, it was that this time, the water’s movement was not as rough as before.

As if holding me in place was not its purpose, the water slowly wrapped around me.

Though from my perspective, the unpleasant feeling that I was being swallowed whole did not change.

[Keep the promise.]

If sound had color, then the voice, which had become as vivid as black-and-white taking on color, dug into my head.

I said I have no intention whatsoever of keeping some promise on someone else’s behalf.

Why hand the responsibility for an unfulfilled promise to that person’s descendant?

And half of me is a complete stranger.

I had come this far while rejecting the voice in the water with the thought that I could never yield on that, but this time, I also had a feeling that I could no longer stall for time.

With every corner of escape blocked, I had no choice but to helplessly listen to what the other party said.

The one small comfort was that I was alone inside this.

There was no one around me anymore.

No leader watching for a chance to kill me, no half-wit watching me as if observing, and above all, no protagonist.

I don’t know whether I should be grateful for the consideration or click my tongue at the thoroughness.

Yes, at the very least, the only thing I could do now was listen to what the bastard had to say.

It did not seem to intend to send me off quietly this time either.

Holding my breath, I focused on the voice.

[Keep the promise. Si......]

Fortunately, there was some gain.

Because I learned that the end of the warning did not stop at the vague command to keep the promise.

The voice was not speaking to me.

It had no choice but to feel like a one-sided notification because the voice was not speaking to me within the same time as me.

There were faint words continuing after it.

My breath was growing tighter and tighter, but I paid it no mind and relaxed my body.

As I sank deeper into the water, the voice became a little clearer.

[Keep the promise, ....... If you do not......, the price......]

The faint voice, barely audible, drifted farther away as if just out of reach.

If I focused just a little more, it felt as if I would be able to hear that faint voice clearly.

I was aware that I resembled an insect leaping into a pit of fire, but I sank my body lower.

The moment I had gone down far enough that I thought it would be a close thing to climb back up and catch my breath if I descended any further, I finally heard what I wanted.

[Keep the promise, Sierra.]

As far as I knew, there was only one being in this world with the name Sierra.

Yes, there was no way the owner of the power remaining from a thousand years ago had nothing to do with this.

Given the circumstances, it was revealed that the one who had broken the promise was indeed Great Emperor Sierra.

At the same time as one thing became clear, a new question arose.

Who is the person warning Great Emperor Sierra in the memory?

I wanted to sink farther and resolve that curiosity, but now I truly could not breathe.

Just as I was about to slowly climb up and inhale, what held me back one last time was the voice, which had become a little clearer.

[If you do not keep the promise, the ones who pay the price will be humans.]

The words spat out by the monotonous voice were quite bloody.

It seemed that was as far as the kindness of the voice with no known owner would go.

Perhaps it had never intended to teach me anything like the contents of the promise from the beginning, because the current suddenly grew fierce.