Vol 3: Chapter 44
I woke up with a headache. I got up thinking that I might have caught a cold. As I diagnosed myself with【World Ruler】, it turned out to be a hangover.
This is how a hangover feels like? …It’s the worst.
As I got out of bed and tried to walk, my legs staggered.
Muge-san’s warehouse has excellent ventilation, so it was almost the same as the outside air. I felt a little refreshed as I breathed in the crisp, cool morning air in the summer.
「Hmm?」
After leaving the room, I found a porcelain bottle placed on the workbench which we use instead of a table when having meals. In a handwritten note by Mimino-san, it read “Medicine for hangover.” ……Thank you. I’ll take it.
Seeing that there were two bottles, I understood that one was for Dante-san. Loud snoring can be heard from the room behind me.
I drank the medicine. Mimino-san tried to sweeten the taste with honey, but the bitterness and acridity that could not be deceived remained in my mouth. I thought of washing down the taste by producing water from【Convenience】, but I decided I might as well try out the water well, and stepped out of the warehouse.
The morning glow illuminated the rough land around the company. This warehouse was as good as being Muge-san’s residence, workplace, and the main building of his store. The place was silent. The lights were still on when we came back late at night, I recalled.
「By the way, how did we come back… My memory is vague.」
I couldn’t remember how we came back yesterday. That fact excited me.
After all, I can’t forget a single thing due to【World Ruler】! Right! This is how it feels like to forget things! To be precise, it was not that I “forgot” but rather I can’t “remember” due to being drunk.
There was a large tree with a white trunk, and the well was under it.
Pump-type wells are widespread in the Empire. Although there are waterworks and sewer systems, running water is not as abundant as in the area where Muge-san lives, it seems.
I worked the pump and drew out water. When I washed my hands in the flowing water, the coldness sent a cold chill running through my body. And as I washed my face, my whole body felt refreshed. I scooped up the water, gargled, and after taking two gulps, the water stopped.
I noticed that I forgot to bring a towel, but I can just dry off with【Wind Magic】and【Fire Magic】. It is my homemade dryer. As I was drying my face–
「Umm… what is that?」
A woman stood there.
「————」
She was draped in a long sari-like garment, matched with a hooded shawl.
I was unexpectedly speechless when I noticed the humanーappearance, which is rare in this country.
「I wanted to thank you as soon as possible… so I ended up coming at this hour. Sorry about that.」Lulusha-san gave a small laugh.
After that, I returned to the room in a hurry, changed my clothes (because it was just rags I used as pajamas), and returned to the warehouse. I asked Lulusha-san to sit on a chair, and as usual, I filled water in the pitcher and offered it.
「I-I’m sorry, I showed you something unsightly.」I said.
「What are you saying? There’s no way I would think that of the person who saved my life.」
「No, this and that are different. A-Anyway, I am just glad that you are all right.」
Meeting with Lulusha-san again, she looked the same as when I saw her in the labyrinth. She seemed tired. Probably was just as extremely tensed as she was in the labyrinth.
「Umm…」Lulusha-san looked a little perplexed.「I know it’s strange to ask this after having been saved, but why did you go so far?」
「Huh?」
「We met for the first time in the labyrinth, right? At that time, you said you had something to talk about with me… Is it related to that?」
「Ah… right. Certainly, it would seem suspicious when you receive too much kindness from a stranger.」
「N-No, that’s not what I meantー」
「Of course I will tell you. That’s why I came to this country, after all. But before that…」
I took out the leather bag from the tool bag I usually carry around.
Insided, I found a small ore that glowed blue. It was smaller than the fingernail on my pinky finger.
My hand taking out the ore was trembling—I was nervous.
Lulusha-san’s eyes widened.「Isn’t this a Phosphorus magic stone?」
「So you are familiar with it.」
「Y-Yes… because it was also in my late mother’s belongings.」
「I don’t know much about it. Is it something special?」
「There is a record that a small amount of it was collected in a certain mine in the now collapsed Forsha Kingdom. It is known for its extremely characteristic reaction to mana.」
「It seems to amplify the mana supplied by 3 to 4 times and returns it.」
I have never actually tried it, but I knew that information from【World Ruler】. But【World Ruler】didn’t tell me about the production area.
I see… so it was from the Forsha Kingdom.
The birthplace of old man Hinga.
「As you say. It was said that a magical revolution would occur if this was harvested in large quantities, but unfortunately there was no other place to harvest it. And I heard that the mines were soon depleted… Where did you find this?」Lulusha-san asked.
I corrected my seated posture.
「I am greatly indebted to your grandfather, Hinga-san. And, I was with him in his last moments. I thought it was my duty to tell you about the kind of man your grandfather was, and so I came to meet you, his granddaughter.」
Finally, this day has come. Now I can finally fulfill one of my biggest missions, to talk to Lulusha-san about Hinga-san.
Then I talked without holding back.
Since I can’t avoid talking about it, I first told her that I was a mine slave.
About how life was like in that place.
How old man Hinga was like a mediator for everyone there.
How every night, he taught me the knowledge of this world.
How the mine collapsed and old man Hinga was caught up in it.
And the last words of the old manーI relayed it to Lulusha-san word for word.
——If you ever meet my grandchild, can you tell her that I died without holding a grudge until the end?
——Your grandchild?
——Her name is Lulusha. Unlike me, she is a very intelligent and lovely girl.
When her name appeared, Lulusha-san’s eyes were opened wide.
Lulusha-san had only met old man Hinga when she was young, and was completely unaware of his whereabouts afterwards, it seems. Her nose and ears had turned red as she listened to my story.
「…He was a wonderful person. He gave knowledge that would be a weapon to survive in this world to me who was just a slave who had nothing. Even though he should’ve been aware that I couldn’t repay it… That is why… I wanted to grant the last thing he wished for.」
While talking, emotions began to rise within me.
Oh, man. Even though Lulusha-san is holding back, I might be the one to cry first.
「Even while thinking of his granddaughter, Hinga-san still blessed me.」
Even now, I feel that the words from that time are being revived in my ears.
Even now, I feel that the blessing from that time is giving me a push.
——I exist only to be punished. For I have committed a sin that I can’t atone for even with my death. But I was blessed to bask in the sun’s embrace in my final hour. O God who governs heaven and earth, I pray that thee grant blessings unto this shunned child…
Even now, I can still feel his wrinkled hands that stroked my black hair.
——I wish you all the best in life, Reiji.
Finally, I was able to reach this place. I was able to tell Lulusha-san about old man Hinga.
While rubbing my wet eyes with the back of my fist, I felt my body lighten.
A handkerchief was presented in front of me. It belonged to Lulusha-san.
「Risking yourself to capture the Labyrinth of Fear for my family’s sake… you’re so stupid.」
While smiling, a tear rolled down Lulusha-san’s right cheek.
「But thank you… I’m very happy to hear about my grandfather.」
Then we spent some time in silence.
It was a necessary silent time to remember the memories of old man Hingaーthere was that too, and before I noticed, Dante-san’s snoring had ceased, and I heard sniffling sounds coming from the women’s room where Mimino-san and the others were, so I thought everyone needed some time to calm down.
I am glad I was able to talk. Truly, truly glad.
