"Seriously...?"
I had undergone a Return by Death to the moment just before we entered the dungeon, but I was still reeling from the shock. I never imagined Hero Eligion would be killed by the hands of Holy Knight Kanaria. I hadn't expected something like that to even be possible.
"But still, my approach shouldn't be wrong."
I couldn't believe that relying on Hero Eligion was a mistake. This attempt had been a failure, but if I kept repeating the loop, I was bound to find a timeline where Hero Eligion emerged victorious.
And so, I moved to repeat the events of the previous timeline.
◆
"No... no, that’s not right...!"
Before my eyes, Hero Eligion had descended into madness once again. A short while later, he was killed by Holy Knight Kanaria.
It was no good this time, either. Having reached that conclusion, I drew my blade across my own throat.
◆
The third time since I had begun searching for a way to rely on Hero Eligion.
I struggled desperately to prevent Holy Knight Kanaria from mentioning Luna Village—the catalyst for the Hero's breakdown—but my efforts were in vain.
"Hey, don't get in the way."
Warrior Golgano pinned me down, leaving me helpless. In the end, Hero Eligion lost his mind and was slaughtered. It was another failure.
◆
Trial Count: 4.
I decided to inform Hero Eligion in advance that Holy Knight Kanaria was a native of Luna Village. I speculated that if he knew beforehand, the shock of the revelation might be lessened.
Inside the dungeon, after warning him that Holy Knight Kanaria and Warrior Golgano were traitors, I brought up the village.
"Kiska-kun, I’ll get angry if you push this any further."
The moment the words "Luna Village" left my mouth, Hero Eligion’s expression soured into one of pure displeasure.
"Even so, please don't forget! Holy Knight Kanaria is from Luna Village, and she holds a deep grudge against you, Lord Hero!"
"Shut up!!"
A heavy impact slammed into me. He had punched me in the stomach with everything he had. I crumpled to the floor, groaning, but I kept my eyes on him.
"Listen. If you ever say that again, I won't show you any mercy."
From that moment on, Hero Eligion treated me with cold indifference. In every other timeline, he had allowed me to stay in his room as a guard while he slept; this time, he refused to let me even step through the door.
Apparently, the name "Luna Village" was a taboo far greater than I had imagined. Consequently, the result remained the same: Hero Eligion was killed by Kanaria.
◆
Trial Count: 5. Another failure. Trial Count: 6. Another failure. Trial Count: 8. Another failure. Trial Count: 9. Another failure. Trial Count: 10. Another failure.
...
Trial Count: 30. Still no progress.
◆
Trial Count: 31.
"If this one doesn't work, I’m giving up."
With that thought heavy in my mind, I walked through the dungeon once more. No matter what I tried, Hero Eligion ended up dead at Kanaria's hands. If this attempt failed, I would have to find an entirely different strategy.
With my resolve set, I sought out Hero Eligion. The events followed the established script. I warned him that Holy Knight Kanaria and Warrior Golgano were traitors.
"I won't say that I trust you completely. However, I will respect the fact that you’re willing to bet your life on this."
It was a line I had heard dozens of times now.
"......Thank you very much," I said, bowing my head.
We returned to the surface via Mage Nyau's Teleportation Magic. Shortly after, the Victory Celebration Banquet began in Kataroff Village—an event I had now experienced more times than I cared to count.
"Hey, Kiska-kun, are you enjoying yourself?"
As I sat vacantly at the banquet, Hero Eligion called out to me. We engaged in some idle chatter. I didn't mention Luna Village at all; I knew by now that it would only trigger his rage.
"Kiska-kun, you really do look like you're lacking energy," he noted suddenly.
Lacking energy, huh? He wasn't wrong. Repeating the same cycle of death and failure over and over was enough to make anyone neurotic.
"I might have just had a bit too much to drink."
"In that case, perhaps you should go rest?"
"My apologies. I think I'll do just that."
"Don't worry about it."
Taking advantage of his kindness, I stood up to find somewhere quiet. If I stayed at the party, I knew Warrior Golgano would eventually come over to talk to me. Honestly, the thought was depressing. I had no desire to exchange pleasantries with an enemy I was destined to fight to the death.
I needed to find a spot where no one would look for me. The real battle wouldn't start until nightfall, so it didn't matter how I spent my time until then.
"I should be safe enough here," I muttered as I ducked into a back alley far from the banquet venue.
Thinking I was finally alone, I lowered myself onto the ground.
"Mphf!? W-Why are you sitting right next to me!?"
"Huh?"
I looked toward the voice and found Mage Nyau, the elf, sitting on the dirt. He was so small that I hadn't even noticed him until just now.
"I didn't do it on purpose. You just happened to be sitting where I chose to sit."
"Liar! No matter how you look at it, you went out of your way to sit right next to me!"
"......You were just so tiny I didn't see you."
"S-Tiny...! You just called me tiny! Mmph—"
Anticipating a noisy outburst, I clamped my hand over his mouth to shut him up. He struggled and muffled some protests, but after a few moments of being held, he seemed to give up and went quiet.
"There. Finally, some peace."
I released him.
"I thought I was going to suffocate and die!"
"Don't be dramatic. You could breathe through your nose perfectly fine."
As we bickered, I leaned my back against the wall and stretched. I really just wanted this banquet to be over.
"Why did you even come back here?" he asked. "The party is still in full swing."
"I got tired of talking to people. So, I escaped."
"Oh. I see."
"What about you? Why are you hiding back here?"
Now that I thought about it, I had never seen Nyau during the banquet in any of the previous timelines. I hadn't realized he was always hiding in places like this.
"I'm just not good with those kinds of crowds."
"And why is that?"
"Because everyone is drinking. I want to join in and drink too, but..."
"Well, yeah. A child shouldn't be drinking alcohol."
"Uwaaa! See! That’s why! I hate it because there's always someone who treats me like a child!"
Nyau shouted, his eyes beginning to well up with tears. I wondered if he realized that crying over something so trivial was exactly why people treated him like a child.
"Alright, my bad. Here, have some of this."
Since his crying was becoming a nuisance, I offered him the mug of alcohol I had brought with me. Nyau took the mug and took a gulp.
"This is gross!"
He gave his blunt assessment immediately. He really is just a brat, I thought, but I was kind enough to keep that to myself.
"W-Why are you laughing at me!?"
I only realized I was doing it when he accused me. Apparently, I was laughing.
It felt like it had been a very long time since I had genuine cause to do that.