"Gueh!"
A strangled croak escaped me as my collar was yanked tight.
I opened my eyes to find the hospital room bathed in the pale, blue glow of the night. In this world, the moon was massive and bright; even at midnight, the moonlight streaming through the window was enough to act as a lamp. It wasn't quite bright enough to read by, but it was more than sufficient to grasp my surroundings.
"...Master?"
I glanced sideways with bleary eyes. Master was huddled against my shoulder.
No—she was clinging to me.
And she was trembling.
"What is it...?"
"————Please."
She was whispering something.
I leaned toward her, straining my ears to catch the faint sound.
"—Don't go anywhere. Don't go anywhere. Don't leave me behind. Don't leave me alone. Don't ever go anywhere again. Please... please, please, please—"
"..."
Understanding the situation, I fell back against the mattress and let out a heavy sigh that felt like it was sinking into the ceiling. Ah, not again.
To say she’d had a nightmare made it sound childish, but in truth, it was trauma. The memory of the moment I nearly died would flash back to her at night, leaving her unable to do anything but huddle against me like this.
At first, I’d thought sleeping together every night was an overreaction, no matter how worried she was.
But in the end, this was the primary reason I’d had no choice but to do as she asked.
"............"
Dammit, my stomach hurts... Not that I could ever say that out loud.
I mean, look at her.
Anyone would feel responsible for this, no matter the circumstances.
I didn't believe I’d made the wrong choice. In that situation, I was the only one capable of defeating the Grim Reaper, thanks to my meager knowledge of the original story. I was the only one who could have done it. To protect everyone from the brink of total annihilation, I’d had to be prepared to literally throw my life away.
It was a one-way street with no other exits.
But—even so.
(I really need to reflect on the fact that I was okay with dying. Seriously.)
I was a reincarnator. I’d already died once. I knew this was the world of a manga. I was a "foreign object" that shouldn't have existed here in the first place, so I’d decided that if someone had to make the ultimate sacrifice, it should be me. I’d treated my own life as something disposable.
Even when you're "staking your life," there is a world of difference between throwing it away in self-despair and facing the end while truly understanding the weight of your existence.
That was likely where I’d gone wrong.
Because Master had realized I’d tried to discard my life with that mindset—and it was why she was grieving like this.
It was a pathetic realization.
Wake up, me.
Just because I’d realized this was a manga world and remembered some scraps of "original story" knowledge, did I suddenly think I was looking down from a god's-eye view?
Even as a reincarnator, even with that knowledge, and even as an existence that shouldn't be here—the person standing here right now was Wolka.
I had to engrave it into the very bottom of my soul: I was a human being named Wolka, the only one of his kind in this world.
If I didn't, I wouldn't even have the right to talk about helping my comrades recover.
"..."
I exhaled slowly. I turned onto my side again and gently pulled Master’s small head against my chest.
I hoped that, at the very least, the sound of my heartbeat would reach her.
/
"Senpai, good morning..."
The night broke into an early morning, before the sun had even fully shown its face. The door creaked open like a draft of wind, and someone crept softly into the room.
Among the skills I’d picked up since reincarnating was one that allowed me to vaguely sense a person’s presence even while I was asleep.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say this was an essential survival skill for an adventurer. This dark fantasy world was no different from many others; travel meant horses, walking, or ships. Whether on an adventure or a guild request, it was common to fail to reach a destination by nightfall, forcing a camp in the wilderness.
Naturally, that carried the risk of being targeted by monsters or Ruffians—the general term for the outlaws of this world—while you slept.
Unless you had a mage capable of Barrier Magic or enough coin to buy a Barrier Stone, most parties spent the night taking turns on watch. Even with comrades standing guard, falling into a deep, defenseless sleep was simply reckless.
Living a life so close to danger for long enough polishes your crisis-sensing ability into an instinct. You learn to grasp your surroundings even through the veil of sleep. It was a bit of an occupational hazard.
Sensing a presence and jumping awake instantly—I never thought I’d actually develop a constitution like a manga character. But this was another world, and I was a resident of it now. Judging its common sense or my own potential by the standards of a modern Earthling was a mistake.
"Senpaai... it's morning..."
The intruder stood beside my bed, whispering softly.
Well, it was clearly Yulitia, my junior swordsman. Since it wasn't a threat, I didn't need to bolt upright. I lingered in a semi-conscious, drowsy state for a moment.
"............"
I felt her presence. She was staring down at me in bed, unblinking.
"...Such a terrible wound..."
She was looking at the scar on my right eye. It was a jagged, flashy mark running from my forehead to my cheek, the kind you only see in fiction. To her, the youngest of us, it must have been a painful sight.
"...Senpai, please never be so reckless again. I won't let it happen, never again. Please, leave everything to us from now on. You can rely on us for everything. I'm going to get stronger—so strong that I can support you. I'll make sure you don't have to do anything at all. When you're awake, when you're asleep... I'll handle everything. Everything, okay? No matter what it is, we'll be together, always, always—"
That's terrifying. Hearing someone mutter like a ghost at your bedside is enough to make anyone shiver.
I opened my eyes.
"Fueh—G-Good morning, Senpai! Did I wake you?"
The girl standing there was the usual Yulitia, wearing a flustered, innocent smile. Hmm. Had I misheard her? I felt like she’d been saying something that made my stomach ache...
Oh well.
"Morning, Yulitia."
"Yes, good morning!"
A few words about Yulitia, the youngest member of our party and a genius swordsman.
To be honest, my memories of her from the "original story" were unpleasant. Not that I disliked her character. Like Master, she was a one-chapter mob with almost no description, but her end in that total-annihilation bad ending was... particularly... well...
I would have been much happier if I’d stayed forgetting it. Did the author think it was okay to be that cruel just because she was a disposable character? He was a goddamn monster.
It made me feel that fighting like a madman back then had been worth it. The fact that this girl was alive and smiling now was enough to make the loss of my eye and leg feel like a fair trade.
In terms of my own perception of her, regardless of the manga:
First, her age. At thirteen, she was four years younger than me. Back on Earth, she would have just been starting middle school. She was the undisputed baby of the party. While many children worked or carried weapons in this world, an adventurer as young as her was still a rarity.
"Lovely" was the word that suited her best. Her pale cherry-blossom hair, nearly white, was cut in a soft, shoulder-length medium style. Her gentle peach-colored eyes and the floral hair ornament at her temple highlighted her delicate, innocent grace.
Her elegant white-and-pink outfit was almost too clean for an adventurer’s Light Armor; she looked more like a high-born lady from the Royal Capital—which, in fact, she was. Her family was prestigious, making her the most well-to-do girl in our group.
As her appearance suggested, she was modest and quiet. She was a picture of grace, always polite to everyone, and a bit shy with strangers.
She was taller than Master, who looked like a literal child, but Yulitia was still small. Aside from the Talwar hanging at her hip, nothing about her screamed "adventurer." At first glance, anyone would think it impossible for such a timid girl to stand her ground against a monster.
But looks were deceiving. She was a prodigy of the blade who could put a professional knight to shame. She looked up to me as her senior, but honestly, I suspected she was already stronger than I’d been at her age.
"Liesel-san, please wake up. It's morning."
"Mmuu..."
Despite being the youngest, Yulitia often acted as the big sister—or rather, the mother—of the party. I had poor social skills, Master was a child-like mess, and our final member, the Heavy Warrior, was useless at anything outside of combat. That left Yulitia as the most responsible one.
Watching her wake Master, who was still snoozing while glued to my arm, she looked far more mature than her thirteen years.
"Uguu... Fueeh, is it morning already...?"
"Yes, good morning. Time to get up."
"No."
"It's not 'no.' Come on, Senpai can't get out of bed..."
"Uu."
"Li-Liesel-san... honestly..."
Master’s charisma was nowhere to be found. She was always like this when she first woke up. It was a relief she wasn't being haunted by nightmares anymore, but this just made her look even more like a little girl.
Together with Yulitia, I helped Master up and sat her on the edge of the bed. Master continued to make incoherent noises while leaning regretfully against my arm.
...She really is older than me, right? She’s not actually seven, right? How did she ever travel alone before we met?
"Senpai, here."
"Ah, thanks."
Yulitia handed me a warm towel from a basin. She’d probably asked one of the sisters to prepare it. With the youngest being this attentive, I felt like I was losing my dignity as her senior.
Ever since I lost my eye and leg, Yulitia had been providing devoted support. She checked on me every morning, brought me all my meals, ran my errands, and even offered to help me wash my body at night—though I’d respectfully declined that last one for the sake of my pride.
She didn't stop with me, either; she was looking after Master and Atri as well. Before the injury, I’d been the one looking after them. Now, she was working twice as hard to ensure I could recover in peace without having to lift a finger.
Isn't it shameful to let a young girl do all this? I felt incredibly guilty.
I needed to get used to life with one leg as fast as possible. I had to at least be able to take care of myself.
"I'll leave breakfast here. Please eat with Liesel-san when she's more awake."
"Right."
"And... um, is there anything else I can do today? Anything at all! I won't let you want for anything, Senpai!"
"Nn... I'm fine for now. I just need to get used to this body bit by bit."
It was a perfectly normal thing to say, but Yulitia’s face visibly slumped.
"Uu... am I not reliable enough...?"
"No, it's the opposite. You're so reliable that I'm afraid I'll start depending on you for everything."
"...Y-You can depend on me for everything, you know?"
No, I can't. The guilt of being pampered by a thirteen-year-old would be staggering.
"I'm really okay. Don't worry about me—"
"—I refuse."
Wait, what?
"I will worry. It’s only natural. You were so reckless, you almost died, and your body... I will never leave you alone again. No more recklessness. I won't allow it. I-I'm not angry, okay? I'm just worried. I feel like if something happens again, you really will disappear this time. I couldn't stand that. I really couldn't... That's why we decided we’re going to protect you, so we never make a mistake again. I'm going to get stronger. Much, much, much, much stronger, so you can leave everything to me!
...So, is there anything I can do?"
"...Uh, no, like I said—"
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Yuli."
"Is there anything I can do!?"
Was she an NPC stuck in an infinite loop?
Yulitia was smiling, but her eyes weren't. It was a "smile" that didn't reach her gaze. My stomach began to ache again as I relented.
"...T-Then, could you get me some water? Get plenty for Master, too."
"Ah! I'm sorry, I should have noticed! I'll go get it right away!"
The moment I gave her a task, her ominous aura vanished. As the sound of her happy footsteps faded down the hall, I let out a massive sigh toward the ceiling.
"I need to work harder on my rehab."
I couldn't stay like this. As long as I couldn't handle my own daily life, I was putting an unnecessary burden on their mental states. I needed to get a wheelchair or a prosthetic leg, return to society, and handle my own chores.
Perhaps because I’d remembered that horrific ending from the manga, I found myself truly wishing for a happy future for them. Even in a dark fantasy where life was cheap, that mostly applied to those fighting on the front lines. The people in the cities were supposed to live peaceful lives.
If I could see them meet someone wonderful and find ordinary happiness someday, I’d be content.
I was currently waiting for the church to arrange a prosthetic leg, but I wondered what kind of technology this world had. If it was a magical item that let me walk normally the moment I put it on, the future would look a lot brighter.
Later, Master finally snapped out of her "young girl" mode and declared, "I am by Wolka's side, so leave it to me!" in her most dignified voice, which finally convinced Yulitia to head out.
However...
"I'll go hunt some monsters near the city until noon. I'll earn enough for your share too, Senpai, so don't you worry!"
"Guoooh..."
A man who lets a young girl earn his living while he lazes in bed...
My stomach. My stomach was killing me.
/
The boy was running for his life.
He regretted his arrogance from the bottom of his soul—the pride that had made him overrate his own skills and venture out solo.
It was a common mistake for talented youths who were told they had a bright future. When you successfully complete requests under the guidance of veterans, a moment eventually comes when you think, I can do this on my own. You grow tired of being told you're "still young" or "just a rookie," and you chafe at not being able to have the grand adventure you imagined.
And so, he had become another statistic: the rookie who failed.
I can handle this. Stop treating me like a kid. I'll show them what I can do. He’d boasted as much, ignoring the guild's warnings to take a solo request. It was supposed to be simple—just clearing a set number of monsters along the highway. It was a routine job to keep the roads safe; no high-level threats had been reported, and no one was currently in danger.
It was the kind of job meant for training rookies.
The fact that he was still discouraged from doing even this solo had been unbearable.
Everyone said he had "talent" and a "great future."
But he was sure that, deep down, they were laughing at him for being a green, arrogant kid.
The monsters near the highway were usually just Bandits or Goblins. He’d killed dozens of them and never remembered struggling. He’d truly believed he could handle it alone.
And yet, here he was.
The hunter had become the hunted, pathetically fleeing from a mere three Goblins.
His opening move had been flawless. Finding the three Goblins in the woods, he’d lunged forward and cleanly decapitated the first one.
Everything after that had gone off the rails. The remaining two didn't flee; they immediately split up and flanked him. The boy had panicked. He’d always fought in a party; he had zero experience being sandwiched by monsters.
In a party, a comrade would have covered his flank.
But solo meant he only had his own body and the sword in his right hand. He was starting to realize just how terrifyingly vulnerable that made him.
He hadn't even noticed the two Goblins hiding in the brush until a stone struck the back of his head.
The Protection Formula in his Light Armor had absorbed most of the blow, so there was no blood, but the unexpected shock and pain had sent his mind into a tailspin.
It was a fatal opening. The flanking Goblins pounced simultaneously. He’d cut one down in a desperate frenzy, but not before a rusty knife—stolen from some traveler—slashed his right arm.
When his dominant hand went numb and his sword slipped from his fingers, he finally realized the blade had been poisoned.
He’d never trained to fight with his left hand. He had only one option left: run.
"Damn it! Why... why!?"
The boy didn't understand why he was losing. These were trash mobs he’d breezed through in a party. He couldn't wrap his head around why he was failing so miserably the moment he was on his own.
Unable to admit his own arrogance, he scrambled through the dirt. Three Goblins were closing in. He’d managed to chug a potion and an antidote, but his arm was still heavy and numb. Even an arrogant youth could see he was at death’s door.
Am I really going to die here? To things like these? Is it really over this easily?
The cold grip of terror was clawing at his throat.
Then, he saw a girl.
"—!?"
She was right there. They passed each other in the woods. His reflexes made him skid to a halt, and in that moment, his frayed nerves finally snapped. He tumbled onto his shoulder.
He didn't even have time to groan. He scrambled up and looked back. She was still there. He’d been so blinded by panic that he hadn't even seen her until the moment they’d crossed paths.
The girl was looking back at him, her expression surprised. It was as if she hadn't noticed him until that moment, either.
"Fueh—A-Are you okay?"
"A—n—"
She was small.
She looked even younger than he was.
His throat was too parched and his mind too scrambled to find words. This was worse than bad; it was a catastrophe. He didn't know why a little girl was out here, but the Goblins were already shifting their sights toward her.
"Run—"
"?"
By the time he forced the word out, it was too late.
He could only watch.
He watched the girl tilt her head, unaware of the threat at her back.
He watched the Goblins screech with joy as they lunged at their new, easy prey.
And then he watched all three Goblins lose their heads in a single, blurred instant.
"————Eh?"
The Goblins likely didn't even realize they were dead. Their faces were still twisted in sadistic glee as their lives ended. Their heads and torsos tumbled across the grass, and only then did the blood spray from their necks as if physics had finally caught up.
In a heartbeat, the corpses began to crack and crumble into dust, leaving behind a few Drops.
"............What?"
The boy couldn't process what he’d just seen.
The girl was holding a sword. She flicked a stray drop of dark blood from the tip and sheathed it in one fluid, graceful motion.
"Ah," she squeaked.
"I-I'm so sorry! Were those Goblins yours? Um, they just popped out so suddenly, and I just... I accidentally..."
Accidentally?
She’d killed them?
This girl?
When? In that split second? How?
"Um..."
"—A-Ah. Sorry... I was just... zoned out."
The boy stood up on shaky legs and stared at her.
He wasn't in any position to judge, but she was really just a kid. No matter how he looked at her, she couldn't be older than him—in fact, she was shorter and far more delicate. She looked like she might break if you touched her. Her soft cherry-blossom hair was cut at her shoulders, and she wore a cute flower ornament by her temple. Between her polite tone and her dainty movements, she looked like a little flower.
But at her hip was a slender Talwar. She was an adventurer. Yet her elegant white outfit looked more like it belonged to a sheltered noble daughter. Her appearance and the way she’d just erased those Goblins didn't match at all.
Still, she was breathtakingly lovely.
Despite himself, the boy found himself staring.
"Um, you seemed to be in a hurry..."
"Eh—Ah, no, well..."
He snapped back to reality, frantically trying to come up with an excuse. His remaining male pride wouldn't let him admit he’d been fleeing in a panic from the monsters she’d just swatted like flies.
"I-It's nothing. Anyway, sorry, I didn't see you there."
"N-No! I was the one daydreaming! I'm sorry!"
The girl bowed with exaggerated politeness. Her voice was like clear morning sunlight. Faced with such a modest, flower-like girl, the boy felt himself getting captivated all over again.
Questions bubbled up. Who was she? What was her name? Why was she out here? Was she from his city? Was she alone? Where did she learn to fight like that?
But he couldn't speak. He felt a strange, sudden nervousness that made him hesitate. In his fifteen years of life, he’d never felt anything like it.
Naturally, the girl had no idea what was going on in his head.
"...Um, I'm looking for someone, so I have to go. You can have the Drops. Please be careful on your way!"
"Ah—"
The boy reached out to stop her. He wanted to at least know her name—
"—No, no, no, no, no. Not enough. It's not enough. It's not enough at all. Senpai would be faster. He'd be sharper. He'd never let his blade get dirty with blood. Why am I so weak? I can't protect him like this. I won't be trusted with anything. I have to be stronger. I have to be stronger to protect him. I'll take care of everything for him. I will. I absolutely will—"
The boy didn't actually hear her mutter those words. But he felt something from her back—a sharp, icy presence like a bared blade—that made him pull his hand back instinctively.
S-She seems really busy. I'd better leave her alone. I'll ask about her at the guild later. A girl that distinct... someone will know her name.
He watched her go. He didn't notice that, as she turned away, the light had completely vanished from her eyes.