Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle

209 – No Regrets (Part 2)

『Hm?』

「Until the fourth stratum, you did things properly. You arranged the attack and defense of the Dungeon appropriately, making it a difficult Dungeon worth the challenge.」

『Yeah, I adjusted the difficulty to match your strengths accordingly. If you all had shown your best performance, you would have been able to Clear it, right?』

「But kidnapping villagers to force us to challenge the fifth stratum doesn’t make it a Dungeon Clear anymore.」

『Speaking of today’s Dungeon Clears, you don’t stop in the middle of Clearing one, right? Clearing it all the way means traveling all the way to the end, right? There is meaning in doing that, right? You were the ones who abandoned it before accomplishing that, right? 』

I expected the Spirit to say that.

From her point of view, she perceives that it was the investigation team that ran away first.

「Today’s Dungeon Clears are a form of entertainment. Your fifth stratum made the villagers feel fear, shed tears, and feel resentment. If this Dungeon was made purely for your enjoyment, then it is a failure by today’s standards.」

『……Nfufu. You sure you should be saying that? If you anger a Spirit, they might not reward you, you know? I might bring you a step or two closer to your dream of becoming a hero as a Black Sorcerer.』

「I don’t need it. What kind of hero would I be if I accepted the gift of something that would so easily choose to harm people?」

『…Wo~w. You really are an interesting one. But too bad. I said that I might not reward you earlier, but a Spirit’s word is absolute. You Cleared the trial, so I will be rewarding you. So, what do you wish for?』

「…Hold on, Ex hasn’t woken up yet. Why are you rewarding us now while he’s…」

Said Arthur.

We were all still conscious of Ex still lying on the floor, sleeping.

The sword, along with its scabbard, was removed from his belt and his head was resting on a makeshift pillow made from Arthur’s tunic.

『Don’t you get it? The final results are out, so it’s time to talk about rewards.』

「…」

For a moment, we were at a loss for words.

In the next, Arthur dashed to Ex’s side.

「Ex! Wake up! You passed the trial too…right?!」

I’m sure Arthur believed that.

That’s precisely why he took up the duty of escorting the villagers out.

I’m sure both Arthur and Merlin wanted to stay by his side until he woke up like how Milla did with me.

But they knew that a position as easy to understand as the world’s 2nd ranked would reassure the dazed villagers who had just woken up.

「Ex…!!!」

Merlin calmly stops Arthur, who is greatly shaking his best friend’s body.

「Merlin! How can you be so calm?! This…this can’t be happening…!」

This is the first time I’ve seen the normally cool, calm, and collected Arthur so upset.

Just from that, I can see how important Ex is to him.

The same goes for Merlin.

But I already knew that about her. I knew that she was worried about him.

Ex conducted himself in a way such that Arthur couldn’t sense that there was anything to worry about.

There are things you can talk about with your best friend and things that you can’t talk about because he’s your best friend.

「Spirits may lead people astray, but they don’t lie.」

What the Spirit said earlier about『The Spirit maybe not rewarding you.』was a misleading phrase. It wasn’t a declaration, she said it in order to upset me by implying that there’s a possibility that I might not get a reward.

Everything after she said『The final results are out, so it’s time to talk about rewards.』wasn’t a lie.

Ex failed the trial.

He was swallowed by the dream.

『So, for your reward, what do ya want?』

「……I want Ex to wake up.」

『Nuh-uh, no way. The trial is also a contract. A contract that states that those who clear it will be rewarded and those who fail will suffer a penalty. I can’t invalidate another contract with a reward. That’s beyond the scope of Spirit wishes.』

「Don’t screw with me…!」

『Oh, shut up. Ah, by the way, it’s only one challenge per person, OK? So you can’t get multiple rewards just ’cause you know how to clear it again. If you want to save a failed contestant, then how about bringing along someone who hasn’t taken the challenge yet?』

In other words…

If you clear the trial, the failed contestants at that moment in time will be woken up.

The reason we didn’t wake up when Furcus cleared it was that we were still at the stage of undergoing the trial.

The reason Ex didn’t wake up when I cleared it is that he was still undergoing the challenge at that stage.

After everyone else’s trial was over, he failed his own.

The Spirit didn’t tell a lie.

It was a matter of timing. Right now, the only way to save Ex is to do as the Spirit said and have a new contestant conquer the trial.

However, I believe it was only because of this selection of members who did the trial that we managed to clear it.

Also, it’s a dream that can trap even Ex. That’s how ideal the world is.

It’s not an option that we can just simply try.

Honestly, I didn’t think that this Spirit would penalize someone by making them sleep for all eternity.

I thought that it only wanted to enjoy watching the investigation team Clear its own Dungeon in the end.

So, even if the villagers were left asleep, they would all wake up once the Original Dungeon disappears, right?

Deep down, I still believe that.

Even so, we couldn’t leave them alone. Not only is this just conjecture on my end, but we also have no way of knowing when the Dungeon will disappear.

Just as there are Spirits that benefit people, there are those that seek to cause them harm.

Which means…

With the reasoning that he will surely wake up and the conjecture that this Spirit won’t just steal a person’s life away, I cannot leave Ex alone.

「I have decided on my wish.」

『Oh my, I thought you said you didn’t need one? Although, I’d be in a bind if you didn’t tell me your wish.』

「I want you to put me in Ex’s dream.」

「Wha-, Lem…?!」

「Wait…I see. He’s seen as a failed contestant, but Ex is still swallowed by the dream, currently living within the ideal. He simply wasn’t able to escape with his own strength. So, if someone were to intervene…」

Went a surprised Arthur and a pensive Merlin, with a hand to her chin.

『Sure~, I can do that, but, in the end, it’s the challenger’s dream, ya know? Your role in it hasn’t been decided. You think the voice of a side character can change the mind of the main character?』

「There’s nothing to worry about.」

In my own dream, I was able to grasp it to some extent.

For example, I wouldn’t have been able to intervene with myself if I was in the form of a complete stranger.

However, with the appearance of Lemegeton, I was able to make use of that body.

I am absolutely sure that Ex is involved with Adventurers in his ideal world.

This means that the Demon King Castle will be there as well.

If so, I can meet him.

I should be able to appear as his world’s Lemegeton.

「Halt, Lem. I am grateful, but I can’t let you do this. I will go.」

「Stop, Arthur.」

「Merlin…? Why are you stopping me?」

「You are far too noble. That may be a virtue, but not everyone in this world can be saved by such purity.」

「…What are you saying?」

「Your “best” won’t be enough to bring back Ex, even if you had hundreds of years.」

「…You know something, don’t you?」

「This isn’t the time for that.」

「Like hell it is…!」

「Can’t you just trust me? Do you truly believe that I, the Wizard of Foresight, would willingly hide information in the face of an ally in trouble?」

Said Merlin with a serious look on her face.

「……No, I don’t. I don’t, but…」

Arthur’s expression contorts in anguish.

Because he’s being told that he cannot save his own, dear friend. That has to be quite painful.

Still, Arthur suppresses it with one, long breath.

「Lem.」

「Yes.」

「…I leave Ex to you. Can I count on you, the Greatest Black Sorcerer?」

「I will definitely bring him back.」

I look around at everyone.

Milla smiled in understanding.

「If you take too long, I’ll cry again, alright?」

「Then I better make it back quick.」

Sitri said「That’s so you.」, and Furcus said nothing. However, I could tell that she was worried about me.

When my eyes met Merlin’s, she gave a nod and I nodded back.

『So you’re really doing this. Isn’t it a waste of a wish?』

「Not at all.」

『Even though you’re not exactly selfless yourself, you’re doing well. Fine, I shall grant your wish. If, by some miracle, you cause the challenger to regain his strong heart, you can both return. However, if the challenger chooses to continue to see the dream…I’m sure you understand?』

「Whatever, just hurry up and do it.」

He is a man who came along to help save the villagers. A respectable senior and an Adventurer that I adore.

I have no regrets about going to the aid of such a man.

『Well then, have a nice trip to the land of convenient dreams~.』