Chapter 45: The Aftermath Of Getting Captured Is Scary

".........Uh."

I forced my hazy consciousness awake.

Tsk. Got blood taste in my mouth since I've bit myself.

"As always, you're quite resistant to magic, aren't you? Any ordinary person would have slept a whole day."

I shook my head to sober up since my sight was unfocused.

"......How 'bout not capturin' me against my will, [Bloody Witch]." I said to the intelligent beauty with black hair and gray eyes peerin' down at me from above.

"Don't use that name!"

Looks like the news that I've come to this land had been immediately passed on to her. ...Had to be that receptionist missy, I s'pose. Means she's an underling Bloody Witch had infiltrate there since she got us to head over in this direction.

They had put me to sleep on a bed, but I got up and sat down on a nearby sofa.

"O-Oh my? How about allowing your body to rest a bit longer? No matter how sturdy you might be, the spell still hasn't worn off, has it?"

"Shut it. You think this here's a situation where I can sleep without a care!?"

Looks like she truly thinks so. But, I've got absolutely no clue what's going to happen if I don't get out of here at once.

"...So? What's your business with me?"

After being at a loss for words, Bloody Witch suddenly shouted at me, "...What the hell are those golems!? Moreover, just when did you find one with your own personal color!? Spit it out! Where did you find them!"

......Good grief.

"...I had already expected that it might have been 'bout that. Sorry. I didn't find it. It's a present."

Bloody Witch became speechless.

"There's this girl who's got buildin' golems as a hobby. I got one from her. You see, since it's her hobby, she only gives 'em to those she likes...or rather, normally she wouldn't give 'em to anyone else. I mean, she's someone with a few screws loose, sayin' she's goin' to build 'em as a hobby n' live her remainin' years while bein' served by 'em."

I burst into laughter when remembering it.

"Therefore, that's all I gotta say 'bout this. Accordin' to her, anyone callin' themselves magician or sorcerer should build 'em with their own hands instead of stealin' from others."

Her eyes shot up. Seems like she got pissed off as her pride got hurt.

"What was that? Does she understand at whom she's directing that?"

"No matter who it might be and what they might say, that's the kind of girl she is. By the way, since her sword skills are at my level, you ain't got a chance of winnin' 'gainst her. Moreover, you won't find any common sense in her. I've got no idea what she's gonna do once she learns that her partner is bein' held in a place like this, so hurry it up and let me go. Or rather, it's going to get really dangerous if she goes into a frenzy and uses that big, taboo magic of hers. That said, I'm goin' back now."

I can't really believe that she'd go into a frenzy, considerin' her usual calm demeanor, but if she were to calmly judge that I was dead and use a spell she herself calls "taboo", things would get really scary.

"There's no way that I'll let you go back just like that, is there? Even though I was finally able to meet you after such a long time..."

I ignored her words towards the end. After all, I spotted Ryoku peekin' into the room from outside the window.

"Ah...shit, it's already too late."

"Huh?"

In the next instant, magic was rapidly fired from Ryoku's right hand. The window frame alongside the surroundin' wall were blown away. My personal Ryoku entered through the wrecked window.

"Mr. Sword, I'm here to rescue you."

"Sure...thanks, but I could have made it back myself. Also, I'm somewhat scared to ask, but what about Indra?"

"She's drawing enemy attention to her by invading through the front door. I think we'll be able to join up with her in a little while."

Bloody Witch got hit by the fragments of the wall and was now covered by dust. Yet, she was standin' stock still, completely flabbergasted.

"......Hey, just a moment. Didn't it talk just now? Also, rapid firing magic? Why did it enter through the window? This is a golem, no? It's no monster, right?"

"He's a golem. He also sheds his skin, but he's still a golem."

...Ah, what can be heard through the door are even more amazin' sounds of destruction and the panicked screams of people...

Somehow I can't open the door since it's scary, but what should I do?

"......It's somewhat noisy outside....."

"Get away!"

At once I threw myself on Bloody Witch, who had approached the door, to protect her, resultin' in us rollin' across the floor. In the next instant, the entire wall, includin' the door, exploded and scattered!

The thick clusters of dust were carried away by gusts of wind, and as might only be expected, an expressionless Indra became visible within the debris.

Ugh, shit. She's totally pissed.

I stood up while scratchin' my head.

...Once I staggered a bit, she immediately rushed over, proppin' me up.

"Hey! You okay!?"

"Rather, I almost got killed by you! Did you know that I was close to the door!?"

"It's alright. You're a tough guy, so magic that blows away a wall won't hurt you."

"No, it obviously will. Don't do it anymore, okay?"

Just what do you take me for? Don't judge me by your standards. If you were hit by a huge rock, the rock would crumble apart, I'm not that sturdy, okay?

Our eyes met.

I saw anxiety and fear in her eyes.

"......Certainly if things are blown out of proportion, I could experience a thrill going beyond anything far, but I don't want to experience thrills to such an extent that I'd go as far as endangering your safety."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to tremble lightly. Once I hugged her, she hugged me back.

"...You dummy, so you finally got it, huh?"

"I was scared. You were gone all of a sudden. I was worried whether you're still alive. It was so frightening."

As I stroked the sobbin' girl in my arms, I remembered.

――I used to have a dream. A dream of goin' on adventures with my friends. Capturin' dungeons, beatin' monsters, goin' on journeys while laughin' n' helpin' each other, and someday we'd become the strongest with our party's name being famous across the whole world. Back then my friends and I excitedly talked about such silly dreams and hopes.

But, in reality, only I became strong. My childhood friends with whom I had formed a party in the beginnin' grew estrange and started to hate me. Our relationship got twisted, and in the end I withdrew from their party myself. And afterwards I couldn't accept anyone as friend, no matter which party I joined.

I got constantly deceived and exploited.

Because of that, I discarded that dream and started to complete requests by myself. And without me noticin', I became an S-Rank as solo adventurer at some point, resultin' in only my name becomin' famous.

In the same way, I amassed a big amount of cash without me realizin'. Even though I wouldn't have minded to retire and live somewhere by myself, just like Indra had suggested, I still kept wanderin' the lands, unable to stop bein' an adventurer. All because I couldn't fully give up on the borin' dream of [adventuring together with my friends] that I had lost somewhere along the road.

――That's the dream I recalled just now.

"It's still way too early for me to croak. I still haven't found any treasures that might have been hidden by some big bandit. Also, I still didn't ask the demon king for permission to capture his castle. The value of adventurers lies in adventurerin' right? So, unless I go on adventures with you, nothin' is going to start either. ――Wanna go on adventures with me?"

"Mmh."

I roughly stroked her head.

*

So, with this out of the way, I looked around me.

Okay, their side was at fault, but she went too far. The mansion of Bloody Witch has turned into a half-ruin. I'm prayin' that no one got killed, but it'd be a miracle if that wasn't the case...

After blankly starin' at us for a while, Bloody Witch seemed to finally realize the state of her own mansion, and ran outside while screamin'.

"Hey!? Everyone, are you alright!? Answer me if you're okay!!"

While hearing her voice in the distance, I asked Indra, "......I'm scared to ask, but I s'pose not askin' isn't an option...... How many did you kill on the way here?"

"I still haven't killed anyone. They didn't seem interested in killing me, so I held back on them."

I breathed out deeply.

"...The way was somewhat forceful and rough, but I got invited into the mansion so far as it goes. Bloody Witch is that kind of a woman... She kidnaps others without carin' 'bout their circumstances. I somehow wanted to get out of here before bein' found out by her, but..."

I breathed out once more.

Well, it's a blessin' that no one has died. Otherwise we had definitely turned Bloody Witch into an enemy which would have meant war.

I'm certain that we'd have won, but I don't really feel like killin' someone I fought side-by-side with in the past.