Chapter 94
At that moment, Tesilid—who had briefly disappeared from my sight—walked up to me.
He had changed into a white paladin uniform. It seemed he had been given a spare set by the Radiant Knights.
“Ailet.”
The handsome man, who wore the uniform perfectly, called my name. Instead of answering, I rummaged through my satchel.
“Here.”
What I held out were three bottles of healing potion—top-grade ones, at that.
“Keep them.”
“I don’t think I’ll need them.”
Looks like I have no choice but to show off my transmigrator knowledge.
“You will need them. Even if you’re lucky enough to recover your strength to beginner aura level, you won’t last more than 20 minutes in the depths. Drink them if things get bad.”
“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”
The small potion bottles disappeared into his arms.
“The fact that you’re giving me these… does that mean you plan to go along with it?”
At some point, that absurd request had turned into a full-fledged plan. I didn’t like it, but—
“Yeah.”
I didn’t argue further.
Fine. Do whatever you want, you frustrating protagonist. What did I transmigrate here for, if not to watch this kind of thing?
“Thank you.”
“If you’re thankful, can you grant me one request too?”
“Anything, as long as it’s within my ability.”
“Even if this cycle is especially difficult, don’t give up.”
Tesilid looked like he’d just heard something he’d never considered before.
“That’s an unnecessary worry. I’m actually enjoying this cycle.”
“Enjoying it?”
“Thanks to you.”
Oh? Now that was unexpected.
[‘The Scales that Judge Souls’ gets excited, saying there was a strange tension just now.]
If I could give motivation to a regressor suffering from burnout, that was a good thing.
It felt like we could’ve had a warmer conversation—but the organization’s rigid structure got in the way.
“Sir Tesilid, return to your position. We’re moving out.”
A man in his late twenties with brown hair tied back like a ponytail gave the cold order. Was that Vice-Captain Lecto?
Tesilid gave a brief bow and returned to the group. He would probably walk at the front, beside Captain Gedvil.
Which left the problem of what to do with the fragile alchemist—me—now that Tesilid had rejoined the knights.
The vice-captain spoke to me.
“I am Lecto Foid, vice-captain of the Radiant Knights. I heard from Tesilid that you are an alchemist. May I have your name?”
“Ailet Rodeline. Nice to meet you, Sir Lecto.”
“I will personally accompany you, Miss Ailet. Due to the order’s rules, I ask for your understanding in separating you from Tesilid.”
Just as expected.
I put on a visibly relieved expression.
“Thank you so much, Vice-Captain. I was worried I’d be left alone once Tesilid rejoined. It’s a relief to have you with me.”
“Haha, you worried for nothing. No knight would abandon a lady in a dangerous dungeon.”
<Pretending to be chivalrous, huh. I’ll beat him twice as hard later.>
“Oh my, understood!”
The Radiant Knights began moving.
Vice-Captain Lecto and I followed slightly behind.
The land, tainted by disease and miasma rising from underground, couldn’t even support a single blade of grass.
Still, the air wasn’t yet thick with plague.
As we walked across the barren plateau littered with stones, Lecto kept questioning me.
“Miss Ailet, if I may ask, what is your relationship with Tesilid?”
“He’s my benefactor. I found him collapsed and took care of him.”
“His injuries must have been severe. Were potions alone enough to treat him?”
What a careless slip. What if I asked how he knew the injuries were severe?
“He wasn’t that injured.”
“Pardon?”
“He didn’t really have injuries. Just looked exhausted, so I let him rest and eat well. Still, he made a big deal about repaying me. Are paladins always like that?”
“…Not injured? Then how… Could it be—the Saintess…?”
Lecto conveniently linked my lie to church information and accepted it.
But he didn’t suspect my true identity.
After regaining composure, he continued his interrogation.
“Then how did you come to travel with Tesilid?”
“I had business in the Holy Capital. On the way back, I asked him to accompany me.”
“Then why did you enter this dungeon…?”
“I’m a bit too curious. I thought it’d be fine since I had Teri with me.”
“Teri… you say.”
His tone, repeating the nickname, was unsettling.
At that moment, a system message appeared.
[<System> Warning. You have entered the ‘Plague Zone’. The concentration of ‘Pandora’s Plague’ in the air is currently Level 1.]
A tear in the world came into view—a massive canyon leading to the depths.
From the abyss-like gorge, dark green miasma billowed upward.
At this level, it was still harmless enough to breathe.
A healthy person’s immune system could handle Level 1.
The knights changed direction, moving parallel to the canyon.
Soon, signs of civilization appeared in this raw, untouched land.
A massive black triumphal arch.
It stood right at the edge of the gorge.
At first glance, it looked like a gate meant to push sacrifices into the abyss.
But upon closer inspection, stairs were carved into the cliff just beyond it.
Rough, narrow stone steps leading down to the canyon floor—the only path.
Captain Gedvil led the knights toward the arch.
Vice-Captain Lecto remained beside me.
“We’ll be closing the dungeon from here on. No need to worry—there’s no boss, so no combat. We simply need to descend and retrieve the dungeon core.”
“That canyon looks incredibly deep.”
“Yes. So dark you can’t see the bottom.”
“And that green smoke… I don’t think we should keep breathing it.”
“That’s correct. It’s very harmful.”
“Will the knights be okay?”
“Haha, are you worried about us?”
I turned away from his fake smile.
The knights, including Gedvil, had stepped back from the arch.
But Tesilid stood alone at the edge.
Lecto’s eerie voice whispered:
“No need to worry. The one going down is already decided.”
His hand slowly moved to his sword.
Shiiing!
“Tesilid Argent!”
The shout drew everyone’s attention.
Tesilid turned.
His gaze landed on me—more precisely, on the sword at my throat.
“If you want this woman to live, go down alone and bring back the dungeon core!”
“….”
“What’s the matter, Tesilid? Will you let your benefactor die?!”
I didn’t react.
[‘The Cynic Who Balances Order’ points out your expression is not fitting for a hostage.]
[‘The Scales that Judge Souls’ expects you to call out pitifully.]
‘I already agreed to your request. I’m not going that far.’
Yes.
Tesilid had whispered to me:
—“Become a hostage.”
It was absurd, but he had his reasons.
Tesilid spoke.
“A sacrifice made for a lady is a noble thing.”
Sacrifice.
The most efficient way for him to break his restriction.
<It’s real. His power’s coming back a bit.>
He looked around.
This hostage scheme was clearly a rushed plan by the captain and vice-captain.
But none of the other knights objected.
If anything, they wanted him to go down.
They all wished for Tesilid Argent’s death.
What must he be feeling, seeing this?
“…Understood. I’ll go.”
Something felt off.
Tesilid didn’t head for the stairs.
Instead, he stepped backward.
One step.
“Ailet.”
Two steps.
“I’ll be back.”
Three steps.
“Don’t worry.”
And then—
“…!”
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Tesilid’s body fell off the cliff.
“Tesilid!”
He vanished from sight.
For a moment, my mind went blank.
“Stay still—khk!”
Forgetting my role as a hostage, I ran to the edge.
Looking down—
Only endless darkness and swirling green miasma.
The abyss had already swallowed him whole.
