ESMLT 26

Chapter 26

Hiiing!

“Ah!”

As if it had been waiting for the moment, the last remaining one lunged right at me.

Yellowed teeth and a long pink tongue filled my vision, and I sucked in a sharp breath.

I’m going to get swallowed!

“Get down!”

At the shouted command, I dropped flat on the ground. The horse’s jaws snapped shut exactly where my head had been just a second earlier.

Biting down on nothing but air, the horse tried to move again—
but in an instant, Jaeger vaulted onto its back and yanked the reins.

Twisting the horse’s head, he drew his sword and drove it straight down into the crazed animal’s skull.

Squish—!

Blood sprayed everywhere. Moments later, the strength drained from the horse’s legs and it collapsed sideways.

Jaeger landed lightly, taking a single steadying breath.

He shook the blood off his longsword and slid it back into its sheath.

“Are you all right?”

“Y-yeah… I think so.”

I answered blankly.

I never imagined I’d feel relieved at the presence of Jaeger—of all people—the man who hated me.

“Thank you.”

“……”

Jaeger looked at me with an unreadable expression, then abruptly turned his head and wiped the blood splattered on his cheek with the back of his hand.

“…There’s no need to thank me.”

Saying we should move, he walked ahead.

The light stone in his hand illuminated the bridge, revealing his pristine white uniform pants now stained red with blood.

I hurriedly stopped him.

“Were you bitten?”

“It’s just a scratch from the saddle.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Jaeger’s brow furrowed sharply.

“I said I’m fine, so don’t—”

That was when it happened.

From far away came the sound of weeds being crushed.

Kueeeek!

That disgusting zombie wail followed soon after.

“Damn it…”

It hadn’t even been long since we killed the horse, and they were already swarming in.

I glared at the zombies staggering out between the trees.

“One, two, three, four, five, six… ha.”

I gave up counting and wiped the sweat from the back of my neck.

“Two people, and this many? What is this, let’s all share one bean?”

Normally, the two of us could handle this without much trouble—
but Jaeger was injured, the forest at dawn was shrouded in Darkness, and I was exhausted from dealing with the horse.

“Damn it…”

Variables.
These damn variables were always the problem.

Crunch!

Clenching my teeth, I smashed the zombie closest to me.

Crunch—!

Jaeger cut down a zombie that charged at him with its mouth wide open and shouted,

“This place is dangerous. Run!”

I snorted and swung my hammer.

“How about the injured person gets some rest?”

Jaeger strode over irritably and grabbed my arm, thrusting the backpack he’d been carrying over one shoulder into my hands.

“Can’t you hear me? I don’t think I can run, so at least you should escape.”

I shook his hand off and glared at him.

“Say one more word and I’ll throw you to them as bait.”

“What?”

Jaeger scowled fiercely, the scar on his brow twisting.

I shoved the light stone up toward his face.

Only now did I see how pale he looked—cold sweat beading on his skin.

“You called me a parasite before, and now you’re suddenly pretending to protect me while you’re injured?”

Jaeger stared at me, completely speechless.

“If you’re injured, then act like it and listen to me.”

I hooked his arm over my shoulder and supported him.

“I’m not leaving you. Not alone. Ever.”

“……”

“How could I leave you behind?”

For a moment, the obsidian-black pupils I met trembled violently.

This wasn’t some flimsy hero complex.

It was simple logic.

If I ditch someone who already hates me and run, how am I supposed to deal with the fallout later?

On top of that, Redria was his first love.

Why should a third party like me have to bear that past?

Whether that first love was mutual or entirely his fault, I was going to save him.

I’d save him—and make him shed those emotions right here in this zombie zone.

Even after leaving this place, I still had to live as “Redria.”
I had no intention of remaining bound by his feelings once everything was over.

With one hand, I swung my hammer; with the other, I supported Jaeger.
I expected him to refuse, but instead, looking oddly dazed, he leaned against me without protest.

He’s ridiculously heavy. Is his body made of lead or something?

Panting, I kept swinging the hammer while holding him up.

Kwadududuk—!

Then, as if mocking all my effort, the earth roared in anger once again.

The ground surged upward like a raging tide, sweeping the zombies away as it advanced toward us.

Terrain change.

Darkness at our backs.
Geological upheaval locking arms with it.

“No—no, that’s not it.”

I dropped the light stone and grabbed Jaeger’s hand where it rested on my shoulder.

His rough, large hand twitched faintly.

Kraaaack—!

Grass and dirt surged upward in massive waves.

With death looming, I squeezed my eyes shut.

And at the very moment we were swallowed by the earth—

…Jaeger clasped my hand back.

“……”

The ground spun us around like laundry in a washing machine before finally stopping.

Quite some time passed after that.

I wonder if the Crown Prince and Sien are holding up okay.

But we had no room to worry about them—our own situation was dire enough.

To put it simply, we were trapped in a tunnel.

We’d barely avoided suffocating by wedging my hammer between the collapsing earth before it folded in on us like paper.

Kueeeeek!

The zombies, however, were unavoidable.

It was pitch-black, impossible to see clearly, but they crowded like wild dogs, forcing their hands and heads into the narrow gaps. Dirt rained down over us.

Thankfully, as long as the terrain deformation held, the earth was supposedly hard as stone—so at least it wouldn’t collapse further.

I shook my head, brushing soil from my hair.

It’s a relief the tunnel’s stable, but…

The position Jaeger and I were stuck in was extremely awkward.

Both my arms were pressed against some solid, hot part of Jaeger, while my feet braced against the wall.

And my hips were sitting on some part of his body.

I groaned and shut my eyes.

This is bad.

The discomfort was one thing, but my hair was caught on something—so painful it made my eyes water.

If I relaxed my legs, my weight shifted onto Jaeger.
If I pushed up, my upper body lifted and my scalp felt like it would tear.

First, I need to find the light stone.

When we were tossed around earlier, the depleted light stone had smacked into my head several times—it had to be somewhere in the tunnel.

As I groped around, Jaeger swallowed a groan beneath his jaw.

He grabbed my arm irritably.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for the light stone.”

Avoiding his hand, I felt along the damp earthen wall again.

It has to be somewhere down here.

Then—
beneath Jaeger’s clothes, I felt something hard, tense, and unmistakably there.

Jaeger jerked his lower body back and growled,

“Where do you think you’re touching?”

Startled, I yanked my hand away.

…What did I touch?

I didn’t know—and I definitely didn’t want to know.
Meanwhile, my scalp still felt like it was being ripped apart.

“…Actually, my hair’s caught and it really hurts—”

“Don’t lift your head.”

“This position is kind of—”

“Don’t move.”

What is this, the army? Am I a recruit and you’re my drill instructor?

I was in pain and overly sensitive, almost snapping back—

—but I didn’t even have the energy to argue.

…I kind of understand why he’s reacting like this.

This situation was awkward for both of us.

Then Jaeger reached toward his chest, feeling around for my hair.

Suddenly, my scalp was yanked hard.

“Ow!”

“It’s caught on a button. Bear with it.”

He tried to free it with one hand, but when that didn’t work, he brought his other hand over.

The position made it seem as though he was holding me. His heat seeped through the thin fabric between us.

This feels… strange.

Being trapped in a narrow tunnel, pressed against a man I’d been fighting with until recently.

Kueeeek!

…Of course, that man hates me, and zombies are swarming right above our heads.

Just as I was resignedly accepting the fate of an apocalypse romance fantasy—

Jaeger pulled his hand away.

“All done.”

Carefully, I lifted my head.

The pain that had felt like my scalp was tearing was gone.

“Thank you, Duke.”

I cautiously braced myself against the wall and slid down to the ground.

Seeing Jaeger exhale and finally adjust himself more comfortably, he must’ve been just as uncomfortable.

“Oh—right. Your leg. Is it okay?”

The silence felt awkward, and as I searched for something to say, his injury came back to mind.

Luckily, Jaeger still had the backpack containing food and relief supplies.

I pulled a soundproof sticker from my pouch and stuck it onto the wall.

A transparent membrane inflated like a balloon, enclosing us. The kueeeek of the zombies was cut off.
(It was a one-time item lasting 24 hours, so I hadn’t used it in places like huts where some soundproofing already existed.)

I reached my hand out toward Jaeger.