Chapter 95

(Harold’s Point of View)

The following day, Harold was quite eager to resolve the miasma problem, so he decided to explore the mountain with Liner and the others early in the morning. While Lifa had finished her preparations, one of the main reasons Harold chose to depart so early was that he didn’t know what kind of repercussions he would trigger by overstaying his welcome at the Sumeragi family residence.

Harold took the lead, departing towards the restricted area, while giving Itsuki a cold stare. Itsuki was excessively worried about him and Erica, like a mother unable to let her son board a train to the capital. However, before leaving, Harold had some words.

【”Why the hell are you here?”】

【”Because I am Erica-sama’s attendant.”】

Juno was present among the group. That wasn’t unusual considering her position and abilities, but she was still wearing her usual cooking apron. Her attire probably wasn’t suited for navigating the mountain’s depths.

That could be said of every female member of the team. Erica wore a kimono, Lifa a miniskirt, and Colette’s attire seemed to come from a southern country. Each wore the same clothes as in the game.

But Harold forcibly convinced himself not to dwell on such trivialities.

Instead, it was more useful to reconfirm the team’s actions and precautions for the restricted area.

【”…Whatever. Now, all of you, take this.”】

【”What is this?”】

【”It’s medicine to alleviate the effects of the miasma. Drink it before entering the restricted area.”】

Harold gave each member some of the antibody drugs stored in the Sumeragi family’s reserves. He had brought more, so there wouldn’t be much of a problem, even if the expedition lasted longer than expected.

But did that mean the miasma wasn’t a problem as long as the drug existed? Not so simple. The more the drug was consumed, the less effective it became. There seemed to be no immediate health damage from inhaling the miasma after taking the drug once or twice, but the risks naturally increased with repeated exposure. In short, the Sumeragi territory’s forests would be useless unless free of the miasma.

This information had been gleaned by the Sumeragi family through their investigations, in an attempt to find a solution to the miasma problem. Furthermore, it was a fact not depicted in the game, where all that was needed was to make and drink the medicine to clear an event.

【”But, as I warned you yesterday, this doesn’t mean you’ll be fine inhaling the miasma for too long. So we’ll finish quickly before the medicine stops being effective.”】

【”I can do that. But the forest where the miasma is spreading is quite vast, isn’t it?”】

【”I already have a rough idea of where the target is.”】

【”…Damn, you sure do know a lot…”】

Although Hugo looked at him like an alien, Harold had simply obtained this information from the original story. He had confirmed a location on the territory map that overlapped with a dungeon map from the original work, so he decided to target that first.

Of course, some areas of this world’s maps differed significantly from the game’s maps due to scale, but Harold’s method was likely more efficient than random searching.

Perhaps Harold’s knowledge of the original story seemed uncanny to Hugo and the others, who couldn’t even imagine that this world closely resembled a game Harold had played in the past.

That said, given the circumstances, Harold couldn’t hold back his personality, and had to adopt a defiant attitude.

【”Of course I do. Who the hell do you think I am?”】

【”It’s pretty frightening that I actually think you’re making a good point.”】

【”That aside, Liner.”】

【”Mhm?”】

【”You better still remember what I told you yesterday.”】

【”Hmm, hmmm…. The miasma is dangerous, so it would be no good if we breathe it in too much, and since the monsters are in a frenzy, we should be careful of that… is that it?”】

【”You get 30 points out of 100.”】

Harold completely dismissed Liner’s answer. What Liner had said was just the premise of the previous day’s discussion, where he had been given the best ways to avoid the dangers he had just mentioned, but it seemed that part hadn’t really sunk in. His childish ways were still very much present.

This was the actual plan Harold had outlined the previous night: “For now, we must prioritize speed. We need to shorten our stay in the restricted area to avoid inhaling too much miasma. We must ascertain the device’s location without getting lost, and you must avoid unnecessary combat. If you fight, you’ll need more oxygen than usual, and thus breathe more. Furthermore, the miasma affects monsters, putting them into a frenzy. Therefore, avoid combat at all costs, unless absolutely necessary. Exercise maximum caution when searching for monsters, and sharpen your senses to stay aware of your surroundings.”

Harold had said this, and Liner probably remembered it, but was struggling to articulate it.

【”You’re a wild boar. If anything happens, you’ll rush ahead without looking, and risk disrupting the entire front line.”】

【”Uuh-….”】

Liner seemed at a loss for words, likely because he was self-aware enough to realize Harold was right. Besides those flaws, Liner was also stupidly direct due to his sense of justice, but that was a heroic trait. His straightforwardness would surely pull his companions forward in the future.

However, this time, the matter would be resolved smoothly if Harold could get Liner to follow his instructions, so he issued a warning.

【”If you encounter a monster, your priority will be to avoid it, not to fight it recklessly. Got it?”】

【”Yes!”】

While the answer was affirmative, whether Liner would actually follow the order was another matter.

Colette sighed heavily, seemingly well aware of Liner’s personality.

Harold didn’t think there was real danger, as the team was stronger than in the original story, but caution was still prudent. The group continued walking until they reached the mountain, forbidden for years.

There was a fence and a sign, a poor barrier. Anyone could enter.

The miasma-affected area was too vast to enclose entirely. However, defenses around residential areas had been strengthened against monster attacks.

【”Have you all taken the medicine?”】

Everyone nodded.

Harold stepped towards the mountain.

The mountain entrance looked like an ordinary forest, not yet polluted by the miasma. However, it was ominously quiet.

The original story only mentioned the miasma making monsters violent, but given its effect on humans, it likely affected monsters as well. Perhaps the miasma shortened their lives, in addition to putting them into a frenzy.

That would explain the silence. If true, it was quite frightening.

As he advanced, keeping an eye on the map, Harold soon reached a place shrouded in a light purple haze.

【”So this is the miasma…”】

【”This amount should have little to no effect. But if your body feels heavy or numb, report it immediately.”】

【”What should we do in that situation?”】

【”We’ll use first aid, but healing magic would also be effective.”】

Harold had already explained that with Juno and Erica present, healing magic would be readily available.

It was possible Juno had been dispatched with the group for that very reason, a two-for-one solution since she was Erica’s attendant.

Although advancing through the haze wasn’t pleasant, the effectiveness of both the antibody medicine and healing magic had been proven, so Harold had no choice but to believe everything would be alright.

“Let’s get this over with,” he thought, stepping forward without hesitation, pushing through the vegetation towards the mountain’s backwoods.

◇

(Erica’s Point of View)

From behind, she saw Harold in the vanguard, cutting a path through the vegetation. Even though the miasma was growing denser, his pace didn’t falter; he seemed to know where he was going. He’d said he had a rough idea of the target’s location, but from him, that meant he knew almost certainly where the machine was.

That’s what Erica believed, because his situation was always the same.

Harold knew a lot and kept it to himself. It was unusual for him to borrow others’ strength like this. Or was he really borrowing their strength? Erica wondered.

The miasma outbreak was the Sumeragi territory’s problem, and theirs alone. In the past, one might have speculated that Harold had taught the Sumeragi family how to make the antibody medicine to gain their favor. But now, he had officially severed ties with them, so that no longer mattered.

Besides, while Lifa was apparently indispensable to deactivate the device, Harold alone would likely have been enough to escort her. He could prepare antibody drugs for himself, and didn’t necessarily need healing magic users like Erica and Juno. His personality wouldn’t allow him to do anything unnecessary, or useless.

In other words, didn’t that mean Harold simply wanted the present people to solve the miasma matter together with him? At that moment, Erica couldn’t fully grasp the meaning, but she could sense a reason why Harold had personally become involved.

He was putting himself at risk to help the suffering people of the Sumeragi territory, yet Erica could barely offer any help. That reality weighed heavily on her heart.

She had strived to become Harold’s strength, to support him.

But each time she met him, she was reminded of the distance between them. Could she ever catch up to Harold, no matter how much she tried to break free from this cycle? Erica had often worried about this in private.

(Does Harold-sama actually need me for… anything?)

She was too afraid to even consider that question. Because if she dwelt on it, she would become entangled in gloomy, retrospective thoughts, hindering her progress, and making it impossible to catch up to Harold.

(That alone I wish to avoid at all costs, hence why I want to always stand firm and do my best, but then why is it so painful to keep going now?)

Erica was realizing her weakness. She had thought that if she could become Harold’s strength, it wouldn’t matter if he never looked back. But that was a lie; she was being hypocritical.

Whenever he went far ahead, she wanted him to look back, to look at her, and that feeling was growing stronger. She feared losing him, always whispering “Don’t leave!” in her heart.

She showed nothing outwardly, but the love she felt for him was too difficult to contain.

The more she thought, the clearer her own inadequacy became, piercing her heart.

How could a weak woman like her, who couldn’t overcome her own weaknesses, ever be worthy of Harold?

【”Hey.”】

A seemingly ill-tempered voice interrupted Erica’s thoughts. She felt a light jolt to her shoulder, and Harold’s face appeared before her.

So abrupt that Erica could only blink.

【”Hey, can’t you hear me?”】

【”…Ah, no, my apologies. I was just thinking about some things….”】

Erica was startled and gave a vague answer. She had fallen to the back of the group without realizing it.

She had literally been held back by her thoughts.

Harold didn’t say anything, just stared at her face. When was the last time he had looked at her like this?

【”Do you――”】

Harold started to say something, but was interrupted.

Suddenly, he pulled Erica towards him with his left arm. Then, he put his arm around her back, embracing her.

Erica was petrified, confused and nervous; she couldn’t move. Her heart pounded in her chest. She thought she could hear her own heartbeat.

In the confusion, Erica felt Harold’s warmth. Her face was buried in his chest, his left arm around her back, holding her tightly, preventing her from moving. She couldn’t breathe well, but felt strangely comfortable.

(――Wait, what’s with me?!)

She felt ashamed, her face flushed with thoughts like “if only time could stop now,” and the like. She didn’t know why this was happening.

【”Tsk, the miasma’s become so dense here, I don’t even know if there’s any point in searching for monsters anymore.”】

Harold spoke close to Erica’s ear. The miasma certainly restricted visibility.

【”Sorry, I failed to notice it.”】(Francis)

【”Erica-sama, are you alright?”】(Juno)

Francis and Juno approached. It seemed a monster had attacked from behind Erica, and Harold had pulled her towards him, killing the enemy.

Erica couldn’t look behind to confirm, still being embraced. And since this wasn’t unpleasant, she couldn’t tell Harold she wanted him to let go.

The hug didn’t last long. Harold loosened his grip, separating from Erica.

She barely managed to stop a reluctant “Ah!” from escaping. Harold stared at her again. Erica’s face was burning.

【”Erica.”】

【”…Yes?”】

【”Do you understand the situation you’re in? This is no time to get lost in your freaking thoughts.”】

【”I am sorry…”】

The scolding was justified. Erica felt even sadder, having failed to heed warnings.

She felt like she would cry if she let herself go.

【”…If you understand, then hurry and move already.”】

Harold seemed annoyed, but at the same time, he grabbed Erica’s wrist and pulled her forward.

【”What? H-hmm… Harold-sama?”】

【”Shut up. Just keep quiet and follow me.”】

【”Y, yes.”】

He’s so cunning, or maybe I’m just being silly? Erica wondered.

Even though she had been thinking about how painful and difficult it was to be by his side, a few words had made her want to follow him anywhere.

Harold probably didn’t intend any deeper meaning, but he had filled Erica with energy.

【”…He really is cunning.”】

As Erica muttered this, barely audible, tears welled in her eyes, a wide smile on her face.

Translator’s note: You guys happy about the Erica Pov? Well good, ’cause you won’t be seeing one for a while… just kidding, there is one coming.

I’ll go to sleep now since it’s 4 am and I gotta go to college in less than 3 hours >< Anyway, I hope you'll have a fantastic day, and see you next week?