“We’ll Definitely Come Back to Save You!” — It’s Been Three Years Since I Was Left in the Most Difficult Dungeon, Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive...? - 24-25

Chapter 24: Completely Deceived, the Saintess Smiles

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“There’s no doubt about it. They’re after me… As long as they know where I am, they’ll chase me to the ends of the earth…”

That assumption, I felt, was spot-on. The beast-like glint in their eyes was all the proof I needed.

“Hey, Hel… How do you think we can get out of this hell alive…?”

“Hmm… What if Athos works really hard and splits himself in two? He could offer up one half as a sacrifice. That way, the other half gets to live.”

“There’s no way I can do something that complicated! And besides, sacrificing one of me still leaves a pretty awful aftertaste… Wait, I know!”

A good idea struck me. I glanced over at a spot a little ways off and whispered into Hel’s ear.

“Hel, when I give the signal, I want you to unleash that fog you used earlier to block Midi’s magic. Make it as thick as possible, just enough to mess up their movements but not melt anything, got it?”

“…You’ve been hijacking my identity nonstop, haven’t you? For your information, I’m a boss monster whose whole shtick is corrosion.”

“Don’t start acting like a model employee now—you were slacking off just a second ago. If we get out of this unscathed, I’ll listen to whatever you want. So—let’s go!”

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“That look on Athos-san’s face… He’s definitely up to something.”

To heighten my guard, I deployed more of Chains of Radiance: Aksalm Lumia—and kept them poised to fire the instant he moved.

It seemed Ripley-san and Midi-san had the same thought. Ripley stepped in place, ready to close the distance in a heartbeat, while Midi channeled magic into her staff to launch interference. We were all preparing for a follow-up.

We focused all our senses on Athos-san’s every little movement, and the tension in the air grew sharper with each passing second. That was when it happened.

“—Miasmic Fog, Shagna Veil.”

From around the humanoid monster standing next to Athos-san, a murky black-purple haze began to rise. The unnatural fog spread out and then sank low, blanketing everything—Athos-san, us, and even the surrounding adventurers.

“What is this…!?”

The moment the fog touched my skin, my body shivered. Something mixed in with the mist was seeping inside me, slowly, steadily eroding me from the inside out. An ominous sensation crawled up my throat.

“—Blessing of Holy Light, El Nadhia.”

I immediately cast a magic spell to ward off status effects. A thin bluish membrane formed around us, and the uncomfortable crawling sensation faded away. I quickly scanned my surroundings.

“Athos-san…!?”

“Where did he go!?”

“…He vanished…?”

All three of us looked around in different directions, but Athos-san’s presence had completely disappeared into the fog, as if he’d never been there to begin with.

“Where did you go, Athos-san…?”

The fog obstructed both vision and magic detection—nothing could be relied on. Still, we desperately tried to sense his presence.

“I’m over here!”

There was no way we could miss that voice, not with our senses sharpened to the limit.

“-! That voice—!”

“Athos… That way!”

“I won’t let you get ahead of me…!”

We all sprang into motion at once. Even with our sense of direction scrambled, we ran straight toward the sound of the voice. A dark silhouette emerged in the fog.

“There you are—! You’re not getting away this time…!”

I was the first to reach him, grabbing hold of his body through his cloak. The moment I did, I realized something was off.

“—Who… Are you!?”

I tore off the cloak to reveal a man tied up, breathing heavily, crouched on the ground—Wurfe-san.

“…Eh?”

“…Huh?”

The other two arrived a moment later and voiced their confusion.

“Why the hell are you here…!?”

Ripley’s eyes widened in rage, and her clenched fists trembled.

“That cloak… That’s the one Athos was wearing…? Which means…”

“…Yes, it’s a decoy. We were completely fooled…”

Looking around, I saw a trail in the fog showing which direction it had been pulled. Athos-san must’ve created this decoy here, raised his voice on purpose to draw us in, and then slipped away while we were distracted.

“Ugh… Damn it! And you—this is all your fault for confusing us like this!”

“Gweh!?”

Ripley-san grabbed Wurfe-san by the collar and hurled him somewhere far off.

“…Luckily, we still know which way he went. We might still be able to catch him…!”

Now that the fog had cleared, Ripley-san scanned the area, spotted the trail, and dashed off to follow it.

“True. He shouldn’t have gotten too far yet… Just wait for me, Athos… I’m coming…”

Midi-san followed right behind Ripley-san.

“…………”

All that remained was me and the cloak Athos-san had left behind.

“………………Fufu…♡”

Stepping out of the fog, I took a deep breath of fresh air. I basked in the lingering heat left in the cloak in my arms before following after the other two. 

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Chapter 25: Completely Outwitted, the Knight Bares His Fangs

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Meanwhile—

The adventurers who had been witnessing the fierce clash between the monstrously powerful Demon Lord and the elite party were suddenly thrown into chaos by a mysterious fog that appeared out of nowhere.

“Whoa! What is this…?”

“My body… It’s going numb…!”

Except for the three who managed to protect themselves with magic in the nick of time, all other adventurers collapsed on the spot, unable to move.

“Damn it…! That bastard Demon Lord… He still had a trick like this up his sleeve…?”

“If he attacks now… Damn it! Move… Move!”

Despite their desperate resistance, the fog continued to eat away at their bodies. In the midst of it, those who could still move looked toward the only three people who could stand against the Demon Lord.

“-! That voice—!”

“Athos… That way!”

“I won’t let you get ahead of me…!”

“P-please… We’re counting on you, Ordoll…! You’re our only hope…!”

Thus, in the midst of darkness, the adventurers entrusted their hope to the three girls who fearlessly charged toward the Demon Lord. As the fog gradually lifted, their fear turned into tension.

“W-what the hell happened…?”

As the fog cleared, the outcome of the battle began to emerge. Nervously, they swallowed down the saliva that had pooled in their mouths.

“–H-hey! Look over there! It’s the three from Ordoll!”

One of the adventurers shouted and pointed. Standing in the clearing were the three girls, including the Saintess, while the Demon Lord and his subordinates had completely vanished.

“…Luckily, we still know which way he went. We might still be able to catch him…!”

“They can’t have gotten far…”

“…Hehehe…”

Murmuring these things, the girls set off one by one toward the outskirts of the town.

“…Oh.”

“””WOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHH!!!”””

“They ran… So you’re saying the girls from Ordol actually drove off that monster of a Demon Lord!? That’s insane!”

“That’s the Saintess and her crew for you! And to think they didn’t even flinch, just chased after him like it was nothing… I feel embarrassed for freaking out earlier…”

“That cloak the Saintess had—wasn’t that the one the Demon Lord was wearing? Then they definitely landed a hit on him. We need to learn from their example…”

“–Hey, you guys…!”

Just as the adventurers were getting worked up over Ordoll’s heroic achievement, a voice cut through the excitement like cold water.

“Stop standing around talking and get over here and help…!”

An adventurer approached the nearby bushes and reached into the brush, pulling out a man battered and dirtied like a rag.

“…You’re the leader of Ordoll, right? What the hell are you doing here…?”

“You can see what’s going on! I’m tied up, can’t move a damn limb…! Just shut up and help me already…!”

“…Still, don’t you think you could ask a little nicer?”

“What did you say!?”

Hearing the commotion, the other adventurers began to gather, hurling comments one after another.

“Sure, Ordoll saved us and all… But what were YOU doing? Even with the Saintess backing you up, you were as useless as the rest of us.”

“Exactly. You might’ve even been worse than us, yet you’re acting all high and mighty.”

“Isn’t he that guy? You know, the one at the tavern bragging, ‘I have everything now!’ and looking down on us.”

“Oh yeah, that guy! Thanks for that, by the way… Say, what was it you said again? Mind repeating it for us?”

“Damn you…! You lowlifes think you can talk to me like that…!”

“Oh ho! If you’ve got that much to say in this situation, maybe you really are something! So, what should we do? We could untie you, but we’re completely spent from getting wrecked by the Demon Lord. Surely the great leader of Ordoll would be kind enough to repay even lowly folk like us, right?”

Saying that, the adventurer rummaged through Wurfe’s belongings and pulled out a pouch full of gold coins.

“That’s our fee for untying you. We’ll let you off easy today, but from now on, maybe try acting more like the Saintess. You know, with a bit of humility? Alright, boys! Let’s hit the pub!”

With that, the adventurers untied Wurfe and disappeared into the entertainment district.

“You bastards! Get back here!”

Wurfe tried to chase after them, but his body, battered by the Demon Lord, felt as heavy as lead from the pain. He could barely take a step before collapsing to his knees.

“Damn it…! Every last one of them, looking down on me…!”

Groaning in frustration, Wurfe bit his lip, the taste of blood spreading like proof of his defeat.

“Um..”

As Wurfe was seething with rage, a woman dressed in a white-uniformed outfit appeared before him.

“..You’re with the party ‘Ordoll,’ correct? The Guildmaster has summoned you. Please proceed to Guild Headquarters immediately.”

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