LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 22
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Ah, it’s my fault again.
I’ve stumbled into traps, friendly fire, and unexplained dizziness just like last party.
And then, right near the portal, a mutant ratman jumped out, so instead of challenging the 2nd floor, only one of us and I barely made it out of the 1st floor alive.
Or so I thought.
“Hah, huff. Get the potions out of my backpack, pour them on me. Quickly—!”
“Uh, okay!”
In a panic, I rummaged through my bag, but the two spare potions were already broken beyond recognition.
The front line looked despondent as they stared at the pieces of glass in my hand.
Eventually, they let out a shallow breath and died.
“Why… why me… huff.”
Tears streamed down like waterfalls from my sorrow.
Why do I have to experience this? Why did they have to die because of me?
Was I truly holding onto a false hope?
I can’t even go back to the village. Because of me, every party in the labyrinth is wiped out. If I go back, I’ll be wasting funds and probably won’t last a few months.
That said, I can’t just not enter the labyrinth and find a job somewhere to earn money.
Who would hire a freak like me?
I stumbled out through the portal.
Thud.
As I sat down, a shadow blocked my path.
“You’re the witch that Ian accepted into the party, aren’t you? Why are you alone?”
I stared at her with empty eyes when suddenly sparks flew in front of me, leaving my cheeks stinging.
“You witch! Why did you come back alone?!”
I didn’t have the strength to respond, so I just nodded and walked to the guild. I could hear a pitiful wail from behind.
Now, I have no idea.
Reporting at the reception desk, the clerk said coldly:
“I know I shouldn’t say this as a receptionist, but I think it might be better for you to leave Labyrinth City.”
“….”
Without a word, I took my money and headed to the inn.
“Lumia, are you okay?”
The old man said something, but I didn’t hear it.
I just lay there, like I was dead.
For weeks, I lay there like a corpse until my will to survive forced my body to move, after which I finally ate, washed up, and lay back down.
I forgot about revenge and growth entirely and lived that way until one day a spark ignited in my chest.
As if at the brink of death, I felt like I should do something grand.
After washing up, I dressed neatly and went down to the 1st floor, where the old man welcomed me.
After a light meal, I said:
“I’m going to the guild.”
“Okay. Have a safe trip.”
No, I might not come back. Don’t wait for me.
Leaving behind the pleased old man, I stepped outside of the inn.
When I reached the guild and opened the door, eyes turned towards me.
“Ugh, it’s that witch again.”
“How revolting. Going to wipe out another party once a month?”
“C’mon, let’s back off a bit.”
I ignored them.
As I approached the shortest line, others moved to the next line as if cursed.
…Well, whatever. Thanks to that, it’s my turn right away.
Before I got to the reception desk, the clerk snapped at me.
“I have work to do, so I can’t assist you right now. Would you please go to another counter?”
“Wha—”
Zing.
Huh?
For a moment, it felt like someone was peering into my very essence.
Flinch.
Now I was seeing something clearer. For example… the darkness that wrapped around my body.
Forget the clerk. I turned my head toward where the gaze was coming from.
That man!
A man with black hair and golden eyes, who everyone could say was handsome. He was staring straight at me.
Can he really see the darkness?
“You can see it, can’t you?”
He’d seen my lips move and slightly turned his eyes away. So he can really see it.
Without thinking, I dashed toward him. If he could see the darkness, maybe he could do something about it!
Just as I was getting closer while he looked bewildered…
The darkness vanished from around me without a trace, as if it never existed.
“Ah, ah.”
For a moment, I couldn’t believe it.
It felt like the chains that were binding me had shattered.
I felt an exhilarating freedom as if all the ropes that had tied me down were cut.
While I stopped, I saw a woman beside him tugging his hand, trying to pull him outside.
No, don’t!
“Don’t go—!”
I threw myself at him like a squirrel, clinging to him.
As I curled up in his arms, feeling the warmth, I said:
“I seriously don’t feel any darkness.”
He was flustered and tried to pull away, but I held on tight.
‘This guy. Is he consciously adjusting his strength to only detach his limbs so I won’t get hurt?’
“No, you can’t leave.”
I’m never letting go.
After a struggle, he sighed and lifted me by the thighs, heading outside.
Seeing everyone staring, he urged me to let go.
“I don’t wanna.”
Frustrated, the woman trying to pull him away argued without interest.
“I’m not letting go at all.”
While we were at it, the passersby again looked at me with distaste.
Normally, I should ignore it as usual. Yet, I couldn’t help but shake in shame because not only were they disparaging me, but also this man.
But at that moment, he sighed and pulled me close…
“Wha—?”
Is he really comforting me by holding me right now?
Not only that, but he was gently stroking my ears and hair.
“…Ha.”
I felt dizzy, my legs giving out.
Since my parents passed away, neither Leviath nor the witches, nor even the old man…
No one ever held me like this with gentle hands.
Tears escaped me unintentionally.
Seeing my whimpers, he was startled and said to listen closely…
Right now, no one can hurt you and no one will suffer because of you.
Ignore the words thrown like trash by passersby and just forget about them.
If you let others’ words affect you, you’ll only end up losing—he consoled me with all kinds of words.
As his hands pressed my ears and brushed through my hair, my body grew hot, and for some odd reason, my lower abdomen fluttered.
So, I promised I wouldn’t run away while linking fingers and then loosened my limbs.
The white-haired woman next to us pouted, wanting the petting for herself, but I didn’t care at all.
All I could see were his warm eyes and his playful smile.
After that, well, we took a carriage to the old man’s inn, and I begged him to let me join his party.
The old man smiled widely, pleased that I had returned.
When that man entered the room, he asked if it was merely a curse that caused the connection or if the darkness faded when I was near him.
But I firmly replied it wasn’t just that.
“Throughout my life, I’ve hardly ever felt positive emotions. But today, when you hugged me tight and calmed me down, I felt a strange emotion.”
And that emotion was—
“Definitely… far hotter and more pleasant than any positive feeling I’ve ever experienced.”
After the curse, my life flipped upside down; it was truly like hell.
“Everyone else treats me the same. They avoid even standing close to me or just touching my clothes, as if I’m a walking plague.”
But in this dark hell, a ray of light came in and warmed me.
“In this situation, you were the only one to embrace me gently, touching my ears and caressing me. That’s why I want to stay by your side.”
That light is you.
“Even though I’m a witch specializing in dark magic and I have sensitivity due to being a Yom tribe member, I’m good enough to want to party up with you. Is that okay?”
If I’m rejected here… I’ll just die. I can’t stand being alone anymore for revenge or anything else.
“Yeriell, what do you think? Right now, it’s just the two of us in a party, so if you don’t want me to join, I’ll back off.”
He delegated my acceptance to the woman beside him.
“You really trust me that much?” I bit my lip without meaning to.*
After a moment of closing her eyes to think, she turned to me and asked.
“I have one question. You said you use dark magic, right? Can you also use curse magic?”
Can I use curse magic? Of course I can.
“Then you can use the curse of the ‘Tracking Arrow’?”
Right. She must want the tracking curse for him, addressing it directly.
Let’s see. The curse of Tracking Arrow… thankfully, it is within my capability to use.*
Yeriell? Right, upon hearing my affirmation, she told him to accept me into the party.
Even though she made it clear that she didn’t like that I was sticking around, it was okay.
In the end, I only need to be in his good graces.
So my joining the party was confirmed, and the three of us introduced ourselves.
Aren. Aren. Hmm, cool name.
Yeriell seemed to dislike how fidgety he was, but she supported my joining to appear cute to him.
Aren declared he’d treat everyone in celebration of my joining the party.
“Lumia, why don’t you change into something comfortable? I’ll order ahead and wait.”
Change into something comfortable? Sure, I can show a significant difference. Yeriell.
I changed into a top that features my cleavage from the clothes in my bag.
Making sure there are no flaws, I went down with a neat appearance and…
He saw me. For an instant, his eyes definitely lingered on my chest.
Though he veered the topic to ask Yeriell if it was okay to drink despite being a priest, for now, I’m satisfied with that.
“Then let’s raise our glasses for our new party member, Lumia, and the future of our party!”
After lightly clinking our oversized beer mugs together, I chugged mine down.
Phew. I feel a bit dazed.
Looks like my first drinking experience was taken by you, Aren?
We spent time chatting about trivial matters while drinking.
“So, Lumia, I’ll see you at the guild tomorrow morning.”
Is he leaving? …Ah. The inn I used to stay at must still exist.
“Okay. Bye.”
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It’s the first time I’m looking forward to the next day since arriving in Labyrinth City.
I can’t wait for tomorrow to come.