Breakthrough
While exploring the ruins with Hilde, we accepted a quest to search for explorers who had gone missing.
Dangerous monsters appeared along the way, but we dealt with them without too much trouble and pressed on...
Looks like this is the deepest part of the ruins.
Look, Captain. Over there.
Th-that sound...
Who's there?! D-don't come any closer!
...So you're people, not monsters?
Thank goodness... I'm saved...!
We were told there were three missing explorers.
What happened to the others?
They're probably in the monsters' stomachs by now...
Damn it, I completely fell for it. I'd never seen one that mimicked people before...
A creature that imitates humans. You ran into a troublesome one.
Yeah. I've been in these ruins a few times before, so I let my guard down— *Cough!*
I treated the injuries with the bandages I'd brought along, but he'd already lost too much blood...
We need to hurry.
My thoughts exactly.
Judging by those injuries, he doesn't have much time. Let's move now.
Just as I turned to leave after hearing that...
Huh...?
An earthquake without any warning at all...
Are you two alright?
The fact that a massive boulder had fallen right next to us was a minor detail.
Good. We got lucky.
But these ruins seem to be more fragile than they look.
The passage Hilde pointed to was buried under rubble.
One glance was enough to tell how unstable it was. One wrong step and this whole place could cave in.
W-what do we do...? There's no way out anymore...!
That would be simple enough.
If there's no path, we make one.
...What?
I'll do it in one strike. Take cover under a rock or something.
Before I could say anything, Hilde leapt up toward the ceiling.
W-whaaa?!
Careful!
I dragged the injured explorer with me and took cover.
Every time shattered rocks fell, the ground shook violently.
...Alright. I've opened a path.
Looks like the quake weakened the structure quite a bit.
You can come out now.
...Hmm? What's with that look?
Sunlight was pouring through the opening Hilde had made.
It was enormous, even at a glance.
I don't see the issue.
There's no reason to waste time over a half-dead body that might not even survive.
In this world, completing the [Journey] should be the highest priority. Is that not the case?
I simply made my judgment based on priorities.
He said it himself. The [monster that imitates humans] is still out there.
Wandering around looking for a path that may or may not exist only increases unnecessary risk.
But you could have—!
...Yes. No matter what ambushed us, I could have probably dealt with it.
But as I said, there's no need to take that risk.
That's...
Now then, let's get out.
We almost wasted time on something pointless.
...Mm?
The [Journey] isn't built on sacrifice.
Then that must be the difference between you and me.
But I have no intention of arguing back and forth over it.
Think of our relationship as a business contract. One where our objectives align.
After saying that, Hilde climbed out through the opening without looking back, not even once.
Later, after leaving the explorer at a nearby clinic and heading back, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Could I really see this [Journey] through...?
Or, rather, should I even keep going at all?
The answer seemed so far away...