The Girl Wants to Be Murdered

TL/Editor: Butter Cat

Status: 4/week mon-thurs

Illustrations: none

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〈 Chapter 24 〉 Chapter 24. Side Story, Helena and Yuta. And Ispa.

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For adventurers, it's the most devastating and hopeless story, yet the most common one.

And, sacrifice.

In a situation where two should have died.

One survived.

And the other — saved someone else.

All adventurers carry their own tragedies within them.

"An adventurer's life is, in itself, a tragedy."

**

Early morning, before the sun had even shown its face.

But for adventurers who disliked moving under the scorching sun, this was the time when they could be most active.

"...So many. Way too many."

A mountain of documents piled up before me.

The amount of reports I had to write grew along with our ever-increasing achievements.

Should I be happy about this, or not?

When we first secured our own sphere of influence within the royal capital, we celebrated with toasts, but if I knew it would be like this, I would have just settled down in a quiet countryside.

The never-ending feast of papers made me want to curse, but I swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of my tongue along with my black tea.

Bitter.

Perhaps it was because of fatigue, but I couldn't taste the flavor of my favorite black tea. It was just bitter and hot.

As I stuck out my tongue to cool it down, I sensed the arrival of a nuisance

—Tata-da-da.

"....What is it this time… It's driving me crazy, honestly."

Noisy footsteps approached from beyond the tightly closed door.

What news did she bring this time?

Before, my heart would skip a beat and I'd feel anxious whenever I heard those footsteps, but now I just felt annoyed.

Bang, whether she was being disrespectful or simply didn't care, the door swung open with great force, crashing against the wall.

I saw a scratch on the red wallpaper, which I had spent a fortune decorating, caused by the impact.

A dent in the wall.

Ah.

"—Guild Master Helenaaa!! Urgent news, urgent neeeeeews!?"

"If those are your last words, so be it."

What a shame.

Shing, the swung black sword, flew straight towards my adjutant's neck. Thanks to the adjutant's quick reflexes, dropping to her knees, it only managed to cut a few strands of her hair.

The culprit, who had walked in with a confident stride and a loud voice, fell backward, emphasizing her large boobs, and pointed a finger at me.

Every time her finger moved, her chest jiggled along with it.

How rude.

Should I just chop off her boobs?

Let's do it.

I swung my sword again.

"Y-Y-Y-You're trying to kill me, aren’t you!?"

"Yes."

"A straightforward answer, just like I expected!?"

"Can I just chop off one side?"

"What!?"

What else could it be, your boobs, of course.

Seeing how big they've grown, I wonder if they'll regenerate even after I cut them off.

I raised my sword, but seeing her kneeling and bowing her head, I lowered it.

I love you!

Get lost.

I kicked away my adjutant, who was clinging to me, whining. I had a lot to do, I wanted to sleep, I wanted to cut off that thing, and most importantly, I was annoyed, but I decided to hear her out.

Her large chest was very displeasing to the eye, but she was at least reliable when it came to getting work done.

Bissa. A bit of an airhead on the surface, but quick-witted on the inside, for some reason, she's my adjutant.

Should I really cut it off?

She stood there blankly for a moment, then finally started speaking.

"Uh… Really!? Ah! Right, right! A 'ruin' has been discovered!"

"....'A ruin'? Are those scammers trying to pull a fast one again with false information?"

"No—! This is information directly confirmed by our own search team! You know, the one you sent out, Guild Master!"

"Hooh."

A ruin.

Among dungeons, this was the most highly valued by adventurers.

The criteria for classifying a dungeon as a ruin varied from guild to guild—some said it had to be a natural dungeon, others said it had to be untouched, a virgin dungeon that hadn't been explored for a long time—but there was one thing everyone agreed on.

It had to contain many valuable artifacts.

The difference between ordinary honey and wild honey found deep in the mountains.

Wild honey is, of course, the ruin.

Therefore, many guilds offered rewards for information on ruins, but most of them were nonsense or the delusions of fools who mistook caves for ruins.

Well, it seemed that this time, our guild's own reliable search team had discovered one.

Not bad.

The distribution and ecosystem of local flora and fauna, the geological structure, and finally, the rumors circulating in the area.

I had sent out a search team to three suspicious areas as a test, combining all those factors, and it seems they hit the jackpot right from the start.

This is really—

"Not bad."

"—Then, shall we prepare right away?"

"Yes. Tell Vice Guild Master Yuta that we'll be going together, and prepare accordingly."

"Yes, sir!"

Bissa closed the door and left quickly.

Seeing the clear mark on the wall where the doorknob had hit, I wondered if I should have broken one or two of her fingers, but I decided against it.

Let's just get ready.

I always kept minimal armor on, so it didn't take more than ten minutes to fully equip myself.

As I checked my equipment and finally held my helmet in my hand, I felt a tinge of bitterness.

Now, I could put it on as naturally as getting dressed, but when I first wore armor, I fumbled around for over an hour.

I didn't know where to put my arms through, and the order of what to wear first, everything was a mess.

How many times did I put things on only to take them off again.

In the end, the connecting leather straps got tangled and twisted, and I remember being unable to move as if I were bound tightly with rope.

'Really, you're hopeless, Helena.'

'Ispa!'

'There, there. Stay still.'

Seeing me like that, Ispa smiled and helped me one by one, patiently.

"Am I, doing well, Ispa?"

Every time I set out on an expedition, I thought of her, with her charming smile.

Now that I've grown older and having become an experienced adventurer, I realized that there was no one as mysterious as Ispa.

A mature child, or a childlike adult.

That was how she was described.

Even back at the orphanage, she always drew everyone's attention.

A kind child who always helped those in need, and waited patiently behind them until they could solve their problems on their own.

Both I and Yuta, who is now the vice guild master and working alongside me, were drawn to her radiance, so we approached her.

Ispa wouldn't know how ecstatic Yuta was the day we successfully recruited her.

A distant memory, one we could never return to.

Yuta and I wandered aimlessly after Ispa's death, but in the end, we decided to join a guild and continue our work as adventurers.

We wanted to give up countless times, but we couldn't, not for Ispa, who had sacrificed herself for us.

Yuta, in particular, had developed a phobia of enclosed spaces and dungeons, to the point where he couldn't function properly, but he overcame it with his strong will and mental fortitude.

Ispa would have been so happy to see that.

After that, he gained recognition for his physical abilities and skills, rising to the high position of vice guild master.

I was working as a strategist, planning operations, but before I knew it, I had become the guild master.

Why am I here?

If it weren't for that old geezer, that raccoon, I wouldn't be in this position.

The guild members said I was the most suitable person for this role, but honestly, I didn't feel it.

There's someone who's more suited than I am.

If she were in my place instead of me.

If I had stopped Yuta back then, when he rushed ahead.

If I had been the one crushed by the trap—

"........"

All my actions were just imitations of her.

Like a child following in their parents’ footsteps, Yuta and I were just walking along the path of Ispa, who was no longer with us.

Yuta might disagree, but I considered her to be like our parent.

She scolded us firmly when we made mistakes.

And praised us warmly, more than anyone else, when we did well.

When danger approached, she was the first to stand in front of us—

"—Ispa."

Swish, a small dagger was drawn with a sharp sound.

The sword Ispa had gifted me on the day of our first dungeon expedition.

And the sword that ended her last breath.

Back when I was young, it was so big and heavy that I could barely hold it with one hand.

Had I grown this much?

Both I and Yuta—all of us, had become adults.

We grew taller, stronger.

We earned a lot of money, enough to make everyone envious.

We were old enough to be nagged about getting married.

The orphanage where we grew up had transformed into a magnificent building, thanks to our donations, its former appearance long gone.

Everything has changed, Ispa.

But you, you're still the same.

Only she, left behind alone on the path everyone else was walking, remained a child.

The girl with captivating sky-blue eyes that seemed to embrace everyone, the girl with a charming smile.

She stopped growing, forever remaining a child in our memories.

That fact was heartbreaking.

"Right, I have to go. It's time to go."

The girl I killed with this sword, piercing her neck.

I can't let her death be in vain.

We worked hard.

So Ispa, cheer for us.

For this path we're walking.

For us, who have no choice but to leave you behind.

"Let's go."

I opened the door.

*** (TL Note: This is the author’s afterword btw)

Helena has grown well.

She has a bit of… a sadistic streak.

I wonder who she learned that from... (Looking off into the distance)

Anyway, she was originally meant to be a minor character, but she grew so well and even became a guild master.

Aris must be smiling down from heaven.

Don't you think so?

"I'm so, happy."

She says she's happy.

***

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