My Demons

No matter how many times I looked over the letter, the contents stayed the same.

I couldn’t have all of a sudden lost my reading comprehension after becoming Phoenix, so the letter had only one meaning.

It was a response to a letter that was never supposed to have been sent.

“……Why did your expression change so suddenly? What does it say?”

Ellen, who had been staring at my face, inquired. Without a word, I handed her the letter.

After scanning through it, she also furrowed her brows in deep thought.

I didn’t recall the exact content… Well, to be honest, I hadn’t really read it properly…

The ‘Evidence of Collusion’ acquired in the game was a letter sent by the bandit gang to the city’s collaborator.

After delivering this letter to the captain of the guard and the lord, the quest I was currently working on was given. It involved coordinating reinforcements through a secret passage.

But the letter I had just found was undoubtedly a response written by the city’s insider.

Even though it was composed using language that merchants would use, phrases like “I’ll secure the route” and “I’ll meet you” were suspicious.

Moreover, the man who had this letter, Tobald, wasn’t heading to the city but was leaving via the secret passage. It was certain that he was returning after receiving a reply.

After reading the letter several times, Ellen, with a serious expression, handed the letter to Arnal, who appeared puzzled, and said,

“There’s a traitor in South Harbor.”

“That’s correct.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’m… still contemplating.”

This letter was evidence that the game’s plot and the actual events were misaligned.

The attack by the Ubar gang was similar yet different. To put it simply, the confrontation with Poison was an event that existed in the plot.

Though the circumstances had changed and the order had gotten a bit jumbled.

On the other hand, the bandit’s letter being delivered to the insider and a response being written?

It was an event that originally didn’t exist in the plot.

I can’t gauge what kind of impact this new development will have on the plot and reality.

Grania and Arnal, who had listened to our conversation, exchanged blank looks, then asked with puzzled expressions.

“Why? What does it say?”

“…? I gave you the letter, didn’t I?”

In response to my words, Arnal made a face and grumbled as if annoyed.

“Do you think we’re measuring the lines?”

“Why are you saying that all of a sudden?”

“Because we can’t read, we’re asking for an explanation.” 

Ah, right. Reading and writing abilities weren’t common among the commoners in this world.

It was normal that Grania and Arnal couldn’t read.

“Give it here.”

Luke, who was about to respond to me, took the letter and read it with a furrowed brow.

“Let’s see… The current route your merchant group is using is…”

His voice was pleasant to hear, at just the right pace. Thanks to his single recitation, Grania and Arnal were able to understand the contents.

“Merchant group? Why are these bandits posing as a merchant group?”

“It’s obviously a cover.”

“A cover? Hmm.”

Observing Arnal’s puzzled expression, it seemed like a proper explanation was needed. Though it was a bit bothersome, I had to roughly translate it for her.

“Listen closely.”

“The route that your bandit gang is using is dangerous and narrow. It’s not suitable for moving a large force.”

“Four days later at sunset, we will take care of the sewer guards. The first floor of the sewer has many exits to the surface, so come up through various routes and spread out.”

“About 300 people would be just right.”

“Tell the friends in the south… probably referring to the pirates. They’re asking to bring them in. The content probably also warns to be careful not to harm each other’s interests.”

“We’ll be holding a green flag, so don’t touch us.”

“May 20th. From the insider.”

Once my explanation was done, Grania, who had been listening with her arms folded, murmured quietly.

“Uh-huh, it seems true that all these thieves belong to the same gang.”

“I’m not sure if they’re from the same gang, but it’s certain that they’re collaborating.”

“There’s even a traitor within… This isn’t an ordinary situation. We need to inform the lord as soon as possible.”

In response to Grania’s statement, Arnal stepped forward, contradicting her.

“We’ve found the secret passage, right? Shouldn’t we finish our mission first?”

“This is our chance to identify the traitor. If we delay, we might miss it.”

“Well, it’s not like everything will blow up tomorrow, right? We intercepted their letter, so the thieves won’t gather. It won’t be too late to pass on the news after contacting the reinforcements.”

Then, Grania frowned at the bandit she had interrogated and asked her again with a skeptical tone.

“You’re not still believing what that guy said, are you? The bandits might be guarding the exit of the secret passage.”

“Then we’ll deal with it when we get there. We’re on the brink of success; why should we back off now?”

“On the brink of success? We’ve only made it about halfway. We don’t know what danger could be lurking in the secret passage or beyond.”

Hmm, that’s a valid point.

Ellen, who had been quietly observing their conversation, suddenly spoke.

“Let’s at least confirm the secret passage.”

“The secret passage? Why?”

“If something goes wrong, we need an escape plan. More options are always better.”

“Options, huh…”

She meant to secure a way to retreat so we could run away, regardless of the request or anything else.

After all, Ellen’s current goal was to reach the area corresponding to ‘Chapter 4’, ‘Raven’s Cliff’. Whatever happened in South Harbor wasn’t her concern.

Grania’s expression darkened a bit, as if she had caught onto Ellen’s intentions. Her little brother, Farrell, seemed to be in trouble, essentially held captive.

Arnal, who had been arguing with Grania, also noticed this and gently patted the leader’s shoulder.

Luke was quietly observing the situation. Despite his people not being far away, he said nothing.

Is he trying not to appear anxious? That’s fortunate for me.

All four pairs of eyes turned to me. It’s decision time.

“Let’s prioritize completing the request as our main direction.”

Truthfully, I had no intention of going back to the surface.

I am a veteran user who has cleared campaigns countless times. I don’t know all the details, but I do know who the traitor is.

Considering the traitor’s identity, delivering this letter to the lord would likely be a waste of time.

“If we come across the bandit group blocking the secret passage exit, we’ll retreat. If not, we’ll call for reinforcements and deliver the letter.”

Knowing what the upcoming scenario held felt like a kind of superpower to me.

You might call it a ‘vague foresight’.

However, ‘The Traitor’s Reply’ wasn’t part of the game’s content.

When unexpected events occur a couple of times, the course of the scenario can shift significantly. Essentially, the more I delay, the harder it becomes to predict the future.

So, I can’t afford to waste any more time.

“However, let’s pick up the pace a bit from now on. After we contact reinforcements, um… we should get back to the city within three days at most.”

Upon my words, the white-haired old man, the skilled warrior, the restless archer, and the wizard who had just learned magic all nodded.

After gathering useful items, the bandits’ bodies turned to dust at Luke’s touch.

Even the one fortunate bandit who survived met the same fate, turning to dust after Grania stabbed him in the neck.

It was a decision I didn’t have control over, but it didn’t sit well with me that I had to kill a captive who couldn’t defend himself. But I couldn’t take him along, nor could I set him free. I had to try to shake off the unease, reminding myself that he was just a thief who had lied until the very end.

Anyway, after concluding our business, we discovered a small tunnel behind a massive wall. At the tunnel’s end, which sloped downward, a hidden passage opened up.

One side of the secret passage was blocked by debris and large rocks.

This allowed us to explore the opposite side without hesitation.

Lime-coated bricks, the narrowness that caused my head and shoulders to brush against the walls, and the pitch-black darkness –

The secret passage was structured like ones I’d seen in games. Yet, I barely felt familiar with it, perhaps because it felt more realistic.

Things that I couldn’t experience in front of a screen – the thinning air, the musty smell of water, and the slippery floor – reshaped my perception of the space.

From time to time, a bug larger than me would appear, but they were easily dealt with by Ellen’s flaming arrows and Arnal’s shots.

On occasion, some were lucky enough to dodge those attacks, but they inevitably ended up sliced in half by my Falchion.

The bugs, with their sticky shells, wriggling and spewing viscous fluid, were gruesome enough to be terrifying. But I, now accustomed to it, stepped over their remains and pressed on.

” Ugh ——-“

Meanwhile, Ellen, still finding the bugs revolting, made a fuss every time she passed the remains pushed to one corner of the passage. She paused to catch her breath, then quickly moved on with her eyes tightly shut, shivering.

The others had to be careful not to laugh at her, though I couldn’t resist. I teased her, laughing heartily.

“Don’t laugh.”

“Hahahaha, you tell me not to laugh after making me laugh? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“…you rascal…”

Ignoring the annoyed girl, I continued on.

After about fifteen minutes of walking along the winding passage –

What we encountered was a heap of collapsed earth. The secret passage was buried under a mound of soil at both its beginning and end. Considering this underground structure was a legacy of the ancient empire, it wasn’t surprising.

Arnal, shining a lantern on the mound, sighed in disappointment.

“Ah, damn. It’s blocked, huh?”

“No, there are paths on both sides.”

As I approached the dirt and raised my torch, tunnels could be seen opening up on either side.

One of them probably led deeper into the sewer, and the other likely led outside.

Grania, alternating her gaze between the pitch-black voids, asked cautiously.

“…Could this just be a burrow dug by animals?”

“Could be. But it’s a fact that the bandits entered from outside, right? At least one of these should be a way to the exterior.”

“That’s true. Ah, we should have asked the guy we captured earlier about the passage.” Regret tinging her voice, Grania licked her lips. Arnal, shining a lantern into the burrow, scoffed.

“Do you think he would’ve given you a proper answer? It’s better not to know than to be misled by nonsense.”

“Hmm. But it would’ve been better than having no idea at all.”

An unproductive conversation. I stepped forward, interrupting Grania’s regret.