World Isekai

Chapter 45: [Leaving No One Behind]

The sound of Xannos, Lilae and Brök screaming was a muffled murmur to Mori who sat outside, looking at the empty road and the stars brightly shining.

Griswald had already gone to sleep, while Aura was probably anxiously waiting for his return among the drunken group.

Mori opened his profile once again, and sighed.

[Memento Mori] [Level 1]

[Class: Cursed Sovereign]

[Cursed Path: Fateweaver 1879892/2,216,838]

[Health points: 5/5]

[Cursed Energy: 1477892/1477892]

[Magic: 10]

[Strength: 3]

[Defense: 2]

[Agility: 1]

He needed to harvest again. The faster he leveled up in that dungeon, the faster he could get back to it.

As the night was progressing and Mori preparing to go back inside, he saw someone running down the road.

The man fell to his knees, dropping a heavy bag next to him.

People came out of nearby houses, running toward the man. As they reached him, an older lady asked him something, quickly putting her hand on her mouth as he answered.

Curious.

Mori got up, and walked up to the scene. The man was on his hands and knees, the bag next to him full, barely held together by ropes.

"I've got everything... I've saved everything," he said to a man next to him.

"You'll be good for a few years, kid. It's sad to learn about Hagr, but good for the village," replied the man.

They all looked at Mori who was approaching, frowning.

"New in town?"

"Yes," replied Mori.

"You a trader? It's a bit early in the season isn't it? Well, lucky for you this guy got a bag full," said the man next to him.

"Not a trader, we'll be hiking through those mountains."

Their eyebrows shot up as they looked at each other.

"Well, I hope you're ready..."

"Brök will help us prepare tomorrow before we leave."

The man standing next to Mori nodded.

"He's the best. He helps everyone who goes on expeditions, he's the most experienced out of us," he said.

"I'm curious, who's Hagr?" asked Mori.

"Oh, you heard that..." his voice became somber, while the man on his knees stared back at the ground.

"He was my partner," said the man on the ground.

"He died?" asked Mori.

"I assume so."

Mori had a confused expression. "How do you not know? You didn't see him die?"

"I had to make sure this bag got back here, I didn't have time..."

"Hey, it's not your fault," said the other man.

The older woman was walking back to the scene, wiping tears off her face.

"I can't believe you would-" started the woman.

"Come-on, Illska. Your boy knew the risks. He himself came back alone from some expeditions."

Mori looked at the scene unfolding like an outsider, as if he was part of the background.

"It's been this way for too long. How many more must we lose?" she asked.

"It was the unkindled, again. Hagr couldn't make it out of the circle," said the man.

"Circle?" asked Mori.

The man on the ground looked at him. "Yes, the circle. I'm guessing Brök didn't do his big speech yet on all the dangers."

"It's almost impossible to see," said the woman, teary. "A circle appears, taking everyone in it away. You can see it by either being close to the edge, or when the weather's nice. It would look like a blizzard stuck in a cylinder."

"And you didn't see it coming?" asked Mori to the man.

"You can't. It appears out of nowhere, and often-times during bad storms, so you can't tell you're in it. It's because of luck that I could see it."

"If you saw it, why didn't Hagr make it?" asked Mori.

The man standing next to Mori answered, his tone impatient.

"Because that's how it is. You can't tell when the storm takes you away, the moment it disappears the people in it disappear too. The protocol is to exit it promptly, and try signaling your partners from the outside."

"And what happened to leave no one behind?" asked Mori.

Everyone looked at each other, uncomfortable. Nobody dared speaking up, leaving an awkward silence between them.

Getting on his feet, the man grabbed his bag by the handle. "I'll get this checked tomorrow. I need to sleep," he said.

Loud scratching sounds accompanied the man walking away as he dragged his bag on the floor, waving at everyone.

The sobbing woman went back inside, uncontrollably sniffling.

"If you're truly going out there, Brök has the best advice you could ask for... But 'Leave no one behind' is the kind of thing that gets everyone killed. Keep that in mind."

"Thanks for the advice," said Mori.

Mori was walking back toward the inn, in thought.

As he arrived at the inn's porch, Brök was waiting for him.

"Was he alone?" Brök asked.

"The hiker? Yes. The 'circle' took his partner."

"The unkindled..." whispered Brök.

Mori couldn't tell if it was sadness or anger on Brök's face, but his clenched fists and distant gaze spoke loud enough.

"It took your family?" asked Mori.

"No," he replied. "I killed them,"

Brök sat down on the steps, taking his head in his hands.

"I left them behind. I saved myself, and that's a sin I'll never be able to forgive myself for."

"You would've just died with them," said Mori.

Brök's eyes peeked from his hands, anger on his face as he stared down Mori.

"How would you know?"

He stopped, holding his face, his fist hitting the porch.

"Do you know how long I was waiting outside of the circle? An hour. I was too scared to go in it, thinking it might take us all the next minute. Truth is, I could've saved them a dozen times, within an hour."

"You couldn't know," replied Mori.

"It's not a question of knowing. It's courage. And I lacked it."

He got back up, "Let's go back inside, the night isn't over yet, we can at least celebrate a while longer."

"Why tell us to leave no one behind?"

Brök turned around, giving one last advice before heading inside.

"It doesn't matter if you save yourself. You'll eventually realize you died back there, and the part that died will never come back."