New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (1/2 chapters)
Escape Drama
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I wiped off the makeup and revealed my bare face. Although Irene was surprised to see the demonic mark on my right cheek, she didn’t point it out.
Irene’s memories from half a year ago at the Dali Amor Carnival up until now were missing. She said that while she was watching the festival with Parcine, the people around her suddenly disappeared, and a beautiful woman called out to her. Apparently, spending time with that woman felt extremely pleasant.
“Now that you mention it, it was a strange feeling. Even though Papa was gone, I didn’t care.” (Irene)
“That couldn’t be helped.” (Jack)
“What is Papa doing now? What did he say about me being gone?” (Irene)
“…Parcine-san was very worried. So was Martin-san.” (Jack)
“Eh?! You met Ojii-chan too?!” (Irene)
Not only did I meet him, but I also injured him with a bamboo sword.
“So, you came from Barwitch? And this place isn’t Dali Amor?!” (Irene)
Irene was terribly confused. From her perspective, she was at the Dali Amor festival, and then suddenly, she found herself here.
I know the shock of losing memories for half a year. I must be careful not to upset her too much.
“Irene, this may be confusing, but this isn’t Dali Amor, and more time has passed than you think. That’s why we need to leave quickly.” (Jack)
Irene blinked her beautiful eyes several times, seemingly deep in thought. However, my serious words appeared to have convinced her.
“All right… How do we get out of here?” (Irene)
“We still need to prepare. Please wait until night.” (Jack)
We planned to meet up with Tristan outside at night. Until then, I needed to secure the escape route.
However, is it right for only Irene and me to escape?
If they were keeping a headcount, the absence of the two of us would immediately be noticed. But Irene had no memory of this facility, so she couldn’t know if such a thing existed.
Ah, that’s it.
“Irene, I’d like your help with something.” (Jack)
“Of course!” (Irene)
Irene leaned in close to me again.
“Charene is probably here too.” (Jack)
“Onii-chan?! Why?” (Irene)
“He came to rescue you but got captured.” (Jack)
“That can’t be…” (Irene)
Irene seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation. She was more shocked than I expected.
“And like you earlier, he’s probably under a spell and being controlled. However, he should still be able to communicate normally. So, I want you to find him and ask him some questions.” (Jack)
I instructed Irene to ask Charene about the headcount and whether or not he had a roommate.
Could it be that this facility is designed with two-person rooms for both forming friendships and maintaining a surveillance system? If it was just about monitoring, larger shared rooms with five or ten people would be more efficient. The fact that it’s specifically two-person rooms is… concerning. If we bring Charene along, his roommate might report it.
“If you can’t get the information, that’s fine too. I’ll check the escape route and come back to this room.” (Jack)
“Got it!” (Irene)
“Then, be careful.” (Jack)
“…You too, my hero.” (Irene)
Irene said something at the end, but I didn’t catch it. I quietly opened the door, confirmed that no one was in the hallway, and swiftly slipped out.
—
While exploring the facility, I wore the magic tool Tristan lent me around my neck like a choker. Though I was worried about being caught, the facility turned out to be surprisingly defenseless, making the task easy. Once back in the room, I reconsidered the escape route.
The outer wall surrounding Paradise Cyans is tall. To climb over it and escape, I’d need to use a Light Thruster to propel myself up, but that might get us caught. What about breaking a hole in the wall to escape? That would take too much time. Gliding out from the fifth floor with the thruster might be the best option.
Since I plan to investigate the fifth floor anyway, we could infiltrate at night and escape right after. As for the remaining children, I’d report the situation to Tristan and his group afterward. Our client’s child takes priority.
Irene returned to the room.
“Welcome back.” (Jack)
“I’m back, darling.” (Irene)
“Darling?” (Jack)
“Don’t you know? Married couples call each other that.” (Irene)
“We’re not married, though.” (Jack)
“Aww…” (Irene)
She’d grown quite attached to me. Maybe she thought this was just a game.
“Did you meet Charene?” (Jack)
“Yes… but he seemed different.” (Irene)
“How so?” (Jack)
“Onii-chan I know was timid and lacked confidence… but now he’s so confident it’s scary.” (Irene)
“That’s probably the magic’s effect. He should return to normal like you did.” (Jack)
“…Okay.” (Irene)
Irene shared what she had learned from Charene. There were no headcount checks, and Charene was friendly with his roommate. With that, I decided to take responsibility for restoring Charene to his senses and only take Irene out for now.
—
Night fell. Irene and I chatted in the room. Some of the topics overlapped with those we had discussed when I was under the spell, but this time, I told the truth. I omitted my birth in Aldridge and spoke as Jack, an adventurer with unique abilities but no common magical skills. Irene listened with great interest, her eyes shining, as usual, from an uncomfortably close distance.
The dinner bell rang. This was the moment I’d been waiting for. While the children were eating dinner in a separate building, we’d make our escape.
“All right, let’s go.” (Jack)
“Hey, can’t we just spend one night together in this room?” (Irene)
“Huh? Why?” (Jack)
“No reason, really!” (Irene)
That isn’t an option. Tristan was waiting, and I want to return the children here to their parents as soon as possible. To do that, I have to report the situation quickly. There is no way I could free all the children alone.
I ignored Irene and headed for the door. She pouted but followed along.
The hallway was silent. Outside, it was pitch black, with no moonlight streaming in through the windows. It was perfect for slipping away unnoticed. We reached the stairs and began climbing. There was a chain blocking the way with a sign warning, “No entry beyond this point”. Irene and I ignored it and proceeded to the fifth floor.
The hallway on the fifth floor was adorned with stained glass windows, creating a solemn atmosphere day and night. The space between doors was wider here, suggesting the rooms were larger. Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Clack… clack…
It was Irene. Her shoes made it hard for her to move silently. Unlike my boots, her heels seemed to amplify the noise. Though she was trying, the sound carried. As we moved further down the corridor…
“That child is odd. Unlike the others, it feels like she still has some will left.” (??)
From around a bend in the hallway, voices echoed, growing closer.
Not good!
I quickly opened the nearest door, grabbed Irene’s hand, and pulled her inside. If the door had been locked, we’d have been in trouble, but thankfully, it wasn’t.
*Click*
I slowly closed the door. I hurried, but I made sure not to make any noise. I pressed Irene against the door to keep her from making any sounds and held my breath.
“Isn’t it a failure? Shouldn’t we check on it later?” (Kreus)
“Kreus… You’re too much of a worrier. There hasn’t been a single failure so far. Besides, her roommate has already become a devoted believer, hasn’t she?” (Grace)
“That’s true, but…” (Kreus)
This was the voice of Kreus Magril and the leader, Grace Grayson.
“What did Medna say?” (Grace)
“‘Trust the curse I placed,’ that’s what she said.” (Kreus)
“A curse? That’s an odd way to put it. But if Medna says so, then isn’t it fine?” (Grace)
*Click**Click*
*Click**Click*
The sound of Grace Grayson’s high heels and the plate boots of Kreus’s armor echoed. The tension ran high as they passed close by.
“Still, I have a bad feeling about this.” (Kreus)
“You’re such a coward.” (Grace)
As they conversed, Grace and Kreus passed by the room where we were. After walking some distance, their footsteps stopped.
“Well then, let’s meet up later.” (Grace)
“Yeah. By the way, Grace.” (Kreus)
“What is it?” (Grace)
“…How far are you planning to expand this?” (Kreus)
What? What are they talking about? Expand? The scope of the kidnappings?
“As far as it takes.” (Grace)
I heard the sound of a door closing. It seemed Grace had entered one of the rooms.
“…Is this really okay?” (Kreus)
Following that, I heard Kreus’s murmur from a distance. Another door closing sound followed. It seemed they had entered separate rooms.
Is this really okay? Does Kreus have some hesitation about the leader’s intentions?
I confirmed there were no signs of anyone nearby and let out a sigh of relief. That was close. Maybe I got too complacent after the easy exploration of the first to fourth floors.
“…Hey, um…” (Irene)
“Hmm?” (Jack)
When I noticed, Irene was in front of me. Her adorable face was bright red as she looked at me.
“Uh, I mean, I’m okay with it…” (Irene)
“Okay with what?” (Jack)
As I asked, Irene closed her eyes and brought her face closer to mine. She moved closer slowly.
According to the knowledge I’ve accumulated from the Aldridge Library, this was the posture a woman takes when allowing a man to kiss her.
But this isn’t the time for that!
“Are you kidding me?” (Jack)
“What?! I’m serious!” (Irene)
It seems she has taken quite a liking to me. It’s not that I dislike Irene. Rather, I’m happy about her feelings.
As I hesitated about what to say, Irene suddenly kissed my left cheek.
“…!?” (Jack)
“That’s my thank you for coming to save me.” (Irene)
“I haven’t saved you yet! The important part is still ahead!” (Jack)
When I complained, Irene hooked her leg around my back, twisted herself around, and knocked me down. It seemed she still remembered close-quarters combat techniques.
“From now? What’s important is the present for us.” (Irene)
I grabbed Irene’s left shoulder with my left hand, twisted her around, and pinned her beneath me.
“This place is dangerous, so save this for after we escape.” (Jack)
Again, Irene disrupted my stance and reversed our positions.
“After we escape? What will you do for me then?” (Irene)
“That’s what I’m saying. We don’t have time for this!” (Jack)
“Hey, what are you two doing?” (Alisa)
“Uh, like I said, we’re trying to escape from… uh…” (Jack)
What? Who just joined the conversation?
“Escape? After barging into someone’s room without permission?” (Alisa)
I turned my head toward the voice. A girl stood there with two curled horns on her head. Her soft, wavy hair was reminiscent of Kea’s. It was Alisa Hailwood.
Looking around, this was definitely someone’s private room. It was decorated in a fancy style, far removed from the solemn atmosphere outside. This was bad. Our silly argument had gotten us caught, or rather, it wasn’t the argument’s fault. I had entered the wrong room.
“Well, this is, uh…” (Jack)
“This floor is off-limits! And flirting in the room of the goddess’ incarnation, me, is incredibly rude!” (Alisa)
“The goddess’s incarnation… Alisa?” (Jack)
At my words, Alisa gave me a shocked look.
“Huh? How do you know my name?” (Alisa)
Crap. Alisa’s name isn’t supposed to be known to the children. Here in Paradise Cyans, Alisa is the goddess’ incarnation. In other words, Kea’s substitute.
“Besides, you… Have I seen you somewhere before? And that outfit… escape, you said?” (Alisa)
Ah, I messed up. I, Jack, am still just a novice full of mistakes.
“Hey, don’t interfere with my love story with Jack!” (Irene)
Irene protested defiantly.
Don’t say my name out loud!
“Jack…kun?” (Alisa)
Aaaaah. It’s completely over. No way to fix this. The fact that someone named Jack has infiltrated here is now known.
“Huh, have we met somewhere before?” (Alisa)
“Damn it…!” (Jack)
“Kya!” (Irene)
*Screech*
The Managram distorted into a grotesque form and groaned. I concentrated my power and released anti-mana particles. I held Irene under my left arm and swiftly deployed the Light Thruster. There was no choice but to escape now.
“What is this?!” (Alisa)
Alisa looked stunned, but I had no time to pay attention to that. I rammed the door of the room and broke out. The shattered door made a loud crashing sound.
“Kyaaaa!” (Alisa)
Alisa screamed. I left her behind and boosted the thruster to its maximum, speeding down the hallway.
“What’s going on?! What’s all this commotion?!” (Grace)
Ignoring Grace, who rushed out of the neighboring room in a panic, I accelerated further. There was no escape route. I had to break through the window. Without losing momentum, I smashed through the window and flew into the chimney’s interior.
Irene screamed as she clung to me tightly.
“Kyaaaa!” (Irene)
“It’ll be fine!” (Jack)
I extended my right arm straight upward, pulling Irene along as I soared into the air. I landed on the roof of the building for a moment.
I’d climbed onto rooftops in Dali Amor’s residential areas before, but this is my first time on a five-story building. It iss quite high.
“I-I’m scared…” (Irene)
“Leave it to me!” (Jack)
From here, Tristran should be waiting near the main gate, a bit to the left.
I deployed the thruster again, preparing to glide.
“…Jack-kun.” (Medna)
A voice came from behind. I turned to look and saw Medna-san standing on the far edge of the rooftop circle, facing me.
How did she get to a place like this…?
Even though I needed to escape quickly, I found myself unable to move. Medna-san stood like a ghost, just as she had when we first met, dressed in her black robe and black feathered hat, holding a lute. She didn’t seem inclined to fight at all. Blending into the darkness, she truly looked like a ghost.
“I’m glad you’re alive.” (Medna)
“Medna-san…” (Jack)
I knew it. She had realized who I was during the initial baptism.
“It’s been a while, but you’ve changed a lot. What happened to you?” (Medna)
“…” (Jack)
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Would you like to listen to a song?” (Medna)
Is she kidding me?
“I’m sad, Medna-san. That you’ve become like this…” (Jack)
“Like this…? Like what?” (Medna)
“One of the culprits behind the kidnapping cases.” (Jack)
Medna-san gave her usual bewitching smile. It no longer seemed enchanting, as it once had. Now it felt like the smile of a devil. Without saying anything, she began to play her lute.
“―――Ah, the lamentable invasion of the tyrant, cried the princess.” (Medna)
She began reciting that phrase. Her voice echoed through the dark night.
“―――Before the land where even plants and trees have withered, why does our God Heirel not intervene?” (Medna)
“―――Yielding and offering prayers, warriors never descend upon the land.” (Medna)
I had heard this before. It was a song that once healed my tormented heart.
“―――Clad in jet-black robes, a hero emerges. The color of their eyes reveals the principles of all creation.” (Medna)
It was The Highlander’s Inferno: First Movement. A hymn praising an ancient warrior, composed of four movements. When Medna-san finished her performance and song, she looked at me with her red eyes and asked a question.
“What does fighting bring?” (Medna)
“…” (Jack)
“The children here are happy. They aren’t hurt. They aren’t violated. What’s so wrong with that?” (Medna)
Even when asked, I couldn’t answer. In other words, they wanted to create a paradise. A paradise without conflict.
“Jack-kun, do you want to disturb this peace?” (Medna)
I would become a warrior. That resolve wouldn’t waver. If you ask me why, I have no clear answer. I had been born into a family that didn’t celebrate my existence. I was abandoned without even being given a sense of purpose.
For someone like me, with no clear identity, a world exists where I could still live. I could entrust my will to God, to the country, even if I were a puppet. There is a stage where I could shine. That stage is the battlefield.
“I…” (Jack)
*Piiiiiiii*
Suddenly, a high-pitched alarm echoed through the air. It seemed the guards had been alerted to the intruder.
Irene pulled on my sleeve.
“Jack!” (Irene)
“…!” (Jack)
I activated the Light Thruster, holding Irene tightly. With a burst, I shot into the sky.
“You’ll come back here! Until you find your answer!” (Medna)
Medna-san shouted at me as I flew through the night sky. I glided through the air and made my way to the outer wall. For some reason, I felt a lingering sense of regret.
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