Vol 5 Chapter 14

Preparing for submersion, Kapros took off his robe, wrapped it around his arm, and waded in with splashing steps. The water level was just below his knees, but the current was a bit strong. He had carefully crossed about half and thought he could soon reach the other side when suddenly the ground beneath his foot gave way, causing him to slip.

'Urgh!'

With a splash, he fell face-first. Once he lost his balance, it was hard to stand up again as he kept slipping, swept by the water rushing from above. Unlike other times, it seemed even harder now because his body was heavy due to the status ailment. As he struggled in the water for a while, trying to stand up, he saw the figures who had run away earlier peeking from afar and timidly approaching.

"Th-th-th-this..."

Someone extended a long wooden stick with a frightened attitude. It was ridiculous to need help with a stick in water that wasn't even knee-deep, but he raised his heavy arm and firmly grasped the stick anyway. Then the others joined in and started pulling, thanks to which he was able to safely cross to the other side.

"Phew..."

When he raised his head, wanting to thank them, the startled figures retreated a few meters back again and started whispering among themselves. Kapros shook his head, gave up, and just wrung out the water dripping from his robe and clothes.

"Ex... cuse me."

He turned his head at the barely audible voice.

"A-a-are you... really a human?"

"Yes, I am human."

After hearing this, the one who had been breathing heavily again managed to calm his heaving shoulders and came a bit closer. Though he couldn't make out detailed facial features due to the lack of light, Kapros realized that he was an adult male with long hair and beard. The rest of the people standing behind were similarly hairy, and even their hair colors were so similar that the only way to distinguish them was by their different eye colors.

"Wh-where did you c-come from?"

Though trembling uncontrollably, it somehow sounded like a desperate voice. Kapros quietly let go of his damp clothes and looked straight into the eyes that met his. Even the people standing behind were looking at him with eyes eagerly awaiting his answer.

People of unknown identity met inside the forbidden area. They couldn't be users, so they must be NPCs. Who were these people, and how could they help him?

"I came from... Rezul."

"Gasp! Good heavens."

"Ah!"

Exclamations and groans burst out simultaneously. Then, as if they might grab his hands, they all rushed forward and started blurting out their words at once.

"I-is Rezul still existing outside?"

"Are you from Rezul? Or are you a hired mercenary?"

"Finally, someone to save us...!"

"He can't answer because you're all surprising him! Everyone, step back a bit!"

In fact, Kapros wasn't particularly surprised, but with everyone asking questions at once, he didn't know how to answer and just stood there. Still, he was somewhat grateful to the red-eyed man who drove away the noisy people. The others, seeming to come to their senses, timidly stepped back as if scared again. But it was still much closer than before.

"W-we're sorry. It's been so long since we've met another person..."

"It's alright. But... who exactly are you all?"

At Kapros's question, the men hesitated for a moment, then one of them carefully asked.

"Aren't... aren't you here to rescue us?"

"I'm here because I have something to find. I'm an adventurer, and it's true that I came through Rezul to this place called the forbidden area, but I was a bit surprised because I'd never heard there were people here."

"Ah..."

The atmosphere instantly darkened.

"So... you're not from Rezul then."

"And I thought we could return after 10 years..."

One person who had been muttering even started to cry. However, one was different, his eyes glinting as he fixed his gaze on Kapros's waist. It was the red-eyed man who had made the other noisy men step back earlier.

"No, wait. Look there! Look at the bottle of glowing red soil on his waist! Isn't that something only people from our village could possess?"

"Ah... it's true!"

The men who discovered the bottle of red soil hanging at Kapros's waist once again sent him looks with eyes shining as if starved.

"Wh-where did you get that?"

"That's something only people from our village can have. If you're deceiving us, we're p-prepared to k-kill you right here."

Kapros slowly took out the bottle from his waist and presented it before the men's eyes. Everyone's gaze was fixed on the faintly glowing red sand, visible even in the darkness.

"This was given to me by someone who agreed to help me find the secret inside this forbidden area."

"Wh-who was it?"

He didn't know the old woman's name... All he knew was her granddaughter's name.

"I don't know that person's name, but her granddaughter's name was Remil."

"Good heavens! Remil, you say!"

At that moment, one man who let out a single scream fell to his knees with a thud. It was the red-eyed man who had been confidently stating his opinions until now. The rest of the men also surrounded him at once and started to cry.

"Remil, isn't that your daughter's name?"

"Your mother must have sent that bottle here."

Daughter? Surprised by those words, Kapros closely observed the red-eyed man crying among the hairy men. On one arm of the ragged clothes he was wearing, there was no hand where there should have been one. At the same time, he recalled Remil's words about her father being called One-armed Rex.

"Then, could you possibly be...?"

As Kapros asked, half certain and half doubtful, finally one of the crying men composed himself and gave a proper answer.

"W-we are those who came here over 10 years ago and got trapped. We thought they had completely closed off the forbidden area since no one had entered here since then..."

"No, what's the use of talking here? We'll trust you now. Let's go to where we live first. Come on, everyone get up. We should go and listen there, not here."