I Pretended To Have Amnesia and the Hero’s Party Becomes Obsessed

8 – 1. The Worst Reunion (8)

In life, there are moments like that.

Moments when you’re absorbed in something, and suddenly enlightenment strikes like lightning.

As if an impatient higher being is telling us the truth in our ears.

And the name of that enlightenment is usually as follows.

Am I being foolish right now?

“Is it here…? No, it can’t be… Definitely from here…”

I looked at Irene, who was wandering around. She was squinting at the light that had reached the sleeping grass with a deeply wrinkled face.

I couldn’t hold back and said.

“What on earth are you looking for?”

Irene avoids my gaze.

“…I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I’m just enjoying hiking.”

Irene was a more audacious woman than I had imagined. I was dumbfounded and asked, “Surely, you don’t think that I would truly fall for such an obvious lie?”

Irene’s body trembled faintly. However, she remained silent. In the end, I sighed and spoke, “If you are looking for something, I will help you find it. Please tell me what you are looking for.”

…

Irene stared at me in silence, then turned her gaze back to the dark forest.

Eventually, she rubbed her temple and lowered her head.

“I’m sorry. Let’s go back.”

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Irene avoided my gaze.

“…I must have been mistaken for no reason.”

Mistaken?

I showed another questioning expression on my face, but Irene was already bowing deeply.

“I sincerely apologize for causing unnecessary trouble.”

It was formal, but a perfect apology.

“And regarding today’s incident, I will personally provide you compensation. Of course, it will come from my own pocket.”

Furthermore, a promise of definite compensation.

No matter what I wanted to say, it was difficult to do so in this situation.

Is this what they call the bread and butter of office work?

“Well… If you say so…”

I couldn’t help but feel that something was off, but I had no choice but to follow her words.

And so, we returned to the campsite without any gain.

Thoughts rolled noisily in the silence.

At least now, the possibility of her being a spy had diminished.

If she were a spy, my head would have rolled long ago, or her head would have rolled instead.

However, as one doubt was resolved, another suspicion crept in.

Mistaken?

Does she know something but is pretending not to?

“Just a moment.”

Suddenly, Irene stopped in her tracks and looked around.

“What on earth…”

I grabbed the reins of irritation and stood firm. And, I listened attentively.

‘aaa…’

And, a faintly horrible smell wafted into my nose.

I and Irene both turned to look at each other. Although we didn’t speak, we could understand what each other was thinking.

We nodded at each other, and started moving following the smell and the sound.

…And, after a while, we finally found what we were looking for.

“…”

“…”

Hidden in the bushes, we looked at a cave that clearly looked suspicious.

The torches placed in front of the cave indicated that there were people inside, while the trail of blood leading further into the cave proved that those people weren’t good-hearted.

…Moreover, right next to them, there was a living corpse scratching its buttocks.

It was the source of the sound and the smell we had been chasing.

“…”

I quietly turned to Irene beside me.

At first glance, she seemed calm, but her eyes showed confusion. Plus, I didn’t miss her faint whisper.

“As I thought…”

As I thought,

It was a word that cannot be uttered without surprises.

Irene clearly knew something.

But, I had to stop my thoughts there.

Swoosh-

“…?”

Suddenly, the back of the undead’s head opened, revealing a large eye that looked at us.

“…!”

I quickly covered Irene’s mouth and pulled her into my arms. I peered outside from behind a thick tree.

The undead scratched its head and slowly started coming towards this direction.

Damn it, that’s just cheating…!

I cursed inwardly while also covering my own mouth with the remaining hand.

And, I checked Irene’s condition.

Fortunately, she seemed to quickly grasp the situation and obediently nestled in my arms.

I slowly removed my hand from her mouth and reached for the dagger hidden in my bosom.

Rustle – rustle –

The sound of undead footsteps crushing fallen leaves.

It gradually grew louder, filling the silence of the night.

And then, the scent of death filled my nostrils.

“…!!”

I put my hand in my mouth and plunged the dagger into the undead’s throat. I then threw my weight onto its body.

“…!!”

Even with a knife lodged in its spine, the undead thrashed wildly. It chewed on the hand stuck in its throat and swung its arm at me.

However, I calmly held down its arm, straining my body against it.

If it’s a monster like this, there must be a magic circle on its body…!

Crack -!

“…!”

A sinister rune engraved on the broken collarbone. I stabbed the dagger into it and twisted.

“aaa….”

The undead’s rotten eyes rolled back, and its flailing limbs fell limp.

“Haah…! Haah…!”

Finally, rough breaths escaped as I felt the cold sweat on my damp body.

As I pulled out the dagger, I looked towards Irene.

She remained seated on the floor, as if her strength had been sapped away.

Her pale face clearly showed that she was not accustomed to real combat.

But that was only for a moment; she grabbed onto a tree and stood up.

“…I need to inform the others of this discovery quickly.”

Struggling to maintain her balance, she managed to straighten her body. Approaching me, she continued speaking.

“This place is no more than 5km away from our campsite. If there are cultists here, they must be plotting something nefarious…”

“Just wait a moment, please.”

My words caused Irene’s face to twist in confusion. However, I paid no attention to her reaction and calculated in my mind.

It was a simple calculation, so it didn’t take long.

“Go back first.”

“…Yes?”

I kicked the undead away and stood up from my seat, wiping my dagger as I spoke.

“These commanding sorcerers are sensitive types; they’ll quickly sense if a dog guarding the house suddenly dies.”

“That’s…”

“If both of us leave our posts now, they’ll undoubtedly notice that something is amiss and escape.”

Irene, who had been quietly listening to me, narrowed her eyes.

“So, are you saying you’ll stay here and guard this place? That’s too reckless…”

“No, I plan to launch an attack.”

I drew the sword hanging from my waist.

It was the one Amy gave me, and it looked expensive with the moonlight gleaming on it.

A few severed human limbs won’t dull its edge.

“…Alone?”

“Is there anyone else here eating something other than swordplay?”

I said jokingly, shrugging my shoulders. I presented it casually, as if it were nothing special.

“It’s reckless.”

However, Irene remained resolute.

“You don’t know how many commanding sorcerers and undead are over there. Plus, you’re not properly equipped. Going in there in this situation is nothing short of suicide.”

She was speaking logically.

“And just a few days ago, you almost lost your life to the commanding sorcerers, didn’t you?”

…There was a mix of factual assault.

I formed a bitter smile. Placing the drawn sword into the ground, I leaned against it.

“I really don’t like being at someone else’s mercy.”

Whether I opened my mouth too abruptly without context or not, Irene’s brow furrowed. I added.

“But this contract feels like I’ve been at someone else’s mercy from the beginning.”

Only then did a light of understanding appear in Irene’s eyes. I tapped my head lightly and continued.

“I’ve tried to manipulate Janggu quite a bit, but the movements are still readable, and in the end, it seems like they’re moving as they please. I have no idea what sinister thoughts they have…”

So far, the commanding sorcerers have been like ghosts.

A tangible threat but not graspable, not visible. Just quietly tightening our breath.

“Do you know what all this is about? It’s because I don’t know anything.”

I looked directly into Irene’s eyes.

“The opponent knows, and I’m clueless, so I chase after the buttocks in front of me like a docile lamb. I have no idea that there’s a slaughterhouse at the end.”

He spoke while pinching his Adam’s apple with his finger.

“And, as long as I remain clueless, this situation will continue.”

Then, I pointed to the cave with my thumb.

“But, now I see a place where those who seem to know a lot are hiding.”

It’s not just that they seem to know a lot. Years of experience tell me. Surely, what I desire is left inside there.

At least, something that can help me escape from being dragged around by these tacticians.

“Isn’t this reason enough to take the risk?”

Irene, who listened to my words until the end, lowered her head for a moment.

“…I understand what you want to say.”

However, when she raised her head, there was clear reluctance in Irene’s eyes.

“But, the fact remains that this is a situation heading towards danger. At least, after more people gather…”

“By then, it’ll be too late.”

I cut her off.

“I’ve faced these guys several times. When they think they’ve been exposed, the first thing they do is dispose of evidence. When they crawl out of that lair, there’ll be nothing left in the hideout.”

“But still…”

“And,”

I drew the sword I had stuck in the ground. I didn’t hide the discomfort as I put it on my shoulder.

I never thought I would say such things.

“Going into danger is better than knowing nothing and pushing our kids into a trap.”

Our mercenary bunch was all either irredeemable scum or terrible bundles of accidents,

But still, they were idiots who believed and followed me.

So, I should fulfill that duty as well.

Forcing a smile, I looked at Irene.

“I appreciate your concern, but I’ve already made up my mind. You should go back first.”

***

Since losing the boy, Amy learned a way to forget the fear.

It wasn’t particularly difficult.

You just had to think of one thing.

The fear of the boy who had to put his delicate wrists into the guillotine himself.

If you’re thinking about it, it seemed as if the terror that dragons spitting fire or savages who kill 100 knights would give was nothing.

Instead, Amy could be angry at those things.

Because they had returned her to that day when she felt utterly powerless.

Amy could charge at the enemy in a frenzy.

She could overthrow every enemy that stood in her way.

She could be present in this very spot.

Fear, which had been so easily erased for Amy.

But, why is that?

At this moment, with a tent in front of her,

Amy felt as helpless as an unbeatable enemy.

She tightens her grip on the hilt of her sword.

She bites her lower lip until she tastes the metallic tang of blood.

But still, her legs remain frozen, trembling weakly instead.

Crack! Amy grits her teeth and looks down. Slowly, she raises her gaze again and looks at the tent.

A plain tent, a small nameplate hanging in front of it, engraved with characters.

“Rem”

…She stands here to make a confession.

What her comrade and disciple of Matopia said was true.

Not telling Rem the truth,

Telling lies about Rem.

That is an act that can only be called cowardice.

Furthermore, this confession had been imagined for a long time.

If the boy had survived,

If such a miracle had been granted to Amy.

She would kneel before him and confess her sins.

She would willingly sacrifice her own life for atonement.

On nights when guilt became unbearable, she had imagined it.

How foolish she had been back then.

Amy gazes down at her feet. A bitter smile floats up to her lips.

Despite countless oaths overlapping, she cannot move her feet now.

“____!”

Suddenly, there is commotion from one side of the campsite. Amy raises her head in confusion. And there, she finds a familiar face.

“Irene?”

She calls herself a burden, but in reality, she is the woman in charge of all the practical tasks for the party of heroes.

Irene, she was running towards the heroes while gasping for breath.

A completely different appearance from her usual composure. Amy welcomes Irene with a sense of unease.

“Irene? What’s wrong? What’s the matter…”

“Rem…!”

At that name, Amy’s body stiffens. Irene speaks with a voice squeezed out of her lungs.

“Haa… haa… That person…! Haa… managed to infiltrate the hiding place of the commanding sorcerers alone…!!”

And with those words, Amy’s mind turns blank.