Koneko was sitting on the boat and sleeping on Ayumi's lap. Ayumi is reading her grimoire, just like any other day. I had been late since I had to take care of the thugs before but still, they were no match for me. I took my bag and went on board.

"Everything ready, kiddo?"

"Hmm!"

As soon as Mr.Arthur untied the rope from the boat, our pace started to move by the river. It was much faster to go by the flow than to walk on foot. The river pushed us throughout the forest and we ended up in the mouth of the cave in just an hour. The cave was dark and I was just about to lit up the torch when a sudden glow of light covered the whole place. It was mesmerizing and majestic. There were green and yellow crystals emitting light all over the place. Koneko was even starstruck by the beauty of it.

We got off the boat and prepared our equipment. The cave was wide and deep. It was not dark at all but it was in complete solitude. The crystals were s.h.i.+ning and the river split in a fork. We tied our boat by the rock and went on our way.

-Welcome To Isla's Cave-

The icon popped inside of my vision.

As far as I remember, caves in games are where you mine ores and crystals and you sell them for a nice price. The deep cave was created by a spirit long ago and was made to protect a treasure. It followed a tale that the treasure awaits its master. Similar to some RPG plot where the player finds the treasure. Well, the cave itself follows a dungeon system.

We started mining and we went deeper and deeper inside the cave. The longer we stayed, the harder the crystals and ores were to mine. It must mean that the further it gets, the higher quality we can get.

=

Copper Ore

Light Crystal Blue (Int)

Light Crystal Green (Dex)

Light Crystal Red (Str)

Iron Ore

Triferten Ore (A mix between bronze and nickel)

=

The cave itself was plenty of minerals to mine and it replenishes its minerals every second. Like any other game, you take an ore, wait an hour and the place where you took an ore will generate again. This place is like a game itself actually.

"Master... I'm sleepy..." Koneko said.

"Rest on my shoulder, Koneko."

"Okay!" She smiled and rested on my shoulder. It was weird because she didn't transform into her human form.

Ayumi was busy mining and she struck her pickaxe on the wall. The wall cracked in a spiderweb then crumbled as it revealed an ore. It was still copper.

We kept on doing this for hours and hours until and sweatdropped.

Suddenly, we hear a group of people marching as the clanging of metals reverberated by the cave. It felt in symmetry in each step and was organized.

"Hide..." Mr. Arthur told us. Ayumi and Koneko had learned a skill called Night Shade that allows the user to turn invisible as long as they don't move from their spot.

"Find the murderer!" A knight told the other knights as they scatter around. f.u.c.k that Elena! She's on my tail again!

"Sir! I found footsteps!"

I was hiding above the ceiling hole and Mr. Arthur had dug a hole and covered himself with dirt. I went to steady my breath and listened to them.

"Find them! If you see them. Slay them all!"

Suddenly another knight came while holding a guy by the neck. The guy seemed terrified and his eyes were fazed, not knowing what was going on.

"Sir! I found this guy mining!"

"He must be with the murderer! Slay him!"

The hostage flinched and gasp. His lips s.h.i.+vered as he threw his hands in the air.

"W-wait! I'm not with the murderer! I don't even know who you are talking about! I'm just a local miner!"

He was correct. I don't even recognize that face. He must be just mining here in the cave, trying to work and earn some cash to support his life. That guy is innocent but the knights didn't show a hint of doubt and unsheathed their swords.

"W-wait! I-i'm innocent!"

"Lies!" The knight swung his sword by his neck and blood spurred out in every direction. My eyes widened. Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!

The head rolled on the ground stopped just below me. His eyes were staring at me with terror and misery. The Knights went to pick up the head and suddenly they started to scan their papers.

"Sir. He wasn't lying."

"d.a.m.n. Just pin it down on the murderer. Tell the people that the murderer beheaded him when he went to stop him. Spread around town that this miner sacrificed his life for the kingdom."

Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! They accused me!

I was about to jump out when I felt Mr. Arthur glare at me from below, trying to tell me to calm down. I relaxed and we waited for them to leave. As soon as the place went silent, we revealed ourselves.

"Master... You're innocent... You are!" Koneko went hugging me.

"I know. It's that f.u.c.king witch. She won't stop tormenting me!" I felt my rage rise up and hatred was stirring wildly. I felt a hand holding my shoulder.

"Yakiro..."

Ayumi seemed worried. I snapped out of it and smiled at her.

"S-sorry. It's okay. I'm fine."

She embraced me and went on our way, much deeper than before. If we went back, it's sure to encounter those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. We cross by the river and started to camp there. We decided to take the day and rest.

That Elena! Just why did she want to kill me anyway? Just why does she want to take everything away from me? Just why?!

The thought of her made me grit my teeth. That s.a.d.i.s.tic devil must die soon! I will kill her! I will!

"Master?"

"WHAT?!"

I suddenly found myself shouting at Koneko. She was surprised when I barked at her. Her eyes began to tear but she didn't cry. She held my hand and kissed it.

"I will forever serve you, master. No matter what... So, please... Don't think you are alone..." She held my hand on her cheek.

"Koneko..."

"Ayumi nee-san too. She won't ever leave you. Isn't that right, big sister?"

"Y-yes!" She lifted her chin up and crossed her arm. She's really cute.

"Thank you. The both of you." I rubbed their head.

Koneko slept on my lap and Ayumi slept on my shoulder. Both of them holding my hand. Mr. Arthur was cooking and was looking out.

I think that I will never achieve the normal life that I had hoped for. With Elena on the chase and with the responsibilities that are burdening me too as a representative, achieving that goal is beyond my reach. I could never have a normal life as I hoped for. It just wouldn't happen.

Suddenly, Ayumi went mumbling in her sleep. She began to cry and she reached out her hand in the air, trying to reach something.

"No! Yakiro! Don't go! Don't go! Please stay! Please!" She cried out and tears began to fall from her eyes. She must be having a nightmare.

I held her hand reaching and tried to calm her down by kissing her hand and telling her that I'm by her side. She then relaxed.

"... I love you, Yakiro... I love you..." She mumbled.

"Ayumi..."

Mr. Arthur started to serve bowls of soup. It was well-cooked and smelled nice. The aroma filled the air.

"Wake them up, Yakiro."

"Yes. Hey, you two wake up. It's dinner time." They groggily opened their eyes. They must be tired of all that mining. I took the initiative to give them the bowl of soups to themselves.

"Eat up."

"Right." Both of them smiled.

They started to attack the soup and in minutes, it was all gone. They held their empty bowls at me and smiled.

"Next, master."

"S-serve me more, dog." I looked at her with a straight face. Are you starting to treat me like that? After all that dream you just had just now?

"Right. Here you go." They started to eat again.

After that long dinner, we took a rest before taking a nice bath by the river. The river was bright and clear since below the floor, there were crystals too.

I was taking a bath, naked and alone, when suddenly Ayumi approached me.

"H-hey? What are you doing here?"

I hid my body deep into the river. She didn't answer and only took her clothes off while blus.h.i.+ng. I looked at her eyes and it seemed fine. It wasn't blue.

She suddenly joined me on the bath and I turned my back on her. I can't just let myself see her naked, it'll raise my groin.

"I-it's okay to look, you know. Stupid... You don't need to hide it. I know you're a pervert after all. All men are perverts." She said in a confident tone. There she goes, stereotyping all men the same. Sigh. She's pretty haughty for a caring girl.

"I would but I couldn't."

"D-do you find me unattractive?" I can sense her face redden as her voice stuttered in a fl.u.s.tered tone.

I turn to face her and held both of her shoulders. I took a deep breath and told her:

"What are you talking about?! You're definitely beautiful and charming! Although you're kind of annoying sometimes... You're beautiful, both inside and out!" She suddenly bit her lip and faced me with a reddish look.

"Wha~ What is it, Ayumi? Why did you come here all of a sudden? Where's Koneko and Mr. Arthur?"

"Their both asleep..." She couldn't stop fiddling her fingers. There is something bothering her.

"Ummm... Yakiro-kun..."

"Yes?"

"Do you love me too? I-i mean... I already told you my feelings and it didn't seem fair to me that you d-didn't tell me yours..."

"I..."

"Tell me..."

"I do... But..."

"You're also thinking about Koneko? Don't you?"

"Huh?" How did she know?

I am thinking about Koneko. I know she's still childish but Koneko is very matured. I know that when Koneko confessed me her feelings, she was serious.

"Yakiro... I... I'm don't want to lose you anymore and Elena..."

"Are you blaming yourself?" She nodded.

"Ayumi, it's not your fault. Let Elena do her things. I can fight."

"Then let me fight for you too..."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me be with you until the end... No matter what will happen... I will stay with you..."

"Ayumi... I'm confused... What are you talking about?"

"I know... I know that you're trying to clear your curse and go on the other side and meet your sister... I'm happy but it would be a lie if I told you I'm not hurt..." She rested her head on my chest and held my shoulder.

"Don't leave... I'm selfish... I know... But, but... Don't... Just don't... I don't care if you hate the world... I can hate the world too... Please, Yakiro..."

I don't know what to say. Do I really want to stay and become an heir ruler to this world? I... All I want is a normal life... No cruelty... No pain... If I stay here any longer, things might just get harder the longer I live...

"Please..."

"Ayumi..."

"Please! I don't care if you even turn into a demon! I don't care if in the future you'll have many girls! I don't care! Yakiro! You promised to protect me!" She started to cry and her tears fell on the river.

"Then what about you, Ayumi? Why don't you want to cross over the other side?"

"Because there nothing left for me there... I'm an orphan, Yakiro... That's why I'm like this... I'm afraid of people leaving me and that's why I made slaves back in our world... I... I didn't even abuse them..."

"Ayumi..."

"Please... Please..." She started to get impatient as she shook my shoulders with her face grimaced in loneliness.

"How did you know all of this?"

She turned silent and then faced me.

"I can see millions of glimpse in the future through dreams... I obtained it from the grimoire... I had a dream..."

So that's why she was acting weird.

"So you must see that I suffered, didn't you? In that dream, I must have suffered."

"I don't know... All I saw was you... Walking straight to the heavens... And never looked back..."

"I won't live a normal life here, Ayumi, and you'll just suffer because of me..."

"But I'll suffer more when you're not by my side..."

"Ayumi..."

"I love you... Yakiro... I love you... So please..."

I held her shoulder and hugged her before leaving the water. She looked at me with loneliness stirring in her eyes as I went back to the camp.

Koneko was silently sleeping and Mr. Arthur was also sleeping. They seem peaceful so I joined them. I just had to take time to decide.

Will I be really happy when I pa.s.s on the other side? Will it really be the right choice? Namimi... Tell me...

The next day had come and we decided to continue our venture. We encountered a group of goblins and we took them out in an instant. We gained loots from them. They might have stolen them from the past adventurers and miners that went further down.

Monsters started to appear but they were an easy bunch.

Our bags were starting to get full so we decided to return but a group of shadows stretched out in the ceiling. It was those sc.u.mbag knights. They were still on the hunt with us.

We went further down and found ourselves in a perilous situation. The path that leads to the other side was thin and was only a step long as the wall was on its side. The length to the other side was far wide but this path is just a width of a foot.

The Knights didn't show any hint of stopping and they were marching towards us. We can't let them notice us. For Koneko, it was an easy task because she knows how to fly. So I, Ayumi and Mr. Arthur leaned our backs on the wall as we move on sidesteps after we threw our stuff on the other side.

We were on the midway to the other side when suddenly Ayumi slipped off. She fell but her hand was able to hold mine.

"Y-yakiroooo! Ahhhh!"

She was about to pull me down with her but Koneko immediately went to a.s.sist me. She held my shoulder as she tried to lift me up. She was still tired from all that mining and seemed that she couldn't carry anymore. And the weight of Ayumi pulling me down made Koneko burden even more.

"Mmmmf! I will protect masted! Mmmf!" The veins on her forehead started to bulge.

"There they are!"

"s.h.i.+t! Mr. Arthur!"

"Right! Let's jump!"

"What?!" We screamed in unison.

The ravine was deep and dark and didn't show any hint of what was below. All we know was that jumping down is a gamble. We don't even know if there's water there or if we're lucky enough, some magic will keep us safe. But either way, we were in trouble. Mr. Arthur could easily kill them all but I know that he's not that kind of a person. But I would though if I had a chance. Those Knight's were Elena's after all and they didn't seem innocent.

If we jump, we might die but Koneko will survive. The worst case scenario is that Koneko survived but ended up getting caught and killed. If we stayed, we will be captured. We can fight them but we don't know what these knights are capable of. These knights were different from the ones that Elena had sent during the Cataclysm. These knights look more dangerous and stronger. The armor was drenched in red and adorned with thorns. The helmet has horns and shows no signs of their face.

So there's no choice after all.

"Let's jump! Ayumi! Forgive me!"

"What?!"

I released my hand and her hand slipped as she fell through the dark ravine.

"Iyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

I jumped next then Mr. Arthur. Koneko followed us.

I hope we can survive this!

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"Master!"