Chapter 45 - The Way Back Is
writer:Igaki Hisahiro      update:2022-08-18 13:32
  As if resolving on something, Ally started to tell me about her fear of dolls.

  “When I was a child, I woke up in the midnight. I decided to go to the toilet; those dolls came into my sight. Under the illumination of the lamp, without talking and keeping my gaze at it, it then stared at me while letting out a short laugh. I-My body completely paralyzed――After that, I genuinely feared the dolls.”


  Ally’s head was hanging down in silence.

  Thinking logically after that flow of the story.

  “Are you scared and then leaked out?”


  “Please do not say it! Please don’t make any assumptions if you didn’t hear it from directly from the person herself” [TL : It seems she’s giving out info of herself]

  Ally’s blaming me with a flushed face and her head hanging down due to embarrassment.

  “Ah, I see. My bad. My bad. I know what it feels like. Even so, it’s alright since I don’t mind about it. If it’s during childhood, I also experienced something like that.”


  “Uuu……. This is why I can’t handle the dolls. It’ll cause the unpleasant memories of that time resurfacing again. That’s why Eiji-sama, let’s leave this place. Please, if those dolls do show up again.”


  “Eeeeh! What about me!?”


  “Please. I’m truly ashamed of the memory of the story at that time. If we fail, we’ll be lost to shame.”


  “No, even if you say that, it’s just a story that’s convenient for your sake.”


  “No way……Even if I’m just a useless noble girl, I’m still feeling bitter in my heart towards that kind of story. Since I’ve confessed to the point of embarrassing myself, you just conveniently using it as you please despite knowing it, Eiji-sama.”


  Ally’s pleading to me with teary eyes while grasping my arm.

  Though I want to say the same thing to her too. Well, I guess that it can’t be helped if she’s going that far. Even so, more than, the current situation included, the always nonchalant Ally’s tickling my inner sadism when she’s like this.

  “AH, THERE’S A DOLL OVER THERE”


  “EH!?”


  “It’s a joke, a joke――Ally-san?”


  Ally whole body was shivering.

  She got over her shivering and got angry.

  “Gnome-sama! Use your earth hammer of fury on this man!”


  “Whaa, Time out! Sorry, I’m just too excited! I’m sorry! Okay okay, after you forgiving me, I’ll protect you from the doll.”


  The rock hammer that was growing out from the ground was stopped at the last moment right before my eyes.

  Ha~, that was close.

  I’ve overdone it, that’s super close call.

  “Geez, Eiji-sama, even I can get really angry you know.”


  “No, I’m reflecting on it, I’ve overdone it――”


  PAN!

  In my ears that were currently prostrating myself while apologizing to her, I heard the sound of something exploding from behind.

  We’re solidified like a stone statue.

  “Uhm, there was a sound from behind.”


  “Uhm, if you’re anxious you can look behind, Ally.”


  “No, You should be the one to look behind us.”


  “It won’t end if we keep bickering like this, let’s turn with Se~no*” [TL: One, two,…… in Japan]

  “That’s right. Together with Se~no then”


  “Se~no!.”


  “Se~no!.”


  …………


  Both of us were still facing to the front without turning back.

  “Why didn’t you turn, Eiji-sama!.”


  “You too, it’s just me who’s confirming who’s going to turn!”


  “I-I just messed up a bit with the timing. You’re also doing that right!.”


  A human will become an ugly creature in front of fear.

  We’re an ugly creature for giving up on our duty.

  But, we’ll be confirming it together now.

  “Se~no.”


  We turned to our back together this time.

  There’s one doll at that place.

  “As I thought!”


  “I-It’s okay. I will be following my promise――That’s right, we’re avoiding disaster if it’s just one.”


  I’m taking one step in front of Ally who already stepped back.

  At that time, the light of the lamp is as if interrupting, was casting a slight shadow behind the doll.

  Then, we saw it.

  In that place, greeting us together is the dolls who are laughing while shedding rivers of blood from its eyes, armor, and helmet, and will-o’-the wisp’s that are floating in the air.

  “HIIIIIIIIIIII!”


  Words are already unnecessary for us.

  We’re using every bit of our power to escape.

  We’ve no space left to be thinking about something like shame or commission.

  The passage we’re using is bending to the right; A double door appeared at the end of passage.

  One knight armor is opening that door while standing on its right side as if protecting it, we’ve no time to be hesitating and immediately jumped into that opening

  “Haa……Haa……Haa……”


  “Look, a coffin.”


  “Yeah.”


  Inside of the room that we finally entered, was a coffin.

  A wine red colored coffin that is giving a loud sign of being enshrined as it’s positioned at the center of the room, there’s also a stone shelf alongside the wall.

  “This is the coffin that was mentioned by RisaHaruna-San, right.”


  “Undoubtedly. Judging from its appearance, it’s just an ordinary coffin right.”


  Certainly, it just an ordinary big coffin.

  Though when I’m looking at the surrounding, there’s no particular change in this room.

  The shelf, brooch or shield, the dry scroll, cup and water jug, withering flower, there’s something that looks like an open crevice but, I don’t feel any abnormality from all of them.

  “Let’s just remove the cover of the coffin, or that’s what I want but, it’s impossible right.”


  “If Ally is okay, I’ll follow too.”


  “I’m not okay with it. Should we just return without looking what inside”


  “It is, isn’t it. We came to this place with a desperate feeling.”


  We’re standing on both sides of the coffin and placing our hand on the lid.

  Then, opening the coffin at the same time.

  “……There’s nothing in it?”


  But, there’s nothing inside the coffin.

  Maybe what was in it was catching a breath when the lid opened.

  “Eiji-sama, this.”


  Ally was staring, at the lid.

  Countless stabs and incisions are etched on the backside of the top.

  It seems someone was in this coffin.

  Though if it’s just normal since anyone will act violently when they’re inside right?

  The reason is, is that it might be trying to escape, right?.

  Then, what’ll happen after leaving, now I feel uneasy when thinking what’ll it do when it leaves.

  Since it won’t go further even if I think about it just by looking at the coffin, Though I’m examining around the room with Ally, there’s nothing like a hint.

  Since RisaHaruna seems to be well-informed about the ruin, I decided to ask about it when reporting to her.

  We’re taking the things that appear to have some value on the shelf, and then cutting one part of the coffin; we’ve safely collected a wine red chip.