I gazed intently at Freesian's frightened face and tilted my head.
"Me?"
My sister tried to find some small clue or hope in my face. But evidently finding nothing in the end, she wore an expression filled with despair.
Did she sense death? Is dying that terrifying?
She chased me all the way to this poison-filled land to capture me, yet never once considered that she herself might die?
"That's why I asked why you came all the way here, sister."
I threw her at Father to fight, so I don't understand why she came here only to bring this misery upon herself. Probably because she was that arrogant.
Everything had gone according to her will until now. She must have thought it would continue that way.
Honestly, I understood Freesian's thinking. Even I, if Lilia hadn't intervened and I had safely become Empress, would have lived with a similar mindset.
I had simply died and been resurrected, and that changed me. So Freesian will never change until she dies.
Everyone in Roam will be the same.
"What Seiri said was true."
Freesian murmured quietly. She was probably trying to stay calm inside, but her shoulders were trembling visibly.
I surveyed the surroundings.
Nothing particular was visible on the desolate land. Just thick poisonous energy, rattling skeletons, the Dullahans protecting me, and the baby Lizardman waiting quietly behind me for Ganik.
"I heard Seiri went mad. A pity."
When I answered dryly, Freesian clenched her fist.
I slowly examined her as she swallowed dry saliva and avoided my gaze.
Then I approached with long strides.
When I reached out my hand, Freesian faltered and tried to put distance between us.
But Minte blocked her by poking her back with the tip of his sword, foiling her attempt.
"Anelli, I won't say anything. So..."
Ignoring Freesian's desperate words pouring out, I boldly searched Freesian's body.
Whatever the case with the other knights, Freesian alone was an ordinary human like me. She would have naturally used a magic tool to enter the dead land.
Not difficultly, I discovered a pendant hanging at Freesian's waist.
The jet-black pendant bore a familiar family crest on its surface.
I brushed it lightly with my thumb and slowly parted my lips.
"Did Lord Ruejak the Border Count lend it to you personally?"
Probably a precious magic tool passed down through the generations. A magic tool with purification magic cast on it would be difficult to value at an ordinary price.
It wasn't strange for a family dealing with monsters in the border regions to have purification magic tools.
"You'd think I was kidnapped, so did you believe you could save me?"
"Anelli..."
"Or did you get Lilia's help?"
Freesian pressed her lips firmly shut. I glanced at her and smiled faintly.
"The Ruejak Count's daughter does think very fondly of Lilia, doesn't she?"
Freesian's breathing shook unsteadily. I looked at her with an expression of pity.
"The mad third one wasn't enough, now the first too. Who could have known Roam would fall like this."
I grabbed the pendant tightly and yanked it. The thin cord snapped more easily than expected.
The moment the magic tool was removed, my sister's face distorted. Freesian urgently covered her mouth with her hand and tried to snatch the pendant from my grasp.
But her hand clawed uselessly at the air. Dark blotches began forming on her skin exposed to the poison.
Watching my sister gasp for breath, I felt a strange sensation. I stepped back to create distance and signaled Minte to fall back as well.
In the middle of the blood pool, only Freesian stood alone.
Bent over with her hands covering her mouth, Freesian suddenly raised her head.
Blood vessels must have burst, for her eyes were severely bloodshot.
"I... won't die here!"
Gritting her teeth, she pulled something from her bosom and threw it to the ground. Before I could stop her, a translucent magic circle shimmered at her feet.
Swoosh!
Along with light bright enough to hurt my eyes, Freesian vanished. It was a teleportation spell.
[Captain?]
Minte called me in a startled voice.
I signaled to Minte that it was fine, then turned indifferently.
"Let's go."
[But the enemy escaped...]
"I wonder if letting someone go can be called an escape."
Originally, Roam's heir was given an expensive one-time-use magic tool for emergencies.
Teleportation magic was one of the spells not circulated as magic tools, but the name Roam had always allowed exceptions.
Did she think I wouldn't know about that magic tool's existence? Even after searching her body, did she think I missed it unknowingly?
I could feel the flustered Dullahans watching me. I looked back at them with a light smile.
"I told you. Humans aren't meant to be fixed and used."
Roam won't change until death.
"That's why I shouldn't kill her here."
I'd delayed too long due to the sudden encounter. After looking up at the sky once, I resumed my steps.
The parched land couldn't absorb the warm blood, so each step made a squelching sound beneath my feet.
"There's no need to plant a story about bravely facing monsters and dying gloriously while trying to save her sister in a place like this."
I had decided Roam's ending. The location of that ending wasn't here.
I gripped the pendant in my hand a bit more tightly.
"Those who hostilely oppose the resurrected will receive the world's disbelief. The countless hostilities poured upon them will eventually..."
Place Roam on the judgment seat.
At the very place where I once stood.
* * *
By the time I completely exited the dead land, it had grown dark.
I let out a deep sigh and slumped onto a nearby rock, feeling my neck.
At first I thought it was choking my neck quite firmly, but now it had become considerably loose. It seemed like it would tear right off if I pulled with force.
The collar being this loose also meant the dead land's poison was that severe. It meant the magical effect was wearing out.
[It's still shining.]
It was Mori who checked the collar's status in real time and relayed it to me. Since I didn't have a hand mirror to check the color with my own eyes.
Fortunately, this magic tool fulfilled its role until I escaped the dead land, and according to Mori, it had started flickering just a while ago.
"Shining means it's working now, right?"
This phenomenon hadn't occurred when the purification magic was activated.
I recalled the other function granted to this collar. Tracking magic. The very one that only certain individuals could activate.
[It's Jigor!]
Mori exclaimed with delight. Following that sound, I raised my head and familiar figures came into view.
[Captain! Mori!]
I thought I'd be camping alone, but fortunately it seemed I'd be able to camp somewhat comfortably.
I saw Zenon raising both hands high and waving. Beside him was Samuel, and his hand was glowing particularly white. He seemed to be using divine power.
Nadav and Soana were visible too. Seeing everyone was intact, they apparently hadn't suddenly regained memories and gone berserk.
[Wow, I was worried we wouldn't meet within today!]
[M-me too!]
After confirming Jigor and Mori's noisy reunion, I raised my head to look at Zenon.
Watching him running over with a bright smile, my shoulders suddenly felt stiff.
Only then did I realize I'd been tensing my entire body in tension the whole time.
My nerves must have been sharply on edge without my conscious awareness, for sudden fatigue washed over me.
"You're late."
"I absolutely didn't intend to be late. That bird didn't guide us properly."
Zenon approached and pointed at Jigor, speaking bluntly. At those words, Jigor explained with an aggrieved voice.
[The poison energy from the land was so severe, it was hard to find the energy!]
Ah, so that's why he suddenly used the location tracking magic...
"Good work."
As I stroked Jigor's head with my index finger, Samuel saw my neck and his expression hardened.
"The poison energy must have been quite strong."
"Hm?"
"It seems the purification power was depleted faster than expected."
Samuel's expression was quite serious. Was it because it looked like I'd just used the temple's treasure?
I touched my neckline with my fingertips and looked back at the path I'd come with a composed face. Beyond the darkness lay the dead land I'd crossed through.
It wasn't just because I'd been in the dead land for a long time. Rather...
"Maybe because Dasha went berserk."
Wasn't the main reason the chaos caused by subduing Dasha who was billowing black smoke?
"I'll get additional support from the temple."
"No need? We're done with business in the dead land anyway."
I waved my hand to dissuade Samuel and turned my body. At my answer, Zenon raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze to my wrist.
"Did you collect your subordinate?"
"Yes. For now."
I was curious about the condition, but worried something might go wrong, so I couldn't hastily summon.
It might be better to summon after arriving at Belladia Fortress and parting with Samuel.
Thinking I should warn the other Dullahans in advance, I was about to call Soana when Samuel approached with long strides.
"The Trebi Mountain Range has many monsters. There's no guarantee places like the dead land don't exist there."
He had a strangely stubborn look on his face.
Yet that appearance seemed like he wanted to somehow give me a magic tool with tracking magic on it again, or was that my leap in logic?
'Even without that, when he can know where I am anyway?'
I looked at Samuel for a moment, then turned my attention to Zenon.
"What happened with the favor I asked before?"
I hadn't told Samuel, but I had separately asked Zenon. It wasn't so much that I tried to create a secret from Samuel, but rather something I hadn't felt the necessity to mention.
"It's been resolved well."
"Really? Didn't seem easy."
"My authority is greater than you might think."
I was about to smile gently at Zenon who spoke while shrugging his shoulders, when Samuel interjected with a stiff voice.
"A favor?"
"Yes."
I nodded calmly and looked back at Samuel.
I know. What thoughts Samuel would have upon hearing this conversation.
"If you want to help with something, it's best to wait until I have something I want to ask for. Sir Samuel."
It was meant for him to hear.
"Though I don't know if your patience will follow."
This was my own form of kindness and advice to him, who had faithfully helped me all this time.