Wrath nods.
It certainly would take a long time to traverse the Great Elroe Labyrinth on foot, but still…
Using powerful monsters like greater taratects as taxis seems a little excessive.
“The journey might be difficult for some of our elderly companions otherwise.”
Wrath glances at the pontiff.
As a noncombatant, his stats are low.
And given his age, it would be hard on him to walk through the labyrinth for so long.
“I guess we’ll take you up on that, then.”
Taking the initiative, I hop aboard one of the greater taratects.
…It’s actually a surprisingly comfy ride.
The eight legs give a certain sense of stability.
This should be a lot easier on the pontiff, too.
Ms. Oka is next to climb onto a greater taratect.
She’s got guts, that one.
I don’t see any hint of the fear of creepy-crawly creatures like spiders that more delicate ladies might possess.
Even Shun and Balto look a little dismayed, making her bravery even more impressive.
Still, I can’t blame them for being nervous. It’s probably the intimidating power of these monsters that has them on edge, not just their creepy appearance.
Even I have to fight to keep my knees from knocking.
I’m just putting on a brave front so that I don’t look cowardly in front of Shun, who’s like a little brother to me.
Honestly, why do I have to go through this…?
Shouldn’t the real Güliedistodiez handle this sort of thing himself?
But I’ve got to suck it up and carry on, or his determination will be for nothing.
I wouldn’t stand a chance in that fight, anyway.
Better to be daring and keep moving forward.
If I die, then so be it.
…I feel like I’m being more desperate than daring, but let’s not examine that too closely.
“Just get on. Don’t worry. If they wanted to kill us, we’d be long dead already. The fact that we’re alive means they’re not trying to kill us, at least not yet.”
“That really doesn’t make me feel any better…”
Smiling stiffly, Shun cautiously climbs aboard the greater taratect.
Sue steps forward to get on the same greater taratect as Shun, only for Katia to grab her by the scruff of the neck and force her to get on a different one.
Sparks crackle between the pair.
Please save that sort of thing for after this emergency is over…
Eventually, everyone makes it onto their own greater taratect, and we begin moving.
The greater taratects sprint through the Great Elroe Labyrinth at an incredible speed that must come with being a highly evolved monster.
But what’s even more alarming is Wrath, who’s leading the way.
He’s running on his own two feet, not riding a greater taratect.
He matches their speed, sometimes even slowing his pace.
Which means that if he ran at his full speed, he would outmatch even the greater taratects.
If he got serious, Wrath could probably kill everyone here entirely on his own.
It’s not like we didn’t know that going in, though. There’s no point worrying about it now.
Why are there so many frozen spots around, though?
Since when was the Great Elroe Labyrinth an ice cavern?
I mean, it must be the result of a battle or something. But doesn’t that mean two combatants capable of changing their surroundings like this were going at it in here?
…Our odds of survival are looking worse by the damn second.
It’s bad for the heart to feel like you might be struck dead at any moment.
And if I’m feeling like this, how is everyone else managing?
I glance around at the others riding the greater taratects, and…yeah, sure enough, they don’t look so hot.
“’scuse me, Mister Wrath. Could we take a little break at some point?”
“Hmm?”
Wrath turns around, slowing his speed to run alongside my greater taratect.
“Look at everyone’s faces. See how pale they are? I think it’s more of an emotional strain than a physical one, but if we don’t take a break, somebody might faint.”
“…Good point. All right, there’s a slightly more open area not far from here. We’ll stop there for a break.”
“Thanks.”
Before long, we reach the area in question and take a break, although I’m still not sure if everyone will be able to recover.
“Shun, are you all right?”
“Yes…well, no, not really. I’m sorry. I guess there’s no point in being stubborn about it. Honestly, I’m having a hard time.”
Shun takes a seat on the ground, still looking pale.
The others all look just as bad.
If anything, Shun’s complexion is on the better side.
The pontiff and Mr. Balto have gone past pale to the point of completely ashen.
Being surrounded by monsters that could easily kill you takes a serious emotional toll.
I’m sure the intimidation of the greater taratects is even harder on people like the pontiff and Mr. Balto, who have little battle experience.
If anyone looks relatively all right, it’s Ms. Oka and Elder Ronandt.
I walk up to the former and address her.
“You’re handling this well, all things considered. You’ve got real grit.”
“…No, I wouldn’t say that. If anything, I feel as if my emotions have come all the way around to the point of numbness.”
“Numbness?”
“Yes.”
Ms. Oka hangs her head.
“I took my students into custody, thinking that it was best for them. But it backfired completely. What was the point of everything I’ve done, then? It was all for nothing. After I realized that, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything anymore. But when I saw you and Ms. Anna fighting against that horde of monsters, my body just moved on its own. It’s not that I’ve recovered, not really. Even now, I can’t bear to think about anything too deeply. It’s more like I’m letting my body move on instinct while my head is still fuzzy.”
“I see…”
Clearly, I misread the situation.
Ms. Oka might be in a more difficult emotional state than any of us.
I have a rough understanding of Ms. Oka’s experiences and the details of her unique skill.