The Hero’s Brother Is Bound To Be Depressed

461 – Eve

It didn’t work on the Lizardmen, but thanks to Mormot’s experience, we got through the dwarves on the 5th floor and the frost giants on the 6th floor with relative ease and arrived at the 7th floor. If it weren’t for Mormot, we wouldn’t have been able to arrive this early. Raelan and Ellie didn’t know about this either, so they started treating them as ‘colleagues’.

The first thing we did when we arrived at the 7th floor was to prepare for camping. It was Mormot’s suggestion. Because day and night, weather, and seasons kept changing on each floor, we had no sense of time and only then did we realize that a day had passed.

Everyone is familiar with forced marches, but for magicians, mental fatigue has a significant impact on magic, so they decided to take a break to recover their lost mental power. Fortunately, it was night on the 7th floor when we arrived.

“The 7th floor is ruled by the Naga race. “There are soldiers with swords and hammers, but the most difficult thing is the magic unique to the Naga race.”

Sitting near the adventuring bonfire and eating warm steak and pasta taken from the space warehouse, Mormot began explaining about the 7th floor.

“But with Ross’s spatial ability, it will be easier than other floors. All you need to do is ignore the naga shooting magic from afar and move to the pillar with space magic.”

“What about inside the pillar?”

Mormot, who was rolling up pasta noodles with a fork, answered Raelan’s question.

“Last time, there was something like a structure blocking the stairs. Fortunately, I was able to get through it with magic, but if there is a learning effect like the Lizardmen, something may have changed.”

As I was pouring Ellie some good wine to share, I did not miss the moment and praised Mormot.

“But thanks to Mormot, I was able to come up quickly.”

“Because that’s the contract. “When you reach the 6th floor of the labyrinth, don’t forget to keep your promise.”

After those words, we didn’t talk any more. Raelan walked away from us for a moment, saying he was going to check the terminal connected to the Demon King, and Mormot, who had emptied his food neatly, immediately lay down in the tent as if he had no concept of digestion.

Ellie helped me clean up after myself. It was just a matter of gathering used dishes and packaging containers in one place, but people feel grateful just by helping out. I was grateful for Ellie’s offer to scout the nearby area to help extinguish the fire, so I had no reason to refuse. There’s something I’d like to ask.

I could hear insects chirping and the sound of a river flowing in the distance. Thanks to the full moon in the sky, the road was not dark even though there was no light. As I was walking around in silence, Ellie, who had been watching the movements of my hand, suddenly grabbed my hand with timing.

“It’s dark, so I think I’ll feel at ease if I hold your hand.”

I was reflexively trying to pull my hand away when I saw Ellie smiling softly, but I looked at her blankly. I frowned slightly at the sight of Ellie giving strength to her clasped hands, bathed in the moonlight.

“really?”

“…huh?”

“Does this really make you feel at ease?”

At my question, Ellie twisted her lips and took a step closer to me. For a moment, the faint scent of strawberries mixed with my breath.

“Yes, it’s very comfortable.”

I wanted to refute that statement right away, but I just glanced at our joined hands and nodded as if I understood.

“Do it if it’s convenient for you.”

“… .”

Was it an unexpected answer? Pursing her lips, Ellie smiled and turned her body to start walking again. As she was walking at her pace, Ellie, who was thinking with her lips pressed together, brought up something from her past.

“Remember? “You kissed me before.”

It’s a question without context. I was even more confident when I saw Ellie casually bringing up topics of conversation that had been taboo. So I didn’t avoid them or keep my distance like I usually do.

“Of course I remember. “I can show you again if you want.”

I felt a little strength in my joined hands. I glanced at Ellie, who groaned in response to my answer. At the sight of her blushing slightly and lowering her gaze as if she was embarrassed, I almost pulled her hand away without realizing it. Fortunately, Ellie didn’t notice.

“Do you know what I experienced when I returned home from paradise?”

I shook my head as I stepped on the wet dirt.

“I don’t know. Still, I can predict that Roel was there.”

“why? “I’m the character who loves Roel?”

At those words, I stopped walking. Likewise, Ellie, who stopped walking, did not turn her body towards me, but looked straight ahead and continued her speech.

“That’s right, of course there was Roel. But you were there too. Because I’m greedy. Like Roel, I am not satisfied with just one person. Just as it is not a sin for a man to love too much, isn’t it okay for a woman to have two people she loves? It might even be better if they were brothers of the same blood.”

Ellie was looking at me while saying that and was smiling beautifully. Under her moonlight, my body reacted violently to the sight of a shy girl confessing her true feelings. However, my reason was maintained by completely pushing aside the body’s reaction.

“I love Luna. No, I only love Luna.”

“I know, but Luna won’t turn me down if you ask.”

Probably so. He is a person who thinks more about my happiness than his own. So I should do the same. Because I don’t want Luna to smile. This time, I took a step closer to Ellie. She slightly raised her head to look at me and looked straight into Ellie’s eyes.

“Do you want to repeat the same mistake?”

“I like to re-solve problems where I got the answer wrong until I get the answer right.”

I smiled at Ellie saying that so shamelessly.

“So did you find the answer?”

“Yeah, I guess I can’t give up on you.”

I smiled softly at the sight of Ellie saying that while looking straight into my eyes. Then she slowly tilted her head, slowly closed her eyes, and moved closer to Ellie’s lips.

Something soft touched my lips. It is not wet, but soft flesh. The prediction was correct. Even Ellie, no matter how quick-witted she was, seemed taken aback by my extreme behavior. I slightly opened my eyes and smiled at the sight of Ellie covering her lips with the back of her hand. What my lips touched was Ellie’s palm.

I asked Ellie, whose eyes were shaking with embarrassment.

“Ellie, why are you lying?”

“… what?”

“Why are you deliberately trying to make me hate you?”

Ellie twitched one corner of her mouth and snorted like someone who had just heard nonsense. However, the theatrical response actually lends strength to my guess.

“Do you want me to stay away from you?”

At that moment, I saw Ellie biting her lip. Ellie answered, pursed her lips and snapped, her eyes suppressing her surging emotions.

“… No, why would I do that? I just stopped you because I was embarrassed because you did it so suddenly. I am the type of person to be dragged around, not the type of person to be dragged around. “I just want to kiss you when I want.”

I heard a sweet whisper from a corner of my heart, telling me that if I stimulate Ellie’s pride now, she will definitely kiss me to show off. But I didn’t do that. Because Ellie was not Luna.

I pulled out my joined hands. As the warmth of contact disappeared, I felt a little emptiness through my fingertips. I said, clenching my fists for no reason.

“I won’t hate you. If you act like a burden, he will slowly pull away, and if you come closer, he will increase the distance… “I will eventually return to your side.”

“… .”

“You are always Ellie to me.”

These were the last words Ellie, who was looking straight at me with eyes resembling obsidian, said.

“… That’s right, I’m Eli. A person who always disappoints you, gives you a hard time, and makes you suffer. So, you too, be prepared. “Don’t forget what a terrible person I am.”

***

As Mormot planned, they were able to quickly reach the pillar heading to the 8th floor through space magic. However, inside the pillar, barriers were installed at each staircase, and Naga soldiers were blocking the stairs. While my colleagues blocked the Naga wizard who was following me, I broke through the barrier on my own.

A huge shadow spear pierced the barrier and created a path, and countless spear blades pulverized all the Naga soldiers. We were finally able to reach the 8th floor before the naga wizards reached the pillar. After opening the door and leaving the pillar, I flinched in embarrassment at the sight that appeared before my eyes.

“… What, what is it? “This was definitely a floor where a high-ranking elf civilization existed?”

As Mormot looked around in confusion and muttered, Raelan’s eyes lit up as he looked at the city in front of him.

“It’s a strange place, but it remains in my memory. This is… “It’s similar to the place called New City where Jin Xian lived.”

“Wait, that means…” .”

Ellie trailed off as if something occurred to her. Raelan turned his gaze to me with a wicked smile.

“I thought you’d be waiting on the 10th floor, but I never thought we’d meet you already.”

It was not the elves that ruled the 8th floor, but the leader of the Chaos Church.