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Chapter ~ 09
“……”
“At least this time, we have a healer with us. That’s a relief.”
I clenched my hands tightly.
The Clentain mansion—our base.
Those leaving and those staying behind were all on edge.
Even the ones remaining here must feel uneasy.
‘I’ve only been here for a short while, and even I feel this heavy weight in my chest.
How much worse must it be for them…?’
“I can only treat minor wounds for now, but I’ll do everything I can to help.”
“Please be careful too, Larianna.”
“I will.”
I prayed that everyone would return safely.
Knock knock.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me—Isis.”
The door opened, and Isis greeted me with a puzzled look.
He didn’t seem to know why I had come to see him.
“What brings you here at this hour…?”
“I wanted to ask you something. Would you mind answering?”
“…Come in.”
I stepped carefully into the room.
The interior was neat and elegant, enough to make me quietly gasp in admiration.
‘Right, this is the Clentain mansion…’
Isis’s family home.
That meant this must have been his room for years.
It was large and grand, fitting for the heir of a noble house.
Isis gestured for me to sit on the sofa.
When I sat down, he took the seat across from me.
“Well then, let’s hear it. What’s on your mind, Larianna?”
“…You said you’re going to the Marquis of Drain’s estate the day after tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Could you tell me why it’s that place in particular?”
Isis answered without hesitation.
“The Drain estate lies west of the Clentain duchy. Before you arrived, we’d already explored the north and east several times. This time, we’ve chosen the west as our exploration target—and while we’re there, we’ll also restock supplies.”
“…What about the south?”
Isis took out a sheet of paper and sketched a rough map of the empire.
“South of the Clentain duchy lies the imperial palace.”
“The palace…”
I stared blankly at the map.
Was the palace now a ruin, destroyed by the creatures? Or…?
“Isis, are there still people in the palace?”
“Yes. There’s a survival camp there.”
A survival camp?
That meant there was a group of survivors still living there.
That was unexpected.
“They’re that close to us?”
“…Yes.”
From his darkened expression, it was clear this wasn’t a pleasant topic.
Maybe there’d been some conflict between them.
I hesitated for a moment.
The real reason I came to Isis’s room this late at night—
was to ask him something I had to know.
And now, after hearing about the survival camp, I wanted to ask even more.
“Isis.”
“Yes?”
“What’s your goal?”
When he first offered to help me, I thought he was simply a moral, selfless person who wanted to save as many people as possible.
But it didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t the case.
He hadn’t just helped me—he’d decided to bring me here after recognizing my abilities.
His actions went far beyond mere survival.
He’d turned his mansion into a base, gathered capable people, and built a space where they could live like humans again.
That much could still be considered part of survival.
‘But the “scouting trips” are strange.’
According to others, he frequently went on “excursions.”
He claimed they were to gather supplies, but…
I’d seen it today—
a warehouse next to the armory, packed full of daily necessities.
To exaggerate only a little, there were enough supplies for everyone here to live comfortably for a lifetime.
And food?
They had plenty.
On my first day, Mary showed me around the base and pointed out the food stores—
enough to last at least one or two years.
They could even self-sustain inside the base.
There was no shortage at all.
So then the question was—
what were these “scouting missions” really for?
As I looked at him, Isis sighed.
He must have realized I’d seen through it—and that excuses wouldn’t work.
He blinked slowly, then said,
“My goal is survival.”
“……”
“To live as humans.”
As humans?
Suddenly, I remembered all the small details around the base that showed his care.
“But no matter how safe or peaceful we make the inside,
as long as creatures roam outside,
people can’t truly live like humans—or with peace of mind.”
His eyes began to burn with intensity. His voice carried real conviction.
“I want to return the world to what it was before the creatures appeared.”
“……”
“My goal is to find the cause of the creatures’ emergence—and eliminate it.”
There wasn’t even the slightest tremor in his eyes as he said that.
Their calm steadiness seemed to embody his iron resolve, and I found myself holding my breath.
My heart thumped hard in my chest.
‘…He’s right. As long as the creatures exist, people will never be able to live without fear.’
To truly live “like humans,” perhaps they really did need to be eradicated…
Even though it was the answer I wanted, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
Just hearing it, I could see how difficult that path would be.
And I’d have to walk that path with him…
Status window.
[‘Isis Clentain’ Affection Level: 11 / 100]
I bit my lip.
In a way, my goal wasn’t so different from his.
The method was just… different.
‘I want to live like a human.
To live like a human, I want to go back—to my “home.”’
Honestly, I didn’t care what happened after that.
Whether this world was destroyed by creatures or returned to peace—it didn’t matter.
Maybe it was because I’d only been here a week,
but that was the truth of how I felt.
Still…
“…I hope you achieve that goal, Isis.”
That too was sincere.
I hadn’t known him long, but Isis was, at his core, a good person.
Despite being the highest-ranking noble among us,
he insisted that status no longer mattered,
and he deliberately humbled himself so others could feel comfortable around him.
Whenever there was danger, he went personally.
He cared about every tiny detail, things others would overlook.
He always gave his all.
Most people would become selfish when their lives were at risk—
but Isis was the kind of person who took responsibility for everyone else.
Even after only a week, I could tell what kind of man he was.
That’s why I genuinely hoped someone like him could achieve what he longed for.
“…Thank you.”
He smiled.
The sight was so beautiful that my mind went completely blank for a moment.
His image seemed to burn itself into my brain,
and I felt my face grow a little warm.
[‘Isis Clentain’ Affection Level +4]
[Current Affection: 15 / 100]
I snapped back to reality when the translucent status window briefly obscured his face.
Had I stared too long?
Clearing my throat awkwardly, I stole another glance at him.
“So, the reason you’re going to the Marquis of Drain’s estate… is that also for your goal?”
“Yes.”
“…Come to think of it, where did this whole creature outbreak start?”
“No one knows exactly. We only know it began near the capital.
Three years ago, creatures appeared simultaneously in several nearby cities,
and the capital fell almost instantly.”
“I see…”
‘Now I understand why he keeps exploring nearby areas.’
If the outbreak began near the capital, then by scouring the surrounding region,
he might uncover information that no one had known before.
‘Even so, walking into that kind of danger willingly… I can’t say I like it.’
But in this situation, I had no choice but to help.
‘I need to raise Isis’s affection level, after all.’
If I became someone useful to him, his affection should grow.
As I steeled myself, Isis turned his gaze directly on me.
“I also have a few things I’m curious about, Larianna.
May I ask?”
“…Yes.”
His calm eyes sank deeper, unreadable.
What was he about to ask, to set the mood like that?
Nervous, I swallowed dryly.
“You said you’ve lost your memory.
Exactly what do you remember—and what don’t you?”
“…Pardon?”
Wow. Straight to the point, huh.
Luckily, I’d anticipated that question and had already prepared an answer.
“I barely remember anything about myself.
Just my name and my skill—that’s all.”
“…Only your name and your skill?”
“I think it’s my survival instinct.
In a world overrun by creatures, knowing at least my own skill would be essential to staying alive.”
Isis nodded slightly, seeming to accept that explanation,
but then asked again.
“You don’t remember how to use your skill, or what its properties are?”
“No.”
After a brief pause, he asked one last question.
“…Will you help me?”
