Chapter 51: So-called Adventurers and Families

Roland held the hourglass in one hand and carried the unconscious Leonora on her shoulder with the other, swimming upward. Had it not been for the necklace granting her the ability to swim freely, she likely would have been exhausted within a few minutes.

Even so, she felt her physical strength waning. Her limbs ached, and her brain sent frantic commands to rest, but the surface was still an unknown distance away. It felt like the long-distance runs she had experienced in her past life.

‘I haven’t reached that place yet, I absolutely cannot stop…!’

Obstacles to her progress included not just her exhausted body, but also countless creatures fleeing due to the dungeon’s inversion.

These included, but were not limited to, armored leapfish with exoskeletons, vortex slimes that were almost completely transparent, and highly toxic glimmering jellyfish.

Most of these individuals harbored no hostility toward Roland as she swam against the current, but a large-scale migration carried a significant risk of collisions. Combined with creatures like sirens that frequently attacked humans, every stretch of the journey was incredibly difficult. The slightest mistake could lead to injury.

Roland could have reached the surface quickly if she had simply abandoned Leonora, but she could never do such a thing.

Then, she remembered that she had yet to use the hourglass she had obtained from the depths of the dungeon.

Since things couldn’t get any worse, she decided to try it.

After attempting to inject a small portion of mana into it, she suddenly felt her body grow much lighter. She could even command the water sources of the entire dungeon as easily as moving her own limbs.

Roland was overjoyed.

As long as she used this item well, leaving the dungeon alive would not be a problem at all!

The once-desperate situation was instantly shattered, as if a beam of light had pierced the darkness, or a miracle had descended to undo a tragedy that should never have happened.

“Hang in there a little longer, Leonora. We’re getting out right now!”

After manipulating the current to push aside the creatures ahead, Roland let the water drag her upward at high speed. Within just a few minutes, she successfully crossed a vast section of the lakebed to reach the surface.

Two heads— one white and one blue— emerged from the Lake of Sirens, appearing abruptly upon the surging, turbulent surface. It was Roland and Leonora.

After finally gasping in several breaths of fresh air, Roland immediately began searching for Royce and the other person they had been separated from.

If they hadn’t left yet, they would surely find a way to save her and Leonora. As for whether they might have left on their own… Roland didn’t dare think about it.

The exchange of water between the two areas of the dungeon caused the lake surface to churn like an ocean in a storm. It almost completely obscured her distant vision, making it impossible to tell which way was which.

Now, she either had to wait for the lake to settle completely before climbing onto land or pray for the Goddess of Hope to descend.

Roland turned back to check Leonora’s vital signs, only to find that her previously stable condition had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Not only was her face pale and her lips cyanotic, but her breathing and heartbeat were also highly irregular. Even someone who wasn’t a doctor could tell these were signs that she was dying.

“Why is this happening? She was fine just a moment ago!”

There was no time to delve into the reason. Roland immediately began using magic to treat Leonora.

But no matter how many times she used the spell, even when mana completely covered Leonora’s body, the situation did not improve in the slightest.

It was only then that Roland finally understood. The only healing magic she had learned was one that could only treat external trauma; it was completely useless against internal injuries.

“No… no, no! You aren’t allowed to die! I promised to protect you! Wake up, Leonora!”

‘If— and I’m just saying if— only one person can live, I hope it’s you.’

Roland suddenly remembered the words Leonora had spoken not long ago.

Had she known all along that she might die?

Was the reason she sought out a bodyguard because she knew this in advance?

But this was just an ordinary dungeon. Why did she think she would die?

Realizing where the problem lay, Roland looked back at the entire process of meeting Leonora and found it riddled with oddities and coincidences.

How could Leonora have met her by such a coincidence? How could she have been lucky enough to find the hidden mechanism? And how could she have happened to be pulled into the mana wall?

Was even fate sitting by and watching Leonora die?

Although they had known each other for a short time, getting to know someone didn’t require years. Moreover, to Roland, Leonora had shown her significant kindness, and she had promised to protect her.

If she couldn’t even handle this small matter, how was she supposed to protect Mia? How was she supposed to face the powerful demons?

Roland couldn’t care about anything else and could only desperately shake the completely unconscious girl.

“Please… wake up! Didn’t you say you were going home to reconcile with your father? Didn’t you say you were going to the magic academy in the capital? If you die, who else can finish those things?”

Leonora simply kept her eyes tightly shut. Her clothes and hair were soaked, making her look like a beautiful mermaid princess.

But the mermaid princess in the story died, so she was going to die too. The mermaid princess was taken to land by a human and killed; she was going to be dragged into the ocean by a siren to drown.

All the causes and conditions had occurred in the past, and now all the consequences were merely history repeating itself. No matter how one avoided it, the end would eventually arrive.

Roland could do nothing. She could only watch someone else die while she lived on through good luck.

Good luck?

Right… the System! There was still the System!

Roland immediately called out to the System she hadn’t summoned in a long time.

If it was the System, there had to be a way to save Leonora!

But before the flame of hope could ignite, the cold and rational text of the System trampled it out completely.

**[You have not established a mother-daughter relationship; Motherly Love points cannot be used on her. I am sorry.]**

“… What do you mean by ‘cannot be used’? She’s dying! I’m the one who caused this! Are you really going to ignore everything happening right now?!”

**[Answering the Host: I possess no emotions. I operate solely according to the rules established by the Creator. As long as you can establish a connection with the individual known as Leonora, you may consume Motherly Love points to heal her injuries.]**

Perhaps having a bit of self-awareness, the System did not use any more strange text or titles, instead answering quite seriously.

“Ha.”

Roland said no more.

She finally understood what a cruel existence excessive rationality and order could be. Perhaps everything happening now really was the arrangement of fate.

If Leonora had truly accepted her purely joking inquiry in front of the campfire last night, would she have been able to establish a connection? Would she be able to heal her injuries now?

But there were no “ifs” in reality. What had already happened could not be undone. She had to accept the fact — Leonora was dying.

“It’s okay. Even if you die, I’ll swim back with your body.”

“When the time comes, I’ll bury you under that field of daisies outside of town and scatter some cornflower seeds for you. When spring comes, your soul will surely be able to find its way home, right?”

“We are going home together.”

Roland was no longer angry, no longer sad. She suppressed all the emotions in her heart, leaving only one goal in her eyes: to cross this vast ocean until she stepped onto the road home once more.

Before long, a loud and familiar shout came through the crashing waves, like a ship braving the wind and waves to bring hope and light, allowing her crushed spirit to lift its spine once more.

“Roland! Leonora! Are you out yet! We’ve come for you!”

It was Royce’s voice.

Along with it came a battered, water-logged wooden boat.