I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 59 - How to Cross a Desert (6)

Screeech!

The scorpion let out an ear-piercing roar.

Its enormous tail crashed down from the sky.

The venomous stinger shot forward, hurtling toward its prey, ready to crush them.

I quickly retaliated with a swift strike.

Clang-!

The sharp tip of my sword deflected the stinger.

Sparks flew through the air, following the explosive clash.

A heavy shock reverberated through my palm.

“It’s really troublesome, isn’t it...!”

I swung my sword again.

A black line sliced through the air, clashing against the scorpion’s pincers as they came flying toward me.

The scorpion charged forward aggressively.

Clang! Crackle… Bang!

The repeated impacts were loud enough to make my ears ring.

As expected of a mutant, its attack patterns were difficult to deal with.

Its thick armor made it hard to inflict any damage, forcing me into a more defensive stance.

I put more strength into my sword.

Thud! Clang-!

I gradually stepped back.

The enraged scorpion followed, seemingly unaware that it was being lured into position.

When I had led it to the designated spot—

Ping! Swoosh-!

The crossbow fired.

An arrow, brimming with mana, tore through the air, embedding itself squarely between the scorpion’s eyes.

It struck the vulnerable gap in its otherwise impenetrable armor.

Screeeech...!

The massive creature let out a final cry before collapsing.

There was no doubt—it was an instant kill.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and gave a thumbs-up to the old man walking toward me from behind.

His frail white hair fluttered in the desert breeze.

"That was a good strategy, sir."

“You did well too, young man.”

“Not at all, it was nothing.”

“This one was especially tricky. I’m not sure we can call it a typical monster.”

“We’re bound to encounter many more like it from now on.”

“Hm? How do you know that?”

“Call it a hunch.”

We chatted casually after the battle.

As we rested, Regia, who had been waiting behind us, came running over.

“M-My lord!”

“Miss Regia.”

“Are you hurt at all? I-I can heal you if you need it…!”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any injuries.”

“Oh...”

The girl sighed, looking a bit dejected.

She seemed frustrated, likely because she wanted to be helpful but hadn’t had the chance.

I chuckled and patted her pink hair.

“Thank you for worrying.”

“S-Sorry... I wasn’t any help this time either.”

She looked crestfallen.

As I continued gently comforting her, a sudden cough broke the silence.

It was the old man.

Cough, cough…!

Once again, he coughed up blood.

By now, it had gone beyond mere hemoptysis—it was closer to vomiting blood.

“S-Sir...!”

“Are you alright?”

We immediately rushed to support his staggering body.

It seemed that fighting the mid-boss had taken its toll on his already frail health.

“Cough… I’m fine.”

The old man waved his hand dismissively, as if trying to reassure us.

Even with blood staining his lips, he maintained his characteristic gentle smile.

The atmosphere remained calm.

“I told you, didn’t I? This is just my illness acting up. There’s no need to be alarmed.”

“B-But...!”

“You’ve been watching this for days now. You should be used to it by now. Now, can you lend me a handkerchief?”

“I-I’ll clean the blood for you…”

“Thank you.”

With trembling hands, Regia carefully wiped away the blood.

Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

The old man, seeing this, chuckled softly, then suddenly spoke to me.

“You really are a blessed man.”

“Hm?”

“To have such a sweet girl as your lover. Don’t you think she’s a bit too good for you?”

“Oh?”

“E-Eh...?”

A playful tease.

Regia, who had been caught off guard, finally processed the old man’s words, her face going stark white before flushing bright red.

“Wh-Wh-Whaaat?!”

She even dropped the handkerchief she was holding.

Clearly, she wasn’t used to this kind of teasing, and she immediately froze up.

As expected, teasing her was quite enjoyable.

I responded in a teasing tone, adding fuel to the fire the old man had sparked.

“You’re absolutely right. She’s more than I deserve.”

“M-My lord?!”

“I always consider myself extremely lucky.”

“U-Uh...”

As we continued to fluster the protagonist, the heavy atmosphere soon lifted.

The old man, now cleaned up, smiled contentedly at us.

It seemed this had been his intention all along.

“Well then, how about we get moving?”

“Sounds good.”

“O-Okay…”

We finished our rest and resumed our journey.

Crunch, crunch.

The desert stretched endlessly before us.

As we walked, each of us treading our own path across the sand—

“U-Um... sir.”

Regia spoke up, her voice hesitant but calm now.

“Yes, young lady?”

“It’s nothing big, but... while I was looking around earlier, I noticed something strange. I thought you might know what it is.”

“Hm? Something strange?”

“There were... these weird things sticking out of the ground. They looked like the tops of buildings, almost like something is buried beneath the sand... Do you know what they are?”

“...”

The old man froze.

His footsteps halted, and even his breathing seemed to stop for a moment.

“S-Sir...?”

Regia tilted her head in confusion, not understanding his reaction.

After a brief pause, the old man forced a faint smile.

“I’m afraid… I don’t know either.”

But his eyes trembled ever so slightly.

***

The journey continued for several more days.

We pressed on, enduring the scorpion attacks and steadily moving forward.

However, the situation was becoming more difficult.

The old man’s condition worsened by the day.

His coughing fits grew more frequent, and now, he would sometimes lose consciousness entirely.

Despite our concerns, the old man insisted on continuing the journey.

There was no turning back now, so we did our best to support him as we moved.

Naturally, our pace slowed.

“I’m sorry... I feel like I’m just being a burden.”

“N-No, it’s fine...!”

“We need your guidance to reach the city, after all. There’s no need to feel bad.”

“Thank you, both of you.”

The monster waves were getting noticeably more intense.

Perhaps because we were nearing our destination, even the regular monsters were much stronger.

They were all mid-tier or higher.

It was no wonder this episode was called ‘Extreme’ for a reason.

“M-My lord! They’re coming from behind!”

“I see them.”

“If you lure them like last time, I’ll handle the rest.”

“Are you sure?”

“No problem.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Each battle grew more fierce.

We were reaching the limits of our strategy.

But it was all part of the plan.

I had been carefully controlling the balance, keeping things just barely manageable.

The old man’s condition was deteriorating, and the protagonist was being pushed further into hardship.

“I-I’ll try to take down at least one more…!”

Regia was determined.

She seemed to feel a strong sense of responsibility for the gap created by her unstable powers.

She was doing everything she could to make up for it.

But effort alone wasn’t always enough.

The situation was becoming more dire by the day.

Things were escalating toward a critical point.

Fortunately, there was a set limit of six monster waves per day, which gave us some time to recover.

It had now been over a week since we’d arrived in the desert.

“...”

Whooooosh–

A light breeze stirred the air.

Under a sky filled with brilliant stars, I sat alone, keeping watch.

The faint glow of a magical lamp kept me company.

The end of another exhausting day.

Even the scorching desert seemed to have fallen asleep, leaving behind only the chill of the night air.

The silence was palpable, like a cigarette hanging from my lips.

Then, suddenly, an unfamiliar noise reached my ears.

Footsteps on the sand.

Crunch.

I lifted my head.

Turning slightly, I saw a figure with white hair standing nearby.

“...Sir?”

“It’s me.”

The old man stood silhouetted against the stars.

When our eyes met, he smiled softly and came to sit beside me.

It seemed he had been tossing and turning earlier.

In the end, it appeared he hadn’t been able to fall asleep.

Perhaps his aching body had kept him from resting.

I asked him quietly.

“Are you alright?”

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? There’s no problem.”

“You barely touched your food today.”

“I’ve grown tired of scorpion tails.”

“A reasonable complaint.”

“They’re quite awful, you know.”

“And we’ve been eating the same thing for over a week now.”

“I’d rather chew on a cactus at this point.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

We exchanged lighthearted banter.

It seemed like just idle chatter, but soon, we both fell silent.

The atmosphere between us had become more subdued.

“...”

“...”

We were sinking into the quiet.

The night slowly faded into stillness.

The snake and the old man sat side by side.

It felt like the silence would last forever.

Until it was broken by the old man’s hoarse voice.

“I’m sorry.”

A soft apology.

“I know I’m being selfish. I realize I’m just a burden to you two.”

“That’s not true at all.”

“You don’t have to deny it.”

Despite my words, the old man simply smiled.

His eyes sparkled faintly.

“Even so... I just have to see her.”

“Your friend?”

“She’s still my everything.”

“That’s quite romantic.”

“Rosalyn always hated that about me.”

“I’m sure she secretly liked it.”

“I think so too. She was always shy like that.”

Some things are only realised after they’re lost.

That was the case with them.

While they were together, they couldn’t see it, but the pain of separation was excruciating.

And so, they became aware of their feelings, falling into a love long overdue.

That’s what the official lore said.

“I never once forgot about her.”

Even when he was living a lonely life in a distant land.

Even when he was drafted into the war.

Even when he fought fiercely on the front lines.

Even after the war ended and peace was restored.

Even when he received that mysterious letter from his hometown, after losing contact for so long.

The old man had lived his entire life thinking only of the girl.

“It’s a bit foolish, isn’t it?”

“...”

“I’ve spent fifty years holding onto that promise. Believing we’d meet again.”

The old man chuckled bitterly.

His white hair fluttered in the breeze.

I silently watched him.

“Maybe it is foolish.”

Adults often forget their childhoods.

But if someone grows old without forgetting, what do we call them?

He was an adult, but at the same time, he was still a boy.

“It’s not foolish at all.”

I answered sincerely.

It was the truth.

The old man must have sensed it, as he smiled warmly in return.

“Heh… Thanks for saying that.”

Someone once said, ‘the desert is beautiful because it hides an oasis.’

The most precious things are often invisible.

Life is no different.

The reason the old man’s life was so touching was likely because of the earnest devotion he held for a single flower.

A rose that glowed like a flame in his heart.

“What about you?”

“Hm?”

“When I look at you, I see a younger version of myself. Always smiling, but never showing what’s inside.”

Perhaps it was because you’re afraid.

“You’ve been hurt before too, haven’t you?”

“...”

I couldn’t say anything.

I simply froze, as if he had hit the mark.

The old man spoke slowly.

“A life without regrets… does such a thing even exist?”

Whether you’re a child or an adult.

People live with regrets, each carrying their own burdens.

But just as dawn follows the night, happiness finds us after the pain.

That’s why life is beautiful.

“Even so, we have to live, dreaming of a better tomorrow.”

His wrinkled hand gently ruffled my hair.

It felt awkward.

When was the last time I had been comforted like this?

I couldn’t remember. Maybe it had been so long that I could count the times in this life, and even my past one, on one hand.

“You’ll do just fine.”

“...”

I had always been the one comforting others, so now that the tables were turned, it felt strange.

As I reflected on this fresh feeling—

A word slipped out from between my lips, almost without thinking.

“You asked me something when we first met.”

The request the old man had made.

—Could you take this old man to the stars?

I remembered it clearly as I responded.

“I’ll make sure... to take you to the stars.”

The old man seemed surprised for a moment, then nodded.

His old lips curved into a smile.

“Heh... That’s a reassuring promise!”

“I’ll do my best.”

“And I’ll guide you to the city with all I’ve got!”

“We’ll make a great team.”

“Hahaha!”

There was only one day left until the episode’s end.

As I contemplated the soon-to-arrive conclusion, I continued chatting with the old man.

It was an unusually beautiful night in the desert.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]