Chirem Act 6-14.1
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Act 6-14: A Pitiful Girl
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
R1[1-3], R2[4-6]
Part 1
Proceeding aimlessly down a fairly wide rocky passage lit by torchlight, they moved deeper inside. The cave’s interior was so natural it was hard to believe it had been artificially constructed. The damp rock walls and the rippling sounds of water spreading through the space with each step subtly heightened the sense of fear. It made sense why small groups were recommended. If a large crowd barged through noisily, the atmosphere would be completely ruined.
Kya-kya-kya!
「HIIII!?!」
It happened the moment we followed the path and turned a corner. From behind a rocky outcrop, a bat-like shadow suddenly burst forth, scattering an eerie cry before vanishing into the darkness. Whether it was the real thing or some trap prepared by the staff, it was an extremely ordinary trick. Even so, it was more than enough for Elsie. A small scream reached my right ear, and the soft sensation pressing against my upper arm grew stronger.
Suppressing the excitement rising within my chest, I spoke to her while doing my best to remain calm.
「Are you okay, Elsie?」
「Y-Yes... I'm okay...」
She replied in a trembling voice. Even in the dim light, I could tell her face had gone pale. Her teeth chattered, and from the hand gripping mine tightly came a vibration so intense it was almost pitiful… Is she really okay? The attraction has only just begun. There should be even stronger tricks and events waiting ahead. I can’t imagine her enduring them in her current state. Regretfully… perhaps I should start considering the option of withdrawing here.
「Hey, Elsie. If it’s really too painful, then maybe we should start thinking about…」
「I-I’m not retiring.」
I’d meant to say it for her sake, to reassure her. But before the words could leave my mouth, Elsie rejected the idea outright, neatly shattering my plan.
「If I were the sort to fold at a place like this, I wouldn’t have stood up and volunteered in the first place. I’m going to see this through to the end. I won’t slow you down, so… I’m fine. I mean it.」
「Elsie...」
It was the bravest bluff imaginable. The kind where fear is screaming inside while pride duct-tapes its mouth shut. Honestly impressive. Slightly worrying. Definitely heroic in a “please don’t pass out” sort of way.
What on earth was driving Elsie this far? The usually quiet girl, content to drift along at the back of the group, now strode forward with eyes blazing. It was like watching someone else entirely. What had possessed her?
「Uhm?!」
As I searched her gaze for answers, my train of thought was violently derailed. My left arm was yanked sideways and immediately swallowed by something soft, warm, and deeply distracting.
「... Oh nooo, how scary... I’m absolutely terrified...」
When I turned around, Silvia was clinging to my arm for dear life, glaring up at me with damp, half-lidded eyes while reciting a line I recognised far too well in the flattest tone imaginable.
Of course. The bat routine. She was faithfully carrying out that bizarre scrap of fake ‘common sense’ she’d picked up from that walking pile of incompetent goddess. But I corrected her afterwards. Thoroughly. So why is she repeating it now? And in this exact moment?!
「Muuu」
「Huh?」
Then, the gentle pressure on my right arm abruptly tightened. Elsie clung to me... Not just my arm, but my entire upper body, as though letting go wasn’t an option.
Yet her gaze wasn’t on me at all. It was locked onto Silvia on the other side, sharp and unyielding, like a silent warning.
「...」
「Woah?!」
Not to be outdone, Silvia leaned her full weight onto my left arm.
What was this supposed to be? Are the two of them competing?... Wait, so Elsie is pushing back against Silvia as well? Are they actually fighting over me... Was this really one of those situations? Seriously?
If I think about it, Silvia’s actions might be driven by rivalry. A reaction to Elsie, trying not to lose her papa. A childish, almost sulky attempt to reclaim my attention now that I’d been focusing so much on Elsie.
Meanwhile, Elsie was openly hostile towards Silvia... And since I understand her feelings to some degree, her motive is probably simple possessiveness. That’s why she’s responding so boldly, matching Sylvia’s clinging with even more daring behaviour... Maybe that was the real reason she decided to take on this attraction.
Even if I’ve managed to piece together what was happening, I still had no idea how to resolve it. Being surrounded by girls who are interested in me has become my everyday reality. But Sera and the others have already agreed to share me among themselves, and while their approaches can be overwhelming, outright clashes over me have all but disappeared. Which was why I’m utterly lost when it comes to handling girls who are openly at odds because of me.
「L-let’s… just keep moving, alright?」
In the end, that was all I could manage—my voice trembling—as I ignored Elsie’s sharp gaze fixed on Silvia, and Silvia’s half-lidded, calculating stare aimed at me. Neither of them replied, but the moment I took a step, both adjusted their pace to match mine, still gripping my arms like iron bands.
So there we were, three of us walking down the corridor in perfect, awkward silence. The waves echoed through the cave like some sad, background soundtrack.
Now, a proper “cool guy” would probably crack a witty joke or some kind of charming story here. But alas, I had zero courage or brainpower for that. One arm pressed against soft, silky-smooth skin, the other against plump, bouncy, squishy curves(twin mounds)—and I was trying to focus on navigating a labyrinth without… You know, my body betraying me. This wasn’t a dungeon crawl anymore— it was horror in HD. My stomach was already revolting.
Of course, in such a state of distraction and lack of focus, there was no way we’d clear the labyrinth quickly. Clues we should have caught flew past unnoticed, we took wrong turns over and over, and wandered endlessly.
「Ugh... This isn’t it either.」
And once again, we hit a dead end, and someone let out a long, dramatic sigh.
「We’ve been wandering around for like ten minutes... This labyrinth may be huge, but surely we should’ve found an exit by now.」
「We’ve even forgotten the path we came from... What do we do? Looks like we’re completely lost...」
「Guess we missed some clues somewhere. If going back isn’t easy, maybe it’s time to consider throwing in the towel.」
By now, the girls had calmed down a bit. Still clinging to my arms, but now actually capable of talking. When we were this stuck, there was no point in continuing to argue.
「Right... Let’s head back to that fork we saw before. There’s a retire exit nearby, so we can use that to figure out whether we want to continue or call it quits.」