Life is precious. Humans possess dignity and value from the moment they are born.
Why?
Because life is one of a kind.
“Ugh… Helena, Ispa, you’re so slow! Let’s go, hurry up!”
“Yuta! You’re too loud…!”
“—Everyone, this is a dungeon, right? Be careful, or you’ll get hurt.”
An unchanging truth. Rich or poor, we all end up in the same pot. Abraham Lincoln made everyone free, but Samuel Colt, the founder of the gun company, made them equal—doesn’t that ring a bell?
Unfortunately, in reality, there’s no coin to buy back life like in a game. There’s no feature that respawns you automatically after 30 seconds either.
Wasn’t God a bit overconfident in creating humans?
“Ispa! You keep saying to be careful every day! If you keep acting like that, you won’t get anywhere! Right, Helena?”
“Ugh… Yuta! Don’t run so far ahead!”
“…Really, everyone’s so reckless.”
What if, after dying, everyone could be reborn with their memories intact? How would that world look?
In such a world, would there still be teachers mumbling empty phrases about how life is precious while claiming suicide is just escape, only to earn a living?
That’s impossible, right?
Someone born to unfortunate parents might end up taking their life after falling from a building when they finally learned to walk.
The act of taking one’s own life could be seen as something that deserves respect.
There could be people who throw away their lives lightly because they lack talent, don’t like their gender or race, or feel no attachment to the country they were born in.
Just like a gamer discovering a cheat code, they might wish for their next life while ending this one the moment they feel a little discomfort.
Well, since I’ve gone on for a while, let me cut to the chase.
“—Life is fleeting, easily lost, and thus valuable because it’s unique.”
Now I gaze at the two children far ahead of me. Following the more impulsive and quick-tempered Yuta is gentle-natured Helena.
Yuta, who dreams of striking it rich while enduring the tough life of an orphan after being abandoned by his parents.
Helena, who lives just being swayed by those around her, unable to express her opinions even slightly.
Children living a completely different, real “life.”
Though these kids are a bit rough around the edges, I feel a flutter in my heart thinking about how they might endure hardships ahead and become diamonds through life experiences.
How far can these kids grow?
How far can they reach without succumbing to despair during the events they will face?
“~♬”
I hum a tune while following their trail.
I’ve long since got the hang of this dungeon’s paths. How many times do you think I’ve crawled through this sort of dungeon and—died? I can navigate this shabby dungeon with my eyes closed.
Where the treasure is hidden.
Where the traps are located.
How the dungeon lures naive newbie adventurers into traps.
I know it all.
With all the experience I have.
“…—Aha! If we just have that, we’ll be rich!”
“Ah… no… let’s wait for Ispa to come…”
Looks like they’ve already found it.
It seems the two kids are heading toward the traps.
But to me, that’s treasure.
I was looking forward to it a bit, but I guess it can’t be helped.
Now, how should I put it? ‘Experience’ is merely a label we put on our ‘mistakes,’ right?
For them, who have yet to experience much, just getting this far is commendable.
“Ah… Ispa. Yuta says he found a treasure chest behind that door…”
Helena whispers to me in a sneaky voice.
I wish she would speak her mind rather than think of others.
“—No. It’s dangerous.”
“Why!! You can just go in and get it!!”
“There can’t possibly be a treasure chest sitting there all nonchalantly. Be more cautious—”
Even the most meticulously programmed machines make errors; do you think people, driven by emotion, have a foolproof method? Nobody avoids making mistakes.
Getting up after those mistakes and living with the determination not to make them again—that’s what we call growth, isn’t it?
Growth.
So yes, I will become the cornerstone of these kids’ growth.
I will nurture the precious, noble, and irreplaceable ‘one’ life they possess. Compared to my own life, worth barely more than a pencil, isn’t that an unfair exchange?
“—Ispa! Stop pretending to be cheap! We’re legitimate adventurers now! Aren’t we, Helena?”
“…Ugh… Yuta… Ispa is just thinking of us…”
Yuta is quite autonomous.
Is it because of being abandoned by his parents? He hates being cared for by others. It’s not uncommon for him to cause trouble, even for the orphanage director.
He won’t even try to learn from advice or teachings meant for his own good. Thanks to that, he was a nervous wreck on the day he joined the guild.
In positive light, he’s a confident, shining sun. In negative light, a stubborn maverick. If he could just tone down his fierce attitude, he might become a good adventurer.
Knowing that Yuta hates it, I deliberately took on the role of giving advice from the side.
“But there could be traps, Yuta. If you get hurt—”
“You can’t get treasure without taking risks, Ispa! Helena thinks so too, right?”
“Uh, um? Y-yeah.”
Helena always listens to others’ opinions. Even absurd thoughts aren’t dismissed; she embraces them—truly, I think she has the qualities of a leader.
In reality, she’s afraid of being disliked by others and can’t speak up.
There’s no one who likes being disliked, but Helena, you need to overcome that.
Even the greatest figures in history have their detractors. They need to realize that not being criticized is a different form of criticism.
Sometimes, being firm is essential.
That’s why I always give Helena the power to decide. Of course, her response is usually ‘whatever,’ but these days, she has started to prefer coffee over tea.
It’s good progress, but I can’t shake off this slight sense of disappointment.
“Okay! The coward can just stand here! I’ll be back quickly—”
“Uh… Yuta!!”
“—Yuta! Come back!”
He shakes off my grip and starts running with his bright red hair flowing behind him. Considering all the adventurers I’ve seen, his speed is quite impressive.
He has talent. Real talent, nothing like a fake.
That kid is sure to become a renowned adventurer someday.
How wonderful it is to be the stepping stone for such a great adventurer! Plus, it fulfills my hobby as well.
ㅡドドドドド….
“Got it…!! Wh-What is this?!”
“Yutaㅡ! Th-The ceiling!!”
As expected, the trap began to activate at the moment the treasure chest opened. Hmm, I thought the structure of the ceiling and pillars felt off, but this was the type of trap.
Yuta, now inside, looks flustered and starts panicking. The contents of the treasure chest are clearly too heavy to carry. What a nightmare.
“—Yuta! Get out fast! Damnit!”
“Ispa?!”
I head towards Yuta, leaving Helena at the door.
Is it out of greed or surprise at the unexpected situation?
I rush to Yuta, who is frantically holding an obstacle disguised as treasure. The ceiling is already looming just above us.
If he can’t get out fast, he’ll become a dried fish.
“—Let’s go!”
“B-But the treasure!”
“There’s no time to carry it! You’re more valuable! We can aim for the next time!”
If you die, that’s it. A living idiot is worth more than a dead emperor. So long as you’re alive, there’s always a next time.
I tightly grab Yuta’s hand and head for the door. If I put in full effort, I could easily escape, but I deliberately control my speed so we don’t arrive too late.
After all, I’m here to die.
“Ah?!”
“—Yuta!?”
As I rush to Yuta, I step on a small stone I had secretly placed earlier, causing Yuta to stumble forward.
A face full of fear.
Yes, remember the sensation of death.
Remember that impulsiveness and arrogance—thinking you won’t meet a fatal end because you refuse to accept others’ advice.
And also, that your comrades, whom you cherish above all, will endure that death in your place.
“Hurry!! Quickly!!”
The ceiling has now descended nearly to my waist. I crawl along with Yuta in an awkward position. Helena stands outside, pacing anxiously as she watches us.
But we aren’t fast enough. If this continues, we’ll be crushed so badly that we won’t even be able to retrieve our corpses.
Well, I’m the one controlling this situation.
Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let a child with a bright future die.
“Aaaahhh—!!”
“Ispa?!”
With a grunt, I throw Yuta toward Helena. Saying I’m throwing wouldn’t be quite right; it’s more like I’m curling him.
But that would be a bit rude to say I’m curling a person, so let’s just say I threw him.
That’s right, I’ve hurled Yuta away.
I see him slip out through the door behind me. His eyes widen in surprise as he looks at me. Why the surprise? How cute.
Alone now, I crawl away at speed that isn’t slow enough to get completely free but still fast enough not to be crushed.
Seeing death and corpses up close makes it feel much stronger—let’s test the waters just enough to get a little squished.
Just, halfway down, perhaps?
Yeah, that sounds good.
The rumble from above resonates through the ceiling. The press that will squeeze me flat is prepared, ready to bear down on me. I can feel the hard stone on my shoulders.
My head manages to squeeze out first through the narrow gap.
Then my neck, shoulders,
Both arms, and then my not-so-voluptuous chest, waist—
And then—
“—Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!”
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