A Mob Character Who Just Wants to Get Banished and Escape This Death Game vs. The Party Members Driven Mad by the Radiance of His Brilliance - Chapter 3

“F-Fufu… That really is… quite the misfortune.”

“Shut it. Do you honestly think you’re hiding how amused you are?”

With my face buried in the dining hall table, I glared at the party member barely suppressing his laughter.

His long, shimmering silver hair cascaded over his shoulders like freshly melted snow, swaying lightly around his waist.
His eyes, normally a serene blue like a clear stream, were now twisted in amusement.

This inhuman creature who feeds on other people’s misery is named Morglaid.

A long-time comrade and the only member of my party I can truly confide in.

“So… you shared a bed with a woman for the first time, huh? How do you feel?”

“Those glowing red eyes, burning in the darkness… they’re seared into my memory. Even if I find a lover someday, I’m sure the trauma of that night will come flooding back like a curse.”

“Pfft—hii! Stop! I’m gonna die from laughing!”

I glared at Morglaid with the dead eyes of a fish. This bastard. I came here to share my suffering, not get laughed at.
You know what? He’s no friend—he’s the enemy now.

After laughing himself half to death, Morglaid finally calmed down, still smirking as he leaned in to hear more.

“So how exactly did you get away? From what I’ve heard, you were handcuffed to Isfana and had to sleep like that.”

“Once she finally closed her eyes, I snapped the chain and escaped. Then I hid under the sofa in the lounge until morning. Had breakfast, and here I am.”

Morglaid looked genuinely amazed.

“You always complain about Isfana being extreme, but you’re pretty savage yourself.”

Don’t be ridiculous.
She’s the one who showed up with freaking handcuffs—she’s the dangerous one here.

I tore into a slice of bacon that, for some reason, had a sour smell to it.
As usual, even my undiscerning tongue could tell how awful the food was.
Still, in a war zone, you eat what you get.

I glanced at Morglaid’s tray. All he had was a cup of tea and a single walnut.

“You still eat like a bird, huh? We’ve known each other for years, and I’ve never once seen you eat a proper meal.”

“Well, I am a delicate lady. I survive just fine on tea and fruit.”

Whenever I tried to ask seriously, he always brushed it off with a joke.
Morglaid loves teasing people with that cryptic tone—he’s such a pain.

Still, he’s the only friend I have I can actually complain to. That’s just sad.
With a heavy sigh, I started airing my grievances.

“Come on, don’t you think Isfana was the one out of line? That kind of ridiculous joke shouldn’t have set her off. She always says she hates me—shouldn’t she be glad I want to leave?”

I looked up, hoping Morglaid would nod in agreement.
Instead, he stared at me like I had sprouted antennae.

“…You’re not seriously saying you don’t know why she was mad, are you?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Got a problem with that?”

“Nope. Nope, even I can’t defend you here.”

Morglaid recoiled like he’d just seen a rotting corpse and hugged himself for protection.
That little reaction ticked me off.

“At what point in that story did I supposedly commit a crime? I acted with logic and reason the whole way through!”

“Nope. This one’s on you. I’ll say it clearly: you, my friend, are the enemy of women.”

Even Morglaid, whom I turned to for help, had decided to side against me. I didn’t understand a thing.
To dodge the awkwardness, I changed the subject.

“By the way, where are Professor Arhansen and Ingrasius?”

“The professor won’t come out of the lab for at least five more days. And as for Ingrasius, it’s the Festival Moon—he’ll be praying for the next month.”

So neither of the remaining members would be around for a while.
As I realized what that meant, my face turned pale.

Morglaid gave me a mischievous wink, smiling like a fox.

“I’m a kind and considerate lady, so I’ll try to keep things quiet for a while. It’ll be fun to watch you and Isfana bond.”

“Please. Please don’t do that.”

I immediately dropped my head to the table and clung to him in desperation.

Morglaid stirred his tea with a spoon and pretended to think it over with a satisfied smirk.

“Hmm. You know, compared to someone who toys with a girl’s heart, Isfana’s actually the better option. What should I do~?”

“Don’t make it sound like I hurt her! That’s completely unfounded slander!”

“Ah… And yet, you’re still saying that.”

He sighed heavily, as if giving up on me altogether.

Right then, a familiar voice rang out, loud enough for the whole hall to hear:

“Mikkanen! You dare abandon this genius?! Where the hell did you run off to?!”

Morglaid’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he clearly came up with something evil.

Sensing danger, I bolted with my breakfast tray in hand.

Behind me, I heard a voice sharp as shattered crystal.

“Oh, hey! Mikkanen’s in the dining hall!”

◆◆◆◆◆

The trolley rattled along the track with a heavy silence, as if someone had just died.

Even the other soldiers riding with us kept quiet, sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere radiating from my party.

The remains of Ogdanel Castle, where the army was stationed, were connected to various battle outposts via underground trolleys.
They carried ammunition, rations, and soldiers—serving as a lifeline for the military.

“Tch. Sulk all you want—but at least stop glaring at me like that.”

“Silence, commoner. You’ve committed an unforgivable crime. I warned you already, didn’t I? I said I’d keep an eye on you. And yet, all you ever do is run…!”

Of course, we couldn’t cause a scene and trouble the other soldiers.
Still, even when I tried to lightly scold Isfana, she just kept grinding her teeth furiously.

I let out a long sigh.

After Morglaid’s little betrayal in the dining hall, Isfana and I had ended up playing a desperate game of tag.
But no matter how fast we ran, we couldn’t outrun military duty.

Which is how we ended up riding this trolley side by side.
Naturally, Isfana was still absolutely livid.

“Can you blame me? I don’t want to be followed around by you 24/7 either.”

“……”

Ouch!
She squeezed my hand with ridiculous strength, and I rubbed it reflexively.

And Morglaid, who I had hoped might help, just watched us with a bright smile, clearly enjoying the whole thing.

I felt bad for the new recruits throwing glances our way.
But hey—maybe they could think of this as a warm-up for the battlefield.

“Sector 203. Artillery crew, offload!”

At each stop, more soldiers got off the trolley, visibly relieved.
The further we went, the fewer passengers and supply crates we carried.

In their place, we started passing trolleys heading back the way we came—carrying bodies covered in white sheets.

I turned my eyes away from a bloodied hand dangling from one of them.

No matter how long I’ve been in this war, I still hate seeing the dead like that—quietly being sent back home.

Those trolleys reminded us just how easily lives were lost…
and that our destination was the heart of the war between humans and the fae.

And unfortunately, that’s exactly where our unit was headed.

“Hey, we’re almost there. You ready, Isfana?”

“I told you to shut up. What, are you too stupid to even understand that much?”

She was still grinding her teeth, and her glare could’ve frozen lava.

“It’s duty.”

“…Tch.”

Just then, a sudden shift in the air made the wind tremble.

Her mana furnace, embedded in her chest, had activated.

In Hunters of the Faeries, hunters are humanity’s ultimate weapons—those capable of killing fae through the power of magic.
By having a mana furnace embedded into their bodies, they gain strength beyond human limits.

“Sector 003. The only outpost with a direct view of the Faerie Forest. Hero party, we’re counting on you.”

Right now, since the game’s story hasn’t officially started yet, our team is considered the most elite hunter party in the army.

Honestly, I’d run away from the military this instant if I could.
But since I’ve been eating their terrible rations, I guess I have to do my part.

To the soldiers bleeding and crying on the battlefield, we’re the only thing that still looks like hope.

“Let’s go, Isfana. Morglaid.”

—From here on, it’s time for the hunters to do what they do best: slaughter the fae.