Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 3

As I approached the city gates, the guards reacted with sheer terror.

Their eyes looked like they had seen a ghost.

Well… I guess that makes sense.

Since the dungeon entrance is beneath the guild, word of my return probably hasn’t spread yet.

I silently apologized to the guards and walked past them without a word.

Beyond the city, gentle rolling hills stretched into the distance.

It had been over six months…

The fields and orchards were brimming with crops and fruit.

The last time I was here, winter had just ended, and the air was still chilly. Eranda and I had patrolled this very area, praying for a bountiful harvest in the autumn.

Even after three years of engagement, I still felt a little embarrassed calling her by name back then.

And now?

Six months later, instead of a good harvest, she had that bastard’s child.

And I had been exiled.

“Lax-sama!”

A familiar, sweet voice called my name.

Wait… what?

“Haa… haa… Lax-sama… I’m so glad I caught up to you!”

“Shifa?”

The one chasing after me was Shifa, Eranda’s younger sister.

Her husky voice was just as pleasant to the ear as Eranda’s, though slightly softer.

It looked like she had run all this way to reach me.

That made sense—she had always been bad with horses.

I waited patiently for her to catch up, not wanting to push her too hard.

By the time she reached me, she was panting heavily.

Even though she was the lord’s daughter, she wasn’t used to physical exertion.

If I left now, I’d feel like a heartless bastard.

Then again, her sister was the one who told me to leave.

Before I could say anything, she threw herself into my arms.

“Lax-sama, I’m so glad you’re safe!”

I froze, completely caught off guard.

Wait…

I was her sister’s fiancé. Well, ex-fiancé, but still…

“You finally came back, and now you’re leaving again? Why?!”

She pouted in frustration, still holding onto me.

I mean… I was sick of this place, but more importantly, her sister was the one who told me to leave.

“Because I’ve had enough… I never expected so many lies to spread.”

“So they were lies! I told them over and over that Jekyll’s story didn’t add up, but no one would listen!”

So she had realized it.

Not surprising.

But Shifa was still treated like a child, and with me gone, there was no one to back her up.

Now that I thought about it… what had happened to Claire?

Not that I cared anymore.

I was leaving. That was all that mattered.

“I was a wandering adventurer from the start.”

“No… my sister and I… we don’t want you to leave!”

Wait, your sister?

Wasn’t she the one who told me to get lost?

Her platinum blonde hair, which barely reached her shoulders, swayed as she questioned me.

Had Eranda even told her about the situation?

“They took my party, my assets, and even my citizenship. They told me to leave.”

“…What?”

She stared at me in shock.

Yeah, she definitely didn’t know.

Eranda wouldn’t have told her the truth.

Three years ago, Shifa had been badly wounded when a monster attacked her during the stampede.

Her injuries were severe. Even her long hair had been slashed off.

That was when I arrived, cutting down the monster and saving her life.

Since then, she had been extremely attached to me.

“If you leave, this city won’t be able to hold back the dungeon. For the past six months, the farthest they’ve gotten is the middle floors.”

“Oh… yeah, that’s bad.”

I knew exactly what that meant.

Stampedes were caused by the monsters in the lower levels.

Each dungeon and its bosses had different cycles, but if the lower-level monsters weren’t culled regularly, they would overpopulate and start migrating upward.

Either that, or the stronger ones would evolve and begin hunting for new prey.

That’s when the chain reaction started.

The lower-level monsters pushed into the middle floors.

The middle-floor monsters moved into the upper floors.

And the upper-floor monsters? They spilled out onto the surface.

Once that migration started, the monsters would go berserk.

Fueled by sheer aggression, they would be stronger than usual.

And if left unchecked, even the bosses of the middle or lower levels could make their way outside.

The only way to prevent a stampede was to thin out the lower-level monsters.

There were rumors that some places had completely stopped stampedes by defeating the lower-level bosses, but that had never been proven.

But I did know one thing for certain—

The monsters from the deepest levels never came up to the lower floors.

Not once.

I had barely made it out alive.

I still remembered it vividly—

I had found the staircase leading up, jumped through, and the monsters chasing me had suddenly stopped.

It was like an invisible wall had forced them to turn around and retreat.

And now, this city had ignored everything I had done.

They had forced me out.

And now…

A disaster was about to strike.

“But I’ve lost my citizenship, and I’ve been officially exiled. I can’t just decide to stay on my own. Sorry.”

“Huh?”

If I so much as set foot in the city again, I’d be an illegal trespasser.

Technically, the Adventurer’s Guild could vouch for me, allowing me to stay for a limited time—but with the guild master’s attitude, that wasn’t happening.

“So….”

“Wait! Please, just wait!”

“Hm?”

“Lax-san, you were declared missing for six months and presumed dead, right?”

“Yeah, that’s what they said. I remember that rule being explained when I first registered as an adventurer.”

In this kingdom, all adventurers are registered under the Adventurer’s Guild.

Upon registration, each adventurer receives a card that serves as their basic identification and proof of status.

At the time, they also go over important regulations.

And yeah… I do remember hearing about the presumed death rule.

“Then why does that mean you lose your citizenship?”

“Huh?”

Now that she mentioned it… that was strange.

From what I had studied over the past three years, citizenship is granted by the ruling lord.

If someone dies, their citizenship is revoked—but for missing persons, it requires a formal decision from the lord.

And another thing…

My personal assets shouldn’t have been seized upon my presumed death.

That only happens after the lord officially declares someone dead.

I hadn’t accumulated much wealth in my three years here, but still…

What happened to my belongings?

“I’ll look into it! So please—”

“No, it’s fine. I’m no longer engaged. I have no party. I have no reason to return.”

“Ah….”

I gently ruffled Shifa’s hair as I said it.

I hated this city now.

I felt bad for her, but I wasn’t staying.

Realizing she couldn’t change my mind, Shifa slowly let go of me.

“I don’t want this…”

“Shifa….”

She was crying.

I’m sorry…

“I won’t give up!”

She shouted through her tears.

Watching a beautiful girl cry like that made my heart waver.

But I couldn’t take her with me.

“Here, take this.”

“Huh?”

Maybe it was out of guilt.

But I wanted to give her something.

So, I handed her an old charm I had carried for years.

It was a protective talisman imbued with healing magic.

It had gotten a little dirty over time, but it had always been by my side.

I didn’t even remember where I had gotten it, but I’d always had a few of them—whenever someone was worried, I’d give them one.

And now, I gave one to Shifa.

Leaving her behind, still crying, I walked away from the city for good.