Damn it—just what we needed!
Pressing herself back behind the corner, Violet felt a wave of panic seize her.
"What do we do now?!"
The cavern was huge, and the orc sat with his back turned, staring into the fire.
Violet forced herself to think, squeezing her brain for anything resembling a plan. Then—an idea.
If we stick to the wall… move slowly… and make no noise…
…we might actually pull this off.
There were no alternatives. Turning back, retracing the entire enormous cave, and repeating all the way out was absolutely out of the question.
Violet turned to Nainai, staring him straight in the eyes.
"We're going to walk very slowly, hug the wall, and stay completely silent… got it?"
The dwarf simply stared at her—no reaction at all.
"Perfect! Let's go!"
She extinguished the magic light and began moving, pressing her back tightly against the rock. She gestured for Nainai to follow.
He obeyed, shuffling behind her with slow steps, eyes fixed on her.
That's it… nice and easy…
Step by step, Violet made her way across the cavern, careful not to let her feet scrape against the stone.
The orc was enormous—monstrous even—and worse, right beside him lay a gigantic, spike-covered club, reflecting the firelight in distorted shapes.
Violet could hear her own heartbeat pounding like a drum.
She was just past the halfway point when suddenly—
the rope pulled tight.
She froze and turned.
Nainai had stopped moving.
Even though he hadn't reacted to anything until now… he was staring directly at the gigantic orc.
No.
No no no no NO—
Too late.
"Hiiiii!"
The dwarf's cheerful greeting echoed through the chamber, bouncing again and again until it became a monstrous, booming HI rolling through the cave.
Violet turned to stone.
The orc didn't react at first, still staring into the flames.
W-we survived…?
Then the giant moved.
Slowly… heavily… he turned his massive head toward them.
"…Mmmhh?"
He examined them for a long moment—
then realization dawned.
With a guttural roar, the orc rose to his feet, seizing the enormous club and lifting it effortlessly.
He took a step toward them.
Then another.
Each impact made the ground tremble.
"RUN! Nainai, RUN!!"
Violet launched forward— and immediately snapped back as the rope jerked her in place.
Nainai hadn't moved an inch.
She barely had time to see the spiked club descending toward her before she threw herself backward to dodge the blow.
The violent strike smashed into the cavern wall, shattering it apart.
Violet screamed and dropped to the ground, covering her head as stone fragments exploded in every direction.
The orc hefted the club again, ready to deliver another swing.
There was no escape.
They were trapped.
"N-No! Please don't kill me…!"
Violet protected her head with her arms, eyes squeezed shut, fully prepared to die right there.
Then— a guttural voice, deep and strangely pronounced, addressed her with a threatening, sharp tone.
"You… you come… make fun… of Gronk!"
Violet's eyes snapped open.
The giant brute stood over her.
"…What?"
"You… come… make fun… of Gronk!"
The monster glared at them, baring enormous tusks. He looked moments away from turning them into paste.
"No, wait! Why would we ever make fun of you? I don't even know your name!"
"…Gronk!"
Gronk? That's his name?
"I don't understand you…"
The orc, irritated, exaggerated his words.
"Gronk! My name… Gronk!"
Seeing the momentary shift in his focus, Violet seized the opportunity.
"N–Nice to meet you! I'm Violet… and this is Nainai."
The dwarf stood there calmly, staring up at the giant creature without the slightest hint of fear.
Gronk examined them both, studying the strange little girl and the dwarf tied to her.
"Mmmhh… why dwarf tied… rope?
Maybe… he… your… slave???"
The orc's lip curled in annoyance as he stared at the rope linking them together.
Violet instinctively touched the rope at her waist, then glanced at Nainai.
If he really thinks I'm his owner, this is going to end badly. I need to fix this!
"No!! We're travelers! It's a long story… I can tell you if you want…!"
She spoke quickly, desperately trying to convince the beast.
"You… not come… make fun… of Gronk?"
The orc seemed to calm down a little.
"Then what you… do… here?"
Violet realized the orc had lowered his weapon and was actually considering her words.
"Well, actually we're just passing through… we're heading north! It's easy, really! You just keep the sun on your left and—"
The orc raised his eyes toward the cavern ceiling, looking around in confusion.
"Mmmhhh? Sun? Where… sun?"
The orc spoke slowly—and he seemed to think just as slowly.
He's not exactly sharp… maybe I can reason with him.
"Yes, well… anyway—why are you here?
Aren't orcs supposed to live in the mountains?"
The orc glanced at her terrified expression and at the dwarf's oddly calm one, finding no hint of mockery in either.
"You… forgive… Gronk thought… you come… make fun… of Gronk…"
The murderous tension vanished from his voice.
His expression became vacant—almost sad.
"No… well, we… why would we?"
The orc lowered his gaze to the ground, shoulders slumping.
"Gronk… big dream… but no one… take Gronk… serious…"
He lifted his spiked club and rested it on his shoulder again.
"You… forgive… Gronk…"
With that, the orc slowly turned around, trudged back toward the fire, and sat heavily on the log in front of it.
He stared into the flames, lost in thought.
Violet forced herself up; her legs were still weak and trembling.
The smartest choice was to run for her life—
—and yet…
Seeing him like that, shoulders drooped, eyes empty and wounded… something inside her cracked.
She tried to fight it. Useless.
There was something in that creature's expression she simply couldn't ignore.
Step by step, Violet approached him, stopping at his side.
Gronk's massive, sorrowful eyes were fixed on the fire, as if drowning in old memories.
"…May I sit?"
The orc didn't reply.
Violet settled down near the flames, searching for the right words to reach the giant who looked completely inconsolable.
"Why are you here… all alone?"
The orc lifted his head, not at her—just upward, toward the cavern ceiling.
"Gronk… big dream… but no one understand… Gronk…"
Yes, you've said that already…
"A dream?
Would you like to tell me?"
Gronk finally looked at her.
"If Gronk tell… you laugh… at… Gronk?"
She gave him a timid smile, wondering what kind of sadness could weigh on the heart of someone so huge and strong.
"Of course not!
Why would I ever laugh at you?"
Gronk hunched his shoulders.
"In village… everyone laugh. Mama laugh… papa laugh… friends laugh.
Everyone laugh…"
Violet leaned in gently.
"If you want to talk about it… I'd love to listen."
The orc's eyes grew shiny—round, swollen, full of tears.
"Gronk love… music… Gronk want become… great singer!"
Pfffff…
Violet bit the inside of her cheeks, desperately trying not to laugh.
An orc… who sings?
Since when do orcs sing?
"No, I… pfff…"
She struggled to contain herself.
"Ahem… I think that's actually… very nice!!!"
"You… really think… so?"
Gronk looked genuinely relieved to hear her words.
"Yes, of course. Everyone likes music. I like it a lot too, you know???"
"You want… hear… song?"
A shiver ran down Violet's spine—
the kind that foretells disaster.
I have no idea what this giant means by "music"…
but if I refuse, he might get angry again.
Better listen. How bad could it be?
"Uhm, yes… why not…? I'm listening…"
Gronk lit up.
He turned around, producing a huge staff with a magical stone embedded at its tip.
Violet's eyes flew open.
A staff???
Gronk pressed the small gem—it glowed.
A violent, screeching burst of interference exploded through the cavern, loud enough to shake the walls.
Violet clutched her ears, collapsing forward as the sound seemed to drill straight into her skull.
That's a Sound Stone!
Those things are incredibly rare—where in the world did he get one???
"Ehm… test… test… 1… 2…"
"An amplification spell? That's amazing! Where did you—"
But the orc ignored her completely.
Eyes closed, he inhaled deeply—
and began to sing.
"Aaaaaaaaaa… Oooooooooo… Uuuuuuuuu…"
It was a mix between a chant, a groan, and the death cry of an ancient beast.
Low, heavy, painfully slow.
"Iiiiiiiii… Eeeeeeeee… Oooooooo…"
Violet stared in disbelief.
THIS is what he calls… singing???
There was no melody.
No rhythm.
No structure.
Just a long, continuous, agonizing drone that echoed through the cavern, vibrating the stone itself.
The performance went on and on—slow, intense, endless.
At the 15-minute mark, Violet's gaze went empty.
Her soul began to leave her body.
She started quietly sobbing.
At the 30-minute mark, she snapped entirely—
—and found herself standing in a strange blue-lit place.
In front of her, another girl identical to her stood staring back.
"Who are you?"
The strange girl—identical to her—stared at Violet with a serene smile.
"Me? I'm you, Violet!"
"Oh… and what do you want?"
Forty interminable minutes passed.
When the orc finally finished, he pressed the stone again; it emitted another sharp screech, making Violet jolt back to reality.
Clap clap clap.
Nainai had stood up and was applauding the orc, looking at him with pure admiration.
The orc, having strapped the staff back onto his shoulder, turned toward Violet.
"Song… you like?"
Violet's hair was a mess, her eyes hollow; the right one twitched uncontrollably.
"Yes, yesyesyesyes!" she replied, a forced smile plastered on her face as she joined the dwarf in applauding.
"It was really… intense!!!"
Gronk seemed satisfied by their reaction.
"You… think… Gronk good? Have… talent?"
"Buuuut of cooourse!"
Violet stood up and gave the orc's knee a gentle encouraging pat—then froze, realizing his knee was twice the size of her head.
Gronk beamed, baring his entire set of fanged, crooked teeth. A cold shiver ran down Violet's spine.
Thank goodness he calmed down…
"So everyone in your village makes fun of you?"
Violet had finally understood.
Gronk's expression darkened again.
"Yes…"
"And that's why you came here to hide in this cave?"
The orc nodded.
Violet still couldn't believe it. Seeing such a massive creature so crushed and disheartened made her chest tighten. She stepped closer and gently placed a hand on his enormous knee.
"I'm really sorry, Gronk."
Her voice was soft, sincere.
"It hurts when people judge you for what you are. I understand that…"
Gronk slowly reached out and stroked Violet's head with a single massive finger. The finger was so heavy it pushed her whole skull down and dragged her skin from side to side.
She quickly wriggled free before the giant could accidentally rip her head off.
Just moments ago he wanted to kill us… and now look at him. Maybe he's not that different from me after all…
The moment was abruptly interrupted by a loud rumble from Violet's stomach.
She turned bright red in embarrassment.
What a scene.
"Mmmhh? Violet… hungry?"
Well… it had been a while since she'd eaten anything.
Gronk pointed at the brazier, where a strange creature—almost completely charred—was roasting on a stick.
"Violet… take."
Violet shot a quick glance at her companion, whose hungry eyes mirrored her own.
"But that's your dinner… We can't just—"
Yet her gaze remained glued to the juicy, sizzling meat.
"Are you sure we can… take some?"
The orc reached out, grabbed the creature and snapped it apart with loud crunches of breaking bone, handing Violet a huge chunk.
She seized it—and took a massive bite.
This is delicious!
The outside was burnt and tough, but the inside was tender and pink.
"Maybe it's just the hunger talking, but this is really good!!!"
After a few bites she went to Nainai and began feeding him smaller pieces, carefully scraping off the burnt parts before bringing them to his mouth.
The dwarf seemed to enjoy it just as much.
In the strangest twist imaginable, the terrifying situation had turned into… something warm.
The very creature Violet would usually label as a monster was, instead, showing an unexpectedly gentle nature.
"Thank you, Gronk. That was really kind of you."
She stared at what remained of the creature still roasting in the flames.
"What kind of meat is this?"
She turned the tiny bones in her hands, puzzled.
"Cave… rat."
What?? Oh—gross!!!
That was too much. She sprang to her feet, dusting off her clothes in a hurry.
"Right! Well—we're going now, okay? Thanks again, Gronk!"
The orc looked genuinely disappointed.
"Come on, Nainai, let's go. We still have to get out of this cave!"
The orc spoke again, warm and hopeful.
"Violet kind… Violet pretty… Violet friend of Gronk…"
"Yes, yes, thank you! We'll see each other again, okay? And don't give up on your dreams!!"
With that, she yanked the rope with all her strength, dragging the dwarf along as he kept smiling at the orc.
Without another word she hurried away as fast as she could, throwing nervous glances behind her every few steps to make sure he wasn't following.
Why do these things always happen to me?!
Damn me and the day I signed that contract!
They walked for a long time, passing through more tunnels until they found themselves in yet another chamber—this one wider, but lower than the previous one.
At its center stretched a large underground pond.
"Does this place ever end…?"
Violet was exhausted, her feet aching badly. She'd had enough of walking.
"There's no point… we're never getting out of here. I've really gotten myself into a mess!"
In a moment of weakness, Violet leaned against the wall, inhaled deeply, and let herself slide down until she was sitting on the floor.
Resting her head on her knees, she stayed like that for a long moment, trapped in her thoughts.
All the walking, the absurd encounters, the constant tension—it all made her want to cry.
She thought of the girls at the guild and their pushiness.
And then there was Nainai. A supposedly powerful companion… completely useless in practice.
"Damn it! This whole journey makes no sense!!! I don't know anything about this stupid sigil!"
She turned toward her companion. He was quietly watching her.
"And can you at least explain why you only talk when you shouldn't?!"
The dwarf said nothing. He simply sat down beside her, his gaze fixed on the empty space ahead.
After a long shared silence, Violet glanced at him again.
"…Sorry. I'm not mad at you, really."
After all, she had dragged him into this.
"I guess you were set up just like I was…"
They stayed still, enveloped by silence.
The only sound was the distant wind, echoing through the cavern and bouncing off the walls like distant voices.
Then, from the ceiling, a faint light began to leak through.
Violet looked up and spotted a small opening high above—just wide enough to glimpse a sliver of the outside world.
Beyond it, far away, she could see a small, pale moon.
The moonlight seeped in through the crack, illuminating the chamber and reflecting off the pond before them.
Then came a noise.
Violet's eyes widened as she noticed the pond beginning to ripple—then bubble.
Glup… glup… glup…
From the shimmering surface, under their astonished gaze, several turquoise Slimes emerged, rising one after another and gathering along the water's edge.
In no time, there were dozens of them.
Bathed in moonlight, the Slimes began to glow from within, turning fluorescent… almost magical.
Then, facing the moon, the slimes began to sing.
"Tuuuuu… tuuuuu… tuuuuu…"
Violet's eyes flew wide open.
What in the world is happening…?
She had never heard anyone say that those creatures were capable of making sounds—let alone singing.
Do they all sing in this cave?
Violet and Nainai watched the scene in stunned silence.
The Slimes' song was gentle and harmonious, and lulled by that melody, the two of them felt their eyelids grow heavy.
Violet tried to resist the hypnotic sound, but it was useless—she was completely drawn in, and soon collapsed into sleep.
Violet slowly opened her eyes.
She had slept deeply, and blinking in confusion while yawning, she began to look around.
"Wha… where are we???"
The memory of the previous night—and of the Slimes—came rushing back to her.
She jumped to her feet at once, turning her gaze toward the now-empty pond.
Was it… just a dream?
She stepped closer, peering into the water with curiosity, searching for the creatures she had seen the night before.
She expected to find them beneath the surface—but instead, she was met only by her own reflection.
"Hey—wait a second!"
A sudden gust of cool air brushed against her face. Violet lifted her eyes toward the opening in the cavern ceiling and caught sight of something moving outside.
"Those are… trees!"
She sprang up and hurried back to the dwarf, who was just waking up, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
"Come on, Nainai! The exit can't be far now!"
They entered the tunnel, Violet quickening her pace and dragging her poor companion along as he struggled to keep up, panting.
The wind inside the passage was stronger now, and its scent was fresher.
"Can you smell that? We're almost there!"
They walked on until a great light finally appeared at the end of the tunnel—and they rushed toward it.
At last, the outside world.