Girl in the Box: Please tell me why I was reincarnated as a mimic monster!

Chapter 23 Nao's Last Request

"Xiao Li, have you really remembered all of this?"

"Ugh... This is so hard..."

As you can see, I am learning... Indeed, learning is the greatest enemy of every world. I have now learned the common human language, but I am still learning other knowledge.

Nao specifically picked out several practical areas of knowledge for me to learn. Now I've finished geography and humanities, and I'm currently learning general knowledge.

Although I do have common sense, some of it is not applicable in this world. For example, the Reverse Scale of Rielfa is the best example.

The idea that dragons have only one weakness is all a lie.

Ugh... Do I really have to remember all this common sense? Being a person is so tiring...

"Xiao Li? You seem a bit distracted?" Nao frowned as she looked at me.

"No, no! I've written it down!"

I quickly returned to my studies. Lately, Nao has been quite anxious, constantly urging me to write these things down, but I feel like these things have nothing to do with the current situation.

We are now surrounded by adventurers, as Rielfa recently observed during her outing; the entire perimeter of the labyrinth is garrisoned by adventurers.

Leif smiled and said she was going to cause trouble for them, then disappeared and hasn't returned yet. Zhou Dong seemed to have gone with her. Was it possible for Zhou Dong to leave this place?

In short, Xiao, Nao, and I have been staying here for several days now, completely unaware of the situation outside.

These past few days I've been studying the world very diligently, it feels like cramming for an exam, but I have indeed memorized this knowledge.

I used to be in the top ten of my grade in school, so this knowledge is no problem for me, but that's a different story from not being able to keep learning...

Xiao is also studying, but her efficiency is very low. It takes her two days to finish a book, and she is always thinking about going out to play.

Whenever this happens, I stop her. I don't know why, but I always have a feeling that I can't leave here.

Nao suddenly started coughing. Her cough hadn't stopped for days. I tried to observe her with my magic eye, but I couldn't see any information.

I was very worried about her and urged her to rest, but she refused, very firmly refused. And now the symptoms haven't improved at all; in fact, they've gotten worse.

"Nao..."

"I'm fine. You remembered everything I just taught you."

"...I've got it."

I was about to ask her something when she simply said she was fine. I...where have I seen her before...no, that was me...

No matter how bad my condition was when I was sick, I always insisted that I was fine.

That sense of déjà vu... it's too strong.

"I'm telling you, Nao..." I couldn't watch Nao force herself any longer. "What's wrong? If there's anything, can you tell me?"

Nao remained silent, saying nothing, maintaining her original posture. As a mimic, I could only look up at her, feeling suffocated by her silence.

Why was this silence so heavy? I didn't know until later.

“Ha…” Nao sighed helplessly, “I think it’s about time…”

"What's wrong?"

“Wait a little while, I think Lelfa will be back soon,” Nao said. “When she gets back, we’ll tell you everything we need to know.”

"What shouldn't I say?" I know it's rude, but I still have to ask.

"..."

Nao remained silent, avoiding my gaze. Is that so...? These are things I can't tell you...?

“I can tell you something now,” Nao turned around, “something about the hero. Things you must know.”

Brave...?

I remember Nao talking to me about heroes not long ago. What happened to the heroes?

"In Xiaoli's world, there are also stories about heroes, right?" Nao touched Xiao's head, who had fallen asleep at some point.

Yes. And it's similar to what's said in this world.

I don't know who explained all this to me... Who was that person again? Anyway, I know... but I feel like I've forgotten something important.

“In the time before you were born, the kingdom summoned eleven heroes.” Nao looked at me. “All of those heroes died, and none of them even reached the Demon King.”

"What……?"

I can't believe it... The Hero? Eleven of them died so inexplicably? And in such a short time? Are the Heroes really that weak?

“The cause of their deaths is unknown,” Nao wrote down eleven names with her magic. “Eleven heroes, and their companions, are rumored to have died in an accident. But one of them will survive.”

“That person’s name is Haul.” Nao wrote down the person’s name. “A priest in charge of summoning rituals. I know him too. Every time I ask him for details, he is vague.”

"So, it could be him?"

I immediately became suspicious of this person. Eleven times in total, and he survived every single one of them. This couldn't be a coincidence; maybe...

“I’m not sure either,” Nao said seriously, “but things have changed in the Kingdom. It was the Kingdom that attacked the labyrinth this time. I want you to go and see what has happened there.”

“Although I hope you don’t get involved in this kind of thing, and although I know it has nothing to do with you,” Nao said, her tone almost pleading, “I still want you to go and save the twelfth hero.”

"Can I...do it?"

“You can definitely do it…” Nao smiled. “Because you are the reason that can change the world.”

I've already met the twelfth hero, and also the priest, Haul. Our enemies this time are the heroes and humans.

It's such a contradictory thing... but maybe I really can do it... after all, I still have them...

Eh... Nao...?

Nao was right in front of me when she gradually turned into photons and disappeared without any warning. She just vanished like that, and before she completely disappeared, I couldn't hear what she said anymore.

“■■■”

"Nao—?!"

boom--!

Rielfa also suddenly rushed in, roughly using her body to clear a path and rush back from there.

She opened her arms to try and catch the vanished Nao, but all her efforts landed on empty air. She grasped nothing, and the flower of her soul gradually withered away.

"—!!"

After that, all I could hear was Rielfa's hysterical sobs, heart-wrenching cries. I think I understood their unusual behavior during this time.

Nao's death... was so sudden.

Chapter 24 The world is so big, you should go and see it.

When Zhou Dong returned to the Tree of Perseus, he could no longer sense the presence of noble souls; the scene he saw was so decadent.

A haggard-looking Rielfa sat beneath the Perseus Tree, clutching something empty. The treasure chest monster and the fox girl Akatsuki stood to the side, seemingly lost in thought. Large swaths of soul flowers had withered, their petals, emitting a faint white light, fluttering in the air, and the light of the Perseus Tree had dimmed somewhat.

"Is that so... Your Excellency Nao?"

Without needing to ask, Zhou Dong already knew what had happened. He stood quietly, offering his condolences. He was the first to anticipate this, and he knew Nao could pass away at any moment, but he hadn't expected it to be so sudden.

Is there anything you regret, Your Excellency Nao...?

Zhou Dong thought of this because, as expected, Nao should not have finished what she wanted to do.

He shook off such thoughts and slowly walked to Rielfa's side. Rin and Akira also noticed him returning.

"Lady Relfa," he said, ignoring Relfa's condition, "it's time for her to wake up..."

Rielfa slowly raised her head, revealing a face that was utterly haggard from crying all night, a sight that broke one's heart. Her empty eyes looked around, finally clearing away the cloudiness and gradually regaining their original light.

Some might say that Zhou Dong is cruel and cold, but that's true of him; after all, he's just a flawed product now.

And right now, he's the only one outside of them, and only he can wake them up.

“Swordsman…” Rielfa murmured his alias.

Who is "he"? Li calls him Zhou Dong, Relfa and Nao call him the swordsman, Xiao calls him his brother, and the slime calls him the crippled one.

"Ah...it's me." Zhou Dong stretched out his hand. "It's time...to stand up...time is running out."

Zhou Dong's eyes showed no sign of confusion. He was the only one among these people who was without desires or wants, but that did not mean he was not attached to anything.

“You really are cold-blooded…” Rielfa mocked him.

"Perhaps..." Zhou Dong didn't show anything, "I might not even have a heart."

Leif grabbed his hand and, with Zhou Dong's help, stood up. She had been in that position all night, and now her legs wouldn't obey her, so she could only drape them over Zhou Dong's shoulders.

"Ah, please take me to that place." Rielfa tapped his shoulder lightly.

Zhou Dong nodded with a wry smile and led her to Li's side. Li, like Reilfa, was in a state of astral projection, and the blow she suffered was no less severe than that suffered by Reilfa.

Rielfa took a deep breath, composed herself, then raised her leg high and slammed it down.

"—?! What's going on?!"

Ah, looks like he's still alive? At least he can still dodge now… Come to think of it, that was a really crude way to wake him up…

"Oh, isn't she still alive?" Rielfa smiled nonchalantly.

"If I really get hit, I'll die, okay?! What are you doing?!"

“Wake me up, you idiot,” Rielfa said calmly. “Nao is dead, that’s a fact.”

"..."

The previously boisterous Li fell silent in an instant, and his fiery temper was immediately extinguished.

“Is it hard to accept?” Relfa walked over herself. “Of course, I find it hard to accept too. But that’s not what we need to do right now…”

"...That's what I say, but I already feel there's no longer any need to protect this place."

Li said something that even shocked herself, and she wanted to take it back, but that was impossible.

"I might... not be myself anymore." Li was very depressed.

“It’s alright if we don’t protect this place,” Raelfa said casually, uttering something even more shocking.

"...?"

Li must be very shocked now, after all, Relfa once said she would stick to it forever, but now she has given up the idea of ​​protecting the labyrinth.

“To be honest,” Rielfa smiled, “Nao and I never intended to protect the labyrinth from the very beginning. Although the labyrinth is my territory, I’m not fixated on it. Nao is the same; the labyrinth doesn’t matter, what we want to protect is you.”

"Me...?" Li looked flattered. "Why me?"

“Isn’t that obvious?” Rielfa suddenly revealed a fanatical smile. “You are the ‘key’ to changing this world.”

Nao's ideal is to bring peace to the world and allow all races to live in harmony. This ideal is highly idealistic, but it's not impossible. While it may not achieve the exact desired effect, it could greatly reduce war.

Nao and Rielfa discover Ri, a mimic blessed by a goddess, a soul from a peaceful world.

She possesses the ability to produce items from other worlds, and if certain items from other worlds could be mass-produced, they would greatly change this world.

She is the 'key' to changing this world, and the people gathered around her are all extraordinary individuals, including a slime capable of reproducing items from the world of reason.

They never intended to protect the maze in the first place; they only wanted to protect the reason. However... they encountered many unexpected events, and their time was running out.

They originally planned to teach Li everything before taking her to the world outside the maze, but now that's not possible; they have to forcefully push the plan forward.

“We don’t have much time left,” Rielfa said. “There’s no chance of winning if we keep fighting humans like this…we might as well leave now.”

"Wait, wait, wait!? I haven't even grasped what's going on yet!" Li couldn't keep up with Rielfa's train of thought. "Aren't you going to change your way of speaking?!"

“I don’t plan on,” Rielfa smiled. “Anyway, I want to complete the last thing Nao entrusted to me. That is to protect you and then take you to the world outside the labyrinth. But it looks like I’m almost gone…”

"Wait a minute? What are you saying...?"

“It means exactly what it says,” Raelfa said, emphasizing each word. “I’m…almost…gone.”

"You're kidding, right..."

Rielfa's tone was anything but joking, which Rielfa found hard to accept. She knew what Rielfa meant, but she didn't know why or how to deal with it.

Leylefa will die soon.

Li has now seen that Lelfa has the same symptoms as Nao, but Lelfa is still there.

『Lei■Fa,■■■1907,Dragon■,■■■■■…………』

What the Demon Eye saw in Rielfa had turned into endless gibberish, the gibberish jumping erratically, some even disappearing suddenly from the Demon Eye's view. This foreshadowed a cruel reality.