Old People Don’t Hold Hands - Chapter 175



Only Noblemtl

Episode 175, Scales of Desire (1)

I used the portal on the 3rd floor and fell right here… … .

As everyone here knows, the puppet show of the dead is on the 4th floor.

It was a world line located in the middle.

It’s not completely impossible to fall into the world line right in the middle when crossing floors.

It’s not common to come here right away.

therefore…….

It couldn’t help but look suspicious.

It just so happens that we came here right after we defeated the boss, the Black Puppeteer.

On the 3rd floor, it was the mid-world line.

Or that you came to the doll of the dead.

All of them, one by one.

But there was no reason to show my suspicions toward them, so I just quietly looked at them.

I just stood still.

Even if they have an ulterior motive as suspected.

As for the action, they will take action first.

… … Besides, since they swore an oath, I guess I can’t disbelieve them.

“Haha, I guess we’re worthy of being guarded. This isn’t a city after all.”

They also seemed to know that they were bound to be suspicious, as they spoke with a light smile.

Well, I’ve seen countless people stabbing people in the back with a knife while laughing.

While slowly assessing whether or not they are of that type, he smiled leisurely.

“No, aren’t we the same successor?”

“Haha, thank you. I’m also grateful for lending me the light.”

… … and answered them.

I turned around briefly and exchanged glances with others.

“… … .”

The others standing behind me were also looking at them with wary eyes.

Well, I find others suspicious as well.

Let’s just pretend like nothing happened and watch for now.

After a short conversation and after finishing the meal,

When you start to settle down to sleep.

The guys came talking to me again.

“Hehehe, you guys.”

“……yes?”

“It looks like you’re going to sleep now. We’re thinking of going to bed soon too.”

“… … ?”

“Wouldn’t you and all of us together stand guard?”

“Are you saying we should all sleep together?”

“I guess that could be true, in a way.”

… … So, that’s what I’m saying.

All of their people and all of our people combined.

It’s about taking turns standing guard.

Well, if there are more people, it’s better because there’s more time to get a good night’s sleep.

That’s only true when you have trustworthy people.

At his words, I pretended to be troubled and touched my chin for a moment.

Anyway, there was only one answer I could give.

The answer, of course, is yes.

“No, it’s okay.”

It was a rejection.

They smacked their lips as if they were disappointed by my answer.

I didn’t recommend getting back together.

Well, do you think there will be another chance after this?

Or maybe there really was no ulterior motive.

We agreed that no matter what they did or said, at least one of us would take turns standing guard.

Perhaps because we refused, they decided to have one of their own take turns keeping watch.

Our group deliberately decided that Nowen and I would take turns on night watch.

So that we can respond quickly even if they try to use numbers on that side.

I’d get up every two hours and check on them.

They also reluctantly just stood guard.

They didn’t take any special action against us.

So quietly.

But for some reason, we both fell asleep while feeling nervous.

There was no sign of any unusual behavior from them until they woke up.

After a night’s sleep, a catastrophe struck.

Likewise, we are also tidying up the place, leaving the guys packing their bags behind.

As if a cataclysmic event was slowly approaching, the ceiling began to distort.

While keeping our distance from each other, each of us prepared to face upheaval.

“There you guys.”

The guys who had been keeping some distance from us called out to us.

“… … ?”

Let’s turn our heads for a moment at the sound of their voices.

Still with a pleasant smile on his face, he answered like this.

“See you later.”

“… … ?”

what?

… … See you again?

Before I could even fully understand what they were saying, my vision went black.

When I opened my eyes again, I had arrived in a new world line.

An empty place that seemed completely engulfed in darkness.

“ignition.”

I tried to light it, but all that happened was a fire floated onto my hand.

The space was never brightly lit.

However, after some time had passed, a voice was heard in the complete darkness.

“Mr. Declen… … !”

The voice still echoed in the dark space.

And the voice that was ringing was none other than Diana’s.

I suddenly turned around at the sound of Diana’s voice, but I couldn’t see anything.

At this moment, the voice was heard once more.

… … , … … , … … !

Let us listen to the muffled voice that is not easily understandable.

The voice that was finally heard again

“You won’t be able to go home.”

“… … !”

“And no one… … will be able to save him.”

My heart sank for a moment at the cold voice that was different from usual.

As Diana’s voice, conveying the tragedy, ended, the lights in this space began to turn on one by one.

The space that was finally revealed was bright.

It was a pure white temple.

And in front of me… … .

There stood a pure white stone statue, headless and with only a neck remaining.

The statue holds scales in one hand.

In one hand he held a sword in its scabbard.

And on the scales held by the stone statue, there were two objects placed.

On one hand, there are flashy possessions such as money, jewels, and gold.

On the other hand, a heart is beating.

Not long after I stared at the statue, I heard a voice again.

This time, it wasn’t Diana’s voice, it was a woman’s voice I had never heard before.

“Choose: All the riches that will make you noble, or this life that will torment you.”

“… … .”

……aha.

I looked back at the stone statue as if I understood what the woman’s voice was saying.

Of the things placed on the scales, I chose the heart.

So, you’re asking me to choose between money and my life.

No matter how much money or jewels you have.

Shouldn’t we live and see for ourselves first?

As I held the heart in one hand, strangely enough, the scales tilted towards where the heart I had taken out was.

At the same time, the door on the right where the heart was opened.

… … Looking at this, I can tell for sure where this is.

This is the scale of desire.

It was literally a scale where each individual had to choose what they desired.

So here.

Just as you had just chosen between wealth and life, you would continue to be presented with new choices.

However, it is better to choose as honestly as possible.

It’s best to maintain balance in what you choose.

The more the balance is disturbed here, the stronger one side’s desire becomes.

Because the boss will become stronger.

Given that both money and life are at stake, it seems likely that the subsequent choices will be similar.

… … I’m worried about Biella.

I’m saying this because I feel like the answer will be obvious.

Anyway, let’s choose life and enter the newly opened door.

A new passage has appeared.

Perhaps this is the passage where you meet those who chose life over wealth.

As I continued walking, the passage was dark again.

Let’s walk down the hallway for a while and arrive at a new room.

“… Mr. Dickinson?”

The voice was heard again.

This time, it was Diana’s voice again.

… … This time it wasn’t fake.

“Miss Diana.”

“… … As expected, Mr. Declen was right.”

That makes sense, because he’s been answering my questions.

Not long after we started talking, the room brightened up.

I quickly checked the room, and found that Diana and I were the only ones there.

There was no one else.

As expected, Biella chose the treasure, and Inogen seems to be doing the same.

Well, Biella’s personality is like that originally.

Since Inogen is a dragon with a habit of hoarding treasures, it seems that he made a similar choice.

… … You chose Nowendo’s wealth?

It was a somewhat questionable choice.

But on the other hand, if you think about it carefully.

It goes without saying that Nowen, the 5th Count adventurer, knows how to conquer the Scales of Desire.

Besides, he didn’t seem like a person who was that greedy for money…

Just as I was about to contemplate Nowen’s choice.

My gaze stopped at a part of the stone statue.

So, unlike before, the statue is half-drawing its sword.

……aha.

You changed your choice on purpose.

If I were to think about the reason why they didn’t answer honestly, it might be because they were worried that the scales would tilt to one side and changed their choice.

… … or maybe you were worried about someone who might make a different choice than you, so you deliberately copied that person’s choices.

It’s probably one of the two.

Ohhh… … .

Looking at it this way, it’s pretty good, right?

Well, Nowen, Biella, and Inogen.

I sorted things out so that the three of us would be together and looked at Diana.

The stone statue was revealed again.

The stone statue that previously stood alone in the center has expanded into two stone statues standing on either side.

… … Perhaps it seemed to have grown because there were two people in this space, Diana and I.

In addition, this time the chin and lips of the headless stone statue were regenerated.

It seemed like it was time again when a voice was heard.

Now the statue’s mouth and chin were moving directly in response to the voice.

“Choose. The highest honor that will elevate you, or the miserable life that will torment you.”

Hmm.

This time it’s honor and life.

After exchanging glances with Diana for a moment and thinking about it.

We each made our own choices.

But Diana and I had the same choice.

That’s right, they both chose life.

When both of them took out their hearts, the scales tilted more sharply than before.

Another door opened.

Go through the passage there and enter the room again.

“Sir? Are you an old man?”

A familiar voice was heard again in the darkness.

I mean, Biella’s voice.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Oh, why are you so late!”

… … When I see you acting so proudly in response to my words.

I think I’ve already heard an explanation about this place from Nowen.

When the lights came on, Nowen and Inogen were there as expected.

And as the number increased, the number of stone statues also increased from two.

Before I knew it, there were five.

All the statues had not only a mouth, but also a nose and eyes.

The stone statues all look down at us.

I said this.

“Choose, the life of your comrade who will protect you more than anyone else, or your life that will die in this fleeting chain?”

This time, the life I choose is my colleague’s life or mine.

One of the two.

I looked at the stone statue for a moment, pondering, and then looked at others.

The best way to conquer the Libra of Desire is to keep your choices balanced.

… … Isn’t the name of this place not simply Libra, but Libra of Desire?

There is one additional rule here.

That’s when you don’t choose what you want the most.

So, what this meant was that if you answered falsely, you would be given a sort of penalty.

So, to put it simply,

You have to answer honestly.