So there was bad news. 20 years eh. I raise my hand high up. Our host looks at me puzzled about my behavior.

[It means I have a question.]

"Oh? Go ahead ask anything."

[So how is surviving possible for 20 years without food or water?]

"That…I never thought about that…it doesn't seem possible."

[What's with that deadpan voice?! Are you expecting people to just wait it out?!]

"That was the plan but I now realize it might not work very well."

[You just now realize this?!]

"That…I'm ashamed to say, but yes."

What is up with that guy? How can he be so smart to the point of stomping me easily at chess yet be so clueless?! This is illogical!

[Any way you can use that time magic of yours to put people to sleep so they don't have to eat or drink?]

"Sadly not. It cannot affect living things, the reason it works on me is related to the very reason I am stuck here."

*Thud*

I see all my companions drop to the ground. I can see the despair on their faces, but also acceptance. Just when they were happy to have survived, they were told they would die of thirst soon.

Truly a bummer. What am I supposed to do? There has to be a way! Wolfie is still calm. She has so much trust in me…. more than I have in myself. Guess that's why they say wolves are a man's most awesome friend or something.

[Think! You know this place! There must be a path of survival somewhere somehow?!]

He shakes his head. The mercenary leader comes forward.

"Don't worry about it, we are mercenaries. Dying is part of our reality. I am simply sad to have dragged all of you guys here down with me *sigh*."

What is that guy saying?

[It was my fault we came here in the first …]

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You are the very reason we are alive right now. Don't worry about it."

Damn. I look at them all. All I can see is gratefulness in their eyes. The despair is already gone. They have managed to adjust their mental state already.

"HAHAHAHA Why the long faces people? I always dreamed of dying in a castle!"

"I wanted to die on the battlefield, but this isn't that bad either! How about I go out in style fighting some skeletons!"

"Please I want to go out after eating a feast, and we just had one!"

"I only ever wanted to live and die by the sword with my brothers in arms. You could call this a satisfying end."

"Oh? You guys all have boring ideas. I want to live forever. Not for real, I mean. I want to have a song made about me and go down in history as the most normal and hardworking mercenary!"

"HAHAHA What? You don't even want to be sang about as a hero?! You want to be some normal mercenary?!"

"Well, he's not wrong. I would very much love to hear the tale of these normal mercenaries. Just your usual rank 2 warriors. Not especially strong. Yet you'll never guess where they fucking went! These mad lads braved a death domain…and conquered it too! While the heroes of this world evade these like the plague they fucking went in and left behind a legend. The legend of the men that had the biggest balls in the entire universe!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA I fucking want to be remembered for that! He was weak and normal, but damn did he have the biggest balls of all times! The sheer courage of that guy! I cannot even tell you how awesome it was! That's how I want to be remembered too!"

"True. What is wrong with dying this way? We had a good run."

They joke around. Tell how they wished to leave this world. How satisfied they are with their lives. How they have no regrets. But I know. I do fucking know it. How every single one of them would love nothing more than to keep living.

All of them true warriors. They would love nothing more than to keep fighting.

All of them are men I am truly proud of.

It is an honor to share such an adventure with these guys.

No matter how it ends. No matter if we actually make it or die here.

This could very well be the end of the line.

I know I can survive a while on divine energy, but this may not work long-term.

These guys might very well die.

Then Wolfie might very well die.

Then I will probably follow in their steps.

Leaving behind this new friend we made.

My companions are all laughing and joking about. Even when they are about to die, even when they should be despairing.

For some reason, the one that looks the saddest here is my white-haired friend. It seems he just realized that he would be left alone again. All alone in this huge empty castle. Alone with the mindless skeletons.

Him a living relic of a better past. Living with the warmth of the friends he made but knowing it to be lost forever. I can discern all that from his longing gaze. By looking at how piercing his gaze is toward all of us.

Then one of the mercenaries opens his mouth. One that used to be a small village hunter before he joined the group. One that doesn't usually talk much.

"Say mister who's totally not a vampire could you cast that awesome illusion magic on us again? Just to make the ending peaceful and painless? I simply want to be laughing until the very end. Leave this world while being on top!"

Our host seems to come back to his sense upon being called upon.

"That, sure. How would you want it to go?"

"Just make it exactly like it is right now, I just don't want to feel the hunger or my body getting weaker and weaker."

"Very well. That I can and will do."

He waves his hand pointing across the whole room. Apparently to enchant it all together. I don't feel any different. Maybe I am immune to that too? Then I hear something.

"HERE I AM! This unicorn is going to end all of you bitches!"

Welp, I take that back. That illusion magic is definitely affecting me.

Damn that shit is really fucking good!

Who needs drugs when you got magic!