CHAPTER 5 Playing at Heroism and the Price Thereof Two weeks had passed since I’d entered the secret dungeon below Karvanheim. The only way out was to defeat the boss, and after weeks of fighting, I had finally reached the Guardian Room. “Hark, the ground roars! Palace of the Earth Dragon Lords!” I brandished my soul blade, the Sword of Earthbound Wyrms, and swung it into the ground. When the sword, modeled after an eastern-style dragon, hit the blood-red rock underfoot, out came a dozen winged serpents formed of the stone. “““Groooaaaaarrrghhh!!””” The dragons obeyed my will and attacked the variant monsters that surrounded them, the fifty-foot-tall Lizardman Kings. These were the ultimate form of the basic Lizardman enemy, possessing a breath attack that rivaled a dragon’s, the intellect to command a troop of other Lizardmen, and astonishing skill with spear and blade considering their enormous size. However, I was up against something far stronger: a Unique Monster. This Lizardman King was no mere variant species or evolutionary branch. He was an individual whose capabilities far outstripped his fellows. In contrast to their black scales, his were dyed red and could repel magic, and as if one head wasn’t enough, this guy had three, each commanding a different type of breath attack. Furthermore, the spear in his hands was enchanted by his own magic, imbuing it with elemental power. I had been fighting this troublesome foe for nearly three hours now, and although I had deprived him of his left and right heads, the battle showed no signs of winding down. Breath attack in two seconds. Start chanting the moment I dodge, then four seconds after it ends, take half a step to the right and attack. Follow that up with a blow to the left. “Graaaaghh!!” “Hrh.” The remaining head unleashed a breath attack that shot straight forward, like a beam of plasma. Easy enough to dodge. I cartwheeled sideways, placing myself exactly where I wanted to be, while switching soul blades to the Teardrop Blade of Lightning. “The Cloud Emperor weepeth. Harken unto his grief. Know his pain! Imperial Cry!” This blue-colored sword was made of seven crescent-moon blades stacked atop one another. As I swung it, a thick bolt of blue-green lightning shot out from the tip and engulfed the Lizardman King. “Graaaaaggghhh?!” The monster let out a scream as black smoke rose off his body, and I watched him fall to the ground. However, I didn’t let down my guard just yet. I began running, this time switching to the Eccentric’s Scissor Blade. “Execution: Guillotine.” The handle of this sword was coated in eye-catching pink and green feathers, such that the rusted blade that severed the Lizardman King’s final head seemed quite out of place. It fell to the ground with a wet thunk, announcing the end of my long struggle, before the rest of the body pitched forward and toppled over. I checked the beast was fully dead before relaxing my guard. “Phew… What a fight…” My body and mind were both screaming out for rest. I swigged a couple potions and slumped to the ground. I had been taking them regularly throughout the last week in order to get things over and done with as quickly as possible, and I now had only half of my original stock. I guess I should get in touch with Minnalis soon… Minnalis had sent me a message shortly after I’d entered the dungeon, about a week ago. Our mental connection, Soulspeak, didn’t carry that far into labyrinths, but we had come up with a different way of staying in contact: the Slimophone. The idea was that we would have Slimo split himself up and use the smaller slimes as intermediaries for Soulspeak. I left one with Minnalis and told her only to use him in case of emergencies, but soon after I entered the dungeon, I received my first transmission. She had located the targets of her revenge. “All right, Slimo. Here we go.” “Kupie!” Slimo waved his little feelers in the air and shrunk down so he could fit in my hand. As I channeled my mana into him, his gelatinous body quivered. “Ahhh. Testing, testing. Minnalis, Shuria, can either of you hear me?” The two girls responded immediately. “I can hear you, Master.” “Coming through loud and clear!” “I’ve finished conquering the dungeon. This is more than enough experience points to unlock Lust and Sloth. The teleportation circle is right where I remembered, too, so I’ll be out as soon as I’m finished up. How about you two? Is everything ready?” “Yes,” came Minnalis’s voice. “And my target is none the wiser. She hasn’t changed a bit, you know. It’s enough to make me laugh. I’ve gathered as much as I can from within the academy, and I have a good idea who we’re going to use for the opening act. I’ve been taking my time getting everything ready.” “I’ve run into a little bit of trouble,” said Shuria. “Kitty has marked the boundary, and I’ve scraped together the MP potions we’ll be using, but I wasn’t able to find a cursed item…” “I see,” I replied. “Well, they’re not exactly easy to come by.” “Should I take time off school to go and find one?” she asked. “No, stay there,” I told her. “Someone needs to keep an eye on Leone. We don’t technically need a cursed item, just objects with a lot of negative mana. Have you managed that?” “Yes, lots!” she chirped back. “In that case, no problem. If we use that as a basis, we should be able to make something work. We’re on a fairly tight schedule, but it sounds like things are going well.” “Thank you so much, Master. You too, Shuria.” “Don’t thank us. Your vengeance is my vengeance, remember?” “Kaito’s right, Minnalis! It’s our job to make sure everything goes exactly according to your plan!” “You just tell us what to do, Minnalis, and we’ll handle the rest.” I heard her take a deep breath, and then… “…You’re right, Master. We signed a contract, didn’t we? In that case, please do everything in your power to uphold your oath and exact my vengeance.” “You got it. I’d be a pretty lousy partner in crime if I couldn’t do that.” I smiled. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can. I wouldn’t want to be late for the opening act, and if we don’t hurry, Leone might start to catch on.” “…Yes. I’ll be waiting for you, Master.” With that, I cut the connection. I was plenty rested by now. “The sooner I get started on this, the better.” I stood up and walked over to the door at the back of the Guardian Room. Through it, I beheld the true Dungeon Core, as well as a treasure chest containing one of the main reasons I came here. The walls in this chamber no longer resembled the bowels of some giant creature, but were carved of pure white marble, just like the first dungeon. I opened the chest, and inside were my trusty old garments, the Clothes of Dark Spirits. As I reached out to take them, a flash of black lightning shocked me, as though the clothes themselves were rejecting my touch. “Whoa! Rowdy, aren’t we? Well, I’m afraid we’ll have to skip the pleasantries this time; I’m in a hurry.” I reached out once more, enduring the lightning and snatching the garments. “What’s up, Leone? You’re spacing out again.” “Huh?” Minnalis’s voice roused me from my daydreaming at the end of the school day. It had now been two weeks since I’d tried and failed to convert Kaito. I thought at least I’d learned to find him in the library, but the next day he wasn’t there. I asked around and eventually discovered that he had entered the school dungeon and not returned since. My resentment turned to ennui, and lately I had been drowning my cares in drink. It appeared he planned to be down there for a while, so I made my return to classes. Since I’d come back, however, Minnalis had started acting quite strangely. She would be absent for the entirety of our lunch break, and when classes ended, she would go off somewhere by herself. I hadn’t told her about my spat with Kaito, yet she seemed more distant than usual; in conversation, she was curt and noncommittal, like she was avoiding me. As the days went on, she seemed to grow more and more restless, until I finally made up my mind to ask her about it. “…Minnalis, I noticed you’ve been going somewhere after school lately. What’s going on?” “Oh, that?” she replied. “I’m afraid you’ve spotted my secret training. Master will be coming back from the dungeon soon, so I’ve been heading to the library to research a recipe that will really impress him.” “Ooh, I can’t wait to taste what Minnalis is cooking up!” said Shuria. “Yes, well, this country has all sorts of unique and peculiar cuisines,” she went on. “I’m sure it’ll be quite a treat.” The two girls giggled without a trace of discomfort. Almost as though they had planned their responses all along. At that moment, Spinne appeared over my shoulder, along with the two boys. “That guy doesn’t know how lucky he is,” she said. “I gotta admit, I’m a little jealous,” added Zanck. “I can’t believe how much our Minnalis has changed,” said Dan. “Guess that’s just a part of growing up.” “Oh, look at you, Dan. You’ll never understand what goes on inside a woman’s heart. Isn’t that right, Leone?” “Oh, er, yeah…” I mumbled a response, but my mind was far away. …I don’t think she’s been going to the library at all. But what could she be up to that she feels the need to lie about it…? It didn’t make sense. My only theory was that she’d found out about my argument with Kaito and was avoiding me. But then, wouldn’t she be more obvious about it? “I think I’ll pay the library another visit tonight,” she said. “Could I ask you four to look after Shuria for me?” “Grrr, I’m not a child, Minnalis! I don’t need looking after!” “Oh, Shuria! You’re so adorable when you’re angry! Come here!” “Rargh! Get those oversized milk bags out of my face, I say!!” “Tee-hee. Thank you very much, Spinne.” The rabbit girl gave a pleasant laugh and waved good-bye. “Wait, Minnalis!” “Hmm? What is it?” However, after calling after her I found myself with nothing to say. “Oh, er…it’s nothing. Have fun.” “I will.” With that, she turned and left. What are you up to, Minnalis? What are you doing? All I had were my own uneasy thoughts for comfort. After making my excuses to Leone’s party, I went and met up with a man. He worked every day to pay off the debt his friend had racked up. “Everything in your life is his fault, isn’t it?” “…Yes, you’re right. It’s all his fault… I didn’t do anything wrong…” “I can help you get revenge. You won’t need to feel guilty. It’s all his fault for doing this to you.” “…He planned this… He wanted to saddle me with this debt all along…” He was ready. I peered into his dark, muddy eyes, and smiled. “Yes,” I said. “It’s all Kril’s fault. And you are not the only one he’s hurt. We shall carry out his punishment in two days. I’ll tell you where to go.” “…Ahhh, thank you…” The unhealthy-looking man staggered off, his eyes burning with hatred for a man he barely knew. Alone in the alley, I let out a small chuckle. That’s everyone I had in mind for the opening act. Leone is clearly on to me by now, but it’s too late for her to stop me. Master should be returning tonight, and by tomorrow everything will be in place. There’s nothing anyone can do about it now. My toothless gears would soon engage once more. I took out a blue crystal from my pouch. It was an image crystal that would play a crucial part in my revenge. I channeled mana into it, whereupon a see-through window like a status board appeared, and a scene began to play. “Don’t play dumb. Out with it! I know you’ve been making eyes at Kril!” “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’ve never looked at your boyfriend that way!” “Then stay away from him. If you ever make a lunch box for him like you did before…well, I hope I don’t need to explain. Suffice to say, my friend Cataleya knows people. The types who can make your life very difficult, understand?” “Y-you wouldn’t! What have I done…?” “I won’t say it again. Stay away from Kril, or there’s going to be trouble.” “O-okay, okay…” There the recording ended. I let out a breath and glanced upward. All I could see was a white dome that blocked out the rays of the sun. Beneath that now-familiar sky, I chuckled to myself. “It won’t be long now. Very soon you’ll see what I have in store for the lot of you!” Kril, Lucia, and all the other villagers. I would paint each and every one of them white. As white as the snow-covered world I remembered. A white that concealed the churning mire beneath. “Oh, I wonder what you’ll say when you see me…?” A frozen world, unreachable, untouchable. A deafening silence. And only the falling snow. “…And beneath it all, your suffering. Let me be the one to cover it up… Tee-hee. Tee-hee-hee-hee!” I couldn’t help speaking it aloud. My sigh-laden voice mingled with the cold night air and disappeared. And so, we came upon the eve of our vengeance. “…Phew. Looks like I made it back in time. Hey guys, I’m done.” I returned to our shared inn room, wearing a long cloak, so dark it seemed to absorb the light. I had done what I could to make the Clothes of Dark Spirits accept me, and now it was time to move on to the next step. In my hands I held a kukri knife. Its thick, sturdy blade, primarily for chopping, was so deep a crimson as to be almost utterly black. Shuria lifted her head at my voice and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Hwah? Is this what you were working on? Whoa. I can see dark mana around it.” Shuria’s Crimson Eyes shone, like two pinpricks of light burning in the candlelit gloom. “The Bloodcurse Blade,” I said. “It’s not as powerful as the Greatsword of Grief, but it should be enough to feed Sloth.” One of the Swords of Sin I wished to use had a very specific activation condition that required the sacrifice of a cursed weapon. Vanishingly few items possessed the depth of corruption required, but articles approaching that level weren’t impossible to find if one knew where to look. Masks, furniture, and old cutlery handed down through generations. The city was full of them, and those were what Shuria had been gathering up. By using the Box Blade of Fusion, I could combine them with the fragments of the Greatsword of Grief, the cursed sword I’d won in the dungeon near the Orollea Kingdom capital, to produce this weapon, the Bloodcurse Blade. “Good work, Master,” said Minnalis, who had apparently gone off to make me some hot milk. She placed the wooden cup on the table, and I stood up to pat her head. “Thank you, Minnalis. Everything’s ready now. We just have to wait for tomorrow.” “It will be okay,” said Shuria, squeezing her hand. “I am sure everything will be fine.” “Yes, it will,” said Minnalis. “At long last, they’re all going to get what they deserve…” Minnalis’s smile looked cold and fleeting, as though it could melt away at any moment. The two of us snuggled up on either side of her. “I’m heading back to the village now, Kril.” “All right, don’t cry too much while I’m gone! You’ve always been lonely, ever since you were a kid.” “Come on! I’m not that little girl anymore, you know that!” I watched as Lucia climbed onto the carriage bound for the closest town to Quiquitto Village. Her cuteness never failed to take my breath away, no matter how many times I saw her pouting face. We’d met all sorts of new people after being invited to become students of the academy. Many men attempted to court Lucia, and it was out of jealousy arising from those interactions that I came to recognize my own feelings toward her. Once we graduated, we were to be wed at last. “I’ll set off soon. Just two more days, I promise. Say hello to everyone in the village for me.” “I will. Let’s make this a wedding to remember.” Lucia gave me a smile. The journey to the nearest town was three days, then it was a further two days by horse to the village itself. The villagers were preparing for the wedding in ten days, but there were some things the bride had to be present for. That was why she was leaving now, while I remained in Karvanheim to take care of a few things. I watched the carriage disappear down the road until it was completely out of sight. “Ah, marriage. I can’t believe it’s happening.” I felt pride welling up inside me. Lucia and I had finally managed to escape that tiny little village. It was all thanks to a troop of magical soldiers from the nearby town who’d recognized our magical prowess while visiting and invited us to enroll at Karvanheim Academy. “You mustn’t leave town until you reach adulthood. Monsters walk the streets out there.” It wasn’t like I hated our sleepy little hamlet, but I’d wanted to see the big, wide world. I wanted to leave and spread my wings. I wanted to see the world the grown-ups spoke of. And that day came sooner than I’d ever imagined. Ever since I was a kid, I’d loved the stories my parents told me. Tales of heroes wielding magic swords, rooting out injustices, however small, triumphing over incredible odds, and eliminating evil from the world. I pored over those storybooks until the bindings were in tatters, and I yearned to be a hero like the ones I read about every night. Because of that, I always used to stick my neck out; this got me in trouble on more than one occasion, but I’d also forged strong bonds of friendship because of it. Now I was even more determined than ever to make my dream a reality. Stretched out before me was a road that led straight there. A path to greatness, even for someone like me who didn’t know the names of the nearby villages and towns. It had been a long road, but I was nearing its end. Just then, I passed a beastfolk mother with her child. Judging by their foxlike ears, they seemed to be Vulpids. “Mommy, I’m hungry!” “Patience, little one. It’ll soon be time for supper.” The sight of that little girl and her mother reminded me of another old friend of ours. One that we’d chased out of the village about a year before we left. I remembered that day with a heavy heart. It was hard to believe that someone I’d grown up with would end up betraying me like that. That fateful day, I’d learned there was a beastfolk among us. One of the monsters the grown-ups had warned me about. When I first arrived in this city, I was surprised to learn that all beastfolk were not monsters, and that this notion was simply a misconception rife in our village. But the fact remained that she had lied to me and that she had bullied Lucia in secret. Her behavior was inexcusable, but Minnalis had been my friend for so long that I couldn’t help but feel for her. Wherever they were now, I hoped she and her mother were living respectable lives. Everyone deserved a second chance to correct their mistakes, after all. “She probably didn’t know how to control her beastfolk strength. She was still just a kid.” That was all more than five years ago now, and Minnalis wasn’t an inherently bad person. We’d both grown up, so surely she had as well. “I expect I’ll be traveling a lot once I’m in the army. Perhaps I should try keeping an eye out for her.” I didn’t expect Lucia to forgive so easily, having been the one mistreated at her hands. But those old wounds of hers would surely heal with time. Then all three of us, Lucia, Minnalis, and I, could be together again, just like old times. Think of how magical that would be. “All right, guess I’d better start clearing out our dorm.” Unlike regular recruits, people who joined the army through the academy were not forced to live in barracks. Lucia and I planned on moving in together after graduating, so there was a lot of work to be done in preparation for the move. I walked the familiar route back to the academy dorms and arrived outside my room. But just as I put my hand on the doorknob, I sensed something within. …Hmm? Is someone inside? Eugace, my roommate, had gone home last night and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. I also distinctly recalled locking up before I left. Besides, it was difficult to imagine why any of the other dorm students would want to break into my room. Could it be a prowler? Eugace may be the son of a wealthy family, but he’s hardly going to leave his valuables here. As I struggled to comprehend the intruder’s motives, I placed my hand on the sword at my hip and slowly pushed open the door. Standing there was a figure in robes, their back turned. “Who are you?” I asked. “And what are you doing in my room?” “…” I received only silence in response. “Speak. Are you a burglar? Sorry to disappoint, but there’s nothing of value he—” Suddenly, the figure spoke, and when they did, I was flabbergasted. It was a woman’s voice, and one I remembered well. “The Dawnsung Hero. I remember this story. I can’t believe you’ve kept it with you all this time.” Only now did I notice the books that she had strewn across my desk. “…It’s been so long, Kril, but you haven’t changed a bit.” The figure dropped her hood, and out flopped a pair of rabbitlike ears. Standing before me was my old childhood friend, on the cusp of womanhood, looking more beautiful now than I ever remembered. “Minnalis…? Is that you…?” “How long has it been, Kril? Five years? Six? How time flies.” She grinned. I could do nothing but stand there, stunned. “Y-yes! Wow! It…it’s great to see you again, Minnalis!” “Come. Let’s talk over lunch. I imagine we have much to discuss, no?” Minnalis took me to a café hidden on the backstreets of the town. Though it was currently peak hour, she and I were the only customers. “But, wow, Minnalis. I hardly recognize you. You’ve really grown up since back then.” “Hmm. Well, I had to. Let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of life experiences.” She cast me a gentle smile. Oh, I’m so glad you’ve come into your own, Minnalis. Our parting being what it had been, I was afraid she might come back spiteful and petty. But I could see she was a respectable woman now, in both mind and body. She wasn’t the clumsy and awkward girl who used to bully Lucia anymore. “So what are you doing these days, Minnalis? From your clothes, I’m guessing you’re a live-in servant of some sort?” The needlework on her uniform was really top-notch. I hoped she had found gainful employment with some rich and noble merchant of good standing. “You could say that. In fact, it’s related to why I wanted to speak to you tonight.” “Hmm? You have something to ask of me?” “Kril. And Lucia, too. The fact is…I’ve been tasked by the government with keeping an eye on you for the past year.” “Wh-what? You’ve been watching us? For a whole year? That’s unbelievable!” “Hee-hee. Do you remember this person?” “Wha—?!” Before my eyes, Minnalis’s face shifted and became that of someone else entirely, a merchant who regularly visited the academy. “It’s an illusion,” Minnalis explained. “Beastfolk mana falls off strongly with distance, but it’s perfect for little tricks like this.” Minnalis dispelled the illusion, and her face returned to normal. “As for the results of my investigation, I’m afraid to say there’s an issue with Lucia. One that may have ramifications for your future together.” “What?! Wh-what do you mean by that?!” “…Take a look at this image crystal I recorded.” Minnalis produced a blue crystal, and my eyes were drawn to the scene playing out within it. “Don’t play dumb. Out with it! I know you’ve been making eyes at Kril!” “Stay away from him.” “My friend Cataleya knows people. The types who can make your life very difficult.” I saw Lucia bullying a girl I knew from school. “Wh-what is this?” “This isn’t the only one. I have more here, if you’d care to see.” As I watched recording after recording, I began to grow faint. “I can’t believe it… I never knew Lucia was so…” She was kind, cheery, childish, and beautiful. This wasn’t the Lucia I knew. The girl in the recording was spiteful and ugly… It was a side of her I had never seen. “Looks like our food’s here.” Seeing the waiter with our dishes, Minnalis put the image crystals away. “I don’t plan to make these recordings public yet. If Lucia apologizes before graduation, the military is willing to see this as a mere indiscretion by a minor.” “…” “Your food is going cold.” “…Oh, er…” I picked up my spoon and sipped my soup, but it tasted of nothing at all. “…I get it,” I said. “You want me to encourage her to change her ways.” “…” “Leave it to me, Minnalis. I’ll see to it that she renounces her wicked behavior. Everyone deserves a second chance; a chance to make things right!” “That’s from The Dawnsung Hero, no?” “Yes. I believe with all my heart that people can change.” If Lucia had strayed from the path, all I had to do was correct her. Defeating evil, and bringing back anyone it misled—that was my duty. “People can change, you say? Hee-hee…” “Huh?” I suddenly felt an eerie shiver run down my spine. Every instinct in my body threw me out of my chair and made me recoil in fright. “Hee-hee… Hee-hee. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!” Her dark laughter started small, then grew until it filled the room. It felt like it would pull me in if I tried to reach out and touch her. “M-Minnalis…?” “People can change? Oh, you do make me laugh, Kril! Why, you haven’t changed in the slightest!” “Wh-what do you mean…?” Minnalis suddenly seemed like a completely different person. I broke out in a cold sweat, and my hand instinctively flew to my sword. She continued laughing for an unsettlingly long time, before she suddenly stopped and spoke in a soft, yet bizarrely arresting tone. “You really are exactly the same, Kril. You don’t care about justice. You don’t care about change. And you don’t truly believe that everyone has the power to grow.” “Wh-what are you talking about? Of course I— Hrk!” Suddenly, there was a deeply unpleasant sensation in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to stop Minnalis from saying anything more, at all costs. “If you did, then why was your first thought I’ll make her change? Why not Lucia would never do such a thing, or Did that really happen? All I showed you was a recording, which are quite simple to fake.” “What? You mean you tricked me?!” “That’s the best part—I didn’t. These all really happened. But you don’t care about the truth, do you, Kril?” The corner of her lips curled upward, like she was mocking me, like she was above it all. Like seeing me flustered was amusing. “Grrr! Shut up! Stop messing with me!” “You just want to see yourself as the great hero who casts out evil. You don’t care if those you oppress are actually wicked or not. That’s why you were so eager to turn on Lucia without doing any research yourself.” She was like a demon, laughing as she toyed with people’s hearts. “I said shut up! That’s not who I am!” “How many more people did you ‘save’ while I was gone? Did you ever think about why they needed saving? If they needed saving? It’s all just sport for you, isn’t it? What a hypocrite.” She peered down her nose at me, as though she were observing a cockroach wriggling about on the earth. Her words were dripping with scorn. “…And how many stones have you thrown at the undeserving? At people like me?” “I said SHUT UUUUUP!!” “No. After all, this is our last conversation together.” “What do you— Urk?! Wh-what’s happening?” A sudden numbness ran through my legs, and I fell to my knees. “I’m afraid the soup you just drank was poisoned. It’s starting to take effect.” “P-poison?! M-Minnalis… You invited me here just to poison me…?” “You really are slow to catch on, Kril. How dull-witted do you have to be to talk to me for this long without realizing the depths of my hatred for you?” As I watched Minnalis heave a disappointed sigh, I realized it really was our last farewell. She hadn’t changed at all. She was pure evil. “…This isn’t the end!! You think this poison’s enough to kill me?! Cleanse my taint! Clear Body!! Now take this!!” Evil had to be stopped. And I, the hero, had to be the one to stop her. I cast a spell to cure the poison and drew my sword. However, there was a piercing ring as my blade stopped mid-swing. “Wh-what?!” “Aren’t you embarrassed, shouting things like that in the middle of town? Aren’t you worried what people will think?” I couldn’t believe how easily she stopped my blow. My instincts were right; this girl was a threat! “Sink beneath the shifting sands. Leaden beetles tie your hands. Summon Gyrmecia!” “Beetles?!” Suddenly, a hole appeared in the ground, out of which came tens, hundreds of shimmering beetles, their carapaces a deep green mixed with crimson. They were a species I’d never encountered before. “Grrr! Hellfire Sword, Blazing Inferno!” Even though I was in a public place, I couldn’t afford to hold back. Fortunately, there didn’t appear to be anyone around, and the staff would easily be able to escape out the back door before things got out of hand. I just have to burn away all the insects and escape into the street. It’s too cramped for me to fight indoors. However, I didn’t get time to put my plan into action. “What’s this?!” The beetles seemed unaffected by my fiery blow. Through the cracks in the swarm, I saw Minnalis grinning at me. Then, as if in response, the insects all scurried toward me at once, from all angles. “No, stop! Stay away from me!” I swung desperately, but there were so many of them that I couldn’t keep the beetles at bay with just my sword. They started crawling up my clothes. “Grh! Why are these beetles so heavy?! Grrrrrrgh!! Dammit! Dammit!!” Each one felt like a bucket of water. They clung to me, dragging me down, pinning me to the ground. Minnalis walked slowly over and crouched down in front of me. “Dammit! Dammit! Don’t you know what you’ve done?! People will be here any minute!” “Why, yes, you’re absolutely right, they will.” “Hrh?!” Once again, it felt like I was being skewered on a giant icicle. She was smiling, but there was no pity in her eyes for me. No mercy. It was the coldest, most ruthless look I had ever seen. “Wh-what are you…? Grh! Agh!” Minnalis produced a dagger and steeped its edge in a violet serum. Then she drew the blade across my cheek. Immediately, my whole body felt numb, and any strength I might have yet possessed left me. “Now everything’s ready,” she said. “Your death…will be slow.” She shot to her feet and spoke, gesturing wildly. “The table is set, the places laid. Come, one and all, enjoy your meal!” What could only be described as a horde of specters responded to Minnalis’s call. The hatred burning in their eyes was not of this world. They were men and women with sunken, hollow sockets and pale, stretched skin. Their eyes seemed the only thing living about them. They glared daggers into my soul, muttering curses under their breath. “It’s all his fault. All him.” “Give it back. Give my life back to me…” “…Kill you. I’ll kill you…” “Wh-who are they?” Darkness seemed to be leaking out from them, polluting the very air around us. My heart felt as though it had been steeped in ice water, freezing my bones from the inside out. “Why, they’re all people who hate you. People who want to see you dead.” I didn’t get it. What was happening? It just didn’t make sense. Why were they looking at me like that? “They hate me? What for? What have I done? I’ve never seen them before in my life!!” At that moment, the air in the room grew heavy. “What do you mean…you don’t know us?” “How could you possibly forget what you did?!” “Aaargh! Die, die, you piece of trash, DIIIIIIIIIE!!” I heard a sound like flint sparking, and my eardrums nearly burst from the screams. “If you don’t have weapons of your own, feel free to use these.” Minnalis giggled and handed out rusty swords and knives to the people who had gathered around me. One after the other, they raised them above their heads. “Oh, Goddess have mercy! Earth’s power, suffuse me! Metallic Body!!” “Give me back my store…!” “You killed her! You killed my baby!” “Die already! Why do you yet live?” “Hrgh! Gh! Gaah?!” A wave of violence descended on me like a bursting dam. The ghosts showed no hesitation or mercy at all. Their rusty blades sliced and pierced my flesh. Though my spell turned my skin as hard as steel, a dull pain washed across my entire body. “You abandoned my friend and left him to die!!” “You killed my brother!!” “Curse you… If only you hadn’t been there… If only… Curse you!!” I could not comprehend what was happening. Try as I might, I couldn’t remember doing anything deserving of this much anger and hate. The words spilling from their mouths made no sense to me. “Tee-hee-hee. How does it feel, Kril? To see the world through my eyes?” Her voice! Urgh! She’s in my head…! “Ahhh, this is nice. The beetles not only allow us to communicate, they also let me feel your confusion, your fear. What will your despair taste like in the very end, I wonder? Tee-hee-hee.” Just then, one of the blades shattered, and the fragment flew into my eye. “Aaargh!” A burning sensation, not even pain, engulfed me. Why was this happening to me? Why?! What had I done to deserve this? Why did all these people hate me so?! “Tee-hee…” A soft titter escaped Minnalis’s lips. Not inside my head this time, but a genuine laugh. It was as cold as the evening snow, ready to freeze all who heard it. “You haven’t done anything. They’ve all been lied to.” Her voice was in my head once more, brimming, spilling over with joyous rapture. “They’ve been lied to…? Gaaaagh!!” My words only unleashed another torrent of violence upon me. “Lies! You let my child die!!” “My business was going perfectly until you showed up!” “If you’d just given him a spare antidote, you could have saved my friend. Now he’s dead, and it’s all your fault!!” My incantation didn’t make me invincible. Even the miniscule damage from these grief-driven blows would add up and take its toll eventually. “Yes, they’ve been lied to. There’s no great evil responsible for their misfortune. Most of them are just victims of bad luck. All I did was give them a scapegoat, someone to blame for their problems. Let me show you what I mean.” There were no words to describe the wicked grin that flashed across her lips as she began to speak. “Now, all of you. This man is the root of your woes. He’s responsible for all the evil in the world. Why don’t you show him how that makes you feel? You don’t have to feel guilty; everything is his fault. And you have to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else, don’t you? Worry not, for justice is on your side.” “Yes…it’s all his fault!” “Everything’s his fault…” “It’s all your fault, you hear me?! All your fault!!” “Listen to me…you’ve been lied to…” I protested. “Silence!” “It’s all your fault!” “If only you didn’t exist!!” My words failed to reach them. The wave of anger crashed against the rocks once more. Minnalis’s voice carried like a ripple on a clear pool, riling up the crowd’s fury. “Now do you see? They’re not interested in hearing the truth. The only thing they need, the only thing they want, is a justification. A pretext to kill.” Shut up, shut up, shut up!! The senseless violence caused a wave of anger to surge within me as well. “How could it all be so meaningless?! Erupt from my body, Final Flame!!” “Wraagh!” “Eek!” “What?!” Orange flames enwreathed my body, and the crowd stepped back in shock. This was my ultimate technique. It boosted my stats and neutralized all status conditions. Of course, it would exact a hefty toll, so I’d sworn only to use it against the most formidable foes. However… “Grh! Wh-what’s wrong? Why isn’t the poison going away?” “Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! My poisons aren’t like those you get at market! I’m prepared for every pathetic trick you can dream up!” “Curse you… This isn’t…the end…” “I’m afraid it is. Start absorbing, Gyrmecia.” “Wh-what?! Aaagh! It buuurns! Aaagh!” As I struggled to my feet beneath the weight of the beetles, my strength suddenly left me. The insects started nibbling at the flames, devouring them. The more they ate, the hotter they grew, until it felt like I was buried under a mound of burning coals. And once it was clear I was weakened, the storm of violence descended upon me once more. “Hah! You’ll pay for scaring me like that! Die, die!!” “Murderer! Murderer!” “I’ll see you suffer more than you ever thought imaginable…” The hate was relentless, interminable. I heard myself crack. “This is the end for you.” “Die, die, diiiie!” “Grh… Guh…” Minnalis’s voice pierced me like an icicle of frozen poison. My heart, which I thought was made of steel, was beginning to crumble like dirt. “Feel what it’s like to have no one. To be no one. All for a crime you didn’t commit.” “I can never be happy as long as you’re here!!” “S-stop…please…” She drove that icicle into the cracks, prying them apart. “Pleasant memories, a happy life, a promising future, all carried away on a wave of senseless violence. Your pathetic tale ends here, hero.” “Why do you live while he’s gone?! Give him back! Give my friend back to meee!” “Please…gh…I can’t…gah…” There was nothing I could do to stop it. I was falling to pieces, like a sand sculpture in one’s hands. “Feel what it’s like to have the last page of your story ripped out.” That witch drove her long nails into my heart, and I heard something snap. “GET THE HELL OFF ME!! Get off! Get off! Get off!!” I couldn’t die here, in some back-alley café, because of people I’d never met! I was meant for greater things! Much, much greater! “Tee-hee-hee! Oh, that’s magnificent, Kril. You fear death so much, don’t you? I can feel it.” “Minnalis!! Stop this at once!! How dare you come back to me unrepentant! How dare you get in my way!!” “Tee-hee. That’s the spirit. Perhaps it’s time for me to stop taking a back seat and join the show. It’s getting hard for me to hold back now! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!” Saying this, Minnalis took out a sword so blunt it was little more than a steel club and entered the fray. “Gah! Curse you… You’ll pay for this!” “That’s right, feel it. Feel it!!” “Guh!! Gah…ghh… W-wait!!” “Why should I? Did you wait for me back then? Why should I stop when it feels so good? Tee-hee-hee! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!” Her blow broke through my reinforced skin, sending a ripple of pain through me. I couldn’t believe this. How could she have grown so powerful? How could she make a fool out of me? “Please…no. I don’t want to die…” How had it come to this? In just a few days, I was supposed to be heading back to Quiquitto village to be with Lucia. “You don’t, do you? Well, that is a shame. I would have liked not to be sold into slavery either, yet here we are. Do you know what my mother said just before she died? I’m sorry, she told me. I’m sorry I won’t be there for you anymore. But that’s just life, is it not? We can’t always get what we want.” “S-slavery? What are you talking about?” “…Oh, I guess they never told you. But then, it never mattered to you, did it? I was just an actress who finished playing her part. You really do get on my nerves sometimes!!” “Gah! Grhh…ghhh!!” The world around me churned. Crimson threads teemed at the corners of my vision. Please. I couldn’t die. Not here, not yet. Not before getting married. Not before being accepted into the military. Why? Why? “I expect the pain is beginning to dull. All right, everyone, please stop for a moment.” Minnalis raised her hand, and the angry men and women calmed a little. Then she emptied the contents of a small vial over my head. “Huh…? Mph! Wh-what’s this, a potion…?” I felt the pain across my body vanish. My wounds miraculously healed, and my hazy consciousness slipped back into reality. “You…saved me…?” “Bah-ha-ha-ha-ha!! Saved you?! You’re still holding out for salvation? How stupid can you get?” “I don’t… Gaaaaaaagh!!” Shredding any last bit of hope I might have had, Minnalis drove her rusty blade into my shoulder. The pain was fresh despite my dying nerves. “I told you, didn’t I? Your death will be slow. You’re going to suffer and suffer and die in despair. Tee-hee-hee. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!” What had I done to deserve this? Was it really my fault? “We’ll disembowel you. We’ll drill holes in your hands and legs. We’ll roast you alive. Over and over again. As long as time permits.” This wasn’t the way things were supposed to go. Minnalis was supposed to be living a happy and respectable life somewhere far away. I knew something had been wrong with her from the moment we met, but I was still willing to forgive and forget if she apologized for her past behavior. So why? Why had it ended up like this? “We’ve only just begun, Kril. There’s a lot more healing potions where that one came from.” Had I done something wrong? “Writhe in pain. Let the blood clog your throat. Weep at the gross iniquity of it all. And wait for the sound of your world falling apart, as I did for mine.” She lifted her knife into the air. And as she did, a malicious smile spread across her lips. It was as if she was possessed by the reaper himself. Just then, I heard a voice. “…Minnalis? What…are you doing?” But by then I was too steeped in despair to listen. “Ah, Leone. You’re earlier than I expected. Did you skip classes to come find me? Still…you picked a good moment. I’ve just finished the first course.”
Chapter 74
38 min read