Chapter 135

5 The Beastfolk’s Decision The red room was deathly quiet. The chessboard was a mess, and the pieces were in utter disarray. Plus, there weren’t even any players. All that remained by the desk was a cold cup of tea. At the moment, that place, that place where nobody ought to be— —had a visitor. A woman had appeared— —in that room, farther than the World’s End. To. Fro. Chitter. Chatter. There was a voice. It wasn’t clear if it was a dream or reality, but there was definitely someone singing. It was a young girl, her voice loud and full of pride. She called out, her tone that of a person dashing through a field with deranged abandon and laughing their head off. “Come now,” she was saying, “let’s be good girls and sing a song.” “Holy, Holy, Holy! “Lord God Almighty, thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. “Amen. “Hallelujah.” The last line was the Grave Keeper’s final statement. It was odd. Why did people say hallelujah and wish blessings on one another? Why did they sing songs so rife with contradictions? Why did they give such perverse orders? How could they do all that yet remain utterly blind to their own sins? Until the day of your death, try to do some good at least. And if you cannot do good, then die. However, the very premise was flawed. What was “good”? What did the world that turned ever so properly deem good? At this point, is anything truly “good”? “…eth…sa…beth… Lady…Elisa… Lady Elisabeth!” “…Hmm? What’s going on there? You’re making a racket.” Upon hearing someone call for her, Elisabeth suddenly came to. When she did, she discovered a pair of emerald eyes wet with grief blinking right beside her. They weren’t human eyes; they were actual jewels. It made for a beautiful sight and one that stirred up a wave of nostalgia in Elisabeth. When she saw them, she finally understood her situation, which came as a great relief. It was a delightful silver-haired maid peering straight at her. “Oh, Hina, it’s you. In that case, all is forgiven.” Elisabeth let out a small breath, then shook her head. Pain’s aftertaste still lingered in her body, and she felt as though she’d just had the most horrible nightmare. However, she was unsure how much of it had been a dream and how much had actually been real. Wanting to know where she was, she glanced around. Upon doing so, though, a deep furrow made its way across her brow. “…Wait, where are we?” The room was red. It was dyed all over with the color of fresh blood, and it was the kind of room that burrowed its way into your eyeballs and chipped away at your brain. A chessboard sat atop the plain desk at its center. Elisabeth stood and walked over to it. Upon peering down at it, she couldn’t help but scrunch up her face. The pieces’ arrangement was a mess, and even at a glance, it was obvious that the game was in a state of abject chaos. And to top things off, there weren’t even any players. All that remained by the desk was a cold cup of tea. The oddest thing, though, was there were two pieces submerged in that cup. Elisabeth plucked them out. A red droplet dripped down her wrist. That was not tea in the cups. It was blood, and it dripped off the sword-brandishing boy piece and halberd-wielding maid piece as they rose. As she looked at the strange designs, Elisabeth finally realized something. “Wait… Hina? Hina?!” Hina was Kaito Sena’s eternal lover and beloved automaton bride. She was also the Torture Princess’s maid—a kind woman and one whom she held great affection toward. However, she was also someone who had no right to be there. After all, she and Kaito Sena were locked in a deep slumber within a crystal. Elisabeth whirled back around as though she’d been struck. She stared intently at the maid standing there. Hina gave a pained smile. However, she then abruptly looked down and bit her lip as her silver hair draped in front of her face. She gripped the hem of her maid uniform’s skirt. Elisabeth hurriedly rushed over to her. She had a million questions—where they were, for example, and why Hina was there—but she immediately discarded them all. Hina was mourning right before her eyes. That was the only thing that mattered. Elisabeth stroked her cheek, then stroked her head through her soft maid cap. “Come now—there’s no need to be so sad. A smile suits you far better, does it not?” Hina’s eyes went wide. She said nothing, and tears began streaming down her cheeks in large drops. Seeing that sent Elisabeth into a tizzy. “What’s going on? What’s wrong? Is it something I did?” All of a sudden, though, Hina grabbed her hand. Elisabeth’s eyes went wide. Hina desperately squeezed her hand, tears still pouring down her face. Then, for some reason, she began talking just about as fast as her mouth would let her. “There are a lot of sad things happening to you right now, Lady Elisabeth. Sad things, and painful things, and difficult things, and horrible things, and unforgivable things… And I’m certain there will only be more of them from here on out! But please, Lady Elisabeth, you must believe. And no matter what happens, you mustn’t forget.” Hina raised her downturned face with great vigor. Her tears gleamed like tiny stars as they scattered through the air. Elisabeth had no time to so much as get in a question edgewise. As though pressed for time, Hina continued her fervent plea. “We… That is, Master Kaito and I, we love you so much! So please, you must protect this world of yours. Please…if you remember nothing else, remember that.” “How could I possibly forget?”