TL/ED – Miso
I was wrong. It wasn’t because the arrest of the nobles delayed the terror attack.
It was because Elysia ca to the cabin during that process.
“…”
“Jern? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
I held back my words.
Connected to Crimson Circle, of course. Was sothing implanted during the process of being kidnapped and seeing dreams through Wihwa?
Then why wasn’t it done to Alletus? That would’ve been quicker.
…I don’t know. I t Sharmia’s gaze, who was looking at with a puzzled expression. It was to avoid suspicion.
All my future possibilities had arrived at this fact.
The reason they hid it from the Princess was.
“Shar. It’s not certain yet, but what will you do if we find the cause?”
“Well, we’ll have to take care of it, won’t we?”
“It won’t be that simple.”
I carefully observed her expression as I asked.
“The nobles I investigated are all from well-known families that had so influence in the Capital. If the heads of those families are aiding Crimson Circle, even the Princess wouldn’t be able to handle it easily.”
“Ah, so that’s what you were worried about.”
Sharmia took a sip of black tea and smiled softly.
“Yes. It’s definitely not an easy matter, but… it’s possible.”
“How?”
“If we quickly cut off the head of the family that’s the cause, and shift the bla onto Crimson Circle, it can be done.”
“…Is that really possible?”
“Yes.”
A short answer.
But I saw the conviction in it.
“Do you really have to kill them? I an, since it seems like it wasn’t intentional, wouldn’t isolating them be enough?”
“That would be best, if it could be resolved that way…”
With her chin resting on her hand, she had already finished saying sothing ominous.
“The future doesn’t tolerate uncertain interference.”
“What do you an?”
“It’s sothing that happens because we don’t see the result. Let’s say there’s a future where I die by assassination, and I saw myself drinking wine laced with poison during that process. What should I do then?”
“Wouldn’t it be fine to just not drink the wine?”
“Sotis that solves it, and sotis it doesn’t. Irrationally, sotis it’s precisely because I didn’t drink the wine that the assassination occurs.”
Sharmia fell into thought, as if she were speaking from experience.
“Eliminating such possibilities… ultimately requires a definite end.”
“That ans.”
“Eliminating the cause. Finding the one preparing for the worst with poisoned wine and a dagger in hand.”
She said so and then gave a bitter smile.
“When the Capital of the Empire is on the line, there’s even less room for leniency. We can’t choose uncertain asures like isolation.”
I see.
I also smiled slightly and brought the black tea to my lips.
This is why I didn’t say anything. The mont I told the Princess that Elysia was the cause, it was obvious what would happen.
Of course, I have no intention of sacrificing the Capital for just Elysia either. Even if she’s my retirent fund, there’s a line I won’t cross.
However.
She should at least be given a chance to struggle.
If I don’t even give her that, I can’t uphold the way of life I’ve chosen to live.
I stood up and placed a coin next to the teacup.
“Would you care to share your guess?”
“I’m sorry. I think I need a bit more information. Once I’m more certain, I’ll tell you.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“Well, I suppose it can’t be helped then.”
With an exchange of smiles, and I exited the teahouse first.
“Excuse .”
As soon as I reached the alleyway, I clenched my teeth and ran.
Sharmia said she’d spoken with for a long ti.
That ant she would’ve noticed I was trying to hide sothing during our conversation just now.
Once the investigation starting from that point reached Elysia, it would take at most a day or two.
That was all the ti I had left.
*
Sharmia kept smiling until Jern’s back disappeared from the teahouse.
Even after he had completely vanished, and five minutes had passed.
Until the employee brought out a new pot of tea, she remained staring outside with a fixed expression.
“Phew.”
Only then did she sigh and relax her tension. Then, looking up at the employee, she asked,
“Was I trembling just now?”
“No, not even for a mont did your breathing falter.”
“That’s a relief.”
Click. The face of the employee collecting the cup in front of Sharmia was, too beautiful to be just a simple tea house worker.
Skin so clear it felt unreal, golden hair flowing in abundance, eyes and eyelashes like those of a doll handcrafted by a master artisan.
When she stared in awe, Sharmia soon murmured softly.
“…Seeing it like this, you’re really pretty. I should thank your parents.”
“Indeed, that is true.”
The server who bowed in agreent quietly turned to look in the direction Jern had left.
“Shall I have him followed?”
“Don’t.”
“Yes.”
No objections.
To those in the know, Sharmia’s words were law, an oracle.
Literally, every subject of the Empire owed their life to her.
And yet, Sharmia, just like any other woman in her early twenties, laughed and fussed as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
“I couldn’t say it in front of him, but isn’t he super cute? For soone so young, he always looks sullen, hides what he’s thinking so well, and it feels like I’m talking to so weathered elder from the political world.”
Karos, Sharmia’s knight, swallowed dryly.
It was not easy to suppress the urge to ask why she found such things cute.
“I keep wanting to pinch him and pat his head. I really shouldn’t be like this… is this what it feels like to have a younger brother?”
“With all due respect.”
Even so, there was sothing she had to say.
“It still seems best to kill him.”
With murderous intent, she glared in the direction Jern had disappeared.
The trace lingered. If the command were given, it wouldn’t take even two minutes to catch up and sever his neck.
If the command were given.
“Hmm…”
Sharmia leaned back in her chair with a slightly troubled expression.
“Of course, that’s one of the options.”
“Then-”
“But no.”
Rejection. Karos once again swallowed her frustration and stepped back.
Watching her with a bitter gaze, Sharmia added as if apologizing.
“I’m sorry. But the fact that ‘sothing like that’ can even hold a conversation… to , it’s just so fascinating. I really want to understand it. If possible, no matter what happens, I want to try to gain his cooperation.”
“Please proceed as you wish. I will follow whatever you decide.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Sharmia, bowing her head in thanks, picked up the black tea that Jern had been drinking.
Steam was rising. Jern had brought the cup to his lips several tis, but the level of tea hadn’t changed at all.
He had only brought it to his mouth and hadn’t swallowed any.
A correct decision. Yet Sharmia’s face turned slightly sulky.
“This was the 349th try. And he still won’t drink it.”
She had worked hard on it, too.
There was no poison in it…
With a bit of regret, Sharmia took a small sip.
–Sip.
“Hmm…”
After tasting it…
…She began to wonder if he might have suspected there was poison in it after all.
*
“Hey, what, what are you doing? You thief, give back my horse!”
“I am a guard of the Princess’s direct escort unit.”
“There’s a saddle here too. Have a pleasant journey.”
I borrowed the fastest horse from a nearby stable and rushed to the cabin.
I had basically no skill in horsemanship, but by using current sense to read the horse’s muscles as it ran, I managed to arrive much faster than I would have otherwise.
Brimdal seed to be out gathering firewood, and I kicked the door open and entered.
Inside the cabin, Elysia was lounging lazily on the bed reading a book, and brightened when she saw .
“Oh, Jern?”
I forgot the situation for a mont and felt a pang of regret.
I’ve had a rough life too, but this girl, Elysia lost her mother when she was young, was bullied, kidnapped, nearly killed, then had sothing implanted in her, and ended up like this.
It goes beyond pity, maybe the entire world itself is her burden.
I sat the smiling Elysia down in a chair.
“Jern?”
Looking puzzled, Elysia watched as I asked with a slightly serious expression.
“Sorry for the suddenness, but I’d like to ask you a few questions. I hope you’ll answer.”
“Questions? Why all of a sudden?”
“Uh… just curious?”
It would be better to hide my own circumstances.
Thinking that, I spoke, and Elysia nodded.
“Alright!”
Once I got her agreent, I imdiately asked the questions.
“Have you been feeling sick anywhere lately? Your body or anything like that.”
“Nope, not at all.”
“Any interest in arson, or impulses to burn the whole world down?”
“I never thought that!”
“Have monsters started to feel familiar to you, making you want to invite them into the Capital?”
“…J, Jern??”
With growing anxiety on her face, Elysia asked,
“Did I do sothing wrong?”
“No. Nothing like that…”
Elysia really had no awareness whatsoever.
And no matter how I looked at her, she didn’t seem like a Fallen.
If she were a Fallen, there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed after living together all this ti. As I stared into her confused eyes, a sudden realization struck .
What Elysia endured after being kidnapped was.
“…Dreams.”
“Huh?”
“Have you had any strange dreams recently?”
“Hmm… I don’t think so?”
Elysia thought for a mont, then said that.
If not even dreams, then what? As I was reviewing other possibilities, she added sothing as if she’d just rembered it.
“Co to think of it, I really haven’t been dreaming.”
“You haven’t?”
“Yeah. Lately, even when I sleep, it just feels like I wake up right away. When I told Dad, he said it was because I’m growing.”
Not dreaming at all.
That confird it. I sat down silently next to Elysia.
She jumped a little in surprise, her eyes widening.
“?? What’s wrong?”
“Well, actually today is my day off.”
It was a lie, but whatever. I could explain later.
“I’m sorry I said I’d visit every day last ti but couldn’t.”
“H, huh? I forgot all about that…”
“But I have so free ti today, so how about we go out for a bit? Ah, unless you have sothing you need to do-”
Before I even finished, Elysia nodded.
“Nope! Let’s go out!”
That was fast.
Keeping up with a child’s energy was brutal.
but I sohow managed to hold out until nightfall.
“Yawn…”
Since we couldn’t go into the Capital, we climbed up and down the mountain about five tis, and by the ti we returned to the cabin, we were both completely exhausted.
After washing up, Elysia yawned and looked tired, so I guided her to her room.
“Sorry, I must’ve kept you out too long.”
“It’s okay, I’m not tired, really…”
“No. Look at the ti.”
I glanced out the window. It was pitch black outside.
“We can talk about the rest tomorrow. Sleep well.”
“Mm…”
Elysia rubbed her eyes, lay down on the bed, and I stepped out of the room.
Of course, I didn’t leave. I leaned against the nearby wall and used current sense to feel Elysia’s heartbeat.
Until her breathing stabilized and she fell into a complete sleep.
Then, carefully, I opened the door and entered the room.
“Elysia.”
I called her na without intending to wake her.
Naturally, there was no response, so I spoke in a colder tone.
“What, do you only answer if I call you Wihwa?”
“…”
“Right. Wihwa is dead. Then I suppose I should call you Lump.”
The mont those words left my mouth.
Elysia shot up and grabbed a nearby flower vase, throwing it at .
I tilted my head slightly to dodge. With a single leap, she closed the distance and aid a shard of glass at my neck.
All of it within expectations. In a young girl’s body, there were limits, and I easily avoided it.
“Kuh-!”
That was the last burst of resistance.
I bound her tightly with water pressure, then forced her into a chair and tied her with rope this ti. So she couldn’t move even a fingertip.
Once the restraints were done, Elysia looked up at with a disgruntled expression and muttered,
“Tch, things got ssy.”
Elysia’s voice, but spoken by soone else.
It was a disgusting matter. I raised my hand to slap, but realizing it was still Elysia’s body, I simply gave a look of contempt instead.
“So you were real, you fucking son of a bitch. Get the hell out of there right now.”
“I’ll go if you answer my question. How did you know? I an, about my ability…”
“You an Wihwa? I made sure to kill him. But now there’s soone using the exact sa ability, and if my mory serves right, you lot had one bastard who could transform into soone else.”
I looked down at the bound Elysia and gave a cold warning.
“Lump. It’s more of a label than a na, but I couldn’t forget it.”
“…You sure you wanna act like that? You do know whose body I’m in right now, right?!”
Elysia no, Lump grinned slyly and made a move to bite its own tongue.
It didn’t really intend to do it. It was just a performance to seize control of the conversation.
I didn’t allow it.
“I do.”
“…!”
The teeth stopped before touching the tongue.
Lump, clearly flustered, tried to close its jaw, but as if pinned in place, it could only tremble.
After a short while, I released the hold. No more restrictions.
This too was just a performance to regain control of the conversation.
“Try it again.”
I didn’t expect to use the refined precision of current sense in a situation like this.
But I was many tis faster than any of the movents involved in biting down or chewing the tongue.
After several failed attempts, Lump glared at in disbelief.
“What kind of world is this? Even this close, I can’t see anything.”
“A place far beyond your reach, even if you had a thousand years to try.”
“…Fine, you’re good, huh? Then make your big choice. Kill the girl you care about, or let her go.”
Lump smugly pushed for an ultimatum.
My answer was to raise my middle finger.
“No, there’s no need for that. If I just wait, you’ll disappear on your own. Why should I bother?”
“Listen to you, clinging to wishful thinking. Why would I ever leave this body?”
“You will. Using that ability ans you’re experiencing burden too, doesn’t it?”
“…”
“That guy’s burden was pretty damn horrific. I wonder how long you can endure it. If you really want to risk your life on a re contest of wills, go ahead.”
I sat in the chair across from Lump and stared silently.
“I’ll wait until you co out. And once you do, this ti, I’ll be the one to co find you.”
“…Hahaha! You’ll co find ?”
Lump, wearing Elysia’s face, twisted its lips into a mocking grin.
“And then what? What can you possibly do against us?”
“Not us. You.”
I raised my finger to Lump’s forehead.
“This whole thing, wasn’t it your own doing? A solo decision and plan without help from your fellow mbers.”
“What are you talking about? How would you know that?”
“Because your boss ca to recruit .”
Crimson Circle had said they weren’t planning to act just yet.
They said that since their objective had already been achieved, they had no intention of causing unnecessary conflict.
I didn’t take that at face value. But it was true that they were sincere about trying to scout . The pearl dicine I received has been genuinely helpful.
Above all, what Decay explained made sense, both logically and practically.
This situation did not.
“You guys have nothing to gain from doing this bullshit. You already achieved your goal, so why would you stir up trouble in the Capital again just to expose your tail? You should be pouring everything into growing your forces right now.”
“…”
“It’s way too stupid to be the organization’s decision. Sure, so groups are idiots, but not on your level. This is way more likely to be one idiot acting alone. Well, it’s a gathering place for Fallen, so proper hierarchy was never going to hold… and you seem like one of the more extre hedonists among them. Am I wrong?”
“…Heh.”
As I spoke with certainty, Lump grinned grotesquely.
Seeing Elysia’s face make that expression enraged even more.
“If you’ve figured out that much, then yeah, excuses are pointless. You’re right. I acted alone. When I saw that this brat still had fragnts of dreams Wihwa left behind, I just couldn’t resist. Want to know the other reason? I could tell you if you’re curious.”
“No need. It’ll be so moronic reason like ‘I got an order to stay put and that’s boring,’ right?”
“…Ha, hahaha! You! I like you. Are you really sure you don’t want to join Crimson Circle?”
Lump grinned from ear to ear, but I kept a blank expression.
“I told you. I’ll be coming to find you.”
“And what exactly will you do if you find ?”
“Trash like you is hard to predict.”
Acting on impulse, moving however the mood takes you. A single simple pattern, but because of that, you’ll keep doing things like this forever.
Unlike Crimson Circle, which has a clear objective, you’re the one who’ll carry out unpredictable acts of terror.
This ti you happened to have Elysia within reach and used her, but if she hadn’t been here, I can’t even imagine what you would’ve grabbed instead.
An unpredictable variable is,
….a threat to my survival.
“Get your neck ready and wait. Whether Crimson Circle cares or not, you need to die.”
User Comments
0 comments from readers