◆ Avangarde Castle, West Corridor ◆
“What is this place…?”
“I see you’re awake, Lua-chan. That’s a relief.”
Tiferia, no, Tiferia-san, slowly opens her eyes. The wound inflicted by the Sonic Ripper has been effortlessly healed by Kurinka’s Angel Heal. If the lost parts are returning, this feels like it surpasses mere healing magic. This is regeneration. Kurinka possesses a power that does more than just mend wounds.
I wonder if she could have healed Habaku’s arm, but it’s too late now. That man has already taken a life. I can’t fully forgive him for that, especially considering what happened to our village. So why did I help this person, who should be my enemy? I can’t answer that clearly. I can only say that I simply didn’t want her to die.
“I’m… alive.”
“You were caught just before you fell, Lua-chan. Who knows what would have happened if you had collided with the ground?”
“You saved me? From an enemy I was supposed to hate?”
That’s why I can’t respond when she looks at me.
“I see… I lost, didn’t I?”
As she repeatedly touches the area where the Sonic Ripper struck, Tiferia-san’s eyes well up with tears. The suddenness of it all elicits various reactions from me, Kurinka, the now-healed Three Sisters, and Ord. They murmur softly, but when I think about it, for ordinary Adventurers, an S-rank like Tiferia-san must seem like a distant existence. While she is relatively sociable, making her seem less intimidating, it still feels overwhelming.
“Um, I don’t know what happened, but I’ve probably lost over a hundred times, right? If you count my escapes, it might even be over a thousand.”
“Ord-san, please be quiet.”
“That’s harsh.”
After Ai scolded him, I was lectured by Mai not to compare myself to someone like Ord, and then Mi started to distance herself from me. I don’t think he meant any harm, but I wonder if I initially disliked Ord because I misunderstood things like this. Seeing Kou and Bun petting him makes me feel even more miserable.
“How strange… Why am I crying? This unsettling feeling… it’s like I’ve never felt this way before.”
“That’s regret. Tiferia-san, you were able to truly feel that, weren’t you?”
“Oh dear… oh dear…”
Her face, now soaked and smeared with tears, looks strangely fresh. I’ve only ever seen her with a confident smile, and now she seems genuinely upset about losing to me.
“I tried to provoke you to bring out your true strength, but instead, I ended up being the one defeated. How pathetic…”
“I was serious too.”
“That’s a lie. You still had plenty of room to spare. You weren’t even close to using your full strength. You only finally recognized me as a worthy opponent.”
“Seriously…?”
While Ord is left speechless, the confusion inside me remains unresolved. I thought it would be rude to lie, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the truth. I saved my enemy. Yet, as I stand here, I begin to question whether the One-Winged Demon is truly a demon.
“Hey… Tiferia-san, why did you become an S-rank Adventurer in this country?”
“Who knows? I forgot. I think it was just because I had nothing else I wanted to do.”
“…Just because you had nothing else to do, you destroyed my village?”
“Hehe, I tried to bring out your true strength, but I lost. So let me tell you the truth.”
Her usual mischievous smile is still there, but I can tell she is about to speak seriously. The laughter in her eyes has vanished.
“You might not believe me, but I didn’t kill anyone.”
“W-What…?”
“It was Eeks who received orders from Belmund and headed to the village first. But I didn’t trust Belmund, so I was sent along as insurance.”
Thanks to Kurinka, everyone present already knows the situation. I wanted to avoid causing more confusion, but I decided to speak up since I felt I could trust those here. The enormity of the story seems to overwhelm Ord, Kou, Bun, and Mai. But they should understand the terrible things this country has done.
While there is some skepticism, seeing the transformed Kirkton and the others should convince them. They must realize how manipulated they were, and I feel sorry for them. If I had been unaware, I might have ended up the same way. This country has committed unforgivable acts.
“Um, Aniki. This is too much for me to follow…”
“I don’t think they’re the kind of people who tell boring lies. I won’t force you to accept it, but…”
Those two might think of me as a liar, but Kurinka says there’s a limit to what can be hidden. It will eventually come to light, and I don’t know what will happen to this country then. After all, it was the upper echelons who sowed the seeds of this chaos, so I keep telling myself we shouldn’t worry about it. But with people like Kirkton and Ritta around, I can’t bring myself to hate this country completely.
The real culprits are the higher-ups, and those who serve them are not to blame. That much is absolutely clear.
“But you know, it might be because I went there that things turned out this way. The villagers, on high alert, went berserk and transformed into monsters. They couldn’t control themselves and ended up hurting each other. Before I knew it, the village was engulfed in flames. In the midst of that chaos, Eeks, furious and blaming me for my arrival, attacked… and I had to let the young you escape… It was a situation where persuasion was impossible.”
Her tone and energy have dropped, and the smile has vanished from Tiferia-san’s face. From the trembling voice, I can tell that what she’s saying is true.
“So, the villagers…?”
“I didn’t kill them. I struggled to restrain them, and they are still locked away deep in the research facility.”
“So Tiferia-san wasn’t our enemy after all…”
“Oh, that’s not quite right. Because at that time, I truly intended to kill them all, you know?”
“But you didn’t kill them.”
“That’s true…”
As she says this, Tiferia-san gazes into the distance. Deep down, she hasn’t lost her humanity. Even after claiming to have lost interest in everything, she still hoped for an opponent who could fight her on equal terms.
“Habaku over there… even after losing an arm, he still attacked, didn’t he?”
“Y-Yeah.”
She looks at Habaku’s body, lying face down, and squints her eyes in what could be pity. It’s a little impressive, or perhaps frightening, that she could kill if she truly wanted to.
“Even though I lost, saying something like this… If you hold back too much, one day you’ll be bitten back. Just like that guy who tried to fight with only his head and feet.”
“B-But killing is wrong…”
“Did you think that would demoralize him?”
“Uh, um… maybe…”
“Hehe, what’s with that response?”
She cups my cheeks with both hands and starts to stroke them, making me feel ticklish. She pulls my cheeks, forcing me into a silly expression, and leans in closer.
“If you let him live, you’ll have to bear his hatred for the rest of your life. You don’t have that kind of responsibility.”
Perhaps she killed him for my sake, knowing I couldn’t. I truly don’t know how things would have turned out if I had acted. Even if it ended in death, I would have suffered for it.
“Why can’t I defeat someone who’s this soft? It’s a mystery.”
“Um, this is a bit embarrassing…”
“Oh dear, I’m sorry.”
Despite her apology, she slowly releases her hands, not looking particularly remorseful. Meanwhile, Kurinka behind her puffs up her cheeks like a squirrel, looking upset. The intense gaze from her is painful. What is this? I haven’t done anything wrong, yet I feel so uncomfortable.
“The misunderstandings have been cleared up, and that person didn’t destroy our village! We don’t have time to relax here!”
“Y-Yeah. I get it, I get it, so please don’t be angry.”
“Hehehe.”
Seeing her smile mischievously, I realize this was her intention all along. Tiferia-san, despite being an adult, has these childish traits. I feel completely relieved. Knowing she isn’t my enemy gives me peace of mind, and I believe I can get along with Tiferia-san from now on.
“Lua-san and the others are heading to that research facility, right? We have an idea for you.”
“Idea?”
“Yes, I don’t know if it will work, but if my reasoning is correct, then that person is likely…”
Ai’s proposal makes me wonder if it will really work. But if it succeeds, it should expose the country’s schemes all at once. After discussing the details, Tiferia-san agreed to cooperate. She said it was to take responsibility for knowing about the wrongdoing and doing nothing, and I have nothing to say against that. Kurinka mentioned that having her presence would increase the chances of success.
“I think I’ll get fired up! But this plan is based on the strength of you and your friends.”
“I understand. But whether it will really work or not…”
◆ Avangarde Castle, Underground Research Facility ◆
And so, the entrance to the Research Facility was the dead-end corridor we had stumbled into. At first glance, this place seemed empty, but if you pressed against a specific wall, a heavy sound echoed as a dark passage revealed itself. Descending further down the stairs, we found ourselves in a wide room illuminated only by a feeble light.
Horrific instruments lined the walls, and on a table that resembled a bed, dark, congealed blood stained the surface. In such a place, where the stench of death lingered, we were greeted by—
“Oh, if it isn’t Lady Rua and Lady Roel. This is a restricted area, you know.”
The old man spoke in his usual tone, just as he did when standing beside the King. He had his arms crossed behind him, almost as if he were offering a gentle reprimand.
“Please leave at once. Otherwise, even you two will find yourselves regretting it.”
No matter how calmly he tried to act, the sight of the old man collapsed behind him made it clear that this was no ordinary situation.
“What seems to be the matter? Ah, is it this gentleman here? It’s rather dangerous to welcome guests in such a state. After all, they speak of protecting the future of the children and making amends… Yet, no matter how much they parade their intentions, they remain trapped in their own egos, this foolish old man included.”
Why was Lord Hast here? What was he talking about? There was no time to ponder such questions. The first priority was clear: I would not let that sage die. Everything else could wait.
“Goodness gracious… Everyone seems to be nothing more than dust before that man… Compared to the events that are about to unfold, this is but a trivial matter.”
As I rushed to Lord Hast, it was almost simultaneous with the sight of Belmund’s body turning a ghastly shade of purple.