Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: A Fragile World Without You - 1
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Under the ashen sky, the old woman closed her eyes. She had likely been waiting so long for this very moment. She took a breath and slowly exhaled. It was meant to be a deep breath, but to the man watching her, it looked like the final gasp before death. He gazed at her quietly for a moment before cautiously opening his mouth.
"There's no need for you to do it yourself."
"No."
The old woman answered without hesitation. Her eyes, now fixed ahead, burned with resolute determination.
"I'll do it myself."
She clamped her mouth shut and stared at the stairs before her. It was the same staircase her daughter had climbed not long ago. The precious child she had raised flawlessly her entire life had been brutally raped by the baron simply for being prettier than her peers, then hanged right here until she died.
The mother who had to bury her own child with her own hands couldn't even properly tend to the body. She had to sink it into the water amid her flowing tears. From that day on, the old woman wept without fail, every single day. Praying that her anguish would reach the heavens.
And somehow, her prayers truly had reached them.
The stairs before the old woman now led to heaven. With each creaking step up the worn wooden staircase reminding her that this wasn't paradise but another hell called the living world, she didn't care. This moment was far too precious to her.
Finally, the end of the seemingly endless stairs came into view. She took another deep breath. Then, with firm steps, she ascended to the platform.
Soon, the crowd's thunderous cheers assaulted her ears. They waved their hands wildly, screaming like they were unleashing all their pent-up rage. But nothing reached the old woman's ears. Only the baron's tense breathing—the man who had caused her daughter's death—rang clear.
Steadying her trembling breath, the old woman turned around. The man who had climbed the stairs with her handed her a heavy hammer. He worried it might be too much for a woman nearing sixty, but fortunately, her thirst for vengeance easily bore its weight.
"Hoo... Hooo..."
As the old woman dragged the hammer closer, the baron let out breaths filled with terror, his body shaking uncontrollably. His face was fixed forward, so he couldn't see the hammer directly, but his conditioned fear sent shivers through his entire body. Just today alone, over a hundred "guests" had visited his rear.
Leaning on the hammer, the old woman gazed at the baron's back for a moment. Once a hero who had vanquished the Demon King, wielding unchecked power, he was now bound to the execution platform with a potion bottle full of nails shoved in his rear, trembling before a mere old woman. As she watched, she suddenly looked up at the sky.
She had never believed in God her whole life, but in this moment, it felt like one existed. Incompetent and omnipotent, ugly and beautiful—that God had taken her daughter but sent down a hero to grant her this chance at revenge.
The old woman closed her eyes and offered a prayer of thanks to that hero. Glory to this miraculous hero. With that thought, she raised the hammer high. This was her offering to you—watch and enjoy.
As the old woman wished, her hero was watching the entire scene from a nearby tavern. He pondered how even the bitterest ale could taste sweet at times like this. The moment he took another swig, a sharp clang echoed, piercing the sky along with the baron's agonized scream.
"The baron's execution will probably drag on for a long time. There were that many victims, after all. They say he'll face impalement for adultery in the end. Though who knows when that'll be."
"I hope it takes as long as possible."
"That's everyone's wish."
Rachel grimaced as she sipped her orange juice. Watching her wrinkle her nose at the slight sourness, I set down my beer mug.
"No need to force it."
"Ugh... But I can't drink alcohol either. And it feels rude just to let it sit."
"Do what you want. So, who the hell are you? What's the deal with searching for a mint-scented girl?"
"Straight to the point, huh? I get it. I must look super suspicious."
She took another swig of juice, shook her head, and answered.
"To answer your first question, I'm someone who finds people. Folks usually call me a detective, but that's not quite accurate."
"Why not?"
"Because I hunt down people who deserve to die. Like that baron on the platform... or the baron's wife who already met her end."
Her gaze turned toward the execution platform. I followed her irresistible pull, glanced over, then looked back.
"Some kind of bounty hunter, then."
"Not exactly. I don't chase officially registered bounties. Usually, I take requests from ordinary people. I hear their stories, and if I think those targets deserve death, I kill them somehow and collect payment from the client. Basically, I avenge them for a fee."
"So, does that mean I'm one of those 'deserving to die' people?"
I reached under the table and gripped my sword hilt. But Rachel waved it off.
"No, absolutely not. Your case is very special."
"Special, huh."
"Yes. Extremely special."
She mulled over her own words, let out a deep breath, and continued.
"A few years ago, I got a request from a girl. She said the man she truly loved had vanished, and begged me to find him. She described him as a man who smelled like mint, just like her. That was it—no more details. She said I'd know him the moment I saw him."
"Know him just like that...?"
"Yeah. She insisted I'd recognize him instantly. At first, I had no idea what she meant. But the second I saw you today, I understood. That vivid mint flower scent cutting through the blood drenching you. One whiff, and I knew it was you."
"..."
I involuntarily lowered my head to sniff myself. Hoping, perhaps, to catch any lingering trace of Eli's fragrance. But all that assaulted my nose was the brutally familiar stench of blood.
"...So, who was that girl who gave you the request?"
"That's where all the trouble starts."
Rachel took another sip of orange juice, grimaced again, and popped a peanut from the table.
"I've been searching for you for a very long time. Naturally, I never found you. The clues were way too scarce. So I went back to ask the girl for more leads, but I couldn't. She had vanished, like she never existed in the first place."
"That girl smelled like mint too?"
"Yes. She had black hair. A girl so beautiful, no one like me could compare. The kind you'd grant any wish just to make her happy."
"Did you get her name?"
"No. I don't usually pry into clients' personal details. Just..."
"What did she look like? Long eyelashes? What color were her eyes? Her nose? Ears? Neat teeth with the front ones slightly protruding? Did you hold her hand? It must have been so warm. What was it like? Do you remember?"
"Luca, calm down."
Her voice snapped me back. I realized I had stood up, panting. I barely caught my breath and slumped back into my chair.
"...Sorry. She's just too precious to me."
"I understand. She must have been... your one and only in this world."
Rachel nodded calmly.
"Sorry, but that's all I remember. It was so long ago, I only recall a black-haired girl who smelled like mint. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful."
"Yeah..."
I bit my lip bitterly. A black-haired girl who smelled like mint. One who truly loved me. Only one person in the world fit that: Eli.
But she died right before my eyes. Hardened like stone, her breathing stopped forever. Undeniable, crystal-clear fact.
So who was this girl Rachel met? If it was some cruel prank, who would play such a joke?
"Anyway. Do you remember exactly when you met her?"
"Time-wise... Hmm, about five years ago, I think. But not precisely. Her face is hazy now—it was so long ago."
"You've been scouring every corner all this time for a girl whose face you barely remember? To complete the request?"
"I took a hefty advance. A lot of it. Now that I've found you, I have even more reason to track her down."
We fell silent, staring into each other's eyes. Her pupils, dilated perhaps from the drink she couldn't metabolize, held a strange magnetism that drew in gazes.
"Um..."
Then a familiar voice pulled my head around. He was one of the few people I'd come to know in this rotten city.
"Professor Hades."
"Ah..."
At my calling his name, he looked at me with a mix of fear and awe.
"S-Sorry if you're in the middle of a conversation. If I'm interrupting..."
"No. If anyone's sorry, it's me. For presumptuously boarding your carriage without permission."
"N-No! I wasn't bothered at all. I'm grateful you even rode in it."
The professor hesitated, then bowed his head deeply, confessing like in a confessional.
"I know how pathetic I must have looked. I knew the baron would rape my wife and did nothing but watch. Hell, I even... dolled her up hoping he'd forgive me for this mess. I'm not fit to be a husband, let alone a man."
"Anyone would have done the same in that situation, Professor."
"...No need to comfort me. Without you, I'd still be whimpering pathetically in the baron's manor. Thanks to you, I salvaged my last shred of pride. Truly, thank you."
"Save the thanks. I just used you as a means to an end."
"Intentions aside, you saved me in the end."
Tears welled in his eyes. I sighed where he couldn't hear. This is going to be a hassle.
"I want to repay you somehow. So, I couldn't help overhearing your talk earlier—not on purpose. That mint-scented black-haired girl..."
"You don't need to worry about it. She's already..."
"I think I saw her."
"What?"
Rachel jumped in first, excited. I felt my mind freeze, staring blankly at his face.
"You saw her? When? Where?"
"It was definitely five years ago. I remember the date exactly. It was when the heroes returning from the Demon King's Castle visited our city. Leo, Bobby, Sera, Rick, Nadia. Those five heroes came straight to our academy upon arrival."
"W-Wait, but when I went to the academy, no one mentioned that."
"It was top secret. I had some influence there back then, so they shared it with me."
He bit his lip bitterly, then continued.
"Before a select few, they unveiled all sorts of rare artifacts from demon territory. Bizarre plants that don't grow in human lands, even parts of demon corpses. While we were mesmerized, Hero Leo—stressing utmost secrecy—brought out something massive and showed it to us."
"No way that was..."
"The corpse of a girl, hardened like stone."
"That."
I spoke for the first time. I looked at the professor with serious eyes.
"Was that the mint-scented black-haired girl?"
"...Yes."
"Why call it a 'corpse'?"
"Saintess Sera described it that way. A statue of a girl who died from a curse. Leo denied it... but most professors agreed."
The truth stabbed my chest again, bringing fresh agony. No matter how many times, the wound never dulled.
"Was she really dead?"
Unlike me, Rachel pressed relentlessly. Her sparkling eyes held not just determination, but hope.
"You said most professors thought she was dead. What about you? Did you really think she was?"
"I..."
For a moment, I wanted to silence him. Afraid his words would hammer in the cruel reality. But I also wanted to hear. Just maybe, they could spark new hope.
He slowly opened his mouth. And delivered neither.
"Honestly, I don't know. I'm a potions professor, not a curse mage or priest. Even suggesting a death oracle feels absurd."
"So, there's not zero chance she was alive. Right?"
"Rachel."
"Yes?"
"Enough."
I finally cut her off. But instead of stopping, she grinned.
"Hey, handsome."
"...What?"
She leaned in and whispered.
"Not zero percent means it's as good as one hundred."
With her fresh grassy scent, she turned back to the professor, her usual bright smile intact.
"So. What happened to the girl after that?"
"They wanted to lift the curse on her. But as I said, we couldn't provide a clear method. Leo flew into a rage and took her somewhere else. I heard it was to Miler."
"Miler. Where the Ennesic Order's headquarters is."
"Bobby's city."
I muttered heavily, and Rachel looked at me.
"Sounds like you have business with Archbishop Bobby, not the city."
"None of your business."
"Well... True, but it'd be better if you told me. We're going together, after all."
"Together?"
I scowled, meeting her eyes. Rachel widened hers innocently.
"Obviously. After all the work to find you? Think I'll let you slip away? Plus, I have a feeling I'll find her tagging along with you."
"I don't take companions."
"But you did before. From what I overheard with the baron and his wife."
"Not anymore."
"Think of me as a pet, then. Or better yet, that'd be easier. What do you say? Small, no feeding needed, and I'll cover food costs too since I've got money. Got criteria for companions? I'll meet 'em."
...
"I don't take men."
"I'm a woman."
"No women either."
"My chest is flat, body's nothing special—calling me a woman is weirder. Practically neutral."
"You."
I looked down at Rachel quietly. Then asked the question circling my mind.
"You saw that girl yourself. That true?"
"Yes."
She looked up at me. And spoke with unprecedented seriousness.
"I swear it."
I fell silent. For years, I'd come to this land thinking only of avenging Eli. Forsaking hero's honor, life's meaning—all of it. Now, a girl dangled hope before me out of nowhere.
How should I take this?
Embrace a dream doomed to shatter and move forward now?
Or believe in this hope, knowing it's futile?
...
I... don't know.
"Fine."
I nodded slowly. Then shot her a sharp glare.
"But on the way, you'll tell me every detail about that request you took."
"Of course."
Rachel grinned.
"Then... we're going together."