Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: ■■■ Kingdom's Hero Sage (7)
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Today, the priestess came again.
Her breasts were even more swollen than yesterday.
Her belly was the same.
A presence of life could be felt from the bulging belly.
It had to be the spider eggs she claimed were implanted in her womb.
Just sensing their energy was revolting.
Lives made of demonic energy instilled an essential disgust in Sage.
Every time she saw that belly, nausea welled up.
A desire to exterminate them surged within.
But why?
I'm a hero.
A hero exists to slay magical beasts and the Demon King.
"Shall we eat now?"
Now, she no longer brought anything in her hands.
After realizing Sage wouldn't eat food on plates, she always came bare-handed.
And the priestess opened her collar.
Her massive breasts jiggled as they emerged into the world.
Slosh, slosh.
Like a bee drawn to a flower, Sage stared only at the priestess's nipples as she approached.
The fountain of life that sprayed vital milk.
The only lifeline connecting her to sustenance.
Breasts that offered a soft, warm comfort when touched.
Crawling on the floor, Sage climbed onto the priestess's lap.
Then, like a child, she pressed her face to the priestess's breast and suckled noisily.
Sweet, warm mother's milk flowed down her milk ducts and into her throat.
It was delicious.
Every time she nestled in the priestess's embrace and drank the milk, she felt mana filling her heart.
Soon...
She could break these shackles and escape.
Then she could save the priestess too.
Rescue her and flee to a place no one could find, building a cozy home for just the two of them.
A place where they wouldn't need to fight.
A place where no one could touch them.
They could live happily forever.
When that time came, Sage could monopolize the priestess's milk in her now-flat belly.
Thump, thump.
Her heart raced at the thought.
Excitement and anticipation.
'This is weird.'
Sage couldn't understand her feelings toward the priestess.
She was already in the deepest hell, yet harboring hope?
But when nestled in the priestess's arms, mouth on her breast, she felt a soothing comfort even without suckling.
Now, her heart pounded every time she saw the priestess.
Because it was the only place for solace in this hellish prison.
'So peaceful.'
Eyes closed as she suckled the priestess's breast, Sage felt her mind at ease.
She wanted to stay nestled there forever, doing nothing.
"Hero, have you eaten enough?"
"Just a little more..."
Her stomach was full.
But softly grasping the priestess's breast and suckling her nipple eased her mind.
It erased all the horrific memories.
Ignored the painful past.
At least in this moment, embraced by the priestess, Bergio's phantom pleas for vengeance didn't appear.
That alone brought relief.
"Alright, my hero. Feel free to act spoiled."
Her stroking hand brought a natural smile to Sage's face.
Mom.
The mother's love she'd forgotten washed over her.
Forgetting even the shackles, she reached up to grasp the priestess's breasts.
One wasn't enough.
She wished for more.
Grasping the breasts, she gathered both nipples together and suckled them at once.
Delicious.
"Ngh! Hero, your suckling is so lewd."
"But it's delicious."
Yet happy times didn't last.
About 30 minutes passed.
"It's time to go. Worship is starting, and I'll be punished if I'm late. Then someone else would come, and you wouldn't want that, right?"
"Yeah, I don't."
She didn't want to lose future happiness for a brief moment.
Even if agony and hell awaited in between, she could endure.
Because she was a hero.
Sage didn't realize it.
Her speech had become childlike.
It wouldn't have mattered if she did.
In the priestess's presence, she just wanted to act spoiled anyway.
"Then I'll be back. Hang in there. Even if you're hungry."
"Yeah..."
And the priestess left.
Clang!
The iron door shut, and the cradle vanished.
The cold reality she'd forgotten returned.
"Hngh."
What drove people mad wasn't utter despair.
It was a faint glimmer of hope amid inescapable despair.
That slim chance of success tormented more viciously.
Sage was like that now.
These two daily short meals drove her madder.
Made her more dependent, more craving for the priestess.
Cold.
A chill she hadn't felt before pierced her.
Her skin shivered violently.
"So cold."
Lonely and solitary.
She wanted to escape this place.
As soon as possible.
But she knew.
Reckless escape would bring a worse fate.
And even if she succeeded...
'If I can't take her...'
She'd face horrific punishment for letting the hero escape.
At least, Sage didn't want to burden her with that.
-Avenge me.
Bergio's unfulfilled wish echoed.
Whooosh.
Wind from beyond the bars whipped her bare skin.
Torment.
Fear.
She wanted to give up.
Retreating to a corner, she hugged her knees.
Like a terrified child who'd lost all will to resist.
'Why hasn't the Demon King come?'
Has he forgotten me?
Am I so weak he's forgotten and dismissed me?
I'm a hero.
A hero destined to slay the Demon King.
Why isn't the Demon King looking for me?
Why? Why? Why? Why?
Scary.
Being forgotten.
Her existence fading.
Why don't the Demon King or the king seek me?
"I'm... a hero. Hero..."
Where from?
Hero from where?
"Huh?"
Again.
Another memory gone.
"No. No. No."
From some day on, she began forgetting her past bit by bit.
At first, trivial things.
Forgot the food eaten before departure.
Forgot the name of a long-unseen childhood friend from her village.
Forgot the street scenes seen on the march.
Then more and more.
Forgot soldiers' names fought beside.
Forgot the commander's name.
Forgot the capital's streets seen daily.
Forgot if she slept in a bed or on the floor.
And now.
She forgot where she came from.
'I was born in Philef Village. Grew up there as a farmer's daughter, suddenly received hero's power, came to the capital to become the kingdom's hero. But... I can't remember the capital's name or the kingdom's.'
She remembered the expedition to Dibel Forest and defeat by the Demon King.
Why?
Where did I come from? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where?
"Where did I come from...?"
Her pupils shook.
This fear surpassed any felt in the prison before.
Even standing helpless before the Demon King didn't evoke this.
Fading terrified her.
"I'm Sage. Sage. Born in Philef Village, hero. Sage. Sage..."
Like chanting a spell, she repeated her name.
Spilled out memories surfacing in her mind endlessly.
"Kingdom's King Leveral II, by Leveral II's order..."
Sage's eyes momentarily lost focus.
"What was the king's name...?"
Sage sank deeper into the abyss.
What was the name of the one feeding me?
Did I ever ask?
I watched Sage trembling in fear through the crystal orb.
After she was imprisoned, I could view her detailed status.
Meaning she's a captive.
I savored her agony over lost memories.
It hit perfectly.
The Curse of Forgetfulness.
The curse I'd painstakingly implanted was most effectively crumbling her mind.
Noise clung to the kingdom name she'd forgotten.
A special effect of my Forgetfulness implant.
Some debuffs vanished, new ones appeared.
But one alone.
The debuff [Rage] lingered with noise, unvanquished.
Her rage toward me was that immense.
Thanks to the Sacred Sword and Hero's Blessing, she endured this far.
Without them, her mind would've shattered already.
"Tough. So tough."
Watching her crumble was all the more enjoyable.
I closely examined Sage's body in the crystal orb.
She hadn't noticed yet, but her body was heavily eroded by demonic energy.
She mistook it for mana, but regrettably, that power was demonic energy I'd eroded into her via the priestess.
A hero would've noticed demonic energy.
Unless broken.
Desperate, probably.
Forcing denial to use that power for escape.
Sage was weakening steadily.
Not much longer.
Until the soaring hero fully plummeted to earth.
"Demon King."
The priestess, mission complete, approached writhing seductively.
Her body, long pressed to the hero, faintly bore holy power.
Imbuing a fully corrupted priestess with holy power.
Astonishing.
And delightful.
Absorbing her power without ravaging the hero.
The priestess carried a fragment of the hero's power in her embrace.
Naturally accrued while infusing demonic energy.
Power she shouldn't have.
Once part of Sage's memories.
I eyed the holy power accumulated like pollen on a bee's legs.
Sparkling appetizingly.
"A reward for you today."
I kissed the lips of the closed-eyed priestess.
Tasted the hero's memories in her body.
Sweeter and tastier than any power before.
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
Rose two levels at once.
"Haaa. Demon King."
Viscous love juices dripped from the priestess's thighs in climax.
"Good work today. Your belly's grown quite large."
I stroked her belly.
Monsters soon to birth using her as nourishment lurked within.
No small guilt lingered.
But they were already dead upon battlefield defeat.
I'd extended their lives.
Thus, I decide their use.
Without their sacrifice, I'd die unsolved.
She's sacrificing for the grand cause.
I'd never render their sacrifice worthless.
I'll conquer.
For them who died for me.
"You'll reach happiness soon."
The priestess shuddered blissfully at my words.
I kissed her once more.
This was the reward.
Exactly one month since her imprisonment.
Sage fully depended on the priestess.
Collapsed to helplessness without her.
Devoured by fear of forgetting, she endured each day.
To avoid forgetting, she scratched all recallable memories into the wall with nails.
White letters etched on gray walls.
-Sage, Bergio, Hero, Sacred Sword, Dibel Forest, Trees, Soldiers, Defeat, Training, Swordsmanship...
It worked.
She'd recovered vanished memories from wall writings daily.
Since then, she endlessly read the wall words.
Her routine: reciting the densely packed letters dozens of times.
-Avenge me.
Bergio's words echoed in her ears.
Revenge.
Killing the Demon King who slew him.
Until achieved, no death or surrender.
"Hngh."
Cold.
Unbearably so.
"Sage, I'm here."
The priestess arrived.
"You're here?"
Sage's face brightened.
Moments with her were always happy.
At least, forgetting all current worries.
"Food today."
The priestess flung open her breasts.
Sage rushed to latch onto them.
Today, unusually soft and rich.
"Good. Eating well. Delicious?"
"Yeah, delicious."
Want more.
Her milk grew tastier over time.
Didn't know why she started drinking it, but never wanted to lose this taste.
The priestess stroked Sage's head.
"How delicious?"
"As heaven and earth."
"That makes me happy, Sage."
Sage had told the priestess her name.
Never forget her, no matter what.
Didn't want to vanish.
When she called her name.
"Sage."
Her mind eased.
Like becoming a child.
"Eat lots. Special day today."
"Special?"
"Day we must part."
"What?"
"I told you. These children awaken after a month."
The priestess stroked her vein-veined, maximally swollen belly.
Full-term belly.
Anyone could see birth imminent.
What were they?
Didn't know, but they'd steal the priestess from her.
Precious as her own life.
Couldn't let go.
Absolutely.
"No. No. Then what about me?!"
"No spoiling. Can't stay a child forever."
"But... without you, I can't endure."
"You'll be fine, Sage. You can do it."
"Priestess..."
"Again. I told you last time, Sage. My name."
"Huh? Forgot again?"
Sage's voice trembled.
Why forget?
Did she not write it?
Definitely.
She wrote all important things.
More important than anyone.
"It's fine. You're a spoiled one, Sage. I'll tell you again."
"Yeah!"
"Remember clearly this time?"
"Never forget."
"My name is Vivian. Vivian. Never forget."
"Got it, Vivian! I'll never forget."
Vivian. Vivian.
"Time to go now."
"No. Can't go."
Want to keep her all to myself.
Don't want to lose Vivian.
Want to be with her forever.
"Can't. Then the babies to be born soon won't grow properly."
"But..."
"You're a hero, Sage. Don't heroes sacrifice for others?"
Right.
She was a hero.
A hero forced to sacrifice for others.
"I'm sacrificing for these children like you, Sage."
"If we part... you'll come back?"
"We'll meet again. The gods watch over us."
Then.
This once, she'd yield.
"Okay. You must come. I'll wait."
"Of course."
Vivian gave Sage a warm smile, kissed her cheek farewell, and left the prison.
And Vivian never returned.
-Vivian.
New letters etched in Sage's prison.
To carve them, she erased one word.
The least important seeming one.
-■■■
What she erased was her hometown, Philef.