Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Erasing the Mark
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Unlike how I'd found the method easily thanks to intuition.
Srulk, srulk!
The process of erasing Asmodeus's mark ended up taking quite a long time—far more than I'd anticipated.
No, it wasn't actually that long.
It just felt that way to me.
"Huff…… Huff……."
How many hours had passed since I entered this place?
I'd been so focused on removing the mark that I couldn't even guess the proper time.
My eyes felt like they were about to fall out, and my hands were trembling nonstop.
"To think removing just one mark would be this exhausting……."
Still, the silver lining was.
Psssh!
At least it had worked.
"Done!"
I let out a cheer as I watched the mark scatter like fragments.
After all the effort I'd poured in, I couldn't help but feel moved.
Of course, it wasn't time to celebrate just yet.
I still had to check if the brainwashing was undone.
‘If it didn't work…… Just imagining it is horrifying.’
The man from District 7 had already thrashed around for a while before passing out.
"Please!"
Hoping against hope that my method had been right, I slowly peeled off the tape covering his mouth.
Riiiip.
Then I lightly tapped the unconscious man to wake him.
At that,
"……Mm."
he stirred a few times and opened his eyes.
Thump, thump, thump!
My heart pounded like mad as I watched.
If he was still brainwashed, he'd lunge at me the moment he saw me. Otherwise, he'd react more normally.
And the result was.
"……Wh-where is this?"
Fortunately, the latter.
It meant the brainwashing on the man had been lifted.
Ah, how could I even put this overwhelming emotion into words?
Before I could ponder that, a commotion broke out.
"Ugh? Wh-why am I tied up? Wh-who are you! Untie me right now?!"
The man, who'd been muttering questions to himself, suddenly started writhing and thrashing wildly.
But for some reason.
Even this seemed fairy-like.
Probably because compared to his earlier rampage, this was downright cute.
When I'd started seriously destroying the mark, he'd struggled so violently that just watching had drained me completely.
"It's okay. Everything's fine. No need to be scared."
"Wh-what do you mean okay! Untie me, I said!"
"I'll explain everything, so just listen."
I began explaining the situation to him step by step, as calmly as I could.
From how the residents of District 7 had vanished right before the war broke out, to how they suddenly emerged from the rift afterward, and how I'd decided to undo their brainwashing.
"……."
The longer my explanation went on, the more his agitated demeanor softened.
Once I finished, he seemed plenty calmed down, so I untied the ropes binding him.
Freed, he stared blankly at his own hands before asking.
"……Is everything you just said true? That all the residents of District 7 were brainwashed?"
His eyes were filled with confusion.
He clearly couldn't believe the situation.
And who could blame him? It wasn't something an ordinary citizen could easily accept.
But some things had to be accepted, like it or not.
"Yes, I told you everything without a single lie. And it's not 'were brainwashed'—it's 'are brainwashed.' You're the only one free of it so far."
"Ha, haha……."
The man let out a disbelieving chuckle.
I gave him a moment to collect himself before speaking.
Now it was time to piece the puzzle together, one by one.
"Do you have any guesses? Like something felt off before you were brainwashed?"
The full details of this incident would be known to the man himself, as the one involved.
And as expected.
He nodded gravely, his face darkening.
"……Yes, my last memories were full of strange things. More than one or two."
"What happened?"
"It started with the kids."
The man dredged up his memories and recounted what had happened.
Nothing too special.
Kids, then elders, women, and men.
They'd started showing strange symptoms one after another, and those whose conditions peaked soon vanished.
And then, at some point, crimson flowers began blooming all over District 7.
Hearing that much, I had a rough grasp of the situation.
We'd had a similar experience in the [Demon Turtle]'s lair, after all.
‘The flowers weren't just in that lair.’
When my companions' minds had been messed up by the flower in the lair back in District 7, I'd chalked it up to bad luck.
That huge expanse of land had flowers only in that one spot, after all.
But from what he was saying, the flowers hadn't been limited to there.
They'd bloomed across that vast land in countless places, but they'd all infiltrated the residents of District 7 and exhausted their power until they vanished.
That's why we'd only seen the one in the sparsely populated [Demon Turtle] lair.
‘We really were unlucky.’
To get hit by one of the few flowers that were left? Talk about rotten luck.
Good thing we'd pulled through. If I hadn't thought of that dungeon exploit back then?
The outcome was obvious without seeing it.
‘We would've ended up brainwashed like the District 7 residents.’
We'd probably be fighting Asteron's soldiers right now.
It hit me all over again just how precarious that moment had been.
Anyway.
"Thanks to you, I think I understand what happened. Appreciate it."
"Oh, no. I should be thanking you. You saved me. Sorry for making a fuss earlier without knowing better."
With that, I'd succeeded in undoing this man's brainwashing.
Now all that remained was what to do with the rest of the residents.
There was still a mountain of people whose brainwashing needed undoing, so I needed to discuss with Elbert how to handle it.
"You can rest here."
"Yes, thank you. Really……."
I guided the man to the barracks' rest area, then headed straight to find Elbert.
When I briefed him, Elbert's eyes went wide.
"……You already undid the brainwashing?"
He said less than two hours had passed since I'd entered the warehouse.
It had felt like four or five hours to me, but two hours? Guess it really had been rough in there.
"Yes, I even talked to him a bit. He spoke normally, and his memories seem intact up to the brainwashing."
"That's as good as fully recovered. Impressive magic. Good work."
Elbert slumped into his chair, looking relieved.
In that instant, an ominous feeling flashed through me.
‘……Why isn't he saying anything?’
As I eyed him with that thought, Elbert shrugged like he had no idea why.
"What's up? Get back to your post already. You'll need to rotate soon, so rest up while you can."
"Back to my post?"
"Yeah."
Damn, my bad premonitions never miss.
Just go back to my post like nothing? Was that a joke?
I could guess what Elbert was thinking, but to confirm, I asked.
"Don't we need to undo the other residents' brainwashing too?"
"Hm? Nah. No need."
He continued without a care in the world.
"Now that you know the method, if something happens, you step in and undo the soldiers' brainwashing. Mission accomplished. No point wasting effort saving those guys."
"So what are you planning to do? Just leave all those people like this?"
"Well, we'll figure it out, but yeah, probably. Ending the war comes first right now."
"Hah."
I'd expected it, but hearing the reason still pissed me off more.
Elbert really didn't see the District 7 residents as people—not even worth a rat's ass.
Calling saving them 'wasting effort' said it all.
But I couldn't just back down here.
"You said it before, right? That they're irredeemably evil. Still think so?"
"What're you on about?"
"I found a way to undo the brainwashing, so are they still evil?"
"……."
"If that's the case, then I guess I don't need to save our allies if they get brainwashed either? Since they're evil too."
Elbert's expression turned subtle as he clamped his mouth shut.
I pressed him harder.
"Are you judging them based on class differences or something?"
"……."
"They're people too. Please reconsider."
How much time passed?
After a moment of apparent anguish, Elbert spoke.
"I heard you undid the brainwashing with magic, right?"
What was he getting at?
I nodded, figuring I'd hear him out.
"Yes, that's right."
Then.
Elbert asked, as if puzzled.
"So how exactly do you plan to save those hundreds of people?"
"Ah."
So that's what it was—about the method.
He had a point.
Even if he allowed it, I'd have to handle all those people myself.
Elbert knew that and pressed again.
"You're saying you can treat all those people alone? For real?"
"……."
It had taken me over two hours just for one man.
Treating everyone by myself was next to impossible.
But even so.
"Yes, I can do it."
I had no choice but to accept this insane task.
Only I—who'd practiced light magic like a madman—could do it.
It was something only I could do.
"I see…… So that's it……."
Tap, tap.
Elbert drummed his fingers on his chin, then nodded.
"Fine. Permission granted. Go ahead and save them with that fancy magic of yours."
Slightly mocking tone, but approval at last.
"……Yes."
I bowed and left the command tent.
Honestly, I felt lost.
I had no clue how to treat that many people.
That's when.
"Hm?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a man's silhouette.
Turning slightly, it was the District 7 man I'd just treated.
"Ha, haha……."
He approached with an awkward look when our eyes met and handed me something.
A gray ring artifact.
"You dropped this earlier…… Thought it might be important, so I brought it."
It was a consumable artifact that had already served its purpose when I triggered the massive flashbang and was now useless.
But that wasn't the point right now.
Just in case, I asked him.
"You heard all that?"
At which.
"……."
He bowed his head silently.
Unlike before, his face was utterly darkened.