Chapter 456: The Dream
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 456: The Dream
“Aaaaaaaah!”
Maria’s eyes flew open as she shot up in bed. The familiar scenery of her own room came into view. It wasn't the room from her dream. This was, without a doubt, reality.
‘I’m safe. I’m safe here.’
Her hand instinctively went to her neck, recalling the sensation from moments ago. The chilling feeling of a blade piercing her throat… It wasn’t as if she’d never died in a dream before, but the sensation she had just felt was utterly bizarre.
A killing intent so potent it made her body tremble. Even though it had been her own domain, she had been powerless. She couldn't even imagine killing that monster. He was that strong. He possessed a power so immense it defied her imagination.
‘My chances of winning…’
There were none.
What if she drove a wedge between the North and the Green Skins? What if she made them turn on each other, to kill and be killed? She considered many possibilities, but no clear answer emerged. In fact, it was all uncertain. The only reason she could contact others in the first place was because of her unique ability. Now that she realized her opponent had turned that very ability against her, using it again would be tantamount to tightening a noose around her own neck.
For a moment, his face flashed in her mind.
‘So you acted all smart, noble, and enlightened, but the moment you’re dragged out into the open, you show your true colors. Hahahaha! You bitch! Can’t you see the mess you’re in? The way you’re flailing about… if I sliced you up raw, you’d probably just melt in my mouth! Mmm, just melts in your mouth.’
“…”
‘Just melts in your mouth… just melts right away.’
Instantly, rage surged through her.
“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!”
Without thinking, she swept everything off the table with her hands. The sound of shattering filled the air, but her mind, already losing its grip on reason, was incapable of rational thought.
“I’ll kill him! I’ll kill him! That detestable son of a bitch! That piece of trash!”
One by one, the luxurious items in the room began to break. It was heartbreaking to watch the collections she had so painstakingly gathered be destroyed. Porcelain, flower pots, rare items, simple ornaments, and precious metals—but if she didn’t smash everything in sight, she felt her anger would never subside. Even now, it wasn’t abating. Though she screamed and continued to destroy everything in the room, the suffocating weight in her chest refused to lift.
“That bastard! That weasel-faced son of a bitch! I could chew him to pieces and it still wouldn’t be enough! Cough! Blegh…”
Something unidentifiable rose from deep within her. As she spat out whatever came up, she saw that it was bright red blood.
“Cough… Uuuurgh!”
With a wet splat, a clot of blood covered her hand.
“Ah… ugh… A priest! Blegh! A priest! Get me a priest!”
The floor was smeared with the blood she had vomited. Broken objects were scattered everywhere. When she caught her reflection in a mirror, she saw the very picture of a defeated woman. Her blonde hair was a mess. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and her mouth and hands were stained with blood.
‘Fool.’
This was the very image the demon had described. Her beautiful eyes had lost their light, and her once-radiant skin had grown dull. As she bit her lip hard, she saw people rushing into the room.
“M-My lady Maria! W-What is all this…?”
“My lady! Are you alright? My lady!”
Members of the alliance rushed to help her up, but her legs kept buckling, completely beyond her control. Trembling, Maria grabbed the clothes of the person before her.
“A priest! Get me a priest!”
Her consciousness was fading, but she couldn't collapse. She was terrified that if she fell asleep, someone would take everything from her. The fear that the demon and his despicable subordinate might rip away everything she possessed was so great that she couldn't even allow her body to rest.
She had to be calm. Especially at a time like this, she had to be calm. Maria repeated it to herself over and over.
“Was there… anything unusual? A surprise attack… or perhaps…”
“No, my lady Maria. The monsters show no sign of entering the city, and the pursuit team from the continent has given up the chase.”
“Huu… huu… huu… That’s a relief. A relief.”
“Yes. You don’t need to worry. In fact, there is some good news.”
“What is it…?”
“It appears the Golden Saintess has successfully escaped from the Black Rock Mountains. I’ve heard that after resting in a nearby town, she will join other forces to tour the major cities and conduct relief efforts.”
“Jane…”
“Yes. Lady Jane.”
This wasn’t bad. It was hard to believe that the woman she had sent to the mountains as a sacrificial pawn had actually escaped, but if what he said was true, it wasn’t a bad situation.
‘I can buy a little time.’
It wasn’t an immediate escape route, but it could at least buy her time until she could come up with a plan. The Golden Saintess held a different kind of influence over the public than she did. She could resolve the declining public morale and the distrust in the command structure. She could build a great shield once more.
‘If I can just deal with the dwarves…’
“That… That is a relief. Please send a message to the Golden Saintess in my name. Tell her I have something important to discuss with her in person.”
“Yes, my lady. Understood.”
Even when the sky falls, there’s a way out. Suppressing another wave of nausea, Maria Trump slowly nodded.
*
“Thank you. Thank you, Saintess.”
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how we can ever repay this kindness…”
“Heehee. There is no need to repay anything. It is all the will of our Savior.”
“But still, how could you… all of this…”
“It is an honor to be able to work for all of you. These small things are nothing.”
The red-haired Anne nodded as she watched the scene before her. It hadn’t even been two months. That was how long it had taken for the metropolis of Washington, a city whose lights never went out, once a bustling hub overflowing with merchants and people, to fall into ruin.
It was always the common folk who suffered in war. She had known the war was having an effect, but the scene was more horrific than she had imagined. Anne swallowed nervously.
From the beginning, the cities and the continent had operated in an irrational way. Resources could only be procured from the forests. Yet the cost of staying in a city—water taxes, various amenities, even the taxes on selling goods—was steep. After the dungeons, production facilities, and forests that had run ceaselessly came to a halt, the state of the cities became dire.
The bubble had burst in an instant.
The factories that had once run ceaselessly went dark, and a life of plenty turned into a living hell overnight. Beggars and outlaws began to overflow into the streets, and crime erupted everywhere. Hunger and selfishness consumed the city. The guards, vigilantes, and clans meant to protect it were the first to take up arms, scrambling to secure their own interests.
‘To survive.’
It was all to survive.
“…”
In such a desperate situation, the way people looked upon the Golden Saintess was entirely predictable. She brought them scarce food, distributed it among the people, and stabilized the cities that were descending into lawlessness.
‘It’s a good thing.’
Of course, it was a good thing. It was good for the continent and especially good for the common people. You could see it in their expressions.
Anne fiddled with her firearm as she watched the Golden Saintess and the citizens from a distance. The relief effort, presented as a free food distribution, was incredibly effective at healing the wounded populace. The Golden Saintess, Jane, her entire being wreathed in holy power, paid no mind to getting dirty as she continuously poured her divine energy into the sick and injured. Those by her side were lining people up, preparing to hand out food.
It was a beautiful scene. At least, on the surface.
“Thank you, truly, Saintess.”
“It is all the will of the Savior. I am not in a position to receive thanks.”
“Th-Then how should we express our gratitude?”
“Praying together is more than enough.”
The sight of her firmly grasping the hand of a man who was little more than a beggar looked like a scene straight out of a storybook. And yet, Anne couldn't bring herself to smile. She knew what this relief corps was really trying to do.
While she was lost in thought, the Golden Saintess, Jane, appeared before her. Snapping back to reality, Anne quickly spoke.
“Ah. You’ve worked hard, Jane.”
“You’ve been working hard as well, Anne. You’ve looked a little down for a while now… Are you feeling unwell?”
“N-No, not at all.”
“Anne?”
“Yes…”
“Sometimes, I think you think too much.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Surely, surely you have heard it from the others.”
“Heard what…?”
“That you have received the Savior’s favor.”
“Ah…”
She had never received any favor. She had simply caught his eye by chance and was the first to survive. If she hadn’t possessed a decent unique ability, she, too, would have been reduced to a bloody pulp and died like the others.
“Th-That’s not…”
“To receive His favor is a great honor.”
“Ah… no. Th-That’s not it.”
“Don’t be arrogant.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, do not be arrogant. Do you see the stigma on my neck? I, too, am one who can say I have received His favor. You seem to think too much. Sometimes, just sometimes, I can read it in your eyes.”
“…”
“The same doubts I see in the eyes of those behind you. Even if you have His favor, I hope you will remember that if you continue to doubt His will, you may suffer the same fate as them.”
“Yes…”
Anne gave a short nod. She couldn't deny Jane’s words that she thought too much. She had already decided to stand on this side, and she had already committed sins. Thinking about other paths now would change nothing. The plan was already in motion, and the situation had reached a point of no return.
“That’s a much better expression.”
At those words, Anne slowly nodded and found herself looking behind her. From the firmly shut, magically sealed warehouse, screams were constantly leaking out.
“Please, save me… Please… My arm… my arm is…”
“Mmph! Mmph!”
“Agh… ah… I… I was… wrong…”
“Aaaaaaaah!!”
“Save… save me…”
“My leg… my… my…”
It was a cacophony of screams. They were followers from other temples undergoing a ‘purification’ ritual, along with the soldiers who had been occupying the city under the pretext of ‘protection’.
She couldn’t understand why the Golden Saintess was with Blood Dagger, or why she followed him as a savior, but there was no need to understand.
“Well then, I will head inside for a moment. Please continue your hard work until then…”
“Yes.”
The scene visible through the crack in the briefly opened door was a vision of hell.
“Heeheehee.”
From within, a deeply satisfied laugh echoed out, and Anne had to turn her head away.
“Hahahahahaha. Everything is for the Savior! All for the Savior!”