97
Chapter 97
I stepped out of the room where that bastard Balzac was, feeling a lingering sense of disgust. A wave of regret and emptiness over what I had just done came crashing over me like a tide.
Of course, I wasn't a complete idiot.
I wasn't about to spout nonsense about how revenge is meaningless, or how we should forgive our enemies to break the cycle of hatred.
If someone wrongs you, it's only natural to pay them back.
Especially since they dared to lay a hand on my people.
So the revenge itself wasn't the issue.
Up to that point, everything had been perfect.
-Nghoooo!!!
-Glug glug glug♡
Those moans.
The sight of a middle-aged man in his mid-forties begging and pleading for them to stop putting things inside him because he was at his limit.
All of it had polluted my mind.
It made me wonder if this was how it felt to come face-to-face with Cthulhu.
"...Urk."
I naturally felt bile rising in my throat.
Why was that?
Revenge was supposed to be a satisfying act that cleared your chest. So why did I feel like I was the one who had been tortured?
Since Rubia had been subjected to the equivalent of two syringes, I had cheerfully prepared a torture drug to pay him back a hundredfold.
But in the end, I was left with enough for 50 more doses.
It seemed I had greatly overestimated my own stomach.
I thought I had gotten somewhat used to seeing dead bodies.
But in the face of such a violent spectacle—a middle-aged man dripping bodily fluids from every orifice, clinging to me and begging for mercy—I was utterly powerless.
'This is seriously driving me crazy.'
Was this what they called the white bear effect?
The damn phenomenon where trying not to think about something only makes you think about it more was tormenting me.
With a sickly expression rotting away on my face, I walked on... until I soon ran into a welcome face.
"Are you feeling alright? Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?"
Rubia nodded at my words.
I had laid her down to rest after treating her with my Stigma. It seemed she had just woken up.
I stared at her for a moment before finally opening my mouth.
"Ah, come to think of it, would you like to go see that bastard Balzac?"
Come to think of it, Rubia was the one who suffered the most at Balzac's hands. It would be strange to take my revenge without her, wouldn't it?
'Balzac was definitely being handled by those three right now.'
Ciel, Lucy, and Rien.
For once, those girls had come to me with a request first. They insisted that they needed to punish him as well.
Since I was, at my core, a decent modern citizen.
I tried to stop them, thinking it would be a bit too much to keep tormenting someone who had already been reduced to such a state....
-Because he tried to take away someone precious. He deserves a fitting punishment.
Ciel had spoken with absolute conviction.
-If the Empire's Sword Master suddenly disappears, it will undoubtedly cause a massive uproar. We need a cover-up. How about I shove another soul into his body?
Lucy had even provided a fairly rational reason.
There were plenty of souls out there who desired a living body.
It was entirely possible to select someone suited for acting and have them mimic Balzac.
However, to do that, they first needed to completely shatter the original owner's ego.
Those two were completely brimming with enthusiasm.
As for Rien, who was caught in the middle... it seemed like she was only half-heartedly joining in because she felt pressured since the other two were so eager.
Regardless, the three of them were probably hard at work on the preliminary procedures for the possession right now.
Rubia must have built up a lot of pent-up frustration from being tortured by that bastard. Let's have her relieve her stress and settle that grudge.
With that in mind, I turned around and opened the door to that room again.......
And then I closed it.
Quickly, before the gruesome scene painted in red could enter Rubia's field of vision.
'...For some reason, Rien seems to be the most enthusiastic.'
The sound of laughter echoed from inside.
It sounded like they had completely lost their minds.
It was a grotesque spectacle that even I found hard to look at.
If Rubia, who was already quite timid, were to see it, she would definitely faint.
"...Excuse me."
That was why I was subtly blocking the doorway. But she looked like she wanted to say something to me.
"Um... I understand how you feel, but it really is better if you don't see this."
I gave her that advice with genuine sincerity.
But seeing the expression on Rubia's face, it didn't seem like she was trying to ask me to let her inside.
What could she possibly want to say?
I stared at Rubia as she continued to avert her gaze from me.
Only after a long while did she finally open her mouth to speak, her face flushed.
"T-thank you."
She was thanking me for saving her.
Thanking me for choosing to save her, even though I knew it was dangerous, and knowing full well that one wrong move could cost me everything.
It was a heartwarming sentiment.
However... I hardened my expression and spoke.
"I'm the one who should be saying that."
This time, I wasn't in a position to receive thanks; if anything, I was the one who should be thanking her.
Why else would someone on the level of an Imperial Guard from the Imperial Family suddenly come looking for Rubia? There was only one possible explanation.
The potion business.
It was because of the proposal I had offered her. They must have caught wind of it.
So, in truth, I wouldn't have had anything to say even if she had resented me.
Even when that timid person was being tortured, she had bitten her tongue and endured it for everyone's sake.
She had even told me to abandon her and run, fearing that I might be caught by the Empire.
So, how could I just stand by and let this slide?
I told Rubia.
That she was truly a precious existence to me.
Whether my identity was exposed to the Empire, or whether I got caught.
If her life was on the line, I would have done anything. And that was only natural.
So, the next time she found herself in danger, she shouldn't worry about the circumstances and just ask me for help.
After my long-winded speech finally came to a close.......
"......."
"......."
An incredibly awkward silence followed, so heavy it felt like it would suffocate us at any moment. We couldn't even look at each other for a long time.
Naturally, regret began to well up inside me.
'Did I go a bit too far?'
I was the one who should be apologizing, but since she was the one thanking me instead, a mix of guilt and gratitude had overwhelmed me, and I just blurted out whatever came to mind.
I couldn't help but think that I had said something far too burdensome.
But even so, I couldn't exactly take back the words I had already spat out.
Just as I was standing there, completely at a loss for what to do.
"N-now that I think about it. Was that call that came through back then from you?"
Rubia suddenly attempted to change the subject.
The way she stuttered over her words was incredibly awkward, but...
"A call?"
I also desperately wanted to do something about this atmosphere. So, I continued the conversation with her.
After listening to what she had to say....
It seemed she had struggled because the communication device had suddenly rang right when she was trying to trick Balzac and send him away.
However, I hadn't sent any sort of communication.
Just in case, I asked the other three as well, but it seemed they hadn't contacted her either.
"That's strange. Informants usually have a set time to make contact. Maybe it was just something like an advertisement?"
Rubia muttered to herself.
I pondered for a moment, then began gathering the shattered remains of the communication device.
'Well, it's not really that important of a matter anyway.'
Whether I would be able to oversee the repair of the Holy Sword myself, or if it would be better to leave it entirely to the Dwarf.
It was a decent opportunity to figure that out.
The minigames I had played in the previous installment.
Recalling them, I started fitting the broken pieces together this way and that. I didn't really need any complex equipment.
I still wasn't used to it, but this body had already far surpassed the realm of normalcy.
Hammering could be completely replaced with punches. Fire could also be easily solved with simple magic.
In less than 30 minutes.
In the meantime, the communication device had completely regained its original shape. I had also restored the spell formula engraved on it, so it would probably work properly.
I played the voice message as a test.
[Hello, Valued Customer Rubia! I am contacting you because there is an issue with the product you ordered.]
An ordered product?
Did she purchase materials to repair the training ground or something?
While I was thinking that and feeling suspicious.
"......!"
Rubia's face flushed with panic.
Her face turned pale. Sweating profusely, she lunged at me.
It was a sudden situation.
If I had messed up my strength control, Rubia could have gotten hurt. So I couldn't dodge....
Soon, something soft touched my face.
Something that completely covered my vision and suffocated me.
It was impossible to visually confirm what it was. But the tactile sensation told me exactly what it was.
Naturally, my own face flushed with panic as well.
"W-where is the stop button for this?!"
But it seemed that didn't even register in her mind. Holding the communication device she had snatched from me, she asked that.
I asked her why she was acting like that.
......No, I was about to ask.
But before I could even put the question into words, an answer came back. And from a very unexpected speaker.
[The 50-pack set of white adult diapers for women you ordered, Customer Rubia, is out of stock. You'll have to choose between blue and pink...]
I heard a loud crash as the communication device was smashed to pieces, but.
It was far too late.
Rubia, who had been pinning me down, stood up.
Awkward eye contact.
I didn't say anything, but Rubia opened her mouth first, as if trying to make an excuse.
"There really are all sorts of weird pranks out there. Imperial trends are seriously hard to keep up with. Ahaha...."
She was crying while smiling.
I tried my best to put on an expression that looked like I was convinced by that lie.
But it seemed I had failed.
Rubia went somewhere, and in her place, a sobbing, bright red beet appeared in front of me.
The beet couldn't make eye contact with me and tried to run away, but...
-Crash!
She fell.
And quite spectacularly, at that.
Her desperate escape was in vain, as the beet, having injured her leg, had to come back to me to get healed.
......How should I put this.
She was truly a Noonim who didn't act her age in so many ways.