Chapter 40
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 40. Between Fear and Flutter
"Mirror, mirror."
Eris asked solemnly towards the mirror.
"Who is the prettiest in this world?"
The mirror does not answer.
But through Eris's brain filtering, even silence is converted into the meaning of affirmation.
"Fufu, I know. I know too. Too shy to say, right?"
Eris twirled her twintails with her finger.
Today's Operation Name: Beauty and the Beast.
Naturally Eris-nim is the Beauty and the Black Knight is the Beast.
Winning rate is 100 percent.
No, 20,000 percent!
Eris headed to the dining room confidently.
Now, operation start.
As naturally as possible. As lovingly as possible. As Eris-like as possible!
"G, Good morning!"
Shouted entering the kitchen.
Voice tone was perfect.
Bright, cheerful, sound clear like morning dew.
Across the dining table, the Black Knight wearing an apron was standing.
Red glint headed towards Eris.
"……Early."
"Yeah! Woke up early today!"
Eris approached next to the Black Knight.
"Thanks for making delicious things every day."
Remark usual Eris would never make.
Because Eris-nim is existence receiving thanks, not existence giving thanks.
But today is different.
Today's Eris is a hunter. To lower prey's wariness, slight concession is needed.
'Fufu… if Eris-nim greets thanks directly, he will be moved and maybe kneel? Too easy.'
The Black Knight paused for a moment.
Red glint shook minutely.
"……If hungry wait. Done soon."
That was all.
Far from kneeling, didn't even nod.
Eris's brow furrowed, then smoothed out soon.
The Black Knight held out a plate in front of Eris.
Today's breakfast is Unidentified Tentacle Soup floating dung dung on dark red broth.
Black Knight Banquet Roulette was a loss.
Naturally Eris screamed when suffered first time too.
Next few days ate crying.
And now──
'Surprisingly not bad?'
Since when, grotesque visual was not unpleasant.
Rather purple sauce writhing looks lively, and horn decoration rising with magic power feels artistic even.
Sister Lucia eats squeezing eyes shut. Brother Leon eats clenching teeth. Freya is a barbarian.
But Eris savors.
Lifted spoon.
One bite.
Nom nom nom-
Taste exploded in mouth.
Really something exploded. Purple sauce burst like small firecracker pang in mouth, spicy, sweet, bitter, and sour things rushed in simultaneously.
Experience of taste quadrant being totally occupied.
"Delicious!"
Eris put both hands on cheeks and spat out exaggerated exclamation.
"Breakfast is even more sincere today! This writhing texture! This indescribable color! Pitch-black bastard cooks usefully for his status!"
Red glint flashed through Black Knight's helmet gap.
"……If want to eat more tell me."
Fanfare of victory rang in Eris's inner self.
'Saw? Saw right? Said tell if want to eat more! This is definitely proof Eris-nim's charm is working!'
Of course Black Knight says same to everyone but such thing was not important.
"E, Eri? What doing now!?"
Lucia watching Eris's abnormal behavior turned pale.
In Lucia's eyes, Eris looked like a piglet walking into slaughterhouse on own feet.
"Eri, come here!"
Lucia beckoned. Eyes were desperate.
"Why~?"
"Just…… come here. Please. Eri doesn't know yet. That person is Black Knight. Black Knight! If show goodwill comes back ten times but all in scary direction. Understand my words right? Huh? Believe sister's words right?"
Eris made a meaningful smile.
"Don't worry. Eri is not a bad child stealing sister's thing. Pitch-black bastard is big so half share will be enough."
"Sh, Share… what…?"
Lucia made a flustered expression.
On the other hand, a festival was happening in Eris's inner self.
'Look look look! Sister's expression! That is definitely jealousy and impatience! Anxious because super beautiful girl like Eris-nim approaching Black Knight! Feeling harem hierarchy shaking!'
Naturally what Lucia was feeling was 100% organic fear.
'What if Eri stimulates Black Knight's desire? It was a miracle he was quiet recently, if Eri stimulates aren't we all eaten?'
Next to her Leona took out notebook with serious expression.
Scratch scratch.
Leona folded notebook grinding teeth.
"What everyone doing? Not eating? And Eri, eyeball embedded between tentacles there? Not gross?"
"Tsk tsk. Don't know this is charm point? Texture popping tok tok when eyeball bursts! Freya doesn't know gastronomy!"
Second step of operation.
Gift offensive.
Eris completed a masterpiece over two hours after breakfast.
It is a flower crown.
Handmade flower crown woven with her unique magic thorn vines.
Eris lifted her work high and shone it in light.
"……Perfect."
Curve of pink thorns. Pulsation of dark red flower buds. Organic beauty of vines coiled shape.
One and only handmade art piece in the world where Eris's aesthetic sense exploded.
Not human if not moved receiving this.
"Hey, what is that gross thing? Writhing! Not cursed item?"
"Why this gross!! This is art! Art!"
Commoner has commoner's aesthetics, genius has genius's aesthetics.
Natural that barbarian like Freya's aesthetic eye cannot understand value of this work.
"Flower bud is drooling saliva?"
"Beautiful because alive! Putting dead flower on head isn't more gross?"
Eris ignored Freya and headed to training ground.
Black Knight lives diligently for a monster.
Repeats routine of rolling Freya, running husky pack, swinging greatsword alone in training ground every morning.
Eris discovered Black Knight.
Was instructing something with huskies sitting in front.
Eris approached.
"Pitch-black bastard!"
Black Knight turned head.
Red glint illuminated Eris.
Eris lifted flower crown high with two hands.
"Here! This! Eri made! Take!"
Black Knight received flower crown.
Eris's eyes sparkled.
'Will wear on head now right? Naturally wearing right? No other use for flower crown!'
Success.
Now if wear that on head, Black Knight becomes Eris-nim's captive.
Black Knight held flower crown and──
Whoosh-!
Threw it towards husky pack just like that.
Flower crown flying rotating round and round like training disc.
Bark-!
Husky No. 1 leaped powerfully with hind legs and snatched flower crown in mid-air.
Bark bark!
Brought it wagging tail.
Whoosh──!
This time No. 2 and No. 3 jumped simultaneously. Mid-air collision.
Yelp yelp!
Flower crown to No. 4's mouth. Fisherman's profit.
Threw. Brought. Threw. Brought.
Bark! Yelp! Bark bark bark!
Eight huskies dug snowfield scrambling for flower crown.
Writhing vines became wet with saliva and drooped limply.
"Aaaaaaaack!!!"
Eris's scream echoed in training ground.
"That!! Is art piece Eri made taking two hours!!"
"Sturdy. Good material. Make more."
Token of love self made… became dog toy?
Scene where female lead would slap cheek and run away in ordinary Romance Fantasy.
But Eris's brain circuit bounced in bizarre direction.
'No. This is because Black Knight is naive! Likes Eris-nim too much, can't handle so reacts like that. Right, that armor is problem! Certain that my pheromone is blocked because of that thick iron plate!'
Eris clenched fist tight.
'Won't give up. Because Eris-nim is merciful. Will give one more chance.'
From that day Eris's seduction continued.
"Pitch-black bastard, massage shoulders? Eris-nim's touch is expensive?" "Want to come to my room tonight? Will tell scary story." "Actually I feel cold easily… inside armor warm?"
Black Knight's continuous ignoring.
But strange.
Eris thought lying on bed tearing pillow.
Mood… not bad.
No, rather.
'What? This thrill?'
When Black Knight looks down coldly. When denouncing useless. When refusing indifferently thud.
Every time spine chills and heart pounds thump thump.
'Eris-nim is clearly best beautiful girl… Why heart flutters receiving such trivial treatment?'
No memory, but nature engraved in body doesn't lie.
Eris, namely 'Thorn Witch' was existence worshipping Evil God and yearning for destruction.
Had tendency to be fascinated by overwhelming power and fear rather than ordinary kindness.
"Don't tell me…… Eris-nim's taste is bad boy?"
Not just bad boy but sadistic Black Knight?
'Plus taste is on hardcore side!?'
"No! Must be fear!"
Eris asked and answered herself.
"Eris-nim fluttering for such monster makes no sense!"
But her twintails swayed swoosh swoosh.
Usual Eri runs away seeing me.
Flinches if eyes meet, hides behind back if speak, screams if approach.
Sad but understandable.
Knight in story is cool. Knight in picture book wears white armor rides white horse saves princess. Children listen to that story sparkle eyes shout 'I want to become knight too!'.
But what if real knight stands in front of door.
Massive body over 2 meters. Black iron armor from head to toe. Red glint leaking through helmet gap. And low voice crawling out from deep cave.
Probably cry.
Santa Claus same too right.
Santa in picture is lovely. Fat grandpa wearing red clothes laughing ho ho ho distributing gifts is world's warmest image.
But Christmas dawn, what if unidentified giant old man invades house through chimney and stands at sleeping child's bedside really?
That is not fairy tale but crime. Trespassing plus stalking.
No matter how good intention, if direction is horror it is horror.
Santa must have had this worry too. Dilemma of wanting to give gifts because likes children, but cry if meet directly.
So chose method of leaving secretly while sleeping perhaps.
Rule of not giving gifts to awake children, maybe originated from painful experience 'Cry if meet'.
I understand Santa's feeling. Sincerely understand.
Just problem is Santa has chimney at least, I don't even have that.
But from few days ago Eri's behavior was strange.
Go to kitchen in morning Eri is there first.
"Good morning!"
Greets with bright voice.
If go on patrol Eri follows.
"Eri, scared walking alone."
Grabs my cloak end.
Sits next to me at dinner.
"Quite tasty."
Says my cooking tasty.
Ah, cute.
Pink kid lost memory fell in Frostgard. Crying and making fuss at first, now adapted quite well.
Close with husky pack too, bickering with Freya but good relationship, daily life of receiving head pats from Lucia and wasting snacks.
And now started opening heart to me too.
As expected me. Black Knight.
Romanticist Black Knight doesn't know defeat.
Even if words don't communicate sincerity communicates.
Result of cooking sincerely every day, protecting from monsters, caring not to hurt is finally appearing.
Following Lucia, Eri too.
Favorability of all party members rising trend.
This is exactly power of strategy showing by action rather than words.
Mm-hm. Satisfied.
And today.
When finishing husky pack training in training ground after lunch.
Tap, tap, tap.
Small footsteps heard.
Cheerful rhythm. Confidence loaded in steps. This footstep is Eri.
Eri had extremely triumphant expression today too.
Straightening back, lifting chin slightly, mouth corners raised slightly.
"Pitch-black bastard."
Eri inhaled breath.
Small chest swelled and sank.
"Eri will specially be friends with you!"
……
……?
"Be grateful."
Eri added.
"Originally Eri doesn't be friends with anyone. Fifty million people standing in line, but you look a bit pitiful so specially allowing cutting in line. Know it’s honor."
Is it party bond strengthening event?
But.
I looked down at Eri.
140cm. Pink twintails. Cookie crumbs on cheek.
This child is still young.
What I want is romance, but romance has order too.
Besides Eri is in memory loss state.
Doesn't know who herself is.
Relationship formed in such state is not real.
'Seems a bit early yet. Let's talk again when you recover memory.'
"Still early."
……Good. Up to here okay.
Nuance a bit cold, but meaning same.
"Unripe."
……
Comparing human growth to fruit ripening can be called literary, but sounds completely different meaning in this context.
Eri's movement stopped.
"……Un, ripe?"
Eri asked back.
Voice was trembling.
"Now…… Eri…… rejected?"
"……?"
"Eri said specially be friends?"
Voice volume started rising.
"Refuse! That?! As Black Knight!"
Crescendo.
Pink twintails started fluttering without wind.
Magic power reaction.
Already observed magic power going wild when Eri's emotion heightened.
Mainly occurs when angry or embarrassed.
Pink thorn vines were soaring stick stick under Eri's feet.
"Eri is! In the world! Cutest and noblest existence!"
One strand of thorn vine added per word.
"Such Eri coming down directly to be friends! Dare! Refuse?!"
Vines started crawling on training ground floor. Increasing gradually.
And something flashed in Eri's eyes.
"……Strange."
Vines stopped.
"This…… before too……"
Eri touched temple.
Expression changed. Anger changed to confusion.
"When pitch-black bastard ignores Eri…… this feeling…… knowing feeling…… feeling that must scold… bad Black Knight…?"
It was then.
Thump.
Ground underfoot shook.
"Uaaaaack?!"
Eris lost balance and fell. Magic power trying to rampage went in pop.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Low frequency vibration ringing through ground.
Entire Frostgard shook.
Magic power reaction.
Huge scale at that.
"Eri's anger shook the earth? As expected Eris-nim amazing… not!"
Eri waved both hands.
"Not me! Eri did nothing! Just got angry! Really! Not Eri's fault!!"
"Know."
Magic power reaction felt now is completely different nature.
Cold, deep, dark.
Energy of Abyss.
Rumble rumble.
Second vibration shook Frostgard.
Direction is──
North.
Ice Wall of Lamentation.
"Emergency! Emergency situation!"
Freya's voice heard from training ground entrance.
Northern Sword Princess running fluttering red ponytail. Twin swords clinking on waist.
Silver shadow appeared following behind.
"Direction of Ice Wall of Lamentation. Magic wave scale abnormal."
It is Leona. Holding Holy Sword without notebook. Leona holding Holy Sword instead of notebook looks 30% more competent than usual.
"Brynjolf is at wall! Warriors gathering urgently too!"
Freya answered.
"Lucia?"
"Sister is in office!"
Good.
We headed to wall.
Arriving at wall, Brynjolf was already there.
"Came, Black Knight fellow."
Brynjolf pointed north.
"Avalanche?"
"Hope end with avalanche level."
End of North. Ice Wall of Lamentation.
Huge ice barrier soaring north of Frostgard.
Black wave was rushing from beyond.
Scene of numerous monsters covering snowfield pouring towards ice wall.
Confirmed monsters teeming beyond ice wall during reconnaissance, but didn't know this extent.
"Monster Wave coming."
Hero's Holy Sword twinkled announcing threat.