Chapter 44
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 44. Return of the Witch
Eris lay down and looked at the familiar ceiling.
There was a spiderweb on the ceiling.
Symmetry is crooked, central axis is off, density of adhesive surface is jagged.
Spiderweb looking roughly made by anyone. No sincerity.
Something was caught in that clumsy spiderweb.
It’s a bug.
Bug writhed.
Meaningless struggle.
Wings and legs tangled in sticky thread, structure tightening more the more it struggles.
Escape impossible.
Bug doesn't know that.
So keeps writhing.
Eris watched that.
Blankly.
Without any thought.
Don't know well why body is heavy like this.
Aftermath of squeezing magic power to the limit.
Plus climbing document mountain range.
Plus wall repair labor.
Plus. Plus. Plus.
Bug writhed again.
'……Cheer up.'
Gaze flowed down from ceiling.
Blanket is covered meticulously up to neck. Freya covered it. Honey candy is placed on bedside table. Sister Lucia left it.
Gaze moved a little further.
Something else next to candy jar.
Placed on white plate, golden caramel flowing down surface──
Black Knight Brand Pudding. Three of them at that.
Why is there pudding?
Ah, right.
Because Eris saved them.
This castle. Leon Oppa. Hero.
Wait.
Save? Hero?
Bubble bubble.
At first like air bubbles rising from underwater.
Deep inside head, something floated towards surface.
Fragmented scenes flashed by one by one.
Black robe. Pink ribbon. Brooch engraved with thorn pattern.
Hundreds of candles. No, thousands. Dark red light scans stone wall. Hooded priests are bowing heads. On the central altar──
Eris's eyes grew bigger gradually.
Air bubble pierced surface.
Pop-!
And burst.
Thorn Society. Seven Fingers Rank 6. Evil God Resurrection Ritual General Manager.
Remembered.
Who herself is.
Where came from.
Why is here.
Everything.
"Ah."
Foolish sound leaked from mouth.
"Eris was… Eris-nim."
Right.
Eris.
Thorn Witch Eris.
Pink Calamity.
Cutest, smartest, most special existence in the world.
Such Eris-nim is lying like a corpse in blanket.
Receiving pudding charity.
……
……?
Memory returning means objectification became possible immediately.
'Eri's' tracks. Days of amnesiac girl.
Defendant Eris.
Thorn Witch, Seven Fingers Rank 6, Pink Calamity, Cutest Girl in the World, hereinafter omitted.
Charge: Dignity damage, prestige loss, violation of Thorn Society dignity maintenance duty.
Trial started.
Evidence No. 1.
Lucia.
1st Imperial Princess Lucia Von Astellia.
What did Eris── no, 'Eri' call that woman?
'Sister.'
Called Sister.
Chased Imperial Princess calling 'Sister'.
'Sister~ Eri bored~''Sister~ Feed me this~''Sister~ Tie Eri's hair~'
Acted charming. Wagged tail… instead of tail wagged twintails.
'Eri, if do three more documents give pudding.''……Really? Big one?''Big one.'
Sold soul for one pudding.
Caught by snack and worked faithfully as slave every day saying 'Only today'.
Even smiled broadly feeling good when Lucia stroked head.
Eris's face started turning red slowly.
Evidence No. 2.
Freya.
Northern Grand Duke's daughter. Muscle brain. Barbarian.
Received kid treatment from such woman.
Kid.
This Eris-nim.
K, I, D.
'Eri is not kid! Petite!'
But Eri only made cute protest puffing cheeks.
Besides dragged to market and accepted candy Northern warriors gave.
Didn't refute even hearing 'Oh my cute'. Rather demanded confidently 'Eri is cute so give more!'.
Mascot of North. Idol of Frostgard. That was me? This Eris-nim?
Eris's teeth ground grind.
Evidence No. 3.
Aspect of trial changes from here.
If previous two cases were 'Shameful things', this case is 'Thing that shouldn't happen'.
Hero of Holy Sword. One chosen by Goddess. Thorn Society's nemesis.
Biggest obstacle to Evil God resurrection.
Looking at that Hero thought 'Cool'.
Even saved Hero.
Eris squeezed out last magic power to catch falling Hero.
Nosebleed flowed. Vision blurred. Still didn't let go.
Enemy.
Thorn Society's nemesis.
Risked life and saved.
"……."
Eris pulled blanket up to top of head.
Wanted to hide. Into blanket. Into ground. Into deepest part of Abyss.
Evidence No. 4.
Final Boss.
Black Knight.
Memories with Black Knight flashed like panorama in Eris's brain theater.
'Pitch-black bastard! Massage shoulders?''Want to come to my room tonight? Will tell scary story.''Actually I feel cold easily…… inside armor warm?'
Was it seduction? Is seduction correct?
Beauty and the Beast.
Strategic approach to buy Black Knight's favor to be liberated from labor and secure unlimited dessert.
Problem is next.
'Eri will specially be friends with you!''Unripe.'
Rejected.
Eris-nim was.
Eris-nim, cutest and noblest existence in the world!
Even said would be friend directly specially first!
Rejected miserably!
"Aaaaaaaaack!!"
Eris kicked blanket.
Kicked towards empty air.
Kick, kick, kick.
Pillow flew. Twintails fluttered crazily.
"Eris-nim's dignity!! Nobility!! Charisma!! Where did all go!! Where did it go!!"
Embarrassing. Want to die. No, want to kill.
Want to reset memory of all living things!
Need world destruction!
Evil God-nim, descend right now! Please! Eris asks sincerely!
But Evil God doesn't answer.
Because not resurrected yet.
Because resurrecting was Eris's job.
Because neglected that job and was eating pudding.
"Hoo… hoo… hoo…"
After storm swept once, coldly cooled anger remained in that place.
Eris's eyes became sharp. Evolved from cat to wildcat.
Black Knight. That guy must have known.
That she is Eris. That she is Thorn Society executive.
Same organization member. Rank 1. No way didn't know.
But pretended not to know.
Said picked up and made her laughingstock.
"Traitor."
Eris muttered.
"Monopolizing Evil God-nim's favor. While wearing title of Strongest Knight. While standing at apex of Seven Fingers."
What on earth doing here.
Territory management. Living with Princess. Cohabitation with Hero. Wearing apron and cooking. Walking with huskies. Hunting monsters and transporting loot.
Not things Evil God's vanguard does.
This is story of retired knight running farm in countryside.
"Is this newlywed life!!"
Slow Life Fantasy?
"We are fighting Church risking lives! He sits here cooking ha ha ho ho? Boiling tentacle soup? Is that what Rank 1 does?!"
Thorn Society's ritual?
Evil God resurrection project?
Contact with other fingers?
'Completely betrayed!'
Eris pulled twintails.
'Set up new household!'
Harder.
'Abandoning Thorn Society all, living lovey-dovey with Sister Lucia in North!'
And most unforgivable thing above all.
Dog sled.
Eris remembers.
Herself when arrived in North first.
Triumphant. Natural. Because Eris-nim.
Escaped Imperial Palace, combined with dessert trip, came to North to find Black Knight.
Snowfield where Frostgard is seen in front.
White snow. Blue sky. Refreshing air.
Eris was filled with certainty. Black Knight or whatever, if dragged in front of Eris-nim would tremble at feet. Would become doormat.
Standing on such certainty, walked North's snowfield confidently.
And dog sled came.
Eight huskies sprinting on snowfield. Murder tank ridden by black armored monster.
And collision.
Eris was stuck in snow pile. World became white. And memory turned off.
To think one called Black Knight of Abyss did surprise attack. Cowardly. Cheap. Shouldn't hit person with dog sled.
Not specified in Evil God's doctrine or Imperial law anywhere, but that is because too self-evident not because allowed.
Eris's deduction didn't stop here.
Step 1: Sudden concussion induction using high-speed mobile weapon (dog sled). Step 2: Securing and confinement of target in memory loss state. Step 3: Continuous injection of high calorie sugar (pudding, candy) to lower thinking ability. Step 4: Obliteration of ego through repetitive labor and remodeling into obedient slave.
"…Wow."
Eris opened mouth wide.
Goosebumps rose.
Premeditated crime.
Everything was Black Knight's conspiracy from the beginning!
Made lose memory, lured with snacks, made work, tried to tame like gentle sheep.
And if tamed enough?
Intended to make concubine.
Because Eris is pretty! Because cutest in the world! Because anyone would covet!
Self-consciousness excess?
Not at all.
Eris is always center of the world.
World revolves around Eris, all events head towards Eris, all conspiracies aim at Eris.
"Creepy. Really hate. Worst!"
Thump.
It was then.
Heart missed a beat.
Eris's taste is simple and clear.
Immutable truth unchanging before losing memory, after losing, and now recovered.
"Huh?"
Black Knight.
Overwhelmingly strong. Cold-hearted. Controlling others as he wills. Not caring about others' feelings at all.
Bad guy.
Thump.
Eris's heart beat once again.
Dangerous. This is dangerous thought circuit.
Eris applied emergency brake immediately.
'Wait. Let's be cool.'
Ideal type conditions are two.
One, bad guy. Satisfied.
Two, handsome.
Here. Can block here.
Eris tried to recall Black Knight's face.
Didn't come to mind.
Because that guy always wears helmet.
Never seen. Eris never saw Black Knight's bare face.
In other words, no proof he is handsome.
If no proof, innocent!
'Can't be handsome. Guy hiding face every day can't be handsome. If confident would take off. Why not take off? Can't take off. Because ugly.'
Logic completion. Refutation impossible.
Eris raised judgment flag.
'Ideal Type Checklist Item 2, Fail! Eliminated! Out! Beep beep!'
Let's fold feelings for now.
Now is time needing cold reality perception.
Summarize current status.
Location: Inside Frostgard Castle.
Surrounding Threats:
First, Black Knight. Strongest knight receiving Evil God's favor. Seven Fingers Rank 1. Head-on confrontation? Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Second, Hero of Holy Sword. Thorn Society's nemesis. If Eris's identity caught? Instant death. Even if not instant death, combo of arrest, interrogation, execution waiting.
Third, thousands of Northern warriors. Barbarian army loyal to Black Knight. Not amount Eris can break through alone.
To summarize.
State caught alone in middle of enemy base.
'No matter how cute and strong I am, this is impossible.'
Suddenly realized.
'Perhaps Eris-nim, big crisis?'
There is one fortunate point.
They don't know yet fact that she recovered memory.
They still think Eris is 'Cute girl Eri who lost memory'.
Harmless. Helpful. Liking pudding.
North's mascot.
Then can use this.
"Fufufu…"
Evil smile spread on Eris's mouth corners.
"Dare ram Eris-nim with sled? Erase memory? Tame with pudding? Underestimating Eris-nim… will pay back thousand times, ten thousand times."
Will revenge.
Everyone, will make pay price for taking Eris-nim lightly.
Growl.
Magnificent sound from stomach.
"……."
Eris reached hand from blanket.
Picked one candy.
Put in mouth.
Sweet.
Eris rolled candy in cheek, looked at ceiling.
Spiderweb visible.
Bug visible.
Still writhing.
Seems didn't give up.
Eris watched it for a long time.
And muttered.
"……Revenge not late even after eating all pudding."
Endurance for revenge.
Just eating sweet pudding instead of bitter gall.
Eris's hand reached towards second candy.