Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Mer
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“Envy, it was great today too.”
“Hehe... You worked hard too, Naia.”
At first, everything went smoothly.
Just the two of them were more than enough to hold the front lines.
They had been defending the lines for over half a year with only those two.
Word of this reached the ears of the citizens in the west as well.
“It’s all thanks to this outfit Naia gave me. It lets me fight even more aggressively than usual.”
Envy was fighting in the battle suit that Rain had bought her before.
She was always satisfied with it and had been pondering whether to give it a nickname.
[Black Rose Silk Robe]
A bizarre robe with an option for 80% physical resistance.
“Wearing this, it really doesn’t hurt at all! Did you see that orc’s arm break earlier? Its own punch shattered on me!”
“Still, Envy... as a mage, it’d be better if you stayed a bit further back.”
“It’s fine! I’m tough against impacts anyway. Don’t worry.”
Envy’s fighting style had definitely become more aggressive.
Even as a mage, she was battling up front alongside Rain.
With physical resistance and shadow magic that was inherently strong against blunt force.
Normal attacks couldn’t even scratch her body.
“Is that it for today too...? Hmm, Naia, that doesn’t look human, does it?”
Envy stretched as she gazed toward the boundary line where the monsters had swarmed.
Something shaped like a human silhouette was slowly walking toward them.
“Not human...? Should I go check?”
“No, I’ll go.”
Judging that it was too risky for Envy to go alone near the monster base, Rain charged toward the human-like figure at high speed.
“...It does look like it.”
- Thud... Thud...
When Rain arrived, there stood a blonde girl.
With a savage crown of thorns strapped to her back.
Rain approached the girl closely.
“Hey there.”
“......”
“Say something.”
“......”
- Thud... Thud...
The girl kept walking wordlessly toward the fortress.
“Hello?”
Rain reluctantly tapped the saintess on the shoulder.
She couldn’t just let a demon race member head into the fortress like this.
- Plop.
The girl collapsed to the ground the moment Rain touched her.
“......”
Rain scratched her head.
She clearly came from the castle, but her appearance was human.
“If she were a demon, she wouldn’t collapse like this...”
She pondered. If she was a demon after all, it could be a big problem.
“For now... should I take her to the fortress?”
Rain slung the crown over her shoulder and carried the girl under her arm as she headed back.
“Na... Naia? What’s that? You didn’t kill her, right?”
“I found her.”
“She... wasn’t she walking fine just a bit ago?”
Envy looked stunned.
As if asking if she’d really knocked her out and brought her back.
“...She collapsed.”
Envy sometimes found her friend a little scary.
...
“So, that’s how you joined the west, Saintess?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
The saintess spoke to me with a bitter expression.
“...After that, we gradually got close. The hero... well, maybe not exactly.”
“......”
“I have healing abilities, and no real reason to harm humans.”
The saintess took a deep breath and continued explaining to me.
“Ha... If the reason you ran away was ‘just because,’ can you accept that, Oppa?”
The saintess smiled brightly at me.
This must be part of her circumstances too.
I understood her intent and didn’t pry further into that part.
“But even just those two should’ve been fine, yet the west now is...”
The west, accessible only in slave playthroughs, with low survival rates and too many variables to memorize everything.
Forums were full of complaints demanding it be toned down, but it was the game’s worst front line, never nerfed even once.
And those two—the hero who was once the Empire’s 3rd Sword, and Envy, ranked 50th—held it alone?
It didn’t add up.
Even the current strongest hero in the empire could barely maintain the battlefield.
And back then, without the saintess, it would’ve been even harder.
“They say it wasn’t this tough back then. Honestly... it got harder because of me.”
“What? Because of you, Saintess?”
The front lines got harder because of the saintess?
This was completely new information.
“My ability. They’re probably sending only elite demon soldiers here because of it.”
“......”
Now it made sense.
Her ability could reattach even severed limbs.
And humans who despise demons—how incredible must she be for them to revere a vampire like her as a saintess.
Her power must have seemed like a miracle to humans.
The demons probably felt the same threat.
“So where is Envy now?”
I hadn’t even known the hero had a comrade-in-arms.
She’d never appeared in the game.
Where could she be now?
“We’re on our second meeting now... and you’re curious about that too?”
“......”
The saintess covered her mouth with both hands.
She’d told me she was the Demon King’s daughter, so why act like this now?
“Oppa, promise me one thing then. You have an idea how I ended up sleeping outside, right?”
“......”
The saintess had her purpose.
But I couldn’t answer that.
Of course not. How could I openly explain the Hand of Abstinence effect?
If I touch women, they feel good. But only during a Body Search.
I’d be lucky not to be treated like a lunatic.
“...Just tell me that, and I’ll explain the rest.”
Honestly, I was curious.
The hero’s past— from what she’d said so far, the hero seemed like an ordinary girl.
Not some psycho holding a knife to my throat, asking if I wanted to join the shitheap.
“...I can’t tell you right now.”
“Oppa, come on? I just need to know how to sleep without a cradle.”
The saintess shook my shoulder in protest.
No, you wouldn’t tell me first.
“Ha... Come during my shift tomorrow. Then I’ll...”
“You first? What am I supposed to do if you won’t tell me?”
The saintess frowned as if she couldn’t believe it.
For a saintess to distrust people like this...
“You told me you’re the Demon King’s daughter, and now this?”
“Ha... That’s why you shouldn’t tell first...”
The saintess scratched her head regretfully.
“So you’ll really tell me, Oppa? It’s kinda hard for me to say this too.”
“Yes, how could I dare lie to you, Saintess?”
The saintess looked burdened about continuing, her expression crumpling.
She took a deep breath and stared straight at me again.
Unlike before, her face held no playfulness.
“Envy is dead.”
Shocking words came from the saintess’s mouth.
...
“Carmilla, I’ll be back.”
“Don’t get hurt. Envy. Treating you is tough. Rain, come back safe too.”
“......”
Carmilla and Envy had grown close before they knew it.
But Rain quietly disliked Carmilla.
For one, she was the Demon King’s daughter, and her goals were unclear.
“Look at her, Envy. She still suspects me.”
“Ugh... Stop suspecting her.”
Whenever they saw Rain’s expression, they’d team up to tease her.
Maybe seeing this would loosen her up, but Rain couldn’t stop suspecting.
She was a demon, after all.
“Once Carmilla’s back, let’s pick a nickname together.”
“Sigh, fine... Anyway, both of you come back safe. I’m off to sleep.”
Carmilla always saw Envy and Rain off like that before bed.
This daily routine repeated every day.
“Envy... Aren’t you pushing too hard today?”
“No, it’s fine. The saintess is here too.”
Was it because of that woman Carmilla’s ability?
To Rain, Envy seemed to be overexerting herself more with each passing day.
That was probably the biggest reason she couldn’t warm to Carmilla.
The ability to reattach severed limbs without a scar.
It was a power that could change the battlefield entirely.
So at some point, Envy started saying her body was fine and hunted monsters ahead of even Rain.
“Envy, lately... the monsters seem off.”
“Right? It feels harder than before.”
To Rain, the battlefield lately felt overwhelming.
Before, only small low-tier monsters like orcs or lizardmen appeared.
Now, large high-tier ones like cyclopes and ogres showed up often.
They needed to be careful.
“Still manageable though!”
“Envy...”
Yet Envy didn’t stop pushing herself.
To Rain, it felt like... she was conscious of her.
“Gotta keep up if I want to stay by Naia and Carmilla’s side. Hehe.”
“......”
No, Envy was clearly aware.
She’d recently heard that Rain might become the hero.
Rain, who might become the hero.
Carmilla, revered as a saintess, though they’d only recently grown close.
And Envy, the 30th-ranked mage.
She’d grown stronger through battlefield experience with Rain, but still hadn’t cracked the top 10.
That bothered her.
“Still, I’ve gotten a lot stronger thanks to you, Naia! Don’t worry.”
“Envy...”
Rain worried about Envy but also admired her efforts to keep up with her and Carmilla.
That was when it happened.
Rain shuddered at the sharp mana rapidly approaching.
“Envy!!!”
“Huh?”
A pillar of red light pierced through Envy’s body.
Rain might have reacted, but inexperienced Envy let her guard down for a moment.
Rain’s heart pounded wildly.
Why had she thought it ended with cyclopes and ogres?
Stronger monsters could appear.
Why only think of ones swinging fists and weapons?
This was the front lines.
But it was already too late.
Rain desperately searched where Envy had stood.
“C... Cough, E... Envy?”
Dust from the light pillar made it hard to see.
“Rain? I’m here!”
“Envy!”
Thankfully, Envy’s voice rang out.
Rain hurried toward it, relieved.
If the injury was bad, Carmilla could heal it.
Rain didn’t like her much, but she’d get along if Envy was saved.
But then Rain felt something strange.
An inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
“Envy? You there?”
“Right here.”
Envy stood trembling on her legs.
She looked hurt but in no mortal danger.
Rain’s racing heart calmed.
“Rain... Let’s hurry to the saintess. I’m hurting.”
Rain still felt that odd déjà vu.
But since Envy was unharmed, she took her hand, relieved.
“Yeah, let’s go. But where did that attack come from...?”
“No idea...”
A pillar of red light.
In all her time on the battlefield, Rain had never seen such magic.
If it came again, she probably couldn’t block it.
“Let’s head back quick. It’d be dangerous if it hits again.”
“Yeah.”
Rain hugged Envy and ran toward the base where the saintess waited.
By then, night had fallen outside.
“Carmilla, Envy’s...”
Carmilla was watching her and Envy from afar.
She might not care about Rain, but she and Envy were close.
She’d surely rush over to heal.
“Envy...!”
As expected, Carmilla ran to Envy upon seeing her.
“What the hell did you bring back!!!”
“...Huh?”
Carmilla snatched Envy from Rain’s arms.
Rain stared at her with trembling hands.
“Don’t...”
“Rain... Does that still look like Envy to you?”
Tears welled in Carmilla’s eyes and fell.
“S... Saintess, why? R-Rain... save me.”
Envy whimpered in Carmilla’s arms.
“It’s... Envy! Why...! Stop!!”
Despite Rain’s scream, Carmilla didn’t stop.
Rain had to save Envy... but her feet wouldn’t move.
“Envy... wouldn’t call you Rain. She doesn’t call me Saintess either.”
That nagging déjà vu from earlier.
Carmilla had sensed it too.
Envy never called her Rain.
She said full names were too stiff—friends use nicknames.
She’d been pondering a nickname for Carmilla.
But after that light... she called her Rain.
Yet Rain wanted to believe it was Envy.
Her only friend.
Losing her would make the world unbearable.
“Sorry... Envy. Farewell.”
Carmilla thrust her hand into Envy’s chest.
“!!!”
But the hand that should’ve pierced her heart...
Snapped against her clothes instead.
“What... This is no fun.”
A voice not Envy’s emerged from her mouth.
Seductive and mature, unlike her bright cheerfulness.
“Long time no see, Carmilla. How’d you know? Was my acting that bad...?”
Envy’s hair turned red.
Then she kicked off Carmilla and stood.
“Ha... This outfit’s tough, huh? I made it myself.”
Envy mocked Carmilla and Rain.
“It was just for spying on humans... but you brought it right to me. Thanks for the recovery.”
“......”
Because of the outfit?
Then Envy died because of her?
Rain clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms, blood trickling.
“...You came out front thanks to it, so my magic hit.”
Whatever was in Envy grinned at Rain’s expression.
Rain’s heart felt rotten to the core.
It was all her fault.
The outfit, Envy’s position.
If she’d done just one right, Envy wouldn’t have died.
It might be mere provocation.
But Rain’s judgment was paralyzed; Envy’s death was her fault.
“Hmm... Busted, so... I’ll be going. Bye.”
Rain couldn’t let her leave like this.
Sending her off would make Envy’s death solely her fault.
But Rain’s body wouldn’t move.
Guilt for killing Envy left her powerless.
“Mer...”
“Finally figured it out? You traitor.”
Carmilla realized the identity of the monster possessing Envy’s body.
Usurper, Mer.
One of the top executives who stole bodies, memories, and skills.
Carmilla couldn’t understand why she’d taken Envy’s.
“For now... with that blue-haired one here, I’ll come kill you next time. Bye-bye.”
“Stop... Envy, please!!”
Mer walked slowly out of the fortress.
Yet Rain could only call Envy’s name, helpless.
Curse herself for driving Envy to death.