Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Forcing a Choice
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If I had any questions, I should just ask directly.
I knew that simple truth well, and there was no reason not to act on it.
"Are you that madwoman who climbed the cliff to reach the village...?"
My tone was quite polite, but the content was utterly rude.
"I'm not crazy, I told you."
I had no idea how rumors about me had spread through this tiny village.
Being treated like a lunatic everywhere I went was starting to get to me a little.
"...Even though you appeared without a sound, you're speaking to me like this, so I can assume you have no intention of harming me, right?"
"Yes... well, for now, at least."
From the way things were going, this man didn't seem like a villain.
So, I had no plans to harm him right now.
That didn't mean I trusted him, though.
He might just be pretending to be good on the surface.
"...In that case, what brought you here? What are you curious about?"
"Uh, quite a lot. Is that okay?"
"I didn't expect you to quibble over that after coming here like this."
"Fair point."
Since I'd already come this far, debating rudeness or propriety was pointless.
So, all I had to do was get everything off my chest.
"You're not a demon worshipper."
Not only had his appearance not melted away, but that distinctive unpleasant aura was absent too.
In other words, there was a high chance this man wasn't a demon worshipper.
"That's correct."
The man calmly acknowledged the fact.
In a village teeming with demon worshippers, for the village chief to not be one must feel utterly alien, yet he met my gaze without flinching, as if he had nothing to hide.
"First off, could you tell me how this village came to be?"
"This village was originally a natural fortress of the Heron Kingdom, but since it fell out of use, we settled here."
That made sense.
It was absurd to think a mere hundred or so people could carve out dozens of caves from a rocky mountain.
This village hadn't been built by them; they'd simply taken up residence in something already there.
"The biggest mystery is solved."
With that incomprehensible puzzle resolved, a bit of mental space opened up.
I naturally perched on the table by the window, rubbing my battered fingers from the cliff climb as I continued with my questions.
"Alright then... next question. This might be the main one."
Having heard and seen things while wandering around, rather than asking what these people were, I inquired about why the cure involved becoming a demon worshipper.
The answer was surprisingly straightforward.
"Everyone gathered here was suffering from an incurable disease that current medicine can't treat. The only way to resolve it was through the demon worshipper ritual."
"So, why is that ritual the solution?"
"What exactly do you think the demon worshipper ritual is?"
"...Uh, um."
Come to think of it, I knew about demon worshippers, but not the ritual to become one.
I just had it ingrained that a ritual turning someone into such a horrific being couldn't be anything good.
"The demon worshipper ritual involves offering blood as a sacrifice to draw the power of the demon world into one's body."
"Sounds sinister just hearing about it."
"The method may be sinister, but if the heart of the one using it is upright, does that matter?"
"You're calling yourself upright?"
"Yes."
This guy wasn't right in the head either.
Well, that explained why he'd choose a demon worshipper ritual as a cure.
It was the kind of idea no sane person would have.
"Before performing the ritual, I obtained permission from myself and my family, so I have no shame."
Perhaps sensing my gaze, the man added that bit.
"I didn't say anything. Anyway, how does that ritual cure the disease?"
"...Drawing the power of the demon world into one's body greatly increases life force."
"Sounds good?"
"In normal cases, it's absolutely not. The body can't handle the immense life force and melts away—that's why those who undergo the ritual end up with such grotesque appearances."
Overabundance is as bad as lack.
The body melts because it can't contain the overflowing life force...
A sudden question popped into my mind.
What if someone strong enough to withstand that immense life force underwent the ritual? What would happen?
The curiosity arose, but it wasn't the time to ask, so I let it pass.
"I sought to harness that life force. No matter how incurable the disease, I believed the immense life force could overcome it—and I was right. I've saved over a hundred people from incurable diseases. Though... their appearances became grotesque, it was all done with prior consent, so it's unavoidable."
"If it was with consent, I have nothing to say."
Today, I'd looked at the faces of the people living here.
Though their melted features made expressions hard to read, to me, they seemed lonely but accepting of their lot.
Still, something felt off about leaving it at that.
Who was this man to know all this, and why had he cured over a hundred people this way?
"Next question: why did you save these people?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"What's the reason for treating over a hundred people with a method the world wouldn't approve of?"
Just because he's kind? Because he wanted to help?
No.
The man before me might not be a villain, but he wasn't a saint either.
He had a scent similar to mine.
He helped because he wanted something in return.
Pure, selfless goodwill exists, but not for people like us.
Undergoing the ritual over a hundred times, risking being dragged out and burned alive if discovered—that alone meant he wanted something.
"Should I be honest?"
"Honesty would be nice."
That way, I can decide how to act from here.
The man stared at me intently before sighing and pulling up a chair in front of the table where I sat, settling into it.
He seemed to judge me harmless; his posture was relaxed.
"I wanted to save my daughter."
"...Pardon?"
"I'm a doctor. A rather successful one, at that."
The man began recounting his story in a dry tone.
"The moment I realized my daughter had an incurable disease, I tried every method available. As a successful doctor, money wasn't an issue, and I had pride in my skills—but it wasn't about skill or money. It was like a fate sent from the heavens."
That's what incurable diseases are.
Trivial compared to what this man described, but...
Hadn't I been the same?
Narcolepsy that struck out of nowhere one day.
No hospital, no matter how grand, could cure it.
It wasn't about technology or money; it was just incurable.
A curse from the heavens that hated me.
"But she was a precious daughter, born late in life. Even knowing giving up would bring peace, I couldn't. So I visited temples, prayed, acquired all sorts of knowledge. That's how I found this method."
"That the demon worshipper ritual could overcome the disease?"
"Yes."
"Then is your daughter here too?"
"...It took me nine years to realize this method."
"Ah."
She'd had about three years left.
Nine years had passed, rendering it all futile.
With the daughter he needed to save gone, what was the point of his actions now?
I could guess, but hoped I was wrong.
"...I couldn't save my daughter, but now I save others like her. That's all it means—nothing more, nothing less."
"Tch..."
I clicked my tongue briefly.
I didn't know if it was true.
It could be a lie to escape the current situation.
But if it was true, it was infuriating yet tragic, repeating such acts.
Atonement and self-consolation.
"What about your wife?"
"After our daughter died, she got fed up with my endless search for a cure and left."
"Irresponsible."
He really was.
Endearing as a father, but the worst as a family head.
Not my concern, but I was satisfied learning this place's backstory.
"Anyway, that's all my questions."
"Then may I ask some now?"
"Mm, sure."
Answering wasn't hard, so I nodded readily. The man pondered briefly before speaking.
"Are you from the temple?"
"...The temple sent me. But does it show?"
"Several priests have already visited. They heard my story, pitied us, and turned a blind eye to the village."
"That's why the temple calls them corrupted."
I didn't know where they were now, but no matter the story, if caught, they'd burn alive.
No, they definitely would.
The temple sending healthy people to become demon worshippers undercover was dishonorable in itself.
...Huh.
Then what about me, knowing this?
"...Please. Could you pretend you saw nothing? We have no interest in demons. We harm no one, support each other, and live gratefully for tomorrow."
The man's plea sounded distant and hazy.
More pressing was my anxiety: what would the temple do to me, now that I knew?
Even if Shan vouched for me between the temple and me,
Even if Shan was a skilled silver-rank adventurer,
Would Shan really mediate for me?
Really?
I couldn't say "yes" with confidence.
Since being thrown into this world, the one thing I'd felt bone-deep was the malice of the world poured upon me.
I thought we were somewhat close, but did Shan feel the same?
Doubt crept in.
And suspicion toward the temple too.
"......For now."
I meant to say I'd watch the situation a bit longer.
But before I could speak, a familiar voice echoed in my head first.
[Found it! You're really far away... Even if we set out right away with everyone gathered, it'll still take half a month.]
Half a month.
The saint would arrive here within that time.
To slaughter everything.
The information given to me was too fragmented.
The situation was forcing another choice upon me.