Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Treasure Chest
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“My name is Kaden.”
Calamity of Greed.
“Fool” Mormot.
But…
This wasn’t the name I knew.
The Calamity of Greed I remembered wasn’t ‘Kaden.’
No records of ‘Aka Calamity,’ no recollections, mentioned the name ‘Kaden.’
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[ “Fool” ]
Attribute
: 「Wind」
Unique Skills
: 【Repeating Narrative】
: 【…】
Unique Traits
: 【Fragment of Greed】
: 【…】
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Even when I looked at him through 【Laplace’s Eye】, it was the same.
No name was displayed.
Just one line.
Only the designation “Fool” appeared in the status window.
However, the 【Fragment of Greed】 in his unique traits, his faded gray hair, and green eyes infused with the scent of the forest.
Everything matched the ‘Calamity of Greed’ I knew.
Flick.
His hands clasped mine and shook up and down.
That hand… was warm.
It was unexpected.
The warmth transmitted from those pale, cold-looking hands felt like a plea: ‘I’m not a monster—I’m human, just like you.’
“I’ve wanted to meet you, Adele.”
Kaden said with an inexplicable smile.
Clear, vivid green eyes.
My reflection in that gaze sharpened.
“…….”
For a moment, it felt like time had stopped.
Time, flowing in seconds, splintered into instants, and those instants fractured infinitely into eternity.
I mulled over his words.
‘Wanted to meet me?’
The ‘one’ I knew… Calamity of Greed, Mormot.
But this man before me had introduced himself as ‘Kaden.’
And… had I ever met a man named Kaden?
‘…No.’
No matter how I searched my memories, in no time had I ever connected with the name Kaden.
Conversation is, by nature, an exchange of mutual intent.
But right now, this situation felt like a one-sided monologue.
Kaden knew me, but I didn’t know Kaden.
‘…….’
Even so, I couldn’t feel any hostility from Kaden.
From the start until now, he hadn’t shown even a hint of threat.
If anything, his posture was strangely natural and familiar.
It might just be an illusion.
But seeing that Lev and Delphine weren’t on guard at all…
It was clear Kaden harbored no ill will.
Flick.
I cautiously turned my head to glance at Lev.
A Calamity’s mere presence inevitably affects those around it.
Even without hostility, it could impact Lev…
“…….”
Lev was now holding the Mikurebi that had been lounging on my head, fiddling with it alongside Bahamut, utterly focused.
No special signs of abnormality.
Really… as if nothing was wrong at all.
Thud.
The carriage was quietly proceeding along its path.
I stared blankly out the window from my spot.
The torn fragment of time still lingered in my mind.
Those few seconds, eternal as they were… refused to fade easily from my heart.
“Ah~ Well, you see, Veronica kept begging me so much.”
Kaden, seated across from me, opened his mouth.
He began speaking as casually as if recounting his own heroic tale.
“I wasn’t going to do it originally, you know? I flat-out refused.”
Kaden let out a deflated sigh, crossing his legs and arms while casting his gaze into the void.
Like an actor stepping onto the stage… a gesture inviting anticipation.
“But…! Then Veronica gets on her knees and clings to me. What could I do?”
Veronica had never knelt.
Yet Kaden nodded earnestly, as if it were true.
Clunk—!
In that instant, the treasure chest in the corner made a loud noise on its own.
“Oh, by the way? This story has a mix of truth and lies in it.”
No one had asked about its veracity…
He brought it up himself and answered himself.
“Believe it or not, whatever. Thanks to that, I’m riding in this carriage now.”
Kaden leaned back as he said it.
Creak…
At that moment, the carriage began slowing down.
“Hm… We’ve reached the midpoint, I suppose.”
Delphine muttered indifferently and stood from his seat.
With a light sweep of his hand through the air, the treasure chest shoved in the corner of the carriage floated up lightly and headed outside.
…Thud.
Only then did I shake off my dazed, rigid mind.
I rose to my feet and followed Delphine out of the carriage.
“Ah, Professor~ Where’s the next carriage?”
As soon as I stepped outside…
Seros came bounding over from the opposite side, waving his hand at Delphine.
“We’ve got a long way to go, so let’s take a break in the village.”
Flick.
Delphine pointed with his finger toward the signpost at the village entrance.
“Wow~ Can I go buy snacks?”
“I recommend moderation. The rest of the schedule is tougher than you think.”
“Yep!”
Before the words finished, Seros bent at the waist in a deep bow and dashed off toward the street lined with stalls.
Those legs headed straight for the skewer vendors without hesitation.
And…
“Adele, you’re not going?”
I turned my head to look at Delphine standing beside me.
All shadows dispersed, leaving only Delphine’s shadow and mine where the carriage had been.
[We should.]
I nodded and passed the signpost at the village entrance.
Stalls had spread out colorful awnings, the sweet scent of pastries and oily aroma of skewers tickling my nose.
“Wow…! Carnel! Let’s eat that!”
Far off, Violet’s eyes sparkled as she pointed at cotton candy.
A massive fluff of it, shimmering pinkish-purple, soft and billowing like a cloud.
“Violet. Given the harsh schedule ahead, I suggest─”
“Ugh, whatever! Just eat!”
Violet cut off Carnel, handing money to the vendor.
Soon, the cotton candy was in Violet’s hands, puffed up to the size of her face, and she brought her lips to it with a childlike, beaming expression, slurping away.
“If you’re not eating, I’ll have it all?”
“…….”
Slide…
Carnel cautiously extended a hand.
But that hand was soon grabbed by his other, halting it.
A scene of reason blocking desire.
“Just one more!”
Flick!
On the other side, Seros shot his hand up high.
“Whew, you students sure eat a lot!”
The vendor chuckled, shaking his hands as he grilled another skewer.
Seros chomped on the skewer, oil smearing his mouth, full of admiration.
“…….”
I watched that landscape brimming with laughter and joy from afar, then flopped onto a bench.
The cold touch of the bench seeped into my back.
People passed time sharing their own smiles, but I wasn’t part of it.
This slight detachment from the group.
A distance laughter couldn’t reach.
This strange feeling of loneliness despite being with others.
And then—
“There you are, Adele.”
Slide.
A presence approaching unnoticed.
A long shadow stretching beside me.
Without lifting my head, I felt him plop down in the seat next to mine.
[What do you want]
“You seem especially prickly only with me. Is it my imagination?”
[Yes]
Gray hair fluttering neatly.
Green eyes holding a brilliant forest.
With the gentlest face in the world… Kaden looked at me.
“Adele.”
[What]
“Let’s make a bet.”
Whoooosh—
The wind blew.
As if timed to Kaden’s words.
The wind came from the far side of the village, carrying the scent of a tale.
“In one month… within that time─”
The wind brushed my ear… carrying time within it.
The weight of an instant called a month approached, bearing the name of eternity.
“You must kill me.”
Swish.
Wind swirled around Kaden’s hands… and thread-woven dolls appeared.
One had snow-white hair and golden eyes, the other faded gray hair and green eyes.
“If you fail to kill me…”
Rustle rustle.
The white-haired doll collapsed limply.
Behind it, the gray-haired one thudded atop.
“I will destroy this world.”
Roar—
The two dolls burned away.
Thread limbs crumbled, and the story within faded.
And then…
“By the way… if I go berserk, even that Veronica won’t be able to do anything.”
“…….”
“Of course, once the restraints are off, I’d die without a fight.”
As my silence stretched.
Kaden smirked and added.
“For the bet’s prize… how about the safety of the world?”
“…….”
…Yeah.
No matter how you wrap it.
No matter the ‘mask’ painted with smiles…
The being before me was—indisputably a ‘Calamity.’
***
“Omnomnom.”
Crunch.
Seros returned from outside the village where the carriage had been, skewer in mouth.
A leisurely stride matched his relaxed expression.
A satisfied smile bloomed on his lips.
“Huh?”
A silhouette appeared below the mountain ridge.
Seros squinted at it… and took another bite of his skewer.
“Professor~”
“Seros, is that you?”
Seros waved his hand high.
And… soon noticed something off.
“Huh, where’s the treasure chest?”
The treasure chest that should’ve been by Delphine was gone.
The one that had floated around so conspicuously had vanished completely.
“Oh, that? Bandits took it.”
“Eh.”
In truth, Delphine had planned to bury the treasure chest deep in the mountain valley…
But bandits appeared just in time, snatched it, and ran, letting him descend the mountain without regrets.
“Well, if there’s trouble, it’ll come back on its own.”
“Huh?”
How would a treasure chest walk back…
Seros stared blankly into space, expressionless, not understanding.
“…….”
Meanwhile—
After the sun vanished beyond the ridge, thick darkness blanketed the mountains.
A remote cave deep in the range.
Inside, shabby-armed bandits gathered.
“Hey… this really treasure, right?”
“Obviously, you idiot. Can’t you see the shine?”
Another snorted, chin-pointing at the chest.
They sat in a circle around the single chest in the center.
A sparkling chest.
The quintessential… treasure chest.
“Life-changing…”
“Kehe… Did you see that scrawny guy freak out and run?”
“Didn’t.”
“…….”
Thud.
They carefully lifted the chest onto a smoothed stone.
Excited faces, gleaming eyes.
This moment was what they lived for.
“Alright… open it?”
“Hurry up!”
Creak…
At last, the chest slowly opened.
Anticipation peaked…
And when the chest’s maw, holding its treasure, fully gaped—
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
What burst out wasn’t gold coins or jewels…
“What… is this.”
“A person?”
“A kid?”
Curled slightly crumpled, quietly breathing…
A person… no, a dragon.
“…….”
Cold sweat trickled down the bandits’ spines.
And… slide—
Those eyes opened.
Pupils void-filled.
At the center, vertically slit black irises.
“Yawwwn…”
Blink blink.
Veronica yawned hugely, mouth agape, taking in the bandits one by one.
Then…
“What’re you staring at.”
Crack—!
In an instant, the world flipped, and four bandits’ foreheads slammed into the ground simultaneously.
Regardless of their will… their bodies reacted first, ‘submitting’ to the being before them.
“What the— fuck.”
Step step.
Veronica walked out of the cave.
But… the sun had clocked out long ago, and the sky was pitch black.
“Where’s this.”
Flick flick.
She looked left and right.
Only a few trees and darkness visible.
“Ugh, damn.”
Veronica sighed deeply and turned back into the cave.
The bandits remained frozen in place.
Veronica stood slowly before them, hand to chin, and spoke.
“I know the way well, you lot.”
“…….”
One bandit twitched his head, thinking he misheard.
And… Veronica tilted her head up slightly, oh so naturally—
Raising her fist.
“I, I know the way well!”
“Me too!”
“I do!”
“M-me too…!!”
Their senses snapped alert as they thrust hands higher than their shoulders.
Only then did Veronica lift her lips in satisfaction.
“That’s right.”
Veronica walked thud thud back to the treasure chest…
Flipped the lid and shoved her body inside.
And then…
“I’m gonna sleep, so take me to the Great Forest nice and safe?”
“………Pardon?”
“……Where?”
Veronica’s voice didn’t come again.
Slide.
The lid slowly closed… faint, drowsy breaths emanating.
The sound unmistakably of someone already asleep.
““……….””
The bandits could only stare at each other, dumbfounded.