Chapter 109
Chapter 109
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts Are Heard
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A fierce rain was now falling in Oblivion, the territory where it was said that any human who set foot there would lose all their memories.
The red-haired Astal and the Spirit Mage Anima had used wind to create a whirlwind, drawing seawater up and dropping it from the sky like a downpour.
"To be honest, it was a terribly reckless method. How far is the sea from here? Why did you choose this method?"
Shwaaaaaah─.
Along with the refreshing sound of the rain, the streets of Oblivion were now filled with beings holding umbrellas and slimes who had failed to avoid the rain in time, transforming into gooey, wobbling masses.
"It's nothing that impressive."
"That's not praise. What if the Four Heavenly Kings had discovered what we did?"
Victoria let out a deep sigh, voicing her worry.
Since the sea was a considerable distance from Oblivion, the other party might have noticed that the rainstorm was artificially created.
"It doesn't matter. I used the magic having already accounted for that. The Demon Realm is basically a barren, harsh place, isn't it? Something like a hurricane forming at sea and bringing rain will be overlooked."
The red-haired Astal was speaking to Victoria with a gentle gaze, as if telling her not to worry, but she couldn't shake her unease.
"That's not it... Haven't you noticed that not a single demon or monster, which we've seen countless times while traveling the Demon Realm, is in sight? Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
Not even the ever-present demons or monsters could be seen.
All the slimes, speaking and acting just like humans, gave off an eerie feeling.
"...Surely you're not thinking this is all a trap to catch us, are you? Victoria?"
"The possibility isn't small. This territory is densely packed with slimes imitating human appearances and speech."
Victoria voiced a one-in-a-million possibility.
That this entire territory was a trap from the start to capture their Hero's party, and Memoriam was the one who lured them here.
"Well, even to my eyes that see magical power, their disguises are perfect enough to make it hard to distinguish."
The red-haired Astal closed his eyes for a moment, as if thinking deeply, then opened them and agreed with Victoria's opinion.
It was all too suspicious.
While every being entering this territory was inspected for safety, once inside, there were only slimes mimicking human form.
"Could it be that instead of using slimes for inspections, they turn others into their own kind...?"
The Spirit Mage Anima shuddered, looking at the slime squirming at her feet as she spoke.
Its eyes, nose, and ears were melting away from the saltwater rain as it muttered incoherent sentences, creating a rather grotesque sight.
Despite being a powerful Spirit Mage capable of contracting with the Four Great Elemental Kings, Anima often showed a timid and innocent side.
"It's not an impossible theory. The basic instinct of slimes is to increase their numbers. Division and imitation are their ways of survival."
Taryon saw Anima's frightened expression and hugged her, trying to calm her down.
Having been a couple longer than Victoria and Astal, the two seemed to understand what the other needed without words.
"That could be it. After all, Memoriam is also famous as a gourmet who feeds on the memories of other beings."
Kyle also agreed that the territory itself might be a giant trap. If not, there'd be no reason to fill this vast territory entirely with slimes and have them mimic human form.
Even though the streets had become slimy with seawater rain, Oblivion's streets showed an indifferent attitude as if this were normal.
"No matter how much they've made human memories their own, their true nature is slimes, so they don't find losing form strange. It's not an external attack but a natural phenomenon."
Considering all the circumstances so far, the red-haired Astal offered his own deduction.
If people were melting on the continent, there would surely be crowds screaming or begging for their lives.
But the current streets were quiet as if nothing had happened. Even though this was the territory ruled by Memoriam, one of the Demon King Army's Four Heavenly Kings, this situation wasn't considered a particular problem.
"...Then it's highly likely Memoriam is hiding somewhere we can't find. Maybe causing a big explosion to create confusion would have been the right move after all."
He ground his molars hard, sounding slightly regretful.
If he'd used a slightly more drastic method, it might have been easier to distinguish enemies who revealed hostility toward them from real humans.
"We said that method wasn't like you, Astal."
Victoria sighed deeply, looking at Astal showing the opposite behavior.
Even though he now prioritized saving people by the rules, he wasn't a mage who showed such impulsive and aggressive sides.
"Then how do we distinguish them now? Rumors are already spreading in the newspapers that a tornado occurred far out at sea, causing this rain. As time passes, it'll become harder to find real humans."
The red-haired Astal felt a slight jealousy toward the original personality.
He couldn't understand what was so good about the original, who hid despite hearing Victoria's inner thoughts due to guilt and anxiety, and rejected her confession.
"Given that the slimes are maintaining human form so obsessively, it's likely more a fanatical fixation than a trap. We should lure the opponent to come to us." The red-haired Astal was listening to the inner thoughts of the original personality, who was voicing a different opinion from within.
Our magical abilities are similar, our talents and capabilities are similar... what's the difference between him and me?
We even share all the same memories.
"No, thinking about it, with someone this obsessed with humans, would there even be any living humans in this territory? If they've all been turned into slime food, their brains sucked dry until they become vegetables, that would actually be fortunate."
"That's too harsh! Even so, there are people who were forcibly brought here by the Demon King's army!"
Victoria was genuinely angry at the red-haired Astal's words and behavior.
The side of him that was more sincere than anyone about saving people, showing selfless concern for others before himself, had disappeared in an instant.
"...Have those people ever properly helped us even once? We struggle desperately to save even one more person!"
The red-haired Astal was also getting irritated at Victoria. They had tried to save as many people as possible when dealing with Bellamora before, and when subduing Duran.
"Over the past year, to survive in the Demon Realm, we've sold blood, sold dreams, even sold our lifespans."
Unlike the currency generally used on the continent, what was used in the Demon Realm Tartarus was blood, dreams, or lifespans.
If they prolonged the fight with the Demon King or tried to save as many people as possible, the Hero's party would inevitably suffer losses in this structure.
"Then what reward should I, who stopped the continent's strongest mage from trying to die, receive?"
"......"
"A Hero isn't someone who saves people to receive rewards from others, is he? Lord Astal."
Victoria spoke while gently stroking the red-haired Astal's cheek.
"The reason I value you, a mere mage, more highly than Kyle, the Hero chosen by the Lord God, is precisely because you dream of ideals without being attached to such things."
"What ideal is that..."
"The absurd ideal of saving everyone. I love your kindness that wants to ensure no one dies."
As Victoria said, the goal of saving everyone was indeed an ideal difficult to achieve.
Even Kyle, the Hero chosen by the Lord God Odin, had said when they first met that he couldn't guarantee the safe return of everyone captured in the Demon Realm, let alone this party.
"But you've always silently kept to that, haven't you? You even faked that orc friend's death in Duran's arena, didn't you?"
Victoria spoke with a gentle smile.
As someone who had watched Astal more closely than anyone, she knew why he was trying to take such impulsive and drastic measures.
"Please speak honestly. Aren't you actually afraid of us, your comrades and lover, dying? So you want to subdue the Demon King safely even if it means unavoidable sacrifices?"
"...I can't win against you. Yes, to be honest, I just thought the very idea of going to save humans here was too dangerous."
The red-haired Astal spoke softly under Victoria's touch, like a dog letting go of its aggression.
"If you look closely at this territory now, you can see how obsessed he is with human experiences and memories... Would he just leave us alone, who are anything but ordinary humans?"
"A valid point. Surprisingly, the other personality also thinks things through well."
"Anyway, I hate the thought of you losing your memories more than I hate dying myself. Especially since Victoria and I haven't been dating that long."
The red-haired Astal tried to hug Victoria as he said this, but could only flail at empty air as if there were an invisible wall.
"I read a bit of the newspaper earlier. It said there's a museum here where not only human memories and experiences but actual captured humans are kept."
Blocked from showing affection to Victoria by the original personality, he spoke with a slightly gloomy expression about the information he'd just learned.
"But going there will be truly dangerous. Memoriam has probably prepared thoroughly, knowing we'd come to save people."
"Would there be any objection? We should go save people as you always do, Mr. Harmless Mage."
Victoria stood on her tiptoes and patted his head as if praising him, adding a few words to ease his worry.
"And even if I lose my memories, I'm confident I'll fall in love with you again. The opposite would be true too. So don't worry too much."