Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Flower Saint's Inner Thoughts Are Heard
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After seeing Astal and Victoria off, the first thing the Hero Kyle did was infiltrate the back alleys of the Nightmare Theater.
"Kyle, was it really necessary to come to a place like this?"
"Kyle must have his own reasons for this."
Moving from a place bathed in dazzling lights and welcoming buildings to a dim, foul-smelling area, his comrades couldn't hide their confusion and each voiced their thoughts.
Why would he avoid the happy, joyful places and insist on exploring a location like this first?
They thought entering the so-called 'movies'—the dreams—here would be effective in learning the Succubus Queen's weakness, but...
"...I have something to check here. Places like this usually hide their dark sides deep beneath the bright surface."
The Hero Kyle's judgment was different. He couldn't comprehend why Bellamora was being so favorable to them.
No matter how much she felt attracted to Astal, he couldn't figure out the source of her confidence in postponing his death by a week.
Unless she truly felt disillusioned with life and wanted to die, it was a far too suspicious proposal.
"Let me ask you a question. Why did Bellamora seduce Astal to go watch a movie?"
To resolve such doubts, Kyle asked his comrades for their opinions. He needed to confirm if his current line of thinking was wrong.
"Probably to keep Victoria in check, right? Astal and Victoria haven't been dating that long to begin with."
"If that were the case, she would have trapped us in an illusionary dream like last time. Why choose a difficult method when an easier one exists?"
"...That's true. Come to think of it, last time she deliberately avoided us and ran away."
"Previously, it was clearly a dream with a sense of disconnect. It was odd that she didn't use the succubus's true weapon—an endless nightmare—or an illusionary dream vivid enough to confuse with reality."
Anima nodded in agreement with Kyle's opinion. Originally, succubi were a race that could burrow into people's memories and manipulate dreams as they wished.
If Bellamora wanted, she could trap them for what felt like an eternity, making them wander without knowing if it was a dream or reality.
"Right. Bellamora's epithet originated from trapping those who opposed the Demon King in endless nightmares, making them fight each other to mutual destruction."
The Hero gritted his teeth as he recounted what he knew.
This was precisely the reason why so many from his family, famous as Dragon Slayers, had been massacred.
Even with minds of steel and strength powerful enough to behead dragons, they couldn't withstand Bellamora's illusionary dreams.
There were too many points that didn't add up for her to be sparing them simply because she liked a man.
"Last time's illusionary dream was a scouting mission... Is that what you mean, Kyle? To lure us into her home ground, the Nightmare Theater, and kill us all at once?"
"Exactly. Her goal is probably to pull Astal into a dream to make him her ally... or if that fails, to kill him."
Kyle nodded in response to Taryon's realization. No matter how he thought about it, that was the only conclusion.
"Bellamora knows that no matter what means we use, we can't defeat her."
There must have been such a reason for the confidence that allowed her to hide the Hero's party in her territory and even grant a week's grace period.
"What?! Then we need to go save Astal and Victoria right now...!! This isn't the time to be here!"
Anima's face turned pale as she realized the shocking truth. She grabbed Taryon and Kyle's arms, trying to pull them toward the cinema Bellamora had headed to earlier.
"Calm down, Anima. In the end, Astal and Victoria are likely the only ones among us who can match Bellamora."
"...What? Why on earth do you think that?"
Seeing Anima like that, Kyle held her shoulder as if to calm her, and she tilted her head, not understanding his reasoning.
"The best way to deal with an illusionary dream is to recognize the disconnect from reality. As long as you realize it's a dream, you won't be swayed by any temptation Bellamora uses."
Kyle recited the method Astal had mentioned last time. Though he didn't know that the reason Astal and Victoria had entered a contract relationship was to deal with this very situation.
"Do you really think that's possible? Last time, except for Astal, none of us properly handled the illusionary dream!"
"This time, if Victoria enters Astal's dream with him, I think we have a real chance."
"...What?"
"Astal and Victoria are dating now. Bellamora will probably try to drive a wedge between them using dreams... and to overcome that, there's only one way."
Kyle spoke with a confident smile. He was certain after seeing Bellamora's jealous look at Victoria earlier.
Seeing how she even brought up Astal's parents to steal him away, there must be some premeditated plan or trick behind it.
"Enter the dream together, break it directly, and strike Bellamora? There's no way the cunning succubus wouldn't know that...!"
"No. Precisely, she knows the weakness but will allow it."
As he said that, Taryon spotted bloodstains scattered on the ground and poked them with his finger. Seeing they weren't fully dry yet, it seemed someone had bled here recently.
"Most people here either fail to handle Bellamora's illusionary dreams and choose to become her puppets..."
"...or are humans who struggle desperately to keep dreaming their desired dreams, selling their blood, organs, even their children."
The Hero frowned as his gaze followed the direction indicated by the bloodstains. At the end, he saw the faces of people they vaguely recognized.
"More blood...! This isn't enough...! I want to dream of becoming a millionaire again!"
"We already sold the memory of having a child...! We have nothing left...!"
Plop, thud, splatter.
The sound of organs spilling onto the floor, the sensation of blood soaking the soles of their feet. The fishy, stale scent of blood.
The sight of parents who had brought their child earlier, eyes unfocused, stabbing their own child with a knife and collecting organs and blood into a bucket.
"How can this be...? Unbelievable... Why...?"
Anima could only cover her mouth in shock. Just moments ago, this was a paradise overflowing with fun and enjoyable movies.
Now, as if completely reversed, a hellscape had unfolded where parents killed their own children to create the Demon Realm's currency.
"You there... Could you spare some blood, or dreams, or lifespan? Organs would be fine too... This old man is just so tired..."
"That's right... We can never go back to before we had that dream..."
Spotting the Hero's party, the murderers' eyes gleamed wildly. Hiding the knives behind their backs, they attempted friendly smiles.
"...So, it's okay if we take some, right?"
Seeing them raise their knives, seizing the moment their opponents were off guard, Kyle let out a deep sigh.
"I thought there was no way the Demon Realm could be such a hopeful place. Unfortunately, my prediction was correct..."
The Hero Kyle drew his holy sword and swung it toward the lunatics charging at them to claim their organs.
Swish—.
"...To begin with, 'movies'—dreams created from others' memories and lives—could never be proper."
Saying that, Kyle trudged forward to check the child's condition, but it was already a cold corpse, breath long gone.
The child's eye sockets were deeply hollowed, perhaps because the parents tried to sell the eyeballs, with tear trails visible in the hollows.
"Astal said all demons and monsters are trash. For once, I truly agree with that sentiment."
Kyle picked up a ticket from the ground that looked like the movie the parents had just been watching—Instant Fortune! You Can Become Rich Too! Rich Gold!
How could a mere movie hypnotize someone to the point of killing their own child?
Looking around, Kyle saw starving eyes eager to scavenge even the corpses of the dead parents and child to sell.
"...This isn't the last remaining paradise or heaven. It's a horrific hell where people, enchanted by Bellamora's dreams, devour each other."
Kyle let out a scoff of disbelief as he watched. This was what he wanted to confirm by coming to the back alleys instead of the bustling district full of movies.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The inside of the theater, where I returned with plenty of food to share with Victoria, felt eerily empty, sending a chill down my spine.
Except for me, Victoria, and Bellamora, no one else existed in this dim place; only a large white wall loomed before us.
"The movie will start soon, Lord Astal!"
Bellamora, glowing with anticipation like a child the night before their birthday, seemed to be looking forward to this moment more than anyone.
She was sipping her drink so loudly it seemed her throat was burning, and she placed a hand over her chest, taking deep breaths as if to calm her pounding heart.
"So, why are you sitting next to me?"
"Why? That milk-boy whose food all goes to his chest is sitting next to you too, Lord Astal?"
I created an ice wall with magic to block Bellamora's approach. No matter how much she showed favor toward me, she was still a demon who was insane in some way.
"...It doesn't all go to my chest. I have a fairly balanced figure, you know."
Seemingly annoyed by Bellamora's disparaging remark, Victoria clenched the popcorn between us with her fist and began chewing it loudly, crunch-crunch.
- It goes to my butt too, you know. I'm not sure if Lord Astal will like that later, though...
"Pfft."
For me, who could hear Victoria's inner thoughts, I couldn't help but spit out the cola I was drinking.
"...Why did you choke all of a sudden? Did you have some lewd thought or something?"
"No, why are you talking like a succubus...?"
"I thought it perfectly matched Lord Astal's endless perverted tastes... Was I wrong?"
"......"
Victoria giggled as she wiped the corner of my mouth. Showing such a playful smile was one of her habits.
"...Just kidding. At least for now, I truly hope you'll think of me, your lover, more than Bellamora's illusionary dream."
- I can confidently say I love you more than Bellamora does. I don't want to lose at seducing you either.
Once again, Victoria hid her true feelings within her words, looking at me with eyes warmer and gentler than anything else.
And at that moment,
— [In the past, I witnessed people's deaths until my eyes ached.]
My childhood self appeared on the white wall before me, and the movie titled The Life of Astal Kaiseross began to play.