The Cruelest Reality
The interior was unexpectedly bright and chilly. It differed sharply from the ant nest in Werner's memories or the iron mine where he had fought Gawain. Still, whether this chill came from the building's actual low temperature or something else... he couldn't say for sure. Of course, the sudden shattering of the barrier made a surprise attack impossible, and the lobby was packed with Black Round Table troops who had rushed out to intercept the intruders. Yet... none of it really mattered.
Black Wing Assault Palm, First Form - Heaven Severing.
Phantom Magic - High Card.
O lightning, crawl like a serpent.
Because their opponents were us. Honestly, how could a bunch of ordinary people who'd only received basic training hope to withstand the combo of the Heavenly Demon, the continent's greatest thief, and the archmage? The synergy between a martial artist, a rogue, and a mage was an undeniably broken combination that needed no explanation. The gap between us and those grunts was like the difference between a sewer rat and a grizzly bear. Unless they were hopped up on some weird drug, they had no chance of winning.
"This is nothing but a one-sided slaughter."
I strode straight over the pile of corpses rolling across the floor. To be frank, these pieces of trash weren't even worth the effort of watching my step.
...Well, it's not like this is my first one-sided massacre, so there's nothing surprising about it.
Certainly, even back in Dragnity Fantasy 1, it was usually portrayed that way—unless the enemy was a demon lord-class boss, most fights were won easily. Of course, like any game, the actual difficulty and the story difficulty didn't always line up.
"Then shall we head underground?"
A wave of anxiety I didn't want to recall flashed through my mind. The children who had vanished from the imperial capital. No matter how powerful the Black Round Table was, moving that many children to another region would have drawn attention. Yet there had been no sighting reports from anywhere else. And the facility we now stood in was located in the wilderness not far from the capital. Enclosed by a barrier that made it difficult to approach, it was the perfect place to hide 'something.'
If I were... no, the thought alone was revolting, but if I were one of them... this is where I would have locked the children away.
But what were they trying to accomplish by imprisoning them? Were they subjecting them to the same shitty training I had endured in the past? If that was the case, it would almost be better. I could rescue them, return them to their families, send the orphans to trustworthy facilities, and sponsor them myself.
Yet... there was one hypothesis I desperately wanted to deny. The theory about the true nature of a facility that stayed close to the capital, concealed itself in utmost secrecy, and required the kidnapping of children.
No... it couldn't be that. I wanted to believe I was simply overreacting.
If someone asked what the cruelest thing in the world was, what would you answer? Massacre? Tyrants? Murderers? War? Disaster? All of those are certainly vile enough to turn your stomach... but if anyone asked me, I would answer reality. Because reality always exceeds expectations in its cruelty.
It was the kind of bastard that thrust the one possibility you wanted to deny at all costs right in the face of someone begging for any other outcome. That bastard always dragged along every evil imaginable—war, tyranny, murder, rape, disaster. And right now, that bastard stood before me... shaking children warped by human experimentation.
A child dried up like a mummy. A child swollen to bear-like proportions and howling. A child whose body was half transformed into a demonic beast. A child crumpled into an indescribable shape, repeating only the words "kill me"... I had seen all manner of things in my life, but I couldn't endure that sight and vomited on the spot.
It wasn't because those poor children were disgusting. It was the Black Round Table that had done this to them—and myself, for failing to protect them—that filled me with revulsion.
"Uuuuurgh..."
Squar patted my back, and the old Heavenly Demon began examining the children's conditions. Yes... even if they looked like this now, if we devoted ourselves solely to treatment, they could return to normal. It would cost a fortune, but the money Werner had accumulated should be more than enough.
But reality remained cruel. After checking the children's pulses, the old Heavenly Demon delivered a despairing truth.
"Unfortunately, treatment is impossible."
At those thunderbolt words, I unconsciously grabbed the old man by the collar.
"What the hell are you saying, old man...? Treatment is impossible...? You're supposed to be an expert at this. Saying you don't know is a terrible joke..."
"Calm yourself. I am not frivolous enough to joke in a situation like this. If we liken the children to water, they have now become green tea. Turning water into green tea is easy, but turning green tea back into water is impossible."
Then what were we supposed to do with these children? Leave them like this? Send them back to the capital in this state? I knew either choice would bring nothing but pain.
That left only one answer. But I... could not bring myself to choose it.
Yet the old Heavenly Demon had already decided, and Squar nodded with a bitter expression.
"The youngest still finds this sort of thing difficult, I see."
"If it's truly too hard for you, we will handle it ourselves. Just turn your eyes away and cover your ears. We will finish everything and return."
The old Heavenly Demon clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the suffering children. Then he spoke in a voice unlike his usual tone—serious and tinged with sorrow.
The old Heavenly Demon concentrated mana at his fingertips. Squar shuffled the cards he had brought and spread them out smoothly.
The children did not resist. Instead, they met death with expressions of relief, faces peaceful as though rest had finally arrived.
I could give those children nothing. Not salvation. Not rest. I could only stand there helplessly and watch their end. I was so disgusted with my own pathetic foolishness that I could barely stand it.
"Regarding the children in that room..." The old Heavenly Demon stroked his beard as he continued. "No matter how I examine them, the traces left on their bodies do not belong to this continent... they resemble those from the East where I once lived. Corpse techniques, acupuncture, sorcery—everything is mixed together."
"So you're saying there might be people from the murim involved in this facility?"
"Yes. Of course, that won't be everything... but it seems I should cast aside my arrogance and face this properly from the start."
There were far too many variables. Werner's old party had a spy, and now the Black Round Table hideout we were about to search contained murim practitioners as well. To anyone listening it would sound like drunken nonsense, but reality was different.
"And whoever the traitor is..."
If that person had condoned this entire situation, or at least known about it and done nothing...
"When I catch them, I'll kill them. I don't care who it is. Simply allowing a fucked-up facility like this to exist is already a capital offense."
Squar pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped my forehead. His soft, delicate touch helped ease my anger, if only a little.
"Yes, no matter the reason, betrayal is betrayal. They won't get an easy death."
"You are correct. A traitor must be dealt with severely, no matter the circumstances."
After that exchange, none of us spoke again. The frozen air refused to thaw, and the chilly interior breeze only tickled our cheeks. We continued descending deeper and deeper until a fork in the path appeared.
"Hmm... one side is obviously a trap."
Well, they wouldn't have built a path leading to a children's ball pit.
The old Heavenly Demon swept down his long beard and spoke.
"It seems we have no choice but to split up. Wandering around checking every single path would be nothing but a waste of time."
Both Squar and I strongly agreed with the suggestion. The only question was who to send alone...