Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Education (2)
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It was a well-known fact that Felix handled matters with meticulous thoroughness.
“Oh.”
Carlyle tapped and inspected the outfit and mask that covered his body from head to toe.
His voice had changed, and even his body shape was altered.
When he’d asked for disguise tools, he’d wondered what they’d bring, but he had no idea where they’d sourced equipment this high-performance.
“Good. Listen carefully to what I say.”
As he stepped into the hall where Gray was waiting, Carlyle muttered.
“We only have three seconds to work with, so we’ll need to bend the rules a bit, okay?”
[If you mean bending the rules, what exactly?]
“I’m not you, so I can’t perfectly read what the Lady’s thinking.”
Three seconds was barely enough time to exchange a single blow.
Well, it wasn’t full possession, so he could stretch it out a little by dipping in and out, but it was still tight.
So.
“In that time, you need to impart a deep lesson to the Lady.”
In the current situation, the only one who could handle her was the Hero inside the Holy Sword.
[…Well, it’s possible.]
“…”
It was actually working.
He’d thrown it out there because it somehow felt like it might, but the fact that it really could happen left him a bit dumbfounded.
Right, someone on the Hero’s level could educate an opponent with just one exchange…
[You. If you get caught, how do you plan to deal with the fallout?]
Still, separate from doing it, there were worries.
“Yes?”
[I think she’s already quite suspicious.]
“Suspicious?”
[You don’t think the sight you showed her can be brushed off with a single explanation, do you?]
In fact.
He’d shown a corpse absorbing demonic energy and regenerating.
…No excuse would make that not seem bizarre.
“Well, Cardinal Felix just called it something like that.”
[She didn’t press you, but that doesn’t mean she bought it. Are you an idiot?]
“…”
True, but.
Hearing it dismissed so bluntly stung.
That’s harsh.
[Harsh or not, there’s no helping it. If that’s how people around you are looking at you, don’t you need to be even more cautious than usual?]
“That’s why I’m making this effort, right?”
That’s exactly why he was bothering with the disguise.
If he announced he was going to “educate” her, it’d reveal he knew every tiny detail about Gray, and even for Carlyle, if the Lady started grilling him, it’d be a bit tricky.
…Especially in a situation like this.
[So, think about the aftermath a little.]
“…”
[The Gray Cardinal might set aside her suspicions and deal with you. She could think to look into it slowly later. But what about others?]
“…Hmm.”
[They might be worried, suspicious, or driven mad wondering how you ended up like this—]
“Hero.”
And somehow.
Hearing that.
“…Why are you getting angry?”
It didn’t sound like concern; the state was downright passionate.
Just a little.
Very slightly.
There seemed to be a hint of moisture in the tone.
[…I’m not.]
She denied it, but Carlyle had been observing this person for more than a day or two.
He could read her thoughts clearly.
“Do you feel like you share some blame for me ending up like this?”
[…]
No answer.
Paradoxically, that made her intended response crystal clear.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not the Hero’s fault.”
Really.
The Gray inside the Holy Sword bore no blame for him being in this state.
…He’d been like this even before meeting her.
[-But.]
“Well, I won’t deny it’s because of the ‘yous’ I met through all those regressions.”
Carlyle smiled as he replied.
“…But that’s not your responsibility, right?”
He had to separate it clearly.
The one who’d piled on nightmare-like memories through regression after regression was definitely ‘Gray Chasefield.’
But the one in the Holy Sword was different.
This person had listened to him at the very end, giving him the chance to fix everything now.
It made no sense to be angry at someone like that.
[…]
At Carlyle’s response.
The Holy Sword fell silent for a long while.
[…You.]
Finally, a squeezed-out voice emerged.
[How can you not resent her even a little?]
“Yes?”
[I can accept you not telling me exactly what state you’re in… or how it happened. Just like I have things I hide, you have yours too. But.]
Surely she could resent her a bit.
Hadn’t Carlyle just admitted with his own mouth that Gray herself was the reason he’d come to this point?
So how.
[…can you say, so sincerely, that you’ll make that person happy?]
No matter that the Gray in the Holy Sword hadn’t built it all up herself.
No matter that he understood it rationally.
His heart shouldn’t accept it, yet he spoke so calmly.
“…Well, yeah, whatever. I could if I wanted.”
Carlyle scratched his cheek as he answered.
“People have times when they feel resentment.”
Just.
It’d be a lie to say all those emotions had simply evaporated.
But now, they felt faint.
It was a well-known fact that the more you understood someone, the harder it became to hate them.
“The more I learn about you, the harder it is to bury it and keep hating.”
[…]
The Holy Sword fell silent again for a long while.
[…You should’ve become a cleric. At this rate, sainthood wouldn’t be out of the question.]
“If I can just prove how much I put up with the Lady’s antics every day, maybe?”
At the utterly unserious response, the Holy Sword let out a deep sigh.
[…You’ve been through a lot.]
“…Wow, damn, I’m not the teary type, but.”
Hearing her admit it so straightforwardly nearly brought tears.
Had he ever heard words like that even once in a previous regression?
[So, just sit back and watch.]
But the follow-up was a bit unsettling.
[Don’t release your mana fully. Even if the output is very low, just stay in my body for more than three seconds.]
“…Huh? Why?”
[Do as I say.]
“…”
[She needs to get a taste of it too.]
…This person.
Was she really facing her past self…?
She sounded like she was confronting a blood enemy.
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Gray Chasefield stared quietly at her opponent.
The grand hall in the imperial palace.
The place where Carlyle had told her to wait because he’d assign her a good ‘teacher.’
Teacher, my ass.
Where was someone who could teach the Hero anything?
She’d thought that, but since Carlyle had said it, she’d come anyway.
“…”
Above all, if it was someone he’d introduced.
They’d probably known Carlyle for a while.
In that case, they might know things about him she didn’t.
‘…Sigh.’
Gray sighed, recalling Carlyle’s appearance from before.
The grotesque sight of him gripping the Holy Sword, demonic energy covering his body as he regenerated.
“…”
How had he ended up like that?
What had he gone through?
…Why did she know nothing about him?
-Oh my, Hero! You can’t be that disinterested in your partner!
-…She’s not my partner.
-Even if you insist on that, isn’t this too much?!
-Is it…?
-Yes, it is! You need to try learning more about her, bit by bit!
-…
She’d even gotten scolded by Cornelius recently.
“…”
Hmm.
A Hero getting lectured by a demon for knowing too little about human emotions.
The picture was a bit off.
Anyway, it was an opportunity.
Gray looked at the person across from her.
They were clad head to toe in an outfit with a mask flipped down. No intention of revealing any info about themselves.
…It was bizarre attire, but not worth worrying about now.
She had important questions.
“…How long have you known that guy?”
“…”
No answer. Gray’s brow twitched.
It irritated her a bit that they’d dare ignore the Hero, but she’d try saying more.
“If you’ve known him long… can you tell me what kind of guy he is?”
“…”
“…I don’t know anything about him. So I want to ask.”
“Why do you want to know?”
That response came from her opponent.
“…”
A woman’s voice.
Somehow similar to her own.
He’d had a woman he’d known for a long time?
“…What’s your relationship with him?”
“Why do you care, you thieving cat bitch?”
“…”
“A beast of a woman who can’t even treat the person suffering because of her properly. Can’t even say thanks right.”
“…”
“The type who’ll only come to her senses after she screws up for real and beats the ground in regret.”
Gray blinked slowly.
No.
…No.
‘What the hell is this?’
Insults needed some buildup to anger you.
These sudden lines dropping on her just left her baffled, not even mad.
No, this was.
‘…Venting?’
It felt like emotions piled up from elsewhere were being dumped on her.
And beyond the venting, what she sensed was.
Well, self-loathing…?
“No, actually, this works out perfectly.”
With those words, the opponent slowly drew her sword.
…Or rather, it looked like she ‘summoned’ it from her grip.
“This is my chance to fix that attitude of yours.”
“…”
“So please, stop making that man suffer.”
…What the hell was this lunatic saying?
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