A Reasonable Compromise
"No, no. We don't do that. That's bad."
Right before my eyes, Apollona was casually advocating for the end of the world.
Setting aside whether she actually had the power to pull it off, seeing her speak of such a thing with pride left me utterly bewildered.
"Uh... just to be absolutely clear. What exactly do you mean by 'destruction'?"
I asked the question, desperately hoping the answer wasn't what I thought it was.
But in response,
Apollona answered with a look of genuine, bright anticipation on her face.
"I believe there was no specific blueprint laid down for me regarding the details... but does not destruction naturally imply total annihilation? It means purging every single piece of trash currently occupying this world, leaving none behind."
"Mmm..."
"We shall sweep away the filthy insects, clean the world, and start everything anew from the very beginning. With only you, the Adjuster... and us, the Mashins of Catastrim, remaining. Ah... is it not a truly wonderful thing to imagine?"
"..."
Apollona spoke of these horrific things with innocent, pure excitement.
Listening to her,
I realized once again that despite her beautiful appearance, the woman standing before me was an incredibly dangerous entity.
At the same time, I felt that if I didn't instill the right values in her now, while her concept of the world was still unformed, things would go terribly wrong in more ways than one.
It was true that I wanted revenge against the hero party, the Empire, and the mysterious entity that had dragged my life down into the abyss.
But even so, the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent people who had nothing to do with my plight was something I simply could not accept as a human being.
Honestly, I doubt such an absurd feat is even possible... but either way, I have no choice but to steer Apollona in a better direction.
The saving grace was that, so far, Apollona seemed entirely willing to let me define her ultimate goal.
Though she certainly didn't look the part, she was technically a newborn child who had existed for barely a few hours.
It seemed impossible to completely extinguish her innate enthusiasm for her divine mission of 'destruction,' but I could at least redirect its course.
After turning the thoughts over in my head, I spoke in a calm voice to Apollona, who was watching me with curious eyes.
"Listen... Apollona? May I say something about that?"
"Yes! Of course, Adjuster."
She looked like a child eagerly waiting for a parent's reaction after sharing their dream for the future.
Looking at her, I spoke as gently and seriously as I could, like a teacher guiding a student.
"First of all... I really don't think that's the way to go. Speaking as someone who knows a bit about how this world works, if you just go around killing everything in sight under the banner of destruction, it's going to cause a lot of problems."
"Is... is that so? But even so, our mission..."
"Destruction comes in many forms. Besides, if the God's true intention was absolute annihilation, they would have been much more specific. It's a task that erases everything they've built so far, so they wouldn't have left the instructions this vague, would they?"
"Mmm... when you put it that way... I suppose you are right."
Apollona's shoulders slumped, showing clear disappointment.
However, since her concepts weren't fully set in stone yet, my persuasion seemed to be working to some extent.
"Perhaps my thoughts were indeed a bit hasty. Then, as a compromise, what if we only slaughter those who are taller than a wagon wheel..."
"No, that's not what I mean... Please, stop associating the word 'destruction' solely with massacre. There are plenty of ways to bring about destruction without killing everyone."
"Is that so?... How disappointing."
Though she looked let down by my words, Apollona ultimately accepted my point.
Relieved that I had averted a truly catastrophic path, I quickly spoke again before the conversation could drift back into dangerous territory.
"In my opinion, the 'destruction' they refer to likely means the end of the grand structures of this world... for example, the fall of nations."
"Nations... you say?"
"Yes. You mentioned an imbalance earlier, right? That imbalance is a systemic issue. And the largest unit that maintains that system is the nation."
"Oh..."
"In other words, your mission is to destroy the existing nations of this world, and upon their ruins, establish a new order... a new nation. A country ruled by the Mashins of Catastrim."
"I see. Hearing your explanation, that interpretation makes perfect sense. You truly are my Adjuster. Had I been left to my own devices, I might have acted purely on a whim."
She said the words, but while she understood the logic, she still seemed to harbor a lingering, genuine regret about not being allowed to purge everything.
Then, shaking off her disappointment, she clenched both fists and spoke in a spirited voice.
"Understood. Then I, Apollona, shall do my utmost to bring every living creature in this world to their knees before you and the Mashins, just as you have commanded."
"Uh... right. I'm counting on you."
"Yes! I will make sure to enslave every single race in this world for you!"
"..."
Watching Apollona declare this with absolute clarity, I could only offer a silent, bitter smile.
To be honest, 'enslaving all races' was still pretty extreme, but I decided to be satisfied with the fact that it would at least prevent the needless slaughter of innocent lives.
Well... in terms of control, ruling them as a master isn't that different in the grand scheme of things... and now that we've aligned on a goal, there's little chance of her turning on me anytime soon.
The fundamental danger remained, but now that I had established a framework, I felt I could manage her to some degree.
Of course, given her violent nature, a lot of blood would still be spilled, but that was a consequence I was willing to accept.
In the first place, I knew that spilling blood was inevitable if I wanted to achieve my revenge.
And,
Unlike the naive person I used to be,
I had resolved never to show soft-hearted mercy again after being so thoroughly betrayed. I had no intention of choosing my methods carefully.
This was especially true when dealing with mysterious enemies who possessed unpredictable power.
Once I finished organizing my thoughts on the situation,
I began to focus on the very first task I needed to handle.
"Ugh... ah..."
Annas sobbed in a swamp of agonizing pain.
Terrible torment radiated from her bleeding hands and feet, and the massive blood loss left her consciousness fading in and out.
Objectively speaking, it wouldn't have been strange if she died right then and there.
However, the magic bound to Annas kept her soul firmly anchored to her flesh, denying her the escape of death.
In this state, doubt and anxiety naturally flooded her mind.
What are they going to do to me? Am I going to be tortured to death like this? Or is there something else...
She had confessed everything she knew, but there was no guarantee Seton would let her live.
Yet, escape was an impossible dream in her current condition.
All Annas could do was groan in pain and wait for whatever came next.
Death?... Come to think of it, if I die now... what happens to me?
There were many legends and myths about the afterlife.
Some spoke of eternal rest, or ascending to a place of glory to experience infinite happiness, while others spoke of falling to the depths of hell to groan in eternal torment.
But whichever it was,
Annas realized that she would never find peace if she died now.
Not long ago, she had been a hero who defeated the Demon King and saved humanity.
But at this very moment, her existence could be summarized in a single word.
A traitor.
A sinner guilty of the most repulsive crime, one that earned the most horrific punishments across all races.
And that label fit Annas perfectly, for she had betrayed her benefactor, Seton, stabbed him in the back, and even tried to kill him.
As these thoughts belatedly crossed her mind,
A deeper terror took root in her heart.
It went beyond a simple desire to live; she was terrified of the suffering that would await her even after death.
No... I don't want to die... Dying like this is too horrible... I worked so hard... I did my best to survive...
Annas wept in despair, regretting her past actions.
Just then,
—Creak
The sudden sound of a door opening echoed through the room.
Immediately after, the very person she had been waiting for appeared before her eyes.
Seton.
"Se... Seton..."
Seton stood there, a black sword at his waist, looking down at her with cold eyes.
He looked entirely unforgiving,
But Annas, clutching at straws, bowed her head and pleaded.
"Seton... please... I beg of you, please... just once... forgive me just this once. I... I will do whatever you want. I will never... never betray you again... so please, just once... let me live."
She begged with all her remaining strength.
She was someone who had fought on battlefields without fearing for her life, but the brutal pain and the fear of death she had just experienced had completely broken her spirit.
All that remained was the raw desire to survive.
She felt she would do absolutely anything for it, and so she desperately pleaded with the man before her.
And...
"...Ah..."
Seton slowly lifted her chin, a quiet smile playing on his lips as he spoke.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of killing you."
"Ah... then..."
"But that doesn't mean I can just let you go. There's no guarantee that someone who betrayed me once won't do it again. And I can't just set you free when you already know too much."
"That... that will never happen! I swear... I will never betray you again..."
"Right. You said something similar to me in the past. I believed you, and look where it got me."
"That... that was..."
Annas was struck dumb by Seton's sharp, undeniable point.
But as he watched her,
Seton's smile widened as he continued.
"Well, that's just how it is. In any case, even merchants use contracts and collateral. You need to provide some reliable collateral too, don't you? Something to guarantee your absolute loyalty in exchange for your betrayal."
"...What... what do you mean?"
Seton's words sent a chill down her spine.
Sensing something ominous, Annas asked the question.
In response, Seton gave a chilling laugh and slowly looked behind him.
The golden-haired, black-horned figure was walking toward them.
The moment Annas saw her, she began to tremble with a heavy, suffocating dread.
Looking down at the shivering assassin, Seton spoke in a cold voice.
"Now then, shall we extract the collateral for your guarantee?"
"!"