Chapter 154
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Feeling the Madness
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Na, Murel, and even Charhela.
We sat in a triangular formation, silently sizing each other up for a while.
"...First off."
Among us, I was the one who spoke first.
"Let me make this clear. I have no intention of marrying you, Charhela."
Charhela, who had been crossing her arms with a stern expression, rolled only her eyes toward me.
The slightly inhuman movement sent a chilling shiver down my spine.
"Why?"
"Well, why...?"
"Because this body is 'Starnassila Alzen,' and I used to be 'Starnassila Lindel'? So it's incest in the end?"
"...Isn't it?"
"That's not enough."
"Not enough?"
"It means it's not enough reason for you to reject me. I won't back down over something that trivial."
Before I knew it, Charhela had turned her head to face me directly, her expression filled with ferocious greed and longing.
It was like a beast on the verge of starvation, drooling as it bared its fangs, making my skin crawl.
"...I told you. You're not my type."
"Not enough."
"...I've already told you several times I have no intention of marrying you?"
"Not enough. Pathetically insufficient."
"...Hah."
Her stubbornness was pushing my anger to the boiling point, making me bare my teeth as well.
"Cut it out, Charhela. The only reason I'm putting up with your nonsense and staying in this damn tribe is to make things easier."
I spat the words through gritted teeth, staring right into her eyes from close range.
"If I wanted to, I could kick this tribe to the curb and rampage across the wasteland. It'd take time, but eventually I'd find that tribe that sided with the demons."
"...Not enough."
"Oh, really? Fine, then let's actually try..."
"It seems you don't truly understand."
"...What?"
Her sticky, viscous eyes, glowing red-hot like molten iron and radiating intense heat, traced crimson trails.
"I told you I like you. I told you I'd marry you. Have you ever thought about what that means to a barbarian warrior?"
"What does...?"
"It means I'd offer you my body, my heart, and everything I possess. And at the same time, it means I'd use everything at my disposal to claim you."
"......"
"Against that resolve of mine, prattling on about status, taboos, or differences in power means nothing. It won't be any obstacle."
"Hah..."
Maybe I'd taken her confession of liking me too lightly.
And perhaps unconsciously, I'd been treating her not as Charhela, but as Starnassila Lindel.
Barbarian warriors were truly a romantic people.
They pursued strength their whole lives, loved with all they had, and devoted themselves to raising the next generation.
Even if it was selfish self-indulgence, they did it without regret for a life well-lived.
...I'd known that was their 'setting,' but there was a difference between knowing it intellectually and feeling it firsthand.
"Ah, I get it now. You're a true 'barbarian' warrior, huh?"
"Yes. Now you understand. So give up."
"......"
I let out a deep sigh.
"Sorry, but I can't do that, Charhela. I have my own circumstances."
"......"
"The road ahead is long. I don't have the luxury to marry anyone. And besides... I don't want to have kids. You probably agree with that."
"What do you mean?"
"My child wouldn't be Kang Han-gil's child. It'd be Starnassila Alzen's."
"...!!"
As if it was a problem she hadn't deeply considered before, her eyes widened.
"That's... right. So that's how it would be?"
"Yeah. That's how it is. You don't want that either, right?"
"...Yeah. Even I find that unappealing."
"Phew..."
Good.
At least she wasn't that insane.
A sigh of relief escaped me at the promising turn in the conversation.
"Alright, so let's drop the marriage talk and deal with the tribe issue first..."
"No, wait a second."
"...What now?"
Irritation surged as she cut me off while I tried to shift the topic and started pondering deeply.
But ignoring my reaction, she tilted her head and looked at me.
"Is that... certain? Even though Kang Han-gil is in that body, the child would definitely be Starnassila Alzen's?"
"Of course it is. Why doubt something so obvious? The soul may have switched, but the body is the same, so naturally..."
"In other words, even you don't know for sure. You've never tested it."
"How the hell would I test that? You crazy woman... What, should I knock you up and find out?"
"Hmm... Weller. What do you think?"
Ignoring my words, Charhela suddenly turned to Weller and asked.
Weller, who had been silent until now, had a somewhat serious expression as she pondered deeply.
"...I don't... know."
"What?"
I looked at her with utter disbelief.
No, even in a medieval fantasy world with slow scientific progress, surely they knew beans from bean fields and red beans from red bean fields?
"What's with that look? Listen. I arrived at 'I don't know' after far deeper and higher-level contemplation than you imagine."
"Does that even need contemplation? Just think simply. Obviously, the child follows the bloodline of the body."
"That's why I said I don't know—because it's not certain. You unidentified outsider idiot."
"......"
"Oh dear, did that hurt a little? But I won't apologize."
As Charhela stared with a 'what a devilish woman' expression, Weller continued with a viper-like smirk.
"The relationship between body and soul, and the definitions of body and soul... nothing's clearly defined or proven yet. Recently, the church said the flesh is the vessel of the soul, and the soul is the identity of the flesh... but I don't know if that's certain. They claim some basis, but won't say what it is..."
"......"
I had a guess.
The church probably based it on Ferdio Hadim's case.
Only then did I realize my perceptions and thought patterns were trapped in my previous life's framework.
...But admitting that was another matter entirely.
"...No, no way. Even so, that's ridiculous. What, does the body change if the soul switches?"
"Probably not."
"There!"
"But human cognition and will influence physical laws and phenomena. Magic, holy arts, curses—they're proof. So it definitely affects the body in some way."
"......"
Even if she shoved different laws from my old world at me, accepting it was another story.
My head spun for a moment, but I soon shook it off.
"So basically, you don't know. Same as before, right?"
"Well... for now, yeah? We won't know whose child it is until you actually have one."
"What the... Schrödinger's kid or something?"
"Schrödinger? What's that?"
"Never mind... it's a thing."
I sighed to cool my heated chest and looked at Charhela.
"Anyway, now you get it? You don't want to gamble on a kid either."
"Sigh... phew..."
Charhela took a deep, conflicted breath before finally nodding reluctantly.
"Yeah... right. Yeah. Guess I have to accept that."
"Phew..."
"Haaa..."
Weller and I sighed in relief simultaneously.
"...But that's separate from the wedding, isn't it?"
"You're fucking gross."
"Sister! Enough already!"
"Enough what!? We can have a wedding even if we don't have kids right away! We just don't have sex! No, even if we do! Just pull out!"
Charhela shouted with extreme agitation, glaring at me like she wanted to devour me.
"Eek...!?"
A sense of crisis rang alarm bells—this threat was different from any life-threatening danger I'd faced before.
As a result, a shrill scream like a heroine facing chastity's peril escaped my lips.
"F-First, calm down, Charhela. Just quietly give up..."
"I can't give up! Never! Who cares about kids! I just won't have any!"
With her last thread of sanity snapping, Charhela lunged at invisible speed and wrapped around my neck.
"Hmph!? Mmph!?"
And then, the intense kiss followed.
"Wh-what!? Sister, you're really insane!? Get off! Get off her!"
Weller panicked and tried to pry her off, but it was futile against her strength.
"Mmph, mmf...! Cr-crazy..."
The moment I tried to curse at Charhela ravaging my lips senselessly, her tongue thrust in abruptly.
The wet, hot, slick tongue bulldozed in relentlessly, licking my tongue and scraping the insides of my mouth.
"Nngh! Hahp, slurp...!"
"Stop it! Sister! Hey! You crazy bitch!"
Hearing Weller's scream, I desperately flailed my hand.
Toward Murel, who was watching with an intrigued expression.
"Mm... I'll help."
She nodded slowly, a bit regretfully, then approached and grabbed Charhela's body.
Shwoosh!
In that instant, Charhela's foot lashed out like a horse's rear kick.
"This is truly like watching a beast."
Murel evaded with ghostly footwork and hoisted Charhela up effortlessly.
"Urgh─!?"
Charhela resisted with all her might, but it was impossible.
Her stats were high even among master-level, but incomparable to Murel, who had consumed 'eternal flesh' and the 'World Tree fruit.'
Pop!
Like a tightly plugged rubber cork popping out, intense pain shot from my lips.
"......"
Thud.
With that pain, I collapsed backward in a daze.
And only then did the intense sense of reality hit me.
Ah, if I don't resist properly, she'll really just ravish me helplessly.
A chill ran through me at the madness of this truly insane woman.