Chapter 61: Fate or Destiny (3)
Chapter 61: Fate or Destiny (3)
"Hyaaaahk!!"
"Grandma?!"
"Grandma! Get a hold of yourself!!"
That was how this damned life began.
It was just by chance that I happened to have my fortune read by the old shaman. I hadn't done a single thing, but when the old woman screamed and recoiled from me as far as she could, I was so startled I didn't know what to do.
And as cruel coincidence would have it, the old woman went senile the very next day. That was the beginning of the misfortune as well.
Dan still remembered the words she spoke.
'She said I would become a powerful supporter of the Calamity, or perhaps its pawn.'
How could he ever forget? After that, the villagers whispered about nothing else, all while avoiding me.
In a small village like this, rumors spread in the blink of an eye.
The villagers shunned Dan, and even Ran, the old woman's granddaughter, trying to stop it couldn't make it go away easily. Instead, only the negative emotions grew larger, and 'discomfort' transformed into outright 'ostracism.'
He was dumbfounded. He couldn't adapt at all.
He simply couldn't accept the fact that the very people who had been smiling and chatting with him not long ago were now ostracizing him.
But the moment no one would speak a single word to him all day.
The moment he had to stay up alone through the night during the village festival.
The moment all kinds of filth began appearing in front of his house.
Dan had no choice but to accept it.
'All because of one measly prophecy.'
How utterly primitive.
A hollow laugh burst out of him. But unlike his laughter, both his eyes were bloodshot red, as if the vessels might burst at any moment.
What was I suppressing right now? Tears? Or rage?
What exactly had I been doing with these people all this time?
It was only natural that life in a tiny village would become harsh for someone who was ostracized.
He was old enough to be considered grown. Leaving this backwater village and heading for a city wouldn't have been a bad idea, but Dan endured.
'They said they saw the Calamity in me.'
They said I would be entangled with it in the future.
If that's the case, if I just stayed here, wouldn't that 'Calamity' come this way?
Of course, if our fates were entwined, I'd probably meet it even if I went to the city. But in that case, there was a high chance I wouldn't recognize the 'Calamity,' right?
Let's wait here.
Even if she's gone senile, skill doesn't just vanish. The old woman would recognize the 'Calamity' at a single glance. And judging by her current personality, she'd try to ostracize it all the same.
If I sided with the Calamity then, I could easily earn its goodwill and trust.
When most people would try to avoid being entangled with the Calamity at all costs, the reason Dan was determined to side with it was simple.
'They were already so certain I'd stand with the Calamity. In that case, I might as well live up to that expectation.'
Dan wasn't some pushover who just took things lying down. Especially when it wasn't his fault.
Wasn't it too unfair to be ostracized when he hadn't even done anything yet?
And so he endured and endured, and the moment he finally saw the face of the 'Calamity,' he couldn't help but laugh.
'It was you?'
What the hell was fate, anyway?
White hair and red eyes. No matter how much time had passed, there was no way he could easily forget such striking features.
"Asking to be taken along out of nowhere... this is ridiculous. Who would take someone as suspicious as you..."
"Enough."
The man who cut off the guard's wary words slowly approached. His crimson-red eyes held a strange curiosity as they swept up and down over me.
The atmosphere had completely shifted from just moments ago. Dan swallowed dryly and adjusted his posture. Even while strung tight with tension, he never evaded those eyes that seemed to dissect him.
No matter how much Dan had only ever lived in a remote mountain village, he knew the identity of the man before him. There was no way he couldn't.
Ten years ago, when the Eight-Year War broke out, the name that had suddenly skyrocketed to fame: Deon Hart.
'During the war, he was infamous as the "blood-crazed vanguard commander" and the "master of the murder demon unit."'
After the war ended, he was famous as the Last Hero's final comrade and a hero of the Empire.
Dan recalled his many titles and brought to mind the most striking one.
'The Vampire Earl.'
Right, the Vampire Earl.
A title perfectly suited for a Calamity.
Having thought that far, Dan grinned.
A gleam of interest colored Deon's eyes as he looked at him.
Deon slowly opened his mouth.
* * *
He walked in a daze and before he knew it, he had arrived at the mansion.
I raised my head and checked the sky, now tinged with sunset.
It was probably around 5 PM or so. There was no benefit in dragging things out, so it would be best to finish the job today.
......But.
'Why did you follow me here?'
Why had the man who had been watching me from a distance just moments ago naturally blended in with my party?
"Lady Rien. That man is..."
"Ah, you mean Dan? As before, I still find the lad untrustworthy... but since you, my liege, personally said you would bring him along, continuing to oppose it would be disloyalty. I shall correct myself."
They had already exchanged names?! No, seriously, when?
Listening to Rien, it did sound like I had decided to bring him... but I had absolutely no memory of it.
Rather than agonizing over this deeply and groaning, I decided to think optimistically.
I was already stressed from having so many things to worry about. If something else piled on top of this, it'd give me a headache.
'There must have been a reason!'
At the very least, I must have brought him because he was useful somehow.
Like being good at fighting, or knowing a lot of things...
"My learning is lacking and I know little, and my combat skills are not at a level that would satisfy you, Master."
"......."
Just why in the world did I bring this kid? And why did he jump at the chance to follow? And what's with that 'Master' title?
I had a lot I wanted to say, but nothing I could voice. I stared at Dan with a complicated expression before turning my gaze back to the shaman.
This was absolutely not avoiding reality. I was just putting it aside because there was something more important.
"I plan to finish simple preparations and depart immediately. Is that alright?"
"There is no issue. However, may I point out just one thing before we go?"
"Go ahead and say it."
"Are you, my lord, planning to take the lives of not only the ringleaders but also the innocent?"
"By innocent, you mean...?"
"It includes those who were simply bewitched by the ringleaders."
I was about to answer without a second thought when I felt something off and paused.
'Did I tell her I was going to the Salvation Church...?'
I didn't need any separate proof. This person was definitely a shaman. There was no doubt about it. Ugh, I've got goosebumps all over.
I nodded while rubbing my bumpy arms. I didn't want to lie to someone like this anyway, and even if I tried, I'd be found out immediately.
I intended to kill all the ordinary followers of the Salvation Church as well.
'Can those bewitched by a false religion really be called innocent?'
The shaman might think so, but I didn't.
People crazy about religion have no sense of reason, truly. Why else would the word 'fanatic' exist?
If the religion they believed in collapsed, they'd probably run wild in all sorts of ways.
They might try to kill the one who destroyed their religion, or they could create a second Salvation Church.
Reactions like falling into despair and taking their own lives would be considered the quiet ones.
So it was better to kill them all and leave no messy loose ends behind.
The shaman Ran's expression hardened.
"There is no need to spill so much blood already."
Her tone was strange.
I thought she would stop me by saying you mustn't harm innocent citizens of the Empire, or life is precious, or by nagging about karma like shamans often do. But 'there is no need to spill so much blood already'?
Didn't this sound like it implied even more blood would be spilled in the future?
"......Do you know something?"
"I cannot answer. But this is advice meant for you as well, my lord. Please spare those who were merely misled. If you refuse, then I shall not lend you my aid."
Judging by her expression, she wouldn't do it even if a knife were held to her throat.
In that case, I had no choice, did I?
In the end, I nodded with a deep sigh.
"I'll have to increase the number of people we're taking, then."
If we were killing everyone, that'd be one thing, but if we have to pick and choose who to kill, it'd be more convenient to bring more people.
"Thank you for accepting my unreasonable request."
"No, it's... Anyway, as for you over there..."
The moment my gaze touched him, one man answered in an extremely polite tone.
"Please, just call me Dan comfortably."
"Alright, Dan is..."
"Would it be unacceptable for me to follow as well?"
"No."
The guy's face fell dejectedly. I, on the other hand, was dumbfounded.
Follow? Where do you think you're following? You said you can't fight. Did you not hear the part about killing people?
"For now... wait at the mansion. I'll speak to Rememver, so there won't be any problems."
Bringing a guy who can't even fight would just make him a burden.
Of course, I'm not one to talk... but our statuses are different, aren't they? I have escorts, but he doesn't. Even if I gave an order to protect this guy, there'd naturally be limits.
For instance, a situation where both me and this guy were in danger at the same time.
Whatever reason I brought him here for, I had no intention of letting him go so meaninglessly.
So no.
"Because I would be a burden."
"......."
You know well.
I closed my mouth. The guy read the affirmation in my silence and lowered his eyes, thinking deeply about something.
Then, as if having made up his mind, he raised his head and faced me directly.
"Would you be willing to teach me the sword?"
"......Me?"
"I could not dare to trouble you yourself, Master. But if you could assign someone, just to teach me even basic swordsmanship, I swear I will not disappoint you."
It wasn't some unreasonable request to teach him a family's secret techniques — not that I even have any family sword techniques in the first place — so it wasn't an overbearing ask.
Did he want to follow me that badly?
I'll let it slide this time, but I could feel his determination here: he would definitely latch on next time. I subtly avoided his gaze and nodded.
I even saw an illusion of his eyes blazing like fire, so I couldn't possibly bring myself to refuse.
It felt like I'd gained some kind of terrifying stalker, but that was probably just my imagination.
'......But still.'
A question suddenly rose up, and I rolled my eyes to look at him again.
A question that even I couldn't understand.
Why was I trusting this guy so easily?
This guy who was suspicious no matter how you looked at him, why?
'I'll have to have a one-on-one talk with him sometime soon.'
I needed to figure out his objective for sure.
I was busy right now, so I could just talk to him as soon as I returned after finishing this job.
Thinking that, I briefly introduced Dan to Rememver, who had already come out to greet us.
"He'll be staying with us from now on, so please prepare a suitable room."
"Understood."
"And aren't there a great many knights idling about in the mansion right now?"
"A great many."
"Good. Tell an appropriate one among them to teach Dan swordsmanship."
"Yes, understood."
That should about cover it.
"And Lady Rien."
"Yes, my liege."
"How long will it take to select about ten of the more normal ones from among the idling knights?"
"It won't take long. If you wait and enjoy a cup of tea, I will have it done by then."
"Then I'll wait."
* * *
Clink.
I looked down at the teacup placed in front of me with sullen eyes.
That tea again. That damned tea that sent me suffering to the bathroom every time I drank it. Was there still some left?
Just how much had the Crown Prince sent? In my heart, I wanted to burn it all, but I couldn't treat something gifted by the Crown Prince carelessly.
What bothered me more than that was Dan.
I told them to assign some suitable knight, but the truth was, the only knights idling in this mansion were mad dogs.
'I just hope they don't offer him drugs...'
......Wait, hold on. They might actually offer him drugs, wouldn't they?
Given who those bastards were, it was entirely possible. My face turned pale, and I shot up from my seat.
"C-Count?"
"......Go tell Rememver right now. When the knights teach Dan, have them teach only swordsmanship."
Make sure they don't teach him anything useless.
Like drugs. Or drugs. Or drugs.
I'd rather pass on having any more lunatics around me.
'I have enough lunatics already.'