Chapter 167: Nightmare (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 167: Nightmare (3)
"Should I try talking to her?"
"Wait a moment."
Isabelle stretched out her hand. Whoosh! A wind blade flew out and swept over the people tormenting Eri.
But unlike when it had sliced the fake Isabelle tormenting Mars to pieces, the wind blade passed right through them.
Isabelle clicked her tongue.
"It's not working."
"Didn't it work in my dream? Why not in Eri's?"
"This is just a guess, but maybe the solution to the nightmare is different for each person? In your case, all we had to do was get rid of the fake 'me,' but Eri's case is different."
"Then what about Eri... huh?"
Mars, who had been speaking, realized he couldn't hear Eri's voice anymore. He turned to look at her and met the eyes of Eri, who was clinging to Cloud's pant leg for dear life.
Eri's eyes quivered.
"Wh-who are you people?! Aaaahhh!!!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Th-this is a dream?"
Isabelle nodded at Eri's disbelieving tone.
"That's right. Do you really think something like this could happen in reality? Dead people grabbing your ankles and the scenery changing in a flash?"
"W-well... I guess you have a point..."
Eri looked like she was starting to believe it, but she wasn't fully convinced. Isabelle sighed. This was the problem with these nightmares. Until they were resolved, the victim's cognitive abilities were so impaired that things that were obviously absurd to anyone else seemed plausible to them.
"Mars, did it cut?"
"No. Not at all."
Mars said, withdrawing the sword he'd been striking the rope with. The rope, as if made of mithril, had deflected even his sword imbued with aura.
Seeing this, Isabelle became even more certain.
"Eri. This is something you have to solve yourself."
"M-me...? How...?"
"It's something I've always noticed, but your self-esteem is low compared to your high pride. This nightmare is probably related to that. So, if you can raise your self-esteem, the nightmare will be resolved."
"How do I raise my self-esteem...?"
Right. Asking a question like that proved her cognitive abilities weren't the only thing that had dropped; her intelligence had taken a hit too.
Thinking about the others they still had to help, Isabelle felt a wave of despair.
"Uh... well, just try muttering something. Like, 'I'm amazing.' 'I'm incredible.' Something like that. It's a dream, so that should be enough, right?"
"R-really?"
Eri swallowed hard. Then, she repeated the words Isabelle had told her.
"I'm amazing... I'm incredible..."
It was a tiny whisper, as if she were embarrassed.
Unable to watch any longer, Isabelle snapped, "Is that all you've got?! Louder!"
"I-I'm amazing! I'm incredible!"
"More!"
"I'm amazing!! I'm incredible!!"
"More! Louder! Put some feeling into it! Let it all out, like you're finally saying everything you've kept bottled up inside!"
Even louder?
Eri hesitated, fidgeting.
'...What the hell. It's just a dream anyway!'
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs to their limit, and then screamed.
"I am incredible! I'm going to be an Archmage one day!! A mage so amazing that bitch Leslie can't even compare! And the fucking Oller family! Why is it my fault that bastard Callion died? He died because he did something stupid! If anything, they benefited from me, they never lost a thing, yet they have the audacity to blame me! I hope they all go to hell!!!"
Her ranting shouts continued for several more minutes, and the nightmare naturally faded away. When it was gone, she was panting, trying to catch her breath.
“...”
“...”
Mars and Isabelle stared at Eri with slightly weary expressions.
Sensing their gazes, Eri's face turned beet red. She pulled her knees together and buried her face between them.
"I want to die..."
*
"Ophelia, wait up~."
"If you want to walk together, then hurry up. I don't want to get another scolding from the Mother Superior for being late with the laundry."
Ophelia grumbled, a basket piled high with laundry balanced on her head.
The switch the Mother Superior wielded was painful enough to make you scream and pass out. Even the older nuns were terrified of it and did their best to avoid it. Of course, she probably wouldn't use the switch for being a little late with laundry, but Ophelia wanted to avoid even the slightest possibility.
"Don't be so impatient. I'm almost done!"
Whether she knew how Ophelia felt or not, her friend Yuri, who had pretty freckles, just grinned as she wrung out the laundry.
After placing the last item in her basket, Yuri grabbed it and tried to lift it.
"Hnngh...!"
Her arms trembled, lacking the strength.
Ophelia sighed, briefly setting down her own laundry basket to help her.
The precariously wobbling basket settled securely atop Yuri's brown hair.
"Hehe, thanks."
"Honestly..."
Ophelia picked up her basket again, and the two headed for the convent.
"The laundry is hard for you because you don't exercise. You don't have to train like the paladins, but you should at least do some basic workouts."
"I do exercise, you know. It's just not the kind you do alone."
"Not the kind you do alone? What does that... Ah?"
Ophelia remembered that Yuri was secretly dating the local miller's son. Understanding Yuri's play on words, she blushed and quickly looked around.
"Are-are you crazy? What if someone hears you!"
"It's just you and me out here, so what's the big deal? You're not going to tattle to the Mother Superior, are you?"
"You'll get caught long before I have a chance to tattle."
"It's fine. I'm very careful not to get caught. So careful that no matter how good it feels, I cover my mouth so I don't make a sound—"
"You're insane, you're insane!"
"Ow...! That hurts! Why'd you hit my back?!"
Bickering as they walked, the two soon found themselves approaching the convent.
Seeing the convent, Yuri placed a finger to her lips.
"Anyway, what's between me and Albert is a secret, okay?"
"Haaah... You won't learn your lesson until you get caught and properly punished."
Ophelia frowned in disapproval but nodded anyway. Yuri grinned, and Ophelia couldn't help but let out a small laugh as they entered the convent.
They had brought the laundry, so now it was time to hang it to dry...
"Huh...?"
The two of them flinched, seeing how drastically different the convent looked from when they had left.
The nuns, who should have been busy with their daily chores, were all gathered in one place, being controlled by a group of men in black priest robes.
A priest who seemed to be managing the others spotted Ophelia and Yuri.
"Are you returning from doing the laundry?"
"Yes? Ah, yes. That's right."
"Leave the laundry baskets here and go over there. Follow their instructions."
"Y-yes, sir...!"
The two put down their baskets and did as the priest instructed. They stood behind the other nuns, who were lined up in an orderly fashion. Ophelia whispered to the nun directly in front of her.
"Sister Meln, what's going on? Who are all these people?"
"They're Inquisitors."
"Inquisitors...?!"
Ophelia and Yuri asked again in shock.
As nuns, they knew what Inquisitors were. That was why they were so surprised, and also confused.
"Why are Inquisitors here?"
Weren't Inquisitors supposed to punish those who followed evil, heretical gods instead of the one true God, Iries?
So why had they come to a convent, of all places, and were now controlling the nuns?
"Apparently, the number of heretics has been rising sharply lately, and they think the cause is from within the Church."
"What? What does that have to do with us?!"
"That's what I'm saying... Anyway, it looks to me like a show to tighten discipline in the Church, which has gotten lax. They'll probably make an example out of a few people. You two should be careful not to give them any reason to single you out. You never know what kind of punishment they'll dish out. Eek, I think I talked too much. He's looking this way."
Sensing the Inquisitor's gaze, the nun quickly straightened her posture.
"Silence! We will now begin the confessions, one by one."
The one who appeared to be the highest-ranking Inquisitor stepped forward and spoke.
"If you confess your sins of your own accord and beg for forgiveness, I swear in the name of Lady Iries that we will show some leniency. However, if you do not confess, and your sin is proven through the report of another, you will not escape a harsher punishment. Furthermore, anyone who knowingly hides a sinner will also be punished."
As soon as he finished speaking, the nuns began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Of course, if you are without sin, then nothing will happen!"
The Inquisitor tried to calm them, but the flames of anxiety that had already spread were not easily extinguished.
Ophelia glanced to her side.
Just as she expected, Yuri was staring at the ground, her face pale. Her lips were trembling, a clear sign of how terrified she was.
'...I told her not to do it.'
She suppressed the sigh that threatened to escape.
'Still, it should be fine. I'm the only one who knows that Yuri is dating Albert.'
As long as she kept her mouth shut, no one would find out.
With that in mind, Ophelia went to her confession, and ended up being bound in ropes.
"Huh?"
Wait, why me?!
Panicking, she whipped her head around and met Yuri's eyes.
Yuri flinched in surprise, then averted her gaze, looking away.
Wait a minute...?
Could it be that bitch...?