Chapter 31: Ogre Subjugation (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31: Ogre Subjugation (6)
Anyone who’s played a game has probably tried to find an Easter egg at least once.
I was no different.
The circumstances were just a little unique.
When you reach the true ending of the game ‘Hero’s Party,’ you end up fighting either Gis or Lorian, depending on the choices you’ve made up to that point.
When it came time to fight those bastards, I got curious.
I’d already been NTR’d, and the game’s scenario had reached its climax. In that situation, what would happen if I actually managed to beat them?
Was there a hidden Easter egg?
Surely there wasn’t a happy ending, right?
To find out, I started grinding levels. I hit the max level and equipped the best gear. I pushed my new companions’ specs to the absolute limit.
Only after memorizing Gis’s patterns did I begin the challenge in earnest.
I cast powerful buffs on my allies while spamming debuffs on the enemy.
I timed my skills to deflect Gis’s ultimate moves and carefully controlled my strongest attacks to ensure they wouldn't be blocked.
After several attempts, I finally defeated Gis.
Or so I thought.
That is, until Gis suddenly ripped off his shirt and burst into laughter.
The bastard’s bare torso was covered in black tattoos.
Patterns he’d received from the orcs.
He spouted some nonsense about how it was a shame he hadn't needed to use this power until now, and that he was going all out, so I’d better not die too easily.
With that, he started Phase 2.
And Phase 2 was, to put it bluntly, fucking insane.
He used some bullshit pattern, and all of my team’s buffs vanished.
Debuffs wouldn’t stick to him, and his skills inflicted powerful debuffs on my allies.
As anyone who’s played a turn-based RPG knows, once one thing goes wrong, it snowballs into a one-way ticket to ruin.
The nature of the genre is that you have to pray the boss doesn’t use some broken-ass skill.
But Gis spammed nothing but bullshit skills.
There was no conventional way to win.
In the end, I resorted to cheats…
And even that failed.
Maxing out my stats was useless against his fucking pattern-skill combo. It just meant getting my ass kicked for an hour instead of ten minutes.
At the time, I wondered why the game balance was so screwed up, but now that I’ve obtained the ogre’s pattern, I see things differently.
It’s trying to hijack my soul.
Patterns are created by absorbing souls.
So where do the absorbed souls go?
The answer is: ‘They enter my body and take up residence in the same place as my own soul.’
It’s like having two souls in one vessel.
Naturally, the two are bound to clash constantly. In fact, the ogre’s soul was actively trying to seize my soul and make this body its own.
It’s been a while since I’ve felt this. Has it been since that lich tried to possess me?
Back then, I was sick for days on end.
I chuckled and crushed the struggling ogre’s soul. I crumpled it up like a totaled car and shoved it into a corner.
That should keep it from causing trouble.
And if it still acts up… well, I’ll have no choice.
I’ll have to destroy it.
Still, that bastard Gis somehow managed to implant several patterns.
Is his soul really that strong?
If not, he must have been in a pretty precarious state. Maybe after the ending, he was devoured by one of the other souls.
I was lost in such thoughts when it happened.
“Cloud, are you alright?!”
Frillite came running through the dust cloud. With anxious eyes, she began checking my body for injuries.
It was a little overwhelming, so I gently pushed her away.
“I’m fine. Not a scratch on me.”
“Is that so… Thank goodness. But what happened? The ogre just suddenly collapsed.”
Frillite’s gaze shifted to the ogre, and only then did she spot its severed Achilles tendon. Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth even falling slightly agape.
…What’s the big deal? Is it that surprising?
“Cloud, this… did you do this?”
“I told you, I know what I’m doing.”
“No, this is on another level. To sever an ogre’s tendon… That’s something only a reclusive Sword Master should be capable of.”
She said this with a grave expression.
…I see.
No wonder Lorian was so frustratingly avoiding the tendons.
So that was the reason.
I thought I’d held back enough that it would be acceptable even to the gods above, but it turns out it was something I shouldn’t have done at all.
…Shit, I’m fucked.
I can’t draw attention to myself before I get the Giant Root Herb.
An excuse.
I need an excuse!
Maintaining a nonchalant expression, I said to Frillite.
“Haha, come on, Frillite. Sever an ogre’s tendon? How could I do something like that? I just used a magic item.”
“A magic item? What kind of magic item could possibly cut an ogre’s tendon?”
“I’d love to show you, but unfortunately, it was a consumable…”
“Ah, I see. That makes sense for a consumable. They lose their effect after one use, but their power can be extraordinary.”
Thankfully, Frillite was convinced.
Now, only one problem remained.
“Frillite, could I ask you for a favor?”
“A favor? As long as it’s not too unreasonable, of course. What is it you need from me?”
“Let’s just say you defeated the ogre by yourself.”
Frillite frowned.
“What do you mean? Even if you used a consumable item, the credit for severing the ogre’s tendon is clearly yours. I have no intention of stealing another’s glory. Especially not yours.”
So stubborn.
“Who said anything about stealing? I’m giving it to you because I don’t need it. The glory from subjugating an ogre is too much of a burden for me right now. I need to lie low for a while.”
“Lie low… I see. My apologies. I had forgotten your circumstances.”
Frillite nodded.
Great. All the loose ends are tied up. Now it’s time to go find what I need most!
Or so I thought.
“…What happened?”
As the dust settled, a person I had forgotten about came into view.
Eri.
She wore an expression that was difficult to describe.
*
When Cloud had charged toward the ogre, Eri thought he was just being foolishly stubborn.
She assumed his long-held inferiority complex had finally exploded, causing him to rush thoughtlessly at the ogre, and that he would die as a result.
But she was wrong.
Frillite, her view obscured by the ogre’s legs, hadn’t seen it clearly, but Eri had.
With light footwork, Cloud had dodged the ogre’s menacingly clasped hands as they slammed down.
She couldn’t see well after that because of the dust, but seeing the ogre fall shortly after, she could guess that he had done something.
And that something was impossible by any standard she knew.
“…What happened?”
As the dust scattered, Cloud and Frillite finally came into view.
Eri looked at Cloud and asked.
It was a very abstract question.
She couldn’t help it. She couldn’t even sort out her own thoughts.
Cloud was weak. His growth potential wasn’t high.
He could never become strong.
That was the conclusion Eri had reached after traveling with him and watching him develop.
But what was that just now? What was that movement, so effortlessly dodging the ogre’s attack?
Could it be…
“Were you tricking us…? Were you pretending to be weak this whole time we were traveling?”
It was an absurd assumption.
It would have been incredibly inconvenient and troublesome, and he had no reason to do so.
A little rational thought would have made that clear.
But Eri wasn't being rational right now.
The past few months had been too painful for her.
She was subjected to constant scorn and contempt, and she couldn’t even eat properly. She was barely allowed to participate in monster hunts, and replacing her equipment was a distant dream.
It would have been better if she’d never known anything else.
But her past, joyful experiences traveling with Cloud’s party made her current situation all the more agonizing.
The resentment that had built up over so long.
Her shredded heart. Her pride. Her self-esteem.
They all twisted and mixed into something black and murky that clouded her mind.
“Why did you trick us? Why did you pretend to be weak and make me misunderstand… make me disappointed in you?”
Words tumbled out, unfiltered by her mind. Words a normal Eri would never have said to Cloud.
But as mentioned, Eri was incapable of normal thought right now.
“If you hadn’t done that… I… I…”
I never would have considered such a foolish choice.
“Answer me!”
A gaze thick with resentment fixed on Cloud. He wore a troubled expression and glanced at Frillite, who had taken a step back.
It was a declaration of her intent not to interfere in a matter between Cloud and Eri.
A consideration Cloud found most unwelcome.
He turned back to Eri. Her face was a canvas of conflicting emotions.
Sadness. Resentment. A hint of longing.
It was an expression that couldn’t be defined by a single word.
What would Cloud have done in a situation like this?
What was needed now wasn’t a veteran swordsman with ten years of war experience.
What was needed was the kind-hearted hero, Cloud.
I am Cloud. Good Cloud. Pushover Cloud. The Giving Tree. A bird raising a cuckoo as its own chick…
Cloud hypnotized himself to become Cloud. The suggestion calmed him. He felt, if only a little, like he had become a good person.
Cloud looked Eri straight in the eye and opened his mouth.
“Eri, I swear, I have never once deceived you or our companions. And I certainly have never hidden my strength.”
“You never deceived us? Then what was that just now? You’re telling me you got that strong in just a few months? That doesn’t make any sense!”
“I was just lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“I found a dungeon. When I reached the end, I was able to obtain the legacy left by its master. That’s all there is to it.”
“…What are you talking about? A dungeon? If you were going to find something like that, you should have done it sooner…!”
“I know. You’re right. If I had found the dungeon a little sooner, I wouldn’t have disappointed you. But you know, Eri…”
Cloud took a step toward her.
“If you had just believed in me a little more… maybe none of this would have happened?”
“…What?”
“Ever since I was chosen as the Hero, I’ve been trying my best. To save people, and to not disappoint all of you who believed in me.”
Another step.
“I got calluses on my palms for the first time. They peeled off not long after, and my hands bled. My muscles ached like they were being torn apart, and to be honest, I was terrified when I fought monsters.”
Another step.
“But I didn’t stop. Because I had you all. But you gave up on me. You left for another party. It’s okay. I understand. It must have been a better path for you. A third-rate like me must have felt like nothing more than a dead weight holding you back.”
“N-No…”
Eri was flustered. Cloud took another step forward.
Now, only a single step separated them.
“But even if I understood, it still hurt a lot. I cried for a while. So much that I even neglected my training. But in the end, I picked up my sword again and kept trying. And with a bit of luck, my efforts finally paid off.”
He took the final step.
Cloud’s and Eri’s foreheads touched.
He held her gaze and gave a bitter smile.
“You know, Eri… why didn’t you believe in me?”
“Ah…”
Thump.
Eri felt her heart sink. Only then did she realize what she had done.
She lowered her eyes, unable to meet his gaze.
“C-Cloud. I-It’s just…”
She was so ashamed she could barely speak. Just as she managed to squeeze out her voice to apologize, Frillite pulled Cloud back by his body.
He looked at her with a puzzled expression as she spoke in a slightly curt tone.
“…Aren’t you a little too close?”
“Ah, you’re right. Eri, I’m sorry. That must have been unpleasant.”
“Huh?! N-No! It wasn’t unpleasant. Really!”
“Right, right. Okay. Ah, Frillite, I should get going now.”
“We haven’t finished cleaning up yet. Is it urgent?”
“Extremely. Please keep your promise, and make sure Eri keeps quiet too.”
“I will. By the way, Cloud, the Imperial social gathering is soon. Don’t forget to attend.”
“I’ll go if I have time!”
“Not ‘if you have time’! You must come!”
“Alright, alright! I’m leaving now!”
“C-Cloud?! W-Wait. I haven’t even properly apologized… yet…”
Eri mumbled, but Cloud was already gone. She stood there blankly, staring at the spot where he had disappeared.
*
“…I never imagined we’d suffer this much damage.”
Lorian gritted his teeth.
Princess Lisbeth and Halberd, who had been fighting on the front line with him, were dead. So was Glenmoril, the shaman he had worked so hard to recruit.
Princess Lisbeth’s death, in particular, would cause a huge stir in the Karta Kingdom. No matter that it happened during battle, he would not be able to avoid responsibility.
“Brother, what are we going to do now?”
“About what?”
“Our party of eight is down to five. Don’t we need to reorganize?”
“…You take care of that. I have a lot to think about.”
“Okay, I will!”
Lorraine nodded with a bright expression. Her companions had died, but she didn’t seem to care much.
Lisbeth and Umbrie were just rotten bitches who had been fawning over her brother. She was actually pleased that they were dead.
It was a little sad that she wouldn’t get to eat Halberd’s cooking anymore, but…
I can just find another guy who’s good at cooking!
Lorraine, she felt no attachment to anyone.
Except for her brother, Lorian.
Heehee, I can’t wait to see the look of despair on Eri’s face~
For the time being, the five-person party would consist of a four-person A-team and a one-person B-team.
And it had long been decided who that one person on the B-team would be.
“Eri, congratulations! It must have been so hard sharing experience points all this time, right? You don’t have to worry about that anymore! For a while, the second party will be just you!”
“…”
“Eri? What’s with that look on your face? Don’t you like it? Hey! Where are you looking! You should be looking at me!”
Lorraine shouted, but Eri didn’t even glance at her. Lorraine’s words about her being an outcast now didn’t register.
Eri sat with her knees drawn up, staring blankly at the floor.
—You know, Eri… why didn’t you believe in me?
Cloud’s sad voice and his bitter smile were seared into her mind, refusing to fade.