63. No Shackles (4)
63. No Shackles (4)
- 1 -
Before going to retrieve the object believed to be Serica's dungeon core, there was something I had to do here in Copherin.
That was, namely, resolving a 'grudge.'
'It seemed like those kids were just trying to chalk it up to bad luck and move on...'
Because it was a 'common misfortune' that often happened in this world, they hadn't properly recognized it.
This also meant that while the victims considered it a tragedy, it was already a familiar occurrence to the crowd who were a step or even just a little time removed from it.
But as someone who wasn't even from this world and was furthermore a victim herself, I couldn't view it that way.
'It's goddamn bullshit.'
What I held in my hand now was a photo bearing the image of the culprit behind this Copherin attack.
The person captured inside was the fallen noble, Elenore Claiamel.
She was a beautiful woman with a decadent appearance, and she was also a warrior with fairly formidable abilities herself.
Excellent looks. Remarkable talent. A fallen noble, yes, but because of that, the assets and connections her family had built up over time.
If she had lived normally, she might have grown into quite a fine talent within the kingdom.
"Is this what they mean by having everything but throwing it all away?"
"Indeed, my lady. I cannot understand..."
"Of course you wouldn't, Talhan. It doesn't mean you can't understand. It's just how it is."
"Ah, yes."
Yet Elenore had chosen the path of a demon fanatic.
Driven mad by the vengeance hanging over her family, she had joined hands with demons and tried to attack a count of the kingdom.
In that respect, this situation might even be long-term good fortune for me. Though it didn't feel that way at all, seeing as she had caused damage to my personal assets.
『He will pay the price.』
No matter how I thought about it, what she had babbled at the Fate Society meeting bothered me too much, so when I slipped out of there, I had ordered Talhan and the Cerebrum Skulls to investigate her beforehand...
It was also irritating that the investigation itself had already come too late. Even though it was the fastest decision I could have made from my standpoint.
She had caused the incident right after the Fate Society gathering ended, and we... or more precisely, three people had gotten caught up in it.
'What's more annoying is that this is apparently a common occurrence in this world.'
In that situation, the most correct action I should have taken, honestly, was to leave the city the moment the Fate Society meeting ended.
But how could I have done that?
If someone could discover even a tiny part of the precursor to an incident and immediately predict that it was about to explode, that person would be a figure akin to a Resonance of Fate.
If I had to pick someone who suited me, I'd rather choose Joongdal.
"Who... is that."
Just look at this example of what I've just done.
"Is your name Elenore Claiamel?"
"Yes, but...?"
"I found the right one."
That very evening, the same day I had sent Sonia and Maria off to the dungeon with Leonis's body in tow.
Having embarked on this 'grudge resolution,' I found myself, a mere hour after starting, inside the prison where the culprit Elenore Claiamel was held.
Inside that place where she remained alone, all her comrades dead or fled.
Because of the incident she caused, the alert level against monsters had been heightened, which raised the difficulty since I had to avoid using my necromancy or shadow magic entirely...
Even so, it wasn't a difficult task.
"You have about 10 minutes left, young lady."
"Get her out first. We'll talk afterwards."
"Yes."
Though their status had become ambiguous lately, they were nonetheless heralds who had once delivered all kinds of news on foot, and their modern evolution, the information guild members, were a respected presence to modern humanity. My subordinates, being among them, were allowed in after only a mana check once they said they were interrogating the culprit.
And since Cerebrum Skulls were entities specialized in infiltration and deception, they could even hide or completely disperse the demonic energy of their main bodies.
Tuk. Hoodeuk!
"What are you...!"
"Stay still. If you don't want to die."
The three undead spies, disguised as information guild members, began to move busily.
One took out two corpses from a pre-prepared expansion pouch and dressed one in Elenore's clothes, while another began scattering pre-prepared blood, flesh, and bone fragments around the area.
"Sister. You are not someone who will die in this place. We have come to retrieve someone like you."
And finally, the remaining one, Talhan, told Elenore the 'truth.'
"...Are you people like me as well?"
"Yes. That's right. We too are servants of a great one."
"But... how can I believe that?"
"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. Because the city folk will execute you tomorrow. Your only chance to live longer is right now. You still haven't completed your revenge, have you? The Count is still alive."
There was not a single lie present in these words.
The interrogation of Elenore had already concluded, and because of the Count's testimony regarding the signet ring she possessed, it had been 'determined' that all of this crime was due to her grudge.
Since that was indeed the case, it hardly mattered, but apparently it was also true that all interrogation had grown half-hearted once it became known that Elenore was a member of the Claiamel family.
She was aware of that situation too, so her attempt to hold out by forcing an uncharacteristic coldness as she watched us did not last long.
Moreover, it was correct that all demons served the 'Demon King,' so there was no lie even in that part.
"...Hah. At the very least, it can't get any worse."
In the eyes of this fallen noble who spat out a positive answer, there was a flame that anyone could recognize at a glance.
Hatred.
'Of course it is.'
A dress completely torn, and the bare flesh revealed between the rips. A flame of grudge that was not extinguished in the slightest despite that.
For me, it was nothing short of a mechanism that provided at least a minimal understanding of the existence of this female terrorist who barely looked to be in her twenties.
'I figured there'd be unusual circumstances.'
A person with much to lose finds it difficult to throw away everything they possess.
Yet this woman, born with much, was a figure who had committed an act of terror against a noble, shackled by past grudges.
Wouldn't it be natural for her to have some personal disposition for that?
Whether she had grown up practically brainwashed by her family since childhood, or had personally experienced something that made her hold a grudge against the Count.
Some personal disposition to foster a rotten, festering grudge.
"It's all done."
Once the undead informants finished manipulating the scene, what remained in the prison were the corpses of 'Elenore, whose head was blown off by a curse,' and one 'information guild member killed by the same curse that blew off Elenore's head.'
"We'll see you next time, young lady."
"Take care. I haven't yet decided on your reward."
"Of course."
Kwang - !!!
Two of the Cerebrum Skulls first headed for a secret passage inside the prison they had scouted beforehand, and we, taking Elenore, who was disguised as one of them, blew up the scene and escaped right after.
"What's going on - !!"
"Is it a monster?!"
"Elenore self-destructed! Damn it. Our guild member is dead!"
The process was astonishingly smooth.
It was only natural that Elenore's eyes changed as she watched us after seeing that.
"To think there were brothers and sisters like you people within the Information Guild... We should have made contact sooner."
"We only succeeded recently ourselves, so the news had not reached anyone. It is simply regrettable, a twist of fate."
"I see..."
As if she already considered us completely on her side, this frenzy-driven avenger nodded her head in relief and began to ramble on about her past as we walked along the supply route.
Roughly, she said her memory began after her family had already fallen into ruin.
That her mother had fallen to dementia at a young age and still lived in her memories of being a noble lady in her youth.
That her beloved older sister was aging as an old maid due to rumors spread in social circles by an opposing family, out of fear she might catch the eye of the Julheim family.
That her younger sibling, born with a congenital disability, had been cursed by Julheim.
That amid all that, she heard that one of the elders of her family had regained youth by contacting a demon.
Even that this was her first time leaving her family's estate.
"It seems you were not the first to make contact, child."
"That is correct, sister."
"Then that brother of ours must now be protecting your family."
"He would be."
Elenore seemed to perceive me fully as a superior, as she paid no heed to my casual speech or her own conversational tone.
Indeed, since she was supposedly an elite-grade swordswoman, she likely had a vague sense of my magical presence.
She probably believed I was an equal in terms of ability.
On top of that, since outwardly I looked far too young no matter how one looked, it wasn't strange for her to think I came from some mysterious noble house.
"You tried to kill yourself...?"
"Yes... I did."
It seemed her original plan had been to release the monsters within the fortress and then commit suicide.
She was worried that she might, under torture, reveal the location of the family members who had sneaked her in.
But what actually came back was indifference once her identity became known, and she seemed to have realized one more thing from that attitude.
"Even if I die like this, those bastards will just perceive me as another piece of trash. I should have been more careful... I should have stabbed them more fatally...!"
"You're right about that. Elenore. Revenge must be dealt fatally."
I agreed with her words as well.
That revenge must be as fatal as possible.
That it must be thoroughly crushed so they couldn't spout the nonsense that grudges only breed more grudges.
"So, I truly thank you. For giving me a chance again..."
"Yeah."
"By the way, what is my benefactor's name...?"
"Angelita."
"Ah, so it was Lady Angelita."
So, I intended to show her an example of what she had just realized.
That a yoke of grudge was something only worn by the inept.