Chapter 108: The Lord is With Us (29)
Chapter 108: The Lord is With Us (29)
“…Well then, shall we have a little punishment before we head back?”
The words came out of my own mouth, but even I thought they sounded quite chilling. In fact, I had to suppress a dry chuckle as I said them.
Me—a mere second son of a rural viscount and her junior—punishing Senior Delphine?
It was absurd. I’d hoped she would take it as a joke of sorts, but Delphine’s reaction far exceeded my expectations.
First, despair flickered in her ruby-like eyes.
Then, vivid terror etched itself into her features, followed quickly by an expression resembling total resignation.
Delphine began to sob and immediately dropped to her knees.
Her reaction was so instantaneous that it was my turn to be flustered. Tears began to well in her eyes.
After a moment’s hesitation, she slammed her forehead against the ground.
Thud. The sound was so heavy it looked painful. Yet, Delphine maintained that posture, her voice trembling with sobs.
“I—I am sorry for being so arrogant… P-please… hic… show… sob… mercy…….”
To me, this change in heart felt somewhat abrupt.
Of course, Delphine was terrified of me whenever I held my hand axe. But right now, I wasn't even holding it, and even though I’d used the word ‘punishment,’ hadn't the atmosphere been relatively warm?
We had just finished the demonic beast hunt and were celebrating our safe return. I couldn't fathom why Delphine, who had still shown flashes of her rebellious streak until a moment ago, was acting like this.
Even if she grew timid whenever our eyes met, she was still a woman who held onto her pride.
As I fell into thought, Delphine began to tremble even more piteously. Her wavering voice tickled my ears.
“Please… hic… just an arm or a leg… for forgiveness… sob, hic… I b-beg of you…….”
Just what kind of things was she imagining that she could refer to an arm or a leg as ‘just’ something?
It seemed there was a severe discrepancy between the ‘me’ in Delphine’s head and the actual ‘me.’
This was awkward. I let out a sigh and moved to help her up.
That is, until a sudden thought flashed through my mind.
Come to think of it, Delphine hadn't believed a word I said even right after we entered the forest. My only goal had been hunting demonic beasts.
Despite that, Delphine had refused to drop the suspicion that I intended to assault her until the very end.
That was how deep her distrust of me ran. In a situation like this, trying to explain it was a misunderstanding would be a waste of breath; she wouldn't listen.
There was another problem. If Delphine became combat-ineffective every time I drew my hand axe, it would inevitably hinder my plans. She was one of the core combatants of our group.
My mental gears began to grind. The sparks of my racing thoughts flew, forcing an idea to the surface.
Soon, I reached a conclusion.
Fine. Let’s actually give her a punishment.
Under the circumstances, it was the only way. I intentionally adopted a solemn tone.
“……Delphine Yurdina, I assume you know what you did wrong?”
“P-please… hic… forgive me…….”
The moment she heard my voice, Delphine bowed her head even deeper. Tears dripped from her eyes.
Her attitude was that of someone who knew her sins better than anyone.
I was almost curious as to what those sins were, but asking her now was practically impossible.
Instead, I cleared my throat with a hem and refined my voice further.
I spoke in a grave tone.
“Then you also know that you must be punished accordingly?”
“I—I know… hic… I understand…….”
Delphine accepted my words without resistance. To be honest, I had no idea why, but in Delphine’s world, it seemed only natural that she be punished.
That was the issue.
Delphine’s world was too firmly established. I didn't know what kind of things the ‘me’ from the future had done to her, but those events had taken root as a nightmare, warping her perception.
That was why she continued to reject and doubt any facts that conflicted with that world.
Even if I told her I had no intention of attacking her, she wouldn't believe it because it contradicted her perception of the ‘me’ that existed in her world.
It was the same now. Even if I told her she didn't need to seek forgiveness, she wouldn't believe me.
No matter what I did, there would be no exception.
If so, there was only one way.
My hand gripped the hand axe once more. Its gleaming sharpness sent ripples through the air.
The moment she sensed it, Delphine’s breathing grew ragged.
Heuuu, heuuu. Her exhales were becoming increasingly labored. Delphine lifted her head slightly to steal a glance at me, but the moment she saw the axe blade reflecting the moonlight, she slammed her head back into the dirt.
She looked as if she wanted to scream. The brief glimpse I caught of her eyes showed they were filled with nothing but terror.
The tremors racking her body intensified. Her shivering legs twitched as if they wanted to bolt at any second. Yet, Delphine seemed to be forcibly suppressing that urge.
As if doing so was the only way to receive a lighter punishment.
I wondered for a moment what kind of person the ‘me’ in Delphine’s eyes actually was, and my expression turned a bit sour, but the die was cast.
Since I’d started, I decided to see it through to the end.
“……I’ll finish this in one go.”
There wasn't even a hint of a telegraph.
With that declaration, momentum was born.
Immediately, the axe swung down with a sharp whistle.
There was no hesitation. In that final moment, Delphine finally let out a scream.
“P-please… Kyaaaaaaaak! F-forgive m—e……?”
However, when no pain came no matter how much time passed, Delphine trailed off, sounding bewildered.
She slowly lifted her head. Right beside her, the axe was planted firmly in the ground.
Delphine’s blood-red pupils shook violently.
“Heuu, heuuuu…….”
As her breath hitched, I tilted the axe blade toward her cheek.
And the moment Delphine squeezed her eyes shut.
Sliiiide.
The edge of the axe lightly grazed her cheek. Just enough to leave the faintest of scratches.
Her crimson eyes flew open again, looking dazed. She stared blankly at the axe blade that had just flicked against her cheek.
Delphine looked as if she couldn't understand what was happening at all.
A tiny bead of blood welled up from the scratch. It was a shallow wound, barely enough to bleed. For someone of Delphine’s skill, it would heal in a matter of minutes.
Naturally, it wouldn't leave a scar.
For a while, silence hung over the forest.
Regardless, I sheathed the hand axe back at my waist. Delphine, who had been standing there as if she’d forgotten how to breathe, finally turned her eyes toward me.
I gave a small smirk and leaned forward, extending my hand.
“That’s your punishment. It hurts, doesn't it?”
“Th-that… ah… ugh…….”
Delphine’s lips quivered as if she wanted to say something, but the sounds never formed into words. She simply took my hand with a dazed look and stood up unsteadily.
I had granted her wish.
If it was natural for her to be punished in her world, then I just had to play along. But in exchange, the punishment would be at such a low intensity that it was practically meaningless.
Then, gradually, ‘punishment’ would become something Delphine didn't have to fear, and her terror toward me would lessen at least a little.
I didn't know if it would have an immediate effect. But I figured if I repeated this a few times, I could at least prevent the disaster of her becoming combat-ineffective just by looking at my hand axe.
It was a method of overwriting her perception with a new one without directly clashing with her existing world.
I praised myself, thinking it was quite a brilliant solution for someone from the meatheaded Swordsmanship Department. Then, I spoke to Delphine.
“Oh, come to think of it, you have a healing potion, right? Give me one.”
“Ah, huh? O-oh…….”
Still making dazed noises, Delphine pulled a healing potion from her robe. I took the potion and poured it over my back without hesitation.
Then I poured the rest over my arm and watched the flesh bubble and regenerate.
I didn't know what the Saintess would say if I went to her again. It was better to treat it with a healing potion. It wasn't my money, anyway.
Still, it was a small price to pay for Delphine’s life. With that thought, I began to walk away.
“Then come back slowly, Senior Delphine… Oh, and don't fight with Senior Elsie so openly from now on.”
I waved my hand, and no answer came back from Delphine.
It didn't matter. I’d done a good job today.
First, I needed to go find Reto.
Delphine remained silent for a long time after Ian left.
She simply stood there, staring blankly at Ian’s retreating back.
Why? Delphine harbored that single question.
He could have crushed her limbs. That was the bare minimum, and if Ian put his mind to it, he could have done anything beyond that.
Delphine was the loser, and Ian was the winner. She was practically his.
Perhaps because she had begged before him so many times, even her sense of shame was fading. However, there was that faint smile Ian had shown at the last moment.
And the tiny line drawn on her cheek.
Delphine traced her cheek with her hand, then murmured in a dreamy voice.
“……How merciful.”
The words slipped out unconsciously. Even after saying it, Delphine didn't feel anything strange for a long time.
It was only much later that she snapped back to her senses.
Realizing what she had just said, Delphine practically jumped on the spot.
“No, no, no… I’m crazy! What mercy from that murderer…….”
But she couldn't continue. Just as she was about to hurl a string of insults at Ian, she instinctively shut her mouth.
Her fear-stricken gaze swept the surroundings. She worried that Ian might still be nearby, watching her.
This might be another one of Ian’s tests. Chilled to the bone, Delphine hurriedly tried to fix her mistake.
“……W-well, he’s not a murderer. Yes, and he is merciful.”
As she began to follow in Ian’s footsteps, Delphine pondered the last thing he had said.
Don't fight with Elsie ‘openly’ from now on.
Then, how was she supposed to fight?
Suddenly, a scene from the day they first arrived at the orphanage flashed through her mind. The sight of Elsie running errands for Ian, wearing a smug expression and mocking her.
It was a disgrace for a high-ranking noble.
But her pride had just been shattered again, and she was someone who had never backed down from a challenge in her life.
The reason Elsie had been so smug during their last spat was ultimately because she enjoyed the favor of an absolute powerhouse like Ian. Delphine’s thoughts passed through that point and reached a conclusion.
Well then, it wouldn't be bad to accept the challenge.
If Ian took Delphine’s side, that girl Elsie wouldn't be able to treat her so recklessly anymore.
Rationalizing it to herself, Delphine tried her best to turn her eyes away from a certain emotion.
It had felt good. The moment her cheek was lightly scratched.
It felt as if all her anxiety and guilt were being washed away, and she had liked it very much.
Delphine decided to label this feeling as 'competitiveness' for now.
With a small hum, Delphine’s blood-red eyes deepened as she walked through the darkness.