Chapter 38
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38
First came the lies, then self-justification once those lies were exposed. When that failed, desperation, followed by drawing a hidden weapon. Finally, there were only screams and servility—it was no exaggeration to say he had displayed the full spectrum of human ugliness in rapid succession.
Unlike the rage-filled witch, the suddenly noisy insect, and the monster, Podes remained silent as Lapudir drew his last breaths.
Podes had no right to sneer. Had he been in the same situation, he would have done the exact same thing.
The monster with mantis-like forelegs hacked Lapudir to pieces, and the old woman tore the head from the corpse. Acid spat by the centipede-like insect melted the spine that came out with it. The old woman caressed Lapudir's head with both hands, cradling it like a trophy.
It was only when he saw her stroke the head as if it were a glass marble that Podes’s legs began to tremble. It was a tremor born of dread and horror.
—What kind of entities have I summoned?
"So this was the culprit who set fire to the forest?"
The black monster pointed at Lapudir's head, which the old woman was holding. Lacking the courage to speak to the monster now, Podes simply nodded.
"I have already taken measures below. My knights, who have been burning for revenge alongside me, must have killed everyone associated with the arson by now."
Of course, he didn't know exactly who was involved. That was why Podes's order had been to "exterminate everyone belonging to the Thirdvale family, excluding women and children."
Lapudir's kin would have killed even women and children without hesitation. Podes felt no guilt. He had never been a man of justice, and this was the final revenge of his life. Considering the purges Lapudir usually carried out, he was almost angry at himself for being too soft.
"I granted your request because you begged so desperately, so why are you acting on your own? You've gotten awfully bold."
"...I am deeply sorry for making such a rash judgment."
This was the best Podes could do. If these monsters, who didn't know who had aided the arsonists, started killing people in the castle, a massacre far worse than what he desired would surely occur.
If their slaughter was too loud, Undermountain's guards might rush in. The people attending the banquet were all aligned with the moderates, so it didn't matter if they died, but he didn't want to see the entire city of Undermountain destroyed.
Even if it meant the knights of the Alvim family had to cover themselves in blood, he did not want the city's innocent citizens to be harmed.
Displeased with Podes's unilateral action, the black monster's mouth twitched. Dark energy rose to the ceiling, swallowing the floating sphere of light in the air.
The room plunged into darkness once more. In the gloom, Podes silently took off his armor. The emblem engraved with a silver sword, a black rose, a lion, and fangs shone faintly. He also laid down his Imperial insignia, which was more precious to a knight than life itself.
Only after shedding everything that adorned his body did Podes light a lamp and overturn it onto the carpet. Within seconds, a small spark caught on the soot-stained fabric.
"Now... everything is over."
A solemn determination seeped from his dry voice.
With this, clear evidence that Podes was the main culprit of this incident would remain. The discarded armor and Imperial insignia were made with Agnium ore, which resisted fire. Even if the castle burned to the ground, those two items would not turn to ash, remaining to reveal the full story of the massacre. The investigation would be reopened, and without Lapudir's interference, it would finally pierce through to the truth. Podes's eyes shone with resolve. Sitting on the floor, he straightened his back and clenched his fists.
He had no regrets.
"I express my sincere gratitude to you for agreeing to the deal. Perhaps you are not demons, but gods. Yes. I will not drag this out. Kill me now. I, Podes of the Alvim family, favored by the Sword Princess, shall meet my end gloriously."
His gratitude toward the monsters was sincere. It was thanks to their help that he had escaped from prison. Because they had killed those who stood in his way, he was able to secretly meet with his subordinate knights. And because they had transported him to Undermountain, he could end his revenge like this.
That was why Podes was certain. Although they coveted lives, they were definitely on his side.
"What have you been blabbering about this whole time?"
The reply from the shadowy maw, however, was filled with nothing but contempt. Unable to hide his confusion, Podes muttered, "...What do you mean?"
"You've been going on about demons and gods, but who said you could decide that on your own?"
Several emotions could be felt in the monster's voice, but not a single shred of goodwill could be found among them.
"And you keep talking about a deal. When did I ever say we had a deal? I just decided to kill you a little later and was watching you. Besides, I figured if I tagged along, I might find the real arsonist."
Podes slowly searched his memory. The entity had never once uttered the word ‘deal.’
Everything had been his own delusion.
"A glorious death? Don't be ridiculous. I have no intention of killing you here. Your death will take place back in the prison where you started. The doppelganger locked up there in your place must be very hungry by now."
The journey from the city where Podes was imprisoned to Undermountain took about three days. The trip back would make it a week. During that time, unable to resist its appetite, the doppelganger must have eaten humans. How many? The black monster's yellow-gold eyes flashed.
Only then did Podes feel his back grow damp. Panting and trembling, he was no different from Lapudir.
It was cold. He felt like he finally understood why Lapudir had shivered so violently. Barely overcoming his trembling, he turned his head left and right.
On either side, the monster with mantis forelegs and the insect clinging to the floor were staring at him. Even if he forced his head forward, he could never forget those gazes. The image of their mouths was seared into his mind.
Teeth pointing in every direction, legs sharp enough to tear flesh. A tongue seemingly made to rummage through intestines.
They were drooling. They were hungry.
When he had thought of death, he had only pictured being cut down in a single, clean stroke.
What kind of delusion had he been under?
As if to soothe him, the black monster finished speaking.
"Don't start getting scared now. It only makes you look more appetizing."
*
Master has returned.
He returned safely and looked at me through the iron bars.
"Ah, you were here too."
There was no emotion in Master's voice. His eyes were on me, but his gaze was unfocused. Perhaps it only seemed that way because I was so weak. Lacking the strength to answer, I simply nodded.
No response came. Only a heavy silence weighed down the space. It is fine. I am used to being despised and ignored. I smiled at Master. After all, a smile is the basic duty of a maid.
Still no reaction.
Why does Master look so listless?
He is beyond the iron bars, a free man, unlike me. So why is he trembling like that? Is it because of the strange entities behind him? I do not think of them as enemies. Since they arrived, many things have changed.
For one, Master became a free man. And the quiet prison began to grow noisy. For a few days now, I have heard the sound of meat being torn from afar.
Do they give out a lot of food over there?
I am still hungry, Master.
"Could... you... also... let... me... out... of... the... bars..."
Though it felt like the air was tearing at my dry vocal cords, I forced the words out with all my might. At my call, Master looked at me again.
He was still trembling violently.
Ah, I am sorry. Did I make an unreasonable request?
I am sorry, Master. So...
You mustn't look so weak, so pathetic.
Please do not cry.
Master looked as if he was about to say something, but in the end, his mouth remained shut.
*
The black monster—Swallow—scratched the back of his head.
"Is it settled? That ended kind of weirdly."
He roughly read the room. The one most angered by this affair was Graphenia, the witch of the forest.
The witch, her face mutilated, was still frowning as if her anger had not subsided.
Graphenia was exceptionally attached to her forest. Simply killing the arsonists hadn't been enough to quell her accumulated rage.
Swallow pondered what to say, then patted Graphenia on the back. "Sorry about this, Granny." Graphenia's forest was originally on land where trees struggled to grow. That it had become so lush was all thanks to her magic. Though her appearance was hideous, she was an earth spirit with immense power.
She was the core of the forest's power, its natural fortress, so he needed to stay on her good side. To Swallow, who lived in a dungeon built inside the forest, Graphenia was like a landlord.
He listened to the sound beside him—a ravenous, tearing noise.
Podes's end was a foolish one. He was not much different from Lapudir, who had been whimpering in his bedchamber.
In the first place, Podes was clearly an evil man himself. It was only in the context of this one incident that Lapudir was the perpetrator and Podes the victim. If one were to list their evil deeds, the list for both would be endless.
The only difference between the two was that Podes made fewer excuses.
To think he'd been so stoic, only to be consumed by fear at the very end. To monsters that fed on fear, it was an open invitation: 'Please, eat me.'
If he had at least maintained his initial attitude, he wouldn't have died such a painful death. It was something Swallow couldn't understand.
"Don't eat it all."
If they devoured Podes's corpse completely, there would be no reason to bring him back to the prison.
Swallow slowly stood up. He couldn't watch his subordinates eat forever. Yawning, he looked around the prison.
Most of the people here were from the Alvim family.
Swallow smiled faintly. He had planned to eliminate all involved parties and witnesses. Since the two groups were one and the same, wrapping things up would be simple.
As he glanced around the prison, Swallow's footsteps stopped in one place.
It was in front of the being who had interested him from the start.
"Fascinating. A creature that isn't human but looks exactly like one."
Homunculus.
That was what Podes had called her when Swallow asked on the way to Undermountain.
A lifeform created by humans. A being that does not age. A being without purpose.
He looked closely at the girl. She was clearly a living thing. Just as Podes had called her a 'lifeform' rather than an 'artificial human,' it was difficult to classify the silver-haired girl before him as human. She emitted an aura similar to that of a half-breed—part human, part monster.
Should I kill this one too? It would be right to kill her.
He pondered for a moment, then turned around.
"It's your master's last will. He said you're free, so leave this human village. He told you to go to the Rium Garden. It's a nation of beastkin, so they'll welcome you a hundred times more than the people here."
He put both hands on the bars and pried them apart. With a loud screech, a space opened up, just large enough for a person to duck through.
"That doesn't mean I'm helping you, though. My curiosity has earned you this much mercy, but it ends here. The choice is yours. If you go outside like this, for all I know, you might get a spear through the stomach."
He felt the girl's gaze from inside the cage. It wasn't a look of hatred.
"He called you Rellow."
The homunculus maid had no name. Rellow was the name of the maid who had assisted the first head of the Alvim family, a title given to the most outstanding maid in the household.
When the homunculus had worked as a maid for the Alvim family, the woman called Rellow was a middle-aged head maid.
The title of Rellow had been passed down once during her service, but it had not gone to her, the homunculus.
The homunculus maid had never been called by a name, because she had none. She had never been called Rellow, because she had never been loved. Not even by her master.
"Rellow..."
The homunculus inside the iron cage repeated the name over and over. Swallow stared at her for a few seconds before turning to leave. It felt uncomfortable. It had been a long time since he'd left a witness alive.
If I tell Patrick about this, will he chew me out? I should probably keep my mouth shut.
From a distance, the clang of sabatons on the stone floor echoed. Swallow's footsteps quickened. As he hurried to leave the human village, the last words he had forgotten to say came to mind.
—If we meet again, I'll kill you.
"Ah, that would've been a killer line."
Wondering if he should say it the next time they met and kill her the time after that, the dark figures melted into the shadows.