Tia
Tia
The moment I entered the camp, the scene burned into my eyes. A sight just as horrific as the others.
A person whose head had transformed into a grotesque snail, with bizarrely long, protruding eyestalks.
I could tell who it originally was by the blue hair remaining at the edge of that hideous, transformed head.
'Saklasi-yebi-gwallija-nim~ Royals can't get married. Why don't you look for a real woman instead~?'
'Saklasi-yebi-gwallija-nim~ Do you think my dream will come true~?'
When I subdued the former manager, a Chihuahua beastkin, and when Katerina first came to the Koopong Camp.
She was the Soi tribe girl who approached me without hesitation and teased me like this.
I generated hundreds of liters of Elixir and carefully poured it over her head.
"Ugh? Uwaaaaah~ Daegong-niiim~!"
The orange-haired girl must have noticed my presence; she came running, wailing, and prostrated herself before my floating head, sobbing.
Her voice was filled with such deep despair and sorrow that she didn't even have time to be surprised by my current appearance.
I gritted my teeth and poured out hundreds of liters of Elixir incessantly.
I realized it intuitively, but I had no choice but to ask.
"Is there a way?"
"Daegong-nim~ Heueoeoeong!"
"If there's a way, tell me!!"
The orange-haired girl didn't answer, but in truth, I already knew.
I had confirmed it at the same time I was pouring the Elixir. Since the target was a non-ability user, I used 'Blood is also water', which manifested without the resonance of a [Wish].
Even this [Wish] couldn't detach that horrific snail part stuck to her head.
When I tried to drain the bodily fluids, it felt like it was going to drain the fluids from her entire head.
It was too late.
That girl had already turned into an Azure Slug... There was no way left...
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.
What is falling to the floor right now?
Tears? My tears?
Witnessing the death of someone I was even slightly close to with my own two eyes... I didn't know it was such a terrifyingly sad thing.
Just then, the yellow-haired girl who came running up from the first floor let out a piercing scream.
"Uwaaaaah! Tiaaaaaa! No, Tia! No! Don't die! Heuaaang!"
Tia?
Did she say Tia?
Huh?
'The protagonist doesn't even have a last name. I just named her Tia.'
'Is she the female lead? I don't read stuff without harems. And you said she's not a munchkin, right?'
'She has an incredible trait. This is just a coincidence I put in. A coincidence that happens only once in the world. Because of this, everyone misunderstands, and the protagonist—'
Words from my friend, the original author.
The name of that novel's protagonist.
Tia.
They said the original protagonist was a non-ability user struggling to get by. And they mentioned some incredible trait...
Come to think of it, the day Katerina first visited the Koopong Camp, I remembered something the current assistant manager, Manneric, had said in passing.
'I remember clearly receiving her from the orphanage director because I'd never seen black hair before, but I couldn't remember which dormitory she was in. So I went around asking place by place, but they all said they didn't know. Now that I think about it, it was related to the Princess, so the directors were pretending not to know—'
At the time, I was too flustered, so I pretended not to know and let it slide. Because I really hadn't had the slightest clue why Katerina had come to find me back then.
Only now do I know that a black-haired Soi tribe member is a descendant that only High Elves can give birth to.
That they are mistaking me for their bloodline.
But,
What if Tia was originally the one with black hair?
What if the coincidence my friend set up, the one that happens only once in the world, was being born with black hair?
I know because I've experienced it. No matter how hard they struggle, it's a world too harsh for a non-ability user Soi tribe member to live in.
They said that novel ended after a journey of 400 chapters.
How could they have written 400 chapters about a Soi tribe helper who couldn't even leave the Koopong Camp?
But what if she had black hair?
What if the excessive affection from the royals that I'm receiving was originally all meant for Tia?
"This, this isn't right? This is wrong. Something, something is so wrong...!"
I covered my face with my hands. I don't have the confidence to face and endure the horrific truth unfolding before my eyes.
I had been arrogant.
Since coming here, all sorts of things happened several times a day, but to me, it all felt like an easy game or a prank.
I don't want to make excuses, saying it was a chaotic time and that I couldn't help it.
"Why, why! Why didn't I ever think to recognize Tia until now!!!"
I was complacent.
I only realized who the true owner of the position I stole was now, when things had become this disastrous.
"Now, now if I sprinkle salt, Tia will die~ Heuaaang! I, because I brought the salt too late...!"
No, you weren't late.
I was late.
Arrogant me! Stupid me!
"Saklasi!"
It seemed Serin had come running, wondering what had happened due to the orange-haired girl's crying.
Yes, if it's the royals! If it's them, standing at the pinnacle of this world! Maybe there's a way.
"Call Katerina for me right now."
"U... Uh!"
Tu-ru-ru~
Click.
Before even a single signal tone could ring, Katerina answered the phone.
-Serin, how did things go?
"It's Saklasi. Is there no way to detach the Azure Slug stuck to her head?"
-...Did the eyes come out?
"Yes...."
As soon as I heard Katerina's voice, I felt like I had already heard the result.
-Serin wouldn't have assimilated this quickly, so I suppose it's a non-ability user Soi tribe member. If they are a non-ability user, the assimilation speed is fast.
"...Is there no way, absolutely no way?"
I want to confirm. If there is really no way.
-If it has progressed that far.... Yes, there is no way....
The sliver of hope returned as a confirmation of death.
"Where is the Azure Slug base? They seem vulnerable to saltwater like snails, so no matter if there are hundreds of millions or billions of them, I can just submerge them all in the sea. I'll drag all the seawater in this world to wipe them out, so just tell me where they are."
At Katerina's confirmation, the words from my out-of-control mind burst out like a machine gun. I tried to calm down somehow, but my blood was boiling, and I felt like I would crush the phone I was holding into powder.
-Saklasi, calm down.
"Please tell me. Katerina."
-I will tell you everything you want, Saklasi. But this isn't a light topic to discuss over the phone. For now, calm your heart. Once you've calmed down, will you come to the Imperial Palace?
Since I had only worked as a Koopong helper for a few days, the only person I could call close was Serin.
Therefore, there wasn't a single person who could identify the corpses that had lost their heads.
Even Tia, whom I could say I was somewhat close to, I only learned her name after she ended up in this state....
The horrific scene visible after coming down to the first floor could not be accepted as reality.
How could so many people be so brutally murdered?
Why on earth, and for what purpose, was I transferred to this world?
All over the camp grounds, sounds of desperate wailing could be heard. Turning my gaze in that direction, I saw people sobbing while clutching the ankles of those who were turning into Azure Slugs.
Are they close friends? Like family who grew up together from orphanage days and relied on each other?
Even though their bodies were already turning into Azure Slugs, they didn't avoid their side and were staying with them.
'They say it's already useless. I'm sorry. I, a Transcendent, can do nothing.'
"My Lord. Ariun has searched the entire premises thoroughly. Manneric, who was on vacation, also just arrived and is currently rooting out the remaining slugs. There will be no further damage. So... if My Lord cries, Ariun is also sad...."
I was still shedding tears endlessly.
Because I was such a fool. Even though there had been an incident where Soi tribe members were eaten at the camp, I hadn't paid much attention to it.
Because the two who were eaten were people I disliked, I thought it was unfortunate but couldn't be helped, and didn't think much of it.
And yet, other weak Soi tribe members were still exposed to danger!
With Serin, Manneric, Shed, and now even Ariun joined, I thought that at most, demons would no longer be a threat.
"Saklasi...."
Serin approached and carefully wiped my tears, speaking in a trembling voice.
"Once the assimilation is complete, it will attack others. So please, stop...."
I went out into the Koopong grounds. The Soi tribe members, seeing my floating head, flinched in surprise but soon called out to me, kneeling on one knee and wailing.
Even in this situation, they were showing me respect. They must have trusted me that much.
That if it were this place, run by me—a Transcendent and a fellow Soi tribe member—I would take better care of them. That it would be safer than anywhere else.
"From now on, I will make it rain. It will be rain made of seawater."
Realizing what my words meant, the sound of wailing filled the camp even more desperately.
"Everyone, calm down! If they fully assimilate, there will be more casualties! It hurts, but you must endure it!"
"There is no way! Prepare your hearts to let them go!"
As I gave notice without any excuses, Ariun and Serin took on the role of the bad guys and backed me up.
I have nothing to say.
"I will begin."
Swaaaa—
Rain made of seawater poured down over the entire camp. Upon touching the rain, the Azure Slugs began to writhe as if in agony and then melt away.
Just in time, sirens blared as 119 ambulances and the knights I had seen before arrived one after another into the camp grounds.
"""We greet Your Highness, the Grand Duke!"""
"Emergency responders and knights, do not show me respect, just do your jobs."
I stopped them as they knelt on one knee the moment they saw me.
I didn't want to receive it. I was so angry at my own incompetence that even receiving respect felt like a stab to the heart.
The rain was falling inside the buildings as well.
Everything will be washed away.
As if nothing had happened.
Rain pours down, tu-du-duk, onto my face as I turn my head toward the sky.