Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Protagonist is a Villain
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"What the hell is this?"
"Yes. It's a device we prepared to use on that damned Eve bitch if we ever caught her."
After word spread that I'd captured Eve, the guild master pulled this thing out of his mansion. It was impossible to describe exactly, even with my imagination. There was a massive glass tank filled with a bunch of long tubes, and outside it, a pump connected to those tubes.
I couldn't figure out for the life of me how this thing was supposed to work. The guild master beamed with pride as he answered my question.
"Could you explain it in a bit more detail?"
"Of course. It's our way of warning against vile pirates like Eve ever showing up again—and getting some revenge in the process. We call it the taxidermy device."
"Taxidermy device?"
"You anesthetize the target and lock them in this glass tank, then use these special syringes we made to completely harden their muscles. It turns them to stone basically—hard as limestone, so they can't move a muscle. Once it's done, there's no going back. No recovery, no survival."
"So, you're just killing them, then."
"No, no. Even with the injection, Eve won't die. That's what the pump is for."
The merchant pointed to the pump outside. I'd been wondering what that was for myself. He pressed a button under the tank, and the pump sprang to life on its own, pumping away furiously for a moment. Then he stopped it and continued his explanation.
"That pump takes over for the heart, circulating blood through Eve's body. We'll inject nutrients straight into her veins, but we won't touch the brain—so she'll stay conscious. It'll turn her into a living statue, plain and simple. As long as we're alive, Eve will remain here as a statue, reflecting on her wicked life forever."
Wasn't this the kind of twisted idea only demon spawn could come up with? I was honestly a little shocked by how brutally cruel this execution method was. If these guys could dream up something like this, maybe Eve had been right to castrate them all.
"But would that really last long-term?"
"We tested it on a mermaid we caught before. Worked fine."
These weren't ordinary people. I shook my head and glanced at the mermaid I'd brought along. Her face had gone deathly pale as she alternated stares between me and the guild master. No way the leader of Mermaid Island—and a demon king to boot—could stay sane hearing she'd end up like this.
"No way, right? Tell me this isn't happening?"
The mermaid whispered to me in a trembling voice. She might've faced death with dignity if we'd just said we were killing her. But even for a mermaid her age, this seemed utterly terrifying. One wrong move, and she might freak out right here. The guild master eyed the tightly bound mermaid I'd brought instead of Eve, curiosity piqued.
"Speaking of which, you brought a mermaid instead of Eve. What's her deal...?"
The mermaid shot me a desperate look. I hesitated for a second. Thinking it over, I needed to keep things smooth with Eve going forward. Selling off her mom like this? No chance she'd stay on speaking terms with me. Sure, it was our legal right, but Eve wasn't the logical type. Family deaths always hit emotions harder than reason.
Especially not just killing her, but taxidermying her into a street landmark. Eve would probably stick a knife in me the second she found out. After weighing it all, the smart play was taking both Eve and the mermaid with me.
"Ah, this one's a mermaid I brought in for investigation—to gather testimony on the incident."
Yeah, Eve and this mermaid had committed crimes big enough to turn into human body exhibits without batting an eye. But live taxidermy? That crossed a line. If Eve learned her mom got turned into that, she might torture me first—then come for my head later. The guild master rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"I see. So... what are your plans for Eve, then...?"
Eve was currently chained up in multiple layers down in the guard barracks' underground prison. Since I'd caught her, her fate was mine to decide. The guild master was itching to stuff her into this taxidermy contraption ASAP and turn her into the trading city's new landmark.
I cleared my throat and adopted a pious, religious tone.
"Reflection is vital for all criminals. From what I've heard, Eve's a human-mermaid half-breed, born into the slave markets and abused by humans from the start. Her murders and rapes? Our society's partly to blame."
"Y-You're saying...?"
I gave a rough rundown of Eve's backstory from her character profile. The guild master seemed to get the gist right away. He pulled a pity face at first, then twisted it into anger.
"Th-Then what about my innocent wife? Kidnapped and raped by pirates for no reason! The souls of the mermaid hunters! The adventurers who tried to exterminate the pirates for a reward! How do we soothe the hearts of the women left broken?!"
Honestly, not my problem. From the sound of it, these guys had experimented on live mermaids, so they probably had a hand in why Eve went around castrating folks.
I shook my head with a sorrowful expression.
"I truly have no words for your loss, Guild Master. But consider this: pirate Eve was raised without a chance at reform, steeped in murder, persecution, and discrimination her whole life. Isn't guiding someone like her back into society the path religion should take?"
"Everyone deserves love. Religious folk exist to give them that chance."
"Lord!"
The guild master shouted at me desperately. But he was powerless here. Hand the criminal to the city or take her myself to fuck? My call. Even this mermaid I'd brought was technically my property—I'd hunted her down fair and square.
"Guild Master, we must love one another. Everyone deserves a shot at a new life in society. As Southern Priest Leader of the Great Heavenly God Church—and top hero of Eve's capture—I'll be taking custody of her."
I drew the line there. No matter how much he squawked now, we were done. The mermaid, still bound tight, stared at me and let out a hiccup.
"Hic."
Was she hiccuping?
Hero Aei was gearing up to leave the city with a few female sailors. She spotted me and waved with an even brighter smile. I waved back and asked her,
"Hero, where to? Maybe it's time to head to the elf kingdom...?"
"Ah, I do need to check on Erina, but this takes priority right now."
"This?"
I scanned the women. The sailors still hadn't processed their escape from Eve. Looked like the hero planned to escort them home personally.
They trembled, eyes darting between the hero, me, and the mermaid I'd tied up. One pointed at the mermaid accusingly.
"Y-You have to kill that mermaid! She's fucking insane! She laughed while watching my husband die... chased down escaping sailors and killed them to the last...!"
The mermaid tilted her head slightly and stared the sailor down. The woman screamed and hid behind the hero. The hero shielded her and addressed the mermaid.
"Do you regret your crimes?"
"Heh... Do you regret yours?"
The mermaid stuck out her tongue at the hero. The hero and sailors looked baffled. The hero pressed,
"Regret what?"
"Heh... Mermaid hunters killed my children. Sold 'em off as slaves or food, all dead. Sometimes their skulls would wash up on my island. We're intelligent beings just like you—why treat us like this? What was I supposed to do to survive? You think I could stay sane? If I'd sailed into port begging you not to kill us, would you have spared me? Nah, you'd have chopped off the Mermaid Island boss's head."
"Wh-What does that matter?! I didn't trade in mermaids... I was just traveling! Till your psycho daughter grabbed me and all that shit happened—back when I was just a traveler!"
"That unfair to you?"
The mermaid asked again. The sailor nodded furiously.
"Yes! It's fucking unfair, you bitch!"
"Heh... But what's that got to do with me? Like you said, we didn't attack humans first. We were just peaceful mermaids living our lives—you didn't care. Accept your husband's death like he was lost to a storm. Misfortune strikes without warning. You just hit bad weather."
"What...?"
"A storm. Yeah? An inevitable storm on a dangerous sea route. Everyone knows the risks. How long do you think humans can rule this land? Treating other races like slaves—how far do you think that'll get you? Elves, humans, dwarves living happily forever? Evangeline was right. Should've done what she said."
"What did you say?"
A strange name had just slipped from the mermaid's mouth. She glanced at me and asked,
"What? Curious?"
"Evangeline? Did you just say Evangeline?"
"Yeah. Evangeline. A mage who visited Mermaid Island. Said her name was Evangeline. She moved us mermaids to another spot. Offered power to wipe out this city, but I turned her down. No end to that kinda thing. Honestly, this has been more fun."
The topic turned grave, and the hero looked puzzled. She'd been half-dead when Evangeline's name came up before, so she didn't remember. Saved me the explanation.
"Well then. See you next time, Priest."
"Safe travels, Hero."
I waved to her. The mermaid flopped onto the cart begging for water.
Watching her, I sank into thought. Now I had one more reason to take the mermaid with me. Evangeline's name had popped up again.