Chapter 80
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The True Monsters
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This isn't to help them. This is for me.
“My conscience might come to blame me later. I need to have something to say back to it, don't I?”
“What?”
Amy stared at me, her expression screaming, *What the hell are you talking about?*
“It means a single act of mercy is necessary to maintain a shred of humanity.”
Knox and Ethan nodded as if they understood. I added another word for Amy.
“And while I don't think you were lying, we don't know for sure if those people really came to take this mansion. I have to be cautious too.”
Amy was a girl I had just met today. A very rebellious one at that. It was still too early to know who to trust.
“That doesn't mean I'm going to open the mansion gate for them.”
I wasn't willing to gamble with our lives just to appease my conscience.
I knew it. I was only half-heartedly good.
“Sir Ethan, could you get a position for me?”
As I pulled back the catapult with all my might, Ethan raised his binoculars to survey the area around the mansion.
“The people are isolated and can't move. At this rate, they'll likely be annihilated.”
‘Prey’ was making a racket right in front of them; would the monsters even notice the firewood I was about to launch? Even if I did launch the bundle, the effect would only be temporary.
‘Still, I have to at least try.’
I'd have to launch the bundle of firewood to make it difficult for the monsters to approach them. If they had any sense, they'd escape while the monsters were distracted.
Just as I pulled the catapult back as far as it would go and was about to release it.
“Wait, it looks like they're fighting amongst themselves.”
“What?”
I let the catapult return to its resting position and looked in the direction Ethan was pointing.
Excluding the three corpses thrown out as bait, there were a total of seven people still alive.
Among them, a handsome middle-aged man in a chef's uniform and a middle-aged woman with a pure and elegant appearance were holding hands tightly, facing off against the others. What was going on?
“What a mess.”
Knox rested his chin on the railing, observing the scene outside the mansion as he commented. Amy, beside him, did the same and agreed.
“They would have survived if they'd just bowed their heads and asked for help from the start, like me.”
Amy muttered.
She was right. I was only half-heartedly good; if they had surrendered from the beginning and strongly insisted they weren't enemies, like Amy did, I probably would have opened the gate.
“Miss Cherry, launch on my signal.”
Following Ethan's words, I kept a firm grip on the catapult's release and watched the situation unfold.
‘This is hardly the time for that, though.’
They were already surrounded by monsters. There seemed to be no way out.
* * *
Victor, the chef, gripped the hand of Emma, the dress shop owner. Jackson, the weaponsmith, tried to persuade Victor in a soft, placating tone.
“Look, Victor, someone has to be sacrificed.”
Victor's eyes widened in disbelief.
“Sacrifice? That's not a sacrifice, that's murder.”
“Don't be so difficult. The living have to survive. Emma is too frail to last long anyway.”
At Jackson's words, the corners of Victor's eyes sharpened with fury.
The villagers standing next to Jackson loudly agreed with him, demanding that Victor hand over Emma.
Victor saw the devil in their faces.
“You're all spouting shit.”
He squeezed Emma's hand. Jackson stamped his foot impatiently.
“We don't have time to argue like this, Victor. We need to get into that ruined mansion, kill them if we have to, and take it for ourselves!”
“We never intended to take the mansion so violently. We were going to ask the young lady of the ruined mansion for help.”
“Ha! You can still say that after seeing them up there? They're looking down on us from that roof as if they were gods! They have no intention of helping us!”
Jackson spoke as if he only wanted to seize the mansion because the young lady refused to help them. Victor let out a hollow laugh.
“You planned to get rid of the young lady and take the mansion from the very beginning. Don't pretend this is some rational choice.”
Grrrrr-
Just then, monsters began to swarm them. A hesitant Jackson tossed a corpse toward them.
Krrraak!
Watching the monsters tear the corpse apart, a terrified Emma tugged on Victor's hand.
“Victor, he's right. I'm just frail and useless.”
“Cut that nonsense! How could you be useless? I need you! Without you, my life is useless too, so I suppose we can just die together!”
At Victor's outburst, Emma's eyes widened as she stared at him.
It was the first time Victor had ever revealed his heart to Emma like that.
Jackson, who had been watching the situation quietly, glanced at the swarming monsters, his face lighting up as he spoke to Victor.
“Perfect. If that's how you feel, Victor, then for our sake, both of you can be the bait...”
“That son of a bitch...!”
Emma barely managed to hold Victor back as he lunged at Jackson.
In the midst of it all, she spotted the people on the roof of the distant mansion.
It was the young lady of the ruined mansion, Cherry Sinclair.
She couldn't see their expressions clearly, but Emma knew that the young lady and her companions were watching the situation through binoculars.
Emma bit her lower lip hard and pulled on Victor's hand. As Victor looked at her, confused, she took a deep breath. Then, with all her might, she shouted at Jackson.
“You're a truly hopeless piece of trash! Steal this mansion from Cherry Sinclair?! You can go do that scummy thing by yourself!”
Her tone was incredibly awkward, as if she were acting in a play. But Emma didn't care. It was more important that her words reached their intended audience.
After shouting loud enough for her voice to reach the mansion's roof, Emma glanced in that direction.
The people who had been watching quietly began to talk amongst themselves.
Her loud shout drew the monsters' attention, but there was no other way.
With an anxious expression, Emma kept glancing up at the roof.
“Emma, are you all right?”
Victor, having just dispatched one of the swarming monsters, approached Emma with a look of surprise and checked on her. Emma was someone who had never raised her voice in her life. Given the circumstances, Victor was extremely worried about her uncharacteristic behavior.
Kwwaaaak!
Another monster charged. Cornered, Jackson threw the last two corpses into the horde.
Thump! Krack!
The corpses were torn apart by the monsters, and the remains vanished in an instant amidst the swarming horde.
The first monster to turn its eyes toward the villagers was a creature with a long, serpentine body and three heads.
Victor stood protectively in front of Emma, gripping a kitchen knife tightly. His heart pounded furiously. Cold sweat trickled endlessly down his temples.
*Gnash. Gnash.* The three heads ground their teeth as they stared at the villagers. It almost looked as if they were licking their lips.
Emma clung to Victor's arm, trembling in fear. Victor gritted his teeth.
The beast scanned its surroundings carefully, as if choosing its first appetizer.
As everyone held their breath, the air filled with the chilling cries of the monsters and the gruesome sounds of corpses being devoured in the distance.
“Hic... Ugh... P-please, spare me...”
Just then, the innkeeper burst into tears, shaking with fear.
The eyes on all three heads snapped toward the innkeeper. The creature's pupils dilated, then contracted.
Then, the middle head opened its mouth wide.
Inside the maw, which seemed to stretch impossibly wide, were rows upon rows of densely packed teeth.
A foul stench wafted out as the beast swallowed the innkeeper in a single gulp. Even as he was being eaten, the innkeeper reached a hand out toward Jackson.
“K-huh-huk! S-save me! *Sob*. Save me, Jackson!”
Seeing this, Jackson backed away, his eyes landing on Emma. He immediately rushed toward her and Victor, grabbing her arm. At Jackson's signal, the other villagers joined in, seizing Emma's hand.
“You piece of trash! Let her go now!”
Victor shouted, but Jackson didn't give up. Emma burst into tears, clutching Victor's hand to keep from being dragged away.
“Damn it, who cares if I'm trash? We have to survive first!”
Even as he spoke, Jackson shoved the nearby vegetable seller, throwing him as feed for an approaching monster.
“Agh! Damn you, Jackson! Help! Help me!”
Their screams intertwined and blood splattered, creating a horrific scene. It was a vision of hell itself, a complete pandemonium.