Chapter 245: The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 245: The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort (4)
The next morning, at dawn.
You gazed at the immaculately clean, white beach, which looked as if nothing had happened, and nodded in satisfaction.
What could be more unfortunate than seeing the beautiful sandy shore, which you had enjoyed so much, sullied by the remains of various harmful creatures?
As you leisurely watched the rising sun, the carriage door opened and Dorothea stepped out.
She wore a white, flowing shirt over her black swimsuit, the stark contrast between the black and white leaving a strong impression.
Although her overall exposure was reduced, her allure seemed to have somehow increased. You nodded to yourself in approval.
This is exactly how a villainess executive should be, you thought.
Perhaps sensing your gaze, Dorothea’s eyes narrowed.
“Your stare seems rather impure.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ expresses his admiration, saying it’s a feast for the eyes!]
“Couldn’t you at least pretend to be flustered or make an excuse?”
Dorothea shook her head in disbelief, but you remained unabashed.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ states that ninety percent of the time, those who pretend otherwise are the ones who are actually more perverted on the inside!]
“You’ve got some real nerve… no, never mind.”
Dorothea had probably been about to say, ‘You’ve got a face of steel,’ but she hesitated, likely realizing that saying such a thing to you would be less a metaphor and more a direct taunt.
When had it started?
Dorothea had grown surprisingly mindful of your body, often showing small considerations.
This recent modification was a perfect example.
Increasing your mana capacity or enabling remote supply were things directly linked to your combat power, modifications necessary to protect Dorothea herself.
But allowing you to taste food was, by all rights, meaningless and useless.
And yet, Dorothea had given you this gift, even temporarily pushing aside her own primary goals to do so.
Was it because it was a rare, quiet morning for just the two of you?
Or was it thanks to the human senses you had regained yesterday?
You did something you normally wouldn’t.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ suggests going for a short morning walk!]
*
On the deserted beach, two sets of footprints were steadily imprinted upon the sand.
One set, small and light, was barely there.
The other, large and heavy, sank deep into the ground with each step.
Despite being the one to suggest the walk, the Tin Knight remained mostly silent.
Then again, the idea that one must chatter during a walk was a prejudice in itself.
Sometimes, simply strolling along the shore while listening to the quiet sound of the waves could be as precious as a jewel.
Crunch, crunch.
It was a peaceful time. A leisurely moment.
For Dorothea, who had always lived her life as if in a frantic sprint, this time spent just walking without any particular purpose felt deeply significant.
She was suddenly reminded of a conversation she’d had with Gale.
“The Tin Knight’s soul isn’t here. To be precise, it seems to be summoned to this side only ‘while mana resides within the magic doll’s body.’”
“Then where is this guy’s soul?”
“Somewhere that isn’t here.”
“Are you trying to be funny right now?”
“I’m not joking, that’s the only way I can put it. I’ve tried searching with every method imaginable, but I couldn’t figure out where the Tin Knight’s soul comes from. If one of the Magic Towers investigated with its full might and still came up empty, it must mean there’s no way to find out with conventional technology. If I had to guess at the possibilities, it would be the Four Great Witches or that Kingdom of Heaven.”
“About that guy—”
“Ah, among the mages who participated in the modification, I’m the only one who remembers anything about the knight’s soul, so you don’t have to worry about leaks. We all signed a contract to that effect before starting the work. Besides, what the Tower’s technicians are curious about is the knight’s body, not his soul.”
“So, that’s it? You don’t know the soul’s identity or where it is, that’s all?”
“Unfortunately, for now, yes. I’d rather recommend that you ask the Tin Knight directly, Dorothea. He is your knight, isn’t he?”
A question.
Ask him a question.
Who are you? What are you? Just ask him straight out?
‘…Easier said than done.’
It wasn’t that she thought the Tin Knight would hide it.
He wouldn’t volunteer the information, but Sophia had already proven that he would answer if asked.
Besides, if he were serious about hiding his identity, he wouldn’t be spouting all sorts of bizarre words, adages, and concepts that could be summarized as the ‘Tin Knight vernacular.’
But Dorothea was a witch.
Her teacher had carefully taught her the principles a witch must uphold.
—Needless meddling is the root of all disaster. Reach out carelessly, and you’ll be saddled with a burden you can’t handle.
—When you give something, always demand a price. Kindness without a price will one day be seen as cheap.
—When faced with malice, deliver a fitting retribution. The world is full of fools who will mistake your mercy and patience for submission.
Of course, it wasn’t as if Dorothea trusted her teacher’s words completely or treated them as absolute law, but it wasn’t so easy to suddenly act in a way that was completely contrary to everything she had learned.
Perhaps that was why.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if it’s okay to ask something!]
When the Tin Knight spoke, Dorothea answered almost reflexively.
“I don’t mind, but just asking is boring, don’t you think? How about a one-for-one Q&A? We’ll take turns asking. No lies or silence allowed.”
One question in exchange for one question.
The scales were perfectly balanced, and the conditions were suitable for achieving her goal.
She was, as a witch, truly competent and rational.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that unlimited is a bit much, so let’s limit it to three questions each!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ requests to ask the first question!]
“Fine. What’s your question?”
And so, she had carelessly made a mistake.
She had violated the absolute proposition that one should not approach a madman with rationality.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks what’s with her usual sense of fashion, which he’s always been curious about!]
“Of all the things to ask, you have to ask that right now!? And what’s wrong with my clothes!!”
Dorothea flared up, but the Tin Knight merely looked at her with a gaze that said, ‘Huh? Really? Are you serious?’
His reaction made her blood pressure spike, and Dorothea began to unleash a tirade.
“Do you have any idea how much I suffered to make this? My so-called teacher was an insensible person who’d say, ‘Clothes? Aren’t they fine as long as you can throw them on?’ and send her apprentice on errands to the city wearing rags, causing me every humiliation imaginable! I painstakingly saved up my allowance from those errands to buy new clothes, only for them to crumble to dust because they couldn’t withstand the toxic aura of necromancy! I managed to find materials that could endure necromancy and made clothes out of them, but then my skin broke out! The materials that satisfied durability, practicality, and comfort were so rare that do you have any idea how many books I had to go through to come up with the best design with what little fabric I had!? And then that woman just snickered at my masterpiece!!”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if those books were perhaps decades-old magazines… no, he says he was wrong and asks her to stop, looking at her with pity!]
“Gyaaaaah!”
Dorothea let out a roar and ruffled her hair.
It was a conversation utterly devoid of any mood.
She took a few deep breaths—Hoo, hoo—and then asked, a smile on her lips that suggested she was about to kill someone.
“…So, what about you? If you’re going to meddle so much in my fashion, you must have your own preferences, right?”
Asking about someone’s tastes while cloaked in killing intent was quite the mismatch, but her intention—to find out his preferences and use them as ammunition for teasing—made her motive transparently clear.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ answers that he likes the villainess executive fashion!]
“……Then what was all that nonsense about my getup earlier?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ puffs out his chest proudly, stating that what others find bizarre and what he finds pleasing to the eye are two different things!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ adds that with this, Dorothea has also used one of her questions!]
“You little…”
Dorothea clenched and unclenched her fists, but unfortunately, she wasn’t holding her staff, so her usual method of beating the Tin Knight was impossible.
“Hah.”
Dorothea let out a deep sigh.
She felt the tension drain from her shoulders.
It suddenly felt foolish to have been weighing her options and agonizing over her questions.
So, she spoke lightly.
“I’ll start the second round. What are you?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says the question is too vague!]
“Then just give me a vague answer. Say a lot if you want, or just a little. But as we first agreed, no lies or silence.”
The Tin Knight made a motion as if scratching his cheek, then finally spoke.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says he is someone who was asked a favor by the old man who was the original owner of this body!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says it’s difficult to explain the old man’s identity or the principle by which he is here!]
Suddenly, the Tin Knight turned his head and stared at Dorothea.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ replies that at first, he thought this was a dream or a well-made game, but lately, he’s not so sure!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if she would be angry if he asked whether this was reality!]
A strange question, Dorothea thought.
The Tin Knight himself seemed to have a similar thought, a hint of a tilt to his head as if to say, ‘Is this right?’
“It’s reality.”
Dorothea answered.
Her reply was short, but filled with conviction.
She wondered if she should have added some sort of explanation, but at the same time, she had a gut feeling that this answer was enough for now.
It was just as the second exchange was concluding.
From the forest bordering the shore.
A rustling sound made both of them turn their heads.
In a place cast in deep shadow by the dense trees despite the midday sun, a young girl was staring intently at Dorothea and the Tin Knight.
“What the?”
As Dorothea muttered, the girl fled back into the forest.
The Tin Knight and Dorothea met each other’s eyes, then silently gave chase.
Even with the sun blazing high in the sky, the inside of the forest was bizarrely dark.
Though Dorothea and the Tin Knight moved at a brisk pace, the distance to the girl hardly seemed to close, and they could only catch fleeting glimpses of her back or her profile.
How long had they been walking?
Suddenly, a cabin appeared before them.
And through the crack of the cabin door, a sliver of the girl’s clothing was visible for a moment before it vanished.
The Tin Knight pushed the door, and with a creak, the cabin revealed its interior.
Contrary to its shabby exterior, the inside of the building was in excellent condition. No, it was splendid.
While its simple facilities couldn’t compare to Dorothea’s carriage, any ordinary traveler or castaway who discovered it would have been overjoyed.
It was while the two were looking around the interior.
SLAM!
The front door of the cabin suddenly slammed shut with terrifying force and then locked itself.
At the same time, a girl’s laughter echoed from the second floor.
—Kyahahahaha!
Letters made of blood appeared on the seemingly normal walls, and the paintings in their frames twisted into grotesque, chilling smiles.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if it’s okay to smash this place!]
“Hmm, if it were physically dirty, I might, but this just looks like it’s for show. There’s no real blood, and it’s clean. If we just tidy up, it seems perfectly usable, don’t you think?”
The laughter from the second floor stopped. The figures in the paintings wore dumbfounded expressions. Even the letters appearing on the wall froze.
Dorothea raised her hand.
An immense, ominous mana erupted from her body, swallowing the entire house.
The evil spirits dwelling within finally realized they had messed with the wrong people and tried to flee, but for earth-bound spirits, escape was not an option.
Exactly three minutes later.
The Tin Knight’s party had acquired a second base at the resort.