Chapter 247: The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 247: The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort (6)
-Inescapable Dream has not returned.
-Could it be that even he has been defeated?
-We must inform the Master…
As the evil spirits murmured in anxiety and concern, a voice stopped them.
-Stop. Protecting this island is the mission our Master entrusted to us. To abandon it is to cast aside our very reason for being.
-Oh, it's you!
-Yes, you were here!
Receiving the cheers of the evil spirits, 『Worn Skin』 let a sinister smile grace its lips.
-If the intruders are strong, then we shall use that very strength against them. They will self-destruct amidst distrust and discord.
After its declaration, 『Worn Skin』 began to quietly observe the enemies.
To achieve a perfect imitation, analyzing the target was essential.
And so, 『Worn Skin』 came to a conclusion.
-Yes, it would be best to imitate the green-haired woman.
The knight in metal armor and the golden-haired girl both appeared to possess high combat power, and the black witch's magical abilities, which had subdued the Haunted Mansion in an instant, could not be ignored.
In contrast, the green-haired woman had yet to display any special powers. More importantly, her every move revealed countless openings.
She lacked even the instinctual wariness and tension that any living creature should possess, looking for all the world like a scarecrow left standing blankly in a field.
Moreover, she was wandering alone, away from the others, observing the flora and fauna of the forest. There could be no better target.
『Worn Skin』 disguised itself as a dog and approached the green-haired woman.
“Woof! Woof woof!”
“Hm? Oh my, what's this here?”
The target allowed its approach with far too much ease. The rest was simple.
Stab!
The form of an ordinary dog twisted grotesquely in an instant, its tongue shooting out like a tentacle and piercing the green-haired woman's neck.
Slice!
Just in case, it also tore a hole in her stomach and dismembered her limbs. After confirming the kill so thoroughly it would have been impolite for her not to die, 『Worn Skin』 scattered the remains off a cliff to leave no trace.
The Master's order to the evil spirits was closer to expulsion than murder, but that was merely a suggestion if possible, not a strict no-kill policy.
After watching the white-foamed waves swallow the fallen corpse without a trace, 『Worn Skin』 changed its form once more.
Green hair, eyes the color of reddish-pink, a voluptuous body with distinct curves.
Even the cloth wrapped around her waist—a pareo-style swimsuit, as it would be called in the Tin Knight's world.
Having completed its transformation into Sophia, 『Worn Skin』 flashed a wicked smile.
No matter how powerful the intruders were, they would be helpless if stabbed in the back by an ally.
Even if their abilities were so great that a single blow wasn't fatal, being attacked by someone wearing a comrade's face was bound to plunge them into shock and terror.
Furthermore, by cleverly using its imitation ability, it could sow suspicion and discord among them, making them wonder, 'Who is the real one?'
And so, 『Worn Skin』 naturally rejoined the group.
“What is this?”
“T-two Miss Sophias?”
About five minutes later, it was struck with horror at the sight of the green-haired woman (the original) casually emerging from the sea.
Dorothea's and Adelaide's eyes went wide. The Tin Knight showed a hint of excitement, but that was just how he was, so it wasn't particularly important information.
Though inwardly screaming, 『Worn Skin』 quickly regained its composure.
‘This is unexpected, but the plan hasn't completely fallen apart yet.’
Unlike 『Worn Skin』, which had already been with the group for a good five minutes, the original had just emerged from the sea.
Compared to 『Worn Skin』, which had perfectly replicated even the clothing through its mimicry, the original's clothes were in tatters, and her neatly arranged hair was now soaked, clinging to her upper body.
She looked like a drowned ghost.
‘Vehemently denying her existence would be out of character with the original's behavior I've observed, which might arouse suspicion. I must remain calm.’
“Everyone, this is…”
Just as 『Worn Skin』 was about to speak, the black witch cut in.
“You two, stand side-by-side over here.”
“Pardon?”
“Yes, understood.”
Momentarily stunned, 『Worn Skin』 had no choice but to reluctantly follow suit as the original calmly complied and moved to where the black witch had pointed.
It happened the very next moment.
Slice!
The Tin Knight swung his sword, and 『Worn Skin』's neck was severed. Its head flew into the air before landing on the ground.
It was a strike so clean that it felt no pain.
‘H-how? How did they know I was the fake…?! Was there some secret code I missed? A special means of communication only they share? Or was my acting that clumsy?’
『Worn Skin』 was utterly bewildered, yet it still tried to calmly analyze the situation.
As an evil spirit with transformative abilities, it could ignore a certain degree of physical damage.
Of course, being burned to a crisp would be a different story, but a simple beheading like this was far from a fatal wound.
And so, it quickly darted its eyes around, trying to assess its surroundings.
Thump… roll…
It was then that it saw the original's head rolling on the ground, just like its own, and was plunged into a state of shock for the umpteenth time.
Forgetting it was an evil spirit, it shouted with only its head remaining.
“Y-you couldn't tell the real from the fake, so you killed both of us?! Do you people have no sense of camaraderie!!”
Its usual intelligent, cool demeanor vanished, replaced by righteous indignation. Dorothea, Adelaide, and the Tin Knight met its gaze in silence.
The three of them simply raised their fingers and pointed.
『Worn Skin』 turned its eyes in the direction they indicated.
There stood Sophia, perfectly fine and fully regenerated, as if nothing had happened.
“……”
An indescribably awkward silence fell.
“You… you monsters…”
With those last words, the Tin Knight's barrage of slashes rained down upon 『Worn Skin』's head.
It was a futile end, but in a way, one could call it a merciful death.
[The 'Tin Knight' asks if they couldn't have just checked whether he could hear her voice or not!]
“Ah.”
Had it overheard the party's belated conversation, it might have become the first evil spirit in history to die of sheer indignation.
*
Crunch, crunch.
With every step you and Sophia took, fallen leaves and dry twigs crumbled underfoot, creating a distinct sound.
At a glance, it looked like a simple stroll, but in truth, this too was a form of labor.
“Ah, Sir Tin. That mushroom over there is edible. The red one next to it is toxic to the touch, so please don't handle them together.”
[The 'Tin Knight' replies that he understands!]
After your clear response, you tossed the freshly picked mushroom into the basket on your back.
It was a light brown, woven basket, the kind an herbalist might use.
The party had been eating provisions stored in Dorothea's 'Gloves of Haider,' but no matter how vast the supplies, they would eventually run out without replenishment.
Sometimes, it was necessary to procure new food like this.
“That grass over there can be eaten raw if you soak it in water to remove the bitter taste. As for the fruit next to it, the flesh is poisonous, but the seeds are not and are quite nutritious when roasted.”
Foraging for food in the wild was an inherently difficult task.
It was physically demanding, there was the threat of snakes and poisonous insects, and mistakenly eating a toxic plant could lead to death.
While you, with your body, were far removed from the fatigue of physical labor or physical threats, you lacked the ability to distinguish edible plants from inedible ones.
Sophia, on the other hand, lacked the physical ability to trek through the forest carrying a heavy load, but her knowledge was second to none.
Of course, there were times she came across fruits or ingredients she didn't recognize, but Sophia handled those situations with ease.
She used a very clear and intuitive method: tasting them herself to check for any adverse effects.
“Mm, this one won't do, it seems.”
After tasting a fruit that looked like a small green bead and gave off a rather sweet scent, Sophia spat it out.
Red spots appeared on her skin, but only for a moment.
As if time were reversing, the abnormal symptoms on her body vanished without a trace.
You found this inwardly fascinating.
Beings with regenerative abilities, like the monster that had imitated Sophia or the witch Mombi, were not that rare in this world.
But while they had eventually shown the limits of their regeneration, Sophia's immortality was on another level entirely.
In your Tin Knight's body, you could usually get a sense of how to defeat most enemies, but with Sophia, you couldn't picture any way to finish her for good.
[The 'Tin Knight' asks how Sophia became a vampire anyway!]
At your question, Sophia answered calmly.
“Oh my, are you also interested in the secret to becoming a vampire, Sir Tin? Like the Witch of the South?”
[The 'Tin Knight' says that's the first he's hearing of it!]
“Well, it's just a guess for now. But if the Witch of the South and her pupil are paying attention to me, I can't think of a better reason. Still, just studying my blood won't be enough for them to achieve their goal.”
Sophia's story was interesting in its own right, but that wasn't what you were curious about.
[The 'Tin Knight' says he's more curious about what led her to research such a secret in the first place!]
“If it's that, as I've said before, it's because I was curious. About whether the great God would still accept me after I committed a taboo.”
It was a very Sophia-like answer.
Befitting of her—wise, with a strong thirst for knowledge, and possessing a pride in areas others would find hard to understand.
The old you might have been satisfied with that and ended the conversation.
But the you of now knew.
Sophia wasn't lying, but she wasn't telling the whole truth, either.
[The 'Tin Knight' asks if it has anything to do with her hating the sky!]
You recalled your observations of Sophia.
She was a person who always maintained a detached attitude, rarely showing strong emotions.
It went without saying, as she was the type to brush things off without a care, even when suffering great physical pain or being murdered by someone.
But even she showed a strangely emotional attitude when it came to matters involving the sky... or more precisely, the Kingdom of Heaven.
At your question, Sophia seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.
“Why are you curious about that? It doesn't seem to have much to do with this journey.”
[The 'Tin Knight' replies that he wants to know because he wants to know, what more reason is there!]
You answered immediately.
For once, Sophia showed a hint of trouble.
“Hmm, what would happen if I said I don't want to answer?”
[The 'Tin Knight' says he'll back off for now, but he'll wait until it seems like the cooldown has passed and then ask again!]
“If it were Miss Dorothea or Lady Adel, I think they'd say, 'If you don't want to answer, you don't have to,' you know?”
[The 'Tin Knight' replies that he's the type to act spoiled around his elders!]
This answer seemed to be unexpected, as Sophia's eyes widened.
Then, she burst out laughing.
“Ha, haha, ahaha. ...Well, I see. I suppose I can't do anything about that, then.”
Wiping the moisture from the corners of her eyes, she said.
“Still, not yet.”
[The 'Tin Knight' asks if a key item is required!]
“Rather than that, hmm, if we use the concepts you've taught me, Sir Tin, maybe… affinity points?”
[The 'Tin Knight' nods, saying if that's the case, it can't be helped!]
“Yes, it can't be helped. I didn't endure all these years for nothing. My walls are quite thick, you see.”
A playful refusal.
“—Still, there might not be much longer to wait.”
The last words were a small, bitter whisper, almost carried away by the wind.
But when you turned your head to look at her face, you saw the same detached Sophia as always.
“Now, shall we continue foraging?”
You nodded and followed her.