Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Grim Reaper's Blessing
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This too must be a blessing.
Red. The name is quite famous.
I’d heard the rumors myself. Red, the Crime Killer.
A figure of terror in the underworld, notorious for mercilessly crushing various organizations and criminals.
Rumor has it she single-handedly defeated five members of the Seven Deadly Sins, an organization said to be just below the Four Great Organizations, the pinnacles of the underworld.
Honestly, I don't know how much of that is true. Rumors tend to get exaggerated, after all.
But to be called by such a vicious moniker, she must be incredibly skilled.
I thought Red would be some heinous, terrifying brute.
I never imagined she would be so beautiful.
I wondered if she had the same name or was lying, but who would be foolish enough to casually use the name of someone so famous?
And, though I only saw a tiny fraction of her skill just now...
It seemed to point to her being the real Red.
This is a problem.
They say Red shows no mercy to those in the underworld. If she found out I was the Grim Reaper, a fight would be inevitable.
No. It's fine.
Fortunately, no one knows the Grim Reaper's true form.
Even if she sees my face now, she'll just think I'm an adorable, cute little girl.
Still, the fact that a notorious demon of the underworld was right beside me made me tremble.
I wanted to just go my own way, but I owed her a favor, and I'm not the type to leave a debt unpaid.
So I was guiding Red.
Whether by coincidence or not, the place she wanted to go happened to be the same as mine.
Ugh.
“Hey, kid. You've been keeping your distance. Did I do something to offend you?”
Walking ahead, I turned my head back.
There was about ten meters between Red and me. We were traveling together, but I didn't want to get close, so I was deliberately keeping my distance.
If Red took a step closer,
I would take a step away to maintain the gap.
Seeing my obvious rejection, Red's shoulders slumped slightly, so I decided to show her the reason.
I raised two dainty index fingers and placed them on my head like horns. After making the shape, I lowered my hand and pointed at her.
She understood my gesture, and a look of realization dawned on her face.
“Ah, so that's why. You must have heard the rumors about me. Do you steal things, by any chance?”
I've done far worse than stealing.
But I didn't bother telling her that.
Seeing my silence, a lonely smile spread across her lips as if she understood.
“You don't have to be scared. Those rumors are just exaggerated. It's not really like that. I can be flexible and look the other way for minor things. Honestly, for kids to survive in a place like this, a little thievery is unavoidable.”
Red's expression turned melancholic for a moment.
“I imagine that’s the case for you, too.”
Red took a cigarette from her pocket and was about to put it in her mouth, but when she saw me staring, she put it back.
“Kid, are you alone?”
I nodded.
“No other adults around?”
I shook my head.
Red looked at me with sad eyes.
“Seems like there are parentless children everywhere.”
Red murmured quietly.
“Come to think of it, I told you my name, but you haven't told me yours. What's your name, kid?”
My name? The question left me speechless.
My name from my past life had slowly faded while living in this world. And now, I've forgotten it completely.
I don't have a name I use in this world, either.
I've operated without a name ever since I woke up here. People have only ever called me things like ‘this one’ or ‘that one.’
The closest thing I have to a name is the moniker 'Grim Reaper.'
But I can't exactly reveal that to others.
Seeing my silence, Red spoke first.
“It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But you haven't said a word. Is there something wrong with your throat?”
I crossed my two index fingers to make an X.
Red's eyes widened slightly.
“Ah, sorry. I was being thoughtless.”
I shook my head as if to say it was fine.
Then I turned and started walking again.
The mood had grown heavy from our conversation, and she followed quietly.
But it wasn't long before Red brought up another topic, as if trying to lighten the mood.
“I once heard a saying that even mountains and rivers change in ten years. But forget ten years, so much has changed in just one. I was really surprised.”
The outer city changes quickly.
The streets get more and more complex as new buildings go up. The funny thing is, the population is shrinking.
“What surprised me even more was that something strange has taken root while I was away. Look, you can see it over there. That thing.”
I followed her pointing finger, and my face immediately scrunched up.
Sigh.
I barely suppressed the urge to smack my forehead with my palm.
***
In the direction Red was pointing, about thirty people were huddled together.
Beastkin, humans, cyborgs, and others.
They were all kneeling before a statue.
Their hands were politely clasped in prayer.
I don't care what people believe in. But the object of their faith was what bothered me.
The statue they were praying to...
...looked like a giant clad in fearsome armor and a helmet, wearing a skull mask.
There's no way I wouldn't recognize that appearance.
That was me.
To be precise, it was a spitting image of me in my Grim Reaper persona.
“The Cult of the Grim Reaper, I think it's called. They say it's a religion that worships the Grim Reaper, one of the Four Great Organizations. It's a new faith, not even three years old, but I hear it's already spread quite a bit in the northern regions.”
The harder the world gets, the more easily people fall for superstition.
Still, I couldn't for the life of me understand why I had become an object of worship.
I have almost no memory of doing anything good here.
I didn't go around saving the world like some hero from a fairy tale.
All I did was struggle to survive.
And now I'm living much more quietly than before.
It's a criminal organization, isn't it? Why would a criminal organization become an object of worship?
Displeased, I stomped my little foot on the ground.
Then I crossed my arms and shook my head, as if to say they were pathetic.
Red chuckled at my attitude.
“The Grim Reaper is different from the other organizations. The others act on their own desires, but you don't see that with the Grim Reaper. They just appear and disappear without warning. The problem is, wherever the Grim Reaper appears, death is sure to follow.”
Yikes.
Different from the other organizations? Well, that's because I have no interest in building up power.
I only act...
...when a dessert shop gets caught in a conflict between organizations, or when I punish someone who displeases me.
But I don't just grab and torment anyone.
The people who have died by my hand were all deeply involved in the underworld. In other words, they were people who deserved to die.
But now these strange rumors are spreading, and it's becoming a problem.
“Because they're so shrouded in mystery, some treat them like a natural disaster. There are even rumors they're the embodiment of death itself.”
Right. Stuff like that.
I'd love to reveal my identity and shatter their illusions.
But that would draw too much attention, and I'm sure it would be a huge pain, so I'm holding back.
“Well, for those reasons, it's not surprising that some people have started worshipping them. Still, to worship a criminal, no matter how desperate you are... This world must be on its last legs.”
Red pulled a lollipop from her pocket.
She unwrapped it, popped it in her mouth, and chewed on it, her eyes filled with disapproval.
She stared at the worshippers.
“...Come to think of it, I heard the Grim Reaper wiped out another organization recently.”
Yikes.
My heart pounded at the mention of my recent activities.
I pulled my hood down further, trying to calm myself.
“Yes, that's right. It is said the great Grim Reaper appeared once more to deliver judgment firsthand.”
Someone had spoken to us.
Round ears and a slender tail.
It was an elderly member of the mouse-folk. Judging by his ceremonial robes, he was a believer.
“Are you also interested in the great Grim Reaper?”
“Not really.”
Red answered, making her annoyance clear.
Despite her attitude, the old believer paid it no mind.
He approached us and looked at the praying crowd with gentle eyes.
Without being asked, the old believer began to speak.
His voice was, ironically, very gentle.
“The great Grim Reaper is the absolute being who will one day bring salvation and peace to this world.”
The old believer fiddled with a small carving on the necklace around his neck.
“This world is overflowing with pain and sorrow, heading toward ruin. Yet people ignore this, continuing only to harm and take from others.”
Red seemed almost completely indifferent to his speech.
She was just rolling the lollipop around in her mouth.
“This world, these people, are beyond saving. The great Grim Reaper has personally descended to the mortal plane in a physical body and is acting for the sake of the world.”
There was a fervor in the old believer's voice.
He continued to ramble on and on about the Cult of the Grim Reaper and the Grim Reaper.
The longer he spoke, the more the distinct air of a fanatic shone in his eyes.
It was a strange feeling, hearing an explanation about myself that I didn't even know.
He was finally nearing the end.
“...And so, through our prayers, we await the day the great Grim Reaper fully descends. Until that day comes.”
My head was spinning.
I need sugar.
I should have just ignored him and walked away.
It was the biggest load of crap I'd ever heard.
He spoke eloquently of salvation and peace, but the reality of it was just horrifying nonsense.
To sum it up, their logic was that the destruction of the world was its salvation.
Gross.
Red looked just as dumbfounded as I felt.
“If what you say is true, a lot of people will die. Innocent people, too. You're saying that doesn't matter?”
Red stared straight at the old believer with cold eyes.
Her gaze was just as fierce as when she drove off the orc thugs.
The old believer wasn't intimidated.
He met her gaze with exceedingly gentle, melancholic eyes.
Seeing his face, a shiver ran down my spine, and my shoulders trembled.
“Yes, it is no problem at all. For that, too, is a blessing from the great Grim Reaper.”
Disgusted by his fanatical faith, Red clicked her tongue.
“Let's go, kid. My ears will rot if we stay here any longer.”
I quickly started walking, then turned back one last time.
The old believer was clutching the carved necklace in one hand.
With his other hand, he made a holy sign.
“May the Grim Reaper's protection be with you.”
I scowled, feeling disgusted.
I hurried away from that place as if fleeing.
***
After walking for a long time through the maze-like streets,
we finally reached our destination.
I threw my hands up in joy.
It was one of the few dessert shops in the city.
Right. Let's just forget about that unpleasantness.
It was time for something sweet.