Chapter 64 – Friends, Allies, and Enemies (10)

Friends, Allies, and Enemies (10)

The night deepens ever more.

Encounters with old acquaintances… it’s already been six… no, perhaps nine. Despite the numerous meetings, why can’t I get used to them? It must be because we never got along well. Of all the people I’ve met, there’s no one with whom I’ve maintained a good relationship. At most, maybe just Nicola and Nico.

“…Follow me. There are too many prying eyes here.”

There weren’t that many, actually.
It was night, after all.

But still, if we were going to talk, it was better to do so where there were no ears to listen.

“It’s been 20 years since I’ve seen these friends. I really appreciate you taking me out like this.”

We were heading to a secluded place when the number of people around us began to thin. I was about to start talking when I was beaten to the punch.
And speaking of 20 years, I guess long-lived races are different.

“No problem.”

I replied briefly. There was no time to stop walking.

We arrived at a clearing somewhere.
I wasn’t sure of the location. It was a deserted place near a bar.

A chilly wind blew through. It felt too cold to stand and talk, so I sat down on a bench nearby. Chloe didn’t sit. She stood in front of me, looking down at me.

What should I say to start? What words would sufficiently provoke Chloe?

I was pondering over this.

“Why did you come to Myluman in the first place?”

Chloe broke the ice.
Her voice was angry.

“Do I really need to say? That’s not what’s important.”

“Then I have no reason to listen to your story either.”

“Don’t be so petty. We fought together, didn’t we? To defeat the Demon King.”

“…If it hadn’t been for that bastard, none of this would have happened.”

Hmm.
Consistent as ever.

Her way of dealing with me hasn’t changed. She’s not using honorifics, but that doesn’t seem to bother her.
As I’ve always said, I like things to be natural.
I hate bringing up useless things.

It’s time to get started.

“What were you thinking when Troka died?”

It was a question I wanted to ask all along.

“I was relieved. It was tough to endure, wasn’t it?”

Haha, I see.
I’m looking forward to when you find out the truth.

“Is that so.”

I’ll let it slide for now. The tastiest dish should be savored.

“Can I speak now? What the hell are you thinking, running around doing all this bullshit?”

Chloe seemed to have a lot she wanted to say, spitting out her words like a machine gun.

Bullshit? All I did was provide the catalyst for the princess’s downfall, indirectly kill the Fist King, and kidnap the Tower of Magic’s master and the saintess. Isn’t that a bit harsh?

Wait a minute, but how do you know all that?

“What, you knew?”

“I knew. I also know that taking your head here would fetch a pretty penny.”

“That’s… scary.”

…Well, that’s that. It makes sense she’d know, being in Myluman and all. Right now, Chloe doesn’t seem like she’s going to do anything strange, so it’s probably safe to keep talking.

“Collaborating with the Demon King’s army, killing people. And then, even though you helped Troka kill Rahi… But since Troka’s dead, I’ll let you live. Now get out of my sight.”

“Oh, I am ever so grateful for your mercy, Lady Chloe.”

She knew I was the man behind the mask? I thought no one would know because of the mask. I never took it off underground.

My head’s getting complicated.
I’ve been caught up in Chloe’s pace.

There’s a way to regain the upper hand in situations like this.

“And more importantly, Rapi is…”

Touching the dragon’s whisker.

And at that moment, a knife flew at me. It was Chloe’s dagger, pulled from the inside of her thigh.
Swoosh, the dagger flew swiftly, grazing my cheek and embedding itself far behind somewhere.

Chloe’s face… I could tell she was extremely angry just by her expression.
She must be looking at me, her face contorted and seething.
If I keep my mouth shut here, I might get hit by an arrow before I can do anything proper, so I better speak up quickly. I don’t have much life left, but it would be a bit disappointing to die here.

“Oops, my mistake. I meant to say Rahi. My tongue got twisted.”

I quickly made an excuse and tried to move on to the next topic.

“Is Rahi doing well? I can’t ask, you know? You’re aware of our slightly awkward relationship.”

-Thump!

And then a fist buried itself in my stomach. The impact was significant.
That’s a sensitive spot.
If hit, a dark red liquid trickles from the mouth.

“You.”

Judging by the stinging sensation on my back, it seems I’ve been thrown quite a distance.

“Don’t put Rapi in your mouth.”

Her voice, previously trembling with rage, became calm.
It meant she was incredibly angry.

“Yeah, sorry about that. But…”

The original goal was to touch on the subject lightly, just a little.
But now that it’s come to this, there’s no need for that.
The seal is broken.

“…Does it bother you so much that Troka killed Rapi to secure his position? That Myluman fell and your friends and family were slaughtered, that doesn’t bother you at all? Oh, but of course, it wouldn’t. Even though you joined the hero’s party, you only tormented Troka. You never thought about killing demons.”

As my mouth stopped, Chloe approached. I didn’t move. Instead, I simply pulled out a letter from my pocket. Based on my experiences so far… it’s probably a greenish letter.

She doesn’t have a hobby of killing someone who can’t even properly block a punch or a dagger. She won’t try to kill me. Despite appearances, she’s still an elf, after all. The situation is different from Aliana’s; elves don’t prefer to kill unless it’s for a serious reason.

Anyway, I extended the letter towards Chloe with my hand. The reaction was good.

“…What’s this?”

“The last letter Troka left behind. It’s sealed, but make sure to open it. Who knows, it might contain his apology to you?”

I gave her a smile. A bloodstained sneer. Telling her to open Troka’s letter is the greatest insult to her, who despises Troka. It wouldn’t be strange if she tore it up, but since it won’t be damaged unless opened, she’ll surely get heated.

Then, I’ll wait for that moment to tell the truth. When she’s fully enraged, when it’s hard to think rationally, that’s when I’ll strike. At the most perfect time.
The truth she’s misunderstanding.

It’s a perfect plan.

If she throws the letter away… that might be a problem. But I have a feeling she won’t. That thought crossed my mind.

“I haven’t said it yet, have I? The reason I came here. To deliver this letter to you. That’s all there is to my visit to Myluman. There’s nothing else. Don’t take to heart what I said just now; I was just trying to lighten the mood. And I don’t plan to cause a scene here… so now I should be going. Take care.”

“…Get lost.”

Chloe snatched the letter. Then, after kicking me once, she left.

It seems I didn’t matter to her at all. She must be eager to meet her friends as soon as possible. She probably doesn’t care what happens to me.

The fact that she didn’t throw the letter away means my plan was successful. She’ll probably read it at least once.
My perfect plan is just beginning.

“…Yeah, take care.”

Thud, thud, Chloe grows more distant. Finding Chloe was the original goal for today. This isn’t too bad. Having delivered the letter, I’ve gained an unexpected harvest.

I look up at the sky. The dark clouds and the refreshing moonlight are beautifully intertwined. The night in this world is still beautiful.
Of course, that’s a lie.
Right now, I can’t see such fine details.

I stand up and dust off my clothes. The spot where Chloe hit me is a bit sore.

It didn’t hurt.

I’m already covered in wounds; there’s no reason to feel more pain from a few more hits.

“Time to, go back….”

It’s just a bit sore.

“….”

Now, let’s go back.
The plan is complete, and the night has deepened enough.

*

The way back was quiet.
Due to the eerie lack of any signs of life, I was on high alert for a possible tail as I made my way to the inn.
Fortunately, no pursuer had latched onto me.
Given the hour, it was only natural that the streets were deserted. I had wasted time, succumbing to unnecessary suspicions.

The inn’s corridor was silent as well.
I had forgotten to put on my mask in my rush, but luckily, there was no one around.
I walked down the hallway.
My fingertips felt unusually cold, but I paid it no mind and reached my room door.

-Thump, thump.

“I’m back. Open up.”

I knocked on the door.
No response came.

-Thump, thump, thump.

“Hey, you asleep?”

The time was early morning, not long before dawn. It wouldn’t be strange for someone to be deeply asleep and not wake up.
Actually, it would be more suspicious if they were awake.
Cecilia, who could sleep so soundly she wouldn’t notice if she were carried away, awake? Impossible.

And yet, I couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease.

Mind’s Eye was activated, but I couldn’t detect any presence in the room.
What that implied was…

-Bang, bang, bang!

“Hey, hey! Open the damn door…!!”

Truth be told, I knew from the moment I arrived.
I stopped knocking. Making noise in the dead of night might draw unwanted attention… Ah, but now it doesn’t matter. I’m alone anyway.
I had the key all along.

Could Mind’s Eye be wrong?
That thought stopped me from initially taking out the key.

“Hey… Ah…”

Maybe I should have just opened it from the start.

I used the key to unlock the door and entered.
Of course, there was no one there. Neither Valkvogel nor Cecilia.

The room was silent.

It reminded me of the small chamber in the royal palace where I used to stay. Back then, being alone felt normal. But now, for some reason… I felt drained and weak.

My strength was leaving me.
Cecilia… all her actions, her concern for me, was it all for this moment? All of it, all… for this single moment.
I wish she had killed me in my sleep.
Why make such a fuss about kidnapping Valkvogel now? If they were going to do something, they should have done it when we first met. What is all this?

I turned off Mind’s Eye and leaned against the wall.
My body wouldn’t move properly. I felt like I would collapse at any moment if I didn’t lean on something.

As expected.

If it was going to be like this, I should have never trusted anyone from the start.

Didn’t I make a promise?
I remember making a promise to myself. That I wouldn’t trust anyone anymore.
Now, I’m not so sure.
Nothing seems to go right until the very end.

Well, now that it’s come to this… I’ll have to do things my way.

I lay down on the bed in the corner of the room.
I was angry, but it quickly subsided. I didn’t want to overwork my brain anymore. That’s enough for today, let’s take a breather and think about it when I wake up tomorrow.
Even though I couldn’t see, my vision was flickering. In the dark space, the navy blue starlight moved chaotically. Tilting my head or covering my face with a pillow, trying not to open my eyes… which I couldn’t close in the first place, didn’t make it disappear.

Looks like sleep is out of the question tonight.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a sleepless night.
With nothing else to do, I tossed and turned, thinking about what I needed to do tomorrow. I didn’t wipe away the blood that occasionally flowed out. I felt sorry for the innkeeper, but lying down was all I could manage.

I’ll meet Chloe again, talk with Rahi, find Cecilia, get Valkvogel back… and then…

As I think about this,

Eventually, the day will break.
And I’ll be walking around outside, smiling as if nothing happened, just like I always have.

I wasn’t feeling disgusted.

I just wanted to let it all go.