Chapter 243 - Chapter 242: Three Lives
Kistil led the way, venturing deeper and deeper into the forest of Rish Village.
Before entering the forest, Sevvero had proposed leaving Nerisfeene behind.
Nerisfeene, silent and merely being led by Kistil's hand, was becoming too much of a hindrance, he said.
But Nerisfeene would not let go of Kistil's hand. No matter how much they tried to reason with her, she refused to leave Kistil's side.
Even when Kistil said, "Wait here," and shook her head, Sevvero reluctantly agreed to take her along.
The three walked through the leafy, somewhat dim forest.
"............There aren't any magic beasts here, are there?" Sevvero followed behind Kistil, who was holding Nerisfeene's hand, scanning the surroundings.
They had been walking for over an hour, yet they had not encountered a single magic beast.
"Last year and the year before, Mika-kun came hunting magic beasts. He said it seemed dangerous because their numbers had increased too much."
"Increased too much? No matter how many you hunt, you can't reduce them that much."
There were stories that Modesse Forest, near the capital, had almost no magic beasts left because adventurers had hunted them to death, but that was because hundreds and thousands of adventurers had passed through.
"The year before last, he said it was four gold coins. Last year... I think he said a total of around seven gold coins."
"What? The quest reward?"
"No, from collecting magic power. He was happy saying he earned quite a bit."
When Kistil said that casually, Sevvero's eyes widened.
"Collecting magic power...? Not a quest! What about magic stones? What about materials!?"
"It seems he left them alone because collecting magic stones and such was troublesome."
Recalling what Mika had said, Kistil answered.
Sevvero's mouth hung open, his face showing a look of disbelief.
"Eleven gold coins or more...? That's impossible, no matter how many magic beasts you hunt...."
For small, common magic beasts, it took several kills just to get one copper coin.
He thought there must have been many medium-sized magic beasts too, but to obtain eleven gold coins, one would surely need to hunt over ten thousand magic beasts.
At this absurd story, Sevvero felt a cold sweat of dread.
As they walked talking, Sevvero suddenly stopped.
"Stop."
When Kistil stopped at his call, Sevvero stepped up beside her.
"............Is the 'Dispeller' ahead?"
Sevvero checked the direction Kistil was heading again.
When Kistil nodded, Sevvero clicked his tongue.
"......There's a terrible presence. If it's not a quest, I'd be running away with my tail between my legs. .........If it is a quest, then the client is cursing them."
It was at a level where I wanted to shout, "I didn't ask you to tell me that, you bastard!"
"Sorry, but I can't protect you two against something like this. Whether we can defeat it or not won't be known until we try, but if we don't attack seriously, our lives are on the line. I'm not saying this to scare you, but turn back."
Sevvero pleaded seriously, but Kistil shook her head.
"If I hear that, I can't turn back any more."
She looked up at Sevvero with serious eyes.
"I don't care about me. But these two, and Mika-kun..."
At Kistil's unyielding gaze, Sevvero involuntarily swallowed.
He placed a hand on his forehead and sighed.
"......Just as I thought, trouble."
Muttering that, he took the sword on his back into his hand.
"When this is over, I'll go pray at the church. I'll donate generously and beg the gods well. .........Please, just spare me the trouble."
"There's a church in Rish Village too."
Kistil said that and smiled.
Seeing Kistil like that, Sevvero gave a bitter smile.
"......The quest is until the discovery of the 'Dispeller', but I can't just abandon you two in a forest like this. I'll escort you until you return to the village."
Sevvero cast a strong gaze filled with resolve toward the depths of the forest.
"But I'm not the god. There are things I can do and things I cannot. I will try my best... but if it fails, please give up. If it comes down to it, I'll leave you behind and run... If you don't like that, turn back here."
Sevvero made his final confirmation.
Knowing his own limits, he drew a clear line.
If he ran, the promised reward would be lost, and the expenses incurred could not be recovered.
It would be a huge loss, but still better than losing one's life.
Because this judgment was appropriate, he had continued to stand on the front lines of the dangerous profession of adventurer and survived.
He had been able to operate for over ten years at the high rank of B-rank.
Telling them to turn back was Sevvero's kindness.
To such a Sevvero, Kistil bowed her head.
"As far as you can is fine. Please."
When Kistil said that, Sevvero closed his eyes, then nodded as if giving up.
"Understood. Really... what a terrible day."
Kistil felt full of guilt toward Sevvero.
But even so, Kistil had a premonition.
She couldn't sense the presence, but she was certain.
It must be Mika-kun.
Hearing that Sevvero wanted to run away, she intuitively felt that it was caused by Mika.
That place seemed completely wrapped in darkness.
In the dim forest, only that place had a thick darkness.
No, actually, that wasn't true.
It was just an optical illusion.
But even from a distance, it was like that place alone had been painted black with darkness.
"Damn... what is this...."
Even Sevvero's voice trembled slightly.
Even an experienced adventurer felt their inner fear shaken.
There was such darkness.
Nerisfeene, holding hands, was also trembling.
No, perhaps she was the one trembling.
At this point, she didn't know who was trembling, or if both were trembling.
Her heart froze so much she couldn't even tell.
"Mika-kun...."
Seeing that figure, Kistil's tears overflowed.
Not a shred of joy at having finally found him arose.
Rather, she was stunned by that figure, despairing to the extreme.
What a loneliness.
Mika was crouching by the roots of a tree, hugging his knees.
With his face buried in his knees, he was just sitting there, motionless.
And yet, there was despair there, as if cut off from the world.
Rejecting everything, and rejected by everything.
Such a small darkness.
"Th... there."
As Kistil took a step toward Mika while holding Nerisfeene's hand, Sevvero stopped her.
Kistil struggled to move her trembling legs, taking one step, then another, closer to Mika.
"......Mika-kun."
She called out softly, as if whispering.
"Mika-kun...."
With every call, tears spilled.
Overflowed.
She approached step by step, but Mika did not move even a little.
He did not reply.
"I'm sorry... Mika-kun."
Nerisfeene's feet stopped.
Although hesitant, Kistil let go of Nerisfeene's hand.
And so, she approached Mika little by little.
"......I couldn't save you... I'm sorry."
Five more steps.
She struggled to move her legs, which wanted to freeze and stop.
"I'm sorry...."
Four more steps.
The thought that this wouldn't have happened if they hadn't become hostages pressed heavily on her heart.
"I'm sorry... Mika-kun...."
Three more steps.
She couldn't save Mika, who was slowly becoming tainted with madness.
Regret that she could do nothing for Mika, breaking down right before her eyes.
"......I'm... sor... ry...."
Kistil collapsed to her knees and lowered her head.
Endless tears fell onto her knees, drop by drop.
After crying for a while, she heard something faintly reaching her ears.
"............D......ie......."
Kistil slowly raised her face.
Mika remained unchanged, hugging his knees.
"............Let...... me...... die......."
"......Mika, k...... un......"
It was Mika's voice.
A hoarse voice.
It was a voice very unlike the energetic Mika Kistil knew well.
"......Mika k... un......!"
"............Let me...... die......."
At Mika's voice, wishing for death as if in a delirium, Kistil received a shock of despair.
She could no longer say anything; Kistil could only shake her head, resisting, losing her strength.
"............Let me...... die......."
Crunch...
At that moment, the sound of footsteps on soil was heard from behind.
"......Forgive...... me......."
Passing by the crushed Kistil, Nerisfeene stood before Mika.
"............I won't forgive you!!!"
Nerisfeene said to Mika in a trembling voice.
"......I will absolutely never forgive that...!!!"
Nerisfeene crouched before Mika and grabbed Mika's both arms.
"Even when I asked you to kill me, you wouldn't kill me! Even when I asked you to let me die, you wouldn't let me die!"
Nerisfeene shouted, pouring all her feelings onto Mika.
"The fact that only Mika-sama dies, I will absolutely never forgive that!!!"
At that time.
Nerisfeene was in despair.
Having lost even her human form, she suffered a pain so great it was strange that she didn't die.
A world with no light at all.
A powerful curse.
The "Legion", a composite undead monster, nesting within that curse.
Her whole body was crushed, twisted, unable to move, tormented only by pain.
She wanted to die.
She wanted to be killed.
Anyone was fine.
If someone would kill her, she would surely tremble with joy.
Even though her body, by her own will, could not move even a little.
At that time, the "Apostle" sent by the gods appeared.
Those beautiful wings shining in the darkness.
She felt ashamed of this body defiled by the curse, thinking the gods must be so beautiful.
And so, a strange life with the "Apostle" began.
For some reason, the "Apostle" lived as a human.
The girl named Kistil, living together with her, was very kind. She took care of me, who could hardly move at all, without a single frown.
I gradually regained my human form, my human activities, and my human life.
Life with the "Apostle" was very happy.
Serving the "Apostle" was the greatest joy.
I vowed in my heart to dedicate my life and be with the "Apostle".
And yet...
————I became afraid.
I was terrified.
That man.
A person wearing something dark and murky, unlike anything seen before.
The "Apostle" was corrupted by that man, who seemed to have condensed all the malice of this world.
He was defiled.
I was scared.
I was terrified.
The "Apostle" was simply terrifying.
Seeing the "Apostle" spewing forth something ominous, like that man or even worse, I could only tremble in fear.
The "Apostle" who saved me from those nightmare days.
The "Apostle" whom I vowed to dedicate my life to.
————I became afraid.
I could not forgive myself.
I didn't even know how to make amends.
Worrying like that, I was merely led by Kistil's hand to come see the "Apostle".
Mika slowly raised his face at Nerisfeene's shout.
The dried blood stuck to his face dripped down, flake by flake.
Nerisfeene tightly pressed her lips together and looked straight at Mika.
Mika's eyes seemed terribly cloudy.
This was the first time she had seen such a weak Mika.
Nerisfeene took Mika's hand and embraced him to her chest.
"The fact that Mika-sama dies, I won't forgive that."
Saying that, she pressed Mika's hand, which she was holding, against her own neck.
"If you still say you want to die...."
Nerisfeene pressed Mika's hand, which she had placed against her neck, from above with strong force.
"Kill me first. With Mika-sama's hands."
At Nerisfeene's words, Mika weakly shook his head slightly.
A faint light returned to Mika's cloudy eyes.
"......I can't... such a thing...."
Mika trembled his lips and squeezed out a voice.
Tears spilled from those eyes.
"......I don't want to do such a thing...! It's no good...!"
Mika wandered his unfocused eyes and shouted.
"I can't hold it back! Please! Me!!! Kill meeeeeeeeeeee......!"
When Mika shouted until his voice gave out, Kistil embraced him tightly.
"It's okay, Mika-kun... It's okay."
She whispered gently like that.
"Because I belong to Mika-kun. I will go with you... So, you don't have to endure anymore."
Kistil said that while shedding large tears, then turned around while still embracing Mika.
Sevvero, watching blankly from a short distance away, grimaced at a bad premonition.
"I'm sorry, Sevvero-san... Even though you helped me so much up to here... I won't be able to pay the reward."
Understanding Kistil's words correctly, Sevvero shook his head.
"No. Stop. There must be other good choices. I don't know what happened, but let's think about it a bit more. Okay?"
Sevvero carefully chose his words and spoke, but the girl named Kistil only smiled.
It was obvious without even checking that it was a smile of resignation.
These two probably intended to be killed by the "Dispeller" here and tell Sevvero to kill the "Dispeller".
They were trying to impose something outrageous with a calm face.
And on top of that, they were fully intending to renege.
This is no joke.
Sevvero clicked his tongue and thought hard.
But there was no way an idea would come to Sevvero, who knew nothing of the detailed circumstances.
The only thing he could do...
Sevvero glared sharply at Mika.
"Hey, 'Dispeller'! You, with a title, what a mess is this!"
Provoking him while thinking hard.
"You're a kid, yet you have two girls with you, what do you think you are? If you want to die that much, die alone! Shall I kill you for you?"
No, this flow of the conversation is bad.
He had to correct the course somehow.
"I can kill you anytime! But hey, is that okay? Those two girls are fully intending to die together? Do you intend to take them with you?"
A faint light remained in the "Dispeller's" eyes.
If so, he would surely take the bait of 'postponement'.
Or rather, please take it.
Wishing that, Sevvero pleaded.
"If you want to be killed, bring the heads of those two to me! I'll kill you anytime!"
Even to myself, what I'm saying is a mess.
But in this case, the momentum of the moment is what matters.
Push through, me!
By showing a specific procedure, the "Dispeller" was clearly shaken.
If so, if we get past this, he will surely take the bait of postponement.
Please, just don't explode on your own.
"If you're a man, shouldn't you die after doing your duty!? Or is the 'Dispeller' that spineless!? No balls?"
Sevvero prayed to the gods in his heart, "I'll donate a lot later, please."
An unknown adventurer said he would kill him.
Hearing those words, Mika felt relief.
But to do that, he had to kill Kistil and Nerisfeene.
............That's why I'm asking you...!
Embraced by Kistil, his heart was squeezed by her warmth.
Something screamed to break something.
Something screamed to kill something.
But the faint heartbeat of Kistil awakened the will buried deep within Mika.
Protect Kistil.
Protect Nerisfeene.
Those feelings pushed back what had once covered Mika's heart.
The impulse to destroy still remains within Mika.
Especially when trying to commit suicide, that intense impulse rushes in all at once and covers the heart.
Even so, what barely held Mika, on the verge of collapse, were his feelings for the two.
Every time a strong impulse to break arose, a strong resistance not to break occurred.
Every time a strong impulse to kill arose, a strong resistance not to kill occurred.
Nerisfeene embraced Mika's hand, which she had pressed against her neck, to her chest again.
The heartbeat of Nerisfeene transmitted from her palm.
"A... ah...."
Mika let out a voice like a sigh.
Wrapped in the heartbeats of the two, Mika fell into sleep, as if losing consciousness, for the first time in several days.