episode_0178

When I returned to my quarters, the commander and the people at the quarters welcomed me with great joy.

He said he thought I was dead.

I hear it makes sense.

Since the sight I saw just before I fell asleep was a thornbush growing into the house, it wouldn’t be strange to think I was dead if I didn’t see just one person when I opened my eyes.

“I’m okay.”

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

The commander who said that hesitated for a while and then carefully opened his mouth.

“What happened to the witch?”

If you ask like this, you probably don’t know what you’re asking. You’re probably just asking because I’m the only one missing from this place, and the witch is gone.

I lifted Maleficent.

“This is it.”

“Yes?”

The commander and the guards there looked at the black and white crown in my hand with extremely surprised expressions.

I handed it over to the commander. Honestly, I don’t need this.

“Be careful, Maleficent can use magic.”

It’s meant to be used with caution as the tool can cast magic, but it could also be interpreted as meaning that there’s a witch sealed inside.

In other words, it is a deception.

I put this in the commander’s hands.

“You’d better keep it safe.”

The commander of the guards looked puzzled, looking back and forth between the crown on his hard gloves and me placing it on his hand.

“Oh, yes. Okay, I understand.”

I stretched. My neck feels a little stiff, either from carrying Victoria around for so long or from the neck turning around.

So, Merryweather is already dead and it’s been Maleficent all this time?

Until now, I was under the illusion that the Crown had sent Merryweather to use me.

Now that I think about it, it seems like the royal family really treats me as someone who simply helped Aurora. They really did send the knights as escorts.

Yeah. When thinking about someone’s back in the future, you shouldn’t be sure. If you’re not careful, you might end up in a fatal failure.

I learned something. I’ll be careful from now on.

Anyway, looking around, there are quite a few injured people. But no one is seriously injured enough to scream.

Many people get scratched by thorns when they fall, but that will soon heal.

The harvesters were physically strong, so many of them worked outside in the afternoon. That’s why many of the harvesters in Brightshin died.

We need to extend the harvest period.

I need a way to control the number of harvesters while keeping my concept.

It’s very likely that the royal family sees Aurora as the one who helped them.

It would be easier to put on the mask of a good person.

Goodness loses its value when shared indiscriminately.

“When you go back, if there’s anyone who’s been hurt so badly that they can’t be healed, call me. I’ll put them in there any time.”

I saw the guards’ eyes turn to favor, and I escorted them back. Then we cleaned up the mess together.

I memorize the structure while cleaning up the scattered debris, breaking down things that have become weaker due to thorns digging into them, and dismantling the equipment installed to block the outside.

“Did you know how to do this too?”

As I was cleaning the accommodation with the manager, the butler of this mansion approached me and spoke to me quietly.

“Isn’t it difficult if the person staying is picky?”

While wiping the dust off the window frame, you can act like a picky person who asks if you clean properly, but just say that you didn’t do it and act as if you were acting with good intentions.

Of course, it is possible to point it out.

Among the memories I gained when the first world collapsed, there are many memories of people working in places like this. Since the world is different, the materials have changed, so some specialized knowledge needs to be adapted to this world, but most things are similar.

“Please let me know if you have any inconveniences. Our children also need a chance to grow.”

He was raised very strictly.

But instead of nodding, I kept working. It’s easy to pile up evil, but it’s hard to pile up good.

I will manage my self-image by pretending to be a good person in the future to increase my harvest.

If you change too suddenly, people might find out that you have an ulterior motive, so you should help someone little by little.

But does the royal family know that I’ve been wandering around the slums making harvesters all this time?

This is the method I created after Merryweather became my escort, and it’s likely that Merryweather never explained it to the royal family.

The key will be how to smooth out this part.

For the time being, I’ll have to watch what happens and live my life as I always have.

***

That’s what I was thinking.

That night.

The royal family invited me. It was just an invitation, but in reality, they were taking me, an official, along… … .

Right now, I am not in the office where I met the king last time, but in a space like a reception room where I can meet with high-ranking officials.

In front sits King Hypion, unable to hide his smile of joy on his face.

“Thank you so much for sealing Maleficent.”

seal?

Oh. Yes. That’s right. If a witch becomes a crown and hears that it can use magic, I doubt the seal. I don’t think it turned the witch into an object.

“Keep it safe.”

I said that hoping that one day the harvester would use it to commit mass slaughter. Hypion nodded with a serious expression at my words.

“Keep it safe so that no dangerous things happen.”

If you do it wrong, you may think that the sealed witch will come out, but that won’t actually happen. All the warmth has been taken away, and the blackened light will turn to dust and disappear when it becomes an object.

After the story about Maleficent was over, King Hypion gave a long speech of thanks, full of royal speech.

Then I glance out the window.

Outside the window. You can see the palace in the distance. There should be a tall spire rising up, but that part is missing.

Come to think of it, when the thorn tree surrounded the capital, a ray of light flew from the castle toward the witch. And after the ray was returned to where it came from by the witch, it never flew again.

I guess it was destroyed then.

“If there is anyone who has been hurt beyond repair, please call me.”

“Thank you for your concern. I will definitely call you if I need to.”

Then, the king suddenly changed the mood.

The atmosphere, which was bright and cheerful, quickly becomes heavy. He expresses without words that what he is about to say is a serious matter.

So, I pretend to correct my posture and encourage them to say what they want to say.

“You freed my daughter Aurora from the witch’s curse, and even sealed the witch away.”

Witch Maleficent.

When you gain warmth, if you look at the memories you gain together, you are not a person. It means that a person did not acquire the profession of a witch.

She was not human. She was the queen of hell, so it wasn’t just a word. She was truly a fairy born in the dark part of this world.

It means something born on the border between the living and the dead.

They are creatures who were born with great power and wielded it, and lived as their desires led them, doing whatever they wanted.

Even as I got older, I became more cunning.

But, the witch was too strong.

I said that I was easily provoked by provocations that even the Hyukkesuni wouldn’t be able to resist, but up until now, I had never had to endure provocations, so I had no provocation resistance at all.

Simply the power of a witch. Or, if you compare the levels, Maleficent is overwhelmingly stronger. It’s really as big of a difference as an ant and an elephant.

Maleficent rarely had to run away from being defeated by someone. There was not a single object in the world that could kill her, at least not according to her memory.

If Daegon had been summoned, it would be easy to understand that he was strong enough to put up a pretty good fight.

The memory of the Primordial Heavenly Lord sparkles, especially when he points to the part where the magic power stopped, and the memory of Daegon sparkles, saying that I won anyway.

It’s true that it’s quite strong. That’s why it was surprisingly easy to defeat. But Hypion doesn’t know that. There’s something in front of him that dealt with the witch.

“Do you have any wishes for this country?”

Yes. The person in front of you is the king. He is a creature that must constantly be suspicious of others. If he forgets to be suspicious, he will be stabbed in the back and die.

They are doubting me.

That’s great, except it’s already too late.

I could shake my head here and create an image of myself as a good person, but then Hypion would be even more suspicious.

We need a level of desire that people can understand.

warmth?

That’s such a fatal weakness.

So, it’s easy to understand. No, let’s change direction here.

If I get too caught up in what I need, I might pick up on parts of myself that I don’t know about and understand myself.

So let’s change direction.

“South of here. I can hear screams.”

I pointed to Bern City. It was already fighting at a level that could be called a civil war. Corpses and wounded people were everywhere, and hope had disappeared from people’s faces.

So I was about to tell them that those who gave me were disappearing, but I swallowed my words.

No, you shouldn’t say that.

If I’m not careful, I might be caught seeing the world through the harvester. In order to become an incomprehensible object, I can’t be a completely unknown creature.

You have to become a creature that already understands, so that you can hide in the shadow of the truth.

“Hypion. Why do I hear people screaming in the south?”

So, I’m questioning you.

Always wear the mask of a good person.

That’s how I take the initiative.

Now I’m saying this.

There is no special intention, I am just saving people.

Rather, aren’t you the one who is abandoning your work?

It’s a question any good person should ask.

Whether the royal family is involved or not.

Actually, I like it either way.

The important thing is that you can avoid being questioned by Hypion. Hypion answered my question like this.

“You are truly an unknown person. The South. Okay, I understand. Let me check it out. I hope you don’t become an enemy of this country.”

I neither confirmed nor denied.

Instead of pursuing the question further, the king moved on to the next topic.

The content was to prepare for the memorial service for the disaster that occurred in the capital city scheduled to be held starting tomorrow.

And that’s it.

Instead of sending me back to my quarters after telling me what to do tomorrow, the king had me rest in the guest room in the palace.

I won’t be able to attend class tomorrow.