Episode 89 – Missing
by Afuhfuihgs
*
There’s nothing more foolish than expecting everything to go according to plan.
Especially for someone with a dogshit fate like me.
The reason I often act on impulse even after making plans is partly because I can’t control my temper, but also because the world never moves as I expect it to.
Dogshit world, fucked up life.
Ah, I guess it’s not life anymore.
Anyway.
The reason I’m suddenly lamenting my fate like this is because things were going wrong again in an unexpected place.
Haha, a month.
My expectation that nothing would happen for at least that one month before the social gathering held by the Imperial Family gleefully told me to go fuck myself.
After Ellie and Deborah, who had visited during the day, returned, Banata, who had come back after a late dinner with Piadu, puffed out her cheeks and approached me, beginning to express how much she was suffering.
Banata’s chattering appearance, with her small stature (although her breasts and butt had swelled up as she became a succubus), was reminiscent of a small squirrel.
Perhaps that’s why Banata’s whining wasn’t strangely hateful, so I nodded and silently listened to her grumbling.
Banata confidently raised her head, saying that Piadu had been almost completely captured.
In fact, just listening to her explanation, there seemed to be no doubt that Piadu had fallen for Rose like an idiot.
Banata said that she would drive the wedge into Piadu tomorrow and would soon be able to bring him to this mansion.
I stroked her hair and praised her.
Banata blushed at my touch and shyly put her hands behind her back.
Banata, who was moving her small lips as if she had something to say, squeezed her eyes shut, grabbed my hand, and said in a trembling voice.
, Th-this… this job, after it’s over, I… I want to go on a d-d-date with Ed…”
“…What?”
“Ugh, I, I mean… a date!”
I nodded.
Banata’s eyes widened at my answer, and she jumped up and down, raising her arms above her head and cheering.
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at her appearance.
And the next day.
Banata didn’t return.
*
I didn’t care much about one night.
I was just a little worried about whether Banata would offer her body to Piadu for my request, or something like that.
However, when Banata didn’t show up after two days, three days, and then a week, the atmosphere in the mansion rapidly became filled with anxiety.
Mena’s condition, who had lost her daughter again in an instant, was the most serious.
No one could easily offer comfort or apologies to Mena, who didn’t say a word all day with blank eyes that seemed to contain nothing.
I, who was most responsible for this situation, was the same.
Whenever I tried to talk to Mena, her resentful gaze turned to me, and I had no choice but to swallow the empty promise of ‘I will definitely find her’ back into my throat.
Lara and Lily wore clothes that covered their faces and ears and searched for Banata all day, and I also went around smashing up the bars of Os Gravi every night to find Banata’s whereabouts, but I couldn’t find any clear clues anywhere.
When I wasn’t out and about, I was looking at the golden-decorated wooden music box all day.
This was a gift I had received from Ellie a few days ago. It was one of the Imperial Family’s treasures that Ellie had given me when I said I needed a way to contact her. It was a magical item that, when opened and spoken into, would transmit my voice to the other person’s music box.
Using this mysterious music box, which could only be used in the capital, I asked Ellie to investigate Banata, and Ellie said she would look into it as well, but there was no information that was of great help so far.
No, there was one piece of information that bothered me, and that was that Piadu was also missing.
In this situation where Jennifer is suspected of being involved with the Demon King, Villard, one of the people associated with Jennifer, was said to have been hiding his son’s disappearance for fear of rumors.
However, Ellie also told me that seeing how noticeably flustered he was, he probably wasn’t behind this disappearance.
At least it was clear that Piadu was related to Banata’s disappearance, but other than that, there was nothing I could know.
Did Piadu kidnap Banata, or did Banata kidnap Piadu, or did a third party kidnap them both?
I didn’t know the answer and was just holding my head and worrying.
What should I do if something happened to Banata? How could I face Mena?
If she, who knows my identity, turns away from me in shock, could I kill her?
Tormented by increasingly worst-case scenarios, I took out the Holy Sword and split my head open to stop thinking.
It was then.
[Hey Ed, I’m asking just in case,]
‘What.’
I answered Ulgaros’ question while reattaching my split head.
Damn, my head isn’t sticking back together as well as I thought.
Maybe it’s a natural result since I cut an undead with the Holy Sword.
[Are you keeping my horns safe…?]
‘What? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?’
[Check first. If my guess is correct, you might be able to find a clue about Banata.]
I reattached my head with divine power and followed Ulgaros’ words to the warehouse where the Demon King’s horns were kept.
I had installed a safe deep inside a corner room warehouse where people wouldn’t go as much as possible to store the Demon King’s horns, which were constantly emitting magical energy.
Wondering what connection the Demon King’s horns had with Banata, I opened the door to the warehouse.
“…What the fuck.”
The air in the warehouse was clean.
Air filled with only dust, with no magical energy felt at all, entered through my nose.
The door to the safe had been torn off roughly and was lying far away on the floor.
I picked up the tattered safe door and examined it.
There were traces of what looked like scratches from a sharp blade here and there.
I ran my fingers over the marks and asked Ulgaros in a trembling voice.
“This is what I think it is, right.”
[I hoped it wasn’t… but it seems so.]
[Um, could you tell me what you two are talking about?]
“You son of a bitch!”
[…Ed?]
I threw the door roughly and cursed.
Even after throwing the door, I couldn’t relieve my anger, so I kicked the furniture in the warehouse and punched the wall, continuing to lose my temper.
It’s my fault.
This was undeniably a disaster caused by my complacency.
I kept cursing and mocking my patheticness, swinging my arms around.
Ulgaros left me alone and said.
[The scratches on that safe door were made by the blade of a succubus’ tail.]
[Yes? Then, that means…]
[Yes, perhaps the culprit is…]
“Rose, you fucking bitch.”
I was careless.
Pathetically, I was careless.
Even though I had heard that Banata would hand over control of her body to Rose, I thought there wouldn’t be a big problem because it was always Banata in front of me.
Even if there was a problem, I didn’t think she would rebel against me, who had the Demon King’s horns.
The way I sometimes had funny banter with Banata also contributed to me lowering my guard against Rose.
No, fuck, what am I even making excuses for.
Idiot.
Idiot, moron. Retarded bastard.
Rose tried to kill Banata, almost killed Lily, and was killed by Lara because of my plan.
Even I was the one who killed Daniel, the person she loved.
Where did that unfounded conviction that she would be quiet come from that made me neglect to pay attention to her?
“Uwaaaaa!”
I screamed and pounded on the wall with all my might.
As I swung my already burst and torn bloody fist at the stone wall once again, a strange sound came from my hand, and soon my finger bones and wrist, and even my elbow, broke and shriveled up all at once.
There was no pain, but it hurt so much.
My patheticness hurt so much.
I slowly raised my head and whispered.
“I’m sorry, Mena…”
Even though I knew Mena wasn’t here, I muttered meaningless apologies.
I don’t have the confidence to explain this situation to Mena.
That a vengeful spirit who clearly has a grudge against me kidnapped Banata, and that she will probably become my enemy,
How can I say that if the worst happens, I might have to kill Banata?
The relationship with Mena, which started as a collaboration with each other’s goals, had changed into her sincerely dedicating herself to me.
It was because Mena recognized my efforts to save Banata, even though she couldn’t come back in perfect condition.
However, I betrayed her dedication in the worst possible way.
I repeated the apology as if chanting a spell, with no one listening.
My inadequacy, which doesn’t even dare to convey this apology to her, further reproaches me.
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, Mena.”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“…!”
I turned around at the sudden sound and was startled.
Mena was standing in front of the wide-open warehouse door, looking at me.
It seemed she had come because I was making too much noise.
She was standing straight with her hands neatly together, looking at me.
In her eyes, there was an intense will that I couldn’t read, but it was very firm.
The beast ears on her head, which were usually docile, were also sharp, and I felt like a lamb in front of a wolf.
I, avoiding Mena’s eyes with a trembling voice, raised my bloody hand to cover my face and said.
“I’m sorry… really,”
“Stop, don’t apologize.”
“No, this is all my fault. Maybe Banata is now…”
“Don’t explain either.”
“Mena…”
Mena slowly walked towards me, cutting off every word I said like a knife.
Mena, who had come close to me, slowly and carefully grabbed my messed-up hand and pulled it down.
Although tears didn’t come out in the undead state, my face was distorted as if I was wailing.
“Heal your hand.”
“…”
I wrapped golden divine power around my messed-up arm.
The yellow light shone brightly in the dark warehouse without lights or windows, illuminating my face and Mena’s.
I lowered my head, afraid to see her expression.
The sound of bones being reassembled, making a jjagan jjagan sound, was terrifying.
Mena waited silently until my arm returned to normal.
Then Mena slowly opened her mouth.
“Don’t apologize, don’t explain, don’t regret, don’t comfort, just promise unconditionally.”
“…”
“Promise…?”
I carefully raised my head and looked at Mena’s face.
Mena’s wide eyes were bloodshot.
With a ghost-like face, Mena said each word clearly and forcefully.
“A promise to rescue Banata safely. That was the contract between us.”
“…Mena”
“Now, again, promise.”
Mena’s voice was trembling, but at the same time, it was very firm and pierced into my ears.
I nodded.
It was different from when I made an empty promise to reassure her in a situation where I didn’t know what would happen.
I vowed in front of Mena that I would definitely get Banata back.
“I will definitely find Banata and bring her back.”
“…I will trust and wait, Ed-nim.”
.
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