Ch.108Twelve Heavens (3)

Twelve Heavens (3)

To regain my lost status as quickly as possible, I chose to rapidly accumulate karma.

Karma, karmic retribution, कर्म.

Though called by many names, it essentially means the consequences of one’s actions.

You swing a sword. That sword wounds another.

Such cause and effect.

The situations that follow.

The future consequences that branch like limbs from a single action.

Affecting as little as what’s right before you, or as much as extending to your next life.

This is what defines a person.

Just as we distinguish between good and evil people, the karma one has accumulated becomes an indicator of who they are.

I was able to reach the position of transcendent by following my brother and enduring countless austerities.

What matters is what one has done.

Well, simply put, it’s just the clichéd saying that consistent effort is important.

“When someone performs one good deed and receives gratitude for it, versus someone who performs hundreds of good deeds and receives countless praise—even for the same action, different results come based on one’s past deeds.”

“…Does that have something to do with Tina’s current condition?”

“Yes, and not just Tina, but you as well, Hero.”

The karma bestowed upon a hero.

For that, Esmeralda had to overcome countless trials.

It means growing in proportion to one’s hardships.

Of course, there’s also the tendency to draw in karma, but still.

Esmeralda is living a concentrated life, as if dozens of lifetimes have been compressed into one.

“And karma doesn’t always manifest in the same form or with the same price.”

The current situation with Tina can be seen as her life fading away as a reaction to accomplishing something that should have been impossible.

Originally, Tina carried an enormous amount of karma. And the price of that karma manifested as her innate intuition.

So much karma that it would be excessive even if accumulated over an entire lifetime.

Well, usually the price of karma can’t be predicted, whether it will be paid in this life or the next.

Whether by chance or necessity, Tina now contains all the price of that karma.

However, this time, the consequence of her action was excessive.

“She blocked an attack that couldn’t be blocked and dodged an attack that couldn’t be dodged. What many would call a miracle.”

At my words, Eirene flinched and widened her eyes.

She lives to restore miracles in a world where they’ve disappeared. It’s natural for her to react this way.

But it’s a bit different.

“Tina converted a massive amount of karma into payment. Not just at the level of her usual ‘intuition,’ but enough to transform the impossible into the possible.”

“The Second Legion Commander’s attack… Tina blocked it for us.”

The ability to shape the consequences of actions in a desired direction.

People with such abilities occasionally appear—in Tina’s case, it would be called intuition and luck.

But this level of ability is not one that humans should possess.

“This exceeds Tina’s natural abilities. It’s the result of external manipulation to enhance her power.”

Even someone special shouldn’t be capable of this much. It means someone has interfered.

“You know who’s responsible for making Tina like this, Hero.”

“…La•Pa?”

Mara-papiyas.

She tampered with Tina. And everyone present knew what that tampering entailed.

“The dragon’s heart. The enormous karma accumulated over vast ages. She forcibly implanted it in Tina. And excessive power that doesn’t match the body always causes problems.”

In fact, she had already suffered because of it. The overflow of the seven emotions due to massive karma.

In Tina’s case, her greed was amplified. At that time, I was able to restore her to normal by absorbing some of the karma dwelling within her.

“Well, for now, it would be best to replenish her depleted karma.”

“Replenish her karma? Didn’t you say that’s what caused this? And is that even possible?”

“Well, let’s calm down first. The handling of massive karma was a problem, but right now, the issue is that so much karma drained out at once. You could say she’s mortgaged her current and next life by losing karma that would be too much for a single human to bear.”

“…I don’t understand what you’re saying, Lug.”

“It’s like borrowing money from a loan shark, spending it all and going bankrupt, but still needing money to recover.”

“I understand now.”

And the consequences of actions. The chain of causality that follows.

Can someone else provide that?

Normally, it would be impossible.

But there are always exceptions.

“Karma isn’t always consistent. It intertwines, breaks, and gets severed. What do you think would happen if I were to marry you, Hero?”

“Don’t say such nonsense. Why would I marry you?”

“It’s hypothetical. Just hypothetical.”

Esmeralda glares at me with a harsh expression. It’s fine. She’s clearly in a bad mood due to anxiety.

Unfortunately…

She would have liked it under normal circumstances, but given the situation, she can’t allow herself to think about her own happiness.

Well, it’s hard to imagine one’s own happiness when a friend is in danger.

“Let me give you a hint. Imagine assassins coming after you every day. And in that situation, we get married.”

“Then you’d be targeted too.”

“Exactly. In this case, the consequences of my actions would be intertwined with the consequences of yours. Our karma would be combined.”

That’s how karma intertwines.

Well, this is just an example, and there are plenty of other methods.

For instance, if someone who should have lived happily is killed by an attacker.

The attacker can be seen as having devoured another’s karma.

Of course, since the method was murder, they accumulate the karma of killing—the way to gain the most massive karma and pay the most severe price.

“I’ve already absorbed others’ karma several times. Among them is karma I received from Tina, so now I can return it.”

I awakened through the killing karma of Legion Commander Eleven.

Well, as a result, the balance was disrupted, and some of the seven emotions I had accepted began to rampage.

A minor side effect of hastily accepting another’s karma to restore my past status.

“Now that I’ve explained what’s necessary, shall we begin?”

“…”

I’ve given Esmeralda the maximum explanation to address her doubts.

She doesn’t seem to fully understand, but she doesn’t stop me from approaching Tina.

Whoosh!

I ignite a blue flame.

The imagery of blue sky and world-burning flames that settled in my heart that day.

The power I created.

“Hmm.”

Using it, I bestow some karma upon Tina.

Accepting another’s karma is extremely dangerous, but fortunately, I just need to return the karma I previously received from her, so there shouldn’t be any immediate problems.

Thump!

Through the heart, the symbolic place closest to life, I infuse karma.

Yes, the place close to the heart. The chest. As I reach out, I feel a soft sensation.

Has it grown a bit?

No, that’s just a margin of error.

Still, it’s fortunate that it remains soft.

Hmm, I used to extract karma like this before, which brings back memories.

“…Lug, I’m just asking to be sure, but you’re not taking advantage of the situation, are you?”

“I’m not.”

“Then are you claiming that fondling Tina’s chest like that is part of the treatment?”

“It’s not a claim, it’s actually true. It’s a temporary measure to breathe life back into her by infusing karma into a place close to life.”

“Is it necessary to knead it like that?”

“…”

“…”

“…Treatment complete.”

I quietly removed my hand.

Well, it’s not a lie that the treatment is finished. To be precise, it ended as soon as it began, but she didn’t ask about that, so I didn’t answer.

Poke! Poke!

But as expected of a hero.

Whether she noticed my lie or not, she’s diligently poking the back of my head with her shortened holy sword.

Fortunately, it’s not the blade part.

Still, it’s creepy, so I wish she’d stop.

“Hero.”

“What is it, Mr. Pervert?”

There’s been a slight change in how she addresses me.

But it doesn’t matter. I’m relatively good at self-objectification.

There was no room for excuse for what just happened, so I could remain calm.

“Ahem! This is just a temporary measure. Something like this could happen again.”

Anyway, what matters now is Tina’s physical condition.

Though she looked extremely peaceful, breathing evenly in her sleep, the reality was different.

Cracks had begun to form in the vessel.

If something like this happens again, it might be beyond repair.

“Then…”

Esmeralda looks down at the collapsed Tina, then speaks with tightly pressed lips.

“…Should I remove Tina from the party?”

“That’s not a good idea. It would be better for Tina to stay with you, Hero.”

Tina was sent to the hero’s party.

The reason must be Mara-papiyas’s vile mischief.

She probably wants to monitor Esmeralda while witnessing Tina’s completion.

Keeping the demon race in check is just a bonus.

Now, let’s consider what would happen if Tina, sent for such purposes, returned broken. How would Mara-papiyas think and act?

It would be best if she simply lost interest, but in the worst case…

“…It would be better to look for another solution.”

Disposal would be the outcome.

As I glanced at Tina while speaking, Esmeralda flinched and looked at me.

It seems she’s caught on as well.

As if she could read my thoughts.

“Let’s think about curing Tina.”

“Is there… a way?”

“Yes, there’s one person who knows how to solve Tina’s problem.”

“Who is that?”

“The one who made Tina like this. La•Pa.”

Esmeralda frowned the moment she heard my words.

Yes, that’s understandable. In a sense, I’m suggesting we enter the heart of enemy territory.

“Don’t worry. I have a good idea.”

I spoke while looking at the thoroughly roasted Colonel Extra nearby.

“Let’s take the colonel and use him for blackmail.”

“…Thank you.”

Esmeralda grabbed my hand with teary eyes and expressed her gratitude.

This is quite rare. It gives me a warm feeling.

Well, it’s unfortunate for the colonel who’s become blackmail material without his consent, but what could possibly go wrong?

“I won’t forget the colonel’s sacrifice.”

An angry La•Pa will probably just quietly add the colonel to her hit list.

***

La•Pa had once bestowed a magical device on Tina for mission reports.

Though it was meant for reporting on missions, Tina tended to use it for trivial status updates.

Even though it was given to monitor the hero, Tina didn’t grasp that intention, so La•Pa had come to accept it and read the reports like letters.

And then one day, a suspicious video was transmitted to her magical device.

“Hmm?”

La•Pa was checking the video on her magical device with languid eyes when she tilted her head in confusion.

The person reflected in the device wasn’t Tina.

What appeared there was the ascetic of Capilla and Hero Esmeralda.

And…

-Now, look at this magical device and state your name, please?

-E-Extra, sir.

-Haha! You seem nervous. That’s understandable. Yes, it happens.

-…

-How old are you?

-…I’m forty-three this year.

“????????”

La•Pa trembled with fear, unable to understand why such a suspicious video had been sent to her.