Chapter 153

Ŕｅａɗ ｏɴ ＫɑｔṚėａｄıｎցＣαｆε

“I’m fine.”

I forced a smile to convey that meaning.

Because I really am fine.

No matter what happens, I’m not afraid at all.

It’s not a bluff or a lie to reassure anyone.

After all, Lucia is a masochist who really enjoys getting hurt, right?

But the thought of something happening to you all truly terrifies me.

So, I’m fine.

I forced a smile to say that.

And before that smile could fade—

Boom! 

A loud explosion echoed.

A swirl of crimson flames erupted as Eugene leaped forward explosively.

In an instant, he closed the distance and swung his sword with his remaining hand.

To my eyes, only a faint afterimage of his movement was visible.

But I caught a glimpse of Eugene’s expression.

Clenched teeth and a furrowed brow.

With a desperate look, he mustered the last of his strength.

However,

“Is this your final struggle?”

The woman didn’t even draw her weapon.

Her sword remained lowered.

From behind her back, her left hand reached out to toward Eugene.

Crash!

Her left hand grabbed Eugene’s head faster than his sword could reach her neck.

“Your courage is commendable. I admire your unwavering will.”

But you must learn when to retreat.

The woman’s upper body leaned forward. 

Thud! 

Eugene’s head was slammed into the ground.

The impact was so strong that the ground cracked.

Blood splattered. Eugene’s hand trembled uncontrollably.

His sword fell helplessly from his grip.

“Y-you… damn… bastard….”

Even as I watched Eugene get subdued in an instant.

A fierce heat gathered in Frey’s crimson eyes.

But no heat ray was emitted.

Before she could attack, I moved faster.

“Lu, Lucia… what are you… cough… damn it… move aside…!”

I stepped in front of Frey and the woman, shielding them with my body.

It unintentionally looked like I was protecting the woman, but the truth was the opposite.

I was protecting Frey from this monstrous creature.

“…Frey.”

“Y-you… move… aside…”

Frey looked at me, her lips trembling.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Feeling pity for her, I forced a smile.

“Hey, Alice and you both sleep a lot, so make sure to set your alarms. You can’t be late.”

“What… are you talking about… you… really…”

“Make sure to eat properly. Don’t skip meals because you’re lazy. Frey, you’re responsible, so I know you’ll be fine. Take good care of Alice.”

“St-stop… talking like that….”

“Take care of Eugene. He’s badly hurt…”

“…”

There’s so much I want to say, but unfortunately, there’s no time to say it all.

I turned to look at the woman. She silently stared at me. What will happen to me if I follow her? 

Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve read the novel, but I still don’t know. I don’t know who this woman, who resembles Belial, is, nor do I know who ‘that person’ who wants me is. Astaroth? Why would she kidnap me now?

Everything is shrouded in doubt, but one thing is certain.

The moment I follow her, there’s no way I’ll return unscathed.

I might never come back. That would be a problem.

After all, Lucia is supposed to be a heroine.

She’s supposed to help Eugene grow.

“I’ll follow you.”

I swallowed dryly and continued.

“But there’s one more condition.”

From her perspective, she’s already shown a lot of mercy, but that’s not enough.

While no monsters are approaching this area, a spatial rift is currently open in the exhibition hall.

This means Eugene and Frey, both injured, can’t escape safely.

“Ensure Eugene and Frey are safe from the monsters.”

“That’s not a difficult task. But is there a reason I should agree to that?”

“You said you’d spare their lives. Isn’t this a fair deal? You swore on your sword and pride, didn’t you?”

“…Heh, I suppose you’re right.”

Leaving them in a monster-infested area is practically the same as killing them.

The woman chuckled softly and nodded.

Then, she lightly flicked her finger.

I closed my eyes and clenched my lips.

A few seconds passed.

The woman opened her eyes and spoke.

“I’ve given orders to all the monsters. They won’t come near this area.”

So, it was her who blocked the monsters’ approach.

In the past, the Black Knight had done something similar.

He intentionally spread his aura to block their approach.

It was a kind of warning. That he would kill them if they came closer.

A warning from a high-ranking, named monster.

Few monsters would dare ignore that.

But this time was different.

Back then, it was a threat backed by force.

Essentially, he forced his will through strength.

The woman didn’t do that.

It wasn’t a warning.

It was an order.

Monsters giving orders to other monsters isn’t uncommon.

But that’s usually among monsters of the same kind.

Only monsters with an established hierarchy could give orders.

For example, a green dwarf to another green dwarf.

A barbarian to a green dwarf. A griffon to a hippogriff.

A death knight to a skeleton.

A vampire to an undead.

But no monster can control all monsters regardless of their kind.

If there is, it’s a being that transcends monsters.

A devil at the pinnacle of all monsters.

Or a demonic beast, a higher species of monsters.

This woman isn’t the demon lord Belial.

Yet, she has control over the monsters.

Does that mean… could she be…?

“Now, it’s your turn to keep your promise.”

The woman began to walk away.

Without looking back, she spoke to me.

“Follow me.”

My answer was already decided.

I clenched my lips and nodded.

Just as I took a step to follow her—

“P-please… don’t… go… Lucia… please…”

A sobbing voice clung to my legs.

I forced another bitter smile.

My legs felt heavy. I was anxious.

Not about my future, but about our protagonist and main heroine.

If something were to happen to Lucia.

If she never returned.

I hope they won’t be too hurt.

“…I’m sorry, Alice.”

Lucia is undoubtedly an important character.

One of the heroines of the “Dawn of the Sword”.

A valuable ally who supports the protagonist.

A crucial existence in Eugene’s awakening.

‘But Eugene can’t afford to be harmed, right?

Alice, who is far more important than Lucia, can’t be harmed, right?

Yes, this is definitely the right choice.’

I focused on Alice’s figure reflected in my pink eyes. With a faint smile, I spoke softly.

“Take care of yourself.”

Since I might never return, saying goodbye in advance is better.

I turned my head away.

I didn’t want to see Alice’s tears.

◈

“Hmph, seriously. Murmur is really playing too many pranks.”

“I don’t think you’re one to talk.”

Regina scolded Astaroth’s whining.

Who was she, the embodiment of the word “mischief”, to complain?

Ever since becoming her ‘friend’, Regina had been endlessly tormented by Astaroth’s pranks. Even now, she was suffering from one of those pranks, so her voice wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“St-stop… hic… no more… I don’t want this….”

At Seri’s cries, Regina sighed.

It would’ve been easier if Seri had been completely brainwashed like her.

Unfortunately, Seri hadn’t been.

Her supernatural ability was ‘hypnosis’.

While under the influence of the Red Fox Mask’s brainwashing, Seri had used her wits to hypnotize herself.

She tried to overlay the brainwashing with hypnosis.

But her attempt was incomplete.

Seri periodically breaks free from the brainwashing.

More accurately, she overlays the brainwashing with latent hypnosis.

Whenever she regains her senses temporarily, she struggles desperately to escape Astaroth’s grasp…

But she’s already a caged cat.

With the output of Seri’s supernatural ability alone, she can’t overcome the Red Fox Mask’s control.

At best, she can only regain her senses briefly.

It would’ve been better if she had just given up and accepted it from the start.

By resisting clumsily, she only ended up in a more painful situation.

“No, please, stop… Regina, I don’t want to become more strange… I did everything you asked, right? Please, I’m begging you, let me go… please, please. I’ll beg like this if I have to…!”

Despite Seri’s desperate pleas, Regina only shrugged.

She wanted to let Seri go, but…

Regina glanced at Astaroth.

The Red Fox Mask was tilted slightly, and Astaroth was smiling slyly.

Though she wasn’t looking this way, her expression was clear.

Regina sighed in resignation. Even though she was treated as a ‘friend,’ she was ultimately in the same position as Seri.

A slave who would fall from the position of  ‘friend’ to ‘livestock’ the moment Astaroth got bored. She didn’t know when that day would come, but it could arrive suddenly. Regina had quite won Astaroth’s favor, but devils were fundamentally different from humans.

It was probably similar to how humans dote on dogs or cats.

Regina gripped the Red Fox Mask in her hand. Seri’s face paled. She struggled against her bindings, but they were too tight.

Ironically, it was Seri herself who had tied herself up. Hypnosis was her ability. Seri knew when she might regain her senses, so she tied herself up in advance. Then, she would smile brightly and say, ‘If I get brainwashed again, untie me.’

This situation had already repeated several times. Each time, Seri’s spirit was slowly worn down. Now, the frequency of her regaining her senses was decreasing.

“Ah, ah… no…”

Even though her resistance was futile, Seri thrashed until her skin was raw. But she couldn’t escape the mask covering her face. 

Her bloodshot eyes were hidden behind the mask.

Regina placed the Red Fox Mask over Seri’s face.

“…!…!!…!!!”

A soundless scream echoed.

Seri twisted her body even more violently.

Then, at some point, all movement stopped.

Regina realized the process was complete and removed the mask. Tears and snot covered Seri’s face as she stared blankly. Her eyes were unfocused, and emptiness swirled in her gaze.

But it was only for a moment. 

Soon, Seri smiled brightly, as always.

The tear stains around her eyes made her look strangely out of place.

“Ah, this is so annoying every time.” Seri pouted. 

She complained that her arms hurt from struggling. 

Seeing her usual self, Regina began to untie her bindings one by one. Once freed, Seri stretched luxuriously, as if she had just woken up from a long nap.

“Seri, how do you feel?” 

“Mm, as refreshed as ever!”

“Your tear stains have dried. Here, wipe them off.”

“Ah, thank you~”

Seri wiped her face with the handkerchief she was given. 

She pouted, her voice filled with dissatisfaction. 

“Hey, you know… can’t we just remove the hypnosis? It’s so annoying every time.”

The hypnosis resisting the brainwashing was Seri’s own doing. So, she could remove it at any time.

But Seri kept the hypnosis active. To hold onto a sliver of hope when she was in her right mind.

And when she was brainwashed, it was because of Astaroth’s orders.

“Hmph, no can do~.” Astaroth waved her hand dismissively. 

She rested her chin on her hand and looked at Seri and Regina.

A mischievous smile filled her face. 

“It’s more fun this way.”

“It’s not fun at all for me! It’s disgusting! And it gives me a headache!”

“Ahaha.”

Though Seri vented her frustration, Astaroth only responded with a teasing laugh. 

This was how it always went, so Seri slumped her shoulders in defeat.

In the end, she set aside the hypnosis issue and turned her attention to something on the table.

“By the way, what’s that? An arm? A leg?”

It was a human limb.

A right arm and a left arm.

A right leg and a left leg.

Seri frowned.

It wasn’t a well-made model.

It was a real human limb.

Freshly severed, hot blood still gushed from it.

“Ew, that’s gross. Why is there a severed limb here?”

“It just plopped out of thin air.”

Astaroth poked the bloodless arm. 

Literally, the limb had fallen out of thin air.

Spatial connection. More precisely, a spatial shift with Astaroth’s hideout as the coordinates.

She gently brushed the severed right hand.

Her fingertips touched something smooth.

A silver ring. A ring Astaroth had painstakingly crafted.

Drenched in blood, the silver was now stained red.

Intricate patterns were engraved into it, now filled with blood.

“I went through all the trouble of giving it as a gift, and they lost it? How rude.” 

Astaroth chuckled as she spoke.

“I’ll have to return it, I suppose.”

After all, the ring’s owner seemed to be coming this way.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Regina and Seri might be known as somewhat villains, but in fact, they are both victims.

Seri in particular suffers even more because she clumsily resists.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Save Lucia is a thing now I suppose, but hey, at least no bs last minute op guy to the rescue!