Ch.153Getting to Know the NPC (2)

I’ve had experiences like this in my past life too.

Confidently walking down what I thought was a familiar neighborhood, a familiar road, shouting my friend’s name in front of a similar apartment building, cursing “Why isn’t this bastard answering his phone?!” Only to find out my friend was waiting in slippers in front of the next alley.

I mean, similar neighborhoods and buildings with similar structures can exist. The same goes for mountains, and it’s not like only we are allowed to build graves in front of our homes, right?

Somewhat surprised by my unusually quick thinking, I immediately nodded apologetically to the hooded man and turned to head back into the mountain…

-WHOOSH!!

“Huh?!”

“…Cunning demons. Now you’re trying to shake my resolve by using my own appearance against me.”

I felt dizzy when the hooded man threw a rabbit at me (why is it bigger than my thigh?) that he seemed to have just hunted, while muttering those words.

Shit. Is this for real?

-POW!!

“Even if you try to shake me in whatever form, I will never leave this mountain, your master.”

“There’s a misunderstanding here! I’m not a demon…?!”

-BANG!!

“What the?!”

Suddenly, the guy swung his palm at me, and I dodged the attack by a hair’s breadth.

The sound of air splitting suggested that this wasn’t just a slap that would hurt my cheek—it sounded like it was protesting that this was something much more serious. Is this for real?!

“Nonsense.”

“No! I’m really not a demon—?! Ah, you idiot!!!”

-SMACK!! THUD!!

Apparently unwilling to have any conversation without my lawyer present, the me who appeared in this trial continued to launch sharp attacks at me. I began to dodge and block all attacks by the narrowest of margins.

But, shit. Is this for real?! Why is he so fast?!!

-SMACK!!!

“Ugh?!!”

“Even your fighting style resembles mine. It seems Luxuria has deliberately created this demon.”

“You stubborn idiot!! Listen to what I’m saying!!!”

-WHOOSH!!!

“!!!”

I blocked his right hand aiming for my head with my left arm, but the pain was so intense I couldn’t tell if I had blocked it or been hit. I swung my right arm with full force, and the orange eyes inside the hood widened slightly in surprise as he finally backed away.

-Tap tap.

“Damn!! Even if I am you, don’t you feel any reluctance to throw punches at the same face?!”

“Ha. What is a demon saying? Stop your useless words and actions and show your true colors.”

“Damn it!! Am I using demonic energy or magic right now?! Do you have any evidence that I’m a demon, you stupid bastard?!”

“You demons know better than anyone that I have no magical power.”

“That’s right! Shit! Yes! I don’t have magic!!!”

I originally have no magical power, so I can’t sense magic or demonic energy. I immediately understood why this stupid mountain keeper was throwing punches at me on sight.

But still, I didn’t ambush him or anything. Just throwing punches because we look alike? Shit, are you Black Darkness Jack? Do you really want to die?!

“What are you talking about? Black is the color of you demons…”

“What part of me is black, you idiot?! You’re more ‘black’ with that black hood pulled down! From any angle, I’m clearly gray, and I’d believe it if you said the dark abyss inside me jumped out and started attacking me!”

“You’re not making sense.”

“Oh! Damn, good heavens. He’s saying what I should be saying.”

I honestly knew he was probably me when I first saw him.

In the game, I appeared as the mountain keeper NPC wearing a black hood, and my face was only revealed right before death.

Moreover, no matter how much I tried to insist this was just a house similar to mine, the fact that I knew every tree and path on this mountain would disprove that story. That’s why I was trying to leave without fighting him.

Actually, is this the trial? Am I supposed to defeat myself? Excuse me, Quest? Status window? Shouldn’t you have displayed his stats or level by now?!

“…No. Why is it silent now when it usually pops up even when I don’t want it to?”

“Indeed. Talking with another demon…”

“Damn it, I’m not!!!”

After shouting at the guy who was clenching his fist at me again, I turned my thoughts inward to check my status.

And I realized it. The status window wasn’t appearing.

“…Hey.”

“What?”

“Just stay there for a moment. Three seconds is all I need.”

-Tap tap!

I immediately went behind a nearby tree to check my veteran mountain keeper senses. And it became clear.

‘…Status window gone, skills not activating. No, are they completely gone too?’

Despite sensing his presence nearby, I couldn’t even properly visualize his silhouette, let alone get a clear image.

Plus, when I just ran to the tree at what felt like full speed, my movement was noticeably slower than usual.

Right. It’s not that he’s fast—I’ve become slower and weaker. My skills and additional stats have all disappeared.

“…Wow. This is serious.”

“What are you do—”

“Ah?! You scared me?!”

“……”

I was startled when he suddenly appeared beside me, and I backed away again. He glared at me for my reaction.

Should I knock him out if we go into a second round? Or is defeating him actually the purpose of this trial?

My expression gradually soured as I tried to make sense of this incomprehensible situation, and he, interpreting my reaction as hostility, began to clench his fist again.

Haha. This is ridiculous. Are you a Pokémon trainer, not a mountain keeper? Do we have to fight just because we made eye contact?

Finally, concluding that I wasn’t going to get answers, I decided to beat this guy up without killing him. I clenched my fist as well and then…

-POW!!

-TAP!!!

[GRAAAH⎯⎯⎯⎯!!]

-FREEZE!!

-STOP!!

We both stopped just before our fists reached each other’s faces.

“…Why did you stop?”

“I stopped because I saw you stopping.”

“I stopped because I saw you—”

“Stop the bullshit. What was that sound that made you stop?”

“……”

He seemed confused, yet couldn’t let go of his hostility and wariness as he alternated between looking in the direction of the beast’s cry and looking at me.

Hmm.

-Rustle.

“I give up. Go on your way if you have business.”

“…How can I trust—”

“Look, if you don’t want to believe me, that’s fine, but aren’t you concerned about that sound—”

[KYAAANG⎯⎯⎯!!]

-WHOOSH!!!

“…You’re clearly very concerned while pretending not to be.”

As soon as I lowered my fist and withdrew my hand, the beast’s howl changed to a cry of pain. He started running toward the sound without looking back.

…He’s really fast. Can I even catch up to him? No, I don’t need to follow…

“No, should I follow him?”

No quests are appearing, and I don’t know the purpose of this trial. This mountain is probably Mount Ponia, but the issue is what that Darkness Jack said.

Luxuria. The demon of Lust from the Seven Deadly Sins, the boss from ep.4.

This world has likely already started the tutorial, and that guy is currently holding off the demon as the mountain keeper.

Which means…

“…If this isn’t a starting point bug, my trial is possibly connected to that guy who’s the ‘original’ mountain keeper.”

I sighed as I watched his back, already so far away he looked like a dot.

I haven’t done anything particularly bad to him. If anything, I was the one who was attacked unprovoked.

Plus, when a beast that seemed important to him let out a distressed cry, I even stopped my attack and held back.

I even maturely admitted defeat.

Honestly, I’ve been pretty accommodating, right?

“So if I follow him and he attacks me again, I’ll maturely rearrange his thought process.”

Feeling that my thinking was definitely faster than usual, I kicked off the ground and chased after him.

The direction was opposite to that Zolryeolip village, heading toward the mountain peak…

Perhaps my trial might be more difficult than I initially thought, judging by the direction.

*

“This is a serious matter.”

“Is ‘This is a serious matter’ all you have to say about this?!”

Elder Green Stone, who had received treatment for his injuries, waved his severed arm a few times and then sighed, and my eyebrows furrowed involuntarily at his reaction.

Wait, who on earth was the enemy that cut off the Elder’s arm?!

“The Grand Elder.”

“…The Elven Grand Elder, the old elf our chief always talks about?”

“Yes. He was working with the demon of Wrath.”

“…W-wait a minute.”

While Sister Chikuyo and Elder Green Stone were talking, I tried to recall my memories. Surely, the demon of Wrath was…

“Jack killed him.”

“I see. Jack killed… What? That Jack killed one of the Seven Deadly Sins?!”

“Yes. I was in Aigram that day too, so I’m certain of that.”

Indeed, my memory wasn’t wrong.

The story I heard when I first met Ragni and Jack was true, and Jack did kill the demon of Wrath.

But if that demon is dead, what is he talking about…

“The seed left by the demon of Wrath. Miho, you remember the day you killed Elder Er Jim, right?”

“…You mean that flesh demon?”

“It seems he put that into his body. Honestly, I didn’t even notice what was happening until my arm was cut off.”

“…You managed to escape in that condition?”

Sister Chikuyo still had her sword drawn as she spoke skeptically about Elder Green Stone’s words, and I too was still tense as I watched him.

Honestly, the uncomfortable smell and sensation emanating from Elder Green Stone’s body would make it believable if he claimed to be a demon himself.

And he knows that our wariness is not just an overreaction.

Yes, the treatment facility where Green Stone is being treated also has a ‘detention’ function. Outside this facility, other beast-folk warriors are standing by with weapons.

“I know what you want to say. You can sense demonic energy from me, right?”

“…Yes. Honestly, it’s so unsettling that I want to cut you down right now.”

“S-Sister.”

“Puhuh. Yes, that’s a relief. It seems I’m not crazy.”

Sister Chikuyo spoke sharply, but the Elder laughed as if it didn’t bother him at all and immediately began to explain about the demonic energy emanating from him.

“The three Elven elders I killed had already sold their bodies to demons. I didn’t notice, and after killing them, the demon blood remaining in their spilled blood gradually seeped into my body.”

“…Even so, it’s too strong…”

“It’s because of this.”

When Sister expressed her disbelief, the Elder waved his severed arm, and Elder Fermi, who had been listening to our conversation a few steps behind, responded to that action first.

“…When your arm was cut off, that blood mixed with yours?”

“Yes. That seems to be what happened. I only noticed after the blood flowed into my body. It was my oversight. However, thanks to that, I was able to find out where the innocent elf Salt Non is being held captive. The memories flowed in along with the blood.”

“…W-wait a minute, Elder? Then, having demon blood in your body means…”

“It means that sooner or later, I will be corrupted by the demon and lose my mind, just like the other elders.”

“”……””

Sister and I couldn’t say anything and looked at him worriedly, but he smiled as if he found our expressions amusing.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be a problem until I stop… kill the Grand Elder.”

“…And after you kill him?”

“My role ends there. When everything is over, I plan to take my own life.”

“……”

We were left speechless by his words, spoken as if they were the most natural thing in the world. But Green Stone merely smiled bitterly at our reaction and immediately continued with the next part of the story.

“Elder Fermi, the Grand Elder plans to attack the beast-folk. The reason…”

“Because we didn’t follow their hateful ideology, hohoho.”

“Yes. It seems he’s been planning this for a while. So…”

“You want me to give you a sword?”

“…Yes. It’s shameless of me. You might be uncomfortable entrusting me with a sword, but…”

“No, I don’t mind giving you a sword, however.”

After saying that much, Elder Fermi began to look at Sister and me.

As if asking whether we had something to say.

However, Sister tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what the Elder’s gaze was asking for, but I understood and nodded.

“Elder.”

“Hmm?”

“You absolutely must not die in the process of killing the Grand Elder.”

“…I…”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“……”

From the context of the conversation, it sounded as if he was planning to die after killing the Grand Elder and settling everything. But the Elder, Sister, and I all already understood.

He was planning to die along with the Grand Elder, even if it meant giving up his neck to take the heart. But still.

“Jack didn’t want you to die. He told us to bring you back safely, treat you, and wait. So you absolutely must stay alive until Jack comes and says it’s okay to die.”

You are not our male, and my male wishes for your survival.

As his faithful female, I spoke with determination to create the outcome he desired.