Ch.170170. Not a Thief of This World! (2)

In this world, there exist various diseases.

From relatively simple ones like colds and upset stomachs, to those resembling plagues from some other world, like the Black Death or cholera.

But among these diseases, what’s particularly infamous is none other than ‘magical diseases.’

These diseases, occurring due to mystical factors rather than physical laws, differ fundamentally from ordinary illnesses. Some extreme examples can even attach themselves to minds or concepts and spread that way.

‘Thought Pox,’ which spreads simply by knowing of its existence and disappears instantly when the information is forgotten, or the ‘Blood Thirst’ inherently afflicting vampires’ souls are also types of magical diseases.

And among these magical diseases, there exists one that’s barely known to the public: the ‘War Madness Virus.’

This disease can spread through ordinary means, causing coughs similar to bronchial infections, but it can also be transmitted when a carrier is killed ‘by physical means,’ infecting the killer.

As its name suggests, this disease transforms the infected into war maniacs.

Increased aggression, decreased self-control. Amplified violent tendencies, impulsive behavior. It instills a craving and desire for slaughter, and even disables rational thinking regarding the act of killing intelligent beings.

As a bonus, it causes symptoms similar to bronchial infections to facilitate its spread, including mild coughing and bronchial pain.

At first glance, it might not seem much different from a common cold or mental disorder, which is why this barely-publicized magical disease has spread considerably in a world where conflict is a way of life.

In reality, quite a number of humans are infected with this disease, and naturally, almost no one considers it a real illness.

Those infected with the ‘War Madness Virus’ are simply regarded as battle-crazed lunatics.

And the leader of the infamous bandit group ‘Skull Hunters’ was also a madman infected with this War Madness Virus.

A mid-tier fighter who once held an important position in a count’s knightly order, he was infected with the War Madness Virus on the battlefield one day….

After contracting this terrible magical disease, the symptom that manifested in him was the inability to feel joy or pleasure from any aspect of daily life.

The small happiness from eating delicious food, or the satisfaction derived from his high position.

Though these might seem trivial, they are the greatest driving forces for humans to live day by day. Having lost these, each day was nothing but torment for the man.

Unfortunately, the man noticed that he could still feel such happiness only through killing and slaughter.

In truth, most warriors tend to enjoy combat and slaughter to some extent, and this was true for the man even before his infection.

The difference is that ordinary warriors can regulate the pleasure they derive from combat and slaughter, whereas the man, unable to feel any joy except from battle, simply lost his grip on reason.

Thus, the man fell rapidly.

At first, he merely threw himself enthusiastically into battle, but at some point, he gathered others infected with the ‘War Madness Virus’ and formed a gang.

Of course, at that time, he could maintain his sanity by justifying them as a guerrilla force for the count’s territory, but it was inevitable that those who couldn’t feel any satisfaction in daily life would gradually succumb to madness.

Eventually, unable to resist his desire for slaughter, the man deserted, and they ultimately became a group whose sole purpose was slaughter itself…. while simultaneously losing all restraints on their other desires.

They recklessly gathered resources as means for slaughter to buy weapons, and diligently trained to launch more efficient and fierce attacks.

At some point, their purposes and methods became so entangled that they began acting like incarnations of crime.

That was the end result of their downfall.

And now, this band of bandits was….

[….Die.]

-Slash!

A monster suddenly invaded the battlefield. They were being one-sidedly slaughtered and cut down by the hands of a high-tier magic user.

Slashes—what greeted them were thousands of slashes manifested from thin air.

Even their leader, a mid-tier warrior, couldn’t react, nor could his lieutenant, the only other mid-tier fighter in the group, respond to the speed.

The agility with which the attacks were launched without any incantation, instantly cutting the gang to pieces, and the firepower that no one could withstand even a single slash.

Even their leader, a former knight, couldn’t react before his body was dismembered by the incoming slashes. Ultimately, the final actions of those who couldn’t withstand this attack were split into two distinct responses.

“Ha, hahahahaha….!!!”

“….Death, it’s death!!”

First, those in whom the disease symptoms had manifested severely reveled in their own deaths, going mad with ecstasy.

These individuals, whose basic survival instincts as living beings were completely paralyzed—those in the terminal stages of the disease—met their deaths in such a manner.

However, not everyone displayed such bestial behavior, losing their reason and simply going mad.

About half showed such severe symptoms. The other half regained their senses as if cold water had been poured over their heads in the face of such overwhelming force, and chose to turn their backs and flee without looking back.

The temptation of a magical disease born from pleasure ultimately disappears when faced with an even greater crisis.

Of course, the forest guardian was not merciful enough to let them escape quietly.

Deer riders who had rushed over after receiving urgent messages began to appear one by one from within the forest.

Warriors mounted on silver deer-shaped golems aimed their spear tips… and fired green beams of light from them.

-Pyung! Pyung! Pyung!

Green magical beams were fired sporadically, and with each shot, bodies fell to the ground one after another.

The bandit group composed of fallen lunatics quietly disappeared from this world.

※ ※ ※

What I saw before me was blood. Nothing but blood.

Should I use the expression “mountains of corpses and seas of blood” that I seem to have heard somewhere in my previous life?

Dismembered bodies that had fallen victim to my magic were scattered indiscriminately everywhere, and a little distance away lay bodies with gaping holes blown through them by magical beams.

‘….How gruesome.’

Although these were intruders who deserved death for invading my estate, looking at the state of their corpses somehow evoked a feeling of pity.

Of course, I had long since put such emotions aside.

“Corin, when was that time?”

[That time? ….Oh, that one? I actually don’t remember….]

“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t.”

It’s somewhat of an old story, but if I recall correctly, my first kill was an accidental incident.

At that time, Aleinos Forest had its share of invaders, and I happened to encounter one such intruder by pure chance.

The woman, whom I presumed to be an escaped serf, was wearing tattered rags soaked in blood, and the moment she spotted me, her eyes went wild and she charged at me.

Looking back now, that woman was probably a cultist, but regardless, I was still young then and was startled by the sight of an assailant rushing at me with a knife….

[You transformed into a bear, right?]

“….That’s right.”

I reflexively used animal transformation magic to turn into a large, magnificent brown bear, and then tore apart that skinny assailant head-on.

In fact, even then I possessed all the qualities expected of a junior (apprentice) druid, and considering that, I could easily overpower a starved assailant.

Moreover, I remember that at the time, rather than feeling anything about my first kill….

Despite having openly torn someone to death, I was more surprised by the lack of any emotional ripple in my heart.

No matter how prepared I might have been, killing should certainly be shocking, but my emotions, dulled through the process of learning druid magic and becoming one with the mysteries of nature, accepted it calmly.

As I was reminiscing about that scene from the past in this rather gruesome environment, I was brought back to reality by the sight of two knights approaching me, kneeling on one knee and paying their respects.

“We didn’t expect you to come in person, my lord.”

“No, Sir Gartrang. When the estate is in danger, it’s only natural that I should come as its master.”

After exchanging these conventional words, I gazed at the fallen bodies on the ground for a moment….

“Let’s head back, Sir Gartrang. Sir Lancelot.”

“[Yes!]”

I then cast a decay spell without incantation to rot the corpses, and began to walk away, suggesting we return home.

The sun was slowly setting.