Ch.18761. Extremely Selfish Self-Righteousness (3)

Mines opened her eyes.

The place they were in was a desert reminiscent of a wasteland, far removed from the sandy plains.

Except for the oasis and strangely shaped trees providing shade and shelter, this might still be the middle of the desert.

“……”

Since the Imperial Princess had departed, perhaps pushing herself too hard, Mines had done her best to take care of those who remained behind.

She wasn’t in perfect condition either… but at least she was better off than the others.

This was entirely thanks to the combat response protocol established beforehand by the Imperial Princess.

If there were individuals whose strength needed to be preserved above all, the first would be Bezetus the dragon, and the second would be Mines herself.

The reason being that if they managed to survive in this harsh environment but were burdened with the injured and severely wounded, only those two would be capable of handling them.

And that assessment wasn’t wrong.

Mines could immediately understand that the Imperial Princess had defined the situation rationally, albeit subjectively, when she had placed even her own safety as the fourth priority.

‘Still, this wasn’t something I could handle alone.’

That’s why the assistance from those two had been somewhat unexpected.

Delica and Cain had, in the end, helped them.

Despite having remained silent when their lord was being tyrannical.

[I may feel gratitude toward certain individuals, but I have no intention of dwelling on grudges.]

At least she had proven those words weren’t lies through her actions.

The demon realm being named Cain seemed to disagree, however.

[After all, when the world burns to ashes, grudges will be repaid naturally.]

In other words, because her lord would destroy the world, Delica saw no need to indulge in personal desires.

Gratitude, however, was different.

“……”

No matter how I look at it, she’s not in her right mind.

It seems too sincere to say she’s using such bizarre logic to forcibly rationalize genuine goodwill and her true feelings, given her behavior and attitude.

The true heart and intentions of that girl with the childlike appearance had long since transcended the boundaries of normalcy.

In an extremely unfavorable way.

“……”

How many days had passed since then?

And today of all days, those who had been sleeping like the dead were waking up one by one.

Watching them open their eyes normally, unlike their precarious state before, Mines sensed something unusual.

‘Has she resolved it?’

The Imperial Princess had walked into the desert alone.

Saying she knew the only way to resolve this situation.

The sole and unparalleled method to solve this crisis.

From the beginning, the strategy of voluntarily taking on someone else’s curse was far from normal.

Even Delica and Cain, who had been watching, couldn’t hide their shock… it certainly wasn’t a conventional method.

But the worst part was that she had endured the total burden of the curse that had afflicted the entire group, all by herself.

How… steadfast must her patience and mental strength be?

If it were Mines herself… she wouldn’t have been able to endure it.

It seemed no one here could have withstood that.

Not even the knight of the giant who supposedly carried the legacy of the Demon King like herself.

Not the remarkable elf, nor the saint, nor the dragon.

……None of them were exceptions.

Perhaps facing pain has nothing to do with racial superiority or the advantage of ability and power.

If so, what made the Imperial Princess so extraordinary that she could endure it?

When asked as she was leaving, she gave a simple answer.

[One becomes accustomed to what one has experienced.]

“……”

Even inside the makeshift tent, she could sense movement.

Mines picked up a leather pouch filled with water from the oasis and headed toward them.

====

“Boss. Do you think they’ll forgive us for doing this?”

“Forgiveness?”

The pale man’s words made the girl curl her lips up as if snorting.

“Doing something to be forgiven is also a pathetic act. I’m doing this purely for its own sake. They don’t need to be our allies, nor do they need to be our enemies.”

“Do you realize that statement itself is a terrible contradiction?”

“Ah. Perhaps I’ve softened too much. Is it because I’m a child? I seem to have become more emotional.”

This time, Cain responded with a half-hearted rebuke and a snicker.

“As if that makes any sense. Wait. Didn’t you make similar nonsensical jokes before?”

Just then, a large sheep’s head poked out from beyond Cain’s shadow.

It flicked its tongue and complained.

“Should have eaten them all up.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to come out?”

Unable to stand it anymore, Delica stomped on the sheep’s head.

“Ow! Why! Why! Whyyy!”

Despite the noisy protests, it quietly burrowed back into the shadow.

“When our lord returns to us, they will all die.”

“Then they should blame their fate.”

“…You still won’t say you’ll stand in the way until the end.”

“Destruction is our destiny. If she decides to deal with a few irritating individuals a bit earlier… there’s no reason to be displeased or feel sorry about it. On the day the world burns, even an ordinary, good-hearted couple in some village, even children… even the elderly will equally turn to ash and dust. Mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, all animals big and small, without exception.”

“……”

She’s insane.

But it’s because she’s insane that she silently allows destruction, and chooses to be a bystander.

And not content with just that, she tries to sympathize and cooperate with it.

At the very least, this must be our last chance.

In that sense.

“…Did you foresee this too with that precious sense and intellect of yours?”

“How could I?”

A figure approaches from beyond the horizon.

Until it reaches the vicinity.

The two could only stand still and greet them, as if entranced.

====

“Kariel.”

Geornia wondered if this was a dream or reality.

How had things become so twisted and tangled, leading to this situation?

Kariel. Watching him carefully place Elhermina inside the tent, she, as the eldest here, momentarily fell into confusion about what to do.

Geornia had woken up less than half a day ago. Her physical condition was terrible, and this was a mental issue that even magic would struggle to heal.

While physical strength could somehow be restored with magic, mental recovery had its limits.

Even this was only manageable because her consciousness had been forcibly suppressed; if she had fully experienced that insane pain… she would likely have gone mad or suffered irreparable mental trauma before long.

Geornia had seen her fill of healthy beings suffering from mental illness, and in truth, she herself was no exception.

“You damn bastard. What the hell happened? Why is El in this state? Say something!”

An old friend she hadn’t seen in a long time.

One might call him a childhood friend, or perhaps even a best friend…

But the being before her now felt distant to both Kariel and Dyke himself… a distance that was hard to put into words.

And not just distance. It felt as if there was a massive fence or wall standing between them.

“……”

“Since emotions can conflict and lead nowhere, I, who accompanied her, would like to objectively and rationally explain the situation… if those present agree.”

A girl with silver hair, pale skin, and an old-fashioned appearance stepped forward slightly to gauge opinions.

Instinctively, the expressions of Geornia and Hamern, who were standing to one side, reflexively crumpled.

“A mere vampire…”

“Shall we dispose of it?”

Zora displayed indignation beyond mere injustice.

“Wait, wait, wait! Hold on! Dispose of what? Who? What?! What era do you think this is, acting so rashly?!”

Dyke intervened with a mortified expression.

“Both of you, calm down. Anyway, we can hear directly from him later, so since you’ve stepped forward, please tell us what happened.”

“Do people here not know manners?”

“Stop making a fuss before I swallow you whole.”

As soon as Zora grumbled, the white-haired boy sitting at the edge of the tent growled.

“Uwaaah…”

Zora made a pitiful face as if wronged.

Despite appearing intimidated, Zora continued her explanation smoothly.

The gist was that Elhermina had acquired a specific power inside an ancient ruin, and somehow used it to resolve the curse that had been placed on them.

And in the process, she had confronted Kariel and… the villain who had done this to them, driving the villain away… but the problem was that she had also been critically injured and ended up like this.

…While this differed significantly from the actual events, Zora continued with an explanation that was easier to understand for now.

Geornia, who had been listening to the content with a displeased expression, took a breath and asked:

“So, you’re saying you fought with the current Demon King and ended up like this? Is that the truth?”

“I didn’t participate… I just watched. Do you think I’m in a position to fight the Demon King?”

“You speak as if… you’re so great.”

“I’m not great, so I know my place! Is that my fault?!”

Zora retorted with an expression of injustice.

“So, what about the prophecy that Kariel would become entangled with the Demon King and become the Demon King himself? Is that still ongoing?”

“……”

How would I know that?

In response to Dyke’s somber question, Geornia stroked her silver hair absently.

“El. I would like her to be properly transported to the capital.”

At that moment, when Kariel calmly stated his request, Dyke glared at him again and demanded:

“It sounds like you’re planning to go your own way after causing this mess. You don’t seem to realize what you’ve done… You’ve reduced the Empire’s First Imperial Successor to this state. Because of your carelessness!”

“……”

Kariel quietly gazed into Dyke’s peach-like eyes.

The light of insight that Elhermina possessed was completely absent in the person before him.

“Was she particularly special?”

The will of the world.

Something grand yet vague, like grasping at clouds.

Even Kariel had never defined or asserted it.

Perhaps it was because he had been too bound and constrained by vague terms like fate and destiny.

But despite not having abilities like his own, Elhermina had approached the truth and reality of the world with just the power of the Demon King’s legacy.

“What does that mean? Can’t you speak clearly?!”

“To cut to the chase, what she needs is physical recovery. Then mental recovery. More precisely… let’s call it soul recovery. And this… is a role I must fulfill, and it cannot be accomplished by returning to the capital. That’s why I’m not going back.”

“You bastard…”

“Geornia.”

When Kariel suddenly addressed her, Geornia responded with a reluctant tone.

“Yes, uh. Right. What is it?”

“…I wish to see the World Tree.”

“The, the World Tree, you say?”

Why that all of a sudden?

Regardless of whether Geornia raised questions, Kariel simply nodded to express his opinion.

“Yes. The order has changed from what I expected, but now I have no choice.”

Dyke interjected again.

“And that has something to do with El’s recovery?”

“I can’t guarantee it. But there’s no alternative.”

“…Again with your cryptic talk that only you understand. Right now, you’re… in a way, a serious criminal, and I could arrest you for treason… with no issues whatsoever. Yet you have the audacity…”

“Hey.”

The dragon in the corner cut in, grinding his teeth.

“Human. He’s saying that’s the way to save El. If you’re going to regret and vent about what’s already happened, why don’t you just get lost?”

After intimidating Dyke like that, he then glared at Kariel with reptilian eyes as if about to stab them.

“Punishment and judgment can wait until after Elhermina is saved. Isn’t that right? You annoying hero bastard.”

“……”

Kariel took a deep breath.

“Since I’m not exactly known for my pleasant personality… watch your mouth. You damn reptile.”

“What? Are you asking to die right now?”

Intense electrical currents erupted from Kariel’s hand.

“…This isn’t right.”

Nothing is more unsightly than showing off with borrowed power.

“That’s enough now. Take it back, Zephs.”

As if hearing those words, the electrical currents that had been flashing around his hand vanished without a trace.

“Civilization is woven into fiction. And if myths are also fabricated as fiction… then your existence must be the epitome of fiction and illusion like no other in the world.”

“You have the leisure to recite poetry? In front of me?”

As Bezetus raised his aura, the air around them churned violently like a physical force.

A being capable of manifesting physical phenomena with mere will.

That was the entity before him.

“……”

In an instant, everything was neutralized.

“…?”

Simultaneously, even the dragon’s unique pressure and aura were washed away completely.

What remained was an empty world.

A void where nothing could be felt.

Before he knew it, Bezetus, who had been grabbed by the collar, too easily allowed the black-gloved fist to connect.

THWACK!

“Kack!”

Despite being a being who shouldn’t feel pain or even shock from such an attack—

Steel would normally break or bend upon impact with his body.

And this wasn’t even enhanced with mana or strengthened by holding mana in the hand.

…What is this pain? What is this shock?

“You know… since I came back from that place, I’ve developed a hatred for gods and godlike beings. So don’t strut around with pathetic borrowed power. It makes my blood boil.”

When he released his grip, Bezetus’s body fell limply to the ground.

“Kugh!”

After a moment of terrible humiliation and inexplicable discomfort…

Over the empty world, once again, an irresistible power… wells up.

As if everything that had just happened was an illusion, a false dream.

“What did you… do, human?”

“……”

While Kariel was looking down at him with a dry gaze,

someone entered through the tent entrance.

“Hunting recklessly in the wasteland isn’t really… Huh? What’s going on?”

“……”

“…Tch.”

Bezetus clicked his tongue as he saw the human female enter the tent.

“Go on. Let me watch too. Men can rough each other up sometimes, right? Don’t you think so?”

Kariel?

“……”

Alesia.

Mines had left to monitor Delica and Cain outside, but

Alesia seemed to have been out hunting.

And now, she appeared to have returned to the oasis before sunset.

“Don’t do this inside. Come outside for now. It’s cramped with so many people in this small space… she’ll be uncomfortable too, right?”

As Alesia pointedly glanced toward the Imperial Princess with concern, those inside reluctantly got to their feet.

Watching them, she casually addressed Kariel.

“Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“……”

Despite seeing him after so long,

she acted as if they had only been apart for a few days.

That sense of dissonance? Alienation? Whatever it was… it was confusing in many ways.

“You come out too. Unless there’s an absolute reason you need to stay here.”

“……”

Before the crowd gathered at the entrance, Alesia was the first to exit the tent.

Only after everyone had left the tent did Kariel, with a devastated heart, look once more at Elhermina lying there as if dead.

Then he calmly made his way outside the tent.