Ch.191191. Return (2)

“Ah, seriously. What’s with that princess? She can’t even tell right from wrong…!”

The spot where Renias had struck her was burning hot. Erika grumbled while rubbing her still-stinging cheek.

But Erika displayed a victor’s smile, directed toward the corridor Junon had passed through.

Even though she’d been slapped, she had achieved her goal, so it was worth it.

“You reap what you sow. Junon, this is just the seed you planted coming back to you, all grown up.”

What was the first seed?

The root problem began with the Great Purge of Shit.

It was because an incompetent person pushed forward with their own stubborn beliefs.

Due to the enforcement of an absurd strategy from the rear, someone abandoned the battlefield, and this became the first seed.

The seed itself didn’t matter much. Without nutrients, it could have rotted away or been buried to become food for something else.

If only it had stopped there. But Junon, not knowing her place, kept accelerating things.

The enormous nutrients generated by this acceleration.

The seed, nourished by the tremendous energy Junon created, swelled endlessly.

Various elements including grief, resentment, and vengeance that had built up around Junon caused the seed named Demian to grow.

As a result, the grown seed showed terrifying growth potential and persistently targeted him and those around him.

Even at this point, if she had made the right decision and left everything to the Tembris party and stepped back, things might have been fine.

But she didn’t back down. She even made a terribly wrong judgment, not a correct one.

What was the result?

In the end, because she stubbornly refused to bend her self-righteous beliefs, there was a victim. She had proven her own incompetence.

A tragic outcome unfolded—Adel, the female employee who had been taken hostage, was diagnosed as being in a vegetative state.

Adel Lisia.

A person who once walked a wrong path under the name Silvia Kutelli, but who had reformed.

Though she had committed wrongdoings deserving punishment, the public forgave her, and after finally meeting her mother later in life, she was walking the right path as a counter clerk.

Such a person’s life was broken by one individual.

People who hear the news will unanimously criticize his arrogance.

They’ll say—that guy made Adel a hostage.

Those connected to Adel will be devastated by his incompetence, grab him by the collar, and blame him endlessly.

They’ll say—because that guy stepped in without knowing his place, a precious friend, colleague, the former guild leader’s daughter ended up like this.

And Rwena, who lost her only daughter Adel, will glare as if she wants to tear him apart and say:

You turned my daughter into a vegetative state.

There’s no escape.

The cause of her becoming a hostage, the process of rescuing the hostage, and the terrible result forced by stubbornness.

Everything was created by Junon.

“Anyway, this makes it certain now.”

Though it was delayed a bit because he showed unexpected strength in the faction battle, she was confident that this incident would bury him socially.

There’s no denying that she’s using Adel’s influence, but it has to be done.

Because Junon is absolutely not someone beneficial to the Ardelion Principality.

Thud, thud.

The corridor where the two people had hurriedly gone down to check on Adel’s condition.

Footsteps were heard from there, and soon a figure entered Erika’s field of vision.

A welcome party member who always carried a sword at her waist.

“Senia. Perfect timing.”

Senia was the core of Tembris when it came to the thinking part, always making cool-headed and rational judgments.

After what just happened, there was no better ally than her to pass along some additional words.

Therefore, he would surely be isolated.

Even if there were people who took his side—yes, people like Renias—they couldn’t shield Junon.

“I have something I’d like you to listen to seriously. First, let’s move to—”

Thwack!

“…Senia?”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Many people mistakenly believe that a scabbard is only used by a swordsman to sheathe their sword.

However, it is also a weapon in the shape of a stick.

Just as it has now struck the wall beside Erika, it can be a threatening weapon.

Yes, Senia was threatening Erika.

“You knew that you shouldn’t open your mouth carelessly before all the details of this incident were revealed. Why did you do it?”

The justification was independent action. Why did she inform Junon of this fact?

“I was going to tell you even without your urging.”

“What?”

“That there’s a damn bastard trying to ruin our party.”

She had to mention it at some point anyway.

If she could just convey this fact to Senia at the perfect timing when Junon had committed his act, Erika would be satisfied with that.

“Did you know that Junon once destroyed a once-successful party?”

She doesn’t mention that the party that suffered was the past Tembris.

Senia wouldn’t accept anything irrational.

Of course, there’s no evidence. But she just needs to support it with other grounds so it doesn’t end up as mere suspicion.

“Just look at how he acted independently at Dube Hall. He’s done such things over and over. Thanks to him, that party completely ended.”

This operation was a huge failure in that Adel, who was taken hostage, didn’t survive unharmed.

It was obvious that there would be some mechanism causing the building to collapse, but they should have carefully created an opening with the hostage-taker with this in mind.

“Why do you think Junon told us not to intervene? From a certain perspective, didn’t he want us to get involved and take the blame? We actually heard such things.”

Tembris was also criticized.

Why didn’t they move, why did they send Renias alone when clearing the cave-like Dube Hall would have been quick?

There were people making such claims.

“You understand why an entire party was ruined? It was all because of him. I was trying to create a situation where that bastard couldn’t open his mouth.”

She adds a pinch of MSG with a single exaggeration.

In her memory, Junon repeatedly forced absurd operations.

Considering that, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

‘Now you understand, right, Senia?’

Junon is our enemy. The one who ruined Tembris and the culprit who brought down the principality.

Erika thought no further persuasion was needed and tried to push away the scabbard.

However, the scabbard was pressed with such force that despite trying to push it away with her palm, it didn’t budge at all.

“Are you done talking?”

Only now did Erika see Senia’s piercing gaze, which she hadn’t noticed before.

‘What’s going on? Why is she acting like this?’

It was a reasonable argument.

That it was Tembris who got criticized because of a huge hole created by one bad operation.

That the person who requested the operation and created the hole, Junon, was problematic in many ways.

That she had supported her argument with evidence in a fairly good way.

“Ugh…!”

But Senia was threatening her even more by pressing the scabbard against her neck.

If it had been a sword instead of a scabbard, it would have been more than enough to cut her.

“You just don’t like Junon, that’s all.”

“What?”

“You think the Junon you remember destroyed Tembris, don’t you?”

Destroyed Tembris? Could it be that Senia knows about it too?

Erika’s eyes widened.

If so, she should have taken her side even more. If she remembered anything about Junon’s actions, if she had even a fragment of this film-like past.

“Erika. Let me give you a warning.”

“Ugh!”

“I’m warning you. If you make excuses and defame Junon one more time, then.”

Shing.

“It won’t be the scabbard that gets stuck there, but the blade.”

She drew her sword without hesitation.

Not the back of the blade, but the sharp edge of the blade. She precisely placed the part meant for cutting right against her neck.

‘Is she… serious?’

Even knowing all that, she threatens a fellow party member with a sword to protect Junon? For what reason?

It was incomprehensible.

Even as she racked her brain until Senia put away her sword and completely disappeared from the spot after giving her warning.

***

The hospital room of Adel, reached after pushing through the crowd.

There were several familiar faces there.

“You are…”

“My, I was wondering why it was so noisy outside.”

“…”

Two people she had met while working as a laborer in Ripol Gorge.

And Rwena, who was holding Adel’s hand in silence, looking dazed.

Besides them, all those who had once been part of the Rwen Guild were guarding this hospital room.

“Senior…”

Renias, who had supported and brought him to this place, called out to him with a voice full of concern.

But there was no response.

After looking back and forth between Adel and Junon, even Renias could only sigh in sadness.

Some Tembris members who were watching this pitiful scene either closed their eyes or went outside.

“…”

Adel, with her eyes closed, has no consciousness. Unlike Junon who had been asleep for four days, there is no movement at all.

As his parched lips were about to speak, Goden grabbed his shoulder and whispered softly.

“I don’t know why, but… Professor Dalia said that Adel cut off all her mana circuits herself.”

He’s not blaming him. He’s informing him.

The truth that Professor Dalia discovered while Junon was asleep.

“Pressure was applied instantaneously to all the mana circuits throughout her body. That’s why they were cut off, and for some reason, Professor suspects she had to take such action despite the tremendous pain it would cause.”

When Adel was active as a mage, her unique magic was condensation.

There couldn’t have been an easier method to burst mana circuits.

However, just like with anti-cast, even reversing the flow of mana to shut down just one circuit immediately causes dizziness.

And now he’s being told that she burst them. All the mana circuits throughout her body.

Even cutting off just one would cause pain in that area. Cutting off all of them would have caused indescribable waves of pain.

But the scariest thing is that when there’s a problem with the mana circuits, the ability to adapt to magical energy weakens.

This means that it wouldn’t be strange if problems arose in the brain.

Why.

Why on earth did she do this?

For what reason did she have to cut off all her circuits?

Such thoughts crossed his mind.

In his head, there was only one moment that came to mind.

The smoke screen.

At the time when the smoke screen was deployed, Demian was near Adel.

And Demian himself mentioned that he had devoured his two friends.

Also, that ampoule that the guy was holding.

That must be the item that forced Adel to make such an extreme choice.

“…She’s just unconscious. She’s still alive. So don’t blame yourself too much. And filter out what other people say.”

Goden then affirmed that he doesn’t consider it Junon’s fault.

This incident was a crime committed by a madman possessed by inferiority, and in a way, Junon was also a victim.

But in his head, the calculation was already complete.

“…I’m sorry, everyone.”

“Senior!”

“Junon!”

“It’s… my fault.”

***

The Tembris party, Renias, Hena, and Junon.

Except for these people, no one should have had the information, but somehow it had leaked from somewhere.

Because of this, everyone was giving Junon stern looks.

‘My head hurts.’

With her head throbbing, Aris left Adel’s hospital room.

Everyone was blaming Junon, and following Goden’s instructions to remain silent for now, she was refraining from speaking out.

For her, who was still full of guilt, it was truly frustrating not to mention it. Because he was absolutely not someone who deserved blame.

Click, click.

‘Senia?’

The entire Tembris party was checking on Adel’s condition in her hospital room, so they were frequently visiting this hospital.

Even so, they couldn’t just stay at the hospital all the time. Everyone has schedules, assigned requests, and needs time to rest.

But why was Senia moving?

From what she had observed over these four days, Senia shared her schedule, so there was no reason for her to be moving now.

Except for going out for some fresh air or visiting the restroom.

Aris began to follow Senia.

And the more she followed her, the more she realized something was strange.

‘This way is… toward Junon’s room?’

Was she going to check if he had woken up? If that was the reason, she couldn’t follow.

Just as Aris was about to turn back.

Thwack.

A dull sound of something hitting the wall came from the floor above.

And earlier, Erika, who had said she was going out for some fresh air, had questioned with suspicion.

So Senia hadn’t gone to find Junon, but Erika.

“You knew that you shouldn’t open your mouth carelessly before all the details of this incident were revealed. Why did you do it?”

Senia, with a sharp edge to her voice, begins to interrogate. None other than her fellow party member, Erika.

‘Does that mean…?’

Could it be. Was Erika the one who leaked this information?

Why? The question mark immediately follows.

And once again, she recalls the speculation of “could it be” and her own faint actions.

‘No… it can’t be.’

But unable to shake off that feeling, Aris continued to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two.

“I was going to tell you even without your urging.”

“What?”

“That there’s a damn bastard trying to ruin our party.”

Somehow, this sentence feels familiar.

If so, then this conversation is…!

“Did you know that Junon once destroyed a once-successful party?”

“Just look at how he acted independently at Dube Hall. He’s done such things over and over. Thanks to him, that party completely ended.”

“Why do you think Junon told us not to intervene? From a certain perspective, didn’t he want us to get involved and take the blame? We actually heard such things.”

“You understand why an entire party was ruined? It was all because of him. I was trying to create a situation where that bastard couldn’t open his mouth.”

The story seems somewhat exaggerated and reconstructed, but the intention is clear.

She’s definitely targeting one person. Who it is… is obvious enough without having to scrutinize.

One fact she now knows:

Erika, like Senia and Charlotte, has also faced some kind of memory.

‘But… Erika. That’s not…’

No. It’s not that a party was ruined, it’s that we…!

“Are you done talking?”

“Ugh…!”

Though she’s not seeing it with her eyes, the situation seems to unfold before her.

Senia is currently cornering Erika.

With a fierce atmosphere.

“You just don’t like Junon, that’s all.”

“What?”

“You think the Junon you remember destroyed Tembris, don’t you?”

Those words don’t apply only to Erika.

That pointed remark with a hidden barb is an indelible karma for Aris.

“Erika. Let me give you a warning.”

“Ugh!”

“I’m warning you. If you make excuses and defame Junon one more time, then.”

Shing.

“It won’t be the scabbard that gets stuck there, but the blade.”

Had Senia ever shown such emotion and drawn her sword against a comrade before?

Aris had never seen it. That’s how much anger Senia was pouring out. At Erika’s actions.

After a while.

Senia goes down the stairs, making footsteps.

No other footsteps are heard. That means Erika is still there.

‘…I need to intervene now.’

Before things get bigger, she needs to make her let go of her malice toward Junon.

“Erika.”

“…Aris?”

“Don’t create something you’ll regret. Never, ever do that to Junon…!”

We already owe Junon a life debt…!