Ch.229Disease(?)(6)

After crushing the essence of that damned devil—the culprit behind this incident—with the sword I had forged within my mind,

I was about to sheathe the inner blade that I could only draw and wield in this special environment where mental imagery could physically manifest as a small world. At that moment, having lost its master, this massive underwater cave was instantly demolished by the world’s restorative force.

As the underwater cave collapsed with a thunderous roar, Gus and I experienced being ejected at tremendous speed back through the same route we had entered.

And… what happened after that would be more accurately described as nothing particularly eventful.

Having safely returned to the real world, I promptly rejoined my companions who were waiting outside the lake and returned to the village. Fortunately, as the devil that had caused the mass fainting disappeared, everyone who had been unconscious awakened.

Most of them were virtually unharmed, aside from minor issues like stiffness from prolonged immobility. Particularly, since this was caused by magical illness, they didn’t suffer any significant aftereffects.

“At this rate… they should be able to return to normal within two days.”

“…That’s fortunate. Thank you, Priestess Joanna.”

So upon hearing that they would soon return to their livelihoods and the village would normalize, I felt genuinely relieved. At the same time, I began to reflect on that extraordinary experience I had recently undergone.

That sword from within my mind… or however I should call it. After contemplating a few things, I’m fairly certain it was my inner fighting spirit or killing intent coalesced around the “sword spirit.”

Of course, there’s a strong connection to the sword I’ve been using to crush cultist-type factors when selecting elements within my mental imagery, just like this time.

This “mind sword” (心劒) is a power that cuts what needs to be cut—a rough, unrefined form of an ability I would acquire if I reached a higher rank, not yet properly processed.

Yet, even in its unrefined state, its effectiveness was truly overwhelming.

The power to cut what I intend to cut. The essence of a mighty force that captures and cuts through (destroys) existence, regardless of whether it’s a concept or an extra-dimensional being.

Due to the immaturity of my mind, body, and soul, I couldn’t properly utilize even a fraction of this inherent power. Yet, with just that fraction, I managed to cut through a devil’s essence existing in the demon realm.

What particularly caught my attention was the ability to kill devils—those slippery creatures—soul and all.

The essence of Never-borns like devils, which could be considered their souls, typically resides in the demon realm. Devils merely move about in the material world by placing their consciousness in what amounts to their avatars.

Though their power and strength are vastly inferior compared to their full condition in the demon realm, their true bodies remain there, so when they “die,” their consciousness simply returns to the demon realm.

To truly kill devils, one must either invade the demon realm where their essence resides and kill them there, or somehow destroy the essence itself—these are the only methods to permanently eliminate a devil.

Of course, the difficulty of either approach is, without exaggeration, absolutely maddening.

That’s why devils are generally treated as immortal beings that absolutely cannot die, and why countless devil worshippers aim to become devils themselves to achieve immortality….

And I had permanently annihilated such a devil by cutting it with my sword.

But honestly… it’s hard to fully grasp what I’ve done.

They say I achieved an incredible feat by mindlessly wielding something akin to a fragment of higher power, but it’s somewhat ambiguous that I can’t remember much about doing it.

Previously, I had barely managed to unleash a single space-dividing sword strike before nearly collapsing. How much more intense must it have been to cut through a devil’s essence existing in another dimension beyond this world?

The overwhelming emptiness and desolation, feeling like I might lose myself. The greatest strike of my life, delivered through gradually fading consciousness, was an attack whose recoil could not be underestimated.

Without a troll’s regenerative abilities, my muscle fibers would have been completely shredded, forcing me to rest quietly for at least several months. Perhaps as the price for forcibly reaching into another realm, my mind feels somewhat dizzy.

But even so, my duties never disappear. No matter how exhausted and tired I am to the point of death, that doesn’t necessarily lead to any particular reason to—

‘…I’m tired.’

My thoughts couldn’t continue beyond this point. The overwhelming fatigue that suddenly washed over me put me right to sleep—

※ ※ ※

The next morning.

“…Nngh.”

I awoke after spending the night purging all the devil factors from my mental imagery. Forcing my body, riddled with fatigue and weakness, to rise from the bed, I proceeded with my usual daily routine.

After starting with a simple breakfast of eggs, meat, and toasted bread, I stuffed myself with smoked fish from the refrigerator to meet my caloric needs, then washed up.

Washing my hair, shaving, washing my face, and finishing with a quick shower. All possible thanks to dwarven plumbing technology and magical tools that made bathroom infrastructure almost modern.

After cleaning myself, my daily schedule finally began.

I reviewed and approved the final documents delivered in the morning, and after completing this simple task, I stretched my body and changed into outdoor clothes.

Since I had to report to the government office in the absence of Charlotte, I stepped outside and headed there….

“…Good work.”

Having quickly completed my duties to fill Charlotte’s vacancy, I now visited the temple where she was hospitalized, carrying a basket of seasonal fruits as planned for a sick visit.

Unlike the others who had recovered from their fainting spells, eaten special meals (meat porridge), and returned to work, Charlotte was still bedridden, so I wanted to visit her.

“This way, Lord Alzar.”

“…Thank you.”

Following the apprentice priest who guided me, I finally arrived at a hospital room.

Slowly sliding open the door, I found Charlotte lying inside, looking not too unwell.

“…! Ah, Lord Alz—”

“Rest without straining yourself. I was worried.”

Her complexion was quite pale, and her hair showed signs of graying in places, indicating severe mental and spiritual exhaustion.

Noticing the slight but distinct trembling in her voice, I set down the basket of seasonal fruits beside her.

“A gift for you.”

“…Thank you, my lord. And… I’m sorry.”

Whether due to the deliberately induced mental weakness and gaslighting attempt, Charlotte remembered almost nothing except that she was the cause of this incident.

But it seemed she wasn’t shameless enough to simply let it go despite not remembering, as Charlotte was looking at me with extremely hesitant eyes….

“What are you sorry for?”

“…Pardon?”

So I spoke up, asking her in return, hoping to somehow encourage her who seemed so dejected.

“I’ll ask again. Why are you apologizing and saying you’re sorry?”

“W-well… I was the main culprit behind this incident—”

“—You are not the culprit. The devils and cultists are. Charlotte, you’re merely a victim caught up in their schemes.”

I can’t deny that I exaggerated a bit for encouragement, but my words weren’t fabricated from nothing.

The appearance and behavior of cultists are consistently designed to push people toward corruption.

While those who truly fall and become one with them are beyond sympathy, Charlotte was simply exploited one-sidedly.

She had been so severely manipulated that it wouldn’t be right to punish her for it.

Had I detected signs of corruption in her, I would have been prepared to end her life without hesitation, but in this situation, Charlotte was thoroughly a victim.

So when I spoke to her with sincerity, Charlotte seemed to resign herself somewhat, showing a faint smile-like expression….

※ ※ ※

….Phew, what a relief.

I wonder… my feelings weren’t, weren’t discovered, right…?