Ch.279279. Livestock

After a long time, I returned to my office.

There were several noticeable differences compared to when I came in my prosthetic body, likely because the prosthetic’s senses were somewhat duller than my original body.

As I sat in the plush chair prepared for work, a refreshing scent reminiscent of water droplets wafted through the air.

It was Deia’s scent.

‘She must have been using my room.’

Come to think of it, I recalled her naturally sitting in the head seat during the last meeting.

The reason she used my room was probably because she missed me.

Thinking about it that way, I could easily overlook these traces she left behind.

Several of Deia’s traces remained on the desk as well.

Her fountain pen, papers that looked like memos, a holster.

Unlike her usual demeanor, she hadn’t kept the desk particularly clean.

And finally.

Squish.

I pressed the small teddy bear keychain. This worn item, handled so much it was completely frayed, was something I’d seen before.

It was a free gift received with a set menu from a restaurant called Mercen in the capital city of Greyfond.

We got it when we briefly went into town after resolving the Elenoa nightmare incident.

‘She still has this.’

I thought she might have hung it somewhere, but she hadn’t. A keychain not attached to any keys. Even if an item didn’t serve its purpose, she kept it with her.

The meaning behind that was greater than I expected.

“……”

Various emotions welled up, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to be immersed in such sentiments.

[What are you doing?]

[A teddy bear? What a cute thing.]

If not others, at least the Dark Spiritmaster and Stella as souls had been with me continuously.

I had to admit that I’d felt loneliness in the silence of my solitary journey.

But when I actually needed time to think quietly, interruptions like this came.

It was a lifestyle with pros and cons in many ways.

“It’s Deia’s.”

When I answered bluntly, the Dark Spiritmaster made a “hmm” sound and subtly clung to me.

The staff of Heralhazhad leaning against the desk rattled slightly in response.

[How nice. Coming back after so long, you have many things to reminisce about. You’re completely soaked in nostalgia.]

“……”

This didn’t even require perceptiveness. The Dark Spiritmaster was currently grumbling.

“Don’t act like a child.”

Our reunion was sufficient.

We shared the same emotions and welcomed each other. Doing anything more would be excessive.

[……]

The Dark Spiritmaster didn’t bother to answer my words, but her actions were completely contradictory.

She puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms, acting more childish than anyone.

[Couldn’t you welcome us a bit more warmly?]

Stella, who had been standing on the opposite side, naturally joined in. I had thought she would take my side and soothe the Dark Spiritmaster.

Instead, Stella continued speaking to me in a gentle but admonishing tone.

[It’s wonderful to understand without words. But speaking also brings fullness to the heart, you know.]

“Don’t the gods consistently maintain silence?”

I thought this was a valid counterargument for someone who had been a Saintess.

But Stella smiled gently, came behind me, and embraced me over my shoulders.

[I’m not giving you teachings as a Saintess, but whining as someone who loves you.]

“……”

The warm sensation from her embrace. I’d heard she had received the divine status of Goddess Hertia, but unlike before, I could feel her touch, warmth, and even the faint sound of her breath like a spring breeze.

There was no need to mention how that made my heart flutter.

[What are you doing in front of your master and senior?! Don’t corrupt public morals!]

The Dark Spiritmaster tried to push Stella away immediately. Surprisingly, I could feel her touch as well.

When I embraced them earlier, it wasn’t just because of my magic.

“How?”

I found myself asking the Dark Spiritmaster. She had been busy pushing Stella away, but when questioned, she scratched her cheek and gave an awkward laugh.

[Well, I’m not really sure myself.]

“…?”

[I felt like I was being absorbed into the staff while fighting Heralhazhad?]

Absorbed into the staff?

My gaze shifted to the staff placed beside the desk. It was certainly binding her.

[But as I kept resisting, I suddenly woke up from the staff like this. I also absorbed most of the power Heralhazhad possessed.]

So that’s why the Dark Spiritmaster seemed to carry Heralhazhad’s karma.

It didn’t sound like a particularly good situation, which worried me.

Perhaps reading my emotions, the Dark Spiritmaster gently stroked the back of my hand with a soft smile.

[You don’t need to worry too much. The power has stabilized.]

“I see…”

[And if anything happens, you and Stella will handle it well. We need to stay together from now on.]

“……”

Her words left me speechless. Stella also nodded slightly, creating an atmosphere where I couldn’t refuse.

[You’re not going to tell us to enter rest again, are you?]

[That’s impossible. If the senior and I enter rest, who would watch over you?]

“……”

Ironically, by creating the land of rest and accepting souls, I had created a reason for them to stay with me.

The souls trusted not only me but also that these two would watch over me as they slept.

“This is ridiculous.”

I had no counterargument to their words. In the past, I wanted them to enter rest and find peace.

“……”

But now I couldn’t do that.

For me, who had become a tombstone for the dead, these two were like cemetery keepers guarding it.

Our relationship had changed to one where I couldn’t casually tell them to rest.

There were many things I wanted to say.

An apology was among them.

But knowing they wouldn’t want that.

“…I’m counting on you.”

All I could say was that we should do well in our renewed journey together.

Did they like that?

The two looked at me with satisfaction, but.

Clank!

“Deus!”

The door opened and Deia entered, naturally breaking the warm atmosphere that had settled.

She looked like she had a problem, but when she saw the small teddy bear in my hand, her face turned bright red.

“H-hey! Why are you!”

“It was on my desk.”

“S-still, you shouldn’t touch other people’s things!”

Deia herself must know how unreasonable she’s being, so I didn’t bother adding anything. If anything, my lack of response seemed to make her even more embarrassed.

“Geez.”

She grumbled while hurriedly gathering her belongings from my desk. Finally, she took the teddy bear keychain from my hand, leaving only her scent as a trace on my desk.

“I should have cleaned up beforehand.”

Muttering Deia seemed to have momentarily forgotten what she came for.

“Why were you in such a hurry?”

“Oh right!”

This side of Deia was somewhat unusual. She must have been quite embarrassed.

“He’s awake! Ranhart.”

“I’ll go right away.”

I sprang from my chair and followed Deia out of the room.

She was stuffing her belongings into her jacket pockets while walking briskly.

Our destination was outside the mansion.

Ranhart was kneeling, wrapped in thick iron chains. Beside him, Findenai was vigilantly holding an axe to his neck.

His intent to strike at any moment was palpable.

“Deus Verdi.”

Ranhart called my name in a somewhat weakened, deflated voice.

It wasn’t because he was defeated or exhausted. In reality, his life force was gradually being chipped away.

“Why is my condition… like this?”

Did he think he was getting a diagnosis from a doctor? There was no need to answer Ranhart’s question, but.

He should at least know the cause of his death.

“The dragon’s breath was a power still difficult for you to contain. Even for someone like you, handling excessive power naturally leads to collapse.”

Even a dam will eventually crumble if it holds water beyond its capacity.

Ranhart’s body was the same.

He had managed to contain the ancient dragon’s power and was gradually dissolving it into his bones and flesh, but he was too hasty.

Having obtained power that humans shouldn’t covet, he had to bear the responsibility.

“Hm, what a futile end.”

Like the first humans who regretted eating the forbidden fruit. Was Ranhart also regretting coveting the power of a guardian deity?

His expression wasn’t visible due to his hair falling forward as he bowed his head, so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Ranhart.”

To this man who was ultimately dying, I asked something that might be cruel.

“Can you summon blood demons?”

“……”

Did my question hit a sore spot? Ranhart’s face suddenly lifted, looking at me with surprised eyes.

That alone was answer enough.

“I guess not.”

Ranhart seemed to have many questions about my statement. He swallowed hard, seeking an explanation from me.

“Ranhart, you were originally human.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I’m saying the vampire characteristic wasn’t originally yours.”

“That’s impossible. The blood demons followed me.”

I expected him to say that.

“You have never once drunk human blood.”

Even after defeating the mercenary group in the Valestan Principality, he only roasted animal meat over their bodies.

He never touched the human corpses.

“There’s no need to deceive you. I think I understand why you coveted the power of guardian deities and souls.”

“……”

Struck at the core again, Ranhart kept his mouth shut.

“You could be considered a type of monster. Seeing you traverse countless battlefields and spill blood, many thought you were no different from a vampire.”

Those thoughts gathered and settled on Ranhart, making him a half-vampire.

Change through collective thought.

It was similar to how monsters are created.

In this case, a monster had taken root in a human body.

“Having learned about the power of non-existent beings, you naturally investigated them. And began to covet guardian deities and souls.”

“……”

“Then when the ancient dragon entered your body, the vampire thoughts that had taken root in you were consumed, causing the blood demons to disappear. It shouldn’t be hard to understand.”

Saying that, I slowly turned my gaze. The important thing wasn’t Ranhart, who was crumbling with a faint light inside his body.

The small girl.

The girl who had lived in the monster village must have learned the cruel truth as well.

“Ah…”

Soho, who had been listening nearby, began to tremble as soon as our eyes met.

I had already told her that she and Ranhart were similar.

The reason she didn’t eat souls.

The reason she ate human food alone.

Leaving Ranhart, I slowly approached Soho and revealed the cold but cruel truth.

“You are human.”

“T-that… then! T-then!”

Soho clutched my clothes desperately, whimpering. The puzzle pieces must be quickly falling into place in her mind.

Why did the monsters take her in?

Why did they let a human like her live among them?

A human girl raised in a happy village of man-eating monsters, believing herself to be a monster.

“All the monsters are already dead.”

No one can know the answer.

They might have truly cherished her and accepted her as a comrade while living together.

The opposite possibility also existed.

“The answer is yours to find.”

However.

Considering their reactions before, and how they called out to Soho before dying.

“Huh, ugh!”

Unable to breathe properly, Soho collapsed on the spot, breaking into a cold sweat.

The livestock raised by human hands.

Until the moment of their death.

Did they know why they were being raised?