Ch.285285. Two Children

“Keeing! Keeeeing!”

Soho twisted her body this way and that, trying to escape the pressure of the overflowing mana.

Seeing her fur scattering in all directions, I was once again struck by how truly strange a being she had become.

[Ah…]

Stella clasped her hands tightly and bowed her head slowly in prayer. She was feeling guilty despite having no responsibility for this situation.

[What are you going to do?]

In contrast, the Dark Spiritmaster was looking at Soho with a cold gaze.

It wasn’t because Soho had been human and became a monster, but because she had attacked me with the intent to kill—in the Dark Spiritmaster’s mind, Soho had already transformed into an enemy.

[Let’s kill her. She must have known this would happen.]

[Senior…]

[Stella, I know you’re especially weak when it comes to children, but this can’t be helped. Until just now, this child was trying to kill Deus.]

[…]

[What if we just leave her be? I heard she was raised in a village of man-eating monsters. If she became a monster of her own will, won’t she eventually follow the same path?]

Each of the Dark Spiritmaster’s words struck sharply.

[I know how monsters meet their end, and I know what kind of person you are. In fact, this… is practically the wish and will of the girl named Soho.]

She couldn’t bear the fact that she had been abandoned by those she considered her parents and friends.

However, she lacked the courage to commit suicide.

She might be asking me in this way.

To kill her.

It occurred to me that the vision of the corpse hanging from the ceiling might have contained such a wish from Soho.

[Deus.]

The Dark Spiritmaster urged me.

She believed it would be better to end this quickly.

“I haven’t heard anything yet.”

It seemed somewhat premature to make a decision right now.

But the Dark Spiritmaster, apparently frustrated with me, exclaimed:

[Are you serious? The child is speaking with her entire body! You know by now that there are some things in this world too difficult to put into words.]

“But there are also matters that shouldn’t be judged by assumptions. I…”

Looking down at Soho whimpering on the floor, I sighed.

“I need to hear it directly from your mouth, Soho.”

[It’ll be dangerous. This child came here with the intention of killing you from the beginning!]

“That’s why she’ll only try to kill me. This child hasn’t yet stained her hands with anyone’s blood.”

Taking the life of such a child would be a cruel choice. Slapping her forehead, the Dark Spiritmaster finally stepped back, agreeing to follow my lead.

[So what are you going to do?]

The Dark Spiritmaster asked, folding her arms sulkily. I didn’t have any grand plan, but I needed to expose Soho’s act.

“You are human, Soho.”

“Keeing! Keeeeing!”

The girl glared at me with resentful eyes, dripping saliva between her sharp fangs.

But unfortunately, I was only speaking the truth.

“It’s quite difficult for a human to become a monster through strong desire, but having lived with monsters since childhood probably influenced you.”

Just as Ranhart had traversed countless battlefields to become a vampire.

Soho too could transform into this form because she had been with monsters since childhood.

In other words.

“The monsters you saw probably didn’t look like this.”

This meant Soho couldn’t escape the boundaries of what she knew monsters to be.

Bang!

The girl slammed her forehead against the floor as if in agony. This self-harming behavior almost looked like a cry for help.

“The monsters you considered family weren’t beasts, were they?”

Therefore.

Soho’s current appearance was an act.

A kind of tantrum because she wasn’t ready to talk.

I was about to pressure Soho a bit more when—

“Save meeeee! Please save meeeeee!”

A man’s voice came from outside the window. The rescue call sounded somewhat weak, and my gaze involuntarily turned toward the window.

There seemed to be a commotion in front of the Verdi mansion.

“Huh, you two watch Soho for now. She might find it easier to talk to you rather than to me.”

[I’ll kill her if she tries anything strange.]

[I’ll keep a good eye on her.]

Leaving Soho in the care of the Dark Spiritmaster and Stella, I headed outside. As I was leaving the mansion, I ran into Deia, who was also heading out after hearing the commotion.

“Please spare me! Please! Pleeeease!”

When I opened the front door and stepped outside, I saw Findenai and a haggard-looking man.

Having set aside Sebia whom she had been holding, Findenai was grabbing the man by the collar and throwing punches.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Quite violently at that.

Unlike her usual self, Findenai was expressionlessly and mechanically throwing punches, which felt somewhat eerie.

“Findenai!”

“Hey! What’s going on?”

When Deia and I called out to her simultaneously, Findenai finally turned her gaze toward us.

Knowing she should stop but still delivering one more blow, which seemed to land as a solid counter, the man finally showed the whites of his eyes as blood streamed from both nostrils.

He had passed out.

“Huff.”

Findenai wore an expression suggesting she didn’t even want to explain herself, but this couldn’t just be overlooked.

I knew she wouldn’t hit someone without reason.

But instead of Findenai, an exclamation came from behind.

“Mr. Goben?!”

Illuania emerged from among the servants who had come down after hearing the commotion, her expression surprised.

Looking bewildered and urgent, she picked up Sebia and stared at the man called Goben.

“Goben?”

“You don’t know him either?”

I nodded at Deia’s question. I had never seen this man before.

Given that Illuania knew him, he was likely a customer she had met while working at the tavern and brothel.

“Could it be…”

I unconsciously let out a soft breath as I looked at both Goben and Illuania.

Sebia in Illuania’s arms naturally caught my eye.

“During those three months when Master first left for Robern Academy…”

Illuania held her child tighter as if recalling a dizzying past.

“He was the customer who visited me most frequently.”

In other words.

“He’s the man most likely to be Sebia’s father.”

* * *

In my office.

Deia, Findenai, and I were sitting around the guest table, talking.

“Huh, really.”

Deia scratched her head, saying it was complicated. Feeling frustrated, she put her feet up on the table.

“That’s rude, put them down.”

“Tch.”

When I told her to put her feet down, Deia grumbled but quietly complied.

I’d heard that siblings often fight, and now I could somewhat understand why.

“Well, at least it’s good that she’s not actually your child, right?”

Deia continued, picking up her teacup as if her throat was dry from frustration.

“Honestly, I thought Sebia might be your daughter. I mean, Deus used to hang out with Illuania so much back then.”

“He even licked her ass.”

“Yeah, exactly. When you think about it, Illuania had an extreme job. How could she suck that bastard’s thing?”

I’m not sure why I was suddenly being insulted by these two women.

Anyway, Deia clicked her tongue and brought the teacup to her lips.

“Pfuuuuh!”

And spectacularly spat it out.

I had already anticipated this and created a mana barrier, so nothing splashed.

“Blech! Ugh! What is this?!”

“It’s tea brewed by Findenai.”

“No, it tastes fine, but you’re making such a fuss.”

Despite saying that, Findenai’s own teacup contained no tea.

This was clearly deliberate.

Deia glared at Findenai, not hiding her displeasure.

“I didn’t know you could brew tea.”

“I only brew it for the master.”

“…That was information I really didn’t want to hear.”

I sighed and looked at Deia.

“Couldn’t you tell by the smell?”

“No, I thought she was washing rags in hot water in her room. How could I have thought this smell was coming from tea?”

Despite Deia’s harsh words, Findenai just cackled with laughter. A somewhat different reaction from when I had heard it before.

It seemed this time she had brewed the tea just to mess with Deia.

“Let’s get back to the topic.”

“Why didn’t you warn me when you knew? You even put up a barrier.”

“Let’s get back to the topic.”

“You bastard, if I had a gun, I’d have shot you right away.”

Ignoring Deia, I returned to the subject.

Before the situation with Soho could be properly resolved, the appearance of the man called Goben had complicated matters.

Illuania and Goben were now talking with Darius in attendance, but the outcome was uncertain.

“What’s there to worry about? Can’t we just tell him to get lost? Illuania and Sebia are living well now.”

Deia said, wiping her soiled mouth with a handkerchief. Perhaps because she had little interest in family or romantic relationships, she could speak quite easily about it.

“Well, it’s not that simple.”

Surprisingly, it was Findenai who answered bitterly.

“From Illuania’s personal perspective, she could tell him to get lost. But Sebia is involved.”

Illuania’s princess, who could only babble for now. A child born because she wanted to pour out her love.

“When kids grow up, having a single parent can be quite a concern. Especially as she gets older and interacts with other children, Sebia will ask why she doesn’t have a father.”

“…”

“And the problems don’t end there. If Illuania’s past becomes known, it won’t be good for Sebia’s upbringing.”

The fact that she worked in a brothel and had Sebia with some random man—

That wouldn’t have a good influence on Sebia as she grows up.

“You know a lot about this?”

Deia looked at Findenai with surprise. I too didn’t know Findenai was knowledgeable in this area.

Findenai crossed her legs and gave a bitter smile at our gaze.

“I had a friend who ran an orphanage. There were quite a few kids who belonged to the scrap metal gang too.”

“Ah.”

She had her own reasons for knowing. Talking more about it would only poke at Findenai’s wounds.

“But why did you hit him like that? The potential father of the child?”

And in front of Sebia, no less.

“I couldn’t stand it. He suddenly shows up claiming to be Sebia’s father—isn’t it weird to just accept that? You should be grateful I didn’t pull out an axe.”

“But it’s not even certain that he’s Sebia’s father. It’s just a high probability.”

We can’t do genetic testing here, so there’s no way to confirm who Sebia’s father is.

But as I said earlier, that wasn’t important.

“Whether he’s the real father doesn’t matter to Illuania. What matters is whether Sebia needs a father figure.”

Besides, being a coachman means he has a decent job. At least he’s not just some worthless drunk.

“The question is why he’s shown up now.”

That part needed to be clarified.

“In the end, it’s Illuania’s decision.”

What is the right direction for young Sebia?

That’s something her mother needs to decide.

“Since we have to wait anyway, I’m going to check on Soho.”

The two looked up at me as I stood.

After telling them to stay put and not follow me, I left the room.

I planned to visit Soho while waiting for their conversation to end.

“How coincidental.”

I couldn’t help but think the timing of these two incidents was somewhat cruelly intertwined.

It might sound a bit harsh, but—

There was already a girl who had experienced a similar situation.

A girl who had grown up with parents who could only be described as—

Worse than incompetent. Monstrous.

“Soho and Sebia.”

It was heartbreaking.

Both girls.

I could only hope that their lives wouldn’t be ruined by becoming tools of their parents’ greed.