Ch.85Mask (4)

*

The heretic inquisitor believed my foolish lie.

I let out a faint sigh of relief and gave a hollow laugh at her explanation that strange illnesses sometimes develop after prolonged exposure to magi.

Perhaps the saying “too much knowledge becomes poison” is most fitting for times like this.

In the somewhat relaxed atmosphere, she slowly approached behind me, trying to move out of my sight as she spoke.

Indeed, how many bold individuals would dare lie to a heretic inquisitor directly under the Pope’s authority?

Being intelligent doesn’t necessarily mean one can’t be deceived.

Even my sister Maria, hailed as an unparalleled genius, was constantly fooled by me and fell for my tricks. And Alice, who used to tease Maria for being naive, would also cry after falling victim to my pranks.

Looking back, I was quite a mischievous child.

“I understand your situation. With your condition, I can see why you’d want to live in this uninhabited forest.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“My presence must be uncomfortable for you, since you’d have to constantly avoid my gaze.”

“…That’s true, but…”

It was certainly difficult to ask someone to leave right to their face.

Especially when I knew the other person possessed overwhelming power compared to me.

Fortunately, although it was because she had been deceived, she showed understanding of my circumstances first.

Unlike my first impression where I feared something might happen, she seemed unexpectedly naive.

“The problem is, I need a place to stay tonight too. I don’t want to camp in a forest filled with magi.”

“There’s not really a proper place to sleep here…”

“There’s an empty room in that cabin where you live, right? I saw it when I went in earlier.”

“B-but there’s no bedding or bed…”

“I don’t need any. I just need to rest my eyes briefly. I won’t stay long. I’ll leave before you wake up tomorrow morning, so please. Even without furniture, I’d like to rest under a roof at least.”

She made her request rather forcefully.

Knowing the true nature of this curse, it was a difficult request for me to accept, but I wasn’t sure if I could refuse.

Moreover, she was standing right behind me.

Though I hadn’t seen her properly, and it was just for a moment, I could sense she possessed power comparable to Miss Sylvia.

She probably wasn’t stronger than Miss Sylvia, but she was certainly overwhelmingly stronger than me.

“…Are you really from the Goddess Church?”

“Do I look like an armed robber to you?”

“…”

“Ah, that’s right. You shouldn’t look at me properly.”

She made a contemplative “hmm” sound, seemed to ponder briefly, then soon spoke.

“It’s natural to be wary of strangers. It’s not a bad thing, and in the current situation, it’s rather wise. No, considering your environment, it might be completely understandable… So I won’t blame you. I won’t force you either. I’m simply asking for your help.”

With surprisingly courteous manners, she made her request to me.

Despite knowing I shouldn’t accept, I couldn’t coldly turn away someone with such an attitude. I guess I’m still foolish.

Of course, this wasn’t out of pure goodwill or kindness on my part.

My immediate goal was to survive until I could meet Miss Sylvia again, so it was more about weighing which would better aid my survival: turning her away or accepting her.

If the curse manifested, she would easily kill me.

If I drove her away and earned her resentment, the result might be the same.

Though judging by her attitude, the possibility of her suddenly becoming hostile seemed low…

“…Please give me a moment to think.”

“Of course, take your time.”

I almost wished she had threatened me instead.

Then I would have accepted her without hesitation.

No, why am I thinking like this?

Wishing to be threatened? My heart was already leaning toward accepting her.

I don’t know.

Was it because of her courteous attitude?

Or was it because of the image of the Goddess Church as a massive religion?

Could it be a feeling of atonement for killing those five people months ago who might have been her subordinates?

Or perhaps because the glimpses of vulnerability she showed felt somehow familiar?

Maybe it was due to my longing for Miss Sylvia, whom I might never meet again, and the empty loneliness her absence had created.

I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but honestly, my hostility toward the woman behind me had already significantly diminished.

“…”

Miss Sylvia.

What would Miss Sylvia have done?

Ah,

Come to think of it, isn’t my current situation exactly the same as what Miss Sylvia experienced?

I suddenly felt like my eyes had been opened.

That day when I barely reached her cabin after the carriage accident, with the help of spirits.

I’m alive now because Miss Sylvia saved me.

No matter how much the spirits helped me, if she had refused to help, I would have died.

Moreover, she had hundreds of reasons not to help me and no reason to help me.

Although her curse did transfer to me as feared, I could proudly say that the time we spent together afterward was filled with happiness and value that made such hardships worth enduring.

No matter how serious the situation, if you can help, what significant positive results it can bring—

I had clearly learned this from Miss Sylvia.

Perhaps if she were by my side now, she would tell me to help this woman.

I slowly nodded and opened my mouth.

“I’ll go into the cabin first and enter the room. I’d like the Inquisitor to sleep in the living room.”

“I’ll do that. I won’t go anywhere near your room.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

I raised my head straight ahead, stood up, and slowly walked toward the cabin.

She followed a few steps behind me.

When we reached the cabin, I extended my hand to stop her without looking back.

“Welcome to this nearly collapsing wooden house.”

“…Ah, I’m really sorry about that.”

When I threw her own words back at her, she apologized in a flustered voice.

Making such a joke suddenly—am I crazy?

I was a bit surprised myself at the mischievous taunt that came out without thinking.

But she turned out to be someone who took teasing quite well.

I awkwardly laughed to smooth over the situation and replied.

“Haha, it’s fine. I’ll go in first, so please count slowly to thirty before coming in.”

“Alright, I will.”

After entering the cabin, I quickly ran into the inner room.

If I had known this would happen, I should have installed a door, but it was too late for regrets now.

Worried about any potential accidents, I curled up in the darkest corner of the room.

Something warm and soft touched me beside where I sat.

“Oh?”

“Whine.”

It was Pia.

She must have been hiding and staying close to me all this time.

“Ah, sorry Pia… I completely forgot about you.”

I said, hugging Pia.

“Don’t turn on the light, let’s just stay like this. We have no choice tonight, even if it’s cold.”

Pia shivered as if understanding and curled up in my arms.

I placed Pia’s body on my lap and slightly buried my face in her curled-up form.

“I wonder if I can fall asleep being this uncomfortable.”

Just then, I heard a knocking sound on the outer wall of the cabin.

It must be a signal that she was coming in.

“I’m coming in now. Is that okay?”

Her voice came through so clearly, probably because the doorway to the room was wide open.

I raised my voice and said:

“Yes, but please don’t come near the inner room!”

“Understood.”

Clank, clank,

The sound of steel boots trampling the wooden floor echoed.

I had heard somewhere that the footsteps of a knight in proper plate armor sound fearsome on the battlefield, and indeed, they carried a heavy presence.

The footsteps soon stopped, followed by the sound of something large and metallic being gently placed on the floor.

She seemed to be removing her armor.

I thought she might be letting her guard down too much, but from her perspective, it might not be considered careless.

Even if I were in armor and she were unarmed, I would probably still lose to her.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Ah, yes. Good night.”

We exchanged good night greetings from our respective spaces.

Perhaps due to the shock of such unexpected events,

I quickly fell asleep while holding Pia tightly.

When I opened my eyes in the morning, she had disappeared without a trace, as promised.

“…I wonder if it was okay not to tell her about her subordinates.”

That was my first thought after she vanished.

Her mission was to investigate the magi filling this forest, but she also mentioned looking for some missing persons and her subordinates.

I don’t know much about the missing persons, but they’re probably dead.

But at least I knew about the fate of those subordinates—should I have told her?

At the very least, should I have shown her where the graves were so she could pay her respects?

“Forget it, it’s already in the past. Let’s just focus on Miss Sylvia.”

That’s what I thought.

Until she returned that night.

“Please let me stay tonight too, like yesterday.”

“…You clearly said just one night.”

“I only said night. I never said just one night.”

She’s naive?

Ha, I was naive too.

Perhaps the Green Lady had foreseen this situation when she handed me that branch.

I sighed and muttered very quietly:

“Is this how Miss Sylvia felt when I said I wanted to stay longer?”

.