Ch.99Happy Memories

1.

The battle was in full swing.

Peter, who had regained his true form, was more wary of Lia’s appearance than Silas.

The reason was simple.

‘Because she’s the woman who changed me.’

Despite being born evil, she made it possible for him to mingle with others.

‘It must be because of the seal.’

He couldn’t remember when it happened.

On the day he lost Lia, Peter had lost most of his memories except for a few scenes.

But that wasn’t important.

No.

Rather, having those memories would only cause harm.

Emotions only dulled and rusted the strength one possessed.

After losing her, he was able to burn with vengeance and get along with the other members only because his essential evil had been sealed.

While that might have been important when he was sealed, now that the seal was broken, following his instincts was what mattered most.

“Get lost.”

Having regained his essential evil, Peter thought he could easily dismiss Lia.

No, he thought he could.

After hearing Peter’s words, Lia approached him nonchalantly and grabbed his hand.

“[I knew you’d say that.]”

“…What?”

“[I said I knew you’d say that.]”

A situation he couldn’t comprehend—she wouldn’t let go even after being dismissed.

‘Some kind of illusion magic that leaves a residue. She won’t disappear even if I kill her.’

If that’s the case…

‘I’ll ignore her and kill the enemy first.’

Realizing he couldn’t kill her, Peter chose the next best option and looked at Silas.

‘Arm injury healed. Attack range limited due to the embedded stake. Not enough mana to use the requiem… I’ll lure him to approach.’

Evil spirit.

Born without emotions, they always sought the best course of action. Peter opened his mouth toward Silas, who had stopped.

“You mentioned a grudge? Do you harbor ill feelings toward evil spirits?”

“You… have no right to know.”

With emotions set aside, he could see clearly.

The furrowed brow,

The downcast eyes filled with regret,

The pendant tightly gripped in his hand containing a family photo.

The current Silas, like himself before the seal was broken, dreamed of revenge.

“Did you lose your family to an evil spirit?”

“I told you… to shut up.”

“I guess I’m right.”

Having roughly grasped the situation, Peter chose his words carefully.

“Evil spirits have no emotions. They killed your family either out of curiosity or as a means to survive. If it was for survival, they would have died quickly, but if it was to satisfy curiosity… they might have been dissected and screaming for days.”

This was a clear fact.

“Is that why you hunt evil spirits? Because you can’t accept the fact that your family was torn apart due to your indifference and incompetence?”

This, too, was somewhat true.

“…I’ll kill you.”

Silas charged at Peter recklessly, as if he had lost his mind.

This was exactly what Peter had aimed for.

‘I’ll end his life in one go.’

As Silas approached, Peter thrust his hand to pierce his heart.

Thwack.

A stake was embedded in Peter’s abdomen.

‘Why?’

Faced with an unexpected situation, Peter looked up to see Silas standing still, who then spoke.

“I’ve killed… thousands of evil spirits. I know all your tactics.”

“You pretended to be shaken. I’m a bit slow to adjust to my true form after so long.”

Peter acknowledged it calmly.

Crack.

Silas, who had pulled out the stake from the shadow, raised it and asked.

“Any last words?”

Mana depleted from the fight with the leader, physical abilities reduced due to the high-quality stake, a mistake due to misjudgment.

Peter shook his head.

“There’s no way out. It’s more anticlimactic than I thought.”

“Noted.”

Thwack!

Without a moment’s hesitation, the stake was driven toward his heart.

Lia, who had reappeared, calmly asked Silas.

“[Do you feel better now?]”

“Shut up… evil spirit.”

…What?

‘I thought only I could see her?’

Regardless, it was already over, and with that, the battle ended.

Peter quietly closed his eyes.

And…

.

.

.

“What would happen if you told an animal that had grown up with humans, just like humans, that it wasn’t actually human but an animal?”

He woke up again to a familiar question.

“It would fight! Like an animal!”

“I think it would insist it’s human.”

“I’d be really sad if it were me…”

Among the excited children’s answers, eager for praise, a familiar voice was heard.

“Maybe that friend already knew? That, ah, I’m somehow different…”

It was Sister Lia of Freedom.

No matter how emotionless one might be, suddenly finding oneself in the past was bound to be confusing.

“…A flashback?”

As Peter muttered this, looking down at his hands that had become smaller as in his memories, Lia, who had approached him, took his hand and whispered.

“Right, Peter?”

The terrible nightmare of having his heart stabbed just moments ago dissipated instantly.

Peter, still expressionless, nodded a couple of times.

“You must be hungry. Shall we go eat?”

This was the paradise of the abandoned.

“Yes.”

Peter took the outstretched hand.

Everything was as it had been.

“I’m eating first!!”

“Hey! One per person!!”

“You’re a pig, not a person!”

A table that was neither excessive nor lacking, and children with plump cheeks.

“Sister!! He’s calling me a pig!!”

“Oh my, no matter how chubby someone is, friends shouldn’t say such things.”

“Huh?”

“Oh? Isn’t that right?”

“Sister is the biggest fool!!!”

And the young caretaker of the orphanage who looked after these children, Sister Lia of Freedom.

And,

“See, Peter? This is how you do it.”

“…I don’t think that’s right.”

“W-well, this is just my way…! I’m definitely not a fool, it’s just how I talk! Would you like to try your own way?”

Even himself, who was a bit different but pretended to blend in.

‘…What is this?’

Despite the sense of déjà vu, Peter diligently went about his daily life.

He wasn’t sure what was happening, but…

“Smile like me, Peter!”

“……”

“Eek! That’s too scary!”

“…So what.”

“Look, like this, a gentle smile…”

Being understood and accepted by someone was better than he had thought.

.

.

.

“[Mister, that’s too much! No matter what, wasn’t that too harsh?]”

“Shut up… just keep your promise.”

“[Hmph. Acting tough. If our Peter had been at full strength, someone like you would have been finished in one blow. Anyway, our relationship ends here. No more grudges against each other.]”

The two faced each other.

“[So, I was wondering. Why don’t you leave that place too? That guy is the weirdest among the three saviors.]”

“…I’m going.”

“[Tch, that’s how you respond when someone’s worried about you.]”

Lia waved her hand at Silas as he quietly walked away and added.

“[I’ll ask Peter to forgive you, though.]”

“…Thank you.”

With that, they finally parted.

Lia gently touched Peter’s healing wound and whispered.

“[That took a while. But I’m glad. At least you can escape, Peter.]”

A faint smile formed on her lips.

“[Now, let’s go finish this.]”

Lia’s expression seemed somewhat artificial as she said this, but there was no one to point it out.

Holding Peter in her arms, Lia quietly followed him into his inner world.

2.

How many days had passed?

“Say hello, Peter! This is Croaklian, I picked him up yesterday when it was raining!”

“I’ll eat it well.”

“Gah!! Don’t eat him!!”

Peter spent ordinary days mixed in with children who, like him, had been abandoned, though their essence was completely different.

So he pondered.

‘Am I happy now?’

Meals that were neither lacking nor excessive.

Children laughing and chattering nearby.

Lia, who occasionally visited and embraced him.

‘…Before the seal was broken, I think I cherished these memories and longed for them.’

…Wait.

‘Seal?’

What was he thinking about?

The sense of déjà vu grew stronger as time passed.

“Peter! I said say hello to Croaklian!”

“Forget it, move aside.”

Come to think of it…

‘…When was the last time I went outside?’

Just as Peter, having realized something, finally opened the orphanage door to go outside.

Thud, thump.

Thud.

The paradise children who had been laughing and chattering just moments ago grabbed Peter’s ankles, covered in blood and severely injured.

“Peter, I’m in pain.”

“Are you abandoning us again?”

“Why are you unaffected?”

The collapsed orphanage,

The outer walls beginning to burn,

The children crying sorrowfully.

Peter, who had paused for a moment, looked at the burst Croaklian beside the child and answered.

“Because that’s how I was born.”

Was it his final act of mercy?

Pulling his foot away, Peter picked up the dead Croaklian and gently placed it in the empty hand of the child.

“Sleep well.”

To say merely “sleep well” as his final words to a friend he had grown up with for years.

Indeed, I am twisted in some way.

The moment Peter, still expressionless, opened the closed door and went out.

Lia, covered in blood like the dead children, embraced Peter with a faint smile and whispered.

“‘Sleep well,’ huh? How kind, Peter. I regret it. I should have said that too.”

As she whispered this, she held the kitchen knife she had always treasured in her hand.