Chapter 116

〈 116 〉 Lies

“Do you already need this old body’s life?”

“Well, my mind is still intact, so please stop looking at me like I’m a lunatic or someone with no blood or tears…”

Marquis Chatillon, still looking at her suspiciously, asked.

“If you’re not going to die, why go to the capital?”

“Rather than going to the capital to fight, to be precise, I’m trying to rescue the people in the capital. Of course, after rescuing as many people as possible, I’ll leave immediately.”

“Hmm, I don’t know if that’s possible… Even the soldiers here number close to 3,000, but if I told them to return to the capital, they’d be terrified.”

“If it’s too difficult, of course, we’ll have to retreat. But I think we can at least try. I can scout from the air, too.”

“Ah, you can fly too? If we can safely assess the situation in the capital, there might be a possibility… The vice-commander knows more about military insight than I do. I’ll trust you two.”

“Yes!”

Even as Marquis Chatillon said that, his expression vehemently opposed going to the capital. Of course, Asha, Geraldine, and Count Avenue had long since agreed on what to say. Marquis Chatillon, not knowing that Geraldine, whom he trusted implicitly, had sided with Asha long ago, nodded, chuckling.

“Vice-commander, what do you think about the operation to rescue the people in the capital?”

“We must go.”

When Marquis Chatillon asked about going to the capital, Geraldine nodded without any hesitation, and his expression was quite a sight to behold. He wouldn’t make such a face even if he were told to jump into a burning fire naked.

In any case, with Geraldine and then Regimental Commander Count Avenue agreeing to the capital rescue operation, it was difficult for Marquis Chatillon, who was merely an administrator, to reject it. With a dying expression, he trudged along with the refugees.

Once the distribution of food to the starving refugees and soldiers was complete, people began to move back to the capital. Many people expressed reluctance to return to the capital they had just fled, but the soldiers’ complaints subsided when it was announced that they would not only rescue those remaining in the capital but also secure food and supplies.

Although it was a decision made with great determination, the road to the capital was strangely quiet, making the resolution seem meaningless. As the uneventful march continued without any attacks, the expressions of the soldiers, who had been tense, relaxed slightly. However, Asha’s expression remained stiff, unable to adapt to this awkward situation. Nothing was less fitting than Tentacles and silence.

Geraldine approached Asha, who couldn’t hide her doubts.

“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

“It’s too… quiet. There were definitely millions of Tentacles in the capital, right?”

Geraldine nodded at Asha’s question.

“I don’t know the exact number, but it’s certain there were countless. I almost think going there now is just active suicide.”

“It’s not like they’ve all disappeared, but there hasn’t been a single attack… I need to take a look around.”

As Asha equipped her Winged Garment and took flight, Geraldine waved goodbye.

“Be careful, Asha. I haven’t seen flying Tentacles yet, but you never know what might happen.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back!”

Asha, who had soared into the sky, quickly checked the area around the unit for Tentacles and then flew swiftly towards the capital.

Not long after Asha set off, she spotted a new type of aircraft flying in the distance.

“Lucy!”

There couldn’t be two young girls with giant wings.

“Mom!”

The two, who had met again after almost a day, hugged each other tightly, afraid of running away. Asha, stroking Lucia, who was nuzzling her face in her arms, asked Lucia.

“Did anything happen? Did you come back because it was dangerous?”

“No, all the Tentacles in the capital are dead.”

“…What?”

At Asha’s reaction, full of disbelief, Lucia instinctively couldn’t say that she had done it and made excuses.

“Suddenly, all the Tentacles died. Were they hungry?”

“That can’t be… But if that’s true…”

Lucia said to Asha, who was wavering in doubt.

“Do you want to go see together?”

“Yeah, I should. Let’s go, Lucy.”

Lucia nodded silently, hugged Asha, who had deactivated her Winged Garment, and returned to the capital. In her joy at meeting her daughter, Asha didn’t notice that Lucia’s eyes had turned red.

Since the distance to the capital was not far, Asha was able to see the city’s appearance before long. Frowning at the outer walls, which still bore traces of the terrible events, she entered the capital, which she had not been able to enter before.

“…None?”

The capital was silent without any sound. She could see Tentacles swarming among the collapsed buildings, but none of them showed any movement.

Swallowing her fear, Asha slowly approached the ground. Even as she approached the Tentacles that were lying on the ground, they showed no reaction. Asha poked a vine-like Tentacle with her finger, and she was horrified when the Tentacle suddenly twitched.

“Kyaa!”

But as if that was its last struggle, the Tentacle spat out Body fluid with a pop and lay silent on the ground. Silently pressing her chest with her hand, afraid of hearing her own heart beating wildly, Asha looked around and was able to confirm that all the Tentacles were dead.

“They’re really all… dead. But who?”

If the Mind entity had died, it would have made sense, but Asha had fought against the Tentacles that had attacked her just a few hours ago. Considering the Tentacles here, which seemed to have been dead for quite some time, the Mind entity must still be alive.

The Tentacles, dead for no reason, only amplified Asha’s fear. It was ridiculous to simply be relieved that the Tentacles were dead when this disaster could strike her and the soldiers at any time.

“…”

Lucia’s heart ached as she hid the truth from her only mother. Lucia had never lied to Asha about such important matters, but she had inadvertently hidden the fact that she had killed all the Tentacles because of Asha’s extreme reaction.

‘But Mom is human too…’

No human in the capital could even look at her straight. Lucia wouldn’t be able to bear it if even Asha became distant from her. With nowhere to turn in her anxiety, Lucia desperately clung to Asha’s side, holding onto her sleeve.

Asha finally found a person trapped among the Tentacles.

“Hey! Are you okay!”

Asha, who found a man wearing something like work clothes, noticed that he was alive. She rushed to the man lying on the ground, and when she made eye contact with him, she realized that something was wrong.

“Light…”

“Light?”

“Light, death! Sun!! Hehehehehe!! Kheeheehee?!”

“Kyaa!”

Startled by the man who suddenly convulsed with a scream, Asha stepped back. And as if the rampage had been a lie, he fell silent again. The capital was filled with silence again, but Asha only felt a chill. Looking around, she could only see people who were no different from the man.

‘What on earth happened here…?’

Asha was returning to the unit with Lucia in her arms, the opposite of when she had gone to the capital. She could see the unit in sight, but she didn’t know what to say to the people.

“Asha, you’re back? …Who is this child?”

“My daughter, Lucia. Lucy, say hello to my friend.”

“Hello~”

“Ah, I see. Were you hiding her somewhere else? It’s admirable that she was alone in this situation.”

Geraldine, who was unconsciously stroking Lucia’s hair, took her hand away with a hiss. She smiled awkwardly, having been unknowingly captivated by the Bewitching Crown.

“So, what was the situation in the capital?”

“Ah…”

Asha, unable to speak as if a stone had fallen into her heart, slowly began to explain the situation in the capital to Geraldine and the Count, who had approached in the meantime…