Chapter 145: Baldy’s Last Case (1)

“You insane bastard.”

That was the ‘civil servant’s’ short comment after hearing the whole story. He rolled his eyes as if he was about to lose his mind.

“Not only did you make contact with a shattered soul, you even took out your own soul and showed it to her? Do you even know how dangerous that was?”

I lightly shrugged my shoulders.

“Even if I knew, I still would have done it. What else could I have done.”

“Oh, you’re so great. I should have known you were this reckless when you crossed dimensions for a woman.”

“It’s not recklessness, it’s will. And more importantly…”

I turned my gaze to Amy beside me. However, what caught my eye wasn’t her radiant blonde hair.

It was black hair, reminiscent of a starless night.

Eyes that were once blue, now red, turned toward me. Though she’s trying to appear composed, she can’t hide the anxiety within.

Unable to hide my own unease, I ask.

“Why did Sister Amy’s hair and eye color change? Was there some problem during the restoration process?”

“Oh, that’s no big deal.”

But the ‘civil servant’s’ reaction was utterly nonchalant. He waved his fingers as he continued explaining.

“It’s just that… a little bit of the Goddess’s soul got mixed in while in the process of putting the broken pieces of her soul back together.”

“…And that’s not a ‘big deal’?”

“Don’t worry, a little soul mixing won’t make her go crazy or change her personality or anything. I’ll bet everything I own on it.”

At last, we both let out a sigh of relief at the same time. Seeing the relief on each other’s faces, we couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

…Truly, at long last, I had reunited with my sister again.

“I’m sorry, but if you two are going to act all lovey-dovey, could you at least do it out of my sight. Or at the very least, let go of each other’s hands. What are you, eight years old, holding hands so tightly?”

It was funny, but only after he said that did I realize that I was still holding my sister’s hand. It was a habit carved into us from childhood. After all, we siblings were rarely apart.

But, as he said, we’re no longer eight-year-olds.

“Sorry. Sister Amy, just for a moment…”

“No.”

Sister Amy’s hand grips mine tightly as I try to pull away. Startled, I look at her, and I see confusion written across her face as well.

“S-sorry, Rem. I just, without thinking…”

My Sister hurriedly pulled her hand back and avoided my gaze. Her already gloomy eyes sank even deeper.

“W-we’re adults now, so this kind of behavior must be inappropriate. I must have lost my mind for a moment…”

Naturally, it wasn’t a sight I particularly enjoyed.

“It’s fine. Just keep holding my hand.”

“…!”

Through our joined hands, I could feel her tremor. A slight warmth too. Though, I wondered where that warmth was coming from.

Forcing myself to ignore the stirring emotions, I turned my gaze toward the ‘civil servant’.

“Sorry, could you cut us some slack. I’m in the middle of a touching reunion with my sister, whom I’m meeting again after 18 years.”

“Good grief, you two are so full of shit… Haa…”

The ‘civil servant’ ends his sentence with a sigh. Then, he abruptly stood up and nodded at me.

“No joke, seriously let go of her hand and follow me.”

“I’m not joking ei…”

“I need your help with Irene’s interrogation.”

***

The moment I saw Irene imprisoned in the cell, I thought it was a good thing I didn’t bring my sister.

She looked like a corpse that had been sculpted with malice.

Her rotting body revealed not just the flesh beneath but even stark white bones. Her legs had long since turned into mere handfuls of decayed meat, and her arms seemed destined to meet the same fate soon.

Only her head remained relatively intact, but even that was just a relative term. Her blue hair had taken on a sickly hue, and her left eye had gone beyond white to a yellowish tinge.

An appearance so miserable that even calling it ‘pathetic’ would be an understatement.

Naturally, I didn’t feel any sympathy.

“Irene.”

Irene’s still-intact right eye turned toward me. It flickered with all sorts of emotions before settling on nothing but sadness.

“Oppa… Did you come here to finish me off?”

“No, I came to interrogate you.”

The ‘civil servant’ stepped out from behind me and flung the prison door open. That was the instant Irene’s sadness turned to hatred.

“You stay out of this. You Alain’s dog… Kuheup…!”

*Squelch-!*

Irene’s decaying body made a strangely wet sound as she fell. The ‘civil servant’ stomps on the head of the trembling Irene.

“You still have the gall to act all high and mighty in that state?”

“E-eat shit…!”

The curse she spits out in a weak voice sounded only pathetic. Especially when she looked up at me with those pleading eyes.

“O-Oppa, you’re being deceived… I-I really was trying to save this world…”

“So, what can I do to help you?”

Not that it sparked any sympathy that wasn’t there before.

Seeing me cooperate with the ‘civil servant,’ Irene’s eyes sank deeply. But whether they did or not, I simply gripped the hilt of my blade.

“Should I cut off a body part every time she refuse to answer?”

“No, you don’t have to go that far. Just keep glaring at her like you’re about to kill her. I’ll ask the questions.”

The ‘civil servant’ presses down on Irene’s head with his foot and speaks in a cold voice.

“First off, I’ll ask, where did the goddess’s real soul go?”

Real soul? So that thread-like thing wasn’t a soul?

The sudden question that popped into my mind was quickly answered.

“The soul that burst out when the holy sword broke had no sense of self. It was just a lump of power with nothing but instincts left. Meaning, the goddess’s ego had already been smuggled out of the sword…”

“___!”

Irene’s mouth is firmly shut. But as the ‘civil servant’ puts more weight on his foot, it opens with a gruesome sound.

“Setting aside how you did it, let’s just find this out first. Where did you hide it?”

“___!!”

Irene only raised her screams without answering. Yet the ‘civil servant’ didn’t press her for a response. Instead, he rolled his eyes and suddenly spoke a name.

“Betty Ailleyde.”

“…!”

“That beggar girl you picked up. It’s inside her, isn’t it?”

Her reaction to those words was intense.

Just a moment ago, she’d been limp, only screaming, but now Irene’s body thrashed wildly. With her rotting, deteriorating hands, she tried to claw at the ‘civil servant’s’ pant leg.

“D-Don’t touch my sister…! I swear to God, if you lay a finger on her…!”

“Crazy bitch.”

The ‘civil servant’s’ foot crushed Irene’s left arm as she flailed.

“You killed so many, and now you’re saying your sister is precious? Weren’t those people someone’s siblings too?”

“That… was a necessary sacrifice…!”

“Bullshit.”

*Crack-!*

“___!!”

The ‘civil servant’s’ leg smashed her remaining right arm. Grabbing the collar of Irene, whose eyes had rolled back, he yanked her up.

“Betty Ailleyde, where’d that girl run off to.”

“I… won’t… tell…!”

“Fine, keep it up then.”

I don’t particularly want to describe what happened next.

But let me just say this. The more I watched that process, the more anxious I became.

Because *I* should be the one to end Irene’s life.

I’m not such a fool that I’d let those who harmed my people live.

*Wooong-*

It was right as that anxiety was growing that the communication device in my pocket suddenly buzzed.

“Go answer that.”

Before I could even hesitate, the ‘civil servant’ shook the pus off his hands and said. He added with a smirk,

“Don’t worry. I won’t beat her to death while you’re gone. I’ll let you finish her off with your own hands.”

Having the anger I’d been suppressing read so easily was more humiliating than I’d expected. But after a brief moment of flustered hesitation, I nodded obediently.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

And then, ignoring Irene’s gaze, I stepped out of the prison.

Once outside the prison, I checked the communication device and saw it was from Clevens. Just in case, I had given Clevens a communication device when we decided to act separately.

[This ‘price of fate’ thing, does it really exist? And is this machine really blocking its gaze?]

…Of course, the suspicion from Clevens that sparked this was utterly pointless, mind you.

In the end, the ‘machine that blinds the eyes of fate’ had fulfilled its role. The moment the machine ‘activated’, Irene’s body started rotting, and as a result, we were victorious.

Both the price of fate and the machine that blinds the eyes of fate were real.

Of course, it’s still a mystery why the price of fate didn’t affect me… There must be some kind of rule to it.

It’s not a question I’m particularly interested in now that the commotion has settled down.

Anyhow.

I activate the communication device without much expectation.

***

[Hey, baldy, did you dig up anything?]

Clevens couldn’t help but smile when he heard the voice coming from the communication device.

But his smile didn’t last long.

A 13cm deep gash in the lower abdomen. The blade had already torn through the guts, and the spilled blood had already coated the floor.

Of course, it’s not a wound that holy magic can’t heal.

However, how can you treat a wound when you can no longer see.

Staring into the darkness that had shut out the world, Clevens leaned against the wall. His plucked eyeball was probably still rolling around on the floor of the Pope’s private room.

He clears his throat and speaks with effort.

“Hey, Vice-Captain.”

[…What’s going on? Why does your voice sound like that?]

Long-time friends are terrible for things like this. No matter how much you try to hide it, it just won’t stay hidden. Clevens let out a short laugh, then grimaced in pain again.

“Ugh, I’m dying…”

[Tell me your coordinates. I can be there within 10 minutes…]

“Nah, it’s just ‘cause I’m old, that’s all. I’ll feel better after some booze.”

That was a lie. Clevens will probably bleed to death in less than 10 minutes. His hands were already shaking, and his mind was hazy.

But he speaks as though joking.

“Anyway, I should at least tell you what I found out before I croak, so shut up and listen.”

[…You’re really okay, right?]

“You talk too much shit.”

Clevens swallows the rising blood. Even as he collapses to the ground, he doesn’t forget his sense of humor. If life is a book, Clevens wants it to end neatly.

At the very least, he doesn’t want to end it by whimpering, sobbing like a little bitch.

Clevens opens his mouth, feeling his life ebbing away.

“We’re fucked.”