Evil, At Last (1)

In the deep night when everyone was asleep.

The moonlit plain, having already harvested all crops, was left with only brown grass roots in place.

In a few days, fire will be set to burn these grass roots, and their ashes will return as nutrients to the soil of the Medial Plain.

Far away, the Celestial Church compound stood bathed in moonlight.

The Wall of Purity shone so brightly that its pure white color was visible even in just the moonlight.

So, is the plan a failure?

The shadow of a snake writhing on the ground looked bizarre.

It was only about the size of a calf, but while the body was that of a snake, the head part had countless heads attached, resembling the shadow of a well-ripened grape cluster.

“No way.”

And the shadow sitting next to this snake answered while stretching out long.

That voice, half filled with laughter, gave a truly light feeling.

“I didn’t think it would work anyway. So it can’t be considered a failure either.”

I absolutely cannot understand your plan. Why are you going about it in such a complicated way for just one healer, someone you could play with in the palm of your hand?

“Just one healer, you say. You shouldn’t think of it so lightly.”

The woman’s shadow turned her head to look at the snake.

Her jaw moved as if smiling.

“I must give her the worst misfortune at the moment of her greatest happiness. Isn’t that how to make a proper vessel?”

What does that matter? A vessel is just a vessel, isn’t it enough to just use it properly?

Charruruk— The scales collided with each other, creating a chilling sound.

The shadow changes every time it coils.

That shadow that doesn’t even leave a trace on the ground.

“Is it because you have a snake’s head that you don’t understand the aesthetics of sacrifice? This is why they say demons are just strong idiots.”

Charrrrruruk— A fierce sound echoed.

The shadow that was about the size of a calf soon grew as big as a bull, and its shadow grew just as large.

The shadow cast by the moonlight kept growing, and the hissing sound became very rough.

The head of the woman’s shadow made a big turn and faced the snake.

“Take it easy, you snake bastard. If you weren’t neutral, I wouldn’t have had to work with an idiot like you. Just do the job you’re told to do. Make sure the demon bastards don’t cause any more trouble. Especially that vampire, tell that bastard to take it easy before I go find him myself and tear him to pieces. Got it?”

…….

“If you understood, get lost before I kill you. Just do what you’re told. I mean, behave yourself. Understood?”

As soon as her words ended, the snake’s form began to fade.

Finally, when it disappeared completely, only the woman’s shadow remained alone there.

“…Working with these idiots is driving me crazy. But there’s no choice if we want that person to return… Sigh.”

The woman’s shadow also slowly disappears.

In that place where no one was left, only the moonlight continued to shine softly.

Tomorrow was the day of departure.

Yona was having particular trouble sleeping, tossing and turning in bed unable to fall asleep.

Today, she had left Rubina at the orphanage.

She had promised over and over again that she would definitely come back, that if Rubina waited just a little longer here, she would surely come to find her.

Perhaps because of that, Rubina didn’t show any tears even as she watched Yona’s back as she turned to leave.

That seemed so unlike a child that it made Yona’s heart ache even more.

And at this moment, the emptiness on this bed where she always slept with Rubina was almost unbearably large.

‘It must have been the right choice…’

She knows the answer.

From Rubina’s perspective, it was a good choice. That much is certain, to the point where no one could deny it.

With Ceres as the guardian and the child being entrusted under the Pope’s direct orders, absolutely no one would be able to mistreat her.

It’s certain that she will receive more special and particular care than even the other children in the orphanage.

So, from Rubina’s perspective, it was the right thing to do.

However, from Yona’s own perspective, it was difficult to conclude whether it was really the right thing.

It’s funny.

Didn’t she say she wouldn’t get emotionally attached?

She said she wouldn’t get emotionally attached, and that she would just accompany Rubina from Capatia Port to the Inpula Church Territory and that would be it.

That was the plan, but why is Yona alone suffering like this?

Yona couldn’t quite understand the reason.

“…Ugh.”

Yona finally sat up abruptly.

Sitting up, she half-expected to see Alec or Kairoc sitting by a campfire keeping watch, but in reality, she was just lying alone on a large bed in a guest room filled with moonlight.

There’s nothing to worry about, nothing to fear right now.

Yona got out of bed and put on her nun’s habit.

Since she didn’t have any separate casual clothes or outerwear, the only thing she had to wear was the nun’s habit.

Even that nun’s habit was practically new, having been newly issued after entering this church territory.

The only thing she’s been continuously keeping is this sacred robe wrapped around her right arm.

After putting on the nun’s habit like that, Yona opened the door.

In the corridor covered with carpets, even footsteps made no sound.

Yona walked on that carpet towards a room a little distance away.

Knock knock.

Surely he wouldn’t be sleeping at this hour.

Yona was certain, and her certainty was not wrong, as after a short while, Alec’s voice asking who it was could be heard.

“It’s me. Can I come in?”

Oh, come in.

It was an immediate answer.

Yona turned the doorknob and pushed to open the door.

The guest room structure was the same, but Alec, who had been sitting by the window instead of on the bed, brightened up at Yona entering the room and stepped down from the window.

“What brings you here?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

Yona replied nonchalantly as she entered, sitting down on a chair at the table in the middle of Alec’s room as if it were her own room.

Alec sat down across from her and smiled meaninglessly.

“Why are you smiling?”

“I couldn’t sleep either. We’ve been living comfortably for a while, but it’s gotten too comfortable and now I can’t sleep.”

“Is that so?”

With those words, Yona closed her mouth.

Alec also turned his gaze away from her, looking out the window with his mouth closed.

For a long time, neither of them spoke.

Not only were they not speaking, they weren’t even looking at each other.

Just naturally, as if they were people who should be there, the two sat facing each other with their gazes directed elsewhere.

“When you return to being a man, what will you do?”

“I’ll return to my original world.”

It was an abrupt question from Alec, but Yona answered naturally.

Alec didn’t respond to Yona’s words.

His gaze still directed outside the window.

“Your original world… What if you can’t go back?”

“Then… um…”

“What if you can’t return to being a man either?”

It was around this point.

When Yona also noticed that something about Alec’s atmosphere wasn’t quite right.

“…What is it? What’s wrong? Did something happen to you?”

“I’m just asking out of curiosity. I can ask that, can’t I?”

Alec finally looked at Yona then.

Looking at Yona and smiling, his appearance didn’t seem different from usual.

“Well… Alevian also said that there might be some way when we go to the mage community. That’s why we’re going.”

That fairy with a very strange look in his eyes.

That fairy who had a peculiar glint in his eyes while wearing square glasses.

A fairy Alec knows well too.

A fairy who is disliked by far more people than those who like him — Alevian.

“But maybe that fairy is mistaken.”

Alec pretended not to know and said.

He wanted to say that couldn’t be possible, to ask if she really believed what Alevian said, but if he did, Yona might get irritated again.

Whether knowing Alec’s inner thoughts or not, Yona clicked her tongue a few times and said.

“I don’t completely trust Alevian either… But Alevian said this. That hundreds of years ago, there was someone like me who came from another world and in the process changed from a man to a woman. So there was someone in the mage community researching that kind of magic. That’s why I’m going to check. Probably… Yeah, it’ll be fine.”

In fact, Yona knows too.

The two desires she so strongly pursues.

Returning to her original world, and returning to being a man.

Despite living as a woman for three years, she couldn’t give up on returning to being a man.

For some reason, she didn’t want to accept her identity, that is, the fact that she had become a woman.

If asked whether there was an absolute reason why she must return to being a man, there wasn’t.

But she also had no desire at all to remain a woman.

“…I see.”

There was no energy in Alec’s voice.

“Yes, yes… Hundreds of years ago, there was such an incident in Marlen. There was someone who was a man, but became a woman when falling into this world. There certainly was such a person. But Yona, do you know this?”

Yona didn’t bother to answer Alec’s question.

She just quietly watched Alec.

“…That person, in the end, didn’t go back. I’m not sure if there was a way to return or not, but I think there probably was. But in the end, they didn’t go back, and stayed in this world to be with their loved one, they say.”

“Yeah. I know that story too. It’s the story of the divine couple, right? They were said to be descendants of the Celestial God… What was their name… Well, anyway.”

“Divine Spear Ricardo, and his wife Rise.”

“Ah, right. That was their name. Anyway, if it’s the story of that divine couple, I know it too. I heard it when I was educated at the cathedral. But I’m different. Rise? Seri? Anyway, they say that demigod chose the Divine Spear herself, but I’m different. Above all, I have no intention of loving a man.”

“Is that so.”

With those words, Alec closed his mouth.