episode_0007

The Black Saint Aria Ritt

A desolate alleyway. Three fairies were whispering about something wicked there. Perhaps it was the dark alley, or perhaps her rage, but Aria’s dark, smiling face was enough to strike fear into anyone seeing her for the first time. And now, to the fairies, who were terrified by Aria’s dark face, Aria asked.

“You all enchanted people with the siren’s song, didn’t you? Am I wrong?”

“Who is that…? Huh? Riera Unnie! That human… she’s the woman who was next to that porter who had a lot of stuff! I remember her because of that black priest robe!”

The green-haired fairy pointed at Aria and spoke. Even in this place, a black priest robe was uncommon, which is why they remembered Aria. Then Riera said.

“I know. But a siren’s song? We just sang our own songs, so why are you so certain it was that, you black human?”

“The siren’s song. It’s an ability and a characteristic of theirs, to enchant other races and take what they desire. Only sirens know of it, because they keep it a secret. However, their queen once came to my country and spoke about them selling their abilities through illegal trade. She said selling their own songs was illegal and forbidden. She warned us that there were many individuals doing strange things with it.”

“So what? It could just be a coincidence that our songs overlapped with the sirens’ songs. Are you so certain about that? Ha! How ridiculous…”

“Your melody. Only sirens can produce that, you know? To be precise, it’s a melody that fairies can absolutely never imitate. The only way it’s possible is if sirens transfer their songs to others.”

As Aria continued to explain, the three fairies suddenly began to suppress their laughter. Unable to hold it in, they finally burst out laughing, and then Riera spoke to the other fairies.

“…. Hahahahahahaha!!! Girls, did you hear that? She says we imitated the siren’s melody!”

“Right! What nonsense…”

“Hehehe… Unnies! Isn’t this hilarious? What is someone who knows nothing about music saying…. This is a trick, right?”

“Indeed~ Your brazen attitude after committing fraud makes me laugh too~ If you need evidence, I can provide it, you know?”

“What…?”

Riera, who had been laughing loudly, suddenly froze when she heard Aria’s words and saw her dark smile. The two other fairies’ expressions also hardened. As the fairies’ faces hardened, Aria began to sing. But upon hearing that song, the fairies suddenly clutched their heads, crying out in pain. And at that moment, Riera, who had been suffering from a sudden headache, was greatly alarmed when she heard the melody coming from Aria’s mouth.

‘This… melody…. It’s the… the siren’s melody…! How can a human have the siren’s melody… S-surely this human didn’t buy the song like us!?’

“How is it? Your head is throbbing, isn’t it?”

“Ugh… What was that just now… My head hurts so much… Are you two okay…?”

“Yes, Unnie…”

“I’m okay… But what was that just now…?”

“Oh my? I explained it to you, didn’t I? The Siren Queen warned that those who bought the siren’s song would do strange things with it. Do you think the Siren Queen wouldn’t have prepared a countermeasure?”

“A countermeasure…?”

“Yes~ I received a song that only attacks the minds of other races who have received the siren’s music~ Since sirens are a race that deals damage to others’ minds, such a thing is possible, you see~”

“With just that, the evidence…”

“Then shall I sing it on the street? Will only your heads hurt, or will passersby’s heads hurt too?”

Aria’s words silenced Riera. Then, a silence fell. The fairies were frightened by the dark smile on Aria’s face, and Aria continued to look at the fairies with a terrifying expression. At that moment, the yellow-haired fairy shouted at Riera.

“Hey… Riera! Let’s do it!!”

“That’s right, Unnie! Let’s sing!”

“Alright… There’s no turning back now… I’ll make you regret coming here, knowing it was the siren’s song!!”

Riera and the two fairies opened their mouths and began to sing the siren’s song. But at that moment, Aria suddenly covered Riera’s mouth with her hand, then raised her fist towards Riera’s face, holding her in her hand. The two fairies, seeing Aria seize Riera despite hearing the siren’s song, stopped singing in terror and began to tremble.

“You’re foolish, aren’t you?”

“Ugh… Mmph!! Mmph!!”

Riera, caught in Aria’s hand with her mouth covered, began to struggle, clutching Aria’s fingers tightly. Since fairies are only the size of an adult human’s hand, their physical strength is weaker than a human’s, so Riera couldn’t easily escape from Aria’s grasp. Seeing this, the yellow-haired fairy trembled and spoke.

“H-how can the siren’s song…”

“Well, it doesn’t work on me~ That’s why I came so confidently. What can I say about you judging me as foolish when you were the idiotic ones?”

“Why doesn’t it work…?”

“Because I’m a Saintess~ I’m partially immune to mind-attacking abilities, you see? Ah… you should speak too, Riera?”

As Aria removed the thumb that had been covering Riera’s mouth, Riera began to gasp for breath. Then, seeing Aria smiling with a dark expression, Riera became terrified and her breathing grew even more ragged.

“Ah… Ahhh…”

“Oh my? Where did all that confidence go? Why aren’t you speaking? Shall I open your mouth for you?”

“W-what are you going to do to us…?”

“Hmm? That’s what you’re most curious about, isn’t it?”

“Ah… Ahh!! Eli! Tiara! Run away from here!!! At least you two can survive…”

“You two fairies over there? If you run, you can imagine what will happen to this fairy, can’t you?”

Aria clearly spoke with a kind voice and a smile. But the content was so shocking that the yellow-haired fairy Eli and the green-haired fairy Tiara just stood stiffly, trembling. Then Riera shouted at Aria.

“You’re a Saintess!!! As far as I know, Saintesses can’t kill because it’s against the divine. Why are you doing this?! Has the Saintess abandoned God?!”

“God? Such things are none of my concern. Only Zeke-nim is precious to me. Be it country or god or anything else, it’s none of my business. To me, there is only Zeke-nim.”

“Zeke…? What is that?! What is it that makes you go this far?!”

“Watch your words, won’t you?”

When the topic of Zeke came from Riera’s mouth, Aria began to grip Riera even tighter, as if displeased. As Aria suddenly applied more force, Riera began to scream in pain. Tiara, terrified by Riera’s scream, anxiously began to worry about Riera.

“Aaaaaah!!!”

“U-Unnie!!”

“Why am I doing this? Of all people, to sing the siren’s song to Zeke-nim… I absolutely cannot forgive it. How dare you harm Zeke-nim…!!”

“Ugh…. Agh….”

As Aria’s grip loosened slightly, Riera stopped screaming and began to catch her breath again. Then, seeing the dark smile still on Aria’s face, Riera could only think one thing right there.

‘I picked the wrong fight….’

“Ah, you asked what I was going to do earlier, didn’t you? By any chance, is your family still alive?”

“Only… only my two younger sisters are left… Our parents abandoned us…”

“That’s fortunate! I won’t have to bother dealing with them!”

“What…?”

“From now on, I plan to sever your limbs one by one. But I won’t let you die! Because Zeke-nim will be documenting fairies, and he’ll need you, a fairy. So… it’s fine if I just leave your mouth intact so you can speak, and sever all your limbs and wings, right?”

“….!!!”

“Ah… So Zeke-nim told me not to kill for this purpose! To leave only your mouth alive and moving to help with documentation…!! What an excellent choice, Zeke-nim! Thennnn…”

Aria spun her golden staff in one hand, holding it so its tip pointed at Riera, and Riera began to scream in terror. At the sight, Eli and Tiara also closed their eyes in fear and began to scream.

“Aaaaaah!!!”

“Please save me!!!”

“Screaming won’t do any good~ I’ve created a transparent soundproof barrier so no sound escapes! And you will live! You just won’t have limbs!!”

“Don’t do it!!!”

“No can do~ Alright!”

Aria smiled widely, her eyes emitting a reddish glow, and moved her staff to pierce Riera. At that moment, Aria paused and looked behind her. When nothing happened, the fairies also opened their eyes and saw the man standing behind Aria.

“Zeke-nim…?”

“Good thing I came.”

I didn’t know what had happened, but I didn’t let go of the staff Aria was holding, which she was about to use to harm the fairy. What on earth was going on? Why were the fairies so scared?

“Aria, what is all this? And killing is…”

“Ah… Zeke-nim! I was making something to help Zeke-nim! Don’t worry! I’m not killing her! I’m just cutting off her limbs and wings so she can’t escape!”

….. What? What did she just say? Hearing Aria’s words, I was extremely flustered. Is she saying such things with such an ecstatic expression? Has Aria’s mind broken to this extent…

“Zeke-nim, if you wait, I’ll….”

“…!!!”

Everyone present was surprised by my action. Honestly, I had reached my limit. I snatched Aria’s staff and slapped her cheek with my left hand. Was it out of anger? Was I angry at Aria’s words, saying she would kill her spirit while keeping her alive, simply because I told her not to kill? I don’t know why I did this. But… I felt like I had reached a breaking point. Aria, who had been slapped by me, began to turn her head, trembling.

“Ze… Zeke-nim….”

“Aria. I told you not to kill, so you mock me like this?”

“I… I made a mis…”

“You did. And a huge one.”

“…. I… I still… I still think ki…”

“Don’t say that either. Aria, don’t you know I don’t want that? You said you knew everything about me, didn’t you?”

“…. Ahhh….”

Aria, regaining her senses, released the fairy from her hand and stared blankly at her own hands. Was it my words that shocked her so much, or her own actions? The fairy Aria released was being comforted by the two fairies behind her, who embraced her. At that moment, I heard sniffing. Sigh… Just as I thought.

“Aria.”

“…!”

I wiped away Aria’s tears with my hand and gently lifted her head. She was so shocked that her eyes were redder than the cheek I had slapped.

“Are you afraid of being abandoned by me?”

Aria just nodded her head at my question. Was the shock so great that she couldn’t speak…? I haven’t experienced a situation like this before, so my reaction might have been clumsy. Still, there must be a reason for Aria’s actions, beyond just jealousy.

“Those fairies did something to me, and you were angry about it, weren’t you?”

“….”

Aria nodded again. Just as I thought… Aria knew something. Then, shall I sort out this situation now? I buried Aria’s face in my embrace. Aria, greatly flustered, wriggled in my arms.

“Alright. Since you did it for me, I’ll believe you. But don’t speak lightly of cutting things off. You can do it if you can resolve the situation, but… you don’t have to go that far.”

“Do you… forgive me…?”

“Well… no one actually lost their limbs, did they?”

“Why…? I’m doing something Zeke-nim dislikes….”

“I said there was a reason. So you can tell me, right?”

I said, stroking Aria’s hair. Then Aria buried her head deep into my chest and said with a faint giggle.

“Yes….! I’ll tell you everything…!”

“… Th-that’s good. But… shouldn’t you come out now?!”

“Ah…!”

When Aria emerged from my embrace, I saw my clothes were wet with her tears. Aria then became restless. Perhaps because of that sight, I involuntarily chuckled, and Aria also began to laugh along. Then, my eyes caught sight of the fairies, who were staring blankly at us.

“Alright… Since Aria finally stopped… You all… could you explain what you did to me?”

“W-who are you…? That woman is clearly the Black Saintess I heard about earlier… Weren’t you her porter…?”

“Ah… I don’t want to become famous… But well… given what Aria did. I’m Zeke. An explorer. As for her… she’s known as the Black Saintess, so… she’s the Black Saintess Aria. She’s accompanying me on my journey to help me.”

“The opposite…? You’re not following the Saintess on her journey…?”

The red-haired fairy seemed to not believe my words. Well… naturally. Aria told me she would become famous instead of me, for my sake, since I don’t want to be famous. Anyway… it’s a good thing I wasn’t too late. My grabbing Aria’s staff earlier was almost a miracle…

“Alright… since we’ve revealed our identities… Aria? What did these guys do to me? And you two, speak up too.”