episode_0013

I placed Inky on the easel and gazed at the canvas.

I wiped the grimy canvas as best I could and painted it black.

Then, dipping my brush in white paint, I began to work, watching Inky start to build its home on the easel.

The owner of today’s painting was decided. Capturing Miss Chris’s features as accurately as possible, I painted them onto the canvas, then added a spiderweb into the empty space and drew in today’s secondary protagonist, Inky.

Still, there was space left.

I’d just sketch in some worshipping figures, and today’s painting would be complete.

Setting down my palette and brush, I stole a glance at the satisfying work, waiting for the painting’s owner.

Miss, you’re running late… At this rate, I’ll turn into an old man waiting for you!

“Good morning.”

Just as I was clapping my hands, amused by Inky’s antics, the sound of footsteps announced the arrival of the painting’s owner.

Wearing a black dress that reminded me of someone else, and with a shawl draped over her shoulders, she waved at my horrified expression and clicked her tongue.

“What’s wrong? You’re looking at me as if you’ve seen something utterly indecent coming from a young lady like myself.”

“I apologize, you just remind me a bit of someone I recently parted ways with…”

“Hee hee, was she as beautiful as I am?”

“Well… I was talking about the clothes.”

“…That’s enough. I’m a fool, aren’t I?”

“Oh, come now, Miss, I only meant to say I’m sorry for comparing you to anyone else.”

“But weren’t you the one who brought up the resemblance first?”

Seriously, if you’re just going to spout nothing but facts, what’s the point of this conversation?

When you talk to me, leave a little bit of your logic at the door!

“Is this… my painting?”

“Yes, isn’t it adorable?”

“What’s this dough-like blob on the left?”

“That’s you, Miss.”

“But the eyes are just holes?”

“That’s my rendition of your shining stars.”

Blink, blink.

Miss Chris blinked her star-studded golden eyes, then burst into soft laughter.

“So, in your eyes, my eyes look like stars?”

“Of course, they shine so brightly.”

“Well, even if your painting skills are lacking, your flattery is impressive. What’s the price?”

“Ten silver coins.”

“Here’s one gold coin; so please, take better care of yourself… and stop sleeping on the streets.”

“Thank you, Inky will be happy too.”

It would be impolite to refuse when she was offering more.

I breathed “ha” onto the gold coin, polishing it until it shone like Miss Chris’s hair, then slipped it into my pocket.

“Who’s Inky, again?”

“That creature in the painting, and it’s also dancing on the easel right in front of you, Miss.”

“Aaaah! Wha—! Why aren’t you catching it!”

“Morning spiders must never be killed. Remember that… and take it to heart.”

“What is that strange way of speaking!”

…After a brief commotion, Miss Chris purchased the painting without further incident and departed.

I placed Inky, who was sitting dejectedly on the easel, onto my head, then gathered the easel and my belongings.

How could anyone suggest killing such a cute friend?

Since I’d gotten a significant sum, I had to spend it all today.

A guy like me carrying such a large amount of money would just get stabbed.

Miss Chris is too naive to understand the ways of this world… In any case, before any problems arose, I decided to do everything I’d always wanted to do today.

“Mmm…”

‘Why do my eyes keep drifting to it?’

Chris Orevalen.

The last descendant of a religious family that had served a god from ancient times, she caressed her cursed eyes as she admired the painting.

According to the artist himself, that dough-like blob was her, and that ‘her’ was giving a thumbs-up to what she called a spider.

Could she, who detested spiders, ever do such a thing? Yet, her benefactor’s words continued to echo in Chris’s mind.

‘Morning spiders must not be killed…’

It was a rather intriguing anecdote, so Chris decided to ask him about it in detail next time.

“Miss.”

“Hmm, what is it?”

Framing the doodle-like painting, Chris hung it on the wall and greeted the retainer who had rushed in.

“The refugees are formally protesting, and we should consider lifting the blockade…”

“Even now, incidents are ceaseless, and we cannot blindly accept unverified refugees. It will be difficult, but the blockade cannot be lifted.”

“Understood. Then…”

The bowed retainer exited, leaving Chris alone. She sank into a plush chair and covered her face with her hands.

‘I’m not suited for this kind of work…’

The Shabriang Expeditionary Force succeeded in recapturing Shabriang under Snowden’s blessing.

It was thanks to the power gained when a certain adventurer named Naia found a white palace and had an audience with Snowden, at a time when the expeditionary force, surrounded front and back and unable to advance or retreat, was succumbing to madness.

News of Shabriang’s recapture spread to many cities connected by roads to Shabriang.

As the entire expeditionary force united to restore order in Shabriang and fan the flames of resistance, Snowden’s divine message descended.

Exhausted after long discussions, Chris eventually volunteered to remain in Shabriang with the retainers who had been part of the expeditionary force, performing the duty of stabilization… but now she was utterly worn out.

“What should I do about this…”

The stacks of papers, piled like mountains, contained detailed personal information of citizens moving into Shabriang.

Papers summarizing the life stories of those who had no connection to madness and had lived diligently.

Chris pushed aside a stack of papers too thick to lift with both hands, only to see mountains of paper several times larger than the one she’d just moved, and she let out deep sighs.

Checking all of it was one thing, but among them, she also had to find and excise the rotten flesh that was gnawing away at Shabriang.

That was precisely why she had blockaded to prevent more refugees from coming.

Even after meticulously filtering and allowing citizens into Shabriang, there were many rotten elements among them that hadn’t been screened out beforehand.

Heretics who worshipped foreign gods, and criminals devoured by madness who harmed their fellow humans.

Shabriang, once the capital of an ancient kingdom, boasted a scale more than double that of the great cities where humanity now resided.

With the current manpower, it was impossible to control the internal and external incidents constantly erupting.

‘We need a cleaner for this city.’

A reliable individual who could cut out the rotten flesh and heal the festering wounds.

As she pondered how to deal with the situation—knock, knock, knock—an ominous knocking sound echoed.

“…Come in.”

“Miss.”

At the arrival of Lord Romans, her uncle and the steadfast pillar of the Orevalen family, Chris’s expression grew even more somber.

The fact that her uncle, who strove just as hard as she did to stabilize Shabriang, had come to report in person meant that a problem had arisen which he couldn’t handle by himself.

“We’ve finally caught it, the demon from the outskirts.”

“…!”

Contrary to her expectations, it was incredibly good news. Chris slammed her hand on the desk, rose, and rushed to her uncle.

“You mean the one who slaughtered four adventurers and escaped? Phew, what a relief.”

“However… it’s strange. Early this morning, they came to the gate alone and surrendered.”

“…Still, we must proceed as planned.”

Currently, Shabriang was oversaturated.

Even keeping a criminal alive was wasteful. Considering the time, food, and manpower required to manage imprisoned criminals, immediate execution was the right course of action, even for a criminal who surrendered.

Chris was about to order a hanging, just as she had for all criminals captured thus far, but she pressed her lips shut.

It was because, for some reason, the face of her untidy benefactor, Yuseong, had flashed through her mind.

‘There’s someone who doesn’t even kill a mere spider but takes care of it… Is this truly the right path?’

Was this a whim, or curiosity?

“Did they say anything else?”

“Indeed, because of that… they wish to speak directly with you, Miss.”

“Very well, I’ll speak with them alone. They’re in the basement, I presume?”

“Miss.”

“I wish to do so.”

Chris quietly bowed to her uncle, who respected her wishes, then hurried towards the prison in the main building’s basement.

-Clank.

Dirty water trickling between moss-covered bricks collected on the floor, forming puddles.

Splash, splash.

Chris walked past empty cells and quietly stood before the iron bars of the very last room, from which the sound of chains could be heard.

“……”

A purple-haired woman, her limbs bound and a leather gag in her mouth, lifted her head.

Vitality returned to the woman’s blank eyes, and Chris, reading the emotion within the gaze fixed upon her, quietly opened the bars and entered the cell.

A body search must have been conducted, yet there might still be a last means of resistance.

But Chris did not wish for that. She simply quietly removed the woman’s gag.

-Nod.

The woman silently nodded in acknowledgment, then gazed at Chris.

“It’s good to meet you.”

“Hello.”

“…You surrendered, I hear. Shabriang responds to murder with immediate execution. As you can see, conditions here are not favorable.”

“…I’m sorry…”

“Why did you do it? I heard you slaughtered four adventurers in broad daylight and then fled.”

Chris still couldn’t believe that the woman before her had killed four adventurers.

A group of adventurers whose names even she had heard of.

They were individuals who had excavated ancient relics and, building upon their accomplishments, had even applied to join the Shabriang Expeditionary Force.

Although they had been rejected for some reason, the four individuals the woman had slaughtered were by no means easy opponents.

“…They killed children.”

“Children? Ah…”

The outskirts, children. Chris covered her face with both hands, reeling from the violence implied by the combined words.

Among those seeking refuge in Shabriang, there were many children who had lost their parents and were desperately throwing themselves into the world, hoping to survive its madness.

“There are many starving children in the outskirts. And those people took the children’s food… and killed them right before my eyes.”

The woman’s speech was smooth yet awkward. She spoke haltingly at times, like a child just learning to speak, but then, like a sudden slip on an icy path, violent words would abruptly crash, shaking Chris’s heart.

“…Still, that doesn’t justify murder. If that was the case, you should have come to me and…”

“I’m sorry…”

Chris squeezed her eyes shut. This was precisely why she hadn’t wanted to stay in Shabriang. The duty of condemning humans was simply too heavy for her.

“I got this from them.”

Thud, something indescribable rolled onto the floor.

Chris immediately took out a necklace and purified “the something” with a pure white light. She didn’t need to see it to feel it.

The metallic scent of blood and the weight of lives clinging to that artifact… she knew what their intentions were in killing the children and why they had been rejected by the expeditionary force.

Of course, the woman before her might have fabricated the story, but Chris instinctively sensed that she was speaking only the truth.

“Did you touch this?”

“Yes.”

“Are you alright?”

“…? Yes, I’m fine.”

“Why did you surrender?”

“Because the children… were hurt…”

‘Uncle…!’

You should have investigated properly before coming!

“And the children tried to protect you?”

“Yes…”

Sadness nestled in the woman’s purple eyes. Her appearance, like a rain-soaked puppy, made Chris inadvertently recall a certain man, likely living under a bridge.

“You did well.”

“…!”

With a decisive gesture, the woman, seemingly delighted by Chris’s praise, clenched her fist and raised a small, stubby thumb.

Chris let out a small laugh at the cute gesture, then raised her own thumb in response, only to be flustered.

‘This situation seems familiar…’

“Were you affiliated with any group before?”

Why was it? According to the policy Chris had maintained until now, this woman was a criminal who should be immediately dragged to the plaza and executed.

But Chris wanted to find a use for her. She didn’t want to choose to execute someone who had killed those swayed by foreign gods and protected children.

“I was a priestess.”

“Ah…”

‘So that’s why the children…’

“Which deity did you serve?”

If she believed in a foreign god, she would have to be killed here.

For then, everything she had said thus far would be nothing but lies, akin to mocking Chris herself.

Chris caressed the dagger strapped to her thigh, awaiting the woman’s answer.

“Ablaxia…”

“…!”

Ablaxia was one of the goddesses who had held sway before foreign gods devoured the world.

Ablaxia, Goddess of Family and Wisdom.

She was the name of a spider goddess with four pairs of legs, symbolizing wisdom and intellect, motherhood and fatherhood, benevolence and passion, revenge and cruelty.

“Oh?”

A priestess of the spider goddess who surrendered early in the morning, Yuseong’s casual advice as he passed by—’Morning spiders must never be killed’—and the painting he had supposedly drawn just for her… had a spider drawn on it.

As all the circumstances fell perfectly into place, Chris felt an inexplicable chill, yet she spoke, thinking, ‘just in case.’

If things went wrong, she could simply set everything right again.

She had the power to do so, and she held a position that allowed it.

“Do you wish to protect children?”

-Nod, nod, nod.

“Can you protect children, no matter what happens?”

-Nod, nod, nod.

“Why do you wish to protect children? I am familiar with the doctrines of the Ablaxia faith, but in this kind of world…”

“Because children are innocent, and because children deserve to live, even in a world like this…”

At the woman’s faint smile, Chris quietly extended her hand.

-Clang, clang.

The chains that had bound her limbs clanged on the floor, and sparks flew.

The woman was startled by her sudden freedom. Chris quietly helped her up and led her out of the cell.

‘…It might just be a product of coincidence, but… I want to believe in a miracle, not just coincidence, and trust my heart.’

At the mention of protecting children, the woman had looked at Chris with eyes more intense than ever before.

Chris wanted to lean on the woman’s faith, not just coincidence, because in this maddening world that wore her down, faith… was a single hope.

“I’m sorry, I honestly had no idea such things were happening.”

“It’s alright.”

“I was so preoccupied with managing the city’s internal affairs…”

“But you are trying.”

“…I will have technicians called in to build an orphanage in the outskirts as soon as possible. I would like you to manage it, what are your thoughts?”

-Wobble, wobble, wobble, wobble, wobble.

Flutter, flutter—her furiously shaking purple hair tickled Chris’s face. She nodded so rapidly that even the puddles on the floor trembled.

Chris decided to trust her.

“What is your name?”

“Nacha, it’s Nacha.”

“…Nacha, I look forward to working with you.”

Chris, seeing the conviction in Nacha’s eyes as she expressed her desire to protect children, extended a handshake. As she watched the small hand clasp hers, she continued to ponder and worry.

Was this the right choice? Was she making an irreversible decision based on coincidence and belief?

However, as much as Chris trusted Nacha, she also trusted Yuseong, who had given her an opportunity that could well be called a revelation.

His painting, his advice, his laughter, his courage.

‘Whoa, spit that out, you shouldn’t eat it.’

‘Bleaargh, ugh, cough, hack, hack, huh?’

‘You too, Miss, heave-ho.’

‘Bleaaargh! Don’t, don’t look!’

‘If you eat tentacle-like things, you’ll get sick; I know from experience… Anyway, thanks for saving me.’

A laugh burst forth as she recalled the past antics of the shameless man who still considered himself their benefactor.

The foolish man who saved them from falling into the foreign gods’ schemes and nearly becoming their pawns, yet then bragged about having saved them, as if they should thank him for getting them out of there.

‘…Perhaps.’

Chris knew Yuseong was no ordinary man and had repeatedly tried to approach him, but she had always been rejected.

But with Nacha, the future orphanage, and the anticipation of something that might be his ability, Chris resolved to seek him out once more.