episode_0030

Aria of Madness

“Isn’t it too much for everyone to be exerting themselves so soon after the poison was purified?”

“Oh… Thanks to Saintess-nim, we were saved from the brink of death, so we’re overflowing with energy! Just a moment ago, I didn’t even have the strength to stand!”

Rascal, seeing the villagers busily preparing a feast for Zeke and Aria, was concerned for the residents who had just been purified of the poison. However, the villagers moved even more energetically, reassuring Rascal. When the aroma of cooking wafted from various places, Rascal finally managed a smile.

‘It’s fortunate that the crop poison was also detoxified… If we couldn’t even use the seeds, all the residents of Arjel would have faced a food shortage.’

“Oh! Rascal-ssi!”

As Rascal was thinking about the village’s recovery, a human villager pulling a cart coincidentally spotted Rascal and waved, calling out to him. Rascal turned his head to the villager who had called him and spoke.

“Ah, you’re recovered too…? That’s truly a relief… How are the other residents?”

“Everyone is healthy now! We only have vegetable dishes to offer, so we feel a little sorry to them…”

“Zeke would welcome it. It’s rare in my life to see someone with such a kind personality.”

“That’s good to hear, but… where did they go?”

“Ah, they were with me. But I was worried about the Arjel residents, so I came out alone.”

“Aww~ Don’t worry about us, Rascal-ssi. As you can see, we’re perfectly fine. In fact, just thinking about being able to do the things we couldn’t before makes us feel invigorated!”

“I see… That’s truly a relief….. Excuse me…”

“Yes? Ah, you’re not talking about hunting me again, are you? I forgave you a long time ago. Besides, since I experienced the same symptoms your hometown people suffered… well, any ill feelings vanished long ago. The other residents feel the same. So please don’t torment yourself anymore.”

“…That’s impossible. As long as I live, this sin will continue to follow me. All I can do is to never walk that path again, and to atone for those who suffered because of me…”

“Ah… goodness… Didn’t you pick up that crossbow and protect this village on behalf of us who were sick? You don’t know how grateful we are just to have one burden lessened thanks to you, do you?”

“…I don’t.”

“Haa…. Well, still…. I want to express my gratitude. If you hadn’t protected our village, all of our residents would have slowly died in anxiety.”

“….I will still cherish your gratitude.”

“Hearing you say that makes my heart feel a little lighter. I’ll get going now!”

“Understood. Thank you for easing my mind.”

At Rascal’s smile, the villager bowed his head and then led the cart off somewhere. Once the villager was out of sight, Rascal slowly closed his eyes and thought.

‘Gratitude for someone like me… I am a wicked person who couldn’t protect my own hometown and shattered people’s lives. For someone like me to be told I deserve gratitude…. is it those who forgave me… Phew… First, I need to bring Zeke and the Black Saintess back. If I stay here, the residents will worry about me again…’

Rascal smiled, watching the villagers laughing and chatting behind him, then started heading to retrieve Zeke and Aria. Meanwhile… I suddenly froze, seeing Aria’s atmosphere change into something even more spine-chilling.

“A-Aria… What’s wrong with you all of a sudden…?”

“Hmm? I’m perfectly fine, Zeke-nim? Ah… I’ve just gained an epiphany instead!”

“An epiphany… What suddenly…?”

“Heh heh… Hee hee hee…. Hee hee hee hee hee…..”

As Aria suddenly laughed chillingly, I unconsciously stepped back. She had laughed eerily before, but this was the first time Aria laughed like this… Why is she suddenly like this…? When I instinctively stepped back, Aria’s laughter abruptly stopped, and she lowered her head. It was even scarier. This atmosphere, enough to make any ghost tremble… Damn, my head is spinning…

“Zeke-nim… Why are you stepping back….?”

“….”

“Why…? I’m so happy, but are you not happy at all, Zeke-nim…? Do you perhaps dislike me…?”

Damn it… Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, I couldn’t open my mouth. My body was clearly telling me. This situation is dangerous. I need to escape. I need to live. I need to get away… from Aria…!!

“Zeke-nim…?”

“A-Aria…! What exactly did you realize…? What did you suddenly realize that made you laugh like that….!!”

“As expected, Zeke-nim is happy too, right?! That’s why you’re asking me like this, isn’t it?!”

As Aria’s demeanor suddenly changed, I felt dizzy and frowned. But no matter my expression, Aria continued to smile maniacally, staring at my face. She even had a blush… What on earth did she realize…? What did she realize to suddenly change like this…?

“W-What did you realize…?”

“Hee hee hee… That would be…! The way to keep Zeke-nim safe…. I realized what the best method was!”

“The way to keep me safe…? You blessed my greatsword before, and you even healed me. Why suddenly a way to protect me…?”

“That’s right…! Zeke-nim has been continuously getting injured and even kidnapped during your recent travels, haven’t you…!”

“Uh… I was kidnapped by Rubdon… and I was also poisoned, though it was different from this poison…”

“That’s right…! Poor Zeke-nim suffered so much despite doing nothing wrong…!! Every time kind Zeke-nim went through such hardships, Aria’s heart ached so much…!!”

“So…?”

“And only upon reaching this place did I realize…! The way to keep Zeke-nim safe… is… for Zeke-nim’s exploration to stop….!!”

…What? What does that mean? I was too bewildered to even speak. Something was definitely wrong. The Aria I knew would never say such a thing. Is this Aria a fake, then…? Or am I under some spell, seeing an illusion? No… The laughter of the Arjel residents behind me is clearly audible, so this is reality…

“I’ll take Zeke-nim somewhere and take care of you there for your entire life….! I will escort Zeke-nim to a place free of dangerous monsters, poison, disease, humans…. all such harmful beings…!!”

The most dangerous being to me right now is you, Aria…! Why are you doing this?! As Aria began to approach with big strides, I instinctively stepped back. This was because I knew with certainty, both instinctively and rationally: if I was caught, I would never be able to explore or be happy.

“C-Calm down, Aria…! You agreed to accompany me on my exploration…! You said you’d help me explore no matter what dangers I faced….”

“Yes~ But… I’ve stopped thinking that way now, have I not? It’s all my sacrifice for Zeke-nim…. To be able to see only Zeke-nim… I’m so happy that I want to grab Zeke-nim right now…!!”

Damn it… She’s not listening at all…! What should I do…! Come to think of it, that gem beneath my brooch… What is that? It had been bothering me, but I had forgotten about it due to Aria’s sudden change in demeanor… Could that be why Aria changed like this…? No way… There’s no way Aria could be controlled by such a gem…

“Zeke-nim… Come… Hurry….!”

“Ugh.”

No. That’s a dangerous prejudice. How vast is this world, there’s no way there isn’t a power Aria can’t handle… Right now, Aria must want to stop her own selfish actions deep down… I clenched my fist and quickly reached for the gem beneath Aria’s brooch…. At that moment.

“Oh my~ Zeke-nim agrees so enthusiastically with that idea! To approach me… This Aria is so happy that…. I want to find a place to isolate Zeke-nim from the outside world right now…!!”

Before my hand could touch the gem, Aria grabbed my arm tightly. Ugh… Ah… It hurts…!! She didn’t grab my arm with such strength before…! Is Aria currently unable to control her strength…?! Intense pain began to spread from my arm where Aria was holding it.

“Ugh…. Ugh!!”

“Zeke-nim is really happy too, right? As expected… I knew Zeke-nim would want to live happily with me…!”

“A-Aria…! L-Let go of me first so we can talk….!! It hurts so much right now…?”

“No way~ I’m going to hold you like this so Zeke-nim can’t escape! Don’t worry! I’ll let go once we arrive at the place I want!”

Th-This damn it…! I thought she’d listen to this…! No matter how much pain I felt, Aria didn’t bat an eye, only staring at me with the most terrifying smile I had ever seen. Why did it turn out like this…? Why?!

“Zeke-nim, it seems there are no monsters in the Kriton region…! But Ogfosslia seems to be poisoned, so it might not be suitable for Zeke-nim to live there…. So I’ll take Zeke-nim to a secluded place in the Kriton region…! A peaceful place with no elves… no fairies… no humans…!!”

Damn it… It sounds peaceful, but she’s going to completely isolate me…! And if it’s the Kriton region, there won’t be anyone coming there, making it even more dangerous… No… Even if people did come, Aria might kill them again… This is the most dangerous situation for me and the world right now!!

“Now…. Zeke-nim… Let’s go…! For our eternal happiness… Hee hee hee…!!”

“D-Damn it…! G-Greatsword!! Come here!!”

“Huh?….!!! Eek!!!”

I summoned the greatsword that was in Rascal’s house. The greatsword appeared before me and began emitting an intense light. Aria, blinded by the light, let go of my arm. This is my chance…! I grabbed the greatsword and quickly headed towards Arjel Village…!!!

‘Damn it…!! If I go to Arjel Village now, what might a mad Aria do to the villagers…!!’

“Ziknieeeem!!!”

Th-This damn it! Can she already see?! I changed direction away from Arjel Village and fled in a hurry. I can’t get caught now…! The moment I’m caught, I won’t be able to return to Todrua or explore anything in the world….

“Zeke-nim? Hee hee hee hee?… Hee hee hee hee!!!”

The moment I heard Aria’s laughter, I couldn’t even think about looking back. This was because I heard something charging from behind me. It was Aria. It was definitely Aria. Goosebumps erupted from extreme fear, and my back grew cold. As if there was a chilling Ice Golem behind me…

“Ziknieeeem! You want to play hide-and-seek with me, don’t youuuu? Hee hee hee hee… Hee hee hee hee hee!! Aria is so happy…..!! If I win this hide-and-seek, I can make Zeke-nim completely mine! Hee hee hee hee hee!!!”

“Ugh… Ugh… Ugh….!!!”

I couldn’t even scream. I felt an immense fear, far greater than when my parents jokingly told me scary ghost stories when I was a child. No… It must be several times worse. Because this isn’t virtual, it’s a real situation…!! As I closed my eyes and continued to run, something flew and struck a rock between Aria and me. Startled by the sudden projectile, Aria stopped in her tracks, and at that sound, I also stopped. And the moment I found the object stuck in the rock, I felt a slight sense of relief. Because that object was…

“Zeke! Are you alright?!”

It was Rascal’s black arrow! Rascal was running towards me from the direction of Arjel! Th-This is fortunate, I suppose… But there’s one problem. Rascal and I can never defeat Aria. Especially… a mad Aria…

“Zeke, what on earth is going on? Why are you being chased by the Black Saintess? And that light earlier…”

“Y-You have too many questions, Rascal…. To summarize, Aria suddenly went mad, and she’s trying to confine me in a secluded place… So I blinded Aria with the greatsword’s light, and I was escaping while she was distracted…!!”

“W-What?! After I left, in that short time… something like that?!”

“I know, right…. They say life is unpredictable…. but this isn’t it….!!!”

“Rascal-nim…. You were Zeke-nim’s benefactor who saved him. So I’ll give you one last warning, Rascal-nim.”

“What…?”

“Stay away from Zeke-nim. I will safely escort Zeke-nim, right now.”

Gahhh!! Aria began to grip her golden staff tightly! Is she really going to do it, Aria?! This isn’t right!!

“Aria!!! Don’t you see the gem beneath your brooch?! You’re doing this because of it…”

“Zeke-nim~ I’m perfectly normal~ Truly! But… lying is bad… There’s no way I would put anything under the precious brooch Zeke-nim gave me, would I? Look! There’s nothing on my clothes but Zeke-nim’s brooch! Hee hee hee!!”

“What…? Zeke, what is the Black Saintess saying now… This purple gem I see right now… I’m not the only one seeing it, am I?!”

“Then there’s no way I’d say such a thing, damn it…”

She can’t see it, can she…! It’s clear that she’s acting like this because of that damned gem… But what kind of gem is it anyway…? Seeing that Rascal-ssi also seems completely unaware, it’s definitely not an ordinary gem…?

“R-Rascal. Behind Aria…”

“What? Behind the Black Saintess…?!”

Both I and Rascal were speechless at the figure visible behind Aria. A human female form with bat wings and horns on her head… That’s definitely it… It’s a demon…!! But I heard that the demons in Krentid World were annihilated?!

“R-Rascal, that’s…”

“A demon…? Does a living demon still exist?!”

It makes no sense at all. And the Saintess, Aria, is being controlled by a demon right now?! Damn it… Is that demon stronger than Aria?! The moment I gasped in shock, the demon behind Aria was whispering something into her ear. Then Aria put on a chilling smile and spoke to Rascal.

“If you interfere, there’s nothing I can do, Rascal-nim… I will kill you to retrieve Zeke-nim! Ziknieeeem~ Just wait a little longer! I’ll kill all the interferers!”

That demon is the culprit. The culprit who made Aria like this…! Rascal seemed to think the same, as he glared at the demon behind Aria instead of Aria herself. How dare it control Aria?! Playing with people’s minds as it pleases…!!

“Rascal! Help me!!”

“Alright, I’ll help you!”

Dying is scary, but Aria being possessed by a demon is more important right now. I have to resolve this situation quickly… Rascal began climbing the nearby rocks, and I held up my greatsword and instantly charged towards Aria. Aria then spread her arms, intending to embrace me.

“As expected, Zeke-nim also wanted me! To finally come into my embrace… This Aria is so happy!!”

“That’s enough, demon.”

I stopped halfway while charging at Aria. This was because the moment Aria tried to hug me, Rascal, who had climbed onto the pile of rocks, aimed his crossbow at the demon behind Aria. Since Aria was currently distracted by me, there’s no way her gaze would turn to Rascal…?

“….”

“Huh…?”

Suddenly, the demon behind Aria whispered something into her ear, and Aria’s expression turned serious as she looked at Rascal. In that opening, I climbed the rocks and stood behind Rascal. Aria then smiled and said,

“Ziknieeeem… It seems I can’t take Zeke-nim with me right now because of the interferers… But I’ll come back soon… After finding a suitable home for Zeke-nim…! So… please wait a little longer…. I’ll make you perfectly mine… Hee hee hee… Heh heh heh… Hee hee hee hee…. Eh heh heh heh…..”

Aria suddenly gave up and walked in the opposite direction, and we could only stare. This was because we could never defeat Aria. If Rascal had fired his crossbow earlier, Aria would clearly have batted away the arrow with superhuman speed… Knowing this, Rascal and I could only listen to Aria’s madness-soaked laughter fading into the mist.