episode_0035

When I regained consciousness, what I saw was that this wasn’t a wasteland. It seemed to be inside a house… Clutching my aching head with my left hand, I managed to push myself up and looked around. This place is…

“Oh my! Are you awake, Mr. Zeke?”

“Ugh… And you are…?”

“I’m one of the residents of Arjel. Don’t you remember? You saved our village residents with the Black Saintess-nim last time.”

“I know that, but…”

Why isn’t Aria next to me? Aria, who would usually cling to me like a leech, was nowhere to be seen, and only this lady, who seemed to be the owner of the house, was by my side. Ugh… It seems I’ve been losing consciousness a lot lately… What happened just now…? Ah!

“Uh… excuse me, did you perhaps see a demon… a female demon?”

“Pardon me? There was a demon? Really?”

“….?”

She must have completely escaped… It seemed the villagers didn’t know Cecilia had been here, probably because she had fled. If they knew, they would clearly chase her. Because these people don’t know what happened in ancient times…

“If she was here, I would have immediately…”

“No… I’ll tell you later… By the way, Mr. Rascal…”

“…He passed away. When we arrived, he already…”

…I see… I only received help from Mr. Rascal… He didn’t need to help me to the point of sacrificing his life… So many shocking things happened at once that my head kept throbbing. As I clutched my head and sighed, the lady looked at me with concern.

“Are you alright…? You shouldn’t overexert yourself yet…. It’s only been four days since you collapsed, Mr. Zeke, so you should rest more…”

“Whew… I see…. Wait?! F-four?! Four days have passed?!”

“Ah… yes…”

…Why do four days always fly by so quickly whenever I lose consciousness?! And Mr. Rascal passed away four days ago… Wait a minute… Then what about Aria…? Why isn’t Aria next to me, even after four days?

“Uh… excuse me, where is Aria…? Where is Aria?”

“Pardon?”

“The Black Saintess… where is the Black Saintess…?”

“Ah… the Black Saintess-nim…”

When Aria’s name came up, the lady, who had been smiling just a moment ago, bowed her head and became gloomy. Seeing that, I slowly began to guess what state Aria was in, and as I guessed, my eyes widened even further.

‘N-no way…’

“The Black Saintess-nim carried Mr. Zeke, who had lost consciousness, all the way here. Mr. Zeke’s body was covered in small wounds, and the Black Sain—”

“Hey!! The Black Saintess-nim is doing it again!! Zeke woke up…!!”

The moment the lady was about to explain to me, a Lizardman flung open the house door and called out for me. That Lizardman… wasn’t he the first resident of Arjel village I treated? The moment I realized who the Lizardman who opened the door was, he saw me and frantically rushed towards me.

“Zeke! You’re awake?!”

“Uh… yes… But what do you mean, Aria is doing it again…? What exactly is Aria doing that…?”

“Ah… Th-that’s right! Now’s not the time for this! Follow me quickly! Hurry!”

“Uh… yes?”

I was grabbed by the arm by the Lizardman and dragged somewhere against my will. What on earth was making the Lizardman react like this? Even though his face belonged to a different race, seeing the panicked expression on his face, I instinctively knew something serious was happening.

“Wh-what on earth is happening in broad daylight… Surely… Aria…!!”

“The Black Saintess-nim is in critical condition right now! Hurry…!”

I shook off the Lizardman’s arm and flung open the door of a house where noisy commotion could be heard from outside. A scene of chaos unfolded before my eyes. Many people were desperately trying to stop Aria, and Aria was constantly shaking off people’s hands and…!!

“Aria!!”

“Aaaah!! Black Saintess-nim!! You can’t do that!!”

“Qu-quickly! Stop her quickly!! Hurry!!”

“Sh-she’s not just ordinarily strong!!! How can she be so strong?!”

“Aria!! Stop!!”

Despite my words, Aria didn’t react and continued to do something. Aria’s actions were so shocking that they astonished me and the residents of Arjel village. Aria was trying to put her neck into the round loop of a rope that hung halfway down from the ceiling. In other words… Aria was trying to end her life!!

“Stop it, Aria!!”

“Mr. Z-Zeke!! Please try to stop the Saintess-nim quickly!!”

“We can’t stop the Saintess-nim with our strength! You were by the Black Saintess-nim’s side, so you must know what to do!”

“I don’t know what to do either…!!”

At that moment, I remembered what I had done to Aria before. So, I quietly approached Aria, who was in a state of confusion, and gently covered her ears with my hands. Aria’s struggle to end her life immediately ceased, and when Aria stopped, all the residents who were trying to stop her were greatly surprised and slowly moved away from her. Then, I covered Aria’s eyes with my hands and whispered into her ear.

“I’m alright.”

“Zeke-nim…”

“You worried a lot, didn’t you?”

“I must die… Zeke-nim… Because of me, you and Mr. Rascal got holes in your abdomens… And Mr. Rascal, who saved Zeke-nim, passed away…”

“I know.”

“Because of me, Zeke-nim almost couldn’t go on his exploration… Because of me, Zeke-nim got hurt… Because of me…”

“I know.”

“I swore to protect Zeke-nim… but instead, I almost ruined Zeke-nim… Instead, I harmed Zeke-nim…”

“It’s alright. Just hold my hand and take a deep breath.”

I took Aria’s hand. Aria gripped my hand tightly, took a deep breath, and immediately let it out. Tears began to stream from Aria’s eyes. It’s not that I don’t understand Aria’s feelings at all. I knew that she would react this way after going through something like that.

“Hey, Mister Lizardman.”

“Huh…? Me?”

“Could you gather all the other residents? I’ll explain everything that happened. Please bring everyone. I’m busy with Aria right now…”

“Uh… ah… Alright. I’ll be right back.”

At my request, the Lizardman mister was bewildered but immediately went outside and began gathering the other residents. How am I supposed to explain all this…? The demon’s survival, the truth of the Ogposlia legend I learned through Cecilia… It’s confusing… But I am an explorer. I must sort this out. While I reaffirmed myself, the residents of Arjel village began to gather one by one. Once everyone was gathered, the Lizardman mister spoke to me.

“Everyone’s here, Zeke. So… an explanation…”

“A demon appeared, left me in a dying state, and killed Mr. Rascal.”

“Wh-what did you say?!”

“A demon…?”

“A demon… in this era?!”

At my words, all the village residents began to stir greatly. The same was true for Aria. Aria, who had been controlled by Cecilia, knew all of it, so she was clutching my hand tightly and trembling. Because she was scared… because she didn’t want to remember…

“A demon?! Is that true?!”

“Yes…”

“Then Mr. Rascal… the demon…”

“No… the demon fled.”

“What?!”

At the news that Cecilia had fled, the villagers began to stir again. Opinions ranged from not knowing what to do to doubting my words. While everyone was stating different opinions, a Beastman man stood up and shouted.

“Then this time, let’s attack that demon!! It’s the demon who killed Mr. Rascal!! Shouldn’t we avenge our benefactor!?”

“Yes! He’s right!!”

“Just a moment!”

As they started standing up one by one, declaring they would kill Cecilia, I urgently shouted at the residents. The story isn’t over yet. I don’t know if what I know is true, but…

“Why are you doing this, Zeke!! Aren’t you angry?! He was Mr. Rascal, who was close to you!”

“That’s true. And the symptoms you residents experienced… the demon was the one who spread the poison that caused them…”

“What…?!”

“Then we should kill her…!!”

“But during that battle, I heard the truth of the Ogposlia legend…”

“The Ogposlia legend? The one that says Archangel Arjel fought against demons and conquered this high ground, driving them away?”

“Yes… It’s… so distorted that I can barely bring myself to speak of it, so it’s hard for me to believe it easily either…”

“What?”

“During the battle with the demon, I came into contact with a fragment of the demon’s soul and learned what happened in ancient times. I still vividly remember the demon’s experiences as if I had lived them myself…”

“What are you talking about, Zeke…? Are you saying the legend is wrong?”

“Yes…”

When I said yes, the villagers began to murmur. Residents who believed me and those who didn’t contradicted each other’s opinions. Right… I expected this situation. But I must correct what’s wrong… As an explorer…!!

“Everyone, calm down…. I’ll explain what happened in Ogposlia.”

“Uh… speak, Zeke…”

“Ogposlia was originally a place where demons built a city… It wasn’t a wasteland initially; this entire area was a city of demons.”

“What…? A city?”

“Yes… That demon was a demon who worked as a liaison there. But suddenly, angels and other races, excluding demons who had been persuaded by angels, destroyed this city in just one day. At that time, the demons had never harmed or provoked the angels. Nor had they provoked other races…”

“Then why did the angels attack them? Angels wouldn’t attack them for no reason!”

“They did. Personally, they hated demons. Simply because they had horns, wings, tails, or were hideous. The legend of Ogposlia is a fabrication created by angels. In reality, the angels committed a massacre. And the one who created this legend of Ogposlia… is Archangel Arjel, whose name is also used for this village.”

The villagers were speechless after hearing my explanation. They couldn’t believe that the archangel in the legend they believed in was actually a heinous murderer, and they couldn’t accept that the village was named after that murderer. Then, the Lizardman mister, who had listened to my entire explanation, shouted at me.

“What…? But there’s no evidence of that!! The legend of Ogposlia is false, and the archangel was originally a murderer?! Where’s the proof?!”

“…Mister… After that demon survived the archangel’s massacre, she returned here and cried out…”

“That demon’s soul showed you an illusion!! It must be!!”

“That’s why I need to verify if it’s true too…”

“What…?”

“I’m not sure yet either… So, in the demon’s memories that I saw… when she returned here and cried out, I noticed something…”

“What is it?”

“Arjel and her subordinates massacred all the demons, leaving no bones behind. But… they didn’t completely remove the evidence that their civilization existed. Artificially crafted stone bricks. They might still be buried in the ground.”

“Bricks…?”

“The bricks had strange patterns carved into them. Some even had leaf-like shapes. So… let’s dig up the surrounding ground and see if those bricks appear. It’s daytime, so it’s a good time to work…”

“…Do we have to go that far?”

“It’s better to correct what’s false…”

“…Alright… since you and the Saintess-nim saved our lives… Wouldn’t you agree, everyone?”

“Yes, that’s right. My family is alive thanks to you too!”

“Me too! Even me, a Beastman discriminated against by humans, you saved!”

Everyone began to agree with the Lizardman mister’s words, and they immediately grabbed shovels and other tools and went outside. As all the residents went out, the Lizardman mister put a hand on my shoulder and nodded. He must mean he’ll help…? I took Aria and headed with the Lizardman mister towards where the villagers were digging…

“Uh… huh?!”

“What’s wrong, Zeke?”

“Wh-why so fast?!”

I was greatly astonished to see a pit already dug to waist height in less than two minutes. It seemed there were Mole Beastmen too, digging a hole this deep in mere seconds… Other races truly are amazing. The moment I was marveling at them… suddenly, a scream echoed from inside the pit. The Lizardman mister frantically looked into the pit and shouted.

“What’s wrong, everyone!!!”

“H-hey…!! Th-this!!”

“What’s that… *gasp*…”

“Th-this is crazy…”

I and the Lizardman mister, who saw it from above the pit, and the residents who were continuing to dig in the pit, were all so surprised that we couldn’t speak easily. The bricks I had seen came out in their original form. With leaf shapes and even patterns in an unknown language… But that wasn’t what astonished everyone. A finger bone emerged along with the bricks. As those two things came out of the ground, everyone there had the same thought.

‘The demon’s memories were all true.’

Everyone who realized that fact was enveloped in immense shock. Some residents even fainted on the spot from the overwhelming shock. But everyone was in such a state of shock that they didn’t even notice those residents. Including me. As the time of shock passed, evening came. Some residents still couldn’t recover from the immense shock. A few residents buried the finger bone in front of the pit and made a gravestone. And I was recording all of this in Rascal’s house.

“…What is this… This is an even more tragic event than Esrad… than Kartun… To have left this as the damned record of a legendary hero’s achievement… Those rotten angels!”

I was truly angry. Because I hate and despise false records even more than incorrect ones. Because of this, innocent demons were forgotten in this era… remembered as evil beings… And this legend must have spread far and wide in other places too, not just here… If all demons were originally good beings… then all the angels must have killed those demons and created this legend…!!

“Whew… I’m really angry… Aren’t you, Ari… Ah…”

I turned my head towards Aria. I saw Aria crouched in the corner of the house, simply sitting with her head bowed. She even refused dinner earlier… and now she wasn’t even speaking. Ugh…

“Aria. Come out for a bit.”

“….”

“Quickly!”

“…?! …!!!”

I grabbed Aria’s arm and went outside. Aria was simply being dragged along by my arm, wearing a truly bewildered expression. She couldn’t just keep staying like this… I left the village and started walking through the wasteland. As we reached the wasteland, Aria started trembling again.

“Bear with it, Aria.”

“….”

“Alright… Sit here.”

I sat on a rock, and I sat Aria next to me. As soon as she sat down, Aria bowed her head and covered it with both hands. You can’t do that… I carefully lifted Aria’s head with both hands and spoke.

“Here. Look at the sky.”

“…Ah….”

Initially, she stubbornly resisted having her head lifted, but when I lifted it for her, Aria began to gaze blankly at the scenery that then appeared. Ogposlia’s night is famous for its beauty. Countless stars and the Milky Way were visible in the sky, and the wasteland, illuminated by moonlight, transformed into a golden rock landscape. I brought Aria outside to show her this beautiful scenery.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Ah…!!”

Aria was greatly surprised when I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her head into my embrace. If you keep being so gloomy, what about me, your companion…? I patted Aria’s back as she was feeling down and said,

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault.”

“Ah… ahh….”

“It’s alright… It’s alright… I’m not angry. I don’t hate you. I don’t resent you either.”

“But… but…!!”

“It’s alright…. It’s okay to cry, Aria… it’s alright.”

“Huuu… huuuaaa… huuuaaa….”

Only then did Aria begin to pour out the tears she had held back. Gripping my body tightly with both hands, burying her head into my stomach, she began to sob loudly enough to be heard far away. Yes… You must have suffered the most emotionally…

“Waaaaaaah… Uwaaaaaaah!!”

“That’s right, that’s right… Cry like that and let it all out. You didn’t even do anything wrong, Aria.”

“I’m sorryyyyy… *sob*… huuuaaa… I’m sorryyyyy…”

“That’s right… Keep letting it out, Aria. Keep going…”

I simply patted Aria’s back and encouraged her, and Aria poured out all the tears she had held back in my embrace. That’s enough, Aria. If you hide even your sorrow, it will only harm you… After crying for ten minutes, Aria quickly fell asleep in my arms, and I carried her on my back and climbed down from the rock. But…

‘Uh… hmm… It’d be a disaster if I said she was a little heavy, wouldn’t it…?’

Maybe it’s because it’s my first time carrying someone else on my back instead of a backpack… She is a bit heavy… If I say this, Aria will definitely make a fuss again, so let’s keep it a secret… I let out an awkward laugh and headed behind the rock. And…

“Do you have something you want to say too?”

“…!!!”

I asked Cecilia, who had been listening to all of this from behind the rock.

**Bonus: Casual Talk**

Hmm… there are several things I need to explain, so I’m temporarily uploading a free chapter.

**1. Upload Time** Currently, uploads are scheduled for around 6 PM. However, upon observation, I felt that it wouldn’t matter if I reverted to uploading around the 1 AM slot. Hmm… I’ll think a bit more about this and then decide. In any case, I’m informing you beforehand that the upload time might suddenly change again!

**2. Cover** Hmm… I’m currently changing the cover for various commemorative reasons. I’ve managed to generate all the female characters using NovelAI. I tried to generate male characters too, but it didn’t work well, so I had to give up – a bitter situation… Well… if I succeed in generating Zeke after several more attempts, I plan to change the cover to Zeke as well. (It’s sad that there’s no one around to draw for me…)

**3. Atmosphere** Some of you might be surprised by the sudden shift to a darker atmosphere. Uh… actually, since *Dimensions* itself is a genre close to dark fantasy, there are many parts where a dark atmosphere is naturally produced. There are also cruel parts, like Aria’s sudden(?) massacre show that appeared in Chapter 16. However, I also plan to create a somewhat happy atmosphere. You don’t need to be alarmed if the atmosphere suddenly turns dark! (Only the author knows how things will unfold…)

**4. Was it a pre-written novel?** Hmm… you could say yes, and you could say no. Actually, *Dimensions*, the main story of *The Black Saintess*, is currently completely finished. I’m merely now uploading a novel that I hadn’t uploaded to the internet before. The ending has already been decided as well. Even so, I’m subtly remaking it as I upload it. (It’s said that I’m also rewriting parts from the beginning.)

**5. Among the characters introduced so far, who is the strongest?** Ricand.I.Ru, who appeared briefly, and the 20 Mana are the strongest. After that… I believe you all know who it is, so I’ll only cover this much. Zeke: …

**6. Does it share the same worldview as the main story and other side stories?** Yes. The main story and all side stories share the same worldview. However, only the dimensions where the stories take place are different.

**7. Will you go on hiatus?** I will absolutely not go on hiatus unless unforeseen circumstances arise. Since *The Black Saintess* has the longest chapters among the side stories, if I were to serialize the main story and side stories simultaneously, *The Black Saintess* would be the one that causes me the most difficulty. I also need to serialize other side stories, but this one keeps getting serialized. Therefore, to serialize the main story comfortably, I’m aiming to complete *The Black Saintess*. (But I feel like most answers to the question ‘Are you going on hiatus?’ sound like this.)

These are all the things I wanted to say. Actually, I only intended to make an announcement about the time, but I couldn’t fit everything I wanted to say into the author’s note, so I ended up doing it all at once again. As a daily anecdote, I bought a keyboard, but it turned out to be a keyboard keycap set. Damn it…