Reason
by Afuhfuihgs
The moment I left the Imperial Palace, I realized my last break was over. I gave a bitter smile and headed to Modest, where my comrades were waiting.
When I created a snow globe to convey the memory, Raellan and Eunice narrowed their brows.
,”It’s certain that the labyrinth will open… But how does Bella know that the Holy Grail is on the 10th floor, which no one has ever been to? Even Roel’s maximum was the 4th floor, so he wouldn’t have any information about the 10th floor.”
As Raellan raised the question, Eunice nodded in agreement.
“Roel might have told Bella… or a third person might have told her. Maybe the Order deliberately leaked it.”
“Does the Holy Grail really exist?”
At Raellan’s question, I pondered for a moment before nodding.
“It probably does. Settings for a deus ex machina like the Holy Grail are famous. I saved the settings while researching materials, thinking I might use them someday.”
“But like you said, you won’t be able to defeat the God of Chaos by using the Holy Grail. It might be possible to imitate the ‘shackles’ created by the God of Chaos and safely confine this world within the shackles created by the Holy Grail… but that’s not the choice the last Ross should make to save another world.”
Raellan is right. This is the last chance to fight the God of Chaos. A draw or avoiding the fight is no different from defeat.
Eunice, who was twirling her curly hair with her fingers, bit her lip and said after contemplating.
“But if Roel or the Order really want the Holy Grail, like Bella said… I think the Holy Grail could be a tool to defeat the God of Chaos.”
At Eunice’s words, Raellan stroked his chin, chuckled, and raised one corner of his mouth.
“The most powerful tool of God is our master, though.”
I raised my eyebrows at Raellan’s cold joke. Estelle, who had been quietly listening to the story from the side, adjusted her mask and asked me.
“So, what are you planning to do from now on?”
“We need to prepare to enter the labyrinth too.”
Raellan, who answered instead, continued.
“The academy’s vacation will end soon after the coronation ceremony. If Roel doesn’t act immediately and plans to spend time searching for the Holy Grail in the labyrinth, we’ve bought time to persuade Roel. Then, we can take the Holy Grail that the Order is aiming for together with Roel.”
“I think Raellan is right too. I think it’s not bad to focus on observing the situation and responding, rather than moving first right now. We also need to check whether Roel and the Order are really aiming for the Holy Grail sincerely.”
Nodding at Eunice’s words, I turned my head to Estelle. Estelle, who suddenly received my gaze, looked at me as if asking why I was looking.
“I’m thinking of starting activities from today.”
“…Huh? What activities?”
Raellan, who understood the meaning of my words, explained to Estelle, who was tilting her head.
“What else could it be? He’s saying he’s going to be active as Lily from today.”
Raellan said that and turned his head to me, asking.
“Can you do it?”
It was a question with many meanings. I smiled faintly and answered.
“…I have to. For everyone’s happy ending.”
My voice felt awkward because I put strength into my throat for no reason.
But now it was time to become a nocturnal animal.
***
I suddenly thought it was good to have comrades. It was a thought that came to me when I saw Estelle worrying and following me, even though it wasn’t my first time killing someone.
“Remember. You’re killing someone because they deserve to be killed. You mustn’t forget that you’re killing for the sake of the world, for the sake of others.”
“I know.”
“Unjustified killing is absolutely not allowed. There must be a valid reason to completely erase the guilt in your heart. There’s no need to kill them painfully. It’s easier to think that you’re just moving with a sense of duty that you’ve done what you had to do.”
“…I understand.”
Estelle’s advice didn’t end easily. Knowing that the reason was because she was worried about me, I obediently nodded.
Perhaps realizing belatedly that further advice would only add to the burden, Estelle cleared her throat for no reason and tapped my arm with her fist.
“…Then go and come back.”
Instead of answering, I materialized a shadow spear. And I quietly walked towards the mansion. Using guiding magic, I created a dimensional passage behind the tightly closed door and entered the mansion.
It was deep dawn when everyone was asleep, so the mansion was dark. I inflated my lungs, pushed my chest forward, and took out a mask from the space warehouse and put it on my face.
Distractions disappear. The things I have to do become clear in my head. I might become addicted to this feeling of focusing on one goal. I remembered the interior of the mansion that I had learned through guiding magic and headed to the bedroom where my target was.
There’s no need to kill everyone in the mansion. Lily’s first murder doesn’t need to be grand. It doesn’t need cruel splendor or ruthless slaughter. What’s important to Lily right now is diligence.
Diligence in killing people every day. That diligence will make people fear the night that comes every day, and it will endlessly spread fear through word of mouth.
I used simple magic to eliminate the sound of the door opening. When I opened the bedroom door and went inside, I saw two people sleeping soundly. They were turning their backs on each other, so it seemed that their marital relationship wasn’t very good.
I quietly approached the bed as if sliding and checked their faces. I could roughly distinguish the target by gender, but I didn’t want to make the mistake of killing someone else.
According to the detailed description written in the kill list, I checked the mole under the woman’s eye and the old scar under her ear, and aimed the tip of the spear at her heart. And at the same time as exhaling, I stabbed the spear down.
Pook-!
The shadow spear exquisitely passed between the ribs and precisely pierced the heart. The woman’s body twitched greatly for a moment, and the bed shook for a moment, but it wasn’t violent enough to wake the man lying next to her.
Her gaze tangled in the air. The woman, who had her eyes wide open, looked at me with a look that I couldn’t understand, and then died. The story of the woman who used children as sacrifices for her youth ended there.
Looking at her empty eyes, I released the materialization of the spear and reached out to close the woman’s eyes. It’s not for her. It was the least consideration for the stupid husband who didn’t know what his wife was doing and was just proud of his wife who looked younger than other women.
I took out a lily that I had put in the space warehouse and stuck it in the place where the shadow spear had pierced through. I stared at it for a moment and then quietly left the mansion using space magic.
Estelle, who had been waiting for me in the shadow of the alley, found me and approached. Remembering that Estelle disliked seeing me wearing a mask, I slyly took off the mask.
“…Did you do well?”
At her voice full of worry, I nodded slightly instead of answering and checked the next name written in the kill list. Estelle, who was watching the scene, let out a strange groan for some reason and muttered.
“…Are you going to do it again right away?”
“Until morning comes.”
“Aren’t you overdoing it too much from the first day?”
At Estelle’s worry, I shrugged my shoulders as if to say I was okay and said.
“I have to adapt. It’s going to be like this from now on.”
“…”
Leaving Estelle speechless, I moved on to the next target. This time it was a commoner, not a noble. Using space magic, I entered the house and immediately swung my spear, blowing off the necks of the couple who were asleep while hugging each other.
The story of the couple who slowly made their neighbors sick by serving them tea containing a small amount of poison, then nursed them to death and extorted all their wealth, ended like that.
I continued to search for the next target without resting, wandering the streets at dawn. Thanks to the mask, I was able to do my job silently without being affected by any emotions.
When the morning sun drove away the darkness of the street, the number of lilies in the space warehouse had decreased by 11. I took off the lily mask and the black clothes that could hide my body in the shadows and put them in the space warehouse.
With no blood on my body, I turned my body silently to Estelle, who seemed to have something to say, and headed to the hideout where Luna was waiting.
When I quietly opened the door so as not to make a sound, Luna’s sleeping figure came into view. She looks lovely as always. How can she be so cute even when she’s asleep?
Sitting on the chair next to the bed so as not to wake Luna, I stared at Luna’s face for a while and took out the kill list.
While erasing the names of the people I killed today, I suddenly remembered Estelle’s advice.
The advice that you can erase guilt if you have a valid reason.
Is the reason I don’t feel any guilt right now simply because they are people who deserve to die?
No, that’s not all.
Even if they weren’t villains, even if it wasn’t the hope given by the Saintess… I already had a definite reason to overcome any guilt.
Today, tomorrow… and in the future too.
If Luna can sleep comfortably, it’s okay even if I can’t sleep anymore.
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