episode_0219

As soon as I noticed Hermel rushing towards me, I quickly created a halberd with magic and blocked the blow.

There was the sound of iron scraping against stone, and a tremendous force that felt as if the arm holding the halberd would break crushed me.

But that kind of pain was somehow good for me now.

– Correcting a friend’s mistakes. Because that’s what friends do.

why.

why.

No, how about it?

I’m sure they must have turned their memories upside down? Surely it would have made you forget everything about me?

Keeping in mind the one-in-a-possible situation, I guess they made you think that it wouldn’t be a big deal if you tried to think of something about me through a hint rather than a curse, right?

“Do you think you have time to think about other things while dealing with me?”

“ugh… !!”

No, it is still too early to be sure that Hermel has truly regained his memories.

Come to your senses. Unless you are certain that you have regained your memories, there is no reason to waver.

I frowned, letting go of the questions in my head that flew with the sword of Hermel.

To be honest, it was a little overwhelming. This was because it took a lot of concentration to even swing a sword lightly.

Hermel may have gotten stronger through training, but the biggest reason was that I poured out all the mud that was the source of my strength.

“I’m still good at blocking, but… .”

After spitting out all the talent, strength, and ability of those I killed, all that was left was a body without even a single eye and all my full abilities and talents, and the experience I had accumulated along the way.

Therefore, this body could not block Hermel’s power, and this level of talent could not overwhelm Hermel.

Now, I am barely able to block the blows of Hermel, who is no different from a true hero, with only the experience I have accumulated so far and the body forcibly strengthened by applying a subordinate curse.

However, the difference in experience and the forcibly strengthened body will soon collapse in front of that innate talent. Even as he crosses swords with me, he is growing by consuming my experiences.

So, we have to find out while this body endures. Did Hermel’s memories really come back?

“You’ve become much weaker than I remember.”

“Phew… .”

The sword Hermel wielded became faster, sharper, simpler, and heavier as they collided.

I couldn’t figure out exactly whether it was growth or simply revealing hidden powers.

For me, who had poured out all the talent I had stolen from others, even tailoring it was an incomprehensible area with the talent of Charlotte, an extra villainess who leaves in only chapter 1, at most chapter 2.

The reason I can call it growth is thanks to my past experiences. It wasn’t thanks to his wretched body that only gained a little strength by applying a load.

“Inhale!”

I took a big step back, throwing aside the sword aimed at my leg. I used magic to raise the ground and create a sharp obstacle to prevent Hermel from approaching.

Of course, an obstacle like this would have meant nothing to Hermel, but it stopped the attack for a moment.

Anyway, for me it was the perfect time to take a breather, so I let go of the halberd and returned it to the dirt.

“What are we going to do?”

I could see Hermel’s eyebrows twitching, but I tried to act calm and answered.

“There are some parts I don’t understand.”

It is also an important issue that must be figured out.

As I said that, I crossed my arms, and Hermel, who was frowning, soon clicked his sword quietly for a long time.

I guess that means you should say it somewhere.

“Obviously, you just said you were ‘friends’ with me. Can I ask what you mean by that?”

“So, I guess I can ask after the fight is over?”

Are you saying you won’t kill me? No, it doesn’t work like that.

I tried to hide my rising breath and smiled.

“After the fight is over, one of the two will be dead, so asking questions after the fight is over… .Does this mean you won’t answer?”

“Are you that curious about that? Does it really bother you that you and I were friends?”

“Of course I’m concerned. Because I am careful not to engage in unpleasant fights.”

When I answered with a grin, Hermel, who had been looking at me intently, sighed and shook his head.

“Okay… . what. Because I also hate stories that end in a bad way.”

As I looked at Hermel, who was saying that and letting his sword hang down, I swallowed dry saliva.

Please, please, I don’t want everything I planned to go to waste… . I hope it’s not as bad as the worst case scenario of getting your memories back.

I took a moment to calm my stomach, which felt like it was about to burn to ashes. After what felt like an eternity, Hermel opened his mouth.

“It would be better to see it in person rather than say it in words.”

Hermel said so, took something out of his pocket and threw it.

When I received the item and checked it, it was a familiar notebook that I felt like I had seen somewhere before.

Since you said it’s better to see it in person, you’re probably telling me to read what’s written inside.

With that in mind, I opened the first page of the notebook, and as soon as I saw what was written inside, I remembered who this notebook belonged to.

“It’s Terra Earningstern’s notebook.”

“As expected, I recognized it right away. Well, it’s good that I have less to explain.”

The notebook of the royal investigator, the fetishes used by Hermel, the difficult-to-understand content that he was friends with a rare evil woman, and even Hermel’s personality.

It has become impossible to borrow the power of collective intelligence by pouring out mud, but given this much information, I can make enough inferences on my own.

“What… . Was it something like that… .”

I mumbled so softly that Hermel couldn’t hear, then immediately set the notebook on fire with a mocking smile and threw it on the floor.

Seeing Hermel looking at me with an expression asking me what to do now, I was convinced that Hermel’s memories had not returned.

With this, there was no reason to hesitate, so I smiled calmly and opened my mouth.

“Have you ever thought that what is written here is false?”

“Not an ordinary neighborhood vigilante, but an investigator directly under the royal family, why would he write a lie in his notebook?”

“Hehehe… . You are naive.”

I chuckled and continued talking, pointing to Hermel.

“Who do you think made the casting you just wrote? And, why did Earningston himself hand over the casting and not anyone else?”

It was a far-fetched lie, but now the truth is probably a good thing.

Hermel certainly thinks so too. After all, I am a villain who deserves to be killed, and Hermel is a hero who carries millions of lives on his back.

“… Now, do you want to tell me that everything went according to your plan and that it was all a lie? Everything written there?”

I didn’t want to express positivity to Hermel’s words. I did not want to deny what was written here.

So I just smiled and answered.

“… okay. What do you like? With this, there is no need to hesitate anymore.”

Neither I nor Hermel had any more hesitation.

I raised the load on my body to its limit and grabbed the halberd I had created again.

“That’s right. Now I can finally fight without feeling uncomfortable.”

My internal organs were twisted and my muscles were torn as they could not withstand the load, but thanks to the potion I had recently drunk to the point of bursting my stomach, the wounds soon recovered.

Of course, as much as the wound healed, it hurt. Now, I guess it was a good story.

“Then shall I go?”

I grinned and ran forward, swinging my halberd from top to bottom. No, now that the talent for handling weapons has disappeared, it would be more accurate to say that this is slashing rather than swinging.

The attack, which was so crude, was easily bounced off Hermel’s hand, and with a tingling sensation in my hand, I lost sight of the halberd.

“It’s not over yet!”

I immediately created a new halberd using earth magic and tried to raise the halberd from the bottom up, but the pole was stopped by Hermel’s foot.

I can’t reach it. I can’t reach it. I don’t even deserve it. Hermel’s appearance, blocking all attacks in advance or calmly blocking them, seemed to say that.

“… Wow!”

If you stab it, it will be kicked out. If you swing it, it gets blocked. All attacks are rendered ineffective by just a light swing of the sword.

The moment the attack was repelled, he couldn’t overcome the force and even rolled on the floor.

“Not yet… !”

It’s ugly. It’s ugly and helpless. Yes, this is me. This is the real me with all my skin removed. At least to Hermel, I wanted to face my true self.

As my real self, weak and nothing.

“Haaah!!”

I wanted to die for you.

It was because I selfishly wanted you to see the real me, at least for the last time.

“… … .”

“Hehe… . Are you keeping your hands inside? In the meantime, the life expectancy of citizens in the capital will only decrease, right?”

I smiled and swung the halberd, and the 48th halberd was cut in two by Hermel’s sword.

‘good… . Just a little more… .’

Having created the 49th halberd, I grinned and rushed towards Hermel.

Now I’m so out of stamina. Now it was like I was being wielded by a weapon rather than wielding it, but even so, I was able to smile with satisfaction.

Because it meant that the time to end a long story was approaching. Even as a villain, there was the fact that I could remain in your memory.

Being selfish, I was able to laugh bitterly.