Chapter 176 : Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Last Words

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍leader thought it must have hurt quite a bit, since he was in no position to control his strength, as he dragged the collapsed half-wit over and laid him on the floor.

Then ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍he looked down at the bastard, who had fallen asleep with a stupid face.

From ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the very beginning, the leader had never had any intention of running away.

Not ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍with such a good opportunity before him.

If ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍he died as leader, the half-wit would be able to live out the rest of his life without being threatened by the other orcs.

His ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍life was almost over anyway, and there was only one reason to pass the leader’s position to the half-wit.

The possibility that, perhaps, another companion might appear for the bastard who would be left alone as leader.

It was because of a small wish that one day, another idiot just like him might suddenly appear before the half-wit.

“Kkwek. Still, I thought one might appear before you die.”

The leader muttered lowly.

Back then, because some shallow desire for revenge remained in him, wanting to see the bastard suffer for once, the leader had imagined the hardships the half-wit would have to go through.

What if a bastard exactly as stupid as him was born?

Or perhaps a bastard even more stupid than him would pop out and go around causing nothing but incidents, to the point that falling off a cliff as soon as he was born would seem cute by comparison.

When he imagined the bastard looking down below, not knowing what to do, laughter burst out again.

If it were this bastard, he would panic more than the leader had, never less.

The sight of the half-wit taking care of another idiot. How funny would that have been?

But at the same time, the leader was certain.

No matter how funny it was, if it were the half-wit, he would recognize his companion faster than the leader had.

And if it were the bastard, he felt as if he could spend his life in the cave without being lonely.

Of course, he would do plenty more stupid things too.

It was almost a shame he would not be able to confirm that with his own two eyes.

But now there was no need for that anymore.

He did not know the details, but it seemed those humans were planning to destroy that black lump from which orcs were born.

If so, it meant no more orcs would be born.

It meant the bastard would not have to spend the rest of his life watching out for other orcs.

More than anything else, it meant the half-wit would not have to forget his memories.

***

I watched the half-wit collapse powerlessly.

The leader said a few short words to the unconscious half-wit, then shook off his hands without lingering attachment and rose.

There was no lingering attachment or regret on the bastard’s face as he approached me.

“Kkwek. What do I need to do now?”

The face asking calmly how he should die looked almost relieved.

“You decided to die after becoming leader?”

“Kkwek. Why? Kkwek. Did you want the half-wit to become leader?”

That was not it, but no matter how I looked at it, with the half-wit......

“Kkwek. Enough. Kkwek. Dying while keeping his memories is already enough of a cruel thing to do to that bastard.”

I had nothing in particular to say to the bastard as he muttered with a bitter face.

It was not as if I was in any position to give lofty advice to the leader.

***

I approached the center filled with black mist together with the half-wit.

“Keep this in mind. No matter what happens, you must not interfere. This is about slightly twisting the contract Sierra Abalan made, so there can be no interference from anyone else.”

When I warned Ratel at the very, very end before stepping into the mist in the center, the bastard nodded with a sickened face.

“Don’t worry, Ran. I’ll try to stop him with my life on the line.”

Ria spoke as if trying to reassure me, but her arms and legs were trembling like a sick deer’s, giving me no faith at all.

“If it’s something you have to risk your life to stop, just leave it alone. It’s obviously going to be a problem that can’t be solved with your life, and surviving is the most important thing, isn’t it?”

“I don’t intend to kill anyone.”

Just as Ratel said in a sulky voice, he probably really would not kill Ria.

But if that bastard made up his mind, Ria’s obstruction would definitely be a struggle worth less than a sparrow’s wingbeat.

There was no need to increase the number of injured for no reason.

“So what I’m saying is, you just have to not interfere in the first place. Your job is only to cut off this bastard’s neck once he fully becomes leader.”

“Kkwek. Move your finger!”

The leader slapped away my finger pointing at him, looking displeased, and moved his feet without hesitation.

I was just about to follow behind him, thinking he had a bold attitude for a bastard going off to die.

“Hey, don’t you have anything more you want to say?”

A low voice stopped the bastard.

The leader turned around and glared at Ratel, who had spoken to him.

The bastard opened and closed his mouth several times before pressing his lips shut.

How much time has passed?

At last, the leader’s final words flowed from his mouth.

“......Kkwek. When the half-wit wakes up, don’t touch him. Just let him go. Kkwek. He may be a little stupid, but he’ll find his own way to live soon enough.”

“......All right.”

At Ratel’s answer, which came one beat late, the leader shut his mouth again and turned back around.

Holding Sierra’s Sword in one hand, I moved away from the bastard and Ria, who were watching me and the leader with heavy faces.

To do what I could do.

***

When I had been an orc, I had been in too much of a hurry to feel it, but walking through the black mist was not as unpleasant as I had expected.

If anything, entrusting my body to the warm mist felt so comfortable that it was almost as if I had become part of the black floating particles.

That did not mean I intended to stay here forever.

“Kkwek. Hey, tell me now. Kkwek. How exactly are you going to return me to being a leader? Kkwek. You had better not say now that everything was a lie.”

Perhaps noticing that I was thinking useless thoughts, the leader called me to a stop in a fierce voice.

After walking a few more steps and reaching the place where the mist in the center had begun to clump, I thrust Sierra’s Sword into the middle of it.

The leader, who had been examining the sword stuck through the mist and into the floor, turned his tense eyes back toward me.

“Kkwek. What is this supposed to do? Kkwek. Nothing is happening.”

“Of course. I haven’t done anything yet. Returning you to the leader, strictly speaking, means making you one of the conditions of the contract.”

The leader watched what I did with a face that said he did not understand at all.

“But since I can’t break the original contract with my power, I’m going to twist it slightly. Don’t just stand there like that. Sit. How long are you going to keep looking down?”

At my urging, the leader, still wearing a confused face, awkwardly took a seat.

After confirming that the bastard had sat down, I reached toward Sierra’s Sword, which I had stuck into the floor, and gripped the blade.

“Kkwek!! What are you doing?!”

“I told you. I’m going to twist the contract a little.”

After answering half-heartedly, I watched as my blood ran down the sword and pooled on the floor.

The effect appeared immediately.

A small light began spreading from the floor touched by blood.

It probably meant that even a half-baked prince had the qualifications to participate in the contract after all.

Well, if I had not been qualified in the first place, I would not have heard that voice urging me to keep the promise from the beginning.

What Sierra’s curse-like contract had demanded of me all along was simple.

It meant the answer this power wanted had been decided from the beginning.

Holding onto the sword, I slowly opened my mouth.

“I’ve come to keep the promise.”

Spitting out the one sentence I had avoided somehow until now was easy.

The problem always came from taking responsibility for the words one had spoken and handling what followed.

The moment I finished the sentence, hot energy began spreading through my entire body, starting from my hand.

The heat grew stronger to the point that I wondered if my whole body would burn away.

My body temperature rose without end, and it felt as if even my head was sizzling and cooking.

Struggling not to lose consciousness, I reached my hand toward the leader, who was looking around with a tense face.

Then I wrapped my hand around the bastard’s neck.

Perhaps he felt the same burning sensation I did, because the leader flinched.

That did not mean he avoided my hand.

I knew the bastard had made his own resolve too.

It meant he was aware that he would have to offer up his life as the price for this.

He had not completely shed his fear, but his firm eyes told me that much.

All of this was probably for the half-wit.

It was a situation I had never imagined when I had only read the original work.

An orc offering up his life for his companion.

Whatever the case, all I had to do was make the bastard leader again according to the original plan.

In my head, I knew that anything else was worthless meddling.

Even so, useless words slipped out of my mouth, probably because the heat was boiling inside me.

My head was hot, and even in this heat, the orc before my eyes was trembling.

“The half-wit will live well even without you.”

At the nonsense that slipped out before I knew it, the leader blinked.

Then the fearful look disappeared from the leader’s face.

I pretended not to notice the faint smile cast over the bastard’s face and waited for everything to end.

***

By the time the light and heat slowly cooled, the leader had lost consciousness and collapsed.

I had nothing left but consciousness, and utterly exhausted, I sank down a short distance away from the leader and gasped for breath.

Once my head regained a proper temperature and began working again, my surroundings started entering my eyes.

The black mist surrounding us was slowly fading.

Did this mean it succeeded?

It was just as El had taught me.

What came to mind together with the bastard’s arrogant face was his equally arrogant voice.

-Once a contract that has been made is twisted, the curse will weaken as well. In that opening, if you cut off the leader’s neck and destroy the holy object, you will be able to save the Piteos child.

Seeing as the curse was weakening just as the bastard had said, it seemed he had not lied after all.

Now all that remained was cutting off the leader’s neck?

When I rose while holding Sierra’s Sword, I could faintly see Ratel and Ria outside the mist.

Both of them had carried out my instruction not to interfere so faithfully that they had not even taken a single step inside the boundary created by the black mist.

“Ran! Can we go in now?”

Ria asked while pointing at the black mist spread over the floor.

Both of them were probably waiting to come in the moment my permission fell.

Ratel did not say anything in particular, but the bastard’s eyes were turned toward the unconscious leader.

Because he probably knew it was time to cut off the leader’s neck too.

I knew it would be right to answer that they could come in now.

But instead of calling the two of them, I pulled out Sierra’s Sword, which had been supporting my body.

Because I had not come here to do the right thing.

The one who reacted first to that ordinary, if ordinary, action was Ratel.

“You crazy bastard......!”

And quite violently at that.

The bastard, who had been approaching as if he would strike me at any moment, could not take more than a few steps before he had to stop where he stood.

To be precise, it was more accurate to say he was pushed back, unable to approach past a certain distance.

Perhaps shocked that he had been pushed back without being able to do anything while caught off guard, the bastard’s eyes widened.

“It would be better if you stayed where you are. The more you try to force your way in, the more violently it will push you away.”

I had heard it was originally a spell created to prevent interference while the contract was proceeding.

Though how the bastard who taught me knew that in such detail was something to argue about later.

Ratel’s attempts to ignore my warning and enter all ended in failure.

Thanks to that, Ratel’s fierce aura grew even more intense.

“How did you do this? Hurry up and undo it!”

The bastard shouted, but barking at me would not change anything.

Because I did not know how to undo it either.

Once the curse completely disappeared, it would probably be undone then.

Until that happened, I simply had to do something that was not right.

I raised Sierra’s Sword high.

My target was the neck of the leader before my eyes.