Chapter 229

Chapter 229: The True Role (4)

While ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Naria was wrecking the one knight who was slow to assess the situation, Alec’s heart was being wrecked as he was surrounded by the humans of the village.

“Alec, ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍what are you doing right now? Why are you blocking the front?”

“It’s ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍dangerous to gather like this at this hour. Everyone, return to your places.”

Alec ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍broke out in cold sweat as he tried to calm the people questioning him.

But ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍it had little effect.

Because ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍everyone’s eyes had gone wild at the fact that something had happened to the one and only substitute for the Temple.

“I said we’ll only check! Someone saw Archie go inside. If something happens inside, we can’t just stay like this!”

When someone raised their voice, several others who agreed also began speaking up.

Thanks to that, Alec felt his head become soaked through with cold sweat.

Even as it was, this was already enough of a commotion.

If it grew any louder, the Werewolves in the village would gather, and it was obvious that a truly irreversible situation would unfold.

“I’m telling you, nothing happened.”

Alec tried hard to make an excuse, but even he admitted it had no credibility.

If nothing had truly happened, there would be no reason for him to block them like this, and besides, the tent where the underground passage was hidden was fluttering in a way anyone could see was ominous.

With an eerie movement that did not suit weather without even a single breeze.

“Are you joking with me right now?!”

In the end, the enraged people shouted.

Alec anxiously looked around, checking whether the other Werewolves were gathering.

He did not want to die here.

If he died meaninglessly like this, then who would save Naria?

Angry faces thrust themselves before his eyes, which were on the verge of spasming from moving so busily.

“I don’t know what you’re hiding, but if you don’t want to commit any more sins, come out right now!”

At the people’s urging, Alec thought that his heart might finally have failed to withstand the tension and stopped.

His head turned white from tension pushed to the extreme, and his mouth moved on its own.

“Do you not trust me?”

Alec himself was surprised by his voice, which came out louder and clearer than he had expected.

He had thought it would tremble much more miserably.

But he was even more surprised by his shameless persuasion that followed.

“Are you saying that I have betrayed god?”

Lies he normally would never have dared put in his mouth flowed out smoothly, and his chest chilled with guilt.

Though the moment he realized he was using the exact same method the bastard underground had used on him, his irritation brought his temperature back.

Several people who knew him as quite a devout believer hesitated, unable to carelessly add anything.

The problem was everyone except those several people.

“It’s not impossible. You seemed pretty attached to that Werewolf, didn’t you? How do we know who you betrayed?”

At the mocking voice, Alec felt the shock of his heart, which seemed to have stopped for a moment, dropping to the floor.

Something he could not tell was guilt or anger clung thickly and seemed to block his mouth.

Between Alec, who could not say anything, and the humans, someone cut through the heavy air and joined the conversation.

“Well, look at this. What are humans gathering at this hour to plot?”

But this brought Alec greater despair.

“You were all so obedient, and now have you all gone collectively mad?”

Unlike the suspicion in the words, there was laughter in the voice that could not be hidden.

Alec swallowed a groan when he discovered the pack of Werewolves slowly gathering.

They were the gang that had gone around with Mona.

They were probably the ones joining Mona’s plan.

Alec bit the inside of his cheek and tried to think of a way to break through the situation, but only one sentence came to mind.

It was too late.

They were the ones who had planned to sweep away the humans together with Archie anyway.

He could not be certain how reluctant they would be about moving the plan up by one night.

“Where is Archie?”

As if reading the mind of Alec, who was swallowing dry saliva and watching their reactions, one Werewolf asked while looking around with gleaming eyes.

“I-I don’t know.”

Someone standing beside Alec quickly answered.

It was probably a reflexive lie, but Alec regretted not stopping that foolish choice earlier.

Because he had a feeling that the clumsy lie would immediately reveal its bottom.

“Lies, are they? I heard you bastards whispering among yourselves earlier that Archie went inside here.”

Naturally, the Werewolf already knew Archie had visited this place.

What he wanted to know was why Archie still had not revealed himself, and whether the reason he could not come out would also become a reason to attack him.

Moreover, that answer from just now clearly seemed certain to work quite disadvantageously against the humans gathered in one place.

It was ridiculous.

The one who had captured and confined the humans here was Archie, yet when a situation like this came, the one they had to rely on was that very Archie.

Alec clenched his teeth at the cruel smiles appearing on the faces of the Werewolves surrounding the humans.

He could not die obediently, so he intended to resist as fiercely as possible.

If they were lucky, at least one person might be able to get outside.

It would be even better if that one person is me.

As Alec moved his eyes around the ground, searching for something that could be used as a weapon, he was startled by someone’s shadow falling across the floor and looked forward again.

At some point, someone had approached and blocked the way before him.

“Have you forgotten Archie’s order? He said not to kill the humans.”

Alec looked at the male Werewolf standing in front of him.

It was a familiar face.

How many times had Alec gone in and out of his tent while avoiding his eyes in order to offer prayers to god? If he did not know that face, then at least one of two things, either his head or his eyes, had a problem.

But Alec’s head was perfectly fine, so he could not stop all sorts of questions from surfacing.

Why was this man so calm even though something strange had happened in his own tent? Why was he instead blocking his comrade in front of humans? And had he truly not noticed from the beginning that his house was being used as the humans’ hideout?

***

During the sensation of not knowing whether I was walking through the darkness or floating in it, the voices of the two people whose faces I did not know kept being heard.

That did not mean the conversation between the two was long.

It was only that conversations that must have happened at different times were stretched out at length.

It was like listening to recorded audio files lined up one after another.

Most of the time, after exchanging a few short questions and answers or pointless jokes, a new conversation soon began again.

Sometimes the contents were meaningless, and at other times, they contained information useful to me.

Though most of them shared the common point that the low voice, probably the previous leader, would end by losing his temper at the person presumed to be Sierra Abalan.

If the Werewolf picked a pointless quarrel, the man called Sierra would say something that scraped at the Werewolf’s nerves, and in the end, the leader would get angry.

As that series of events repeated, I realized that Sierra Abalan was not particularly speaking with malice.

For example, to the leader’s sneer, “Seeing how often you come here, you must be uneasy about this matter too,” Sierra would honestly answer, “You are weak and may die at any time, so I merely come often.”

Then the conversation would end with the offended leader making a furious fuss.

Judging from the sounds I heard, I could only guess that one of the two had probably left.

That did not mean their relationship seemed that bad.

If I had to choose between bad or good, it was a relationship where, after long consideration, I would reluctantly choose good.

The record of conversations between the two, awkwardly close for people who were merely meeting for a contract, seemed to be gradually racing toward its end.

-It is finally tomorrow. After causing something this absurd, you are idling around here?

This time too, the conversation began with the leader speaking first.

-I do not have the leisure, so I stopped by for a final check. I loudly told someone not to worry.

I could feel that the answering voice, unlike until now, could not hide its tension.

If I could even know it from a voice of the past, there was no way the leader standing before him at that moment had failed to notice.

-The humans who praise you as a god would be shocked out of their minds if they saw this. If you are this anxious, then what are we, who trusted you and entrusted everything to you, supposed to be?

A quarrelsome tone came through, unclear whether it was meant to ease the tension or pick a fight.

-Speak properly. When did you ever trust me? You are the one who tormented me, saying you would confirm whether the contract was being carried out properly. Even the orcs were not as anxious as you.

It seemed he had merely listed the facts as they were, but this time too, it must have grated on the leader’s nerves.

Considering how clearly the sound of grinding teeth could be heard in the darkness.

-Those bastards only have enough in their heads to think about what to eat tomorrow! What I am asking is what you are so anxious about.

At the leader’s temper, Sierra let out a weak “Ah.”

-It is not anxiety, but anticipation. Starting tomorrow, it will be no different from being born anew, so it is impossible not to be tense.

At that honesty, which revealed his feelings without shame, the leader seemed to lose even the strength to get angry.

-Are you not afraid?

After a short sigh, the leader’s voice could be heard, somewhat softened.

-What is there to fear? It is something I have wished for until now.

-......I truly cannot understand you even when I think I do. Why are you doing this when you possess such power......

Sierra’s calm answer, the leader’s drained mutter, and a short silence followed.

-Stop by once everything is over. Then you will not have to come in secret like this. The others will no longer be afraid of you either.

Breaking through the awkward air, the leader offered an invitation more awkward than the silence.

It was probably goodwill in his own way, or light comfort.

But the problem was that the other party was far too insensitive to notice that courage.

-It would not be the moment everything ends, but the moment everything begins.

When Sierra Abalan pointed out his error, the leader let out an even bigger sigh.

-You are being unpleasant to the very end. Fine, do whatever you want. Once the contract ends, you will no longer have time to waste either.

As if he had expected nothing from the start, the leader spoke.

With the sound of the leader clicking his tongue as the last note, I thought this conversation had ended.

But one beat late, a slightly quieter voice followed.

-I will think about it.

Perhaps the leader had not expected an answer either, because silence came for a moment.

But soon, I heard him burst into a small laugh.

-At times like this, just say you will come. It does not matter if you are a little late.

-One should not make promises one cannot keep.

After that firm answer, the leader’s dissatisfied mutter slowly grew smaller.

No more sound could be heard.

Is it really all over now?

It seemed there were no more memories left.

It looked like this was as far as the memories I could eavesdrop on without the holy object went.

Then there was no need to stay trapped in this darkness any longer.

It was the moment I put strength into the body floating in the darkness in order to go outside.

Someone roughly snatched the back of my neck.

At the merciless strength that made resistance meaningless, I was helplessly dragged upward.

While I thought that lately, there were too many bastards lifting me like a sack of grain, the darkness spat me out and my vision opened.

Though even then, it did not change the fact that I was still in darkness where it was hard to distinguish even one proper object.

But there was one thing shining through this darkness.

No, saying one pair would be more accurate.

And saying flashing rather than shining would be more appropriate.

The owner of those flashing eyes was glaring at me while breathing roughly from anger.

“It seems that even if your appearance is a little different, you cannot help being Imperial Family after all. Do you truly think you have become some god? Is life that light to you?”

As I quietly stared at Archie, who questioned me harshly, I slowly opened my mouth.

“Is that really something you should say? If we are weighing and playing with lives, you are worse than me, if anything. You are certainly not better.”

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