631 – 8. Will (5)
Tak, tak.
The sound of a cane hitting the ground rang out periodically. I was moving rather slowly, matching the stride of the one-legged woman.
This is inside a spacious building.
After Alpenhauser’s golden fortress was burned down, Siene moved her office to an old temple located in the corner of the academy. It was a place where victims of vampires were gathered not long ago.
There were several reasons why Siene-senpai chose this place.
Security first.
Since long ago, temples have been one of the most important facilities. It was also a religiously sacred building, and it was a place dedicated to the treatment of the sick.
So naturally, the ability to repel intruders is bound to be excellent.
It was the same no matter how many years passed. Numerous traces of barriers still remain on the site of the old temple, and the Alpenhauser family spent an astronomical amount of money to revive the crime prevention barrier here.
It was a miracle that was accomplished in just two days. It must be a magic that only Alpenhauser’s gold can wield.
Nevertheless, Siene-senpai was still sticking to his nervous attitude.
Well, it was well worth it. Because even that ‘Golden Fortress’ wouldn’t be able to block an opponent who couldn’t be stopped with a barrier that was made hastily.
Still, Siene-senpai had no choice.
There were few spaces that could accommodate dozens of critically ill patients.
This was the second reason Siene-senpai moved her office to the site of the old temple.
“Because no one has come to their senses yet?”
“Don’t you know when you see it?”
Returning to my innocent question was an irritating question.
She used to be picky, but after losing her arms and legs, Siene-senpai has become a more sensitive woman. It was understandable that the burns that burned half of her face skin were endlessly sore.
But I also have a complicated mind.
That’s why I couldn’t show off on my own. I calmed down her slight displeasure and calmly waited for Shiene-senpai’s next words.
She leaned on her staff and glanced around me. Everywhere you look, there are only knights lying down and moaning.
The only ones who could open their eyes and move were the priests who nursed the sick.
“I am bizarrely out of my mind. The wounds are constantly adding up, and sometimes the fire is rekindled at the burned area… To be honest, it’s difficult. And everyone is suffering from strange hallucinations…….”
“You mean hallucinations?”
“My body is melting, or my whole body is on fire. It sounds like drool talk, so I can’t tell it apart clearly.”
Hmm, I salivated and listened more to the moaning of the patients.
“Please… No, my body is melting… Save me…….”
“aaagh! Hot, hot!”
There were quite a few of them who would scream like a seizure from time to time. What scenes are they seeing in their dreams?
Are you looking at Celine?
Surely Celine did such a cruel thing?
I was about to moan from a chronic headache.
“There were also rumors that the soul might have been stolen.”
“A soul?”
My words naturally rose at the sudden guess. Siene-senpai continued her explanation as she leaned on her cane once more.
“Soul and body have a strong connection. So it seems that there are cases where the body reacts to the soul that is far away even after the two souls are taken away.”
“Then the hallucinations they are seeing…… ?”
“It must be the scenery the soul sees. Burning, melting… I don’t know where the hell they’re stuck.”
It was an ominous story.
The soul was a more valuable material than the body. Right now, there were countless things that one person’s soul could do.
However, dozens of souls of talented people like this?
The souls of knights and wizards who have trained their imagery were highly valued as sacrifices, incomparable to common people. Even compared to hundreds of orphans, those dozen souls could get a higher price.
Where the hell to write?
Even when I was in trouble, Siene-senpai didn’t give up on his unique unassuming tone.
“Of course, this is just a hypothesis. But if the claim is true… You know, Sir Hatchet? For the sake of humanity, you have no choice but to be patient with your childhood friend… Oh!”
A momentary mistake.
Having lost one of her eyes, the woman’s field of vision must have been somewhat narrowed. The loss of one of her arms and one of her legs must have caused a crack in her sense of balance.
Her cane slipped and the woman’s body naturally leaned forward. If left as it is, her future rolling on the floor will be inevitable.
Of course, I didn’t have to worry about that as long as I was by her side.
My hand grabbed the woman’s only arm at once. Soon the woman regained her equilibrium, and her startled gaze turned to me.
I asked as if it was nothing special.
“Can I help you?”
Then, thump.
Siene-senpai’s slender arm shook my hand. I couldn’t help but be puzzled by the unexpectedly harsh response.
But the very next moment.
“Blood, I don’t need it… ….”
Her trembling tone and body, and her eyes, which lost their way and hurriedly avoided my gaze, were engraved in her field of vision.
Like a young wild animal afraid of being touched.
It was a response that only a human whose fear had dug deep into his spinal cord could show.
I had no choice but to remain silent for a moment. No way, I didn’t know that a woman who was so confident could show such a weak face.
On the other hand, I also had ominous thoughts.
Was Celine’s hand so cruel? No matter how deep the grudge is, the Celine I know will never…….
At that point, I turned my head away without saying anything. It was a last courtesy to a woman soaked in nightmares to the point of being miserable.
To be honest, it wasn’t my business to know what Shiene-senpai was going through. However, the fact that my childhood friend may have made her that way is only holding her back.
My throat deliberately vomited a harmless tone.
“As you say.”
A step with an indifferent attitude.
Then Siene-senpai looked at her for a while, and then she followed me, taking frequent steps. She had only one leg, though, so her cane had to chug instead of the other leg.
The end of the walk was fixed.
In the deepest part of the building, there was a sleeping princess lying there.
Skin as white as a freshly painted wall, hair that was so white that it was pale. In addition, the gently closed eyelids made it seem as if this woman was waiting for her play.
A play waiting for a prince to save itself.
How nice it would be if I could wake up with a kiss.
The main character of this tragedy was Luna Alpenhauser, none other than Siene senior’s twin sister.
Senior Siene was silent for a while before her younger sister. I, too, stayed silent for a while, and then sneakily brought up the topic because it was strange to see senior Luna who didn’t groan.
“…… Did Alpenhauser lead?”
A hazy, silvery pupil sneaks towards me. As if trying to read the intent of the question.
It was a painful gaze. Nonetheless, I had to ask.
Because I didn’t have much time.
“The downfall of House Hastur. In fact, because of that, Celine…….”
“Not us.”
That was an overly flat statement.
So I didn’t notice the weight of the testimony for a moment and had to slightly frown. What the hell is this woman talking about?
Nevertheless, Siene continued her testimony without wavering.
“To be precise, it must be said that it was led by a certain faction, not by Alpenhauser. You know? That the five noble families of the empire had to line up behind the heir to the throne early on…….”
It was as he said.
The heirs of the five major families of the empire are actually decided by the next emperor. The only beings who could be free from this were those who had overwhelming legitimacy in the matter of lineage, like Delphine.
However, the society of high-ranking nobles is a society of infinite competition.
Of course, cases with so few descendants were bound to be rare. This was the reason why there was no choice but to have a quarrel between the succession structure.
Perhaps Alpenhauser is the same.
Including senior Siene, numerous enemies were supposed to be competing. While serving their respective masters, exerting their abilities to the fullest.
I already knew Siene-senpai’s master.
“Like your senior stood behind Princess Iris?”
“Hmm, that’s right. However, from a long time ago, there was a competition for the successor position in the imperial family.”
Shiene-senpai said that while bursting into laughter.
“At the time, I wasn’t mature enough to say no to it. Isn’t it? I was only born 3 years earlier than you… Nevertheless, it is true that there was a connection with the forces that pushed for the destruction of the Hastur family at the time.”
“Who is that?”
“My lord.”
In other words, it meant that the second princess, Princess Iris, led this.
A sudden laugh erupted from Siene-senpai’s mouth as he calmly reported the fact.
They said that my appearance was ridiculous.
“Keuk-kuk, so shouldn’t you accept the punishment as a servant? Just, just… I am also human after all, so I have these thoughts.”
It was the first time I heard the truth.
Is it because he was mentally pushed to the limit? Or, she might have missed the warmth of her hand that held her for a moment.
However, Siene-senpai secretly avoided my gaze and confessed.
From noble mtl dot com
“Is this my sin?”
Of course.
You were born under the blessing of your family, and were you not successful in the name of your family?
So, of course, even the stigma of the family is your responsibility.
I wanted to say it, but how could I possibly do that when I saw that the bandage covering half of my face was soaking wet.
After hesitating for a while, I got back to the main topic.
“Please be the bait.”
The woman said nothing. She just bit her lip once.
“Actually, I don’t have much time. Please help me at least once persuasion.”
“What if it fails?”
“I will not fail.”
With strong conviction, I affirmed that.
“Even if I fail, I will succeed one day. Because that is who I am.”
“Shall I be honest? I want to avenge my enemies. It’s not that I want to save anyone.”
“Whether or not you will have to cooperate.”
At the strong tone, the woman burst into laughter.
Missing arms and legs, eyes and faces.
With that in mind, my suggestion was nonsense. Therefore, it was inevitable for Siene-senpai to raise her voice.
“Sir Hatchet, do you still not understand? Because of your childhood friend, I’m destined to live without seeing your face for the rest of my life…… !”
“Burns are a kind of curse. Because that is the only wound that cannot be healed with divine power.”
The opponent is speechless. I took advantage of this opportunity to continue talking.
“If you help me, I will do my best. Even if it’s not complete. Your burns, your scars…….”
“Isn’t that your fault?”
“Even if not.”
Siene-senpai didn’t answer for a while.
Just shaking her body, opening and closing her lips over and over again.
At the end, he only said one word with ferocious eyes.
“…… Crazy bastard.”
The woman said in a voice that could feel the subtle heat.
“Okay, do whatever you want. A sick body anyway… I will be your toy as you please.”
And two days later.
As always, Celine carried out the raid.
It’s just that they weren’t part of the Alpenhauser family.
“Princess Iris is in critical condition!”
Yes.
My childhood friend was not aiming at the Alpenhauser family. The assault on the Golden Fortress was merely a prelude to revenge.
Selene was trying to burn down the imperial family.
That too seriously.