Sairin Yuusha no Fukushuu Hanashi

Lesson 10: Scared of the Darkness

Olivia Eliestille is dead.

He died in despair, devouring his whole body by a toothworm and crying out in its pain.

All that remains in the cage are massive traces of blood and scattered Olivia clothing and ornaments.

After I saw Olivia's death, I erased the trail we came here and circled.

Olivia was conducting a tough experiment with demons.

The experiment resulted in the death of many villagers.

Ultimately, Olivia was eaten by demons and died in an experimental accident.

Probably would be that kind of muscle writing.

Later, Karen is supposed to clean it up for me.

Olivia was screaming about wanting to be recognized, etc., but if it stayed this way, she would be known to the world as the worst criminal.

"... gash"

We explored the basement, but Gash's remains were nowhere to be found.

I guess it's already been disposed of.

Why would that good man have to die like this?

I remember what Olivia was delighted to say and it makes my chest sick.

"Shit......"

... Will Karen be able to accept the death of her parents?

Thanks to Elfi's driving, you didn't hear that story.

Still, it would tell you that your father is dead.

Similar to his father, he thought about the inhabitants, and he worked desperately hard, Karen.

I can't believe this is the end I've been waiting for before.

"Shit...!"

It was possible to find only a few traces of blood and parts of the body that appeared to belong to other inhabitants during the exploration and before disposition.

He's right, a lot of people must have been sacrificed.

If he dies, he becomes the solitude of the living.

I pray that the unusual and tragic end of the road that that woman welcomed will be a little bit of comfort to them.

That's the only thing I can do.

In his exploration, he also discovered a report on brainwashing magic that Olivia had compiled.

Simple orders (orders) can make you obey even for a short time.

If you take the time to brainwash it, you can also make it complicated, as you did to Jean.

Olivia alone couldn't keep more than one order (order) at the same time, so she was using the power of the ring.

Looks like this ring is mine too.

They can also drive their senses crazy, depending on their magic power, even outside of brainwashing.

"... to brainwash, drive the other person's senses crazy,"

I had a crude understanding of the outline of brainwashing magic.

I took it directly from Olivia, and I generally know how to exercise it.

Sounds like you could use it for revenge.

"... this is the third person"

Marwin Johannes.

Bertoga.

Olivia Eliestille.

I avenged the traitors who had lived on their own.

Dropped to despair, made me regret my work, made me sincerely apologize, and killed him on top of it.

But not yet.

There are still many traitors.

You can't be stopping here.

That was when I completely erased the traces I was in and tried to put the basement behind me.

"- Who!"

I felt my gaze inadvertently from behind and looked back in momentum.

There shouldn't be anyone in the basement.

Did someone come down from the mansion to the basement?

The question quickly became clear to me that it was a mistake to look back at what was ahead.

――……

corner of the room.

One eyeball floated in the darkness of a dim basement.

It consists of water, with occasional pockets and bubbles born inside the eyeball.

Eye and gaze fit.

Inorganic eyeballs made of water.

That's the moment your gaze intersects, with Gugnali.

Distorted into the form of a "grin" that scared me to run.

――――

At the next moment, the blister was allowed to play and the eyeball disappeared.

…………

That's magic.

Someone produced those eyeballs and was looking at me.

Who the hell...?

I'll check where the eyeballs were earlier, but there's no residue of magic.

We don't know who he is, but we need to be vigilant.

Feeling an unpleasant object, he left behind the basement where no one was.

◆

By the time I got back to Karen's mansion, the sun was tilting.

Given that I got into Olivia's late at night, it's going to be more than half a day.

I didn't feel anything until then, but when I found out about the elapsed time, fatigue pushed me as fast as I could.

"You were late."

In front of the mansion, Elfi was waiting.

"Oh......"

"How'd it go?"

"I'm done. It'll be enough to pay off."

"... did you kill him normally?

"Oh, I didn't do anything unusual. Instead, I did it using a sustained potion to avoid suffering."

"... it's still hard to remember."

"It's certainly the end of the line that that woman deserves," Elfi nodded, as she reached understanding and looked at her face as if she had imagined the sight.

Then I also explained the water eyeballs I saw in the basement.

"Someone seems to have been monitoring events in the basement with remote magic."

Or "You or Me."

Or both, huh?

"The art of flying the eyeball and asking how things are farther away is not something that anyone can do. If I were an Ortegian superior demon, I'd be able to make up my body and do that."

"Superior Demon Clan or Arm Standing Mage..."

An assassin from the Demon King's Army was asking about this trend.

Or "The Selector" - the magician of the kingdom?

"Either way, it must be a nasty opponent, for once, stay alert"

"I understand. I'll keep an eye out for any watchmen."

We've already broken through two labyrinths.

So far, I've never encountered a chaser, but it's not strange whenever he gets raided.

If we stay active, it would be only a matter of time before the area around Lewsas shows up as "wow, Amatsuki".

"So... what's happened to the Mansion since then? Do brainwashed people look okay?"

"Nothing's wrong. Guys like Jean and other servants are normal."

Apparently, at the same time as the ring was deactivated, the brainwashing of the Jeans was also unraveling.

"Don't you have any sequelae?"

"Oh. I saw things with my demonic eyes, but no one was coming to the brain or magic weird"

"Right. That would have been nice."

"Some people have vague memories of the last few days, but that's about it"

Nothing else seems to have any sequelae.

For one thing, I would have said a paragraph about brainwashing.

The problem is, Karen.

"How's Karen?"

That's all that happened.

It's not strange to be disturbed.

But Elfi said with a harsh look.

"I woke up in about two hours after I stunned him... nothing particularly unusual"

"Nothing unusual...?"

My parents are dead, huh?

"Without a single night's sleep, we'll be watching the servants and preparing for the end."

"It's..."

Karen doesn't have to be strong.

I know that in one case at Imperial Castle.

She's just acting like a normal woman.

How can that poke at that brutal reality and not change anything from normal?

"For one thing, we're going into the mansion. I can see how that girl is doing in person."

"... oh yeah"

Open the door and enter the mansion.

As soon as I came in, one servant called me.

"Welcome back, Master Io. Master Karen is waiting for you."

Looks like Karen told me to come to my room.

Reply and head straight to Karen's room.

The servant, supposedly brainwashed, seemed to be resting just in case, quiet inside.

Only a few of them work, including an earlier servant.

I walked down a quiet hallway and came all the way to Karen's room.

It still seems to be awake, and from inside I hear the sound of running a brush.

"... Karen. We're back."

When you call, the sound stops.

Karen replied and the door opened immediately.

"Mr. Io! Are you hurt?!?"

Karen, who came out, was dressed in loose clothes that looked like room clothes.

When you saw my face, you rang to take this one into account.

Its voice color, appearance and expression, as Elfi puts it, do seem to have the same vibe as she did until then.

"... it's okay"

"You're safe and above all...!"

When she showed that there were no injuries, Karen gave a relief look.

"From then on, Mr. Elfi told me. You two saved me from being attacked by demons and passed out... I was worried when I heard that there was one Io left."

Meet Elfi in the back of his mouth, and Karen is supposed to have passed out because of the demon.

That story of Olivia, I don't want Karen to know.

"Yes. I cleaned up the demons on my side. It's just... Olivia must have failed her brainwashing magic. The demon that was manipulating me attacked me..."

"Really?"

Only for a moment, Karen quickly returned to her usual expression of something that slightly darkened her expression.

"Then... you must report this incident to Your Majesty. We also have to go and see how things go about the labyrinth...... We need to get to it right away."

"… now?"

"Oh...... sorry. We'll make sure you get your rewards."

"I haven't forgotten...!" said Karen with a grin to tear it up.

... No.

"I hear you haven't slept a single night since. Why don't you take a break, Karen?"

Karen shook her head and replied to the words.

"We have a lot to do. I don't have time to rest at a time like this."

"... but"

"I'm fine. Instead, Io fought the demons, didn't he? It's Mr. Io who needs rest."

Karen never nodded when I was okay.

So the conversation was cut off, and Karen went back to her room.

Me and Elfi were told, "Tell your servant if anything happens," and we just have to leave the place.

"It would be useless to say anything more.... now I just have to be alone"

"... oh yeah"

"Well...... that girl's words make sense too. Itsuki's a little tired, isn't she? Why don't you take a break?"

I do feel tired.

I try to stay active without getting long sleep, but should I rest when I can rest?

I asked my servant to take a light meal before returning to my room with Elfi.

Roll into bed and look up at the ceiling.

What comes to mind is Karen's expression as usual.

"As usual......"

There's no way I can stay calm.

…………

By Olivia, many sacrifices were made.

Those who find out about it will grieve.

I'm sure many people will cry.

Even Karen would have...

- A lot of crying faces.

"-"

Noise ran into my sight.

Someone is standing in a sandstorm spreading on one side.

"... ku,"

The testimony of the brave man on his right arm is emitting a fever.

Reduce the back of your hand and indulge in its heat.

"... Iori?"

How many seconds have passed?

The consciousness returned with Elfi's surprising voice sitting on the next bed.

Vision returns to normal, and the heat of the certificate subsides.

"What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing"

... Are you getting tired?

For one thing, get some rest.

Decide so, meditate your eyes.

Then my consciousness fell and I fell asleep immediately.

◆

Heh, and I woke up.

A peek into the gaps in the curtains made it dark outside.

It's night already.

The lights in the room are brilliant, even though it's night.

Speaking of which, I always feel like the lights were on when I woke up in the morning while I was staying in this mansion.

It would be Elfi's fault.

"Sooo... sooo..."

Elfi is asleep in the next bed resting.

"Totally......"

I woke up and turned off the lights in the room.

It's not electricity, it's magic, it's lighting up.

Leaving it on won't make consuming magic stupid either.

Don't turn off the lights, he said something like that, but he doesn't go either.

My body is alright, but my head is a little fluffy.

Maybe you're more mentally tired than physically.

I'm still sleepy, and you want to sleep another night?

Yawn and lie in bed.

It was in a darkened room, when I tried to fall asleep again.

――――!!

Gabba and Elfi arose momentum and body.

He looks around on the bed, exhaling rough breaths.

Then I tremble and hold my body with both hands.

"I don't like it... I don't like it. It's dark... already."

"... elphi?"

"... alone, don't"

I got out of bed and Elfi turned to me.

Something's wrong.

"Vagina... Iori"

To the fine Elfi voice, I get my body out of bed, too.

"Itsuki no..."

"... what's up"

When I replied, I heard Elfi exhale in relief.

Then, Elfi lights up again.

"... don't turn off the lights, I told you"

When Elfi sat in the abyss of my bed, he stared at me.

"... are you afraid of the dark?"

Speaking of which, I kept the bonfire from going out every night during my journey, and I feel like I was showing such a bare look in Marwin's basement.

"No. I just hate being alone in the dark and quiet"

... Aren't you afraid to call that dark?

"I told you before...... It was dark in the seal, and there was no sound or light."

"... oh"

"After I went outside the seal... I couldn't be alone in a quiet, dark place. My body trembles and my breathing gets rough"

"You... so turn on the lights..."

"... I'm sorry I didn't explain it properly"

Eyes down, Elfi said to mock himself.

I'm sorry, but I asked you not to turn off the lights.

"... bad. I didn't even notice."

I'm sorry to be with you for so long.

"Good. But... if you think it's bad, don't turn off the lights... talk to me about something until I'm sleepy. I woke up."