Chapter 116
I pointed at the back of the fallen Duke .
[Eve . ]
[Umu . ]
[You may be wanting to hear the Duke begging for his life, but please keep it as brief as possible . ]
Eve didn’t reply immediately .
I temporarily stopped counting the corpses on the ground and said,
[If you don’t like to do it, I’ll—]
[No . ]
Eve opens her mouth .
[Let me do this myself . ]
[Alright . Just come find me after you’re done . ]
Nodding towards me once, Eve stands before the Duke .
And in her hand, she’s holding a sword .
I went back to counting the number of corpses on the ground .
[Nuuuoooohhh… Guuhhhggiiiigggiiiii… Hiiii… . Hiiiiiiiii…]
Finally, the Duke couldn’t escape from reality anymore .
I could see it from behind him .
The Duke’s fear .
[I think it might have been better for you if you can’t speak . That way, I don’t have to be worried that I would be deceived again by your words… I’m just a simple person, afterall . ]
Eve’s voice stops .
Her voice was as cold as ice .
[I think that if you managed to deceive me now, it’s possible that I might have some feelings that would suddenly gush up within me and I might suddenly find myself forgiving you . However… Reaching your hand towards that child is a bad move . ]
[Giiguuuuuhhh… Guuuhhhhh… . ]
[Even if you shed tears, I will not be fooled anymore . ]
[Giigiiigiiiiiiiiii…… . . ]
[Farewell . ]
A short, low scream is all that’s left of him in the end .
I think back to the final words Eve said .
If you were to think about it normally, you would think that her words were directed at the Duke .
However, depending on how you look at it, it’s possible that these words were directed to her own naive past self .
▽
Footsteps began approaching and stopped behind me .
[Touka . ]
[…Are you done with it?]
[Umu . ]
Eve feels more cheerful than I had thought .
[Touka-dono . ]
Seras came out of the forest along with Liz on her hand .
Now, she had already changed back to her original appearance .
The power of the spirits requires appropriate compensation when you use them .
It’s not something you should arbitrarily use when it’s not necessary .
Well, she doesn’t really need the power of altering her appearance right now .
Seras is looking around the area .
[It looks like it’s finally over . ]
Liz tightly grasps the hem of Seras’ clothes .
She’s standing really close around Seras’ waist .
I spoke .
[Liz, if you don’t like seeing their corpses—]
[I- I’m alright…]
[Are you sure?]
[I’ve already seen a lot of them back when I was travelling with my sister… most of them were people who tried attacking us…]
So, this isn’t the first time she had seen corpses huh…
However, it looks like she’s still trembling a bit .
Well, this really isn’t something you could get used to .
[Seras, I still have some things to do here along with Eve . Will you take Liz with you and prepare for our departure?]
[Understood . Now then, after we retrieve our luggages we left behind, we would still have to catch the horse that should still be loitering around the area . ]
[I’m counting on you . Ah, one more thing . ]
[What is it?]
[Thanks for backing me up with your arrows earlier . ]
Seras suddenly looked quite uncertain .
[That was also my own judgement that you’ve never instructed—]
[I’ve already told you before, right? I trust your own judgement . ]
She closes her eyes as she digests my words .
With her eyes closed, she places her hands on her chest .
[Yes, thank you very much…]
[Sigh… You’re the sub-leader of this “Mercenary Corp” . At the time that I can’t give out my instructions, I will leave the judgement to you . Eve . Liz . Are you fine with that?]
[Umu . ]
[Y- Yes . ]
Eve and Liz replied .
Seras smiles .
[I’ll be in your care from hereafter, you two . ]
[One more thing, Seras . ]
[What is it?]
[Before you prepare for our departure, will you take that thing I’ve shown you earlier from my luggage? I think I’ll use it later . Let’s see… You can just leave it around the area . ]
Seras immediately looks like she understands what I meant .
[Yes, understood . ]
After deciding for a general area where we would meet up later, Seras turns towards the forest .
[Umm… Seras-sama . ]
Looking quite nervous, Liz stops her .
[What is it, Liz?]
[P-Please let me… help out too . ]
Liz’s voice is trembling .
[I’m also a member… of Touka-sama’s Mercenary Corp after all…]
[Liz?]
There were some tears on the corner of Liz’s eyes .
[I also want to be helpful at something…]
She’s doing something bad .
I feel like Liz somehow thinks something like that .
Seras gently pats Liz on her head .
[I understand . Then, will you please help me carry some of the luggage? Is that okay?]
[Y- Yes… Thank you, Seras-sama…]
The two then started going into the forest .
Liz is afraid to speak of her own will .
I think that’s a bad thing .
It’s probably the influence of living together with that proprietress .
They’ve denied her of it .
All children have wills of their own .
They didn’t let them hold their own thoughts .
They would then be told to only follow what they have been told .
Like that, they would then be able to hold onto your own head .
After that, the children would lose confidence in their own thoughts .
Whatever they felt like doing, they would end up thinking that it’s wrong .
Her emotions would gradually start freezing her in place…
It seems that the wounds Liz received in her heart were quite deep .
[Eve . ]
[What is it?]
[It seems you’d need some time to heal the wounds she suffered . ]
[Even if I’m insensitive, I would still be responsible for that child’s well-being… Naturally, I intend to keep doing that . ]
I looked at them as Liz disappeared into the forest .
[While we’re travelling together, me and Seras will also be working together with that . ]
[Ah… Thank you, Touka . ]
▽
[Putting that aside, Touka . What are we going to do?]
There are corpses scattered all around .
We have been counting all of the corpses until just now .
There was no person that was able to run away .
It’s a complete annihilation .
I’ve also made sure the people I’ve poisoned before can never talk anymore as they lay dead on the ground .
[…………………… . . ]
I guess I’ll explain some things to Eve huh…
I put my hand into my pouch .
[Look at this, Eve . ]
[This is ice…?]
This thing I’m holding with my fingertips…
Small blocks of ice .
Squinting her eyes, Eve observed what I’m holding .
[Fumu…? There seems to be some kind of bug inside the ice but…]
[That’s right . This is a living insect that I’ve frozen with my skill . ]