Chapter 188: Younger Sister (2)
…A month ago, Elesol went to the Elder with her sister. They found him in a tent wrapped in the desert wind. The leader of the Demon Blood greeted them with a weaker face than she had ever seen before from the man.
“h.e.l.lo.”
—Long time no see.
Ellie spoke, and Elesol signed. The Great Elder gave them a small smile.
“It’s been a long time. You’ve grown up so fast.”
—No. This is not the time to talk about the past.
“But there is no need to hurry.”
—…
Elesol narrowed her eyes. The benevolence of the Great Elder didn’t appeal to her these days.
—Take this.
Elesol held out a stack of papers containing the plans for a.s.sa.s.sinating complicating factors, including Deculein and the liberation of the concentration camps.
“…You have prepared many things.”
The Elder read the preface with a stiff look. However, his answer wasn’t different.
“Kid. It’s just a chain of hate.”
—Then.
Bang!
Elesol knocked on the table.
—What do you think of it, Great Elder? The clan is at the crossroads of extinction.
“Kid. What do you think?”
—It’s simple. Resist. So that the costs of suppressing the Demon Blood outweigh the benefits.
If the Empire could receive 100 Elnes of profit by suppressing the Demon Blood and confiscating their property, retaliate with 200 Elnes of harm. Let them find no value in suppressing the Demon Blood.
“What does the Empire gain by oppressing us? They are oppressing us for nothing.”
—No. They wanted our land in the past. This time they want wealth and talent. Hence, mutually a.s.sured destruction. That’s our way. If they have nothing to gain and know that their lives are precious, they will grow tired.
“To do that, we also need weapons and strength commensurate with the Empire. Do we have the power to destroy them?”
-Yes. The Demon Blood have power. There is the talent that the continental people call the power of the devil.
Elesol looked to Ellie. She wore an affronted expression.
—Ellie can kill all the officials of the Imperial Palace alone.
“But why haven’t you done that yet?”
—They don’t listen to me. They only listen to you.
Bang! Bang, bang!
Elesol pounded on the table angrily. The Great Elder looked at Ellie without a word. Ellie gave him a small smile, and he returned it in kind.
“…Ellie. You didn’t kill Deculein.”
“Yes. I thought there was no need.”
Bang!
The Elder stopped Elesol from hitting the table again.
“Why did you think so?”
“Yes. If I kill him, the situation becomes irreversible. I think I know Elesol’s feelings too. But isn’t killing him also what the Altar wants?”
“…Yes.”
The Elder nodded.
“Elesol. I commend you for building such a ma.s.sive facility underground, for building a city and embracing so many Demon Bloods, but you shouldn’t be too radical.”
—…Silence.
Elesol put her two hands together in a square shape.
“Just as the Gifrein Imperial family made a mistake with the Demon Blood, we also did. Forgiveness between each other is necessary to resolve our old strife. Now is just not the time.”
The discrimination and scorn that the Demon Blood had been subjected to. Disdained and looked down upon expulsion and oppression. Their bitter history. On the other hand, the crimes committed by the Demon Blood in retaliation and their collusion with the Altar. It was impossible to determine which of the two was wrong first.
“Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer to this stupid question is to stop thinking about it. To become a person who does not need to have answers to those questions and create a better world. But this continent is taking too many lives to find an answer.”
Elesol bit her lip and then shook her head.
—I know. When I was a child, too, I thought that your opinions would illuminate us beyond that. But now, there is no way.
Elesol knocked on the table.
—The Empire does not believe that we have anything to do with the Altar. I have already sent them numerous letters. I am the one who begs for diplomacy and negotiation.
“…”
—But even if we shout out loud to believe, in the end, they have no choice but to decapitate us. Sophien acts like that in the current situation. When the gas chamber is activated, our clan will die. I just can’t stand the actions of those devils.
The Elder, staring at Elesol, immediately smiled. It was painful anger, but he was proud of her feelings for their kind.
“…Take this, Elesol. Now you can take my inheritance.”
The Elder handed a list to Elesol. It was the Demon Blood Records made of his mana.
—What’s the point now?
The Elder opened to a certain page without saying a word. Elesol and Ellie both tilted their heads.
“Read it.”
“…”
The two looked to where the Elder pointed.
[Yeriel von Grahan Yukline]
Elesol paused.
“…”
She blinked a few times before turning to look at Ellie.
“…Huh.”
Ellie was also blankly opening her mouth.
* * *
…Returning to the present, to the mountainous areas around Reccordak.
Elesol looked at Yeriel. Now out of the carriage, she was still bound, but she was staring somewhere else. Her target was a squirrel on a sapling among the bushes. He approached Yeriel when their eyes met.
Rustle- Rustle-
Then, he gnawed at Yeriel’s straps.
Stomp—!
When Elesol brought her foot down on the road, the critter turned around in surprise, but instead of running away, he bared his teeth and threatened her, acting as an escort knight.
Elesol looked at Yeriel.
—The animals follow you.
“…Gosh. I said I don’t know sign language.”
—…
She wrote in her notebook again.
—Deculein knew it well.
“We have different fields of concentration. To read magic books of each country, a knowledge of the language is required. Instead, I have focused on managing the economy and human resources. If I need an interpreter, I call someone. “
Elesol pondered about whether she should tell her the truth or remain silent. Of course, Deculein said that it didn’t matter. Their relationship wasn’t good, so it could be his attempt to discard Yeriel or destroy his sister.
“What did you just say?”
—I noted that animals follow you well.
“Yeah. Since I was a child, I could communicate with them to some extent.”
—It’s a talent different from magic. Didn’t you ever get suspicious?
“What suspicious, no, what? More importantly…”
Yeriel shrugged.
“He said he wouldn’t come, right?”
—He will.
“What? Why?!”
Hearing that she negotiated with Deculein, she began to yell. It was a reaction she didn’t expect. No, did that mean that they didn’t hate each other all that much?
“What is the negotiation condition?”
—Release the forty prisoners held captive by Deculein.
“…Is that all? “
—You and Deculein don’t get along, right?
There were other important agreements, but she wasn’t going to tell her. Yeriel nodded.
“See? Didn’t I tell you? I am useless. “
—…
Elesol sat on a rock and looked up into the sky. The winter air bit at them as she turned to look back at Yeriel. A crowd of squirrels was openly gnawing on her ropes.
—Even after the hostage exchange, you can escape. Even though you cannot do it now. Someday. I will give you a chance.
“…What bulls.h.i.t is that? Are you crazy? Did you go nuts? “
Elesol let out a little sigh. If it were revealed that Yeriel was a Demon Blood, Deculein’s and Yukline’s dignity would be seriously damaged. Even the central authority was likely to be put into jeopardy.
In the Demon Blood’s perspective, it was their opportunity to slowly weaken Yukline’s position and slow down the suppression or change its direction altogether.
—…Your life is not the condition I’m negotiating with Deculein on.
Of course, Deculein wouldn’t strive to meet her otherwise. After all, without proof, there was no way to find out that Yeriel was a Demon Blood.
“So, what is it?”
The best way to get rid of evidence was death. Yeriel could be murdered by Deculein.
—…
Elesol moved her fountain pen.
—That we will not announce that you are from our blood, Yeriel.
Yeriel’s expression stiffened for a moment.
“…”
Silence rose beneath them as Elesol wrote more.
—Yeriel. You are not a Yukline. You are Demon Blood. Our race.
* * * *
Noon over Reccordak.
I was digging a grave in the middle of the mountains.
“H-Have mercy! Professor! I was wrong! I’m sincerely sorry for whatever crimes you think I’ve… P-Professor! “
It was a grave to bury Jaken and the others alive.
“Um, boss. Still, this is….”
Louina, next to me, tried to dissuade me, but I didn’t care. I stared at the ones to be buried.
“Weren’t you expecting this, coming to Reccordak?”
“N-No, Professor! I was wrong! Professor…!”
The pit was completed while they were screaming, and I raised the steel wire that tied them with Psychokinesis.
“Uh, uh, uhhhhh -!”
“Ugh!”
“P-Please, kugh!”
I dropped all forty people in the pit. Louina lowered her head as she couldn’t stand to watch, and Epherene ran away.
“…Can you treat captives like that? “
Ihelm asked the question with a dismal tone.
“They’re not captives. They’re Demon Blood.”
“Hmm… whatever they are, your fiancée will hate it. They could make an article, ‘Going beyond the grim reaper, an apostle of live burial,’ or something like that.”
I moved the soil with the wood steel.
Thunk-
Thunk-
Thunk-
With every pile of dirt added to the grave, desperate screams and supplications came out.
“Uh, uuhhh! No! No-! Professor! Please!”
“We were wrong! We made a mistake! W-We didn’t commit any crimes. Only Jaken-“
“What are you talking about?! You guys also said you would burn his body! “
“f.u.c.k, when?!
Of course, they wouldn’t die. This didn’t fit my personality. The purpose of this grave was an exchange rather than murder, in a way none would suspect.
“Please, Ugh! Ugh!”
Thunk-
Dirt stuck in their mouths. I clicked my tongue as I stared at them. It was truly a disgusting scene.
“Please, please… please….”
Their pathetic begging stopped at some point, and the pit was filled. I looked back.
“…Ugh.”
Louina covered her mouth, and Ihelm was scratching the back of his neck. The knights of the Imperial Palace and Delric watched with their mouths open.
“Go first. I will watch until these guys die. “
“What? Oh, okay. Yes. All right… e-everyone! What are you doing?! Move!”
They returned the way they came, and I stayed behind to wait.
…After a while, a small fire rose from the nearby peak. That was Elesol’s signal.
* * *
—Yeriel. You are not a Yukline. You are a Demon Blood. Our race. The proof is…
A barren mountain where no human beings existed, in a region of extreme cold where even the leaves had died.
“…”
Yeriel was staring at the ground with bemus.e.m.e.nt. Her body shook like a reed.
“Ah…”
‘Should I run away now? Or should I just die?’
Yeriel raised her eyes to look at the branches. It looked strong enough to hang her…
Rustle-
The sound of leaves being moved stopped her thoughts. At the same time, she heard a voice that shook her heart, a voice she wanted to deny.
“Yeriel.”
Yeriel looked over to see the person she wanted to see the least right now, Deculein. Deep in her throat, nausea swelled.
“You have come a long way.”
Yeriel trembled. Standing at the foot of the mountain slope, not far, he took one more step. Yeriel quickly stopped him, stretching out her arms.
“…Stop!”
He asked sarcastically.
“Why?”
“You… you know. Why.”
“What do you mean?”
She managed to hold back the tears about to burst. Yeriel didn’t know Deculein’s feelings right now. He was the one who tolerated her even if she wasn’t of his blood and not even his real sister, but if she was something he hated the most…
How he would treat her. It was excruciating.
“Don’t come near me!”
“Don’t talk like that.”
“…Don’t come near me, please!”
“No.”
“What do you want?!”
Yeriel yelled. Aiming for that chance, Deculein took a big step forward, and Yeriel, startled, turned around to run away, but-!
She was caught by the nape of her neck.
“…Ouch.”
She looked up at Deculein with teary eyes. He wore the same expression as always, unchanged.
“Ugh…”
Yeriel clenched her jaw.
“…I know everything.”
“What do you mean?”
At that moment, she glanced at Deculein. Why did he pretend not to know?
“That I am not your sister. I’m not your sister. I’m not.”
“…”
“Still, that much… that much, I know. But…”
“Yeriel.”
Deculein interrupted her. He forcibly sat her onto the chair he made with a quick spell.
“You’re pathetic. That has nothing to do with it.”
“What…”
Saying so, he looked at Yeriel. She couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Listen carefully.”
“…I don’t want to hear it.”
“Listen. Don’t run away.”
“…”
Now, what was he thinking? What did he feel? Was it a sense of betrayal, irritability, hate, or the desire to murder? Yeriel didn’t know. She couldn’t know.
Of course, she had never been inside his mind.
“I never have.”
So, even now, she was a little suspicious.
“I never stopped thinking of you as my sister.”
“…?”
“No matter what blood flows through your body.”
While listening to his constant voice.
“No matter how you look on the outside.”
Knowing that he was someone who never told a lie.
“You are still Yeriel… and you’re still my sister.”
“What-“
Her body moved erratically. Her lips trembled, her heart thumped, and she couldn’t breathe. So annoying…
“So listen carefully.”
Her throat was blocked so she couldn’t say anything, and Deculein looked hazy because of her tears. Her arms and legs were shaking, and her head felt dizzy.
…Her body was well out of her control.
“One day, even if Yukline abandons you.”
Yet her ears remained open. She could hear his tone, as cold as always, as clear as ice.
“I will not leave you.”
She listened without missing a single syllable.