Chapter 172 In the Memory

Myne kept staring at me for a while.

However, she seemed to not recognize me.

Albeit feeling troubled by that, I took the initiative to approach and greet her.

[Yo, Myne.]

[..who are you?]

Of course.

Its just like with Greed. In this world, this would be our first meeting.

Yosh, if this world is truly inside Mynes mind, then the first thing I need to do is to get along with her. Otherwise, we wouldnt be able to talk properly.

Still sitting while hugging her knees, Myne sat still on the floor.

[My name is Fate.]

[Earlier today, I met Kairos-san by chance on the battlefield. He then brought me here. What about you, why are you here?]

[I fought Kairos and lost. He took Sloth away from me.]

[So youre here because he wont return it to you?]

[Thats a problem.]

I sat next to her, watching the ongoing construction work.

[Where are you from?]

Shes probably curious about my appearance. Kairos said earlier that my black hair and black eyes are unusual. Its a dead giveaway that Im not a Gallian.

[I came from a place far, far away from here.]

[A rural area?]

Itd be difficult to explain if I said that I came from the real world.

Meanwhile Mynes heart was still trapped in the past.

I suppose I had no choice but to try and blend into this world for now.

[Kind of? This place doesnt seem like a place where people should live either though?]

[It wasnt like this in the past. There used to be a large city spreading over the area. Kairos and the others have been building everything from the rubble.]

[Who is this enemy Kairos is fighting against?]

[The enemy is not a particular person. He was fighting against a country called the Gallian Empire. And Im just a prisoner of war.]

So theyre fighting against a country?

On that scale it can no longer be called simple battle. Its on the level of war already.

In any case, Im more concerned about Mynes status as a prisoner of war.

[You look quite free for a prisoner.]

[I lost against him and thus had nowhere to go. That man knows that as well.]

Nowhere to go So apparently Myne was an assassin sent by the Gallia empire.

[You too, dont seem like you have any idea why you are here.]

[Is it that dangerous to be here?]

[Yes, it is. Moreover, I can feel that you have similar power to us. Very similar to Kairos actually.]

[Is that why you are willing to talk with me?]

Myne nodded quietly. Apparently in this world, mortal sin skill holders could still sense one another when nearby.

I also felt that sensation. Its like a magnet attracting each other.

Once you get close, its hard to set away.

[There is that. And, for some reason I feel calm when Im talking to you. Have we have we met before?]

Her crimson eyes were scanning my face.

Does this mean she still retains part of her future memory despite being trapped in the past?

What should I do? How should I answer?

Before I could say anything else, Kairos already called to the both of us.

[You two, its meal time. Need to fill up that empty stomach.]

[I dont want to fight anymore.]

[Dont give me that. We need your strength. Fates too.]

Kairos got Myne back up to her feet.

And pushed her from behind while saying,

[You say all that, yet you eat more than anyone else here.]

[Guh.]

I knew that as well. Shes truly a big eater.

As I watched Myne walking ahead, Kairos spoke to me.

[She eats even more than me, someone with Gluttony skill.]

[Just wondering, but where do you get your food?]

[From the empire. We were able to procure some during the previous battle.]

[That you mean.]

[Perhaps its because of the Gluttony skill. But I simply cant have enough to fill my stomach. You dont want to know how its like.]

[Kairoswhat in the world are you?]

[Alright then, eat up. Otherwise youll get nothing.]

The meal wasnt particularly delicious to be honest.

Kairos let out a hearty laugh, telling me that it doesnt matter as long as it fills the stomach.

Myne who sat beside me also ate quietly. I seeat this point she probably had already lost her sense of taste, so it also didnt matter for her.

Perhaps Kairos also thought that I was the same.

[Is it really delicious, Myne?]

[Worse. The food in the facility is better.]

[What?]

[You can tell the taste of the food?]

[Obviously. This taste isnt something I can stay silent to.]

[Really!?]

[How loud.]

She got annoyed.

But as it turned out, Myne still had her sense of taste.

Then when did she lose it?

Her personality was still the same even now.

[If you like it, then you can have my share.]

[Ooh.]

With bright eyes, she started eating the rest of my meal. Of course, Myne had already finished hers.

Kairos laughed as he watched us.

[Now I feel like I should surrender my portion as well. Shes just that feisty despite being a prisoner, aint she? Are you fine with that, Fate? Wont you get hungry later?]

[Im used to it already.]

Hearing my reply, the man laughed once more.

[Thats something you should never get used to though.]

Both of us watched Myne going through her meal merrily.

[At this rate, shell ask for more servings. Aint that right, Fate?]

[I think so too.]

[She always do that.]

After eating her fill, Myne returned to her usual spot.

But Kairos wasnt going to let her go without a teasing.

[Full already? Nn? Whats wrong?]

I looked at him, something piqued my interest.

[Kairos-san, why do you keep fighting?]

[I wonder why At first it was to stay alive. And its still to stay alive. Im not fighting for some sort of noble goal or anything.]

Kairos then looked around, towards the people working on the construction sites.

[Then somehow, I became part of this big family.]

[To live?]

[Yeah. To live like a human being. All of us here were formerly the empires toys. We chose to escape, got here, and fought to keep our freedom. You remember that machine angel from the previous battle?]

[If we didnt escape, we might end up becoming that thing.]

According to him, human experiments were commonplace in the empire.

Humans living there had ranks assigned to each of them from the time of their birth. The lowest rank didnt even have basic human rights.

Theyre willing to do anything to understand how the system behind skills, the so-called blessing of god, actually worked.

Its said that the research was meant to understand the mechanic on how a person could be born with a particularly strong skill.

Apparently, the people here were able to escape with the help from the researchers who disagreed with the experimental methods.

[The person who helped me escape back then was already dead. But his last words,Live onleft a huge impression on me. Everytime Gluttony skill almost overwhelmed me, those words were what kept me from going over the brink.]

Kairos seemed to have a better control over the Gluttony skill than me.

However, his condition might be similar to mine.

[You too Gluttony skill is just troublesome, isnt it?]

[You should know about it the most, right? I never consider this skill as some sort of a blessing. Its more like a curse. What about you, Fate?]

[IId be lying if I say that I dont consider it as such. But without it, I wont be able to protect the people who are important to me. Even now, I still feel inadequate.]

[I can understand that feeling.]

As far as I knew, Gallia perished.

Kairos and his group mightve won the war. But hed lose his life for it.

Im pretty sure thats the case because its what Greed told me.

Suddenly, I felt myself being watched again. When I turned around, there was Myne, staring at me intently.

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