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‘The Princess of Death’, Cha Minhee was a girl whom the term ‘blazing transfer student’ fitted perfectly for. ‘Ey, the h.e.l.l is this!?’, she created a disturbance on the very first day she was transferred here. ‘Ah, I wanted to just live quietly, but whoever’s the boss of this cla.s.s, c’mere, you’re a bunch of lacking dimwits.’. The reason was me. ‘These b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Do ya got nothin’ better to do? Sittin’ around and bullyin’ a pitiful kid. I’ll fix those rotten heads of yours, be ready for it, alright!?’, before lunch time could even end on her first day here, she had already subdued our entire cla.s.s. ‘Not even a bite. You guys are only good at flappin’ your lips.’. The scenery of her dusting her hand while having a bunch of fallen kids as her background, I recall that scene to having been truly beautiful.

(TL note: Minhee talks with a very thick dialect.)

‘And what are you?’

Minhee was dissatisfied with me as well. ‘You’ve become a young adult, but do you not have a temper? The h.e.l.l are ya lickin’ somethin’ just because someone tells you to? You crazy?’. I don’t remember how I answered her. Needless to say, I probably said something pathetic that didn’t need to be described since Minhee was glaring at me with an expression on her face that appeared as if she was looking at someone pitiable. And as such, on that day, no, during the time that Minhee was around, as if even my own existence didn’t exist⎯⎯⎯the only things I remember are Minhee, Minhee’s appearance, and Minhee’s voice.

‘Let’s go, I’ll buy you somethin’ delicious.’

The words that Minhee said.

‘Stop shrivelin’ up. Did you commit a crime or somethin’? What’s wrong?’

Minhee’s scent.

‘Ahahaha! Were you always this interestin’? I completely didn’t know.’

The memories made with Minhee.

‘I dare you guys to try doin’ the same thing again. Friends are supposed to get along, right? You punks.’

Although Chanmi was in a different cla.s.s at the time, there was no way she would stay still after having heard the news from someone else. A counterattack, using people. However, Cha Minhee was literally too powerful for something like that to work. ‘Are ya messin’ with me, you guys? Come quickly. I’ll take care of you all in a flash.’. The only thing that remained on the side of the street were sprawled out people.

‘Are ya the boss?’

Minhee wasn’t slow in understanding the situation, either. It didn’t take long before she was standing in front of the final boss, Chanmi.

‘For someone with such a smooth face, you’re quite wicked, ain’t ya?’

I remember Chanmi’s face at the time, too. A face that I never expected she would ever make. Minhee struck Chanmi’s face strong enough to make an audible Slap! sound.

‘Lower your eyes, you thorn.’

Chanmi didn’t comply. On the contrary, she struck Minhee’s cheek in return. Slap! Minhee retaliated. Slap! In the end, due to the strike that was given by Chanmi, who was clenching her teeth, the real fight had begun. ‘Oh, so you know how to do this, huh? Okay, come at me.’. That was, as a type of Ragnarok which was capable of reducing our entire cla.s.s to ashes, literally a war of G.o.ds. If there were someo

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ne, who was knowledgeable in martial arts, present at the time, then they would have been able to explain what kind of techniques Chanmi used, and what Minhee did in order to counterattack, but unfortunately, I didn’t have that sort of knowledge at the time. From boxing to judo, to capoeira, to taekkyeon, and all the way to a flat out reckless brawl, I could only say that the fight appeared like an extravagant, no-rules match, mixed martial arts champions.h.i.+p.

‘Not even a challenge.’

And that fight, ended in Minhee’s victory. Contrary to her spoken words, Minhee was also thoroughly injured. Regardless, a win was a win.

The school was turned over.

She was the esteemed daughter of the Joo Group conglomerate, a genius girl, a girl who was boasted as being the most elegant, most beautiful, most intelligent, and most powerful by the school. That child, was beaten, into a pulp. She was beaten up by a delinquent transfer student who had come up from the countryside.

Money started to move. The result of the fight was edited, denied, downsized, and exaggerated. Money, money, money was moved here and there. A plan was devised by powerful authority figures. The police ended up being called. The trap was incredibly elaborate and thorough, saying that she would have to go to a juvenile prison instead of a Youth Detention Center.

I couldn’t watch her go.

First and foremost, I can’t let Minhee, my G.o.ddess, the girl whose hair fluttered like flames when blown by the wind, go. That’s impossible.

I moved. I, who didn’t do anything despite having been beaten for 4 years straight and humiliated, moved. Not for myself, but in order to save a single girl.

I destroyed,

‘You······.’

their plan.

It was simple. No matter how much money and authority was poured into their plan, it was still baseless text that was built up from zero. It was a disguised truth. Although it appeared st.u.r.dy on the surface, a loose string was still present. I didn’t miss out on that opening and stabbed a blade of logic created from information into that gap. The lie was destroyed.

‘I guess I’m in your debt now······.’

Minhee’s fragrance.

‘The h.e.l.l? Go away, you thorn.’

Joo Chanmi experienced a physical loss, and adding to that, she felt a mental loss as well. However, I, and probably Minhee too, was no longer interested in her. Something like a Joo Group conglomerate or a prodigy girl, who cares about that?

The relations.h.i.+p between Minhee and I deepened. ‘Church? Don’t go to someplace like that and come over to my place instead! Our house is a temple, a temple. I’ll give ya some rice cakes, they’re good.’ I went to play. ‘Excuse me, I’m Yujin’s girlfriend.’ She came to play. ‘Yujin, ain’t your head really good? My head’s terrible, so I’m worried.’ Towards the girl who was worried about her grades. ‘You’ll teach me!? It’s fine, jeez. Put that away. I’m not the learning type, anyway······.’, the girl grumbled and refused my offer. ‘I-I said to put it away! Ah, jeez······ o-okay, I get it. I just have to do it, right? Seriously······ this weakling.’ We studied. ‘You, don’t tell me, you’re actually thinking of somethin’ lewd?’. Minhee.

‘This······uh, for you to think of me whenever I’m not around.’

I received prayer beads.

Minhee. Aah. Minhee.

If this were some type of game or romance novel, then it would have ended there. However, there are no stops in reality. There were other things moving in the background. Chanmi, who we had broken once, had done something, though I’m not certain what that something was. Regardless, one day, dozens of unidentified a.s.sailants appeared before us on our way home.

I still remember the fight that occurred then. Several adult men rushed towards us and swung their fists. They didn’t take it easy because we were kids, and they weren’t lenient just because she was a girl. If two fell, then three came. If three fell, then four came. For weapons, they had metal pipes, chains, knives, and even guns. Even if her strength transcended common sense, in the end, she was nothing more than a 14-year-old girl. Although Minhee was able to put up a good fight, that was it.

Minhee fell.

Violence continued to pour down onto her.

A physical, violence. A violence, that a girl couldn’t possibly bear.

The reason why I wasn’t able to witness anything after that was because I had lost consciousness.

The happy times. I who believed that I could a.s.sist her with my brain. I who believed that I could protect her. However, I, was weak. I, couldn’t, protect, anything.

I, was still pathetic.

A day pa.s.sed, and at the hospital, in front of the girl who had lost her consciousness, I cried. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. Despite knowing the fact that I had no rights to cry, tears kept flowing out. Sorry······ I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me, then you wouldn’t have had to go through this mess. What am I? I’m just baggage. Because of trash like me. I could have tormented myself like that until the end of the world, but Minhee wouldn’t return even if I were to do that. She won’t return.

The only things that remained

was the regret that had nowhere to go

and the prayer beads that were gifted to me.

‘Calm down.’ It felt as if I were hearing words. ‘Calm down, me.’ It was telling me to suppress something trivial like a whirlpool of emotions. Those thoughts became stronger the more strength I put into my grip on the beads. ‘Is this the best I can do?’ Press. ‘Is crying, weeping, and tormenting yourself a path you’re taking for her?’ It was whispering to me that there was a different way. ‘Stand up.’ I stood, ‘Isn’t your head, really good?’.

Aah, that’s right! I may have escaped from reality in order to atone for my irreparable sin and in order to not go mad! No, I might have already gone insane at that moment, in that instant! But that didn’t matter······ I had a goal······ I had to fix all of the things that were wrong······ I truly believed that.

It was at that moment, that I became resolute to truly fight back. And thus, I entered the latter half of the ‘8 Years’ War’.

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The fourth day, I summarized everything that happened until now.

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First, I was kidnapped by a lunatic from another world.

Second, I’ve been avoiding the frequently visiting life-threatening situations through composure and text a.n.a.lysis.

Third, I still can’t see any hope of survival.

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And finally,

“Your Excellency!!”

“Giiiive it heeeere, Gia, Batsaaaand!! Are you insane!?”

“Your Excellency, I plead you to calm down! Regain your dignity!”

“Dignity? Diiignity!? Ah, just give it to meee, Gia. Quuiickly. Right now!”

“I won’t let go until you calm down! Even if you blame me, it can’t be helped!”

It’s sudden, but I’m currently in a life-threatening situation.

In the torture chamber, I currently have my head sticking through a guillotine and waiting for the blade to fall. The rope that’s attached to the blade was in the Earl’s hand for a moment, but it was just now taken by Gia. Gia spoke.

“Your Excellency. I beg of you, please explain what happened in a calm and orderly fas.h.i.+on. Isn’t it okay for him to at least receive that opportunity?”

“Opportunity? Ah hah ha. That’s funny. Gia Batsand. He’s an otherworldly being anyway, you know? It doesn’t matter when and why he dies, right? Now lower that rope. This is the Earl’s order!”

“I can’t accept, that kind of order!”

“I’m not telling you to accept it. I’m telling you to do it!!”

The Earl then shoved her hand in her coat pocket and pulled out a necklace. Following after, without giving Gia the opportunity to even flinch, the earl summoned her. Poof······! Gia appeared right in front of the earl. Naturally, the rope that Gia was holding moved along with her. I wonder if it was because she was still within the range of the rope length, but there was no occasion of the entire guillotine moving as well. The rope was being kept taut.

Thud! The earl kicked Gia who was in that state. Gia lost her posture, and the instant that happened, the earl canceled the summon and Gia ended up letting go of the rope. Ah, that’s a bit troubling. The reason why it’s troubling is because that’s the rope to the guillotine I’m in······ the sound of a blade descending······.

“Kuroso—Extro······!!”

Flash······!! Both the descending blade and the guillotine were split just like that. Crash······!! When I looked up, I could see Gia collapsed in the posture which she swung her blade in. I wonder if her body had stiffened since she was breathing heavily while not moving a single muscle, meanwhile, a white light was wrapped around the sword she was holding. After a short while, the light dispersed. The earl gritted her teeth.

“Gia. You’re······ prepared for your consequences, riiight···?”

Gia Batsand clicked her tongue.

“If I must, then yes, I’m prepared, but Earl, you should first.”

“Give me a reason, please.”

This was something I said. Although I’ve escaped the dangers of death, I’m still bound to the hole on the guillotine. My neck hurts because of the impact of the guillotine breaking.

“Reeaason? Ha. Is something like that needed? You’re a torture pet which I summoned because I wanted to kill you. I’m saying that I want to kill the you who’s in that situation. That’s iiiiiiitttt.”

She was right so I couldn’t give a reb.u.t.tal. However, if I don’t say anything, then I’ll die, so let’s use my head.

‘But you can at least give me the reason, can’t you?’ No, she’ll only get angrier. ‘Heey. It’s not good for your health if you run amok.’ This will get the same result. It’s also nothing more than being coy. ‘There’s a reason why I shouldn’t die.’ I didn’t ask yooouuu! I’ll probably be shut down after receiving that sort of reply, won’t I?

Ah, for me to be in a situation where I’ll instantly be killed if I make the wrong choice, even trashy games have their limits. Regardless, I’m currently taking part in that trashy game. Although I’m only interpreting this through the atmosphere, but there’s a time limit to this as well.

I spoke.

“Eaaaaaaaaaarl······!!”

The fact that I’ve never raised my voice even once until now was all for a situation like this. A strategical use. The Earl of the Silver Lion, and even Gia who was looking at the earl, flinched.

Silence.

“W-What is it······.”

The Earl spoke after laboriously revealing her teeth. However, that was after she was already pressed back by my vigor and Gia had walked to my side.

“Tell me, Earl.”

“·········, ······, ·····················, ······, ·········⎯⎯⎯.”

“Killing me, you can do that afterward, can’t you? I want to hear the reason. What is it?”

The Earl of the Silver Lion⎯⎯⎯the girl who was pulling back her shoulders, let out a sigh.

“I-It’s because of that.”, she spoke while avoiding my eyes. “That, the thing you told me to do.”

“What thing? The maid trial?”

“Before that! That, threatening the Fedchants thing······ I’m talking about that.”

“What about it? Did a problem occur?”

Although it seemed like the Earl was about to get angry again, soon after, she let out another long sigh. She then sat down and started giving me the details.

If I were to organize her rambling talk that was filled to the brim with exclamation marks and all sorts of symbols :

“So, you mean to tell me that they found out you forged those doc.u.ments?”

“That’s right! A-And, that idea. You’re the one who gave it to me. Since it’s become troubling now that it’s revealed, I’m telling you to take responsibility by dying.”

Gia stood up.

“Your Excellency! No matter how you look at it, that’s not right. In the first place, the suggestion Yujin gave was merely an opinion. The one who executed that plan was Your Excellency the Earl. The responsibility is in Your Excellency’s hands. A complaint like that is dismissed!”

“This isn’t the time to make bad joooookes!!”

(TL note: ‘Your Excellency’ is written the same as ‘dismissed’)

“Ehem, I apologize for that. I thought it was a good timing, however, the fact still stands. You’re already aware of this, aren’t you, Your Excellency?”

“I don’t know! Why would I, uu, know something like that? Something like that······ aah. Aaaaaanyway, the talk is over now, right? Now then, Gia, with that blade, that otherworldly creature⎯⎯⎯.”

“How’d it get found out?”

“That otherworldly creature⎯⎯⎯.”

“There’s no reason it’d be caught. So how? You said that it went well just yesterday. What was turned over and where did it happen? Earl, tell me.”

The Earl’s lips turned white. She was biting onto them that much.

I waited.

The Earl⎯⎯⎯⎯The Earl of the Silver Lion, spoke.

“First, I don’t have the ability to make convincing forged doc.u.ments.”

“Mm.”

“Second, despite that, I didn’t want to make one of my retainers do it, either. The reason why is because.”

“You didn’t trust them. You most likely believed that the information will be pa.s.sed right on to the Fedchants the moment you made someone else forge the doc.u.ments. That’s why you didn’t order your retainers. What happened next?”

“······, ······there’s a place called, the Black Dragon Street. It’s one of the twelve factions and a group that has one of the Twelve Sky Barriers supporting them as a column. It’s a place where almost every single thief, illegal activity, traps, counterfeits, pimps, and prost.i.tutes are a part of. I called a professional from there and made them forge the doc.u.ments.”

“But that professional came in contact with the Fedchants?”

“No. The written request and receipt I submitted to the Black Dragon Street was pa.s.sed over to them.”

I furrowed my brow. What is she saying?

“Wait. Then are you saying that the Black Dragon Street group or whatever is in cahoots with the Fedchants?”

“That’s probably not it. Obviously, I questioned the people at the Black Dragon Street. If they were messing with me. If they intended to make the Earl of the Silver Lion into their enemy. The moment I did so, they told me this. A senior executive betrayed them and ran away. And of all things, they took a bunch of papers before running off. Among the doc.u.ments the person took, the papers related to the Earl of the Silver Lion were one of them. That’s what they said.”

“Then you can make the Black Dragon Street take responsibility.”

“Of course! However, making them take responsibility and something that has already occurred, are two separate matters. The Fedchants are showing their nerves right nooow. Asking what I’m going to do for having put them in a trap. Of course, it’s true that I did put them in one. In any case, they’re going rampant.”

“What’s their request?”

“Normal procedure of the transaction. Enforce the demolishment. A polite apology. To later accommodate the Fedchants.”

“They’re coming out strong, huh.”

“Since it’s true that they’re an organization of that scale. It’s also true, that they showed that much of a weakness as well.”

“You’re in a predicament······ Hm. For now, get me out of this. Let’s think about this together.”

The Earl clenched her fist. Gia moved quickly and released me from the restraints. Though the Earl was moving her lips as if she was going to say something, in the end, the Earl wasn’t able to utter a single word. I spoke while feeling the mark that was left on my neck.

“For now, three methods to deal with this situation come to mind.”

“Three?”

“Mm. One method is cutting off your tail. Make a scapegoat and s.h.i.+ft the blame to them. They did things on their own and you know nothing about it.”

“That’s a tempting idea.”

“Stop being tempted. What do you plan to do by making more enemies? You’re a lord who doesn’t even have popularity.”

“Yesterday, I was a lord who received applause!”

“The moment you make a scapegoat, that applause will······.”

“Yeah yeah yeah. It’ll turn into saliva and be spat at me, I get it. I understand that much, okay?”

“You just wanted to say it?”

“I just wanted to say it.”

“Those words must have been quite blinded.”

(TL note: The line Yujin and the Earl said can also be read as ‘Words that just looked at the sun’)

Both the Earl and I, stared at Gia. We then turned back to each other.

“And the second?”

“Denial. You never hired anyone from that kind of organization and the receipt and written request they’re waving around are both fake.”

“Haaa? If something like that was possible······.”

“Then you would have done it already. That’s right. So why didn’t you?”

“Because the payment was made with a check signed under the House of the Earl’s name.”

“Are you an idiot······!?”

This was a legitimate reb.u.t.tal. However, the Earl didn’t lose there.

“Ah d.a.m.n it, do you think I did it!? Do you think I’m foolish enough to personally go in and out of the den of some thiiiieeeves!? Of course! It’s obvious that I made my right-hand person go and do iiiiiiiitttt!!”

Both the Earl and I, stared at Gia.

Gia meekly got down onto her knees and bowed her head.

“I’m sorry.”

Wait, Gia, did you put forth that argument of ‘the one who executed the plan was Your Excellency so the fault also lies in Your Excellency’ earlier, despite having done that······?

“Uhm, Your Excellency, what about asking the Mage Tower to mediate the situation?”

“Mage Tower!? Maaaaage Tower!? For the person, who knows best about what those d.a.m.ned b.a.s.t.a.r.ds did to me, to say that kind of nonseeeeense······!?”

“They say that knowing when to lower one’s head will result in big returns. If the Mage Tower mediates, then certainly.”

“Ah hah ha ha ha······ GiaGiaGia, Gia. Stop talking nonsense. A scapegoat. The scapegoat plan is really tempting, you know, Gia? Now then, it’s something that Mr. Yujin, the one you saved, suggested. Cutting the tail off of a lizard. Making a scapegoat. And whoooo will become that scapegoat, Giaaaaaaa?”

“Your Excellency······ We spent so much time together, just like siblings······.”

“Siblings!? Siiiiblings!? I recall having a trashy sibling and a psychotic sibling, but I don’t remember having a stupid sibling!!”

“That’s correct. I’m a smart sibling, after all.”

“A good dodge······!?”

“Adding to that, I’m also beautiful and strong.”

“You’re saying that while puffing out your chest······!?”

“For example, the skill that I used in order to slice the guillotine earlier, it’s one of the Twelve World Skills that’s also known as the Great Rending Slice. A transcending skill that ignores the density of the target and slices through it!”

“It sounds cool······!?”

I decided to squeeze in around there. I was already well aware of the fact that these two were a pair of master and servant, who were on the same wavelength, long before witnessing this scene.

“What do you mean by requesting for the Mage Tower to mediate?”

“Ugh. You’ll be better off not thinking about it. ImpossibleImpossibleImpossibleImpossible.”

“Tell me. I need to keep in mind the selectable methods.”

The Earl glared at me as if she loathed me, no, it’s probably fine to remove the ‘as if’. In any case, she replied.

“It’s exactly as it says. If I request for arbitration, then the Mage Tower will mediate the situation between myself and the Fedchants. Since I’m unilaterally at a disadvantage, they’ll probably make me incline some things to the Fedchants. Like ending it after agreeing to the land contracts.”

“And in return, you’ll be in debt to the Mage Tower?”

“Yeess. I have a rough guess at what they’ll ask for, but in any case, I don’t want to. Something like that sort of choice.”

There was a constant look of worry on Gia’s face.

“But, Your Excellency. You’re not going to lower your head to the Fedchants either, right?”

“Even if someone does incline, I’ll be the one doing it. Gia, it’s not something you need to be worried about.”

“Your Excellency······.”

“Though it may be because of some r.e.t.a.r.d that this happened, I’ll be the one to looower it, my head that is.”

“Just now, I gained a sudden desire to vehemently lick the back part of Your Excellency’s knee······.”

“Gia, do you know that you occasionally throw openings that are hard for even me to tsukkomi?”

Dang it. Even this fellow uses the word tsukkomi instead of reb.u.t.tal or tackle······.

Well, one person taught them, after all······.

“Can you not do anything about that check?”

“Yeess. That’s already out. If I want to change it, then I’d have to move these and those things around, but I don’t have that kind of authority.”

“Okay. Then the third method. Acted out of your goodwill.”

“Goodwill?”

“Acknowledge it, and then reveal your reasoning behind it as well. That you intervened because they tried to take the land of your citizens against their will.”

The Earl knitted her brow. She had the typical look of a person, who had no idea what was being said, on her face.

I elaborated for her.

“You said you’re going to make the Black Dragon Street shoulder the responsibility, right?”

I elaborated a bit more since she still seemed clueless.

“You said the doc.u.ments, which the Fedchants possessed, were stamped by stealing the seals, right?”

“Yeah, yes. Though it’s, just my a.s.sumption.”

“There’s something convenient about this world. Merchants with other merchants make the Fedchants. Pharmacists with other pharmacists make the Alchemy Fortress. Thieves with other thieves make the Black Dragon Street. It’s this fact that they’re all bunched together that makes things convenient. Then, the act of stealing the seals and stamping it on the contracts, who could have done it? The Fedchants most likely didn’t do it themselves. They probably made a request somewhere.”

“·········, ···············, ···············, ·········, ······, ······························.”

“Sure, the people over at the Fedchants most likely didn’t leave behind a trace when they made their transaction. Regardless, a written request and a receipt will still exist. A bundle of commissions requesting for them to steal the seals of the related doc.u.ments and stamp them. If they have that, though there’s no evidence, it’s rather obvious.”

“B-But, Mr. Yujin. Not having evidence, is a big deal, you know, Mr. Yujin?”

“That’s why you don’t go in too much. You cancel the compensation and also open up a path for the Fedchants so they can claim that they’re victims as well. In return, you crush whatever pathetic request they had. Isn’t that enough?”

The Earl of the Silver Lion was looking at me with her mouth slightly agape again.

I didn’t say anything more. Organizing the information in order to reach the conclusion was a bit more complicated this time, and······ Ah, the rough outline is out now, isn’t it? Figure out the rest by yourself. Regardless of whether she heard my inner thoughts or not, the Earl of the Silver Lion cried out fitfully.

“······B-B-But. Hguu, b-b-buuut. W-What if there aren’t aaany? Those written requests. What if they say there are none leeeft? Adding to that, in the first place······ the chances that the Fedchants didn’t make a request towards the Black Dragon Street, though I also think it’s 90%, no 99% that they did······.”

“That’s why it’s essential to call to account the Black Dragon Street. If there are none, then tell them to make some. They’re the one’s who made an idiotic mistake, anyway. You have some trust in that field of business as well, right? You⎯⎯⎯for this time only, can borrow the strength of the Black Dragon Street for as much as you want.”

“Uh, mmm······.”

“Let’s summarize. Receive the evidence of the Fedchant’s illegal request from the Black Dragon Street. If they say that there’s no evidence remaining, then make the Black Dragon Street create some. During that time, you don’t have to make the smoke go excessively towards the Fedchants. Put only doubt in the public. It’s sufficient if you just arrange the statement, ‘I acted because of this’, as your basis at first. End.”

The Earl dropped her shoulders. She looked like a drained panther, that was lying outside in the middle of a summer day, because of the way she was showing her canines while biting her tongue.

“And so.”

I spoke.

“What’s the ‘real’ reason you wanted to kill me?”

The Earl let out an ‘ack’ sound.

Gia froze.

Silence.

“W-What are you talking about? I told you earlier. Because the suggestion you made was a failure. And then I got annoyed. Solely for that reason, I tried to kill you, because you’re an otherworldly being, you have no rights, and I’m, that sort of person⎯⎯⎯⎯so⎯⎯⎯⎯.”

“That’s an excuse. I’m not talking about that kind of ostensible reason.” I stared straight at her. “I’m asking you for your true reason.”

“Uu······. Something like a true reason······.”

“There is one.”

This wasn’t a jump to conclusion.

In truth, when you read the collection of text that is this girl, I was able to get a sense of it when Gia elaborated on the Earl’s past yesterday.

The Earl of the Silver Lion bit her lips just like that······ Silence.

“Uuh······ uuuh······.”

It wasn’t for long.

“Uh, uuu······ Aaaaaaaaaaah······!!”

The Earl, didn’t cry. She merely glared at me while gritting her teeth as strong as she could.

“d.a.m.n it······ d.a.m.n it······!! You! You, didn’t you······!!”

You.

“make, me, weird······!?”

Stillness.

“I’m not wounded by anything, and I, don’t feel pain from anything. Something complicated, whatever it is, as if I’d feel it. Because I’m, already, uu, uuuuughuuuuuh.”

Since you’re already⎯⎯⎯⎯ broken.

Because you believed that.

“I’m a heartless monster. It was good enough if I was just that. I’d kill otherworldly creatures as if it were nothing and I’d think nothing of the people. Since I’m just the earl. That’s right. Since I’m the earl, I take care of something like my subjects. If I receive stress then I summon otherworldly beings and torment them⎯⎯⎯⎯kill them. I stomp, and stomp, and stomp, and stomp on them. In the end, when not even a single fragment of their minds remains, I pull out their bone marrow and play with that as well. I worked adequately, enough work to not get kicked out. That’s it. Live like that, and die like that. If I think my death is unfair, then I’ll make the entire world my traveling companion and die together, that was my life. My existence. It was like that, but.”

It was supposed, to be like that.

“I didn’t hope for anything more, and I believed that I couldn’t go back, and yet······.”

If you lived like that⎯⎯⎯⎯ then you can no longer,

any more than that, truly

nothing.

Even though you could have been able to lose nothing.

“You, to, me.”

The Earl of the Silver Lion, grabbed her head. The white rings and bracelets that were said to be attached to her bones, the manifestations of her resolution that will never be taken off ever again⎯⎯⎯⎯ were buried, into her hair.

“Giving me a headache······ you keep······ talking to me······ confusing me······ because, you do that······!!”

“You wanted to break me.”

“That’s, riiiiight······! Without leaving······ a single trace······ no, without even torture······ just, just quickly, as fast as possible.”

“That’s why the guillotine, huh? You’re easy to read.”

“Uuh······ aauuuuuu······.”

I’ll say it once more, the Earl didn’t cry. The edge of her eyes wasn’t even red. She merely glared at me, while grasping her head. Those silver pupils that had a sharp glare, were indeed like a vicious carnivore, a ‘Silver Lion’.

However, those eyes, I was simply happy about them.

I welcomed them.

And on the contrary, it felt like I was going to cry instead.

“Thanks.”

The Earl froze. I spoke to her. I calmly told her the truth that could possibly become a curse.

“You’ve finally, looked at me.”

The product of my hard work.

“The me who’s in front of you.”

The result was only this.

“The me who’s alive.”

Finally, to you⎯⎯⎯⎯ I’m, no longer an otherworldly being that you can’t feel empathy towards.

“As a human being.”

I’ve imprinted on her the fact that I’m another living ‘human being’ that can draw empathy.

Ο

Ο

And the conclusion of the fourth day.

The Earl of the Silver Lion was glaring at me wordlessly for a long time. And then,

Ο

Thud······!

Ο

I didn’t shout. Honestly, how much could it hurt if she kicked me in the knee with that tiny foot of hers? Thud! Thud! No, I mean, since I’m being kicked it still does hurt, but······ Thud! It sort of does hurt a lot, but······ Thud! Thud! Uh, no.

However, before I could put the brakes on her actions, the Earl stopped on her own. She then stuck out her tongue and turned around fast enough to make an audible woosh-.

“Hmph! How pathetic.” She pulled on her coat and straightened it. “I’m going to sleep!”

She then dragged Gia along with her. Instead of canceling her summon, she left by properly opening the iron bars leading to the stairs with her key.

“Y-Your Excellency. Are you not going to lock it?”

“It’s fine! I have my ability, so something like bars, I don’t need them⎯⎯⎯⎯ Isn’t that right? I almost reached the limit of my summon, and I also feel too lazy to lock it!”

“Your Excellency⎯⎯⎯⎯.”

I then watched the master and servant go upstairs without locking the bars at all with a bitter smile.

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