Long ago, it was said that Oros scattered his blood across the earth.
From that blood-soaked soil, all kinds of creatures grew . Soulless bodies wandered the world craving sin, and all living beings feared and avoided them.
Unable to stand by and watch this, Arus tore out his liver and hung it in the sky.
That beca the Sun.
Thus, all things unholy were forced to return to order in the presence of the Sun. Even demonic beasts were no exception—most of them avoided activity during the day.
And humanity ca to live in the ti when the Sun was up.
This was because it bestowed the blessing of reason and logic. Even those who lived unrestrained lives every night would repent their past sins during the day.
There was only one reason the Saintess brought up this famous myth.
“Wouldn’t you say it’s the very definition of an ‘unrestrained mass of flesh’?”
A being born from Oros’s blood in the distant past—one of the progeny of sin.
A monster that endlessly consud flesh, growing ever larger in its insatiable hunger. The Saintess was announcing that this being from myth had manifested on this continent once again.
The situation had beco even more serious in those few days while I was unconscious.
I listened silently to the Saintess’s ongoing explanation.
“The Yurdina Army is trying to stop it sohow, but it’s growing faster than they can remove the flesh. It’s even starting to swallow humans now, not just elves.”
“It would be counterproductive to send an army..”
“I know. But we have to at least pretend to do sothing to quell the people’s anxiety, no?”
A propaganda tactic.
I had forgotten for a while, but the Saintess was a woman who rolled around in the political arena of the Holy Nation. Of course, she would have a broader perspective than , who only looked at the battle itself.
The Saintess quietly grasped my two hands that had fallen into silence.
Her light pink eyes gazing at created a sorrowful atmosphere.
“lan, please… stop.”
“Stop what?”
“You’re still thinking of fighting, aren’t you?”
My mouth, which had been mumbling, snapped shut.
Instead of answering, I avoided her gaze. Even though I knew full well how that would be interpreted.
I didn’t want to lie to her.
She was a woman who trusted and relied on and I owed her my life several tis over.
Her desperate voice continued. It was almost a pleading tone now.
“You’ve already tried so hard. Getting hurt, falling down and getting up again… But it’s too much now. You’ve been losing consciousness even from small injuries lately, haven’t you?”
Silence dropped again.
In other words, affirmation.
The Saintess, as if expecting this, spoke in an even more anxious tone.
“Even if we can heal the body with Holy Relics, we can’t change the fundantal breakdown. Clothes eventually beco rags no matter how perfectly you nd them, right?”
“But the elves……”
“We’ve rescued all the elven residents from the village you stayed in.”
It was the news I hoped for.
But, still unable to shake off the lingering sense of unease in a corner of my heart, I let out a deep sigh.
So it ended up like this after all.
I recalled the words of the man I had seen in my unconsciousness.
Discard what needs to be discarded.
I had put on airs saying I wouldn’t discard anything, but it was all bullshit.
It was impossible not to.
It was just a matter of discarding sothing else instead.
Until now, it was enough to discard myself as I went along. was, in fact, lucky, and often stumbled upon the right answers by chance. But this incident was different in nature.
I missed the last chance right before my eyes.
I couldn’t bla anyone. I couldn’t bring myself to discard my compassion till the very end.
I didn’t want to kill Alex and Betty.
It was because I still couldn’t cut out the weak part inside . As the man said, I might still be a ‘brat’.
“lan, even without us, there are many talented people on the continent. There are already three Masters, for one. Although it’s still under discussion, if the Empire’s Sword Duke and the Holy Nation’s Saint co, the tide of battle will turn.”
It was a rational choice.
The two Masters were overwhelmingly superior to in terms of combat power. It was an open secret that the two didn’t get along well, but they surely wouldn’t bicker in front of that monster.
Seeing signs of my resignation, the Saintess’s persuasion beca even more fervent.
She was now subtly hugging my arm and pressing her breasts against . She seed to think this would make feel better.
To be honest, it did feel good, but.
It’s frustrating.
“lan, please go back… Do you know how I feel having to treat your injuries every ti? I don’t want to see you getting hurt anymore.”
It was a heartfelt appeal.
It was also an unusually honest appearance for the Saintess who was always haughty. In the end, I had no choice but to declare my surrender.
I let out a sigh, ‘Phew’, and said.
“Alright.”
“Really?!”
The Saintess clenched her fist as if she had succeeded and asked again.
As if all the appearances she had shown until now were just an act to persuade .
She was such a foxy woman after all. I looked at her with a bitter gaze and then voiced my lingering attachnt in a subdued voice.
“What can I do. I’m just worried about Senior Delphine……”
“Why is that woman’s story coming up?”
The surroundings froze at that chilling voice.
What remained in the place where warmth had fled as if escaping was only and the Saintess.
Those light pink eyes were still beautiful. They were comparable to jewels.
If only that gaze wasn’t so cold.
It was a bewildering situation for .
Of course, as a comrade, it was only natural to be worried. In fact, we had ford an even deeper relationship but, in any case, there was no room for issue in my words.
Yet such a cold reaction.
I had no choice but to question the Saintess as if perplexed.
“Isn’t it a perfectly normal reaction to worry about a comrade?”
“But, it felt sowhat… affectionate.”
What a devilish intuition.
I almost broke out in a cold sweat at the Saintess’ extraordinary intuition, but I wasn’t entirely without ans to respond either.
I suffered too much from won’s nagging until now.
I decided to bring up the weakness I had been saving.
“Let’s not push baseless accusations… By that logic, are you a sexual harasser, Saintess?”
“W-What? What did you say…? Se-sexual harassnt?!”
The Saintess, as if she had been caught out, imdiately jumped up and distanced herself from .
She then started growling back.
“On what grounds! You’re the sexual harasser! Have you forgotten how many tis you’ve fondled my body until now?!”
“But the scene I saw as soon as I opened my eyes—”
“I didn’t touch you!”
I stared at the Saintess with crossed arms like I was gonna listen.
By now, tears had ford in the corners of her eyes.
It was as if she had her own grievances.
“That Elsie brat was bragging so much… I-I was just curious about how great it was… It’s only natural to be curious, isn’t it?!”
“Well, I’ve always been curious about your body too, Saintess.”
“A-Again with the sexual harassnt! You, just wait, I’ll have you hauled before the Inquisition one of these days!”
It was a nostalgic conversation.
This kind of peace wasn’t bad either.
Discard what needs to be discarded, and reach out only to those I can save.
Maybe soday I’ll save the world that way.
Nevertheless, my inner feelings remained unchanged.
I need to sneak out.
They said two Masters were coming, but the Sword Duke and the Saint didn’t have the information. Moreover, in the mories of the future I had seen, the flesh monster possessed unimaginable strength.
At least enough for one Master to attempt mutual destruction.
We couldn’t lose one of the only three Masters here. While staying in the elven village, I realised the Dark Order’s plans had been ongoing for hundreds of years.
It would be a bad move to waste precious combat power as their plot was being revealed.
The only thing that weighed on my mind was the promise I made with the Saintess.
I always felt sorry towards her.
This must be how a drunk husband feels watching his battered wife.
As the Saintess continued to talk back to pointedly, my eyes turned towards the desk at my bedside.
As my gaze moved, the Saintess didn’t hide her perplexed expression.
“…….? Is sothing there?”
“Nothing, just…”
I could only return a bitter smile.
It seed that she couldn’t see it after all.
This blood-stained letter.
My eyes sank even deeper.
***
On the day I went to find Senior Delphine.
She greeted with a particularly tired expression. Despite her pale complexion, Senior Delphine was making every effort…
…mainly not to worry .
“What’s wrong?”
The aroma of expensive wine hit my senses all at once. Looking back, I had always been nothing more than a child.
Mainly in the sense that I made impulsive decisions.
In the end, I had no choice but to help Senior Delphine.
The day I t her for the first ti after spending the first night.
“Will you trust , just once?”
And I stood before the monster.
Holding a sword and hatchet.
Bubbling flesh was in front of .
Missing the last chance, and the second battle.
This will truly be the last ti.
***
sko-fi/genesisforsaken
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