The Sleeping Devil Vol. 1 - Chapter 18 - Hermes' Diagnosis

I felt like I heard sothing dangerous.

"What was that? Killing people? With words?"

"Um, is that really okay?"

"Huh? What? You an the story about trying to kill soone? It was a bit risky from a Beriard perspective, but in reality, it just ssed up a little, so it's fine."

Oops? Sothing doesn't seem to be aligning here.

That phrase "from a Beriard perspective" is a red flag.

There are laws of the country, laws of the Marquisate of Beriard, and even rules within the Beriard family, and they conveniently use each of them as it suits them.

"At that ti, Didier had just finished the baptismal ceremony, I think. It was probably just a test to see how far his emotions could swing, but people around him were quite worried."

"Yes, that's right. After all, if you don't know the limits, nothing will begin, right?"

"Please don't casually talk about attempted murder in a nostalgic tone like an old childhood mishap, and please don't let it beco a lifelong habit."

As Sheriel was feeling exhausted by the conversation about antisocial mories, Hers calmly composed his expression.

"Then, let's diagnose Sheriel while giving a lesson on human emotions. Both of you, please sit comfortably."

Tea was prepared for three people, and after moistening their throats lightly, a scent of rare flowers filled the air.

They exhaled with a sigh, sinking into the plush armchairs that felt like their bodies were being enveloped, imitating Didier.

"One day, a demon appeared and demanded that you give up half of your subjects, threatening to destroy your territory if you refused. Even if you fought alone, you couldn't win. Even if the entire Beriard clan fought, it would end in a draw. The clan would be wiped out. Didier, what would you do?"

"Do they have to be Beriard subjects?"

"What if they said it could be people from other territories?"

"If it were , I would gather all the criminals in the kingdom. That way, it would probably amount to about half of my own subjects."

"Hmm. In the kingdom, there are territories where even minor offenders are imprisoned, but what if it was a poor child who lost their parents, stole bread because they were hungry? Would you include them in that group?"

"Determining the punishnt for people from other territories is not within our scope. If you have rcy on that child, the country should show compassion. The responsibility lies with that territory or the country."

"Why aren't slaves included?"

"Because slaves are valuable laborers with contracts. If they're criminals, it saves the cost of managing prisons and doesn't leave any guilt on the remaining people. Besides, it instills the consciousness of "it's better not to do bad things." It's a response that suits Didier.

I was surprised by his unexpectedly rational way of thinking. I thought he would say sothing like, "Just give up about half of the subjects."

In this way, the lesson on human emotions begins by teaching the rules of being human, and then proceeds in the form of continuous questioning and answering.

They learn to consider what they want and how they should behave as Beriards.

They delve into the questions of "why," "how," and "how it should be," gradually eliminating the discrepancies with the world. The training aims to develop the ability to reflexively exhibit "correct" behavior.

It is more akin to brainwashing than a moral lesson.

They acquire the behavior of being a person so as not to cause harm to others.

They call this process "assimilation."

Hers remained silent for a while, organizing his thoughts, and then returned to the first question, asking Didier, "What if it was only Beriard subjects?"

After pondering for a mont, Didier answered smoothly.

"I would leave Sheriel behind and fight with the entire clan. Sheriel won't be of any help in battle anyway, and as long as Sheriel is there, the Beriard family will not die out. Even if we were to lose, if we go that far, the subjects would probably co to accept it."

My lord...!

Sheriel's heart throbbed with excitent. It seed as if what he had promised to protect on that day was not a lie.

"I see, leave Sheriel behind. What about Sheriel?"

"Well, uh, let's see... I will go and ask the demon for the reason. If it's for food, I'll propose alternative provisions in exchange. If it's not urgent, I might negotiate to provide death row inmates every year."

"Installnt paynts for alternatives, huh? Why negotiate with a demon?"

"The demon might have circumstances beyond our control, right? Even nobles won't be able to sustain themselves if they lose half their subjects... A-also, I don't want my family to die."

Hers covered his face with his palm and looked up at the sky.

Oh, no...? I boldly ntioned my family, but perhaps Grandfather has heard that I am not the true daughter of the Beriard family.

I stole a glance at the motionless Didier beside , who for so reason had the sa rigid posture as Hers.

"I see, that's fine."

Hers returned to his original posture as if nothing had happened and resud the questioning.

While touching upon mories from their past lives, they repeated several fairy tale-like exchanges of questions and answers.

These exchanges seed to confirm priorities.

Whether to leave parents or children.

Whether to preserve the country or the people.

Nobility or commoners.

Money or power.

Law or love.

There are no correct answers. They are forced to think.

"Sheriel, can you still vividly rember your mories from your past life?"

"I don't rember things from when I was little, but if I trace back, I can rember them in reasonable detail."

Strangely enough, even classmates from elentary school who had been forgotten as adults could be rembered one by one by tracing back, including good friends and classroom scenes.

The content learned in class. Information casually flowing through social dia. Docuntaries from a certain video streaming service that had been playing in the background.

If one could recall what they learned about sothing and where they learned it, most of the details could be extracted.

She sohow imagined a database index, where information would click and connect. Each mory seed to be organized as related tables.

Therefore, she didn't know what she didn't know. It seed obvious, but it felt strange now.

As she was pondering about such things, Hers' calm voice brought her back to reality.

"So children are born with mories from their past lives."

"Is that so!? That's why Father didn't seem so surprised."

"However, usually, they only vaguely rember nas, the atmosphere of that place, and occupations, and by the age of three, it disappears. I consider this to be like the remnants of the previous life's fragrance, but Sheriel might be in a state where it has been completely imprinted."

"Is that... alright?"

"I don't know. This is the first case like this. But that's precisely why it's fascinating."

Hers, with the face of a researcher, clasped his hands together and stared at Sheriel as if observing her.

"If there's a problem, it would be the mind. Even with just mories from the previous life, there should be too much information for an infant's brain... "

"Ah, when I was a baby... As I repeated dreams, my thoughts gradually beca clearer, and there was a period when I could understand that they were dreams or about myself. Maybe that's when my capacity increased...?"

I wonder if Grandfather will understand...

Back then, my head was buzzing, and I could feel the blood rushing through it, generating a heat-like sensation.

My body temperature would rise to the point of sweating if I moved, and my thoughts would raise the temperature.

I thought it was because I was a baby, but now that I think about it...

"Hmm, it's quite a plausible story. Beriard's education is theoretically the sa... Ah, maybe it was because of Beriard that it was okay. While a normal brain wouldn't be able to endure it, Beriards can gradually increase the amount of information. We have 'gaps' in our abilities."

"Gaps...?"

Sohow, it all made sense.

Those who inherit the "curse" of this castle, living here, rapidly accumulate knowledge with extraordinary thinking ability and mory from early childhood.

That's what makes them geniuses, and Sheriel was no exception.

From the bottom of her heart, she felt relieved that she was born as a Beriard, thinking that if she didn't have that, her brain might have burned out.

It's dangerous, though. It's a little difficult to communicate.

"Is there anything else that concerns you in terms of your ntal state?"

"I sotis feel uncertain about whether I'm a child or an adult and confused about my own existence and position."

Perhaps due to understanding and relief, sothing like the sedint of a stifled heart that she couldn't even tell Didier ca out of her mouth smoothly.

Hers, without feeling uneasy, rather deepened his voice as if he wanted to emphasize his expertise.

"Do you understand what distinguishes a child from an adult?"

"Is it the presence or absence of knowledge and self-control?"

"No. Once you undergo the Coming of Age ceremony, you beco an adult. Until the age where parental protection is necessary, regardless of being a mber of the Beriard family, everyone is considered a child. Higher levels of growth may occur early, but until sixteen, when the manipulation of magic is unstable, they are regarded as children."

Both Didier and I were left speechless by the unexpectedly simple answer.

"However, the maturity of the mind varies among individuals. Those who bear the Beriard curse acquire a lot of knowledge early on. But when it cos to ntal maturity, it's different for each person. If anything, there may be more individuals who continue to pursue their interests like children. Sergio is a good example. Don't beco like him; it's botherso for everyone around."

I have a vague understanding.

The image of Sergio, who, despite having knowledge and self-control, relentlessly pursues what he loves like a boy, ca to mind.

Then Hers continued speaking.

"Sheriel... Although she has high thinking ability and adult mories, she probably falls behind Didier in terms of academic knowledge. It seems she has had so opportunities to interact with people, but in her previous life, was she a commoner? Her values as a noble are appropriate for her age. She unconsciously avoids difficult things by thinking that she has never experienced hardships or setbacks. She's just good at compartntalizing. In other words, she has a tendency to escape. She dedicates herself to what she likes---like a craftsman pursuing one or two things with moderate confidence and discarding the rest. However, it's not deep. Therefore, even when combining her mories from past lives, her level of ntal maturity is not very high. Do you disagree?"

"H-How do you know all that...?"

It's terrifying... Just by answering a few questions and engaging in a conversation, he understood so much.

Moreover, it's quite shocking...

"This is my research. However, the presence of the curse is still unclear. Continue to learn about human nature."

Ugh... I see, I'm completely inadequate... I thought that earning a decent amount of money, living comfortably, and surrounding myself with hobbies would make for a happy life. But my level of maturity is low... I-I understand... It's like, it hits the mark so accurately. Ah, I really wish I could just forget about my mories from past lives. I didn't want to realize it now.

Sheriel felt an impulse of sha that made her want to dig a hole, especially since she thought she was living well.

"Grandfather, you're being a bit too harsh. Sheriel is barely hanging on."

"Hmm? Surprisingly, she has no resistance, doesn't she?"

No, it's good that I know now.

After all, I'm still five years old. Yes, just five years old!

I an, I'm a renowned five-year-old prodigy. If I were from an ordinary family, I would have been revered as a child genius or even a saint.

Yes, yes. I still think I'm quite exceptional for a five-year-old.

"Oh, she's fighting back. Are you okay, Sheriel?"

"Y-Yes, sohow."

The lesson ended here, and they prepared ringues and sweet potatoes, once again entering tea ti.

"Hers-sama, you're truly amazing. I feel like I've been reborn today."

"Have you co to dislike ?"

"No, not at all! It feels refreshing to be told outright that I'm a child."

I definitely suffered quite a blow, but I feel like my vague existence has finally gained so clarity.

Because everyone feels anxious when they don't understand themselves.

"I see, well... that's good."

"Hers-sama, these sweets. They're called ringues, and I had them made based on mories from my past life. Please try them if you'd like."

While Hers remained fixated on the ringues, he fell silent.

Even though he showed interest in past lives, perhaps he's only interested in matters of the heart.

Feeling a little disappointed, Sheriel found herself at a loss with what to do with the ringues she offered.

"Sheriel, why don't you call him Grandfather?"

"Grandfather...?"

Didier whispered to Sheriel , and although she was bewildered, she voiced it out.

In response, Hers once again looked up at the sky.

"Mmmmm!"

"Grandfather? Grandfather?"

"...Having a grandchild is nice."

Suddenly?

"Grandfather really loves little children."

"Hey, Didier, stop phrasing it like that. While other people's children might be interesting as research subjects, they don't evoke much emotion. Beriard's children are special. Especially as a direct grandchild."

I was surprised...

"Will you acknowledge as your grandchild, Grandfather?"

"Of course. I didn't expect you to be this adorable, so I was slightly taken aback."

"That's a relief... Even with this hair color."

Feeling relieved to be acknowledged and embarrassed by the straightforward praise, Sheriel's cheeks grew warm.

She unintentionally let slip self-deprecating words.

...Ah, this is how it is.

When it cos to things she lacks confidence in or feels self-conscious about, she dislikes being pointed out by others and proactively ntions them as a defensive asure.

"I'm not very interested in magic. I won't think any less of Sheriel even if she lacks magical power. Besides, if she's Claude's child, she's no different from my grandchild."

"Did you already know?"

"You can tell by looking at Sergio and Dior. Moreover, Sheriel's eyes resemble Claude's."

My biological father... I haven't thought much about it, but my parents also exist in this world.

Sheriel, who had parents in her past life, felt a strange sensation. She doesn't yearn for them, nor does she feel like they are strangers. The sa goes for Sergio and Dior.

"Grandfather, these are the sweets Sheriel ca up with. Are you interested in trying food from a different world?"

"Ah, that's right. Let have so."

When Didier offered the sweets, Hers accepted them without any suspicion.

"Oh, this is delicious. Was the culture of sweets developed in the previous world?"

"Yes, it was a world with a rich culinary culture. Since magic didn't exist, I'm not sure about other differences yet."

"I see, it's good to make use of what you have. However, it's better not to casually talk about your past life. We don't know how the conversation might spread."

"Yes, I will be careful."

Surprisingly, the conversation with Hers took off, and despite just eting today, they were able to beco quite familiar with each other.

Perhaps Didier gave up on pretending, as he has returned to his usual nonchalant self. In other words, he's frivolous, carefree, and a brother who can't be underestimated, always thinking of his sister.

"Am I the only one left out again? Why is it that my father, who just arrived today, is getting along so well?"

"Children unconsciously sense adult thoughts."

"Hmm, Father seems to know everything."

Huh?

On the way to the expanded dining hall with the newly added family mbers.

Sergio, who appeared out of nowhere, furrowed his brows with a lancholic expression.