Episode 42
"What... Huk."
Understanding his words a step too late, I couldn't help but gasp.
'Crazy, why is he saying that all of a sudden?!'
Could it be, that ti... he knows it was ?
I stared at his face in horror, searching it.
But his expression was far too indifferent for soone who was trying to sound out.
'No way. Surely... it can't be.'
I desperately ignored the creeping chill up my neck and played dumb.
"Ah, no! What kind of crazy person would throw an expensive healing potion?!"
"That's what I'm saying."
"..."
"I'd love to peel back the face of whatever psycho it was... but there's nothing I can do for now."
His unreadable, blood-red eyes lazily scanned the area around my face.
My breath caught, wondering if he had figured everything out and was pressuring .
But all I could do now was desperately change the subject.
"A-anyway, there might be another way...!"
I was about to shout that I'd go get ice water this ti, but I couldn't finish my sentence.
Kugugugung!
Because suddenly, with a loud roar, the earthquake I had experienced earlier shook the Tower.
The timing was so perfect, I couldn't tell if it was helping or screwing over.
"Uwaaak!"
The old Tower shook frighteningly, as if it would collapse at any mont.
The vibration was much stronger than what I'd felt at the estate, probably because the site right under the Tower was where the monster was sealed.
I covered my head and curled up as stone fragnts rained down from the ceiling.
'Am I going to be crushed to death by a collapsing tower before I even see the monster?!'
Just as the incessant shaking gave an ominous premonition.
The ear-splitting roar gradually quieted, and at the sa ti, the intense vibration that shook the earth began to subside.
Kurrrrr...
With a final sound, just like a monster's cry, the earthquake stopped as if it had been washed away.
"Hey."
I, who had been pathetically crouched with my head covered, sheepishly raised my head at the voice calling .
It had shaken as if it would collapse, but the Tower I now saw was perfectly fine.
Kassel, too, was sitting in the exact sa position as before.
'Hmm. I guess they built it pretty sturdily.'
I pretended not to notice the pity in his gaze and replied nonchalantly.
"Yes."
"...How much did the Count agree to pay you to take this job?"
I widened my eyes for a mont at the unexpected question.
"Well... just so gold coins."
Of course, it wasn't "just so," but I blurred the details.
I had already extorted one million coins alone, and I planned to extort a ton more by tacking on all sorts of extra pay once this was over.
But it wasn't a plan I intended to broadcast, so I glared at Kassel with suspicious eyes.
"Why are you asking? The gold coins are my rightful compensation."
Potions, maybe. But he wasn't getting a single penny of my money.
'If you want to extort soone, go extort that bastard Adam!'
That was the aning I was trying to convey, but he said sothing completely random.
"You said you weren't given any hint from the Count about what happens if I fall asleep."
"Yes."
"If I fall asleep, you won't even see the shadow of the Count, let alone those gold coins you were promised. The entire Hailey domain will burn and disappear."
"..."
"I wonder if you'll be able to keep that pathetic life of yours, should that happen."
I only half-listened to Kassel's words, recalling the disaster that befell Hailey Village.
I'd only seen the video of the disaster a few tis since it was the sa as a "Ga Over."
But I knew the contents better than anyone.
An unknown wildfire spreads from the middle of the village, and a horde of monsters, unaffected by the fire, appears and slaughters the humans.
And without any ti to react, the Hailey domain is instantly annihilated.
In any other ga, it would have just been a few lines of text and done.
This ga, however, just had to show those scenes as a post-credits clip.
And rendered them quite vividly, at that.
"...Why no answer? Did you get scared?"
Kassel, mistaking my silence as I was recalling the disaster for being speechless with fear, suddenly let out a sneer.
I couldn't be branded a coward, so I quickly replied.
"I'm moved that you're so worried about my life."
"Shut up. Who said I was worried about the likes of you..."
"Then why are you saying such things?"
Co to think of it, it was random and strange.
He had no reason to tell a re apothecary top-secret matters like the disaster.
At my question, Kassel's expression hardened frighteningly, as if I'd hit a nerve. He soon unleashed a torrent of curses.
"Why don't you just admit it. You failed to follow the Count's orders to keep from sleeping."
"...Failed?"
"Instead of risking your life for a few gold coins, finding an escape route right now would be the wiser decision."
It's not like it was my fault he developed a resistance.
Feeling wronged at the word "failed," I suddenly looked back at Kassel with fresh eyes.
'...You little... you are worried about .'
Just because he's seen for two days, he's warning of the danger.
The monts I'd struggled to humor him flashed before my eyes like a panorama.
I was a little touched, staring at him silently.
The Lord of Nightmares feels strong displeasure at your gaze.
A system window popped up, as if he was embarrassed.
But embarrassnt was embarrassnt. His words, declaring my failure, were a separate, unpleasant matter.
"I haven't failed yet."
"What?"
"You said it yourself just a mont ago. That we have to try until we can't anymore."
"Then what do you call a potion with a duration of less than five minutes, if not a failure?"
As if it were ti to drink a potion, he picked up an insomnia potion himself.
Gulp. I shrugged, watching him down the purple liquid in one go.
Once I'd decided he was "worried," his curses felt much lighter.
"Unfortunately, from where I'm standing, it seems more likely you'll die at the hands of the monster when the seal breaks, rather than burning to death because you fell asleep."
"You're not scared."
Tossing the empty bottle he'd finished drinking toward , he suddenly spat.
"Ack! You crazy...!"
Clang!
I dodged just in ti, and the potion bottle he threw hit the wall next to my face, making a loud noise as it fell.
"Agh, did you eat sothing bad? Why are you suddenly acting like this!"
It didn't break because it was reinforced glass, but I snapped and shouted.
However, he recited with a perfectly calm face.
"You don't even look surprised at the thought of dying soon."
"I'm asking what you're doing, what's with the random nonsense...!"
"Hearing sothing like that, most people would be shocked and run away, forgetting about any reward."
The only thing I want to run away from is your rotten personality!
Those words, which rose to the tip of my tongue, couldn't be spat out.
The Lord of Nightmares holds a very high level of suspicion toward you.
Warning! If the suspicion level increases, your reliability will drop, and you may be classified as an 'Assassin.'
Resolve this character's suspicion and raise your affection level!
It was because of the system window that imdiately popped up.
'Ha. Assassin? What kind of assassin?'
I was dumbfounded by the sudden suspicion.
While I was stamring in disbelief, Kassel glared at coolly.
"Who sent you? Adam Hailey, that bastard, doesn't know how to pull strings, so it wouldn't be him."
"..."
"Did they order you to cut my throat in my sleep?"
I had no idea what kind of thought process could lead from "she's not scared" to "she must be an assassin."
I had given up on gaining affection from Kassel long ago, but I thought the situation was improving, just a little.
'Worried? My ass.'
This bastard, who's busy sounding out every chance he gets.
Was it because I was relieved that my relationship with Adam had improved?
I had forgotten that I'd almost never received a good "evaluation" system window from Kassel.
I muttered, feeling a little dejected.
"...I told you, I'm just an apothecary."
"And you expect to believe that now?"
"Didn't you just say I should be thankful I wasn't beaten by the employees?"
When I sharply pointed out the contradiction, he shut his mouth, looking as if he'd been punched.
'Damn bastard. Damn ga!'
I'm not even working as an operator anymore, so why can't I escape this feedback hell!
But there was no other way.
Staring fiercely at the system window, which remained, as if his suspicion hadn't been lifted, I slowly opened my mouth.
"To be honest, I don't really believe it."
"...What?"
"You fall asleep, the Hailey domain burns and disappears, blah blah... It just sounds like a ridiculous story."
"..."
"And even if it is true, a poor commoner like ... is so desperate for those few gold coins you scoff at that we're bound to stick around until the end, not even knowing we're about to die."
"..."
"So just stop..."
I was about to say, "trying to chase away," but I shut my mouth at the system window that popped up.
The Lord of Nightmares temporarily sets aside his strong suspicion of you.
It seed my "excuse" had worked again, 'temporarily.'
I looked away from the air and snorted dismissively.
He'd been making a fuss about assassins and whatnot just a mont ago.
He was staring at with a strangely complex expression.
Then, he suddenly said sothing completely random.
"...Have you ever seen a novel or a play?"
"No. How could a poor commoner like ."
I didn't want to talk to him anymore, so I feigned ignorance sharply.
What followed was a masterpiece.
"Co to think of it, in all the novels and plays I've seen, people who say stupid things like you are the ones who die first."
"Just curse to die, why don't you."
"If that's the kind of thing you're into, I'll keep it in mind."
'Agh, that son of a XX. He just won't lose a single word.'
Of course, I didn't want to hear curses from this rampaging Male Lead.
Swallowing my anger, I glared at him and retorted.
"And. If that's true, shouldn't you be the one who's most afraid?"
"What do you an?"
"You said a whole village might disappear and people might die because of you. For soone who said that, you don't seem scared at all, either."
"..."
For a mont, he clamped his mouth shut, as if I'd hit a nerve.
He didn't seem to have a coback, now that he was on the receiving end of the sa suspicion he'd given .
The blood-red eyes, which had been glinting with venom as he frad as a spy, gradually clouded over.
"...Fear."
"..."
"I think there was a ti when I definitely felt such a thing."
He suddenly looked down at his own hands and laughed hollowly.
The healing potion had healed the wounds, but the blood that hadn't been wiped away had dried, and his hands were still a ss.
As if he had murdered soone with those hands.
His expressionless, empty face seed to, on the contrary, clearly show his long-held pain and agony.
If this were one of his fans, they might have felt pity at this point, listened to his story, and tried to comfort him.
But.
'I don't feel sorry for him at all!'
I wasn't the least bit curious about the Male Lead bastard's backstory.
The most pitiful person here is , trapped in this ga for no reason.
"Anyway, I'm not leaving until I get my reward, even if I die, so just know that."
Whether Kassel was reminiscing about his miserable life or not, I inford him coolly.
At that, he lifted his gaze from his hands and glared at , his brow deeply furrowed.
The Lord of Nightmares doubts your emotional intelligence.
Hearing that I'm a psycho from a real psycho didn't faze at all.
As I silently ignored the system window, he muttered in irritation.
"I gave you enough of a chance in exchange for the healing potion."
"If the 'chance' you're talking about is interrogating every ti, then I refuse."
He must have had a shred of conscience, because he averted his gaze slightly at my words.
"...If you're on the verge of death, bla your own lack of tact and poor judgnt."
"That won't happen, so you can stop worrying about ."
"Who said I was worried about the likes of you..."
"Aaaah! No, it's not that! It's just that I'm so pitiful and upset, going through all this trouble because of you, that I'm going crazy?! I'm overwheld with gratitude!"
I didn't want to hear any more, so I plugged my ears and shouted. He glared at , his face filled with rage.
"Childish and vulgar. You just won't lose a single word."
While he criticized my behavior, he couldn't bring himself to act like . He soon turned his head sharply away.
'Ebebe, why don't you try being childish and vulgar, too?'
Having won my first battle of wills against the bastard after three straight days, I mocked him to my heart's content.
It was then.
Thump, thump, thump!
Suddenly, the sound of soone knocking on the prison door echoed.
Reviews
All reviews (0)