82 - Collaborator
Sera greeted the morning without a wink of sleep.
Being of the Vampio race, staying awake for a single night was normally nothing to her. However, a strong sense of fatigue now spread through Sera's heart. It was because of Geel, who was sleeping before her eyes.
After their conversation died down, Geel had fallen asleep without showing any sign of intending to do anything to her. Even so, she could not relax. Sera spent the time without letting her tension fade.
However, no matter how many hours passed, Geel showed no sign of waking up, and she gradually began to feel foolish for being so tense. She started to think that Geel, sleeping soundly in front of a member of the Demon Race, was an idiot.
As her tension eased slightly, she tried moving her stiff body.
The sound of chains echoed in the room. In that instant, Sera felt something emanating from Geel's body. Though he appeared to be fast asleep before her, she realized that even in such a state, he was not letting his guard down.
Once she realized that, vigilance spread through Sera's heart once more. She became unable to make even a single movement. This was, truly, agonizing.
It was nearly dawn. Just because morning had come did not mean she could feel safe. Rather, it was the opposite. What action would Geel take once he woke up? Her anxiety grew stronger and stronger.
"Maybe you haven't been sleeping?"
"Ah..."
The words were spoken unexpectedly. Sera did not have the composure to answer them.
"...I believe I told you. I have no interest in bedding women who don't want it."
"............"
Being told such a thing made her feel as if she were being overly self-conscious. Ashamed, Sera's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Well, if you ever feel like being bedded, just let me know. I'm sorry about women who don't want it, but women who want it are more than welcome."
"...Who would ever want someone like you?"
"You can't even take a joke. In that regard, you're just like the little lady."
"Little lady?"
He was referring to Cecil, but Sera did not understand the meaning of the words.
"Don't worry about it. Now then... I'm going to wash my face, but I guess that's impossible for you."
"It is unnecessary."
"I see."
Geel stood up from the floor and left the room. Sera could do nothing but watch him. The chains fastened to her limbs would not allow her to follow.
She realized that she needed to worry not only about her chastity, but also about what lay ahead. If she were left abandoned without her restraints being removed, she might survive for a few weeks, but if it became a matter of months, she truly would not be able to live.
There was also the possibility that she would be killed before she even had to wait that long. What Geel wanted was information. Once he obtained it, she should be useless.
If she considered it punishment for the crimes she had committed, she thought it was only natural. However, it weighed on her heart that she could not fulfill the orders of King Dracul, who had shown her mercy.
"I am truly sorry."
Even if she whispered it, it would not reach him. This was for the sake of organizing her own feelings. To prepare herself for death.
As Geel had seen through, Sera was still young. Her lingering attachment to life was strong. Even if she grew older—though if it became hundreds of years, it might be different—it did not mean her attachment would vanish.
Geel returned. Sera waited tensely to see what he would say. She considered the possibility that it would be a sentence of death.
"Hey. Stay still."
"What...!"
Words that fueled an anxiety different from death. However, she soon realized it was a misunderstanding. Geel, approaching her, placed a water bucket he had brought in front of Sera.
"Wash your face. Or do you want to wash your body too?"
"............"
"I told you, it's a joke. But well, I suppose that's fair. I'm going to go get some exercise. If you want to wash your body, finish up while I'm gone. Let's see, I'll give you half an hour."
"............"
He was being considerate. Sera was surprised by this. The Human Race was atrocious. They were supposed to take ruthless actions against her kind. That was how it should be.
Perhaps he was trying to make her let her guard down. She must not relax her vigilance. Thinking this, she braced her spirit.
However, for the time being, she wanted to wash her body and feel refreshed. She could not resist that temptation.
◇◇◇
Geel returned one hour later. It was double the scheduled time. Because Geel did not return for so long, Sera's anxiety began to mount. Simply not knowing what he was doing caused her anxiety to intensify. She thought that if this situation continued, her heart would weaken before her body did.
"You want some too?"
But contrary to Sera's feelings, Geel spoke to her with carefree words. In his hand was some kind of meat. She realized that the reason for his late return was that he had been preparing a meal.
"...I don't want any."
"I see... Ah, would blood be better? I can't just let you suck it, though."
"I don't want that either!"
When blood-sucking was mentioned, she felt irritated. The misunderstandings the Human Race had regarding the Vampio race. Sera knew about them as knowledge.
"You'll die if you keep enduring it."
"...It is true that blood is the most efficient meal for us, but we do not suck blood on a daily basis. Blood-sucking is something special. It is not something we do to just anyone."
Her irritation did not vanish, but she decided to clear up Geel's misunderstanding here.
"Is that so? I didn't know that. But if that's the case, all the more reason to eat, right?"
"I will not die even if I eat nothing for about a month."
"That means there's a possibility you'll die if it exceeds that, then."
"............"
She had told him something unnecessary. Thinking this, Sera fell silent.
"It's boring when you react like that. I intend to stay here for a while. There's a possibility he arrived here first, after all."
"And?"
Rather than remaining silent, she tried answering for now.
"Even if I release you here, you'll stay in this place, right? Since we're both looking for Ray."
"Release...?"
"If I keep you tied up the whole time, you'll probably die, won't you? You just said you'd only last a month."
"...Why do you try to keep me alive?"
Geel had no intention of killing her. It was hard to believe suddenly, but the possibility existed. Sera found that strange.
"Ah, that... To be honest, members of the Demon Race should be killed without question. If you show weakness, you're the one who ends up dead."
"Then why?"
"After hearing Ray's story and coming to this place, I found out. The ordinary life of a demon. There was a mother, there were children... though I can't call it ordinary since it's a place like this, they led a daily life."
"............"
Sera did not know the information regarding the lives of Ray and Kamiira. She was not in a position to hear stories from Kai.
"That's why I couldn't kill you. Let me be clear, it's only because of this place. In a place of Ray's memories, I couldn't kill you, who are of the same race as the one he lived with."
"I see..."
"I've grown soft too. It's that bastard Ray's fault. But this softness is limited to this place. To remain a warrior, one must kill the enemy."
Even if it was limited to a specific place, the fact that he was soft remained unchanged. The previous Geel would never have considered such a thing. That changed because he got to know Ray. Because from Geel's perspective, Ray, who was full of soft spots, continued to show astonishing growth.
"...You said he was your disciple, but who are you?"
Hearing Geel's words, Sera's feelings relaxed. She now had the composure to ask about Geel's identity.
"I guess I'm still not that well-known."
Sera had assumed that she knew who he was. While hating the title of the Three Pillar Knights, Geel felt a bit embarrassed that he had believed himself to be a celebrity.
"What do you mean?"
"My name is Geel. A knight of the Laurel Kingdom Royal Knights."
"M-Mad Sword?"
Sera did know the name Geel. It was simply that she didn't know Geel's face because he had rarely appeared on the battlefield.
"So you know about that. Yeah, that's the Geel."
"The Mad Sword... is helping me...?"
Sera also knew the rumors of Mad Sword Geel. Those rumors did not overlap at all with the impression she had of Geel so far.
"Stop using that name. It's a derogatory term. It's not a name I use by choice."
"Even if you tell me to stop..."
"Geel is my name. What is your name?"
"............"
"Hey? Isn't it rude to make only me introduce myself?"
"...Sera."
"Sera... similar, yet not similar."
They weren't that similar. The only thing that overlapped was the 'Se'. If that was considered similar, then 'Geel' would be similar too.
"Who are you referring to as similar? You said it before as well."
"Ah... what should I do."
Should he talk about Cecil? Cecil was almost certainly acting together with Ray. He hesitated to let Sera know of her existence.
"Don't be so mysterious."
"...Well, fine. There's a woman named Cecil. This woman is head over heels for Ray. She's a troublesome woman in many ways, but I traveled with her for a while."
For now, he decided to give only a small amount of information about Cecil.
"I am similar to that woman?"
"Only in small ways. I don't know you... Sera, was it? I don't know much about Sera yet."
Geel was unexpectedly polite. Since they had exchanged names, he tried to call her by her name. However, in Geel's case, if the distance closed further, he would use a different way of addressing her. 'Kid' or 'little lady' were examples of that.
"............"
The distance had certainly closed. Sera felt it too.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
"...Hmm. I have a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Both I and Sera have the same goal of searching for Ray. If that's the case, why don't we cooperate until then?"
"Hah?"
An unexpected proposal. Sera was surprised by it. She could not imagine a cooperative relationship with a human at all.
"It would be problematic if you hindered me. That said, if I keep you restrained here, Sera will die. If that's the case, you have no choice but to cooperate."
"...Assuming I said I would cooperate, would you believe it?"
She asked a question that didn't need asking. If she intended to betray him, she could have just agreed without saying anything.
However, through this question, Sera's trust in Geel increased, if only slightly. It was only slight because Geel suspected that Sera might just be an idiot.
"If I don't trust you, the promise won't hold. Or will you betray me again?"
"...I will never betray you again. Furthermore, a member of the Vampio race does not break a promise once made."
"What's the difference? I don't really understand demon logic."
Betraying an ally and breaking a promise. Geel did not understand what difference there was between the two.
"He sought to join the Demon King's army, and the Demon King permitted it. His contract partner is the Demon King. Not the Vampio race."
If, as Ray had originally intended, he had fought alongside the Vampio race instead of the Undead Legion, Sera would not have betrayed Ray. The Demon King probably wouldn't have felt the need to order it, either.
"...Does the Demon King not break promises?"
"He does. That's why the Vampio race... ah..."
The Vampio race are leaving the Demon King's army. This was information she must not reveal.
"I see. So that's how it is."
Like Ray, the Vampio race had contracted with the Demon King and fought as part of the Demon King's army. However, he realized that the Demon King was not a partner who could be trusted as a contract party. Therefore, the Vampio race were canceling their contracts and leaving the Demon King's army. This was clear from Sera's words.
"............"
Sera turned pale upon realizing Geel had found out. Though it couldn't be told because of her naturally white skin.
"Don't worry. Even if the Demon King's army dissolves, the Laurel Kingdom army won't be happy."
"Liar."
"True. It's easier to fight if they stay united as the Demon King's army. We can settle it all at once. The Laurel Kingdom army was aiming for a short-term decisive battle from the start."
"............"
Whether it was truth or a lie, Sera could not judge.
"A cooperative relationship cannot be born without trust. Well, even if you don't trust me, there's meaning in promising cooperation. Just being able to be free is enough, right?"
"...I suppose."
"The problem is whether I can trust you. Well?"
"...I will keep my promise. I'll... I'll cooperate with Geel."
This was a contract. That's why she called him by his name, but because she was too conscious of it, it came out awkward.
"Are you actually an interesting woman? Well, I'll find out eventually. Then, the contract is established."
Saying this, Geel approached Sera.
"Don't be on guard. It's to remove the chains."
"...I know."
This was a lie. Her stiff body betrayed the fact that it was a lie.
First, Geel removed the chain connected to her right leg. Next, the left leg. Sera left it to Geel without moving. This was to avoid Geel misunderstanding a clumsy movement as an attack.
"Next, the arms."
After the legs, it was the arms. Geel stood up and began removing the chain from her right arm. The distance between the two was quite close. Again, while feeling a bit ashamed of herself for worrying unnecessarily, Sera's body stiffened.
"...Can I apologize?"
"Eh?"
"Yeah, I see. So this is the power of Charm."
It wasn't unnecessary worry. Thinking this, Sera tried to take an attacking stance.
"Don't be on guard. I don't bed women who don't want it. I'll stick to that. However, I've lost confidence in whether the promise of cooperation was made in a sane state. Let me cool my head and think about it."
There was a possibility she had been affected by Charm without realizing it. In fact, she had been. But she thought she had endured it. However, now that Geel had approached her, she felt the sheer power of it. She also thought that cooperating with a human was a soft idea that wasn't like her.
That was the reason he wanted to reconsider.
"...A man who can say that... no, I understand."
She had felt the influence of Charm. She was convinced of that. But on top of that, Sera thought that Geel, who could say such a thing calmly, was fine. She just refrained from saying it aloud.
"Want to take a bath? The water here is pretty good. Well, I'm off."
"A-Ah."
Geel left the room.
"Is it okay not to restrain me again?"
With her left free, there was no such thing as reconsidering. Geel was keeping his promise. If that was the case, Sera had no intention of running away. She could not be the one to break the promise.
――As a result, the cooperative relationship continued. Even after cooling his head, Geel's conclusion did not change.
Was it because he continued to be captivated by Charm? Geel was not one to not doubt it. However, Ray had lived here while exposed to that power of Charm. Geel did not think at all that Ray had been driven mad by Charm.
If that was the case, he was fine too. He couldn't lose to his disciple.
◇◇◇
The battle between the Laurel Kingdom army and the Demon King's army was finally entering its climax. The Demon King's army, which had been deployed in the north, withdrew and regrouped at the fortress at the entrance of Nordende. If that happened, the Laurel Kingdom army also had to move the front line back to its original position.
That said, the original positions had been occupied by the Demon King's army, and those positions had been destroyed when the Demon King's army retreated to the fortress. They had to start by reconstructing those positions.
During that time, the main camp was placed in the rear. Hinata was at those headquarters. Even if she went to the front line, Hinata was useless unless she was facing undead.
Once a solid fortification was completed, it might be considered to send her to the front line to treat the injured, but they were currently in the middle of constructing it.
With nothing to do, Hinata remained shut inside her own tent at the main camp.
However, the reason she didn't try to go outside was not because she had nothing to do. It was the change in the gazes of those around her. That was painful, and she was avoiding the public eye.
The relationship with Cecil had continued for many days. Hinata's body became increasingly sensitive, and she could no longer hold back her moans. In the end, she even ended up screaming.
Those acts took place inside the tent. Even without straining their ears, those voices could be heard outside. They were clearly moans. Not a few people noticed what was happening inside.
Hinata had been viewed with longing by many men, but now she felt something vulgar in those gazes. She hated that.
She had no one to consult. She could absolutely never tell Fumiya. He would probably pretend to be sympathetic, but his ultimate goal would be obvious.
And as for Akemi. Hinata wanted to see Akemi less than anyone else. The fact that Hinata, who had been an honor student, possessed such surprising sexual preferences would be something for Akemi to rejoice in. Because she, who had been constantly compared and looked down upon by Hinata, could now stand above her.
Akemi looking at her with eyes mixed with contempt and ridicule. To Hinata, that was more painful than anyone else's gaze. Akemi's gaze was different from Cecil's.
A cold eye that showed no emotion. Cecil's gaze, which felt as if it froze the heart. But because of that, Cecil's expression, which even felt like madness, was purely beautiful. Cecil, who lacked something ordinary people possessed, seemed to Hinata like a doll that pursued only beauty, and she had been captivated by her more than once or twice.
Whether she was wearing clothes or not, just being stared at by Cecil made her entire body tremble. Her heart froze, and conversely, her body grew hot.
When she turned her gaze toward the entrance of the tent, she wondered if Cecil was standing there. She thought that every night. And tonight as well.
"Eh... n-no way..."
Though Cecil should not have been there, she felt fingers stimulating her lower body. Realizing that those were her own fingers moving unconsciously, Hinata became stunned.
"N-no... I can't... it's not... this isn't me."
Covering her head with the sheets, Hinata continued to mutter. She was telling herself. That she did not seek Cecil. That she was not thinking about wanting to taste the pleasure Cecil had given her once more.
The more she thought so in her head, the more she failed to notice that her body was growing hot.