kscans

Chapter 118 - Interlude: The Movements of Three

A mansion.

Deep within a forest stood a creepy, isolated manor that no one ever approached. Inside this deserted place, a strange sound echoed.

In the basement laboratory, Redorza the Sage was conducting an experiment.

Ever since the incident in the Empire, Bamhal the Dragon King had issued a decree for them to refrain from interfering. Taking advantage of this, Redorza had recovered the corpse of the centaur, Rodel, and the Demonic Blade Dainsleif from the border base.

He was using the corpse to create a high-level undead: a Night Zombie.

Undead monsters. They often appear in graveyards and on battlefields, the physical manifestations of individuals whose resentment and regret linger strongly after death. They are harmless if left alone, but they may perceive people passing by as enemies and attack. If they appear along highways or in populated areas, they are immediately designated for extermination. The headless warrior Shinsuke encountered at the church long ago was one such creature.

Redorza had made it a personal project to create one himself, but there was a problem: he couldn't get his hands on a corpse with strong enough resentment and regret. Corpses on the battlefield might have regrets, but they had surprisingly little resentment. Soldiers and adventurers live with death as a constant companion. When they are killed in battle, their final emotion is more often resignation—‘so this is it’—than hatred. For this reason, he had been unable to create an undead monster.

However, Rodel, who had been defeated by that female adventurer at the border, harbored a magnificent amount of resentment. His regret was also strong, making him the perfect material. He was the finest specimen for an experiment.

Since the day the Behemoth was defeated, he had been engrossed in his laboratory, preparing chemicals and tools. Repeated injections prevented Rodel's body from decaying. The ruined muscles were replaced with a custom blend of human and monster tissue, and the horse part of his body had its legs and hooves cut off and replaced with the limbs of a bear.

If he was going to modify it, he was going to do it thoroughly and in an interesting way.

And finally, it was complete. Rodel's body was now three times its original size, like a bodybuilder's. His lower half was the torso of a horse with the limbs of a bear. All that was left was to reattach the severed head with a needle and thread. He had made modifications to the face as well. On the forehead, he attached the eye of a Sitetaka, a monster with a precognitive eye that could see the future, making him three-eyed. The teeth were replaced with the fangs of a Fangwolf, a monster that could crush rocks.

Once all modifications were complete, he placed Rodel in a capsule filled with a culture medium—a mixture of various chemicals—to animate it. He then activated the liquid with lightning magic, forcing it to seep into the corpse. And then, dark magic.

A forbidden magic, lost to the ancient world. He invoked it. Black smoke coiled around the corpse and entered its body.

The next moment, the culture medium suddenly began to bubble, obscuring the inside of the capsule. The liquid level dropped rapidly, and Redorza immediately replenished it.

An hour later, after several replenishments, a crack appeared on the capsule. One… two… three. More cracks spread across its surface. And then, with a loud bariiiin, the capsule shattered.

The corpse that emerged slumped to the floor, motionless. It didn’t even twitch. ‘A failure,’ he thought with disappointment. Just then, it jerked. Redorza watched in silence. The corpse slowly began to stand up. Its face was expressionless, its eyes vacant. But a condensed magical power, born of negative emotions, poured out of it.

It was a success.

"It seems my theory was correct," Redorza said. "How do you feel, Rodel?"

Rodel did not answer. Whether he couldn't hear or simply couldn't reply, he remained silent. Redorza, unbothered by being ignored, smiled.

*

In the Forest of Fairies.

A forest said to exist somewhere on the continent, inhabited only by fairies. Fairies flitted about like fireflies, but there was one spot where the light was concentrated.

In the center of a spring in the forest, numerous fairies had gathered around a single one of their kind. The fairy in the center, Rumby the Fateweaver, was speaking cheerfully.

She was talking about the incident in the Empire: the succession struggle after the emperor's death, the failure of the first princess's policies that Rumby had orchestrated, the fierce battle at the border, and the end of the new emperor. It was an unpleasant topic for humans, but the fairies listened with amusement. For them, there was no greater joy than watching humans strive, only to be plunged into the depths of despair at the moment of their supposed happiness.

"That was so interesting, Rumby-sama!" one of the fairies exclaimed. "Will the humans fall into even more chaos after this uproar?!"

Rumby replied, "Hmm, I’m not really interested in that part, so I don’t know. But it’s a sure thing that the royalty of each country will make a move. After all, Redorza said this is the biggest incident in the Empire’s history. There might be even more interesting things to come!"

She answered with a smile.

Her words made the fairies smile even wider and chat amongst themselves. Some even said they wanted to visit a human country. The fairy race never reveals itself to humans. This is because they are powerless. Although they can manipulate luck and misfortune, an ordinary fairy can at best cause someone to trip over a small stone. If they are caught, they cannot escape. Rumby, however, was so powerful that it didn't matter if humans saw her.

The fairies were well aware of this, but some still wanted to go.

Rumby didn’t care what happened to other races, but she would never allow her own kind to be put in danger. So, she said, "Just so you know, you’re not allowed to go without telling me. If you do… you’ll get a special punishment from me… okay?"

She asked with a smile. Her eyes were smiling, but it wasn't her usual innocent smile. It was the smile of someone who couldn't wait to see others suffer. Of course, Rumby wouldn't do anything too terrible to her own kind, but some of the fairies were traumatized by her punishments, and just seeing that smile sent shivers down their spines.

The fairies quietly nodded.

*

In the Minotaur Village.

A commotion had erupted. Danmes had returned with one of his arms cut off. His skill was among the top in the village. Moreover, his admiration and respect for Sidoor the Sword Demon were so strong that he considered losing a battle to be a stain on Sidoor’s honor. So when they heard he had fought and lost to a human, everyone was shocked.

But no one jeered. The Minotaurs were a race of warriors. They would never laugh at or mock someone injured in battle. However, they didn’t offer words of concern either. No matter how grievous the injury, offering comfort was a warrior's shame. So, while they were surprised, no one said anything.

An elderly Minotaur who was treating Danmes said, "That should do it. Rest for a while. Still, for you to lose an arm… what kind of human was he?" he asked with a neutral expression.

It was a question everyone wanted to avoid, but the old Minotaur asked without hesitation—a privilege of age, perhaps.

Danmes replied, "Honestly, I didn’t think there could be a human worthy of Sidoor-sama’s attention. I thought it was a mistake, that it couldn’t be possible. I wasn’t careless or arrogant, but I fought him thinking he might be somewhat skilled. But he was strong. It was a close fight. I think I understand now why Sidoor-sama is interested in him."

He chuckled softly.

The old Minotaur listened without saying anything. He knew it would be tactless to press further. Something about that human must have been so enjoyable that Danmes felt it even in the heat of battle. To ask for details would be far too rude.

After his treatment, Danmes returned to his home. With only one arm, he couldn't fight properly. He decided to take his time and think about what to do next. It was then that a black mist appeared before him, and from it emerged Sidoor the Sword Demon.

Danmes was startled. "Sidoor-sama! To what do I owe the honor of your visit to such a place?" he asked, dropping to one knee.

But Danmes already knew. The only reason Sidoor would come here was because of his defeat in the recent battle.

As Danmes broke out in a cold sweat, Sidoor said, "Don’t be so stiff. I didn’t come here to blame you. I have something to ask. How was Shinsuke?"

Danmes replied, "Sir. To be frank, his skill is among the top tier for a human. However, his combat techniques seem self-taught, giving him more the impression of a warrior than a knight. But he is not yet at a level where he can fight you, Sidoor-sama."

He stated his opinion respectfully.

Danmes’s assessment was not wrong. Shinsuke’s skill had certainly improved since his time on Earth. He had been through life-or-death situations and would use his techniques and magic without hesitation to win. But that was only by human standards. Against monsters, he was at best on the level of a Great Ogre or a Cyclops. To be blunt, he was not strong enough to fight one of the Seven Demon Lords.

Sidoor listened and said, "Hmm. That sounds about right. It’s only been about a month since then, so it’s to be expected. You’ve done well, Danmes. But now that you’ve lost an arm, what will you do?"

To this question, Danmes replied, "...I do not know." He could say no more.

Sidoor thought for a moment. "Then, would you like to live as a storyteller?"

The words confused Danmes. "A storyteller? Do you mean I should pass down the story of this battle to future generations?"

Sidoor replied, "That’s right. We Minotaurs, because of our strength, tend to look down on other races. Even if they don’t say it, many think it in their hearts. So, Danmes, would you be willing to speak as a Minotaur who fell prey to his own arrogance?" he asked with a serious expression.

On the surface, it could be seen as a way to have him share his story of failure to guide future generations from making the same mistake. But from a negative perspective, he would be seen as the shameful Minotaur who lost to a human. The latter was more likely. Sidoor’s command was, in a way, a punishment.

"...I humbly accept this role," Danmes said, bowing his head.

Danmes himself understood. He knew this was his punishment. But he didn't see it as a disgrace. If it meant that no Minotaur would lose to a human in the future, he was prepared to endure any humiliation.

"I see," Sidoor said. "Live a long life."

With those words, he vanished with the mist.

Danmes sat up straight and looked at the ceiling, thinking. As a storyteller, where should he begin? How should he tell the story so that it would be understood? And so, Danmes took on a challenge he had never faced before.