kscans

Chapter 264 - The Siege of Miglutt and Levante's Destination

I tried to pull out the sword that had pierced my palm, but a searing pain shot through my entire body. Gritting my teeth, I summoned my strength and yanked the blade out in one motion.

"Damn, that hurts!"

The members of Levante rushed to my side. Famu and Mizuki pointed their swords at the adventurer-like man and the demon woman from the Messiah party, but the two showed no signs of resistance, merely standing frozen in place. Myra and Aira hurried over, took my wounded hand, and began to heal it with magic. Marmi grasped my other hand.

"...I have the magic key from Mizuki."

She glanced at the bracelet, located the keyhole, and slowly inserted the key. With a soft click, the bracelet came undone.

"How's Sameim?" I asked Myra.

"We managed to save her life, but she was in critical condition. One of the dog-eared warriors has taken her to the church."

I nodded at her words, but a sense of unease remained. I was worried that Famu hadn't gone with her; I'd have to check on her later. Looking around, I saw that the Crimson Brigade was in disarray, already beginning to retreat from the battlefield. They couldn't be allowed to escape. Not a single one. As I thought this and went to raise my hand, it was caught.

"What are you planning to do?" Myra asked, her gaze sharp.

"Goddess Summon. I can't let a single member of the Crimson Brigade live."

"The people of Crystal Garden are watching."

"I don't care."

"Are you really going to make Laciel-sama do something like that?"

"For you, protecting your faith is what's important. But I'm different."

"Mash, that's not it. I know without you saying a word how much you've hated the Crimson Brigade. You're trying to take on Famu's hatred for yourself. You're trying to stop her from seeking revenge. But please, think about it. What is Laciel-sama to you? What do you intend to do with Laciel-sama—"

Myra cut herself off. I noticed Famu was staring intently at me. It was a strong gaze, but the light in her eyes quickly faded to a shadow. She tried to look away, then forced her eyes back to mine.

"I don't want your heart to be captured by hatred, like Sameim's was. And for Laciel-sama, too..."

She bowed her head, shaking it fiercely again and again. It was clear she hadn't sorted out any of her feelings.

"Are you... are you okay with this?"

"I'm not okay! How could I be?! They have to be struck down. By my own hand. But I..."

Famu wrapped a hand around the arm holding her katana, hugging herself tightly.

"I think... I think I'll struggle with this forever. And when that time comes, I want you to be there for me, Master. So... for now, I want you to be the kind Master I know..."

A tear traced its way down her cheek.

"Famu..."

The strength drained from my body. The arm I'd been about to raise fell limp at my side. I placed that hand on Famu's head, my fingers digging in slightly as I ruffled her chestnut hair. Her shoulders tensed and she clenched her fists. She hadn't forgotten her grudge. She was forcing herself to accept this, trying to draw a line under it all.

"I disagree," Cecily said quietly.

"The Crimson Brigade will escape, regroup, and try again. They'll become bandits, attacking people and villages. If that happens, more children like Famu will be created. You knew that, Mash, which is why you tried to stop them, isn't it? Are you really okay with this?"

Just then, Aira, who had been holding her hand over my wound, pulled it away. I realized the pain in my hand was gone. As I opened and closed it to test it, she reached for the cut on my forehead. The movement made her chest sway, brushing against my arm.

"I agree with Cecily. If what she said happens, you'll think it's your fault and blame yourself for the rest of your life."

"That's not necessarily true, is it? They might change their ways."

"You don't believe that for a second," Aira muttered.

"...I also think we shouldn't let them escape," Marmi said, tugging at the hem of my shirt.

"...No matter how you sugarcoat it, the incident with Famu's village can only be resolved by annihilating the Crimson Brigade. We must take decisive action to ensure it never happens again. We cannot leave a threat to Miglutt and the surrounding areas unchecked. There is no room for discussion. One day, someone we let escape today will harm one of us."

Her thinking seemed a bit cold, but it was likely rooted in her upbringing in the Star Union Family.

"It'd be one thing if we only got hurt. Well, that makes three in favor of destroying the Crimson Brigade, and two against. Mizuki, what about you?"

Cecily addressed Mizuki without any regard for the fact that she was still keeping the two from the Messiah party in check. Mizuki confirmed they showed no intention of fighting before turning her gaze to us.

"I'm against it. We have to fight those who attack us, but they're trying to escape. Sometimes people can understand if you just talk to them. I don't think it's right to take that chance away."

"You didn't give me any chance to explain myself when you falsely accused me of being a pervert!"

"Shut up! I already apologized for that, didn't I?" Mizuki snapped, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Weren't you slaughtering goblins left and right when we met?"

"You be quiet too, Cecily! That was different. They were monsters."

"Huh? What's the difference between monsters and the Crimson Brigade?"

"It is different. They're human, just like us. There's no such thing as a person who deserves to die, and we don't have the right to take away anyone's future."

Mizuki sighed and slowly raised her gaze. The sun was already high in the sky, the morning air long gone. The sky above the floating Crystal Palace was a vast, clear, piercing blue.

"Mash, maybe this is just how things are in this world. Maybe we have to adopt the way people here think. But we're not the ones who get to judge. We are who we are..."

Mizuki's gaze returned to me. And she wasn't the only one. Famu, Myra, Cecily, Aira, and even Marmi were all looking at me.

"Three to three. This never happened when there were only five of us..." Cecily mumbled.

"Hold on. Why am I always left out of the count?!"

"So what's it going to be? Your vote is the tie-breaker," Cecily said, crossing her arms and pouting.

I slowly raised my arm. For a moment, I watched the mercenaries of the Crimson Brigade scatter as the mobile unit pursued them. Then, my hand fell limply to my side.

"Master..."

"When you think about it, the fight's not over. Maryanne might be having a tough time against the Air-Ally family's army." It was a poor excuse, and I inwardly mocked myself. I hadn't been able to choose.

The battle in Crystal Garden was decisively over. The beastmen's mobile unit had moved on to mop-up operations, while the nomads stood guard around us. We had no news on the situation between the Air-Ally army occupying the government building and the One-Land army positioned on the main street. The original plan was for us and the mobile unit to act as a diversion to draw the Air-Ally forces out of the government building. But we got delayed and ended up in a head-on clash with the Crimson Brigade, which had split off from the Air-Ally army. The Crimson Brigade numbered roughly three hundred mercenaries. With that many gone, it seemed impossible for the Air-Ally army to go on the offensive. Hyakka approached, leading the members of New World. Her gaze fell on the collapsed forms of Clovis and Yuki.

"Are they dead?"

"Clovis is dead. Yuki just used up all her mana and passed out." I reached for Clovis's arm to remove the bracelet he was wearing. The sense of power that had been behind his heavy blows just moments ago was completely gone. I took a key from my pocket and unlocked the bracelet. Then, I pulled another key from his breast pocket. The blood smeared on it was still warm, but colder than the warmth of human skin. Even if he'd been under an immortality spell like Zeno or Ilysalie, he was wearing a magic-sealing bracelet. And with this much time passed, revival would be impossible. As I stared at his lifeless body, Hyakka spun her lance and aimed its tip at Yuki.

"Wait, are you going to kill her?"

"That was the deal from the start." Hyakka's cold gaze met mine.

"Hold on. Rinko and Airi are Yuki's slaves. I need you to wait until I can remove their Slave Marks."

"You're just sayin' that to buy time, tryin' to make me feel sorry for 'em."

"...That's right. But it's for Rinko and Airi's sake."

"She started a civil war. Even if I let her go, this city won't. Well, Maryanne and Mo are your girls, so maybe you can do whatever you want. But this one uses Goddess Summon, you know?"

"I have no intention of asking either of them to spare her life." Hyakka glanced over at Mizuki.

"Even if Yamase... even if Mizuki asks ya to?" My eyes followed hers to Mizuki. She placed a hand on her chest, her intense gaze fixed on Hyakka and me as if trying to convey something, but in the end, she said nothing.

"Even if Mizuki asks." After we stared at each other for a long moment, she spun her lance and withdrew it.

"So, what're you gonna do about those two?" she asked, nodding toward the adventurer-like man, the demon woman, and the girl named Oi, who was crouched with her back to us.

"We surrender," the man said. He unhooked the sword from his waist and dropped it onto the stone pavement. Seeing this, the woman also threw down her staff and raised her hands.

"I want to check the contents of your storage."

"If you'll spare our lives..."

"I'm not from this city. I can't make any guarantees."

"Then I refuse."

I couldn't help but glance at Hyakka, but she made no move to intervene. It seemed her grudge was solely with Yuki and Clovis. In Hyakka's place, Marmi stepped between us.

"...I am Marmi Mume Mo Star Union. If you promise never to speak of today's events and never to involve yourselves with this city again, I will have you exiled under my authority."

"Wait, we haven't even won yet!" I almost grabbed her shoulder but stopped myself. In this uncertain situation, guaranteeing their safety might grant us some leniency if things turned against us.

"...It's okay. Mother is here."

"The same mother we fought alongside and then had to flee the Star Union estate with, right? Besides, Marina isn't part of Maryanne's army."

"...It's okay."

As Marmi repeated the words in a small voice, I realized she was trying to convince herself, to push away her own anxiety. Just then, Trusar approached us.

"A messenger from the Air-Ally Family has come to Lady Maryanne. They have offered to surrender."

"So, what's with the one crouching over there?" She was completely covered from head to toe in a large robe, still huddled on the ground. Leaving Famu and the others behind me, I drew my katana and cautiously approached. She hadn't participated in the fight at all, so she likely had no will to fight, but she did have a special skill. I tapped her shoulder and gave it a shake. Her body flinched, tensing up. She reached out with a small hand, pulling the robe tighter to hide herself. She reminded me of a turtle. Her shoulders were small. The thin line of her body made her look like a child, around Reeni's age. I'd heard that Yuki and this girl came to this world six years ago. How old could she have been when she arrived?

"Oi, the fight is over. Surrender." At my words, she nodded again and again. The gesture was so disarming that the tension left my shoulders. I glanced back at Mizuki and the others, who were watching, still on edge.

"Take off the robe and show your face."

"You won't hit me?" Her voice was sweet and high, like that of a young child.

"That's up to you." There was no reply. Just when I thought she might stay crouched there forever, she slowly sat up into a formal seated position. As she did, her white chin, thin lips, and small nose peeked out from the gap in her hood. I instinctively took a step back, wary, but she wasn't holding anything that could be a weapon.

"Mak-kun?"

I was suddenly called by a familiar name. She threw back her hood. I didn't recognize the golden hair or eyes, but the face beneath the straight, short bob was one I knew.

"Shirasu...?"

"Mak-kun!"

In an instant, she leaped to her feet and threw herself at me. It felt like a headbutt to the stomach, and I stumbled backward, failing to catch her as we fell. Seeing this, Famu and the others rushed over. Shirasu tried to hug me even tighter but was pulled off by Myra and Aira.

"You know her? Shirasu? Like the fish? Is that a nickname?" Mizuki asked, frowning.

"No. It's written with the character for 'heal' and read 'Shirasu'. She's supposed to be my niece..."

"So you're the one who gave her that weird name. Poor thing..." Mizuki sent a pitying look toward Shirasu.

"I didn't name her! Her mother did! That woman's an idiot!"

"Well, since you're an idiot, Mash..."

"Don't lump us together!" I grumbled as I got to my feet. Shirasu, now freed by Myra and Aira who had deemed her harmless, latched onto me again.

"She is the only female from your world with whom you had a good relationship, Master."

"Hey, I told you that in confidence. Don't go explaining it in front of everyone!" I warned Famu not to say anything else unnecessary.

"Anyway, six years are supposed to have passed for you since coming here. How have your looks not changed at all?"

"It's a side effect—or rather, the main effect—of my special skill, Pretty Body. My body stopped aging."

I was speechless at Shirasu's reply. It seemed to be a passive special skill, just like Mizuki's Super Save. Still, a power that completely halts one's growth was as ridiculous as ever. As Shirasu clung to me playfully, Mizuki leaned in close.

"You called him Mak-kun just now, and if you're Mash's niece, that means you know his real name, don't you?"

I clapped a hand over Shirasu's mouth before she could answer.

"That question is off-limits. And Shirasu, you're not allowed to answer. From now on, you call me Mash." She looked at me, then nodded. I had a bad feeling about how long this secret would last.