Chapter 65: Salem and the Dead End
"Ugh, useless! Every last one of them!"
Out of sheer frustration, I kicked the communication stone across the ground.
Even inside the dungeon, I could see what was happening outside thanks to this stone. It was a special kind of stone, one only our clan could use. With it, we could freely contact anyone who carried its paired stone.
The brilliance of it was that, in anyone else’s hands, it was nothing more than a lump of rock. That meant we never had to doubt the credibility of the information it carried.
In other words, any message received through this stone was guaranteed to be the truth…
"Those worthless craftsmen, daring to get in the way of our long-cherished wish! Who do they think built the very town they live in? Who do they think paid in blood so they could make a living!?"
For the sake of tracking down our princess—the one now going by the name Charlotte—I had tried to move our forces through the city. Surely, if I said it was by order from the upper ranks, everyone would have backed down.
But to think the artisans’ guild—those who usually never lifted a finger outside of work—would dare show resistance?
"Talking about ‘poaching’ this and ‘violations’ that, spouting their self-important drivel. As if they weren’t nothing but parasites, helpless without the dungeon to cling to…!"
I couldn’t stop the irritation from boiling over.
Do they have any idea how long we’ve waited? How long we’ve been forced to wait?
For her—for our princess—to return to us again!
As if a mere hundred or two hundred years could cover it. No, by the feel of it, it’s easily surpassed a thousand!
"Don’t interfere. Don’t you dare interfere, you ignorant fools. Our anguish, our suffering… no, forget ours—what matters is hers! How much she mourned, how much she endured! The day has come for those black beasts to pay for it all—!"
The memory still burned vividly in my mind.
Her tears, when the one she trusted betrayed her.
Her tears, when she sighed to those who worried over her, saying, ‘So this is what heartbreak feels like.’
They exploited her again and again, used her devotion and her foresight, and when she was no longer needed, discarded her without a thought.
Those black beasts, trampling everything underfoot—they are to be eradicated, every last one.
"If only we could return her other half to her body, restore her memories, then she would see it too."
And yet, that cursed man left no remnants behind—and because he was her favorite, I thought perhaps we might show some leniency. But no. As always, that man just had to meddle, had to ruin everything.
If only we could bring the princess to our town, then with her memories restored, her command would be enough. With it, we could wipe out those ingrates who now dare style themselves as kings of a nation.
In the old war, had she truly wished it, we could have won. The only reason we were forced to scatter and flee was because they vilely turned her own power against her.
"If she had only been restored, it all would have ended. Trying for reconciliation was the mistake—we should have been uncompromising from the start."
Trishel should have moved to secure her right away.
Her master may not walk the same path as I, but we aim toward the same end. In that case, we should have coordinated and tightened the noose from the outside.
But to think even the Blue—the servant of the White—would stand in our way… utterly unbelievable.
"Paladam should have kept his people on a leash! Honestly, that laissez-faire fool. He really means to sit back and play neutral until she awakens, doesn’t he?"
Even the treasure-staves, essential for dungeon management, were used up recklessly, tossed aside as if they were disposable.
They really are going too far with their selfishness.
"Do they have any idea how much effort goes into crafting just one of those? They’re not free, damn it. Ugh, it’s making me angry at everything!"
At that thought, the blood rushing in my head finally began to cool just a little.
"…No. Calm down. It’s fine. Nothing’s happened yet that can’t be undone."
Yes. Don’t lose sight of the goal.
My aim is to bring the princess to our town. To return her other half to her.
Obstacles must be cleared away, of course. But in the end, as long as that goal is fulfilled, nothing else matters.
Even this irritation—all of it—can be reduced to nothing.
"As long as I remain here, the princess will be forced to return. There’s no way she would ever leave those black eyes and ears unchecked."
That was the kind of person she was. Even now, with half of herself missing, her essence doesn’t seem to have changed.
I never imagined she would take in an orphan. She had always been kind to children, but seeing her simply open her arms and accept one—it truly brought back memories of the old days.
Someone like that would never abandon her favorite.
She will definitely come back to reclaim her eyes and ears.
Whether she has me heal them, or awakens herself… the others seem content to sit back and watch how this plays out, so in reality, there are only two options. Though truthfully, it’s practically just one.
Trishel doesn’t seem eager to give the princess too much information, so the idea of her awakening and healing on her own is unlikely. Which means she’ll have to come to me.
"Then of course, she’ll be thinking about how to make me do the healing."
So, what will it be? The simplest option is to threaten me, but they shouldn’t even know who I am.
In that case, negotiation? No, that won’t work either. After all, the only thing I would ever accept as payment is bringing the princess to our town—and they can’t prepare anything beyond that.
I felt my lips curl into a smile.
"Well then, I guess I don’t need to think too hard about it."
They’ll have no choice but to come back. All I have to do is wait here, heal that black one in exchange for bringing the princess to our town.
Once we have her there, once her other half is restored, everything will be settled.
And afterward, we’ll rally behind her as our banner and start the war anew, wiping out the black beasts once and for all. Our long-cherished wish will finally be fulfilled.
Now that things have come this far, no matter how events turn, they will move exactly as I want them to.
"I don’t care for people who won’t obey—but fine, I’ll overlook them this once."
As long as I can achieve my goal, I can forgive the rest.
Even the princess’s favorite, the one I had considered killing—I can let them live.
Of course, the moment they try to step beyond the role of a pet, I’ll kill them instantly.
"My role is simply to wait here. Simple, clean, and as it should be."
With that decided, I’ll send out another message through the communication stones.
…Or so I thought, when one of them started to flicker with an incoming report. Better to check it first.
"Let’s see… what’s this? …Haaah!? Care to explain what that means!?"
The anger I’d just managed to suppress flared back up in an instant.
And of course it did. Who wouldn’t, after hearing something like this?
They were mocking me. Truly mocking me.
"Why in the world are those two showing up at the dungeon entrance!?"
Comments (2)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.