“First, please take a seat here… Come on, please, please…”
The man urging me to sit with an excessively humble and fawning attitude is a small, thin middle-aged man. Since I’m more than a head taller than him, I can even see the top of his rather sparse head.
With an atmosphere that makes it seem like he’s about to break down and beg for his life, combined with his appearance and the strikingly noticeable black-framed glasses, he gives off the impression of a down-on-his-luck salaryman who’s just been told he’s being laid off.
This man introduced himself as Randolph and approached me as the village representative, wanting to talk to me. I was standing there, having just annihilated a Crusader force in a one-sided battle, wondering what to do next.
It’s not so much that he’s brave, but rather that he has no choice due to his position. The desperate gazes of the villagers behind him were piercing through him.
For now, I had no choice but to accept his offer.
If I wanted to run, I could run at any time. But in that case, I should gather as much information as possible. I only know the rough situation of the development village and its surroundings from what Sariel explained to me. Seeing is believing, as they say.
And so, with just a slightly high-handed “Sure,” I was led by Randolph to this room for a talk—essentially, a situation briefing and negotiation.
The white-painted walls still feel new, but this room already has a lived-in feel. It’s a church. I never thought I’d set foot in a Cross Religion church… but I suppose this is the largest building in the village, so it likely serves as a meeting place. I’ll assume there’s no ulterior motive.
“Um, first of all, thank you for helping the village.”
His words of gratitude seem carefully chosen to avoid provoking me, so I simply nod in response.
There’s no need for words like “You’re welcome” or “I didn’t really help the village.” They might be hoping for something, or rather, what they truly want is to probe my true intentions, but I have no intention of letting them start interrogating me.
First, I’ll ask the questions.
“I want to know the reason and details of why that unit attacked the village.”
Randolph looks slightly taken aback by my question, which feels like a preemptive jab, but he wipes the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief from his fur vest pocket and obediently answers.
“Ah, well, you see… They suddenly ordered us to provide supplies for their urgent return to the homeland, yes.”
Randolph carefully chooses his words while constantly gauging my reaction, but his explanation itself is accurate.
They appeared without warning just before I started monitoring the village and demanded supplies. However, the village had already been heavily requisitioned by the Crusaders before the Galahad campaign, and the food stores were nearly empty. When the village chief pleaded for mercy, he was immediately beheaded. Then the forced requisition—or rather, looting—began, and in the chaos, the priest serving this church was also beheaded. The rest is, well, what I saw, came, and killed.
“Do you know which unit it was?”
“The one leading them was undoubtedly Lord Mashuram.”
“Who’s that?”
“Y-you don’t know…? I’ve heard he’s the nephew of Count Bergunt, who is currently leading the entire Crusader army attacking the neighboring country.”
Huh, that guy with the 1UP mushroom-like head. Indeed, his equipment was the flashy armor befitting a noble’s son.
“I see, the Count’s nephew.”
I know the name Count Bergunt. Fiona said he might be the Crusaders’ supreme commander, so she was right. That’s why Linfeldt could execute the siege operation as the main force.
“Lord Mashuram was supposed to be in charge of the supply base at the 203rd Development Village next door… But why he had to return home so urgently, we have no idea.”
“He ran away.”
“Huh?”
“He ran away. Because the Crusaders lost.”
That’s the only explanation. Most likely, he took advantage of being stationed far from the front lines and fled.
It’s an outrageous dereliction of duty, but I also know that Count Bergunt was apparently killed. Whether Mashuram had ambitions of becoming the next head of the Bergunt family or was just scared that the Spada Army would come pouring in, I don’t know, but in any case, he had plenty of reasons to run.
“W-what… Really?”
In contrast to my understanding, Randolph looks confused, as if to say, “Don’t just casually drop such a bombshell.” I guess the Crusaders’ victory was absolutely certain in the eyes of their own people.
“Word will reach this village soon.”
There’s no point in me explaining everything here. At the very least, the news of the defeat must have reached Mashuram at the 203rd Development Village, or Kuar Village.
I don’t know the details of the Crusaders’ retreat since I wasn’t there, but with the entire army withdrawing and the outcome already decided, and even the savior, the Seventh Apostle Sariel, gone, it must have been a disastrous retreat.
“R-right…”
Randolph looks down and mutters something to himself, but soon regains his composure and looks up.
“Um, by the way… what happened to Lord Mashuram’s body?”
“I killed him.”
There’s no point in hiding it. They’ll soon find the headless corpse in silver armor and Mashuram’s head, frozen in a scream of agony, lying by the storage shed.
“Ah, I see… I thought so…”
With a forced, awkward laugh, Randolph’s face grows increasingly pale.
I guess killing a noble’s son is a big deal.
“Will the village face any repercussions because Mashuram is dead?”
“I-I don’t know… Normally, the culprit would be severely pursued, or at worst, the entire village might be burned down as punishment… But if it’s true that the Crusaders lost, the investigation might just fizzle out…”
I see. It’s still unclear how things will turn out.
“What do you plan to do?”
“W-we have no choice but to hide it.”
An immediate answer.
Of course, with the real culprit right in front of him, he can’t exactly say, “We’ll turn you over to the Crusaders!”
“Um, if I may ask… what do you plan to do now?”
That’s what I want to know… but of course, I can’t say that either.
“I have no intention of harming this village. But if you’re truly grateful for my actions in wiping out that unit, I’ll accept a reward.”
“Eek! W-what… how much? As I mentioned earlier, the village has no food, let alone any significant money or treasures… Even if we give everything we have, I’m not sure if it’ll satisfy you…”
“Just prepare what’s necessary for two people to travel. That’s all. Don’t worry.”
Seeing Randolph on the verge of despair, as if he’s about to hang himself, I can’t help but state my minimum requirement. If he’s acting, he’s quite the actor.
Well, it’s fine. As long as I can return to Spada, that’s all that matters.
“Oh, I see! Thank you, thank you so much!”
Randolph bows deeply, almost rubbing his forehead against the table, and I can only respond with a casual “Yeah.”
“By the way… may I ask one more thing?”
The conversation seems to be wrapping up, so one more question should be fine. I have the right to remain silent, after all.
“You seem to have some circumstances… Could you be a knight who escaped from the battlefield?”
No, I can’t just brush it off by saying I’m a passing traveler. He saw me take down Crusader soldiers one after another in a grand display.
But I don’t nod, choosing to remain silent for now. And I glare at him slightly.
“Eek! M-my apologies! I’m not trying to pry into your circumstances… It’s just that, if you don’t want to be found by the Crusaders’ main force, we might be able to help…”
If he thinks I’m a deserter, it’s only natural to assume I don’t want to be found by the Crusaders. But what does he mean by helping?
“What do you mean?”
“If you’re willing… we can hide you in our village.”
Hide here, huh?
I hadn’t considered that. My plan was to slip in like the wind and leave immediately.
Logically, there’s no reason to stay here for long. In fact, being in the heart of enemy territory, the best course of action is to return to Spada as soon as possible.
But realistically, can we make it back to Spada safely if we leave now?
“If the Crusaders have lost, many retreating soldiers will likely come from Alsace Fortress. For a while, the roads to Virginia, where the port is, will be swarming with Crusaders. So, if you’re not in a hurry, it might be safer to lay low here until things settle down…”
As Sariel said, the troops will likely withdraw from Alsace. They won’t completely abandon that frontline stronghold, and they’ll maintain a certain level of vigilance in preparation for Spada’s counterattack… but it’s true that the number of soldiers will decrease.
Waiting patiently for the right moment might be a viable option.
“Besides, it’s winter now. Wherever you go, the journey will be tough. Going off the main roads and through the mountains or forests would be suicidal in this heavy snow.”
Sariel and I could manage the snowy mountains, but it’s still dangerous. Is there really a benefit to rushing back that outweighs the risk of crossing the Galahad Mountains in midwinter?
I should think carefully.
“What’s in it for the village if you hide me?”
I can’t believe they’re offering to help me out of pure goodwill.
They’re trying to keep me, a dangerous person who killed dozens without hesitation, in the village. There must be some significant benefit, or they’re trying to trap me.
Randolph avoids my gaze, takes a deep breath, and then speaks with resolve.
“With your strength, the village would be safe even if retreating soldiers attack again.”
“You want to hire me as a bodyguard?”
“Exactly.”
Quite the bold proposal. I’m a bit taken aback.
“To be honest, even without the Crusaders, dangerous monsters roam the area around the village. Right now, most of the village’s Self-Defense Corps is in the forest chasing a large Armored Bear…”
And then, at the worst possible time, Lord Mashuram and his group showed up.
Even if the entire Self-Defense Corps had been here, that unit, with its wind mage and five heavy knights, would have still caused havoc.
“It’s already killed three villagers. It seems to have developed a taste for human flesh and is persistently targeting us…”
The first victim was a lumberjack. He was attacked in the forest and eaten.
Frightened by the appearance of the monster, two Crusader knights stationed in the village immediately took action but were easily defeated.
And now, the Self-Defense Corps is risking their lives to hunt down the Armored Bear.
Still, it’s a monster I’ve never heard of. Judging by the name, it’s probably a bear wearing armor, or rather, covered in a hard shell… but such a thing didn’t exist when I lived here.
“Even if we manage to kill this Armored Bear, there’s no guarantee another monster won’t appear. This village is in a dangerous area where monsters could destroy us… but for us settlers who’ve abandoned our homeland, this is the only place we have left.”
Then, with tears in his eyes, Randolph bows his head again.
“We’ll do our best to gather a reward, so please… at least until the Crusaders’ movements settle down, protect the village!”
Should I believe him or not? I can’t decide immediately.
“I’ll come back tomorrow.”
That’s all I can say for now.
“Ah, wait! If you don’t mind, could you tell me your name?”
Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself—or rather, I avoided it because revealing my identity would be dangerous.
But at this point, it’s probably best to give a name.
“My name is… Chloe.”
Of course, it’s a pseudonym.
Sariel has a period of time where her memories are extremely hazy.
“Haah… haah… I can hold on for one more day…”
The artificial human’s brain is excellent. And Yuriko Shirasaki was also exceptional. At the very least, she retained her experiences and memories almost without fading.
That’s why Sariel, whose memory shackles were completely destroyed by Chrono, now holds both her own memories and Yuriko Shirasaki’s.
“Fuh, fufu… but… I found it.”
That’s why there shouldn’t be a period where her memories are hazy or hard to recall. If anything, it would be before she gained self-awareness, during Yuriko Shirasaki’s early childhood—no. There’s only one other time when Sariel’s body could have had such an unstable period where accurate memories were impossible.
“I found it… a way to leave my thoughts behind, even if I disappear…”
This was the period when Yuriko Shirasaki’s personality and the new personality that would become Sariel coexisted simultaneously.
Yuriko Shirasaki’s will, influenced by the ‘Thought Control Device’ she was equipped with, was slowly walking the path to destruction while simultaneously creating and nurturing the new personality of Sariel.
In the early stages, the new personality would only awaken for a brief moment each day. However, its growth accelerated rapidly within just a few days.
Soon, the new personality could awaken only when the main personality was asleep. As it grew further, the time the main personality was awake and the new personality’s awakening time would reverse.
From the main personality’s perspective, it would feel as if she was sleeping through most of the day.
This gradual personality reversal phenomenon was something Chrono himself had likely experienced.
However, he had managed to break free from the control of the ‘Thought Control Device’ at the very last moment before his personality was completely erased, which is why Chrono remains Kuroha Mao to this day.
This was a true miracle, the only one among hundreds, or even thousands, of experimental subjects that Sariel knew of.
Like all the others, Yuriko Shirasaki could not escape the fate of her personality being erased.
“Hehe, if there’s ‘magic’… then there’s also ‘curses’…”
Yes, her will had long since been crushed.
So, this is just a memory. A noisy, uncertain memory due to the simultaneous existence of two personalities in one body.
“There is a ‘curse’… without a doubt, that was a ‘curse’…”
The memory she was recalling at this moment barely came back to life.
A mobile experiment. It was unclear how many times it had been conducted.
The opponent was a single human. Armed with just one sword. An ordinary steel longsword—but from its blade rose a faint, eerie red-black aura.
In other words, a cursed weapon.
“Then, I too…”
She didn’t struggle.
The mobile experiment at this time was conducted by the main personality, Yuriko Shirasaki.
Compared to the newly born Sariel… no, even now Sariel thinks this. Even with the combat experience she has gained as the Seventh Apostle, she might not be able to fight as well as Yuriko Shirasaki.
“I too…”
But this was likely Yuriko Shirasaki’s last mobile experiment. No matter how many times Sariel searched her memories, she could not find any combat records after this.
And Sariel clearly remembers the next mobile experiment. The opponent was a golem. Not a light golem, but a wild golem with a body made of rock, standing over three meters tall.
The scene of piercing its core with a spear is something she can easily recall.
In other words, between the battle with the cursed swordsman and the golem battle, Yuriko Shirasaki’s personality had completely vanished. After that, there was no confusion in Sariel’s memories.
“…Hey, the other me.”
So, Sariel is not confident about the memories from this period.
“I don’t hate you or anything.”
Was this memory a dream or reality?
“I just don’t want to lose this feeling.”
Yuriko Shirasaki was indeed speaking to Sariel.
“So, I’ll carve it into my heart… a curse of love.”
Her final words.
“Kuro No-kun, I love you—”
*Click*, Sariel’s red eyes opened.
There was no change in the situation. She was on a small bed in a cabin. The winter sunlight streamed through the window, brightly illuminating the room.
She had been lightly asleep. She had been dreaming. The content was unclear… but Sariel decided it wasn’t something to worry about.
Her precise internal clock told her it was just past noon.
“…”
Sariel closed her eyes again and continued to lie on the bed.
The fact that she had carelessly fallen asleep twice was proof that her stamina had not fully recovered. Yesterday had been a literal life-and-death struggle even with the power of an Apostle, and after the battle, she had spent the night with Chrono… in any case, she was still fatigued.
However, sleeping alone in this situation was too dangerous. Sariel had no intention of falling asleep a third time. Still, lying there without moving a muscle, she looked like an unfinished puppet left unattended.
Falling asleep was out of the question, but to avoid using unnecessary energy, she needed to rest physically. At the same time, her awakened consciousness remained sharply alert to the outside.
The cabin was enveloped in complete silence.
The only sounds she could hear were the gentle flow of the small stream behind the cabin and the occasional beautiful chirping of birds from the forest.
It had the atmosphere of a scenic spot rich in nature that city dwellers would envy—but this was a dungeon.
At that moment, Sariel heard the sound of a small branch snapping.
“…Distance 300.”
It was the sound of someone stepping on a small branch 300 meters away from her.
At this moment, Sariel realized that her abilities had not just halved but were less than a third of what they used to be.
If she focused on detecting enemies, she could hear all sounds within a radius of one kilometer. Now, it was only 300 meters. And that was for a clear sound like a branch snapping.
But Sariel accepted this fact as it was. She felt no particular attachment to the power she had once boasted as an Apostle.
Without any emotion rising in her heart, Sariel continued to focus her attention on the presence of ‘someone’ within her sensory range.
“Distance 100.”
The target seemed to be heading straight for the cabin. The sound of branches snapping reached her two or three times, but once within 100 meters, she could accurately sense its presence.
And she was already certain. The one approaching the cabin was not Chrono.
The rough breathing that reached her ears. The sound of footsteps trudging through the thick snow. All of it was now clearly reaching Sariel.
Outside was undoubtedly a monster.
“Distance 10.”
The monster stopped right outside the cabin.
There was only one. There was no sign of any companions lurking nearby. It was likely a species that acted alone, not in a group.
Its size was at least much larger than a human. Based on the auditory information she had gathered so far, it was a quadruped, about the size of an elephant. In terms of size classification, it would be considered medium. But its ferocious presence suggested a considerable level of danger.
Such a terrifying monster was right beside her.
But Sariel did not move. In fact, she couldn’t.
She felt the monster’s presence as it began to circle the cabin, as if peering inside. It had already noticed that there was prey inside. At least from 300 meters away.
“…”
Sariel waited quietly. Still with her eyes closed, lying motionless as if asleep. She remained that way until the moment the monster stepped inside.
She had told Chrono that the cabin had a barrier to keep monsters away, but that wasn’t entirely accurate. There was a barrier, but it only worked on weak monsters.
The weak magical wavelength emitted from the cabin’s surroundings would only keep away creatures like goblins and slimes. It was far from enough to deter a hungry medium-sized monster.
The reason the cabin had remained uninhabited and undamaged by monsters or animals until now was solely due to the barrier that continued to work even after the master was gone. But with prey inside, there was no reason for it to be left alone.
“…It’s here.”
After circling the cabin a few times, the monster positioned itself directly in front of the door and slowly took a step forward.
The sound of footsteps crunching through the snow would be audible even without Sariel’s superhuman senses.
And then, as if about to ring a doorbell, it stopped in front of the door—the next moment, the cabin’s wall was blown away.
With a deafening crash as the door and wooden wall shattered, a ferocious beast’s roar echoed.
“Armored Bear.”
Sariel knew the monster that had finally appeared before her.
It was a monster commonly known as the ‘Armored Bear’ in the Sinclair Republic. Found throughout the Ark Continent, it was one of the famous monsters, with many subspecies. True to its name, it had the appearance of a large bear, clad in steel armor.
The armor was actually a metallic shell. Like a crab, it had a spiky, aggressive design, glinting in a dull gray. Its thickness and hardness were comparable to the full-body armor of a heavy cavalry. In fact, in terms of pure defensive power without magical effects, the Armored Bear’s shell would come out on top.
The size of the Armored Bear that appeared here was about five meters. Larger than average by a good margin. Standing up, it would easily break through the cabin’s ceiling. Such a massive body forced its way into the cabin on all fours.
“Grrr!” The sharp cry it let out was either a threat or a cry of joy at finding prey.
Sariel opened her eyes wide, her crimson gaze fixed on the rude intruder.
The Armored Bear and Sariel stared at each other for a moment. The predator and the prey. The relationship was clear.
Facing the massive Armored Bear, brimming with wild power, was a small, defenseless human girl lying on the bed. To make matters worse, she had only one arm to wield a weapon, and no legs to escape.
Moreover, there was no powerful weapon in the cabin that could pierce the steel defense of the Armored Bear. The only blade, a knife, had been taken by Chrono.
Unable to move, Sariel was like dead meat to the Armored Bear. A delicious prey that couldn’t escape or resist.
Therefore, there was no need for hesitation or caution. The Armored Bear’s thick, large knife-like claws reached out rudely towards Sariel’s white body.
It was a striking blow. To the Armored Bear, it might have been just a casual motion to subdue its prey. Nevertheless, the iron arm that came down had enough force to easily split the bed Sariel was lying on in two.
The wooden bed shattered with a loud crash, and the torn blanket and sheets flew into the air. Under the Armored Bear’s hand was Sariel’s delicate body, crushed mercilessly—no, she wasn’t there.
“Huh.”
A short, controlled breath. By the time the Armored Bear, with its sensitive hearing, heard it, it might have finally spotted Sariel.
Sariel’s body was floating in the air. No, she had jumped.
The moment the arm came down, she had used her torso like a spring to propel herself into the air.
Without any flight ability like a fairy, Sariel should have fallen back onto the shattered remains of the bed the next moment, but before that, her hand moved. The only arm she had left, her left arm.
Her white fingertips gently touched the Armored Bear’s extended arm. It was as if she had hooked her fingers onto the small spikes.
With that, Sariel pulled her slender arm sharply, bringing her body close to the Armored Bear in one swift motion.
“Grrr!” The Armored Bear let out a sharp roar, opening its large mouth that could easily crush a human body, but at that moment, there was a white hand in front of it. A hand with neatly aligned fingertips, like a blade.
“Stinger.”
A flash of light pierced the Armored Bear’s head.
Without white magical power, Sariel couldn’t use magic. However, the magical power within her body wasn’t zero. It was the magical power necessary for life support, as a homunculus.
Magic generally uses primary colored magical power. Whether a person’s body harbors a certain attribute or can convert life force into primary colored magical power depends on individual talent and constitution.
Without white magical power, Sariel couldn’t generate the pseudo-primary colored magical power needed to activate magic.
However, martial arts that directly use life force could be executed without any problem.
Sariel’s slender arm, with its unbelievable superhuman strength, combined with the power of the martial art ‘Stinger,’ was unleashed.
Her piercing hand, with the penetrating power of a masterfully charged lance, was aimed at the Armored Bear’s eye. The head was covered in a shell like a helmet, especially thick around the forehead. But the eyes, necessary for vision, were exposed.
The only weak point on the face, Sariel’s fingertips pierced it without the slightest deviation.
Her middle finger pierced the eyeball. From there, the piercing hand mercilessly dug into the eye socket. With a crack, the shell around the eye was broken, and Sariel’s hand completely invaded the Armored Bear’s head.
Her fingertips easily broke through the hard skull, finally reaching the fragile brain protected within.
Compared to a human’s, it was much smaller. Small enough to fit in Sariel’s tiny palm.
And so, she crushed the brain she had grabbed. It felt like squashing a ripe tomato.
“Gyaa!” With a short, pained cry, the Armored Bear stopped moving and fell, along with Sariel, who had her arm stuck in its head.
While she had managed to execute the martial art, pulling her arm out in an instant was impossible with her missing right arm and legs.
Sariel eventually fell onto the shattered remains of the bed and, wriggling her body, managed to pull her left arm out of the Armored Bear’s head.
Her elbow was covered in thick, dark blood, and her fingertips were smeared with bits of brain.
Sariel stared at her dirty left arm with her crimson eyes. Then, she looked to the right, to the left, and muttered.
“…What should I do?”
Now, how should she apologize to Chrono for this mess? Whether to think it over or to escape reality, Sariel closed her eyes again, as if to sleep.