THE MAN BEHIND THE MISFORTUNE

Merazophis is an incredibly loyal man.

He swore loyalty to my parents and, even after their passing, continues to serve me faithfully.

The depth of that loyalty knows no bounds.

Though we’re traveling companions now, the truth is that I don’t know much about Merazophis’s life.

While my parents were alive, I was playing the role of an ordinary baby, so I didn’t get to see or hear him very often.

However, I did understand a few things based on what little I did manage to witness.

Merazophis is a workaholic. It’s a serious condition, too.

He seemed to work so constantly that I sometimes wondered when he slept.

On paper, he was my father’s retainer, but in reality, he was essentially the family’s butler.

Or rather, he did the work of both a retainer and a butler.

The driving force behind that intense work ethic was his loyalty to my father and his love for my mother.

Yes. Merazophis was in love with my mother.

If it was that obvious even to me, who had zero experience with love in my previous life, I’m sure it was an open secret that everyone in the mansion knew.

A servant in love with the wife of his master. In a fairy tale, that would probably be the start of a forbidden love affair, but in reality, it would be nothing but foolishness to act on those feelings.

One wrong move, and there could’ve been serious trouble.

But because we’re talking about Merazophis, that never happened.

He never made a wrong move.

Instead, he kept his feelings inside and acted appropriately for his position.

He truly wanted my mother to be happy from the bottom of his heart, and he trusted my father to take care of her.

I think the fact that everyone knew about it is what made it okay.

How can anyone be so considerate of others?

How can you wish for someone else’s happiness even at the cost of your own?

I don’t understand it.

Merazophis’s adoration for my mother was so obvious that even I picked up on it.

How could he suppress that passion and entrust her to my father?

I can never understand what he’s thinking. To be honest, it scares me a little.

What if he decides someday to leave me and goes away forever?

I mean, Merazophis is loyal to my parents, not me.

It’s not like he swore loyalty to me.

I’m sure his heart still lies with my late parents.

So what must he think of the person who killed them?

It’s simple. Obviously he must hate anyone involved.

There’s Potimas Harrifenas, the elf who did the deed directly.

But there’s also the Ohts Army, the Word of God religion, and the Empire, who were all involved in the war.

Right now, he’s still staying by my side, but what if he decides one day to leave and seek revenge?

I can’t stop worrying about it.

“Ha!”

Unaware of my thoughts, Merazophis is currently swinging his sword with a vigorous shout.

However, the blade cuts through nothing but air.

He’s not doing practice swings. His opponent just dodged him.

Sweat pours off Merazophis like a waterfall as he swings his sword desperately.

I guess vampires do sweat, then, I think absently.

In the meantime, Merazophis trips and falls to the ground, clearly reaching his limit. Though he tries to stand up, his body is undoubtedly down for the count.

I’m amazed that he was able to push himself this far.

From my point of view, his attacks were pretty decent.

It was clear even to me that his movements weren’t exactly polished, but he was able to cover for that with the high stats he gained when he became a vampire.

As a servant, Merazophis only had enough skill to perform the minimum amount of self-defense.

Still, it’s not as if he’s a complete novice, and his high stats make him a decent fighter overall.

It’s his opponent who’s the problem.

White, who’s been effortlessly dodging all his valiant attacks, swings her giant scythe around without a care for his current condition.

As she avoided his sword, she even stopped to comment on his movements a few times.

Watching her, I feel like I understand the true meaning of the phrase faster than a speeding bullet.

I can’t even follow her movements with my eyes.

White herself, however, doesn’t seem satisfied. She keeps leaning her head from side to side and swinging her scythe.

Merazophis is so exhausted that he can hardly stand, yet White doesn’t even look out of breath.

This is the reality of the gap between their stats.

Sure, Merazophis has stats far superior to most humans now that he’s a vampire, but that doesn’t matter. Not to White.

I know how hard he’s been working.

Every morning, he does practice swings before the sun rises.

Ever since the day our carriage was attacked by robbers on the way back from my grandfather’s, the day White saved us from certain death, the day the course of my whole life changed.

Merazophis was cut down by one of the bandits without any resistance.

Realizing his own weakness seemed to leave him frustrated.

Starting the very next morning, he began practicing with his sword before sunrise.

It’s not like that would be enough to make him insanely strong.

Merazophis was an ordinary civilian with no swordsmanship skills to speak of.

Nevertheless, he kept practicing every day and continues to do so even now.

And yet, all of that effort is meaningless to White.

I’m sure that must be even more frustrating for him.

I know very well that Merazophis has been working as hard as he can.

White is such an anomaly that she happens to surpass him completely.

He must know that, too, but he’s still gritting his teeth.

Upset with himself for not being able to do anything, he keeps struggling to get stronger.

Though he doesn’t say any of this, the determination in his eyes tells the whole story.

It’s a complete reversal from the low spirits he was in until recently.

Since I snuck a taste of alcohol and immediately passed out the day Ariel brought those barrels, I don’t know what happened afterward.

But something definitely went down while I was asleep. Starting the very next day, Merazophis looked utterly refreshed.

Maybe it was as simple as him letting out his pent-up frustration thanks to the liquor, but it seems to be more than that.

It’s possible that Ariel did something, but when I tried to thank her, she just wryly insisted, “I haven’t done a thing.”

No matter what she might say, Ariel really is kind.

Although she acted cold when I tried to talk to her about Merazophis before, her pointing out my flaws was exactly what I needed.

I’m guessing she must have done something similar to help Merazophis deal with his problems. I certainly wasn’t able to help him.

After Ariel scolded me, I tried to think about what might be bothering him.

But I didn’t need to think that hard.

Merazophis and I both lost the town we lived in.

But he lived there as a human for far longer than I did.

He lost more than I did.

People, places, time…even his own humanity.

Even if I had no other choice, the fact is that I turned Merazophis into a vampire.

I didn’t even think about how that might be affecting him. I just took his words—“I cannot be anything but grateful for that”—at face value.

Everything he’s lost, and the weight of living as a vampire from now on…

It would be impossible not to let that bother him at all.

I can’t blame Ariel for being unimpressed that I failed to realize something so obvious.

I really haven’t been thinking of anyone but myself.

And I’m still doing the same thing.

If I think of Merazophis instead of myself, the best thing for him would obviously be to let him go, but I can’t do that.

He’s a vampire now, but he’s still as excellent a person as ever, and it’s not as if his entire past has been erased.

Since he was essentially my father’s butler, I’m sure he’d be in high demand with other nobles, and he must have acquaintances who would take him in.

Whether he reveals the fact that he’s a vampire would be up to Merazophis’s own discretion, but knowing him, I’m sure he could still be accepted.

No matter what path I choose, there’s sure to be danger ahead.

It would be much better for Merazophis to seek out a different path than to follow me into such danger.

I know this.

Yet I still can’t do it.

I’m afraid to let go of Merazophis.

After he’s put his life on the line to protect me, the thought of a future without him by my side is too terrifying to consider.

I really don’t think of anyone but myself…

“All right, I’m hungry. What should we do?”

Ariel looks around. Following suit, I look at our surroundings, too, but I don’t see anywhere we might be able to eat.

In fact, all I see are people.

We’re in a town right now.

This is evidently the biggest town in the region; from here, it shouldn’t take much longer to reach the capital.

As a result, this town is quite lively and full of people.

The crowds are so thick that as Merazophis carries me in his arms, I can’t see anything past the milling passersby.

“I have been to this town before. There’s one restaurant that I recall being quite good; shall I take us there?”

“Sweet! Lead the way!”

Ariel’s eyes sparkle as she follows Merazophis. She seems to be quite looking forward to his recommended restaurant.

It’s hard to believe that this person is a demon lord.

“Right this way.” Merazophis brings us down an alley.

The farther along we go, the less people I see around us, until it seems like we’re entering a quiet residential area.

Then we turn into an even narrower alley, until we arrive at an unmarked door.

As Merazophis opens the door, a bell rings to announce our arrival.

In spite of the unassuming exterior, the inside of the building looks like a proper restaurant.

“Whoa. How do you know about this hole-in-the-wall place?”

“My master was friends with the lord of this town, who told me about this place.”

His offhand explanation makes my heart skip a beat.

It sounds like the lord of this town has met Merazophis. If he was friends with my father, there’s no way he wouldn’t know about Merazophis.

Maybe this person would take Merazophis in.

As the thought distracts me, Merazophis and Ariel take a seat.

Merazophis places me in the seat next to him. It’s a chair for adults, but I can still sit in it all right.

Although I’m not sure if it would work that way for a normal baby.

Just as we’re sitting down, an old man emerges from the back of the restaurant.

“May I take your order?”

“Two of the chef’s special and something that would be easy for a baby to eat, if you happen to have it?”

“Certainly.”

With that, the old man disappears again.

We’re the only customers in the rather dim room.

There are no waiters or anything to be seen, either, so it seems like the man might be running the restaurant entirely on his own.

“Not much of a business-minded fellow, is he?” Ariel asks doubtfully.

“I do not think that profit is a priority for him.” Merazophis smiles dryly. “That was the owner. I am told that he used to work for the lord in question. He’s quite talented, but he retired due to age. However, he still wanted to keep cooking, so he chose to open this small restaurant in an out-of-the-way place.”

“Ooh, so he can just cook once in a while?”

“Precisely. Thus, one presumes that only those in the know ever come to this restaurant.”

That makes sense. There’s no sign on the door, so if you didn’t know about it, I doubt you’d even realize there was a restaurant inside.

He must keep it up as a sort of hobby now that he’s retired from his main job.

So money is secondary.

There are all kinds of ways to live, aren’t there?

Maybe even for Merazophis or me…

“Is something the matter, young miss?”

“Oh! No, it’s nothing.”

I respond automatically to dispel Merazophis’s concerns.

I can’t do it.

I can’t ask him if he wants to be free.

Merazophis doesn’t look convinced by my response, but he doesn’t press the matter.

Because the door of the restaurant has just opened, and another customer has walked in.

The tinkle of the bell draws all our eyes to the door.

The newcomer is an old man, perhaps a little younger than the owner of the restaurant.

I don’t want to stare for too long, so I turn away, only to see Ariel gazing at the man with the smile fading from her face.

Immediately, a chill runs down my spine.

She isn’t using the Intimidation skill, and she isn’t murderous like I’ve seen her before.

But she’s definitely ready for a fight.

That’s the sense I get, at least.

“Pardon me.”

Ignoring Ariel’s stare, the man sits down.

At the table right next to us, even though there are plenty of other seats open.

The reason becomes clear with Ariel’s next words.

“Long time no see.”

The smile returns to Ariel’s face, and she greets the man in a friendly manner.

So they know each other? That would explain why he sat next to us.

But judging by Ariel’s initial reaction, I don’t think she’s necessarily too happy to see him.

“Indeed. It’s good to see you again. Or should I say, it’s a pleasure to meet you?”

That’s strange. Why would he say that if they’ve already met?

“Either way works, right?”

Merazophis looks just as flummoxed as I am by the man’s words, but Ariel doesn’t seem to care.

“So, to what do I owe this honor, Mister Word of God Pontiff?”

Ariel’s words take a moment to sink in, so I don’t react right away.

“May I take your order?”

For better or worse, the chef hurriedly reemerges from the back before anyone can make another move.

“I’ll have one of whatever she’s having, please.” The pontiff gestures to Ariel.

“Certainly.”

Oblivious to the tension in the air, the restaurant owner goes back to the kitchen.

I take another look at the pontiff.

He seems to be a perfectly ordinary, friendly old man.

His clothes aren’t anything special, either, and far from being bloated as one might expect from the rich, he’s actually quite thin.

If you didn’t tell me, I would have never guessed that this man is the head of the Word of God religion, the biggest religion in the world.

Frankly, even after hearing Ariel say it, I still find it hard to believe.

What would someone so important be doing here without even a single guard?

“Pretty careless to show your face in front of me without an escort, don’t you think? Not to mention, you’re in enemy territory.”

Ariel points out just what I was thinking.

“Not to worry. There are few who happen to know my face.”

“Well, I recognized you.”

“Even so, it would be pointless for me to worry about that. No amount of security could defend me from you, after all. In which case, it makes no difference whether I meet you alone or with guards in tow. In fact, it’s better this way, since it means I will be the only victim if you should choose to attack me.”

The pontiff speaks as naturally as if discussing the weather.

Which just makes it harder to fully grasp his meaning.

Only after Ariel heaves an exasperated sigh do I realize what those words mean.

The pontiff is saying he doesn’t care if he dies.

And judging by Ariel’s attitude, he isn’t just bluffing—he really means it.

He’s come here alone to meet someone who might easily kill him, simply because it’s more efficient than bringing guards.

I can’t imagine the amount of nerve it would take to do such a thing.

As I process all this, the unassuming old man before me starts to seem like a much more mysterious, disturbing character.

For the first time, I recognize him as the pontiff of the Word of God, a role no ordinary man could take.

“Let me ask you again. What do you want? You didn’t just come here for a friendly chat, did you?”

“Indeed.”

The pontiff nods at Ariel’s words, looking as though he’s ruminating about something.

Briefly, his gaze turns toward Merazophis and me.

“I suppose there’s no point in trying to sound each other out in a roundabout way. Very well. I have three points to discuss. The first is that I would like you to cease your involvement with the Goddess religion. The second is to request that you share any information you might have on the elves. And the third is in regards to your two companions there.”

He wants to talk about us?

I can barely keep up with what’s happening.

Looking helplessly at Merazophis, I see his face set in a grim expression.

It’s almost like the look he had when he was facing those elf assassins in the mansion.

The face of someone staring at an enemy.

That’s right. The person in front of us is an enemy.

He’s the leader of the Word of God religion, who cooperated with Ohts to help destroy our hometown.

After Potimas, the man before my eyes is perhaps our clearest enemy.

“I see. All right, let’s hear it from the top, then.”

“Regarding the first point, Ohts is planning a further invasion.”

“What?!” Merazophis lets out an exclamation of shock at this information.

Ignoring him, the pontiff continues. “Naturally, we of the Word of God will be aiding them as well. Thus, it would be most inconvenient for us if you were to participate in battle on the side of Sariella.”

What an incredibly selfish demand.

I can’t help but be angry.

Merazophis seems to feel the same way, judging by how tightly his fist is clenched under the table.

I’m sure he’s far more furious than I am, but he simply looks on in silence without any further outbursts, so I must do the same.

Our best bet here is to let Ariel handle things.

“Hmm. Sounds like a pretty beneficial request for you.”

“If I might make an additional request that would be even more beneficial, we’d be highly appreciative if you would hand over that subordinate of yours who caused the most recent battle—the white spider monster people call the Nightmare of the Labyrinth.”

I almost let out a little exclamation myself at this next bit.

I’m not sure which part makes me react like that, but I hurriedly bite my tongue.

Still, hearing White come up in the conversation definitely has me surprised.

“And why is that, just out of curiosity?”

“That creature is the reason war broke out. We cannot simply let it go free.” The pontiff pauses. “Unless it is already dead, in which case, all the better.”

His expression doesn’t change in the slightest.

However, his words sound sharper than before.

“I thought you weren’t gonna try to sound me out?” Ariel counters blandly.

Sound her out? What does she mean?

The pontiff chuckles. “I said there was no point, but I never said that I would not try.”

“Shameless, aren’t you?”

Ariel sighs again.

“You want to know my relationship with the Nightmare of the Labyrinth and whether it, or myself, is going to assist Sariella from now on. That’s what you’re after, right? You could’ve just asked instead of trying to provoke me into saying it.”

Ariel’s voice is somewhere between bored and irritated.

The pontiff was trying to get information out of her by making unreasonably aggressive demands.

But of course that sort of trick won’t work on Ariel. She saw right through his intentions with ease.

How foolish could he be to try something so basic against her?

“Oh dear. It appears I’ve failed.”

The pontiff doesn’t seem particularly disappointed.

Instead, he glances at me—or more precisely, at Merazophis.

! So he wasn’t watching for Ariel’s reactions. He was watching for Merazophis’s!

Given Merazophis’s background, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had an outburst over the pontiff’s words.

Even if not, he might at least react in a way that would let the pontiff guess certain information.

I was wrong to assume this man was foolish.

He knows what he’s doing after all.

I look up at Merazophis, silently warning him not to make any telling movements.

Evidently, he’s reached the same conclusion as I have, because he meets my eyes directly and gives a slight nod.

“First of all, Dustin, that thing’s not my subordinate.”

Ariel raises her voice slightly as she addresses the pontiff.

Dustin must be his name, I suppose?

“Although you’ve probably already guessed that much. Anyway, as far as that goes, I’ve got things under control. That’s all I can say on that particular matter.”

Ariel’s words are too vague to really be considered “information.”

She barely said anything at all, but the pontiff still nods as if satisfied.

“If you say you have things under control, Lady Ariel, then that is all I need to hear. However, I am curious as to how all this might affect Sariella in the future. Do you have anything to say in regards to that?”

“I don’t plan on doing anything else in Sariella. Just gonna stop in for a visit at the capital and then go home. As long as nobody sticks their nose where it doesn’t belong in the meantime, that is.”

“Fear not. I do not intend to do anything that might draw your ire.”

“Yeah? Not sure if I buy that. You’ve already failed at reining things in once. Besides, those things you’re using…”

“I assure you my grip on the reins is perfectly stable. However, it is true that unwelcome and unexpected interlopers did cause problems previously. For that, I sincerely apologize.”

“Uh-huh. So you’re serious this time, huh?”

“We are always serious. We simply must ascertain that our plans are all the more airtight this time. Which is why we would like to avoid any wild-card factors.”

“I see. So those wild cards are me, you-know-what, and Potimas, I suppose?”

“Just so.”

Ariel and the pontiff continue their exchange.

Try as I might to follow, there are certain vague keywords and left-out information that make it difficult for me to fully understand.

The parts that do make sense to me swirl around wildly in my head.

These things might have a major effect on Merazophis’s and my future, after all.

“Then for my first point, I shall take it that you do not intend to work with Sariella. As for the second point, about the elves, perhaps it is best that we discuss it along with the third. Namely, who exactly is that child whom the elves are targeting?”

The pontiff’s eyes are squarely on me.

He still has the expression of an amiable old man, but his gaze is piercingly sharp.

Merazophis raises a hand as if to shield me from that gaze.

His back is to me right now, so I can’t see his face, but I’m sure his expression is very grim indeed.

In spite of that, the pontiff continues to stare at me.

“Naturally, I am not asking for a name such as, say, Sophia Keren. What I want to know is who is on the inside. Do you, by chance, have memories of your previous life?”

Utterly shocked, I catch my breath.

I never could have expected that he would correctly guess something so unlikely.

I can tell my reaction has shown him he was correct, because for the first time, his expression wavers.

“Goodness. I did not think it likely, but…it is true? Does that mean there is a bug in the system?”

The pontiff’s relaxed attitude has gone out the window.

His expression looks distressed, but he speaks no further for the moment.

The sudden change surprises me, but not as much as the unexpected vocabulary he used.

System? Bug?

What does that mean?

“Heeey, buddy? Come back to reality, will ya?”

Ariel raises her eyebrows at the silent pontiff.

“I beg your pardon. It seems I am doomed never to escape this bad habit no matter how many times I am reborn.”

“It’s not good to overthink things too much, y’know. Why don’t you just empty your head and relax a little?”

“If I could do that, I most certainly would.”

The pontiff smiles with self-derision.

I feel as if I’m seeing his real expression for the first time.

“The system is operating normally. Don’t worry about that.”

Right after Ariel speaks, the chef emerges from the back with plates in hand.

The pontiff closes his mouth before speaking and watches in silence as the man delivers our plates.

The restaurant owner silently places the food on our table, withdraws into the back, then comes out with more plates. Either he’s being sensitive to the unusual atmosphere in the room or he hasn’t noticed it at all.

At any rate, he repeats the process a few more times, lining up all kinds of dishes on the table.

His background as a lord’s head chef is clear: Just by glancing at each dish, I can tell they’re fresh and delicious.

A rich, enticing scent fills my nostrils.

But unlike everyone else’s food, the plate in front of me is just baby food, a mush of vegetables or who-knows-what.

I knew this was coming, but it’s still a little depressing.

“Well, we wouldn’t want the food to get cold while we have our stuffy conversation. Let’s eat first, shall we?”

Once the owner disappears into the back, Ariel reaches for her food.

Although the pontiff arrived after us, his food is ready, too, possibly because he ordered the same thing as Ariel.

The pontiff says a little prayer before beginning to eat his food.

Merazophis, too, says grace before he eats.

Their prayers are different: Merazophis’s, which I’m used to hearing by now, is of the Goddess religion, while the pontiff’s must have been the Word of God version.

While the Goddess prayer offered thanks to the Goddess, the Word of God prayer seemed more like one of penitence.

Before eating his own food, Merazophis scoops up my baby food with a spoon and offers it to me.

Normally, I would eat it myself, but the pontiff is here. If I want to pretend to be a normal baby, I have to let Merazophis feed me.

Although I’m not sure there’s much point in keeping up the act at this point. It’s embarrassing, and the pontiff already knows I’m not normal. Nonetheless, I let him feed me.

Ariel and the pontiff eat in silence.

The atmosphere in the room is so painfully stifling that we can’t even enjoy the taste of the presumably delicious meal we’re eating.

Well, mine is baby food, so it’s probably nothing to write home about anyway.

We finish our meals in silence.

For a while after, no one speaks.

“The system is operating normally. However, it’s true that an irregular situation has occurred.” Finally, Ariel breaks the silence. “As a result, I had no choice but to act. Frankly, not even I can tell what’s going to happen from here on out. But I think it’s pretty clear that the times are changing. You Word of God people’s attempt to crush the Goddess religion is just one link in that chain, no?”

The pontiff simply sits there docilely, not answering Ariel’s question.

But…wait a second.

What did Ariel just say?

The Word of God is trying to crush the Goddess religion?

It’s not Ohts that’s trying to defeat Sariella?

“So the Word of God, not Ohts, was behind the invasion of Sariella. Is that what you mean to say?”

Merazophis breaks his silence for the first time, looking from Ariel to the pontiff.

Thus far, we’d thought Ohts was the main instigator behind the attack on Sariella. But what Ariel just said makes it sound like the Word of God religion is the one that compelled Ohts to attack.

It might seem like the same thing, but there’s a very big difference.

If that’s true, then our enemy isn’t the small country of Ohts but the Word of God, the biggest religion in the world.

Sariella might have been able to defeat Ohts, but if the real one behind the war is the Word of God religion, our home nation doesn’t stand a chance.

“Yeah, of course. Why would a tiny nation that could be knocked over by a strong breeze charge into battle on its own? It didn’t seem at all suspicious to you that Ohts started a war just like that?”

Ariel, not the pontiff, responds to Merazophis’s query, revealing that the Word of God religion is the mastermind behind the attack of Sariella, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

The pontiff neither confirms nor denies it, but the fact that he’s remaining silent seems like confirmation to me.

“Do Word of God believers hate the followers of the Goddess that much?!”

Merazophis gnashes his teeth.

The relationship between Sariella’s Goddess religion and the Word of God has apparently always been volatile.

With this war, they must be planning to settle the score once and for all.

“I hate to break it to you, but this guy’s motives aren’t that simple. He’s not really that devout to begin with, see. In fact, it’s more like he’s picking a fight with the gods.”

It takes me a moment to process Ariel’s words.

How could the man who leads the biggest religion in the word be picking a fight with gods?

If that’s a joke, it doesn’t seem very funny.

But Ariel’s expression is dead serious. In fact, she’s glaring at the pontiff accusingly.

Huh? So it’s the truth?

Do gods even exist in this world?

I mean, I guess since we all hear that “Word of God” voice, it wouldn’t be that surprising if whoever’s speaking it really is a god.

But considering how mechanical that voice is, I personally find it a little hard to believe.

“My ideology is irrelevant at the moment. After all, one person’s expectations are all but meaningless in the face of real results. That’s exactly why I am in this chair now. Wouldn’t you agree?”

I’m guessing that by “this chair,” he means the position of pontiff, not literally the chair he’s sitting in right now in this restaurant.

But overall, I’m still finding it hard to grasp everything the pontiff and Ariel are talking about.

Given his expression of deep thought, Merazophis seems to be in the same boat.

However, I think their conversation requires knowledge of a certain something we aren’t aware of yet.

As long as we’re in the dark about that something, I don’t think we’ll be able to keep up.

“Are you quite certain the system is operating normally?”

And I think that “something” might be the “system” they keep talking about.

But until we know exactly what this “system” thing is, that doesn’t help me at all.

“I guarantee it. The system is in perfect working order. In fact, this might be the most stable it’s ever been.”

“Is that right? In spite of the sudden decrease in MA energy?”

“Yep. I don’t think that was exactly part of the plan, but there’s no problem with the system. Not with its operation anyway.”

“In other words, while it may be operating normally, there is still a fundamental problem?”

“You could put it that way. Everything it’s been building up over all those years has suddenly gone to waste. If that’s not a problem, what else would you call it?”

“This is true. A very grave problem indeed.”

Both Ariel and the pontiff sigh despondently.

It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing two mortal enemies would do.

“But let’s put that aside for now. It’s not exactly the kind of problem we can solve with a few simple actions anyway. Your biggest concern right now is Sariella, isn’t it?”

With that, Ariel closes her eyes for a moment.

Then she opens them again and speaks.

“Let’s start with your three main points. Number one, as far as my actions from here on out are concerned, it’s just like I said before. Right now, I’m planning on bringing these kids to the capital of Sariella. After that, what they do is up to them, but either way, I’m not planning on staying in this country. I’m not planning on doing anything to aid Sariella, even if these guys decide to stay here. As long as nobody does anything to change my mind, that is. Once I’ve left this country, you’re free to start a war or whatever you want.”

I can’t help but be a little shocked by Ariel’s words. It sounds like she’s washing her hands of us.

I know she doesn’t really intend to do that. Still, hearing her talk about this country like she doesn’t care in the least does hurt.

Especially since it sounds like she doesn’t care whether we stay here or not, either.

Considering how much she’s looked out for us so far, I think she must care about us at least a little.

But just as she said, if we stay here and get caught up in a war again, she’s almost certainly not going to save us this time.

That reality makes the path ahead of us look dark.

“Number two, the elves. I don’t know much about that myself, actually. But I do know they’re targeting point number three, this girl, as well as other people like her. Potimas himself even showed up, or at least one of his usual puppet things, so they must be pretty serious about it.”

As she talks about the elves, especially Potimas, Ariel’s expression is one of unconcealed contempt.

I don’t like them, either, since they targeted my life and all, but my feelings are closer to fear than hatred.

That man indifferently tried to take my and Merazophis’s lives. I can’t forget those cold eyes, which looked at us like we were nothing more than garbage to be disposed of.

To me, the man called Potimas is like the specter of death itself.

Just remembering him makes me want to shake with fear.

If we part ways with Ariel, that man might attack us again.

If the Word of God religion attacks Sariella, that will certainly be a problem, but I think Potimas might be an even bigger threat to Merazophis and me.

“Hmm. I suspected they might make some sort of move, so I have been on my guard. And if he is moving so freely, it is even worse than I feared. If you had not taken care of him, Lady Ariel, I know not what might have occurred.”

“Feel free to thank me.”

“Indeed, I thank you very much. Although I would be even more grateful if you had erased all traces of the battle, not just the bodies.”

“Ahhh. I guess he was using a gun and stuff, huh? Right, right. I didn’t think about those little details.”

“It’s quite all right. We took care of the rest, so there is nothing for you to worry about.”

The pontiff is talking as if he did Ariel a favor, which she more or less ignores.

So if guns are used in this world, you have to cover up any evidence.

White took care of the bodies, but I wasn’t really worried about things like that at the time.

I certainly wasn’t in any state to think about bullet holes or anything like that.

But if even those traces have to be hidden, what exactly was that machine body Potimas was using?

I thought this was some kind of fantasy world that was less developed than Earth, with strange things like skills and stats.

But Potimas’s machine was easily more advanced than any technology I’ve ever seen on Earth.

There’s something very strange about this world.

And Ariel and the pontiff clearly know the truth behind it.

Is the “system” they keep mentioning the source of this world’s strangeness?

I’m not sure, but it’s clear that Ariel and the pontiff don’t want the world at large to know about machine technology.

“At any rate, it seems that our information has been leaked somehow. Ohts’s surprise attack on the capital has been compromised.”

“So you lost the information war, huh?”

The pontiff nods meekly at Ariel’s rude remark.

“Yes, indeed. We put a great deal of importance on secrecy, and I thought that our intelligence organization gave us the advantage, but the results speak for themselves. We simply cannot keep up with the elves’ information network.”

Seeing the pontiff’s serious expression, Ariel’s face turns grave as well.

“Isn’t there anything you can do?”

“We have been doing our utmost, yet our efforts are to no avail.” The pontiff shakes his head glumly. “The elves’ circle of devotees is growing. And since they are unaware themselves that they are passing information along to the elves, there is little we can do to stop them. They are good people who believe in the elves’ public-facing banner of true world peace, so it is difficult for us to intervene.”

True world peace? In a place where monsters are everywhere and humans still fight among themselves?

What a sketchy claim. Who would buy into that?

“Most devious of all is the fact that there are those even among the elves who truly believe in that ideal. As a result, there is no way of knowing whether any given elf is directly connected to Potimas, so if we make a careless attempt to finish things, we may find the tables turned on us instead. With the amount of power he has now, he could even manipulate public sentiment to turn people against the Word of God.”

“You should probably be taking care of the elves before you take care of the Goddess religion, then.”

“Indeed. However, by the time I first founded the Word of God religion, the elves had already built themselves a rock-solid position. No matter what I do, they are always one step ahead.”

Ariel and the pontiff sigh in unison again.

At this point, it’s not at all clear whether they’re enemies or allies.

Initially, Ariel’s reaction made me think they were enemies, but it doesn’t really seem that way when they look to be on the same page in a lot of ways.

“Well, even I can’t tell what the elves are up to, but I do know it can’t be anything good. This is Potimas we’re talking about.”

“Well said. That man always brings an ill wind.”

…Maybe they’re actually friends after all?

“Anyway, as far as your third point goes, I don’t think I wanna tell you that.”

Or maybe not. It seems like Ariel is pretty leery of the pontiff after all.

“Even if the elves are involved and we might be able to be of some assistance in that regard?”

“Even then. Letting the elves use her would be the worst-case scenario, but how do I know the Word of God wouldn’t do the same thing? I’m not gonna show my hand to someone I can’t trust.”

Okay, I give up. I can’t tell whether they’re friends or enemies.

I think it might be too complicated to sum up in such simple terms, to be honest.

“But that means you might well intend to use her yourself, does it not?”

“If I can, I probably will. But I intend to prioritize her own wishes above all that.”

That she’s saying this right in front of me just proves that she’s sincere, I think.

“I see. Then there is more to her than the fact that she has memories of a previous life.”

I’m impressed the pontiff was able to guess that much from what little information he was given, but I doubt he’ll figure out anything else.

I mean, who would ever imagine that someone might be reborn from another world?

Although, if he was able to figure out that I have memories of a previous life, does that mean such a thing is relatively common in this world?

“Well, that’s all I wanted to say. Do you have anything to add?” Ariel addresses Merazophis.

No, not just Merazophis. She’s looking at me, too.

Does that mean it’s all right for me to speak?

The pontiff looks at me and Merazophis, too.

I gaze up at Merazophis and send him a telepathic message only he can hear.

“Merazophis, if there’s something you want to say, you can say it.”

I have nothing to say myself.

I mean, there are lots of things I’d like to say, but I don’t think I could really gather my thoughts together well enough to express them sensibly.

This man, the pontiff, is almost certainly my enemy.

I know that, but honestly, it doesn’t really feel that way.

I mean, I don’t know much about the Word of God religion.

All I know is that it’s the biggest religion in the world, and that it’s opposed to the Goddess religion worshipped in Sariella.

Which means I basically know nothing at all.

I’m sure there’s some deep-seated grudge between the Word of God and the Goddess followers, but I don’t have a clue what that might be.

And although I know he’s behind the war, that doesn’t mean I can suddenly view him as my enemy.

What happened in Keren County still doesn’t quite feel real to me.

It was destroyed before I could form a deep attachment to the place, after all.

I do feel sad and angry, but it’s like I’m viewing those emotions through a pane of frosted glass.

But I’m sure Merazophis feels very differently.

He spent much of his life in Keren County, and lost things that can never be replaced.

So I think it would be better for him to speak than someone like me.

And yet, Merazophis shakes his head.

“There is nothing I wish to say.”

Ariel, myself, and even the pontiff look surprised.

“You sure? Don’t you wanna make an angry declaration or two? I mean, you could even kill this guy right now and no one would complain about it.”

Ariel’s comment seems dangerous to me, but I’m guessing she’s saying it because it’s a very real possibility.

The pontiff said himself that he came alone knowing he might be killed.

Based on Ariel’s confirmation, I think that was the truth, and that he really would accept it.

“No. I have a feeling that killing him here would be pointless. I’m sure it would not stop the flow of the times. Besides, his death would not cause him to regret his actions. At best, it would only serve to briefly ease my resentment. Such an act could never make up for the loss of my master, my mistress, and all of Keren County. Your life is trivial by comparison.”

Merazophis’s words are dismissive, but there’s a swell of dark feelings behind them that he can’t entirely keep out of his voice.

I’m sure there’s plenty he wants to say.

And yet, he chooses to hold his tongue.

“I am the young mistress’s servant. If she chooses not to speak, there is no reason for me to do so. Everything I do, I do to serve her.”

So that’s why he’s keeping his emotions at bay.

I thought it would be better to let him speak, but he’s saying that if I’m not going to say anything, he won’t, either.

We each hold the other in such high regard that it’s almost like a strange stalemate.

But I think I’m all right with that.

“Pfft! Heh-heh-heh. He said your life is trivial.”

For some reason, Ariel is snickering.

“Indeed. I was fully prepared to be killed, but I did not expect to be told such a thing.”

The pontiff’s voice is as calm as ever.

But, although it might be my imagination, he suddenly looks incredibly frail. Like a plant that’s on the verge of withering.

“Trivial, is it? Yes, I suppose you are right. My life is quite trivial indeed. I feel I must apologize for attempting to offer up this life of mine in return for the pain I have caused you. I am sincerely sorry.”

Then he bows his head deeply.

The leader of the biggest religion in the world, bowing to us.

“And yet, I cannot stop. I must not, no matter what.”

I feel a shiver run through Merazophis’s body, as well as my own.

Because we both sense it: the overwhelming weight of the resolve this withered old man carries within him.

He says his life is trivial, yet he holds on to some unshakable conviction.

I don’t get it.

What could be that much more important than your own life?

“We’ve both taken on difficult roles,” Ariel mutters quietly, then speaks up. “Well, then. There’s nothing else to talk about, right? We’re gonna take off now. Oh, but if you wanna apologize, you can grab the bill for us here. Shall we?”

Ariel stands up.

Merazophis follows suit with me in his arms, and we head for the door.

All the while, the pontiff keeps his head bowed.

Merazophis acts as if he doesn’t notice, but I keep my eyes on the pontiff the whole time.

“Oh right. It’s all well and good that you’re so focused on Sariella, but shouldn’t you be a little more worried about the demons, too?”

Just before we leave, Ariel addresses the pontiff again.

“The new Demon Lord for this generation is me, after all.”

Her remark, which she states quite casually, evokes a dramatic reaction from the pontiff, whose head shoots back up from its bowed position.

But before he can say anything, the door shuts, closing us off from him.

“Are you certain it was wise to reveal yourself as the Demon Lord?”

Merazophis speaks up for the first time since we returned to our room at the inn.

“Yeah, it’s fiiine. Him knowing that isn’t gonna change anything. It’s just like the Word of God religion attacking the Goddess religion. Nothing anybody does will stop that from happening eventually.”

Does that mean this war was inevitable, then?

“What about you? Sure you didn’t wanna give him a piece of your mind?”

“As I said before, if the young mistress does not wish to speak, then I have nothing to say, either.”

Merazophis lays me down on the bed as he responds.

“You should’ve just told him off without worrying about me.”

My voice through Telepathy is a bit sulky.

I kept quiet only because I thought Merazophis would do the talking for both of us.

Still, in the end, maybe things were better off this way.

I don’t think anything Merazophis said would have gotten through to that old man. Or even if it did, he certainly wouldn’t alter his course of action.

Ariel’s words confirmed that, but even more convincing was the powerful conviction we sensed from the pontiff himself.

In the end, Merazophis’s actions were probably for the best, although that doesn’t make me feel any better.

No matter what happens from now on, I’m sure nothing will completely clear away our anger and grief.

Even if we killed the pontiff and destroyed the entire Word of God religion, that still wouldn’t change.

This was for the best.

But that’s just how I feel about it.

“Merazophis… From now on, I’d like you to trust your own feelings instead of only prioritizing mine.”

Earlier, Merazophis was refraining on my behalf. It’s possible that he feels differently, deep down.

I can’t bear to watch him bottle up all his feelings just to protect me.

It always ends up making me feel responsible and guilty.

“I don’t want you to try to be an emotionless puppet for me. You don’t have to put me first. Trust your own feelings and act on them.”

Merazophis stiffens, looking bewildered by my words.

I hesitate for a moment, then force myself to push on.

“Merazophis, if you…if you would prefer to leave me, that’s all right. You can go take your revenge, or forget about everything and start a new life. I don’t want to force you to be tied to me.”

“Young miss…”

Of course, the truth is that I don’t want him to leave me.

Merazophis is the one and only witness to the life I’ve lived in this world so far.

No, maybe I don’t need to make it sound so complicated.

There’s no practical reason behind these feelings.

I just want Merazophis to stay with me.

But I don’t want to steal away his future for my own selfish desires.

I’ve already taken his humanity from him.

I’ve seen firsthand how much he’s worried and suffered over becoming a vampire.

He seems to have recovered from that now, but I don’t want him to lose anything else because of me.

If Merazophis wants to leave, I can’t stop him.

If that really does happen, I’m sure I’ll want to cry and hold him back from leaving.

And if I do that, I’m sure Merazophis will relent and stay with me out of a sense of obligation.

But that’s exactly why I have to keep my emotions hidden.

If he picks up on my feelings even in the slightest, I’m sure he won’t be able to leave me.

“Young miss. Do you…have no use for me?”

After I steel myself and bring up the topic, Merazophis looks at me like an abandoned puppy.

Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

“That’s ridiculous. Of course I do.”

I answer immediately.

Of course.

I need Merazophis to be with me.

But I brought this up only because I didn’t want him to feel like he had no other choice but to stay.

So why is he looking at me like that?

Confused, I don’t know where to go from there.

“Young miss, the sole meaning of my life is to serve you. I have no desire to ever leave your side.”

Merazophis kneels next to the bed.

“So please, if you will, grant my permission to stay by your side.”

He reaches his hand out toward me, and I grasp it instinctively.

As I do so, it’s as if his feelings are transmitted to me through touch, and for reasons I barely understand, I find myself clinging to him.

When Merazophis embraces me gently in return, I follow my instincts and bite down on his neck.

“Ah!”

Merazophis’s body shudders, but he doesn’t resist.

The taste of blood fills my mouth, and I’m overcome with a deep sense of satisfaction, happiness, and relief.

At the same time, I’m overwhelmed with the desire to weep, and tears begin to pour down my cheeks.

“Mmph… Bwaaah…”

I continue drinking Merazophis’s blood as I cry.

Merazophis simply stays still, allowing me to do as I wish, holding me all the while.

Earlier today, we met the pontiff of the Word of God and learned all kinds of things I still don’t quite understand, but right now, I don’t really care anymore.

As long as Merazophis stays with me, we’ll be fine.

That’s all that matters.

I know now.

This person is mine.

No matter what anyone says, even if Merazophis himself grows tired of me, I’ll never let him go.

I keep drinking his blood until all the crying wears me out and I finally fall asleep, still cradled in his arms.