Vol 2 Chapter 31 – Torment

Tiamaria, day ten of my stay. According to Puria, who had been flying around the sky, the little fox who I had asked to gather information had apparently left a code in the city indicating her mission was complete.

I asked Puria to go pick her up and guide her to our base, the church.

By the way, Farmer-san skipped town the night after the burglary incident.

“Welcome back, Alice-san. Good work out there.”

“…”

“Oh my, you look pale. You really must be tired. Come now, it’s getting cold outside, so please come over here and warm up by the fireplace.”

“Hmph.”

She looked away, but still obediently approached the front of the fireplace.

It was strange that she, a beastkin, was able to walk proudly through the city and come to the church, but according to Puria, she’s apparently a professional at illusions.

Did she disguise herself as a human, or did she hide her figure entirely to slip in?

Whether it’s because of Tia-sama or just my constitution, those sorts of things don’t work well on me, so I can’t really get a feel for it.

Well, since there wasn’t an uproar outside, it probably means she managed to hide herself well enough to get here.

“Shall we eat something first? Today I put my skills to work and baked some bread.”

“You literally just toasted it, ya know. The bread was already made.”

“Puria-san, it’s the thought that counts with these things. The seasoning called love is second to none, you know.”

“Apologize to all the moms in the world who take the time and effort to cook. That ain’t something you say yourself.”

She always has a comeback for everything.

Puria-san really is argumentative. That’s no good, girls need to be more docile. You should learn from Garon-san.

“This little birdie sure is a noisy one, isn’t she. Here, Alice-san, eat up, eat up.”

“I don’t want it.”

“My, my, that’s no good, Alice-chan. If you don’t eat your three square meals, you won’t grow up big and strong, you know?”

“Shut up! You filthy human, don’t speak so casually to me!”

“Oh my.”

I’ve really ended up hated.

Her attitude is completely different from Puria-san’s. Hey, Tia-sama, is the contract really working on this girl?

—Oh my, to doubt me. Just who do you think I am?—

Well, it’s not like I’m doubting Tia-sama’s power or anything.

—Then it goes without saying. The effects of my contract are certainly manifesting in that girl.—

I have no doubts about Tia-sama’s power.

It’s Tia-sama herself that’s doubtful.

I splendidly ignored her wailing voice going hey, hey, and turned back to face Alice-san.

“Please don’t hate me so much. Did I do something wrong?”

“How can you say that so brazenly, after doing that to me!”

“That?”

“Don’t play dumb! T-To do something so shameless!”

“Shameless, you say.”

“M-My body and soul belong to Aroma-sama! Don’t think scum like you could ever defile me!”

“Defile is an exaggeration. I only kissed the back of your hand, didn’t I?”

“Hiiii! Don’t make me remember it, it’s disgusting!”

Isn’t she hating me a bit too much?

Isn’t that cruel?

My pure heart is covered in scratches, you know.

What do you think about that, Puria-san? Won’t you comfort me?

“Right now, you’re just plain creepy, to be honest.”

Uwaa, it’s over.

My spirit is broken.

Tia-sama.

You won’t abandon me, right? Right?

—I don’t care anymore! You only ever rely on me when it’s convenient for you!—

Wawa, ababababa.

What in the world.

Tia-sama is going through a rebellious phase.

To think even Tia-sama would give up on me.

This is strange. Such a thing is unforgivable.

Weren’t you and I two bodies sharing one soul?

Weren’t we identical twins born from mother and child? ‘Mother Tia’, are you perhaps abandoning me?

—Ngh, gu, gununu—

Mama. Are you going to leave me behind again?

—Something like that.—

Are you going to leave me all alone, too?

Just me?

Even though, in the first place, you were the one who started all of this, Tia-sama?

—I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Nine. Look, I’ll comfort you, so calm down.—

Yeah. That’s right.

That’s how Tia-sama should be.

“What’re you spacing out for?”

“Ah?”

“Come on, quit sulking. You eat too.”

“Ah, yeah, alright.”

Puria-san really is kind after all.

You’re a good girl, Puria.

You’re so dear to me.

“Look, Alice probably ain’t been eating anything decent either. Get a full stomach and your mood’ll improve too.”

“Puria, are you okay with this? You were also, by him.”

“Don’t worry ’bout that right now, alright? The food’ll taste awful if it gets cold.”

“Okay.”

In a somewhat awkward atmosphere, the three of us had dinner.

Munching on the food without any conversation, it didn’t really taste like much.

“Alice-san, I apologize for being too familiar earlier.”

“…”

“But, you see, at the very least, I have no intention of hurting you, Alice-san. If possible, I want to get along with the demons, and with you beastkin as well.”

“I can’t trust you.”

“I think that’s only natural. That’s why I’m here—to betray humanity and show my sincerity to the Diabolos, to prove I’m useful to the demons, and to gather humans as livestock for you.”

“Bragging about being a traitor. Hah, what kind of boast is that? How comical. If you’ll betray humans, won’t you betray us too?”

“Humans are that kind of creature, aren’t they?”

Alice-san scoffed.

That might be true.

But humans aren’t entirely worthless, you know.

I won’t go so far as to claim we don’t betray our own kind like demons do.

But there are actually quite a few humans who possess shining, beautiful hearts, you see?

Though my heart is no longer fit to be looked at.

Rotted away, falling apart, to the point where Garon-san even told me I reeked of rot—I might not be a proper human being anymore.

But, that is exactly why I want to become your ally, and someday, someday.

At the very least, just for now, I want to live together with you all.

For instance, if you were on the verge of death right now, I love you enough that I would risk my life to save you, you know?

Though I’m sure you won’t believe even a fragment of that.

Heeheehee.

“Now, now. Alice, you say all that, but the fact that you still came back means you’ve got your own thoughts on the matter, right?”

“That’s.”

“Back then, in that forest, both you and I were already devoured by this guy. You gotta make your resolve to some extent. It ain’t like he took our lives.”

“Even so, to do that, that!”

“We can’t escape anymore. You touched Nine’s mind back then too, didn’t you?”

“!”

Alice suddenly began to tremble, wrapping her arms around her own body as if to escape an unbearable cold.

Puria-san gently placed both of her wings on Alice-san’s shoulders.

Tia-sama.

I’m worried about Alice-san’s condition, but Puria-san is acting a little strange.

Could she perhaps have reverted to her normal self?

—Because you were agitated earlier, the restraints loosened. She will return to normal soon.—

Hmm.

Well, that’s fine.

If Puria-san is going to persuade Alice-san in my place, I don’t really mind.

It’s just, I hate that unnatural feeling of things progressing in places I don’t know about.

“Right? You desperately brought that intel back, didn’t you? For Nine’s sake.”

“N-No, it’s not for his sake.”

“Then it’s fine if it’s for Aroma-sama’s sake. Imagine if Aroma-sama wished for it?”

“Aroma-sama, Aroma-sama hates him.”

“Nah, she’s just being shy. Besides, even though I’m his watcher, I’m sleeping under the same roof as him like this. You don’t need to worry about it so much.”

“That has nothing to do with it! I am only for Aroma-sama’s sake.”

“Then, do you know who Aroma-sama is working for?”

“That’s for the sake of the Demon Lord.”

“And the Demon Lord wants Nine to come back alive, right?”

“But, but.”

Somehow, Puria-san is scary.

Rather than persuading her, it completely feels like she’s cornering her.

Terrifying. I could never do something like that.

“I see. Then, that’s fine. It’s fine now.”

Puria took a step back from Alice.

“Eh?”

“You don’t want to hand over the intel you gathered, right? Then that’s fine too.”

“Umm? Eh?”

“We don’t need you anymore. You aren’t necessary for Nine.”

“Uwaah!”

“When you return to Agusta, Aroma-sama will surely praise you. Telling you how great you are for doing your job properly.”

“Yes, Aroma-sama, Aroma-sama will!”

“But Nine won’t ever look at you again. Because of you, Nine will be gone.”

“Aaaa, aaaaaah!”

“That’s what you want, right? The human you hate so much disappears, and Aroma-sama praises you. It’s nothing but good things. There was never anything to worry about from the start.”

“Hic, uu.”

“Don’t cry. It’s not like I want to bully you.”

Bullshit.

“So, here’s the thing. I said it earlier. The Demon Lord doesn’t want Nine to disappear, doesn’t want him to become Eva-sama’s sample.”

“U-Uu?”

“If you take the fall, Aroma-sama won’t be hated by the Demon Lord. Because Aroma-sama loves Her Majesty.”

“!”

“To prevent Aroma-sama from being hated by the Demon Lord, you reluctantly hand over the information. And then, it just so happens that Nine doesn’t have to die. That solves the problem, right?”

“Is that, right?”

“That’s what I think. I do. But, you’re the one who decides.”

That’s brutal.

She pulled the ladder right out from under her at the very end.

But well, I couldn’t have persuaded her, so I am grateful. I’ll give her lots of head pats later.

After looking down for a while like that.

Alice-san, without wiping her tears, leaving her eyes swollen and bright red, timidly approached me. Still looking down, without meeting my gaze.

Then, she pulled a small booklet from her breast pocket.

“Nn!”

Squeezing a voice from the back of her throat, she glared up at me sharply and thrust it out with her right hand. Her remaining left hand was gripping the hem of her skirt so tightly her knuckles turned pale, expressing her emotional state more clearly than anything else.

Receiving Puria-san’s words just now, this cute little fox wore the face of a lost child.

I made her make that face because of me.

It’s an expression I often saw when I looked into the mirror in the past.

Puria-san hurt Alice-san for my sake, so this is undeniably my own doing.

Little fox, little fox.

I’m sorry for bullying you.

I’m sorry for using your feelings for Aroma-san.

I can’t make up for it, so it won’t serve as a replacement.

I will love you until the day you die.

I took the booklet from Alice-san and took her still-outstretched hand. Lightly stroking the fingertips of the girl whose body was trembling, fingers so slender they seemed like they might break.

Just like that time, I kissed the back of her hand.

When I looked up at her through my bangs and met her eyes, her face crumpled—like a toddler who had lost their most treasured toy and felt absolute despair.

Shedding another streak of tears, she smiled with a broken mind.