Chapter 48
Simon had heard the full story from Feer.
Simon had taken the blow meant for Erzebet and lost consciousness, and Feer and Erzebet had formed a temporary alliance to face a common enemy.
Together, they captured the priestess. According to Feer, it was a rather anticlimactic battle.
“Put her down for now.”
Simon decided to hear her out.
The priestess, who had nearly suffocated from the smoke of the campfire, was lowered from the ceiling, bound tightly in spiderwebs and forced to her knees.
“Thank you! Thank you! Uwaaah! It was so scary!”
She sobbed loudly, clearly, she was young. At a glance, she looked about Simon’s age, or maybe a year or two older.
“I don’t think it’s time to be thanking us yet. You’re going to answer some questions now.”
“Yes! Sniffle!”
“Are you a student of Efnelle?”
It was quite a critical question. Keyzen and Efnelle were in a ceasefire but still technically enemies, and letting her go could create problems for Simon.
But she shook her head wildly in denial.
“N-no, absolutely not!”
[Khehehe! Lying from the very first question.]
Feer grinned and pointed the greatsword at her. The priestess’ face turned pale.
“It’s true! Please believe me!”
[Rise.]
Terrified, she shot up to her feet. Feer sliced up her robe from the bottom with the greatsword.
Through the parted robe, pale legs were revealed, followed by a pure white skirt. As the blade rose higher, it exposed an unmistakable uniform.
A uniform made of sacred cloth, said to surpass even Keyzen’s cutting-edge dark magic defensive wear, Efnelle’s uniform.
Even the emblem of Efnelle stitched into the uniform was an exact match.
[Tch, deceitful priests do nothing but lie.]
Erzebet placed a hand on the priestess’ shoulder, her tongue flicking. The girl flinched and shut her eyes tight.
[No need to listen to her any further. Let’s just kill her and continue our own conversation.]
“Please believe me! I-I, actually…!”
She flushed red and lowered her head deeply, then bit her lip and cautiously opened her mouth.
“I was expelled from Efnelle two years ago.”
‘…Huh?’
Wasn’t she a second-year? Simon blinked at the unexpected answer.
Feer and Erzebet showed little interest, but Simon reacted. The girl looked at him with desperate eyes.
“Please believe me! It’s true I briefly attended Efnelle! But I was kicked out before I could even finish my first year! I’m just a mediocre nobody! Killing me won’t benefit Keyzen at all!”
“Then why are you still wearing Efnelle’s uniform? I thought they collected it after expulsion.”
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
“…I-I impersonated a student.”
“Impersonated?”
“Yes. At the time, I was in a really bad place. I couldn’t even accept the fact that I got expelled… So I forged a student ID and replicated the uniform, took on missions as an Efnelle student and earned money! That’s really all!”
Her face twisted with shame and sorrow.
“But now the rumors have spread throughout the Holy Federation, so I’m not getting any jobs… That’s why I even turned to dangerous Dark Alliance work…”
[And you expect us to believe such an obvious lie?]
Erzebet scoffed and grabbed the front of the girl’s top.
The girl looked up in confusion as Erzebet pulled hard on her clothing.
Tear—!
“Kyahhh!”
The girl shrieked and shrank back. Erzebet frowned, staring at the torn cloth in her hand.
[…It really is just a piece of cheap fabric.]
The girl sniffled, bowing her head again.
“Don’t be so rough with her.”
Simon stood up and approached.
The girl curled up further, turning her body to hide the ripped part from view.
Rustle.
Simon removed his robe and draped it over her body.
“You okay? Cover up with this.”
“Ah… Thank you!”
The priestess’ eyes welled with gratitude.
And then—
[……]
Erzebet, watching the scene, suddenly felt a surge of tangled emotions.
“I’ll ask again.”
Simon walked back leisurely and sat down.
“For starters… What’s your name?”
His tone was exceptionally gentle. The girl quickly knelt in front of him and replied.
“E-Ellen Zile!”
“How did you receive this mission?”
“Through a broker that crosses the border… I heard there was a well-paying undead extermination request in the Dark Alliance.”
Erzebet didn’t hear a word of Simon’s questioning.
“Have you seen the Lord of Arnish?”
“Ah, yes! I heard about the mission directly from him.”
“Do you have any proof that you received the mission from him? A document, a down payment, anything?”
Everything, absolutely everything, grated on her nerves.
Simon, being kind to some priestess.
The priestess, gazing at Simon with warm eyes as they talked.
‘……’
Violet petals drifted through the air.
Between the two exchanging words, Erzebet saw a familiar scene.
It was still vivid. A field full of blooming violets, where a man and woman whispered their love to one another.
The man she once loved more than anyone, Richard Follentia.
The woman who stole that man from her, Anna Cross.
It was the same back then. Erzebet, following Richard out of a bad feeling, had witnessed them embracing in the bushes.
A necromancer and a priestess, sharing a kiss.
[……]
She thought she had forgotten.
But her heart, that terrible thing called a heart, was once again forming an eternal hell within her chest.
“Alright, that should be enough.”
Simon had obtained the document provided by the broker, the down payment from the lord, and even the forged Efnelle student ID.
Ellen didn’t care about money, she just wanted to survive. No matter what, she just wanted to live.
[Boy. What are you going to use those for?]
“I’m going to visit the lord later.”
Simon grinned.
“Might as well squeeze him for everything he’s got.”
[Kahahaha! Good, good. You really are Richard’s son!]
“U-Um…”
Ellen looked at Simon nervously and asked carefully,
“Then… may I go now…?”
[Simon Follentia, was it?]
Erzebet cut Ellen off.
[Your proposal to join the Legion. I accept.]
Simon’s eyes widened.
“Really?”
[Yes. But on one condition.]
Her gaze sharpened like a blade.
[You must strangle that priestess to death. Right now.]
Ellen’s face turned white.
[That is my only condition.]
“……”
Simon raised his head and looked directly at Erzebet.
Their eyes met, and Erzebet felt her heart begin to pound wildly.
He really did resemble him.
That man.
She thought she would feel nothing but disgust. A child born of Richard and that woman she despised.
But no.
That expressionless face made her heart race uncontrollably.
It shattered the hell in her heart and cast a warm spring over it.
Even she couldn’t understand her own feelings.
Richard again?
Have you still not gotten over him?
Was all that talk about hate just words?
Aren’t you ashamed?
He’s half that woman’s blood.
“But.”
Erzebet shut her eyes tightly.
She really didn’t want to admit it.
But already, she could no longer escape.
“I am Erzebet, general of the Spider Legion.”
At last, Simon opened his mouth.
“Tell me why I must strangle Ellen to death.”
[It’s proof.]
Erzebet said.
[I want to see if you are worthy of being served as my master.]
“So.”
Simon’s voice was calm, completely sunken.
“What I’m asking is, why do I need to prove I’m worthy of your service?”
[…Pardon?]
“I think you’re seriously mistaken.”
Simon slowly rose from his seat.
“It’s true you were once part of my father’s Legion, but my father is my father, and I am me. I will build my Legion based on my own judgment and standards. And from what I’ve observed so far, you…”
Simon’s voice turned cold.
“…are disqualified.”
It pierced through her chest.
Shattered her heart, reigniting the hell within.
“You’re an undead, yet you’re far too emotional. You’re swayed by your feelings and don’t even know what truly matters. What could killing that girl possibly prove?”
Her heart stung, and she felt a sinking in her chest.
She felt utterly exposed.
“Even this talk about proof is just an excuse. You’re only doing what you want. You’re impulsive, trying to manipulate me with base desires. I can neither trust nor rely on someone like you. There’s no room in my new Legion for someone so unstable.”
Simon turned his back.
“That’s enough. Let’s go, Feer, Ellen.”
[……]
The moment she saw Simon’s back, Erzebet nearly reached out without thinking.
“Seems like…”
Simon glanced back, his gaze ice-cold.
“…I’ve just wasted my time.”
* * *
As night deepened, Simon left the abandoned castle and was on his way to the lord’s estate with Feer and Ellen.
[But boy,]
Feer said,
[Are you really giving up on Erzebet? She has a lot of useful abilities.]
“No way.”
Simon replied with a subtle smile.
“This was just a power play. If I don’t want to be pushed around by someone as obsessive as Erzebet in the future, this was a necessary move. But one thing’s certain, she’ll have no choice but to come find me eventually.”
Feer grinned.
[So, does that mean… even getting struck by that holy spear was all part of your plan?]
“I’ll plead the fifth on that.”
Feer chuckled.
[Hah! You sneaky little runt… Scheming like that, you really are your father’s son! Kahaha!]
Ellen, who had been quietly watching Simon from the side, spoke up,
“I’m really sorry about attacking you earlier.”
“No, Ellen. It’s not like you aimed at me on purpose.”
“But are you really okay? You were pierced through the chest by a holy spear…”
Simon rubbed his chest casually and said,
“I’m fine. Fortunately, it seems the spear didn’t go through my Core directly.”
“Oh, thank goodness!”
In truth, though Simon was unaware, the holy spear had pierced his Core cleanly.
Feer had seen it too. At first, consumed with rage over the absurd loss of his contractor, he’d been ready to tear apart both Erzebet and the priestess, but when he checked, Simon’s Core was intact. The Legion’s contract had taken no damage either.
It was something that shouldn’t be possible, so Feer could only assume the spear had miraculously missed the Core.
‘How bizarre.’
A Core that remains unbroken even when pierced by holiness.
…No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t make sense.
“Feer? What are you doing back there?”
[Nothing, I’m coming.]
Superb.