Is it wrong for me to like seeing the villain suffer [38]
“Is your body okay?”
I didn't answer, and just stared at the corridor through which the wizard entered.
'As long as the road is not blocked... if you pretend to pass casually and make a loud noise...'
I was thinking about that, but it was as if he read my thoughts and said:
“It's no use screaming. The entrance to this place is sealed with a special magic. From the outside, no sound can be heard coming from here.”
“…….”
“Are you feeling better now? Do you still feel uncomfortable?”
The magician asked me, looking up at me.
“Tell me, what is the meaning of the so-called ruler?”
I opened my mouth, ignoring his words, and only then did a reassuring smile appear on his face, as if he felt relieved.
“The meaning is clear as it is. The white hair and those eyes... You are the woman who appeared in the revelation.”
His speech style was strange, mixing respectful language with ordinary speech, and it seemed that he was not completely fluent in the language of the Empire.
While I was looking at him silently, he placed his hand on his chest and said:
“My name is Lako, the wizard of the Bannako tribe.”
'I know that.'
Bennako, the tribe that was eliminated by the Emperor.
They lived in Mount Krum and worshiped demons.
'Do you think he wants to use me as a hostage to revive his tribe? Or is it out of revenge?'
I kept staring at him absentmindedly, my thoughts racing non-stop.
'As for the worst possibilities...'
Perhaps there was no purpose other than vile amusement, so my kidnapping was merely an outlet for anger.
Then I will remain here a prisoner, subject to all kinds of humiliation.
'...Like it happened to avenge me.'
“…….”
I had an idea like this as the first thing that would come to my mind in a situation like this, and then I realized too late that I wasn't in my right mind.
I took a deep breath, 'Hmm,' and felt like I had lost my sense of reality.
The strangest thing is that this realization did not leave a significant impact on me, only a slight emptiness.
To hide that emptiness, a bright smile appeared on my face unconsciously.
“Do you intend to kill me?”
I said this, directing my gaze to the man named Laco, in a warm and calm tone that did not fit the content of the question at all.
Lako kept staring at me without answering.
“If your intention was to play with me and then kill me, you wouldn’t have responded to my request if I begged you to end my matter quickly, would you? Fine, then...”
'Maybe it's better that I take the initiative before I'm even robbed of the freedom to choose death...'
“…….”
I felt my vision suddenly darken at that moment.
"Your face is pale. Is your stomach hurting? Weird... It was just a sleeping spell."
Lacko jumped to his feet and suddenly extended his hand to my forehead.
Thanks to that movement, I quickly regained consciousness and retreated, avoiding his hand extending towards me.
'...No, wait a minute. I shouldn't give up so quickly… I haven't seen Arkle's tears yet!'
Yes, even then I can't die.
Confusion appeared on his features as he did not expect me to avoid his hand.
I laughed lightly and simply said:
“Revenge won’t actually change anything. Besides, I’m not even from the imperial family. Wouldn’t it be better if you sent me to Arkle for ransom—”
"Not revenge. Quite the opposite. The reason I brought you, Governor, is…"
He paused for a moment, then continued speaking slowly:
“Atonement.”
“Atonement?”
I repeated the question, not believing my ears, and he nodded.
“Yes, atonement. There is something that terrifies me... and that is the life after death.”
“…….”
“All the people of Bennako believe in the ruler and serve him.”
He meant the devil they worshiped.
“We made sacrifices to him regularly, and made plans to expand the land where he lived.”
'The offerings, that is, there is no doubt that they were human sacrifices...and the plans, meant the invasion campaign led by the tribe's leader against the lands of the empire, before the emperor eliminated them.'
‘But since their numbers were so many, if they had really launched an invasion, it would have been extremely dangerous.’
“I didn't do anything myself. I just made cursed weapons in order to become a great wizard.”
‘This is a crime in itself, not “nothing” as he says.’
But I did not say that. I simply responded coldly: “I understand.”
My response was humorless, but he continued his speech indifferently.
“However, the plan failed, and the leaders died... and the elders who planned with us were also killed. As for me, I remained alive. Then I realized something...”
Laku raised his head and looked up at the sky.
Although it was obscured by the rock ceiling, it seemed to be staring beyond it.
“After we served the ruler loyally...? What happened to the leader and the rest of the people? Did they receive punishment from the ruler?”
“…….”
“Maybe I knew deep down. That ruler we worshiped...was not a being capable of saving dead souls.”
“Wow...a really great find.”
I didn't mean to be sarcastic, but the words came out of my mouth uncontrollably.
When the Emperor decided to eliminate the Banaku tribe, it was not just because they worshiped Satan.
Rather, because that tribe had made various brutal acts, including the human sacrifices Lacque mentioned, ingrained “customs.”
The effects of these “customs” have long affected the villages near Mount Krum.
In any case, Laco seemed to have a subconscious awareness that these actions were not right.
‘Therefore, after witnessing the death of the leader and the sheikhs, he adhered to the idea of atonement...’
In other words, this man is now searching for redemption.
'But what do I have to do with this?'
I am far from saving anyone, I am better at seducing people and bringing them down than saving them.
'Unfortunately for him, he became attached to me in particular... a truly lost deal.'
I was feeling sorry for him inside, while he looked at me with strangely sparkling eyes, then his voice came out low:
“You, ruler... are my means of atonement.”
“Why me in particular?”
“I did not pray to the ruler of Bennaco... but to another ruler I did not know. Whoever he was, just to help me... to guide me to the path of forgiveness... so that I might be rewarded in the next life after death.”
“You seem very confident that there is life after death.”
Lako ignored my sarcastic words.
“On that day, a revelation landed in a dream. A white void with nothing in it... And in the middle was a woman with silver hair and pink eyes... She smiled at me with a warm, radiant smile. And when I woke up, I realized.”
Lacko knelt in front of me again.
His golden eyes sparkled with a mad sparkle as he raised his voice little by little until he almost shouted:
“I realized that it was a revelation...! And that the way to my salvation after death is to serve you with all my being, O Ruler!”
“Ha-ha-ha!”
I burst out laughing unintentionally.
Only then did Laku's face, which was not disturbed no matter what I said, distort.
“…Why are you laughing?”
“Nothing...just because you're crazier than I thought. Oh, sorry if I upset you.”
“…….”
He looked at me while hearing my laughter, then spoke again in a slightly calmer tone:
“It's okay. Even if you find it ridiculous, my resolve will not be shaken.”
“Haha…but tell me, how did you know I was coming to Kelston?”
“After I received the revelation, I stayed here thinking about how to reach you. Until one day I read fortunes, and I realized the truth.”
Lacko reached out to gently close his hands on mine.
“I'm not a fan of that kind of touching.”
I said coldly, but he ignored me.
“I realized that I did not have to go to you... because you were on your way here. Then I realized that this was all the will of the ruler... and that you and I were linked by fate.”
"Mmm. It's unfortunate, but you should practice your flirting skills more. The most cliché in flirting is fate... or something like that."
I smiled with fake regret, and Lako merely stared at me silently.
He wasn't completely stupid, at least.
“Then touching without permission is also counted as a negative point.”
I resolutely pulled my hand from his.
Despite my smile, the atmosphere between us was filled with coldness.
Lako broke the silence first:
“…I will ask one question.”
"Ask a hundred if you want. Can't we get out of here first and then have a question-and-answer session?"
“Do you think I can’t make amends?”
"Why not? Humans are capable of change if they are determined. But by doing so, you increase your sins many times over, right?"
There was a moment of silence.
“…I see. Your answer is this then.”
Lako got up and started muttering strange words in an incomprehensible language:
“ɵʞØßŋđ, ɵʞØßŋđ…”
I quickly tried to cover my ears, but my arms became stiff and I couldn't move them.
It is true that my consciousness did not fade away like the previous time, but I felt that my entire body had frozen.
Nevertheless, she stared at him sharply and smiled sarcastically:
“Haha, congratulations, you have added a new sin to your list of sins.”
As for him, he was not disturbed this time, but rather smiled, looking at me:
“There is no need for you to move, Governess. I will be your hands and feet. I will serve you here for life.”
Then he opened his arms as if overwhelmed with emotion and shouted:
“From now on, this place is our temple! You are my idol… and you alone—”
BOOM!!!!
A massive, almost deafening explosion rang out, and he swallowed his last words.
Laku turned to the source of the voice, anger and confusion reflected on his face.
One of the cave walls had collapsed miserably.
Among the rising dust and rubble, the shadow of a person appeared advancing.
He was kicking.
“Impossible... I put up tight barriers... How—?”
I turned to Lako, who was muttering in confusion, and said in a voice dripping with sarcasm:
“What a shame... No sooner had I built the temple than it collapsed. Were you insured?”
***
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