Chapter 7
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
A child, with calves exposed, enduring a beating that even adults would find difficult to bear for hours.
The child, who was always by Karin's side whenever I visited her mansion, was said to be Karin's personal maid who had been with her since childhood.
Why was she receiving such a severe beating?
When I asked, the butler replied that it was because she had broken a vase cherished by the Count.
"...Did that child really do it?"
"......"
If it was a vase cherished by the Count, it must have been an expensive item worth more than just a gold coin or two.
Even for a child, it seemed somewhat unnatural that breaking such an item would end with just a beating.
Making Karin watch this was even more unnatural.
She never opened her mouth, but I inwardly suspected that Karin was the real culprit who broke the vase.
She probably threatened or persuaded the maid to say she broke it instead.
The wise Count likely noticed this and was both setting an example for the servants and educating his daughter.
Showing that if you lie, your subordinates will suffer such harsh consequences, so you must never do it.
However, Karin's expression...
When the maid was being beaten, there wasn't the slightest hint of remorse on Karin's face.
It's ridiculous to talk about responsibility to a young child, but Karin had been far from the word 'responsibility' since she was young.
It was the same now.
"If it becomes known that we helped an evil god, we might be punished too, right? So why don't we just say the Hero died here and cover up this whole thing?"
In a situation where an unprecedented threat, perhaps even more dangerous than the war with the demon race, has befallen the world, all she worried about was her own safety.
I don't think self-preservation is inherently bad.
Sacrifice is praised as noble because not everyone can do it.
Honestly, if a situation arose where I had to sacrifice myself immediately, I'm not sure how I would act.
But in this situation where not only her own life but also her family's safety might be at risk, her selfishness was honestly hard to tolerate.
And Meria felt the same way.
"Do you have any—"
As Meria, with an even sterner expression than usual, was about to snap at Karin while pointing at her.
"No. I'll speak."
"......"
I stepped in first.
Meria, perhaps guessing from my calm demeanor that I was familiar with this situation, surprisingly readily left it to me.
Frankly, Karin lacks maturity.
She's the type of woman who acts without responsibility and runs away when problems arise.
In the past, I thought this was her own kind of free-spiritedness, but now I know that's not the case.
If I were to talk about responsibility and say it's not morally right, she probably wouldn't even pretend to listen.
She's saying such childish things because she doesn't want to take responsibility.
"Even if we honestly confess everything, we won't be punished."
"What do you mean?"
So I persuaded her. That no matter how things unfold, we won't be punished.
"The planners of this operation were the generals of the human alliance, and it was approved by the kings of the allied nations. We weren't involved in the planning of the operation."
If the operation had failed or gone wrong midway, it might be different, but we perfectly completed the mission given to us.
Therefore, if anyone is to be held responsible, it's the generals who planned the operation and the kings of the allied nations who approved it.
"If they try to hold us responsible, they would have to hold themselves accountable as well."
"So you're saying they'll cover this up?"
"No, they'll shift the blame. It's not our fault. How could we, mere humans, distinguish the machinations of an evil god?"
Gods are convenient beings in a sense.
If the opponent were someone humans could face, it would be a mistake, but if it's a god, there's nothing we can do.
After all, no one can be superior to a god.
"No matter how the story unfolds, we alone won't be held responsible. From the start, this isn't a problem that can be solved by us taking responsibility."
"...Hmm, I see."
Just as Karin nodded and the tense atmosphere was about to ease, Meria spoke up in a harsh tone.
"That's right. I don't understand why we need to persuade you about this issue in the first place."
"What?"
Meria, who had been standing with her arms crossed and eyes closed, started speaking in a rough tone.
"You're not the leader of this party, nor have you contributed anything to defeating the Demon King. You can't even claim a higher social status than us. Do you think you have any right to make decisions?"
"Why are you picking a fight suddenly? And if you're going to argue like that, aren't you the same?"
"Yes, I haven't contributed to defeating the Demon King either, so I have no rights just like you. But at least I didn't spout nonsense about covering this up."
"......"
"I'm not expecting anything moral from you. But at least show some effort not to make the atmosphere unpleasant."
The atmosphere that had just calmed down flared up again.
Meria and Karin engaged in a battle of nerves, staring at each other for a while, while the Holy Saint and I let out small sighs.
After an intense standoff, it was Karin who first lowered her tail and averted her eyes.
Whether by coincidence or subconscious impulse, her gaze was directed at the Hero lying on the floor.
Speaking of qualifications.
Because the original leader, the Hero, had ended up in that state, I had temporarily taken the lead, but I didn't think I was making any decisions.
If rights were to be given based on contributions to this operation, not only I but also the Holy Saint would have those rights.
After all, when it comes to just assassinating the Demon King, there's not much difference between us and the Hero.
"Holy Saint, what are your thoughts?"
"...Huh?"
"This operation was approved by His Holiness as well. So, won't His Holiness also attend when we explain this matter?"
"...Y-yes, I suppose so."
"So if you have any good ideas..."
I stopped there.
I couldn't possibly ask for her opinion as she buried her face in her neatly gathered knees and cried.
Perhaps mentioning His Holiness was a mistake.
Since the Pope of the Holy Kingdom was the one who took her in, I should have been more careful with my words.
"Haa..."
In just one day, or more precisely, in just a few hours, too many problems had arisen.
I too closed my eyes for a moment, as my head couldn't keep up with managing the situation.
If only I could sleep forever like this, at least I wouldn't have to worry about this problem.
"This guy woke up."
Yes, I'm so mentally and physically exhausted that I almost envy the unconscious Hero...
Huh?
"...Karin, what did you just say?"
"I said this guy woke up. He was moving a bit earlier."
Everyone's gaze turned to what used to be the Hero.
Perhaps sensing the attention, small waves rippled across the massive body.
"...Let's get up. Hero."
*****
I approached him closely and whispered in his ear.
With a slight sneer, I called him by the title of Hero, a name he could never reclaim.
This incomprehensible being, a trial sent by the evil god whose identity no one knew, seemed to think he could gloss over the situation by pretending to be asleep.
However, while he might be skilled in evil deeds, he had little talent for acting, so it wasn't a particularly meaningful resistance.
His irregular breathing, too awkward for someone truly asleep, and the rippling of his skin with each breath.
Seeing no reason to continue watching this meaningless resistance, I reached out to him and said:
"I've mastered all the magic of the magic tower in the past. Among them were torture spells. Shall we bet on how long you can hold back your screams while feeling like your head is splitting open?"
"......"
A threat that was entirely possible to carry out.
It was probably more effective because it was well known that I harbored ill feelings towards him.
"Ah, alright... I'll get up, okay?"
"Yes, if you cooperate willingly, we have no intention of doing anything harsh."
"R-really...?"
"It's not that I don't have ill feelings towards you. But right now, every second is too precious to push my personal emotions."
Now, what should I ask first?
There are so many mysteries that it's difficult to decide where to start.
"I have many questions, but let's start with this. Who are you?"
"...Kim Yeomjin."
"Kim Yeomjin?"
I remember hearing the surname Kim before, but the name Yeomjin was completely unfamiliar.
No, even before its unfamiliarity, this was the first time I'd heard of a name in this format.
"Are you from a distant foreign land?"
"...Something like that."
If that's the reason, I can understand his appearance, which is clearly different from ours, from his features.
"When Bel Zuma first appeared, you already seemed acquainted with her. Judging by your surprised expression, you probably haven't met frequently."
"...That's right. That was the second time."
"The first time must have been when you received power from her. What did Bel Zuma command you to do then? What kind of deal was made?"
"...It's a long story."
Kim Yeomjin paused for a moment before speaking.
For claiming it was a long story, it was a short tale that didn't even take a few minutes.
However, even that short time was more than enough to make me, to make us, angry.
"To summarize what you've said, you died after being hit by a vehicle called a car on your way to school. At that time, Bel Zuma appeared, saying it was a mistake by God, and as compensation, gifted you a new life along with a power called 'cheat'."
"......"
"Bel Zuma asked you, who was born with the mark of God, to defeat the Demon King. You accepted this request, which led to the current situation. Is that correct?"
"...Yes."
In the end, it meant he knew nothing.
How useless...