[V11C29] Scary as Usual
Translated by Jodas 11: Envoy of the AbyssThe effect brought about by Tia’s choral magic was a subtle thing.
Yet thanks to that subtle push, those who cowered in fear were spared of the chance their body might try to kill itself.
Julius held a hand over his heart. He thanked his stars that he could still feel it beating steadily. When the fear first hit him, he felt as if his heart had just stopped cold. If that lasted a little longer, he may well have come to terms with that sensation and accepted his own death.
(…Tia’s song saved me.)
At the same time, he finally understood a question that had been nagging him. Sevil had nothing to do with the Wedge Tower’s secrets. It was Tia who had business with Fiene this whole time.
(So Tia and the Daughter of God know each other? … It doesn’t look like Tia’s very happy about it, though.)
From the moment Tia came into view, Fiene’s eyes had been fixated on her and her alone. And for the briefest of moments, he could feel the girlishness that dwelled within this inhuman deity.
When Julius lifted himself off of the ground, Agniol stopped clinging to him and leapt to action.
The tiny lion bounded high into the air and spewed flames from her mouth. Agniol was greatly weakened compared to her usual strength, but it was nonetheless equivalent to the force of an advanced mage’s flame magecraft.
The King of Monsters held out a hand to guard Fiene. Agniol’s flames dissipated in an instant.
“…A greater spirit, I see.”
The tiny lion responded to the King of Monsters’ muttering by spitting flames.
“I’m a fire spirit! Fear does nothing to me!”
Spirits didn’t have emotions the way a human would. That wasn’t to say that they had no emotions at all, but they were at their core just lumps of concentrated mana. Both their bodies and minds worked in fundamentally different ways to humans.
Agniol glanced to the King’s side towards Fiene.
“Master Julius, I know you said not to hurt that little kid over there, but… I can’t take it any more. Can I burn things now, Young Master?”
“…No. She’s the one Samuel sacrificed everything to save…”
“That was you, Master Julius. You were the one little Samuel wanted to live, not that kid.”
When he learned of Fiene’s existence as the contractor to the Ancient Magical Artifact ‘Chariclea, the Wedge Tower,’ Samuel tried to save her from the clutches of those adults who kept her trapped.
Ultimately, however, he was unable to accomplish that goal. Samuel gave up on saving Fiene and chose instead to protect a future where Julius could live on in peace.
Fiene — the girl whom Samuel could not save — smiled gently.
After being given up on time and again by adults who swore it was ‘In the name of peace’, ‘Because there’s no other way’ or ‘Because there’s nothing we can do‘… how could she smile so peacefully, like she had not a shred of anger in her heart?
Julius clenched his fist and spoke carefully.
“That’s precisely why, Agniol. Don’t kill her.”
Following Julius’ orders, Agniol stopped spewing fire around her. Regardless, if the enemy tried to attack, Agniol would still probably fight back with the biggest fireball she could summon under her current power.
The King of Monsters slowly turned its head to look around.
“…This place is filled with the most intriguing things.”
Each time its silver eyes gazed at someone, that someone would shiver with fear.
Those silver eyes landed on the Primordial Beast, still curled up and intent on sleeping. That massive wolf was the only one who did not shake under the King’s gaze.
Seemingly satisfied by what it saw, the King of Monsters whispered.
“I can see why the Primordial Beast dotes on the young Werewolves so.”
The great silver wolf let out a single huff from his nose.
Once again, the ground shook. This shaking came from the Third Spire: Water Bubble.
The song of a Harpy heralding the birth of a new Monster echoed from that direction. Soon, newborn Monsters would be coming from there.
“Why don’t we change locations?”
The King of Monsters nodded to Fiene’s suggestion. Lifting Fiene with one arm, it kicked gently against the ground and the two of them drifted into the air.
As the distance increased between them and the King of Monsters, Julius slowly found it easier to breathe. Relieved that the source of his fears was drawing away from him, his tensed muscles started to relax… But just when he let his guard down, the King of Monsters’ voice echoed out.
“You may follow me, if you can withstand the Abyss.”
As the King of Monsters flew due North, the only one to follow after without hesitation was Tia.
Their destination was the Third Spire: Water Bubble — There, the stage was set for the final battle.
The fear was like a poison that consumed the heart. Even with the King of Monsters leaving, its lingering effects would not disappear so easily.
Everyone was on their hands and knees, doing everything they could to catch their breaths. In the middle of all this, Gerald forced his shaky legs to bring him over to Sophie.
(The Monsters were clearly trying to kill Sophie… Why did they let her live?)
The whole reason the King of Monsters and Fiene, the Daughter of God, came here in the first place was to kill Sophie.
But in the end, they left without killing her. Something else must have risen up in their priorities, but what?
(…Right, the book!)
She needed a book to seal Monsters away, but she only had one. Sophie had said as much herself.
And if she needed another book, she would have to go to the Library Office.
(The Library Office is in the Third Spire… but that’s taken over by the Abyss now, so it’s basically impossible to get a book from there. That’s why they don’t feel the need to prioritize Sophie anymore.)
That said, it didn’t change the fact that protecting Sophie should be his first priority. After all, she was hit the hardest by the King of Monsters’ fear.
“Sophie, can you breathe?”
“Uuh, uuuaahh…”
“Just exhale first, okay? Exhale, exhale… now inhale.”
Just a second ago, Sophie’s breathing had been exceptionally erratic and concerning, but now it seemed like she had figured out how to breathe again.
Julius, Ella, and Roswitha were all on their knees, shivering from head to toe. They certainly would not be up and walking any time soon.
Only the Primordial beast seemed unbothered, curled up like none of this was his business. What unbelievable stoicism — While Gerald was distracted by those thoughts, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Gerald instinctively turned around only to let out a yelp when he saw who it was.
“B– Brother…”
Behind him stood a tall and lanky young man with dull blond hair. It was Gerald’s older brother, Henrik.
His brother usually came across as a pathetic man, but put a sword in his hands and he was stronger than any other. Scary, too. Plus, Gerald did run away from his duties. He wouldn’t be surprised if his head went flying at any minute.
Gerald reflexively shielded his neck when Henrik pointedly asked.
“Gerhard, answer me honestly. How are you and your friends moving around with the mana density this high?”
Beneath his long bangs, Gerald’s eyes shot open at the unexpected question.
Frankly, he was expecting to hear either a lecture about how he ran away from his duties or an interrogation that began with ‘What the hell are you doing here!?’
(Of course, Brother is the kind of guy who puts all those things to the side until the battle is over.)
His brother’s gaze was sharp, and his determination was as strong as ever. Even in the face of overwhelming fear — even in the King of Monsters’ presence, he maintained his will to fight. His face, however, was concerningly pale. His breaths likewise were shallow and labored.
“Brother? …Oh, wait, don’t tell me… Is the mana density going up again!?”
Gerald frantically took a look around.
All of the soldiers were on their knees in pain. At first he assumed it was just the effects of the King of Monsters’ fear, but there was more to it than that.
(Is it the effect of that… Font of the Abyss thing? The mana density is going up again.)
Gerald pulled a paper-wrapped piece of candy out of his pocket.
These candies that Wren claimed to have received from a ‘witch who happened to pass by’ were potent tools for surviving in high mana density areas. The instructions were to take one in the morning, afternoon, and night; and since he already had his morning candy, he only had two left.
The afternoon was fast approaching, so he would be needing one of them very soon.
With that in mind, Gerald handed his brother the candy he’d saved for tonight.
“Eat this. It should keep you going for six hours or so.”
“Got it.”
Henrik took the candy and put it in his mouth right away. Then, he jumped right to ordering his subordinates.
Those who could still move were to assist those who could not in retreating back to the relative safety of the vines. They were to keep the area surrounded and assist the Wedge Tower mages however they could. Then, once he finished giving his orders, Henrik walked off towards the Third Spire: Water Bubble.
“Gerhard, you stay here and protect those kids. They’re your friends, aren’t they?”
“Brother… are you going after the King of Monsters?”
“Of course I am.”
His brother’s face said ‘Why would you ask such a stupid question?’ Gerald found that all the more terrifying and incomprehensible.
He had just seen the psychological toll of the King of Monsters’ fear and the physical toll of mana density firsthand. He was suffering from both as they spoke. He had to know how unwinnable this would be.
“Brother, you’re not scared at all…?”
He expected to be scolded. “You coward!” If anything, perhaps he wanted to be scolded.
Instead, his brother scratched his head and — as if they were back at home and not on the battlefield — he said:
“No, I’m scared out of my mind.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m always scared. Every time I go to battle.”
“What?”
“But we’re the family that has to fight, even when we’re scared. The same as always.”
Leaving Gerald dumbfounded, Henrik ran off towards the Third Spire.
As always, he couldn’t understand his brother at all. However, he had a feeling that just maybe he had been fearing his brother — or perhaps something in himself — a little too much.
“Gerald… I have bad news.”
Julius stumbled up to him with shaky, uncertain steps.
Showing none of his usual villainous demeanor, he spoke with a grave expression.
“…I can’t find ‘Ignatius, the Severer’ anywhere.”